Chapter 38

Episode Thirty-Eight | Bishoujo wo Jouzu ni Nikubenki ni Suru Houhou

“I don’t have much time. While they aren’t here, I want you to listen to me.”

My older brother used his elbows to slouch on the table, then crossed his fingers and muttered. His narrow eyes were no longer smiling.

Electronics rang noisily in the vicinity. However, I didn’t seem to notice the sound of the electronics in the background, only my brother’s voice entered my ears. I couldn’t even evade his eyes.

“I’ll put it bluntly. I want you to leave Ogasawara Shizuka.”

Upon hearing that name, I felt a jolt as an abnormal chill ran down my back.

What did my brother just say? Did he say Ogasawara Shizuka?

Why did that name come out of his mouth?

The obvious response would be to deny any knowledge of her. But still, how does he know her? I can’t decide on a course of action until I consider that.

From talking to Satonaka, I found out that my older brother had visited several times.

I thought it was strange; if he hid and observed me, then there was absolutely no reason to straight out tell Satonaka. After all, it would have most certainly reached my ears.

Does that mean he told her so it would reach me?

If so, why tell me? It was probably for this exact moment. He planned on getting in touch with me today.

Perhaps he thought that if he were to suddenly appear I would run away. Although that was certainly a possibility, I wouldn’t be able to run, much less escape.

In hindsight, he probably a.s.sumed that I wouldn’t, but he certainly gave me enough time to think about it.

I was forced to remember my past after getting into contact with Satonaka, which she then hinted at to prepare my heart for him. And now he believed it to be a suitable time to appear.

It was all for me. Merely to not surprise me. It was to suppress the burden in my heart.

There must be a reason why he went to such trouble to speak to me. That reason would be Ogasawara Shizuka.

“From the look in your eyes, it seems you are listening. I’m relieved……”

My brother gave a relieved smile, but it appeared a little lonely.

“But even though you’re determined, you’re still afraid to face me. Your big brother is sad……”

His soft words were like a dagger to my heart.

I’ve been seen through. The feelings I hold for him are more fear than hostility.

Scary, this person is scary. What do I do? How many steps will it take? Nothing comes to mind with this person. I don’t think I can win. It’s impossible for me to win. It’s frustrating and irritating how I can’t do anything after realising this.

And now, meeting him in this way, it’s even scarier that he’s paying more attention to me than necessary.

I don’t know who this man is that claims to be my brother. He was really gentle before. He would face anything unpleasant for me, and yet, when he could protect me the most, why did he push me to the side?

He pushed me aside, abandoned me, so why face me? Even if he says he was worried for his younger brother, how is he able to face me? You deserted me. You should have no right to look at me.

I don’t understand. This is incomprehensible. What in the h.e.l.l is my brother thinking? After all, there would be no necessary reason to pay attention to me. I need to think like my brother.

“I preferred being able to hear your voice. I wanted you to laugh like before, but it’s good to have some understanding about the situation. Sorry about the method, but I don’t think I was clear.”

He murmured with his eyes closed, then placed something small on the table.

“Don’t concern yourself with her. I know this means nothing to you now, but I want us to return it to how it was before, like with Satonaka. Will you put in some effort with me?”

He placed something on the table and fiddled with it. It then slid right in front of me.

“This has all the information on her that I could get. This information is a weapon. You cannot lose it. Nevertheless, I don’t think this information will work as an advantage for you. You will not meet her. You cannot meet that girl. I have a feeling that she is someone you never want to get involved with.”

His smiled disappeared. He looked at me with still pupils while quietly telling me.

I couldn’t move. Not an inch. I started to look into his eyes. My body trembled uncontrollably as it took all my strength just to swallow my saliva.

“That’s all I have to say. I’m sorry I took your time.”

He arose from his seat, then turned his back and smiled gently at me.

“Ogasawara Shizuka is dangerous. You have your grudge, so be it. But don’t meet that girl. She is very simple and very difficult.  She is similiar……to me.”

He turned his back and went on, leaving those words behind.

Being unable to breathe normally until now, I breathed in and out heavily.

The frog stared fully at the snake. My heart was pounding badly from that meeting. I was frozen.

“O, Oh yeah, I forgot to say something.”

“Hiii!?””

The moment I tried to wipe the greasy sweat from the top of head in relief, my shoulder was seized.

When I timidly turned my eyes to the side, my brother, who should have left, was kneeling next to me, shoulder in hand with a smile.

M, My heart……at that moment stopped beating.

“Although I gave those pictures to Satonaka-san, it would be a good idea for you to look for how many copies there are. If you took one away from her, you’d still be begging her to give the rest over. She sent them to her parents’ house, but then again, all that matters is that she doesn’t have copies of you ‘now.’”

Sweat was falling from me like a waterfall. What sort of face could I possibly be making?

