Bishoujo wo Jouzu ni Nikubenki ni Suru Houhou 62

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As I struggled to weave my way through the crowd, it suddenly cleared up before me.

“Oi, oi……”

I looked at the crowd, which formed a wall 360 degrees around me. There were flashes of light everywhere, and people’s whispered voices converged to create a loud buzz.

It’s like an outdoor stage.

In the center were my brother and Makoto, who were facing each other, and Satonaka, who was intervening. It was truly a three-way battle.

Even without them saying a word, you could feel the bad blood running between them. The crowd around them was watching with bated breath.

“B-big brother, this is kinda embarrassing…..”

The little bitch hugged my left arm, trying to duck behind me, and said something like that.

“D-don’t worry, it’s normal to feel that way. I’m quite embarrassed about this, as well…..”

They look like actors on a stage. I’m not sure how the three of them are able to maintain their composure with so much attention from the crowd.

If possible, I don’t want people to think that I know those three, but I can’t do that. The situation will only get worse if I let it play out.

But, Satonaka, I’m disappointed in you. I was hoping that you would be able to pull them apart. Don’t get caught up in the flow and join the staring contest. You being here is pointless.

“H-hey, are those two going to join in?”

“Eh? Look over there, whoa! That twin-tailed girl! She’s super cute!

“Is that her older brother? Or older sister? She’s wearing guy’s clothes, but she’s probably a girl, right?”

“The little sister looks scared. She’s hiding behind her older sister. Isn’t that cute?”

“I’d love to have a beautiful, stylish, and slightly boyish, but kind older sister.”

The whispering voices were clearly directed at the little bitch and me. And they seem to think that we’re sisters.

Why do I have to be the little bitch’s sister? Her sister is over there in the staring contest. And I’m not dressed as a woman today. So then why didn’t you say older brother instead of older sister?

I don’t like being thought of as the little bitch’s brother, but it’s a hundred times better than being thought of as her sister.

That said, I don’t think we’re too different in terms of appearance, but I have evil eyes and the little bitch has angled, almond-shaped eyes. Maybe that’s why they thought I was her sibling.

Besides, the little bitch was obviously clinging onto me, so I guess that could be considered “sisterly” or something.

“Shizuka, you should go hide.”

“B-but, I don’t want to be alone.”

“Even if you say that, I have to stop those three right now. That means I’ll stand out. If you don’t want to be embarrassed, go hide.”

“I don’t want to be embarrassed, but I also don’t want to be alone. Okay then, I’ll stay with big brother.”

The little bitch, trying to hide behind me, squeezed my left arm tightly, pulling my arm back a bit.

Ow, ow. My arm is not designed to be bent that way.

But the fact that the little bitch didn’t run away and instead stayed with me could possibly be the key to turning things around.

I tried to work with Satonaka to separate my brother and Makoto, but Satonaka, the key component of the plan, is now in the middle of the two of them, staring at them. I shouldn’t have expected so much.

Therefore, I’ll have to remedy the situation on my own, but that’s probably impossible. If I could split myself up and deal with all three of them simultaneously, it might work, but even I can’t be in three places at once.

Therefore, I’ll have to do it alone, but I know it’s impossible. In other words, I’d at least need a little help

And the little bitch, well, she’s better than just a little help. No, she’s more cunning than you think. She’s especially good at using the fact that she’s a child to get her way.

If she can use that, she might be able to deal with Makoto and Satonaka. It won’t work against my brother, but if it’s just him, I can handle it.

“Soichiro-san, I think I have a pretty good grasp of the situation. You may have something to say, but please, back off here. Please, Makoto, don’t be such a spoiled child, please.”

Satonaka’s voice echoed quietly. My brother, who was confronting Makoto, glanced sideways at Satonaka, who was standing between the two of them.

Makoto, on the other hand, awkwardly averted her gaze from Satonaka. But she clenched her teeth, tightening her expression, and glared at my brother.

I can’t see her expression because her back is to us, but Satonaka’s voice is clearly strained. I could tell that she was desperately trying to persuade the two of them to separate.

That Satonaka really is strange. I thought Satonaka was going to join the fight, but it’s good to see that she hasn’t forgotten her goal of separating my brother and Makoto. But something is wrong. This doesn’t seem like Satonaka.

“Satonaka-senpai is here to help you. Why don’t you run away? You brocon pervert.”

