Iâm sorry for abruptly sending you a letter like this. I had something to talk about with you, so I wrote it all in a letter. Since this is my first time writing something like this, Iâm a bit embarrassedâŠ
A bit of time has passed since you stopped working part-time at the bookstore, Sajou-kun. Thanks to your support before, I can now somewhat interact with the customers. However, since Iâm only working in the evening, I get home late, and have less time to sleep. Thatâs whyâŠI let out a yawn at school, which was seen by Shirai-san.
Also, the Sasaki-san you knew came to visit us last weekend. She said that she wanted a bit of a break from her studies for the entrance exams, but when she learned about you quitting, she was really sad. So you didnât tell herâŠ? She was all angry like âHow heartless!â, you know.
Since she didnât have any way of contacting you, she wanted me to give her your contact information. In the end, I had to contact you myself like thisâŠ
In fact, I thought it was time for me to get myself a smartphone as wellâŠSo, with the help of Onii-chan and Yuri-chan, I managed to get the same smartphone as Sasaki-san has. Although it took a while, Iâm slowly starting to stand my ground without running away.
So, wellâŠif youâre fine with it, I was wondering if we could alsoâŠUm, only if itâs not a bother to you, I donât want to give you more work like I did back when we were working togetherâŠI justâŠdonât have many possibilities to talk with you at schoolâŠIâm sorry for suddenly bringing that upâŠIâm fine after you deal with Sasaki-san first, justâŠWonât you add me as well?
Ichinose Mina
On the back of the letter, I found a small sheet of paper. In the middle, it said âFuukaâ, as well as the corresponding account name. I guess that really is about everything you need. Right beside that, in a much smaller handwriting almost as if she felt apologetic, I saw the name âMinaâ, and the account name.
ââŠâŠâ
So cute (Angry). Huh? How cute is this? My heart is racing in joy. Isnât this even more of a love letter than a normal love letter? Wait, this isnât a love letter? What is going on with modern Japan? Asking me to add her because Sasaki-san is angryâŠWait, this is just a message? And yet, youâre making me agonize over it to such an extent? What is this emotional uplift about? Yunker1?
She really could have just talked to me if it was simply about contact information, butâŠOh yeah, she even has my phone number because of the time I we worked together. Putting all of this into a letter, how clumsy can you beâŠSo friggin adorable. I want to scream, but I canât. Iâm in the middle of class. Iâm melting, but I canât. I felt like I was exploding.
A middle school, high school, and university girl are grouping up to make me sufferâŠAs expected, a high school girl is on a different level. Was this her strategy? Thatâs like some terrorist attack inside a train. Is it already happening soon!? Calm down, me. Youâre way too shaken. How is this any different from receiving a friend request in an online game. That happened before, Iâm not even that happy. I even responded with a flat âOkemaru2â.
As for a response hereâŠEh? How am I supposed to respond? Do I have to write a letter myself? I guess I have to, considering how things have goneâŠFine, Iâll impress the literary girl Ichinose-san with my verbose writing.
To Ichinose-san,
Alright, will do.
Sajou Wataru
Maybe Iâm not good enough. I never felt so much guilt towards wasting paper. Maybe itâs because Iâve only been using my phone to communicate over text? I canât write any long sentences at all. It felt like I was picking a fight with that response. My response could give birth to hostility and killing intent. If I was Ichinose-san, I definitely wouldnât forgive myself.
Seriously, why did she give me a letter of all thingsâŠI mean, not like I dislike it, okay. Rather, Iâm feeling much better now. This feeling of happiness is insane. The inside of my brain is leaking full of oxytocin, itâs dripping at this point. I might just cry. The oxytocin is coming out of my eyes. But, you knowâŠthis difficulty is justâŠAh!? Was that her original goal!?
Because I warned her when I was still working part-time, she now holds a grudge towards me, and has put her revenge into action? She went this far simply to make me agonize during classâŠNo, that has to be simple paranoia. Thereâs no way Ichinose-san would do something like that. I may not be popular, but donât just twist your thoughts into such a wicked way, you bastard. One more time, let me look at the letter one more time. It would surely heal my heart. Glance .
