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V3 Chapter 18: Bocchi Might Actually Be Perfect for a Horror Movie
🕑 Added 2025-05-18 07:14:59 +0000 UTC"This is my first time… being in your room, Haru."
Takamatsu Tomori stood a little stiffly in the middle of the room, her eyes full of curiosity as they wandered around.
Even though she knew it was probably rude to snoop, she couldn't stop herself, she was deeply curious about Haru, wanting to understand him better, to know more about him.
Haru lived in a pretty standard one-room apartment. It wasn't particularly spacious.
With four girls stepping in at once, the place felt rather cramped. But even so, the room was shockingly clean and well-organized, completely different from what anyone would expect a high school guy's room to look like.
"It's… even cleaner than mine…" Hitori Gotoh looked around, visibly spooked.
She suddenly felt like her "feminine score" was tipping dangerously in Haru's favor.
This was too clean.
He was a teenage boy, living alone!
Wasn't a boy's room supposed to be… messy? Random white tissue balls strewn about? Junk piled everywhere? Snack wrappers abandoned on desks?
Wasn't there supposed to be that unmistakable "teen boy" smell?
Yet here, not only was there no strange odor, there was even a faint scent of sunflowers.
And this wasn't even a planned visit, Haru had no time to clean or prepare. Which meant this pristine state was… normal for him.
"So this is where Haru lives… and it's a single bed?"
Chihaya Anon stared at the neatly made single bed, and a certain image suddenly popped into her mind. Heat surged from her chest to her face, painting her cheeks a vivid red like blooming petals.
If it's a single bed, then with two people, they'd have to…
"Anon-chan, are you feeling okay?"
Tomori looked at Anon, puzzled by her sudden blush.
That casual question nearly made the pink menace jump in place. Her eyes trembled, and her head shook like a bobble toy.
"I-It's just a little warm!"
"Probably because the room's small, it's kinda stuffy…"
Trying to hide her flustered state, Anon rushed to open a window for ventilation.
But it wasn't just Anon's brain running wild, Ikuyo Kita's heart was also racing.
She kept up her cheerful smile while chatting with Bocchi, but her gaze kept drifting to the white dress shirt hanging on the wall. From the creases, it was obvious Haru had worn it recently.
If she got just a little closer… maybe she could catch a whiff of his scent.
Kita felt a dangerous temptation creeping in.
"N-Nope. Stop."
She quickly slapped her own cheeks to snap out of it, hitting them so hard that her fair face turned bright red. Only then did the strange thoughts fade.
But her sudden reaction left Bocchi utterly confused.
What's going on with Kita-chan now?
"Hmm? Something feels off!"
"Wouldn't a guy like Haru have, like, something in here? Maybe a photo album tucked away in a corner or something? We could even see what he looked like as a kid!"
Trying to steer the mood in another direction or maybe just to distract from her own wild thoughts, Anon suddenly brought up a new topic.
"You're right, that would be fun!" Kita chimed in, eyes sparkling.
"Right, right?"
The two energetic girls moved in sync, scanning the room for anything they could find. The thrill of it all brought an odd mix of excitement and anticipation.
Photo albums were just a cover.
What they really wanted… was to uncover forbidden items in a teenage boy's room—
Little! Yellow! Books!
If they "accidentally" found something spicy while searching for photo albums, they could always blame it on the others to share the guilt and maybe, just maybe, they'd learn about Haru's hidden tastes.
So exciting!
"Anon-chan, Kita-chan… this really isn't okay."
"He might get mad…"
Tomori frowned slightly, worry flickering in her voice as she watched the two excited girls get carried away.
But her warning came too late.
Anon, having chosen the bed as her target, had already knelt down and peeked underneath. Her pristine white tights rubbed against the wooden floor as she lay flat and stared into the dark space beneath.
"Ugh… what's this?!"
She barely glanced before gasping. She'd found a mysterious little box beneath Haru's bed and her shock made her blurt out loud.
That outburst caught everyone's attention instantly.
Before she could even open the box, Haru walked in from the kitchen.
"…What are you guys doing?"
He raised a brow as he stepped into the room, looking slightly puzzled.
The first thing he saw was the pink menace holding a small box with both hands, clearly trying to hide the "contraband" she'd just been caught with.
But there was no escaping his gaze.
She'd been caught red-handed.
"Ah…"
Knowing she was doomed, Anon closed her eyes in resignation.
