After entering Takanashi Mirai's room, Kuroha Akira let out a silent, admiring whistle.
Like Shirai Shiori's room, which had been a library of pure literature, Takanashi Mirai's room was also very distinctive—the kind of hyper-personalized space where you could immediately tell what the owner was interested in at a single glance. It was like walking into a museum dedicated to one person's hobbies.
So, he thought, are all JK's rooms this extreme now? Or is it just the ones I happen to meet?
The first thing he saw was a desk that struck a perfect balance—a touch of punk aesthetic woven into a strong otaku vibe, the kind of setup you'd see featured in desk makeover videos on YouTube. The extra-long desk and the pegboard on the wall were clearly custom-made, designed for maximum functionality.
On the far right of the desk sat the computer area: three monitors arranged in a battle station configuration. Two horizontal screens—one large, one small—were stacked vertically, with a vertical screen placed beside them for reading documents or social media feeds. There was also a very expensive-looking speaker system and a cool computer case with all sorts of RGB lighting that would make any gamer's heart skip a beat.
The middle section was left relatively empty, housing only a large monitor and a game console. But unlike the collection cabinet in the living room—which was practically a history of gaming consoles, displaying everything from retro classics to modern powerhouses—this area only had the most popular current consoles. Alongside them sat charging handhelds and controllers, as well as some uncleaned food scraps. It seemed she ate all her meals right here, never leaving her command center.
The left side had a work mat where she presumably assembled models. There was clay and spray paint on the desk, suggesting she might even sculpt things herself from scratch. A true artist's workspace.
The most exaggerated feature, however, was the pegboard on the wall. Seven or eight very expensive-looking over-ear headphones hung there in a neat row—like a collection of trophies. It seemed Takanashi Mirai was also an audiophile, a connoisseur of high-fidelity sound.
This reminded Kuroha Akira of the same type of headphones worn by the female lead in an anime he used to watch back in his previous life. A quick mental price check revealed they were ultra-expensive headphones, costing thousands of yen each. Although it was probably just soft advertising in the show, the reality made him want to complain. 'Poor family background' my foot! he thought. This is clearly 'rich or noble'! These aren't headphones a part-time worker could afford!
Near the window, there was an electronic piano, with a guitar and music stand beside it. It seemed she also played music, further adding to her creative arsenal.
The models Akiko had mentioned she assembled herself were all displayed on a figure cabinet next to the bed—rows of meticulously crafted gunpla and characters, each one posed with care. The bed itself was covered in cute plush dolls, a soft contrast to the high-tech setup surrounding it. This, at least, somewhat resembled a JK's room. It had that cozy, personal touch.
...
To have such a room at this age—with everything she wanted bought for her—Akiko truly doted on her daughter too much. It was the kind of room that made you feel both envy and understanding.
And Kuroha Akira completely understood why she didn't want to leave her room. After all, this was the dream room of a shut-in—a sanctuary where the outside world couldn't reach you.
Even Kuroha Akira felt that if he lived in a room like this, he would definitely choose to be a shut-in too. It had everything a person could want: entertainment, creativity, comfort.
However, the reality was that Kuroha Akira's room at the Kobayashi household had been practically empty when he first arrived. Now, he at least had a bunk bed that served as decoration and a beautiful girl to sleep with, so he somewhat enjoyed lounging in bed. But before that, Kuroha Akira would rather go to the school library to read than stay in an empty, soulless room.
Yet, her room probably wasn't arranged like this from the beginning. It likely accumulated items as she grew up, layer by layer, year by year. Since she used to attend school normally, the room certainly wasn't the reason she chose to become a shut-in. Something else had triggered that decision.
...
Noticing Kuroha Akira observing her room, Takanashi Mirai scratched her cheek and said somewhat awkwardly,
"I know this room is exaggerated… But my mom designed and arranged all of this herself. It's really convenient to use, though…"
"I see, so it's Akiko's doing."
