CH 39

A Younger Sister in Distant View, and a Darker Turn

“I’m sorry to interrupt your date, but may I borrow my sister for a moment? After five minutes of talking, I’ll give her right back to you.”

The young lady of Tomi said calmly.

The Tomi Group is a huge corporate group headquartered in our city.

The family that runs the group is the Tomi family.

The large mansion across the river from the city is the Tomi mansion, and Mikoto-san lived there until a short while ago.

For me, too, the Tomi family is the main family line.

When I glanced at Mikoto-san, she was backing away like a frightened girl.

Is she all right?

Mikoto-san said that she could no longer stay at the Tomi residence.

My father also said that the Tomis had treated her badly.

Can this girl who claims to be Mikoto-san’s sister be trusted?

“I don’t mind if you and Mikoto-san have a little chat…”

I said cautiously, and Tomi-san smiled beautifully.

But her expression was somewhat fake.

As if seeing through my inner thoughts, Tomi-san said.

“I don’t think you need to be so wary of a conversation between two sisters.”

Tomi-san took Mikoto-san’s hand.

Mikoto-san shivered.

“Come on, sister. Let’s talk. We’ve been having trouble because you haven’t been returning our calls, you know?”

In a flash, Tomi-san took Mikoto-san and went away from me.

They are just on opposite sides of the station, around the opposite wall, and although I can see them through the passing people, I cannot hear what they are talking about at all because of the noise.

When they start talking, Tomi-san seems to be very happy, and looking at that alone, it does not look like a smiling conversation between two sisters.

On the contrary, however, Mikoto-san’s face is getting darker and darker.

After a while, I was horrified to see Mikoto-san’s face as she came back to me.

Her face was drawn with fear, as if she had seen something terrifying.

“Are you okay? Mikoto-san?”

“I’m fine… but…”

“But?”

“I’m sorry. Unfortunately for Akihara-kun, I’m going home today.”

What did Mikoto-san just say?

She said she would not go on a date to the aquarium, which she had wanted to do so much.

And the way she calls me is back to “Akihara-kun” instead of “Haruto-kun”.

“Also, let’s… end the pretense of being lovers.”

“Eh?”

“Akihara-kun doesn’t like me, and I don’t like Akihara-kun, but I think it’s strange for me to be so familiar with you.”

“Is that what you really think, Mikoto-san?”

When I looked straight at Mikoto-san, she looked away with a pained look in her eyes.

Her blue eyes were slightly teary.

I am sure that it is not Mikoto-san’s intention to stop pretending to be my girlfriend.

She must have been told something by Tomi-san.

And what Tomi-san said must have been so terrible that it made Mikoto-san change her behavior so much.

I lightly grabbed Mikoto-san’s shoulder and pulled her toward me.

Mikoto-san mumbled, and then her face turned red.

“What did she say to you?”

“I can’t … tell you that.”

“I don’t care if you can’t tell me, but even if she said something horrible to you, you don’t have to worry about it. I’m on your side, Mikoto-san.”

Mikoto-san’s eyes widened and she smiled happily, but shook her head.

“It’s nothing to worry about, Akihara-kun. Don’t worry. I’ve decided to go to the girls’ dormitory in Tokyo after all.”

I was stunned.

Everything was turned upside down.

What was really going on?

What in the world had Tomi-san said that had changed Mikoto-san so much?

“I… don’t want to cause any trouble for Akihara-kun.”

“Is that okay with you, Mikoto-san?”

“…I want to be with Akihara-kun, too! I want to be with you forever… But I can’t do that.”

Mikoto-san said this in a broken voice and gently moved away from me.

Then she stared at me with her blue eyes.

“Thank you for today, Akihara-kun. I’m going home alone from here. Goodbye. I think the actual goodbye will come soon.”

After saying that, Mikoto-san ran out into the crowd.

Oh, no.

I tried to run after her, but I couldn’t catch up with her because of all the people passing by.

I was afraid I would lose sight of her.

At that moment, I felt someone tugging on my sleeve.

When I turned around, I saw Tomi-san there.

Tomi-san smiled.

“Sorry for my rudeness.”

“Sorry. I’m in a hurry.”

“Are you going after my sister? I think it’s useless. She can no longer be senpai’s lover.”

I glared at her tightly, but she shrugged her shoulders, seemingly unconcerned.

“Senpai doesn’t know anything about me. Neither about my sister nor about Kaho Sasaki.”

“Kaho?”

Why is Kaho coming up here?

Taking advantage of my confusion, Tomi-san quickly disappeared.

Probably, there was one reason why Tomi-san talked to me.

She probably wanted to keep me from chasing after Mikoto-san.

In fact, I completely lost sight of Mikoto-san.

I regretted it.

I should never have let her go.

But as expected, she wouldn’t disappear from the home today or tomorrow, and I would have time to talk to her.

I hurried to the platform for the train back to the city.

But when I arrived at the platform, the doors of the white train were just about to close and it was about to depart.

I was sure that she was on that train.

If I was lucky, I would be able to meet her on the train.

I looked up at the sky.

Before I knew it, it was pouring rain outside.

Everyone had umbrellas.

I had to buy an umbrella, too.

And while I was waiting for the next train to come, while I was riding the train, and while I got off the train and headed home, I kept thinking about Mikoto-san.

Mikoto-san said she wanted to stay with me forever. But she said she couldn’t do that.

Why not?

Besides, a young lady named Kotone Tomi.

Who on earth is she?

If Tomi-san is tormenting Mikoto-san, she is my enemy.

And then there is the problem of Mikoto-san herself.

I don’t know why Mizukoto-san could no longer stay at Tomi’s mansion.

She also said that she was Tomi’s “fake young lady”.

She also said that she had a different mother from her other siblings.

What Tomi-san said was right.

After all, I don’t know anything about Mikoto-san.

So I have to try to know.

I told Mikoto-san that she could stay in the apartment with me, and that was my honest feeling.

So, if Mikoto-san doesn’t really want to move to a girls’ dormitory in Tokyo, I would like to stop talking about moving to a girls’ dormitory in Tokyo.

I repeated the scenario in my head, trying to figure out how to discuss this with Mikoto-san.

My mind was so occupied with Mikoto-san that I didn’t have time to think about anything else.

I had assumed that she would be back first when I got home, but I was disappointed.

A lone girl in a uniform was waiting for me in front of the front door.

The girl, with short, beautiful hair, was sitting in the hallway with her back to the door, looking listless.

She must have noticed my return, because she looked up.

“Welcome home, Haruto.”

Waiting for me was Kaho.