ââŠâŠâ
Damn, sheâs cute (Angry). H-Hold on a second. Before we switched seats, Ashida caused a ruckus, so didnât Ichinose-san get wind of this? Eh, so embarrassingâŠI was getting so excited at the possibility of this being a love letterâŠAnd she even heard that? Is there even something as embarrassing as this?
*
âSo, what was it!?â
âWill you shut up for a second, Ashida.â
âEhâŠ?â
The second I understood the true origin of that letter, the embarrassment grew ten-fold. Ashida causing a ruckus didnât help much either. Whenever Ichinose-san is involved, I just change my attitude entirely. Right now, I might just be able to laugh about it. ButâŠ
âIt ainât even a love letter? Thatâs hilarious, lol.â
T-Thatâs not what will happen, right? I might just become unable to ever trust people again. Itâs fineâŠIn Ichinose-sanâs case, I wouldnât want others to think that it was a love letter, as sheâd probably be embarrassed about that. I should talk with Ichinose-san as quickly as possibleâFor my own sake as well.
âGetting so excited because of a simple letterâŠYouâre quite childish still, arenât you.â
âWhy did you turn so annoying, Sajocchi!?â
In order to reach Ichinose-san, I first have to get past this normie girl in front of me. Sheâs quite adhesive, and pushy. Do you actually have no delicacy at all towards me? You can read other peopleâs motives and respect that, but when it comes to me, your curiosity is winning over everything? Nasty, sit down.
âThis ainât something I should tell others about, you hear me?â
âSajocchi, youâre the type to say that? Zero delicacy.â
âYouâre the one saying that?â
It wasnât a love letter, but I still donât feel like I should tell her about this. Knowing Ichinose-sanâs personality, she probably wouldnât want that to be seen by someone else, and I donât want to lose her trust in me either. But, telling her directly sure is riskyâŠespecially because she always has someone around her as of late. Not in a bad way, of course.
âIâm curious, okayâŠâ
âAfter screaming I had no delicacy?â
âJust deal with it already.â
âThereâs nothing like that.â
She often is meddling with me, but this may be the first time sheâs shown me these thorns. No, thinking about it rationally, thatâs not exactly the caseâŠSheâs just been kicking me in the butt before. She has no restraint when it comes to meâŠand I mean that in the bad way. Damn, I almost got too used to it.
ââT-Then!â
âEh?â
Another voice suddenly broke between our quarrel. The person who stopped Ashida was none other than Natsukawa, sitting behind me.
âW-Was it a love letter or notâŠjust tell us about thatâŠâ She asked, clearly hesitant to speak her mind.
Thatâs exactly what I mean, Ashida. You need to be more humble. Itâs good manners to politely ask about something youâre interested in, as that leaves me calm. Being asked like that, I had no other choice but toâWait a second. Do I really have to say it here? Going crazy like that without it being a love letter would just be embarrassing. Not to mention that Natsukawa knewâŠHow lame could I be, really.
âWhat what, was it actually that ?â
âUmâŠWell, yeah. Something along those lines?â
âEhâŠâ
âHuh!? Not a letter of challenge!?â
Oh crap, I canât deny it. The letter, its contents, the clumsiness, it all made my entire soul shake. Thatâs how cute it wasâŠItâs not an overstatement to call that letter a means of defeating me. I was about to let out a groan despite being in the middle of class. Thereâs nothing more horrible than screaming during that moment. Ahh, just remembering it makes me break out in a smile.
âHehâŠin a way, it was.â
âHuh?â
âHuh?â
Ah, wait a second.
*
I apparently rubbed things the wrong way, as I sparked an incident. I personally wanted it to be a love letter, but I lost against the weird pressure coming from the two, and admitted that it was just a message and nothing more. I even thought to myself âThis is why I canât win against Big Sisâ. I feel like I was reminded that I would forever be a howling loser. Itâs your turn, letter. Heal me!
Learning of the truth, Ashida lost all her excitement, and just gave me a blunt âFiguresâ, once again showing me how terrifying girls can be. I bet that Ashida is taking up every bad thing about Natsukawa. Haha, I canât move. In order to heal my broken mind, I added both Sasaki-sand Ichinose-san on my phone during the next class.
In her profile picture, Sasaki-san was wearing the uniform from Mishirohama, together with three other friends. I thought of sending her a message, but Iâd feel bad if she forgot to turn off her volume, and got the message during class. Ichinose-sanâs picture had herself in it, but with a somewhat shocked expression. Iâve never seen that kind of face on her before. Yuri-chansenpai must have taken that without her knowing.
