Chapter 48: Memories of the Ball

Game

A softball soared high into the sky above the park and fell,
pulled down by gravity.

This time, this time, I ran, determined not to drop it.

I dash as fast as I can to the expected drop point.

I run and run – desperately thrusting out the glove on my

right hand as the ball drops.

But—

“Oh…!”

The softball escapes from my outstretched hand and

bounces to the ground.

It was as if they were mocking me as I struggled to move.

“Again, …damn it, this is not how the play was supposed to
go…”

Looking at the cruel result, I let out a voice filled with

frustration.

Goddamn it… Goddamn it!

“Damn it…! I hate ball games..!”

My jersey-clad voice, full of anger and sorrow, echoed
through the park on my day off.

In the first place, how did I end up practicing softball on my

day off in a place like this?

The reason for this was an abominable memory that I had

suddenly revived three days ago.

At lunchtime that day, Shijouin-san and I were chatting

about trivial things in a corner of the class.

“So, Kazamihara-san said, ‘Shijouin-san likes bamboo shoot

chocolate, right? Mushroom chocolate isn’t an evil faction, is
it?’ He asked me with a serious face. For some reason, the
classmates around me who were listening to this were also
reacting strangely and began fidgeting…”
[TLN: Bamboo shoot and mushroom chocolate are choco
from same brand and it look like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgWdOcJKYSI]

“Uh, …yeah, I can see how they reacted. So what did you
say, Shijoin-san?”

Incidentally, mushroom chocolate and bamboo shoot

chocolate are two long-selling sweets that have been the
subject of a huge debate over which is superior for many
years.

In real life and on the Internet, there is a constant war going

on, with people saying things like, “Mushrooms are easy to
eat, while bamboo shoots get your hands dirty,” and
“Bamboo shoots have a delicious cookie dough that
mushrooms don’t have,” so it’s hard to say which one you
prefer by accident.
When she responded with, “I like Panda March for
chocolate!” For some reason, everyone’s faces became
kind, and Kazamihara-san bowed to her and said, “I’m sorry
for trying to get you involved in a silly fight… Please be the
pure Shijouin-san you are…”

“Yeah… I feel exactly the same way as Kazamihara-san. I

hope you don’t forget those pure feelings, Shijoin-san.”

“What?”

Shijouin-san questioned me as I smiled at her.

Oh, my favorite person is still cute today.

“And by the way, …it’s almost the end of the semester.

“Yeah, it’s going by fast.

Yes, it has really flown by since I started my second

adolescence in this life.

And in that short time, Shijouin-san and I have become

much closer, but after the recent visit to the Shijouin family,
I feel like we’ve become even more close to one another.

“It’s almost summer vacation, right? Before that, we have to

finish the ball game that we’re working on…”

The ball game was an inter-class event, and in our school,

there are three types of leagues: soft volleyball, softball and
basketball, and the class with the most wins is the winner.

Compared to the gym festival, it is more of a class

competition, and our class has the most wins so far because
we have a lot of athletic club members.
“Our class is winning right now! I’ll be happy if we can win
like this!”

Shijouin-san said with some excitement. As was the case

with the cultural festival, Shijouin-san seems to like events
like this, where everyone is united.

“I’m not sure if it’s because the festival brought the class
closer together, but the others were pretty fired up as well.

“Yes! Nihama-kun will be playing softball on the last day,

right? Let’s both do our best not to get injured!”

“Yeah, I guess so. My game will be at the end of the day—?

At that moment, a scene suddenly flashed back in my mind.

A softball falling toward me.

My glove selflessly thrusts out.

The ball bouncing mercilessly off the ground.

The way the classmates who had been cheering

enthusiastically fell silent.

“Oh…!

I remembered…!
No, I should say that I just realized…

(Ball games are held multiple times a year, but… there’s no

doubt it’s seasonal…! The ball game we’re having now is
the one from that time…!)

“What? What? What’s wrong with you, Nihama-kun?”

“Oh, oh, no, sorry, I just remembered something…”

I tried to make up for the black and white eyes of Shijouin-

san, but my head was filled with memories of that time.

That time when my team lost the championship because of

me and splashed water on the excitement of the class—

“That… Shijouin-san.”

“Yes?”

“Shijoin-san is participating in volleyball, but it will end in

the morning on the last day of the ball game, right? So…
you’re still coming to watch the last softball, right? …”

“Yes, of course! I’ll be rooting for you, Nihama-kun!

“Oh, yeah… Yeah, thank you…

The smile on her face was so pure and carefree that it made
me smile back with extreme bitterness.

That smile, which always gives me nothing but euphoria,

only now accelerates my anguish to no end.

If this continues, I’m going to make a mistake.

In front of the one and only girl I love.

Sitting on the grass in the park, I look up at the clear sky.

“Damn… you can’t get good at that overnight…”

I hadn’t originally intended to practice like this.

Just like in my previous life, the ball game was not a
particularly important event for me, and I thought that it
was enough if I could contribute to the class as much as I
could.

“But I can’t help remembering something like that…

The memory of my previous life that I remembered was

something like this.

On the last day of the ball game, our class and our
opponent’s class were the highest scorers, and it was a
game that could be called the final.

The last event was softball, in which I was participating, and

my position was unimportant, just like in this life.

The final event of the last day, the final match.

There was no way that such a match would not draw a
crowd, and we proceeded to compete under the gaze of
many spectators.

And then — the last inning when our class was leading by
one run.
The runners were on second and third, but there were two
outs, and it was the very last at bat.

(I’m starting to remember the details more and more, but …

was a lot of fun at that time, wasn’t it? “One more! “One
more! I’m sure you’ll agree. The class was cheering for him.
…… Shijouin-san said, “We’re almost there! I’m sure you’ll
be able to do it…

And the last pitch of the game, of all things, soared over my
head.
It was a mediocre light fly, and the other team covered their
eyes, while many of our class shouted, “Yes!” Many in our
class shouted, “Yes!”

But the one guarding the lights was me, who was not very
good at ball games.

In the previous games, the ball rarely flew toward the right
side of the field, so I had been able to get away with it, but
at the last moment, it came flying in.

The ball fell to the ground without being caught, and we lost
the game in reverse.

The other team said, “Yay! We’re winning!” and the other
team was overjoyed,

At that time, I couldn’t stand the gaze of… everyone and

kept my eyes closed for a while, so I don’t know what kind
of face the cheering Shijouin-san had on.

But there is no doubt that her excitement has cooled down.

(Well, it’s just a ball game, and in my previous life, I wasn’t

blamed by the people around me afterwards… Not that I
would be in the same situation in this life in the first place…)

Even Shijouin-san doesn’t think that dropping the ball will

change her liking for me. But–

“I’m not going to show my ineptitude in front of the girl I

love ever again…! I’m going to get better at this for sure!”

That was the only emotion I was absolutely sure of.

It may be a man’s trivial appearance, but I want to look as
good as I can in front of Shijo-in-san…!
“You should at least be able to catch flies and ground balls
well…!”

With renewed energy, I stood up and threw the ball high into
the air.

It’s all about the catch.

If I could just get the feeling of catching the ball with my
glove, I could…!

That’s…!

I timed it right, and unfolded my glove to block the path of

the ball.
That’s all I had to do, to make the ball automatically fall into
my glove.

About to fall, plop, roll [TLN: falling ball motion plop is when
hitting something and roll is the motion of ball afterward
(rolling)]

I’ve been clearing up… various problems since I started my

youth all over again in this life.

I was able to fight off the “cutthroat yankees” with my

mental strength, and at the school festival, I was able to
succeed in both presentation and management with the
skills I developed at the company I worked for in my past
life.

And the other day, I just barely cleared an interview with the
president of Shijoin Tokimune.
But this is the only… sport that has been a disaster since
my school days. …Athleticism is the only thing that is
difficult to maintain…!

Just when I was lamenting in my heart…

“Hey, Nihama? What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here? Fumihashi-san…?”

I turned around to hear a voice behind me and saw my

classmate, Mai Fumihashi, standing there in a sports T-shirt
and short pants.

ED: Animu
TL:Helena

TLN: The old translator left without any notice or anything

for quite some time now. So yeah I am taking over this
series. Don’t expect me able to do daily release like how
mowaso did it.
 Chapter 49: Savior Fumihashi-san

“No, it’s… Fumihashi-san, why are you here?”

I was not expecting to meet my classmate in the park on

my day off, so I asked the girl with the short cut hair with a
slight stammer.

“What? Because this is my usual running course. When I

don’t have club activities, I feel uncomfortable unless I run
like this.”

“Oh, I see… You are on the track team, aren’t you,

Fumihashi-san?

If you looked closely, you could see that Fumihashi was

slightly wet with sweat and her summer sports t-shirt was
tightly attached to her body. It was a little… hard to look at.

“‘So, what the hell were you doing? I could see you from a
distance, but is it a game where you throw a ball up and
then chase it until it falls down and then watch it?”

“No way!”

How lonely can I be?

“I don’t do that kind of thing alone in the middle of the day

on a holiday! I was practicing my catching for a softball
game!”

“Catching practice…? But you can catch a fly that’s right

above you if you take out your glove, right?”
“I can’t catch it! No matter how many times I try, I can’t do
it!”

…???

“Stop looking like you don’t know what you’re talking about!
You’re making me look like some kind of pitiful creature!”

Damn… I felt a disparity in the athletic sense that the

Fumihashi is not agitating me, but seriously does not
understand what I am saying…!

“…From that response, Fumihashi-san, are you good at

softball?”

“Huh? Well, I was on the softball team in junior high school,

so I’m pretty good at it.”

A former softball player…! Seriously!

“I’m sorry to interrupt your run, but would you mind

demonstrating how to catch a ball thrown from a distance?
I’m a little out of my depth here…”

In this day and age, you can’t even watch a softball

reference video on your phone, and I would love to see
someone who is good at it set an example.

“I’m not particularly good at it, but… that’s no problem! I’ll

borrow your glove for a minute!

With a smile on her face, she agreed and put on his glove,
keeping her distance from me with the ball between the
batter and the lights.

“Okay… then let’s go!”

I declare, and throw the ball high into the sky.

 I imagined a big fly, but the course was…

(Oh, man, it’s getting too steep…)

Just when I thought she was going to go over the head of

the Fumihashi-san, she started running.

With a calm, unhurried dash, she took a large step

backward and stopped precisely at the point where the ball
would fall.

There was a thump sound, and the ball landed in her

glove as if it were a matter of course.

When I couldn’t help but keep a straight face, Fumihashi

replied, “Next!” I silently threw the second pitch, which was
a powerful ball that passed through the right hand of
Fumihashi.

But Fumihashi quickly ran in that direction, blocked the

path of the ball, and easily caught it. She even threw it to
first. TLN: Threw it to first is term throwing the ball to first
base

I asked her to return the ball again, and this time I threw a
ball that resembled a powerful liner to the left of her — but
the athletic girl quickly slid to the left and caught it easily.

“Well, here’s what it looks like. Did it help? Huh? Why are
you approaching me with such a serious face?

“Fumihashi-san…”

I approached her with a serious face, and she was a little

flustered, but I didn’t care.
“Please! Please teach me how to catch!”

I bowed deeply, my knees and head coming together.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, keep your head up! Wow, I’m being
watched by a lot of people walking around…”

“Please, please! I desperately need you, Fumihashi-san…!”

“Oh my god! I’m embarrassed to say this, but I don’t feel

bad.”

I was desperate.

I probably wouldn’t be able to make remarkable progress

if I practiced alone any longer.

The only way to make progress in a short time is to get

help from Fumihashi-san, who just happened to be here.

“‘I’m not saying for free…! From now on, I’ll lend you my
notebook as a top priority!”

“Oh… really? That perfect notebook that everyone started

fighting over after Nihama-kun won first place in the school
year?”

“Oh, that’s not all! When the next midterm comes around,
I’ll lend you a notebook with all my predictions! It’s the one
that helped me get first place on my final exam!”

“Oh, my God, that’s amazing…! It’s beyond what I want!”

Fumihashi-san, who often dozes off in class, gets a twinkle

in her eyes. She looked like she had melted her fortune in
the stock market during the final exam, so this suggestion
seemed to have an extraordinary effect on her.
“Okay, okay…! I don’t have any plans today anyway, and I’ll
take responsibility for making you a full-fledged softball
player!

“Ohhhh! I’m in your debt…! Fumihashi-san is a real savior!”

When I made a heartfelt expression of joy. Fumihashi

proudly said, “Mwah! I’m really grateful to be of use.” It
seems that being relied on is not a bad thing.

“But don’t get the wrong idea. But don’t misunderstand me,
I didn’t really take the job because of the notebook.

“What…?”

“I want to help you because you’re the same person who

helped me get through the taco hell at the festival, and
you’re the same person who I look up to… on a regular
basis! Even if you don’t have a notebook, all you had to say
in response was okay!

“Fumihashi-san: ……”

I was more than a little in awe of the girl who could say
that straightforwardly.

You can honestly and quickly say such things out loud,
aren’t you?

“Thank you… for being such a good woman. Fumihashi-

san…”

“Mmmm…! After receiving such a sincere compliment, I was

wondering…”

“Hmm?
“Well… that’s why I’d like to have priority over perfect notes
and test prep notes. …If I get a red on the next midterm, I’m
in serious trouble…”

After the cool line. Fumihashi said, looking in the direction

of the day after tomorrow, as if she was somewhat
embarrassed to say that she wanted to be rewarded so
much.

“No, that’s fine, of course, but… if you don’t study on a

regular basis, you’re not going to get a high score from my
notes on that alone, okay?”

“‘I know, I know…! Don’t bully me with good arguments!”

The girl, whose lifestyle was completely devoted to sports,

said with a very painful tone in her voice.
 Chapter 50: Special Training Begins!

“Well then, Coach Fumihashi-san! I’m counting on you!

“Yes, I’ll leave it to you! Now that I’ve accepted, I’ll do it with
all my might!

When I bowed, Fumihashi-san turned her chest and said in

a good mood.

She’ s pleased to be called a coach.

“Well then, let’s see what you’ve got, Nihama-kun! I’ll keep
throwing the ball, so try to catch it!”

“All right! I’m embarrassed by my inability to catch the ball,

but watch me closely!

I replied with all my energy and dashed away from

Fumihashi-san.

Even though I was going to thank her, she was going to

make me break my bones, and I wanted to at least show her
how serious I was.

“I’ll go then!”

Fumihashi-san throws the ball underhand, and it rises

above my head.

All right… referring to the brilliant catch by Fumihashi-san

just now—
(There it is…!)

My spirits were high, but reality was not so kind.

The falling ball bounced mercilessly on the ground without

even touching my glove.

“Hmm…? You tried to catch it, but you didn’t catch it…?
Well, well, well, never mind, never mind! Let’s move on!”
 At the urging of Fudehashi’s cheerful voice, I said, “One
more time, please!” And rolled the ball back to her.

And so—

We practiced catching flies over and over again.

At first her face was cheerful, but with each repetition, it

became more and more somber, as if she was coming to
some kind of realization.

“I’m sorry, Nihama-kun… I didn’t know…”

When the fifteenth attempt failed at last, Fumihashi-san

opened her mouth gravely, as if ashamed of his ignorance.

“I thought being able to catch a ball was a standard human

function, as commonplace as opening a doorknob…! I didn’t
know there were people who couldn’t catch a ball like this …
like a loose arm in a crane game…”

“Can you please stop insulting people with zero malice?”

I told her, who was too shocked to realize that she was
being extremely rude.

“It’s not just me, most people who don’t like sports are like
this. When I try to receive a ball in volleyball, it hits the side
of my arm and rolls to the floor, and when I try to serve in
tennis, I have a half chance of striking out.”

“So, that’s how it works…”

As if she had just realized the common sense of the world,

she gulped.
 It seems that people with a good sense of exercise have a
hard time understanding the sensations of those who were
not athletic.

“Well, well, well, but I’m starting to see some

improvements. Your movement, form, and so on.”

“Oh, really? As expected of a former softball member!”

“Well… first of all, what can I do to help you, Nihama-kun?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re flapping your arms too much, so you can’t see the
ball. When I catch the ball, it would be better if I catch it
with a shuffle instead of a push and a shove.”
TLN: Not baseball/softball expert idk what that mean.

“What?”

Isn’t that explanation too sense-oriented?

“I’m sure that was a bit confusing. If I put it in words that

don’t rely on my senses, it would be …”

She cleared her throat and continued.

“Don’t put your arms out when you move, just snap your
glove to pinpoint where the ball will come swooping in. But
the ball is a grapefruit, so open it with a large hand!”

“Even after all that, onomatopoeias account for about half

of it!”

“Ugh… I’m sorry! In fact, I always end up explaining things

like this, and my younger underclassman gives me the same
look as Nihama did…!
 It was indeed difficult to understand. The onomatopoeia
rate was so high that even a certain legendary former
professional baseball manager would be surprised.

But this was about as good as it gets.

“If you’re looking for the best way to catch a softball, you’ll
want to look at… And I’m going to catch the ball by looking
at the trajectory of the ball as it falls. Softballs are big like
grapefruits, so I’m going to spread my glove wide?”

“Yes, yes, yes, that’s it! How did you know what I was
talking about?”

“Well, I have a little experience…”

The “little experience” came from, of course, my

experience as a company employee.

There were a lot of people in this world who left our

understanding behind and talked as they pleased, and I
often suffered from this when I was on the phone or in
business meetings.

So, for example—

“This subject is fully agenda-driven and committed to

results.”

” I will be doing this and that, and then I’ll be doing that
and that over there at…! Pronouns everywhere.”

”Company A’s product B, you know! Put in the elements of

C, plan D, and then use the sales method of E to eventually
achieve the goal of F!” They were all a “flood of words”.
 There are other types, such as “talking too fast and not
understanding what you are saying” and “talking too
fluently”, but organizing and translating such unintelligible
speech is an essential skill for working people.

The current “onomatopoeic speech” like Fumihashi is a

cute thing.

“All right, I’ll try to keep that in mind for now…!

“Yeah! And keep an eye on the ball! That’s what ball games
are really all about!”

“Ah! Let’s try that again!”

I knew that it would be easier to find a solution if I worked

with an experienced person rather than if I practiced blindly
by myself.

As a courtesy to the girl who was kind to me, I picked up

my glove and raised my spirits.

TLN:Join our discord server . Thanks for animu for editing

this chapter
 Chapter 51: The Struggle of the
Athletic Dullard ①

“Hmmm…close… very close but…”

“It’s an improvement, though…

Me and Fumihashi-san sat down on the grass in the park

and took a break.

I took up catching practice again with renewed enthusiasm,

taking into account the advice of Uchihashi, and the results
were indeed positive.

I was able to get a better start on the flying ball, and I was
able to take my glove out at the right time and get used to
figuring out the trajectory of the ball.

But there were many times when the ball hit the glove but
bounced right off, or when I thought I caught it but it fell out
of my hand.

“Damn… it doesn’t work that way, does it? It’s sad that I
can’t do what everyone else can do for no reason…”

It’s something everyone can do, so when you fail to do it,

people will wonder, ‘Why are you dropping it? In some
cases, there will be people who will say, “You’re not taking
this seriously!”

“Well, well, I’m a little relieved, aren’t I? I’m a little relieved

to hear that even Nihama-kun, who was active in the school
festival and got the highest score on the final exam, has his
weaknesses.”

I’m not good at a lot of things,” I said. It’s nice to get

compliments, but… those two were just outlier reasons to
work hard.”

In the first place, the success of both the festival and the
final exam was largely due to the fact that I was in my
second year of life, not because I was a talented person.

“To be honest, I envy people like you who are athletic. I

think my life would have been different if I were athletic.”

I can’t help but complain about that as I look up at the clear

blue sky.

Yes, in this life, but in… my previous life, I strongly believed

that if only I could exercise.

“What? I’m definitely more jealous of someone who’s smart

compared to someone who can exercise… And isn’t it a bit
of an exaggeration to say that your life depends on whether
you can exercise or not?”

“No… that’s not too big a deal for boys. After all, it could
determine their character for the rest of their lives.”

“Huh? Character? From just exercise?”

It would certainly not be understood in fumihashi’s mind.

But I believe that athletic ability has a tremendous impact

on one’s life.

“Yeah, this is just my biased opinion, but… whether you can

exercise is determined when you enter elementary school.
That’s what’s so important for boys.”

In a way, that is the most important time in life when

athletic ability is considered.

It is at that point that the first school caste is determined.

“The boys in elementary school decide who is the best in

the class based on their athletic ability. If you run fast or
play dodgeball well, people around you will say, ‘Wow!
You’re so cool! People around you will praise you, and your
status in the class will rise, and you’ll gain confidence and
become more and more cheerful.

Moreover, this trend carries over to middle school and high

school.

This is why those who are athletically gifted are sunny from
start to finish while in school.

“Yeah…! And yet, come to think of it… when I was in

elementary school and junior high, all the bright and active
boys were certainly the ones who could exercise…”

“You see? So, boys who can’t do sports are positioned as

‘weak’ by the people around them. They are ridiculed and
disrespected, and their status in the class goes down, and
they lose confidence in themselves. I’m a little better now,
but until a while ago, I was a dark guy who didn’t talk much.

“Wow… boys are like that. …Huh? But on the other hand,
what happened to make Ninhama-kun so cheerful…? It’s
not that you’re gloomy now, but you’re an energetic guy
who most of the class agrees is too much…”

“Well, that’s the… thing, I’ve had a bit of a makeover…”

I can’t say that I’m a person from the future who is redoing
my youth as an athletically-challenged and negative person,
so I covered it up.

“But that’s what I meant when I said that it determines your

character and your life. Of course, there are plenty of
exceptions, and I just think that way. …At least that’s what
I’ve experienced, so I don’t have a good image of exercise,
and I envy people who can exercise.”

I really have nothing but abominable memories when it

comes to exercise.

Falling down while running, getting hit in the face with a

dodgeball, falling over when my foot swung out of the air
when I kicked a soccer ball.

Every time I did, I was ridiculed and laughed at.

And I gradually lost my confidence and my self-esteem .

(Oh… I see. …I realized that when we were talking…)

The reason why I’ve become a dark and weak shadow man
— it all started with my lack of athletic ability.

In other words, I’m now challenging what in a sense can be

called the culprit of my shady character.

“That’s it!

“What? What the fuck?”

I looked closely at fumihashi, who suddenly pointed at me

and shouted.

“That’s it! When you were catching the ball earlier, your
timing was right, but you were kind of hunched over! Your
eyes never left the ball, but you couldn’t look directly at it,
like you were looking at something scary! I thought it was
my imagination, but… Nihama’s aversion to such sports is
shown in the way he plays!

“That’s…”

If you ask me, I couldn’t deny it.

Not only do I remember my traumatic past ball games, but

balls basically remind me of all the failures that I had when
playing group ball games.

If such subconsciousness is preventing you from looking

directly at the ball, which is the most important thing in ball
games, it is indeed quite a critical flaw.

“Maybe so… but even if that’s the case, how do I overcome

it…?”

Is it just a matter of self-awareness, or is it a matter of

determination?

No, that’s not enough…

“Hmmm… I don’t know if it will work, but I have an idea.”

“Oh, really? That’s my coach!”

“Uh… yeah, so I’m kind of embarrassed to ask you for

that…”

Then, for some reason, fumihashi’s cheeks flushed and she

slurred her words.

What is it? Why are you blushing here?

“Well, Nihama-kun likes Shijouin-san… right?”

 Chapter 52: The Struggle of the
Athletic Dullard ②

“What…!?”

How do you know about it?

Did Kazamihara or Ginji tell you!?

“I know you’re shocked, but I found you two together at

the… festival, and you forgot that I was there. I was too
busy with the takoyaki cafe at the time.”

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking…!

Damn, I was in such a hurry at the time, I thought you didn’t

care that me and Shijoin-san were together…!

“Well, that wasn’t the only thing that convinced me, but… I
was convinced when I saw both of you like that afterwards. I
don’t know about the natural Shijoin-san, but I’m sure
Nihama-kun is serious about her.”

“Gu… Well, if it’s Fumihashi-san, I don’t mind saying it… I’m

embarrassed, but I’ll admit it. I like… Shijoin-san.”

I’m not going to be able to fake it, so I decided to say how I

feel.

There seems to be a lot of leaks regarding this lately…

Then the Fumihashi-san said, “Huh…! Oh, I knew it…!
Wow…!” And her cheeks became even more flushed like a
cherry.

…Why is it that you are more embarrassed than I am when I

was the one that confessed?

“Oh, I see. …Hmm. I’m really excited to hear that two

people who are close to each other are in that situation.
Hey, hey, you already kissed her or something, right?”

“No, I haven’t. …Or rather, I’m not in a relationship yet…”

“What…? What are you doing when you’re that close to her
then?”

“Don’t blame me for having a dead face all of a sudden!”

Don’t give me your usual Fumihashi-san gaze!

It’s like you’re calling me feeble!

“Well, that’s enough about that… To purposely come to

softball practice on a holiday, perhaps you just don’t want to
show your lame side to Shijoin-san. Or rather, there isn’t
any other reason huh.”

“Yes, that’s totally true. It’s not for class or anything, I just
want to be cool for a girl that I like.”

After all, a woman’s power of deduction increases when it

comes to romance, or so it seems, and she completely hits
the nail on the head.

I had no choice but to come clean since my background had

been completely discovered.
“Okay! Then imagine it! Imagine Shijouin-san cheering for
you, Shinhama-kun! Fill your head with the thought of
wanting to show the person you love how cool you are!”

“Yeah…?”

“I saw you at the festival, and you’re like a runaway

locomotive once you get going, aren’t you? That’s why, with
that kind of momentum, you’re so fired up to show the
person you love what’s good about yourself! I’m sure you’ll
be happy to hear that.It’s not uncommon in sports to make
up for one more push with energy!”

In order to overcome the feeling of uncomfortability,

Fumihashi said to let the most passionate emotion, love,
burn brightly. At first glance, this may seem like a
comforting psychology, but if you recall… It’s something I’ve
always done.

Whether it was the cultural festival or the final exam, it was

always my feelings for Shijo-in-san that were the driving
force that drove me.

“I’ll try it…! Throw me the ball, Fumihashi-san!”

“Okay! It’s going to work this time!”

Just like before, I moved away from the scene.

By the way, you’re a really good girl to be so

accommodating to me, Fumihashi-san.

I would have been absolutely stuck on my own, and all I can

say is thank you.

“You’re in position! Let’s go then!”

From afar, Fumihashi shouted, and the ball was thrown up
into the sky of the park.

And I, from my hunched position, dashed after it.

As I watched the ball, I anticipated where it would fall.

(Oh… balls are “scary” to me, if you ask me.)

For a few moments, I think about it.

It is instinctive to be afraid of flying objects, but not only

that, I have an aversion to balls in general.

It’s probably because of my dislike for exercise as a whole,

as Fumihashi-san said, it’s got some pretty old roots in me.

However…

My regrets about my youth and my feelings for Shijoin-san

are even deeper than that.

(Picture it… the event-loving Shijo-in-san excitedly cheering

me on! Maybe she will cheer me on by name! And if I do
well, she might praise me later like she did during the test!)

It’s not a matter of “I don’t want to show my uncool side,”

but a matter of “I want to show my cool side.

It’s not about evading, it’s about attacking.

It was at this point that I realized that I was a much simpler

and more romantic guy than I had imagined.

The edge of my mouth naturally relaxed.

My aversion to the ball fades, and my awareness of the

carrot dangled in front of me is inspired by the fact that
what is falling is not a threat, but an opportunity.

The cheers of the imaginary Shijoin-san gave me the extra

push that I needed.

I held up my glove and stared at the white ball as it fell.

I stared at it, determined to get it, and kept my eyes on it

until the end.

I saw the trajectory of the ball and opened my glove wide,

but without rushing or letting go of my body.

And then—

Plop! With a light sound, I felt a strong impact on my glove.

The white ball had indeed been caught in my hand.

“Oh–? Oh– oh– oh– oh– oh– OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“Yeah, yeaahhhhhh!”

As soon as I found the ball in my glove, I, of course, shouted

a cheer while Fumihashi rushed towards me.

“Amazing–! That’s amazing, Nihama! I’m going to cry–! This

is the kind of joy a mother feels when her baby starts
walking on its own feet–!”

“Thank you! I feel like I’m being rude to the max, but it’s all
thanks to Fumihashi-san –! I really appreciate it!”

Objectively speaking, it was just a mediocre fly catch,

nothing great, but both me and Fumihashi dominated by a
mysterious emotion that welled up in us.

You could say that our brains had become stupid.

Oh, I see. …So this is the sports guts inspiration we’ve seen
so much of in manga and anime! The joy of being able to do
what you can’t do with effort…!

“Well then… let’s move on!

And then, after sharing the excitement for a moment, as if

to regain her energy, she continued.

“To… the next?”

“Yeah! You’re far from finished if you can only catch one
pitch! You need to practice catching flies, liners, and ground
balls so that you can catch them all perfectly!

Yes, that’s absolutely true, but …….

“No, but it would take a lot of time to do that, and I can’t let
Fumihashi-san help that much…”

“What are you talking about? Nihama-kun has just taken his
first step, and I can’t leave you here! Gather your energy!”

She declared with fire in her eyes and a strong tone of

voice.

There’s something… different about the atmosphere…!

