Ryuichi Okamoto didn't respond verbally, but his heavy nod spoke volumes about his current romantic predicament.
We'd already reached our classroom during our conversation, so I picked up the cleaning supplies and began preparing for my duty shift while Okamoto volunteered to help nearby.
And so, thanks to the cruel whims of fate, I found myself forced into the role of amateur love guru for one hopelessly romantic college student.
"Look, if you want to make any progress with a girl, you need to take some kind of positive action. Maybe try walking to and from school together or something like that?" I suggested, starting with the basics.
Simple proximity. Classic relationship building 101.
"It seems like the place where she lives isn't in the same direction as my house..." he replied with the kind of defeated tone that suggested he'd already considered and dismissed this option.
...
Are you kidding me? That's his excuse?
I stared at him in stunned silence, genuinely speechless at the sheer stupidity of his reasoning.
People take detours for coffee, and this guy won't walk a few extra blocks for love?
"Then find a sport or activity that you both enjoy and join the same club. That way you'll spend more time together naturally," I continued, suddenly remembering how my own relationship with Lisa Shiraishi had developed through water polo.
"She doesn't seem to be very athletic, and neither am I..." came his next pathetic excuse.
Oh, come ON!!!
"Fine. Then ask her to a movie or an amusement park. There are literally hundreds of date locations in this city. There has to be something that works for both of you."
"A movie? Isn't that way too direct? And besides, none of the films showing recently are ones I actually want to see..."
Looking into Ryuichi Okamoto's clear, innocent, and utterly clueless eyes, I felt a profound sense that this kid was completely beyond salvation.
"So what exactly were you planning to do?" I asked in exasperation, since he'd systematically shot down every reasonable suggestion I'd offered.
The moment I asked this question, Ryuichi Okamoto's eyes suddenly lit up like Christmas morning, as if he'd been waiting his entire life for someone to ask him this exact question.
"Here's my brilliant plan!" he announced with the confidence of someone who'd just solved world hunger.
"I'll invite her over to my place to play video games, and then when she gets tired of gaming, she can read some manga to relax..."
"Of course, I'll prepare that kind of manga in advance, you know? The special kind that gets everyone excited when they see it."
"The atmosphere will definitely heat up at that point, and I'll seize the opportunity to confess my feelings! Haha, what do you think, Ginjo-san?"
Ryuichi Okamoto seemed to enter some kind of delusional fantasy state as he spoke, completely abandoning his previous dejection and breaking into loud laughter that attracted curious stares from passing students.
"Are you... are you actually serious right now?" I asked, genuinely shocked by the sheer audacity of his ridiculous plan.
"Of course I'm serious! I spent ages thinking about this strategy, but I was still a little uncertain about it, so I decided to discuss it with you today," he replied with the earnest expression of someone who genuinely believed he'd crafted a masterpiece of romantic strategy.
Looking at his face, I became absolutely certain that he wasn't joking—he was completely, utterly serious about this catastrophically bad plan.
"I think this method is... feasible," I said slowly, choosing my words with deliberate care.
"Really?! It really works, right?! I knew I was a genius! Haha!" Okamoto practically bounced with excitement, as if he'd already successfully wooed his target.
"However..." I continued.
"However what?" he asked, his smile faltering slightly as he waited for me to finish my thought.
"You'll need to budget quite a bit of money for this plan. Nowadays, realistic dolls cost hundreds of thousands of yen. Add in clothes, shoes, and other accessories, and you're looking at a significant investment."
"What?!" Ryuichi Okamoto's brain clearly hadn't processed my implication yet.
"You are planning to use a real person for this scheme, right?"
"Ginjo-san... you!!" he sputtered, finally understanding my brutal assessment of his romantic strategy.
I delivered my verdict with cold, helpless resignation, then returned the cleaning supplies to their proper location and prepared to head back to my seat for the start of classes.
I left behind only Ryuichi Okamoto, who had just realized the true implications of what I'd said, standing there wailing in anguish while clutching a mop like it was his only remaining friend in the world...
---
The midterm exams were already behind us, but final exams were still comfortably far in the future.
The perfect description for our current situation would be "burnout period."
This phenomenon was especially pronounced on Mondays, when everyone stared at the blackboard while their minds were clearly somewhere else entirely.
Under the cover of our professor's monumentally dull voice droning through today's lecture material, I could occasionally hear faint sighs of protest against the overwhelming boredom.
In this oppressive atmosphere, I found myself desperately wanting to escape from this unbearable seat and find freedom somewhere—anywhere—else.
I glanced up at the wall clock positioned next to the blackboard. There were still fifteen minutes remaining until the end of our final morning class.
Only fifteen more minutes until I can enjoy some quality time with rows of beautiful girls at the swimming pool...
Wait, that came out wrong.