Scary Nadeshiko Joins The Party

"Um, Shinomori-san, about the confession—... Eh?"

"Um, Kitsuragi-kun, about earlier, thank yo—... Eh?"

Just as I was about to confess my feelings, a third person interrupted us. Shinomori-san and I both froze, staring at the newcomer. To be honest, it was weird. This club was practically non-existent in the school, and yet here she was, standing in the doorway like she belonged. More than that, she seemed to be addressing me directly, cutting both of us off mid-sentence. Normal students weren’t supposed to know about the club’s location in the library, let alone the literature club. Seriously, Fukada Erina, shouldn’t you be at the swimming club right now? At least, that’s what I remember from the light novel.

For some reason, I felt incredibly awkward. It had only been yesterday that I’d asked her out, only to be rejected just as I’d predicted. No normal girl would approach me after I’d intentionally creeped her out. I glanced at Shinomori, hoping she’d take the lead, but she looked just as confused as I was. Erina’s gaze was fixed on me, her lips trembling slightly. Was she that disgusted just standing near me? What did she even come here for?

"W-well, Kitsuragi-kun, sorry, did I interrupt?" she asked, her voice wavering.

Ah, she was definitely talking to me. And yes, you did interrupt my moment with Shinomori. Also, you’re kind of scaring me, but since I have no guts, I can’t exactly say that.

"...No, not really. What’s up?" I replied, trying to act normal even though I was sweating buckets inside. Please don’t tell me I’m a piece of garbage. Sure, I helped you carry your books earlier, but I swear I had no choice! Hitsugi and his buddy weren’t there, and you were in a pinch! so I had to make move instead of the main character.

"No... nothing. Ah, also, thanks again for helping me earlier with the books," she said, her voice softening.

"Oh, like I said, it’s fine. But honestly, you should stop coming near me. My reputation’s bad, and if you’re seen talking to someone like me, you’ll get caught up in nasty rumors too. I’m sorry, but if that’s all, it’s fine," I said, trying to play it cool. Nice one, Amiya. With this, she should head to her clubroom. It’s already time for their practice.

"..." Erina nodded gently but remained standing, her sharp eyes locked on me. It was hard to tell what was going through her head.

"Um, Erina...san, is it? Do you perhaps want to join the club?" Shinomori asked hesitantly, trying to break the awkward silence. Even though she knew about my rejection yesterday, inviting Erina was a bold move. But it was pointless, right? She had to return to the swimming club.

"Yes, where’s the club form?" Erina replied without missing a beat.

"Pffft." I choked on air.

She agreed?!

No, this couldn’t be right. In the light novel, she was the perfect idol of the swimming club, with illustrations that made her look like a goddess in the water. There was no mistaking it, I’d etched those images into my memory that it was a pure sight. But here she was, wanting to join a mere literature club? A clubroom for two background characters like us wasn’t exactly a suitable place for a flashy main character like her, the winning heroine.

"Eh... K-Kitsuragi-kun, she wants to j-join," Shinomori stammered, leaning way too close to my face. Her breath tickled my ear as she whispered, "What do we do?!"

I got it. Erina’s presence was overwhelming, and even Shinomori hadn’t expected her to actually join. But more than that, wouldn’t people think I joined the literature club just because Erina did? They’d see me as some kind of leech. Shinomori was well aware of that, which was why she was leaving the decision to me.

"Wait a minute, Erina-san," I blurted out. "You’re well aware that I creeped you out during the confession, right? I’m being treated like your stalker, and you’re getting dragged into bad rumors too. I’m sure you know that. And what about the swimming club? You still have other options, don’t you?"

It was a bad move. She’d probably be creeped out that I knew she was planning to join the swimming club. What if she pinned me as a stalker just because I blurted that out?

Erina took a few seconds to answer. She gritted her teeth, her fists trembling slightly. It scared me, I even heard a little "eep" from Shinomori. Cute, but I was terrified too. Was she going to hit me as revenge? Wasn’t that going too far?

