“That’s not exactly something to be proud of...”
“Ugh... I’m sorry. I knew it was wrong, but I just couldn't look away...”
“...I couldn't stop them.”
So, Sasaki-san hadn’t been able to suppress her curiosity after seeing such a scene for the first time in her life, and while Ichinose-san had the moral sense to know better, she lacked the assertiveness to stop the other two.
They were the ones who had peeked at a confession in the first place, so there wasn't much room to defend them. Besides, if you hadn't looked, you wouldn't be depressed right now, would you? Is such a merciless thought just a failure to read a maiden’s heart? I wonder if there’s a way to install a Maiden’s Heart Dictionary into my electronic dictionary.
“Anyway, Yuki-chan, is this really the first time you’ve actually seen Sasaki get confessed to? Haven't you watched similar scenes remotely before?”
“Why are you assuming it was remote? All I could ever pick up was the audio.”
Isn't that just what people call wiretapping...?
Thinking about it calmly, she was right. The methods for following Sasaki around with video were pretty limited. You’d have to operate a small drone, hide a camera in a ballpoint pen in his chest pocket, or scout his route beforehand to plant cameras in advance—all high-difficulty stuff. Wait, what was I even thinking about so calmly? Was I even being calm? Probably not.
“...Big brother has been confessed to before. The last time was back in middle school.”
“So it was different seeing it with your own eyes?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Eh...?”
“Before, he would turn them down immediately. He’d say things like, ‘I want to focus on soccer.’ Though I think the real reason was that I was there.”
I’m pretty sure he really just wanted to focus on soccer.
The more I heard, the more the situation seemed to differ from Ichinose-san’s case—specifically in terms of whose fault it was. Was there ever a situation so impossible to follow up on? If I had to find a silver lining, it was that Sasaki’s reaction was inconsistent. Yuki-chan might not know this, but I couldn't understand why Sasaki—who had feelings for Natsukawa—would turn red.
Could it be that the person who confessed was Natsukawa...?
No, wait, calm down. I’ll die. There’s no way. I met Natsukawa in the South Building while I was looking for Sasaki. Chronologically, it was impossible, and I couldn't imagine Natsukawa throwing her job aside to do something like that. I had considered guiding Sasaki into becoming a great guy and letting him get together with Natsukawa of my own volition to reduce the emotional damage, but my heart was nowhere near ready. I felt like I was about to cough up a hairball.
“...Urgh.”
“Um... Sajou-kun?”
“You look even paler than Yuki-chan...”
“It’s nothing...”
No, I was getting hurt at the completely wrong time. What was with this self-destruction? My voice was already sounding completely raspy. The emotional damage was so massive it was ridiculous. What was I doing, sitting here sandwiched between two girls in such a luxurious situation?
“Hmm...”
Setting aside the matter of Natsukawa and comparing what I knew with what I’d heard from Yuki-chan, the impression I had of Sasaki felt a little different. At the very least, the guy now wasn't just a hot-blooded idiot who put all his energy into soccer. To me, Sasaki was an almost annoying balancer. He managed his academics, his sports, his position in class, and even how much he allowed himself to get distracted.
“...It’s probably the difference between his mindset in middle school and how he is now.”
“...Eh?”
“For example... let’s see. Sasaki-san, Yuki-chan, what would you do if some boy confessed to you during this time of year?”
“Wh-Whaaat!?”
Being girls, they surely liked talking about romance. However, being placed in that position themselves was a different story. Well... if they blushed right now, it would mean they had someone they liked. Might as well find out while I’m at it.
“Big brother...”
No, that's not what I meant.
“U-Um... right now I want to focus on my studies, so I think I’d turn them down...”
“Exactly. You two are in the middle of entrance exam season. You want to focus on studying, and even if you were to have a romance, you’re probably only faintly hoping for something like, ‘Once I’m a high schooler, surely...’”
“H-How did you know!?”
“Because I was the same way. Probably everyone else, too.”
“Auh...”
Well, in my case, I was already in a one-sided love back in middle school. Even so, there was no doubt I had expectations for a colorful youth as a "high school student." The reality was that I was two or three steps further back than I was then... I’d even stopped calling that girl by her first name. Why did it turn out like this?
Sasaki had done something as stupid as slipping away from his Cultural Festival Executive Committee duties. There was something slightly off about saying he only did it because the captain ordered him to, but if it was because he was itching to play soccer, I could sort of accept that. Though I still felt like telling him to screw off for skipping out.
“Knowing Sasaki, his passion for soccer is probably still high. Given his personality, back in middle school he might have pushed romance away, saying it was too early for him. But he’s different now. I think his interest has shifted toward romance to some extent. Like, how to be seen in a good light by Natsuka—I mean, by girls, or something.”
“What was that? Who were you just about to say?”
“Just a slip of the tongue.”
Dark eyes peered at me from the edge of Yuki-chan’s straight-cut bangs. It was terrifying... it was all I could do to look away. Eventually, her gaze was going to turn into piano wire and aim for my carotid artery. I’d die in a snap.
“A handsome guy taking an interest in romance... there’s nothing more terrifying than that...”
“...Then what is it? Are you also of the mind to tell me to ‘break away from my brother’?”
“...!”
“No, that's not it. You’re siblings, so if you want to be spoiled, you should just let him spoil you.”
Don’t say "brother-separation" so lightly... Ichinose-san just jumped. That's a forbidden word.
Since she said "you also," had she been told that by someone else? Sasaki-san didn’t seem to know about Yuki-chan’s Brocon Mode, so it probably wasn't someone from her middle school. Was it her parents, or perhaps Sasaki himself?
If I had to find a common point with Ichinose-san from Yuki-chan’s tone, it was the "wanting him to look only at me" part. The difference between the two was whether they tried to become independent by bottling up their true feelings, or whether they agonized because they didn't know how to organize their hearts. Comparing them like this, I could see how much more of an adult Ichinose-san was.
“However, you have to accept your big brother’s ‘separation from his sister.’”
“...!”
“I’m sure he’s been a great big brother until now. He looked out for you even if you didn't say anything, and he spoiled you just the way you wanted. That’s why your brocon got so out of hand, right?”
“I-It’s not out of hand! It just looks that way because big brother is kind!”
“That kindness will be directed toward the target of Sasaki’s romance from now on. He’s only one person, so it might be difficult for him to keep being kind to two people at once.”
If he was like Kuma-san-senpai, who wanted to cherish both his girlfriend and Ichinose-san—his sister—even if he had to work himself to the bone, that would be a different story. In that sense, the senior was kinder. That was exactly why he could get a cute girlfriend even if he wasn't a handsome guy. Master, I will take responsibility for protecting your little sister’s safety at school.
“Big brother’s... romantic target...”
“Yeah. It’s a different thing from the affection he feels for his sister.”
I wasn't telling her not to rely on her brother. However, instead of waiting for him to spoil her like he always had, she might not be able to receive that kindness unless she actively went to seek it herself. Even if something painful happened to Yuki-chan, it wasn't guaranteed that Sasaki would notice it anymore.
“—Then, if I become the target of that interest, everything's solved, isn't it!”
This one’s bad news.