“Run away? What are you talking about? Isn’t it you, Makoto, who wants to escape? You slutty bitch.”

My glaring brother and Makoto cursed at each other.

“You get it right? If I’m here, that means Kijima-san is nearby too, okay? Kijima-san doesn’t like to stand out, and he’s very annoyed at and worried about you two. If you care about Kijima-san, you both need to calm down, okay?”

Satonaka chided the two of them. But her tone was not calm. She seemed tense, or in a rush.

Did it frighten you that the two of them were in the middle of a tense situation? No, Satonaka, who was mainly trained through exposure, would have no problem handling something like this.

But she was in a rush.

Satonaka, who had left me to go to the two of them, said it was a “bad situation”. That’s what’s bothering me.

It was Satonaka who said that we should wait and see. And at the time, Satonaka didn’t seem to be taking the situation too seriously. But suddenly she was in a rush and went to the two of them.

Why did Satonaka suddenly become so restless? The two of them were arguing, but it was the same when Satonaka was calm. If that’s the case, are you saying that you sensed some kind of dangerous scent in what they were saying?

Damn, all I can remember is the pudding.

But what to do? I think the best thing to do would be to join Satonaka in separating them, but Satonaka has been signaling me for a while now.

With her back to me, Satonaka interrupted them as they stared at each other, and without looking at me, she put her right hand behind her back and waved with her palm.

It doesn’t mean come here. On the contrary, she’s waving her palm as if to tell me not to come over.

Does she think that if I join her, the damage will worsen? And are you confident that you can handle the situation by yourself?

No, I don’t think so. There’s something strange about Satonaka’s hastiness. It’s not about calming down the commotion, it’s about something else.

I can sense her personal feelings – that if I join her, it would be bad for Satonaka.

In any case, Satonaka’s treating me like an unwanted object.

Putting that aside for the moment, I have a very bad feeling about this. I’m not going to join Satonaka, but I’m going to act on my own.

“Shizuka, if you want to help, listen up, I have a mission for you.”

While keeping the three of them in sight, I whispered to the little bitch who was trying to hide behind me.

“Eh? Ah, okay. It’s embarrassing, but I can help big brother out if you really need it…..”

I was annoyed by her answer.

I can help you out “if you really need it”. Why are you looking down on me? It’s true that I’m the one who started the whole mess, but it’s mostly your sister’s fault that it’s gotten this big. If you’re her sister, you should feel responsible for the situation and work hard to make it go away.

Well, she said she would help, and she’s just a kid, so I should hold back my anger.

“There’s something wrong with Satonaka. It seems to me that Satonaka has a goal other than fixing the situation.”

“Really? It looks like she’s trying to calm them down.”

“You’re correct, but I have a bad feeling about this. You’re overwhelmingly uninformed about Satonaka, and since you don’t know the normal Satonaka, you can’t notice anything out of place. The current Satonaka is clearly different from the normal Satonaka.”

“Hmm… I see. So, what am I supposed to do? If I do well, will I get a reward?”

The little bitch, still trying to hide behind me, asked for a reward if the mission was successful.

You’re not going to act without an incentive? It seems that the little bitch knew she could make a request, because she knew I was in a pinch.

I was careless.

“How about zunda⁽¹⁾ soft serve and beef tongue bento?”

“Nope! That’s not allowed. Big brother already promised to buy me zunda soft serve and beef tongue lunch box. This is a different. I’ll make sure that you buy me the zunda soft serve and the beef tongue bento, and I also want a separate reward.”

“Tsk-“

You bastard, taking advantage of others. You can’t be too shameless about it. That’s why you’re still a little bitch.

“What do you want then? I’ll have you know that while my family might be rich, I’m not so rich. I make ends meet every month and save the rest of my money, carrying it over to the next month. In the past two years, I’ve been able to save a good amount of money, so I have some wiggle room, but I don’t buy very expensive things.”

In the beginning, I was saving every month so that I would never have to go back to my parents’ house again, thinking I would eventually be on my own. But now that I’ve started training Makoto, my expenses have been growing. However, it is necessary to pay for the training for my slave. I can’t cut back on that, so I have to keep my living expenses low and live moderately.

That’s how I saved my money. If possible, I’d like to avoid wasting money.

