Chapter 3: Names

"Haa... haa..."

"Hehe... Senpai, you’re so cute."

As I caught my breath, Akeura-san wrapped her arms around me. Since we were both naked, her big, soft breasts pressed directly against my skin—yet, somehow, something still felt off.

"Akeura-san, are you dissatisfied with me?"

Don’t you want… a Desert Eagle?

"Hmm, dissatisfied? Let’s see… if I had to say something, maybe that our relationship hasn’t really progressed?"

Even though we’re this physically close?

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we’ve been dating for three months now, right?"

"Yeah."

Oh no. Don’t tell me this is about some kind of anniversary?
Like, she wants a present or something?

"But isn’t it weird that we’re still calling each other by our last names?"

Ah, so that’s what this is about.

"Yeah, that’s true. Hmm… then I’ll call you Kana-chan."

Her full name’s Akeura Kana, after all.

"Okay! Then I’ll call you Megu-chan, Senpai."

Hmm… people used to call me that back in elementary school, so I guess it’s fine.

"Kana-chan, let’s take a bath."

I said that while burying my face in her soft, warm chest.

"You’re so clingy… alright, alright."

"Hey, how about we reintroduce ourselves properly?"

Today was our second family restaurant meetup. Since everyone had shown up this time, I decided to bring it up.

"Reintroduce ourselves?"

The brown-haired woman with a ponytail tilted her head.

"I mean, we only know each other’s online handles, right?"

Brown Ponytail, Gal, Nyaa.
No idea what their real names are.

"Well, I’m fine with it."

"Same here."

"Me too, nya."

Alright then.

"Okay, I’ll start since I suggested it. I’m Nishino Megumi. Twenty-five, working adult."

"You… I thought your name didn’t sound like an online handle, but that’s your real name?"

What’s wrong with using my real name?

"Yup. Oh, and… I have a girlfriend!"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. Okay, my turn. I’m Itou Kaoru, twenty-eight, also a working adult. Actually, I run my own company."

Wait—she’s a CEO?!

"That’s amazing!"

"I knew you had that slightly intimidating aura, but you’re actually a company president…"

"This meal’s on you, nya."

"Well, I don’t mind paying, but still…"

She’s so nice.
Also, wait—she’s older than me.
And I’ve been talking to her super casually this whole time.

"Who’s next?"

I looked at the two remaining.

"Then I’ll go, nya. I’m Kitayama Tamaki. I used to be a long-time NEET, but now I’m an underground idol, nya."

An underground idol?!
Hold up.
There’s way too much to unpack here.

"You were a NEET?"

"Yeah, totally."

"A shut-in? How old are you?"

"Can’t say, nya. I’m an idol, after all. But I’m younger than you guys. And I wasn’t a shut-in, nya. I’ve always lived alone, now and before, nya."

Seriously… the constant “nya” is so distracting.

"A NEET living alone?"

"That’s right, nya. I won seven hundred million yen in the lottery, so I can be a NEET forever, nya."

Holy crap!
We’ve got a true winner here!

"For real…?"

"That’s insane."

The other two looked just as shocked.

"So yeah, I barely work at all, nya."

"Well, whatever. Okay, lastly—Gal."

"Don’t call me Gal!"

But you are one.

"That’s your handle, isn’t it?" Kaoru cut in.

"Well, yeah. I just couldn’t think of anything better at the time. Uh, my real name’s Minamikawa Chihiro. I’m seventeen, a second-year high school student."

So she is a high school gal, huh.

"Hmm… I just realized something," I said.

"What is it?" Kaoru asked, curious.

"We all have something in common."

"Our names have the four directions—East, West, South, and North—and they all sound gender-neutral."

Kaoru! Come on! That was my line!

"That’s so mean…"

"Don’t look so sad! That guilty face just makes it worse!"

"Even though I look this manly?"

"In what world?! You look like a college girl who’s never dated anyone!"

What kind of analogy is that?!
Wait—Kaoru, are you one of those purity types?
Too bad, I’m not a virgin.

Thanks to Kana-chan…

"But you’re right. We definitely have something in common," the gal—Minamikawa-kun—murmured quietly.

"Well, I mean… who even cares, nya."

Yeah, fair enough.

"Alright! Next, let’s decide what to call each other."

With introductions done, I moved on to the next topic.

"Nicknames? Why?" Kaoru—the CEO—asked.

"This morning, Kana-chan and I were talking about it. I realized I’d been calling her by her last name even after three months of dating."

"That’s pretty bad… though what’s that got to do with us?"

"Not much, really. It just bothers me that I’m the only one here using my real name."

Everyone else had been calling me Nishino.

"So that’s the real reason, huh… fine, whatever. Decide as you like."

Good, good.

"Then let’s start with the easiest one. Is it fine if we call you Shachou?"

"That’s fine. Honestly, after that introduction, I already feel like that’s how everyone sees me."

Same here.

"I’m okay with that too, nya."

Alright—brown-haired ponytail Itou-san is officially Shachou.

"You’re all going to call me that too?"

She looked a little hesitant.

"Why not? It’s just a nickname."

"Well… alright then."

Good, she’s convinced.

"Next up…"

I looked between the gal and the underground idol NEET.

"Ah, I’ll go, nya. My stage name is Tama, so I’d like you to call me that, nya."

Fair enough.

"Cat-like name, huh? Part of your idol persona?"

"Exactly, nya."

Yeah… you’re not hitting the mainstream with that.

"Okay, next is Minamikawa-kun. Let’s see—Minamikawa Chihiro… any ideas?"

"Hmm… maybe Chi-chan?"

No way! Absolutely not!

"I think Chihirocchi works, nya."

"Whatever’s fine."

Chihirocchi nodded like she couldn’t care less.

"Alright, that’s settled. Lastly, there’s me. Any suggestions?"

Definitely not Megu-chan.
That nickname’s reserved for Kana-chan only.

"How about Eromi, nya?"

"No objections."

"Yeah, that fits you perfectly..."

Hey!
Why?!