Volume 1 Chapter 43 When I Was At The Bookstore With Nakagaito, Looking For Romance Novels For Girls, I Discovered That Kashiyama-San Is A Fujoshi
The next day after school, Nakagaito and I are scheduled to shoot a YouTube video.
After school, I approach Nakagaito.
"How are your Japanese studies going?"
Nakagaito nods a little.
"Yeah, just reading the Japanese textbook out loud and searching for the parts I don't understand really makes a difference. But, you know..."
"But what?"
"Well, I tried reading the isekai romance stories on the website you mentioned, but I couldn't understand anything."
"Oh, yeah. 'Syosetu' can be challenging. Sorry about that."
"No, it's not a big deal or anything."
"Well, I think it's better to spend money on a proper romance novel from the bookstore. 'Syosetu' is mostly written by beginners, so it's not always suitable for studying. There are often overused plots and unspoken rules that are heavily present there."
"I felt like that too."
"Well, if you can read the Japanese book out loud at home, do you want to go to the bookstore today?"
"Yes. But I have never been to a bookstore before."
"Don't you get magazines and manga at a bookstore?"
"I get magazines at shops that sell many things, and I don't read manga."
"I see, I see.."
"If I wanted to read manga, I would not get them at a bookstore. I would read them on my phone, you know?"
"Well, that makes sense."
It looks like half of the students in high school and university read manga, but for girls, they like to use phone apps more.
Some of them also read manga on social media like Twitter manga.
Well, buying paper comics takes a lot of space.
So, some people might think that high school girls these days don't read manga, but it is more true to say they don't get comics at bookstores.
Maybe boys like to collect things more, as they seem to get manga comics more often.
"Sometimes, it is good to buy and read a book made of paper at a place where they sell books. Do you want to go with me now? If you don't know where things are in the place where they sell books, you may not see the book you want."
"Yes, that would be good."
I think this is more true now when many small bookstores where they sell books are closing.
It is the same with places where you can borrow books, but for people who aren't used to the aisles of large bookstores, they can be like labyrinths, comparable to the underground passages at Shinjuku or Umeda stations.
And it is also not easy to find the book you want from the places where they put them.
If you don't like that, you will not go to big places where they sell books often.
Well, never mind that, I went to a place where they sell books near the station with Nakagaito.
And we walked through the places where they put books without stopping, and I showed her one.
"For books that girls like, they are here."
Usually, these kinds of books are next to the ones for boys who like light novels.
And boys who like light novels also like comics, so it is not very hard to find.
"Hmm, there are a lot of them, right?"
"The ones that look easy to read are Mangon Bunko, Beads Bunko, Beans Log Bunko, or Nijinsha Bunko Iris, I think? Mangon Bunko has been around since 1976 and has many great books. And the paperback books are cheaper and take up less space than the bigger ones, which is nice."
One thing to be careful about when buying a romance novel for girls is that there might be BL novels or TL novels nearby, or even mixed in the shelves.
This is also true for manga, but even shoujo manga can have explicit s*xual content, which makes it worse.
"The most popular book in Mangon Bunko is The Earl and the Fairy, I think?
It has an anime adaptation, so you can start with that if you want."
"Hmm, then I'll just buy this one for now."
As I decided on the book to buy, I went to the cashier and ran into someone I knew.
It was Kashiyama-san, my senior at the bakery where I work part-time.
She took a book called "The Secret Love Stories in BL Novels" from the shelf and held a comic about BL in her hand.
"Oops!"
"Oops!"
She saw me, and Kashiyama-san looked scared when our eyes met. We both stopped for a second.
But, it's like being kind and ignoring what we just saw.
Then Nakagaito paid at the cash register, and we left the bookstore.
"Okay then, see you later. Tell me what you think after you finish reading it."
"Yeah, sure."
"By the way, remember, these books are for learning Japanese, so don't get too caught up in that kind of thing."
When I said that, Nakagaito sounded a bit annoyed.