âIchinose-san, I added you as a friend, and sent you an emote.â
âAhâŠ!â
Once lunch break rolled around, I immediately told Ichinose-san, who showed me a happy smile. Iâm the one whoâs happy, Ichinose-sanâŠ! Iâll send her lots of âSajou at yo!â emotes. No, maybe I shouldnât. She will probably assume that her phone is broken. She took out her smartphone from her student bag, and turned it on. She seems to be the type of person to turn it off at school. Even the simple design of her phone was very much like her.
âEhâŠEh? Friend? I canât ignore that! Sajou-kun, you added Ichinose-san as a friend!?â
âOh, what? You want me to add you asââ
âI-Ichinose-san, if youâre okay with it, maybe we couldâŠ!â
Ha ha ha, I knew, okay. After all, Shirai-san is connected to the class group, so she has to add Ichinose-san eventually. I think she will be able to take care of everything even when Iâm not around. Seeing Okamocchan being late was also pretty fun.
ââŠHm?â
Suddenly, the phone in my pocket vibrated. When I took it out to check, I saw that I got a cute bear emote, together with a polite âPlease treat me well from now onâ. I wonder, I feel like that wasnât just from Ichinose-san, which made a shiver run down my spine. Maybe my consciousness as her senior at work still remained inside of me, but I found myself feeling happy when she talked with Shirai-san. I felt like an old man standing behind her with my arms crossed. Yes, I raised her.
*
While heading to the student council office, I started thinking to myself. Why am I even going there? No matter how much I thought about it, the only reason that somewhat motivated me was the fact that the student council president Yuuki-senpaiâs lunch box is so damn delicious. WeirdâŠI feel as if Iâm being fed like an animal. I really didnât want to get any closer to themâŠOh my, why are my footsteps so lightâŠ? Oh yeah, because Iâm hungry.
âHe said that they were leftovers, butâŠâ
I still canât fully believe it. Canât you just take Yuuki-senpai already, Big Sis? With him around, I can see such a bright future ahead of me. I wouldnât even mind looking at his handsome face. My appetite is overwriting my sense of inferiority. Iâm drying out because Iâm drooling so much. As my thoughts were filled with nothing but food, I made my way to the student council office, when I spotted a group of three coming from the stairs.
ââAh, eh!? Why is Sajou hereâŠ!?â
âMita-senpai.â
The first person I met eyes with was the guardian of the public morals committee office mascot Inatomi-senpaiâKnown as Mita-senpai. The second she spotted me, she looked at the stairs, and then back at me again. Eh, w-waitâŠA man? Did I spot her during a troublesome moment? In the middle of a rendezvous?
âY-YouâŠWhy are you here!?â
âI mean, I was heading over to the student council officeâŠWhat about you? Why are you panicking like this?â
âOf course I would beâŠCome on, hurryââ
âOh, if it isnât Sajou.â
âEh?â
Mita-senpai grew even more flustered, grabbing both my arms, and tried to turn me around. Since she gave off so much pressure, I just obediently listened, when Shinomiya-senpai appeared from the dead angle of the stairs, with her arms around Inatomi-senpaiâs waist. What is with this playboy attitudeâŠIt almost felt like she was saying âInatomi Yuyu belongs to meâ. Isnât that pretty bad as a public morals committee member? Things sure feel surreal with her. The air around her looked like it was sparkling.
âYou come as well.â
âFueh?â
Shinomiya-senpai didnât waste a second to walk towards me. Following that, she grabbed my arm, and pulled me along. At the same time, I felt embarrassed at having let out such a loli-like feminine voice. It took me a second to get my posture straight, and right as I blinked to register the situation, I saw Inatomi-senpai at my side, showing a bitter smile. When I looked to my right, I saw Shinomiya-senpai holding onto my arm. Eh, what? Two-timing? Is this two-timing, Shinomiya-senpai?
âUmâŠSenpai? I have business at the student council officeâŠâ
âWhatâŠ?â
I canât have her drag me along like this,so I informed her about my personal business in hopes of her letting me go. However, she only held me even stronger, and stomped on the ground as she stopped in her tracks. Something is wrong here. What is going on? Looking over, Mita-senpai gave me a âDamn itâ face, as she pressed her fingers on her forehead.
