Chapter 1 part 1

 Volume 1 - Chapter 1 - After Meeting the Gloomy Black-Haired Girl (1)

"Ahh... I really want a girlfriend."

"You seem quite eager."

"Well, if you're a university student, you must want a girlfriend, right?"

"Is that how it is for university students?"

"That's the consensus. Wanting a cute girlfriend, and if possible, having a bit of fun."

"You're using quite explicit language. It seems like your desires are overflowing."

I placed two cans of coffee on the low table and glanced at my friend lying on the floor, blurting out his lustful words. Then, I took a seat on the cushion.

I am Shinsuke Aigaki, an ordinary second-year university student studying in Tokyo. Originally from Saitama, I moved to Tokyo in March before starting university. Although the distance from my hometown to the university was commutable by train, thanks to my parents' support, I started living alone in an apartment near the university.

My room is on the second floor of a six-story apartment building. Though the living room doubles as a kitchen and bedroom, it's spacious enough. The entrance has an automatic lock, and supermarkets, convenience stores, shopping streets, and the train station are all within walking distance of the apartment. For a university student, the conditions of this room could be considered luxurious.

Even though Tokyo City University, where I study, is located within Tokyo, it's not in the 23 special wards commonly imagined, such as Aoyama or Rikkyo. Instead, it's in a suburban area outside the 23 wards. But for someone like me who grew up in the countryside of Saitama, I find this place quite comfortable and suitable for my ideal university life.

"By the way, Shinsuke, you're really lucky to live alone in such a nice apartment."

Weary, Yagiyu Hirofumi, my first friend since starting university, raised his body and picked up a can of coffee, pouting and complaining, "It's so unfair."

"Every time you visit, you say the same thing."

"That's because I envy you. If I lived close to the university, I could sleep until the last minute every morning. But I have to spend two hours commuting to school. When I have a class in the morning, I have to get up at 5 am. Besides, it's so convenient to bring girls here! If I lived at home, I couldn't even bring a girl home!"

"The second half of that was all about your desires. I'm well aware of that."

Even if Hirofumi really lived in this apartment, it's doubtful that any decent girl would accept his invitations, considering he is practically an embodiment of sexual desire. Despite his decent looks, good physique, and straightforward personality, all his virtues are overshadowed by his obsession.

"Let me clarify, the only females I'll bring home are my mom and sister."

"You're acting like a treasure will rot away if you don't use it. If I were the owner of this place, I'd invite female university students and professors over every day. The walls of this room are probably eagerly waiting for the day they witness some scandalous behavior between a man and a woman. But you're not interested in such things, are you?"

"I don't have insatiable walls! ... By the way, do you ever have any standards?"

"Aren't professors women too?"

I meant, don't invite professors either.

"But Shinsuke , you're really wasteful. It's your university life; why not have two or three girlfriends?"

"Girlfriends are not something you can have two or three of."

"Ah, but if you did have a girlfriend, you'd spend less time here, right? I'd be so jealous if someone beat me to it. Maybe you're just not meant to have a girlfriend!"

"Why is everyone assuming that...?"

"It's just a joke. If you do get a girlfriend, I'll curse you grandly."

"Can't you just congratulate me?"

"But really, you don't plan on getting a girlfriend, do you?"

Hirofumi rested his chin on his hand, staring intently at me.

"Why are you suddenly so interested? Did I get trash on my face?"

"Though not as much as me, you're quite good-looking, Shinsuke ."

His serious gaze sent shivers down my spine.

"Don't tell me..."

"Don't misunderstand. I'm purely heterosexual."

I didn't expect I'd have to declare my sexuality so confidently.

"But you know, I find it a bit unbelievable. You have a good personality, you're a good listener, and you take care of others. You possess all the elements that make you popular, so why don't you have a girlfriend?"

"Having a girlfriend isn't everything, is it? Besides, between university and household chores, not to mention part-time work, I've barely squeezed out some precious 'practice time.' There's no way I can make time to hang out with a girlfriend."

"Even with all that practice, you can't pull off the main act without a woman, you know?"

 "Is your thought process solely focused on that matter?"

"Well, aren't most university students like that? But seriously, as a university student, being so uninterested in that matter is quite unusual, don't you think?"

Hirofumi relaxed and propped himself up on the floor, casting a seemingly pitying glance at me.