(This is… a mysterious emotion that has lit a fire in me as a

gymnast…! I’m totally in the mode of a senior member of a
club mentoring a junior member…!) [TLN: This is from
Fumihashi pov]

“Come on, let’s go! You’ll have to train until you can catch
any course perfectly! And the only response I should hear is
a “Yes! That’s it! I’m going to go hard, so be prepared!

“Yes…?”
“No! Keep your voice up!

“Yes, yes, yes!”

I raise my voice instantly.

It was like I was in an athletic club.

“Yes! I’ll do it, Nihama-kun! I’ll make you a full-fledged

softball player, just like you asked! Let’s go for it!”

I felt sweat run down my cheek as I heard the sound of

Fumihashi’s voice with maximum enthusiasm.

I really appreciate it, I don’t know if I can hold on … or can

I…?
 Chapter 53: The Struggle of the
Athletic Dullard ③

It was the last day of the ball game.

The softball team was gathered on the field under a sunny

sky with no clouds.

“I’ve been playing softball for a while now. If it was soccer or

something like that, you could still be cool by just chasing
the ball around…”

The guy next to me in gym clothes, Ginji, complained in

frustration.

He belonged to the computer club, and like me, he was not

very good at ball games like this.

“In fact, sports are considered too sacred to be healthy and

educational. …What’s with the enthusiastic look on your
face, Nihama-kun? Don’t tell me you’ve improved your
athletic skills after your academic skills?”

“My athleticism isn’t going to get any better. I’m just a little
bit more prepared for this game.”

To tell the truth, what I did as preparation couldn’t be

considered “little”. Because the other day’s softball catching
practice turned into an unexpectedly intense training
session.
After I finally managed to catch a fly… Fumihashi-san
ignited my sporty spirit and turned into a Spartan coach
from the Showa era.

I was thrown a lot of ground balls, liners, and flies.

The never-ending hell of catching the ball made me realize

how unathletic I was, but it was still a great help in
improving my skills and raising my motivation for the game.

(I can’t thank Fumihashi enough for helping me that much,

but I was physically dead that day. …Well, it was much
healthier mentally than working overtime at a desk that I
didn’t enjoy at all.)

“Oh… I got the gist of it. I’m sure you’ve been practicing
hard to look good for Shijoin-san again.”

“How did you know? You’re an esper!”

“I know how you act when you’re in love. Your responses

have changed to “I’ll work so hard I’ll die for my favorite”
only, with the previously available, “Shut up” and “Give up”
disappearing.

Ginji said with a dumbfounded look.

I had such a straightforward and predictable action pattern

from the beginning…?

“There are many people for a mere ball game…”

As Ginji said, there were a large number of students around

the ground to observe the game.

After all, just like in my previous life, people are gathering to

watch the winner of the final game.
What’s more — the excitement is quite high.

“Let’s get it over with! If we win this, we win the

tournament!”

“Boys of the softball team! If you win, the teacher will buy
you juice, so do your best for the class!”

“I’m betting my lunch that my class will win! You better

win!”

The cheers I heard before the game started were from the
visitors of my class.

The fervor in their voices is more than I can remember from

my previous life, and the softball team, too.

“Well, we’ve won so far, so let’s keep it up!”

“Yeah! I get really fired up when girls cheer me on!”

“Yes! My one-legged batting technique is about to catch

fire!”

“Akazaki, you’d better reflect on the last time you did that
and fell down in the batter’s box.”

The morale was quite high, even if it was a bit of a joke.

What? In my previous life, there was a lot of excitement, but

I don’t think it was enough to get people cheering before
the game…?

“What’s with… all the excitement, even if it is the finals…”

“What are you talking about, Nihama-kun? You’re the one

who created this atmosphere.”
“What…?”

“Didn’t we all have a fun at the festival you organized?

Since then, our class has become closer in spirit, and the
camaraderie has grown stronger overall. Thanks to this, the
atmosphere is easy to relax and easy to get along with, and
when it comes to the championship game of a ball game,
the atmosphere can be as high as this.”

“So that’s what… is this all about.”

I thought that the unity of the class had become a little

stronger, but I did not realize that the cultural festival had
such an impact on the atmosphere in the class.

But if the unity of the… class is growing, the game will be

more exciting, but when you lose, the disappointment will
be worse…

“Hmm? That’s…”

I saw Shijouin-san in her gym uniform sitting among the

people from my class who were sitting on the ground
cheering for the team.

Kazamihara and Fumihashi, who seemed to have started

talking to each other a lot lately, were on either side of her.

She seemed to notice that I was looking at her, and

Kazamihara said, “Oh, Nihama-kun is looking over here…
Well, please do your best to look cool in front of Shijouin-
san, okay? She grinned at me and said, “You’ve done a
great job with your training! Good Luck!!! As if to say, “I’m
going to do it,” she thrusts out her left and right arms and
gives me a double thumbs-up.
Shijoin-san seemed to like this kind of event as well, and
seemed to be very excited about this atmosphere of class
excitement even before the game started.

(Oh…)

And then — my eyes met hers.

It was as if we were both looking for each other, and we

were certainly looking into each other’s eyes.

I’d like to think that it wasn’t an illusion.

The moment our gazes intertwined, Shijoin-san smiled like a

flower blooming.

She said, “I’m rooting for you so much! Please do your

best!” and as if to say, “Good luck!”, she waved her hands
vigorously at me.

It was a straightforward expression of an innocent heart to

support me.

“Oh, oh, oh! Did you see that, guys! Shijoin-san just waved
at me!”

“Huh? What’s with the ego, man! It was for me!”

“Don’t start a sad fight when you know you won’t get an
eye!

“But Shijouin-san’s in a good mood! You’ll get a chance if

you play well!

“Ah, it looks like it’s time to get serious…!

Boys are sadly simple creatures, and a smile and a wave

from a beautiful girl is enough to boost their morale. And I
am no exception to this rule.

“Hey, hey, look, Nihama. Every single one of them is making

the tension too high.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! I’m gonna do it …… I’m gonna

do it!!!”

“So, you’re the one who’s the softest?

You’re being a jerk, Ginji.

The girl I love the most on earth smiled and waved at me.

What man wouldn’t be burned up by this?

And as I was doing this foolish thing, a broadcast sounded

on the ground.

The time has come for the second grade softball game
between 2-B and 2-D of the tournament to begin. Please line
up in the center of the field if you are going to play.

“Let’s go, Ginji! Let’s do this!”

As I ran to the line up point, the other guys said, “Hey! I’m
going to hit 100 percent, so watch this!” “Hyah!” “I’m gonna
do it! It’s the perfect opportunity to get the girls to cackle!”
and Shijouin-san rushed out with her head still red from
cheering for me.

“Wait, it’s not fair that you’re the only ones acting like
you’re drunk!”

I felt a little sorry for Ginji, who was the only one who
couldn’t be an idiot and seemed to be the only one who kept
a straight face at the drinking party.
Anyway…

The game, which had become an abominable memory in my

previous life, started with a surprisingly large amount of
motivation.
 Chapter 54: Just This One Moment of
Passion

The final game of the ball game tournament was a battle of

skills.

The opposing team was filled with mostly athletic people

and had several players with baseball experience.

Even if the bat hit the ball, it was either a fly or a ground

ball, and the handling of the fly or ground ball was accurate,
so we couldn’t score any runs in the beginning.

Furthermore, the opponent was not only strong defensively,

but also offensively.

Tsukamoto, who was on the baseball team, was the pitcher

in our class, and he had been cooking his opponents with
his imposing pitching (called windmill pitching). …In this
game, the pitches on both sides were flying.

However, our defenders, who had high morale, made a

series of mysterious good plays, such as diving catches and
jumping throws, and prevented all of those hits.

The opponents began to get quite frustrated with the lack of

scoring despite a number of high quality hits, and their
performance became more and more choppy in the second
half.

After giving up a dead ball to Ginji, I made a mistake in

handling a ball that miraculously got caught in the bat,
allowing Ginji to advance while I was out.

The next batter, Tsukamoto, declared, “I’ve got to show my

girlfriend some respect for the baseball team, and I’d like to
show her some good things soon,” and made a hit to score a
run. That’s what I’ve come to expect from a legitimate
good-looking sportsman.

When Ginji came back home, everyone said, “Nice dead

ball!” Ginji rubbed his belly and said, “I can’t be happy
about just hitting the side of my head. …Ouch…” He
seemed to be happy that he was able to step on the
platform.

If we can keep this up, the game would be easily in our

hands — or so everyone thought…

(Is this where it’s going to turn out like I remember? …!)

In the last inning of the game, we took a one-run lead.

The defense supported Tsukamoto, who was starting to tire,

drove them in with two outs, but at the cost of runners
advancing to second and third base.

One more runner and everything would be decided.

Everyone was enthusiastic about the game, and the turnout

was unparalleled in the past.

When I glanced over, I saw that Shijouin-san was cheering

excitedly, alongside, of course, Fumihashi and even the
normally quiet Kazamihara was watching with clenched
fists.

“Hang in there, Tsukamoto! One more!”

“Hit it! If you hit, They’re dead!”

“Good luck! We’ve come this far, let’s finish it with a win!

“Hit it high! Most of the outfielders are not very good, so

just let it fly!”

“Softballs don’t fly very well! Protect the front!”

“Stay calm! Don’t worry about winning!”

Both our class and the opposing class were as excited as if it

were an official baseball game, and I could understand why.
The last minute of a game where you don’t know whether
you’re going to win or lose has the power to excite people,
even if it was a casual game.

(No matter how similar the situation is, it doesn’t mean it

will come to me…)

Since I started over in this life, I have yet to see the kind of
historical repentance that is common in science fiction.

The proof of this is that I myself have been changing the

future of everything from school festivals, final exams,
family relationships, and friendships.

I’ve been able to change the future of every single thing I’ve
done in my life.

(But… even if it flies at me, I’ll definitely catch it…! That’s

what I’ve been practicing for!)

In this game, no ball has come to me at all.

But I didn’t have the thought of, “I hope the ball doesn’t fly
at me till the end of the game”.
(At first I just didn’t want to show my uncoolness in front of
Shijouin-san…)

Looking around, I could see my teammates who were

flippant and enthusiastic, and my classmates who were
cheering me on with their voices.

There were people who enjoyed events and liked the feeling
of togetherness.

I didn’t dislike this atmosphere that is created in the class.

(I want to be cool in front of the girl I like, but at the same

time — I want to win with the class. That’s what I’m thinking
about right now…!)

And then — the last pitch was thrown, and the batter met it
with his bat.

What echoed in the ground was not the sound of catcher’s

mitts that we were expecting, but the metallic sound of bats
that the other team was eager to hear.

When I looked up, I saw that the ball was rising high into the
sky.

The direction of the ball’s trajectory is toward me.

(It really flew this way…! And it’s far!)

The fact that I was able to dash to the rear as soon as I

made that decision was thanks to the special training of the
Fumihashi.

(Can I make it in time? Can I catch it in time? Can I catch it

in time?)
The ball is rising fast, and it’s clearly more difficult than the
mediocre light flies I failed to hit in my previous life.

If I drop it, the game will end in defeat just like my previous
life, and if I catch it, the game will end in our victory.

I’m sure all the students in the room are looking at the ball
flying through the blue sky and me running after it.

I don’t have time to check that, but the pressure is

mounting.

“I might not be able to catch it.”

A worm of anxiety emerges from my unconscious.

“It’s still impossible for me to be active in sports that I’m not

good at, let alone other things.”

“I tried, and I can’t help it if the result is no good.”

“In the first place, this is a difficult pitch for amateurs. No

one will blame you if you can’t catch it.”

After all this time, the scared little me within myself tries to
take precautions.

And so, once again, I dragged my feet like a grudge, trying

to close off my possibilities.

And then, when my movements slowed down just a little…

“Nihama-kun! Please do your best!”

I heard the voice of the girl I love the most in the world.

She was shouting my name as loudly as she could, which is

not something you’d expect from a young lady.
She was cheering me on from the bottom of her heart,
giving me a burst of energy.

Yeah, you could call me Pavlov’s dog.

Just hearing her cheering is enough to fill me with joy and

my heart leaps into action.

All my fears and trepidation disappear.

(Yes, attack, don’t run! It’s not just sports….You’ve decided

that’s what you’re going to do the second time around…!)

I read the trajectory of the ball as it fell and held out my

glove as I ran.

The timing was just barely right, and I was self-conscious.

And so the white ball, falling like a shooting star…

Fell and hit my glove mercilessly.

(Ah…)

The ball dancing in the air from the impact of hitting my

glove was reflected in my eyes very slowly, like the slow
playback of a movie.

The way the victory in the form of a white ball spilled out of
my hand previously…

(To…)

At that moment, what dominated my mind was not blank

despair.

(I can’t let it go!)

Something that should never have been born in my mind.

There was only the fiery hot blood of passion, which was
never possible in my previous life.

And—

(…!)

Catching the ball in a reckless position, I fell down with a

crash.

A cloud of dust rose up from the ground, and I was drenched

in reddish brown dirt.

“Yeah! They dropped it ”

“Turn, turn, turn!”

“We’re making it!”

“Oh, so close!”

“Oh, fuck!”

“Shit, no…!”

The other team was excited and our team was down.

The reaction of the two teams was clear: winners and losers.

However, it was still a little too early to decide.

“Oh…? Wait, wait, wait! That…!”

At the sound of Shijouin-san’s voice, the students’ gazes

were drawn to me again.
The cloud of dust cleared, and I stood up, raising my arms to
show my surroundings.

The ball hit my glove and floated in the air, but I grabbed it
with my right hand and held on to it.

I literally grabbed the winning ball with my own hands and

held it up high.

“Out! Game set!”

The referee declared as he recognized my catch, and the

cheers from our class poured down on the ground as the
game was reversed.
 Chapter 55: Sometimes a Sports
Story Isn’t So Bad

As the cheers of victory poured out onto the field, I sat up

and stared blankly at the ball in my right hand.

“I won… I caught it and I won… didn’t I?”

I was so self-conscious while I was playing, but when I woke

up from my trance, the ball in my hands and the excited
voices of the visitors didn’t feel real anymore.

“Nice work, Nihama-kun!”

“Good job, you bastards!”

“That was almost a home run, and you caught it.”

“Ha-ha-ha! It feels good to win with all this excitement!”

The next thing I know, my teammates were gathered all

around me, smiling and praising me like a child genuinely
happy with a victory.

(…Everyone is praising me… for being an athletic little shit

and for doing well in sports ……)

Just like at the launch of a cultural festival, I was stunned by

everyone’s words and bathed my whole body in them.

I couldn’t believe that I was in the middle of a scene

honoring the meritorious after a victory that I only knew
from baseball cartoons.

“But I just happened to catch the last ball. To tell you the
truth, this is the first time I’ve worked as a fielder in this
game.”

“Haha, don’t worry about the details! It’s inevitable that the
last home run or fine play that decides the game will stand
out!”

The one who said that was Tsukamoto, the pitcher who had
definitely worked 100 times harder than me throughout the
entire game.

“I mean, you really saved my life, too! When the ball was hit
at the end, my blood drained out of my body so much, but
when you caught it, it suddenly rushed back. I was so
grateful that I shouted, ‘Great job, Nihama!’ Thank you so
much…!”

Tsukamoto expressed his gratitude, looking deeply relieved.

Apparently, the pressure of a pitcher on the verge of victory

was unbelievable, and my catch had saved his cold nerves.

“Yeah, you did a good job! Ball games are inherently

intimidating, but when you got girls screaming at you like
this, you got to win!

“I laughed a little at the way he caught it because it was so

gutsy, but nice catch, skinny guy!”

“Hey guys…”

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m drunk with the enthusiasm of
victory, but everyone honestly congratulated me on my
little victory.
It’s not like they were this flippant in my previous life… but
if this is how they became after the festival, it’s probably an
unexpected side effect of my efforts to raise Shijoin-san’s
favorability.

It was a good feeling to win with this team and to be able to

share the joy with these guys.

“Okay… Now that you mention it, I’m starting to get excited
and feel good about myself! I didn’t feel like I won until just
now, but I’m going to scream too!”

“Oh, come on!”

“Come on! Everyone’s already yelling at the top of their

lungs!”

I took a deep breath as I listened to everyone’s light-hearted

comments.

So now — let’s shout out our joy honestly.

“HOLY SHIT I WON! WOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

My victory cry echoed across the field as I struck a gut-

wrenching pose, surrounded by my teammates.

“Fu… the water is super tasty…”

I was at a water fountain at the edge of the playground,

quenching my thirst.

The heat in my body from the game I had just finished had
not yet subsided.

“…You were all so happy to see me.”

I remember how excited my teammates were about our
victory earlier.

In my previous life, I had only dark memories of ball games

and other sports-related events, but… it was worth the
effort to see them so excited.

“Even when I’m not good at something, I try my best…”

“Yeah, yeah! Hard work never fails, especially when it

comes to muscles! Especially when it comes to muscles!”

“Whoa! Fumihashi-san!”

It was Mai Fumihashi, who had supported me the most this

time, who suddenly called out to me from behind.

“I’ve been watching the game, and you did really well,
Nihama-kun! I’m impressed!”

As if to say, “It was a great honor to be a coach,” Fumihashi

continued in a good mood.

“That Nihama-kun, who couldn’t even catch a mediocre fly,

caught such a difficult pitch at the very last… moment, it
was really the best moment I’ve ever seen…! It’s as if a bird
that was waddling around just a few minutes ago suddenly
took to the skies and my heart was filled with…!

“Don’t get all gushy and teary! And is that rude compliment
a habit of yours?”

There’s no denying that I’m a waddling bird, but come on!

“But I’m really grateful to Fumihashi-san… To be honest, I

wouldn’t have been able to catch it if it hadn’t been for that
spartan… and gut-wrenching training.
“It was worth coaching you if you say so! Oh, if you’re
interested in athletics, would you like to join the track team?

“Sorry, no, thank you.

When I dodged her casual solicitation, Fumihashi was

disappointed, “Tch.”

”I’m sorry, Fumihashi. I’m sorry about that,” I said. This

incident made me feel less bad about exercise than before,
but it also made me realize once again that I don’t have any
talent for physical activities at all.

“But I was able to see something really good! Nihama-kun,

who is not very good at sports, played with so much
enthusiasm! The power of love is amazing…! The moment
Shijouin-san cheered for Nihama-kun with his name, his
movements and spirit were completely different!”

“What…? No, I was definitely fired up, but did it make any
difference in my movements?”

“Yeah! It was like they put a powerful motor in a spring doll

and it was just overflowing with power! I’m sure it was
unconsciously, but my mouth is saying, “Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa!” And it leaked out!”

“Seriously? Wow, that’s so embarrassing!”

I was completely unaware that I looked like such a simp

from the outside…

“But… I think I envy you and Shijoin, to be honest. Everyone

loves someone, but I don’t think there are many people who
feel that strongly about someone.”

“Yeah… I think.
“Yes, that’s it! And that feeling will definitely reach her! As
your coach, I can guarantee it!”

The smile on her face is full of the vitality of an athletic girl,

and it encourages me. But she’s a really nice girl…

“Whoa! Well, it looks like she’s here, so I’ll just leave you in
peace! See you later!”

Abruptly leaving it at that, Fumihashi quickly left the place.

Hmm? You’re awfully busy, aren’t you?

The one who comes running from the other side as if to

replace her was…

“Nihama-kun! I’ve finally found you!

“Eh…! Shijoin-san!”

There was no way I could mistake the person I love for

someone else.

But I still doubted my own perception, because Shijouin-

san’s eyes were even more sparkly and shiny than usual.

And then… my hand, frozen in surprise, was wrapped in

something soft and smooth.

“Whoa…!”

Shijoin-san, who was right under my nose, was holding my

hands as if she were wrapping them in her arms — there
was a slight time lag for my brain to recognize this fact.

“That was amazing! To win so dramatically in such a final

scene! That was the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen…!”
Still holding my hand, Shijoin-san shakes her arm up and
down with a buzzing motion.

The feeling of the angel’s palm in my hands is silky and

pleasant, but my head can’t keep up with her momentum.

“Sh-Shijoin-san…! I’m glad you’re here, but what’s with all

the enthusiasm?”

“Huh? It’s a ritual to honor a good fight in softball, right?

Fumihashi-san told me, “If you do it for Nihama-kun, he’ll be
happy! When I asked her…”

You told her a complete lie.

But I’ll forgive you because it makes me happy! Well done!

“It was just amazing! It was just amazing!”

Oh no, Shijoin-san’s vocabulary is even worse than it was

during the final exam.

Her excitement is like that of an Osaka citizen when a

certain tiger baseball team wins the championship.

“At the end, I felt so excited that I jumped up and down for
joy! He couldn’t catch it with his glove, but he didn’t give up
and went to grab it with his bare hands, and I was so
excited…!

It was also very touching to see all the team members

congratulating Nihama-kun afterwards!”

I could tell from Shijoin-san’s maxed-out excitement, at the

highest it has ever been, that she was truly congratulating
me on the results of my efforts.
It seems that Shijoin-san, who loves unity and youth events,
enjoyed the game a lot.

“But it was good! It’s not only that we were all happy to win,
but… Nihama-kun looked so happy.”

Shijoin-san, who had finished telling me how impressed she

was, suddenly looked at me and said something like that.

“What? Do you enjoy it?”

“Yes! Nihama-kun didn’t seem to be that excited about the

ball game, but… But today he seemed to be having a lot of
fun, despite his mixed feelings of anxiety and nervousness.”

If you ask me, I’ve been nervous since the start of the…
game, but I haven’t been sick to my stomach with fear of
failure or wishing this game would end as soon as possible
like in my previous life.

“I’m not very good at ball games because I have a terrible

sense of movement. But it can be fun to scream when the
other team hits, or cheer when your teammate makes a
good play…”

It was Fumihashi’s special training that supported me.

But what made me want to do my best in the first place?

What gave me the strongest motivation for this match

was…

“Thank you for your support today, Shijoin-san. At the end

of the day, I was so happy that you cheered for me
directly… It was outrageously motivating. Thanks to you, I
was able to work the hardest where it mattered most.”
“I was so carried away at the time that I shouted, but you
got my message. I’m embarrassed to say that no matter
how enthusiastic I was about the game, I shouted a little too
loudly…”

Shijouin-san says, squirming, her cheeks slightly red.

“I couldn’t help but shout… when I saw Nihama-kun running

so hard.”

Shijouin-san smiled, leaving a blush of embarrassment on

her cheeks.

Her words and smile, which expressed her clear, limpid

heart, were so lovely and heartwarming. I fell in love with
her all over again.
TLN: Just ask her to go out smh. Even better cross the line
with her.

Just seeing this exhausted but excited look on Shijoin-san’s

face was enough to make this time’s painful challenge to…
athleticism completely worth it.

“‘Well, then, let’s go back to the classroom, where everyone

is waiting for us! The teacher is going to buy us some juice!”

“Yeah, let’s go. We won’t be able to do a toast until all of us

are in the classroom.”

Feeling pleasantly exhausted, Shijoin-san and I walked out

together.

In the midst of all this, I suddenly realized that I was

following the template of a sports manga.

The reason I started practicing was for the girl I love, and
because of that desire, I went through a grueling training
session, overcame my unconscious weaknesses, fought with
my team, and in the end, just barely picked up a victory
through sheer perseverance.

And from the perspective of someone who has tasted that

path from beginning to end—

(Yeah, I know…)

In my previous life, I was not only bad at it, but even an

enemy to my own team.
 Chapter 56: Send a Message to the
Girl ①

It was the evening after school.

Shijouin-san and I were in the library together for our work

as library committee members.

“It’s always nice to read a light novel with a cool main

character. Some of the ones I’ve read in one sitting lately
have been great, like The Sorcerer’s Orphan!”
[EDN: Maybe this?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorcerous_Stabber_Orphen Not
certain though]

“Oh, he’s so cool… Every single line he said when he fought

his past self in volume 5 touched my heart, and I fell in love
with him so much.”

“Yes, yes, yes! I like that volume very much, too.”

We were sitting across from each other at a table in the

library, enjoying a discussion about “Ranobe-” in between
our work as book committee members as usual.

It was the perfect time for me to combine my hobby with

my love life, and normally I would just soak in the
happiness, but today was a little different.

Today, I had a mission to complete.

(Today is the… day I have to say it out loud…!)

My heart was pounding and I was trying to find the right
time.

What I have to say is simple, and the content is not

particularly strange now that I can have a light chat with
Shijouin-san like this.

All you have to do is say one word — tell her what it is.

(I probably should have asked her earlier, but when I told

her… that I hadn’t actually asked her yet, she was all over
me…) [TLN: Basically he told his sis that he hasn’t asked
shijouin-san yet and his sis laughing at him]

All I can think of is the disgusted faces of those close to me

who know about my love life.

“What? You haven’t told her yet? …What are you doing,
bro?”

“Are you serious? …You are getting along so well too…”

“Yes…? I’m sure you’ve had plenty of opportunities to ask

her this before, but what the hell are you doing?”

“Oh, you haven’t done that yet! What, is this a joke?”

These are the words of ridicule I received from my sister

Kanako, Ginji, Kazamihara, and Fumihashi.

And objectively speaking, they are the ones who are

reasonable, and it is my fault for not being able to ask her
about it yet.

(But I get nervous when I’m about to bring it up. …I was a

shady guy in my previous life, and I never had the chance to
ask a girl this.)
However, there is no point in agonizing over it forever.

It’s not my style in this life to be afraid to step away from

what I need to do.

“That… Shijouin-san. Actually, I’d like to ask you

something.”

“Ah, yes. What is it, Nihama-kun?”

“That …actually, m-… m-…”

“M…?”

Oh, shit. I’m not a sheep. What am I babbling about?

Don’t be afraid! Trust the relationship you’ve built up!

Be honest about your desire to take the next step with
Shijouin-san!

“That…! Could I have Shijouin’s cell phone number and

email address…?”
TLN: why not just confess to her smh. Confession chapter
when? EDN: Welcome to the world of romcom

After getting over my nervousness, I finally said it out loud.

Up until now, I could always meet Shijouin-san when I came

to school.

We were in the same class, so we could have as many

meetings as we wanted, whether it was for study groups or
library committee work.

So I didn’t feel particularly inconvenienced — but the

semester was almost over and summer vacation was
coming.
It was only recently that I realized that if we didn’t exchange
numbers and e-mail addresses before the end of the school
year, we wouldn’t have any contact for about a month.

(If we didn’t have much of a relationship, asking this would

be nothing more than a pick-up line. …But now that
Shijouin-san’s perception of me has been upgraded to
“friend,” there should be no problem… Right…!?)

However, my heart was racing as I said, “Tell me your e-mail

address” for the first time in my life.

Those youkas who can hear such things as if they were

breathing are too amazing.

And as for Shijouin-san’s reaction…

What? What? Why is Shijouin-san frozen in shock…?

Is she possibly troubled by my request-

“Yes, yes! Yes, yes, yes!!! I’d love to!”

“Whoa!”

As I looked at her with anxious eyes, Shijouin-san suddenly

pulled her body close and spoke up. What the hell is this
momentum?

“Oh, I never thought I’d have more friends to exchange

addresses with in such a short time. …I’m finally getting
over being a lonely woman…!”

“What? Oh…”
Seeing Shijouin-san rejoicing as if she had found salvation, I
remembered what she had said to me at the Shijouin house.

She said… that since entering high school, she has had
shallow friendships with those around her, but no one has
been able to get along with her beyond a certain point
because of the gap between them.

“Maybe you’ve… hardly ever exchanged addresses with

your friends before, or…?”

“Yes… I’m ashamed to say that’s true… In the first year of

school, the girls in the class could not help but have safe
conversations with each other. …While others were
exchanging addresses, only one was left behind…”

Perhaps remembering the lonely days of that time, Shijouin-

san said with tears in her eyes.

“In manga and light novels, high school girls get along with
each other quickly, but in reality, it’s tough. …Until recently,
every time I looked at my clean address book, which only
had my parents’ registration, I felt depressed…”

“So, that’s it…”

It’s common for students with poor communication skills to

have trouble fitting in and making friends in class. …On the
other hand, it’s rare for a student to be shunned at a level
where his or her communication skills, good looks, and high
social status at home are too aligned to not even exchange
addresses.

But that means that …Shijouin-san was always smiling and

cheerful to me and other people in my previous life even
though she was lonely like that.
…Are you a saint?

“Oh, but only recently did Kazamihara-san and Fumihashi-

san suggest that I register my address! I was so happy that
I… spilled a few tears and made them very upset…”

“That’s why I’m worried…”

I’ve heard that Shijouin-san’s friendships were shallow, but I

didn’t expect that she even had the attribute of being a
loner who was sad about the number of registered
addresses on her cell phone.”

I wonder if this is one of the reasons why she likes the unity
and harmony of the class…

“Then let’s exchange them right away! Let’s do it now!”

“Oh, yeah, take care!”

I brought the excited Shijouin-san’s phone closer to mine,

and we exchanged addresses using infrared communication,
something we don’t see much anymore in the future age of
smartphones.

“Hmmm… I now have my third address! I’m starting to

really enjoy my life!”

When I see the innocent smiling face of Shijouin-san, I feel

like I’ve done some good deed rather than being happy that
I’ve achieved my goal…

“Oh, but… Nihama-kun might be a little special.”

“What…?”

“After all, besides my father, you’re the first man to

exchange addresses with me!”
I’ve learned this many times before, but the one person who
can say something like that with an innocent smile is Haruka
Shijouin.