I see? So this is something bad, then. I mean, really? I currently have one arm linked with this beauty of a senior, you know? This is nothing short of a reward for me. If it was allowed, then I wouldnât mind becoming her second woman. Oh wait, Iâm not a girl.
âWhat is this about, Sajou? Do you plan on entering the student council?â
âEhhhhâŠâ
I take it all back, this definitely is a bad situation. And Iâm scared. Shinomiya-senpai is evidently pissed. Did I say something that would make her this angryâŠ? I feel clear hostility from her sharp eyes. Itâs not going to take long until her hair turns blonde, and she teleports all over the place.
âI-Iâm not part of itâŠnor do I plan to become a member.â
âI see.â
I decided to not beat around the bush, and give her my honest answer. Although the atmosphere still made it feel like I could be killed at any given moment, I hoped that she would at least let go of my arm, butâŠto no avail. Following that, I was dragged along for a solid three minutes, reaching the cafeteria of all places. Before I could even say anything, I stood at the ticket machine. Standing behind Shinomiya-senpai, who had Inatomi-senpai inside her arms, I operated my smartphone. Since I donât think I can go to the student council office, I at least decided to text Big Sis.
âShinomiya-senpai captured me. Canât come.â
âHuh? Escape?â
âSomethingâs off.â
âAhh, alright. After school then.â
She really just decided my own afternoon for me, huh. WeirdâŠbut whatâs even more weird is the fact that I donât particularly hate the idea. Why is Yuuki-senpaiâs lunch box so good? My thoughts have reached fatty level. It seems like I was already trained like an animal. They might just start fishing for me with fries and coke.
Still, I didnât expect Big Sis to give up this easily. Maybe she still is weak when it comes to Shinomiya-senpaiâŠThis might just be some really valuable information. I bought a tempura set, and walked after Shinomiya-senpai. I fulfilled my role as the youngest in the group and looked for an open table. In doing so, we walked past one that was occupied by a group of girls, who looked up at Shinomiya-senpai in shock.
âââPlease sit here!âââ
EhhhhâŠThe three of them stood up like they were at an army morning call, and ran away like they were a coordinated group. Looking at their plates, they still had some food on there. Donât think they finished. Is this really okay? Can I really be here? Am I not going to get stabbed by one of Shinomiya-senpaiâs fans?
That table offered four seats. First, Inatomi-senpai and Shinomiya-senpai sat down, followed by me and Mita-senpai facing them. Unlike before, the amount of gazes we were getting grew. I guess itâs because around 50% were now staring at Shinomiya-senpaiâs sparkling atmosphere. Weird, weâre suddenly changing genre.
ââŠSorry to wrap you up in this.â
âNo, umâŠwhat even is going on?â
âThatâsâŠâ
This clearly isnât normal. When I asked Mita-senpai what all of this was about, she just started mumbling, growing silent. It seems like there must be certain circumstances where they couldnât tell me.
âThat reminds me, why were you heading over to the student council anyway, Sajou-kun.â
âAhh, Big Sis has been calling me over a lot, forcing me to help.â
âOh? Even though you said you wouldnât join?â Shinomiya-senpai commented.
âUrkâŠYes. Well, Big Sis seems to be under a lot of stress, soâŠâ
âHmmmâŠâ
I did answer Inatomi-senpaiâs question, but Shinomiya-senpai shifted the conversation her way. The pressure is something else. Iâm simply listening to her, answering her question, but it feels like Iâm being interrogated. She somehow reminds me of Big Sis during her Yankee days. Donât think I can just come clean and say I was working as their slave in return for Yuuki-senpaiâs cooking.
Oh yeah, Shinomiya-senpai seemed in a pretty bad mood, but she ordered her usual udon noodles in brothâŠIf I was pissed off, Iâd probably get the firm type. Like pork curry.
ââIâm jealous.â
âEh?â
âIâm jealous of Kaede. I also want a younger brother.â
âHuh, I see.â
âŠNo, what exactly do I see in this? Nothing makes any sense here. I just subconsciously answered without thinking, butâŠEh, what was that? Shinomiya-senpai wants a younger brother? So sheâs an only-child? Shouldnât you be hitting up your parents first before youâŠWell, you might get a puppy.