"I simply don't want a girlfriend right now. Maybe if I meet an 'ordinary person' who matches my personality and interests, I might consider dating."

Although I don't think that future will ever come for someone like me, who avoids any interactions with women altogether.

"So, you're not interested in dating anyone because you haven't found someone who matches your personality and interests in university?"

"Well, more or less."

"So, you're practicing 'illustration' to create your ideal girlfriend, huh?"

"You have such misconceptions! What do you take an illustrator for?"

"What else is it then?"

I've been pursuing my dream of becoming an illustrator since the first year of high school. Influenced by my first love, I developed an admiration for those who draw characters in games and novels. When I became a high school student, I started drawing illustrations seriously.

I am facing my dream with considerable seriousness, and I have also considered becoming a professional illustrator after graduation. However, when I was in high school and choosing my career path, my parents advised me, 'We hope you choose something other than drawing, something more stable,' which ultimately led me to go to university.

Nevertheless, going to university doesn't mean I have given up on my dream. Like I did in high school, I continue to study diligently through online resources and books while being a student, pursuing my dream.

However, lately, I've been frustrated by the lack of progress and feel stuck in a slump.

If I had someone to discuss illustrations with, things might be different. Unfortunately, I don't have such a convenient acquaintance.

Though I practice daily without fail, I still feel limited in my abilities.

"Hey, you look gloomy. Hasn't the number of followers on your Twitter increased recently?"

Hirofumi pointed to my phone on the low table. I picked it up and showed him my account page.

"Although it finally reached 8,000, there hasn't been much change since then."

"Still, 8,000 followers are quite a lot. Your characters are adorable... Every time I see them, I doubt if it's really drawn by you."

Ever since I started illustrating, I've been posting my works on Twitter under the account name "Shin."

At first, I didn't receive much praise. But after consistent posting, I had a few instances of going viral, and last year, my number of followers finally surpassed 8,000.

"With so many followers, you should receive plenty of invitations, right? So, how's it in reality?"

"I already said, 'This account is for posting illustrations.' Besides, I don't even reveal my face on the internet, so there's no chance of receiving such invitations."

"Boring. If it were me, I'd use my popularity as a weapon and bait, then privately message cute girls who catch my interest on their accounts."

"If you actually became that popular, you'd probably face some backlash from the public. Anyway, I doubt you'd find any girls desperate to meet you."

"Tsk, in reality, it's not like that, Watson."

Where are you getting this Sherlock Holmes vibe?

Hirofumi proudly took out his phone from his pocket, as if he were about to give a presentation, and turned the screen toward me.

"When you post illustrations, you've used hashtags like '#lookingformyboyfriend,' '#wanttogettoknowartists,' and the like, right?"

By putting the symbol he called "hashtag" (#) at the beginning of posts on social platforms, you can use the "add tag" function.

After adding a tag, you can instantly search for other people's posts that include the same words. In return, it helps others find your posts more easily.

"Take a look. If you search this hashtag, you'll find many accounts of cute girls looking for boyfriends or seeking encounters."

Hirofumi searched the hashtag "#募集男友" (looking for a boyfriend).

Various types of girls, like high school girls, college girls, office ladies, hot girls, clear girls, and even some peculiar ones, appeared in the scrolling feed.

"So many girls looking for boyfriends in the world, yet none of them show up in front of me. It's quite puzzling."

"Clearly, it's your problem."

"You're even more sarcastic than usual... But hey, don't you think many of these girls posting pictures are pretty?"

Hirofumi said, "Take a look," and showed me the screen again.

"Do you think so? Most of these photos are heavily edited. You can't judge if they're truly pretty based on these pictures."

"As Shinsuke  said, indeed most of them have been heavily edited. However, there are some pictures that appear to be untouched. For example, this girl! How about her, cute, right?"

"Not my type."

"What about this one? She looks a lot like a newcomer actress in Friday's TV drama!"

"I'm not familiar with celebrities and don't know that person."

"What about this girl? She looks a lot like Kotosaka from our Tuesday's second-period class!"

"Who is that Kotosaka person?"

"Aren't we in the same class for Tuesday's second period!?"

"I know even less about that person than those celebrities..."

Tired of Hirofumi's topics related to women, I shifted my gaze from the phone screen to the clock hanging on the wall.

