Chapter 60

Extra Arc 『Modern-era』ver Shade

*An extra-arc gag chapter. It’s a ‘If the characters in yandere otome~ were high school school students in the modern era’ kind of story. The character developments are different from the original story and contain elements of what ifs.

「It seems like Shade turned into a delinquent……」 said Crinum, hanging her head down in shame.

Crinum and Shade were my cousins, but the two were brother and sister from different mothers. The two had complicated family circumstances.

Though I left out the troubles of the past, the two’s sibling relationship wasn’t so pleasant even now. My aunt, Crinum’s mother, stuck to an attitude of 『having no relation』 with her stepchild, Shade, and she compels Crinum to have that attitude as well.

But Crinum, herself, worries about Shade and often comes to consult with me.

「Shade, a delinquent……？」

I immediately recalled the time when Shade had only just come to the Rangrutz home. At that time, being three years old, he’d been a sweet angelic child with adorable, puffy rose-colored cheeks.

He grew up before we knew it, and the sad thing was, he became very cheeky. I wonder if he started smoking or something when he finally became a second year high school student.

「That’s right. Recently, he’s even been coming home late…… and the smell of perfume is often on his clothes, based on what the maids tell me. I hear he’s been working part-time, but it looks like he faked his age a little and is working in a store that handles alcohol……」

「I see. Sort of sounds like he’s dipped a foot into the nightlife. If the school finds out, it would probably be enough to get suspended, wouldn’t it? But still……」

I tried to imagine Shade shaking a cocktail in a bartender getup. Then, I tried to arrange beautiful, mature onee-sans, who like to make passes at younger men, and the like around him.

It became quite the picture.

「――it is kind of irritating that he’s straying from the right path just to pointlessly look cool. I mean, it’s not like he’ll do anything daring like get a pompadour or wear a long tunic」

「Lycoris……。I think that way of thinking is a bit cruel」

Anyway, it came down to me to try talking to Shade.

In truth, I think it would’ve been better if Father was here.

Father loves Shade like he was his own son, so much so that there was a room set up just for him at our house.

Likewise, Shade was also considerably close to Father and he seemed to have had various consultations alone with him about particularly difficult times in his junior days and such. Said Father was currently on a business trip abroad.

So, after I had dinner together with Shade, who visited our house for the weekend, I decided to lecture him.

「Shade. Could you wait for a while before going back to your room? I have something to say」

Once I announced this with a formal sounding tone, Shade raised his eyebrow.

「What is it？」

「It seems you’ve been coming home quite late recently」

「Maybe. I’ve been busy playing around with a new friend I’ve made」

He said, acting indifferently and playing dumb.

When Shade came to the house, he didn’t make the mistake of having the smell of perfume or anything on him. If he had, he would’ve gotten pressed for answers by his nagging cousin, me.

「The friend who makes you smell like alcohol and perfume？」

「……did you hear something from Crinum?」

「I take that as a yes, then」

Shade hmphed and did an extremely uncute type of smile.

「I’m working part time for a while to learn about society. That’s it. I have no particular interest in cheap alcohol or cigarettes」

「Y-your way of saying it is so uncute……」

「I’d appreciate if you don’t describe me as that. In the first place, it’s an insult to call a guy who turned sixteen, “cute”」

「It can’t be helped. For me, you’re my cute little brother, after all」

「I’m not your little brother」

Since Shade spoke in an icy voice, I got nearly overwhelmed.

「To begin with, it’s not like you’re even family so please stop acting like you’re my legal guardian」

「I am your family！」

「……you’re wrong」

Shade abruptly turned away.

（You’re going to say that, huh? Well fine！）

「If you’re going to go that far, then be prepared, Shade! I won’t be lenient on someone that’s 『not even family』！」

「……like what can you even do? Are you going to tell the school? Then what if I don’t stop doing it, will you do it even if I drop out of school?」

「Nope. I’m not going to do something as tedious as that!」

I gave a snap of my fingers.

On top of the rack that our house’s capable butler soundlessly and smoothly pushed in, was a large television.

「What’s prepared here, you see, is Father’s treasured 『My angels’ growth to adulthood records. Special compilation: Lycoris & Shade edition』！」

「……Ha?」

「My father went abroad on business trips a lot when we were young, right? So, it seems our maids and butlers were given the task to record our lives. These are the ones compiled into a video」

「……Geez, that man……」

When I, myself, found out about this, I also let out a murmur similar to what Shade did just now.

「And so, I don’t know if you remember this or not, but, when you were about four years old, it was the time when you’d been like the cutest angel. You said something like this」

I let out a breath and then reproduced the words Shade said long ago with clear pronunciation.

「『When I grow up,… my dream is to be… Lycoris-oneechan’s・・・・・… bride！』」

The butler said 『that’s right』 and kept on nodding. He had a very good memory, so you could say he remembered more of our childhood than even we knew.

「uwAAAAAAAA！！！！！」

Shade cried out as if to drown out my voice. However, he was too late.

「And this is the video evidence……」

「……！！」

Though Shade rushed out towards the television, not caring about appearances, but the butler gently kept him back.

「Shade-sama. What’s in here is a copy」

「Exactly！　Isn’t that obvious？　Now, Shade！　Can you still bring yourself not to listen to what I say now？　Wanna have it screened？」

As I confidently lay on my back with feet outstretched, Shade fell to one knee in defeat.

「Y-you…… you’ll go this far?！」

「I will！　I told you “I won’t be lenient”, didn’t I?！」

Then, I vigorously kept on talking like I was snapping at him.

「I would’ve tolerated it if you simply went to the extent of wearing a pompadour! But to think, working part-time by faking your age！！　Even if you can control yourself, it’s not just the allure of alcohol and cigarrettes is the problem！　What were you planning to do if you got involved in any trouble！？Don’t think I’ll bother worrying about you by then！！」

By the end, I was already saying this in tears.

But after Shade stared hard at the tearful me, he slumped his shoulders, looking defeated.

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Then, he made a long, deep sigh.

Crinum, who noticed his strange behavior in the first place. Father, who offered the video recordings. And, me and the butler. This all-out attack – had been a victory of familial love.

I wonder why this Shade turned delinquent.

He’d been an honor student when, before he knew it, his beloved older cousin got engaged, so he rebelled… if that were the case, then it’d be awfully sad.

This Shade didn’t become Lycoris’s younger brother, so this backstory is where he had a feeling of heterosexual love for Lycoris.