I’m sure you’re unaware of the… usual, but for a high school
boy with a pure heart and a horny body, ‘the first guy’ is just
too special…!

“In fact… I’m the same way. I’ve never registered an

address with a girl before, except for my family.

“Wow, I didn’t know that! It’s a great privilege!”

I can tell just by looking at her face that she really feels that
way, and wasn’t just flattered.

For me, it’s an honor to receive such words.

“Oh, please send me a message when you feel like it! It

would be so sad if we exchanged addresses but never used
them at all!”

“Oh, yeah! Then I’ll send you the first email as soon as I can
this evening!”

“Oh, really? Then I’ll be looking forward to it!”

I jumped at the excuse to send a text, and Shijouin-san

responded with a smile.

All right. …… All right, all right!

Not only was I able to get her address, but I was also able to
promise to send her an email! I’d say this was the best
success imaginable.
(Phew, thank goodness… I saw an article on the internet a
long time ago that said if you ask a girl for her address, be
prepared to get a roundabout rejection like ‘Sorry, my phone
is being repaired’ or ‘I don’t actually have a phone’, but it
was totally unnecessary.)

I thought that I had broken through the biggest obstacle of

all, and I was happy to have completed the mission and
become one step closer to Shijouin-san.
I never imagined that I would be in great agony that night
due to my lack of experience.
 Chapter 57: Send a Message to the
Girl ②

That evening, in my room at home.

Lying on the futon, I stared at my cell phone in agony.

“Uh-uh-uh-uh…”

I was naive.

How could I have been so naive?

What do you mean, the biggest obstacle has been

overcome?

It was like a new employee who got carried away by the fact
that he passed the interview and didn’t imagine how hard it
would be after joining the company.

“What do I do… what do I do…?”

I’m an idiot.

I had gotten Shijoin’s address, but of course I had neglected

the difficult task that was ahead of me.

“What should I write in my first email to a girl…!?”

I’ve been pondering for over an hour now, but I can’t seem
to make up my mind.
I didn’t have any private experience in sending emails to the
opposite sex.

“Okay… I’m mindless here. Let’s just do it straightforwardly,

without thinking about it.”

[Dear Shijouin-san, it’s Nihama. Thank you for all your help
and support. Thank you very much for exchanging your
address and phone number with me the other day.Therefore
I’m writing and sending the first email to you. I know you
are very busy, but I would appreciate it if you could take a
look at this.]
TLN: This part is the email

“This is a business email! ”

I deleted the unfriendly text and slammed the phone into

the pillow.

Damn you…!As soon as I do anything mindlessly, the curse

of the corporate bastard comes out!
What should I do? Do I want to talk to Kanako about these
things?

No, but… it seems like I should at least think about the text
of the email yourself… aside from clothes and such.

But what content should you really send?

Short and simple? Long and gushy?

Should it go lightly or should it be serious?

TL: idk man just send her something

I rolled around on the futon, agonizing over what to do and

what not to do.
I had a number of ideas, but none of them seemed to be the
best solution.

“But I don’t think it’s a good idea to send it too late, so I’ll
just patch together all the suggestions I’ve come up with so
far… and send it anyway.”

“Good evening. I’m Nihama and I’ve sent my first email.

What do you think? Did you get it? I’m sorry if there’s
something wrong.”

I hesitated over and over again, wondering if this was really

the right thing to do, and pressed the send button with a
nervous heart.

And then — time slowly passed as I stared blankly at my

phone.

Five minutes, ten minutes, twenty minutes…

That much time feels incredibly long.

(No… why am I staring at my phone all the time waiting for

a reply…? I’m not a heavy boyfriend…)

It’s not surprising that I haven’t received a reply since it’s

been less than half an hour.

My rational mind says so, but my heart is not at all at ease.

The longer I waited, the more anxiety filled my heart.

The reason I haven’t received a reply is because my email

made Shijouin-san uncomfortable, right?

Was that text too stiff? Or, on the contrary, was it too light?
Was it too late to send it? Was it too ordinary or lacking in
taste?

As my head was whirling with thoughts of virginity in

texting, and I was feeling like I was wallowing in a quagmire,
my phone rang.

“Hey, here it is…!”

I panicked and opened the new mail.

[Thank you for your email! I’m sure you got it! It feels
strange to see Nihama’s message at home. (*´∀`*) ]

“…haha…”

It was only a few lines of text, but just looking at it made my

face smile.

Words are a wonder.

Similar to message boards and social networking sites, I’m

always happy when someone writes to me.

And if it’s from the girl you love the most in the world, that’s
even better.

(I want to reply immediately but… a magazine I read a long

time ago said, “If you reply immediately in an email
between a guy and a girl, you’ll be thought of as a clingy
person so never do it!” so… guess I’ll leave some space)

I wasn’t sure how long I should wait, but for the time being I
waited about 15 minutes and typed a reply.

It’s strange that I’m able to communicate with you at home,

too. I think I’m a little more nervous when I’m writing than
when I’m talking.
In less than three minutes, I received a reply.

“I’m glad… I’m so relieved to get a reply.”

“What…?”

I had a hard time deciding on the text of the email, so I

wrote and erased it several times before I sent it… but the
content was somewhat strange, and I was very worried that
they might not send a reply because of it. But I’m happy
when I get a reply (^-^) I’m always nervous when I send an
email, unlike when I talk to someone (>_<).

When I saw that sentence, I imagined it.

I saw Shijoin-san at home, looking at her cell phone and

wondering what kind of text she should write, just like me.

(I thought the innocent Shijo-in-san wouldn't be nervous

about sending emails, but I guess she's just like me…)

I felt even closer to her on the other side of the phone when
I realized that she was feeling the same tension and
difficulty as I was.

And such feelings are also very difficult to summarize in an

email.

“Actually, I rewrote the email several times. That's why I was

so relieved to receive a reply from Shijoin-san… I was kind
of happy. By the way, do you like emoticons, Shijouin-san (
ω ) ?”

The reply was faster than before.

“I didn't think so! I'm kind of relieved, because I thought I
was the only one who had to rewrite all this stuff over and
over again! (^_^) Yes, since Fumihashi-san often uses
emoticons, I've been trying to use them too, but - these
emoticons are really cute! Can I use it?”

The tension is easing more and more, and our texting is

accelerating.

“I'm so relieved that I can relate to you. The emoticons

aren't mine, and you can keep using them. But is it because
of Fumihashi-san influence? I have no idea what girls text
each other about.”

"Thank you! That's right. That's what I usually do in my

emails with Kazamihara-san and Fumihashi-san.”

My heart skips a beat when I hear a ringing tone telling me

that the other person has replied.

I still have to think about what to write, but I've gotten used
to it and find it enjoyable.

(Now I understand why chat apps were so popular in the

future. …I'm so happy to get a reply like this, it makes the
exchange of messages go faster, and I feel a little frustrated
when I send emails.”

And so — even as the night wore on, we got carried away

with the fun of exchanging emails, which we had just
learned to do, and wrote electronic messages over and over
again.

(I'm so happy that Shijoin replied to my email right away…

Oh, I'm glad I'm alive… No, I died once…”
We continued to exchange emails without knowing when to
stop, and every time I received a reply from the person I
loved, my heart skipped a beat and I just felt happy.
So at that time, I had no way of knowing that behind those
innocent email exchanges, a father was gnashing his teeth
with tears of blood and holding a grudge against me that
originated from parental stupidity.
 Chapter 58: A Message to the Girl ③

[Shijoin’s father pov]

I am Shijoin Tokimune.

I’m the president of a large company, Chijyuraku Bookstore,

and a father who loves his daughter.

As I was relaxing in my living room after finishing today’s

work, I saw Haruka sinking into the sofa, playing with her
cell phone.

She used to be depressed, saying, “I’m in high school, but I

can’t make any friends and I can’t get any addresses…” But
recently, she seems to have gotten more female friends and
I often see her typing emails.

I’m happy for her.

Although Haruka loves to have fun and talk with others, she
has always had the dilemma of being viewed as an enemy
or shunned by her peers, but now it seems that things are
finally looking up.

It’s best for girls to have fun with other girls.

Girls should stay away from guys.

As I was tipping my cup of coffee in a good mood, thinking

about this…
“Oh my God… Nihama-kun…”

“Bofo!”

Such a murmur reached my ears, and I almost blew coffee

out of my mouth.

Why did that kid’s name come up?

And with such a smiling face…!

“Hm?What’s wrong with you, father?”

No, it’s nothing. …I’m just a little choked up.”

I feign calmness with the poker face of a president’s skills,

but my heart is not at peace.

“Hey, Haruka… is it possible that the person you’re texting

right now is Nihama-kun?”

I’m going to explore the possibility that I’m jumping to

conclusions and that the topic of the Nihama boy simply
came up in an email with a girl friend.

“Yes! We just exchanged addresses, and we’ve been texting

each other several times throughout the evening!”

It got affirmed with a smile, damn it!

That kid…! When did you exchange addresses with Haruka?

What a shameless attempt ……!

(Does that mean that Haruka was chatting with him right in
front of me, not only at school, but also back home! Damn, I
hate civilization…!)
But… what the hell kind of messages are they
exchanging!?

The other day he told me himself that he has special

feelings for Haruka.

If it’s like that… the content of that email should still be…

TL: The content below is just her father’s imagination in

case you somehow missed it.

[Hey, Shijouin-san. I’m not satisfied with being friends

anymore. So, do you want to go on a date sometime?
Maybe just the two of us at the beach. Let’s make memories
with me all summer long]

[Next vacation, my house is empty, but you should come

visit me. Hey, you know what? Don’t worry, I’m not gonna
do anything! But you may be late, so tell your family you’re
having a sleepover at a friend’s house]

Aaaaahhhh!

I’ll have you dragged through the streets and then crucified!

He’s outraged by the content of the text messages from his

paranoia of Nihama boy.

(…No, no… calm down… my imagination is too wild no

matter how much I want it to be)

The barely-calm part of my brain understands that the boy

is not that kind of flirtatious, full-blown college student.

But men are not logical.

It is not uncommon for a serious and quiet man to turn into

a wolf, and even more so when faced with the overly angelic
Haruka. Reason can be blown out of the water at any
moment.

Even if you don’t go that far, the gas pedal will still be on.

(After all, that’s what I was. …I took Akiko out of the main
house of the Shijoin family, and secretly called her for a
date, and threw her a letter in the style of a period drama…
I was young at that time.)

While I was busy racking my brains, the ring tone on

Haruka’s cell phone went off.

Apparently, Nihama-kun had replied to her.

“Huh… It’s cute… (the emoticons).”

What do you mean, “It’s cute”?

And what’s with the smile on your face?

What the hell kind of email did that little bastard send her!

“Ah… that… Haruka…”

“Yes? What’s the matter, father?”

Haruka looks at me with a puzzled expression.

“No, it’s”

I tried to talk to her, but I just kept mumbling.

To tell you the truth, I would like to censor what kind of e-

mails he sends to her.

If there’s anything even slightly offensive in there, call me

from Haruka’s cell phone right now. “Did you think I was
Haruka? Too bad it’s me, kid!” I want to stick a cold stake
into the liver of the Nihama boy who was so excited.

However, I understand that… such an act is a “No Go”, no

matter how much I want to.

Even though Haruka is still an airhead, she has recently

started to express her opinions and gets angry when she
should.

If I said I wanted to check her mail, it would be enough to

make her stop talking to me for a while.

As a result, I can’t interfere in any way and can only grit my

teeth in regret.

“Well, what a nice thing to have… more friends to email…”

“Yes! I’m very happy these days!”

Even though she’s my daughter, her angelic smile is too

dazzling.

How can she be so cute?

“Oh, yeah. That’s good to hear… But try not to stay up too
late, okay?

“Oh, sure, it’s getting late. I’ll do the rest in my room while I
get ready for bed!

After saying that, Haruka left the living room and went to
her room.

And the only one left is me, who is disappointed that my

daughter has a clear boy figure in her mind.

…No, there was another one.

He knew that if I tried to ask her to show him her… e-mails,
he would surely get a “Father, you’re disgusting!” He could
only bite his tongue and watch as his daughter went back to
her room to continue their lovey-dovey emails…

“Don’t put strange narrations in there, Akiko!”

“I’m sorry. I just thought your lonely back was cute.”

I don’t know how long I had been in the living room, but my
wife was grinning so much that she was even imitating my
voice.

Yeah, that’s it!

You enjoy my dismay as much as you did the other day

when Nihama visited!

“But it’s nice of you to hold back and not say anything,
Tokimune. Well, I can understand being overprotective of
Haruka because she’s particularly pouty, but she’s growing
up too, so let’s keep a close eye on her.”

“Mm… well, I’m sure everything is going in the right

direction for Haruka these days …”

“Isn’t that right? This is just my intuition, but… I’m sure that
Nihama-kun will change her future for the better. For some
reason, my family is blessed with good fortune and good
luck, and I’ve heard that people meet and marry people who
are so compatible with them that they can only be
described as people of destiny.”

It makes me happy beyond my years when my smiling wife

implicitly says, ‘You were the one for me,’ but… don’t make
me imagine my daughter’s marriage now!
“Oh, noooo! If Haruka says, ‘I’ll marry this man!’ and brings
a man with her, I’ll die! My blood vessels will break, I’ll die of
rage, and then I’ll die again of dehydration from tears. …!”

“It’s tough being dead all the time. But Haruka looks like
she’s on a straight line when she’s on fire, so she’ll probably
end up with a goal as soon as she graduates from high
school. …Oh, I wonder if young girls these days can get
married out of wedlock?”

“Stop it! Don’t you dare stab my heart any more!”

I half-cried out to Akiko, who was smiling and talking

happily.
Chapter 59: This Time, I Won't Betray
My Sister's Smile ①

In a room at the funeral home, I was stunned by my sister’s

words.

But I couldn’t respond in any way.

I couldn’t accept the fact that my mother was in a

rectangular box in front of me, a coffin, and I felt like I was
having a bad dream.

The cause of death was myocardial infarction. [TLN: It’s

basically a heart attack.]

The doctor in charge said that her heart must have been
weakened by chronic stress.

“Mom always said that. She said you’re getting thinner and
thinner, and your body is breaking down. And whenever I
call you, you seem to be incredibly busy. I’m worried about
you.”

Kanako said this while turning her tear-stained eyes toward

me with an anger that must have been building up in her
heart for a long time.

“Because of all this worrying, she hasn’t had a smile on her

face for almost a decade. Especially in the last few years,
her body has been getting weaker and weaker. … All the
doctors said that stress is a big factor, but… I can’t help but
think that too…!”
Kanako, dressed in a black mourning dress, speaks of my
sins in her beautifully grown figure.

…Of my foolishness that will never be forgiven.

“I’ve told you over and over again! I want you to quit that
horrible company! She doesn’t want to worry about you any
more than she already does! But you didn’t listen! You knew
your company was garbage, but you didn’t do anything to
change the status quo because it was too hard!”

Everything was on point.

I’ve known for a long time that there was something wrong
with the company I work for.

Yet I did nothing about it.

I didn’t do anything about it, because it was a tremendous

pain to even think about doing it.

“Why are you like that? You’ve always been like this! Dark
and gloomy, doing nothing, never reaching out for what’s
important! It’s so much easier to be used up at someone
else’s convenience without a second thought!”

Tears overflowing from my sister’s screaming eyes wet the

floor of the funeral home.

And I can’t respond to a single word she said.

I’m not qualified to reply.

“What the hell did you want to do? Did you want to shorten
Mom’s lifespan and dedicate your life to a garbage
company…?! If only you had moved somewhere else, Mom
might not have died so quickly…!”
I just accept the resentment.

Every time my sister’s tears spill, my heart is torn apart by

the weight of my sin.

“…Why… why are you so stupid…?!”

That was my last memory of Kanako in my previous life.

It was the moment when the family was torn apart and the
Nihama family completely disappeared.

“It’s hot…the summer…” (ED: Ah, yes, this floor is indeed

made of floor)

“Yeah, it’s summer. It’s time to spend money on sun

protection…”

It was the end of the first semester, a little after my school

had started its summer vacation.

Kanako and I were walking together in the city, the

temperature so hot that a shimmer was forming over the
heated asphalt.

I was dressed in a simple short-sleeved shirt and cotton

pants, while Kanako was dressed like a junior high school gal
in a bordered T-shirt with exposed shoulders and denim
shorts.

As an older brother, I thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to

show her shoulders and legs, no matter how hot it was in
the summer.

“What? Don’t interfere with my ‘cute’ look, big brother. A

girl will die if you stop her from dressing up, you know?”

It’s hard to say.

“Well, I admit that it’s actually cute, and it looks good on
you. But when you suddenly said, ‘I’m going out, come with
me!’ I was wondering what was going on when you told me
out of the blue that you were going to go out with me…”

“It’s okay. You were free during summer vacation anyway,

right? There’s nothing more meaningful than walking around
town with your cute little sister.”

The way my sister smiles with her hair in twin tails is indeed
devilishly cute.

It’s no wonder she’s so popular with the boys at school.

“Oh, well… At least I might have reaffirmed that women

shop for a very long time.”

We went to several boutiques today, and my sister spent a

lot of time shopping for cute things.

In spite of this, we often leave the store without buying

anything, and for all the time we’ve spent, I’ve only got one
paper bag of results for the day.

“Oh, that’s an NG word! I mean, my brother should be a

little more understanding of a girl’s passion for shopping!”

“The passion… for shopping…?”

“Yes! Shopping is a fun thing for girls! And, unlike men, it’s
the time spent wandering that’s the fun part! ‘That’s cute!’
or something like ‘This is too expensive!’ And I love it when
we talk about shopping! That’s the eternal and unchanging
nature of girls, so boys have to smile and watch over them
no matter how boring they are!”

Oh, my God…
I just nodded to the usual guidance of Kanako-sensei.

I guess that’s really what it is, since they even threw in

powerful words like “the eternal and unchanging nature of
girls…”.

“And earlier, when I asked you, ‘Which one of these looks

better?’ You got a score of 40 when I asked what you
thought! You also said ‘I think this one is more in line with
Kanako’s image.’ Which is not a bad line in itself, but what
the girl who asked the question wants is empathy! I want
the boys to have to worry about which one looks better on
the girl, so they need to spend a little more time thinking
about it and give the impression that they really think about
it!”

“Hey, is there such a thing as a hidden score?”

As for me, I think I answered the one that would suit Kanako
intuitively

Does it mean that if you make a quick decision, it looks like

you’re not taking it seriously?

“Oh, also… To tell you the truth, in many cases, the girl has
already decided which one she wants by the time she asks
you, ‘Which one do you want?’”

“What? Then why are you asking a man!”

“As I said before, the main reason is because ‘I want my

boyfriend to be troubled,’ and there are times when “I want
a word of encouragement.” I’ve actually decided on A, but
it’s not a cheap purchase, and I just can’t make up my mind.
So I asked, ‘Isn’t A good?’ That’s what I’m trying to say. By
the way, if you hit it right, you get a extra bonus!”
“Yeah, what is that? You want guys to be espers?”

If this were a gal game with random correct answer choices,

players would be furious.

“There are many possible responses, though, like answering

the question ‘Which one looks the best?’ with ‘Yeah, I think
that suits you!’ and encouraging them to choose that outfit.
I can make a good guess as to which of the two outfits you
were staring at.”

“I don’t know if there are that many things to check when

you’re just shopping…”

Shopping for a woman is scary!

I thought couples on a date were just enjoying chatting in a

pink atmosphere , but I didn’t know such tests were being
conducted behind the scenes…?

“Well, as long as you answer seriously, I wouldn’t worry too

much about it. And I’m not so sure about a girl who gets
grumpy just because someone missed a quiz on which one
looks better on her.”

“I’m a little relieved to hear that. …We’re both sweating a

lot, as expected. Do you want to go to a coffee shop?”

I’m still in good shape from all the running I’ve been doing,
but Kanako is looking a little tired. I don’t want her to get a
heat stroke.

“I’m in! I’m in! Yes, yes, the basic idea is to show you care
like that, brother! After all, being kind is the most powerful
thing! Oh, if you buy a girl a parfait here, you’ll get a lot of
bonus points, so practice it right away!”
“That’s what you want to eat, isn’t it?”

Don’t try to hawk it after you’ve dragged people around

with you!

“Oh, you know! But it doesn’t matter! If anything, you owe

me a parfait as compensation for letting you be the big
brother to such a cute little sister!”

“Don’t mess this up, you shoulder-baring middle-schooler! In

the first place, you’ve been gobbling up lunch and dinner
lately! You’ll get fat if you eat a parfait or something!”

“Wait, you’re gonna say that? The biggest no-no for girls! In
the first place, it’s my brother’s fault for making Italian-style
cutlets, beef stroganoff, and other tasty dishes just because
he has some spare time during summer vacation!”

“Don’t shift the blame after every second serving of rice,

you idiot!”

We started a fight without even looking at the people

around us, and we yelled and yelled at each other in the
traffic under the sun.

This continued until we were both so sweaty that we could

feel the weight of our clothes on each other and came to the
empty realization:

“What are we both doing in this fcking heat?”

Chapter 60: This Time, I Won't Betray
My Sister's Smile ②

“Ah… it was so hot that this maiden already smells like

sweat…”

Kanako, sitting opposite me in a cooled coffee shop, said

this in a tired voice with a cup of iced tea in her hand.

“You’ve already wasted a lot of fluid arguing stupidly in the

fcking heat… After all this time, it’s still too hot in Japan in
the summer.”

It’s a little depressing to know that in the future the

maximum summer temperature will be even higher, and
there will be many days when you will seriously die if you
are unprotected.

Heat has always been the worst enemy in the outside world.

“By the way, is this the end of your shopping? I thought you
were going to buy a lot of stuff because you said you were a
baggage handler, but it’s only a small amount.”

“If I had the money, I’d want an endless supply of clothes

and accessories. Even the most popular junior high school
girl, Kanako, can’t control her money. …Oh my God, I wish I
could show the world how cute I am and get a fee to see a
beautiful girl, like a money offering!

I was gonna say, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!”

As I was about to say this, I remembered that beautiful and
handsome content creators use their appearance in the
future as a weapon to earn money from their viewers,
commonly known as “throwaway money.”

I don’t know what’s going to happen in this world…

“But you should remember what happened on today’s date,

brother. No matter how equal the sexes are, girls still want
boys to be dependable. When you go on a date, be cheerful,
gentle, and don’t panic. Virgins are especially vulnerable to
trouble and tend to get upset.”

I’ll take your advice, but we’re in a store, so choose your

words carefully…!
Don’t say “virgin” lightly!

“You always make fun of people as virgins. ……”

“Well, I’ve never even held hands with a boy before.”

“Ha?”

“He?”

Kanako and I looked at each other and blinked.

No, no, wait a minute.

“No, no, no, no! No, no, NO! Didn’t that advice you gave
me every time today come from your experience of dating?”

“I’ve had more than a dozen people come on to me, and I’ve
gone out with all of them. But we always come to the
conclusion that we’re not the same, so we all split up after
about five minutes to a month.”
“You’re early! I mean, you’re not dating a guy who’s been
with you for five minutes!”

“So you’re saying that you’ve had a lot of relationships, but

you’ve never been in a relationship with anyone that could
be called a boyfriend? You’ve only been in a trial
relationship?

“The rumor of me being a ‘love master who takes in and

takes out guys’ spread around the school, and more and
more kids came to me for love advice. I’ve been doing that
for a long time, and I’ve learned a lot thanks to my own
experience plus a lot of stories. It’s like a lawyer who’s done
a lot of divorce counseling and has become extremely
knowledgeable about the psychology of couples, isn’t it?”

I thought you had a lot of experience as a junior high

schooler! So that’s what happened…

No wonder you’ve never had a boyfriend in your life!

“So you’re saying that you’re a virgin, but you’re also a

naive earwig!” (ED: An earwig is an older word used to
describe someone who pesters people and gossips about
them.)

“You can use the advice in real life, so why not? I’m sure
you’re a little relieved that your sister isn’t a bitch!

“Ugh…”

Kanako, who had unusually flinched, turned away and said

back.

And that was a good point.

I don’t care who Kanako is dating, but I find myself a little
relieved that she’s still my sister and not someone’s
boyfriend.

In the end, I don’t want my sister to be taken away from me

because we finally became close in this life. TLN: Siscon
smh

“Come on, enough about me, let’s talk about Shijouin-san! I

was a little taken aback the other day when you were
implying that you hadn’t exchanged addresses yet. …You
did well after that, didn’t you?”

As she always does when she hears about my love life,

Kanako leans forward with a twinkle in her eye. Based on
what I just said this girl would be more excited about
someone else’s love life than his own.

‘Yeah, I got that part right. We exchanged addresses, and

we’re already emailing each other frequently!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Nice work, bro! If you say you’re not
ready for this, I’ll say, ‘You lousy virgin!’ I was going to cuss
you out and kick your butt!”

What a horrible thing to think about.

“When his father, Tokimune-san, asked her if she was

texting me, Shijouin smiled and said ‘Yes!’”

“Yeah, her father is that overprotective president, right? Is

he going to be okay?”

“Oh, it’s not like they’re trying to interfere with our mail or
anything. That said… when Shijouin-san is texting in the
living room, he’s writhing in agony and moaning in weird
voices like ‘Urrrrgh…’ and ‘Guuuuuu…’. He’s probably
thinking, ‘I can’t stand the thought of Haruka and that little
‘boy’ texting each other.’ and he’s cursing me like that…”

“Bufu…! Wait, what is that? His reaction is too easy to

understand! Hahahahahahaha! My brother’s love life is as
interesting as ever!”

Thinking it was someone else’s problem, Kanako laughed

really hard.

The next time I see Tokimune-san, I’m going to be so scared.

I let out a sigh of disgust as I imagined the overprotective

dad’s “annoyance meter” going up and up like a nighttime
cab fare.
Chapter 61: This Time, I Won't Betray
My Sister's Smile ③

“Oh, that was so funny! There’s really no shortage of stories

about my brother…”

Kanako, who had been laughing to the point of tears,

heaved and caught her breath.

As usual, this sister laughs too much at her brother.

(Well, I’m not going to tell you that makes me happy…)

To tell you the truth, after I started over in this life, I was a
little worried about how to deal with Kanako, with whom I
had very little interaction in my previous life.

And in the end, I decided to start by addressing her

naturally as my brother anyway, hoping that we could have
a different relationship than in our previous lives.

As a result, Kanako, who in my previous life was just a

roommate living in the same house, started to smile in front
of me. This is one of the most valuable jewel-like
achievements I’ve won in this life.

“Huh… Hey, bro.”

“Hmm? What’s up?”

After laughing for a while, Kanako let out a breath and

lowered the tone of her voice for some reason.
Then I gulped slightly.

It was because her sister’s face was not as bright and

innocent as usual, and for some reason she had a very
mysterious expression on her face.

“Today, I’m having a lot of fun.”

“What’s this, all of a sudden?”

“Since you’ve been so cheerful, the house has changed a

lot. Mom always looks so happy. And I feel so much better
too.”

“That’s because I want my mother to always have a smile

on her face.”

Making life easier for my mother and giving her a happy life
was my biggest goal in this life, even more than revenge for
my youth. For this reason, I actively helped with household
chores such as cooking and laundry, and worked hard to
improve my grades.

And then one day, my mom said to me:

“Of course, I’m happy that you’ re helping me with the

chores and that you got first place on the test. But what
makes me the happiest is that you’ve gained confidence in
yourself.”

“I’m very happy to know that you can now walk through life
on your own,” she said.

In this life, I often cried when I talked to my mother, but this

time I cried more than when I saw her again.
I couldn’t stop crying, wondering why I couldn’t repay the
person who loved me so much in my previous life.

“Okay, so. Brother. I’m only going to talk to you once, so

listen carefully, okay?”

Kanako says, her eyes swimming in embarrassment.

What is it? What’s really wrong with this girl?

“I’m happy. It’s fun to be able to say what I want to say to

my brother like we did when we were kids.”

“…Eh?”

“You’ve been building a wall between us for some time now.

You thought you lived in a dark world and I live in a world of
sparkling light, didn’t you?”

That was completely true.

In my previous life, I was a typical shady guy, so I kept my

distance so that I wouldn’t be annoyed by the sunny
Kanako. Kanako is not a shady person like me, so I shouldn’t
get involved with her- that’s what I thought.

“No, because you’re beautiful, bright, and popular at school.

And you thought I was a dark-hearted guy, too, didn’t you?”

“I’ve always thought of my brother as a dark-hearted otaku.

But, that didn’t mean I didn’t like it. Even if you weren’t the
cheerful brother you are now, I would have gone out with
you as much as I could if you would have told me to talk
nonsense and play games in my room like we used to do.”

I was stunned to hear Kanako’s words.

I thought that my good relationship with my sister in this life
was established because I was able to speak clearly after I
got rid of my negative attitude in my previous life.

But the truth is that I had just put up a wall and assumed
that my sister shunned my dark and incompetent brother,
and that we could always talk like we did when we were kids
if I just stepped out of the shadows – that’s what I thought.

“Well, it’s the same for me. I kept stomping my feet, not
knowing whether to step into my brother’s avoidance of me.
Just one word: ‘Let’s have a conversation about love, bro! Or
we can go hang out together!’ I’m sure I could have told you
that.”

“Kanako……”

I realized that I really didn’t know anything.

I’ve always assumed that Kanako, with her glittering life,

would find a shady brother like me an eyesore.

Kanako had never dreamed that she would rather go back

to a normal relationship where they could talk like they used
to.

