Translator: Haruto.

I never imagined the day would come when I’d be riding the train with Yukikawa Tsukino…

I throw a glance at her sitting beside me.

We decided to get on the train together because we happened to live in the same direction and to avoid running into any of our classmates. It’s not like we’re going to do or discuss anything questionable, but at the very least, that wasn’t the right time and place to talk about otaku stuff.

“And, Nagai, you remember that scene from Twenty Knights? The one in episode six where the protagonist tells the seventh knight—”

“‘You gotta try harder if you wanna get my heart pumping!’” right? It was so out of place it had me in stitches.”

“Me too! And for some reason, they burned their animation budget on that one scene, which was just hilarious.”

“It was probably meant to be a super serious scene but that made it even funnier.”

We both break into a laugh remembering the scene in question.

Yukikawa knows way more about Twenty Knights than I expected. I found it strange that she was even aware that low-tier anime existed, but according to her, she’s rewatched the whole thing several times. It’s not often in your life that you get to meet someone with such peculiar tastes.  

“Do you watch a lot of anime, Nagai?”

“Yeah, it’s like my favorite hobby.”

“Hmm… You’re just like me, then.”

“Huh?”

“Why do you look so surprised?”

“I mean… can you blame me?”

As I’ve mentioned before, Yukikawa stands at the very top of our class’s hierarchy. I, for one, have always thought of her that way, and I’m sure most of my classmates would agree. That’s why I figured she just spent all her free time hanging out with her friends, posting pictures on social media, and, I don’t know, that kind of stuff.

“I’m not really the type to post cute pictures online. I’m more into tweeting.”

“I-Is that so… My bad. I fabricated this weird idea of you in my head without actually knowing you…”

“It’s okay. I’m curious, though: why did you think I was that kind of girl?”

“Well, you’re always surrounded by people who love to go out like Momoki and Kijima, and everyone seems to want to be your friend, so I assumed you spent all your free time hanging out with other people.”

The moment Yukikawa hears me say that, she puffs her cheeks out.  

Huh, I’d never seen that kind of expression on her face before.

It’s even more adorable when you compare it to her usual cold expression.

“…I don’t hang out with them all the time, okay? Today, for example, what I really wanted to do was go home, read some manga, and watch a bunch of anime… but my dad says that it’s important to build connections, so here I am…” Yukikawa says with a sigh and a troubled look in her eyes. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I dislike Haru, Kijima, or the other people in our group. It’s just that… sometimes I feel like I’m in a box when I’m with them.”

“…Sounds hard.” I thought that since she was constantly surrounded by friends, she had a perfectly satisfying high school life, but I guess it’s not all a bed of roses.

“…Still, you’re amazing, Yukikawa.”

“Huh?”

“It might sound weird coming from a guy who spends most of his time alone, but I also think that it’s important for people to build connections. So it’s admirable how you can prioritize hanging out with others even if it means spending less time doing the things you love.”

And I find it even more impressive because it’s something I’m not capable of yet. I’m always running away from others and holing myself up in the world of anime and manga. Perhaps my life would turn out much differently if I learned to act a bit more like Yukikawa.

“I don’t think… anyone’s ever told me something like that.”

“…Are you blushing?”

“I’m so not blushing,” Yukikawa claims, but she still turns her face away from me.  

Some people might not be too happy hearing me say this, but I believe that at our core, Yukikawa and I are not so different.

“…So, do you want to do something after this? Normally, I’d get off at the next stop…” I say.

“Is there a café or something like that near your home? I wanna keep chatting with you for a bit longer.”

“I think there’s a diner nearby.”

“Great, let’s go there, then.”

What a strange feeling. For some reason, my heart raced when Yukikawa said she wanted to keep chatting with me.

Come on, she didn’t mean it like that, dude.

I mentally slapped myself for almost getting carried away. She doesn’t feel that way about me. I’ve got to keep my feet firm on the ground.

I take a deep breath to regain my cool before asking her a question that’s been on my mind for a while, “Yukikawa, what kind of anime do you watch the most?”

“Hmm… I don’t watch modern anime all that much. I usually go for old shows, you know?”

“Oh? You like those more?”              

“Not necessarily. It’s just hard to pick from the plethora of anime coming out every season, so I end up avoiding them altogether.”

“Yeah, I agree there are far too many shows to choose from these days, but I also think that’s a bit of a waste.”  

“I know… On that note, why don’t you recommend me something good?”

“Sure, that’s fine.”

Something good, huh. I’ve never recommended anime to anyone before so nothing comes to mind right away. Maybe I should first try to learn more about what kind of stuff Yukikawa’s into.

“Out of all the anime that have been released lately, is there at least one that piqued your interest?”

“…Judging from its title alone, ‘Delivering Across Time’ sounds pretty interesting.”

“Ohh.”

“Delivering Across Time” is a science fiction anime that tells the story of a deliveryman who has to accept requests from people in the present and take various objects to their respective recipients in the past, while working under the flag of “Time Shipping Co.” The beauty of that show is the way it portrays both the good and evil in people each time the protagonist is on a mission and the rich—and sometimes comedic—dialogue in which the fully fledged out characters engage. It doesn’t have flashy fights or anything like that, but it’s perfect for people who want to dive into a heartwarming story.

“I have the original manga. Wanna borrow it? If you like it, you can give the anime a try,” I offer.

“Huh? You have it?”

“Yeah, I’ve got all the volumes. I also like collecting manga.”

“…In that case, I know this might be too much to ask, but…”

“Hm?”

“…instead of the diner, could we go to your place and talk there?”  

“What?! That’s—”

Ah, shoot. I almost raised my voice a little too high on board the train. But I mean, there’s no way we can go to my place—absolutely no way. I’ve never even entertained the idea of letting someone into my apartment.

“…We can’t. I live alone, you see.”

“Alone? Even though you’re still in high school?”

“Y-Yeah… It’s because of some family stuff.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t that make it easier for me to hang out at your place?”

“How did you even come to that conclusion?”

“…Or is it perhaps that you just don’t want me there?”

“It’s not that… but like, shouldn’t you be against the idea, Yukikawa?”

Most girls would feel wary of entering a guy’s bachelor apartment by themselves. Also, even if I’m not planning to make a pass on her, simply being alone with her would be too much of a challenge for a loner like me.

“I’m not, though. We also wouldn’t have to pay to stay at the diner, you know?”

“…Damn, that’s true.”

With the money I would have to spend at the diner, I could buy at least one more manga volume. That’s huge for a high school student on a tight budget.

“Besides, I’m not very keen on the idea of borrowing manga. I fear I’ll dirty it at home, so if we go to your place, I can just read it there.”

“Ugh…” I so, so get that. I don’t like borrowing things from other people either. Even if it’s from a rental store, I can’t help but feel anxious carrying stuff that I’ll eventually have to return. It’s, quite honestly, a pain in the ass.

“…Alright, let’s go to my home, then.”

Since I understood where she was coming from, I couldn’t bring myself to keep refusing.  

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