"I'm sorry! I got curious and peeked a little… but who knew you'd hide… something like this under your bed!"
Though she apologized in a proper kneeling pose, her eyes still sparkled with curiosity. She couldn't hide how badly she wanted to peek inside that mysterious box.
She had almost discovered the truth—Haru's tastes, his "type." A perfect tool for love strategy.
Anon might not have a knockout figure, but she had some confidence in her allure.
"I'm sorry, too."
Even Tomori stepped forward, guilt clouding her expression.
After all, barging into someone's home and digging under their bed was a huge invasion of privacy. No wonder Haru would be upset.
Not to be outdone, Kita launched into a dramatic apology slide, joining Bocchi, who had already started spinning in panic like a whirlwind. The two created a ridiculous scene together.
Haru couldn't help but find it a little funny.
"…What do you mean, 'something like this'?"
That one question left Anon completely dumbfounded.
What did she mean?
A mysterious little box under a teenage boy's bed? Even if she didn't open it, Anon could imagine what might be inside!
"That box has totally normal stuff. Nothing crazy."
Worried they wouldn't believe him, Haru opened the box right in front of them.
"Eh…?"
Kita was the first to react, blinking in confusion.
She thought maybe she'd misseen, but even after rubbing her eyes, the contents didn't change. She looked up at Haru in disbelief.
What was in the box… was nothing like what they expected.
Inside was a simple wooden music box, a handmade sunflower bracelet, and a few handwritten scraps of lyrics and melodies.
The contrast with their wild expectations was staggering.
"They're just old keepsakes. I stored them in a box because they're special to me."
Haru smiled faintly, a touch of melancholy in his gaze as he looked at the small items.
They were mementos from his "simulated" memories, like the music box and bracelet given to him by the sweetest daughter he ever had in that world. Of course he'd treasure them.
As for other keepsakes, like the couple's earrings from Ryo or the hand-knitted scarf from Anon, he'd stored those in another box. Planning to use them someday.
"That's… it?" Anon looked up in disbelief.
"That's it. What did you think it was?"
Haru rolled his eyes.
Trying to catch him off guard?
Of course he knew what Anon and Kita were thinking. No way would he keep "those kinds of things" under the bed where they could easily be found.
That's just asking to get caught.
Just like today, it was exposed on the spot.
Gifts from his "daughter" or his "wives" were just simulation rewards, even if someone found them, it wasn't a big deal.
But the real stuff he needed to hide—
Those were usually tucked inside empty Gundam model boxes, or wedged between the pages of a random light novel. The hiding spots were endless.
In truth, the most dangerous thing wasn't what was hidden in his room, it was the browsing history on his computer.
"You're lying. You've definitely got it stashed somewhere…"
Chihaya Anon puffed her cheeks suspiciously, a doubtful look on her cute face.
In the "dream world," she had been his wife. Of course she wouldn't fall for Haru's innocent act.
After all, once they were married, they had tried just about every kind of "training." There was even that time she came over in the morning to cook him breakfast… and it somehow turned into a duet rehearsal—
Haru always blindsided her with unexpected moves, leaving her no choice but to surrender.
There had to be a source for that kind of "knowledge"...
Haru furrowed his brow.
This nosy little pink menace… her intuition is terrifyingly accurate.
To keep her from digging any further and discovering something she really shouldn't, Haru quickly tapped her forehead with a light karate chop.
"Enough with the nonsense. Don't tell me you've all forgotten why we're here?"
He rolled his eyes and smoothly changed the subject, finally snapping everyone back to their senses.
Haru considered himself average in terms of academics.
But even his "half-assed" studying still put him way ahead of most students in Japan. Even his teachers assumed he was self-studying hard at night, which explained why he always seemed distracted in class.
Still… he was being naive.
One look at the stack of practice test papers in front of him, filled with red circles, was enough to give him a headache.
Kita had no real issues, her grades had only slipped a little due to intense guitar practice. With some review, she'd definitely pass without trouble.
Surprisingly, the adorably airheaded Takamatsu Tomori had stellar scores. That alone was enough to shock Hitori Gotoh, who had assumed everyone was just as hopeless as her.
But now it was clear, she was by far the weakest link.
"As for Bocchi—"
Haru glanced down at her paper, then gave her a long, meaningful look.
"I-I'm sorry…"
Hitori lowered her head, defeated. Even her hands, still holding a pen, were trembling slightly.