“So, what I’m trying to say is this: the fact that you have
brightened up and are able to talk like this, and that you
have returned to the way you were when we were kids,
makes me very happy and grateful! Oh, my God, I’ll never
say this embarrassing thing again!”

Kanako’s face turned bright red and she shouted in

desperation.

“…Don’t tell me that being a baggage handler today was

just an excuse, and you just wanted to get a chance to tell
me that?”

“Ugh! Nonono! Why do you only use your intuition in such

areas? That only makes it even more embarrassing, you
idiot brother!”

At the same time, I realized that my sins in my previous life

had become even deeper.

(The fact that Kanako in this life thought this way means
that Kanako in her previous life was the same way, at least
until she was in middle school, right?)

–Why am I so stupid?!

What reverberates in my mind are the last words I

exchanged with my sister in my previous life.

If Kanako had always hated me as a shady person, her

cursed words at that time would have only hurt my heart.

But what if it wasn’t that she hated me?

What if she was dreaming that one day we would be able to

laugh together like we did when we were children – I wonder
how the adult Kanako felt when she said that …….

(Sorry… I am so sorry, Kanako…)

I sincerely apologized to my sister from a previous life that I

will never see again.

I don’t know if that future never happened, or if it was a

parallel world that continued after I died…

Regardless, no matter what, the sins I committed in my

previous life will never go away.
It’s something I’ll have to remember until the end of my life.

“…Thanks, Kanako.”

I stroked my sister’s head, her cheeks still dyed red.

Kanako reacted with a shocked “Wait, what?!” She was

dismayed, but she didn’t push my hand away.

“I’m so glad to hear that, because I assumed that you hated

me for being so gloomy before… I’m so happy to be able to
laugh with you and my mom and everything.a It’s like a
dream!”

“A dream? You’re overreacting, bro.”

When I let go of the hand that was stroking her head, my

sister muttered this with a look of embarrassment still on
her face.

No. It’s a dream, Kanako.

The Nihama family now is the ideal itself, with all my regrets
cleared up.

That’s why I’m going to protect our family ties this time.

I won’t end up like I did in my previous life, making you

curse your brother.

“All right! Hey, Kanako! If you want a parfait, I’ll buy you
one! Leave it to me!”

“Oh, really?! Then I’ll have a giant chocolate sundae tropical

deluxe parfait! I heard it cost something like 2,000 yen!”

“Whoa! What’s on that menu? I mean, I don’t have much

money either, so go easy on me!”
“Yeah, but a parfait is a parfait! It looks like it’s really big, so
you should eat it with me!”

Kanako, who has regained her usual form, smiles

mischievously.

Ah, yes.

That’s the kind of face that suits you after all.

“Oh, my God, I get it! Then we’ll have that giant parfait,
Kanako! I looked at the menu and it said something about a
minimum of four people being recommended due to the
large quantity, but let’s show them what we siblings can
do!”

“Whoa! That’s what I’m talking about! Hahahahahaha!

You’re really getting into the mood, bro!”

You may not be able to change your past life, but you can
change your future life.

I’m sure I’ll be able to prove that the Nihama family had a
happy future even with that ending.

I promised myself that I would never betray the childlike

smile on Kanako’s face this time.

As for the giant parfait, she said, “The appetite of a high

school student and a junior high school student should be
enough!” “A girl’s stomach is limitless when it comes to
sweets!” We were all so excited to eat.

A cream that looked as big as Mount Fuji in a parfait glass

that looked like a megaphone arrived, and I will remember
with regret that we both unintentionally made a straight
face.
TL: Helena
ED: Tom
TLN: Join our discord server to get release announcement
 Chapter 62: The Jealousy of Haruka
Shijouin

My name is Haruka Shijouin.

I’m just an ordinary high school girl who’s having fun every
day and enjoying life.

Now, I was walking down the street wearing a sky blue t-

shirt and a beige pleated skirt. The sun was very strong, but
my steps were very light.

(Oh… a girls-only gathering is so exciting!)

“It’s summer vacation, why don’t we have tea at a cafe?

The three of us don’t do enough of this kind of thing, so we
thought we should do the job of high school girls: hang out
and have fun once in a while!”

I agreed to Kazamihara-san’s and Mizuki’s email without a

second thought.

And now I’m on my way to the cafe, the place of the

appointment.

Incidentally, Mai suggested that we call her by her first

name, saying, “Hey, hey, hey, isn’t it too impolite to call
each other by our last name?” And that’s what we did.

I’m not used to calling people by their first names, so I was

embarrassed by the friendly way they called me, and I
blushed my cheeks.
(Hmmm, after taking the friend step of name calling, I’m
really happy to have a tea party with other girls today. I’m
very much like a high school girl now!)

I never imagined that I would really be in such a happy

situation when I was just a sophomore.

Looking back, I had always felt lonely, missing out on my

youth.

In elementary and middle school, there was no one to face

me.

There were those who were unnaturally sycophantic, those

who were hostile and attacked me, and those who were
afraid to get involved with me and tried to keep their
relationship with me to the bare minimum- I think the girls
generally fell into one of these categories.

(I just wanted to have a normal chat with my friends and

hang out with them.)

Just when I was about to give up on my youth, a turning

point came to me.

One day, I started chatting with Nihama-kun, who suddenly

became more cheerful, and many things changed from
there.

One of the biggest was the cultural festival, which would not
have been such a memorable event without Nihama-kun.

And through the troubles and hardships that I encountered, I

made friends too.

Mizuki Kazamihara, who looks cool but is rather

mischievous, and Mai Hatsuhashi, who is always cheerful
and has a cute smile.

(I really can’t thank you enough, Nihama-kun. I gave him a

thank-you gift at home once, but I don’t think that was
enough.)

“But what exactly would make Nihama-kun happy…?”

Suddenly, I saw Nihama-kun in his casual clothes, wiping off

his sweat as he walked.

At that moment, my heart lit up.

Even though it hadn’t been long since the summer vacation,

I felt as if I hadn’t seen my family for months.

“Nihama-kun! What a coincidence, isn’t it…?”

My voice that tried to call out to him faded into the

background.

Because Nihama was not alone.

Walking next to her was a very cute girl with beautiful

twintails. Her age was about a year or two younger than
mine. Nihama and her were chatting casually, and I could
tell at a glance that they had a very close relationship.

………………

For some reason, my body froze the moment I saw it.

My breathing became harder and harder and my body

became colder and colder, as if my blood had stopped
flowing.

While I was in a daze, they blended into the crowd and

disappeared from sight.
But I still can’t get my head around it.

My whole body became heavy as if it were lead, and my

heart ached as if it had been pierced with a sharp blade.

(Hey, what’s this…? How come I just saw Nihama-kun and

another girl walking around…)

I don’t know my own mind.

I can’t figure out why I’m doing this.

I stood there for a while with my chest tightening, staring in

the direction Nihama-kun and the girl had disappeared to.

My name is Mai Hatsuhashi.

I’m a girl on the track and field team whose hobby is

physical exercise.

Today, there was a tea party with all three girls in my class,
and I was very excited.

When I’m with my clubmates, we mainly eat food that fills

our stomachs, so this kind of girlie event is very fresh and
makes me feel like a modern high school girl.

“Yoo-hoo! Haruka and Mizuki are both early, aren’t they…?”

When I walked into the cafe where we were meeting and

went to sit down, they were already seated.

But there was something wrong with them.

“Wait, what’s wrong Haruka? You look like it’s the end of the
world!”
Sitting at the table, Haruka’s usual innocent smile had
disappeared and she looked depressed as if she was
carrying a dark cloud.

Her eyes were dead and her body was drained of all life.

“That’s what I’ve been seeing since then… she was already
in this state when I came here.”

Mizuki apparently didn’t know what was going on either,

and said this with a puzzled look.

“Yeah…? Haruka was looking forward to this gathering so

much…”

When Mizuki made this suggestion, Haruka was so

enthusiastic that she replied, “By all means, let’s do it! I’m
really looking forward to it!”

Why does it look like someone who has melted their entire
fortune in the stock market…?

“Oh… Mizuki, Mai… you’re here…”

Haruka, who had been nodding off, staggered up, her face
looking like she was about to cry.

“I’m sorry, but there’s something I’d like to discuss with you
both. Could you please listen to me…?”

“Oh, you want to talk about it? Of course I’m totally fine with
it.”

Mizuki says as she raises her glasses quickly.

Normally, Mizuki looks serious and cool, but she’s rather

curious as well.
She’s also the type of person who’s happy when her friends
ask her for help, so she’s a little excited.

“Yeah, yeah! I’m here to help you with whatever you need!
So what’s going on? Did you have a fight with your parents?
Or did you make too many calls on your cell phone and get
charged twenty thousand yen?”

“Yes, it’s–”

Then Haruka told us what had happened on the way to this

tea party.

She happened to see Niihama-kun on the street.

There was a very cute girl next to him, and they seemed to
be very close.

And Haruka, who saw the scene, was suffering from

unexplained emotional pain as a result.

“I don’t know why my heart hurts so much. I don’t know

why anymore…”

………………

While Haruka earnestly expressed her concerns, Mizuki and I

fell silent with indescribably subtle faces.

Uh… how do I answer this…?

TL: Helena
ED: Tom
TLN: Thanks for Tom for editing this chapter. Join our discord
server to receive update notification
 Chapter 63: Don’t Put Us In Your
Jealousy Target!

I looked at Mizuki and said, “I don’t know why my heart

hurts.”

“Are you serious about this…?”

She made eye contact with me and I nodded slightly and

told her, “Yes, I’m definitely serious.…”

“Uh… that… Haruka. We’ll think about it and give you some
time to think about it, okay?”

“Yeah, I’d be happy to let you two figure it out…”

With the approval of a disappointed Haruka, Mizuki and I

turned our backs to her and brought our faces close
together.

It’s a little difficult to answer this question on one’s own.

(What should I do? The answer is already obvious, but it

isn’t okay for us to say it!)

(That’s a bit of a stretch. Shouldn’t Niihama tell her about

this, or should Haruka find out on her own…?)

We spoke to each other in whispers so that Haruka would

not hear.
Mizuki seemed to know about Niihama’s obsession with
Haruka even before I did, and I was very grateful to her for
talking so quickly.

And I certainly agree with that opinion.

If we say “That’s jealousy. In other words, Haruka thinks that

Niihama-kun is…” I think that’s very rude. I’m sure there are
situations where friends need to be taught that, but at least
not now.

(By the way, about the girl she said he was walking with,
Mizuki thinks that Niihama may have started thinking about
another girl…?)

(What? How can he be? Niihama-kun is the kind of guy

who’s completely devoted to Haruka, you know? He would
never look at another girl.)

(That’s right.)

I nodded profoundly.

As I observed him again after realizing Niihama-kun’s

feelings, I could see that he usually had an aura of love for
Haruka.

If the source of the energy that allows him to move like a

chariot horse is all from love, then his feelings are not half-
baked.

(I’m jealous that he’s that devoted to her. I want a boyfriend

who will go to any length for me too…)

“Oh, I remember these feelings a little. I didn’t feel such a

strong emotional pain at the time, but…”
“Is that so? Can you tell me when that happened, just for
reference?”

Haruka said as if she suddenly remembered, and Mizuki

urged her to continue.

I’m sure you’ve felt jealousy before, but what are you
talking about?

“Yes, during the festival. When Mizuki and Mai were with
Niihama-kun, my heart was in turmoil. My heart didn’t hurt,
but the direction of my emotions was very similar.

“Wha?”

“Huh?”

We both let out an indifferent shout at the casual remark.

Wow, we were included in the list of those who she was

jealous of!

(Umm… she really doesn’t know the name of her feelings

when she says them directly to us…)

We resume our whispering meeting so that Haruka, who has

her hand on her chest as if in pain, can’t hear us.

(Maybe because she has experienced so little envy of others

in her life, she doesn’t know what her emotions really are. I
heard from Niihama that she didn’t understand why girls
who were jealous of Haruka’s beauty were getting involved
with her.)

(Yeah, isn’t she too pure…?)

I was so jealous of Haruka because of the size of her boobs

that when Niihama got first place in the final exam, I was
screaming in my mind, “No fair! I want to trade brains with
you!”

(In our case, it wasn’t so damaging because she knew it was

for a cultural festival. But in this case, he was walking
around with a strange girl without any information, so her
imagination must be working and her heart must be equally
hurting. Also, I think it’s possible that her sensitivity has
evolved that much.)

(Oh, I see. Is it possible that Mizuki has a lot of experience in

love?)

(No, I just got better at simulating love in my brain as a

result of reading a lot of shoujo manga because I longed for
love. Well, I’ll never get a chance to make use of it, though!)

No, you don’t have to say such sad things with a smug look
on your face…

(I mean, she doesn’t have to worry about us being with

Niihama-kun.)

(…Yeah, I know.)

(Hey Mizuki! What the hell was that pause?)

(Hmm… it’s nothing. Mai is also ‘nothing,’ isn’t it?)

(… Yeah.)

(See, even Mai had a pause before answering!)

(It was just a slip of the tongue! It’s really nothing!)

Niihama-kun is certainly the boy I am closest to.

He is different from the other boys, and his style of running
as fast as he can in the time he is living in is… well, I think it
is desirable to see.

But I knew very well from being near them that the power of
that heart, which is the charm of Niihama-kun, burns
because of Shijouin-san’s presence.

His love for Haruka is what shapes the boy Niihama-kun is.

So… Well, I’d be lying if I said I had no feelings of coolness,

but if I had to say I did or didn’t, I’d say I didn’t. To hear their
earlier exchange, I think Mizuki must be feeling the same
way.

(Well, anyway, I’ll follow up on Haruka’s mental health… in a

calm way?)

(Yes, you’re right. I mean, this is almost certainly not the

case that Haruka is worried about.)

No matter how much a person’s heart changes, it is

unthinkable that in such a short period of time Niihama
would change his mind. Or rather, absolutely not.

I just feel bad for Haruka who is seriously worried about this,
but in the end, this matter is probably just a waste of time, I
thought vaguely.
 Chapter 64: Girls Are Made Up of
Sweets

“Well, I’m sorry for talking in secret, Haruka. So, that

feeling? I’m sure it’s fear.”

“Is that what it is…?”

“I’ve been talking with Mizuki lately, but the person Haruka
is closest to is Nihama-kun, right? So after a long time of not
seeing him at school and seeing someone I don’t know next
to him, I’m worried that she might take my best friend.”

I’m replacing the love-like element with friendship, but I

don’t think it’s a wrong analogy.

”For now, just understand that I’m scared that my best

person is about to be taken.’”

“It’s… certainly one of those things. When Nihama was busy

preparing for the festival, we didn’t have much time to
study together, and it made me feel uneasy.”

“Right? And the solution is seriously simple.”

Once Haruka understood her condition, Mizuki leaned

forward and said.

“You call Nihama-kun, who is at the center of this story, and

ask him, ‘Who was that girl you were walking with?’”
“Well, that’s certainly true, but if that girl is a very intimate
person and says he’s not going to be ready for me
anymore…”

When Haruka was frightened by the solution Mizuki offered,

we both said together, “There’s no way…!” I made a face in
frustration.

Oh my god! It’s so frustrating that she has no idea how

many love arrows are pointing at her!

“If it’s too difficult to ask, Mai or I can ask him for you, okay?
We exchanged email addresses just before summer
vacation.”

“Yes, yes, just call Nihama-kun right here and now, and
that’s it!”

“If you want, you can call him here.”

“…That’s… no, I’ll ask him myself. It’s really nice of you to
offer to help, but somehow I feel like I have to ask him
myself.”

“Haruka-”

I was more than a little impressed with Haruka, who said

this with resolution despite being frightened by unknown
emotions.

I had talked to her a few times before I became friends with

Haruka, but at that time I was impressed by her innocence
and her gentle demeanor as a young lady.

But the Haruka of today seems to have added even more

core strength to her.
Perhaps this is also due to the influence of Nihama-kun?

“I see, I understand Haruka’s intentions. So, if that’s what

you’ve decided, let’s give it a boost! The sweets have just
arrived too!”

Just as we had reached the end of our conversation, the

waitress brought out a number of plates and placed them on
our table.

It seemed that Mizuki had ordered first.

“Wow…!”

“Oh!”

Haruka and I shouted in admiration.

What shone before us was a glorious pancake.

Three layers of fluffy white pancakes, topped with syrup,

fruit, and whipped cream.

There was also a plate piled high with colorful macaroons

and an à la carte selection of miniature cakes and scones,
which naturally dazzled both Haruka and me.

“I took the liberty of ordering a lot of sweets for Haruka, who

was feeling down and out! When you’re feeling down, just
eat sweets! There’s no better cure for a girl whose body is
made of sugar!”

“Oh, Mizuki! Nice! A lot of sweets is justice after all!”

“I’m sure that eating something sweet will make you feel
better, no questions asked!”
Haruka and I agreed with and praised Mizuki’s powerful
argument.

Boys may not understand this, but high school girls need
sweets as fuel.

“I’ve ordered a pot of tea, so let’s eat it together! I mean, I

can’t take it anymore, so I’ll eat!”

“Ha, yes! I’ll have some too!”

“I can’t wait either! Let’s eat!”

And with that, we all got to work on our pancakes.

Our smiles couldn’t help but bloom on the spot.

“Haaaaah, delicious~! I thought pancakes were just… well,

pancakes, but they’re not fluffy like these!”

Strictly speaking, soufflé pancakes and western pancakes

are ultimately different things, but I don’t really care about
that. As long as it’s tasty and fashionable, that’s justice for
girls! [TLN: Pancakes in Europe and the US are wide and
thin, whereas pancakes in Japan are what we call soufflé
pancakes, which have a smaller diameter but are taller and
are very fluffy!]

“Yes, it has a great texture and goes well with whipped

cream. It has syrup, so it’s a guilty pleasure with a lot of
calories.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don’t say the most forbidden words

when eating sweets!”

I said it because I wanted to see that kind of reaction, but

when I thought about it, I realized that I, who hates exercise,
would definitely put on more weight than Mai, who is in the
exercise club, and I’m secretly having a hard time with that.

“What are you doing? Isn’t Mizuki a bit of an idiot

sometimes?”

As we were joking around over sweets…

“Huh… ahaha!”

Haruka was laughing.

As in, it’s fun.

“I’m sorry, I was just so happy to see the two of you

interacting in such an interesting way. ……”

Haruka, who had regained her normal state, took another

bite of the pancake.

Sweets seem to be great after all, and the sweetness that

pervades her face makes Haruka smile.

“As I told you both, I haven’t had any friends for a long time,
so this is the first time I’ve ever been to a gathering of
girlfriends.”

“Haruka ……”

To tell the truth, before we became friends like this, I had a

special view of Haruka.

I thought she was a beautiful woman, a high-class woman,

with a lot of experience in love, and that she would have a
large group of friends.

So when Haruka came out to me about her lack of

friendships, I felt embarrassed that I had been looking at her
in a very selfish way, and at the same time, I thought, “I
have to do a lot of friendly things for her!” I promised myself
that I would do my best.

“I’m really happy to have been friends with you two…!”

Her eyes moistened with tears, and she smiled with delight.

The destructive power of that pure and beautiful smile was

so great that I not only lost consciousness for a moment, but
also fell completely in love with her even though she was
the same sex.
(It’s too cute…! Oh my god, this is bad! It’s like the girls are
together, but their heads went blank!)

I know it’s a little late, but really, Haruka is just too beautiful
in every way…!

“To make such an angelic girl so depressed just because of

jealousy… Shouldn’t Nihama-kun explode, just once?”

I nodded my head in my mind at Mizuki’s whispered

comment.

[ED: I didn’t mention this before when I picked up editing

this, but hey, I’m Tom! I’ve been editing Company Slave
since chapter 59 from where Anima left off. Sorry for the on
and off editing from me, I am currently a student teacher
and it has been a tough grind working through my first
placement. However, I’m looking forward to editing chapters
whenever I have the time! Hope you enjoy the series we
have to offer, and make sure to join the Discord server to be
updated whenever a new chapter releases and to just chill
and hang out! (Also the gdoc is properly spaced when I send
my edits back to Helena so blame WordPress for bad
spacing kekw)]
 Chapter 65: Do Not Flip The Angel!

Anyway, I was relieved to see that Haruka seemed to be

feeling quite well again. It was distressing to see my friend
worrying about something that was likely nothing to be
concerned over.

If this were a romantic comedy, it would be the beginning of

a love triangle, but Niihama-kun isn’t that kind of person…

With the depth of his feelings, she was worried that if

Haruka rejected him, he would become a shell of a person.

“Oh, by the way: Haruka is exchanging emails with Niihama-

kun, right? What messages are you sending each other?”

When the conversation was over, Mizuki asked her this with
a glint in her eye.

Contrary to her usual cool expression, she’s a bit of a

maiden, and she’s very interested in what the two of them
are texting about.

…To be honest, I’d kind of like to hear about it too.

“Huh? No, it’s just normal stuff. Things like, ‘I enjoyed that
light novel you read today,’ or ‘I ate this and it was
delicious.’”

“Is that really all you do? For example, do you send each
other pictures?”

“You’re too much of an onlooker, Mizuki.”

“Well, well, I heard that there are men out there who
instruct pure girls to take naughty pictures and send them
to them, just in case…”

I whispered this to her, and Mizuki replied with a face that

clearly showed she was amused.

Well, there’s no way Niihama-kun would do something likea

bad uncle would, but…

“Pictures? Come to think of it, I’ve been sending him a lot of

pictures of me.”

“What?”

“Our housekeeper, Fuyuizumi-san, said to me, “He would be

happy if you took pictures of my young lady’s daily life and
sent those pictures to him.”

Oh, wait, what are you talking about, housekeeper?

I’m sure Niihama-kun will be happy to hear that!

“I sent him pictures of me lying in bed in my pajamas, or

eating ice cream in a T-shirt after a bath. I was a little
embarrassed, but my mother said, ‘Oh, good! This picture
looks good!’ And then she picked out a picture to send to
him…’”

They had her send a really suggestive picture!

I mean, aren’t the Shijouin family members too flirty?!

“So, what did Niihama-kun reply to you ……?”

“When I sent those pictures, the replies were always very

slow, like ‘I don’t know if I can look directly at this… it’s
hard,’ or ‘Akiko is definitely involved in this!’ so I stopped
sending them after that…”

I can picture the shock and confusion in Niihama-kun’s eyes

when the innocent Haruka suddenly sent him a bombshell of
a photo.I’m sure the healthy boys would find Haruka’s
private shots poisonous to their eyes.

“I’m surprised. It was a joke, but I didn’t know you were

actually doing something erotic.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not doing anything

naughty!”

“What are you talking about when you have double melons
all over your soft body?! The more I look at it, the more I
envy you, so I’ll give you a little squeeze later.”

“Huh? Oh my God! Don’t make any quick, strange

reservations!”

Haruka’s face turns red as Mizuki gives her a wicked

squeeze.

You’re having fun, Mizuki…

‘”But you have almost no contact with boys other than

Niihama-kun, don’t you? Doesn’t anyone ever call out to
you?”

I know there are a lot of boys who want to get Haruka, but
this has created a cryptic check-and-balance situation that
makes it difficult for them to get away.

In the midst of all this, Niihama-kun got super close to

Haruka, which would normally make the boys in the class
jealous, but… it didn’t.
The reason for this was that Niihama-kun had become a
person to be reckoned with in the class.

He had become more of a presence in the class as he

became very good at his studies and asked for cell phone
related advice. After his overworked performance at that
cultural festival, no one complained about him being around
Haruka anymore.

But that’s just our class. The boys in the other classes said
“Even that Niihama guy is getting close to Shijouin-san, so I
don’t have to put up with him anymore either!” And I
wouldn’t be surprised if someone tried to flirt with Haruka.
I’m a little worried that we might get in trouble for that.

“What, the other boys? Actually, I was approached by a

few people during the semester, and they were asking me
to go out somewhere with them.”

“Eh…?! So, how did you answer that!?”

“The first time I met all of them, they were acting so familiar
with me that it was scary, so I politely declined and left. I’m
still a little confused as to what they were trying to do.”

Yeah…? Who are those people…?

“…Oh, I see. You mean that?” Mizuki whispered to

me.”What? What do you mean, Mizuki?) I whispered back.

”I’ve only heard rumors that there was such a move, which
means that Niihama-kun and Haruka got their licks in. ‘If a
mediocre guy like Niihama can get along with her, then I’m
sure I can get in with her!’ With this in mind, the people with
a little confidence moved in, such as the slightly handsome,
somewhat popular guys and the regulars in the athletic
clubs.”
“Ehh… that’s pretty lame. I can’t believe they’re making a
move because they see an easy target, not because they
like her.”

“Yeah, that’s not cool. If I really liked someone, I’d have just
gone for them regardless of the hurdles. And it’s disgusting
that they’re making fun of our friends.”

I completely agree with Mizuki’s words, which were filled

with anger.

If you think that Niihama-kun, whom you don’t know very

well, is lower than you, and you think that Haruka, who is
with Niihama-kun, is cheap, then you are not only lame but
also really rude.

I stop whispering and speak directly with Haruka.

“Well, it’s a good response anyway, Haruka. You don’t have

to deal with people who are suddenly trying to be friendly.”

“Yes. To be honest, I was scared, so it’s nice to hear that. I’m

not a big fan of people who are too selfish”

I somehow knew this already, but it seems that Haruka

doesn’t like violent people. Well, Niihama-kun, despite his
energy, is not the arrogant type either.

“And speaking of being strong, what happened to that other

guy, Mitsurugi? I heard he had a dispute with Niihama-san
over the final exam.” [TLN: Not sure about the d*ckhead guy
name. He’s not worthy to be remembered] [ED: It’s
Mitsurugi. And yes, what an actual d*ckhead lmao]

Suddenly remembering the name, I casually mentioned it.

I really just said it in the flow of conversation, and it didn’t
mean anything more than that, but…

“Mitsurugi……?”

“He…?”

Haruka’s appearance changed drastically.

For some reason, the tone of her voice became very low and
harsh, and her eyes became fixed.

The usual atmosphere, like a flower garden with the sun

shining on it, became freezing cold like the frozen Arctic.

“Oh… you mean that very rude person?” [TL: You mean that
d*ckhead]

“Haruka, what…?”

…What’s wrong with you?

What’s wrong? The shine in my eyes are gone!

“It’s true that I may have been spoken to by that crazy

person, but I’ve forgotten at this point. I have no intention of
speaking to him again, and if possible, I would like to erase
him from my memory completely. Just the sight of him
makes me very uncomfortable.”

Huh, all the things that a normal Haruka would never say!

What is this? Her innocence has been turned inside out!

I quickly turn to whisper with Mizuki.

“Wait, what’s going on? The angelic Haruka is snapping at

me with an expressionless face like a noh mask!” [ED: A noh
mask is a mask that has a limited amount of facial
expressions (usually ranging from one to three), often used
in the classical style of Japanese dance/drama by the same
name.]

“I’m sorry, I should have told you about that. Apparently,

during that final exam, Miitsurugi said ‘Niihama is scum and
trash! I’m the best of the best!’ Ever since then, whenever
she hears that man’s name, she seems to be like this…”

“What is that prince-like person doing? It’s not right to make

the kind and gentle Haruka so angry!”

“I never thought I’d be so disgusted by a really vulgar, self-

conscious, arrogant person. Just remembering that makes
my chest turn black…”

I don’t know.

Haruka mumbling in abhorrence is messed up and scary!

“Please be careful. The reason Haruka did this was obviously

because she was angry that Niihama-kun got belittled, but
the same thing doesn’t necessarily happen with jealousy.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think this will ever happen, but if Haruka hits her
limit of lovesick jealousy, this dark side of her usual angelic
nature might explode. We’re already getting close to that,
so we should be careful not to advance Haruka’s darkness
gauge by misleading her about our friendship with Niihama-
kun. [TL: Yandere Haruka?]

“Eh, that… actually, I’ve been with Niihama-kun all day long,
accompanying him in his training during the ball game.
Could this be out of the question…?”
“You should never say that. This may lead to jealousy, which
in turn may lead to a TV episode like “This Thieving Cat!” or
something like that.” [ED: A “thieving cat” is a Japanese
idiom which refers to someone who steals another’s partner.
Obviously, not something you want applied to you.]

“Hey! If that happens…

When you say that, I can’t help but get a little paranoid.

–The rooftop of an empty school building.

Haruka and I are facing each other as the world turns the
orange color of dusk.

“You practiced softball at a park on your day off with

Niihama-kun? So that’s how you got close to him, a guy
who’s not very good at exercise. …This thieving cat.”

“No, no, no, I didn’t mean it! Trust me!”

“That’s what all thieving cats say. Oh, I’m so sad, Mai-san. I
thought we were friends, and now I have to send you to the
same place as Mitsurugi.”

Haruka, who has zero sanity in her eyes, smiles as she holds
a bloody knife in her hand.

This is the kind of thing that makes communication

completely impossible.

“So, the blood on that knife is…! Oh, no! Mitsurugi!”

— I accidentally said this out loud in reality, and I heard a

voice from outside saying, “Oh, I got slaughtered first?” But
my delusion continued.
“Hmm, I knew I should wipe out all the girls who get close to
Niihama-kun. So, good-bye Mai. But this is your fault, isn’t
it?”

“Gah! This person is a yandere!”

And Haruka slowly approached me with her sickly, lightless

eyes–

“Awwww! Stab to pieces!”

