The result—
Before Touji could even start contacting the vendors, something else completely hijacked his attention: a sudden ping from LINE.
["Nap is Great" wants to add you as a friend!]
Seeing that bizarrely enthusiastic nickname, Touji didn't even need to guess. Only one person would dare to name themselves something like that so shamelessly.
"Mayonaka Kokonoka…" he muttered under his breath, lips twitching.
Sure enough, there was a short note attached: I'm Kokonoka.
No hesitation—Touji accepted the request immediately. And the moment he did—
[You have been added to the group chat: "Nap Club"!]
"...So it's really happening, huh," Touji whispered, a bit stunned. It seemed like the fifth member had finally been found.
The Nap Club... was officially born!
On reflex, Touji opened his system interface, eager to see the update:
[Dream Weaver System]
Bound Host: Kasumigaoka Touji
Dream Weaving Level: Apprentice (0/100)
Accepted Dreams:
Younger Brother's Bride! (Unfinished)
Light Novel Master! (Unfinished)
Lonely Social Phobe Also Desires Friends! (Unfinished)
Form the Nap Club! (Unfinished)
Dream Points: 0
Dream Shop: Not Yet Activated
"...Huh?"
His brows furrowed the instant he saw the problem.
"Why is it still marked as unfinished?"
That couldn't be right. The club was formed, wasn't it? He'd just been added to the group chat. Shouldn't that count?
Maybe it wasn't officially a club yet? Just a temporary LINE group? That was probably it… Something about paperwork or advisor approval?
Lost in thought, he noticed three recent group chat entries:
["Nap is Great" invited "Hitori" to the group!]
["Nap is Great" invited "Ghost Girl" to the group!]
["Nap is Great" invited "My Youth is Over" to the group!]
Hitori was obviously Gotou Hitori—there was no mistaking that.
And 'My Youth is Over'... that dramatic flair had to be their homeroom teacher, Kojima Kana-sensei.
But then—who the heck was Ghost Girl?
Just as Touji puzzled over it, another message popped up.
[Nap is Great]: "Kasumigaoka-kun, can you add Kasumigaoka-senpai~?"
[Touji.]: "Got it."
Following the request, he went to the group info and invited the final member.
[Touji. invited "Kasumi Utako" to the group chat.]
[Nap is Great]: "Yosh! Now everyone's here!"
[Nap is Great]: "Let's do intros! ╰(°▽°)╯"
Touji could practically hear Kokonoka-san's bubbly voice through the screen.
The message was overflowing with energy, just like her in person.
[Nap is Great]: "I'm Mayonaka Kokonoka from Class 1-G! Club President! I love naps and bad jokes!"
[Nap is Great]: "Next~!"
There was a short pause before a new message appeared:
[Ghost Girl]: "I'm Kato Megumi from Class 1-E."
Touji blinked.
Wait—Kato Megumi? That Kato Megumi?
Ah… no wonder the nickname was Ghost Girl. She was so quiet and unnoticeable that even her online presence was like a phantom's.
[Ghost Girl]: "I like reading fashion magazines, shopping for clothes during holidays, and watching popular movies and concerts."
Touji's eyes widened a little. Despite the spooky nickname, she was surprisingly... normal?
"...She's a total normie!" he muttered.
On a train headed home, Gotou Hitori stared blankly at her phone with a thundercloud hanging over her head.
"This club is starting to feel cursed…" she muttered gloomily.
Normies… everywhere!
Better to stay a ghost member, just like her nickname suggested.
And yet—
[Ghost Girl]: "Although I'm usually alone…"
Huh?
Reading magazines alone? Shopping alone? Watching concerts… alone?
Gotou Hitori's mood shifted.
"Wait, maybe we're not so different after all…"
A budding kinship was forming—until the next message destroyed it.
[Nap is Great]: "Kato-san, you can call me next time! I usually do those things too~ (*￣▽￣)／"
[Ghost Girl]: "Okay~ ♪"
Gotou's grip tightened.
