Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure!:Volume 2 Chapter 1
Chapter 1[edit]
The rainy season began and summer had officially started.
The world was calling for us to cut down on electricity usage, so even our house was relying on electric fans instead of air-conditioners to fan off the summer heat; anyhow, it was unbearably hot every day.
I was facing the mirror, sweating profusely, and was focusing all my attention on trimming my eyebrows.
"Naoki, I was cleaning up your room yesterday and found a strange book."
My hand slipped from the shock of suddenly hearing my mother's voice ring out from behind, and I ended up over-cutting part of my eyebrow.
Aah, the strange sound that escaped from my lips sounded Otaku-ish[1], and some might even call it creepy; no, it wasn't the time for this; come back, my eyebrow! No, it wasn't the time for this either.
"Don't look at my books without my permission!"
To a healthy high school student like me undergoing puberty, the term 'strange book' could only mean one thing.
It was probably a Doujin work (18+ of course) that I'd bought the other day. If it was the one with the stepsister, it would still be fine, but if she'd found the one with the bit of dangerous play...... I was finished! She would end up with the wrong impression that her son was into really kinky stuff.
With a pale face, I turned around to plead my case to Mom.
"Did you buy this?"
The book Mom was holding was not the erotic book I'd expected.
『Bible to Becoming a Popular Guy』.
"Dohgya ------!"
I'd rather she'd found my erotic books.
That book was a romance guide book I'd bought the other day when I didn't have all my wits about me.
"As your mother, I'm really happy to see you reading a book like this!"
"You've got it wrong! I just happened to borrow it from a friend......"
I only realized after buying it that the book was targeted towards working adults, and contained advice on which restaurants were good, which hotels were first-class, what kind of cars to buy, and totally inappropriate and useless information to a high school student.
"Naoki's reading this kind of book!? How dumb! Did your head get fried by the heat!?"
The girl who grabbed the book from Mom's hands and threw me that sharp criticism was none other than my little sister, Akari.
"You're annoying! It's none of your business anyway!"
I frantically took back the book from Akari's clutches. I couldn't stand any further ridicule.
"Crap. It's already this late! I'm off!"
Once again, without my hair properly styled, and leaving my eyebrow as it was, I hurriedly left home.
My name is Kashiwada Naoki. Around two and half months have passed since I entered high school.
I'm a closet Otaku, and my goal is to become a Riajuu[2] and date the girl I like. However, a certain someone discovered my Otaku secret, and I ended up making a pact with her. She promised to guide me and help me become a Riajuu, and in return, I have to help her achieve her goal.
I walked along my usual route from the station to the school, and reached the gates. As I was changing into my indoor shoes at the shoe cupboard area, I overheard a group of four girls talking beside me.
"Your peach-colored nails are really cute! Did you get them done at the salon!?"
"No, I tried doing them myself. Isn't it expensive to get them done at a salon?"
"Seriously!? Did you really do them yourself? Amazing!"
"Can you help do mine next time, too!?"
...... it was the conversation of a species called Gyarus[3], which was definitely in the top three on my list of things I have trouble dealing with.
Mixed in that group was a familiar face.
"Sure, if this level is okay with you. How would you like them done?"
Koigasaki Momo.
A Bishoujo[4] who could turn all eyes her way, with brown permed hair and gaudy nails and make-up. She was, sad as it is for me to admit it, the type of girl who would never mix with a guy from the bottom of the hierarchy like me...... normally speaking, that is.
"Ah, you girls can go on ahead.",
The other girls left Koigasaki and headed for the classroom.
"...... Kashiwada."
"Woahh!?"
It was a bit too much of a surprise and I ended up raising my voice.
The Gyaru who was at the center of the Gyaru group just now, Koigasaki, called out to me. It felt a little uncanny.
"Don't make strange sounds like that. It's what makes you look like an Otaku."
"Don't say the word 'Otaku'!"
After I was going through to maintain my closet Otaku front at school.
"About the game you lent me, I couldn't make any progress midway...... isn't it really difficult?"
"Aah, indeed, an RPG may be too difficult for a beginner......"
"Why did you lend it to me when you know it's difficult! Lend me something easier!"
"Aah? Don't complain when you're the one who asked me for something that Suzuki's into!"
Koigasaki was a modern Gyaru, willful and violent, her mind mostly filled with thoughts of romance and fashion, with a completely Sweet(LOL)[5] brain...... or so I had thought, not too long ago.