“Look, I’ll buy you a purse or a bag or some clothes, but not the brand-name stuff. Also, take good care of it. If you’re like Satonaka and Makoto and take good care of it, and it gets old, I’ll buy you a new one, but I won’t buy you another one because it’s out of fashion or something.”

Satonaka, she really holds onto stuff. If she takes such good care of her things, it makes sense that I would buy her new ones.

For Makoto, her stuff is important in a different way. She hugs it, rolls with it, licks it, and bites it, so it wears down a lot. No, I know that she takes good care of it, but it’s like a dog taking care of its owner’s things, or something like that.

“No, that’s not it……”

A whispered voice came from behind me. That’s not it? You mean you don’t want a purse or a bag?

“What do you want then? Like a bike?”

Because it seems that the little bitch walks to school. Well, it’s probably because the school is close to her house, but lately she’s been running to our high school. If you want a bike because it’s hard to run, there’s no problem buying one as a necessary expense for your training.

But if you can, you should ask your parents first. Your family is rich, right? And they love you very much, don’t they? I’m sure they’d buy you a bike if you asked. But I don’t know the inner workings of the Ogasawara family, so I can’t say that with confidence.

“I will cherish anything that I get from big brother, but I don’t need material things right now.”

You don’t need material things? What’s with this kid? She’s getting all philosophical again. If you don’t want material things, what do you want? If you start talking about love, I’ll kick you in the ass.

“Then what do you want?”

Inwardly nervous that she would ask for something outrageous, I asked the little bitch behind me.

But unlike Makoto, this kid has a lot of common sense. In that respect, I am relieved, but she’s still the sister of that idiot, so you can’t be too careful.

“Ah. Well, ummm, uhhhh……”

I can feel her fidgeting behind me. And then I heard a whisper, while she hesitated to say what she wanted.

What’s so hard to say when you’re a cocky little brat who extorts people when they’re vulnerable? It’s something unreasonable isn’t it?

Don’t say love. For God’s sake, don’t say love. I’m cringing just thinking about it.

Besides, your sister says and does enough crazy things already. There’s no need for both sisters to be crazy, okay? I want you to be normal.

“I-I want a lewd reward. I don’t want to just be an afterthought behind Makoto. I want you to look at Shizuka properly.”

I was wondering what kind of unreasonable request I would get, but that’s what I heard.

A lewd reward? Didn’t I already say I would train you to get rid of your addiction?

But the little bitch had a point. To me, the little bitch was merely Makoto’s companion. But I guess it can’t be helped. I’m really not interested in kids, and the fact that she’s so flat doesn’t really arouse my desire.

The little bitch seemed to sense my feelings. That’s why she asked for such a prize.

“All right, I understand. If I’m going to train you, I’ll “look after you” properly. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to cut corners just because you’re a kid, okay? You won’t regret it, will you?”

When I answered her behind me, the little bitch who had been hiding peeked out.

“Mmhmm!”

She blushed a little but nodded with a big smile on her face.

I’m glad you didn’t say anything about love. That’s something Makoto would have said.

So, the deal is sealed. Then let’s get down to business.

“The task I have for you is simple. Makoto has been neglecting you lately, but you’re still her precious little sister. When I give you the signal, make some noise.”

“Eh?”

“You’ll be conspicuous, but it is no longer possible to control the situation without being conspicuous. When I give the signal, scream that you have a stomachache and make a fuss. If you do that, Makoto and Satonaka will probably come running. I’ll take the opportunity to get my brother out of here. Understood?”

“Ah, yeah, I understand.”

It’s a very simple strategy, but it should be very effective. If the little bitch complains about feeling sick, Makoto will be in a panic. And Satonaka would definitely turn to take care of the little bitch.

It’s impossible to predict how my brother will react, but no matter what he does, I’ll force him to leave.

But the act of causing a commotion in front of so many people is quite embarrassing. That’s why I’d like to be the one to make the noise, but if I do, all three people would come, which wouldn’t solve anything, and if handled poorly, it would only make the commotion worse.

I know it’s a lot, little bitch, but you’re the only one who can do this job.

The only thing I’m worried about is if the little bitch makes a scene and I take my brother, I’ll leave Makoto, Satonaka, and the little bitch here alone.

I thought that it would be safe with Satonaka, but now Satonaka is suspicious. I don’t know if I should leave Makoto and Satonaka together.

It’s not like Satonaka has done anything wrong. She’s currently trying to persuade them, and there’s a possibility that the situation will be settled.