I shudder as I return from my fantasy.

If Haruka’s purity is turned inside out, it would be very bad!

In the meantime, Haruka seemed to have regained her

composure.

“I’m sorry. When I heard the name of that strange person for
a moment, I lost my cool. …Mai? What’s up?”

“H-Haruka!”

“Yeah…?”

I leaned forward on the table and grabbed Haruka’s hand.

Haruka’s eyes are black and white at the sudden action.

I’ll always be your friend, and I’ll always stand by you,

Haruka! You can trust me!”

“Yes, sure! It’s so nice to have a friend say that about you!
I’ll always be on your side, too!”

Although I was surprised, I accepted Haruka’s dazzling, pure

smile with all the guilt I felt for spreading my ridiculous
fantasies earlier.
…I’m sorry for thinking of something weird…
 Chapter 66: Haruka and Kanako

I’m Haruka Shijouin.

Right now I’m sitting on a park bench in the city, facing a

very troubling problem.

(…still haven’t been able to contact Nihama-kun…)

Thanks to them, my mind was very light during yesterday’s

tea party, but the matter of Nihama-kun and the strange girl
walking together still weighs heavily on my heart.

(The two of you told me that I’m afraid that my best friend,
Nihama-kun, will be taken away. …It’s really true.)

But still, is it possible for the heart to tremble so much?

It’s so scary …… that it even feels like the soft parts of my

heart are being torn to shreds.

I’ve been staring at the cell phone in my right hand for a

while now.

It’s amazing what civilization can do. One push of this phone
and I’m connected to Nihama-kun.

And then all I’d have to do is ask, “Who was the girl you
were walking with yesterday?” That’s the only way to make
progress with this problem.

I know that, but…

(…it seems like a pointless question if you think about it
calmly. Whoever Nihama-kun is with, he should be free to do
as he pleases and I have nothing to do with it. If you’re
asking why I want to know about it…)

“…Possessiveness…?”

That’s the only way I can describe my feelings.

When I realized this, I suddenly felt ashamed.

What a childish feeling I have…

From yesterday until now, I’ve been thinking about Nihama-

kun all the time like this.

TIt’s probably because I haven’t been able to see him during

the summer vacation. Before I knew it, talking to him every
day at school had become the norm.

“I want to see him.”

I found myself muttering unconsciously.

For the first time, I could recognize my desire to see his

face.

And then…

A cold drop of water hit my cheek.

“Eh? …Wha!”

The weather had been fine just a few minutes ago, but
suddenly there was heavy rain.

It was getting heavier and heavier.

(Yup, I let my guard down! It was sunny in the morning, so I
didn’t look at the weather forecast at all…!) [ED: big mood]

The rain was getting stronger and stronger, and the people
on the street, also caught off guard, rushed to find a place
to take shelter from the rain.

This is… What should I do?

I was going to take a short walk today, so I didn’t have a car

to take me home.

It would be better to buy a plastic umbrella at a

convenience store.

“Oh my God, what is this? I didn’t see the weather forecast

at all!”

When I looked toward the voice, I saw a middle school-aged

girl with straight hair screaming in the sudden rain.
Apparently, she also forgot her umbrella like I did.

(…Huh? Do I know her…?)

“Oh my God! Rain showers are the worst!”

The strangely familiar girl raises her bag above her head
and starts running, using it as protection from the rain. But
then-

“Oh!”

The zipper of the bag that the girl lifted over her head
seemed to be slightly unzipped, and her purse fell out of it,
rolling onto the water-soaked asphalt.

But the girl ran off at a glance without noticing it, her back
becoming smaller and smaller.
”…Alright!”

I don’t hesitate for even a second. As the streets filled with

the sound of rain, I quickly picked up her purse and followed
the girl.

“Oh my God, I’m soaked… It’s raining down a lot…!”

I, Kanako Niihama, was dashing through a residential area,

drenched by the rain.

I ate too many parfaits yesterday and gained a lot of

calories. Because of this, my brother and I were not able to
eat dinner, and my mom got angry with us. I thought I’d go
for a short walk while window shopping today, but here I
am.

Thank God our house is located in a very convenient place

near the city center. Otherwise, the unnecessary expense of
buying an umbrella at a convenience store would have been
mandatory.

“……! Come on…!”

“Come on…? Eh?”

I thought I heard something over the sound of the rain, so I

turned around and saw a woman of high school age running
behind me without an umbrella.

She is shouting something at me, and is obviously chasing

me.

“Wait! Wait, please!”

What? What’s going on?

As I stiffened, unable to grasp the situation, the person
came up to me, breathing heavily. She looked like she was
running as fast as possible to catch up to me.

“Hah… hah… I’ve finally caught up with… it’s a lost and

found…!”

What…?

…My wallet! How did this get out of my bag?”

Then I finally understood the situation.

I had accidentally dropped my wallet out of my bag, and this

person had chased me, its owner, through this rain. ……!

“Oh, thank you, ma’am! …Wait, you’re soaking wet! Didn’t

you have an umbrella?”

“Yes, yes, you’re welcome …About that, I accidentally

missed the weather forecast… Oh, but I’m glad I caught
up…”

The woman, who looked sincerely relieved, was, upon closer

inspection, an incredibly beautiful woman. Her long hair is
shiny, her eyes and nose are beautiful, and even though she
is slender, she has very ample breasts and buttocks.

(Yes… what? She’s beautiful and also has such a beautiful

heart that she’s willing to run in the rain to deliver a wallet
to a complete stranger…? What is she, a goddess or
something?)

…Hmmm…? Where have I seen this woman’s face before?

I think if you meet a beautiful woman like this, you usually

don’t forget her.
“Well then, I’ll take this and try not to catch a cold. …Kya!”

The rain was getting stronger and stronger, and the woman
screamed.

It’s raining really badly, with lightning crashing in the

distance.

“Wait, wait, wait! You’re going to run into town without an

umbrella again?”

“Yes… This is a residential area, so sheltering from the rain

seems a bit impossible, and there are no convenience stores
to buy umbrellas until you go back a bit further.”

“You’re the one who’s going to catch a cold if you do that!

We’re almost at my house, come with me! I can at least lend
you a towel!”

“Please, you don’t have to…”

“I don’t care! I owe you for delivering my wallet. Don’t be

shy! Come on, let’s go!”

It would be heartbreaking if the person who ran in the rain

for me caught a cold because of me.

I forcefully pull her hesitant hand and run to my house.

 Chapter 67: Your Name…?

I, Kanako Nihama, was in a very unique situation.

I’m in the familiar bathroom of the Nihama household.

The fact that I’m in my house and I’m soaking in my bathtub

here is completely normal.

“Fu … Oh, it’s warm. My cold body is coming back to life…”

However, when a beautiful girl of the highest class is

bathing with you, your normal bathtub is instantly
transformed into an unknown paradise.

(Wow… too much… what amazingly sexy white skin… it’s

like taking a bath with a Budokan-class idol. It doesn’t feel
real…) [ED: The Nippon Budokan, often abbreviated as just
the Budokan, is a world-class indoor arena that hosts martial
arts contests and musical events. This arena has hosted
performers such as the Beatles, ABBA, Pink Floyd, and
others. It is an idol’s dream to be able to perform on such a
stage, which is the kind of light Hanako is viewing Haruka
in.]

It’s good that I’m small so we can both soak in the hot water
with some room to spare. Despite the fact that we both
have towels wrapped around our bodies, the destructive
power of the two melons floating in front of us is enough to
overwhelm the chattering me to the point of exasperation.
Her long hair easily curled up with hairpins, her neck’s nape,
which was completely exposed, her thin white shoulders,
and her face, which was once again too beautiful to be seen
up close, were all dangerous products that could destroy
reason. Even though she was a woman, I was so excited
that my nose was about to bleed.

“But I’m sorry for barging into someone’s house and even
taking their bath…”

“No, no, no, no! I owe you a favor, so don’t be like that!”

When we arrived at the Nihama house with this kind

woman’s hand in tow, we were no longer soaking wet to the
point of toweling off, and in all likelihood, we needed a bath
immediately.

My mom and brother weren’t home, so I quickly prepared a

bath and told her to take a bath first, but she said, “I don’t
care, you take a bath first! You’ll catch a cold!” She didn’t
give in, and we got into a little trouble.

And I eventually lost my temper and said, “Oh my God!

You’re such a softie! Then let’s go in together since we’re
both women! Then everything will be alright!”

When I said that I was desperate, the sister said, “…Yes,

that’s right. If we don’t, we’ll both be too cold and reserved.
Let’s go with that!” She adopted the idea.

“But more importantly, are you sure you’re okay? I’m really
sorry that I made you take a bath with me in a house that
you don’t know and that I made a crazy suggestion on the
spur of the moment..”

“No, no, no! I’m the one who agreed to come in with you,
and I’m not in any trouble! I had a real problem with being
soaking wet in the first place, and I’m very grateful!”

She really seems to think so, and she smiles at me over the
short distance between us in the bathtub.

Wow… this person is truly beautiful on the inside…

“Yeah, thanks for calling out to me, ma’am.. You really

helped me out!”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad that I could help.”

With a soft, graceful manner, she accepted my thanks.

I’m not sure what to say, but I’m going to try… She feels like
a princess who has come down to meet the villagers in the
town.

By the way, I’ve been wondering about… something, for a

while now.

“I’ve been looking at you for a while now. How did you grow
those breasts? And your skin glows so brilliantly! If you have
a secret, I’ll get down on my knees and ask you for it!”

I know I’m a beautiful junior high school girl, but I hate my

body shape. I don’t want to be stuck in this Lolita style
forever!.

The body of this woman is my ideal, and I would like to find

out how to cultivate it.

“What? No, I don’t do anything in particular. I eat a lot and

sleep a lot, but I don’t have any particular secrets…”

“Whoa! I thought you might be, but you actually were born
lucky! It’s not fair that you automatically have such a
perfect body!”
“Also, please don’t say so much about my body anymore…
It’s embarrassing. Sometimes my friends tell me that I’m
just a little bigger than normal.”

Not just a little! Not a “little bit” at all!I’m certain your friend
is super jealous of you!

As I was lamenting the unfairness of the world, the sound of

rain became louder again.

Apparently, the weather was still raging.

“Wow, it’s still raining. Today was a bad day… I set it

straight to change the mood a bit, but it still got soggy..”

“It looked really good on you. Do you usually wear your hair
differently?”

“Oh, yeah. Most of the time I have twintails like this.”

I made a tuft of hair with both hands and twirled my

twintails.

I often wear my hair like this when I’m at home for whatever
reason.

“Oh, I love it! It looks so good on you. …Wait, is that…? That

haircut…”

“Yeah? What’s wrong?”

As soon as she saw me in my twintails, she stopped moving

for some reason and stared at my face.

What’s this? I’m embarrassed to have such a beautiful

woman staring at me.
(Oh, crap! I just realized that I haven’t even given my name
to her yet. But it’s strange, I know I’ve seen this woman
somewhere…)

But no matter how much I try to recall it, I don’t remember

ever meeting anyone with such a strong aesthetic impact.

But I certainly remember seeing this dainty looking person

somewhere. [ED: This line is from Haruka’s perspective. It’s
the only one that’s like this.]

I’ve seen you even though I haven’t seen you…?

For example, videos, photos… ah!

“Ah, aaaah! That’s right! A while back, my brother showed

me a class group photo with you in it…!”

“Oh, oh! Yes, my memory and your image finally match!

You’re… in the city yesterday…!”
“Shijouin-san? You’re Shijouin-san!”

“The girl who was with Niihama-kun…!”

We both turned to each other in surprise.

“Ehhhhhhhhhh?!”

Our two confused voices echoed in the bathroom, where the

only other sound was the rain from outside.
 Chapter 68: Change of Clothes

I am Haruka Shijouin.

Now I was incredibly surprised to find out that I had been

given a bath in a stranger’s house, with a fact coming to
light I never would have imagined.

“So, then, …… are you Niihama’s sister, ……?”

The situation was a little too difficult to grasp, and after

explaining what we knew to each other in turn, we were
finally able to understand this amazing coincidence.

“Yes! I’ll introduce myself again. I’m Kanako Niihama! You’ve

always been a great help to my brother!”

Kanako-chan, who is facing me in the bathtub, gives me a

mischievous smile and a small bow.

“Niihama’s… sister…”

I had heard that he had one younger sister, but I didn’t

know she was so cute. Her vibrant smile was so adorable
that I wanted to hug her.

“But I didn’t expect that Shijouin-san was also there when I

went shopping with my brother yesterday. Well, everyone
gathers in the city on holidays, so I guess that’s normal.”

“Ah, yes… I only saw it for a moment at that time, and I

didn’t realize it until just now when I saw your hairstyle was
also twin-tailed.”
As I said this, I was amazed at the transformation that this
fact had brought to my mind.

(She’s his sister. That thing yesterday was just a brother and
sister out together.)

Knowing this, I found myself feeling surprisingly light in my

chest.

Something that had been settled in the depths of my mind

since yesterday had disappeared cleanly.

(Oh …… now I’m very relieved ……)

As if a thorn had been removed from my chest, a sense of

relief filled me.

That heavy, painful feeling had cleared up like a clear,

cloudless day.

(Even so, it’s a shallow possessiveness of me to be so

relieved to know that Niihama-kun didn’t have a friend
closer than me. …Huh?)

Suddenly, I felt something strange.

If my feelings were a possessive desire stemming from my

lack of friends, then I would feel the same way even if Mai
and Mizuki were close to other girls besides me – but my
mind was not particularly disturbed by the thought.

(…? I don’t understand…?Even if I’m right about it being just

possessiveness, it’s a little different from the fear of having
your friends taken away, isn’t it…?)

“Hey, what’s wrong, Shijouin-san? Have you lost

consciousness ?”
“Oh, no, I haven’t introduced myself yet either. I’m Haruka
Shijouin. I’m indebted to your brother as well.”

I was so lost in thought that I hurriedly introduced myself

and bowed lightly in the bathtub.

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you! I thought you were a beautiful

woman, but I didn’t realize you were the Shijouin-san I’d
heard so much about! I’ve been hoping to meet you
someday!”

“What do you mean by rumors… did Niihama-kun talk so

much about me?”

“That’s right! Your father almost banned you from reading

light novels because your grades were so low!”

“Wha?!”

What, Niihama-kun?! What are you talking to your sister

about?

I’ve never met Kanako-chan before, but from the very

beginning my dignity as a big sister is ruined…!

“But basically, I’ve always gotten compliments about you.”

“Yeah?”

“He always says you’re a really nice girl. I’ve heard so many
things about you that I have calluses in my ears, like how
happy he was to study with you and how much fun he had
going around the festival with you.”

“Eh, what…?”

I never imagined that Niihama-kun would be talking about

me so much at home. I felt a mixture of embarrassment and
happiness, and my cheeks grew hot.

“The specs I was told about you as a girl were so great that I
still slightly doubted her existence even after seeing a photo
of you… And you really are a beautiful person inside,
making a long-distance dash for me, a stranger, in the
pouring rain.”

“Oh, God. Please don’t make fun of me. It’s nothing to

deliver a dropped wallet.”

It’s really not a big deal, but Kanako-chan seemed a little

surprised from me saying “It’s nothing.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t believe Niihama-kun has such a cute

sister. I’m an only child, so I don’t know what it’s like to have
a sister. …I know it’s very rude, but… can I pat your head a
little…?”

The petite and very energetic Kanako was so cute, like a

mischievous kitten, that I couldn’t help but want to stroke
her little head.

“Yeah, I’m totally cool with that! Think of me as your sister

and love me to the fullest-?!”

With her permission, I touched Kanako’s hair and stroked it

quietly.

Just like when I do that to a small animal, the mere act gives
me an alluring sense of happiness.

“I knew you had beautiful hair, Kanako.”

“No, no, no, wait a minute…! This is more dangerous than I

thought! While soaking in the same hot water with a
beautiful girl who looks like a princess slowly caressing my
head …Hhh, my brain is melting…!”

Just as I lose track of time when I’m playing with cats or

dogs, I was so happy at this moment that I was absorbed in
stroking Kanako’s head and I didn’t notice right away that
Kanako was saying something in a disturbed voice, or that
her face was getting redder and redder.

“This is the power of a beautiful lady… Kyu…”

“…Wha?! K-Kanako-chan?! What’s wrong? Why are you so

red? Did you take too long of a bath?!”

Kanako-chan, who had become like a boiled octopus, was

about to sink into the hot water, so I rushed in to help her.

“I’m sorry about earlier, I was having so much fun patting

Kanako-chan that I got carried away…”

Wrapped in a bath towel, I bowed my head to Kanako-chan.

Having warmed up more than enough, we climbed out of

the bath and were now standing in the changing room (and
washroom).

Kanako-chan recovered quickly after the bath, but it was

really pathetic that I didn’t notice her condition right away,
being in complete exhaustion despite acting as the big
sister.

“Oh, no, it wasn’t the hot water that caused me to flush. …

Oh well. I’ll leave a change of clothes here for you. Excuse
me…”

Kanako-chan, who had changed into a t-shirt and shorts a

step ahead of me, put the change of clothes she had
brought me into the basket.

I had my underwear dried in the dryer while I was taking a

bath, but I couldn’t do that with my fragile jackets and
skirts, so I had to take advantage of her kindness.

“I’ll be making tea then, so come to the living room when

you’re done changing!”

After saying that, Kanako disappeared across the corridor.

(……Hmm? If Kanako-chan is Niihama-kun’s younger sister,

then… this is Niihama-kun’s house, isn’t it?)

I could see my reflection in the bathroom mirror turning red

as I realized this very obvious fact at a time that was really
too late.

(I mean, I got naked at Niihama’s house and took a bath…

Ah, ah, ah…)

I soaked myself naked in the bathtub in the same bathroom

that Niihama-kun usually used.

I was very embarrassed by that fact.

(There doesn’t seem to be anyone else in the house right

now except Kanako-chan… and anyway, let’s get dressed
quickly…!)

I put on my dry underwear and sleeved the large shirt that

was given to me as a change of clothes.

It was a little tight in the chest, but not so tight that it was
painful.

“Is that…?”
As I buttoned up the sleeves of my shirt, I saw a note in the
basket.

There was something written in round letters that seemed

to be in Kanako-chan’s handwriting.

“I’m going to give you my brother’s shirt to wear because

your breasts are too big for mine and my mom’s are too
tight.”

“Wha-?!”

(This is… Niihama’s shirt?)

As soon as I realized this, I felt my face flush again.

It was nothing compared to what I had seen earlier.

Just the thought of the shirt that Niihama-kun usually wears

in his sleeves is now wrapped around my entire body, and
my emotions are so hot and turbulent that I can’t stay calm.

(Oh, but it’s definitely not like a girl’s shirt… It smells like a
boy…)

My hands stopped as I was wearing a shirt open in the front

over my underwear, just shorts and bra.

I’m wearing Niihama-kun’s shirt, and I’m in his smell.

When I think of that, my thoughts overflow with heat and I

can’t think of anything else.

Yes, so I’m sure- the behavior that followed was also

because it was unusual.

(Same as when we huddled together in the planetarium at

the school festival: I can definitely smell Niihama-kun’s
scent…)

The action was unconscious.

It was really, really unconscious.

But the fact was that I had taken my arm through the sleeve
of Niihama-kun’s shirt and brought it up to my mouth.

I could smell him through my nostrils.

[ED: I’ve officially graduated from university! I’ll edit these

chapters as Helena sends them to me, so look forward to it!
Ah, to have some time to myself again…]

[TN: Uhh, so the ED was having some kind of problem

during the time this chapter was released. So…]
 Chapter 69: Welcome Back! The Trap
is Ready!

My name is Niihama Shinchirou.

I’m a high school sophomore, an ex-industrial worker who is

going back in time and redoing his youth.

Oh my god, it’s raining like a bitch…!

I closed my umbrella at the entrance of my house and

complained about the sudden heavy rain.

I had heard from the weather forecast that the weather

would suddenly change from sunny to rainy, but the rainfall
was much heavier than expected. I was just reading a book
at the library today. …… I should have left a little earlier.

“Phew… I had an umbrella, but I got pretty wet…”

My pants, which had become heavy from splashing, and the

sleeves of my shirt, which were wet and cool, were quite
uncomfortable.

I crossed the threshold of the entrance hallway thinking I

would have to change my clothes.

We are a family of three, but most of the nearly ten shoes

lined up in the entryway belong to Kanako and her mother.

And I had no way of knowing what kind of shoes they had – I

didn’t even realize at the time that there were shoes not
from my family mixed in among them.

(Nn… hearing sounds from the kitchen means that Kanako is

back.)

I thought there was something going on and I heard, “Gah!

Oh, there are too many tea leaves in the teacup!”
Unusually, she seemed to be struggling to brew her own
tea. She is still the same girl with low domestic girl power.

(Speaking of girls, was Shijouin’s girls’ party yesterday? I

wish I could meet with Shijouin-san too, but I need an
excuse for that…)

Although we have been communicating via email, we have

not met in person recently because of summer vacation.
Frankly, I miss her very much.

In this day and age, video phone calls aren’t that easy to
make …… [TLN: Man, the 2020 era is just full of that
because of that shitty virus.]

“I’d love to see you…”

Muttering, I turned my feet to the washroom in a very

natural way.

It was raining and my body was wet all over, my clothes

needed to be put in the washing machine, and I needed a
towel. It’s a natural thing to do.

I had noticed that the light was on in the bathroom.

But Kanako was in the kitchen, and it was obvious that Mom
had not yet returned, since her car was not back in the
garage. So what was my fault for thinking it was just a light I
forgot to turn off?
Then I opened the sliding door to the bathroom without
hesitation, making a loud rattling sound.

And then-

“Hya…!?”

“…”

I saw a presence that shouldn’t have been there, and a

voice that shouldn’t have been heard echoed in my
eardrums.

It blew a fuse in my head, temporarily shutting down my

thinking.

What came to my brain, which restarted two seconds later,

were the words hallucination, delusion, and daydreaming,
words that are linked to false perceptions of reality. I tried to
find a peaceful conclusion that she could not be here and
that this was a false image presented by my shallow desire.

…That’s as far as I could get away from reality.

Mercilessly, my brain comes to its senses and tells me this is

real.

The girl of my dreams, Shijouin Haruka, is standing in the

bathroom of my house with her bare skin exposed.

(Is, eh, na, fuh…! Hey, what!? I don’t even know what’s
going on…! What’s going on, and… where’s the glitch…
making this happen?!)

No, this has to be a glitch just because it is so strange.

I came home as usual and found Shijouin-san standing in

our bathroom, wearing my shirt with the front buttons fully
open over her underwear.

If such an unorthodox super development is possible in

reality, it would be possible that one day the Terminator
would suddenly be sipping tea in the living room.

“N-N-N-Niihama-kun…! Ah, ah, ah! No, no, no! I borrowed

this shirt out of necessity, not because I have some smell
fetish…”

Shijouin-san dropped her arm, which was close to her

mouth, and although she should have screamed, her face
turned bright red and she was upset for reasons that were
not clear to me.

“Shh, trust me…! I can’t live like this if people think I’m a
girl with special tastes!”

“Hey, Shijouin-san! Front! …Hey!”

With tears in her eyes, Shijoin-san came closer and closer to

me.

But she is wearing only an unbuttoned shirt, and her body,

in her underwear, is coming closer and closer to my view.

Two huge fruits wrapped in a pink bra, shorts in a skirt that

is usually kept secret, a tight white waist and a sensational
navel- the boy instinct in me is glued to the parts that I
cannot normally see.

“OI! Remember what you look like! You’re almost naked!”

“Eh… ah, hyaaaaaaaaa! Sorry, I’m sorry…!”

Finally realizing how exposed she is, Shijouin-san’s face

turns an embarrassed shade of vermilion, and she closes
her shirt with her hand and crouches down as she is.

At least I just barely avoided a situation that would have

punctured my mental capacity.

No, but what’s really going on here?!

Why is Shijoin-san in my house and half-naked in the first

place!

“Brother…”

“Kanako! No, this is not what you think…!”

My sister, who seemed to have heard the commotion and

rushed to the scene, was looking at me with a stern look.

“No wait…! Sure, I admit I’m guilty of seeing Shijouin-san in

her underwear, but it’s a bit harsh to scorn me for this?!”

“No, well, I know that…”

Kanako mutters this with a huff and a sigh.

“Huh?”

“I think it’s a little tough to ask you to notice Shijouin-san’s

shoes, which are about the same size as Mom’s, because
Mom gets new shoes every once in a while. And it’s my own
fault that I was so focused on making tea in the first place
that I didn’t notice that my own brother had come home.”

“Oh, oh…!”

I was impressed by my sister’s calm consideration of the

scene, which in a romantic comedy is without exception a
bust. I’m impressed that you can think so rationally,
Kanako…!
“But–”

“Huh?”

What, why are you going behind my back?

“I still have to make up for the fact that my brother saw

Shijouin in his underwear, and the only way to settle this
very complicated situation is to play the romcom manga
card! So I’m being a little unreasonable, but
oryaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

“Gabaaaah!”

Kanako’s auxiliary leap kick explodes into my back, and I am

blown away and plopped down in the hallway with a
shudder.

“N-Niihama-kun?!”

And the half-naked Shijoin-san gives me a concerned voice,

but it is hard not to look in that direction.

I mean, isn’t it time for someone to explain the situation…?

Chapter 70: It’s Like I Have a Brother
Complex or Something!

“That’s how it turned out…”

Me, Shijouin-san, and Kanako were gathered around the

table in the living room of the Niihama residence.

After the commotion in the bathroom, Shijouin-san and

Kanako, who had finished changing, accompanied me to the
living room – and now we had finally finished hearing the
explanation of the situation.

“Thank you so much, Shijouin-san, for running in the rain for

Kanako’s sake. Come on, Kanako, say thank you again.”

“Yeah, of course! Thank you, Haruka-chan!”

“W-Wow… Please don’t bow your heads like that! I really

just picked up a wallet, that’s all!”

As we siblings bowed our heads to express gratitude,

Shijouin-san became flustered.

But Kanako… calling someone she just met today “Haruka-

chan”… I mean, Shijouin-san doesn’t seem to mind at all,
but still…

“And, um… I’m really sorry about what happened in the

bathroom earlier… It was an accident caused by me and
Kanako’s carelessness…”
“N-No, it’s just a simple accident… um, well, I’m sorry for
showing you something unsightly…”

At Shijouin-san’s bashful words, the scene from the

bathroom flashed back in my mind.

Shijouin-san’s pure white skin.

The sight of the girl I love the most wearing nothing but a
thin undergarment is not only exciting but also makes her
look like a goddess – it’s etched behind my eyelids and
doesn’t seem to fade away.

(And… Shijouin-san is currently wearing my shirt…)

As if recalling the “accident” earlier, Shijouin-san blushed.

Seeing her showing such shyness while wearing my shirt

and hugging her own shoulders, it stirs something hot within
me.

Thinking about Shijouin-san’s slightly reddened skin after a

bath touching my shirt, I can’t help but feel flustered.

When Kanako said with a smirk, “Hehehe, you managed

with Mama’s skirt, but considering the size of your chest,
borrowing your big brother’s shirt was the only option,
right?” – it’s definitely hitting me hard, damn it, considering
my virgin-like turmoil.

“No, well… anyway, I’m sorry…”

“Yeah, I’m really sorry, Haruka-chan… But rather than

unsightly, your bare skin is priceless, right? I bet I could
easily charge 30,000 yen just to admire it.”

“Don’t say such explicit things, you idiot!”

Don’t say things that people wouldn’t even think about!

We’re in front of a guest, so try to tone down your usual

antics!

“Well, that’s enough about that. But… I feel relieved.”

“Huh…”

Taking a sip of the tea that Kanako brewed (I filtered it with

a tea strainer because there were tea leaves mixed in),
Shijouin-san spoke.

“It turned out in a way I never expected… but I’m really

happy to see you again after such a long time, Niihama-kun.
I wanted to see you just at this time…”

“Huh!?”

For some reason, Kanako widened her eyes in surprise at

Shijouin-san’s words.

Huh? What’s wrong with you?

“Oh, I’m glad too. I’ve been wanting to see you, and I’m
really happy to see your face again after such a long time.
We’ve only been communicating through emails lately.”

“Hoah!?”

As our faces meet like this, it’s clear that our hearts are
rejoicing.

I can feel the Shijouin-san energy (the all-purpose energy

that can be obtained by making contact with Shijouin-san)
that was almost depleted filling up my heart.

… But what’s up with Kanako?

“H-Hey, hey, Onii-chan…!”

“Hm? What’s wrong with you――Guuh!?”

Kanako grabs my shoulder and forcefully spins me around,

diverting my gaze from Shijouin-san sitting across from me.
Then, she leans closer to my face and starts whispering
something in a hushed voice.

(W-What was that just now!? You were casually saying how
we wanted to see each other, but that was clearly an
exchange between lovers! When did you completely
conquer Shijouin-san!?)

(Ah… No, I was a bit numb, but those words from Shijouin-
san are purely how she feels, not with any romantic
implications.)

(Huh!? Seriously!? I mean, is that supposed to be a friend-

like line…? I knew she was airheaded, but there’s a limit,
right!?)

(Well, so far, I’m the only guy who gets that line from her at
close proximity, so in that sense, it’s special… But
unfortunately, there are no heart marks attached.)