Looking at me with such gentle eyes my brother nodded his head in delight and clasped my shoulders, leading into an embrace.

“And concerning Ogasawara Shizuka, Satonaka-san is indispensable. I also recognize the devotion in her. In which case, it would be awful to risk her……”

My brother’s kind, gentle eyes looked at me. But as he said Satonaka, they seemed to carry an emotionless light, just like an insect’s.

“It was a good idea that you made contact with Ogasawara Makoto-san. She is ‘the child who Satonaka-san could really use’. However, making her cross that bridge now is dangerous. And that picture I gave her? Well, it was a like a goodbye present of sorts.”

After saying that, my brother let go of my shoulders, stroked my head, and then left for real this time.

———

I sat in my chair, dumbstruck till I eventually reached out towards the USB placed on the table.

This has information on Ogasawara Shizuka? Do I take it obediently?

It was the information my brother had gathered on them.

“It is easy to throw it away. But……”

Clenching the USB in my hand, I stuffed it into my pocket.

I don’t think his purpose was to hand me this. If it was, wouldn’t he have handled it more skillfully?

After some troublesome arrangements, my brother, who holds my resentment, especially came in front of me to hand this over. Reflecting on that, he even considered the possibility of me breaking the USB he had worked hard to give.

Mailing it to my apartment anonymously would have been a wise choice.

Since he didn’t do that, I can’t imagine there was another reason to exposing himself. Then, was that not my brother’s true goal?

My brother said, ”Ogasawara Shizuka is like me.” Didn’t my brother show up to tell me directly?

How are they similar? Is it ability? Is it their character? Is it both? Regardless, it does not change the fact that she’s a troublesome opponent.

No, if they really are ‘similar’, it wouldn’t be troublesome anymore.

I seem to have underestimated her. I thought that since Ogasawara Makoto was the adopted, older sister, she would have been bullying her.

No, the possibility that she is bullying her cannot be disregarded, but, perhaps it isn’t that. Isn’t she simple? At any rate, like my brother had said, she’s dangerous. I will definitely proceed with great caution.

I can’t form an image by myself now having not met her personally. There’s a limit to stupidity.

In other words, the information recorded in this USB is of secondary importance. The one thing my brother wanted to say―

“Be careful of Ogasawara Shizuka, huh……”

A chill ran down my spine as I unconsciously grinned.

The thing my brother wanted to tell me by coming in person.

The chill seized my back then spread to my whole body, causing gooseb.u.mps to form.

The strange skill came with a pleasant sensation.

She is similar to my brother. How much? I don’t know. I won’t know until I see her with my own eyes.

But, she’s to the point where my own brother warned me. She has to be that similar.

“Kuku, so this is it, this is her……”

Favorable, this is very favorable. Ogasawara Shizuka is an existence that my brother admits to being dangerous. If it were possible to make her yield, I may be to able to exceed my older brother. Which means, this is the final boss to get past him.

“This is no time to idle.”

My body trembled from the chill. My body was trembling by itself. I placed my hand on the table in an effort to get up as I then grasped it with the other, and then placed all my strength into it.

Sweat dripped down my cheek. A chill came along.

I get it. I’m  paper mache, after all. I, at the moment, cannot win against my brother, so there is no way that I could win against Ogasawara Shizuka, who my own brother recognizes.

“But it isn’t over yet……”

I’m afraid. I’m afraid of her. However, I have more hatred than fear.

My brother was gentle with me. So gentle that you could say it was unusual. It wasn’t even though. It was always a one-way lane. His gentleness was one-sided.

My brother does not recognize me. There is a clear, absolute wall between the stronger and weaker brother.

“It will be over if I run away here. I’m already at the end, though. Now, in my entire life, I’ve never liked living with the suffering of being under my brother’s shadow……”

Again, this is a good opportunity. The existence of a final boss greater than any in my life. Without exceeding her, it’ll be impossible for me to exceed my brother.

“This is an opportunity,. so I’ll move my legs. Dear G.o.d, please don’t shake. If I cannot believe in myself anymore, then what in the h.e.l.l do I……”

I stood up, but my knees didn’t fill up with strength. They wouldn’t stop shivering no matter what.

The inner corners of my eyes become miserably hot because of that.

“Kijima-san?”

When I looked up to the voice I heard, Satonaka was standing in front of the table. I saw Ogasawara Makoto stuck behind her, laughing as she looked at the photo booth picture on her cell phone.

“Eh? Are you crying? Why? Did something happen?”

When Satonaka stared worried, I quickly rubbed my eyes with the cuff of my jacket.

Was I crying? The corners were hot, but I thought I was holding on. Nevertheless, tears may have flowed out.

“Aoi-san doesn’t cry. It’s a misunderstanding, Satonaka. He probably just got some dust in his eyes.”