Hearing her say that, Kuroha Akira understood. After all, she was still just a student and didn't have enough funds to even think about renovating a room on her own. Only adults would have the financial means to transform a room like this. In fact, from the living room's decor, it was clear that Takanashi Akiko was actually the 'true super otaku' of the family.
It seemed Takanashi Mirai wasn't a spoiled rich girl, but rather more like a mama's girl—someone whose interests had been nurtured and cultivated by her mother's love.
"Those headphones were also birthday presents from my mom." Takanashi Mirai pointed at the collection. "Ever since I said I wanted headphones when I was in first grade, she's bought me the latest headphones every year… I looked up the prices, and they seem pretty expensive."
She scratched her head and grumbled, "Honestly, a person only has two ears. Why get so many headphones? It makes it seem like I'm some kind of audiophile fanatic… Isn't this just a waste of money…"
She seemed to be complaining, but Kuroha Akira could still tell that she was very happy her mother gave her gifts every year. The warmth in her voice betrayed her words.
...
In many cases, adults simply didn't know how to express their love for their children, so they constantly used money and material possessions to satisfy their children's material needs. Especially parents who had been separated from their children for a long time—unable to be present during their children's growth—would find an invisible barrier forming between them. At that point, all they could think of was 'paying money' to bridge the gap.
However, having grown into adults, they forgot their own feelings from childhood. For children whose values had not yet fully formed, money was not the most important thing, nor could it buy a child's genuine affection.
Takanashi Mirai felt happy not because the headphones she received were so good or expensive, but because 'Mom remembered her birthday'—that simple act of recognition made her feel 'loved.'
Many parents didn't know how to get along with their children, and this was the origin of many family tragedies.
Kuroha Akira immediately thought of Shion and the Class Monitor. Both of their relationships with their mothers were very strained, even hostile at times. The distance between them was palpable.
In fact, Kuroha Akira himself was the same. Although all the family conflicts had been completely resolved before he transmigrated, in the first thirty years of his life, his family had certainly caused him no shortage of mental breakdowns. Those scars didn't just disappear.
However, the main conflicts in his family came from his temperamental father. Kuroha Akira had never seen him in his prime—he was still young then. And after he became conscious, what he encountered was his impoverished and failed father abusing his family.
Actually, him getting beaten was one thing—he could take a hit. But he really couldn't stand his scoundrel father laying hands on his mother. So it often turned into a 'filial son' beating session…
No matter what, hitting a woman was truly an act of cowardice. Some lines could not be crossed.
Compared to these negative examples, the mother and daughter of Takanashi were only having a small temporary conflict. They could still sit together to play games, share meals, assemble models, and discuss anime—they were practically too harmonious. It was the kind of relationship that made you believe in family again.
...
"Sorry, there are no other chairs in the room. Please sit on my bed," Takanashi Mirai said, gesturing.
Takanashi Mirai sat on her gaming chair with her legs crossed, looking like a queen on her throne. Kuroha Akira unceremoniously sat on her bed, the plush mattress sinking slightly under his weight.
"Speaking of which, where's Hitomi-chan?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
"The Class Monitor has something going on at home today," Kuroha Akira explained. "So she didn't come with me."
Hearing that it was Asato Hitomi's family matter, Takanashi Mirai frowned and said,
"Hitomi-chan's family matter… Is it her mother's command again?"
"Huh? You actually know the reason why the Class Monitor left you guys?"
Kuroha Akira remembered the Class Monitor saying she hadn't explained it to her childhood friends. The fact that Mirai even knew about her mother's interference was interesting.
In fact, she really didn't know the full story. Hearing Kuroha Akira say that, she was stunned and retorted,
"Eh? Is Hitomi-chan leaving us related to her mother?"
"Uh, you don't know?"
"Hitomi-chan never explained it to us, how would I know?!" Mirai's voice rose with frustration.
"Then why do you think it's her mother's command?"
"Just a guess." She shrugged. "Since way back, Hitomi-chan's mother has been very controlling of Hitomi-chan. When Hitomi-chan was little, she made her do some kind of 'bride training'—like she was raising a perfect doll rather than a daughter. My mom even pointed her finger at Hitomi-chan's mom and lectured her about it at a housewives' gathering once…"
"Wow, Akiko is that fierce?"