This airheadedness is the barrier that has repelled

numerous guys from Shijouin-san, and I’m still in the middle
of conquering her. The distance between us is undoubtedly
getting closer, so I shouldn’t rush things.

(By the way, there are hearts attached to every word I say
to Shijouin-san.)

(I know! I don’t need unnecessary information that much!)

With a face that seems to say, “You’re really annoying!”
Kanako skillfully interjects in a hushed voice… It seems like
I’ve been sharing my feelings for Shijouin-san a bit too
much.

“Ahaha, sorry for the secret conversation, Haruka-chan! I

apologized to Onii-chan for saying, ‘Onii-chan always talks
about Shijouin-san ♪’!”

W-Wait, whatttttttt!?

How much of my statements at home did you spill?

And you’re not even showing any remorse, so what’s with

the apology?!

“Well, when I heard that from Kanako-chan, I felt both happy

and embarrassed… Um, Niihama-kun?”

“Y-Yes!?”

“Please don’t tell Kanako-chan any embarrassing things

about me. She might laugh… I want her to see me as a
reliable older sister!”

Um… What part of the conversation is she referring to!?

To be honest, I’ve been talking about Shijouin-san a lot to

Kanako, so I can’t pinpoint which “embarrassing thing” she’s
talking about…

“Well, I talk about Niihama-kun all the time at home, so I

have no right to say anything…,” Shijouin-san said.

“Oh, really!? What kind of things do you say about Onii-

chan!?”
“Hehe, there are so many things! I can’t possibly cover
everything, like how amazing Niijima-kun is, the times he’s
helped me, and what we talked about today!”

With a face full of curiosity, Kanako leans forward eagerly,

and for some reason, Shijouin-san happily shares the
contents of our conversation.

These two have become incredibly close in such a short

time…

“However… Every time I talk about Niihama-kun, my father

somehow gets a face like he’s eaten a bitter bug and starts
trembling as if he’s holding something back.”

As expected, whenever my topic comes up, Tokimune-san’s

annoyance meter keeps rising! Stop it! I’m glad you’re
talking about me, but please don’t accumulate any more
eruptions from Tokimune-san!

“Ahahahahahaha! Haruka-chan’s papa is too funny! He looks

so tense, but hang in there, Onii-chan!”

“You’re laughing way too much, you little…!”

She’s thoroughly enjoying this…! I can’t laugh because it

reminds me of that heart-pounding job interview!

“But anyway, Kanako-chan really loves her big brother.”

“Huh!?”

Shijouin-san smiles warmly, and Kanako, who was laughing

foolishly, freezes as if caught off guard.

“Since earlier, she seems so happy whenever she interacts

with her older brother. It’s clear that you two get along
really well.”

“N-N-No…!”

Shijouin-san expresses her honest impressions without any

ulterior motive, causing Kanako to stutter and become
flustered, which is quite rare for her.

This face of hers is truly unusual.

“T-That’s not true! Besides, it makes it seem like I have a

brother complex or something!”

“Is that so? Even when we were talking about Niihama-kun

in the bath earlier, you seemed really lively…”

Shijouin-san follows up with her soft words, targeting

Kanako, who is denying it with a raised voice.

The effect is outstanding, and Kanako’s face rapidly turns

red.

“~~~Ahh! That’s it! End this conversation! It’s over!”

Kanako forcefully cuts off the conversation, shaking her

arms. It’s a bit cute how she pouts and turns her face away.

“I-It’s amazing… Kanako blushing and staying silent like

that…”

I once again admire Shijouin-san’s purity and

airheadedness. The words of an angel, who innocently
speaks what she feels without any intention to tease,
become a mirror reflecting the hearts of those she interacts
with, leaving no room for argument.

“Hehe, Kanako-chan blushing and being embarrassed is so

adorable. Niihama-kun is really lucky.”
“Right? She may lack a bit of respect for her brother, but
she’s my proud little sister.”

Seeing Kanako pout a little, both Shijouin-san and I can’t

help but smile. It’s rare and especially cute to see her face
flushed like this, so we find ourselves thinking it’s even
more adorable.

“H-Hey! What are you saying, you stupid big brother, taking
advantage of this situation!”

“What’s wrong? I really mean it when I say she’s my proud

little sister.”

“I-I’m frustrated… Being seen by my big brother with that

smug face!”

Haha, just let it slide that I’m borrowing the position you
usually occupy a little.

“W-Well, I do think it’s good for siblings to get along, but it’s
not like I want my big brother to pay attention to me or
anything! S-Stop it, both of you, with those smiley faces!”

Kanako, whose face is still flushed, complains with a slightly

raised voice. But upon hearing her words, both Shijouin-san
and I deepen our heartwarming smiles even more.

Outside, the rain is still pouring heavily, but in the Niihama

residence’s living room, there is peace, for now.
 Chapter 71: The Astonishment of
Mama Niihama

And in the living room filled with such a peaceful

atmosphere, the sound of tires splashing through the wet
asphalt and the rumble of a car engine could be heard.

“Oh… Looks like mom is back.”

While we, the students, are on summer vacation, my

mother, who is a working woman, had to go to work today.

(This morning, mom said to me, ‘You guys have summer

vacation, huh…’ with a sigh, and now, in my second life, I
understand that feeling…)

Working adults don’t have summer vacations.

Not only that, they don’t have spring breaks or winter

breaks either.

So working adults envy students who can freely enjoy their

summers, yearn for long vacations that they won’t have
until retirement, and reminisce about their irretrievable
student days.

By the way, in a normal company, they would have a Bon

vacation or a few days of special summer leave, but in the
shitty company I worked for, such luxuries were out of the
question.
While thinking about such things, I heard the sound of the
front door opening, and familiar footsteps approaching the
living room.

“I’m home! Phew, it was pouring rain!”

Wiping the droplets off her hair with a handkerchief, my

mother appeared in her suit.

She doesn’t look as young as Shijouin-san’s mother, Akiko-

san, but she still looks much younger than her age, which is
the age of a high schooler’s mother.

She sets her wavy short hair neatly every day to go to work,
and she takes good care of her skin and makeup. She’s a
full-fledged career woman with no shortcuts.

Originally… Yes, she’s a very cheerful person.

Unless some idiot son shows her how worn out he is from
working in a black company, she can lead a very healthy
life.

“Mama, welcome home. You’re early today.”

“Yes, the rain was getting heavier, so I decided to come

home early… Oh?”

At that moment, my mother seemed to notice the presence

of someone other than our family and blinked her eyes.

“Oh, sorry, I’m intruding…!”

In a flustered manner, Shijouin-san stood up and bowed to

my mother.

It was a beautiful bow that showed her good upbringing.

“Oh, um… Well… Kanako’s friend…?”

“No, I’m Haruka Shijouin, a friend of Niihama-kun, I mean

Shinichirou-kun. Nice to meet you!”

“Oh, thank you… Um… This child’s friend…?”

Slightly nervous, my mother returned the bow with her

usual smile, still trying to sort out her thoughts.

“H-Hey, Shinichirou, what’s going on?! For your friend,

she’s… She’s too beautiful, don’t you think!?”

“What do you mean?!”

Well, compared to me, it’s undeniable that she’s on a

different level!

“Um, but really, what’s the situation? Your friend is such a

cute girl, and now that I look closely, she’s wearing your
shirt… Huh, huh, huh?”

Oh no, not only the situation, but my mother is also

completely confused because Shijouin-san is an
unbelievably beautiful girl.

“Well, for Mom, it must be like ‘One day, I came home and
my unimpressive son brought home a princess-like beauty.’
Something like that, right?”

Unimpressive is unnecessary, you idiot!

Or rather, it was you who brought her home, not me!

Personally, I’m really happy to see Shijouin-san again after a

long time, so secretly I’m like, ‘Way to go, my sister!’ But
that’s just my thoughts!
“Well, um, Mom, calm down and listen, I just heard the story
from Kanako…”

I began explaining the situation to my mother, who seemed

completely unable to imagine how her son managed to
bring such a beautiful girl home.

“I-I didn’t realize…! How can I possibly express my

gratitude…!”

After explaining to my mother about how Shijouin-san had

returned Kanako’s wallet and the events that followed, my
mother repeatedly bowed to Shijouin-san.

“N-No, please don’t bow your head. I’ve already received

thanks from Shinichiro-kun and Kanako-chan, so I feel more
apologetic than anything…”

Shijouin-san, who had received bows from everyone in the

Shimahama family, seemed a little troubled. She probably
thinks that what she did, running in the rain, was really
nothing special.

(But still… Calling me ‘Shinichirou-kun’ sounds really nice…

My heart feels all fluffy when Shijouin-san addresses me by
my first name…)

Suddenly, I started daydreaming.

We had reached a sweet relationship where Shijouin-san

naturally called me that.

“Shinichirou-kun!”

“Ah, what is it, Haruka?”

“Hehe, I just wanted to call you that.”

(Nice… It’s a classic, but I can imagine Shijouin-san doing
that…)

Just as I was blushing at the thought, Kanako muttered,

“Brother, your face looks gross,” bringing me back to reality.
((TLN) Rude, Imouto!)

Oh no, it seems like I’m also quite elated to see Shijouin-san

again after a long time.

“But anyway, she’s so cute that I was shocked… Wait,

Shijouin-san… Could it be the girl Shinichirou often talked
about?! Huh, huh, huh?! She really exists!?”

“What the hell have you been thinking all this time!?”

Every time my mother asked me, “How’s school lately?” in

this life, I would talk about Shijouin-san. I did it to reassure
my mother, who was worried about her son, who had always
been shy and prone to bullying, that his high school life was
fulfilling. But…

“N-No, it’s just… I thought you were pretending to have a

cute and kind girl as a friend, boasting about it…! I never
thought she would be a princess-like girl and actually be you
friend!”

At first, Kanako thought the same way, but she considered it

just a fantasy!

Well, it might be understandable for a parent to treat it as a

sad fantasy if their introverted, otaku son suddenly became
friends with a beautiful girl, even if they were the parent!

“Um, well… Niihama-kun… I’m happy that you talk about

me at home, but have you, by any chance, exaggerated the
stories…? I’m not that cute…”
“No, no, no, Haruka-chan is super cute. If anything, He’s not
exaggerating enough in his stories about you,” Kanako said,
blushing and embarrassed.

“K-Kanako-chan!?”

Kanako’s words, blushing and shyly spoken, seemed to

affirm, “With that level of beauty, it’s impossible not to be
cute,” and my mother and I nodded in agreement without
saying a word.

“But still… Since Shinichirou-kun is always taking care of

me, I feel even more grateful. I hope I’m not causing any
trouble…”

“N-No, it’s nothing like that! It’s entirely my pleasure…! I

can’t thank Shijouin-san enough!”

“Is-Is that so…?”

Surprised by Shijouin-san’s enthusiastic response, my

mother showed a shocked expression.

“Yes! Especially during the final exams… Niihama-kun has

been helping me study after school, and he’s really good at
teaching…”

(H-Hold on… Shijouin-san!?)

For some reason, Shijouin-san started energetically talking

about the episodes involving me, and now it was my turn to
blush.

After all, she keeps praising me. She talks about how I
prepared materials specifically for studying, how I dedicated
my time to help her study, and how impressive it is that I
can still find time to focus on my own studies.
“S-So, um, what did he say during that time?!” (Mom?)

“I’m really curious too!” (Kanako)

“Yes, she said, ‘I’m happy that you trust me and rely on me,
and I want to meet that trust until the end’… I was so
happy.” (Haruka)

“Whaaaaat?!”

“No, it’s not like I’m hiding anything, but it’s quite
embarrassing to have every single line of dialogue exposed
to my family…!”

Seriously, you two are getting way too excited, mother and
daughter!

“So, I achieved my best grades ever, and Shinichiro-kun was

ranked first overall! Not only that, but he has been a great
help in various events and everyday life! Shinichiro-kun is
truly amazing and wonderful!”

With a clear smile resembling the azure sky, Shijouin-san

declared.

It was evident to everyone that she was expressing her true

feelings, and while that made me incredibly happy… having
it heard by my mother and sister was the pinnacle of
embarrassment, causing me to instinctively cover my
reddening face with my hand.

“Hey, Kanako… Could it be that this girl is not only beautiful

on the outside but also pure and beautiful on the inside…?”

“Yeah, a real angel. After all, today she dashed through the
rain for a stranger like me.”
My mother, witnessing Shijouin-san’s angelic smile,
murmured softly to Kanako.

By the way, I could clearly hear her words since I was right
next to Kanako.

“And this atmosphere…! Could it be… that she doesn’t just

see him as a friend, but has feelings for Shinichirou…!?”

“Well, it’s hard to tell with her natural airheaded-ness… but

it seems like you’ve become a significant presence in
Haruka-chan’s heart, big brother.”

“What should I do…? She’s such a good girl that I feel like I
want to fill in the gaps for her with all my might!”

“Hehehe, Mama, I’ve been feeling that way from the start!”

With that, my mother and Kanako nodded at each other and

exchanged smirks.

Hey, what are you two doing, forming some strange

alliance?

And to make matters worse, the speed at which both my

mother and sister are increasing their favorable impressions
of Shijouin-san is ridiculously fast…!

With a smile and a thumbs-up gesture that said, “Good

luck!” or something along those lines, I could only respond
with a perplexed expression.

Ummmm… I’ve never experienced this before, but it’s

incredibly awkward to have my mother cheering me on in
my love life…
 Chapter 72: Pouring Rain

Shijouin-san, in this very short time, easily got along with

my mother and sister, whom she met for the first time, and I
was once again reminded of her innocent and lively charm.

Just as the saying goes, “When three women gather, it gets

noisy,” our living room has turned into a chatty tea party of
women.

“So, let me tell you, Niihama-kun started grilling takoyaki on

the teacher’s desk like the finishing blow! Everyone was
surprised and had their eyes wide open!”

“W-What? Takoyaki in the classroom!? Did he really do that

in front of everyone!?”

Most of the topics that Shijouin-san talks about are related

to me, and my mother expresses her surprise every time
she hears them. From my mother’s perspective, she
probably never imagined that her son would become so
active at school, even if he became brighter.

“Hey, Mom, remember the day when Onii-chan suddenly

started a takoyaki party? Well, that was actually his
practice.”

“Oh, that day! But, didn’t he get in trouble for doing

something like that at school?”

“Hahaha, the teacher immediately noticed the scent of

sauce filling the classroom, but Shinichirou-kun, before
getting scolded, apologized excessively with a loud voice,
saying, ‘I’m the culprit! I’m so sorry!’ The teacher couldn’t
do much in the face of that momentum and could only give
a little reprimand.”

“Well, I mean… In situations like that, it’s better to apologize

excessively and catch the other person off guard than to try
to hide it. It makes it harder for them to get angry.”

Of course, that is also one type of apology I learned during

my corporate slave days. It is only effective against
individuals with a decent personality and not much anger,
but combined with Japan’s sense of “admitting one’s own
mistakes is a virtue,” it has a high level of versatility.

“In a way… My child has become so strong without me even

realizing it.”

My mother, who heard my impudent behavior that was

unimaginable in the past, let out a slightly astonished voice,
but there was a smile on her face mixed with relief.

“Yes, Shinichirou-kun used to give a silent impression, but

now he is very active and reliable!”

Shijouin-san, who speaks with enthusiasm, also seems to be

in a very good mood, and the atmosphere in the room is so
pleasant that they don’t even care about the rain outside.

(Come to think of it… Right now, all the important people in

my life are gathered here…)

My mother, who died prematurely in my previous life

because of me, Kanako, who became estranged because of
that, and Shijouin-san, whose heart was broken by the petty
jealousy of my colleagues—everything I lost in my previous
life is here.
(It’s so bright… Truly)

As I watched the three of them chatting amiably, my eyes

unintentionally grew warm.

The things I should have protected, the things I couldn’t

even reach out for.

The intense regret and grief for my previous life, where I

couldn’t save anything, once again squeezed my heart.

“Oh… We’ve been talking so absorbedly that it’s already this

late. I should be leaving soon.”

Shijouin-san, who noticed the time when she looked at the

living room clock, was about to get up and leave, but—

“Kyaa!”

A flash of lightning shone outside the window, followed by

thunder shaking the air a few seconds later.

The intensity of the rain had not only not weakened but had
actually intensified, making it impossible to go out in such
weather.

“This… This rain isn’t your typical rain. It even has a mist-
like appearance…”

“Haruka-chan, it seems impossible to walk home in this,

right?”

“Well, yes… In that case, I’ll have to call home and ask them
to send a car to pick me up…”

“Hmm… Even when I came home earlier, I felt quite scared

while driving… Shall we check the weather forecast on TV?”
As my mother turned on the TV in the living room, the
weather information was being read by the newscaster, and
the caption on the screen said, “Sudden heavy rain causing
traffic congestion in various areas.”

“The current situation in the city is severe rainfall, with one

railroad crossing malfunctioning due to a lightning strike
and four traffic accidents caused by vehicles. As a result,
traffic congestion is occurring in various areas, and there is
no prospect of relief. Additionally, the visibility is extremely
poor, so it is advised to refrain from going outside, including
driving. Buses and trains are completely suspended—”

The camera switched from the studio to the scene, showing

the rain’s intensity, which caused the entire city to appear
hazy, and footage of accident vehicles blocking the roads
and the resulting severe traffic congestion. Evacuation
advisories seemed to have been issued for mountainous
and riverside areas.

“……….”

Everyone present was left speechless by the situation,

which was much worse than imagined. The forecast this
morning only mentioned “heavy rain,” but it seems to have
become far more severe than anticipated.

“I-I can’t believe it has become this bad… I’m genuinely

surprised.”

“I barely made it home in time… With the situation this dire,

even if they send a car to pick me up, it’s unlikely to move
due to the congestion, and the visibility is so poor that it’s
quite dangerous.”

“Yeah, you can’t underestimate rain during critical times…”

Agreeing with my mother’s words, I recalled how my
previous crappy company would casually order us to come
to work even in heavy rain, saying, “It’s just rain! It’s not a
typhoon, so there won’t be any days off.”

I managed to reach the company soaked to the bone in the

pouring rain, but my colleagues who commuted by car had
accidents due to poor visibility and ended up in pitiable
situations.

Extreme rainfall, even without strong winds, severely limits

visibility, making it a danger that should never be
underestimated.

“W-What should we do… We’re truly in trouble.”

Shijouin-san was at a loss, looking at the devastated state of

the city.

As Shijouin-san’s house was located in the suburbs, if the

transportation routes were paralyzed, there would be no
solution. Even if they called for a car to pick her up, it would
likely take an incredibly long time.

“Hey… Mom. About Shijouin-san—”

“Yes, I understand.”

When I made a suggestion, my mother nodded as if it were

only natural.

In a situation like this, regardless of whether it was Shijouin-

san or someone else, there were certain things that needed
to be done as human beings.

Normally, I would hesitate to invite a girl like this to my

house, considering that I’m a guy and all. However, this
time it was an emergency evacuation measure.

“Hey, Haruka-san. I’m planning to talk to your parents on

the phone and consult with them, but before that, I have a
proposal from my side.”

“Huh…?”

“Would you stay here until the road conditions improve? And
if things don’t work out today, I want you to stay overnight.”
 Chapter 73: Can I Stay Overnight?

I am Akiko Shijoin.

I am a mother who finds it heartwarming to see my

daughter getting along well with a boy who recently
appeared.

Although I am often described as being absent-minded, at

this moment, upon receiving a report from our housekeeper,
Fuyumi, both my husband and I were pale-faced.

“What?! Haruka still hasn’t come back!?”

“W-What!? The buses have already stopped!”

The rain today was somewhat abnormal, pouring like a

waterfall from the dark clouds that covered the sky, making
the outside view from the window extremely poor.

According to Fuyumi, Haruka carelessly went out on a day

like this and hasn’t returned yet.

“Well… I’m a little worried…”

Taking on the role of my husband’s secretary as the

company president, I had been busy organizing work
brought home with Tokimune-san, who came back early.
However, I had been so focused on dealing with difficult
documents in the study that I hadn’t noticed the intensity of
the rain until now.
“S-Sorry! I was cleaning the underground warehouse all this
time, so I noticed late that Miss Haruka hasn’t returned!”

Fuyumi bows repeatedly, almost in tears.

Indeed, I have asked Fuyumi to keep an eye on Haruka, but

in this vast mansion, such things can happen.

“Oh, oh no! That girl… What if she’s out there in the rain,
shivering? No, not just that, with this terrible visibility, she
might have fallen into the river or gotten into a traffic
accident… Uooooooh! I’m going now, my daughter!”

“Now, calm down, Tokimune-san! You’re usually cool-headed

at work, but why does your IQ drop when it comes to our
daughter?”

I grab my husband, who seemed about to rush out, tightly

and restrain him.

Honestly! What good is it for a father to lose his composure

in such situations?

“In times like this, calmly make a call on your mobile…!?”

As I was about to dial my daughter’s number on the mobile

phone in my hand, the ringtone started playing, and the
screen displayed ‘Haruka.’

“Hello, hello?!”

“Oh, it’s Haruka, Mother! I’m sorry for worrying you!”

“I was really worried! But I’m glad nothing happened!”

From her usual voice, there didn’t seem to be any signs of

trouble, and I felt relieved from the bottom of my heart.
“Oh, Miss Haruka, that’s a relief… Phew, she seems to be
fine. Such a worrywart.”

Seeing that everything seemed fine from my behavior,

Fuyumi breathes a sigh of relief, and Tokimune-san, who had
been so flustered until just now, had a cool expression on
his face, as if to say, ‘Well, there’s nothing we can do.’

“So, what are you doing now? Mm, mm… Huh, huh!? You’re
at Niihama-kun’s house?”

“…………Huh?”

My surprised voice echoed in the living room, and Tokimune-

san, who seemed unable to fully grasp the meaning of the
words he had heard, stood there dumbfounded, not angry,
but rather bewildered.

“What? How did it end up like this… Huh, huh? Such a

coincidence…? Huh!? You even took a bath at Shinichirou-
kun’s house!?”

In an instant, Tokimune-san, who had been in a daze,

swayed and collapsed to the floor like a puppet with its
strings cut.

“Kyaaah! Darling!?”

It seems that his heart couldn’t bear the excessive shock,

and while making a groaning sound like “Fu…ro…? A…u…?”,
he stared blankly, with vacant eyes wandering in the air.

“Oh, my, dear! Please calm down!”

“So, it has come to this, and they suggested staying

overnight due to the heavy rain… I feel guilty, but I was
thinking of taking advantage of their kindness.”
“That’s… really happening!? But yes! I was surprised, but
given the situation, I think it’s best to do that! Just make
sure not to cause any trouble at their house!”

I already know a lot about Shinichirou-kun, and in this

record-breaking torrential rain, it’s impossible to leave the
scene. In that case, the best option is to rely on their house.

“Thank you, Mother! Oh, and it seems that Shinichirou-kun’s

mother wants to talk to you instead…”

“Eh? Niihama-kun’s mother!?”

“I’m Niihama Mika, the mother of Niihama Shinichiro.”

From the other end of the phone, I heard a slightly nervous

woman’s voice.

“I had hoped to meet Shinichiro’s parents someday… But to

have this opportunity so soon…”

“Yes, this is Akiko Shijoin, Haruka’s mother! First of all, not

only has my daughter been taken care of, but you even
made such a thoughtful suggestion. I don’t know how to
thank you enough!”

“N-No, it’s not like that… Originally, it all started because

Haruka delivered our daughter’s wallet…”

Niihama-kun’s mother is a very capable person, and she

was not only grateful but also very considerate, saying,
‘Normally, I would hesitate to let someone’s daughter stay
at my son’s house… But please understand it as an
emergency situation.’

“No, not at all! I’m not at all worried about leaving my

daughter in your care because I know your son is a very
sincere boy!”

Actually, in this situation, the risk of going to pick her up is

very high, so it’s best to leave her until tomorrow, and it’s
actually fortunate that it’s the trustworthy Niihama-kun’s
house. Besides… as long as it’s within reason, even if there
is some ‘progress in their relationship’ between the two.

“Hehe, if Haruka ends up being too clingy to Niihama-kun,

please let it slide a bit♪”

“What? What? What!? Is that how you feel, Akiko-san? As for

me, I thought Haruka-chan was an incredibly good child who
was hard to put into words, so I was hoping for something
like that… But it seems my son isn’t well regarded over
there…!”

“Hehehe, on the contrary, I quite like Niihama-kun. Well, my

husband is overprotective, so it’s a bit… But you can think
of me as strongly ‘supporting’ them! Yes… Yes… Alright!
Please also ‘watch over’ them attentively!”

It seems that Haruka has been quite well-liked at their

house, and Niihama-kun’s mother seemed to be in
supportive mode. I couldn’t help but deepen my smile as
there was progress in my daughter’s romantic situation.

“She’s an imperfect daughter, but I hope you’ll take care of

her! If the weather improves, there may be a possibility of
going to pick her up, but considering the intensity of this
rain, it’s likely that she will stay overnight…”

“O…ve…r…night…?”

Tokimune-san, who had collapsed on the floor, finally caught

up with reality and reacted to those words. Uh-oh, this is
bad.
“O…ver…night…? O-Overnight…? Ooooh, oooooohhhhh!”

My husband, who had risen abruptly, screamed as if it were

the end of the world.

Oh no. It seems that he has regained his senses after

hearing an even more shocking word.

“Um, was that my voice just now? Hehehe, it’s nothing,

really! Well then, excuse me for now!”

“Wait! Wait, Akiko!”

Ignoring Tokimune-san, who was shouting at me, I ended

the call.

If I leave it like this, my husband’s unnecessary voice will be

heard on the other end.

“Oi, oi!? Why did you hang up? We can’t let Haruka stay at
that brat’s house! It’s different from staying at a friend’s
house!”

“Well, Tokimune-san has a point. As a high school student,

it’s a bit inappropriate to stay overnight at a boy’s house.”

If Haruka had said she was going to stay at Niihama-kun’s

house on a normal day, I wouldn’t have allowed it. I support
their relationship, but there’s a line to be drawn as a parent.

“That’s right, right!? Then…”

“But considering the current situation, isn’t the situation

different? If it seemed possible to go and pick her up, of
course, we would. But in this poor visibility, it’s dangerous
for both the person driving the car and Haruka, who would
ride back with them. Besides, it’s already late, and we have
to assume that she will stay overnight, don’t you think?”

Well, considering it’s an unavoidable situation, I think they

should deepen their relationship within the bounds of what’s
acceptable for high school students.

“Ugh… B-But, that may be true, but… Guh,

guuuuuuuhhhhh!”

Pointing to the scene of the downpour outside the window,

Tokimune-san let out a regretful groan. While he understood
that my words were logical, he didn’t seem to be satisfied
on an emotional level and was shedding tears of frustration.

“But, but if they spend the night under the same roof…! If
that brat sees Haruka in her post-bath state and gets
excited, turning into a beast in the middle of the night…!
Aaaaahhhhh!”

“That’s quite vivid coming from you.”

Well, we were adults at that time, too.

We were young.

“Uuuu… But anyway, how did Haruka end up at that brat’s

house… Hm… Could it be… Did that brat plan it!?”

“Excuse me?”

“Did he lure Haruka there, knowing about this heavy rain,

let her get soaking wet, let her take a bath, and then
introduce her to his parents? There’s no way any parent
wouldn’t be pleased to see an angel like Haruka, and with
the rain helping, it turned into a sleepover, and then in the
middle of the night, away from the eyes of their family…!”
“Well, how did Shinhama-kun predict the heavy rain that
went completely against the weather forecast? Is he a
psychic or a time traveler?”

It seems that my retort didn’t reach him either, and

Tokimune-san’s imagination was heating up as he became
engrossed in his own delusions.

“I won’t let it happeeeen! Hey, I’m going to take the car and
go pick her up right now! I don’t know when we’ll come
back, but I’ll definitely bring Haruka home with me…!”

“Huh!? W-Wait, Tokimune-san! What are you saying in this

crazy weather!? Fuyumi-san! Please help me restrain this
foolish CEO!”

“Y-Yes! Please calm down, sir! What will happen to the

company if the CEO gets into an accident in this rain?”

“L-Let gooooo! Haruka! If we leave her like this, she’ll fall

victim to the devil’s trap…! Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!”

While he was being restrained by me, he was suffocating

me by squeezing my face, and Tokimune-san, who is known
as the “genius CEO” and the “success of the times,”
screamed and struggled like a spoiled child.
 Chapter 74: Let’s Cook Together!

“Um, I have obtained permission from my parents, so I

thought I would shamelessly take advantage of your kind
offer, but… Are you sure it’s alright?”

“Yes, of course! Make yourself at home as if it were your

own house!”

Shijouin-san, who spoke hesitantly, received a joyful

response from my mother, who had a delighted expression.
It seemed like she had taken quite a liking to Shijouin-san,
who was both adorable in personality and appearance, and
her excitement was like that of a grandmother whose
grandchild came to stay over.

(But still, did I hear a faint scream from the phone at the
end? Well, it must be my imagination. It has to be.)

Shijouin-san staying overnight at our place was an

unexpected and uncontrollable situation. It should be clear
that I am not at fault, and Tokimune-san should understand
that as well. Yeah.

(However… When I calmly think about Shijouin-san staying

at our house, it’s really an unbelievable situation…! Ah,
somehow I’m getting excited now…)

I was the one who suggested to my mother to let Shijouin-

san stay over. However, the reason I suggested that was
due to the common sense and rationality of helping each
other in times of disaster, not because I fully understood
what it meant.

