Hearing Ichinose-san’s circumstances laid out so plainly—so rawly and honestly—stirred up some kind of destructive impulse inside me. Rather than a simple "Damn you, normies!" I felt a profound sense of sympathy for her. The catalyst for her "brother-distancing" was just too damn real. That NTR vibe is seriously dark... well, not technically NTR, but still.
Since then, Ichinose-san had found it difficult to face her brother and had stopped speaking to him properly. Yet her feelings of loneliness only continued to grow, and driven by the sense that she couldn't go on like this—that she had to do something—she had come to work part-time at this Secondhand Bookstore.
"I... have to become independent."
"Y-Yeah... I get it."
I truly understood. Her confession was a total home run coming from way out in left field. It made perfect sense why she felt the need to distance herself from her brother. If I witnessed Nee-chan in a similar situation, I’d probably start saving money to move out on my own immediately.
Actually, wait a second. Now that the initial shock had passed, I was starting to get worked up. Yuri-chan-senpai is surprisingly aggressive... I’d seen glimpses of that at school, but... Waaaah, I’m so jealous of Kuma-san-senpai...! But why do I feel like I can genuinely bless their relationship...? I guess whether a guy is good-looking or not makes a huge difference.
Whoa, no! Focus! Work! I’ve had way too many impure thoughts since today—no, yesterday! I have to distract myself!
Since that talk, Ichinose-san’s work performance had been nothing short of wonderful; she was moving about with brisk, light steps. Sorry, but watching her just made me smile.
I finally grasped the depth of Ichinose-san’s resolve to achieve independence—or rather, to "distance herself from her brother." I was completely drawn in; any lingering awkwardness I felt toward her had been blown away by that unexpectedly intense backstory. After hearing a tale like that, I absolutely wanted her to succeed in moving on. Otherwise, it would just be too painful...
I felt like a strange sense of solidarity had been born between us. While I wished Kuma-san-senpai well, I also definitely felt a surge of, "Damn you, brother!" I think that became our common ground.
"I guess customer service is the next step."
"C-Customer service..."
Ichinose-san jumped at my muttered words. The trauma from that weird—fine, let's call it what it was—creepy old guy from yesterday must still be lingering. That guy was exceptionally gross, so it couldn't be helped, but even so, there are always unpleasant customers out there.
"It's best to experience it up close. If a customer like that comes in, I'll handle them. You can just watch until you're somewhat used to it."
With the momentum she had now, it shouldn't take long for her to improve. If she had just picked up a part-time job on a whim, that would be one thing, but with a resolve fueled by a reason like that? All I could do was offer a supportive, "Right, well... go for it then." I also have to admit it's become harder for me to find fault with her work. Well, she was doing great today anyway, so it was fine.
"Ah... custom—customer."
"Eh? Oh, welcom—"
Maybe she was about to say "visitor" instead of "customer," because Ichinose-san corrected herself while pointing behind me. Realizing I needed to greet whoever had arrived, I turned around, but the words died in my throat when I saw her face. Come to think of it, she hadn't come by since that time at school. I spoke up again, regaining my composure.
"Welcome, Sasaki-san."
"A-Um... yes."
Wait, is she the new Ichinose-san?
She seemed strangely awkward. Fidgeting intensely, she approached with slow, hesitant steps. Did something happen the last time we met? Didn't we just say goodbye normally? She still looks so grown-up; I can't believe she's still a middle schooler with that appearance—ah...
Maybe because I knew she was a middle schooler now, I ended up speaking to her very frankly. Before, when I thought she was a college student, I’d been using the most formal, polite language possible. I wondered how Sasaki-san felt about me flipping my attitude so suddenly. I couldn't really tell.
"Ah... right. Um... you’re younger than me, aren’t you?"
"...!?"
"Ah, ah... um, please, don't be so formal! I think this is normal, so..."
"I-Is that so..."
"Eek, please don't stop..."
The moment I mentioned Sasaki-san being younger, Ichinose-san whipped around to stare at us. I understood that feeling; no matter how you looked at her, there was a beautiful older sister standing right there. Can't we just pretend she's older? Having a younger girl act like a big sister and treat me like her junior actually sparks something deep inside me. Yes, I am combustible trash.
