Where exactly should I use the expression “mature”?
It’s definitely not something to say to an adult because they’re just adults. The only phrase you can use for adults, in contrast, is “not mature.”
But the funny part is that everyone has a different idea of what an adult is. Even in modern times, where the boundaries of “adult” are clearly defined by law.
There are characters who call teenagers “mature,” while others say they “aren’t mature.” Honestly, it’s hilarious. To call children who are still in school “not mature” isn’t it just the truth?
So what if a kid acts like a kid?
Well, if I were just starting high school, I might have thought Hagiwara looked “mature.”
After all, she can teach me various things from over there. Can’t she at least tell me the exam scope from last year?
But based on my current perspective… Hagiwara and Yuuki, who is confrontational while holding two buns, both looked like kids to me.
“What are you doing right now?”
“Uh? Uh-oh?”
Hagiwara looked extremely flustered by Yuuki’s sudden interruption.
In this school, there’s no way to easily tell what grade someone is in. Back when I was in school, they used name tags with different colors to indicate grades, but there are none of those convenient rules at this school. Methods like ribbon colors to differentiate the grades could’ve been used, but there’s none of that either.
However, it seemed Yuuki caught on to the fact that Hagiwara was a senior just by the atmosphere.
Honestly, it made sense. Regardless of whether one was shy within the same grade or not, you’d usually recognize the faces of the kids you pass by in the hallway.
Plus, Yuuki had already seen her once before.
When someone who feels different from the usual acquaintances is standing there, you naturally assume, “Oh, that person must be from a different grade.”
“Um, well…”
Hagiwara made an expression as if she didn’t know what to say.
In the original story, Yuuki and Hagiwara were characters who frequently clashed. It was in competition over one guy, but also because they had a rivalry when hunting Yōkai.
Looking at their reactions, it seemed like they didn’t know each other for the time being.
Well, Hagiwara hadn’t been active in this way for long anyway, since the church had only recently started hunting Yōkai.
Yuuki subtly moved to block me and Hagiwara.
Um…
Usually, religions in these types of media are extremely exclusive toward people of other faiths.
Remembering that fact, I slightly hid behind Yuuki.
That’s right.
I’m affiliated with a cult. Yuuki doesn’t really care about that. Japan is a country with an immense number of entities that have the prefix “Kami” attached. The way terms are used differs from the “God” of Christianity.
So even if someone worships an “Evil God,” they’ll just keep a watchful eye for now. Once it begins to harm society, then they’ll step in; until then, they won’t think to attack first. To Yuuki, the Evil God is just a “God that exists for now.”
The church is different.
Within their religion, there is only one God. Other gods are heresy. Worshiping them is prohibited.
While they might respect traditional rituals in a Catholic context, such as ceremonies in Korean ancestor worship or Japanese shrines… The issue is that this isn’t the Catholicism I know.
The purpose of the church isn’t to ensure the existence of the ‘different gods’ but to destroy them and spread God’s will across the world, right?
The parts I’ve read haven’t clearly explained why the church started to move. Whether it’s because of Jjapgurasu or not is still unknown.
Still, since I’m using that avatar, it’s best to be careful. Even if it’s not true, the moment they know, I’d become a target.
“Are you two… going to lunch?”
Hagiwara inquired, her gaze alternating between the two buns in her hands.
Yuuki nodded.
“I think the weather will be good today.”
“Uh…”
After looking at Yuuki’s face once, she glanced back at me with a slightly peeking face.
“Sorry, that was an unnecessary comment.”
Hagiwara said that and turned away without hesitation.
Did I think “it’s okay”?
Well, for now, she went down, so that’s fine.
“Were you with Sasaki the other day? What about that person?”
Yuuki asked me.
“It seems like I heard rumors about me.”
“Ah…”
Hearing that, the shoulders that had been tense drooped.
“Were they trying to harass you using that?”
“No, she was just asking if I was okay.”
“Really.”
Yuuki’s eyes briefly softened.
“You’re getting dragged into a lot of incidents, huh? Well, I guess it’s understandable. I didn’t expect her to talk to you directly.”
Um…
I think Hagiwara knew me because she had seen me before, but I didn’t mention that discussion.
For now, I thought it would be better for the two of them to keep a little distance from each other.
