Chapter 6 The Protagonist Will Not Fail in the Same Place Twice
The time is a few days after the new semester begins.
At Hoshikage High School, where Nagi and others are, students are required to participate in after-school club activities.
Unless they are students like Mana, who work as part-time actors outside of school, they can specially apply to opt out.
“What club is Hoshimiya-chan planning to join? Is it still the swimming club?”
“Hoshimiya-kun has been champion in swimming competitions since elementary school, so he will definitely be prioritized as a key member in the swimming club.”
…
In just a few days.
Nagi has become the class pet due to her cute appearance and cheerful personality, surrounded by the other girls after school.
Some of them have known Nagi since elementary school, while others have become friends with her due to her outgoing character over the past few days.
There are also several high-energy boys with refreshing smiles and good looks among them.
In other words.
This group constitutes the school’s social butterfly circle.
Their presence can be said to be the strongest in the class; as long as one can mingle in this circle, they can to some extent influence the atmosphere of the class.
To prevent the occurrence of bullying incidents targeting the protagonist as in the original work, Nagi aims to create a happy and joyful teenage school memory for Kanade.
Nagi fully utilizes her outstanding appearance, approachable charm, and the social skills cultivated by adult professionals, placing herself at the top of the food chain in this lively group.
Moreover, she does not hide her close childhood friend relationship with Kanade.
This makes anyone who harbors malicious intent toward Kanade think twice.
On the other side of the classroom, the introverted Kanade and the cool, aloof Mana did not join this circle but were chatting casually.
“Tsukimi-kun, are you planning to join a sports club? Why?” Mana asked with a puzzled expression.
It was hard for her to imagine that the shy and introverted Kanade would join a sports club, which is typically filled with extroverted individuals.
“Don’t laugh when I tell you…”
Kanade scratched his head awkwardly, his face turning red as he explained.
“Because I feel like my personality can’t stay like this anymore, so I want to challenge myself in a sports club…”
Mana squinted her eyes into a line as she retorted, “If you want to change your introverted, shy personality, you should start with the basics, like greeting people every day or making eye contact while talking…”
“Suddenly wanting to join a sports club is just superficial.”
Kanade’s head lowered even more.
“And for someone like Tsukimi-kun, who is not good with words, can you really adapt to being thrown into a club full of extroverts?”
Mana’s calm, cold voice hit home.
“Not only might you not become more outgoing, but you might also become even more introverted and insecure, perhaps even end up fearing school and eventually become a shut-in…”
Kanade felt like he was sinking deeper into his chair, ashamed to look up.
“Well, but Tsukimi-kun’s desire to change is still commendable…”
As Mana was about to comfort Kanade one last time, another voice unexpectedly interjected.
“But I think Kanade-kun doesn’t need to change at all!”
Unbeknownst to them, Nagi had left the circle of extroverts and came over to Kanade and Mana’s side.
“Sh-ShoNagi!? When did you…”
“Just saying you don’t need to change isn’t entirely right.” Mana replied.
“But since there are extroverts, naturally there will be introverts. It’s not about one being right and the other wrong.”
“Well, what Nagi-chan says does make some sense…”
“Thinking that being introverted is wrong, blaming yourself and forcing a change may end up hurting yourself.”
“Others are others; Kanade-kun is Kanade-kun. There’s no need to change yourself to imitate others.”
“I don’t want Kanade-kun to be hurt in order to fit the way others perceive him…”
Nagi smiled gently, concluding with, “So Kanade-kun just needs to be his true self.”
“It’s all Nagi-chan’s fault for indulging him like this, making him turn out like this…” Mana sighed softly.
Because of Nagi’s seemingly spoiling acknowledgment, which is considered a valid opinion in today’s society, Mana found it hard to counter.
“And I really like how humble and gentle Kanade-kun is now; there’s no need for change at all.”
Kanade himself turned even redder and hotter under Nagi’s praise, nearly burying his head beneath the desk.
Being praised and acknowledged by his beloved childhood friend made Kanade feel light-headed with happiness, and he could no longer think straight.
Mana glanced at Kanade, who might become spoiled by Nagi in the future, judging that he would remain in an unresponsive state for a while.
So she had to shift the topic.
“By the way, Nagi-chan, are you planning to join the swimming club?”
The reason Mana asked this is that everyone who went to the same elementary school knows that Nagi had represented the school multiple times in city swimming competitions and was a consecutive champion.
If Nagi works hard on swimming in junior high, she could potentially become a top professional athlete in the future.
But Nagi shook her head at Mana’s question.
“That was just a past hobby. I heard the swimming club at our school is serious about winning in national competitions, and I can’t keep up with a half-hearted attitude like mine~”
“Is that so? But wasn’t Nagi-chan almost breaking the city’s record? I think you still have a lot of potential…”
Mana found it hard to let go of what Nagi just said.