Ogasawara Makoto said that to her while looking at her phone, as if it was no big deal.

I know that Satonaka will always try to read into my actions , and Ogasawara Makoto will believe in anything I say.

Before I knew it, the shaking in my knees and arms had calmed down.

I need to at least stand strong in front of these two.

Even if I’m made of paper mache, I must still carry out my role.

“Me? Crying? Idiot, that’s beyond foolish.”

Having recovered, I told Satonaka that as I went over to her.

“Ouch!?”

I gave her a flick on the forehead when she looked up at me.

“What was that all of a sudden!? That hurt!”

Satonaka pressed both her hands up against her head and puffed her cheeks, all while staring at me with teary eyes.

“Nothing really. Your stupid look was just p.i.s.sing me off.”

“What was that! Owwwww!”

As Satonaka puffed her cheeks even more, I was struck in the chest by someone with a bright red face.

“A, Aoi-san! Me too! I also want to be poked in the forehead!”

Ogasawara Makoto threw Satonaka aside and landed on my chest. She was raising her bangs with her right hand, exposing her forehead while she looked at me with sparkling eyes full of expectations.

This idiot; she wants to feel the pain herself. She is indeed a m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t.

“Move along. Playtime is over. We’re going back.”

I said after noticing that it was 3:00pm according to my wrist.w.a.tch.

I don’t know the exact time Satonaka is leaving, but it would be better if we got there early.

In that regard, I’d also like to return home to my apartment and promptly check what’s on this USB.

“Eeeh? So soon? We hadn’t done the full exposure yet. Borringggg!”

Folding her arms over her chest. Satonaka pouted her lips.

“Yeah, it seems Satonaka-senpai has to go back, huh? I also get to stay at Aoi-san’s apartment―”

“Rejected.”

“Oh. Ehehe, I am staying overnight today! We have a lot of practice! There also won’t be a big nuisance―”

“Rejec―”

“We have to! After all, our top priority is producing breast milk―

“Reje―”

“We have to!”

I tried to cut off Ogasawara Makoto’s will by interrupting her, but no matter how many times I did so, her will continued to overwhelm me.

“IIIII. REJECTTTT. ITTTTT! Listen to people!”

“Iyahayhayayaayyhakauoa!”

Having said what I wanted to, I pinched both the cheeks of her self-satisfied look towards Satonaka and then pulled her back with one hand.

“Hey, Makoto-chan, now that you bring it up, it seems you were awfully adamant about that breast milk thing yesterday. Why do you want that?”

Satonaka asked a question like there was no particular reason she did while Ogasawara Makoto was pulling my finger, begging me to let go as she cried.

Pulling that finger of mine, Ogasawara Makoto ignored Satonaka as she begged me to let her come over with a cry.

A blue vein rose on Satonaka head. She isn’t calm after hearing that Ogasawara would be staying in my room today.

“Ow, ow……why I want to have breast milk? It’s because it’s been decided. If I got breast milk Aoi-san would accompany me.”

I separated my fingers from her cheeks. She rubbed her cheeks and, with watery eyes, answered Satonaka naturally.

“Eh? Accompany? If you get breast milk? Did he say that?”

“Yup!”

When questioned, Ogasawara Makoto gave cheerfully reply. She looked at her in a glare, but then gave a sigh and fleeted to me.

“Kijima-san is teasing you.”

Ogasawara Makoto scowled at her in a daze.

“It’s different! Even though Aoi-san is an obstinate person, he’s not the kind of person to say one thing and then go back on it! So he will accompany me if I produce breast milk!”

She raised her voice while glaring at her, so Satonaka then looked at me again.

“….Surprisingly, I may have to agree.”

And then mumbled.

“Idiot, who is obstinate?”

Ha, well sure, when she proposed I accompany her when she accomplished it, I nodded.

But then again, unless she gets pregnant to get breast milk, we won’t. In addition, the possibility that she loses her virginity for that to happen is undoubtedly, very low.

In short, I don’t have to worry about anything.

“Breast milk……”

Satonaka mumbled as she wrapped her chest with both hands.

“Yes! Breast milk!”

Grasping her chest like Satonaka, Ogasawara Makoto smiled as she ma.s.saged them.

She’s bound to be carefree on every problem, but really, I didn’t expect her to behave like this.

———

Satonaka said plenty on what was in her heart.

“―and so Makoto-chan spent all her money. Although, a stuffed animal didn’t come out in the end.”

I looked out the train window as it left the platform.

The train made a clunk as it ran on the track. Since it was somewhere around twelve thirty, the train wasn’t that crowded.

As I thought that, sitting down, my mind started to go elsewhere.

“Kijima-san? You listening?”

Standing in front of me, staring, was Satonaka, who looked up at me dissatisfied.

