An email? Who is it?
Your seniors' protest will not be in vain! Tonight, all second graders at Kanagawa Kibogaoka High School are invited to the Christmas party. This event will be held at the school gym.
Damn, I forgot about this.
I remembered that my harem had made some kind of pledge to see who would dance with me at the dance. And it was Anzu who received that honour.
What a pain in the ass, on top of having to go, I'm going to have to put on a show…
While I doze, my sister, without any delicacy, jumps in my bed.
—Big Brother, we'll buy you an outfit for your party, get up!
An outing in all peace with my little Chizu, here is what will fill my day.
I put my pillow on my face and answer him.
—Yes, yes if you want Chizu.
After all, it's already been a long time since we walked alone together. I know that she is waiting for that, since I entered the high school, I didn't spend much time with her.
The mall, the landmark of the 3D universe. To the left of the crowd, to my right, the same thing.
I miss my sanctuary…
—Hello sensei!
I turn around and see Yoshida, dressed as a waitress.
—Hi, Yoshida.
She turns her face to my sister and asks
—Who is she, sensei? Have you ever betrayed me!?
She's fourteen years old…
—She's my sister, Yamazaki Chizu.
—Oh sorry!
She walks towards her, lowers herself to her waist, and confides in her.
—Nice to meet you, my sensei's little sister.
She gets up, then adds.
—I leave you, I must return to work, see you later!
Chizu throws me an icy glance.
—I hope you didn't deceive Aneko, big brother!
Fooled? What is she saying?
Chizu grabs my arm and adds.
—Look in front, it's a clothes store, we should find your happiness!
If you say so, Sis…
With a sigh, I enter the store.
—Wait for me here, I'll get what you need.
Is she saying I have no fashion sense?
She's not wrong, silly.
My sister selected a few suits and came back to me.
—Put this on, you're going to be the best-looking big brother ever!
I head to the nearest fitting room.
These three outfits all have a pretty classy style. Is this the kind of clothing the boys wear in 3D? I don't know, but damn it must be awful.
I've never set foot in a party in my life. So I listen to Chizu's advice as usual.
I try the three costumes and notice that among them, only one of them pleases me. The two others were either not to my taste or too tight. So by elimination, I chose the last one. It's quite simple, it's a black suit with…
What's that hanging thing?
I put my face out and ask Chizu.
—Why do I have a belt with the suit?
She puts her hand against her face, and sighs.
—It's a tie, Big Brother…
A tie?
—It goes around your collar, you idiot!
Your otaku body dancing in there, I don't want to miss that part,' Kinari sneers jokingly.
I'm fed up with it.
I put the tie around my collar and open the curtains of my cabin again.
—Big Brother!
My sister's expression is incomprehensible.
Is it astonishment?
—You're beautiful, I'm such a fan of yours!
A smile slowly appears on her face.
Without any elegance, I turn on myself then ask her.
—Does it fit me well, Chizu?
—This is worthy of my sensei!
Yoshida?
—She's right, you're the most beautiful otaku! You have fifteen times more charisma than Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, big brother.
She knows how to compliment me.
—Yoshida? What are you doing here?
—I work across the street and since it's my break time, I decided to crash this fitting. Do you mind, sensei?
You're already, right now, silly.
—No, I don't mind.
Chizu approaches me and whispers.
—Why does she call you sensei? Isn't your friend strange?
If only you could imagine what I go through every day…
We come out of the store and then Yoshida proposed us.
—With this heat, don't you want to drink in our maid cafe? I will be your waitress!
A Maid cafe, dream Kinari in love.
A maid cafe, dream Kinari otaku.
—Big Brother, what's a maid cafe?
—A restaurant with waitresses wearing cosplay.
—The place of otaku, mumbles Chizu.
Brrr, that cliché gives me the shivers.
I understand you, younger brother.
—Shall we go there, big brother?
Of course we're going!
—Yes!
We enter the maid cafe then I sweep my eyes across the room.
Quite a catalogue. A waitress who plays the role of the little sister, and the other imitates the expressions of the idol.
We sit down around a table and wait to be served.
—What do you want, otoutosan?' Yoshida asks me with a bright smile.