“Here.”
Yuuki handed me a bun.
It was a croquette bun.
“……”
I accepted the bun he offered with both hands, momentarily glancing down at it before looking back up at Yuuki.
“Why? Don’t you want it?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Um…
In this atmosphere, if I say I won’t need him to buy me bread from tomorrow on, Yuuki will definitely be shocked.
… Should I just buy bread to share with Yuuki?
Once you start receiving help, changing the relationship becomes quite difficult.
Should I have rejected it from the beginning?
I followed behind Yuuki, who began to climb the stairs first, and pondered.
*
Shii usually did everything neatly. She did that even during her part-time job, and her daily life was consistent with descriptions in novels.
In the original story, Sasaki Sota looked dependable as the male protagonist, but he also had human-like flaws. He’d get lazy about cleaning his room or put off chores. If it weren’t for Shii’s nagging, Sasaki’s room would have quickly turned messy.
As much as Shii depends on Sasaki, he also relies on her in his own way. Of course, that relationship was formed due to their irresponsible parents, so it’s not like they had a choice.
Shii’s everyday existence relies on Sasaki. Therefore, she felt an almost terrifying fear about being apart from him.
“Ah!”
Shii’s hand slipped. While trying to rinse a plate for washing, it slipped out of her hand.
Thud.
I was watching as she was looking directly at her hand and quickly reached out. I didn’t elegantly catch the plate falling but managed to stop it from slipping out of her hand. If I tried to catch the falling plate with my instinctive reflexes, I’d probably hit it and send it even further away.
Fortunately, I had noticed early signs and finished my tasks quickly to be nearby; if I hadn’t, it would have definitely broken.
“… I’ll take care of this.”
“Ah, but…”
“It’s fine.”
I said that while firmly grabbing the plate from her.
Since my hands were already wet, I didn’t even bother putting on gloves and simply wiped the plate down. Since I did the dishes as needed rather than all at once, it wasn’t a major issue.
“I’m sorry…”
“……”
Glancing at Shii as she apologized, I directed my gaze back to the plate.
“Later, after I finish, let’s talk while we eat.”
“… Yes.”
At my words, Shii seemed to respond, lowering her head slightly.
*
“… Those two.”
The content of Shii’s story was simple. Today, Sasaki was visiting home with those two people, who were his harem members.
It’s probably because of her indecisive nature regarding romance and her inability to reject.
After school, she was probably caught by a senior and faced various temptations; after witnessing that, her childhood friend likely ended up in a scuffle and turned playful words into truth.
“Sure…”
In reality, thinking about Shii coming home late, there may not have been a need to inform beforehand.
Even if she happened to run into the two after returning home, Sasaki isn’t the type of kid who’d cause any major trouble. The same goes for the other two as well.
Even though it was a light novel at that time, the plot didn’t head into that kind of messy territory.
But still, Sasaki must be genuinely worried about Shii to set contact ahead of time.
The fact that Shii is a bit off due to those two girls would be best known to Sasaki, who lives with her.
“……”
After a brief moment of thought, I spoke.
“Are they still together?”
“Huh? Ah, no, well… I was a bit hesitant to ask afterward.”
“That’s fine.”
I took the last spoonful of ramen soup.
“Did you finish?”
“Uh? Ah, yes.”
Seeing me suddenly in action, Shii blinked and replied.
“Good.”
I said, pulling out my coin wallet from my pocket.
*
“Um, excuse me, senior.”
“It’s fine.”
The place I was at wasn’t the station we always parted ways.
Although I had never been there before, Shii and Sasaki lived in a neighborhood called ‘Sangenjaya.’
Surprisingly, I actually knew the area.
The reason I knew this area was that it was once the backdrop of a game I enjoyed. It didn’t come out precisely named; rather it was slightly distorted.
Honestly, I’m not even sure how much it resembled the game’s depiction since it’s been several years since I played.
However, it was certainly a place that looked comfortable to live in, and I thought the land prices would be quite high.
… It seemed even after hearing about being nearly abandoned by my father, the house was still provided. Well, if not, living off my own finances wouldn’t have been possible. I also felt like they provided enough for school tuition.
Well, anyway.
“The time is a bit late… but…”
“It’s fine. I’m going to sleep over.”
