The most terrifying thing in the world… is when the air suddenly goes silent.
Yup, this must be one of those moments.
Kasumigaoka Touji got off the rectangular clubroom table, his expression dazed. He brushed the wrinkles from his uniform with one hand while glancing around at the room's occupants.
Kani Nayuta stared up at the ceiling, lips pressed together, a hint of guilt on her usually mischievous face.
Tsuyuri Kumin looked a bit awkward, like she'd just been caught doing something she shouldn't.
Kato Megumi, ever the calm one, had a serene smile, her face betraying nothing. Not even the faintest hint of guilt.
"You're seriously too composed, Megumi-san…!"
Gotou Hitori, on the other hand, looked like a schoolgirl caught peeking into the boys' locker room. Her face was bright red as she kept her head down, shoulders trembling slightly as if she were about to apologize for existing.
'Huh? Out of everyone… you're the most flustered!?'
Touji's eyes twitched.
'Wait, no way. You made a move too!?'
He was seriously confused now. Gotou-san had touched him?
Thinking back, he did recall Kato-san pinching his ear… but the other side…
'Was that… Gotou-san!?'
Touji's mind spiraled in disbelief.
"Did she really pinch my ear too!?"
As if feeling his gaze, Gotou-san flinched, her body folding like a piece of wet paper as she slipped under the table in a posture that defied both dignity and physics.
Touji blinked.
"…Gotou-san, are you okay down there?"
At that moment, a low voice pierced the air.
"Otouto-kun, would you care to explain this mess to me?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha stood with her fingers massaging her temples, her voice drawn out dangerously like a villain preparing their monologue.
She had come into the clubroom thinking it was her turn to show some affection… maybe even flaunt it a bit. But now? She found herself in a room where every single girl had apparently tried to cop a feel.
Every. Single. One.
Except for the poor soul who failed halfway.
Now that she thought about it… no wonder Touji had suddenly "struggled" mid-kiss. It wasn't because he was being passionate or getting carried away—someone else had been laying their filthy little hands on him!
Utaha-san's heart cracked like glass.
So the Nap Club… is actually the Love Rivals Club?
Absolutely unforgivable!!
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
Utaha-san turned her sharp gaze toward Touji, her expression complicated, like a betrayed heroine in a shoujo drama.
Just what have you been doing behind my back, huh!?
They hadn't even been in school that long, and yet he'd already caught the attention of so many girls!?
Disappointed didn't even begin to cover how she felt right now.
"My little brother… has changed."
Touji, meanwhile, was at a complete loss. He raised his hands helplessly.
"I… I don't get it either! I'm totally clueless here!"
He looked at Utaha's expression and felt his heart clench.
He could handle her teasing, her lectures, even her death stares. But this kind of disappointed, betrayed look? That hurt more than any slap ever could.
He glanced at Kani Nayuta, hoping for support—
Nope. Abort mission.
Nayuta didn't even try to pretend she felt bad.
Next, he turned to Tsuyuri Kumin . The airhead blinked at him before bowing deeply.
"I'm sorry! I just thought Kasumigaoka-kun's reactions were super interesting… I got carried away!"
Touji nearly facepalmed.
'Are you seriously admitting that!?'
But yeah, she really would do something like that. Kumin -san had the kind of natural cluelessness that could start wars and make it seem like a joke.
Next, he looked to Kato Megumi.
Megumi-san had already packed away her cactus and bento. She met his gaze with a cool, apologetic smile.
"How should I put this… it just looked like fun, so I couldn't help but join in."
She even put her hands together and gave a slight bow.
"…I'm sorry if I caused any trouble."
Touji's mouth twitched.
'So next time there's "fun" going on, you're just going to jump in without warning!?'
"Never mind… It's fine," Touji muttered, waving his hand tiredly.
Besides, he didn't think Gotou Hitori actually liked him. She was just easily swept up in the moment, right?
Thinking that, he knelt down, grabbed her wrist, and gently pulled her out from under the table.
"Gotou-san… just what were you doing under there?"
The poor girl squeaked like a mouse being dragged out into the light.
Her ears were redder than a tomato.
"A-ah… that…" Hitori-chan murmured, her eyes darting around like a cornered animal. "It just felt like everyone was playing together, and if I didn't join in… it'd be like I didn't belong, y'know? So… I wanted to feel included… just a little…"
She trailed off, her cheeks turning redder than a ripe tomato.