“Yeah, I heard.”

“Liar. You heard nothing.”

“Yeah, well.”

Separated my eyes from her glare, I looked to the side.

Resting on my shoulder next to me was Ogasawara Makoto.

Her arm firmly locked, she was drooling at the edge of her lips with such a foolish, happy face, and in spite of the train bouncing, she was sleeping skillfully upright.

It was all because of the frolic of this morning. Of course, she would be tired.

“I met my older brother.”

I mumbled as I leered at Ogasawara Makoto.

“Eh? Soichiro? Didn’t he go back?”

She raised herself in surprise. Was it as I expected that she had knowledge of this?

“The name of Ogasawara’s stepsister. It is Ogasawara Shizuka. Ogasawara Makoto was all forceful with you, but at school, she’s reserved and didn’t offer to further a single topic by herself. I have always been hearing these stories from people. It has been the same case.”

Satonaka gave no reaction to my narrative. Perhaps she was listening closely.

Her head jolted to the klunk, Ogasawara Makoto’s knees trembled. Then, as she adjusted around my arm, she wiped the spit drooping from her lip with her opposite hand and then looked around frantically.

Her face showed anxiety.

“I’m here.”

When I told her as she restlessly surveyed the room half asleep, she turned and smiled in relief to see me. She adjusted her hand around my arm again and closed her eyes as she laid her head on my shoulder.

I quickly started to hear the peaceful breath of someone sleeping.

“I don’t know when it started, but she was held down. No, should I say she was killed? The reason for her being childlike is because she was stepped on. As a result, she doesn’t know how emotional connections between people work. Distant, close,, they’re both extremes.”

Looking at Satonaka as I spoke, she stared straight back.

“Satonaka, I know you’ll fight even if there is no resistant. She’s different, though. Before you even do anything, she seems broken. But still, she tries to advance forward. She’s been born stupid.”

She showed no difference when I looked at the auburn eyes staring at me .

“She’s a dog. Once you do something, even if it was on a whim, she doesn’t forget when you were kind and clings onto that, believing it through till the end. Even when you throw her away. She really is a stupid fool.”

Listening to my words carefully, tears flooded.

The USB handed to me by my brother. If I don’t check it the amount of information it has, I won’t understand it.

However, even if it’s filled with G.o.d know’s how much info, it’s inevitable that we need to contact the person herself. Satonaka is a candidate for that job.

“My older brother said that she was dangerous. But that’s him. I want you to get into contact with Ogasawara Shizuka. Now, I don’t know how long til it’s considered dangerous. However, I think it’ll be apparent when it’s so.”

Strength dwelled in her eyes as I spoke my next sentences.

Satonaka doesn’t have much to lose. She is also just as strong.

“I didn’t intend to meet you anymore. I know you’re strong. In addition, since I’m this kind of guy, I thought it was better that way. However, when I thought about who would be the person I could depend on, you were first to come in mind.”

The tears overflowing from her eyes streamed down her cheeks and then dripped onto the floor.

“So help me. I can’t possibly do this all by myself.”

She took a step forward. With her face buried into my chest, she simply nodded.

She doesn’t have much to lose. She is also just as strong. Although she didn’t know how to run away before, I feel she’ll be okay now.

“I have just one favor to ask……”

A mixture of sobs and m.u.f.fled voice resounded.

“When everything is done, please take my virginity. It’s not like I’m asking to go out with you, so……”

“Idiot, keep that to sell yourself higher.

“Who would I sell it to? You’re referring to this so that person could be able to take responsibility? No one is better then you, Kijima-san.”

“There are plenty around the streets.”

To my words, Satonaka laughed with her face buried in my chest.

———

Arriving at the station, I woke Ogasawara Makoto and got off the train.

Dizzy from just being woken up, she rubbed her eyes while being dragged along by Satonaka.

“Satonaka, when will you be going home?”

“Ummm, seventeen fourty-five.”

When I checked my wrist.w.a.tch as she replied to her, the time was five-fifteen.

I thought I would be able to return in half an hour, but there isn’t time. If we were still in that shopping mall, the bullet train would have certainly went by.

“You should have told me the time first. Did you intend to miss your train?”

As I glared at her, she moved her eyes from me and scratch her head, blushing.

“E, Ehehe……Although I had no intent of missing it, I can’t help but wonder if it’s an inevitable force of nature……”

“What inevitable force?”

“Eh? Nooo, well, um……if you were absorbed in the training, the train would have went by……and then, I could have stayed another night – just kidding, kyaaa!”

“You……”

While scratching her head red, Satonaka didn’t try to meet with my eyes. Which reminds me, she was urging me quite a lot to do the exposure training. But if she stayed for another night, what happens to her school? She says it like a joke, but she may very well be serious.

Anyway, saying that so straightforward is just like her. Thanks to that my intention to scold her is gone.

