Episode 5 (1) Love

After receiving a warm welcome from Hayasaka san's parents in the living room, I was led by Hayasaka san to her room.

"Sit somewhere appropriate."

"Yeah"

　There was only one chair attached to the study desk, so...

After thinking for a while, I sat down on the floor.

　A bed was an option, but I don't think that would be suitable due to the relationship between Hayasaka-san and me.

"Use a cushion."

　She said that with a bitter smile, and I picked up the cushion next to me and put it under my butt.

Hayasaka san's room was somewhat inorganic. There weren't many things, but the colors weren't colorful like red, blue, or yellow, and most of the items were dark colors like black, white, and brown, making it more like a boy's room. Well, my room doesn't have a lot of color, so I can't speak for other people.

　Hayasaka-san also sits on the floor using a cushion.

"Something was wrong with my parents."

"Ahaha..."

　Perhaps because they were so happy for their daughter's friend, Hayasaka san's parent's reaction to me was extremely exaggerated.

　Although her mother, Mirei, seemed calm on the surface, she was actually quite enthusiastic, offering me sweets and bombarding me with questions, and her father joji was definitely getting a little excited. It looked like he was there.

"Your father is also a wonderful person."

"Haa?"

Hayasaka san seemed calm at my words, but she still seemed happy somehow.

　Joji appears to be half-Japanese, and like Hayasaka san, his hair is blonde and his eyes are blueish. His hair was short and slicked back, with the bangs hanging down a little. He was tall and had a clear face, the kind that would make him look like a model. In that sense, he may have a similar atmosphere to Hayasaka san. Well, that's not the case when it comes to height.

" What does Hayasaka-san usually do at home?"

　When I actually came to the room, I suddenly had such questions.

"What….Reading manga, fashion magazines, watching TV?"

The reason it's in question form even though it's about herself is probably because it's not something she's consciously doing.

"What kind of manga do you like?"

"Hmm"

After showing a slight sign of thinking, Hayasaka-san suggested some manga titles.

　All of them were battle or sports stories that appeared in weekly magazines aimed at men, and even people who don't read manga would probably have heard of them by name.

"Huh. Hayasaka-san, so you like that kind of thing."

"I mean, I don't really like stories that involve love, so I don't really understand them."

　It is true that the works that Hayasaka san mentioned earlier have romantic elements, but they are not directly related to the story, and you can read them easily without understanding that aspect.

" Hey, Minase-san, have you ever been in love?"

"Huh? What's all of a sudden?"

"I've never felt that way, so I wanted to know what it's like."

" Hayasaka san's face when she said that was serious. And it didn't seem like she was joking.

　love. love. Love...

"I'm sorry. I have not been in love either."

I tried desperately to squeeze it out from the depths of my memory, thinking that it might be possible, but I couldn't find even a single shred of love in my memory.

"Ohh"

　Hayasaka-san's reply was extremely curt, as if she wasn't expecting anything in particular.

　Well, I guess she didn't expect much from someone like me. From the looks of it, I don't seem to have anything to do with love. Is it like lovers are limited to 3D?

　...I'm starting to feel empty as I say it myself. Besides, I tend to like the female characters more. Now those who are doing so, please refrain from doing so.

"Minase-san, you read a lot of novels, right?"

"Huh? Ah, yeah."

　novel? But why all of a sudden?

　I couldn't hide my agitation at the sudden change in topic.

"Are there any love stories in it?"

　I see. Is that so?

"There are, but not many."

I'm an omnivore when it comes to reading. I don't only read books from one genre in particular, but I read books from a variety of genres depending on my mood at the time.

　By the way, the book I'm reading now is a so-called mystery, but the book I was reading the other day was a romantic comedy. Generally speaking, the former can be categorized as novels and the latter as light novels, but I like both and read them both equally.

My mother once told me that if I don't read, I'll die, but I'll probably die if I don't read. That's how much I love books.

"Then, in anticipation of Minase-san, I have a request to make."

"Hmmm?"

Well, what is it?

"I want you to introduce me to a book. One that focuses on romance."

"..."

Shall I introduce the book to Hayasaka san? What kind of reward is that? Just being allowed to introduce a book makes me a nerd. Even though I can do it, the other person is such a beautiful woman.

"I don't mind if it doesn't work."

　Hayasaka-san seems to have taken my silence to mean something else, and suddenly says something like that.

"There's nothing wrong with saying no. I'll choose carefully. Books that I think will suit Hayasaka-san."

In fact, recommending a book to someone who doesn't usually read is a very sensitive act, and if you do it poorly, it can affect that person's future reading life, so it's a big responsibility. that's why--

"Please give me some time. I'm going to make a serious choice."

　Until now I have read many books and I will use all of my knowledge and sensitivity to deliver the best book to Hayasaka san. For that purpose, first...