“Huh!?”
“I’ve spent the night with friends quite a bit.”
“B-but my clothes…?”
“……”
Ah, that’s right.
“… I’ll just buy underwear.”
“Y-yes…”
At my words, Shii dazedly replied.
Knowing my size, I led Shii to a nearby store, where I bought cheap underwear, a white T-shirt, and shorts.
Even so, I had some money saved from my part-time job… Well, it wasn’t something I regretted, but still, it wouldn’t significantly impact my life. After all, labor is sacred. Even someone on the brink of starvation can at least get enough to eat… Although, of course, that’s a thing when there’s a place to sleep.
Following Shii, we ended up at a two-story house that looked like a standard home from a Japanese manga.
The lights were on inside. The curtains were drawn, so it was difficult to see what was going on inside.
“Um, is it really okay?”
“It’s fine.”
In fact, the one who should be asking if it’s okay was me, but for now, I answered like that.
Having come this far, there was no turning back. In another moment, it would be curfew time, and if I took the train back home now, I’d surely face a check midway.
Then there’d definitely be a call to Kagami or something. I didn’t want that.
Shii looked at me with a look of slight unease, took a small breath, then pulled out a key from her bag and opened the door.
A small bell attached to the door jangled, and
“Shii!”
As if she had been waiting an eternity, Sasaki hurriedly came out from the entrance and froze upon seeing me standing next to Shii.
“Um, um, brother, uh…”
“I’ve decided to stay overnight today. Thank you in advance.”
I said that and bowed slightly,
“Uh, t-thank you?”
Sasaki was astonished and bowed her head toward me.
I rummaged through my bag to pull out a chocolate bar I had bought earlier and handed it to Sasaki.
“It’s a present.”
“Th-thank you?”
Sasaki took it with both hands, saying that.
“Sota, who is—”
As Sasaki didn’t immediately return to the living room, her childhood friend, Nakahara Nanami, came out behind Sasaki and stiffened upon seeing me.
Then Hagiwara came following after and froze in the same way.
“……”
Both of their eyes were on Sota. Sota shook his head vigorously.
“Shii, let’s go inside.”
“Y-yes.”
Shii still looked a bit anxious, but she seemed a little more at ease than when she first came in.
That makes sense.
Even though she had seen my face at the café last time and we had a meal afterward, being in the same space as friends she hardly spoke to would definitely feel easier than being there without any familiar faces.
That’s what I was aiming for.
I took off my shoes, turning the front tips toward the entrance to neatly arrange them.
Until I entered the house, nobody had opened their mouth.
*
“Wait, you’re sleeping over!?”
Sasaki nearly shouted.
“S-Sota! How many people have you touched!?”
“Well, it seems she’s more popular than I thought. I can’t let my guard down~”
Nakahara seemed indignant, and Hagiwara was finally regaining her composure and finding some leisure.
But the fact that they kept alternating glances between me and Sasaki showed they were still flustered.
I held back a sigh.
I had clearly thought to maintain some distance during lunchtime today. Yet, I couldn’t help but interfere with Shii, which led to this.
… I used to complain about protagonists who stuck their noses where they didn’t belong, and now I’m no different.
I pointed at Hagiwara and Nakahara with my finger and said, “These two are my guests.”
Then I pointed at myself and said, “I’m,”
pointing at Shii, “this one’s guest. There’s no problem.”
“Uh… No, I…”
“It’s your younger sister’s friend, that’s all.”
At my words, Sasaki seemed slightly relieved. The expressions of the other two also seemed to relax a bit.
I picked up a rice cracker from the plate on the table.
“Well… you aren’t here to see Sota, right?”
Nakahara Nanami asked me cautiously. I nodded.
“Right.”
More precisely, it was to see these two that I was here.
I can’t say it directly, but just the fact that I’m here would boost Shii’s morale, and above all, it would ensure that these two wouldn’t act recklessly.
I turned my gaze toward the corner of the living room. There were two large bags over there.
Presumably, they contained uniforms for school.
“Are you two planning to sleep over as well?”
“Yep!”
“That’s right, we’re planning to sleep over. We are, as you said, Sota’s guests.”
Nakahara Nanami answered cheerfully, while Hagiwara replied a bit leisurely.
