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Chapter 32
Going to Make Fun of The Reportedly Gloomy Older Brother (Special Part 1)
Translated by HamletJr
Edited by
Author’s preface:
Since there’ve been so many people asking for Akane (the imouto) to make an appearance, I have written a series of short stories for her. I’ll be straying away from the main storyline for a bit, so I ask for your understanding.
“―Excuse me sir, may I have some of your time?”
“Yes?”
I had just left my house to go shopping in my usual Kitarou appearance, and had walked only a short distance when a young police woman suddenly spoke to me.
I-I haven’t done anything yet, okay?!
“I would like to ask you a few questions. What is your occupation?”
“Ah, yes. I am a musicia―I mean, student.”
I almost accidentally told her my side job, but I somehow managed to cover it up at the last second.
I see what’s going on now. This is an interrogation, isn’t it?
It seems that I, an overwhelmingly suspicious person, have been marked as someone who might be harmful to the city.
I’m not an evil introvert, you see… *whimper whimper*.
The police officer was a young and very serious-looking woman with a dignified atmosphere about her, so this might take a while…
“I see. May I have a look at your face for a moment? There’s been some unrest going on lately, so we’re beefing up security.”
“Oh… Alright, I understand.”
I certainly can’t deny that I’m a suspicious person since my face is being concealed by my hair.
This policewoman is really doing her job well.
If I don’t put up any needless resistance here, I’m sure things won’t have to get dragged out even further.
Therefore, although reluctant, I took off my glasses and moved my hair aside so that I could be on my way as soon as possible.
“―Eh?!”
When the female cop saw my true face, she stiffened with a baffled expression on her face.
Wait, what’s wrong? Is my face really that hideous?
“―Y-You’re going to have to come with me to the station! No, wait, the station is too far! We will have our talk at a nearby hotel!”
“E-Ehh?!”
Several meters away from my house.
It was in such a place that I was voluntarily (or “forcibly” as they call it) being taken along for questioning.
Sorry, Akane… Please come visit me if you ever feel like it.
I want to hear your voice, even if it’s you cussing at me across a thick acrylic board.
I was so panicked, I’d already begun thinking about my life in prison. It was then that my savior arrived.
“―Do you have any business with my Ritsuki?”
As I was being pulled away by the police woman, I found my body suddenly coming to a stop.
Akane had grabbed hold of my other arm and smiled at the female police officer.
No, the expression on her face was a smile, but she looked very intimidating.
I’m sure she’s angry with me for causing trouble… I’m sorry.
“N-No! There’s been some unrest going on in the area lately, so I was just trying to protect him…! I’m sure you’ll be okay if you have acquaintances though! P-Please be careful!”
“Mmhmm! I’ll make sure to be really careful, since some nasty, thieving cat might be after my precious things!”
“―P-Please excuse mee!”
The female police woman made a quick getaway, seemingly running away from something.
I guess even she couldn’t say something like, “I was thinking of taking you away because you looked suspicious,” in front of someone I knew.
The policewoman very cautiously called it “protection”.
Akane put her hand on her chest and heaved a big sigh.
I’m sure she must find me pathetic and is currently disgusted at me for having been interrogated by a police officer.
“Haah~, geez… Onii-chan, you have to be more careful. You were close to home, so I coincidentally saw you leaving the house and getting arrested from my room, but if you’re not careful, you’ll get taken away for real one of these days.”
“I-I’m sorry, Akane. I’m sorry that your big brother is someone like me…”
I felt really bad for causing Akane trouble on account of my bad looks.
―Wait, huh? Was this place always visible from Akane’s room?
Orientation-wise, isn’t my room the only place where one can see out here? …Well, doesn’t matter, I guess.
I tried to bow my head and apologize, but Akane stopped me with her hand.
“Just forget it. You were about to go shopping, were you not? I-I guess it can’t be helped, so I’ll go with you. It’d be troubling if someone were to try and take you away again.”
“B-But if we get seen by your classmates, won’t there be some strange rumors? You’re a really popular person at school, after all.”
That’s right, Akane was a masterpiece from God. She had everything: from excellent grades, to skills in sports, and even good looks.
She was a hot topic even among students of other schools.
“It’s not like I asked to be popular… But if it really bothers my inconspicuous Onii-chan that much, then I’ll just head hom―”
“You baka. There’s no way I’d feel bothered. If you really wanted, I’d even be willing to get down on my knees and beg you to come with me.”
My inner siscon took the liberty of shouting its thoughts through my mouth, which caused Akane’s face to redden with embarrassment.
I’m sorry for being so creepy.
“T-Then, let’s go! Come on, hurry up!”
