Chapter 414: Eriri, Can’t Handle It Anymore…

Golden hair fluttered over Himekoji’s outstretched palm.

Just as he was about to touch it, Himekoji felt uneasy and pulled his hand back fast.

No, no!

He shook his head hard to wake himself up.

They were no longer little kids now; this kind of roughousing seemed weird for boys and girls their age.

Guilty and embarrassed, Himekoji had meant to grab Eriri’s ponytail but took back his hand. He scratched his flushed cheek, feeling awkward.

“What’s the matter?”

“Huh? W-what?”

He thought he heard Eriri’s voice just then and felt scared, thinking she caught him.

He stole a look at Eriri walking ahead, but she turned around right then. Their eyes met, and she looked puzzled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh?”

It was Eriri asking him what was wrong?

Now it was Himekoji who looked puzzled.

Wait a sec!

Could it be…

That those words weren’t from Eriri?

Himekoji suddenly had a thought.

Somebody could sound like Eriri—no, a pervert could copy her voice. Other than Himekoji, there was the System.

In Himekoji’s mind, he didn’t count that jerk System as human.

When Himekoji figured this out, sure enough, the System popped up—

[System: What’s the matter? Loving two is loving, loving three is loving. Feelings help people grow and change, so more is better.]

The System popping up proved his guess: The speaker wasn’t Eriri but that cosplay-freak System!

But—

“I thought you were asleep?! And stop feeding me this playboy junk with Eriri’s voice! More is better? Pfft, you think this is marching troops?”

That was just ridiculous.

[System: Oh, the energy you saved before lets me wake up for a bit each day.]

Himekoji complained a lot, but the System only answered the first part.

Most of what he said got ignored, so Himekoji rolled his eyes in his head and snapped back.

“Then don’t waste the energy I saved! Just go back to sleep!”

[System: Ding, got it. From now on, enter sleep mode.]

“Huh?”

Hold on, so fast?

Was he really asleep?

When did the System get so easygoing?

“Hey, hey?!”

Himekoji called out to the System a few more times, but the “enter sleep mode” thing seemed real…

Way too tame!

You went to bed just like that?

And you call yourself a god? What about your pride? Where’s the respect?

The same you who tortured me before wasn’t like this!

The switch was too big—Himekoji couldn’t handle it.

…

“Hey, what’s wrong? Why you just standing there?”

While Himekoji was busy in his mind arguing with the System, from Eriri’s view, he’d been walking fine but froze like an idiot halfway and stood there looking dumb…

So foolish.

But… she kind of felt the dorky Himekoji was a bit cute…

Uh-oh, was she hopeless?

She almost blankly stared at Himekoji and stood frozen with him like logs…

Luckily, her girly pride kicked in at the last second. It stopped her before she did any stupid, shameful stuff.

After snapping to, Eriri got a jolt of fear—

Whew, whew—if she had done that, wouldn’t she be as bad as that pitiful Kasumigaoka?

Ever since Eriri had seen Kasumigaoka creepily sniff Himekoji’s shirt with delight, she had always thought low of her.

She felt Kasumigaoka was shameless; Eriri could never act like such a crazy fangirl.

Yet Eriri had almost slipped up just now!

So humiliating…

So humiliating!

No, it was all Himekoji’s fault!

Fuming mad, Eriri took all her anger out on the real culprit, Himekoji.

“Stop standing there like an idiot!”

She smacked Himekoji’s chest hard a few times, jolting him back.

“Huh? Eriri? Wait! What you doing? Hey! Ouch! Ow, ow, ow…”

When Himekoji snapped out of it, he saw Eriri hitting and kicking him.

Even though her fists and feet looked weak for playing, they packed a punch. Himekoji couldn’t help crying out in pain.

But—

What was going on?

What happened?

Himekoji had no clue.

Could it be that she caught him touching her ponytail?

Eriri’s ponytail was off-limits—that must be it.

Anyway, that girl was flat-chested but had a huge temper. When she got mad, she needed calming down fast. Himekoji knew this from years around her and hurriedly begged.

“S-stop, Eriri! Stop, please! I’m sorry! I won’t ever touch your…”

“Huh? You touched my what?”