“Well, it’s fine. Satonaka, you take Ogasawara and wait for the train on the platform.”

“Kijima-san?”

“Look, go. I’ll follow soon after as well.”

As I waved my hand to go away, Satonaka slightly raised her eyes in confusion, but began to lead Ogasawara Makoto away despite staring at me. However, she stopped immediately, thinking hard as she glanced me from the side. She was still glaring.

“I’ll allow Makoto-chan, but don’t go catching anymore girls.”

“Iiiidiottt.”

Dumbfounded, I shooed her away as Satonaka frowned and then turned. She then began to lead Ogasawara Makoto away.

Still half asleep, she looked at Satonaka’s hand while being lead, and then waved her free one at me.

The two went up the stairs under the crowd. When I couldn’t see their backs anymore, I began to walk away.

If we’re there as I a.s.sume, we’ll need a box lunch.

———

Facing the shop on the platform, I lined up and stared at the options on display, thinking about which one should I take.

There seems to be box with oxtongue as the speciality. The problem is the seasoning. Miso seems to be popular with the ladies, but I absolutely hate salty stuff. (1)

“Ma’am, are you looking for a box lunch?”

I gulped as a voice hung from behind me.

I thought he’d come back. No, after separating at the mall, I thought he would keep his distance from us.

My body froze. While there, without any power to answer, that person then lined up next to me.

He was taller by just a fist, and his shoulders were broad. He’s three years older, but when considering if I would be the same height, the answer is most likely no. Our bone structures  are just too different.

His attire of under his jacket seems to be quiet, but it isn’t possible to hide his growth.

Smiling gently at me, he used one hand to take a box lunch in front of the storefront.

“Do you remember? You were probably around three or four. You threw a tantrum of wanting to eat a box lunch on the bullet train platform, so we bought one like this. The design seems to have changed a bit.”

My older brother looked at the box held in his hand, mumbling as if he was reminiscing about the good old days.

“You cried a lot after being told you couldn’t eat it all by yourself. Even when mother proposed the two of us eat it, you wouldn’t hear it and continued crying. Eventually, mother broke down and brought it, but, as mother said, you couldn’t finish it and cried again.”

I looked down unconsciously as my face became hot from his quiet speech.

There is a good deal of people here, he was telling the most awful black history in full detail.

“I remember it like yesterday. You were so small and would follow me at no stop while raising your voice to say, ’Onii-chan, Onii-chan!’. You were really cute. Ah, no, you’re also cute now.”

Turning his palm, he stopped by the height of his thigh and smiled with the corners of his eyes cramping.

Simply looking down with nothing to say in retaliation, I could only bite the corner of my lip in extreme embarra.s.sment.

“It looks like you haven’t changed your mind. Well, it’s fine, I knew from the beginning. But, I’m only warning you once.”

My brother looked straight at me with a smile. Catching a glimpse of that while hanging downwards, his expression petrified me.

“I said Ogasawara Shizuka is dangerous. But if by chance something happened, causing me to pick only one at that moment you and Satonaka were at risk, I wouldn’t hesitate for one second and pick you. In which case, I don’t know about Satonaka-san.”

He spun his words calmly. But with that piercing expression and the unusual weight of his voice, my body began to tremble involuntarily.

I was at the point where I couldn’t breathe as cold sweat ran along my cheek and back.

“So in order for that not to happen, we must be as careful as possible. Though, if anything were to happen, I want you to depend on your big brother more. But even if I say that, you won’t do so.”

My brother quickly returned back to his original, gentle smile and stroked my head. Then when he bent down, he took five box lunches from the storefront.

“Excuse me, may I have these?”

Speaking to the sales clerk, my brother presented the boxes and took the amount of money from his pocket wallet. The lunches were then placed in a bag.

“Although there are four people, it seems there’s a child who will eat two.”

Saying that, my brother made me take the bag, hit my shoulder, and then winked.

“Yes, I also don’t think this is for you to know, but there is something I want to say.”

Hanging my head, trembling, he spoke in a innocent tone.

“Despite how father looks, a nagging mother could get through a devoted husband. Despite having wealth and power, he does not have the authority over mother. As such, there was never once an affair. Father could not ignore your resemblance of mother.”

Saying that, he struck my shoulder, raised his hand lightly, and then began to walk away.

My father is led by the nose? Idiot, that’s impossible. Our mother cannot go over father, infact didn’t we always endure father? Whatever father decided was absolute, and that could never be reversed.

“Not everything is what meets the eye, Aoi.”

To the voice from left behind, I clenched both my hands to the very limit with my lower lip bit to the point of it being torn.

The taste of lukewarm iron spread in my mouth. I was taken by the impulse to cry out something suitable, but my body didn’t move in relation to my will.

