I Got Isekai'd Into a Manga I Don't Know

"In the end, we bought both."

"Ugh, one's for me to wear, so it's fine."

As we strolled along a promenade lined with blooming purple wisteria, I lightly shook the two paper bags in my hands. The president, her cheeks slightly flushed, quickly snatched her share of the bags.

Ultimately, we settled on the yukata as the gift for the Russian exchange student. A kimono was deemed too formal and difficult to wear alone, making it less suitable for a foreigner. With the festival season approaching in a few months, a yukata seemed like a perfectly fine choice.

"Anyway, let's just enjoy the walk."

Perhaps wanting to change the subject, the president clutched her paper bag tightly and quickened her pace. I widened my stride to keep up and asked, "We've finished our errands for today. What's next?"

The president, walking ahead, paused and glanced back. "You mean after the walk?"

"Yeah. It's a rare day off. It'd be a shame to just do student council work and head home."

Since picking out the gift went faster than expected, it was only 2 p.m. Even with a short walk, we had plenty of time before evening.

The president hesitated before speaking. "How about Nakano Broadway? I heard from Minami that it's a great spot for young people."

"Oh, that's a good one. But it'll take a while to get from Asakusa to Nakano by subway."

"That's no issue. We can just call a car."

As expected of a rich young lady—her mindset was on a different level from an average student.

"Then let's have lunch in Nakano."

"Hehe, sounds good. I was just getting hungry."

As we reached an agreement and prepared to continue down the promenade, a sound interrupted us.

*Click!*

"Hm?"

I turned at the sound of a camera shutter. A couple, seemingly lovers, was taking selfies with a stick. I could've sworn it was just the president and me moments ago—when did they show up?

"Aren't you coming?"

Puzzled, I tilted my head, but the president's urging snapped me out of it, and I hurriedly followed her.

---

"I thought we got caught."

"Get away from me if you're done."

Akagi Shinjiro and Akagi Minami had been tailing Kumiko and Yuseong, secretly snapping photos. The pictures were meant for a report to the young lady, but they hadn't expected Yuseong to suddenly turn around. In a panic, they'd posed as a couple.

"I told you not to get too close," Shinjiro grumbled.

"But you can't get good shots unless you're this close," Minami retorted curtly, checking the photos she'd just taken.

Shinjiro, the vice president, glared at Yuseong's retreating figure. "Lucky guy. He doesn't even realize someone like the young lady likes him."

"Oppa, it's fine if you dislike him personally, but you know you can't let it show in front of him, right?"

"…I know."

The two had served Saionji Kumiko for a long time—perhaps since the moment they were born. Raised with unwavering loyalty, they were willing to do anything for her.

After reviewing the photos, Minami inserted a backup memory card into her smartphone and folded the selfie stick. "The young lady will call for the limousine soon. We need to clear the back seat beforehand."

"Then we'll take a taxi."

"Call one in advance if you can. We need to get to Nakano Broadway before the young lady and Yuseong to scope things out."

"Got it."

With their plans aligned, they sprang into action. Everything was for their beloved young lady.

---

The president and I rode a limousine from Asakusa to Nakano. While a subway trip would've taken about an hour, the car got us there in just 40 minutes. When the sleek, black limousine—something straight out of a movie—stopped in front of Nakano Station, it drew the eyes of passersby.

Stepping out first, I felt a wave of embarrassment and pulled my hoodie over my head. "Shall we go?"

The president, stepping out after me, nodded slightly. "Alright."

As the limousine glided away, we began walking toward the red-and-white building in the distance.

---

Nakano Broadway.

One of Nakano's iconic landmarks and one of the three holy sites of otaku culture. Though smaller than Akihabara's electronics district or Ikebukuro's Otome Road, its hidden depths rivaled both.

I'd never been here myself, but Yuseong's memories held frequent visits to Nakano Broadway. It was a treasure trove for rare items, and he'd made a point to come at least once a month, like a treasure hunt.

The first floor housed various shops, the main branch of Mandarake—the famous used bookstore—a DVD rental shop, and an arcade. Perhaps because of Golden Week, the place was packed with people.

"Wow, there are so many interesting things here."

It seemed to be the president's first time in a place like this. She looked around with wide-eyed curiosity, her "commoner experience" clearly still ongoing since we first met.

"Any place you want to check out?"

The president crossed her arms, pondering, then answered without hesitation. "Let's eat first. We can have fun afterward."

A sensible answer. Aside from ice cream, we hadn't eaten anything since meeting at noon.

"Then I'll treat you to lunch. There's a place I—well, Yuseong—used to come to all the time."

More precisely, it was the real Yuseong's go-to spot.

"Oh? I'll trust your choice this time, Kim Yuseong-kun."

As we rode the escalator to the second floor, I asked, "Do you like ramen?"

---

The place we visited was a ramen shop Yuseong loved. Known as a local gem, it was already packed, so we settled at the counter. A waiter promptly handed us menus and water.

The president, who rarely visited such commoner eateries, looked around curiously. "The layout here is interesting."

Flipping through the menu, I replied, "It's because the space is small. They cram seats together to fit as many as possible."

After deciding on my order, I passed the menu to her. "What'll you have, President?"

She read the menu aloud. "Tonkotsu ramen, miso ramen, shio ramen, tsukemen?"

"I recommend the shio ramen. It's light and clean, popular with women."

After some thought, she decided, "I'll go with the shio ramen."

With her order settled, I flagged down a passing waiter and ordered a tonkotsu ramen for myself and a shio ramen for her.

Since it'd take about ten minutes for the food to arrive, I excused myself. "I'm going to the restroom real quick."

"Alright, take your time."

With her permission, I headed to the restroom.

---

*Gurgle—*

'Ugh!'

Akagi Shinjiro, secretly watching the young lady and Yuseong in the ramen shop, frowned at a sudden pang in his stomach. He turned to Minami, who was surveilling beside him. "Can I… step out to the restroom for a bit?"

"What? Now?"

"I think that cream bun from the car didn't sit right."

*Gurgle—*

The worsening stomach pain made his legs cross instinctively. Seeing his distress, Minami shook her head. "Geez, be more careful. Go, but hurry. The young lady and Yuseong won't move to the next spot for a while."

"Thanks…"

*Gurgle!*

"Ugh!"

With no time to waste, Shinjiro, with his sister's approval, rushed to the second-floor restroom and locked himself in a stall.

Five minutes later, having resolved his urgent issue, he was about to leave when—

*Whoosh!*

The sound of someone washing their hands came from outside. Assuming it was just another customer, Shinjiro flushed the toilet and stepped out without a second thought.

'Huh?'

But the moment he saw a familiar figure, his body froze like a stone. Standing right in front of him was Kim Yuseong—the very person he and his sister were secretly tailing.

Yuseong, washing his hands, noticed Shinjiro's reflection in the mirror and said with a surprised expression, "Vice President?"

Akagi Shinjiro realized their covert mission had just been blown.