âWonât you become my younger brother for at least a day? And join the public morals committee while youâre at it.â
âEh?â
She said something crazy again, lord help me. Shinomiya-senpaiâs younger brotherâŠYeah, I donât think that sounds very great. I may be able to tag along for like half a day, but waking up at half past 4am is too tough. Not to mention all the particular rules sheâd probably throw at me. If I kept up that lifestyle, I might just become an Olympic athlete.
Also, you can guess what would happen if I became Shinomiya-senpaiâs younger brother, right? Iâd run into her grandfather again, who is constantly living along with his prejudices. Of course Iâd hate that. I can feel thisâŠdislike burning up inside my chest. I still canât forget that first time I met him. Also, the public morals committee is about as bothersome as the student council, so Iâm not joining either.
âAhhâŠUmâŠIf Big Sis is okay with it.â
âAlright.â
What am I saying? Come on, try a bit harder, meâŠ! Shinomiya-senpai even agreed! Nobody needs Big Sisâ agreement either. The most sheâd do is shrug, or slap me. Ahh, what hell this is.
âCome on, Yuyu, feed me.â
âO-OkayâŠâ
âŠâŠNow hold on. What is this? The situation is going to explode any second now. I feel like Iâve seen regulars at hostess bars like her on TV. The one at the center of this place is clearly Shinomiya-senpai. I knew that she was insanely charismatic, but this just feels like a waste. Where did the usual Shinomiya-senpai go, I wonder? Mita-senpai must know the circumstances, so I looked towards Mita-senpai.
ââŠâŠâ
Then, I looked at Inatomi-senpai with a gaze asking for sympathy. As soon as she realized that I was looking at her, she averted her gaze. Was she always this pessimistic? It feels like sheâs playing along to really spoil Shinomiya-senpai. Is she trying to be considerate? Hmm, I see. I answered Mita-senpaiâs gaze with a quiet voice.
âItâs fine, Big Sis is always this unreasonable, so Iâm used to it.â
âSorry about thisâŠWellâŠâ
âDonât worry. I can guess the basic gist even without you needing to tell me.â
âNo, even you shouldnât be able toâŠâ
Shinomiya-senpai was asking for a lot, despite usually not being that selfish. Big Sis allowed it. Sheâs eating udon. Mita-senpai is apologizing. Nobody will tell me. Inatomi-senpai is being considerate. This unreasonable attitude that overlaps with Big SisâŠthereâs no mistaking it.
ââItâs that time of the month, right?â
âItâs a bit gross that you could even guess that.â
I mean, I have another girl at home with Big Sis, soâŠ
*
The party was in full swing. After perfectly guessing the current condition of Shinomiya-senpai, Mita-senpai gave me a gaze so cold it could induce a second ice age. I just guessed correctly, so donât get so angry at meâŠAlthough this sudden change happened, it allowed me to also guess the common ground between Shinomiya-senpai and Big Sis, who also had been in a bad mood lately. Please, wonât somebody buy this ability from me? I really donât like it.
Shinomiya-senpai took out her smartphone, and put it to her ear. I heard my name, in combination with younger brother, and public morals committee member. She must be explaining something.
âHuh? What are you talking about?â
Yeah, I get it. I heard an exhausted and annoyed voice from across the call. Even through that, I would not mistake that voice. Big Sis seemed to be angry for sure. How is this, Shinomiya-senpaiâŠYou wonât be able to overcome Big Sis, who is basically annoyed 24/7. If you want to beat her, you need to offer her steamed buns first, and then take pictures of her fat body parts. Thatâs the only method. Also, donât blame me for whatever happens.
âHmmâŠhmmâŠâ Shinomiya-senpai listened to Big Sisâ words.
Then, she flashed a cynical smile, and pointed at empty air like she was pointing at Big Sis herself.
âKaede, you are far too blessed. Liking things you want, being liked by people, having a younger brother brothering for you, itâs not fair!â
âI donât want to be liked, alright. Also, is he with you? Why did you suddenly talk about this nonsense?â
âSajouâŠMy younger brother will join the public morals committee!!â
âYouâve gone mad, huh.â
Agreed. Also, what the hell is â brothering â even? I feel like I heard something similar before, though. Please, canât you stop using my name like itâd be out of some shoujo manga? Sheâs making it sound like I actually am her younger brother. I really donât want to get stabbed by her fans.
