After that, I had a good time with Kaede and big brother.
The appearance of Kaede being nervous while eating big brother’s food was cute.
I didn’t need it.
If possible, I wanted to watch them eat from outside the kitchen.
I wonder if it would be like this everyday if big brother chose Kaede.
After having dinner and taking a bath, I played games with Kaede in my room.
As we were having a heated competition over a puzzle game, big brother visited us in his pajamas.
“Since you’re here, let’s spread out the futon in the living room and sleep together? I wanna join too.”
”
”
Of course, I agreed.
The more the merrier, Kaede would probably be happy if big brother is here.
Kaede seemed upset when I looked at him, but he nodded.
Being able to sleep with big brother, who you adore so much, is like a dream, right?
When we finished the game and went to the living room, big brother was ready.
There were three futons in a row.
It felt like a school trip and I was hyped.
“Kaede is in the middle.”
“S-sure, but……Why?”
“Since we’re sleeping in a ‘川’(Kawa/River) shape, isn’t the shortest stick in the middle Kaede?”
“Akira is saying weird things again. Kaede, you can pick anywhere you like.”
The pain of big brother treating me as if I’m some weird person.
I sulked and went under the last futon to the left.
And there were two choices left.
“I, I’ll sleep in the middle.”
“Right? It’s rare to be in between us siblings, I’m telling you!”
Kaede might want to sleep next to big brother, but he might be too nervous.
However, I think he can relax a little if I sleep next to him too.
The spirit of kindness and hospitality is wonderful.
Even the Olympics can be invited.
“Alright, alright. I got it already. You’re going out tomorrow, right? Then you should sleep soon. I’m turning the lights off.”
“Okay.”
He’s pushing me away…
Let’s sulk after all.
I covered myself and sulked.
As soon as Kaede lied down, the lights turned off and we were wrapped in darkness.
This isn’t a bed. It’s been a long time since I’ve used a futon, it’s so comfortable.
I feel like sleeping immediately was wasteful, but my eyelids couldn’t stay open anymore.
Good night.
――Tick tock, tick tock.
The sound of the clock ticking echoed loudly.
The light in the Amachi family’s living room was turned off, plenty of time had passed.
The light faded and daily hubbub settled, only the sound of the clock on the wall filled the room as if flaunting its existence, but there was one shadow that showed movement.
After confirming the breathing of the one sleeping in the leftmost side, the older man who was resting at the far right corner quietly called out to the younger man sleeping next to him.
“Kaede, are you awake?”
The younger man who was called seemed to be half-awake and replied after a short delay.
”
”
“……? Yes, I am.”
The older man apologized for having spoken to him when he was about to fall asleep and decided to ask him what he was concerned about.
“Do you like Akira?”
“Eh……”
As he was in a daze, suddenly a shocking question was thrown at him.
The younger man stiffened as if he couldn’t keep up with his thoughts.
“Sorry, I asked this kind of question all of a sudden.”
“No, it’s fine……Uh……”
He quickly tried to think of what to say.
The question could only make him panic and he couldn’t think at all, but he felt like he had to answer him.
He checked whether the person to his left was sleeping.
And took a deep breath to calm down.
After he calmly breathed in, he made up his mind and opened his mouth.
“I do…like him.”
What will he think of me?
The person he was talking to was the person he previously liked and the older brother of the person he likes now.
He might oppose this.
The reply he waited for while trembling in fear, was really short.
“I see.”
He was surprised by the unexpected answer that the latter gave. Kaede stole a glance to the right and looked at the person who had a calm expression.
As he looked at that beautiful side profile that he liked, that face suddenly turned to face him.
Their eyes met and they looked at each other. The speed of his heartbeat quickened.
“Sorry, I’m going to say something mean.”
The expression of the older man became cloudy and the younger man braced himself.
“You’re not treating Akira as my substitute, are you?”
At that moment, he understood what he had asked and he froze.
It was something the younger man had asked himself too.
‘I wonder if I was just pretending to be in love with a friend who looks exactly like my unrequited love, just to heal my broken heart.’
……That might’ve been the case at the beginning.
Maybe he did treat him as a ‘substitute’.
He might’ve been under the illusion that he had gotten the smile that he had always wanted when faced with that identical smile.
……However.
Every day, he would realize that even though they looked similar they aren’t the same.
That is sad. No matter what……
Before I realized it, I didn’t care about his appearance anymore and it had to be him.
So I can confidently answer the person I had once liked.
“I’m not.”
They were still looking at each other.
However, the younger man had fire in his eyes this time.
The older man understood and smiled.
“I see. If you’re looking at Akira as the person he is, that’s fine.”
“…..Okay.”
“I’m sorry, was I too narcissistic?”
“That’s not……! I really did like Makoto-senpai.”
“So it’s past tense now.”
“……Yes.”
“Akira is strong in many ways.”
“I know.”
“I see.”
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
They both had many things to think about and couldn’t sleep right away.
Even so, they didn’t need to talk anymore.
They kept their complex feelings to themselves and closed their eyes.
And just like that, time passed and both of them finally fell asleep.
……But in fact, it wasn’t ‘two’ but ‘three’ people who couldn’t sleep right away.
“……Uh, I clearly heard everything though.”
The man at the leftmost side, who was supposedly sleeping, was not actually asleep.