Otakus and gyarus are like "water and oil," never meant to mix.
And yet, there I was, an otaku, face to face with Yuria Ichinose, a gyaru, in front of a busty bishoujo figure from an anime called "Chichikyun".
If it had just been a chance encounter, I might have been saved.
In a situation where an otaku like me was aiming for this figure, even if I ran into Ichinose, she would just say, "Otakus are seriously gross," and that would be the end of it.
But Ichinose, upon seeing me, blurted out, "Hey you there! That was my machine," admitting that she had been trying to get the figure from that machine.
In other words, she created a situation where she couldn't escape the fact that she was aiming for a busty bishoujo figure herself.
"Ah, could it be… you're going to use this against me…"
Ichinose, her face bright red from embarrassment, pointed her index finger at me and said this.
(Here we go again. Another round of otaku prejudice.)
It seems that gyarus like Ichinose think otakus are always looking to exploit weaknesses.
(Even if an otaku like me knew her weakness, there's no one I could tell, so what could I even do?)
Honestly, if I could, I'd love to bury my face in Ichinose's soft, ample chest and firm thighs.
"Hey… aren't you going to say anything?"
As I silently observed the situation, Ichinose spoke in a trembling voice.
"You're going to spread the word at school that I was aiming for a figure, right? And ruin my life?"
"Calm down. I didn't come here for that."
"Then why are you here? This is the next town over, you know?"
She had a point. I couldn't admit I got the info from Airi Miyama in the morning.
If she found out I was connected to Miyama, the secret of aiming for the busty figure would become an even heavier burden.
(In that case… I'll play the sympathy card.)
"Actually, I also came here to get this figure."
A perfect response. This should cover up the fact that I got the info from Miyama!
"What, you're also after Milk-tan…?"
Milk-tan is the name of this busty bishoujo figure, a silver-haired twin-tailed beauty with a B110 bust, known for squirting breast milk to blind enemies… quite a lewd character (of course, the prize version wears a yellow bikini, so you can't see the milk).
Wait a minute. If she calls her "Milk-tan," it means she's not in it for resale or transfer, right?
Okay, time to press her on that.
"So, Ichinose, why are you after this figure?"
"..."
No answer. Ichinose, fiddling with her brown hair draped over her shoulder, looked away with an awkward expression.
Her attitude clearly said she had no intention of answering.
"Is it to give to someone? Or maybe to resell——"
Before I could finish, Ichinose suddenly closed the distance and grabbed my uniform collar.
"Don't lump me in with those scumbags!"
The usually mellow Ichinose suddenly got emotional. It seemed the word "resell" was a trigger for her.
"I'm trying to get it myself to avoid giving in to resellers! Don't compare me to those scummy resellers!"
Fuming with anger, Ichinose pulled me closer, her face nearing mine as if ready to headbutt me. As her pretty, well-formed face came closer, I couldn't help but blush.
(Damn… She's more cute than scary. And she smells so good…)
The citrusy fragrance from Ichinose's perfume tickled my nose. This was the scent of a gyaru… a rich, different aroma from Miyama's.
"Are you listening?"
Ichinose, still furious, looked like she might punch me at any moment.
(This situation is bad…)
Right now, in Ichinose's eyes, I'm nothing but an enemy. As I considered how to defuse this situation, I realized there was only one option left.
(I have no choice. I can't afford to worry about expenses right now.)
Still held by my collar, I reached into my uniform's back pocket, pulled out my wallet, and inserted 100 yen into the UFO catcher.
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
"Just be quiet."
"Huh?"
"And could you let go of my collar? I need to concentrate now."
Entering my focused mode, I cracked my knuckles and spoke with an air of authority. Surprisingly, Ichinose let go of me and stood by my side.
"Wow, you seem… different now."
Yes, whenever I start playing a UFO catcher, a different persona emerges. Since my adolescence, I've honed my skills and extreme concentration to win bishoujo figures. To unleash these, I need to be in my concentrated mode.
Winning a UFO catcher prize isn't easy. You need to "stroke" the prize into a winnable position before pushing it out with the arm.
"Alright, this should do it."
With practiced movements, I manipulated the arm and, within just few tries, dropped the figure into the prize chute.
"Wow… you're amazing!"
Did you see that, gyaru? This is the power of an otaku, who usually can't show off in sports or academics. Underestimate an otaku, and you'll regret it.
I took the figure from the prize chute and pressed it against Ichinose's chest.
"Here, this is for you."
"Eh… are you sure?"
"Of course."
"But you won this, and you wanted it too, right?"
"The only reason I won it is because you had been trying so hard before me. So, it's yours."
As I said this, I straightened my disheveled uniform. Inwardly, I was thinking, "Please let this figure settle everything for today!"
(Now that I've handed the figure to Ichinose, let's agree to pretend today never happened.)
I felt bad for Miyama, but there was no chance to ask about the morning. Who would have thought that the downer gyaru Yuria Ichinose was a fan of "Chichikyun"? I kind of wished I didn't know.
"Hey, Ichinose, let's just forget today ever happened—"
"You're not going to mock me?"
As I tried to wrap things up nicely, Ichinose cut me off.
"Mock you? Why would I?"
"Because… a high school girl like me likes such a lewd anime, it's just weird, isn't it?"
Ichinose bit her lip and made a bitter face. Like Miyama, had she also been criticized in the past? Even if that were the case, Ichinose was wrong.
"That's disrespectful to you and the work."
"Huh?"
"Even if it's an erotic anime with breast milk squirting, there's nothing wrong with proudly liking what you like. I've never been ashamed of what I love."
I never hide the covers of my light novels. There's nothing to be ashamed of. That's the otaku way.
"I'm not saying hiding your hobbies is bad, but you shouldn't degrade something that you love."
"…"
I ended up sounding a bit preachy, but in reality, I'm at the bottom of our class hierarchy, and Ichinose is at the top. I'm not really in a position to talk down to her…
(I didn't find out what I wanted to know about this morning, but it's time to make my exit.)
"Sorry, Ichinose, I've got to go."
"..."
"So, as I said before, let's just forget what happened today. It's better that way."
"No…"
"Huh? But that would be best for you too, Ichinose."
"Because I'm… an otaku too."
"What?"
Yuria Ichinose's sudden confession.
Not just a "gyaru who is kind to otaku," which I thought was a mythical creature, but an actual otaku gyaru was standing right there in front of me. Is that remotely possible?