Chapter 1: When I Tried to Help My Online Best Friend

“I’m at the meeting spot, IORI!”

“I’ll be there soon.”

“I’m kinda nervous! It’s our first time meeting in real life. September 15th is gonna be a day we’ll never forget! I even made a list of things I wanna do!”

“A list?”

“① Hug IORI! ② Eat with IORI! ③ Sleep next to IORI!”

“Haha, isn’t that last one a bit tough?”

“You think so?”

“I’m totally down for the hug and eating together! But, like, are you sure I’m the right person to live with?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Didn’t you say, Sabatora-san, that you couldn’t imagine living with someone else?”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve gotten way too used to living alone. I can’t even sleep at someone else’s place unless I feel super safe.”

“I totally get that.”

“But with you, IORI, I’d be fine! We’re both girls, after all!”

“That’s a relief. I feel safe with you too, Sabatora-san.”

“Whoa! We’re totally on the same wavelength! Should we just date or what?”

“No way. We’re both girls.”

“Haha, I was just kidding! But if we weren’t both girls, I’d totally date you. You’re such a great person, IORI! I bet you’ve never been hated by anyone in real life, right?”

“That’s not true.”

“? Is there someone who actually hates you, IORI?”

“Well, yeah. One person at school. They told me straight to my face that they ‘hate’ me… huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Wait, Sabatora-san… are you carrying a silver suitcase?”

“Yup. Can you see me or something?”

“Are you looking around right now?”

“Totally am!”

“…Huh? IORI?”

“Yo, what’s up? Why’re you leaving me on read? Did something happen?”

That’s exactly what happened.

I, Machikawa Iori, have an online best friend.

Their name is Sabatora-san.

We met through SNS—Twitster, to be exact.

For the past year, we’ve been working together on a web manga.

I handle the script, and Sabatora-san does the art.

Sabatora-san posts illustrations online as a hobby, boasting a whopping 500,000 followers—a true god-tier artist.

It’s honestly unreal that someone as talented as them would team up with me, a nobody with barely a fiftieth of their followers.

Thanks to them, our web manga’s been getting great feedback.

And through our collaboration, our friendship level just kept climbing.

We’d chat every day through DMs about games, anime, and Vocaloid songs,

share our worries and struggles,

and last Christmas, we even stayed up all night playing an MMORPG together, having a blast.

Sabatora-san’s not great at talking, so we only communicate through DMs, but having a same-age best friend outside of school warmed my heart.

But three days ago, on September 12th, trouble struck.

A water leak happened at the apartment where Sabatora-san lives alone.

And it came from the unit directly above theirs.

As a result, they had to leave their apartment for a month while repairs were done.

On top of that, due to family issues, Sabatora-san couldn’t go back to their parents’ place.

Knowing this, I wanted to help my friend and DM’d them, “Wanna share a place until the repairs are done?”

My family lives in a 3LDK apartment.

My parents divorced four years ago, and my mom, who’s my current guardian, is off in Italy for a long-term work assignment.

There’s plenty of space, so letting a same-sex friend stay for a month shouldn’t be an issue—or so I thought.

“No way…”

About 20 meters ahead,

at the meeting spot in front of the ticket gate at Shin-Himegaoka Station in Kanagawa Prefecture,

stood a girl with strikingly dyed, bright-colored hair that suited her perfectly.

Everyone passing through the gate glanced at her at least once.

Our high school’s a private one, so as long as your grades are decent, you can dress however you want.

She was clearly making full use of that rule—pearl earrings gleamed in both ears, and the sky-blue headphones around her neck looked insanely stylish.

Even through her uniform, her full chest, beautifully curved waist, and long, slender legs screamed a figure that was almost too perfect for a Japanese person.

Her skin was as smooth and pale as freshly fallen snow.

A sharp nose, soft cherry-pink lips, gem-like eyes brimming with clarity, and a sultry mole near her mouth adorned a face so small it could belong to a model.

Her uniform was worn loosely, giving off gal vibes, but there wasn’t a hint of a cheerful aura.

Her cool, unreadable expression was endlessly mysterious.

She was like a doll.

Not just any doll, but a priceless, luxurious antique Western doll.

That cool aura somehow meshed perfectly with her gal-like outfit.