"I don’t have any problems... also, the swimming club rejected me. So, I thought I’d join the literature club instead," she said calmly, her voice icy.

Slam. I stood up. "What? The swimming club rejected you? There’s no way!"

"Well, it’s because they told me if I joined, I’d attract a stalker, and they’d become targets of the peeping leech too," Erina explained, her tone as cold as ever.

Okay, I’ll admit, what she said made sense. But still, wasn’t that reason too harsh to reject her application?

"Um, Kitsuragi-kun, I think they were talking about you," Shinomori chimed in, frowning. I could practically hear the crack in my fragile heart.

So Shinomori knew the whole story. Despite sticking by me as a friend, her two other friends had given me weird looks and even told her to stay away from me. Yet, she hadn’t. She is being stubborn. She knows staying with me would spread rumours about her too yet he sticks around with me as a friend.

"W-well, Erina-san, don’t you think you should join your friends instead? You know, I’m in the club... it’ll create problems for both of us," I said, desperately trying to save myself. That being said, wasn’t she being a little desperate too by wanting to join the club?

"I don’t have friends," she replied bluntly.

"O-oh." I was at a loss for words.

"Um, uh, Erina-san... It’s alright to join, but... wouldn’t that be a problem? Y-you know, K-Kitsuragi-kun is here..." Shinomori butted in hesitantly, echoing my earlier concerns as I spoke earlier.

Why are you pointing me out like I’m the main problem here?

"It won’t be a problem," Erina said, her fists still trembling slightly. "I’m sorry, but am I being a nuisance?" She looked down, her expression tinged with sadness.

"N-no, Erina-san," Shinomori said, glancing at me. She was concerned things might get complicated between me and Erina, but she was too kind to reject her outright.

Erina Fukada. In the novel, she struggled to make friends because her presence was so overwhelming. It was hard to keep up with her demeanor. But with the help of dense head Eiji Hitsugi, the main character, she eventually grew close to Ootori Shea and others. But here, I was the reason Erina hadn’t had a proper encounter with Hitsugi. Ootori, who approached Hitsugi regularly, had become good friends with Erina in the novel in chapter's progression, but I have ruined all of that. She couldn’t even join the swimming club. I had to take responsibility for this mess. Even if it meant more rumors and problems, I couldn’t bring myself to reject her application.

Guilt took over me.

"Shinomori-san, the club application..." I said, turning to her.

Her eyes widened, and she clasped her hands together with a gasping smile. She looked genuinely happy. In the novel, she’d spent three years alone in this club. Good for her. It would be great if Erina got along with her too. They both deserved to escape loneliness.

Shinomori handed over the club application, and Erina filled it out in less than ten minutes. It was just a formality, the application would be filed away as a memoir for future club members. Shinomori was the club president, and I was the vice-president. Naturally, with two members, the club had been small. But now, unexpectedly, we had a third member in our party.

Though I doubted I could really get along with her after what had happened. I needed to apologize before things got worse. I mustered up my courage and stood up, bowing deeply.

"Erina-san, I had a reason for yesterday’s confession. I’m really sorry for causing a scene, but that confession didn’t mean anything. So... don’t worry, I am not actually attracted to you. It wasn’t my intention, but I had to tell you, and I thought now was the right time. Once again, I’m really sorry that I can't explain the reason clearly."

I wanted to clear things up with her, especially in front of Shinomori. Both of them looked confused by my sudden bow and statement.

The day was breezy as always. The leaves rustled in the wind, their cheerful whispers making me feel like everything would be fine. Those whispers were directed at me.

"Wha?" Erina’s voice broke the silence.

Huh? What do you mean by "Wha?" What kind of reaction is that? And why is her face beet red? "Um, Erina-san, are you alright?" I asked, noticing her hands trembling even more. Was she happy that I didn’t actually mean the confession? If so, I was relieved too. I straightened up with a smile, thinking we could all get along now. This new club, a new start. Now that we were all here, I wanted to continue reading chapter two of No Sister No Life, the novel I’d picked up earlier from the shelve. Honestly, it was pretty good, even though I’d expected it to be—

Thud.