He couldn't imagine the usually soft-looking Akiko, who always squinted her eyes and spoke in a gentle voice, actually getting angry enough to confront someone.
"But Mom said they've made up now and even become good friends," Mirai added.
"Oh, the mothers repaired their relationship first…" Kuroha Akira nodded slowly. "Then, Takanashi-san, are you not planning to make up with the Class Monitor?"
Takanashi Mirai hugged her knees and pouted, her expression turning sullen.
"It's not that I don't want to make up… It's Hitomi-chan who chose to leave us. If she really cared about us and wanted to repair the relationship, shouldn't she be the one to come apologize to us first? She's the one who walked away."
"Indeed, you have a point."
On this matter, the Class Monitor was indeed at fault. From the perspective of these childhood friends, the Class Monitor had actively abandoned them—and for no apparent reason. Anyone would find that unacceptable. It was like being ghosted by someone you'd known your whole life.
But the Class Monitor still hadn't chosen to repair the relationship, and she must have her reasons. Perhaps once her conflict with her mother was resolved, she would finally reconcile with her childhood friends. Until then, the wounds would remain open.
"Speaking of which, my mom is also Takanashi, and you call her Akiko, right?" Takanashi Mirai said, suddenly changing the subject. "So you can just call me Mirai, but don't add '-chan.' I don't like it."
"But the Class Monitor calls you Mirai-chan…"
"Hitomi-chan can call me that, since she's always called me that since we were little. It's different."
"So, our relationship isn't close enough yet?"
"It's the opposite." She looked away, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I actually prefer friends to call me by my first name directly now…"
Saying the word 'friend' still made the thin-skinned Takanashi Mirai feel a bit embarrassed. She wasn't used to openly admitting she liked someone.
But she had indeed recognized Kuroha Akira as someone worth knowing. Being able to play games together so happily already counted as good friends, and now she had even invited him into her room—a privilege only granted to those she truly trusted.
"So you can just call me Mirai, and I'll call you Akira."
"Okay, I understand, Mirai."
Calling someone by their first name without an honorific is indeed rare for Japanese people, who are obsessed with etiquette and social hierarchy. It signified a level of closeness that wasn't easily given. It seemed Takanashi Mirai was a straightforward girl at heart—once you earned her trust, she dropped all formalities.
Then she asked something she had been curious about for a while.
"By the way, Akira, you're that Goddess's attendant, aren't you?"
"Goddess?" Kuroha Akira looked puzzled, not knowing who she was referring to.
"It's that super beautiful girl you were eating with when I first saw you at the family restaurant! She's also Saionjia Makoto's classmate… The Goddess named Shinomiya Shion!"
Mirai's eyes sparkled, and by the end, her cheeks were a little flushed. She was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Oh, oh…"
So she was talking about Shion. Seeing Mirai's fangirl-like appearance—calling her a Goddess so exaggeratedly, like she was describing a divine being—it was clear she had been completely conquered by Shion's beauty. That face could topple nations, and apparently, it could also convert shy shut-ins into devoted followers.
Sure enough, Shion's enchanting beauty appealed to both men and women alike. She was the kind of stunning that transcended gender boundaries.
Then Mirai continued to lament, her voice taking on a dreamy quality.
"I used to think the Angel was the most beautiful woman in the entire entertainment industry. I never thought anyone could compare to her…"
"Who's the Angel?"
"You don't even know the Angel?" Mirai stared at him like he'd just admitted he'd never heard of oxygen. "She's the hottest and youngest talented actress right now—Tsukimiri Aoi! The big screen on the pedestrian street and the trains are all full of her soda commercials!"
"Oh, oh! Never heard of her…"
Kuroha Akira seemed to have a slight impression of it from a TV commercial, but he was never the type to pay close attention to ads. In his previous life, he'd been the kind of person who actively skipped through commercials.
Takanashi Mirai looked astonished, her mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg.
