“Sajou-kun, what are you eating?”
“Um, just some sweet bread I bought at the convenience store…”
“Geez! You have to eat things that are good for your health!”
“Ah, yes.”
I sat down next to Shinomiya-senpai, sharing a table with three upperclassmen girls. There was a scent in the air—distinct from the food—that smelled incredibly nice. I could feel my luck for the year being steadily gouged away at a rapid pace. I was seriously worried about the remaining balance. But man, was I happy…
That said, the situation was bewildering. A girl who had been trembling in fear until just the other day was now talking her head off with a smile like a clear blue sky. Well, she wasn’t just a girl; she was a senior.
What on earth happened? How could a girl who was that terrified become this bright? It was almost like the way my own spirits soared the moment Natsukawa entered my field of vision… Wait! Could it be…!?
“A boyfriend—”
“Like hell it is.”
“M-m-m-my ear…! It’s gonna come off! It’s gonna come off!!?”
That was fast, Senpai. I felt like my ear was stretching. I’d hate for one side to end up shaped like an elf’s.
As my ear was being yanked and I groaned in pain, I made eye contact with a senior I’d never met before, sitting next to Inatomi-senpai.
“—Like hell it is.”
“Y-yeah, I get it, I get it already…”
New theory: Inatomi-senpai was even more doted upon than I’d imagined. I hadn’t expected to have such raw hostility directed at me by a mature-looking senior I’d only just met. If anything, she’d been on guard from the very start. I’d figured some girls might be like that, but it seemed this person was the troublesome type when it came to anything involving Inatomi-senpai.
“Ah… This is the first time Sajou-kun is meeting Aya-chan, right? This is Mita Ayano-chan! She’s my childhood friend!”
“She is an excellent junior who helped raise Yuyu into the respectable person she is today. Like Yuyu, she’s a Disciplinary Committee Member.”
“I see. Nice to meet you.”
“……Nice to meet you.”
What a cold reception. Inatomi-senpai’s mysteriously friendly demeanor was likely backfiring. If your precious childhood friend—who’s supposed to be terrified of men—was suddenly acting chummy with some random guy, you’d naturally wonder who the hell he was. If I were in her shoes, I’d have hauled him behind the school building already.
“Geez, Aya-chan! You’re being so blunt!”
“I-I am not!”
“Ehh, you’re being kind of cold~.”
Inatomi-senpai scolded Mita-senpai. It was a bizarre dynamic to witness. It looked like a high school girl getting dejected after being lectured by a small child. Though technically, the high school girl part was correct for both of them.
While the childhood friend duo was bickering, I whispered to Shinomiya-senpai.
“Um… I thought Inatomi-senpai was bad with boys?”
“She is, even now. But… you’re probably special to her.”
“Huh? Sp-special…? Me?”
“—Look, Aya-chan! One more time!”
While we were whispering, Inatomi-senpai grabbed Mita-senpai’s arm and forced her to face me. Wow, look at that perfect, plastered-on smile! Her mouth was actually twitching! Incredible!! I had a feeling she was going to punch me later!!
“I-I’m Mita Ayano! Nice to meet you…!”
“You really don’t have to force yourself like that…”
“It’s for Yuyu’s sake! Just so you know, I’m not doing this for you!”
“Geez, Aya-chan!”
“Ugh…”
“Inatomi-senpai, really… I don’t mind.”
I hadn’t made it this far being treated like a creep for nothing. The storm of verbal abuse I’d navigated through in the past was beyond harsh. But thanks to that experience, I was now at a point where I occasionally found it pleasant—or maybe I didn't! I really hope it’s the latter!
“Listen, Yuyu! Men are all just perverts who look at cute girls like you with lecherous eyes! You have to be more on your guard!”
“S-Sajou-kun isn’t that kind of boy!”
“That’s right. Sajou is a chicken.”
“Excuse me? Could you not suddenly stab me in the side like that?”
That startled me. I felt like I’d been shoved off a cliff. I didn't think Shinomiya-senpai, who was acting like a guardian, would be hiding a spear…
What defines a man? These three senior girls were passionately discussing that topic right in front of me, a man. It was incredibly embarrassing that Inatomi-senpai was talking specifically about me. I mean, it wasn't like we’d even met that many times…
That peaceful yet uncomfortable time continued, and by the time we were ready to leave, I felt like my very soul had shriveled up. Girls talking about men are terrifying… I felt like I was going to develop a phobia of women. I watched the three of them as they went to return their meal trays, chatting boisterously. In many ways, they really were adults. I felt like I’d caught a glimpse into the world of office ladies. To think people could change that much with only a one or two-year age gap.
As I was absentmindedly watching those mature older sisters, Shinomiya-senpai, who had returned ahead of the others, smirked at me.
“……What?”
“How does it feel? Seeing how much Yuyu has grown.”
“It’s a mystery. Did you put her through some kind of VR simulation game for women?”