A sudden impact slammed into my stomach.

"Guha—"

My vision went black.

❋❋❋

The curtains fluttered, and a cold sensation washed over me as I woke up. It felt like I’d just had a good night’s sleep.

Ooh, light. What just happened? Did I get Isekai-ed again?

As I opened my eyes, I saw Shinomori’s face hovering above me. Somehow, I was lying on the frozen floor, but my head wasn’t on the hard surface—it was resting on something soft and warm. Her thighs! Was this one of those lucky moments from light novels and anime where the girl offers a lap pillow? Her blue gem-like eyes stared down at me, and she gasped, "Kitsuragi-kun, are you alright?"

Huh? Of course, I was alright. This had to be a dream, right? A lap pillow from an angel? A perfect moment that comes once in a lifetime—how could I not be okay? "I’m fine, Shinomori-san, but... aren’t you being a little assertive?"

"How can you joke like that when you got hurt?" she scolded with a frowned pout.

"What do you mean?" I asked, still lying on her lap. Her bangs brushed against my nose, and her hair smelled nice. Moving my head was out of the question. Why did this feel like a scene straight out of a light novel? Oh, wait—I am inside a light novel.

"You don’t remember? Uh... Erina-san punched you in the stomach, and..."

"Ah, yeah, kinda!" I winced as the memories flooded back. What was that for? I’d even apologized, and she still resorted to violence. Well, I probably deserved it, but still, I am even more scared to go near her now.

"B-by the way, Kitsuragi-kun... um... well..." Her face flushed, even in the red light of the sunset streaming through the library windows the atmosphere was overwhelming. I jolted upright, flustered, and felt a sharp pain in my stomach muscles—probably from Erina’s punch. It was getting hot in here, and even the breeze couldn’t help.

As I stood up, Shinomori adjusted her skirt and pretended nothing had happened. She went back to her chair quietly, picking up the novel she’d been reading. Beside her chair, Erina was already there, reading a book. Our eyes met.

"Eek!" I squeaked, instinctively stepping back. I wanted to leave the library, but then I noticed—she was holding the light novel I’d picked up earlier.

"No Sister No Life... what a weird title you picked up. Just as expected from a creep like you," she said, her tone teasing. "But then again, thanks for letting me join the club." She smiled at me.

"Ooh..." I scratched my head, unsure how to respond.

Wait, she punched me and now she’s acting like nothing happened? More than that, isn’t she smiling? Oh, I get it—she wants me to relax and forget about it. Things were awkward and messy, but this was her way of making up. She just wanted to patch things up. I should’ve known. After all, I knew her better than anyone—her light novel character. She was a better person than me. Even though I’d ruined the plot and interfered with her fate, she was still able to smile. She was strong enough to adapt.

I knew in my heart she deserved the main character, but Ootori Shea might win this time. I’d interfered, and Shea had already started making moves on Hitsugi. The once-winning heroine was now losing.

I was the one at fault. I smiled bitterly as I felt like playing with fate was wrong.

"Fine, I’m beat. Let’s be friends, Erina-san," I said, taking a seat at the table beside Shinomori, across from Erina.

Hearing that, Shinomori beamed. "Y-yes! Me too, Erina-san! I actually wanted to be friends with you too!" she stammered, only once this time. She was getting more used to Erina, I guess. Erina’s smile was what ultimately turned everything around.

"Thank you, both of you..." Erina said, her voice cold but her smile warm. Then she looked at both of us, her gaze lingering on me. "Also, Kitsuragi-kun, next time you confess to someone, only do it if you mean it. It causes misunderstandings." Her soft smile was gentle, but her hand trembled slightly. It was kind of scary.

Why did I feel like she was going to punch me again? Well, anyway, it was good that everything was cleared up. I wouldn’t confess again—I didn’t want to be marked as a creep. Romance isn't my thing anyway. Seeing these light novel characters breathing is enough for me.

