Okaeri Saotome-san SS-2

TL: Hey guys, really sorry for the prolonged delay with no updates. Hopefully I will be able to sort things out and go back to posting one chapter a week.

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Tsuchiya-san wants to realise his vision 

After the trip to the beach. Tsuchiya’s perspective 

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I, Tsuchiya Haruto, kept thinking about it.

It’s something that keeps popping into my mind after the summer trip, the words that Saotome-san said.

『This movie is something that was recommended by a client. When I told him that the projector I have at home doesn’t work, he lent me a blu-ray disc.』

Saotome-san, moved to tears by a movie and with a swollen face, was lovely to a dangerous extent. That was that, but I was also able to deduce something from it. 

「Projector, huh.」

Hearing that word, I felt a sock, as if electricity ran through me.

A projector in the house.

A projector used to watch movies.

「So cool!!!」

The type that projects onto a screen that drops from the ceiling would be ideal. A short throw projector that is placed right next to the wall would also be great.

Even the ordinary one that is placed on top of the table is attractive enough. I was surprised to find on the internet that a projector with a screen costs around 20,000 yen.

Getting caught up in the blithe and carefree atmosphere I would be able to say something like, 「There’s a projector in my house. Wanna drop by to watch a movie or two?」from the day i buy it. 

「Moreover…」

Even though that in itself will be a lot of fun, if it’s someone whom you are well acquainted with then you can even use this as a reason to invite them home.

「And also, an extra, just an added benefit…」

You can use the previous mentioned pick-up line to call girls over. But being impatient or flustered is a big nada. A gentleman is one who maintains his conduct up until the end.

But, on the other hand there will be no progress if you keep acting like a gentleman…. 

「If I had projector….!」

If you place the screen in front of the sofa, it would set the scene up for sitting next to each other on the sofa.

And naturally since we are watching the movie through a projector, we would have to switch the lights off

「An unlit room, sitting next to each other on the sofa, a slightly romantic, ero scene characteristic of a Western movie. This will work!! No, wait, it might not.」

Starting off an unrealistic fantasy, I shook it off right at the beginning.

Right now I have Saotome-san. She has her own projector, so if I invite someone, it will be some other girl.

Entertaining illusions about a different person while you have someone you love is not something that a man must do.

「……. Hmm」

But, even though I know it in my head.

To end up buying that limited edition game skin, such is the nature of men.

「…. And hence, thinking so I called you over. Allow me to try and experience how it feels.」

「Is that so. Now, if you will pay me the cab fare I will be returning home.」

「Wait! Wait a bit!」

「What? Will you pay me indemnity as well?」

「Wait?」

Looking at my junior leaving immediately after coming, I deftly carried¹ her back to the veranda.

Getting angrier at being treated like a small kitten, Murasaki is glaring at me from just about 30cm below my face.

「Tsuchiya senpai, do you get it?」

「Get what?」

「The feelings of someone who came over because of a phone call only to listen to the story about someone buying a projector to become more popular with women.」

I see, now that she put it like this, it seems like something too awful even for me. If so, all the reason for me to not let her leave like this. For now I will arrange for food and act hospitable.

「Well, that, overlook it for once. I will buy a very expensive melon bread for you, so stay for a while」

「Melon bread…..」²

Murasaki, who wanted to leave now, stopped.

「I want the one from the specialty shop in front of the station. The one that you can’t buy without standing in a line.」

「Which batch?」

「The 3 p.m. one」

「Ergh….」

On top knowing that they follow a batch system and bake a set every hour and a half, she even specified which batch she wants. As expected, when it comes to melon bread, Murasaki will never make a miss.

The time right now is 5:30 pm, so it should be the batch baked just before the latest batch. Since it’s not the freshly baked batch, I am a bit worried. 

Now then, just one last push.

「I also have fresh milk sent to me from the Mt Aso, Kumamoto prefecture.」³

「I guess it can’t be helped…」

「Come on A my house ⁴」

Thanks, hometown tax scheme. ⁵

「Eh, I thought a man’s room would be much dirtier and disorganised?!」

「How’s it, it’s pretty good isn’t it?」

「Yup. It’s more compact compared to Matsutomo-senpai’s or Onee…. Saotome-san’s house. I like it.」

Just as Murasaki put it, my house is a little smaller than Saotome-san’s. An 1DK that is more than enough for bachelor men to live in, that’s my castle.

