I’ll Just Call You ‘Annanana’

The two of them quietly held hands like that, enjoying the final moments of peace during lunch break.

Yanami Anna suddenly turned her head and asked the question that had been on her mind, her face full of curiosity.

“By the way, Imaizumi-kun,” she asked, “I’ve been meaning to ask for a while now—how did you get so familiar with Lemon?”

“Lemon?”

Imaizumi Keita froze for a moment before realizing who she meant.

“I mean, you don’t really talk much in class, but she talks to you so naturally.

I even saw it yesterday at the classroom door.”

Yanami Anna’s tone sounded like casual gossip, yet there was a trace of concern in her eyes.

“Oh, that.”

Imaizumi Keita didn’t really mind and explained naturally.

“I’m fairly close with Ayano from Class D because of middle school and cram school.

Shioyaki and Ayano are childhood friends, so I guess it’s a case of liking someone because you like someone close to them.”

He shrugged and added calmly.

“And Shioyaki’s just that kind of person, you know.

She’s friendly and gets along with anyone quickly.

I think even if I didn’t know Ayano, she’d still just come up and talk to me directly when she felt like it.”

“I see… so that’s how it is.”

Yanami Anna nodded, and the tiny knot in her heart finally loosened.

But then she remembered how Shioyaki Lemon had called him “Ima-kun” yesterday at the classroom door, in such an intimate tone.

Ima-kun…

That nickname made her feel oddly uncomfortable.

No.

A nickname anyone could use wouldn’t show how special she was.

As his nominal “fake” girlfriend, she should have a nickname that was hers alone.

Once that thought surfaced, it refused to go away.

Yanami Anna took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for something important.

She quietly tightened her grip on their joined hands, met his gaze directly, and spoke in a tone that carried both hesitation and resolve.

“Hey, Imaizumi-kun.”

“Hmm?”

“From now on… can I call you ‘Keita’?”

Seeing how careful she looked, Imaizumi Keita showed an amused expression.

“I don’t really mind.”

His answer was straightforward, with a hint of confusion.

“Come to think of it, didn’t you already call me that back at karaoke?

Why bring it up again all of a sudden?”

“T-that was different!”

Yanami Anna’s cheeks reddened slightly as she explained in a rush.

“That time… that time was because the mood was right, so I called you that without thinking!”

“This time is different!

This time it’s… it’s because I want to have a name that belongs only to me!”

By the end, her voice had unconsciously grown softer, but her gaze was unwavering.

“So that’s what it was.”

Imaizumi Keita finally understood her intention, and a knowing smile appeared on his face.

Looking at her adorable mix of wanting to stake a claim and feeling shy, that mischievous urge to tease her rose up again.

He nodded and spoke slowly.

“Yeah, that idea’s not bad.

In that case…”

He deliberately dragged out his words, and under Yanami Anna’s expectant gaze, calmly delivered his “counterattack.”

“Then from now on, I’ll call you ‘Annanana.’”

“A-Annanana?!”

Yanami Anna’s eyes flew open, her face full of shock.

That childish, sticky-sounding nickname made her cheeks feel like they burst into flames.

“W-wait a second!

I haven’t even decided whether to give you a special nickname yet!

Y-you can’t just go and name me on your own!”

She protested indignantly, trying to pull her hand free, only for him to hold on firmly.

“It’s fine.”

Imaizumi Keita completely ignored her protest, a victorious smile on his face.

“You can take your time thinking about it.”

He leaned in slightly, looked at her with smiling eyes, and then, enunciating each word clearly, called her again using the nickname that made her want to crawl into a hole.

“Anyway, to me, you’re already ‘Annanana.’”

Just then, the warning bell announcing the end of lunch break rang out, successfully saving Yanami Anna, who was on the verge of exploding from embarrassment.

…

The literature club room after school was as quiet as ever.

Imaizumi Keita sat in his usual seat by the window, a notebook spread out in front of him as he focused on revising his novel outline.

Across from him, Yanami Anna was flipping through a light novel, her gaze drifting toward Imaizumi’s profile from time to time.

Just then, the half-closed door of the clubroom was knocked lightly from outside.

“Excuse me.”

Ayano Mitsuki from Class D appeared at the doorway, greeting everyone inside, with Shioyaki Lemon following behind him.

“Yo! Ima-kun!”

Shioyaki Lemon stuck half her body inside and waved energetically at Imaizumi Keita.

“Ayano-san, Shioyaki-san.”

Imaizumi Keita set down his pen, raised his head, and responded politely.

The moment Yanami Anna saw Shioyaki Lemon, she instinctively straightened her posture, a hint of vigilance appearing in her eyes.

“I’m here to borrow some books.”

Ayano Mitsuki explained with a smile, his gaze sweeping across the clubroom before settling on a spot on the bookshelf.

“I heard from the teacher that you have the complete works of Kōbō Abe here, so I wanted to read them.”

“Oh, they’re over there.”

Imaizumi Keita walked over to the bookshelf, quickly found the well-preserved set, and handed it to him.

“Thank you.”

Ayano Mitsuki accepted the books, gratitude clearly written on his face.

Meanwhile, Shioyaki Lemon, who was standing behind him, curiously looked around the small clubroom.

“Wow, so this is the literature club?

It’s totally different from our track club…”

As she spoke, she naturally walked up to Imaizumi Keita and nudged him with her elbow.

“Come to think of it, Ima-kun, you’re really full of surprises.

I didn’t expect you to join a club with such a strong literary vibe.”

“It’s alright.”

Imaizumi Keita’s reply was as concise as ever.

Off to the side, Tsukinoki Koto stood there with her arms crossed, looking very pleased at how lively the clubroom was today.

“No need to be shy.

If you need more, you can borrow them all too.”

“That won’t be necessary, senpai.

These two are already enough to keep me busy for a while.”

Ayano Mitsuki shook his head, thanked Tsukinoki for her kindness, and picked out one volume.

“I’ll borrow volume twelve, then.”

“Huh?

Mitsuki, won’t starting from the middle be confusing?”

Shioyaki Lemon stood behind him with a puzzled look, craning her neck to look at the book in his hands.

“This one?

It’s fine.

It won’t be confusing, because this set isn’t a single continuous story.”

“Oh, I see.

So it’s not like One Piece, then…”

Watching the two of them chat casually, Tsukinoki Koto felt the atmosphere was perfect for recruiting new members.

“Ayano-san, since you’re so interested in our collection, would you like to join the literature club?”

“That way, borrowing books would be even more convenient.”

This sudden invitation made Ayano Mitsuki freeze for a moment.