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Chapter 35: 2D husbands are the best? Shino’s POV After dinner, filled with laughter, bickering, and the occasional complaint about Haru’s reckless playstyle, the time finally came to leave. As much as I enjoyed hanging out at Haru’s place, I wasn’t about to spend the night getting cozy with MILFs and their giant boobies. Nope. Not me. Not Shino. "Shiori-sensei, let’s go home together." Our homes were in the same direction anyway, and besides, this was a great opportunity to talk to her alone... and put some mess into that perfect little mind of hers. "Haru-kun, I’ll be going now!" Shiori waved over her shoulder, her soft brown hair catching the light from the doorway. "Take care, Shiori-san. Message me when you get home!" Tsk. These normies! Rubbing their relationship in my face like some damn rom-com protagonists. Just wait, Haru. I swear on my anime collection, I’ll turn you and your girlfriend into hardcore otakus. You won’t even recognize yourselves when I’m done. (A/N: Shino is an anime fanatic. Also, she has absolutely no clue that Haru and Shiori are officially dating.) As we stepped out into the crisp night air, the chilly breeze wrapped around us. The streets were quiet, save for the distant hum of passing cars and the occasional rustling of leaves. The cold bit at my skin, making me instinctively tuck my hands into my hoodie pockets. I glanced at Shiori, who walked beside me, looking completely unbothered. "Shiori-sensei, aren’t you cold?" She tugged at the sleeves of her jacket. "Not really. This keeps me warm." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦 Wait. Hold up. This jacket... I squinted at it, trying to recall where I’d seen it before. And then it hit me. (A/N: Yes. It’s Haru’s jacket. No, she never gave it back.) Oh. Oh. "Shiori-san..." I narrowed my eyes at her. "What’s the situation with your silly boyfriend? You probably fought because of Yuna, right?" Shiori stumbled slightly, nearly missing a step. "E-Eh?! How did you know Haru-kun and I are dating? Did he tell you?" I froze mid-step. Wait. WHAT?! "YOU TWO ARE ACTUALLY DATING?!" Oh, this is perfect. Absolutely perfect. If I convert Shiori into an otaku, Haru will get jealous. He’ll suffer, and then he’ll have to beg for my mercy. And there’s a higher chance that he will be an otaku too! "Shino," Shiori said, her voice suddenly soft. "I think Haru told you because he trusts you. But please, don’t tell anyone, okay?" "Yeah, yeah, sure." I waved a hand dismissively. "I’ll shut my mouth. But in exchange... let me show you something." Shiori tilted her head. "Something?" "Yep." Her curiosity piqued, she nodded. "Alright. But let’s do that at my apartment. I don’t want Haru-kun to worry if I stay outside for too long." She twirled a strand of hair between her fingers as she spoke. Tch. She’s pissing me off. What’s the point of saying that? To rub it in that I’m single? AND STOP ACTING LIKE A MAIDEN IN LOVE! The walk to her apartment felt like forever, mostly because I spent every second of it planning my grand otaku-conversion scheme. When we finally arrived, she unlocked the door and gestured for me to enter. "Come in, Shino." Stepping inside, I took a deep breath. Her apartment was neat, the air subtly scented with lavender. It was cozy, decorated with just enough personal touches to feel lived-in. My eyes swept over the bookshelves, the soft glow of the gaming setup in the corner, and the unmistakable **SFO** merchandise neatly arranged on the desk. Damn. She really was a gamer. "Make yourself comfortable. I’ll make some tea." She disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me to take in my surroundings. I plopped down on the small table near her gaming setup, tapping my fingers against the wooden surface. Moments later, she returned with two steaming cups, setting one in front of me. "Drink up, Shino. It’s cold outside." Suspicious. What if she poisoned it? Nah, that’s too dramatic, even for her. Taking a sip, I let the warmth spread through me before setting the cup down. "Alright, Shiori-sensei. Before I show you something, I have a few questions." She raised a brow. "Questions?" "Yeah. Think of it as an exchange. Answer honestly, and I’ll give you anything you want—as long as it’s reasonable." She blinked. "Anything?" "Yep." "Okay, I don’t mind." Excellent. I knew she wouldn’t ask for anything weird. Interview starts now. (Just skip this honestly.) "Shiori-san, is Haru your first boyfriend?" "Uh... yeah." "Do you play any games other than SFO?" "Not really. I used to play FPS games, though." "Have you ever watched anime? Or at least read manga?" "Manga? A little. Haru-kun and I read some together before. But anime... no, I don’t really have time for that." I squinted at her. So she’s innocent-minded AND a yandere? Perfect. Now... time for step one of my plan. I pulled out my phone and searched for the best way to lure her into the world of anime hotties. "Look, Shiori-sensei. This guy is handsome, right?" I flashed my screen, showing her an image of a muscular anime character with well-defined abs. Shiori stared for a moment before tilting her head. "I don’t really find him attractive." **WHAT?!** Wait, wait. Maybe this was the wrong choice. I quickly switched to my **trump card**—**Zoro, half-naked and sweaty.** "Okay, how about this one?" I asked, confident this would break her. She took another glance. "Uh... not really. He’s all sweaty, and that’s not cool at all." **SWEATY?!** IT’S **ZORO**, SHIORI! THE FANTASY OF ALL ONE PIECE GIRL WATCHERS! I took a deep breath. Maybe she wasn’t into **mature-looking guys.** Maybe she liked **high school rom-com protagonists.** I scrolled through my gallery until I found it. **Miyamura from Horimiya.** Half-naked fan art. Earrings. Gym pants. Cool tattoos. **ABSOLUTE PERFECTION.** I turned my phone toward her with the utmost confidence. "THIS. What about this one?" Shiori took a moment, then frowned. "I don’t find him attractive either. And... he has too many earrings. How does he even get into school? And the tattoos? Is he a Yakuza?" I choked. AHH. WHAT THE HELL?! Should I pull out my ultimate trump card? The divine R34 folder?! ...Wait. Maybe I’ve been going about this all wrong. "Shiori-sensei." I narrowed my eyes. "Are you the kind of woman who doesn’t like abs?" Her face **immediately turned red.** She twirled her hair, suddenly unable to meet my eyes. "Uhm... not really. When I saw Haru-kun’s abs, I felt—NO, NOTHING!" ...EXCUSE ME? Wait. WHAT?! SHE’S ALREADY SEEN HARU SHIRTLESS?! ...Damn it. I lost. There’s no way I can turn him into an otaku now. (A/N: Uh, I asked chatgpt to fix my grammar, and that stars ’*’ appeared. I’m too lazy to delete those. English is not my first language by the way.)