Since it is a 14 year old building, a few places aren’t really great. I have bought rubber trees to cover those places up.

「Seems like Matsutomo-senpai hates thinking about money. Even though stocks and the sort are his forte.」

「Welll…」

Gambling, ponzi schemes, investments. The fact that he maintains a good distance from all these things was something that was evident right from our first meeting, joining the company.

On that note, being able to peacefully work on a set salary, without worrying about anything like his current job definitely suits his personality.

「So, is this the projector that you were talking about?」

「Though it’s just a cheap one, buying and using it, it seems to be just as fun.」

「It’s a bit smaller than the one in the company and feels a bit more fancier」

「Coincidentally the colour is also a passionate red」

Looking for projectors I came to know that there different models for residential use and different ones for office use.

They have a few differences in terms of the port and design, but i thinks it’s fine to think of it as residential ones give more importance to the colour while the office ones attach importance to brightness. Must be because the office ones are used to project in wide conference halls as well.

「Well then, which movie are we going to watch? Look for something in Netfl*x?」

「Nope, I have already selected one. Searched for it in the internet.」

「And?」

「There is not the slightest chance for anything to happen between us. I specifically searched for “Movies that will definitely not result in a conducive atmosphere”.」

「I am torn between praising your conscious efforts and getting sad over you assuming that there will not be the “slightest” chance of anything happening.」

Brushing aside Murasaki’s usual sharp manner of speech, I typed in the name of the movie in the broadcast service and connected it to the projector.

「It’s this one, documentary version of “Dev*lman”⁶」

「So Devil*an had a documentary version huh. I don’t get why it will not result in a conducive atmosphere though…..」

「Murasaki, you don’t know about it? Didn’t you say you like movies?」

「Well, I do try and watch whatever I can. But I just watch whatever comes up and don’t really search for movies.」

「Ooh. Guess it’s about perfect that you haven’t watched it yet. Now then shall we start?」

「Before that, senpai…」

「Yes?」

「The stuff that you promised.」

「Stuff?」

「The milk from Aso.」

「Got it, got it, so stop looking at me with that serious face. It’s weirdly scary.」

And somehow I managed to get her cooperation and started the preview of my projector.

I don’t want to spoil the contents of the movie, so…..

「The CG was nice right?」

「The CG was nice.」

Let’s end it here.

I have got a conclusion for now, regarding the effectiveness of the projector.

「Tsuchiya-senpai」

「What?」

「Don’t you get the feeling that we have spent a great day off relaxing completely?」

「Eh, you thought so too? Actually I felt the same.」

「What was the original intention again?」

「Umm, that, sorry Murasaki」

「Hmmm」

「I chose the wrong person」

「A foregone conclusion. Thank you very much for this, senpai」

「…….. Are you angry?」

「Not at all, I had a lot of fun. To the extent that I want to tell Saotome-san and the others about today’s experience in a detailed manner.」

「I have Huis Ten Bo*ch’s cheesecakes with me, Do you want to take some home?」

「I guess we can’t help it.」

Thanks hometown tax scheme. Thank you Nagasaki, my hometown.

Without being able to verify, or test it out, in such a manner my projector plan came to an end.

Two weeks after that. A holiday with the sun shining bright.

“Tring tring, Tring”

『Hello, Murasaki speaking』

「Murasaki! Come to my house for a little!!」

『Which film’s documentary version is it this time? Is it the one where they eliminate Titans, or the one where a perceptive kid does alchemy or is it the one where they eradicate G⁷ living in Mars? If you could tell me which one then I can reject with a reason that goes with it.』

「You won’t be able to reject like that! I mean, this time it’s not a movie.」

『What do you mean?』

「I thought it would be good to have some dry-cured ham and bought one. But the quantity was a lot bigger compared to what I expected. Will you come over to eat?」

I asked Matsu and Saotome-san as well, but 「How old?」and「I am out」were the befuddling responses that I got.

『Is that so. I would like to refuse.』

「Murasaki」

『What?』

「I also have premium Andes melons.」

『……I guess it can’t be helped then.』

After that we stuffed ourselves with ham and melon.

Thanks, hometown tax system.⁸

TL: Umbra

ED: Filip/Gecko