âAlso, Wataru is part of the student council.â
Holâ up.
âCome on, Iâll have him treat you to some steamed bun, so just listen to Yuyu and Ayano, okay? Or what, canât rely on those two?â
âO-Of course not!â
âThen just keep it down today. Iâll hear you out another time.â
âUrkâŠY-You better!â
âShut up.â
SheâWah, she hung up! At the very end!? The sparkle around Shinomiya-senpai disappeared, as darkness got hold of her. Also, why are you telling me to give her steamed buns? What about my reward, huh, my fair lady. That exchange was messed up all over the place, but it at least helped in calming down Shinomiya-senpai. I thought Shinomiya-senpai was crazy today, but Big Sis being able to even go along with that is no joke either.
ââŠS-She told me to shut upâŠâ
âAhâŠAh! Um! This must have been a sign of Kaede-sanâs affection, Iâm sure! That must be the case! Right, Sajou!?â
âHuh, well, probably.â
âNot probably, okay!?â
âNot probably. That is Big Sis showing her affection.â
That most definitely is not her affection. She just couldnât be arsed anymore towards the endâŠI mean, not like I donât understand her. Despite all of this, Inatomi-senpai and Mita-senpai still stayed with Shinomiya-senpai, so that just shows how everybody likes her. Since Big Sis only has bastards around her, her bad days must be chaotic beyond belief. Even I would find myself thinking âOkayâŠhit me, onceâ. Maybe I was just born into the wrong family? As Shinomiya-senpai turned into a talking statue, my smartphone vibrated inside my pocket.
âYou probably shouldnât get too close to Rin during those days.â
âI mean, not like I can tell at first glance.â
âTskâŠwhy are men soâŠâ
âLetâs not do that right now.â
âAnything is fine, just get away from her. Donât let her bother me.â
âSorry about that.â
âSteamed bun it is.â
This wench, sheâs now asking for more steamed bunsâŠThereâs something better to eat, right? Like Yuuki-senpaiâs steamed buns. Youâre always together, and yet youâve never eaten it? Are steamed buns actually winning against them? Well, if theyâre from Osaka, then maybe.
âR-Rin-san? How about we head back now?â
âMmmâŠYuyu, come here.â
âY-Yes.â
âPhewâŠâ
After we all finished eating, we gathered all our tableware and brought it to the drop-off point. I thought that this would be my chance to escape, but when I glanced over at the girls, Mita-senpai held down Shinomiya-senpai, as she glared at me with one eye. I can feel intense pressure. Did Natsukawa feel like this when I was still chasing after her? Seeing no other option, I joined them again. When Shinomiya-senpai started walking, she looked like she came back from a round at the hospital. I have no memories after we split up at the stairs that led to the third-year classrooms. I can only pray for Mita-senpaiâs safety.
âNot fair! Not fair!â
No clue how, but Ashida found out that I was eating lunch with the public morals family. Befitting her love for Shinomiya-senpai, she acted about as unreasonable as her idol, as she slapped me on the shoulder.
âShe was in a really bad mood, you know?â
âEhâŠ? Ah, I see.â
Surprisingly enough, that was plenty to make Ashida calm down. Eh, whatâs with that face like she understands everything? Is Shinomiya-senpai actually known to be like this during herâŠyou know? Only the girls know, right? I looked over at Natsukawa to confirm that, but she just averted her gaze. Oh man, there goes my motivation.
*
ââŠHm?â
Classes ended, and after I managed to avoid the public morals people, I headed to the student council officeâwhen I spotted familiar blonde hair in the East buildingâs hallway. Since the person had her face cast down, they didnât see me walking ahead. I think her name wasâŠShinonome Claumaty or something along those lines. You know, that kind of Agatha Christie name. Wasnât she half EnglishâŠSo sheâs like a foreigner? I had the image of her puffing out her chest with a high-pitched laugh, but this is pretty unexpected.
D-Donât tell meâŠDoes she also have the same day as Shinomiya-senpaiâŠ? If so, then I really have bad luck today. My morning horoscope wasnât exactly looking promising either. Why do I keep running into people with such a distinct and troublesome character?
