Volume 1
Epilogue
Friday night, late.
I dive onto my single bed and stretch out, feeling the tension in my tired body melt away. This moment is pure bliss.
After a quick shower and a half-hearted pass with the hairdryer, I flop onto the bed. Truly, this is the peak of existence.
I grab my fully charged smartphone and tap the screen. A few unread SNS messages pop up.
“Let’s see… Yuka’s thanking me for today… Seira’s as punctual as ever, huh? We were just hanging out, and she’s already messaging me. Mizuho’s been kinda down lately, though—hope she’s okay.”
Looking at it, most of the people I’ve gotten close to in this world are girls. I get along great with the seniors at the bar, sure, but we don’t keep in touch constantly.
I fire off quick replies. Feel a bit bad for messaging Yuka when she’s probably fast asleep, though.
There’s a message from Koumi too, so I open it.
“Tomorrow’s tutoring? Masato, you’re a tutor?”
“It’s not, like, a girl, is it?”
Oh, right, I mentioned my plans for tomorrow when she asked. Yup, that’s it. The bar job pays pretty well, but with scholarships and stuff to think about, it’s not quite enough, so I started tutoring on the side. Thanks to Aika-san’s connections, of course.
I do it on Saturdays, so tomorrow’s tutoring day. Gotta wake up before noon.
“She’s a high school sophomore,” I reply.
The girl I tutor is polite and sweet. Kinda has that refined, high-class vibe. The only thing is, she’s still a bit distant, which feels a tad lonely. Guess she might be nervous since I’m an older guy.
After finishing my replies, I close my phone. I turn off the light, shut my eyes, and sleepiness hits almost instantly.
It’s been a few months since I started living in this world. Even with a 1:5 guy-to-girl ratio, things somehow work out. Aika-san told me to watch out for girls, but is there really anything to worry about?
Seira’s been spending a bit too much money on me lately, maybe? For some reason, Mizuho’s been avoiding eye contact a lot—I hope I didn’t do something wrong. Yuka’s like a short-circuiting gadget half the time, and Koumi’s almost overprotective. They’re all great people, though.
So, yeah. I’ll manage just fine!
★
A ping from a notification slowly pulls me back to consciousness.
“Huh…?”
I lift myself from where I’d been slumped over the desk. Apparently, I dozed off while working on university assignments.
My forehead, pressed against the desk, stings a little, and I rub it gently.
“Ugh, the worst…”
I stretch big, then glance at the clock. It’s just past 1 a.m.
…Oh, right, the SNS notification woke me up.
I grab my phone from the desk and unlock it. There’s a message from (Masato). Just seeing those two characters makes my chest warm a little. He must’ve just finished his shift.
Masato: “Yup, she’s a high school sophomore.”
…What were we talking about? Oh, right! Tutoring!
I casually asked about his plans for tomorrow, and that’s when I found out he’s a tutor. I had a bad feeling and asked if it was a girl… and, yup…
Masato’s so clueless about boundaries, and now he’s tutoring a high school girl?! No way, that’s unacceptable! That girl’s definitely got ulterior motives!
It’s way too late to call… but if I wait until tomorrow, he’ll already be at her place, right?
“Ugh, what do I do…?”
Ever since I fell for Masato, I’ve been so happy, but my worries have piled up too. The biggest one? All the girls around him! I get that he’s charming— it’s one of his best qualities—but he’s way too oblivious! Sure, that’s part of why I got close to him, but still…
I flop onto my bed, stewing in frustration.
From what he’s said, there are a few girls around him. The middle schooler he’s coaching basketball for is fine, but… a high school sophomore? That’s a problem. Plus, he won’t even tell me what he’s doing for his Friday night shifts…
And, though it’s probably unrelated, my best friend Mizuho’s been acting off lately. She seems troubled about something. I hope she’s okay…
I let out a sigh and hug the pillow lying next to me.
Looks like I’ve got a lot of rivals. But that doesn’t mean I’m backing down. I’m going to make absolutely, positively sure I’m Masato’s number one!
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