“Hehehe… It’s great, isn’t it, big brother? It’s a sleepover, a

sleep-o-ver! It’s like an event that says, ‘Have a hot night!’ I
should treat my sister to a triple scoop of ice cream for
bringing up this situation!”

“Hey, cut it out with that smirk. And I’m not ungrateful, but
be more careful not to drop your wallet, alright?”

Honestly… He’s making such a vulgar face, as if saying,

“The most exciting event has come!” when I’m not calm
about this unexpected event.

“Now then, let’s start cooking dinner. Oh!?”

Suddenly, a ringtone echoed from my mother’s cellphone,

and upon hearing it, the career woman let out a small
scream. Seeing her like that, I could sense what the call was
about.

Oh no… Did it happen…?

“Yes, this is Niihama… Ah, yes, we all went home early

today due to the heavy rain… What? Whaaat!? Ah, no, yes…
Yes… I’ll do my best to finish it and send it by email
tomorrow… Yes, understood… I’m sorry, but I have to go
now…”

Just as I had expected, my mother hung up the phone with a

worn-out expression. It seemed like it was an announcement
that kills the privacy of working adults.

“I’m sorry… There’s something about documents that need

to be completed by tomorrow from another branch, and I
have to start working on them now! So, Shinichiro, I’m really
sorry, but…”

“That’s alright. I’ll take care of the cooking, so you focus on

your work, Mom.”

“Well, I appreciate your help. You’re truly amazing these

days, but honestly, I’m grateful! Well then, Shijouin-san, I’m
sorry to leave you so suddenly!”

“Oh, it’s fine. Please take care of your work.”

“Yes, sorry about that! Ugh, I really hate it when the

workplace intrudes on family life with just a single phone
call!”

I watched as my mother, carrying her laptop, headed

towards her room, and I found myself nodding in
agreement. It’s unsettling when a work-related phone call
comes in while you’re at home.

“Now, I’ll go and make dinner, so Shijouin-san, please watch

TV in the living room with Kana.”

“What? I knew that Niihama-kun can cook, but are you

saying that you’re making all the dishes for the family?”

“Well, not every time. I don’t dislike cooking, and I want to

lessen the burden on my working mother from time to time.
Well, I’m aware that it’s a bit unusual for a guy to do that.”

“No, it’s really amazing, and it’s not unusual at all! Papa
even said, ‘In the future, the era when men can’t do
housework or cooking is almost over, as dual-income
households become more common.'”
Oh, I see. Tokimune-san is in his 50s, but… he certainly has
a modern sense about that.

“Ah, by the way, I’m a specialist in eating! I can’t even cook

a decent fried egg!”

“At the very least, try not to let tea leaves mix into the tea
you brew, you silly sister.”

Honestly… She boasts about being popular with guys, but

she doesn’t even try to improve her femininity.

“Well, I’ve always been bad at cooking, even as an adult. I

guess I’m just physically averse to it…”

“What? Even as an adult?”

“Oh, no, I was talking about myself. Well then, both of you,
please relax while I stay in the kitchen.”

While disguising it as a future conversation that slipped out,

I headed to the kitchen, leaving the two of them in the living
room. Now… What should I make?

“Hmm, well, I only have ordinary ingredients…”

Ideally, I would want to make a visually appealing dish to

entertain someone like Shijouin-san, but since I didn’t
prepare anything, it seems like it’ll be a very ordinary menu.

“Okra with sesame dressing… Cucumber and wakame

seaweed with tuna vinegar… And miso soup with carrots
and daikon radish… Oh, do we have Kawahagi fish? The only
option for that is simmering it.”

“That sounds great! I love sweet and savory simmered fish

with rice!”
“Ah, it’s perfect as a rice companion… Wait, Shijouin-san!?”

When I turned around, there stood Shijouin-san wearing my

mother’s apron, with a smile on her face. W-Why is she in
the kitchen!?

“W-What’s with that outfit…?”

“I asked Kana-chan and borrowed Mika-san’s apron. I know

it’s proper etiquette for a guest to wait patiently, but… well,
I really wanted to…”

She really wanted to…?

“I really wanted to cook with you, Nihami-kun.”

“Huh…”

The girl with long, beautiful black hair said that with a
dazzling, cheerful smile.

Since I heard that Niihama-kun can cook, I’ve been thinking

about it all this time. I thought it would be a wonderful time
if we could stand in the kitchen together, cooking and then
eating together while having a conversation!”

As Shijouin-san, wearing an apron over my shirt, said that

with nonchalance, I blushed like a maiden.

(S-She’s so cute…! N-No, calm down… I’ve experienced

Shijouin-san’s natural pure intentions many times before! I
need to stop my virgin mind from going all geeky!)

Of course, that’s impossible.

Whether I’m a virgin or not, if a girl I really like says, “I really

wanted to cook with you,” I can’t help but feel flustered.
“I have so much fun cooking with Mother and the
housekeeper, Fuyumi-san, so I wanted to try it with you,
Niihama-kun… Um, was that still bothersome?”

“N-No, not at all! As you can see, our kitchen isn’t as

spacious as Shijouin-san’s house, but I’d be extremely
happy if you could help!”

“Oh, that’s great! Then please guide me. Since Niihama-kun

is the head chef, just give me instructions!”

For some reason, just the fact that we would be in the

kitchen together made Shijouin-san show a blooming smile.

(But still… Shijouin-san seems to have no sense of tension

about staying overnight at a guy’s house, even though she
said she felt guilty about it… Is she getting excited about
this situation instead!?)

This isn’t a dating sim, and even if we’re staying overnight,

it’s just eating, talking a little, and then sleeping――but in
front of this oddly cheerful natural girl, my sense of
normalcy was already starting to crumble.

(TLN) Want more? Consider joining our Ko-fi membership

tiers. Tier 2 members have early access to the following
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 Chapter 75: “We’re Already Like a
Young Married Couple.”

“Oh, just go with chunks. That’s what we always do at

home.”

“Understood!”

Beside me, as I arrange the fish in the pot, Shijouin-san

cheerfully responds. Luckily, our kitchen has three burners
and enough space for two cutting boards (one for my
mother and one for me), so there’s no issue with the two of
us working together.

“~♪”

Shijoin-san rhythmically chops the daikon and carrots.

Despite her title as the daughter of the company president,
her movements are graceful, revealing her experience in
cooking.

“…”

And I find myself absentmindedly gazing at her figure.

Shijouin-san, wearing an apron, is making miso soup in my

kitchen. She bends over the cutting board like a wife or
mother, preparing dinner for this household.

In this precious moment, reminiscent of beautiful memories

from my past life that I have forever lost within this home, I
am captivated by the precious girl.
“Huh? What’s wrong, Niihama-kun? You seem distracted.”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I was just trying to recall the cooking
steps.”

I quickly make up an excuse, trying to hide my

embarrassment, and proceed to retrieve fresh ingredients
from the refrigerator for the next step. In the process, as I
pass by Shijouin-san,

a sweet scent of a girl wafts through the air, and my face

flushes.

(Oh no! I smelled something incredible just now! No, I must

calm down. Perhaps it’s because we haven’t seen each
other in a while, but I’m becoming overly sensitive to
Shijouin-san’s charm!)

The scent, the breath, the faint warmth when our shoulders
brush—everything ignites my virgin circuits.

Standing together in the same kitchen is a much more

dangerous act than I imagined…!

“I’ve run out of ingredients for the miso soup! I’ll just put it
into the pot now!”

“Oh, sure. By the way… Shijouin-san, you seem really

excited.”

“Yes! I never imagined I would be having a sleepover at your

house, Niihama-kun. It’s making me so thrilled! Talking with
Kanako-chan and your mother, and cooking in someone
else’s home like this, it’s so enjoyable!”

It feels as if the heavy rain outside is a lie, as Shijouin-san

exudes a smile as bright as the sun. She speaks with pure
joy, like a child experiencing a sleepover for the first time.

“And… I feel really refreshed right now.”

“Hm? Refreshed?”

“Yes, actually… I had been troubled by something since

yesterday, and it felt like a heavy burden in my chest. But
this morning, I realized that I was overthinking everything,
and I resolved it all.”

“I-Is that so?”

“It’s true that Shijouin-san doesn’t seem to be suffering

from anything right now. She’s not the type to hide such
things, and it seems like her worries have truly been
resolved.”

(But… why is she staring at me while saying that?)

“Could it be… that the worry you had was related to me?”

“Well, that is…”

When I ask her, Shijoin-san blushes slightly and stumbles

over her words.

And then, she remains silent for a few seconds…

“Hehe, it’s a little embarrassing, so… it’s a secret.”

With flushed cheeks and a mischievous smile, Shijouin-san

whispers, putting her index finger to her lips.

I became quite curious about that secret, but I find myself

captivated by her unusual bashful expression and the
gesture of “shh” from the always open Shijouin-san.
It feels like I’ve been mesmerized by Shijoin-san more than
I’ve been focused on cooking since earlier.

“A secret, huh… Well, I guess there’s no helping it.”

“Yes, but someday I’ll tell you… Ah, Niihama-kun! The

simmered fish looks about ready!”

“Oh, shoot! Wait, is the miso soup’s ingredients already soft

enough?”

“Oh, right! Then I’ll add the miso now!”

Prompted by the sound of the boiling pot, Shijouin-san and I

return to cooking.

And from there, things progress quickly.

We get into the flow, and as the cooking progresses, our

wavelengths synchronize more and more.

“The cucumbers are cut, but how does the soaked wakame
look?”

“It’s fresh and back to its original texture, so I’ll mix it now!
Oh, and I salt-rubbed the okra and placed it there!”

“Thanks! Oh, and I feel like making something else. Can you
help me with tamagoyaki and bacon-wrapped asparagus?”

“Oh, unfair, Niihama-kun! Then I’ll take care of another

dish!”

As Shijouin-san suggests, cooking together was truly

enjoyable.

Working together with someone you’re familiar with

enriches your heart.
The harmony is pleasant, and being aware of each other’s
existence and trusting each other gives a sense of
coordination akin to playing sports.

And though this feeling might be unique to me, having

someone I love fit into my natural world, the cycle of our
family dinner, makes me incredibly happy.

In this way, including the additional dish I proposed in order

to extend the enjoyable time, Shijouin-san and I continue to
laugh and progress through the cooking steps.

The joyful time passes by in the blink of an eye.

“Kanako… what are you doing?”

“Ah! Mama, you’re done with work already!?”

“No, I just came out of my room for a bathroom break… but

what are you doing? It looked like you were peeping into the
kitchen from behind the pillar…”

“Well, you see… look at that!”

“Huh? …Eh!? Shinichirou and Haruka-san were cooking

together!?”

In the direction I pointed, my brother and Haruka-chan were

cooking together in the kitchen. It was something my
mother couldn’t have imagined.

When Haruka-chan asked, “May I borrow an apron? I’d like

to help with dinner but I don’t want to stain Niihama-kun’s
shirt…” I enthusiastically applauded and gladly accepted.
Internally, I was grinning from ear to ear.

And now, I’m fully committed to eavesdropping.

Accidental touches and other happenings in that cramped
kitchen, my brother’s flustered reactions to Haruka-chan in
an apron… I had hoped for a bittersweet situation like that…

“Oh, Shijoin-san’s tamagoyaki looks so fluffy and delicious!”

“Hehe, thank you very much. Just seeing Niihama-kun’s

bacon-wrapped asparagus makes me excited. It’s like a
highlight in a bento!”

“Even though it’s a bit late to mention it, Shijouin-san is

really down-to-earth… I’m glad we can share these ordinary
food topics, though.”

“Well, I’m someone who loves yakisoba after all!”

“Haha, yeah, I remember that! By the way, it’s currently the

season for local festivals…”

Laughter and warm conversation can be heard coming from

the kitchen.

At first, my brother blushed at how close he was to Shijouin-

san, just as I expected. But now, they seem to naturally
understand each other, creating a space filled with harmony
and smiles.

The direction of the joyful and embarrassed situation I had

anticipated is slightly different, but in a way, they’ve
created a more intense world than I had imagined.

“What’s with that warm and fuzzy atmosphere? It may not

be passionate love, but the way they understand each other
is amazing, isn’t it?”

“Right? It’s like they’re already a young married couple.”

As the cooking progresses, their breathing synchronizes
more and more, and the fact that they both feel so
comfortable in that atmosphere is evident even to me. It’s
as if they have always been that way, with gentle respect
existing between the two of them.

Huh? Wait, does that mean they’re more like an old married
couple?

“But Mom would be surprised… Just the fact that she’s

friends with such a beautiful young lady is unbelievable, but
to have such a good relationship… Could it be that there’s
really something between them?”

“There’s definitely something! Unlike the previous useless

older brother, the current Super Brother has become
incredibly handsome and there’s no way there’s no
interest!”

“Why are you boasting like that?”

As I receive Mom’s retort, I continue to watch my brother

and Haruka-chan in the kitchen.

I feel incredibly pleased to see the two of them getting

along so well.

It makes me so happy that such a wonderful person like

Haruka-chan recognizes my brother and has feelings for
him.

“My brother is really serious… I hope everything goes

well…”

“Hehe, that’s so true. I wholeheartedly welcome such a

wonderful girl.”
(Ah, seriously, do your best, Brother…! I’m already
determined to become Haruka-chan’s little sister!)

In front of the kitchen filled with delicious aromas, I immerse

myself in the gentle atmosphere and continue to watch the
two of them getting along. In my heart, I send them lots of
encouragement.
 Chapter 76: The Niihama Family’s
Dining Table

When the time had already passed evening, the four of us

were having dinner together.

My mom was supposed to be working, but she said, “I really

wanted to have dinner with Haruka-san, so I tried my
best…” and came out of her room with a triumphant look.

“Oh, sorry, Haruka-san! I ended up making you help even

though you’re a guest!”

“No, it’s alright! I just helped because of my own

selfishness… Besides, I had a lot of fun!”

“You… Your smile is lovely, and you’re such a good girl. I’m
in awe…”

With a sound effect like “pekā” added to her radiant smile,

my mom expressed her admiration. Yes, that smile of
Shijouin-san, where her inner purity seemed to shine
through, felt the most dazzling to adults whose innocence
had faded.

“Hehe, I’m glad to hear that from you, Niihama-kun’s

mother.”

“M-Mom…! Yes! That sounds really nice!”

While it’s just her usual way of addressing her mother,

Shijouin-san calling her “mom” seemed to give my mom a
high-class pleasure. Perhaps, fundamentally, it’s the same
sensation as being called “Master” or “Big Brother” by a
beautiful girl.

“But still… dishes like simmered fish and side dishes seem
very commoner-like, but are you okay with it, Haruka-chan?
Does it suit your taste?”

Kanako seemed worried as she spoke, and well, I can

understand her concern. The menu ended up being like
something you’d see at my grandma’s house.

“Oh, yes, I’m really enjoying it. Actually, we have a lot of

regular Japanese cuisine like this at home too.”

“Oh, really? I thought the President’s house would be eating

French cuisine every day.”

Hey, come on, isn’t that image of a wealthy family a bit

outdated? Well, it’s true that it would be more appropriate
for the Shijouin family’s grand dining table, but still.
“Ahaha, French cuisine is delicious, of course, but when you
eat it every day, you start to crave rice and miso soup.
Especially since my father often has business meals with
those kinds of dishes and is getting tired of them, so we
have a lot of ordinary side dishes like boiled vegetables and
simmered dishes at home.”

“Oh, I see! Rice and miso soup are the best, after all!”

“Yes, they are! I’m Japanese, after all!”

Shijouin-san and my sister burst into laughter, and warm

excitement filled the dining table. It felt very comforting,
and there was only a calm joy present.

(Ahh… It’s nice like this…)

Normally, it’s just the three of us at the Niihama family’s

dining table, but having Shijouin-san here makes the
atmosphere so much brighter.

I savor that warmth along with the dishes we cooked

together.

Even though the ingredients in this miso soup are no

different from what I usually make, it tastes much better
when I think that someone I like made it for me.

If I were told that it’s a creepy delusion, I wouldn’t have a

comeback, but I can’t help but daydream. The idea of
Shijouin-san making miso soup for me every day.

If that dream were to come true, I would undoubtedly be the

happiest person in the world.

“Come on, Haruka-chan, eat some more! Here, say ‘aah♪’.”

“Oh my… Th-Thank you!”

My sister, who is completely in high spirits, offers me a

bacon-wrapped asparagus with her chopsticks, and Shijouin-
san, slightly embarrassed, accepts it with her mouth.

That sister of mine has really taken a liking to Shijouin-san…

“Nom… Hehe… It feels a bit strange, but it’s fun as if I’m

being fed by my little sister. Um, can I do the same?”

“Of course! I welcome the ‘aah♪’ from a beautiful sister like

you!”

“Is that so? Th-Then excuse me… aah♪”

Shijouin-san, seemingly delighted to be called a sister due

to being an only child, returns the favor with an ‘aah’ to
Kanako.

In response, my sister exclaims, “Mmm, delicious! It tastes

different when I’m being fed by a beautiful sister!” with an
impression that resembles an old man from a host club.

“Oh, by the way…”

At that moment, Kanako’s voice suddenly carries something

devious.

Huh? Why is she opening her mouth and staring at me from

the corner of her eye?

“Listen, Haruka-chan! It seems that it’s my brother’s dream

to be fed by a girl!”

“Wha…? W-What are you saying? When did I ever…!”

“Huh? My brother said that in middle school, remember?
While watching romantic comedy anime, he used to say
things like ‘I’d be willing to die if a girl fed me…'”

Eh…?! Oh, well, come to think of it…!

Certainly, when I was in middle school (which is about 15

years ago for me now), I was into various romantic comedy
manga and gal games due to being in my adolescence, and
I used to enthusiastically mutter things like “I want to kiss a
pure-looking girlfriend and make both of us blush…” or “I
want a good wife-like girlfriend to make me an obento and
feed me, saying ‘aah♪’…” while immersed in delusions…

“Huh? Is such a simple thing really that exciting for you,

Niihama-kun?”

“Yeah, yeah, for my brother, it’s a dream that’s almost tear-

inducing!”

Shijouin-san reacted intensely to my sister’s nonsense.

And seeing that, Kanako had an evil grin on her face.

This girl…! The exchange of “aah” earlier was a setup for

this!

Sure, it’s something she wanted to do herself, but by doing

it once with Shijouin-san, she reduces the resistance for the
next “aah” and smoothly creates a natural flow in the
conversation…

And now, this conversation is going in a bad direction…! If

Shijouin-san were an ordinary girl, it would be one thing, but
if she were to hear such things…!
“I see, as a girl, I don’t quite understand, but for boys, it’s
something that really moves them, huh! In that case, since
we’re gathered around the dining table, I humbly request to
take on that role!”

Look, it turned out like this, ahhh!

Mufufu! Seeing Shijouin-san filled with enthusiasm, I

became extremely flustered.

Shijouin-san is very grateful for the small things I did during

the semester, like acting as her tutor for a test and planning
an event for her during the cultural festival.

Even though I was invited to the Shijouin family’s house

once before and they treated me to a feast as a gesture of
gratitude, she still believes it’s not enough and constantly
looks for opportunities to repay me.

If I were to have a conversation like this with such a sincere

and innocent girl like Shijouin-san, it was expected that she
would enthusiastically volunteer for that role.

“But… I said it in the heat of the moment. As Niihama-kun,

you would prefer to have a cute girl do it, right? I wouldn’t
be satisfied.”

“What?”

In response to the way the girl, blessed with captivating

beauty, spoke, my mom and Kanako couldn’t help but let
out voices like, “What is this beautiful girl saying?” And as
for me, I tended to overreact to such words lacking in self-
confidence.

“What are you saying?! There’s no way I would be

unsatisfied! If Shijouin-san does it, I would be overflowing
with tears of gratitude!”

“Eh…? Th-thank you…”

Shijouin-san blushed, and I also turned red in response to

my own statement.

But it can’t be helped. If Shijouin-san were to say something

like “I don’t have any charm,” it would inevitably invalidate
my existence.

By the way, at this point, Kanako’s excitement was

skyrocketing with a feeling that things were going just as
she had planned, going, “Fuuoooh…!” My mom, on the other
hand, was pressing her lips and trembling, clearly struggling
to contain her laughter at the unexpected turn the
conversation had taken.

“Well, if that’s not a problem, then let’s get started… Here

you go, ahh~”

Shijouin-san, without any shyness in her actions, picked up

a piece of tamagoyaki with her chopsticks and gently
extended her left hand towards me.

She seemed to lack the recognition that this act was

associated with romance, wearing an innocent smile similar
to how a mother would feed her child.

She was anticipating my joy with a pure and innocent

expression on her face.

However, the impact was overwhelming.

Every guy dreams of having their favorite girl feed them like
this, and now it was happening to me in such an unreal
situation. The excitement was overwhelming, to the point
where my heart felt like it would burst out of my chest.

(B-But it’s so embarrassing…! This would have been great if

it were just the two of us, but with my nosy mom and sister
watching, what kind of punishment game is this?!)

However, it was out of the question to refuse and make

Shijouin-san sad.

With determination, I opened my mouth wide, making sure

not to touch Shijouin-san’s chopsticks, and took a bite of the
tamagoyaki.

It was sweet.

The taste was even sweeter than when I tried it in the

kitchen earlier.

At the same time, a mixture of embarrassment and

happiness surged up from the depths of my being,
overwhelming my emotions and overflowing in my chest.

“Th-Thank you… I feel so overwhelmed…”

“That’s good to hear! If such a simple thing can make

Niihama-kun happy, I’ll do it as many times as you want, so
feel free to ask anytime!”

Seeing me with a bright red face, struggling to process my

emotions, Shijouin-san said happily. It was probably because
she was glad to be able to do something in return for me,
even if it was just a little.

“Puh… Haha… Hahahaha! Well, that worked out nicely,

Shinichiro…”
“Mmm~! That was quite a show! Oh, big brother, you can
fully express your gratitude to Kanako-chan for this fine
play!”

My mom, well, she seemed to be enjoying my flustered

state, but it annoyed me to no end!

However, in the end, despite everything, the “aah~” from

Shijouin-san was incredibly delightful, making it difficult to
blame her.

And then…

Well, that’s how dinner time passed.

Even afterwards, being at the dining table with Shijouin-san

made me nervous several times, but overall, my mom,
Kanako, and Shijouin-san were in high spirits, and the dinner
turned out to be quite lively for an impromptu gathering.

And so, that time eventually came to an end, as the night

settled in with the sound of rain.
 Chapter 77: A Sleepless Night

Even now, as the abnormal heavy rain continues to pour, I

should have experienced the same thing in my past life, but
I don’t remember it at all.

In the first place, during my second year of high school in

my past life, my summer vacation consisted of staying in
my room and indulging in light novels and games.
Therefore, even if it rained heavily to the point where the
roads were flooded, I never went outside to witness it, so it
didn’t leave a lasting memory.

(But now, I finally remembered… Is this heavy rain the same

as that time when my bed got completely soaked…?)

After the dinner ended with me blushing from that “aahn♪,”

various things happened, and now it’s getting late at night,
and it’s about time for the Niihama family to go to bed.

And then, when I returned to my room, I witnessed a pitiful

scene.

The sheets on my bed were completely soaked, and

transparent water droplets were seeping and dripping from
the ceiling directly above it. It was undoubtedly a leaking
roof.

Kanako burst into laughter at that situation, saying,

“Ahahaha! You really have the worst luck, big brother! Oh,
Haruka-chan will sleep in my room, but why don’t you come
too?” Her words were playful, causing me a great deal of
trouble. And Shijouin-san, with an innocent line like, “That
sounds good! I don’t mind at all!” made me even more
perplexed.

(Well, I definitely declined that offer…)

Even if she says it’s okay, it’s a problem for a guy and a girl
to sleep in the same room.

So, I ended up lying down on the sofa in the living room–

(I can’t sleep at all…)

In the dim orange light coming from the bedside lamp, I was
getting tired of the fact that I hadn’t been able to fall asleep
for hours.

The cause is self-evident. Shijouin-san is sleeping under the

same roof—I, a virgin, am constantly excited and my heart
is pounding.

(On top of that, I spent the whole day with Shijouin-san and
too many things happened… We cooked together, she fed
me in front of my family… Oh, and I accidentally saw her in
her underwear…)

While I was caught up in the whirlwind of today’s intense

events, I had no composure. However, now that I have some
time alone like this, I can’t help but recall what happened in
the bathroom.

Her translucent white skin, devoid of unnecessary fat,

drawing beautiful curves. Two abundantly voluptuous
mounds that defy the modest underwear.

And then, while exposing such a dazzling figure, she

hurriedly held my shirt and appeared like a pitiful angel.
(It’s only now that I realize her appearance and proportions
are perfect… And yet, she’s such a good girl that even
without my mom or Kanako, I would like her.)

After dinner, while my mother was doing the dishes,

Shijouin-san offered her help with her usual radiant smile.
My mother tried to gently refuse, saying it was unnecessary,
but she couldn’t resist the sweetness of being called
“Mother,” and they ended up washing the dishes together…
In the end, my mother seemed to be ecstatic as if she had
gained a new daughter.

“…It’s no good. I can’t help but think about Shijouin-san and

feel restless. I can’t sleep anymore, so I’ll just stay awake.”

Giving up on trying to sleep, I stood up from the sofa and

started preparing tea in the kitchen.

Since the sound of boiling water in a kettle would be loud, I

used an electric kettle to boil water and poured it into a
teapot with Darjeeling tea leaves. The faint aroma of
Darjeeling was very pleasant.

And at that moment–

“Ah… Niihama-kun, were you awake?”

“Huh… Shijouin-san!?”

When I turned around at the unexpected voice, there was

Shijouin-san, who should have been sleeping in Kanako’s
room. Why is she awake in the middle of the night?

“W-What happened? If you need to use the bathroom, it’s at

the end of the hallway…”
“Oh, no, after chatting with Kanako-chan in her room, I fell
into a deep sleep, but I woke up about an hour ago and
haven’t been able to sleep at all… I think it’s because I
haven’t been tired at all during summer vacation recently.”

Shijouin-san seems to have taken a nap even though she

ran in the rain today, but it seems like she fully recovered
with just a short rest. As someone who has experienced
becoming more easily tired as I grew older, I’m impressed
by the stamina of teenagers.

“So, I had my eyes closed the whole time, but I heard some
noise coming from the kitchen, so I was wondering what it
was… And why are you here, Shinhama-kun?”

“Well, actually, I’m feeling the same way. I haven’t been

going to school, so I’m not tired, and on top of that, it’s not
my usual bed, so I can’t seem to fall asleep.”

I couldn’t just say that it was because I was constantly

thinking about Shijouin-san and getting excited, so I came
up with a random excuse to brush it off.

Anyway…

“Oh… So, I’m actually making some tea right now. If you
can’t sleep, would you like to have some? I apologize for
using cheap tea leaves.”

That invitation slipped out of my mouth impulsively.

Of course, I was concerned about Shijouin-san, who seemed

wide awake in someone else’s house, but more than that, I
wanted to invite her for late-night tea.

Because of spending the whole day with Shijouin-san, my

feelings for her were running high, and I yearned for her
intensely. I wanted to talk more with her, to share a moment
alone together on this night filled only with the sound of rain
—the heat within me led me to speak those inviting words.

“Oh, is that okay? In that case, I’ll be shameless and accept

your offer! Honestly, I couldn’t sleep at all, and I didn’t know
what to do…”

Finding a comrade who couldn’t sleep, Shijouin-san burst

into a bright smile.

As someone who already had strong feelings for her, her

blossoming cuteness made me react even more strongly
than usual, and my cheeks flushed.

“Alright then. Just wait there.”

Hoping that my bright red face wouldn’t be visible in the

dim light, I poured tea into two mugs. Since I had planned to
drink tea slowly until I could fall asleep, I boiled a bit more
than usual.

“Here you go… Oh!?”

I returned to the living room with two mugs on a tray, and I

was taken aback by an unexpected sight.

When I said, “Just wait there,” I meant for her to sit on the
long chair at the dining table where we had dinner… but
Shijouin-san was sitting on the sofa, which had become my
makeshift bed.

“Thank you so much! Hehe, drinking tea in the middle of the

night feels so mature and lovely, don’t you think?”

“Ah, yeah…”
Unable to say anything in the face of Shijouin-san’s genuine
joy, I placed the tea on the low coffee table in front of the
sofa.

And then, Shijouin-san said, “Well, please have a seat,

Niihama-kun!” and patted the spot right next to her with her
hand.

I involuntarily swallowed my saliva.

I was the one who suggested having late-night tea, but the
distance between us was incredibly close.

Not only her words but also her body heat and scent
reached me.

“I-Is it alright? If I sit this close to you while my mind is

already overwhelmed by this intense longing for you, won’t
my brain overheat if our shoulders touch?”

But in this situation, there was only one course of action for
me to take… I made up my mind and sat down on the same
sofa as Shijouin-san.
 Chapter 78: Midnight Tea Party

When I sat next to her, the figure of Shijouin-san, which had

been blurred in the dim light until a moment ago, became
clear.

The pajamas she was wearing were a gift from Kanako, and
she said, ‘I guess it’s understandable that it would be tight
for Haruka-chan to wear our size!,’ with a strangely
delighted expression as she rummaged through my drawer.

Well, the choice itself was perfectly appropriate as

sleepwear. It consisted of a plain white T-shirt and navy blue
shorts, a casual outfit that gave off a different lively
atmosphere than her usual skirt look and suited her very
well.