âAh, HiranoâŠâ
I tried my best to not look into her eyes, when Claumaty suddenly called out somebodyâs name. She must have spotted someone she knew. So that she doesnât bother with me, Sajou will now walk away.
ââŠâŠâ
âH-Hey, Hirano! Are you ignoring me!?â
âEhâŠEh?â
Alright, I can do thisâis what I was thinking, when Claumaty suddenly grabbed my wrist. Why is she doing this? I thought that she just spotted that Hirano-san friend of hers? I turned around, utterly baffled, but only me and Claumaty were here. Maybe Hirano-san walked away? Come on, donât ignore her.
âHirano!â
âEhâŠ?â
When I looked at her in disbelief, Claumaty stared up at me, screaming âHiranoâ. EhâŠyouâre kidding me. Is sheâŠtalking about me? Ah. Somewhere from the depths of my memory, I dug out information about my relationship with Claumaty. Oh yeah, sheâs Yuuki-senpaiâs fiancee, having one-sided feelings for him, and now feels jealous towards Big Sis, as sheâs receiving all of Yuuki-senpaiâs attention. Thatâs why, I canât let her find out that Iâm Big Sisâ younger brother.
That was dangerousâŠI almost introduced myself in order to correct that boring name she gave me. Alright, better get into characterâŠ3-2-1, Hirano time.
ââGood day. Itâs been a while. How have you been doing? What was your name again?â
âW-What a light tone that isâŠAlso, arenât you quite rude to forget my name!?â
âI mean, itâs been a while, soâŠâ
âShinonome Claudine Marika! I wonât tell you again!â
So I was 70% off? Iâm glad I asked her againâŠIf I called her Claumaty, she might have blown a fuse. Also, she got my name wrong as wellâŠthen again, not like I ever told her.
âOh yeah, you were a student of the âEastâ, yes? In the same class as that Natsukawa AikaâŠâ
âAhâŠwell, yeahâWoah!?â
The second I nodded, an index finger was pointed straight at my face. Looking down, the lady was giving me a sour face. Alright, I should stop answering, things will only get worse if I do.
âTell her! I may have gotten a late start at the school visit, but she is still not worthy of being my enemy!â
âHuh? School visit?â
âWhy was she called for it, but I wasnâtâŠ!? Even though I am much more good-looking than herâŠ!â
ââŠEhhh?â
Just when I thought what she was on about, she apparently was hurt by the fact that she wasnât called over to show the middle school students aroundâŠI mean, they clearly chose the most handsome students, and looking at her, it wouldnât have been weird if she got called overâIf you only cared about her looks, that is. This character sheâs putting up is pretty tough to deal with after allâŠI can already see her boasting on and on as soon as thereâs only younger students in front of her. I guess choosing Natsukawa was the right choice for them in the end. Nobody is more fit for it. Sheâs a goddess after all.
âMaybe they simply didnât want your hands to get dirty with something as trifling as that, Claudine-san? You may never know what those middle school students may attempt, right?â
âWha!? Y-You think soâŠ? Also, could you not call me by my middle name so nonchalantly!?â
âAh, thenâŠwhat should I call you?â
âMiss Shinonome!â
âAlrighto, Abyss Shinonome.â
Seriously, thatâs one way to refer to a girl. Is that how the West side always does it? Feels fresh. Well, that at least leaves the gender part out of it. Some girls even call boys with âtoyâ, so I guess it fits.
âFine. Why are you here, Hirano?â
âI had business at the student council.â
âS-Student councilâŠ?â
âEh?â
Why has her expression suddenly gone so grim? Did I say something bad? I mean, Yuuki-senpai and Big Sis will be present in the student council office, I guess. Did she see them flirting around? No way. Big Sis is super dry towards the K4. She shouldnât have such a relationship with any of themâŠright?
âI seeâŠthen hurry up and go.â
âAh, yes.â
As if to betray my bad suspicions, she just turned around, and walked away. I donât know if it was on purpose, but it looked like her back was a bit curled up. Maybe sheâs sad about something. Oh yeah, today no other students were with her, huh.
ââŠâ
Well, none of my business.
1Â A health tonic similar to Lipovitan
2Â A joke of âOkayâ and the author of this novel, âOkemaruâ.