“But I feel like my swimming speed has slowed down quite a bit recently…”
Nagi said with a troubled expression, stretching her hands in front of her chest.
Mana’s gaze instinctively traveled upward with Nagi’s movement.
Then in an instant, she understood the reason for Nagi’s distress.
Girls develop physically faster than boys; even in the first year of junior high, some girls already show curves that are quite feminine.
Nagi, who had developed earlier than most, stood out among them.
Not only is she tall, but even under the double-layer concealment of school uniform shirts and jackets, her curves presented a noticeable rise.
Moreover, Nagi’s lower body, which had been trained from swimming, boasts thighs enveloped in black tights, radiating a healthy, alluring curve.
Nagi’s figure exudes a certain allure that even other girls can appreciate.
If she were to join the swimming club, one feels that there might be an influx of boys coming to the swimming club to admire Nagi’s swimsuit figure every day.
“I really envy your slender figure, Mana-chan~” Nagi said.
Mana is self-aware of her own dimensions and can say that she is about average for girls.
Although there is a significant disparity when compared to Nagi.
However, Nagi’s figure is actually very slim and elongated.
Full in the chest but not bulky, particularly her waist-to-hip curve is slim and tight.
With her sweet, adorable appearance and tall, voluptuous figure, it’s likely that no matter what club she joins, she would attract a throng of boys with ulterior motives.
Just thinking about it made Mana feel a bit anxious—what club could possibly prevent these puberty-driven boys?
…
…
Because Mana had to leave school for an advertising shoot later, Nagi and Kanade explored the various club activities together.
“Our school has so many clubs! Is there any club that interests you, Kanade-kun?”
“Um… I guess I still want to join a cultural club…”
Kanade answered frankly.
After Nagi dissuaded him from joining a sports club, just the thought of being thrown into a sports club full of extroverts scared him.
“What about you, Nagi? Is there any club you want to join?”
“I haven’t seen any clubs that I’m particularly interested in yet… But if I could join the same club as Kanade-kun, that would be nice…”
Nagi smiled shyly, but then suddenly seemed to remember something and hurriedly added, “Ah, but Kanade-kun, you don’t have to choose a club you don’t like just to accommodate me, okay?”
“Ah, um, yeah, I know…”
Kanade forced out the last bit of willpower to turn his face away from the direction where Nagi was.
If he looked at Nagi’s cute face at that moment, she would definitely notice his flushed cheeks.
He had thought about confessing to Nagi and becoming her boyfriend to be by her side.
But just the thought of possibly failing,
or even ending their current intimate childhood friend relationship, made Kanade feel a sharp pain in his stomach and nausea.
Thus he couldn’t take that step forward.
Meanwhile, from a viewpoint where Kanade couldn’t see, Nagi showed a cunning smile.
Although she said this, she was confident that Kanade would join the same club as herself.
This way, she could utilize the time spent in club activities after school to improve Kanade’s fondness for her.
And Nagi had already made a decision regarding the club she wanted to join.
That is the “Supernatural Phenomena Research Club,” abbreviated as “Super Res,” which in the original work, Tsukimi Kanade joined during junior high.
It’s a club very characteristic of gal game tropes.
Nagi’s choice was not to steer the world line back toward the original storyline.
Rather, as an unorthodox player, she already fully disrupted the original plot’s development.
There were two reasons Nagi chose Super Res.
The first was to implement her ambitious “White Moonlight Plan.”
As the protagonist, she will not fail in the same place twice.
Currently, the president of Super Res is “Amamiya Chika,” one of the main heroines in the original story, and a third-year senior.
Amamiya Chika is a very typical heroine in the original story, characterized as a “glasses girl” and a “literary girl.”
With her light blue long hair styled in twin braids and a conservative, frumpy outfit, often hunched over to hide her unusual chest for her age, and wearing round glasses that cover half of her face, she has a shy and weak personality.
She represents very standard, frumpy glasses girls and literary characters frequently found in two-dimensional works.
According to the development of the original story,
the protagonist Kanade unexpectedly encounters this clumsy senior at school and helps her resolve her inner struggles, allowing her to regain confidence.
Eventually, the two will reunite during high school.
By that time, Amamiya Chika will have switched to contact lenses and learned fashionable dressing and makeup, becoming a beautiful girl like a high-ranking flower.
There’s no need to elaborate on the ensuing developments.
Thus, Nagi absolutely cannot allow her to meet Kanade according to the original story!
She must subtly indicate her relationship with Kanade before these events unfold and become the “White Moonlight” in her heart so that she won’t see Kanade with hostility.
The second reason for Nagi wanting to join Super Res is straightforward.
Super Res is a unique club at Hoshikage High School.
Most members are said to be plagued by malevolent spirits or curses, instilling fear in others, which conveniently helps prevent boys eager to join the same club from developing relationships with her.
