The room was considerably brighter than any of the times Tsushima Kagami had visited before.
Yamada Kenta was holding an English teapot, looking like he was about to brew some tea.
Hmm...
The room was a lot tidier.
Hmm...
And the shut-in stink had faded quite a bit too.
The first thing Tsushima Kagami noticed was the collection of doujinshi that Yamada Kenta used to display so brazenly on the bookshelf to his left.
They were all gone.
Replaced with all sorts of normal manga and quite a few literary works.
On the other side, his figure shelf had been completely cleared out as well.
The warm afternoon sunlight shone down on a miniature tea set arranged atop the table.
Teacups, teapot, sugar bowl, creamer — everything was there.
All of it tiny, the kind of thing meant for dolls.
Yamada Kenta sat at the table, wearing a dark blue sweater, his hair combed neat and tidy, as though he'd specially groomed himself.
Seated across from him was a doll — Nina.
She wore a deep crimson dress.
Lace trim, pearl buttons, delicate little rose patterns embroidered along the hem.
Her hair had been redone.
Woven into two braids, coiled at the back of her head and tied with a red ribbon.
Her face wore faint makeup — blush, lip gloss, even her eyelashes had been brushed.
She sat on a small chair, a cup of tea placed before her, the tea still hot, wisps of white steam curling up from it.
"Kagami, you're here."
Yamada Kenta looked up and said cheerfully.
"Come, have a seat."
Tsushima Kagami sat down across from him and set his backpack down by his feet.
Here's a present.
Tsushima Kagami took out the gift he'd prepared for him.
"Thanks."
Yamada Kenta accepted the present.
And this one too.
"I ran into classmate Hazuki on the way and she asked me to pass this on to you."
Tsushima Kagami took out the gift that Hazuki Hotaru had asked him to deliver earlier.
After taking it, Yamada Kenta asked, puzzled.
"? Why didn't she come with you?"
"How would I know."
"I was about to ask you the same thing."
Once he'd finished speaking, Tsushima Kagami's attention was drawn back to Yamada Kenta's doll.
He looked at the miniature tea set on the table.
Then he looked at Nina, then back at Yamada Kenta.
"You… what exactly are you doing?"
"Having afternoon tea with Nina, of course."
Yamada Kenta lifted his own teacup and gently blew on it.
"Nina likes black tea, with a bit of milk, no sugar."
Tsushima Kagami was silent for a few seconds.
"Kenta."
"Hmm?"
"Are you okay?"
Yamada Kenta set down his teacup and looked at Tsushima Kagami, baffled.
"What could possibly be wrong with me?"
Tsushima Kagami looked at Nina, then back at Yamada Kenta.
His expression was very earnest — he didn't seem to be joking.
His gaze was calm — he didn't seem to be losing his mind.
His hair was combed neatly, his clothes were clean, and altogether he looked even more full of spirit than usual.
What on earth was going on here?
Tsushima Kagami looked at Yamada Kenta, who now sat there all gentle and cheerful, sipping his tea.
Had he transformed from a normie cuckold king into a sunny shut-in?
Tsushima Kagami pointed at Nina again.
"You changed her outfit?"
"Mm. I made it myself."
"The five sets that came with her weren't nearly enough for Nina to change into."
There was a touch of pride in Yamada Kenta's tone.
"I made this one myself. What do you think?"
Tsushima Kagami looked at the dress on Nina.
He did know that Yamada Kenta's handmade DIY skills were quite good.
He just never imagined they'd all be put to use like this.
"It looks great."
"Right?"
Yamada Kenta smiled.
"Nina loves it too."
Tsushima Kagami didn't respond to that.
Inadvertently, his eyes swept beneath Yamada Kenta's bed.
He spotted a cardboard box sitting at the foot of the bed.
Without any hesitation, he hooked the box with his foot and dragged it over to his side.
Opening it up, he found it was full of figures and manga.
He recalled that the last time he'd come, Yamada Kenta's room had been packed with figures.
He'd meticulously maintained those figures — every one wiped spotlessly clean, every one with its own dedicated spot.
So why were they all in a box now?
"Those figures — why have you packed them all away?"
Tsushima Kagami pointed at the cardboard box.
Yamada Kenta followed his gaze with a glance, then turned back.
"I don't need them anymore."
"You don't need them anymore?"
"Now that I have Nina, I don't need those."
Well, damn — so love really does fade away, huh?
Tsushima Kagami rummaged through the box.
Then his eyes lit up.
He pulled a Tomoyo Daidouji from Cardcaptor Sakura out of the box.
Then he took out a Shampoo from Ranma ½.
And finally he dug out a Meimi Haneoka from Saint Tail.
Seeing that the three figures looked like they'd been gathering dust for a while, he wiped them off with his own sleeve.
Because they'd been released so long ago, they were all out of print.
In his past life, by the time he'd wanted them, he couldn't even find them at second-hand merch shops.
On his previous few visits to Yamada Kenta's place he'd seen these very ones, and he'd been eyeing them enviously for a long time.
But a gentleman doesn't take what another loves, so he'd never brought it up.
As a result, seeing Tsushima Kagami fiddling nonstop with those three figures, Yamada Kenta came right out and said it.
"If you like them, just take them all."
"? Really?"
Tsushima Kagami never expected that before he'd even asked, Yamada Kenta would part with them.
Yamada Kenta said with a smile.
"I already have Nina."
Well, damn — you're a scumbag AND an NTR case!...
No wait, I'm the one who took three of his.
So I'm a scumbag plus NTL!...
I'm despicable!
