Chapter 15: Everyone’s Nature

"Excuse me for intruding!"

"Come on in, nya."

After slipping off my shoes, I stepped inside. The room wasn’t dirty, but it was definitely cluttered—stuff everywhere.

I’d dropped by to visit Nyako today since I had some business with Kana-chan and happened to have some free time.

"One-bedroom apartment? Didn’t you win seven hundred million yen?"

It didn’t look like the home of someone sitting on that much money—just a pretty average single-person place.

"When I did the math, it looked like it’d disappear pretty quick, nya."

"Seriously? That’s like... several times my lifetime earnings, and it’d still vanish that fast?"

I didn’t know the exact numbers, but it had to be at least twice what I’d ever make.

"At first, I thought I didn’t need to work anymore, nya. But with so much free time, spending money kinda became my hobby, nya. Before I knew it, I was burning through cash like crazy, nya. So I stopped wasting it—and decided not to move somewhere fancy either, nya. Honestly, one room’s plenty."

"Guess that makes sense."

"But wow, you sure have a lot of stuff."

"I’m an idol, nya. I’ve got tons of work gear and gifts, nya. Ah—here, tea, nya."

Nyako handed me a bottled tea.

"Thanks. This one a gift too?"

"Leftover from an event, nya. Help me finish them off, nya."

"Sure, why not..."

"You’ve got a lot of clothes, too."

Probably both stage outfits and casual wear.

"Yeah, nya. Gotta post on social media and all."

"From this room?"

"Sometimes, nya. But I’ve also gone to random dessert cafés I had zero interest in, just to take photos, nya."

"Sounds like a pain."

I mean, I go places with Kana-chan, but alone? No thanks.

"Ah, Eromi, take a picture with me, nya."

"Me? Why?"

"My manager told me to post photos with friends too, nya."

Ah, I see.
A yuri marketing stunt.

"Sure, but what about the other two?"

"They’re minors. The president wouldn’t want to risk it, nya."

"Yeah, fair point."

"So I guess that leaves me. But don’t post it as-is, okay?"

"I know, nya. I’ll blur your face properly, nya. Wouldn’t want you stealing Tama’s spotlight, nya."

"...That’s not what I meant, but okay."

"Alright, let’s do it."

I walked over and leaned close to Nyako.

"Not like that, nya."

"Isn’t this for yuri marketing?"

"Well... guess that works too. Okay, taking it now, nya."

"Yeah, yeah."

She snapped the photo and checked the screen.

"You know, I’ve thought this before, but—you’re really good at smiling, nya."

"I’m just... smiling normally."

"Must be nice being so straightforward, nya."

...Was that supposed to be an insult?

"Anyway, Nyako, got anything interesting around here?"

"The only stuff you’d like is AV, nya."

"Let me guess—loli and pretty-boy types?"

"Pretty much, nya. Oh, and some doujins, nya."

"Those are probably all loli or BL too, huh."

"Our tastes really don’t match..."

"You’ll go for anything as long as it’s big boobs, nya. But hey, maybe it’s good to change things up sometimes, nya. Wanna watch some NTR stuff?"

"The fact you’d offer that to someone with a girlfriend is wild... Sure, let’s see."

"Wait, really...? Fine, here, nya."

Nyako handed me the disc, and I started watching.

"Hmm... yeah, I always end up empathizing more with the one doing the stealing than the one getting cheated on."

"You say that, but you’re a well-trained masochist, nya. Still, you’ve got this sadistic, almost twisted streak too, nya..."

"Do I?"

I thought I had a harmless reputation.

"Deep down, you wanna bully Kana-chan, don’t you?"

"Yeah. Once I’m back to being a guy, I’m planning to pay her back for everything she’s done to me."

Well... after I get her to do that with those boobs, of course.

"You’re both a hardcore S and M, nya. Your karma runs deep, nya. You really are Eromi, nya."

Please stop using “Eromi” like it’s an insult.

"Is Shachou... a virgin?"

As soon as the usual four of us sat down at our regular family restaurant, I dropped that question completely out of nowhere.

"What are you even saying all of a sudden?"

"I was just curious."

"Hmm... she’s never had a boyfriend, that’s for sure."

But the way she said it didn’t sound like she meant virgin exactly.

"So... like, those kinds of professional places?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Was it good?"

"When it’s for business, we only go to high-class places."

"Wow, that’s impressive."

"Shachou, you’re amazing. What about you, Tama?"

"I’ve been to a place like that, nya. After I won the lottery, I wanted to try it once. Probably won’t go again, nya."

Guess she drew the short straw.

"Chihiro, you haven’t, right? Don’t tell me you actually had a boyfriend before and secretly aren’t a virgin?"

"Nope. Like I said before, I got dumped, and I’m still kinda hung up on it."

Looks like that wound went deeper than I thought.

"I see..."

"Eromi-neesan, you... aren’t even a virgin anymore, right?"

"Well, the virgin part’s questionable. I think I did it, but I don’t remember it, so... does that even count as losing it?"

I wanna turn back soon.
If I do, I’ll make her cry for payback—
Kana-chan didn’t stop even when I begged her to...

"You’re beyond the whole virgin category now, nya."

"Yeah, that’s true..."

"You’ve already surpassed the typical male experience by a long shot."

I really, really want to be a guy again.