The next morning.
Our group had breakfast prepared by Shii.
Actually, I was thinking of helping a bit, but Shii firmly refused, so I didn’t have the guts to insist. My childhood friend Nakahara and older sister Hagiwara also took turns to challenge her—
“Shii, are you okay?”
Gasp!
A *!’ popped up above Shii’s head at Sasaki’s words.
“Yes! I can do everything myself!”
“Then, please!”
Shii responded with a big smile at Sasaki’s words.
Good, she’s listening to me carefully.
Love is free, but you have to take care of family separately, right? Besides, Shii only has Sasaki right now.
…If the parents of the Sasaki siblings come out as villains later on, I might not be able to help Shii, and that could be a big problem.
On the faces of the two heroines, I could faintly sense the emotion of “it feels a bit wrong to be eating at the expense of a middle school junior,” but in the end, they couldn’t bring themselves to meddle when they saw Shii joyfully humming while preparing breakfast.
“Wow.”
The breakfast Shii prepared was excellent.
Grilled salmon, Japanese rolled omelet, octopus-shaped grilled Vienna sausages with white rice, and miso soup.
It was quite different from the breakfasts I used to eat in my previous life. I had ramen, tonkatsu, and sushi often enough in Korea, but Japanese home-cooked meals are something you rarely come across unless you seek them out.
Furthermore, it’s nice to say Japanese home-cooked meal, but when you think about it, isn’t it basically a Korean-style meal set? Even so, paying over ten thousand won for a meal set feels a bit much.
“I’ll enjoy this!”
Nakahara, who joined her hands together and shouted with sparkly eyes, was the epitome of a lively childhood friend.
Sadly, childhood friends usually have a failing position in harem stories. From the heroine’s perspective, isn’t this kind of development close to NTR? Or maybe BSS?
When you’re the protagonist, such tags feel pretty gross, but if you’re close to the heroine who likes the protagonist, that changes the narrative. It’s sad, or rather, heartbreaking.
“…I’ll enjoy this.”
“I’ll enjoy this~”
I and Hagiwara said simultaneously.
It wasn’t intentional.
Being a big sister character.
If childhood friends are a typical failure, the big sister character is almost like a service character. In harem stories, while the childhood friend character can gain a fanbase if she doesn’t go overboard, the big sister character tends to take a step back and support the protagonist.
The feelings for the protagonist are portrayed quite lightly compared to other heroines or portrayed as just a joke from the start.
In this case, she’s sincere. Plus, she’s quite involved in the story.
Sasaki and Shii put their hands together and said in chorus, “I’ll enjoy this.”
It was a thoroughly familiar scene, like siblings living together.
Honestly, it was a pleasant sight.
The square table was against the wall. Sasaki and Shii sat together, while Nakahara and Hagiwara sat across from them. I was alone at the remaining corner.
Thus, I could observe the people on both sides quite well.
At a glance, Sasaki and Shii didn’t seem to resemble each other much. Sasaki had an appearance that seemed somewhat ordinary but also had the impression of “if made up, would look handsome.” And Shii always dressed perfectly.
But when lined up like this, their features were surprisingly similar, proving they were indeed siblings.
The softly slanting eyes that look innocent, and the nose that stands upright.
However, looking at this state, I couldn’t help but wonder how someone like Hagiwara or Nakahara could get involved with them, but I guess something must’ve happened while I couldn’t intervene in the main story.
I withdrew my observing gaze and fiddled with my chopsticks.
Should I start with the rolled omelet lightly—
After taking a bite, I was a bit surprised by the sweetness.
…Ah, they make the rolled omelet sweet in Japan, huh?
It tasted somewhat like French toast. Of course, there was no bread.
Well, after chewing it, it surprisingly matched well. Given the nationality of the person who made it, wanting the taste of the food I had in my previous life might be asking too much.
But the rest was delicious. The salmon, the sausages, and even the Japanese miso soup.