“Did you get permission from your parents?”
“Of course, I got it. I wouldn’t worry my parents unnecessarily.”
“How about you?”
Unlike Nakahara, who replied properly, Hagiwara subtly turned her head towards me.
“Did you get permission from your parents?”
The only bag I had was the one I used for school. Naturally, it didn’t contain a uniform.
Seems they were probing for the purpose of figuring out if I still had an interest in Sasaki, given my situation was “not yet.”
“I don’t have.”
So I cut her off sharing that information outright.
“… Huh?”
Hagiwara’s mouth dropped slightly.
“Um, no, I…!”
“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”
I reached out again and grabbed a rice cracker. This one tastes good.
“Senior, do you want more?”
Shii asked. I nodded.
Looks like Shii noticed why I came here by now.
Having solidly chosen a side is great.
I felt the same way when Yuuki stayed at my house.
“……”
Hagiwara looked uncomfortable at my words.
No matter how much older she was, she’s just one year apart from us. Honestly, the physical age difference seemed much larger, but that’s just because I’m particularly skinny.
If Hagiwara was like this, Nakahara, her childhood friend, was worse off. She seemed entirely clueless about how to handle me.
Well, they did depict her as growing up in a typically happy middle-class home in the novel, so it’d probably take them a while to understand the Sasaki siblings properl.
Well… To put it honestly, I don’t even know exactly what I should do.
“Senior, I brought more!”
Looking at Shii’s shining demeanor as she placed a plate of rice crackers in front of me, I think I’ve reached about half of my goal for being here.
*
“… Kurosawa.”
“Sasaki.”
I ran into Sasaki on my way back after visiting the bathroom late at night.
This two-story house has quite a number of rooms. What the two heroines didn’t realize was that this room existed. In a typical home, it would likely be the parents’ room, but since this household unfortunately doesn’t have them involved,
It was temporarily designated as a lady’s room, and the two probably engaged in some mind games in there before falling asleep.
Sasaki slept in her room, while I slept in Shii’s, spreading out a blanket underneath the bed.
This encounter was purely coincidental.
“… Um.”
I gazed quietly at Sasaki.
“What?”
“… Is today’s visit because of Shii?”
“……”
“I’ve noticed that Shii has been acting a little strange for a few days now.”
Shii concealed the fact that she was anxious. The reason she was able to say even that much might be because I was seen as ‘someone who has no intention of getting entangled with her brother and is just an acquaintance.’
If I had clung to Sasaki like the other two, I’d have probably been treated just the same as them.
“… You’re right.”
I answered quietly.
“… What did Shii say?”
I hesitated for a moment in my response.
After all, it wouldn’t be polite to reveal everything about her.
So, I decided to just mention the core essence briefly.
“You two are family, right?”
“Huh? Uh, yeah, but…”
“Make sure Shii has a definite place.”
“……”
Sasaki stared at me for a moment with a blank expression.
I passed by Sasaki as she stood in shock and began to climb the stairs.
When I glanced back, Sasaki still looked dazed. From this angle, I couldn’t see her face, but I could sense her expression somehow.
I think this should be enough for now.
Sasaki isn’t… an idiot.
And Sasaki cares for Shii just as much as Shii thinks.
Girlfriend? Sure, I think she could get one. A harem? I believe that’s a possibility too.
But if that means distancing herself from a sister with such a past, that would be a problem. Even if Sasaki doesn’t think like that, Shii would logically pull away herself if she concluded that. There were actually episodes that revolved around that.
… Counseling isn’t something I should be doing.
To be honest, I would’ve recommended professional counseling. However, if you say such things to someone you don’t know well, you’d usually receive uncomfortable words in return.
I slowly continued to ascend the stairs.
Upon opening the door to Shii’s room, I saw her sleeping soundly on her side atop the bed.
She seemed restless as if overwhelmed with anxiety, tightly hugging her blanket while sleeping.
I lightly lifted the quilt she was tightly grasping, trying to cover her as much as possible.
“… Mom…”
“……”
Is it a nightmare?
Or in the dream, is her mom someone who is good to Shii?
Not wanting to overhear Shii’s overly personal thoughts, I quickly crawled into the blanket laid under the bed.
And soon, I fell asleep.
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