"It's about time to prepare dinner."

I slowly stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

 If you want to continue this dialogue, I will have to reduce the time I spend on late-night painting practice.

"Are you cooking for yourself today?"

"Yes. If I eat outside all the time, it would strain my budget. My grandfather sent me vegetables from our home garden this month, so I plan to have those."

"You are such a good kid, Shinsuke-kun."

"Don't try to flatter me by using that honorific 'kun.' It's not like you at all, and it's disgusting."

I stood in the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and checked the remaining ingredients.

"Since you're planning to eat here today, could you help me fold the laundry? If you help me with some household chores, I'll treat you to dinner."

"Cough, I wish you were a woman..."

"If I were a woman, I wouldn't even let you into my room in the first place."

☆

During the second period on Tuesday, we had to take an ethics class.

I walked into the classroom with Hirofumi and sat side by side, chatting while waiting for the class bell to ring.

It's not that I didn't have other friends on campus, but I mostly hung out with Hirofumi during and between classes. It's not only because we are in the same department, but I feel like we get along well. Otherwise, I wouldn't have maintained this relationship with him every day since we started school.

"Shinsuke, look, that girl who just entered the classroom has such a big bust! Her shoulder straps are bent because of her breasts!"

Sometimes, I really wonder if I should cut ties with him.

"Don't get all excited in the classroom. It's so obvious in a bad way."

"Sorry, sorry. Next time, I'll whisper it to you."

"Whispering is equally annoying, so don't."

I've reminded him of this so many times.

"To be honest, the girls at this university are of such a high standard, especially in the Education Department! Ah, amazing... I don't want to study literature; I want to study sex education..."

"Sex education, huh."

Ethics class is a subject that all departments have to take, so besides Hirofumi and me in the Literature Department, there are many students from other departments attending the class.

"Do the girls in the Education Department have so many cute ones?"

"Don't you remember last year's school festival? The beauty contest was dominated by girls from the Education Department."

"I have no interest at all. I don't even remember who won the beauty contest."

"That was the highlight of the school festival!"

Hirofumi slammed the desk with his hand, and his face leaned towards mine. I moved my chin away to avoid him and pressed his shoulder to push him back to his original position.

"...Oh?"

Then, Hirofumi seemed to have noticed something and leaned forward as if trying to peek. Captivated by his voice and gaze, I followed his line of sight.

...

My body trembled slightly as I saw a girl whose name I didn't even know approaching us.

She walked down the aisle without hesitation, gradually getting closer to Hirofumi and me.

Her whole being exuded a strangely familiar aura.

She was wearing a uniquely designed top and a mini skirt, platform boots, a handbag, pendant, and hair accessories—many decorations unified in black. In stark contrast to her clothing were her fair skin and red eye makeup.

Her hair was a fascinating shade of nearly grayish white, tied into two small ponytails.

For a moment, I felt like I was looking at a finely crafted doll walking.

The level of attention to detail in her appearance was just that high.

But as she got closer to us, my heart rate began to rise slowly.

The inside of my clothes started heating up, and I soon realized that I was breaking into a cold sweat.

"Hey, hey, is this real...? Today, she's sitting quite close!"

She bent down and took a seat in the front row near us. I couldn't see anyone else who seemed to be her friend, so it appeared that she came to class alone.

"Wow, what great luck! The opportunity to meet her up close is rare."

"...I-I say, is that girl famous?"

I whispered as quietly as possible to an undoubtedly excited Hirofumi.

"Don't tell me, Shinsuke, you don't even know about Kotosaka-san...? Even among the second-year students in the Education Department, she's considered top-tier cute, and they say she's guaranteed to rank high in beauty contests."

"Kotosaka-san...? I think I've heard that name somewhere..."

"Well, she's famous enough for you to have heard her name at least... Wait a minute? Ah... Right, it's that girl! The one I mentioned in your room yesterday!"

"Ah, right..."

As he said that, I immediately recalled.

A selfie posted on the internet. The girl who looked remarkably similar to what Hirofumi described - was she the one in that picture?

"Looking at her up close, she really does look like her."

Hirofumi took out his phone from his pocket and opened Twitter, then tilted the phone towards me so that I could see the photo.

"You actually liked her photo..."

"Because she's cute, and I accidentally tapped the like button."