"Ah, by the way, Erina-san, how did you know the literature club was in the library?" Shinomori asked, tilting her head in a cute manner.

"That’s a secret. Also, just call me Erina. No honorifics. Oh, and Kitsuragi-kun, that’s only for Shinomori-san," she added, her tone icy.

"O-oh!" Wait, Erina, I cleared up the misunderstandings, right? Why are you still cold to me?

Shinomori squealed, paying no attention to Erina’s cold stare. She asked Erina to call her by her first name too.

By the way, am I not allowed to drop the honorifics yet?

Shinomori continued reading her novel, while Erina picked up the light novel I’d left on the table. I was too scared to ask for it back, so I just stared out the window, watching the trees sway. In the distance, I could see the track and field club practicing. Ootori Shea was speeding ahead, her twintails flapping behind her. I couldn’t believe they didn’t get in her way when she ran.

I am still scared. Messing up the plot had created bigger problems than I’d thought. But I felt somehow happy that Fukada Erina had forgiven me... I guess. Even if it was still awkward, everything was going smoothly so far. That meant Ootori Shea would win the main character, and Erina would be the losing heroine. I felt sorry for Erina, who had no idea about her destined fate with Hitsugi. I’d interfered, and now she was here, in this club, with us. The plot has vastly changed from the beginning.

"By the way, Kitsuragi-kun, I accepted your apology, but I still have no idea why you confessed to me back then," Erina said, closing the light novel and placing a bookmark in it that showed how she would continue reading the volume in future too. I want to read it too you know...

"Ah, about that, the explanation is..."

"It’s fine. I’m sure there’ll be a time when you’ll tell me. I won’t push any further... just like the reason I punched you earlier, I can't tell the reason." she said, her words echoing Shinomori’s from before. It felt like déjà vu. She had told me the same things in the classroom when I was unable to explain.

"...The reason you punched me earlier?" I asked, confused.

Shinomori peeked over her book, clearly eavesdropping.

"Yes, the reason I punched you earlier. It’s hard to explain why I did it, but there’s a perfect reason. Please don’t mind me regarding that. Isn’t this the same as your situation?"

"I see." That is confusing. She’d said it so clearly, but it is beyond my ability to read people. I am not cut out for judging these things.

"U-um, I think it’s time for us to leave..." Shinomori said looking at the wall clock of the library, breaking the tension. Before I knew it, my precious alone time with Shinomori in the library had been shattered. But hey, I got a lap pillow out of it, so that made up for it. Thanks, Erina, for punching me!

The three of us left the clubroom, ignoring how Erina had even found out about it. Erina went her separate way after we exited the gate, not even waving back at Shinomori, who was excitedly saying goodbye. Erina just turned around and walked off, a faint smile on her face. Shinomori mentioned that her two friends were having overtime basketball practice—their club was serious about making it to the inter-high tournaments. So, she was left walking home with me.

For the first time in my life, I was walking home with a girl. Shishie Shinomori, the beautifully illustrated background character girl from my favorite light novel, was right beside me, walking gracefully. I slowed my steps to match her pace, positioning myself on the roadside like a gentleman. But wasn’t that creepy? We weren’t in a relationship, and I was trying to make her comfortable.

"Uh, Kitsuragi-kun, do you read books?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah, isn’t that why I joined the literature club?"

"I’m glad. I thought I looked desperate, making you join," she said, sighing in relief.

"If it’s okay with you, can you recommend me some books? The only things I read are light novels or manga, so I wanted to try something new. That way, we can discuss them as club members," I said, seizing the opportunity.

A bright smile spread across Shinomori’s face. She walked past me, turning slightly and leaning in with her hand on her lips. "Then why don’t I take you to the bookstore? I was thinking of visiting to pick up some new titles. It’d be great if you came along. That way, we can find a suitable book for you, hehe."

Was this... a date she talking about? My heart wasn’t ready for this.

"Sure. How about day after tomorrow? It’s Saturday, and I guess we’ll both be free," I said, jumping at the chance.

