My name is Nakamura Okuto, aged 15.
I'm just an ordinary high school student.
I'm shy and gay.
I'm currently in love with my classmate, Hirose Aiki.
But right now, I'm not even his friend, let alone his lover.
Still, I do have plans.
There's something I read every day for tips on how to get close to Hirose.
Lovable Lunches
It's...
"I love you!"
"I... I do, too."
I see! So this is how I'm supposed to ask him out?
I'll need to review this carefully.
Lovable Lunches
My guide is BL manga.
And the best of them is Lovable Lunches, by Kometani Ii-sensei.
A thrilling rom-com between passionate, reliable Makunouchi-kun,
and Taku-kun, who gradually comes to terms with his feelings.
In the last volume, Makunouchi-kun admits his feelings.
I wish I could be as assertive as him.
And Taku-kun is kind of cute and reminds me of Hirose.
Okay, I've practiced my lines to perfection.
Now, Hirose's heart...
...is as good as mine!
Do you know what time it is, you idiot of a brother?!
Panic! The Secret Bible!!
Hey, did you see that anime last night? The new one that started this season?
The one from the shonen manga?
Yeah, that's the one.
My brother happened to be watching it.
I was really curious about it. What's it like?
Well, it's about a bodyguard who gets saved by the heroine,
and doesn't know how to feel about it.
That's cute.
And he's got a coworker-slash-rival who's all cool and handsome.
So I looked at it in a BL way.
Tell me more.
This is just my interpretation, okay?
Okay, okay.
So this rival is super cold to the protagonist.
And so...
Huh? What's wrong?
C-Cockroach!
Hi everybody!
I've come to visit!
Don't push me!
How's it crawlin', everyone?
I didn't get enough sleep, I guess.
But I've got the whole Lovable Lunches method memorized.
Especially the guy who won Taku-kun's heart, Makunouchi-kun—
no, Makunouchi-sensei. I want to get all I can out of his lines.
Anyway, what's everybody upset about?
Did something happen?
Hey!
Wh-What?
Do something about it!
"It" wh-what?
That thing!
Cockroach! Hurry! It's coming this way!
Why me?
Do something!
N-No, I can't just...
Just hurry!
Hurry! Do it!
For some reason, it's my job to kill it.
Go! Go!
They ignore me the rest of the time. And why me, anyway?
Morning.
What's everybody doing?
Hirose.
Bzz
Tch
Tch!
"Get these ropes off me!"
Get these ropes off me!
Horrible Insect King Housefly
"Get them off you?"
Get them off you?
It's your fault for napping outside...
"It's your fault for napping outside without putting plastic wrap on!"
...without putting plastic wrap on!
W-Well...
"W-Well..."
"It's too late for regrets!"
It's too late for regrets!
You shall fill...
...the bellies of us house- flies!
Waaah!
"You shall fill the bellies of us houseflies!"
"Waaah!"
"S-Save me!"
S—
Save me!
Gwaaah!
Maku- nouchi!
"Makunouchi!"
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Slide
Are you okay?
"Are you okay?"
Yeah...
"Yeah..."
"Flies can carry lots of diseases,"
Flies can carry lots of diseases...
so it's very dangerous to leave your food uncovered outside!
"so it's very dangerous to leave your food uncovered outside!"
Well, don't worry, Taku.
You can always count on me to protect you.
Maku- nouchi...
"Well, don't worry, Taku. You can always count on me to protect you."
"Makunouchi..."
Lovable Lunches
I... I saw this happen in Lovable Lunches!
I was right to stay up all night studying it.
If I can show him how brave I am, just like Makunouchi-sensei did...
Nakamura, you're so cool!
I-I hope you'll come to my place soon... to deal with the cockroaches.
Will you?
I know that'll happen.
Just you wait, Hirose.
O-Okay.
That said, I don't like killing bugs for no reason.
What's this?
I can keep it alive and get it outside.
Okay!
Okay, okay. Be a good roach.
Well? Impressed, Hirose?
