Is It Really Okay That the Protagonist Is an Otaku?

"What's wrong, Seita?" Hinowa looked at Seita, who was covered in cold sweat, and asked in a low concerned voice, "Did you catch a cold? Your face is full of sweat. Moreover, you haven't eaten a bite of breakfast yet."

"Ah, I'm all right." Seita quickly raised his head, waved his hand, and explained, "I just don't feel too hungry."

"Eh? Is it because what mother made is not to your liking?" Hinowa continued to ask.

"No, I just ate a little too much last night." The corners of Seita's mouth twitched, revealing a forced smile.

"But your smile is very forced. Is it because what mother made is not to your liking?"

"No, it's very delicious!" Seita pretended to pick up the bowl and chopsticks, took two bites, and put them down. Then he stood up and said, "I'm full! It's already the time I promised Sister Otae! I'm going to the dojo to practice!"

After saying that, Seita ran out of the dining room without looking back. However, just as he stepped out of the room, Seita suddenly thought of something. He turned around and reminded everyone in the room, "Oh, right! There seems to be a TV show about brother Shinpachi this morning! Remember to record it for me. brother Shinpachi asked me to write an afterthought of no less than 1,000 words, which is also part of my swordsmanship practice. Alright, I'm leaving!"

After finishing speaking, Seita left quickly.

"What kind of dojo is that..." Kawaki complained with half of his face twitching, "What kind of nonsense practice is that... He just wants to show off that he was on TV..."

"This child is a little abnormal today," Hinowa murmured, "He is not so active when going to the dojo during his rest days."

"Don't worry about it, burp~," Kawaki stroked his stomach, which was even more bigger than a ten-month pregnant woman. He burped and said casually, "Little brats are like this. You won't know when they suddenly became sensible. Although it's worse than when I was a child."

"I don't think the last sentence is true, right?" Tsukuyo, who was facing him, said mercilessly.

Kawaki snorted with disdain and said, "In terms of breakfast, Seita is far inferior to me! Ever since I was a child, I ate my fill every day! This is something that Takaji can testify!"

"Are you referring to the amount of breakfast?!" Tsukuyo could not help but retort loudly.

"Are you underestimating breakfast?!" Kawaki shouted with a serious face, "Breakfast is the most important thing of the day! If you don't eat your fill, you won't have enough strength to work(games)!"

"Do you have a job?" Tsukuyo looked at Kawaki with disdain, "Other than staying in the room to play games, have you worked?! You good-for-nothing otaku!"

"Are you looking down on games?!" Kawaki shouted, "Or are you underestimating those game engineers who work so hard to make a game?!"

"No one said that, idiot. I'm just looking down on you." Tsukuyo curled her lips and replied without thinking.

"You will never understand the hard work of a game player like me... No, it should be said that it is the hard work of a game tester!" Kawaki crossed his arms with a look of disdain.

"Although there is indeed such a profession..." Tsukuyo murmured, "But it is completely different from your situation! You are just purely obsessed with games! You good-for-nothing otaku!"

"What did you say?!"

Looking at Tsukuyo and Kawaki, who were arguing, Hinowa couldn't help but laugh. She said softly, "It's so good to be young. So energetic early in the morning~."

"Speaking of which, what about my room?" Kawaki asked, "You can't let me sleep on the roof, can you?"

"Although I don't mind you sleeping in my room, you can't do anything strange." Hinowa looked at Kawaki with a teasing face.

"You can rest assured about this. I'm not interested in an old woman like you who keeps losing powder on her face when the wind blows." Kawaki smiled and said.

However, just as Kawaki finished speaking, Hinowa grabbed the hot tea in front of her and poured it on Kawaki's face without hesitation. Ignoring the screaming Kawaki, Hinowa covered her mouth and pretended to be surprised, "Oh my! I wanted to give it to you, but I accidentally spilled it. I'm really sorry."

"You did it on purpose, right?" Kawaki covered his face and said with a painful face, "It's very hot, old woman..."

"Oh my! I accidentally spilled it again~," Hinowa poured another cup of hot tea at Kawaki.

"It's not over yet! Damned old woman!"

"Oh my! Accidentally again..."

...

After breakfast, Takasugi returned to Kawaki's room. It was worth mentioning that Takasugi didn't say a single word during the entire breakfast time. He didn't even say "Gochisosama" after eating.

...

"Hey, go and patrol with me." Tsukuyo stood at the window and said.

Kawaki, lying on the roof with his hands as his pillow, yawned and replied, "Ah, I'm not interested today. You can take Hyakka with you."

After a long silence, Tsukuyo slowly asked, "Although I'm not interested, you should know that man's purpose, right?"

"No, I don't know," Kawaki replied casually, "I'm too lazy to understand such a troublesome thing."