"Traitor…! That's not how lone wolves are supposed to bond!!"
Back in the chHe sighed and quickly clarified:
[Touji.]: "Sorry, two messages above now."
But the chaos continued—
[Nap is Great]: "Ahaha!"
[Touji.]: "...Make that three messages up."
"Is this group cursed or what?" he groaned.
Even Eshima-sensei was momentarily stunned.
[My Youth is Over]: "..."
[Xia Shizi]: "(￣ε(#￣)☆╰╮o(￣dish￣///) Punch!"
[Nap is Great]: "(~‾▿‾) snickers"
Touji sighed.
He was being bullied in his own club chat.
And then—
[Xia Shizi]: "I'm Kasumigaoka Utaha from Class 2-B. I like Touji, reading, and writing."
It was short. Direct. Shameless.
Touji froze.
The corners of his mouth twitched upward into a helpless smile.
This girl…
[Ghost Girl]: "How sweet~"
Kato Megumi responded like a true normie again—no judgment, no teasing, just pure support.
Maybe she followed the school forum?
Everyone knew about Touji and Utaha-senpai's relationship by now.
Meanwhile, Eshima-sensei sat on her futon, staring at her phone in a trance.
"To be force-fed sugar by my own students… This is the taste of youth?"
A faint sigh escaped her lips.
Her youth was over—no flashy romance, no dramatic school life—just grading papers and LINE messages.
"Waaah! How pathetic!"at—
[Nap is Great]: "@Touji., @Kasumi Utako, @Solo, @My Youth is Over — your turn!"
Touji, ever the cooperative one, quickly typed his intro:
[Touji.]: "I'm Kasumigaoka Touji from Class 1-G. I like novels, manga, and eating good food."
But before it could land at the right spot in the chat—
[Kasumi Utako]: "May I ask who you like?"
[My Youth is Over]: "Kojima Kana here. I'm the Nap Club's advisor."
[Touji.]: "It's the message above!"
Touji stared blankly.
"Ugh…"
He sighed and quickly clarified:
[Touji.]: "Sorry, two messages above now."
But the chaos continued—
[Nap is Great]: "Ahaha!"
[Touji.]: "...Make that three messages up."
"Is this group cursed or what?" he groaned.
Even Eshima-sensei was momentarily stunned.
[My Youth is Over]: "..."
[Kasumi Utako]: "(￣ε(#￣)☆╰╮o(￣dish￣///) Punch!"
[Nap is Great]: "(~‾▿‾) snickers"
Touji sighed.
He was being bullied in his own club chat.
And then—
[Kasumi Utako]: "I'm Kasumigaoka Utaha from Class 2-B. I like Touji, reading, and writing."
It was short. Direct. Shameless.
Touji froze.
The corners of his mouth twitched upward into a helpless smile.
This girl…
[Ghost Girl]: "How sweet~"
Kato Megumi responded like a true normie again—no judgment, no teasing, just pure support.
Maybe she followed the school forum?
Everyone knew about Touji and Utaha-senpai's relationship by now.
Meanwhile, Kojima-sensei sat on her futon, staring at her phone in a trance.
"To be force-fed sugar by my own students… This is the taste of youth?"
A faint sigh escaped her lips.
What kind of twisted fate was this—being force-fed sweet couple moments by her own students!?
A mix of heartbreak and melancholy washed over her.
Youth… it seemed endless, yet before she knew it, it had slipped right through her fingers. She was now a full-fledged working adult. Her youthful days had ended before they even truly began!
"Uwaaah~! How tragic! How utterly tragic!"
She flopped onto the bed like a dead fish, muttering curses at the ceiling.
No… she wouldn't let the night end on such a bitter note. She was going to head to the supermarket later, pick up a few cans of chu-hi and a bottle of sake, and drink her frustrations away in her lonely apartment.
A toast… to the youth that passed her by before it even got the chance to start!