After my courage in facing a cockroach for the sake of the class,
and my kindness in showing it compassion,
you've got no choice but to be my friend now, right?
I wonder what's over here. Oh!
I see a tunnel. Time to go inside.
Don't tell me...
It went inside his clothes?
This is such fun!
Rustle Rustle Rustle
Crap. I can't even speak.
It's no good. I can't even move.
I can feel it crawling across my stomach.
Ugh, and now my back.
Stop. Please. I'm sorry.
S-S-S-Somebody help me!
Hirose-kun?
Hirose's hand is inside my clothing?
His hands are so small, aren't they?
But he's strong.
And a little sweaty and warm.
Wait, that's my...
Where are you?
Come on out already!
Hey, raise your arms higher.
Ow! Ow!
Ow! Ow! Uncle! Uncle!
Okay, gotcha!
Pwease let me go!
Wow!
Buh-bye!
Don't come back, okay?
Nicely done.
We get a lot of them in my house.
Go wash your hands!
Hey, it's okay now.
Hey!
Hey, don't cry! Was it that scary?
Hirose... Hirose touched me...
I see. This... This was another way to do it.
Thank you, cockroach.
Thank you.
For a while after that, people kept their distance from me.
So if we take the equation for the curve where y=x²-3x,
and move 4 along the x axis and 3 along the y axis...
I wanted to show off in front of Hirose this morning,
but I ended up embarrassing myself instead.
Mathematics 1
I'd like another shot at restoring my reputation,
but cockroaches aren't that common.
I need to come up with a new plan.
Something that'll make him swoon.
I'll nuke your heart...
...in the microwave.
"I'll nuke your heart in the microwave."
Huh?!
"Huh?!"
Ka-thud
I guess it's sounding confident that makes 'em swoon?
"Would ya be my friend?"
"Be my friend!"
"Shall we be friends?"
I looked like an idiot again.
Lovable Lunches
Well, at least he didn't find Lovable Lunches.
I would've died if he had.
I'll read Lovable Lunches while I eat,
for practice and to make myself feel better.
Oh, it's braised chicken stew today.
Okay, let's eat.
Here.
"Here. Say 'Ah.'"
Say "Ah."
Huh?
"Huh?"
"Come on. Open your mouth!"
Come on. Open your mouth!
Hey! Get off me!
"Hey! Get off me!"
"Stop it!"
Stop it!
Hmph!
Why? We like each other, right?
"Why? We like each other right?"
"I-I know I said I like you..."
I-I know I said I like you...
But I don't really know what that means.
"But I don't really know what that means."
Grab
Ah!
Don't worry. I'll make sure...
"Don't worry. I'll make sure you know exactly what it means."
...you know exactly what it means.
M-Maku- nouchi!
"M-Makunouchi!"
Uh...
"This is my special, love-filled, super-sweet tamagoyaki."
"First, taste this."
Chew
"It..."
It...
It's deli- cious!
"It's delicious!"
Food tastes incredible when you're reading Lovable Lunches.
Thank you for the meal.
Someday, I'd love to eat lunch with Hirose.
And like in Lovable Lunches, we could feed each other.
Here, Hirose. Say "Aah."
Aah.
How's my special octowiener?
Yum! It's cooked just right!
I'm glad.
Nakamura, would you like to be my friend and cook me octowieners every day?
I sure would!
As many as you want!
I see. So the way to his friendship is through his stomach, huh?
That's why Lovable Lunches is my bible.
Oof.
How embarrassing.
Hey.
A-Are you okay?
Y-Y-Y-Yeah. I'm fine! Just fine!
See?
Oh, yeah, you do seem fine.
Oh, wow! Hirose is worried about me!
You really went down hard, so you scared me.
I'm glad you didn't get hurt.
H-He's so nice!
His kindness is Makunouchi-level!
Makunouchi-Level
Uh, I mean... D-Dang it. I embarrassed myself again.
I need to get my act together.
Something fell by your feet.
Lovable Lunches
Oh no!
M-M-M-My bible!
A manga? Is it yours?
