NOVEL WEB Chapter 31: [31] A New Work Inspired by You... Not Really
Chapter 31: A New Work Inspired by You... Not Really
The commotion finally settled, and the bunny girl outfit that Mai had worn was ultimately tossed out by Sagiri.
In her words, she wouldn't allow her mom to wear it and seduce her brother—it would be too unfair.
Shunsuke felt another pang of pain in his heart, almost on the verge of tears.
This was the first time he had ever received something personally worn by a girl, and it was a bunny girl outfit no less! It had such sentimental value!
No way, he had to make Sagiri make it up to him.
As for how? Well, he wasn't a devil. She could just wear a reverse bunny girl outfit once, and that would be enough.
Sagiri shuddered.
Returning to his room, Shunsuke began contemplating which classic literary work to "borrow" from to make his debut into the world of pure literature.
Just then, his phone, resting on the desk, vibrated. Annoyed by the interruption, he picked it up and found a private LINE message—from Utaha Kasumigaoka.
A slight smirk appeared on his lips as he opened the message.
[Utaha Kasumigaoka]: Fujii-sensei, why haven't you been online lately? Making a girl reach out first? That's seriously unmanly. Don't tell me you're the type who hides in the corner at school, too shy to talk to girls, daydreaming like a hopeless otaku? I'm really worried you'll end up all alone for the rest of your life.
This girl... now that she's gotten comfortable, she's completely let loose, Shunsuke thought.
Back when they first started talking, she used to call him "senpai" so sweetly. He had even imagined her as a refined Yamato Nadeshiko type. But after learning he was younger than her, her sharp-tongued nature slowly emerged.
Of course, Shunsuke now knew this banter meant their relationship had grown closer. Utaha, a woman who loved wearing black stockings, only unleashed her venom on friends. Still, there was only one course of action for him—fight back!
With women like her, he never held back!
[Shunsuke]: Actually, I'm pretty popular at school. But you, Utako-sensei, with your keen insights, I bet you don't have a single friend at school. No experience with love, a heavy and troublesome personality, probably eating lunch all alone on the rooftop like some gloomy anime character.
After sending the message, the phone fell into a brief silence.
Just when Shunsuke thought he might have pushed Utaha too far and that she wouldn't respond, his phone vibrated again.
[Utaha Kasumigaoka]: That really pisses me off. I can't wait to meet you in person, Fujii-sensei, and watch you beg me on your knees to still be your friend, you soon-to-be 17-year-old virgin boy.
[Shunsuke]: Right back at you, you soon-to-be 18-year-old virgin. If you sincerely beg me, I might just take pity on you and agree to date you.
[Utaha Kasumigaoka]: Fujii-sensei, Trash-kun, why didn't you get thrown into the landfill this morning and picked up by the garbage truck? Without a doubt, your existence is polluting this world. You really should be incinerated and wiped out.
[Shunsuke]: Utako-sensei, that's no longer just sharp-tongued banter—that's full-on personal attack...
In a distant residence, Utaha, lying on her bed yet meticulously dressed in black stockings, was rapidly tapping away at her phone when she suddenly froze.
Even though she was about to meet him soon, they were still online friends—book buddies who had never met in person.
In reality, they remained familiar strangers.
Given that she had no friends in real life, Utaha realized she was more excited than she had thought, spouting off whatever came to mind.
She instinctively typed "sorry," but immediately deleted it. At least for now, her pride wouldn't allow her to admit defeat.
While Utaha was stuck in her inner conflict, her phone beeped with a new message from Shunsuke Shunsuke.
[Shunsuke]: But hearing the name 'Trash-kun,' and thinking about your personality, Utako-sensei, I suddenly got an idea for a new story. This dynamic would fit perfectly for a lead male and female character.
[Utaha]: So you admit it now? What a masochistic personality—I'm honestly impressed.
[Utaha]: But seriously, is it okay to decide on a new story so casually? There must be a lot of people looking forward to your next work.
Even though she continued to taunt him with sharp words, the next line revealed a hint of awkward concern.
Shunsuke smiled knowingly and decided to strike first.
[Shunsuke]: Would that include you, Utako-sensei?
[Utaha]: I'm just offering friendly advice as a fellow writer. But making me the heroine—do you really think you understand me well enough for that?
[Shunsuke]: The heroine's name would be Senjougahara Hitagi. Her character would appear to be a frail, quiet honor student, someone everyone thinks is a refined lady. But in reality, she's a terrifyingly sharp-tongued tsundere with way more 'tsun' than 'dere,' and she's got a sadistic streak. She has long, straight black hair paired with black stockings. If it gets animated, she could also have purple hair.
Utaha, still lying on her bed, suddenly sat up, her eyes darting nervously around her room. What the hell? How could he be so spot-on? This is freaky!
[Shunsuke]: What's wrong, Utako-sensei? Are you that surprised?
[Utaha]: Did you get this info from Ayano?
[Shunsuke]: Nope. Feel free to ask Iida-san if you don't believe me.
[Shunsuke]: It looks like my guess about you was spot on. You should be happier to have someone as dashing as me understand you so well.
[Utaha]: I'm more inclined to think that Trash-kun is a creepy stalker. Maybe I should call the police.
[Shunsuke]: It seems like my feelings were unrequited after all... how tragic. (crying emoji)
It took a while before Utaha finally responded.
[Utaha]: And what about the male protagonist? Is Trash-kun going to model him after himself?
[Fujii]: Maybe a little, mostly the name though. I'd call him Araragi Koyomi.
[Utaha]: I don't see any resemblance between that name and you at all.
[Shunsuke]: Well, in Greek, the pronunciation of 'Araragi Koyomi' sounds a lot like 'A-la-la-ji-ji' which could be twisted into 'Trash-kun.' So, Araragi equals Trash-kun.
Shunsuke just mentioned that so Utaha would believe him.
[Utaha]: …Your logic is too convoluted. As a normal human being, I can't keep up.
[Shunsuke]: That's how geniuses think, Utako-sensei. Don't be too hard on yourself.
[Utaha]: You know, your annoying comments remind me of this guy who tried to hit on me in the library today. He looked decent enough, but his gaze was utterly revolting.
Now the real fun begins!
Shunsuke prepared himself to take a screenshot, ready to lure her in.
[Shunsuke]: That guy was definitely drooling over Utako-sensei's body. So disgusting.
[Shunsuke]: I also ran into this self-absorbed upperclassman at the library today. Not only that, but she was completely blind to her own faults. I was speechless.
Utaha, still fuming, began describing the event from her own perspective, with no shortage of sarcastic jabs.
Shunsuke simply responded with the occasional "Uh-huh" or "I see," letting her vent as much as she wanted.
Finally, Shunsuke sent a seemingly random message:
[Shunsuke]: Well, looks like I've got enough material for my new book. I'll use this as part of the second story between the male and female leads. Inspiration's struck, so I'm logging off. Bye!
He logged off after that cryptic remark, leaving Utaha completely bewildered.
Utaha blinked in surprise. "What the—? He just logged off without finishing the conversation! I haven't even talked about the final volume of my novel yet! How dare he treat me like this!"
Fuming, she muttered, "Fujii, you're the first person to ever treat me this way. Just wait until we meet—I'll make sure you fall for me and regret everything!"
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