If Shii ever has kids someday, they would definitely be happy every time they sat at the dining table.
…Though I can’t even imagine who Shii will marry.
*
For reference, my school uniform was quickly washed by Shii last night and hung up.
Lately, there have been many days without rain, but the rainy season isn’t over yet. Additionally, Tokyo is a city close to the sea, hence much more humid than places like Seoul.
Even in Seoul, when hanging laundry during the rainy season, it can smell musty if not dried properly. I wonder if it’s even worse in Japan?
However, the school uniform Shii prepared didn’t smell at all.
“There’s a dryer in the bathroom, right?”
“…”
Is that so?
I know that many places separate the bathroom and toilet. Of course, I live in a one-room place, so those two are combined here. In reality, there’s no space for a bathtub, so the bathtub is almost squished into a corner, making it hardly usable, so there couldn’t possibly be a dryer.
Besides, if there was room to hang a dryer in the bathroom, I’d definitely have bought an air conditioner to install in my room.
“Thank you.”
“It was just a lot of clothes that needed cleaning anyway.”
Shii smiled at me.
…But this uniform doesn’t seem just washed.
It felt a bit stiff compared to when I usually wash and put it away.
Could it be that she even ironed it in that short time in the morning?
When I looked at Shii with slight admiration, she smiled cheekily and scratched her cheek.
“…Sasaki.”
“Yeah?”
As I called Sasaki, who just came out wearing her school uniform, she looked at me with a slightly puzzled expression.
“You should know you’re lucky.”
“Uh? Ah, sure.”
She answered me, but it seemed she didn’t quite understand what I was getting at.
“Uh, Shii, what’s that supposed to mean?”
Sasaki, approaching Shii, whispered as quietly as possible, but I could hear it.
Pretending to check my bag to avoid knowing—
“It’s a secret.”
I heard Shii’s soft response.
When I looked up, Shii was teasing Sasaki with a cheeky expression.
Since I thought I might burst out laughing if I kept watching that sight, I turned my gaze to the side.
*
“Then, older brother, I’m off.”
Shii said, slightly bowing to Sasaki.
Since we have to walk a bit after getting off at Tamachi station, we’ll be splitting ways.
Hanagawa Middle School and Hanagawa High School are operated by the same foundation, but they’re a little apart distance-wise. I’m not sure why. Maybe when they first bought the land, they couldn’t get all of it. Or perhaps it was taken over later on.
As I waved my hand slightly, Shii turned around and happily skipped away.
I’m glad to see she’s regained her energy.
Watching the blue sailor collar of Hanagawa Middle School flutter, I thought,
“Shall we go too?”
Sasaki said that.
“…”
While it sounds very protagonist-like, I was inadvertently observing Hagiwara and Nakahara, who seemed to be marking their territory next to Sasaki, and I felt a desire to not walk close to her.
Not to mention, I simply didn’t have the desire to walk next to a male student. That’s something I experienced enough with friends during middle and high school.
Do you know how uncomfortable it feels to be walking to school with friends when it first snows?
Well, while pushing each other playfully is just a joke, it’s still a bit embarrassing.
And more importantly, I didn’t want to be misunderstood as part of Sasaki’s harem.
So I walked ahead.
“Uh? Kurosawa?”
No, don’t call me.
Why on earth would I walk with so many girls on either side? I can feel both of them glaring at the back of my head.
Sasaki called out to me again from behind, but I did not stop.
*
“…Kurosawa?”
And just then, I ended up showing that figure to Yuuki.
Right at the shoe-changing area.
I was a bit careless.
When a person gets used to waking up early every day, sometimes they act without much thought even when they wake up late.
That can’t be helped. Regardless of whether you wake up an hour early or late, the sun would still rise by the time you get to school. So there’s not much of a difference in feeling.
I had a long commute from Saitama to Tokyo, but today, I departed from Tamachi Station; the time for walking after arriving in Minato Ward wasn’t significantly different from usual.