O-Of course not!
You were rather quick to deny it.
Uh, it's probably a girl's. It looks like a shojo manga.
Hmm, I see.
Uh, what?
I guess I'll ask everybody.
Uh, hey, wai—
Lovable Lunches
Hey! This manga was lying on the floor in the hallway.
Does it belong to any of you?
Huh? What is it?
A manga?
Whose is it?
What manga is it?
I don't know.
Oh, this is BL.
"BL"?
Oh, you know. It's where two guys...
Anthropomorphized boxed lunches? What?
That's a crazy idea.
Whose is this?
It's just like before.
It was after swimming class in elementary school.
Someone left their underwear in the locker rooms.
Does anyone recognize it?
Whoever it is, they have no underwear on!
I-It's mine...
Back then, all I could do was panic.
But now I've grown up and know what to do at times like this.
You should...
...play dumb.
Hey, whose is this?
Yup, just gotta play dumb.
I am a shellfish. I am a tree.
I am the air.
I hear nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
It's probably not somebody in our class.
I guess we should give it to Otogiri-sensei.
The day ended with zero progress made.
Instead of getting closer to Hirose, I think I'm further away.
And my manga's gone, too.
Oh, right.
Teachers' Office
I need to get the form for my new bike.
Keep Door Closed
Excuse me.
Excuse me. I need a form for my bike.
Oh, Nakamura?
What's up?
He's reading my manga?!
S-Sir, that...
Oh, this?
One of the students left it behind, but it's actually pretty good.
It's a bit strange for a shojo manga, though.
L-Left it behind?
I'm sure they're just too embarrassed to come get it.
But you know...
I think they're a little naive about love.
So what did you need?
A-A form for my bike.
Oh, sure.
Bicycle Permission Slip
Sob, sob. I never did get my manga back.
What's this?
Endless Ribbon, huh? And the latest volume of Candy Mandy?
I need to buy a new copy of Lovable Lunches anyway. Guess I'll go in.
Lovable Lunches
In Lovable Lunches, it all works out in the end.
But I just keep embarrassing myself in front of him.
And...
"BL"?
Oh, you know. It's where two guys...
They're a little naive about love.
You're in my class.
Um...
H-Hirose?
Um...
I-I didn't think I'd see him here.
Nakamura!
H-He remembered my name.
Cockroach Boy, Nakamura!
Nakamura
"Cockroach Boy, Nakamura"?!
Cockroach
stepped on handkerchief
octopus spit ink
The guy who stepped on my handkerchief
and had an octopus spit ink at him: Nakamura.
I remember 'cause it was all so funny.
I-I see.
I'm so embarrassed.
Oh, I'm Hirose.
I don't think we ever really introduced ourselves, Nakamura-kun.
N-Nice to meet you.
Hirose remembered my name.
And he introduced himself to me.
What manga is that?
That one.
The one in your hand.
Oh, no, no! It fell off the shelf, so I was just putting it back.
What is this section, anyway?
Not good!
B-B-Boys' love.
Like the one found on the floor at school today.
Boys' Love
R-Really? I don't remember.
You read it, too?
N-N-N-N-N-N-No way!
U-Uh-oh. Maybe that was too obvious.
I-I don't want to make him think I'm any weirder.
Not now that I know he remembers my name.
Well, different strokes for different folks.
I think it's fine if you read it.
Is everything on this shelf BL? Wow.
Lovable Lunches
O-Oh.
I'm not doing anything bad.
So I don't need to hide it, do I?
M-Makunouchi-kun would always have his head held high, I'm sure.
I think it's fine if you read it.
Sh-Should I tell him?
So...
What were you looking for?
Oh, uh, um...
Y-Yes, this!
I was looking for this. I really wanted it. I'm glad I found it!
I-I see.
Well, uh, different strokes for different folks. Yeah.
S-See you tomorrow.
Um, sure.
What's gotten into him? Does he have somewhere to be?
Redacted
I can never be Makunouchi-kun.
Realizing that, I stopped trying to learn lessons from BL.