(But this proximity feels a bit dangerous… Even though the

air conditioner is on, my head feels dizzy from the heat…)

A sweet and pleasant fragrance typical of girls wafts directly

from Shijouin-san, and even her seemingly unsexy shorts
reveal slender, long white legs that are unabashedly
exposed, with not even socks covering her perfectly bare
feet.

“Well then, here I go.”

And Shijouin-san, seemingly unaware of my turmoil, takes

the mug in her hand, gently blows on it, and sips the tea.

“Ahh… It’s delicious. It’s very calming.”

“I see. That’s good.”

In an attempt to calm down the desires of adolescence

brought about by the youthful teenage body, I also take a
sip of tea. It’s just ordinary Darjeeling, but perhaps due to
the situation of being alone together in the late night, it
tastes much more delicious and brings a soothing feeling to
my heart.

“By the way… Today was fun. Your mother is a very kind
person, and Kanako-chan is so cute…”

“If you say that, it’s a relief. Especially Kanako, She got
really close to you, so sorry for her overly-familiar behavior.”

“No, not at all! Kanako-chan is so adorable that I actually

envied you!”

“Is that so?”

While it may be true that she is cute, I was worried if I was

becoming a nuisance to Shijouin-san with my overly familiar
attitude…

“Yes, really! Besides, it’s my first time staying overnight at a

friend’s house, so I had so much fun… I can’t sleep because
I’m not really tired, but I think it’s also because I’m still
feeling excited.”

At that moment, Shijouin-san turns her face towards me,

who is sitting next to her.

Our eyes meet at an almost zero distance, and my heart

starts pounding.

“That’s why… I feel a little reluctant. I wish this time could

continue a little longer.”
With a warm cup of tea in her hand and a slightly reddened
face, Shijouin-san smiles. She is saying that she enjoyed the
day spent in this house, including my family.

“…Actually, I feel the same way.”

“Eh…?”

“I didn’t expect that I would spend time with Shijouin-san at

my own house… Cooking together, talking a lot… It was a
day full of excitement and happiness.”

Due to the unusual situation of having Shijouin-san right

next to me in the late night, the words from my heart come
out of my mouth without hesitation. Perhaps it’s the season
of summer that is making me speak so casually.

“That’s why… I feel a little lonely that Shijouin-san’s

overnight stay is coming to an end.”

As I mutter those words, Shijouin-san widens her eyes.

And then, I also realize the meaning of my own words.

When Shijouin-san said she felt “reluctant,” it was a word

directed at my entire family, including the Niihamas, but my
“lonely” only means that I want to spend more time with
Shijouin-san.

“Uh, um, well… Thank you…”

“Oh, no, um…”

Shijouin-san’s cheeks flush a little more, and she stammers

in response. I also give an equally unremarkable reply in the
same state. The situation has become unsettled for a
different reason than before, and in an attempt to calm my
restless heart, I take a large sip of the still hot tea. …It’s
surprisingly sweet even without sugar.

“…The rain still hasn’t stopped.”

“Yes, according to the weather forecast, it should stop by

morning…”

Strangely enough, our conversation falls silent for a while.

In this room, which has become slightly extraordinary due to

the rain still pouring outside in the late night, the sound of
raindrops hitting the asphalt creating a rhythm that
continues unabated.

Neither of us is at a loss for conversation when we are

together, talking with bright Shijouin-san for as long as
possible, but now it’s as if we are silently savoring the
atmosphere.

(But it doesn’t feel awkward at all… When I’m alone with my

boss or senpai at work, the atmosphere doesn’t last, and I
panic, thinking that I have to say something…)

After a while, while I’m vaguely thinking, “I wish Shijouin-

san could stay at this house tomorrow and the day after,” I
remember someone who would never allow such a thing.

“Ah… In our case, even if we feel reluctant, we have to go

home. I’m sure Tokimune-san is extremely worried… “

“That’s… Hehe, you’re right. My father has always been

excessively worried when I go somewhere alone, so he’s
likely to call me first thing tomorrow.”

It’s possible that the president himself will come to pick her
up in his car and say something like, “I won’t allow you to do
anything inappropriate, you bastard!”

Should I keep quiet about the incident with Shijouin-san

being in her underwear and the “aahn” moment?

“Well… When you praised my family earlier, but your

house’s Akiko-san and Tokimune-san are really good
parents… I can feel that they truly love their daughter every
time.”

In dramas and novels, it’s a template that wealthy families

of prestigious backgrounds are often portrayed as having
unkind personalities, but those two were genuinely good
people, considering they are Shijouin-san’s parents. Well, I
think I should refrain from being too much of a doting parent
regarding Tokimune-san…

“Hehe, if you say that, it makes me happy. I’ve always

looked up to my parents as role models…”

“Is that so?”

Since I was a child, I’ve always loved my parents, and my

father and mother showed me an example of happiness.
That’s why I want to try working as well… but ultimately, I
just want to build a happy family.”

“I see…?”

It was a bit surprising to me.

Even though Shijouin-san possesses an unmatched charm,

she doesn’t seem to be particularly conscious of romance in
her daily life.

However, when it comes to building a future family, it seems

that she has a deep attachment to that dream.
“Yes, just like many girls wish for, I simply want to become
an ordinary wife, have children, and make meals for my
child and husband… I desire that kind of happiness.”

The girl who possesses a prestigious background, wealth,

and beauty expresses her modest and gentle dream with a
warm smile.

It’s not something extraordinary; she simply desires the

connection of a family—a wish that may seem
commonplace, but it is a beautiful sentiment, pure and
sacred above all else.

“…”

But I know.

In my previous life, that dream was mercilessly shattered.

“What?! N-Niihama-kun, why are you crying…!?”

“N-No… I just… drank some hot tea…”

I desperately hold back the tears that threaten to spill over

and try to cover it up.

Even though I’m using all my adult rationality, the

overwhelming and painful emotions within me refuse to
calm down.

(That’s right… It’s just an ordinary dream, nothing special…

With Shijouin-san’s charm and kindness, she could have
definitely built a happy family…)

That modest dream of an ordinary girl was destroyed by the

despicable malice lurking in society. When she was
tormented and fell into despair, turning into a doll-like
existence, I can only imagine how much Akiko-san and
Tokimune-san grieved…

(Why did it have to turn out this way… for both Shijouin-san
and me…)

We were just working earnestly.

In my case, I admit that there were problems with my

choices and the weakness of my heart, which I couldn’t
change, but I was still desperately trying to live my life.

However, in the end, our lives were cut short by the

wretched people.

The dreams that were supposed to come true, the

envisioned future—everything was crushed.

(In this life, I will never let that happen… I am here not only
to reclaim my own life, but also to protect Shijouin-san! I,
and no one else, have made that decision…!)

“Shijouin-san… You will definitely become a wonderful

mother. I guarantee it.”

“Huh…?”

“Everyone is captivated by your cuteness, your warm and

kind nature. Moreover, your cooking skills surpass those of
any ordinary housewife. You possess everything that is
important as a person. If you can’t be happy with all of that,
then the world must be wrong…!”

“Ah, wha…what!?”

In my enumeration of her good qualities while looking at the

face of the person I admire, Shijouin-san blushes and
becomes flustered.

In hindsight, at that moment, I wasn’t in my right mind.

I was overwhelmed with emotions, thinking about the pitiful

Shijouin-san from my previous life. It was a mixture of anger
towards the injustice and a rebellious spirit against fate, and
my mind was bursting.

“That’s why, please rest assured. I will protect that dream

and your happiness. I will definitely make Shijouin-san
happy…!”

“Hyaa…!?”

With a firm declaration, Shiratori-san’s eyes widen, and her

cheeks gradually turn crimson. She seems to be quite
confused.

(Huh!?)

And then, I finally realize the weight of my words.

Although I usually think about love matters, the words I just

uttered stemmed from a pure sense of duty to protect
Shijouin-san from certain doom.

But only I understand that, and if you were to take the

words at face value, they would simply sound like “I want
you.”

“N-No, umm…! Anyway, what I wanted to say is that I will

support that dream and your happiness with all my might!”

“Y-Yes… That’s right. It just surprised me because it sounded

like lines I heard in a drama…”
To cool down our flushed faces, we avoid looking at each
other and speak. Although Shijouin-san usually shows a dull
response to romantic words, it feels like her usual
airheadedness has disappeared, perhaps due to the magic
of this summer night.

“…But… I’m really going to miss this… I love these

moments.”

Her words, reminiscent of bidding farewell to a festival, are

incredibly touching, filling my chest with joy. And it’s clear to
see what I want as well.

“That… I’ll text you and call you again. And…”

It required a bit of courage to say this.

But I had no hesitation. I can’t let the fear of angering

Tokimune-san prevent me from pursuing love.

“I know this visit to my house was spontaneous due to

Kana-chan’s help, but next time, I’ll invite you properly.”

“…!”

The one disappointing thing about Shijouin-san’s visit to my

house was that it wasn’t a deliberate invitation on my part.
Since I had already been invited to the Shijouin household, it
wouldn’t have been an issue to extend the invitation in
return. However, due to my virginity and being fixated on
the idea of “inviting her to my house after we’re officially
dating,” I didn’t consider it.

…Well, of course, spending the night together in this

situation would be inappropriate, and even a regular
invitation would face the greatest obstacle of obtaining
approval from the doting President.
“So… Please come to my house and visit again. My family
would be happy too.”

“Yes!”

In response to my heartfelt words, Shijouin-san’s face

brightens even more than I expected.

That is what I must protect. Her smile is as radiant and

dazzling as a sunflower blooming under the summer sun.
 Chapter 79: Morning “Chuun” and
Shutter Sounds

I was dozing off in deep tranquility.

There was something by my side, and it exuded a soft and

comforting warmth.

Surrounded by a sweet scent that melted my instincts, there

was nothing but blissful rest.

– Shutter sounds –

As if cuddling up to a mother cat, I indulged in the most

peaceful sleep. My whole body was enveloped in immense
relief, and everything felt satisfying.

Kacha, Kacha, Kacha!

…But what is this noisy sound?

“Uhh…?”

Due to the annoying noise, I woke up from my blissful

slumber. Opening my eyes, I saw a ceiling that didn’t belong
to my room, with the dazzling morning sunlight pouring in
through the window.

“Oh… I see… I must have fallen asleep sitting on the living

room sofa…”
While the chirping of sparrows sounded pleasant, the
continuous mechanical noise drowned it out.

“What is that noise… and Kanako…?”

I turned my drowsy gaze towards the direction of the sound

and saw my sister, wearing a T-shirt and denim pants.
However, something seemed off.

She had a slightly flushed face, and with a wide grin, she
excitedly exclaimed, “Woohoo…!” while aiming her flip
phone towards me and taking photos at a furious pace. It
seemed that the rattling sound was the shutter of the
camera.

“Uhh… What are you doing?”

“Oh, looks like you’re awake. Good morning, big brother!”

Still in a half-asleep state, my mind not fully functioning, I

addressed her. Why is she so hyper in the morning?

“Hehehe, what am I doing? Obviously, taking pictures! I

can’t miss capturing such an exciting and rare scene!”

“Huh…? What rare scene…? Wait a minute…”

As my foggy mind gradually cleared, I suddenly noticed a

warm sensation against my chest. It wasn’t just warm; it
was soft and silky, and there was a sweet fragrance.

Finally, I realized our current situation.

Shijouin-san was leaning against me, peacefully breathing in

her sleep. We had been sharing a towel blanket and
sleeping side by side all this time.
“Wha- What is this!? Why is Shijouin-san sleeping next to
me!?”

Could it be that we’ve been like this the entire night!?

I tried to move away from the sleeping Shijouin-san, but she

had her head resting on my chest, making it impossible to
budge. The intense heat and weight of the girl pressed
against me made my heart race at full throttle from the
early morning.

“But… Wow… Shijouin-san’s sleeping face is incredibly

cute…”

No matter how flustered I was, my love-stricken brain

couldn’t help but be captivated by her. The sight of the
beautiful Yamato Nadeshiko peacefully sleeping stole my
gaze.

“Hehehe… It was fun last night, wasn’t it?”

“What?! There’s no way anything happened!”

“Huh…? Is Haruka-chan awake?”

“Ah, I see. Haruka-chan, you’re still dreaming, right?”

“What?”

Um… Shijouin-san? Are you still half-asleep?

“Oh? Haruka-chan is awake?”

“Oh, good morning, Shijouin-san! Um… This situation isn’t

because of any improper intentions on my part…!”

“…Niihamakun… slept in my room… Ah, I see, it must still

be a dream…”
“Huh?”

Wait, Shijouin-san? Are you still half-asleep?

“Oh… Haruka-chan woke up?”

“Ah, that’s right… I was a little surprised when I woke up

without Kanako-chan… Oh, I see, it’s still a dream…”

“Huh?”

It seems that Shijouin-san is still half-asleep and unaware of

the situation.

“Uh… Can you please wake up, Shijouin-san…?”

“Hehehe… Even though you’re a boy, you’re not rough at

all… You’re smooth and squishy…”

I desperately wanted to shout that it was her fingers that

were smooth and squishy. They were so silky and smooth, it
felt oddly pleasant…

“…Huh…? But… In my dream… I didn’t know… anything…?”

Shijouin-san, who seemed absent-minded, suddenly stopped

moving as if realizing her surroundings.

Her unfocused eyes gradually regained clarity, and she

stared at her own hand, which was pinching both of my
cheeks. Her beautiful face instantly turned bright red.

“A-Ahh…!? I-I’m… I-I’m so sorry…! I… I completely slept-

talked! I… I was sleepwalking!”

“Ah, well, if you’re awake, then that’s fine…”

With Shijouin blushing and pulling away, I finally regained
my freedom.

Although I outwardly responded calmly with adult

rationality, internally I was still in disarray from the shared
sleep with Shijouin and the squishy cheeks in the morning.

“By the way… why were the two of us sleeping on the

sofa…? I remember we were drinking tea and chatting
together yesterday…”

Even if I fell asleep, why didn’t Shijouin go back to Kanako’s

room to sleep?

“Well, after chatting for a while, both I and Niihama-kun

started dozing off at the same time… I was so sleepy that I
said, ‘I’m sorry… I’m too sleepy, I can’t go on anymore,’ and
then Niihama-kun said half-asleep, ‘I see… then we can just
sleep here…’ So we stayed like that…”

Even though it might be because of sleepiness, did I really

say something like that?! Just by hearing those words, it
sounds like an invitation to bed!

“I, um, apparently I ended up leaning on Niihama-kun all

night… Wasn’t it too heavy? And even though the air
conditioning was on, wasn’t it suffocating to be so close…?”

Normally, it would be a situation where I should scream

upon waking up to find myself sleeping together, but
Shijouin timidly asked if it wasn’t a bother.

And of course, being in close proximity to an angel was not

a bother to me, but rather a heavenly experience.

“No, it wasn’t a bother at all… But I’m sorry too. I mean,

even though we were both sleepy, as a guy, I shouldn’t
have slept beside…”

I’m confident that I’ve become quite close with Shijouin, but
this is a different matter.

From a gentleman’s perspective, I should have stayed

awake and returned Shijouin to Kanako’s room before going
to sleep.

“Oh, no, it’s okay. I didn’t find it uncomfortable at all, really.”

“I-Is that so?”

Shijouin, sitting next to me, said nonchalantly as if there

wasn’t anything unpleasant.

“Yes, of course, I admit it was a little inappropriate, and it’s

a bit embarrassing to see each other’s faces like this in the
morning…”

Blushing slightly, Shijouin spoke with a shy voice.

The following words she spoke seemed to indicate that,

despite her usually ethereal demeanor, she had to endure
some embarrassment.

“But, it’s you, Niihama-kun.”

“Huh…?”

“You’re my closest friend and a very reliable boy. That’s why

there’s nothing unpleasant about it. In fact, I felt incredibly
safe and slept very comfortably!”

I was left speechless by Shijouin’s words, spoken with a

smile that was angelic in itself.
Those words went beyond simply saying it was okay
because we were friends.

She acknowledged that it was “a little inappropriate” to

have fallen asleep together, but she sincerely expressed
that she felt “incredibly safe and slept very comfortably.”

That… although aware of my male attributes, it sounded like

she was saying that we were close enough to include that as
well.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to mention the most important thing,

even though it’s such a precious morning!”

Whether she knew or didn’t know about my inner thoughts,

Shijouin turned towards me on the same sofa.

“Good morning, Niihama-kun!”

Shijouin’s smile was as radiant as the morning sun in

summer, and I heard the best “good morning” I’ve ever
heard in my life.

“Ah… Good morning, Shijouin-san.”

In celebration of the morning welcomed together with the

person I love, I returned the greeting with a smile to the
best of my ability. Under the refreshing air of a sunny sky
that made last night’s heavy rain seem like a lie, we shared
a serene and harmonious atmosphere, laughing together.

By the way, Kanako later sent me a photo titled “Morning

Snuggle♪” that was too straightforward, so I made sure to
tell her not to let anyone else see it! And in secret, I saved
the photo that captured Shijouin’s sleeping face.
Chapter 80: An Extra Story – Shijouin
Papa’s Pick-Up ①

Under the clear sky that replaced last night’s heavy rain,
puddles of water on the asphalt sparkled and shimmered in
the sunlight.

It was a refreshing and summery scene, but the current

situation didn’t allow for such poetic moods.

“Long time no see, kid! You better not have done anything
outrageous, ya hear meeeee!?”

“Nice to see you too, Tokimune-san. Your words are as

predictable as ever…”

In front of my house, I found myself face to face with

Shijouin Tokimune, the president of the Shijouin Corporation,
after a long time.

After enjoying a blissful morning with Shijouin-san, we had a

simple breakfast with Kanako. By the way, it seemed like
Mom had left early in the morning for work.

Then, Shijouin-san received a message from her mother,

Akiko-san, on her phone saying, “The pick-up car is on its
way!” Soon after, a luxury car parked in front of the house,
and Shijouin-san, accompanied by Kanako, went outside to
see…

There stood Tokimune-san, arms crossed, giving a slightly

aggressive greeting right from the start.
“Oh, Father!? What are you doing here!?”

“Oh, Haruka…! Sorry for being late with the pick-up! Must
have been tough!”

“No, it wasn’t tough at all… But what about your work?”

To Shijouin-san’s surprise, as if seeing each other after

several months, she looked wide-eyed. It seemed she hadn’t
heard that Tokimune-san was personally coming to pick her
up.

“Hahaha, no need to worry about that, Haruka. To ensure I

don’t miss events like your entrance ceremony or sports
festival, the company has already established a system that
can function without me. Besides, it’s unhealthy for a
company to become dysfunctional just because the
president or someone specific is temporarily absent.”

Even though I hadn’t really hidden it before, it was clear

that, for Tokimune-san, his daughter was much more
important than the company. However, it was commendable
that he managed his work in a way that didn’t interfere with
his duties.

“Thank you, Niihama-san. It’s been a while.”

Suddenly, I heard a voice, and when I turned towards it, a

man in his forties wearing a suit, who had also been the
driver when I was invited to the Shijouin residence, politely
nodded his head.

That person… I believe he was the driver at Shijouin-san’s

house…

“Thank you for remembering my name, Natsuzaki-san.”

“Oh, I appreciate your help back then. Also… you don’t have
to use ‘san’ when addressing me. I’m just friends with
Shijouin-san.”

“Oh no, as a friend of Miss Haruka, you are still a guest to

me. Moreover… if you have a very close relationship, even
more so.”

“Not tha-… That’s not truuuue!”

Tokimune-san widened his eyes and shouted loudly in

response to Natsuzaki’s words, a mischievous smile
appearing at the corner of his mouth.

“He and Haruka are just barely friends…! Don’t say weird
things!”

“Huh? No, that’s not true, Father.”

“W-What…?”

“Just as Natsuzaki-san said, Niihama-kun is a very close

friend. We have the best relationship I’ve ever had in my
life!”

“Gohaaah…!”

With a dazzling smile that exuded an angelic charm,

Shijouin-san said it confidently, causing me to blush, and
Tokimune-san let out a pained voice as if his internal organs
were being squeezed.

…In many ways, natural airheaded-ness can be

overpowering…

“Ugh… Hey, kid… Haruka seems more energetic than usual,

but… nothing really happened, right…?”
Approaching me with lingering damage, Tokimune-san
asked in a low voice.

Though his voice seemed quiet, it carried a weighty

undertone, exerting an overwhelming pressure on my
stomach.

“I’m grateful that you accommodated my daughter at your

house during the heavy rain, and I intend to come and thank
you formally when your parents are present… But there’s
something I need to ask.”

“Well… um…”

The memories came flooding back, the day I spent with

Shijouin-san.

If I were to honestly describe its contents…

“Well, actually, I happened to run into Haruka-san after she

took a bath, and I had the fortune of seeing her in her
underwear! And during dinner, her sister orchestrated it so
Haruka-san fed me with an ‘aah’… It was embarrassing, but
the atmosphere was incredibly sweet! Oh, and last night, we
slept together on the same sofa, snuggled up like pillows to
each other, and this morning we even had a morning kiss! It
was truly amazing♪”

(I-I’m going to be killed…!)

Although I had no impure intentions, the facts laid out

before me would surely warrant the death penalty. Damn it,
for now…

“Well, even if you say that, there really was nothing at all.
Well, if I had to say, she helped me with preparing dinner.”
Without revealing the turmoil in my heart, I casually told a
lie mixed with some truth.

The lie would be exposed if my voice or expression faltered,

but I had been trained to handle such situations naturally, to
appease irritable bosses and evade unreasonable client
demands during my corporate slave days. I would not be
easily seen through…!

“…That’s a lie.”

“Huh…!?”

“You’re adept at concealing your agitation and tension in

your voice… but there’s a slight stiffness. My eyes, honed
from negotiating with countless opponents, won’t be
fooled…!”

Damn it, this is why competent managers skilled in probing

are a pain!

I could have easily deceived my idiotic former boss or

clueless company president from my past life!

“Now spill it! What happened!?”

“Well, um…”

This is troublesome… No, none of these are things I

intended to happen, but I can’t share these contents with
my overly doting father…

Just as I was sweating nervously…

“Um, are you Haruka-chan’s dad?”

A familiar voice resonated from the side.

When I looked, Kanako, my sister, was standing
unexpectedly close to me and Tokimune-san, smiling
sweetly.
 Chapter 81: Side Story – Shijouin
Papa’s Pick-Up ②

“Hmm? Oh, and who might you be?”

“Ah, nice to meet you! I’m Niihama Kanako, the little sister
of Onii-chan!”

Disguised as an innocent girl, Kanako, in full outing mode,

politely bows and introduces herself.

(But “Onii-chan”… She’s really laying it on thick…)

“Well, I wanted to apologize to Haruka-chan’s father… It’s

my fault that Haruka-chan couldn’t go home last night…”

“Hmm…?”

Dressed as a pure young girl, Kanako briefly explains

yesterday’s events to Shijouin-san. She mentions delivering
the wallet in the rain and bringing the drenched Shijouin-san
home, among other things.

“So, I felt really sorry for causing Haruka-chan’s family to

worry… I’m truly sorry.”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to worry about that. You were
genuinely concerned about Haruka, who got caught in the
rain. The heavy rain that followed, causing transportation
disruptions, wasn’t something that could have been
predicted even by the weather forecast. It was just bad
luck.”
It seems that Shijouin-san, apart from me (or any man
approaching his daughter), is indeed a very gentle person,
and he interacts amicably with Kanako as well.

“Oh, I’m relieved to hear you say that! I had so much fun
getting along with Haruka-chan in just one night… But I kept
thinking that Haruka-chan’s mom and dad must have been
really worried…”

“Hahaha, it’s alright. Both my wife and I are adults. We

stayed in touch, and it wasn’t a big deal.”

Um, Shijouin-san… Didn’t you scream like crazy over the

phone when you found out about Shijouin-san staying over?

“But… you two became so close in just one night?”

“Yes! She’s beautiful, cute, kind, and warm… I can’t find

enough words to describe her! I kept wishing I had an older
sister like her!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Haruka is the cutest in the world.”

Shijouin-san nods happily, praising Haruka with all his might

(probably because he truly means it). He seems to have
forgotten about me and is in a very good mood.

“U-Um, Kanako-chan… It’s too much to praise me like that.

Father, please stop…”

Blushing, Shijouin-san’s daughter, overwhelmed by the

excessive compliments from her younger friend, speaks up.
Yes, even I would feel embarrassed in this situation…

“Well, but it’s true! We spent the whole time together

yesterday, doing various things… We took a bath together,
chatted on the futon… It was so much fun being together all
the time!”

Huh…?

I wondered why Kanako suddenly started talking to Shijouin-

san… Could it be that she’s throwing me a lifeline…?

“I see… Well, if you spent that much time together, then it’s
true that there wouldn’t have been an opportunity for
Niihama boy to make contact. Maybe I was too sensitive…”

O-Oh…!?

My suspicions of misconduct have been cleared…!?

Shijouin-san, without any doubt, believes Kanako’s

testimony as a seemingly pure and well-mannered junior
high school girl! Girls have amazing acting skills!

Kanako gives me a quick glance, as if saying, “Not just a

favor, but a hundred favors♪,” and smiles mischievously.
Well, she truly saved me…!

“Do you understand now, Shijouin-san? I’m not so wicked as

to take advantage of a situation like a natural disaster.”

“Hmm… Although I intended to ask if there was any

inappropriate situation that occurred without your proactive
involvement… Well, I’ll believe you for now. I must admit I
acted a bit childish in front of your sister.”

He really knows how to pinpoint the right spot, and it made

me break into a cold sweat… But I managed to get through.
However, that was more than just a bit childish, President, in
my opinion.
“Oh, come on, Father! What’s with all the mumbling to
Niihama-kun? We’re really grateful for everything this time,
so you better not say anything rude again!”

“N-No, I just… I only asked about the situation when you

stayed at someone else’s house… Well, alright then. I
should be going!”

To avoid further scolding from his determined daughter,

Shijouin-san hastily gets into the car. He really doesn’t have
any resistance against his wife and daughter…

“Phew, sorry about my father… But we should probably

leave soon.”

“Yes, it’s a bit sad, but… See you again!”

“Haruka-chan, thank you so much for everything. Please

give my thanks to Mika-san as well.”

Bowing slightly, Shijouin-san’s daughter gets into the back

seat of the car.

Finally, this overnight stay is coming to an end. It’s a little

bit sad, though…

Nevertheless, I was able to create many memories with

Shijouin-san, and I managed to avoid Shijouin-san’s
overprotective eruption. If this were a game event, it would
be a complete victory.

“Niihama-kun!”

Suddenly, I noticed Shijouin-san sticking his head out of the

rear window.
“I don’t know where to begin thanking you for everything
this time! But I had such a great time! Especially—”

Under the summer sunshine, the girl waves her hand with a
beaming smile towards me and Kanako.

And to convey her feelings of enjoyment, she raises her

voice loudly—

“I had so much fun being together with Niihama-kun all

night!”

In that instant—time froze.

Both Kanako and I, still smiling in farewell, froze in place.

The car, which was in the middle of departure, abruptly
came to a complete stop as if its engine had stalled.

And then—

“W-Wha… Wha… Whaatttt!? H-Haruka! What did you just

sayyyyy!?”

With a few seconds delay, a scream from Shijouin-san

resonates from the passenger seat.

Hahaha, our desperate attempt to deceive was exposed in

an instant.

And as for Shijouin-san himself, he looks bewildered by the

intense reactions around him, saying, “Huh? Huh?” That’s
right… I should have anticipated this situation, but I
completely forgot to silence the natural airheaded girl after
the shock of our morning co-sleeping…

(Oh no… The lid of the hellish furnace has been lifted. This is
not just a matter of life and death…)
“You, you, you… Boyyyy! So, you really…!? Oi, Natsuzaki!?
Don’t start the car!”

“Haha, that was quite an impactful revelation, but now we

must quickly show Madame the cheerful face of her
daughter.”

Oh…!?

Natsuzaki-san…!

“Waitttt! There are so many things I need to question that

boy about the situation!”

The car, carrying an enraged Shijouin-san, starts again, and

Natsuzaki-san extends his thumb out from the driver’s seat.

Ah, thank you, Natsuzaki-san…!

It feels like he’s acting in accordance with Akiko-san’s

intentions, but in any case, I’m grateful!

“Hey, Aniki, look! Haruka-chan is waving at us.”

In response to my sister’s voice, I shift my gaze, and I see

Shijouin-san vigorously waving her hand towards us from
the rear windshield, even though her father is in a frenzy.

And so, we wave our hands back in response.

Like distant relatives who get along well or old friends

reunited after a long time, our mutual feeling of reluctance
to part is conveyed.

In my previous life, I couldn’t have imagined… It was the

best night.

…Well, that’s all well and good, but…

“Hey, Aniki… Sorry to interrupt your immersed state, but…”

“Yeah?”

“Shouldn’t we call Haruka-chan’s dad ourselves and

explain…?”

“It’s such a hassle, but… I guess we have to…”

Realizing that the mission of calming down a typhoon is now

upon us after surviving the heavy rain, I muttered with a
heavy-hearted voice.

And so—after making a call to the Shijouin household, I

found myself engaged in a conversation resembling a court
trial with an angry Tokimune-san, all in order to convince
them that it was merely an accident resulting from both of
us falling asleep.

…I’m exhausted…
 Credits

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