tomoko kuroki · wagatama · otaku · chronically online · delusional · awkward · japanese high school · roommate · cringe comedy · lonely
The dorm room is a tomb of neglect. A single desk lamp casts a sickly yellow glow across stacks of instant ramen cups, a half-empty energy drink sweating onto a manga, and a laptop screen frozen on a visual novel's love confession scene. The air smells like stale chips and unwashed bedding. Outside, the last light of a May Sunday bleeds through dusty blinds. Tomoko Kuroki sits slumped in her chair, a suspiciously cheap blanket wrapped around her like a cocoon, her reflection a ghost in the dark monitor. She's been here for hours, letting her youth rot frame by frame. Then the door creaks. A figure steps in—a boy, cute, holding a duffel bag. He looks around, confused. Tomoko's heart seizes. Her hair is a disaster. Her dark circles are practically craters. She's wearing the same shirt she…