"It's not..."
Gotoh Hitori wanted to point out that she wasn't questioning the meaning of the nickname.
She was wondering why she needed a nickname in the first place.
And why he was using her phone without permission.
Of course, questions like this couldn't possibly be voiced by someone like Bocchi.
If they could, she wouldn't be Bocchi anymore.
"My name is Yukima Azuma. From now on, just call me Azuma-kun, okay?"
"A..."
"Okay!"
"Yes! Yes! Azuma-kun!"
Yukima Azuma gave a satisfied smile.
Gotoh Hitori trembled slightly.
'I I was just threatened, wasn't I! That was definitely a threat, wasn't it!'
'What do I do now? Is he going to force me to work at a hostess bar to make money?'
'Is this the end of my life from today onward?'
Bocchi quivered internally.
'Pull yourself together, Gotoh Hitori! You've got to fight back!'
"From now on, we're friends."
"Yes!"
Gotoh Hitori offered no resistance at all.
Yukima Azuma stood up, looking pleased, and took a step back.
Just as Gotoh Hitori felt relieved by the increased distance, she heard
"Bocchi, now stand here and brush your hair aside."
"Face me and say, 'Nice to meet you, please take care of me.'"
Gotoh Hitori's eyes widened in shock.
"Eh?"
This was clearly too much to handle.
But what Yukima Azuma wanted to do was precisely to push her limits.
"Listen, Bocchi, you know this is a 'friend request,' right? You wouldn't want to let me down, would you?"
With a face on the verge of tears, Gotoh Hitori stepped to the spot Yukima Azuma had indicated.
'Is this what friendship is like? This feels less like a "friend request" and more like a "master command"!'
Chapter 24: Bocchi: It's Over! I'm Becoming a Pet!
Chapter 24: Bocchi: It's Over! I'm Becoming a Pet!
With a face on the verge of tears,
Gotoh Hitori stood in the spot Yukima Azuma had pointed to.
Her gaze briefly lifted but quickly darted away.
For Gotoh Hitori, who suffered from communication anxiety, such face-to-face interactions were almost more excruciating than punishment.
If this continued, she would undoubtedly pass out.
At this moment, she desperately needed someone to push her forward.
"Hurry up! Do it!"
Yukima Azuma commanded in a firm tone.
"Y-yes!" Gotoh Hitori trembled, hesitantly raising her hand to brush aside her bangs. "It's... it's... so hard..."
She swept her bangs away from her eyes.
Revealed beneath her hair was an undeniably cute face.
Especially her sapphire-blue eyes, which were breathtakingly beautiful and impossible to look away from.
There was no doubt about itGotoh Hitori was a beautiful girl.
If only her gaze didn't dart around and her pupils didn't tremble, she would look even more stunning.
"N-nice to... meet you! I... I hope for your... guidance in the future!"
Finally, with a shaky, stammering voice, Gotoh Hitori managed to get through the phrase.
Then, as she nervously awaited Yukima Azuma's next command,
Yukima Azuma took a step forward and hugged her.
Gotoh Hitori immediately froze, turning as stiff as a log.
Thankfully, Yukima Azuma didn't give her time to overthink.
"Bocchi, you were amazing! Saying that so clearlyyou did great! Amazing! Truly amazing!"
Hearing the praise, Gotoh Hitori felt as if she were floating on air.
"Hehe... it's nothing special, really."
Yukima Azuma let her go and gently patted her long pink hair.
Noticing Bocchi elated state, Yukima Azuma asked casually:
"Gotoh Hitori, you're a first-year at Shuka High, right? Are you starting there after spring break?"
"Y-yes, Shuka High, first year this year."
"Shuka High, huh? That's pretty far away. Bocchi, you don't live around here?"
"N-no, not really. Actually, I live in that building over there. I just wanted to go to a school where no one knows me."
"Do you have any hobbies?"
"Guitar!"
"When's your birthday?"
"February 21."
"What are your measurements from top to bottom?"
"90, 61, 86."
"I see. A D-cup, huh? Wouldn't have guessed."
"Uh... huh!?"
When Gotoh Hitori finally came to her senses, she realized she had just answered a series of unbelievable questions.
She had divulged every detail about herself without restraint.
Quickly, she pulled away from Yukima Azuma's gentle hug and head pats.
Once again, Bocchi was trembling.
'Devil! He's definitely a devil!'
Yukima Azuma rubbed his hands together, savoring the lingering sensation of Bocchi's soft hair.