"Obviously. You don't need to remind me."
"Well, as long as you know."
Saying that, it wouldn't be a surprise if Nakagaito really got into it.
After Nakagaito left, someone grabbed my shoulder from behind.
"Hey Hata-kun~. Can we talk alone? Do you have some time?"
When I turned around, it was Kashiyama-san, just as I expected. Or maybe I should say, just as I feared.
If I said no, I felt like she would hurt my shoulder. So I had no choice but to nod as she held my shoulder tightly.
"Um, yeah, sure. Do you want to go somewhere where nobody can see or hear us?"
"Yes, exactly."
"Then, maybe we can go to a net room or a karaoke place, or rent a private space. Where would you like to go?"
"Let's go to the net room. It would be strange to go to karaoke if we don't sing, and renting a space would be expensive, don't you think?"
And so, Kashiyama-san and I went to the net room, where we could go in together, have our own locked room, and nobody could hear us.
Once we entered the private room, Kashiyama-san said.
"Did you think I was a disgusting girl who likes Boy's Love stories?"
I shake my head in response.
"No, not at all. These days, Boy's Love novels and comics are sold in many bookstores, and I also have a Boy's Love comic myself."
"Huh, so you're a fan of Boy's Love, Hata-kun?"
"No, I didn't buy it on purpose, I just mistook it for a regular romantic comedy comic, but it turned out to be quite interesting."
"Isn't that something you would normally notice from the cover?"
"Well, you wouldn't expect a guy to be wearing a cute maid outfit, right?"
"No, no, but that's good then. I was really worried about what to do if you found out earlier, since I was pretending to be a normal person."
"Oh, in comics and light novels, they depict fujoshi as typical geeks, but in reality, they are beautiful, stylish, and spend a lot of time on makeup. They also have good social skills. And do you draw illustration with copics, or do cosplay?"
"Oh, you know me well. As expected of Fudanshi. Well, at the moment, I am not actively involved in cosplay, but I have a curiosity about it."
"No, I am not a fudanshi. I am open-minded and can appreciate various types of relationships. Whether it's Boy's Love or Girl's Love, it's all just a matter of personal preference."
"So you're saying Hata-kun has an interest in both genders, like a bisexual?"
"But this is only in fictional worlds. In reality, it's rare to find a boy who looks like a girl and is charming..."
As I mentioned that, I suddenly noticed Gouriki-kun, who perfectly fit that description, was nearby.
"No, even if there was a boy who looks like a girl, I wouldn't have any romantic feelings towards him."
After saying that, I sensed a mischievous smile from Kashiyama-san.
"Oh, it seems like you have someone specific in mind, huh?"
"Kuh, are you a NewType?"
"Oh no, I was just joking around, but it's there, huh? Well, in that case, why don't you talk to me about Boy's Love sometime?"
"No, I don't have much knowledge about Boy's Love."
"Blackboard ✕ Chalk (teacher-student relationship or a senpai-kouhai?)."
"Why use hard things together? Isn't it a bit too difficult for beginners?"
"No, but Hata-kun is pretty good at keeping up with this, right?"
"Ugh, I can't think of a reply. Honestly, I don't understand much."
"It's fine. Even if you don't get it first, as long as you learn slowly and go deep."
"Is it never-ending, though?"
"Well, some may think so."
It's hard to tell if Kashiyama-san is joking or not.
Hello, we have other project about someone who has returned from an isekai. The main character is a hero who has defeated the Demon Lord. However, for some reason, the human-demon war has resumed and will take place in the MC's original world. The MC, unaware of this, meets a Saint from that world and asks them to join the war. But what does the MC say? They refuse. Is it because their love was rejected by the princess when they adventured together in the past or are they simply fed up? And are the MC will join later? You can find out by clicking on the following => [Link]
We also have a similar genre returned from isekai but has different MC's characteristic. The story is punishing someone who troll in SNS, someone who cheat and many more. You can find out in => [Link]
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)