Life In The Reverse World

“I didn’t expect you to know so much about haiku, Hoshikawa. Have you ever thought about joining the literature club? Everyone there is really friendly, and seniors who’ve already gone to university often come back to organize activities.”

“Brother, don’t drag Haru… Hoshikawa into your stupid club too!”

Chouko couldn’t hold back, snapping him back to reality.

“Sorry, Sato-senpai. A friend already invited me to a sports club…” Harutaki declined gently, then looked at Chouko. “…By the way, I think I saw you at the Toho cinema. Shihou, did you watch the 3 p.m. showing of ‘His Name’ today too?”

“…Yeah. I did.”

As if you didn’t know already?!

Chouko forced a smile to avoid tipping Onii off, while her sunset-gold eyes glared fiercely at Harutaki.

Onii was completely led around by this “scumbag,” acting even warmer toward him than toward her, his own childhood friend.

Did he have any idea what Harutaki had done to her in the theater?!

Even though she knew full well she’d accepted it herself, stepping straight into his arms without hesitation.

“Oh? Miss country girl, have you ever thought about becoming a Tokyo handsome boy like me?”

Harutaki stroked his chin and asked theatrically.

Hearing “country girl,” Sato almost protested, but before he could speak, he sensed the atmosphere. Neither Ayaka nor Chouko seemed offended. If anything, they looked amused by Harutaki’s tone and expression.

Of course… I really am just a gloomy bookworm…

The excitement drained away, replaced by embarrassment as he recalled his abrupt invitation earlier. Watching Chouko’s radiant smile and listening to Harutaki’s effortless banter, a crushing inferiority welled up inside him.

He felt like an outsider, unable even to nod and say “me too.” He was afraid of ruining the mood, of becoming even more out of place.

This is how gloomy people survive, he thought bitterly. Being a spectator who tries not to cause trouble, an invisible person.

“Huh? If I had to look at your face every morning in the mirror, I’d probably lose my appetite and get stomach problems. Becoming a ‘Tokyo handsome boy’ sounds fine, but becoming a ‘Tokyo handsome boy like you’ is a hard pass.”

Chouko smiled sweetly and tossed the joke back at him.

“I think it’d be great. We’ll have Shihou-senpai move into the Hoshikawa house, and as for you, Aniki, you can go be homeless at Tokyu Plaza.”

Ayaka tilted her body and rested her head against Chouko’s chest, making Harutaki openly envious.

“Ahem. Young ladies, you misunderstand. I’m a talent scout. I’m inviting you to join our agency. After signing and training, you’ll eventually become dazzling, just like me. A truly sparkly ‘Tokyo heartthrob.’ KiraKira.”

Using a mature voice, Harutaki added two slices of grilled pork belly and handed one each to Chouko and Ayaka.

“Here’s my business card.”

“Pfft… Hahaha. Pork belly business card? Hoshikawa, are you that ‘pig-head’ everyone talks about?”

“Ugh, that KiraKira stuff is so gross. Hearing you say it makes my skin crawl.”

After biting into the lightly crisped pork belly, Chouko and Ayaka burst into laughter together.

“S-Sorry. Excuse me for a moment…”

The atmosphere had grown too rich for Sato to remain.

Like a single popsicle in the blazing summer sun, completely enveloped by heat.

Even though he had his own thoughts about ‘His Name,’ he couldn’t voice them.

He could read the room. And he knew that even Chouko wouldn’t want to hear his report-like analysis.

He remembered what some of his senpais had said about him, and gloom settled in.

“Sato, you’re not good at expressing emotions, but your writing is solid, and your ideas are straightforward. Maybe being a writer would suit you.”

“…I’m going to the restroom.”

From long experience as a gloomy person, he knew that staying any longer would only make things awkward for everyone.

“Go and come back quick, Onii Cold barbecue isn’t tasty, and we’re not saving any just for you.”

Once Sato left, Chouko’s expression changed instantly. She puffed her cheeks and glared at Harutaki.

“Hoshikawa, you were way too much…”

“Don’t want to eat the meat I grilled anymore?”

Harutaki raised an eyebrow, looking up from the shrimp he was tending.

“N-No… gulp… I do want it…”

Faced with the aroma of shrimp sizzling with lemon juice, Chouko couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

How sneaky.

How underhanded.

How shameless.

“Here.”

Without thinking, she leaned forward and ate the shrimp Harutaki held out with his chopsticks.

Chew.

You jerk!

Chew.

You devil!

“Want more?”

“…Yes.”

She nodded.

“I’ll give some to Ayaka first. Shihou, wait a moment.”

The chopsticks heading toward her suddenly changed direction halfway and went to Ayaka instead.

“Thanks, Onii-chan~”

“Guh!”

Scumbag!

Sis-con!

“This one’s for you.”

“Th-Thank you…”

As she chewed the slightly sour, springy shrimp, she kept mercilessly beating up a tiny doll labeled “Harutaki” in her head.

I’m not honest at all, she thought. I’m such an idiot. And Harutaki is the biggest idiot of all.