“What? Is there such a thing…? No, no, I didn't do anything like that. Yuyu is my wife.”
“And Mita-senpai?”
“The mother.”
“Of course she is.”
Come to think of it, she did mention something about raising Inatomi-senpai. To think she cast a junior the same age as Inatomi-senpai as the lover’s mother. I guess she didn't have those soft curves for nothing… No, wait, you’re not lovers in the first place, you big dummy! Please save your flirting for when I’m not around!
While pondering their strange relationship, I voiced a doubt I’d been harboring since the moment we met.
“……You didn't tell Inatomi-senpai, did you?”
“Hmm… Are you talking about what happened after school that day? Was there a need to tell her?”
“Not exactly… but you must have known that I didn't have a high opinion of Inatomi-senpai back then. I thought a senior like you would never let a junior boy like me get close to her again.”
“I would never do something like that. Besides—”
Perhaps because I’d tried to ignore it at the time, I couldn't quite recall Shinomiya-senpai’s troubled expression from back then. But as if there were no need to remember it, Senpai smiled gently and looked at me with a face that seemed completely free of worry.
“I would never mistreat the benefactor who helped Yuyu change.”
“………Huh? Benefactor?”
Benefactor? Why was I being labeled with something so exaggerated? I didn't remember doing anything special for Inatomi-senpai; I’d just given some half-hearted responses and tried to avoid a hassle. And yet, I was a benefactor…?
“Just as you said, Yuyu’s assumptions might have been a bit arrogant. But, Sajou… what she needed wasn't correctness or rationality. She needed someone to accept her. Realizing that even the boys she struggled with had good points was the starting point she needed.”
“A starting point, huh…”
“Your responses and the words you said to Yuyu back then might have been superficial. But at the very least, they gave her confidence. Since then, she’s been gaining momentum as if she’s running up a staircase. It might sound bad, but for someone as excessively timid as her, it was actually the perfect push.”
“……”
“Regardless of the process… the one who provided that spark was you, Sajou. No one else.”
“That was just a fluke.”
“It doesn't matter. Even a fluke couldn't have happened without the kindness you called meddling.”
“……”
If a guy who isn't even refreshing calls out to a girl in a deserted area, she’s going to be frightened. That belief hadn't changed, and I didn't intend to repeat the same mistake. Even if I saw a girl carrying heavy luggage alone, I’d probably pretend not to see her unless we were already acquaintances.
“I don't think I'll ever call out to someone like that again, you know?”
“That’s fine, too. It’s not as if something bad will happen because of it. This time, something good just happened.”
“Well… I guess that’s how it turned out in the end.”
Scary boys… if things had gone south, there was a real chance the teachers would have been called. If something bad were to happen in that situation, it definitely would have happened to me. Maybe I was luckier than Inatomi-senpai.
“Have some confidence, Sajou. You solved not only Yuyu’s problems but my own as well.”
“Did I actually do something for you?”
“Just as you suggested, I patted my troubled junior’s shoulder and told her, ‘Don't worry about it.’ And then Yuyu… she looked so happy as she leaned into me, oh, goodness…!”
“What’s with that ‘oh, goodness…!’”
I could easily picture Senpai doting on the Red Ribbon Girl. Just imagining it made the bridge of my nose tingle with emotion. This was bad… Sorry while you’re in the middle of thanking me, but is it okay if I look up at the ceiling for a bit?
“……What a strange twist of fate.”
“What’s with that line? You sound like you’re in a period drama.”
“No, it’s just that I never imagined you were Kaede’s younger brother. I only asked on a whim, and I was shocked.”
“…! So you really are acquaintances with Nee-chan.”
“We’ve known each other since the very beginning of our first year. She gave me quite a hard time back then.”
Nee-chan two years ago… That was right after she entered school, dyed her hair blonde, and tried to make her gyaru debut. Even though I was in a phase where I was obsessed with my own dreams and ideals, when I first saw her like that, I remember thinking, Is she for real?
“Ah… that era.”
“Yeah, as her brother, you’d know. I simply couldn't stand to watch her… I don't even remember how much effort and time I spent correcting her into the person she is now.”
“I don't want to hear it. Shut up.”
“Heh heh…”
Even if I could use her black history as leverage, I didn't want to go out of my way to hear the details. Before I knew it, a primal rejection reflex kicked in. I covered my ears and bolted. The sound of Shinomiya-senpai’s chuckling followed me, echoing deep into my mind.
“See ya, Wataru!”
Stop! Don't suddenly close the distance between our hearts! I’m gonna explode! Final Explosion!
It was a problem being told to have confidence. It wasn't that I’d lost it; I’d just suppressed my excessive ego. I’d appreciate it if you didn't misunderstand that, Rin-senpai! Oh no, is my heart actually warming up to her!?
Mature older sisters are terrifying.
But I love them.