Backlight

Backlight is chapter 116 of the Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai light novel series. It is chapter four of volume ten.

Summary
After class, Kodaka came to check on Yozora and Hinata's progress in the Student Council room. On the way, Kodaka comes across Karin, who is heading to the Board Game Club room to meet up with her clubmates which she refers to as her harem, much to Kodaka's surprise. Karin tells Kodaka that she was planning to include Yozora into her harem as well but decided to yield due to Yozora's harsh resistance and knowing that there is someone else more suitable for her, a move Kodaka find quite sudden. Proclaiming of wanting to be born as a man and recalling her past failed romances, Karin is questioned by Kodaka if her religion allows her of creating a harem. Bluntly, yet calmly, Karin feigns ignorance to what her religion permits and admits that she only converted to Christianity for the sole purpose of wanting the attention of the girl she liked at the time, but once she got rejected paid no attention whatsoever to Christian teachings, much to Kodaka's admiration of Karin. Karin furthermore states her reasons of not minding religion conversion due to liking the Christian name - Gabriella - she received in baptism and her penchant for crosses. After remarking about the conveniences of being a Christian like being permitted to wear accessories at school, Karin sees Kodaka off as she heads to her clubroom with vague parting words.

Afterward, Kodaka comes across Sister Kate, who came to ask Kodaka's permission of allowing her sister Kobato to be included in their Christmas play with Maria playing the lead role. With Kodaka's granted permission, the latter and Kate head to the Neighbor's Club to tell Kobato the news. On the way, Kate took notice of Kodaka and Karin's recent interaction with Kodaka asking Kate if she was the girl Karin was referring to as the reason for her conversion; Kate confirms, recalling how she had a hard time dealing with Karin at the time but concluded that she cannot accept her feelings. After contemplating on his views of love, Kodaka adds to Kate's remark of being fine with loving herself once she finds her suitor. In a serious tone, Kate asks Kodaka to fall in love with her. In Kodaka's bewilderment, Kate immediately dismisses her statement as a joke and proceeds to rush to where Kobato is.

With Kobato's approval of being included in Kate's play, Kodaka returns to heading back to his original destination: the Student Council room. On the way, Kodaka meets up with Akane and Yozora, with the latter feeling, agitated after tutoring Hinata and instead left her with some table work. After hearing Yozora's self-inflicting statements, Kodaka turns to Akane and discovers that she and Yozora alongside Yukimura and Aoi were on their way for some cleaning duty. After parting ways with Akane and knowing the state between Yozora and Hinata, Kodaka decides to head to the clubroom for the time being.

Kodaka, before reaching the clubroom doors, finds Rika bursting out of the clubroom then declaring of inventing a drug that increases breast size. As Rika dashes somewhere - keen to nullifying the value placed on breast sizes - Kodaka enters the clubroom and finds Sena, who informs Kodaka that Rika had apologized for allowing Kodaka to fondle her chest during the mixed bath incident. After erasing all doubts Sena had for Kodaka in coincidentally meeting up with Rika in an outdoor mixed bath with no ulterior motives, Sena forgives Kodaka with added claims of self-appreciation for her breast whilst depreciating that of Rika's. After his attempt to assure Rika of her lack of breast size through a text failed, Kodaka and Sena discuss their plans after high school. While Sena plans to go to the nearest university possible, Kodaka decides to go to a college department that specifically majors in education as he pursues his dream of becoming an elementary teacher. Asked by Sena why, Kodaka traces his reasons back to his childhood when he was being bullied after a teacher mistook him for a delinquent for dying his hair and wanted to become an adult who could have saved his former self. After commending Kodaka for being thorough with his future plans, Kodaka tells Sena about Kobato's inclusion and lead role in a play with Maria, much to Sena's excitement. As Kodaka resumes on his studies, he receives a notification from Akane asking for his help. Kodaka then leaves Sena and the clubroom.

After helping out with Akane's errand, Kodaka returns to the clubroom and with Sena. While gaming, Sena asks Kodaka if she really is not, in fact, popular. As Kodaka holds back his astonishment towards Sena's late reaction, Sena cheerlessly points out the instances that had left her unneeded and avoided by the people around her since she wants people to like her. Kodaka advises Sena to stop acting arrogant and depreciative towards others yet Sena stubbornly refuses to do so. To put it simpler context and in Sena's understanding, Kodaka tells Sena to think of socializing with people as a game; whereas a player would adapt to a certain level to get affection from another character. Hearing this, Sena approves to the concept and is confident of succeeding it as she laughs in triumph.