Otaku Girl

“You can watch over the cashier while I head out, don’t forget to lock up.” Mrs. Garcia says as she puts on her coat and holds her bag close to her.

“I’ll be fine.” Olive assures her. “Take care of your son, tell him I said hello.” Olive adds waving goodbye to her boss. In all honestly Olive was a bit nervous to tend to the shop alone, but Mrs. Garcia had to go pick up her son from the airport, he was coming home from college.

Olive sighs loudly and reaches down to her bag where she’s holding a few copies of her favorite manga, Durarara! Olive began to read, and the shop around her was completely silent, which she preferred.

But her silence was quickly disturbed by the sound of the bell ringing alerting her that a customer was coming in. Olive looked up to see the boy from earlier enter; he smiles kindly at Olive, his eyes flickering to the book in her hand. He smirks a bit and walks over to the back of the shop; Olive can’t help but glare at his back for mocking her taste in books.

Ignoring him Olive continued on her reading. Only minutes passed until the mystery boy was in front of the counter, 3 books in hand. “Aren’t you going to welcome me?” he asks and Olive rolls her eyes as she scans the books.

“Your total is 13. 25.” Olive tells him in the most nonchalant voice she can muster. She watches as he pulls the money out of his wallet and pays her the correct amount. Olive places the books and recipe in a paper bag and hands it to him, “Enjoy.”

The boy takes the bag and glances around the shop. “Are you alone here?” he asks with genuine concern. Olive only nods now eyeing the boy carefully. She watches as he grabs a stool and sits in front of her. “Can’t leave you here alone.” He says flashing a wide smile.

Olive blushes and looks down, this boy reminds her so much of any male protagonist from a shoujo manga or anime.

So will that make me the female protagonist?

Olive picks up her book and continues to read as the mystery boy takes a book from his bag to read as well.

The two read in a comfortable silence and Olive must admit she always wished to read with someone, just sitting there minding their own books yet still together. Olive smiled lightly and turned the page in her book realizing she’d reach the end and didn’t bring another volume to ready.

Looking out the large shop window Olive realizes the shopping area is empty due to the snowfall and everyone appears to be closing his or her shops down early. The shop phone rings and Olive reaches over to answer, “Hello The Local Book Shop, I’m Olive how may I help you?” The mystery boy snickers and Olive narrows her eyes at him.

“Olive, sweetie you should head home a storm is going to hit soon.” Mrs. Garcia answers. “I don’t want anything to happen to you okay dear.”

“Yes Mrs. Garcia.” Olive answers. “I’ll close down right now, thank you.” The two give their farewells and Olive hangs up before grabbing her coat and bag. “I’m closing the shop early there’s an expect storm.”

“I’ll walk you home then.” He says putting his book in his shopping bag and swinging his messenger bag on. The two young adults head out after locking up and walks the short distance to the Olive’s home. They begin to find it hard to walk against the harsh wind and the wind blows Olive back, but mystery boy catches her before she can fall back.

They both arrive to Olive’s home but it’s snowing so bad Olive doesn’t let mystery boy walk home in this weather. “You shouldn’t go walk in this weather.” Olive states, although her voice is strong the blush on her cheeks make her look a bit girlish.

“Are you implying I should stay here until things calm down?” mystery boy says smirking at the nerous girl.

“Only because I would feel guilt if something was to happen.” Olive quickly explains the blush on her cheeks growing stronger. Mystery boy smiles and lets out a light chuckle and again Olive can’t help but blush.

So they both enter Olive warm home where her mother is cooking dinner and her father is watching TV in the living room. “Mom.” Olive calls nervously as she enters the kitchen, mystery boy trailing right behind her.

Olive’s mom turns to look at her daughter and is caught off guard by the boy standing next to her. “Who’s this?”

“Hello I’m Nolan, Olive’s friend.” He greets shaking her mother’s kind and flashing one of his large smiles.

“He couldn’t walk home in this weather.” Olive informs her mom as she exits the kitchen.

“That’s right it’s to dangerous, why don’t you call your family to inform them and then you can head up to Olive’s room.”

Nolan thanks Mrs. Acosta and follows Olive up to her room, passing by her sister’s room who has her door wide open while typing away on her phone. Violet looks up momentarily as her sister passes by, but when she sees the boy she jolts up from her spot on the bed and watches as the handsome boy passes by. “Oh my god.” The high school girl whispers her eyes wide in shock as a smirk finds its way to her lips.

Olive opens the door and allows Nolan into her room. “Otaku.” Nolan whispers under his breath causing Olive to glare at him over her shoulder. Olive drops her bag by her bookshelves and Nolan does the same before fully entering the room and expecting it.

Olive sits on the floor in front of her TV that’s hanging above her desk. She turns on her PlayStation and grabs the two controllers from onto her desk handing the other to Nolan. He accepts it and sits next to Olive, letting his knee bump hers gently. Olive blushes and looks down to the floor hearing the start menu for Injustice start up.



An hour passes and Olive has beat Nolan in each round they’ve played, “You suck.” Olive says as they shut down the game. Nolan sighs loudly and stands up stretching his legs before walking to Olive’s bookshelf. “I’ve hardly played since moving here.”

Olive looks over to him and sits on the bed petting her cat’s head as she watches Nolan. She wants to ask why happened to him prior, where he lived and who with. She decides not to since that would be prying to much and she doesn’t want to turn him off. “You collect a lot of manga.” He says putting emphasis on the world a lot.

“It’s…a hobby.” Olive mumbles quietly laying on her bed. Her cat, Tuna meowed and walked to the edge of the bed and resumed her pervious position. “It make me happy.” She whispers looking up at her ceiling.

“It’s good that you aren’t embarrassed about it, I remember in high school I dated this girl that loved manga and anime. When I would visit her house she’d have shelves of it, like you but at school she hid it from everyone that it made me pity her a bit.” Nolan informs Olive of his past.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Olive speaks up as Tuna crawls onto her stomach. Olive groans and gently pushes the cat off before turning to her side so she can watch Nolan.

Nolan turns to Olive with a smile, “You’re strong. I like that.”



The Acosta family and Nolan sat at the dinner table with a plate a food in front of them. Olive was holding a steaming cup of coffee in between her hands, she was shaking from cold and Nolan took notice. Across from the two young adults sat Violet discreetly texting under the table. “So Nolan what do you do?” Olive’s dad asks.

“I work at Ace Hardware.” Nolan replies as he takes a bite of his food. “Mrs. Acosta this is delicious.” He bluffs, this causes Mrs. Acosta to blush lightly as she brushes it off as nothing.

“How did you guys meet?” Violet asks curiously.

“At the book shop, she offended one of my favorite books Moby Dick.” Nolan laughs and glances to Olive who isn’t even listening to the conversation but instead shoveling her food down. This makes Nolan hold in a laugh, there’s just something different about this girl.

He knows he’s beginning to like her.