In her mind, the courtroom scene had already begun.
She sat as the defendant in the center, a pair of drumsticks in her hands acting as the judge's gavel. On the judge's bench sat Ijichi Nijika, serious and authoritative. The "plaintiff" seat held Haru, with Kita Ikuyo by his side as his smiling attorney.
When Bocchi turned to her own lawyer… it was a half-asleep Yamada Ryo, dozing off mid-trial.
Nijika slammed her gavel, her expression stern.
"Defendant Bocchi, your grades are so bad they're draining Haru's energy. How do you plead!?"
I—I demand a defense!
Bocchi turned desperately to Ryo-senpai for help.
With an annoyed yawn, Ryo waved lazily and muttered, "Whatever. Just sentence her to the compost bin."
"Defense accepted!"
"Defendant Bocchi, sentenced to compost!"
Judge Nijika banged her drumstick again, sealing her fate.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! That can't happen!
Back in reality, Bocchi convulsed on the floor like she'd been electrocuted.
"Bocchi-chan?" Tomori knelt beside her, gently poking her shoulder, but got no response. She looked up at Haru, eyes full of concern.
"Don't worry, Bocchi's like this sometimes," Kita reassured her with a cheerful wave, then leaned down and whispered something gently into Bocchi's ear.
Whatever it was, it worked, she snapped out of her spiral.
Still, Bocchi's face was pale with terror as she looked around, her eyes darting nervously. The moment she spotted Haru, she collapsed onto the desk.
"S-So sorry! I'll work harder!"
She buried her face into her arms, desperate not to be turned into fertilizer.
"It's not that big a deal. This level can be fixed with enough practice."
Haru smiled at her pitiful reaction, amused.
He might not be on Saint Anon's level when it came to raw academic prowess, but he had plenty of experience helping hopeless students cram under pressure. He could work miracles in a week.
All they had to do was lock in on the exam topics, then drill those practice questions relentlessly.
"R-Really?!"
Bocchi looked at Haru like he was her savior, hands clasped in a silent prayer.
But then, a nagging thought crossed her mind—
Am I relying on Haru too much?
Every time she had a problem, he was the first person she turned to. But besides playing guitar… what had she ever done for him in return?
Over an hour passed in focused study.
Haru spent most of it helping Bocchi understand her questions, occasionally answering Tomori's or Kita's as they came up.
But the longer he stayed, the more uncomfortable he started to feel.
His apartment bedroom wasn't exactly big, now that four girls were crammed into it, everyone was practically shoulder-to-shoulder.
Their closeness meant he was constantly being brushed by silky strands of hair, with a mix of fruity shampoos and subtle perfumes floating around him like a spring breeze.
"Haru, I don't get this one either~"
Whether intentionally or not, Kita kept inching closer, using her questions as excuses.
The problem was, when she leaned in to ask, their faces got just a little too close. Her head would occasionally bump softly against his chest…
And yet, Kita's expression never once betrayed that she noticed anything.
Anon-san was starting to get nervous.
Because she wasn't seated right next to Haru, she could only watch helplessly as Kita Ikuyo gradually grew more intimate with him.
Every time she tried to interject or disrupt Kita's flow, Kita would perfectly adjust her posture to maintain just enough distance… and then continue working on her problems as if nothing happened.
It gave Chihaya Anon the frustrating feeling of punching a pillow—no resistance, no effect.
"I'll go make some tea and snacks. You guys take a break."
Haru's sudden words drew everyone's attention.
If he stayed in there any longer, he might not be able to hold back.
Anon's eyes lit up with opportunity.
Now's my chance!
"Haru, I'll—"
"Anon-chan, why don't we all have a little chat~?"
Kita instantly cut in with a casual suggestion.
Seeing Tomori looking up at her with those pure eyes, Anon found herself unable to refuse. But on second thought, at least Kita wouldn't get to go with Haru either. That was still acceptable!
"Bocchi-chan, aren't you hot? Your forehead's all sweaty…"
Anon gave Hitori Gotoh a curious look. She was always wearing a tracksuit, even in this weather. Wasn't she dying in there?
Could it be that… she was hiding a monster under the tracksuit?
"Um… uh…"
Bocchi hesitated, clearly reluctant to unzip.
But with gentle coaxing from both Anon and Kita, she finally gave in and slowly unzipped her jacket.