Hirofumi chuckled and scratched his head in a teasing manner, giving me a lecherous look.

I didn't respond to Hirofumi's irritating behavior and looked at the photo again.

I compared the face of Kotosaka-san, whom I saw earlier, with the woman in the picture.

"...Indeed, their faces are quite similar."

"I told you! Well, in reality, Kotosaka-san is much cuter than the girl in this photo."

"Hey, keep your voice down!"

I placed my index finger on my nose and left her figure in the corner of my vision. For a few seconds, I observed her appearance while recalling the scenes from the previous classes.

"...I have to ask, has Kotosaka-san attended this class before?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Even if I don't pay much attention to my surroundings, I should have noticed a girl with such eye-catching clothes and hair color in the classroom..."

"Ah, I think today might be her first time attending the ethics class."

"...? Her first time today...?"

"It seems like she changes her hair color based on her mood. Usually, it's white, but on days when she feels like it, she sprays it black."

"I see."

If she always had black hair during classes, it would be natural for me not to notice.

But, all things considered, I would have never expected someone to change their hair color with spray according to their mood, especially since I'm not interested in fashion...

"She's amazing, isn't she? Being Japanese, it's normal for her to suit black hair, but she even looks good with such a glamorous hair color."

Hirofumi crossed his arms and admired Kotosaka-san, nodding with admiration.

Her fashion and makeup also matched her hair color. Although that played a part, her original appearance was already quite beautiful, and it was that level of perfection that made me think of a doll.

"I mean, Shinsuke, what if this girl is the same person as the one on Twitter?"

"How can such a miraculous coincidence happen?"

"But look carefully. The girl in this photo also lives in Tokyo, so it's possible!"

"How many people do you think live in Tokyo?"

Besides, Kotosaka-san's residence might not even be in Tokyo. She may study at a university here but come from a nearby prefecture.

"The account name is 'Kotone,' right?"

Hirofumi picked up his phone in front of him and looked perplexed at the photo and the post.

Kotone was dressed in a black-themed sailor uniform in the picture. Her loose black hair and natural makeup created an aura of clarity and earnestness.

The post also included tags like "#LivingInTokyo #17YearsOld #JK #YoungGirl #LookingForBoyfriend #LookingForDaddy."

The post had received quite a few likes, and there were several comments in the reply section. However, it was evident that these comments were all from men older than her.

While there was a sense of criminality, I was also surprised by the contrast between her appearance and actions, thinking, "This girl is also looking for a daddy."

"From the post, it seems like this girl is a high school student. She probably isn't Kotosaka-san herself."

"Well, that may be true. But, you know, Kotosaka-san doesn't seem to have any friends. She's been coming to this class alone."

"Really? Is that so?"

"There's an empty seat next to Kotosaka-san. It's a rare chance; let's move over together! I want to take this opportunity to get closer to her...!"

"I'll wait for you here. Good luck, Hirofumi."

I coldly brushed off Hirofumi, who stood up from his seat.

"You seem uninterested. If you don't want to do anything, just come with me. Keep me company!"

If doing nothing is also acceptable, then I have even less reason to go with him.

"Sorry. I'll help you next time."

"You always say that, but you never accompany me!"

"Is that so?"

I tilted my head in a feigned ignorance in response to Hirofumi's awkward expression.

"Well, I really can't this time."

I rested my cheek on my hand on the table and glanced at Kotosaka-san's back. Then, she suddenly turned around and our eyes met unintentionally.

"...Shinsuke, are you not feeling well?"

 I hurriedly lowered my head. Hirofumi noticed and asked me.

"No, there's nothing wrong with my body. Although, I mean, there's nothing wrong..."

As she entered my field of view, my body did experience a change.

My heart rate quickened, and I felt cold sweat forming. The reason for this reaction could only be one thing.

She reminded me of my first girlfriend from my first year of junior high, and her presence seemed to loom in my mind.

"That kind of type, I can't handle it."

Kotosaka-san, a university student dressed in "landmine-style" fashion.

The psychological trauma buried deep in my heart started to overflow bit by bit.

My instincts seemed to be warning me not to get involved with her.

_________

From now on, this novel will only be updated on Tuesday. Every Tuesday, 1 whole chapter, no part will be released at once.

(If you like this novel, please go to novelupdate and recommend it as well as leave a review to it.)

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