"From now on, we're friends. Remember to meet me next Saturday."
Gotoh Hitori's eyes widened in shock.
'It's over! My life is over! I'm about to become someone's pet!'
'Quick, refuse! Gotoh Hitori, refuse and then run away as fast as you can!'
Bocchi fell once more into a spiral of internal conflict.
"Shuka High, huh? Oh right, my house is actually in that direction too. We live pretty close, actually!"
Yukima Azuma's tone was casual, almost as if he had just remembered.
"Y-yes! I'll be there on time next Saturday!"
Bocchi had abandoned all attempts at resistance.
.....
Waving goodbye, Yukima Azuma left the park in a cheerful mood.
"Bocchi, huh."
He smirked to himself, clearly amused.
"She seems interesting. Let's nurture her for now and see how it goes."
.....
It wasn't until Yukima Azuma's figure had completely disappeared from sight that Gotoh Hitori snapped out of it.
She plopped down onto the swing, her body swaying lightly along with its motion.
"It's over... it's over! I'm about to become someone's pet!"
Her mind flashed back to a web novel she had read before, one with a protagonist trapped in a similarly dark situation.
Her life suddenly felt bleak and hopeless.
She pulled out her phone.
Gotoh Hitori decided it was time to leave her last will and testament.
The thought of being played with, discarded like an old rag, and eventually dying filled her with despair.
But as she opened her phone, the first thing that appeared was the Line app.
The chat with Yukima Azuma.
The contact was labeled "Azuma-kun."
And on the screen was a single message:
[Bocchi, from today onward, we're friends.]
Gotoh Hitori heart, which had been shrouded in darkness, suddenly felt illuminated by a beam of light.
"Could it be... I finally have a friend I can actually call by name?"
She recalled Yukima Azuma's handsome face, his most striking feature being the way he crouched in front of her, his starry eyes locking onto hers.
"Those sharp eyebrows and eyes like stars"this phrase seemed tailor-made for someone like him.
Add to that his height of over 1.8 meters, impeccable fashion sense, and warm voice, and Yukima Azuma truly was the epitome of perfection from every angle.
A clean-cut, dashing prince.
As she thought about it, Bocchi began to rationalize.
'Maybe... being toyed with by someone like him isn't so bad?'
"As long as the game isn't too bizarre... it might even be acceptable?"
Bocchi mumbled her thoughts aloud.
Immediately, she lowered her head in embarrassment.
Yukima Azuma undeniable charm, combined with his borderline overbearing yet intriguing actions, left a lingering impression in her mind.
Once a person starts seeing things clearly, they often become more accepting of certain situations.
After all, aren't limits just things meant to be surpassed?
"Hey, sis, what are you doing here? Daydreaming again?"
As Bocchi swayed aimlessly in the park, a sweet, clear voice interrupted her thoughts.
"F-Futari! What are you doing here?"
Bocchi scrambled to her feet, startled.
The voice belonged to Gotoh Futari, her younger sister with short, bubblegum-pink hair.
"I came because you were taking too long. Mom told me to check on you."
Futari answered, tilting her head slightly.
"Oh, I was just... just talking with a friend, so it took some extra time."
Bocchi hurried to provide an explanation that wasn't entirely untrue but still avoided raising suspicion.
However
"A friend from your imagination?"
Futari tilted her head again, the adorable gesture hitting Bocchi's heart like an arrow.
— — — — — — — — — — —
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Chapter 25: Back-to-School Season
Chapter 25: Back-to-School Season
The back-to-school season!
Finally, the time has come.
After finishing his morning jog today, Yukima Azuma just needed a quick rinse before promptly dressing up neatly.
The uniform of Toyosaki Gakuen consisted of a white shirt paired with dark navy-blue trousers.
For autumn attire, it included a deep navy-blue vest.
Additionally, apart from the regular uniform, there was a pure black formal suit reserved for special occasions.
All uniforms were custom-tailored, specially made based on the measurements of each student.
As a result, they fit exceptionally well, feeling natural and looking sharp.
After all, this was a renowned private academy for the elite.
One of the top three high schools in Japan.
Ranked alongside Shuchi'in Gakuen and Hyakkaou Gakuen, it was a super-prestigious school.
This was a place where society's important talents were cultivateda cradle for training politicians, lawyers, and doctors.
When Yukima Azuma finished adjusting his hairstyle and stepped out of his room, he saw Kasumigaoka Utaha waiting by the door.