"Really, it's easy to tell that's a lie," Tsukuyo whispered, "Forget it; you can rest for today. Also, I'll leave the task of helping Seita record the program to you."

"Yes, yes..." Kawaki replied lazily.

...

In the morning, in Tsukuyo's room.

Kawaki yawned and put the videotape into the video recorder in front of him. Then, he turned on the TV.

After doing all of this, Kawaki was bored to death and lay down on the side with one hand supporting his head in front of the TV.

On TV, the host in a suit held a microphone and gave an opening speech to the screen, "The NEET problem, the hikikomori problem. The number of apathetic young people is steadily on the rise. The people known as "Otaku are said to be NEETs and hikikomori in the making. Today we have gathered one hundred self-proclaimed Otaku."

"What do they think when they withdraw into their inner world? Soon, the truth will be revealed! OTAKU summit..."

(Note: NEET abbreviation for not in education, employment, or training: used by the government to describe a young person who is no longer in school and does not have a job or is not training to do a job. While Hikikomori is a social recluse--someone who doesn't willingly venture outside the comfort of their own house or room. Though in certain cases, a NEET can also be considered a hikikomori.)

(Note: The so-called Otaku, broadly speaking, refers to people who are passionate about various subcultures and have an extremely deep understanding of the culture; In a narrow sense, it refers to people who are addicted to, enthusiastic about, or proficient in animation, manga, and video games.)

"This society is too sick~," Kawaki yawned and wiped the corners of his eyes, "Even such good-for-nothings can be on TV~"

Tsukuyo, who had just finished patrolling, showed a contemptuous look after hearing Kawaki's words after entering the door.

"Oh, Tsukki, the patrol is over," Kawaki turned to look at Tsukuyo, "Huh?" Wait, why are you looking at me with that contemptuous look? What do you mean? Let me make it clear beforehand; I am not OTAK! I am completely different from those good-for-nothing on TV!"

Tsukuyo curled the corners of her mouth and snorted in disdain. She did not say anything. Then, she walked to the side and sat down, too lazy to pay attention to this idiot in front of her.

"What do you mean by that snort?! Tell me clearly, hey!" Kawaki refused to give up and said, "There is a clear difference between them and me! Although I do look a bit like an otaku, I am completely different from them! I will set a job(game) for myself every day! I will plan my time (tasks in the game) well every day!"

"Shut up, you good-for-nothing otaku!" Tsukuyo gently glanced at Kawaki and said.

"I will really get angry when you say that again!" Kawaki shouted, "Who is a good-for-nothing otaku?! I worked extremely hard when I was working(games)!"

Ignoring Kawaki's words, Tsukuyo turned his attention to the TV. Perhaps she wanted to find something in common with Kawaki among those people who were like Kawaki in a certain sense...

...

In the program, the otakus were divided into two groups: the three-dimensional otaku headed by the Terakado Tsuu's Imperial Guards Captain, Shinpachi... or the idol otaku, and the other group was the two-dimensional otaku who was obsessed with animation.

"First of all, I think it's better to re-examine the point of view that all otakus are classified as NEETs. Among us, idol otakus, there are also otakus who work hard and get along well with society!" Shinpachi on the TV propped his chin and talked eloquently.

"Yes." Kawaki, who was in front of the television, nodded, "It's rare for Shinpachi to say something fair today. Indeed, even among the otaku, there are people who work as hard as me."

"Hey, now you have admitted that you are an otaku." Tsukuyo reminded him expressionlessly.

On TV:

"Ah, I see." The host took back the microphone and nodded. Then he looked at the person behind Shinpachi, who raised his hand, "Number 31, what's your opinion?"

"Me..."

The person behind Shinpachi, wearing the No. 31 number tag, was about to speak when Shinpachi stood up first and argued into the microphone with an angry face, "Taking otaku as a victim and blaming us for everything... This show attempts to criticize and blame otaku for causing Japan's current problem!"

"Ah, I got it, I got it," The host casually comforted him, "It's not time for you to speak yet; please be patient..."

"Well said, Shinpachi!" Kawaki, who was in front of the TV, cheered for Shinpachi through the screen, "Let's change the impression the Japanese people have on us otaku in one go!"

"Hey, you're already treating yourself as an otaku, right?" Tsukuyo retorted expressionlessly, "Speaking of which, is it really okay for the main character to be an otaku?"

On the television, Shinpachi had no intention of stopping. He held the microphone in the host's hand and continued, "Besides, it's weird to confuse otaku with something shady when you open your mouth!"

"So, can you please be quiet for a while and give me a chance to speak to someone else first?" The host said impatiently, "Now is not the time for you to speak..."

"We're supporting a pop idol, something that's real." Shinpachi crossed his arms and said seriously. Then he looked at the two-dimensional otaku on the opposite side with contempt, "Don't you understand what I mean? People who are in love with two-dimensional girls from anime and games!"