“I was touching your… Hey? That’s right! I didn’t actually touch you!”

He almost forgot that he had pulled his hand back before actually touching!

“Hang on! If I didn’t even get to touch you, then why did you hit me?”

“Well, because…”

Of course it was because I got embarrassed after you caught me staring with that silly look on my face!

Ever heard of lashing out from embarrassment?

Just as she was about to blurt out all her complaints to Himekoji, Eriri suddenly remembered something and snapped her mouth shut mid-sentence.

Her cheeks immediately flushed a deep scarlet.

Seriously…

How could she possibly say a reason like that out loud!

“Because what?”

Having just been thoroughly beaten up, Himekoji was desperate to know why he’d been hit and pressed for an answer.

“Nothing!”

But Eriri seemed to suddenly change her mind about explaining. The girl “Hmph!”ed, then turned her head away, pointedly not looking at Himekoji.

Nothing?

No way!

When a girl says “Nothing,” it definitely means “Something”!

You absolutely have to take it the opposite way!

This was a lesson Himekoji had just learned from Mashiro.

He couldn’t make that same mistake again!

“Are you mad?”

So, thinking he understood, Himekoji asked cautiously.

“I’m not mad,”

That was the reply he got from Eriri.

Not mad?

Taking it the opposite way meant…

Yep, she was definitely mad!

“Actually, you are mad, right?”

“No.”

“You’re definitely mad.”

Himekoji asserted confidently.

Was she joking? Did she think he was still that same idiot who couldn’t understand a girl’s feelings?

No way!

Not anymore!

He had learned so much from Mashiro now!

“So, like I said, I’m not!”

“You’re mad…”

“No! Not mad! No no no!”

Seriously, such a strong reaction and you claim you’re not angry? Give it up, Eriri, you won’t fool me! Compared to Mashiro, you’re a total open book!

“You…”

Himekoji started to say something to make Eriri confess outright, but he’d barely gotten the first word out before Eriri interrupted him.

“I’ve already said I’m NOT mad! Why the heck do you keep asking?! You’re so full of yourself; you’ve grossly misunderstood!” she snapped.

“Huh? Is that… so?”

Looking at Eriri, it didn’t really seem like she was saying the opposite this time…

Could she truly not be angry?

Himekoji, who had just started feeling skilled at deciphering women’s words, suddenly wavered!

“Not mad? Ah, w-well, that’s good then.”

Of course, no one gets mad for no reason! But if she wasn’t mad, why had she hit him? That beating felt totally unfair… Himekoji felt sorry for himself.

“Not mad? That’s good? Pfft, what’s with you casually interpreting things to suit yourself and then feeling all satisfied?! That’s even more annoying than being full of yourself and misunderstood!” Eriri fired back.

“Ah? N-no… So, are you mad or not?!”

Saying she’s mad is wrong, saying she’s not mad is also wrong… Seriously, these female creatures were just too hard to understand! The bit of confidence he’d just built up thinking he had it figured out was now completely and mercilessly shattered by Eriri.

“I wasn’t mad before… but now I am!” she declared.

“Huh?”

What was her deal…? Mad one second, not mad the next? She’d been fine while eating his Bento just a while ago! Himekoji tried to find some clue by looking at her expression, directing his gaze towards the girl’s face.

Huh?

Something definitely stood out! Eriri’s face… why was it so red?! Like it was about to drip blood… Had she gotten this worked up? Others get so mad they spit blood, she gets so mad she drips blood? But… the reason? Someone had to have a reason to get this mad, right?

Himekoji asked himself – he hadn’t offended Lady Eriri anywhere today. The only thing he could think of was forgetting to put the vegetables in her Bento… But hadn’t she enjoyed that Bento just fine earlier? So… what the heck was going on??!

Himekoji racked his brains but couldn’t figure it out.

Argh!

Going crazy!

Was literally about to go crazy!

Wasn’t there anyone?!

Wasn’t there anyone who could give him a hint?!

Just what in the world was Eriri mad about???

…

That day, Himekoji finally understood himself.

So, he was really just a—

Pervert who could only understand a girl’s three sizes, but couldn’t comprehend a girl’s feelings. Just that kind of Guy.

…