With his creative endeavors going exceptionally smoothly, Narumi Tōru had been living quite comfortably lately. After all, once you have something to look forward to, positive emotions naturally push you to become more proactive.
That said—school life, which could feel like days dragging on forever, was a different story.
Unlike the so-called normies who flitted about like social butterflies with connections everywhere, and unlike the go-home club types who headed straight home after school to minimize unnecessary social interaction, Narumi occupied a rather unremarkable middle layer within the school's social pyramid.
He wasn't a problem student who became a thorn in his peers' side, but at the same time, words like "popular" or "star student" had nothing to do with him. He was simply an ordinary student who kept a polite but not overly close distance from both teachers and classmates.
Getting along with the school's big names wouldn't actually be difficult—but it would be a hassle.
Likewise, completely cutting off interpersonal relationships and going fully solo wasn't hard either—though that would come with its own set of problems later on.
So the path Narumi Tōru chose in his school life was, comparatively speaking, the most stable middle road.
He didn't become the core member of any clique, maintained friendly relations with those around him in the most energy-efficient way possible, avoided being ostracized, and also avoided becoming the center of attention.
This time- and effort-saving social style had brought him nothing but benefits so far. There hadn't been a single drawback—precisely because of that, he now found himself puzzled.
Why was Hayama Hayato, a man who stood at the very top of the normie pyramid even within Sōbu High, standing outside his classroom like he was waiting to ask him out?
"Yo, Narumi Tōru-kun… that's your name, right?"
The handsome boy with lightly permed blond hair ignored the curious looks from nearby students and directed a refreshing smile solely at the curly-haired boy seated at his desk.
"I've got a bit of a problem, and I might need to ask the Service Club for help… Are you free right now? If you've got something else to do, we can reschedule."
Help… so, a request?
For a second, Narumi was startled—he'd almost thought Hayama was another one who retained memories from the simulation.
Raising an eyebrow, Narumi reflected that the Service Club had actually taken on quite a few requests recently.
For example, Yuigahama Yui's request—wanting to express her gratitude to someone important with handmade cookies.
In the end, under Yukino's guidance, Yuigahama's cooking skills improved noticeably, but even after the request was completed, she still hadn't quite worked up the courage to reveal her feelings.
Then there was Zaimokuza Yoshiteru's request—asking the Service Club members to read his light novel and give feedback.
Despite Yukino's razor-sharp assessment that "aside from his manner of speaking, there isn't a single thing about this person that resembles a popular author," and Hikigaya Hachiman's pessimistic yet honest comment that "as long as the illustrations look good, it's fine," Zaimokuza still pulled himself together. After listening to Narumi's concise advice—"keep the story entertaining while properly designing its structure"—he continued writing with renewed determination. After all, they were fellow creators so helping where he could made sense.
There was also Totsuka Saika's request, asking the Service Club to help the tennis club improve their skills.
Although it involved a "friendly" match against a bunch of normie socialites—and ended with victory thanks to Hikigaya Hachiman's instinctive, self-taught technique—the match left Narumi, whose Strength, Endurance, and Agility all barely scraped a B, utterly miserable. A novelist's sedentary body was prone to issues; it was probably time to start exercising.
All in all, the Service Club had already resolved a fair number of big and small incidents. It was only natural that more clients would come knocking.
Still, there was one thing Narumi Tōru couldn't quite wrap his head around.
"Our club does take requests, that's true… but Hayama-kun, why come looking for me specifically instead of going to our president, Yukinoshita-san, or just meeting everyone directly in our clubroom?"
After leaving the classroom and stepping up to Hayama, Narumi glanced around. Hayama immediately noticed that the curly-haired boy was uncomfortable with the surrounding stares and led him to a quieter spot by the vending machines near the stairwell corner.
"Because I heard about you from her… She said you might be even more reliable than Yukinoshita-san."
"Her…?"
"…Yukinoshita-san's older sister."
Narumi wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt like the corners of Hayama Hayato's ever-cheerful smile carried a faint trace of bitterness.
"There aren't many people she evaluates that highly… So I was curious what kind of person you are. That's why I suddenly asked to meet you alone. If this bothers you, I apologize."
"No, it's not really a problem…"
Yukinoshita Haruno… she definitely did this on purpose.
Narumi tugged at the corner of his mouth in exasperation. It seemed that Yukinoshita Haruno wasn't just an elusive, cunning fox in the simulation—even in reality, she kept throwing surprise after surprise his way.
She didn't look like she remembered him, but for her to leave such a strong impression after meeting him just once felt a bit much—unless the simulation had indeed had some effect on her, leaving behind a vague sense of familiarity. Nothing more than that.
Yeah—if that were the case, Hikigaya's earlier odd reaction would make sense too.
"I'd been wondering what kind of person she'd be interested in… but seeing you now, Narumi-kun, I think I understand."
Hayama was still smiling, yet there was very little warmth in it.
"It seems… she really does gravitate toward people similar to herself."
Why did the air suddenly smell so sour? Whose aged vinegar had just been knocked over?
"Huh? Hayama-kun…?"
"No, it's nothing. Just forget what I said."
Though Narumi feigned ignorance and didn't directly respond to Hayama's words, he understood perfectly.
As someone who once dated Haruno, I can confidently say she doesn't actually have a fixed 'type.' The real reason is simply that she wasn't interested in you, Hayama-kun.
Of course, saying something that cruel out loud wouldn't fit Narumi's current easygoing, thick-skinned persona—better to let Hayama come to that realization himself.
More importantly, how do I get out of this situation…? I really don't want to keep talking about my ex-girlfriend with a handsome normie who's clearly harboring a crush on her.
Just as Narumi was silently lamenting his predicament, as if in response to his wish, a cool, clear voice drifted down from the stairwell above.
"You took my club member away without a word, and all you've been talking about is my sister—are you here to make a request, or just to reminisce, Hayama-kun?"
Descending the stairs at an unhurried pace, one hand resting on the railing, was Yukinoshita Yukino, her expression cold and unreadable.