———

When I came down to the Shinkansen platform by escalator, the bullet train was already at the platform.

The time was five thirty. It departs in fifteen more minutes.

Walking down the platform in search for the two, I found them huddling close on a bench.

They were grasping each other’s hand tightly. Being completely woken up, Ogasawara Makoto was speaking to Satonaka with a full smile, and Satonaka spoke back with a smile and nod.

Approaching them, Ogasawara Makoto reacted with a flinch and forcibly turned her head around while raising her voice, ”Aoi-sannnnn!” Then Satonaka saw me.

Oi, didn’t Ogasawara Makoto just recognize me without looking? Did she know just by my presence? (TLNY: She is a keeper, man.)

“Hey, I got food. Be grateful and come eat it.”

“Woof!”

“……No, you are not.”

Holding out the bag to Satonaka, Ogasawara Makoto aligned both arms in front of her chest and let out a cry as she bent her wrists like a dog.

“Not this time? Without you, I’ll have nowhere to go……”

I could only give a sigh to her sadness.

“By the way Ogasawara, how many boxes can you eat?”

“Twwwwww―ah, tw, tww, twooooo!”

Disordered by my question, she became fl.u.s.tered and spoke with no order, but then after rephasing it, she put two fingers up with a flushed face.

Were you embarra.s.sed that you stuttered? When speaking calmly, she usually does that.

I wonder if it was intentionally or unintentionally used?

Anyway, she can eat two? Is she fine to eat this after all that fast food?

It’s something trivial, but my older brother predicted this. This cannot be a coincidence. If he didn’t know her personality, he wouldn’t be able to guess that.

In other words, the reason would be that he perhaps investigated quite a lot about her.

Although he couldn’t have investigated as far as the high school warehouse. If he did happen to……

“Kijima-san, why is your face pale?”

“A, Ah, no, it’s of no concern……”

I raised my hand lightly in reply to Satonaka, who seemed to look at me worriedly

No, he still couldn’t have accessed all of the school grounds. However, there is still that picture he took at my student council president speech in junior high.

That picture was of when I was sleeping in a special waiting room in the anteroom. He snuck through the depth of the school to take that picture, so my older brother is definitely capable.

My, My brother, a high school student then, was quite energetic.

If he’s in his second year of university, he should no longer have the energy.

But the brother I met today……I don’t think he seems too different from before.

This stress is absurd. I’m thinking about it too much.

“Kijima-san, are you really okay? Your face just became bluer, and I think you’re also sweating.”

“Shut up! I said I’m fine.”

“Why is your voice shaking?”

“…….Leave me alone.”

It’s useless, I can’t stop trembling when thinking about my brother.

Calm down, I can’t expose this pathetic appearance in front of these idiots. It’s not funny to be made light of by a meat toilet.

“Two! I will eat two!”

Ogasawara Makoto, who recalled and raised her voice, put up two fingers in a V shape.

She really does as she wants, doesn’t she.

———

Five minutes before the departure, Satonaka stood up from the chair and faced the train’s door.

I noticed her luggage over her shoulder; she seemed to had gotten it faster than I thought.

On her right side was the stuff bought at the mall, and the left had the lunch bag. She looked like a traveler heading to the countryside.

“Ogasawara-chan, goodbye. I plan to come again this week.”

Entering the available door of the train, she looked back and spoke to Ogasawara Makoto.

“I feel relieved you’re going. You leaving means you can’t monopolize Aoi-san.”

In spite of Ogasawara Makoto turning the other way with a huff, Satonaka seemed to smile a little bit.

“Relieved, huh? When thinking I won’t be able to hear your chattering anymore, I feel a bit lonely.”

Smiling as she spoke, Ogasawara Makoto franticly bit her lower lip to forcibly suppress her smile.

Ogasawara Makoto said something sa.s.sy on purpose. It was so she didn’t have to say goodbye with a smile. But then Satonaka’s honest farewell went against it.

Why was she able to say her thoughts so honestly? Satonaka said that she received a lot from me, but it’s probably different. I’m sure it’s Satonaka’s natural disposition. a.s.suming that she received something from me, it’s certainly because her personality is distorted.

“Now that I think about it, Kijima-san, can I also eat two?”

Lifting the lunch bag, Ogasawara Makoto glanced. Allured, I looked at Ogasawara Makoto, who had two boxes in both the palm of her hands, but was still staring brightly at the bag Satonaka had.

“Don’t worry about it. See you later.”

Saying that to her, Satonaka tilted her head to the side while Ogasawara Makoto became sad.

Disappointed, she ate the two lunches clean.

The time the train was about to departure, an electronic sound echoed through the area. The door then closed.

Satonaka waved with a smile. Ogasawara Makoto, who had both lunches on both palms, shifted one to the other and waved back with a smile.