That’s right.
The Sasaki sisters, living much closer than I do, would naturally wake up later and have more time to prepare and eat breakfast in the morning.
Even if something happened with the subway, they could afford to leave at a more leisurely time than I could.
…As a result, I didn’t arrive at school during the usual time when there were almost no people around but ended up coming while many others were changing shoes.
And I just happened to bump into Yuuki, who was about to change into his shoes.
Was it just a coincidence that Yuuki turned to look behind me at that moment?
“…Hello.”
I said quietly, raising my hand in greeting.
Yuuki’s gaze flicked from me to Sasaki behind me, then to Nakahara next to her.
His gaze didn’t linger long. Though I’ve seen his face, we’ve never really talked.
However, Yuuki’s gaze lingered a little longer on Hagiwara.
…Hmm.
Somehow, I felt I knew what Yuuki was thinking.
I didn’t really want to admit it, but over the past three months, I’ve been gathering misfortune like a piece of glass in the sand.
I didn’t know if I was the one looking for misfortune or if misfortune was finding me, but at least to Yuuki, I seemed to resemble the former.
To others, I’m just a pitiful kid living alone, someone who knows nothing.
I was even close to being bullied solely for being close to a senior… Well, to say I actually did face bullying might also be true? Though it was just from two people, harassment is harassment.
“That’s not it.”
“Not it, you say? What did I say?”
Well, one of the two who liked Sasaki had been bothering me with that reasoning yesterday.
Of course, I wasn’t entirely sure, but there must’ve been some doubt.
I was confident enough of that to wager about a thousand yen.
“…”
I looked back.
“See you later.”
“Oh, okay.”
As I greeted Sasaki, she replied with a puzzled expression.
I nodded slightly to the other two, and Hagiwara and Nakahara responded a bit flustered.
I quickly opened my shoe locker, took out my indoor shoes, put my sneakers back in, and closed the door.
“Let’s go.”
“Sure.”
As I walked towards Yuuki and said that, he nodded.
And on our way to the classroom, we didn’t say anything in particular. He seemed to be deep in thought about something.
…I should prepare a list of responses.
There will probably be a ton of questions during lunch break.
*
During lunchtime, in the Literature Club Room.
Since it didn’t rain yesterday, I went up to the rooftop, but it was still muggy outside. Of course, it was also muggy inside, but there was still a big difference between being stuck inside and being right under the sunlight falling from the sky while trying to hide in a not-so-large shade.
Moreover, even without air conditioning, there’s a fan here. If I opened the window and turned on the fan, it was bearable.
And in such a place, while eating bread together, I answered each question that Yuuki threw my way—
“So, you’re saying you didn’t confess to Sasaki Sota, right?”
“…Yeah.”
I nodded.
—Yuuki believed that I went as Shii’s guest. There wasn’t really any reason for him not to believe it since I had actually gone.
“Shii must also be having a tough time.”
“Absolutely.”
I said while taking a bite of my cream bun.
Then, all of a sudden, I recalled yesterday’s thoughts.
My mouth, filled with the bread, paused.
…Now that I think about it, it could be quite risky to keep accepting such favors.
When I was in a tight spot, I’d take whatever was offered without thinking, but now that my stomach is full and my head is starting to turn, I think it might be a bit shameless.
Of course, it’s not like I’m forcefully taking bread from Yuuki, but the conclusion is pretty similar.
“Why? Is the bread strange?”
Seeing that I was acting a bit odd while normally eating whatever was given to me, Yuuki looked worried.
“…No, it’s not that.”
I thought for a moment.
How should I phrase this?
It takes a lot of courage to refuse goodwill. Especially when that goodwill is purely innocent, without any ulterior motives.
Moreover, it’s not like I refused it from the beginning; I had been receiving this kind of kindness for a while now, and it’s obvious the other person would be worried when I did refuse.