And here is oneesan, dream Kinari otaku.
—What's with the face, big brother? I've never seen you pull such a silly face!
Leave my desires, silly. You can never understand the hopes of an otaku. If idols' wish is to have millions of likes, mine is just as stupid, I want to go into a maid cafe every day!
—Strawberry milk for me, with an omurice!
—And for you, imoutosan?
—The same, please.
—I'll bring it to you right away.
I'm swimming in a sea of happiness…
—Stop pulling that, Big Brother, you look like a pervert!
Yoshida serves us, and adds ketchup to our omelettes.
Out of clumsiness, she squirts some on my cheek.
—Sorry, otoutosan, don't move, I'll take care of it.
She leans her body against me.
Her chest is two centimetres and four millimetres from my nose.
I breathe in and feel her feminine scent wafting through me.
Damn, I love it, she has such a satisfying aroma to the sense of smell!
You're repulsive to me right now.
You sure do.
Even I wouldn't dare.
You're worse than Kinari in love, I think.
Shut up and let me live my dream!
She licks her finger then caresses my cheekbones to remove the sauce.
What a soft touch…
—Here you go, otoutosan, enjoy your meal!
—Big Brother, take off that perverse smile!
I'm really swimming in a sea of happiness…
She is really adorable in her role of oneesan. But how can she carry so many different personalities?
My phone rings.
—Hello, hello, Kinari?
—Yes, Anzu?
I'm in front of your house, did you go out?
Why does reality catch up with us so quickly?
—Yes, I'm with Chizu at the mall. Why?
—We have to go to the Kanagawa Christmas Party!
My Christmas party is here…
—I'm coming, I'm coming.
After about ten minutes, we are back to my shrine.
—Come in, you'll catch cold, Anzu.
—Thank you.
Chizu grabs my arm, and leads me into the bathroom, shouting.
—I take care of him, Anzu!
What an ordeal to be an otaku in a 3D world.
—Big Brother, being well dressed is great, but I also have to do your hair!
Goodbye to my pretty hair.
—I trust you, Chizu.
—You'll be the most beautiful of the whole party, big brother.
She puts my hair back and then brings me the suit that we bought earlier in the day.
I am unrecognisable.
Anzu knocks on the bathroom door.
—Are you almost finished?
Chizu opens and introduces me to the heroine of the normies.
—Here is your date, Anzu!
His eyes sparkle as much as his scarf.
—It is a great rider that you prepared for me, Chizu!
I admire this girl, in front of me, who is also absolutely charming.
She wears the red, lace dress that we bought together and she put her hair in a single braid on her left shoulder. She smiles at me as she grabs my hand, and then we are off.
My heart is beating at the speed of a hayajiro.
On the way, Anzu contemplates the starry sky, then asks me.
—Do you think I'm pretty?
—You look like Princess Kaguya.
Don't overdo it, silly.
—Princess Kaguya? she sneers.
—If she had tied her hair back you'd be related to her, traits for traits.
He's overdoing it.
—Masuko is right. Sometimes you can be a class act…
Her words touched me.
—You know, I think this party will be another small step towards the fulfilment of my dream.
—Your dream?
—To have you by my side forever.
She's so cute.
—You're blushing, Kinari!
—You're blushing!
She's totally hot.
—By the way, we managed to get a table for the six of us for the party!
—That's great.
Wait, for six? I only have four friends, who are the fifth person?
While entering the place of the event, Anzu is ecstatic in front of the decoration that our elders prepared. The tree is sublime, and the lights dazzle my eyes.
Worthy of a Christmas in 3D.
I sweep my eyes, and notice Aneko, alone, around a table. She is wearing the same outfit as the day she invited me to her house.
Sad memory.
—Hello, darling!
Always this nickname…
In the distance, we distinguish Yamaguchi and Maeda who arrive accompanied by Yoshida.
Is she the sixth person?
They greet us of the hand, the smile to the lips.
He manages to smile in spite of Aneko rejecting his feelings? He has an incredible strength.
—Hi, sensei!
Always this stupid nickname…
My phone vibrates.
A message from Masuko, what does she want?
Sorry I can't come today, enjoy the party, darling!