The bullet train slowly began to move. Ogasawara Makoto started to walk similarly.

As the train gradually gained speed, Ogasawara Makoto’s pace did too, till she later bolted.

“Good grief, she’s annoying.”

Running with a box lunch in both her hands, she won’t able to maintain balance. I don’t know when she’ll fall as of now. Nevertheless, she’s not looking back as she runs vigorously with the train.

Her black hair flowed with the wind. s.h.i.t, she really is quick on her feet.

In my sight Ogasawara Makoto pursued while she impatiently increased her speed, it seemed she would take a huge dive,

“This f.u.c.king idiot!”

Right before my eyes her foot left the floor.

Even though I rose my voice, Ogasawara Makoto ran after the train at full pelt. Nevertheless, with the box lunches in her hands, she’ll fall face down.

If I slip in between her, it would be a small injury.

Rolling on the floor face up, Ogasawara Makoto took a nosedive onto me.

“Uuu……”

Giving a weak groan as tears were overflowing from her eyes, Ogasawara Makoto held the boxes tightly in her arms.

The content can’t be guaranteed due to the huge fall she had, though if nothing was wrong, she would eat it promptly. But to have given priority to the lunches over herself.

“Why didn’t you let go when you fell……”

“I’m not crying.”

“Huh?”

When I asked with a sigh, an inconsistent response was given. I didn’t ask whether or not you were crying.

“I’m not crying because Satonaka left. I’m crying from the pain of grazing my knee from the fall……”

“…….Is that so.”

I was fed up with the mixture of sobs and trembles in her voice.

She’s crying from the pain of grazing her knee? Where is she cut?

Thanks to me sliding in to protect her, she shouldn’t be injured at all. Though in return, I hurt all over.

“Even though I wanted to make an excuse……Aoi-san is an idiot.”

“Ahh, well this is nice. s.h.i.t, why did I have to help her……”

Apparently, she intended to hurt herself. No, no, with her running that fast there’s no way she had no time to consider such a thing. She probably just thought of it.

In other words, even though she wanted to be injured to excuse her sobs, that went away with me and now she’s complaining.

Well, it’s fine. Even if she thought anything of me, I don’t care. I only protected her because it would be a problem if she were injured. After all, she’s in her meat toilet training. Moreover, I don’t want the special goods to get damaged.

That is all.

“…….I want to stay over tonight, too.”

While burying her face into my chest, she spoke with a m.u.f.fled voice.

As I frowned from the pain in my entire body, I spat to Ogasawara Makoto, who wouldn’t move from her position.

“I don’t want to.”

“Shut up, no is no.”

“I don’t want tooo!”

“I said noooooooo!”

“I don’t want to! I don’t want to, I don’t want to, I don’t want to, I don’t want to!”

She started to whine with her legs flapping around when I rejected her.

Is she a child? I could only give a sigh now.

To be frank, it isn’t that I mind her staying. I live alone worry free. I am not criticised on who I let stay over. However,

when occasionally visiting a friend’s house, it isn’t a biggie, but if it continues, that’s a different story.

It would be considered intruding in the other person’s house, and it would be really called into question whether they were a friend.

Ogasawara Makoto is essentially a good girl, so I thought it would be natural that she would be careful, but instead she told me she wanted to stay over like it was nothing.

Ogasawara Makoto is adopted. If you consider that normally she should be feeling out of place with her adopted family, then it would make sense that she should be more careful about her foster parents and sister.

Ogasawara Makoto’s etiquette is appearing and disappearing every moment.

“Would you like to stay over that much?”

“Yes.”

“If that’s the case, fine.”

“Yes.”

Acknowledge her request while sighing, she replied back with a sobs mixed in.

Although I get that she doesn’t want to go back to nowhere, I don’t want to go back and I can’t go back aren’t fully the same.

The cause of her uneasiness and contradiction. The person whom my older brother said is dangerous. Ogasawara Shizuka.

———

Returning to my apartment. I grumbly tossed Ogasawara Makoto into the bathroom..

She probably cried in the bath. It took some time, too. Afterwards, though, she came out, clung to me, and I became even more aggravated.

I would like to take a bath too.

In about two hours, Ogasawara Makoto began to doze off as she clung to me. Then, when thirty minutes had pa.s.sed, she was completely asleep.

Still, she’s strange.  The moment we headed to the apartment, and until we got here, Ogasawara Makoto didn’t touch her phone. In other words, she did not contact her home.

When I reconsidered my plan of catching Ogasawara Makoto with Sasaki as bait, Ogasawara Makoto was surveying in front of my apartment til late at night. She said she contacted her parents’ home, but I’m worried about whether that also wasn’t true.

Did she really contact them? She said her excuse was she’d be staying at a friend’s house, but back then she shouldn’t have had any.