'Eh!? That's your reason!?' Touji's mind short-circuited again.
Even Kasumigaoka Utaha was briefly speechless. She blinked slowly, sweeping her gaze across the girls present—her sharp burgundy eyes lingering on Tsuyuri and Megumi-senpai.
She thought back to the situation and sighed internally. If she discounted Kani Nayuta, it was true that Touji hadn't been particularly close with Tsuyuri or Megumi at home. Maybe they were just caught up in the moment?
It didn't make her fully trust their words, but it helped settle her turbulent emotions.
'If that's the case… then there's still only one true opponent to worry about.'
Utaha-san's mood visibly improved—only for her eyes to dart over to Nayuta, and immediately cloud over again.
"Tch! You really are the root of all evil, you know that, Kani-san? Sneakily touching someone else's boyfriend when he's not even looking? You're the worst kind of villain! The root—of—all—evil!"
She practically growled, flipping her hair in frustration.
Kani Nayuta, still kneeling on the tatami with one arm cradling her gifted pillow, coughed softly and offered a lopsided grin.
"Mou, don't say it like that, Utaha-senpai~. It's Winter-sensei's fault for being so dangerously tempting… blame him for being so cute."
"Y-You're blaming me now!?" Touji's voice cracked.
'Can you two stop with the lovers' quarrel while I'm still here?!'
Seeing the storm clouds gathering again, he quickly changed the subject.
"A-Anyway! Didn't the President mention some sort of gift earlier? What was that about again?"
With a perfectly timed diversion, Touji grabbed a clean cloth and began wiping down the new microwave. The lunch break was almost halfway over—he needed to prep the machine if he wanted any hope of reheating his bento in time.
Kumin a Tsuyuri, who'd been watching with sleepy curiosity, perked up at the mention of her title.
"Ah! That's right! One moment, please~!"
She scampered over to a corner of the room where a bundle of brightly-colored cushions had been stashed. Then, with a wide grin, she began handing them out one by one.
"Thank you all for helping to establish the Nap Club. As your beloved President, I've prepared a small gift for everyone. Please accept it, ne~!"
"Ooh! Arigatou, Kaichou!" "Thank you, President-san!" "Umu…"
Touji received his gift… and stared at it.
A turtle.
No, to be specific, a green-haired turtle-shaped pillow. Its googly eyes stared back at him with unsettling innocence.
"Why… am I the turtle? And a green one at that…?"
He mumbled as he held it up by the stubby flipper, his face somewhere between deadpan and horrified.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had received a graceful black cat pillow, glanced at his with a snort. She imagined herself being given something so garish—and her entire body twitched.
'He would've died if he gave this to me!'
"Eh? Is something wrong with it?" Tsuyuri tilted her head, blinking innocently. Her expression was so blank that it might have been genuinely clueless.
Touji narrowed his eyes.
'She's doing this on purpose! This kind of airheadedness… it's too calculated!'
As he glared at the pillow, a soft voice spoke up beside him.
"If Kasumigaoka-kun doesn't like the turtle, would you like to swap with my ox? I think the turtle's kinda cute."
Megumi-senpai's ox-shaped pillow looked pretty dignified in comparison.
Touji gave her a thankful smile. "No, no, it's not that I dislike it or anything. Just… startled, that's all."
He couldn't bear to be ungrateful, especially when the gesture was thoughtful. Even if the turtle looked like it had seen things.
Meanwhile, Tsuyuri passed out the final pillow.
"Honda-san, here's yours~."
Kani Nayuta blinked, surprised.
"Eh? For me? There's one for me too?"
Her voice held genuine surprise. She'd assumed the gift exchange was for the members who had officially helped form the Nap Club.
Yet here she was, holding a floppy, adorable dog-shaped pillow.
"Of course~. You're one of us now, silly. No way I'd leave someone out, even if they snuck in last minute."
Tsuyuri giggled and rocked on her heels, clearly pleased with her own sense of fairness.
Kani Nayuta looked down at the dog pillow in her hands, her usual bold demeanor softened. Her cheeks warmed just a little.
"…You're a kind one, aren't you, President-san."
Kasumigaoka Touji, watching all of this, couldn't help but smile faintly. He looked around at the group—each girl now clutching a cute animal pillow, a strange sense of peace settling into the air.
Even after all the chaos just moments before, it somehow felt… nice.
The Nap Club, ridiculous or not, might actually become something special.
…