Suzuhara Ayana.

A student in Class 1-A at Ayasaka High, the same private school I attend, nicknamed the “Solo Gyaru.”

If I had to describe her in one word, it’d be aloof.

I’ve never seen her chatting happily with friends at school.

Countless people, drawn to her almost artistic beauty, have tried to approach her, only to be shut down without even a proper conversation.

They say her untouchable, solitary nature has even earned her a fanbase among some students.

But even they only admire her from a distance in the classroom.

(Of course, I’ve never talked to her either. In fact…)

The person I told Sabatora-san about—the one who hates me, Machikawa Iori—was none other than her.

“Don’t talk to me.”

Early June this year,

when we ended up seated next to each other after a class reshuffle, I greeted her, only to be hit with a brutal counterpunch.

“I hate otaku like you more than anything in the world.”

“IORI? You okay? Did something happen?”

Sabatora-san sounded worried in their DM.

At the same time, Suzuhara-san was staring intently at her phone.

Next to her was a silver suitcase.

“Um… Sabatora-san, are you a girl?”

“? What’re you talking about now?”

“But you use ‘boku’ as your pronoun…”

“Oh, that’s just to keep guys away. If people know I’m a high school girl online, creepy old dudes looking for ‘sugar babies’ start messaging me. You know how common that is these days, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

“I’ve been meaning to say, you should do it too, IORI. Using ‘watashi’ makes it obvious you’re a girl!”

But I’m a guy!?

Sure, I use “watashi” online and always speak politely, but there’s a reason for that.

Since middle school, I’ve been helping with my mom’s work—she’s a shoujo manga artist—like how a farm kid might help with chores.

My main task was drafting emails to her editors and clients.

When dealing with adults, using “watashi” and polite language was just natural.

So I ended up doing the same on Twitster.

(I got mistaken for a female writer a lot online, but it kinda worked for my style, so I didn’t mind.)

If we’d talked more about our real lives, we might’ve caught this gender mix-up sooner.

But Sabatora-san didn’t like talking about real life, saying stuff like, “I’m a loner at school. My high school life’s pretty gray.”

(So I didn’t bring up real life much either… wait a sec.)

I did tell Sabatora-san I was a guy, didn’t I?

Their response was, “I already knew that!” or something like that.

“Hey, do you remember our first conversation when we partied up in that MMO?”

“Of course! I remember every convo with you, IORI!”

“I said, didn’t I? ‘I might not look like it, but I’m a guy.’”

“Yeah. You were talking about your avatar, right?”

“Huh?”

“Like, your MMO avatar. It looks kinda girly, but it’s just androgynous—it’s a male character.”

“Sure, my avatar’s male, but…!”

“I figured it out before you even said anything! That’s why I was like, ‘I already knew!’”

You didn’t get it at all!

“Man, that takes me back. I described my avatar too, didn’t I? ‘My gender’s obviously male!’”

Yeah, your avatar’s some rugged leopard beastman!

(No, no.)

Fine, I’ll grudgingly accept that it was an unfortunate accident that IORI was mistaken for a girl.

But Sabatora-san being Suzuhara Ayana?

The always-cool, salty-to-everyone Solo Gyaru?

No way. How many times did we geek out over eroge together?

And just two days ago in a DM…

“By the way, IORI, what kind of underwear do you wear?”

“What’s with the sudden question?”

“When we start living together, we’ll probably see each other’s laundry, right? I don’t wanna feel embarrassed about it!”

“What kind of logic is that?”

“I don’t want you thinking my underwear’s lame! So tell me~!”

“Fine. I like black, and I prefer thin fabric.”

“Whoa!? I’m shocked. You wear some pretty bold stuff, IORI!”

“It’s normal for a high schooler, don’t you think?”

Hold up.

My underwear’s plain black, mostly thin, breathable boxer briefs.

That’s why I answered like that in the DM, but…

“Oh, by the way! I bought the underwear you mentioned, IORI!”

“!?”

In that moment, a selfie popped up in the DM.

Suzuhara-san, smiling faintly with a hint of embarrassment.

The problem was her pose—she’d lifted her shirt to show off her bra.

A cute, tiny belly button.

Soft, curvaceous hills, usually hidden by her uniform, now drawing a stunning silhouette.