"Then thank you, Kenta."
After thanking him, Tsushima Kagami suddenly thought of something.
"How come you didn't hang out with classmate Hazuki yesterday or today?"
"Classmate Hazuki?"
"Didn't you two used to go out and have fun together all the time?"
Yamada Kenta set down his teacup and looked at Nina.
"Yesterday and today I had to keep Nina company."
"Leaving her all alone would be too lonely for her."
"I already told classmate Hazuki."
"I'll take her out to have fun next time."
Tsushima Kagami opened and closed his mouth.
"Kenta..."
"You… you're not quite right in the head, are you?"
Yamada Kenta shot him a glance.
"Kagami, you're the one who's not right."
"How am I not right?"
Tsushima Kagami never expected Yamada Kenta to turn it back on him.
"You've already lost the ability to hear the voices of the figures' hearts!"
"You're no longer a pure 2D man."
Tsushima Kagami got furious, feeling as though his otaku credentials were being questioned.
"How am I not a pure 2D man?"
"You're the one who tossed your figures in a box, ready to get rid of them — what right do you have to say that about me?"
Yamada Kenta said proudly.
"I've gone from the many toward the one."
"Because I've finally met my one true love — Nina!"
"But you, my friend."
"You've been thoroughly objectified by the 3D world, utterly fallen."
"You've already taken on the shape of a normie!
"Lately you've been watching less and less anime, haven't you?"
"Spending more and more time with girls, haven't you?"
Hearing that, Tsushima Kagami sucked in a cold breath!
"Do you even know which new shows are airing in the late-night slot tonight?"
Yamada Kenta pressed the question slowly.
"I…"
"I don't know..."
Tsushima Kagami said dejectedly.
He really hadn't had the time to watch anime lately.
"How disgraceful!"
"As your friend, I have to drag you back onto the right path!"
Yamada Kenta set down the black tea by his hand, rose, and came to stand before Tsushima Kagami.
Before Tsushima Kagami could even retort, Yamada Kenta suddenly struck a bizarre pose.
His hands waved nonstop in front of his body.
In sync with the offset motions of his head and feet.
"You are OTAKU! You are OTAKU! You are OTAKU!"
"Who are you~"
"I'm Tsushima Kagami."
"No!"
Yamada Kenta shook his head.
"You are OTAKU! You are OTAKU! You are OTAKU!"
"Who are you~"
"I… I'm Tsushima Kagami…"
"No!"
"You are OTAKU! You are OTAKU! You are OTAKU!"
"Who are you~"
"I…"
"I am OTAKU! I am OTAKU! I am OTAKU!"
Yamada Kenta nodded in satisfaction and sat back down.
"Even though you already know."
"I should still introduce her properly."
"This is Nina."
Tsushima Kagami looked at Nina.
He lowered his head and looked at the three figures he'd brought along.
"Hello, Nina."
"This is Shampoo, this is Tomoyo, and this is Meimi."
Tsushima Kagami introduced them just as Yamada Kenta had.
At this point Yamada Kenta pulled three more small chairs from a drawer and set them beside the table.
Tsushima Kagami placed the figures on them — a perfect fit.
They sat in a circle with Nina.
Yamada Kenta took out three more miniature teacups and poured tea.
He placed one in front of each figure.
Tsushima Kagami frowned and waved his hand.
"My Shampoo likes flower tea."
"She doesn't drink black tea!"
"How do you know?"
Yamada Kenta was momentarily stunned, then asked.
"She just looks like the type who'd like flower tea."
"But I don't have any flower tea."
Yamada Kenta said dejectedly.
"Fine then, black tea it is."
Tsushima Kagami said with a face full of disdain.
"Oh right, and there's this too!"
Yamada Kenta took a little plate of miniature cookies from the drawer and set it in the middle of the table.
The cookies were still in their unopened packaging — the kind made specially for dollhouses, a dozen or so to a bag, each one as small as a fingernail.
"How can afternoon tea have only tea and no snacks?"
Yamada Kenta said with a smile.
"Wait!"
Yamada Kenta looked over at Tsushima Kagami, puzzled.
"What is it now?"
"My Tomoyo likes to eat cookies!"
"Oh, right!"
"My Meimi likes to eat chocolate!"
"But I don't have any cookies or chocolate!"
Yamada Kenta said with a wronged look on his face.
"Honestly, you don't have a single thing and yet you go around imitating people's tea parties!"
Tsushima Kagami pursed his lips.
Yamada Kenta's face was full of shame.
"I… I'll have it all ready next time!"
And so the two of them just sat there, drinking black tea, eating cookies, pouring tea for the figures.
Until the sunlight slowly shifted across the room, and the room gradually grew dim.
Tsushima Kagami checked the time — it was almost five o'clock.
"I should get going."
He stood up.
"You won't stay for dinner?"
"No thanks."
He carefully placed Tomoyo, Shampoo, and Meimi back into his backpack, then slung it on.
"I'm full from all the tea."
Yamada Kenta didn't try to keep him. He saw him to the door.
"Thanks for the figures."
"Next time remember to have the things they like to eat ready!"
Yamada Kenta waved cheerfully.
"Don't worry."
"I'll definitely have it all ready!"
Meanwhile, off to the side, the worry in Mrs. Yamada's eyes had only deepened.
By the time he left Yamada Kenta's home, the sky had already grown dark.
Tsushima Kagami walked along the road back home.
He patted the figures in the backpack behind him.
You know what, holding an afternoon tea together with figures and dolls, super-realistic playing house and all that…
It was actually pretty fun.
Let's play again next time.
____
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