Perhaps she wanted to get through the painful task of walking next to me as quickly as possible.
Akane tugged at my clothes as if to hurry me.
“A-Alright. Ah, don’t walk on the side near the roadway. Here, walk next to me.”
I pulled Akane’s arm and positioned my cute little sister on the side away from the road.
However, Akane made a displeased expression.
“No. What if you get run over [轢かれたら (hikaretara)], Onii-chan?”
Worried about how inconspicuous and lacking in presence I was, Akane warned me as such.
“I’ll be fine; I’m used to being pulled [引かれ (hikare)] around, after all.”
“No, no, you’re misunderstanding me, you know… Well, I guess I’m also being charmed [惹かれてる (hikareteru)] by you, Onii-chan.”
“But I’m pretty sure I’ve never pulled you [引いた (hiita)] before though? Ah, but I guess I did pull you just now to get you away from the road, huh.”
As I had this silly conversation with my little sister, I mentally crossed off one of the goals from my bucket list: shopping together with my beloved little sister.
◇◇◇
The next day.
As soon as I’d arrived home from school, I headed to my room. My arms were currently crossed together as I stared at my hair wax.
I had bought it at the pharmacy on my way home from school.
Then, I muttered to myself as I groaned.
“Hmm. I really do have to do something about this, huh…”
If I went out looking the way I am right now with my face concealed, I would only come across as a suspicious person, which would probably get the police on my tail over and over again.
That’s why I think I should remove my bangs, take off my glasses and show my face, at least when I go out in private.
Above all, I don’t want to cause Akane any more trouble and make her hate me.
But she probably already hates me a lot, huh…
I thought back to what happened yesterday.
During yesterday’s encounter with the police, Akane called me by my name, “Ritsuki” instead of “Onii-chan”.
She probably didn’t want people to think that she and I were brother and sister.
But that’s not all.
On another occasion, I overheard her sadly muttering, “I can no longer see Onii-chan as my familial sibling…”
Things are going to be really bad at this rate.
She’s going to end up hating me so much that she’s going to cut me off from the family.
It can’t be helped; I’ll have to wax my hair and take off my glasses before I go outside, except when I go to school… I’ve never shown my face as Shion before, so I’m sure no one will notice.
Before my hair dried up and hardened, I picked up the wax, having made up my mind.
Whenever I become Shion, I would always have my hair fixed up using hair wax.
However, I’ve never actually done it myself before because I usually have the other members or my makeup artist do it for me.
But that’s not a good thing, especially since I’m a high school student… I need to practice so that I can at least set my hair by myself…
Akane hasn’t come home yet, so now is my chance.
If she sees me frantically fixing my hair, she’ll think I’m an idiot.
With my wax in hand, I made my way towards the sink―
◇◇◇
―While Ritsuki was struggling to fix his hair at his sink at home.
3 female students from Shirahoshi High were talking among themselves in Class 1-C after school.
“Haah~. That girl really ticks me off. She’s just too popular, ain’t she?”
“You mean ‘Suda Akane,’ right? She’s perfect in both study and sports. She’s so flawless that it’s almost disgusting.”
“Isn’t she still being photographed as a model for the school’s enrollment pamphlet at the request of the principal? Seriously, more and more people are going to enter the school after seeing her.”
“If she’s so popular, why doesn’t she just get a boyfriend! The boys literally have eyes for no one but her.”
“Well, she herself doesn’t seem to be interested in love at all.”
“That also ticks me off! It’s like she’s making fun of us for trying so hard to get a boyfriend!”
They were conversing about Suda Akane, the most famous person in their grade.
Most of them were bad-mouthing her because of envy and jealousy.
In the midst of this, one of the girls smiled.
“―Just between the three of us, I heard that her brother is really creepy.”
“Hah? What the hell? She had an older brother?”
“Yeah, I’ve heard rumors about him for a while. Yesterday, I saw Akane going into a house with a creepy guy who looks like a gloomy introvert! I think that’s her brother! Hahaha lol!”
“What the hell is that lol! If her brother is ugly, that means she must’ve done some kinda plastic surgery or something, lmao!”
Then the conversation took on an even darker tone.
“We can use that! Let’s take advantage of her only weakness and take a picture of that creepy, gloomy older brother! Hahaha!”
“That sounds like a good idea! She has her photo shoot for the school’s enrollment pamphlet right now, so she won’t be home for a while! If we go there now, his brother will surely come out, right? Introverts always head home as soon as school’s out lmao!”
“Then let’s hurry up and head to her house! Kyahaha, I’m looking forward to this! Let’s put up her creepy brother’s picture in front of the classroom! Lol!”
Thus, the three girls took their bags and left the classroom in high spirits.