The dangerous beauty of her pale, refined skin against jet-black lace lingerie was utterly captivating.

“How’s this!? Now I won’t be embarrassed, right!?”

If you knew the truth, you’d definitely be embarrassed, wouldn’t you?

I couldn’t bring myself to say that to my smug best friend in the DM.

“Wah, what do I do, IORI!?”

Another DM.

Suzuhara-san was staring in my direction. Her expression was as cool as ever, but…

“I’m scared~! This popular guy from my class keeps staring at me~!”

“Huh?”

“Ugh… that guy happens to have the same name as you, IORI, but he’s totally different. He’s a popular kid but calls himself an otaku.”

“H-Heh…”

“People call him an ‘open otaku,’ but I think he’s more of a fashion otaku! He only talks about mainstream stuff in class—never eroge!”

Like I could talk about eroge in class!?

“He’s part of the popular clique! Rumor has it their leader’s a total player, so he might be one too!”

I didn’t choose to be in that group!

My best guy friend happens to be the group’s core member, so I just got roped in!

I’ve never even had a crush, let alone any experience with girls.

“Popular kids are the worst~! I’m too scared to even get close~! He’s probably using anime event tickets to pick up girls and take them to love hotels~!”

Got it.

Now I understand why Suzuhara-san hates me.

She thinks I’m using my otaku hobbies to hit on girls.

(What do I do?)

The hurdle to revealing the truth just shot up.

Sabatora-san’s to-do list included “hug,” “eat together,” and “sleep next to each other,” but those are straight-up impossible now.

If your best friend, who you thought was the same gender, turned out to be a guy you despise—and you’d sent them a selfie in your underwear—the roomshare would be canceled.

Worse, our entire friendship might fall apart…

“!”

I swallowed hard.

Three sketchy-looking guys were hitting on Suzuhara-san.

They looked like college students.

(No matter how you slice it, that’s a pickup attempt.)

Despite Suzuhara-san stubbornly ignoring them, not even making eye contact, the muscular guy with light brown hair at the front kept talking to her with a grin.

With a beauty like her, it’s no surprise they wouldn’t leave her alone.

But why does an otaku who’s scared of popular kids dress like a gal in real life—

“Hey! Don’t ignore us!”

Apparently fed up with Suzuhara-san’s silence, one of the brown-haired guy’s buddies stepped closer.

“Even if you’re turning us down, you could at least say something, right?”

“That’s pretty rude for how you’re treating your elders.”

No.

Sabatora-san isn’t staying quiet because she wants to.

“I’m super shy in real life. When strangers talk to me, I get so nervous I can’t say a word.”

She’d confessed that to me in a DM once.

I always wondered why Suzuhara-san was so quiet at school, but it was just her shyness.

“Please, that’s enough.”

But then, Suzuhara-san spoke.

Clenching her checkered skirt tightly with her small hand, as if summoning every ounce of courage.

“I can’t hang out with you.”

“Why not?”

“I’m meeting a friend soon.”

“Wait, is your friend a girl too?”

“Then that’s perfect! Bring her along—”

“Don’t lay a hand on her! Ever!”

Lifting her face, which had started to dip, Suzuhara-san declared firmly.

“She’s my one and only best friend, more precious to me than my own life!”

Those words…

They had enough force to make being called “the worst” or a “fashion otaku” feel irrelevant.

(—Yeah.)

I should’ve known after a year of being otaku buddies.

Sure, Sabatora-san’s painfully shy.

“She’s saved me so many times! For the past year, we’ve DM’d almost every day, laughing together, sharing all kinds of worries!”

But…

Once she opens her heart, she’s incredibly sincere, kind, and caring—a true friend.

“If we weren’t the same sex, I’m sure we would have become lovers.”

Even now, to keep IORI from getting hit on.

She’s fiercely standing up to older guys, giving them a piece of her mind.

“I love her so much! So, I don’t have time to mess around with you guys!”

She was so scared of outgoing people like that.

Flashy college guys must be even scarier.

Proof of that was the faint trembling in Suzuhara-san’s elegant legs.

Seeing my best friend like that—

“Yo.”

I couldn’t just stand there and watch.

The opponents were three older guys.

The particularly burly guy with brown hair gave me a look that screamed, Who the hell are you?

