Be Honest
Everyone knows how uncomfortable it is to catch a cold.
A stuffy nose, sneezing, runny nose, fever, cough, headache… The worst part is that catching a cold can cause problems for others, especially in class, when everyone is quietly and seriously studying, and suddenly someone sneezes.
Under the influence of the thought "I don't want to bother others." it's better to hold it in because sneezing not only affects others but can also lead to a runny nose.
Having a runny nose in public is a nightmare.
It's hard to accept.
"Eh—? Is Nino sick? Let me see... Wow, your face is really red and hot..."
Nino opened her mouth and said, "Alright then, I'll head back today. Let's go shopping together next time."
After saying goodbye to her friends, Nino went after Haruto.
Unfortunately, she soon realized she had lost track of him. Instead, she found herself lost.
Nino pulled out her phone and was about to check the map when she noticed her battery was nearly dead. Before she could even open the map, her phone shut off.
Her phone had run out of battery.
Nino suddenly remembered that her battery was at 30% in the afternoon, so it shouldn't have been a problem if she used it sparingly. However, out of boredom, she had watched videos while shopping and lost track of time.
When she was with her friends, she wasn't afraid of getting lost.
Nino didn't mind either.
But unexpectedly, now her phone was dead.
Nino unconsciously clenched her phone and looked around.
"I remember, the train station should be…"
Nino glanced at her surroundings and tried to recall something in her mind, but soon after, she felt hopeless.
"No, I don't have any impression at all."
"What should I do? I can't just keep walking, so I have to ask someone for directions."
Although she thought that, Nino couldn't bring herself to speak when she saw people passing by in a hurry.
"No, forget it. I'm already this old and still wearing a Sobu High School uniform. If anyone finds out I'm lost, they'll think I'm strange."
No way that can happen!
She had no choice but to wander around and look around. Maybe she'd soon find a place she recognized.
Nino took a deep breath and continued moving forward.
On the other hand, Haruto had just exited the bookstore when a careless girl suddenly bumped into him.
The shopping bag in his hand suddenly fell to the ground, revealing a manga inside.
The manga cover showed a sexy woman in black stockings, sitting on the floor with a duck, her uniform tattered, covering her chest with one hand, yet still revealing some snow-white skin, staring coldly.
The speech bubble next to her read, 'You really did this to your neighbor's sister, you're sentenced to death!'
Judging by the cover alone, there was no doubt that this was a manga unsuitable for minors, commonly known as a doujin.
Overall, buying a doujin isn't a big deal.
It's completely legal in this country. You could say most people have bought or seen one.
However, if seen in public, and the type of book is like this, people will definitely look at you strangely!
Strange eyes were on him. Haruto vaguely heard some voices, like two girls not far away murmuring quietly.
"He actually likes this. The guy looks bright and handsome, but I didn't expect his heart to be so dirty and evil."
"You're right. A man's mind is full of filthy and indecent things."
"Wait, is that uniform from our school?"
"Eh? Is that actually Kuromori-san?"
"What, so Kuromori-san really likes something that big."
"Right, there's a saying that flat chests can equalize the world. In short, flat chests are the correct path for human evolution."
"That's true."
"Ugh, pervert!"
"He's a creep!"
"He turned around, wow, his eyes are sharp."
"Hurry, let's go, or we'll be trapped in a dark room…"
"This is so scary, so scary."
Seeing Haruto turn around, the two girls blushed and quickly turned and ran.
Men's eyes are relatively pure, and most of them would think something like "Bro, you've got good taste." or "Bro, you're good at this." and similar things!
Haruto kept a poker face, but inside, he was a little annoyed.
Anyone would be upset if they were suddenly looked at with strange eyes.
And maybe tomorrow, Sobu High School will spread rumors that he went to buy a doujin, and various versions of the rumor will go online.
"S-Sorry."
Haruto turned to look at the girl with an expressionless face: "Sorry? Is that enough just to say sorry? I told you…"
Hearing the familiar voice, Nino looked up in disbelief: "Kuromori?"
Haruto: "😐"
'Weren't you going that way? Why did you suddenly come here! Tell me, what should I do if a girl I know sees me buying a doujin? The answer, of course, is a cold stare!'
Nino widened her eyes, looked at the book in his hand, then stared at Haruto, her eyes turning to disgust, as if she was looking at unrecyclable kitchen waste in a drain.
"You actually... You really bought something like this, indecent! Disgusting! Pervert!"
Haruto raised his eyes: "Sorry, this is a very serious manga."
"Nonsense!"
Nino exclaimed: "This is clearly a doujin, don't think I haven't read it!"
After finishing speaking, Nino realized what she had said, her face turning red in vain, and suddenly she felt all kinds of shocked and disgusted looks from the surroundings.
Her face turned pale. She lowered her head, grabbed Haruto, and said: "Come with me!"
Even though bullying Nino was fun, it wasn't enough to embarrass her in public.
Unnoticed by the passersby, they arrived at a secluded alley.
Haruto leaned against the wall, about to speak.
The next moment.
Nino thought for a moment, then unconsciously reached out her hand and pressed it against the wall.
Their eyes met, and Nino suddenly panicked.
Nino gritted her teeth and glared: "Did you hear everything just now?"
Haruto raised his eyes.
Logically, someone should understand the world and know what to say and what not to say.
For instance, at this moment, the rational answer would be 'I didn't hear anything,' or 'What did you say? Sorry, I didn't hear you clearly,' and other words of denial.
Otherwise, it would be very troublesome.
So, he chose to tell the truth.