At that moment—
[Nap is Great]: "@Solo, your turn~ Gotou-san, you're up next!"
Gotou Hitori froze. No one else was left. There was no escaping now.
Clutching her phone like it was her last lifeline, she bit her lip, typed… deleted… retyped…
Eventually, her trembling fingers hit send:
[Solo]: "I'm Gotou Hitori from Class 1-G. I like cool rock music."
It was a simple message—but for her, it was a giant leap of courage.
Thanks to the internet barrier, she could muster a little more boldness than usual.
[Nap is Great]: "Eh~? That kinda surprises me, Gotou-san~ I imagined you listening to something fluffier~."
[Solo]: "I'm… super socially anxious… I don't have any friends…"
[Ghost Girl]: "..."
[Ghost Girl]: "I've read before that people who enjoy rock music are often introverted and reserved…"
[Solo]: "Uwaaaah…!"
[Solo]: "Arrow-to-the-heart.jpg!"
Yes!! That's me! 100% me!!
[Ghost Girl]: "It also said… these types of people often have rich inner thoughts but aren't good at expressing themselves. They tend to isolate themselves due to a lack of shared interests with others…"
Gotou Hitori's ahoge bounced energetically like a puppy's tail.
Yes!! That's also me! You're totally describing me, Megumi-san!
[Solo]: "Yes! That's me exactly!"
[Solo]: "Actually, I really want someone to talk to about music…"
She said it. She actually said it.
A milestone had been reached!
[Nap is Great]: "Hmm~ I like classical and chill music. It helps me sleep super well~. Nap quality through the roof~."
Totally something Mayonaka Kokonoka would say.
[Ghost Girl]: "I like all kinds really. If it sounds good, I'll listen to it. I have some rock songs on my playlist too."
[Solo]: "Like what?"
Gotou Hitori's eyes sparkled. Kato Megumi might just be someone she could talk to about music!
[Ghost Girl]: "Unravel" and "Lemon."
Kato Megumi dropped the names like they were nothing, but they hit Gotou Hitori like a bolt of lightning.
Those were her absolute favorites!
By the way, both songs were written by the same artist. And… she liked several of his other songs too. Actually—she was a full-on Touji fan!
[Solo]: "Ahh~! I love both of those too!"
With the spirit of a true fan, Gotou Hitori fired off her most passionate message yet:
[Solo]: "The raw anguish and despair in 'Unravel' is hauntingly beautiful! And the gentle, sorrowful melancholy in 'Lemon'… it's like balm for the soul! They're perfect emotional release songs!"
[Ghost Girl]: "..."
Is… is your spirit okay?
Kato Megumi tilted her head. She liked both songs too, but it seemed they connected with her differently. To her, they were touching and moving, yes—but not soaked in existential dread.
Meanwhile, somewhere else entirely—
Kasumigaoka Touji was haggling over produce at a market stall when he noticed something pop up in the Nap Club group chat.
His eyes narrowed with interest.
Was that… a mention of his songs?
His lips curled into a smug, pleased grin.
So Kato Megumi and Gotou Hitori were his fans? Should he come clean? No… not yet. The most stylish form of showing off is the silent kind!
He would wait.
After all, his next song was titled—"Kasumi Utako."
Once it dropped, and Utaha held her autograph session, his identity would be unmasked on its own.
He could already picture the shocked faces. He even had a dramatic line ready in his mind.
Heh… it was going to be legendary.
**************
Chūhai (チューハイ or 酎ハイ), an abbreviation of "shōchū highball" (焼酎ハイボール), is an alcoholic drink originating from Japan.
Traditional chūhai is made with barley shōchū and carbonated water flavored with lemon, but some modern commercial variants use vodka in place of shōchū, and beverage companies have diversified into a variety of flavors, including lime, grapefruit, apple, orange, pineapple, grape, kyoho grape, kiwi, ume, yuzu, lychee, peach, strawberry cream, and cream soda.