I hate this harem.
Our president is in the first grade, so she couldn't participate.
Everyone settles around the table.
What's with the costume?
—I have to leave you guys, I have to go play my role in Santa Claus!' exclaims Maeda, waving at us.
Yamaguchi approaches Yoshida and asks him.
—Would you like to dance with me?
What a gentleman. I'm light years ahead of his audacity…
—Yes, if you want, otoutosan.
She keeps her professionalism outside? No one does that, except maybe Sakuranomiya Maika, and then again…
I'd like to wiggle my pelvis with oneesan, Kinari otaku repeats several times.
When I gave her a new chance to evolve, I did not expect such a result. It was far above my expectations. It's like she was made for me.
Quite a woman.
Aneko approaches me and asks me.
—I know that I am not your hor'wman tonight, beloved. But I want to be with you!
Her sentences are more and more incomprehensible, what an ordeal.
I look at Anzu who nods at me, then waves me off.
You could have said no, silly…
I grab Aneko's hand then we join the track.
She deserves her title of eroge heroine, the least of her gestures is of an exemplary smoothness, as if she was not moving with me, but with the wind. A masterly grace, I remained speechless.
She hugs me, then whispers in the corner of my ear.
—I still love you so much, darling.
What did she just say?
—What did she just say?
—I love you, I love you, I love you!
I don't have any guard up.
I'm silent, but my heart wasn't nearly as silent.
—Honey, can we play the piano together again sometime?
—Yes! Besides, every night I tap on my computer keyboard to practise my rhythm. You'll see Aneko, I'll manage to make you live a memorable moment thanks to my fingering!
Hum, hum, coughs Kinari seriously.
—You… You're doing all this for me?
—I'll do anything to make your dream come true!
—I'm so … happy, Kin'ri…
Tears roll down her crimson cheekbones. I dry them with my finger, then confide in her.
—Thank you, for being yourself, Aneko.
Her arms tighten against my chest.
—You're a glimmer of hope, Kin'ri!
She releases her hold then adds.
—Shall we go back to our friends, Kin'ri?
I've definitely lost my guard.
The lost look, I settle in my place.
What should I do with her seriously… I have no idea, and it's so frustrating!
This 3D universe is more complicated than the choice between Yui and Yukino.
—Shall we celebrate the new year at your place, Kinari?
In my little apartment that's barely 30 square metres?
—If you like.
This apartment has become our secret base. Everyone goes there to sort out their worries. This place is much more alive than a year ago.
Anzu, in turn, approaches me.
—I believe that I have no choice but to dance with my date, she confides to me while tending her hand towards me.
You can always leave.
I cough, tighten my tie, grab her hand and retort.
—Your date will do you the honour of accepting.
—What class sensei,' says Yoshida, applauding.
She leads me to the side of the tree, decorated with a star at the top, which illuminates this room.
—Are you ready, Kinari?
—Yes, I am.
As she spun around, I looked at her red dress floating in the air. Her braid swayed from right to left and her white ribbon was as bright as her smile.
I get chills.
Our scarves are binding together.
— Kinari?
—Yes?
—Is Aneko better?
—I think so.
—I hope she doesn't use her weakness to seduce you…
—What's that?
But what is she saying?
—Nothing, forget it, in any case she won't beat me!
—What's that?
She grabs my left hand and her second arm slides into my back. My rider advances her face hastily from mine.
She is freaking me out.
The fear immobilises me and my instinct orders me to close the eyelids.
The aroma of violet approaches, it approaches very quickly, too quickly!
An electric shock runs through my whole body when I feel his lips on my cheek.
—Thank you, my date.
She … she kissed my cheek?
Our scarves have never been so tired.
Anzu may not be Sakai, she may not be the heroine of the normies either. But she is the heroine of my story.
Yui and Yukino: Character in the centre of the love triangle. (Oregairu)
Sakuranomiya Maika: Sadistic main character. (Blend-S)
hayajiro: Means of transport used against the kabaneri. (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress)
oneesan: Big sister in Japanese
otoutosan: Little brother in Japanese
Ayanokôji Kiyotaka: Charismatic main character (Classroom of the Elite)