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[TSSIM] Chapter 339: Inferiority Complex
🕑 Added 2024-01-30 20:21:24 +0000 UTCAlong the way, only Homura and Nozomi conversed, while the others, including Honoka, barely spoke and merely listened.
It couldn't be helped.
Once certain things, especially things outside common sense, were brought up, they could definitely cause a sense of discomfort, and the adjustment period varied from person to person.
While the girls in Another Dimension who had been with Homura for a long time adapted quickly and were even able to talk to him normally right then and there, the adjustment was slower for the others.
"Speaking of which..." Homura looked at the silent girls. "Muse's ranking has reached thirteen, right?"
"Um, that's right." Eli replied, nodding her head. "Regardless, we can't relax. Idols just entering the top twenty are fighting hard to keep their spots, and those close to entering the top twenty can still make it if they give it their all. Other idols are working hard, so we can't slack off."
"I just wonder if the earlier conversation will affect everyone's minds..." Homura said with a sigh.
"Whose fault do you think it is?" Nico asked, shooting him a glance.
At this, Homura could only give a wry smile.
"Hmm... I think it's not Homura-kun's fault." Kotori shook her head. "Idols should be able to adjust their state, it's just that we didn't do well enough."
"But before being idols, you're still girls, so it's totally normal to be troubled by things like this." Homura responded.
"In that case, you need to take responsibility and do everything you can to shake off this feeling!" Maki chimed in.
"Oh? Maki-chan, that's a good idea~" Nozomi chuckled, then turned to Homura. "Homura-kun, looks like it's up to you now."
"Yeah, no problem!" Homura smiled, giving a thumbs-up.
"But... how exactly do we do that, nyaa?" Rin asked curiously.
"Considering our situation..." Hanayo thought seriously for a moment before her eyes lit up. "Could it be a date?!"
""Date?!""
Everyone exclaimed in shock simultaneously.
"No way!" Nico directly intervened. "We're idols now! If we're caught dating boys, our idol careers would be over!"
Upon hearing this, Nozomi's eye twitched.
"Hehh~ I thought Nico-chan was stopping us because you wanted to be the first to go on a date with Homura-kun?"
As soon as the girls heard this, they involuntarily shifted their gazes to Nico.
Seeing this, Nico's lips twitched.
'Where the heck did that conclusion come from?! I didn't even give any hints, did I?'
'I mean, I wouldn't say I'm not interested at all, but even Nozomi can't say for sure that she has no feelings for Homura. Seriously, it's totally normal for girls to be attracted to excellent guys!'
'In the first place, my feelings for him are not at the level of Honoka and the others, right? Why does everyone think I'm dying to go on a date with him right now?!'
'No, I get it! Everyone must have the same ideas—that's why they think I would have such ideas!'
'So, doesn't that mean they're shy to admit it? I didn't expect them to be so good at pretending!'
As Nico got lost in her thoughts, she forgot to counter Nozomi's statement.
Everyone looked at Nico, waiting for her rebuttal, but instead, she fell into contemplation, causing everyone to exchange surprised glances.
"Hey, isn't it fine as long as you don't get caught?" Yukiho asked with a puzzled expression. "I mean, for Minamiya-senpai, it should be pretty easy not to get noticed, right?"
"But Yukiho, a date is probably different from when he picked up Kaguya-nee, right?" Alisa felt there was something off about her friend's idea.
Yukiho paused, furrowing her brow slightly.
"I guess... on a date, you'd probably go somewhere crowded, right? Hmm, that'd make it hard to avoid being seen... or maybe somewhere with no one around?"
Hearing this, Homura sweated a bit.
Somewhere with no one around?
Wasn't she overthinking this?
"Actually, it doesn't really matter about the date or whatever!" Honoka chimed in with a cheerful smile. "As long as I get to eat food made by Homura-kun, I'm good! But... my weight..."
As she finished speaking, her face was filled with worry.
"I think I can adjust my weight..." Umi muttered, thought for a moment, and then sighed. "Probably..."
Hearing this, everyone felt a bit speechless.
If she wasn't sure, maybe she shouldn't say it out loud!
"Actually, we could just do it the usual way, right?" Homura said with a smile, reassuring everyone. "Since everyone will come to my place anyway, if you want to do something, or if there's something I can do for you, just let me know. If it's hard to say, feel free to send me a message, or have someone else tell me, no problem!"
"Um... I think..." Kotori murmured, glancing at him secretly. "As long as I can be with Homura-kun..."
Seeing her cute behavior, not only did it melted Homura's heart, but it also made everyone else feel something.
"How cute..." Rin murmured softly, her expression seeming somewhat envious.
"Rin-chan is also very cute!" Hanayo exclaimed, grabbing Rin's hand.
At this, Rin forced a smile in response.
"Cute or not... I have nothing to do with that, but... thanks, Kayo-chin..."
"No! It's not like that! I've known Rin-chan since we were kids! I've always thought Rin-chan is really cute! That's how I truly feel!"
Hanayo spoke somewhat excitedly, drawing everyone's attention, but her expression soon turned downcast.
"Looks like... Rin-chan's still bothered by stuff from elementary school..."
Hearing Hanayo's mutter, Rin remained silent.
"What's going on? Did anything happen during elementary school?" Maki asked while furrowing her brows, wondering what could have caused Rin to have an inferiority complex.
"What else? It's clearly those little bullies' fault." Homura chimed in and looked visibly annoyed.
"Eh? Little bullies?" Honoka was puzzled.
Meanwhile, Hanayo looked at Homura with an astonished expression, feeling like he truly knew everything about them.
"Yeah, everyone's probably seen kids like them, right? Back in elementary school, there was usually a group of super annoying boys. You know, the type who teased everyone—mocking others or flipping girls' skirts so casually."
Homura explained with a displeased expression.
"Even now, you sometimes still see them—flipping skirts on restaurant servers or trying to lift nurses' skirts in hospitals. And the worst part? Since they're just kids, you can't really do much about it."
"Uhh..."
After hearing Homura's explanation, the girls admitted that underage bullies were the most helpless type to handle.
"Rin's like this now, and it's totally because of them." Homura continued.
"Is that true?" Maki asked, turning to Hanayo.
"It's... probably close enough..." Hanayo replied with a sad expression. "Back in elementary school, Rin-chan was always called a boy. Anytime she wore a skirt, she'd get mocked and laughed at... I thought she didn't care about it anymore, but today..."
"What the heck?! Isn't that just too much?!" Nico fumed, her face full of anger. "Kids think they can just say whatever they want, huh?!"
"If Rin's fans ever find out about those brats... heh, let's just say those brats are gonna end up with more than a few bruises." Homura said with a sneer.
It was supposed to be a serious topic, but why was it so hard to hold back their laughter when they heard his words?