“…The thing is.”
“It’s okay. I’m listening, so just say it.”
I contemplated for a moment—
Then, seeing Yuuki’s serious expression, someone’s face came to mind.
It happened to be Sasaki Shii’s face.
“…”
“Why?”
Seeing Yuuki looking at me with a tilted head, I blinked.
Why did Shii’s face come to mind?
Upon reflection, it seemed there was a hint of desperation from Yuuki’s attitude when offering me kindness.
Not merely an attitude of helping a pitiful person, but rather, it felt like he was implying he had to do so.
Normally, when a regular person sees someone pitiful, they usually only think, ‘they’re pitiable’. Sure, they could buy you a meal while eating together. When going out, they might chip in with some money, or they might fill in the fridge once or twice, but—
It’s almost unheard of for someone to support you with enough furniture to turn an empty house into a livable one or frequently come over to help when something big happens.
Is it because we’re friends? Maybe. But you see, Yuuki had never left me alone ever since that day I met him at the school store.
As if he was thinking he didn’t want Shii to be abandoned by Sasaki.
“Hmm?”
“Why?”
That doesn’t seem right.
The very thought of “I think I could be abandoned” was strange. More than that…
It feels more like, ‘I don’t want to lose you,’ to be more accurate.
Let’s think for a moment. Even Suzuki-sensei, who is very dedicated to her work, has only visited my home twice.
After that, she didn’t really provide much advice other than occasionally checking on me and asking how I was getting along with my classmates.
As long as I’m doing fine, there’s no need to pry any deeper.
Then, why does Yuuki—
“Yuuki.”
“Yeah?”
“Are we friends?”
“…I guess?”
As I asked, Yuuki responded with a slightly odd expression.
“What about Kaneko-senpai and Ikeda-senpai?”
“They’re friends, too?”
Yuuki said with a look that asked why I was even asking.
Yeah, Yuuki was there the night Kaneko-senpai went missing; he had come right to school afterward.
In the original story, regardless of whether it’s profitable or not, he usually kept those around him close. Even for someone in competition with Sasaki, if he thought of them as someone within his circle, he would protect them at all costs.
That might, in some way, be seen as an obsession.
Some might think it’s natural to risk one’s life for a close friend, but in reality, that’s hardly the case.
How many people would willingly jump into a fire to rescue someone without thinking?
Especially without looking back.
So, I suppose I’m that kind of existence for Yuuki.
One that he thinks he might “lose” if he’s not careful.
The trigger for thinking like this—
—Now that I think about it, I still have no memory of how Yuuki’s mother ended up not being by his side.
“I just… wanted to ask?”
“Why?”
As I turned back to the bread, Yuuki smiled as he asked.
“I want to make more friends, you know? Right?”
His tone felt slightly teasing.
Right.
Even though Shii’s reason for wanting to make friends was the opposite, it’s clear that Yuuki holds onto something similar.
I put the bread back in my mouth.
The cream-filled bread was delicious.
Thinking back on it now, there hasn’t been a single time when Yuuki brought over the same bread twice.
Oh, of course, being store-bought bread, the items are fixed, so there are times when I have eaten the same bread, but it’s never been the very next day.
Yuuki was thoughtfully changing the bread he brought every day so I wouldn’t get tired of it.
Some might say it’s normal since he buys his own bread, but—
At this school’s store, the competition is fierce. You have to sprint to get bread the moment the bell rings.
Yuuki does that every day for me. He goes out of his way to ask the store owner to prepare different bread each day.
…That’s not something you can casually refuse as if cutting a piece of cake.
“…Let’s go to the store together tomorrow.”
“Uh? Why? Was the bread not good?”
“No, it’s just. I want to go together.”
“That’s not impossible, but you know the store, right?”
…Sure, I do.
“Why?”
Yuuki asked again, looking curious.
It’s just—
Because it’s embarrassing.
That I said such a thing to Sasaki.
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