NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 153
Cherry blossom petals symbolizing spring danced in the fresh breeze, adding beauty to the warm scenery.
The wind that brushed past the cherry blossoms blew against my face, and as it did, the refreshing scent of spring filled my lungs, cleansing my darkened heart.
A familiar sight.
A path made of regularly placed bricks, with cherry trees standing on both sides.
And my attention was inevitably drawn to couples and married people walking down the street, embracing each other.
What was I doing again?
Ah, right.
Just like any other day, I was on my way home after buying something to eat at the convenience store.
Feeling miserable while watching these happy folks as I walked home.
Just like usual, I forced a smile and hid my feelings, acting like a normal person on my way home.
Living a life stuck in my room playing games means you start to worry about what others think of you.
Even if I didn’t want to, my instincts made those around me fearful.
Just then, as I pondered while walking down the path—
“Gi-seong Oppa!”
A weak voice called out, as if someone was putting in a great effort to shout.
Oh?
Until now, the only connections I had were with people who commented on my posts in a community.
Who in reality would call my name?
As that thought crossed my mind, I turned in the direction of the voice and instantly felt my breath catch in my throat.
A girl in a school uniform was running towards me.
A girl with beautiful pink hair and snow-white skin.
Oh?
Did I have such a young acquaintance?
I had lost even friends my own age by this point, hadn’t I?
After a brief moment of panic,
The girl reached right in front of me, out of breath, gripping her knees as she gasped.
“Who are you…?”
“Oh my gosh, Oppa! Are you really pretending not to know?!”
No, who are you?
As I looked at her with a genuinely puzzled expression, she puffed her chest in frustration and said,
“It’s me! Chiyo!”
What?
That name was quite unique.
Chiyo?
That sounded like a name someone from Japan would have.
Oh?
Wait, was that wrong?
I felt something click in my head, and suddenly I was shocked.
“Ah, oh! Yeah. Chiyo, hi?”
“What?! Were you trying to ignore me?! You graduated from high school, leaving me behind!”
“Oh, no. I just didn’t want to act like I knew you in such a crowded place.”
Why had I forgotten her?
Chiyo.
She was one of the few kids who were friendly with me until I graduated from high school.
When others avoided me, calling me an otaku, she was the only one who simply approached me.
“Am I embarrassing you?”
“No, I’m just embarrassed to be with you…”
“Hmm. Looks like someone killed your self-esteem again.”
Chiyo said this and suddenly came close to me with a sly grin.
Not knowing what she was up to, I stared at her in a daze and soon regretted staying still.
“Ch-Chiyo?! What are you doing?!”
“What does it look like? It’s a project to boost your self-esteem.”
As she said this, Chiyo suddenly looped her arm around mine.
Even trying to get away was useless against her stubborn grip, so I had no choice but to let it be.
Seeing me relax, Chiyo whispered in my ear.
“What’s it like to be an adult and have a high school junior link arms with you?”
Though her tone and actions were lively, there was something alluring about her expression that made it hard to face her directly.
Eventually, unable to bear it anymore, I turned my head, and I heard a soft laugh.
“Ah, you turned your head.”
I had felt this way before in high school, but…
Chiyo really gave off the vibe of a succubus from a manga.
She probably didn’t realize it.
“Hey, let go! People are watching.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“No, don’t say stuff like that.”
“Then how about I ‘bowl’ you over?”
Where did she learn such otherworldly humor?
At that moment, my embarrassment vanished, and I instinctively gave her a playful flick on the head.
Thud!
“Ow! An adult is hitting a student!”
“Hey, what are you…”
“This won’t do!”
As Chiyo said this, she really pulled out her phone and dialed 112…
“Hey, what are you doing?!”
“Huh? Are you really going to report me?”
She said this with a seriously mischievous smile, looking like she was just playing around, but I remembered her doing this in high school too, accidentally calling 112, which got us scolded by the police.
As that memory flashed in my mind, I couldn’t help but pull my arm back to stop her.
She grinned with a hint of mischief, then grabbed my arm and started pulling me somewhere.
“What, where are we going?!”
“Behave yourself if you don’t want to get reported, Oppa.”
She said this and pointed somewhere.
“So just hang out with me for a bit.”
#
So where did Chiyo drag me?
To a women’s clothing store near the street.
Oh?
Why am I here?
I looked at the culprit who brought me here with a blank expression.
She dragged me here after threatening to call 112.
Meanwhile, she seemed happy, smiling and browsing through clothes.
Every time she found something she liked, I felt as if horns were sprouting from my head, but they faded away quickly, probably just my imagination.
Watching Chiyo roam around, I noticed the shop owner glancing at me.
Feeling embarrassed, I awkwardly waved, and she suddenly approached me with a sales smile, striking up a conversation.
“Are you her boyfriend?”
“Uh, what?!”
Me, her boyfriend?
No way.
Compared to Chiyo, I was definitely lacking.
But the shop assistant tilted her head in surprise, saying,
“Oh, I see you weren’t. I’m sorry! You two look so good together, I couldn’t help but assume…”
“Me?!”
“Haha, well, if a handsome guy and a beautiful girl walk into a store together, who wouldn’t think they’re a couple?”
Feeling something was off with the shop assistant’s words, I looked in the mirror and felt a bit flustered.
Oh?
When did I have white hair and blue eyes?
I had always thought I was a bit uglier and stockier than this…
“Oppa! How about this one?!”
While I was flustered by the assistant’s comments, I heard Chiyo’s voice from afar.
No, she could pick out clothes by herself; why was I…
I had no expertise in women’s clothing.
As I thought this, I saw the pajama Chiyo lifted up.
Boom.
In an instant, blood rushed to my face, and I felt my cheeks get hot.
It was pajamas.
But they looked quite revealing, almost like underwear.
“Huh.”
While I was flustered, the salesgirl tried hard not to burst out laughing at what Chiyo was holding.
“It seems she’s really enthusiastic about this.”
Sigh.
Why is she acting like this today?
#
In the end, the clothes we bought were quite ordinary.
A hoodie, jeans, and a skirt that someone her age would wear?
Fortunately, she didn’t buy those pajamas she picked up.
Yet, just the image of Chiyo in that outfit kept my face burning even now.
“Ah, Oppa! Are you thinking something weird again?”
“What, what weird thought?”
“Your face is red!”
Chiyo pointed to my face, causing me to cover it with my hands.
As she laughed at me, I heard her take a breath and felt her grab my wrist.
She then pushed my hand away and leaned her face close to mine, making me lose my breath for a moment.
She was truly beautiful.
She looked just like a succubus from one of the games I used to play.
That succubus’s name was Nutricha, right? I think so.
Oh, it felt somehow familiar.
“Hehe, your embarrassed face is hilarious.”
She said that with a satisfied expression, and as she danced away from me, I sighed.
My heart raced madly.
It must have been because I was so close to Chiyo’s stunning face.
Why was she treating me like this instead of some acceptable guy?
Though my reflection in the mirror seemed strange, normally guys look better in mirrors.
Chiyo, oblivious to my feelings, dashed forward and waved me over.
“Oppa! Hurry up! Why are you so slow?!”
Chiyo smiled brightly as she shouted.
“Let’s go to karaoke! I really want to go after hearing that song in the clothes store earlier!”
Watching Chiyo run ahead, humming the song from the store, the awkward feelings I had earlier melted away, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Despite her looks, Chiyo was still the same delightful girl she had always been.
She had brightened my otherwise gloomy high school life, like some kind of savior.
Thinking this, I followed her eagerly.