Even though I couldn't believe it myself, the one whom I had made a pact with was this person.
We made the pact that day because:
- Koigasaki needed help becoming an Otaku to get close to the guy she liked, Suzuki Souta, a hardcore Otaku.
- I needed help becoming a popular Riajuu to get close to my one-sided crush, Hasegawa Midori.
Our pact was to cooperate and help each other achieve our goals.
Koigasaki would teach me how to dress and act to become a popular Riajuu guy.
I would render appropriate help to make Koigasaki an Otaku so she could be on good terms with Suzuki.
Since I was also an Otaku and friends with Suzuki, I was well-placed to help Koigasaki achieve her goal. Our goals fit each other well, so we formed a pact.
"Did Ashida come to school today......"
I murmured to Koigasaki as we walked up the stairs to our classroom.
Ashida was a delinquent guy from my class, and the other day, I fought and came to blows with that delinquent.
In the end, I ran away, so Ashida was bound to take revenge on me, that was for sure.
Fearing the worst, I went to school the following day, but Ashida never showed up.
Ashida was also absent the next day. Today would make it three straight. He was already a delinquent who skipped school every now and then to begin with, so there was nothing rare about his absence, but I found it unbelievable that he would keep shying away from an opportunity to take revenge on me.
"Aah, you don't need to worry about Ashida."
I was surprised at Koigasaki's words.
"After I told Miki, she used her big brother's name to threaten Ashida. Miki's big brother was a former big-time delinquent, so Ashida was really scared of him."
"Seriously!?"
By Miki, Koigasaki was referring to Sasagawa Miki, a close friend of hers and a somewhat delinquent-looking female student.
"Sasagawa is a pretty good person......"
I'd been scared of Ashida for the past few days, but there was no more need to be afraid, huh. Since Ashida had yet to come to school, I probably couldn't feel completely safe, but for now, I was a little relieved.
"Anyway, that thing's not important."
Koigasaki's expression suddenly contorted.
That thing? It concerns my life and death, girl.
"You......"
Koigasaki ran her eyes over my entire body.
Was there something strange about my looks? I was certain that this pattern of events indicated something was wrong with my body. I could tell, since it wasn't the first time.
Your hair's messed up, your eyebrows look weird, how many times have I heard that...... what will she say today?
"Are you wearing an undershirt like some old man!?"
Koigasaki whipped out her finger and pointed at me, with unconcealed anger.
"Eh...... undershirt? That's a blind spot of mine...... but if I wear nothing underneath, my skin would be visible from the sweating......"
"That's obvious, right!? It would be seriously unbelievable if you wore your uniform over your bare skin! But, an undershirt is equally no good!"
"Seriously......"
Before I knew it, the students passing by giggled away while looking at us. Nothing could be more embarrassing.
"And, doesn't part of your eyebrow look broken off!?"
"Aah, this..... is my Mom's fault!"
"Huuh!? Did you get your own mother to trim your eyebrows for you!? Are you a mother-con[6]!?"
"No way! That's not what it was!"
While arguing, we reached the classroom, opened the door and went in.
"Momo, heh, m'ning!"
Immediately upon entering the classroom, Koigasaki Momo's friend, Sasagawa Miki, greeted her.
She was a Gyaru with brown hair approaching blond, giving off a delinquent feel. Honestly speaking, even though I was afraid of and couldn't handle girls like her, I was truly grateful to her for resolving the incident with Ashida.
"Miki, morning!"
Koigasaki immediately hurried up to Sasagawa and the both of them hugged. I always wondered about this, but why are girls so into physical contact with each other? While it was a beautiful sight to behold, if it were guys, no matter how close they were, it would be unthinkable for them to hug each other.
I pretended not to see and started walking to my own seat which was beside the window.
"Ah, Kashiwada."
But, I was stopped by Sasagawa's voice and I turned around. Sasagawa rarely called out to me, so I was surprised.
"You know, I have something to tell you, so do you have some time during the break?"
"Ehh...... s-sure......"
Sasagawa's words scared me.
Sasagawa Miki probably hated me. Just the other day, she called out to me and warned me not to get close to Koigasaki.
Will it be something like that again?
"You're on good terms even with Sasagawa, huh? Didn't you just talk to her normally?"