Shhhhhh—
A subtle sound echoed through the room. Was that heavy breathing…?
Tomori: ??
She had no idea what was happening. She looked at Anon and Kita, just seconds ago they were smiling and laughing, but now both their faces had gone pale, their expressions warped with envy and something bordering on despair.
Bocchi… was stacked.
Kita was probably the most shaken. She clutched her chest with both hands, glancing down at herself, then at Bocchi, then back at herself. Her eyes slowly dimmed like someone who had lost all hope.
"Bocchi… aren't we supposed to be friends…?"
Her fellow "flat alliance" comrade had betrayed her!
Weren't they supposed to be united in their flatness!?
"Um—I… I'm going to the bathroom!"
Under the burning stares of her devastated friends, Bocchi couldn't take it anymore and ran off, leaving Anon and Kita to exchange traumatized, haunted glances.
It's fine. Flat chests are rare treasures. Haru's not the kind of guy to care about that!
"Whew…"
Haru let out a small sigh of relief.
He glanced at the screen of the Simulator, which now showed a simulation count of "5." His expression turned complicated.
Even with all the time spent today, it had only increased by two.
The longer the simulation went on, the fewer "rewards" each character would yield. Progress would require longer, or more intimate, interactions to see real results.
If this kept up, things might start getting tricky.
"Five already, huh? I should probably get ready for the next simulation."
Haru opened his inventory and glanced at the [Nijika IF Route Card], a glimmer of anticipation lighting up inside him. Just imagining a simulation with the gentle Nijika-mama was enough to make his heart race.
"Yo! Haru!"
A voice suddenly called out behind him—Hitori Gotoh, stiffly raising a hand in greeting, her tone weirdly formal.
What kind of weird energy is this?
"Um, I… I'm really sorry."
After a pause, she suddenly apologized.
"…What for?"
"I feel like I've been bothering you so much. I always rely on you, but I haven't done anything to repay you…"
Haru looked at her—shy, yet gathering her courage and fell silent.
Bocchi… was maybe too considerate of others.
"Bocchi, are you happy being in a band?"
"Eh?"
The sudden question caught Hitori off guard.
Was she happy?
There was no need to hesitate.
"I… I'm really happy."
For the first time, Bocchi answered clearly and without looking away.
"Do you think it's the music that makes you happy, or the people you're making music with?" Haru asked with a soft smile.
Bocchi hesitated, but began to understand.
Her hands slipped partly into her sleeves, her back hunched as usual, long bangs almost covering her eyes. It was like she was shrinking into herself, hiding her delicate features.
Seeing her hesitate, Haru gently said:
"For me, being in a band with you is what makes me happy."
"Eh?"
Bocchi froze, clearly not expecting that.
"People always think they have to offer value in order to keep a relationship."
"But real friendship is about exchanging emotional support."
Haru knew Bocchi's "social anxiety" wasn't just fear, it was self-loathing. She hated how she froze up. She believed she was a burden and when others asked her for things, she couldn't say no.
In truth, she was just trying so hard to be liked.
And Haru found that side of her adorable.
Even if her anxiety couldn't be "cured," he believed that with care and encouragement, she could grow stronger.
"Don't overthink it. When I need help, I'll ask you. Just help me when that time comes."
He pulled a cold MAX Coffee can from the fridge and lightly tossed it to Bocchi, who fumbled to catch it. The chill spread from her fingertips into her brain.
"Don't tie your whole identity to someone else. If you do, you'll forget to belong to yourself."
The ice-cold can made her fingers sting, but her heart was warm. Her pulse quickened. It felt like she was soaking in a hot spring.
In that moment, Hitori Gotoh finally understood how Tomori must've felt.
You really do want… to be in a band with him for the rest of your life.
"…Haru, let's be in a band together forever."
"…Huh?"
Her sudden declaration stunned Haru.
He had expected her to stay timid, but this straightforward confession hit way harder than anything she'd ever said.
"A-Aaaaahhh—!!"
Her cheeks turned beet red, her brain buzzed like static, and even her toes curled against the floor. Her pupils trembled violently.
Idiot! Why did I say that out loud?!
"I-I didn't mean it like that—I mean, I just—"
She scrambled for an explanation, her mouth spewing nonsense.
Then, spark of genius.
"If… if we can't be in a band forever…"
"Th-Then, Haru—let's start one again in our next life!"
The room fell into silence.
Bocchi… might just have a future in horror movies.