Of course, I was scared, but what terrified me more was revealing that I’m IORI.

If Suzuhara-san learned the truth, she might cut me off completely.

But—

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Sabatora-san.”

I just wanted to help her, plain and simple.

I wanted to protect the friend who bravely stood up for me despite her clumsiness.

“Huh!? Wait, are you two, like, together?”

As I stepped in front of Suzuhara-san to shield her, the brown-haired guy’s expression froze awkwardly.

An opportunity.

He seemed to have misunderstood, recalling what Suzuhara-san said earlier.

“Yeah. We’re dating.”

“What!? You said she was just a friend, but she’s got a boyfriend!?”

“Sorry. She’s a bit shy about it.”

“Oh, so that’s why she didn’t mention it… Man, your girlfriend is insanely cute.”

“Yeah. Way too good for someone like me.”

“Damn, I’m jealous! Live it up, high schooler!”

The brown-haired guy left with surprising grace.

His two sidekicks followed, looking reluctant.

A college guy stealing a high schooler’s lover would be a bit too immature.

I thought pretending to be her boyfriend might make them back off, and thankfully, it worked.

“Wait a second!”

No, it’s too early to relax.

Her usual cool poker face was nowhere to be seen.

Facing my flustered friend, I steeled myself and decided to reveal the truth.

“Why did you call me Sabatora—”

“Hey there, I’m IORI.”

“—Huh?”

“I’ve got something to tell you, Sabatora-san. It seems we both mistakenly thought the other was the same sex.”

“!? No way, that can’t—”

“As for the photo you sent me in the DM earlier, I’ll do my best to forget it completely.”

“!?”

Had she realized I was IORI?

Suzuhara-san’s glossy, cherry-colored lips flapped like a ventriloquist’s puppet.

Her refined face turned bright red up to her ears, probably from realizing I’d seen her in her underwear.

(Oh man, what’s going to happen now?)

She might unleash her pent-up anger on me.

If I tried to explain, she might suspect I’d been lying about my gender and deceiving her all along.

If that happened, our friendship might end today—

“Thank you.”

But.

Her reaction was completely different from what I’d expected.

“You protected me back there. Pretending to be my boyfriend on the spot like that was quick thinking. It really saved me.”

I was sure she’d chew me out.

Instead, Suzuhara-san bowed her head and sincerely thanked me.

“I’m so sorry. I still can’t believe it, but you’re IORI, right, Machikawa-kun? And yet, at school and in that DM earlier… I said such awful things to you…”

Her beautiful eyes were on the verge of overflowing with tears.

(—Oh.)

Sabatora-san really is such a good person.

Instead of blaming or doubting me, her first instinct was to reflect on her own actions.

“I’m so, so sorry! I’m going home for today—I can’t trouble you any more than I already have!”

She must be overwhelmed with regret.

As tears spilled down her cheeks, Suzuhara-san kept bowing desperately.

(Going home? To where?)

Was she planning to crash at a hotel or a manga café?

No way she’s thinking of sleeping in a park, right?

—She’d said harsh things to her best friend.

Carrying that regret, all alone—

‘When IORI’s in trouble, I’ll definitely be there to help!’

Suddenly, words she’d sent me in a DM about six months ago flashed through my mind.

We’d confided in each other about all sorts of worries.

I owe Sabatora-san a huge debt.

“Wait.”

That’s why I stopped her.

Even if she’s a girl… no, because she’s a girl.

“Stay at my place as planned, okay? I can’t leave you alone like this.”

“!? But! I said such awful things to you, Machikawa-kun…”

“That doesn’t matter.”

Not as Machikawa Iori, but in IORI’s tone.

I told her how I felt.

“To me, Sabatora-san, you’re my one and only best friend, more important than my own life.”

“!”

“You’ve saved me so many times. I love you.”

“W-Wait, Machikawa-kun! Now that I think about it, what I said earlier is so embarrassing…!”

“It made me really happy, you know. Saying you ‘love’ me—”

Suzuhara-san pressed her small hand over my mouth.

Her snow-white skin was flushed with embarrassment.

And the way she puffed out her cheeks, almost sulking, was honestly pretty adorable.

“…I’m never saying ‘I love you’ to you in real life again.”