"Er... is this okay?"
"Ah... yes!"
Middle schooler, middle schooler... the person in front of me is a middle schooler. Even if she's dressed maturely in a pale pink blouse and a white skirt, she's still younger. Calm down, my impure thoughts. Stop wanting to speak casually to a mature college student and be pampered by her. You can do this... From today on, you are Mount Fuji...!!
"Um, t-today! I came to clear up the misunderstanding from the other day, so to speak...!"
"Eh, misunderstanding?"
What misunderstanding? Did I have some strange impression of Sasaki-san? Other than thinking she was older when she was actually in middle school? Gasp! Could it be that those three friends from the other day were all actually college students cosplaying as middle schoolers!? Whoa, seriously? I had no idea! (Joy)
"Sasaki-san... you totally had me fooled."
"Eh!? N-No, that's not it!! I'm not bad at talking, and I don't just read shoujo manga! I love novels too! M-Mostly romance novels, though..."
"Eh."
Oh, that's what she meant? She's not a college student?
"E-Even so, lately my teacher has been telling me that my maturity is finally catching up to my looks! I've even stopped wearing clothes with characters on them and have been looking up mature styles...!"
"Ah, right."
Wait, what? I was starting to feel like there was no weirdness at all in speaking casually to her. Was Sasaki-san always this kind of person? I thought she was more composed... well, I guess for a middle schooler, this kind of energy isn't strange at all.
No, wait, I'm the one who needs to settle down. Whether Sasaki-san is a middle schooler or a college student, it doesn't matter. The youthful innocence remaining in a mature-looking woman—that's everything. Character clothes? You should totally wear them!!!
"—It’s okay. You look plenty mature, Sasaki-san."
"—! R-Really? Ah, but, um, that's why... it's not that I want you to treat me that way... I'd like for you to treat me as a junior, Sajou-san...!"
"A junior. Right. That works, too. Yeah."
"It does, doesn't it!"
Right, right. It’s just that I have a junior who’s a middle schooler with the figure of a college student and a few childish habits. Let's just leave it at that; if I think too much, I'll fall into a trap I can't escape. I pulled myself together. Glancing to the side, I saw Ichinose-san watching the exchange between me and Sasaki-san with a confused look.
"Ichinose-san, this is Sasaki-san. You might not believe it, but she’s a college student who’s still in middle school and plans to take the entrance exam for our high school next year."
"Eh."
"Sorry, I messed up."
Yeah, she's totally a college student in my head. I'm not treating her like a junior at all. If I let my guard down, I'll end up looking like the younger one. That younger brother instinct is just too ingrained in me. I wonder when I'll ever graduate from this Nee-chan domination.
"I-I'm still a middle schooler! Sajou-senpai!"
Sasaki-san hurriedly corrected me. Wait, what? Sajou-senpai? I've rarely been treated as an upperclassman like that, so it made me a little too happy. I felt like being incredibly nice to her. Hey, isn't that a typical youngest-child trait...?
"A middle schooler..."
From slightly behind me, Ichinose-san scanned Sasaki-san from head to toe. Hey, don't stare like that, introduce yourself. And stop making a face like you're suffering from a massive inferiority complex. I'm feeling it too, you know. In more ways than one.
"Sasaki-san, this is Ichinose-san. She's a new part-timer and my classmate."
"Y-You're Sajou-san's classmate? Nice to meet you, Ichinose-senpai!"
"Ah... e-er..."
Sasaki-san was gradually showing her energetic middle schooler side. But it seemed to be a bit much for Ichinose-san. On the other hand, maybe Sasaki-san felt relieved by Ichinose-san's unassuming presence. There was zero pressure coming from Ichinose-san, after all.
Hmm... if these two swapped roles, their hierarchy would feel just right... well, this could be interesting in its own way. I'd like to see Ichinose-san acting like a senior. As for Ichinose-san herself, she seemed to have become bashful after being called "senpai," looking down and fidgeting just like Sasaki-san had when she first arrived. Sasaki-san does look mature, after all... I could kind of understand that weird sensation.
Even so, she must not have disliked it, because Ichinose-san took a proper step forward to face Sasaki-san.
"—N-Nice to meet you... junior."
"Eh."
Wait a minute, young lady.
Stop.