It isn’t strange she said a lie. She didn’t have anyone to call a friend before she met me. In that case staying out somewhere would have been rare. No, there is a possibility she never did such a thing. That would have seemed strange.

After a series of affairs, she came up to my room to stay overnight, but she didn’t say a thing of it to her parents, nor did I. In addition, I don’t think she had anything to contact home with.

I didn’t think she never called home. Nothing lead up to this thought.

It would be strange. A young lady staying out. Naturally her parents would worry.

Moreover, this time is far different. It is far too abrupt even if she said she was staying over.

For that, there has to be grace period. When staying overnight on the weekends, it’s possible to prepare. But since she stayed over last night, she’ll be now staying two days in a row. In addition to what I’ve seen so far, it seems she decided to leave the pacing aside.

The possibility that she planned this from the start also cannot be doubted. But even though I can’t deny it, I don’t think that’s all there is to it.

However, what I truly cannot understand is the big sister who treats herself to freedom, and younger stepsister who can swim freely.

If she wanted to corner her big sister, then the best way would be to block her surroundings.  In which case she would forbid her from staying over, but nothing like that happened.

My older brother said with bitter resentment that she was, ”Similiar to myself.”

The feelings Ogasawara Shizuka holds for Ogasawara Makoto aren’t ridicule and hatred? If not, then what? What on earth is the relationship between these two?

Ogasawara Makoto was fully asleep. I separated the hand grasping my jacket tightly as I wrapped her in a blanket and threw her onto the bed. Then, I went towards my desk.

The true character of the unnatural and contradictory character may be recorded in this USB.

I booted up my PC, then connected the USB that I took from my pocket.

“Oi, oi, what is with this size……”

The data coming out is enormous.

There can’t be this amount of data gathered in such little time.

In a chapter format, information was written down with a name. It contains both names I know and names I do not. Then under the names I have no idea about, data was written.

The name recorded at the start of the chapter is Kijima Aoi, in other words me. Then the next one was Ashika Satonaka. The other one was Ogasawara Makoto.

When I scrolled down, I met a name.

Ogasawara Shizuka.

I clicked the name, sentences aligned.

Gender, age, address, relationships, family tree, hobbies, and plans. They were recorded in detail. However, my eyes were wide open upon seeing the picture attached.

“Oi, oi…….”

The girl in the picture. Being pulled in a little gave me the impression she was strong willed. That’s fine, however.

“My outline that she was jealous of her older stepsister’s appearance……goes out the window.”

We aren’t talking about just a beautiful girl. She was peerless to the point of me doubting my eyes.

She is the so called ‘twintails’ with her fascinatingly long back hair at both sides of her head.

Her black eyes were alluring, but big.

With snow white skin she had an appearance of a fickle fragility, but on the other hand her black eyes harbored a strong force.

This girl has both, creating an impression of, ”Do not touch this girl.”

She’s like a beautiful rose with thorns, but her thorns are quite large.

“Huh? Ah? Wha? W, What a minute……this is a lie……what in the world is this.”

However beautiful as she was, it bores no importance.

My gaze already moved away from the picture and landed at one point.

It is a sentence that I cannot possible move away from. An incredible amount of information that’ll take more time to understand.

Ogasawara Shizuka. Original last name, Sasaki. The adopted daughter of the Ogsawara’s, and biological child of the Sasaki’s.

It’s written here.

The adopted child should be Ogasawara Makoto. But, is Ogasawara Shizuka the actual one?

In which case, why did Ogasawara Makoto claim she was it? Did she lie, or was she not aware?

“Sasaki? Sasaki……impossible!”

Staring at the screen, dumbfounded, I stopped at the name Sasaki.

If this is true, Ogasawara Shizuka is the Sasaki’s family child. What is with that family?

My knowledge is limited, but Sasaki Tatsuya is Ogasawara Makoto’s childhood friend.

Under Ogasawara Shizuka, there was a chapter designated to him. I clicked it.

“Ku, kuku……I don’t know why, but I can’t help but laugh……”

Information reflected back to me. I couldn’t believe the stuff written.

Sasaki Tatsuya. Original last name, Ogasawara. The adopted daughter of the Sasaki’s, and biological child of the Ogasawara’s.

Sasaki was original in the Ogasawara’s family? Ogasawara’s?

Then, was Ogasawara Shizuka taken from the Ogasawara’s family to Sasaki’s, and then the other way for Sasaki Tatsuya?

Was there a child exchange between the houses?

How troublesome.

“T, Then for Ogasawara Makoto……”

As I clicked her chapter while confused, the information mentioned was―

Ogasawara Makoto. The oldest child of the Ogasawara family. The older fraternal twin sister of Sasaki Tatsuya.

(1)(EDN I’m sure the 2 girls would like Kijima-san’s salty stuff ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) )