"Is that for real…? Are you from outer space?"
He was from another world, actually. But he wasn't about to explain that.
"Is it really as exaggerated as you say?" he deflected.
"I'll find that super-hyped 'God-tier' movie promotional image for you—see for yourself!"
Takanashi Mirai swiveled to her desktop, woke her computer from standby, and searched for Tsukimiri Aoi's movie promotional poster with practiced efficiency.
"Oh, oh…!"
Upon seeing it, Kuroha Akira was genuinely stunned.
A pure white woman floated in mid-air, her tiptoes barely touching the water's surface like a blooming flower—or an angel descending to the human world. The lighting, the composition, the ethereal quality of the image—it was breathtaking.
If this image wasn't Photoshopped, Tsukimiri Aoi was indeed a peerless beauty capable of rivaling Shinomiya Shion. A face that could launch a thousand ships—or in this case, sell a thousand movie tickets.
If Shion's looks were a 120, then Tsukimiri Aoi's were probably a 115. The five-point difference wasn't in their facial features but in their hairstyles; Tsukimiri Aoi was a short-haired girl, and Kuroha Akira had never been a fan of short hair. That was just his personal preference.
However, her hair color was a striking silver-white—like moonlight given form—which, unlike Shion's glossy black hair, provided a different kind of stunning beauty. One was the beauty of the night sky, the other the beauty of the winter moon.
No wonder she was called an 'angel.' This 'pure white and clean' feeling indeed made people think of a holy, untouchable being.
In fact, just looking at her face, Tsukimiri Aoi might even be more beautiful in some ways. Her expression was more captivating—warm and inviting, like sunshine on a spring morning. Unlike Shion, who was as cold as an iceberg when she didn't smile, Tsukimiri Aoi's smile radiated warmth.
Then Kuroha Akira began to compare the differences between the two in his mind. Tsukimiri Aoi was a bit shorter than Shion, but her bust was slightly larger—nearing a large cup size. When wearing a pure white, form-fitting dress, it created a beautiful curve that drew the eye.
Kuroha Akira had thought Shion was in a league of her own—a once-in-a-generation beauty—but he never expected someone could truly rival her in appearance.
Could it be that the women in this world generally have very high Appearance stats? he wondered.
"But since the Goddess is so beautiful," Mirai continued, "is she really going to be a voice actress? Not an actress? I still want to see these two appear in the same movie… that scene would surely be dreamy!"
"She's a voice actress," Kuroha Akira said firmly. "That's what I decided for her."
"Eh? You decided?!"
Mirai was greatly surprised, never expecting that the Goddess's career path was Kuroha Akira's 'misguidance.'
"Yes, you just called me her attendant, right? Actually, I'm her Producer. Her debut plan was formulated by me."
This surprised Mirai even more, followed by an annoyed complaint.
"Look what you've done! Someone with the Goddess's invincible looks should definitely be an actress! Or an idol! Do you even understand the value of her appearance?!"
Kuroha Akira scratched his head and explained calmly.
"Of course I understand… but Shion said she doesn't want to enter the entertainment industry based on her looks, which is why she decided to take the voice actress path instead. She wants to be recognized for her talent, not just her face."
After hearing this, Takanashi Mirai was even more impressed—not only by her beauty but also by her character. Someone with that kind of face, choosing the harder path out of principle.
"How amazing… so beautiful, yet she doesn't want to rely on her looks… that's the resolve I lack!"
"So, Mirai, do you also want to be a voice actress?"
Kuroha Akira felt that his previous guess was mostly correct. Takanashi Mirai had decided not to go to school because she met Shion and heard her declaration that she wouldn't be attending school anymore. It had been a moment of inspiration for her.
But to become a voice actress, you didn't need to be a shut-in, right? It seemed like an extreme reaction.
Then Takanashi Mirai explained why things had turned out this way.
"That's right… but, I can't become a voice actress right now."
"Why?"
"Because my mother—she absolutely will not agree to me wanting to be a voice actress."
This was the core conflict between the Takanashi mother and daughter.