Wearing the same uniform, Kasumigaoka-senpai paired it with a pleated skirt and black stockings.
JK girls (Joshi Kousei, Schoolgirls) usually divided themselves into three factions:
The black stockings faction, the white socks faction, and the no-socks faction.
Black stockings were incredibly alluring, white socks represented purity and innocence, while bare legs were extraordinarily captivating.
Yukima Azuma adored all three factions.
However, it seemed Kasumigaoka-senpai was firmly a member of the black stockings faction.
"Let's go, ex-boyfriend-kun," Kasumigaoka Utaha said with a smile.
Walking to school together wasn't a common practice in Japan.
In the context of a "don't bother others" society, walking to school together was considered an intimate act.
Ordinary friends of the opposite sex, even if sharing the same route, would typically walk apartone ahead, one behind.
Usually, only couples, same-gender friends, childhood friends, or opposite-sex friends caught in the ambiguous stage between friendship and romance would walk to school together.
Nevertheless, Kasumigaoka Utaha extended the invitation.
Kasumigaoka Utaha knew what she wanted, and she didn't wait passively but took the initiative.
Her feelings for him had quickly grown intense.
So, she would never deceive herself.
Instead, she would face her emotions seriously and act on them.
Facing Kasumigaoka Utaha's bold approach, Yukima Azuma's response was:
"Ok."
The two walked side by side toward Toyosaki Gakuen.
Along the way, passing Toyosaki students occasionally glanced at them with astonishment.
This was hardly surprising.
After all, Kasumigaoka Utaha was highly renowned at Toyosaki Gakuen.
Even during the school's promotional campaign last year, she was invited to feature prominently.
Her reputation as a "cold goddess" had spread far and wide.
So, when a young man suddenly appeared beside this cold goddess, it naturally drew attention.
That attention reached its peak on the cherry blossom-lined path leading to the school gate.
"Hey isn't that Kasumigaoka-senpai? And she's walking with a guy!?"
"Who is he? I've never seen him before!"
"Could he be a new student? Not even enrolled yet and already close to Kasumigaoka?"
"Maybe he's her younger brother or something."
"Do they even look alike? Stop deluding yourself!"
Soft whispers buzzed around them.
Yukima Azuma remained calm in the face of it all.
His composure slightly irked Kasumigaoka Utaha.
"Yukima-kun, how does it feel to be the center of attention?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked lightly.
Since they were at school, she refrained from calling him "ex-boyfriend-kun." If anyone overheard, it would certainly cause trouble for Yukima Azuma.
Well, walking together was already troublesome, but these two situations carried different implications.
"Senpai, I'm used to it. Did you forget? I used to live like this, didn't I?"
"Since senpai always shines brightly, being noticed when walking beside you is unavoidable."
Yukima Azuma calm reply left Kasumigaoka Utaha both pleased and slightly melancholic.
She was pleased because Yukima Azuma thought she shone brightly, yet melancholic as it reminded her of the past.
...
The two parted ways at the school gate.
Kasumigaoka Utaha headed directly to her class to check in.
As for Yukima Azuma, he needed to check the class assignment board first.
Afterward, he would go to Toyosaki Gakuen's main hall to attend the opening ceremony.
After parting ways, Yukima Azuma suddenly caught a faint fragrance in the air, reminiscent of tuberosepure and soothing, evoking a sense of relaxation.
Amidst the fluttering cherry blossoms, the scent stood out distinctly.
"Does Toyosaki Gakuen have tuberoses planted?"
He wondered while turning toward the direction of the scent.
Then, his gaze met a pair of eyes that resembled tuberoses.
"Ah, not tuberoses, but a girl like tuberoses."
Yukima Azuma waved at Katou Megumi, a smile forming on his face.
"Good morning, Katou-san."
"Good morning, Yukima-san," came her gentle reply.
Her voice, still soft and emotionless, was incredibly pleasant to hear.
It seemed to carry a subtle magic that uplifted the listener's mood.
"Katou-san, since when did you notice me?"
"Just now."
"Really, just now?"
"Yes, I thought Yukima-san wouldn't see me until you got to the main hall."
Katou Megumi lightly twirled a strand of her hair.
The girl with the bob haircut no longer glanced at Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was walking away.
"Well, although Katou-san is adorable, your presence feels rather faint."
"Even if you call me adorable, I don't enjoy hearing what comes after," she replied.
As expected, Katou Megumi was sensitive about her seemingly low presence.