Said Kiritani, a friend seated behind me, when I reached my seat.
"No, we're not on good terms or anything. Crap, what's she going to say to me......"
Anxious with fear, I slid my bag under my desk.
After homeroom that day, Ashida showed up to school, late. Despite what Koigasaki said, I was still distraught with fear. However, not even looking my way once, he collapsed on his desk and went to sleep.
After homeroom and first period ended, there was a five-minute break.
"Kashiwada."
I turned around to face the voice and saw Sasagawa, standing.
Following behind her, we exited the classroom, and she led me all the way to the staircase landing.
"Erhm, about the thing you want to tell me......"
As I fearfully looked at Sasagawa's face,
"Kashiwada, sorry!"
Sasagawa clapped her hands together before her face and apologized.
"Heyhy......?"
I let out a dull utterance from the unexpected development.
"You see, I told you not to get close to Momo, didn't I? I got the wrong idea and was sure you were clinging on to Momo, but I asked her about everything. You're just on normal, good terms."
"Eh, eeh?"
"And Kashiwada, you even stuck out for Momo and fought with Ashida, didn't you? You're surprisingly manlier than I thought. I've seriously changed my view of you!"
"Eh, no, it's nothing......"
I could never have imagined that Sasagawa would actually approve of me in this manner.
I felt a little embarrassed from her compliments.
"Please keep looking out for Momo!"
Even though I had only thought of Sasagawa as someone hard to deal with until then, she was really a good person who was thoughtful of her friends. Previously, when she told me not to get close to Koigasaki, she probably thought she was acting in her friend's best interests.
My opinion of Sasagawa was greatly changed that day.
Ashida never looked at me once all day, let alone talk to me. This time for sure, I was able to feel a sense of relief.
Two and a half months had passed since I started high school, with the goal of becoming a Riajuu. Even though I was still far from that goal, I supposed that, bit by bit, I had grown from that old self from middle school, who gave up on romance and became completely immersed in his Otaku hobbies.
Translator's Notes and References & OTARIA Glossary[edit]
- ↑ Otaku: Someone who's obsessively interested in anime, manga and video games to the point of lacking a social life. See here for more information. Sometimes translated to nerd; in the spirit of the series, I left it untranslated.
- ↑ Riajuu(リア充): Supposedly originating from 2ch boards and made up of the words リアル(real/reality/real world) and 充実(fulfilling), a Riajuu is literally a person who leads a fulfilling real life. Simplistically, it can be taken to be the opposite of Otaku. Broadly speaking, people who hang out with friends regularly, people with boy/girlfriends, people who are popular with their peers, etc. etc., are all considered Riajuus. There have been a multitude of fairly liberal translations for this term to date; in the spirit of the series, it will be left untranslated.
- ↑ Gyaru: A transliteration of the English word, 'gal'. Used in Japanese, it does not just mean 'girl', but specifically refers to a young girl (and also to a subculture comprised of such girls) who's dressed in a fashionable, glamorous style, which often involves the use of man-made stuff like wigs, fake nails, fake eyelashes, colored contacts, heavy makeup, etc. See here for more info. I switched it back to Gyaru for explicit, native pronunciation purposes and to avoid ambiguity with 'gal'.
- ↑ Bishoujo: Literally "beautiful young girl". See here for more information. I left this untranslated because translating it to "beautiful/pretty young girl" is cumbersome, especially when it's used numerous times throughout the series. Moreover, it's a term used in many Otaku discussions throughout the series, and repeatedly translating "Bishoujo xxx" to "beautiful young girl games/types/anime/blah-blah-blah" makes it even more cumbersome. If you don't believe me or disagree with me, try replacing the 17 Bishoujos in Volume 2 Chapter 3 with 'beautiful girl' or other similar variants and try reading it again. Note that I opted not to use Bishoujo in the manga because it doesn't appear as often and in such manner as in the Light Novel.
- ↑ Sweet(LOL): Essentially a transliteration of the internet slang, スイーツ（笑）. It might be used without the (LOL). Sweet(LOL) essentially refers to a girl who is heavily influenced by mass media, such as magazines, TV, ads, etc. that are targeted towards women. (LOL) is often added, especially on sites like 2ch, to further remove ambiguity (on the 'sweet' part) and add emphasis to the 'sarcastic' nuance in the word.
- ↑ Mother-con: Short for mother complex.
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