“That’s a shame.”

“But the way you said that just now felt so IORI.”

“You mean borrowing your line?”

“No. The way you smoothly shifted the mood to lighten the atmosphere.”

It wasn’t smooth at all.

You might think I’m some experienced, outgoing guy, but saying “I love you” to a female classmate was a first for me.

I’m hiding it with a smile, but I’m just as embarrassed.

(But it was worth mustering up the courage.)

I managed to stop my best friend’s tears.

And…

(Thinking we’d definitely be lovers if we weren’t the same sex? Yeah, I felt the same way.)

Not that I could say something that embarrassing out loud.

“By the way, you said you were ‘going home,’ but you weren’t planning to sleep in a park or something, were you?”

“Well…”

“You’ll ruin your health. There’s a nasty cold going around lately. And with your zero life skills, you wouldn’t survive on your own if you left home, right?”

“That’s harsh. I can manage a little—”

“Your meals at home are basically Uber or frozen food. You use disposable paper or plastic dishes and cups to avoid washing. Your fancy tower condo is a total mess. And didn’t you lose the Roomba you bought as a cleaning assistant indoors six months ago?”

“Why do you know so much about my personal life…!?”

“You’re the one who told me all this in our DMs, bestie.”

“Ugh.”

“You asked, ‘How do I live properly on my own like IORI!?’—Just leave it to me. I love housework, and I’ll take care of you. I’ve been wanting to fix your diet for a while now.”

“That’s one of the reasons I thought you were a girl! Normal high school boys don’t talk like some full-throttle, nurturing newlywed!”

Well, fair enough.

The reason I’m like this is because my mom, a manga artist, has such a hectic life.

To help out my single mom, since middle school, I’ve handled about eighty percent of the Machikawa household’s cooking, cleaning, and laundry.

“Anyway, I want to share a place with you. Though, there’s one big issue.”

“An issue?”

“Well, now we know we’re a high school guy and girl.”

No matter how cute she is, I have no intention of making a move on my best friend.

But Suzuhara-san probably wouldn’t feel safe.

“I’m not worried about that.”

“You’re pretty blunt about it.”

“I don’t think you’d ever make a move on me, Machikawa-kun. You might seem outgoing, but you’re a total romantic virgin who’s never even had a first love, let alone experience with girls.”

“Why do you know so much about my personal life…!?”

“You told me in our DMs, bestie.”

“Ugh.”

“You said, ‘First love, huh? Everyone else seems to experience it so easily, but I’ll probably never have one.’”

“Hearing it again, it sounds like something out of a shoujo manga!”

“Is it any wonder I thought you were a girl? But don’t worry. I’ve never had a first love either, and even if you did have experience with girls, I’d still share a place with you.”

“Huh?”

I couldn’t help but ask.

Aloof.

That’s how Suzuhara-san was seen at school, never one to be overly friendly—

“I trust IORI from the bottom of my heart. So, I’m staying over starting today, okay?”

Saying that in her Sabatora mode—she hugged me tightly.

A hesitant, clumsy embrace.

Even so, her scent, her warm body, and the softness of her curves pressed against me.

“…Please. Hug me back, IORI?”

“!”

“You said ‘hugs and food are always welcome,’ right? Hugging a real-life friend has always been my dream. So…”

A shy, hesitant plea.

My best friend’s awkward gesture was so cute, I slipped back into IORI mode.

“You’re so cool in real life, Sabatora-san, but you’re actually quite the softie, aren’t you?”

“Ugh… It’s not like I wanted to be clingy. I just…”

“I get it.”

She probably wanted to prove it by hugging the real me, despite her fear.

To show that even knowing IORI is Machikawa Iori, we’d stay best friends.

Matching her feelings, I gently wrapped my arms around her delicate frame.

“Whoa, so bold in front of the station!”

“That girl’s stunning. A model, maybe? The guy’s pretty good-looking too.”

“I’m so jealous…”

I heard passersby, but I still wanted to hold her.

September 15.

Just as my best friend said in our DMs, today became an unforgettable anniversary.

Sure, there are plenty of worries, but I’m sure this will be the start of an incredibly fun roommate life.

The Suzuhara-san, rumored to never open up to anyone.

The girl called the “Solo Gyaru,” and I became friends.