“Um… could you teach me how to grill meat properly? Like you do, Hoshikawa?”

Seeing Harutaki constantly busy grilling for her and Ayaka, barely having time to eat himself, Chouko spoke up and asked.

It was just so she wouldn’t embarrass herself the next time she ate barbecue with someone else. Absolutely not because she wanted Harutaki to rest a bit and try her grilling!

“How to grill, huh…”

Harutaki called over a server to replace the grill with a clean one. After thinking for a moment, he explained the oddly familiar knowledge that surfaced in his mind.

“First, check whether the grill’s been oiled. Usually it has.”

He looked down.

Nope. Not oiled at all.

“In that case, you start with fatty wagyu. Let the beef fat coat the grill. It adds flavor and keeps the meat from sticking or burning. Anything marinated in sauce should go on later, since sauce burns easily and messes up the rest of the grilling…”

After one full round of demonstration, Harutaki handed the tongs to Chouko so she could try herself.

“…Remember, don’t keep flipping it back and forth. Ideally, flip it only once. About like that. Of course, the most important thing is controlling the heat. Just observe it the way I explained.”

“Heh heh. Watch the performance of genius Chouko.”

Rolling up her sleeves confidently, Chouko grabbed a slice of wagyu with the tongs.

Thin cuts and meat that cooks quickly taste best over strong heat.

She carefully placed the wagyu in the center of the grill, laying it flat so it would heat evenly.

However, even though she focused intently, she accidentally tipped all the rendered beef fat into the flames while flipping it. The fire flared up, instantly engulfing the meat.

“I-It should be okay… right?”

Looking at the slice on her plate, with several slightly charred spots, she spoke without any confidence.

Tap.

A pair of chopsticks entered her field of view and snatched the wagyu from her plate. Harutaki’s voice followed.

“Mm… it’s fine. Pretty good, actually. For a beginner, this is already really impressive.”

“Liar…”

She knew how it tasted. Burnt meat like that couldn’t possibly be good.

“I can feel the sincerity in it. Really. I’m not lying.”

“Then tell me what you felt, you lying Hoshikawa.”

Eating something awful on purpose and claiming it tastes good was such an overused move!

Watching Harutaki frown, Chouko bit her lower lip, scolding him over and over in her heart.

“It tastes like being married for seven years.”

“…Huh?”

“Super bitter.”

“Pfft…”

Seeing Harutaki clutch his throat and stick out his tongue, Chouko burst out laughing.

She really wanted to bonk this idiot on the head with the tongs.

“I-I’m not very good at flipping, and I’m scared to grill a lot of pieces at once… Hoshikawa, could you slow down and show me again?”

“No problem. It’s my honor to serve Lady Shihou.”

“Don’t copy the way I talk!”

When Harutaki took the tongs from her, his hand brushed against her right hand by accident. The smooth, delicate feel of the girl’s skin traveled instantly to his fingertips, making his mind wander despite his intention to focus on teaching.

“Gently grip the edge, then lift it with steady speed and motion. After flipping, remember to press it down a bit so the center, which cooks the slowest, gets enough heat…”

A moment later, as Chouko chewed the wagyu she’d grilled for the first time under Harutaki’s guidance, a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

It still couldn’t compare to Harutaki’s skill, but at least she wouldn’t mess up the next time she ate barbecue on her own.

Just as she was about to thank him, Harutaki proposed his “fee” for the lesson.

“Like before in the train car, a small hug should be fine, right?”

“B-But I… I…”

“A good friend successfully grilling tasty meat for the first time. A celebratory hug is totally normal~”

“Th-Then… okay.”

Chouko nodded and agreed.

We’ve hugged several times already anyway, she told herself. Just a celebration between “good friends”… yeah, a celebration!

As the boy’s presence suddenly enveloped her, Chouko felt a strange illusion. This embrace felt even hotter than the blazing grill in front of them. Yet what it brought her wasn’t the grill’s harsh heat, but a warmth that made her want to draw closer.

Her small earlobe, half-hidden by jet-black hair, the slight curve of her neck, and the fine down on the graceful, swan-like nape were all clearly visible to Harutaki now.

Still, expecting to smell a girl’s natural fragrance in a barbecue restaurant was asking too much.

Lowering his head slightly after hugging her, Harutaki sniffed, thinking it smelled more like an irresistibly tempting fatty aroma.

“If we don’t keep grilling, we’re wasting money.”

Chouko turned her head. A cherry-blossom blush spread across her fair cheeks, as if she’d simply gotten too close to the grill and overheated.

Knowing exactly why, Harutaki didn’t dare meet her eyes. He quickly looked away, released the girl from his arms, and returned to his seat on unsteady legs.

“M-Maybe try grilling once more? You might get even better.”

“…Mm.”

“So embarrassing~”

Watching the two of them, Ayaka hugged her own shoulders, her face burning red.

None of the three noticed that near the restaurant restroom, a figure over 170 centimeters tall stood frozen in place, not taking a single step for more than ten seconds.

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