"Then it’s settled!" Shinomori said, returning to my side as we continued walking. When we reached the crossroads, we went our separate ways. On my way home, I stopped by a sweet shop and bought a dark forest cake for my little sister, Tamaki. I’d learned her name when my new mother called her by it, so I did the same. She’d been sulking because I’d faked a leg injury to make her carry me home, and she’d realized I was faking it. She couldn’t stop pouting, so I had to treat her to something to cheer her up.

It had been a great day. I was slowly getting used to this world, even though it had only been two days. I hadn’t expected my adaptability to be this good. I even noticed I’d gained a little confidence. Back in my old life, I was completely introverted and rarely spoke, but after getting trapped in this light novel, I could clearly see the change in myself. Somehow, this world felt refreshing—probably because of its romantic comedy light novel settings. I laughed to myself, feeling a little jealous of the main characters and how they effortlessly got into romantic situations. As if I’d ever have a real date. Still, the thought made me happy.

"I’m home," I called out as I entered the house. My mother greeted me warmly. Today was her day off, so she was staying at home. She worked in public service, so her days off were rare. I was about to open my room’s door when I noticed my sister, Tamaki, peeking out from her room like she was using Doraemon’s Anywhere Door.

"W-what?" I asked, confused.

She was pouting and stretched out her palm from the gap of the door.

"Huh?" I tilted my head, completely lost.

I really couldn’t get the hang of this new sibling dynamic. I’d never had a sister before, and her behavior was already confusing me. All I could understand was that she was in a pretty bad mood.

She stuck out her tongue and gave me a "bleh."

"..."

I guess it was too soon to think I was getting used to this world.

"Tamaki, if you don’t talk to me, I won’t give you this," I said, holding up the box of cake I’d bought.

"Hmph~ Shouldn’t you be more considerate of me, onii-sama?" she huffed finally speaking.

"I’m sorry, really. Trust me, I won’t do that again," I said, trying to placate her.

"Fine. Just get in, and let’s have the cake together," she relented.

I left my bag in my room and stepped into her room without even changing out of my school uniform. It was the first time I’d entered my sister’s room, and I was surprised to find it wasn’t as cute as I’d imagined.

I hadn’t expected her room to be so... normal. It was plain, just like mine. I glanced at the pink door and somehow felt like the room should’ve been filled with Hello Kitty merchandise or something equally girly.

Yeah, I am a bit disappointed.

I sat on her bed, scanning the room. Her desk was cluttered with books, each one filled with bookmarks sticking out like swords piercing a soldier’s body. She clearly studies a lot. Tamaki returned with two small plates, cutting the cake into halves and bringing two spoons from the kitchen.

"Onii-sama, you know I like strawberry cakes. Why did you buy this instead?" she asked, pouting again.

I have no Idea, but I will study more about this family from now on, to completely adjust here.

"Your room looks plain, unlike other girls’, so I thought you were into plain cakes too, Tamaki," I teased, smirking to annoy her.

"At least my room isn’t as plain as your face, onii-sama. Bwahahah!" she shot back. "Also you never entered a girl's room before."

Urk. She definitely isn't one to mess with. That hurt my pride. I started eating the cake silently. It wasn’t bad, considering my taste for sweets was pretty bland. As I ate, I noticed her shelf had a stack of light novels.

"Oh, Tamaki, mind if I borrow this book? It’s the one I started reading at the library," I said, pointing to a volume.

"Oh, this? Go ahead," she said, handing it over.

After finishing the cake, I happily took the book and headed to my room. Tamaki took the plates to the kitchen, and I changed into more comfortable clothes before starting to read the second chapter of No Sister No Life. It is a fun read, and I am glad Tamaki isn't sulking anymore. She’d forgiven me, and things felt normal again.

Ping ping.

A notification from my phone distracted me from my reading. I checked the screen and stood up from my desk in shock.

I’d been invited to an unknown group chat.

I was sure I hadn’t given my number to anyone, and I definitely didn’t have any friends. Who could this be?