My plan is only an insurance policy and a last resort. I can only hope that my bad premonition will not come true.

But the more I hoped that it wouldn’t come true, the worse my hunch grew. A cold sweat broke out on my cheeks, and I wiped it away with the sleeve of my jacket.

“Ouch! My stomach hurts!”

Suddenly, I heard a voice from behind me, and my body jumped up in surprise.

Huh? What? That scream was from the little bitch, right? Huh? What hurts so bad?

“Ow ow ow ow! My stomach hurts!”

I turned around and saw the little bitch holding my left arm with one hand, crouched over and screaming.

She was in a lot of pain. This was no ordinary pain.

The plan was to have a stomach ache and cause a commotion to get Makoto and Satonaka’s attention, but did she actually have a stomach ache? That’s not good, we have to take her to the hospital right away.

“Shizuka, are you okay? I’m going to call an ambulance, so wait here!”

I got down on one knee, and put my hand on the little bitch’s shoulder, calling out to her.

She had been through a lot. Maybe she was mentally exhausted. It could have caused her stomach to seize up, or it could be worse than that.

In any case, we’re going to the hospital. If it’s nothing serious, that’s fine. I should take her to the hospital just in case.

As I was about to get up and go, the sleeve of my jacket was yanked tightly.

When I turned around, the little bitch who had been lying on the floor and screaming until just now was looking up at me with a bright red face, teary eyes, and a confused expression.

“I-I’m acting. Big brother told me to act up and make a scene, so why did you fall for it? Uuu, this is so embarrassing…..”

The little bitch squatted down and looked around. I didn’t notice it because I was in a hurry, but the people around me were in a state of excitement.

“What? That girl with the twin-tails, does she have a stomach ache?

“I heard her say something about acting. Is this some kind of practice for stage actors to train their courage by doing street performances?”

“Ooh, I see. I’ve seen a lot of people singing, but acting practice is rare. This kind of thing is interesting, too.”

The crowd, which had been engaged in a lively conversation, began to applaud wildly. Apparently, the little bitch’s performance was interesting.

“The three people over there are super good looking, and the pair girls is cute too. They’re acting out a love triangle right? Is this a setting where those two know them?”

“You mean the ones playing the siblings? The older sister is boyish and very beautiful, but the younger twin-tailed sister is a cut above. What group are they in? Maybe we should go see them perform.”

“I don’t know anything about acting, but both the sisters are beautiful and cute, so I’m sure they’ll be on TV soon. You should get their autographs while you can.”

Oh no, the crowd’s attention is now focused on us because of the little bitch’s noise.

Oi, little bitch. Didn’t I tell you to start screaming when I give the signal? That’s definitely what I said, right? So why did you start making noise without my signal?

“Sh-Shizuka, you– why did you scream?”

Feeling my face twitch, I looked down at the squatting little bitch and asked her.

“Huh? Why? You waved your hand, big brother. Wasn’t that the signal?”

The little bitch said this with a bright red face, worrying about her surroundings.

Did I wave? Is it waving if you wipe the sweat off your face with the sleeve of your uniform?

“I-I was just wiping my sweat…..”

“Ehhhhh!? If you say you’re going to give a signal and then wave your hand, of course I’m going to think it’s the signal! You should have told me what kind of signal you were going to make! It’s not Shizuka’s fault, you know! It’s big brother’s fault for not explaining properly!”

The little bitch stood up, her face burning scarlet, and desperately made excuses with teary eyes.

No, there’s no excuse. It’s certainly my fault for not deciding on a signal.

“S-sor–“

“Shizuka-san!””

I was about to apologize to the little bitch who was staring at me with tears in her eyes and her cheeks puffed up, when I heard Makoto’s voice echoing from behind me.

I turned around and saw Makoto running towards us at a furious pace. She arrived by the little bitch in an instant and, with the same momentum, she jumped on her.

“Shizuka-san! Does your tummy hurt!? Let me see!”

“Hyo!? Hyaa! W-wait, Makoto! Don’t roll it up! There are people here! There are a lot of people here! Don’t try to take off my clothes here!”

Makoto jumped on the little bitch and while holding her down with one hand, she dexterously used the other hand to quickly unbutton the dark blue P-coat that the little bitch was wearing. She then rolled up the light pink sweater she was wearing inside, trying to check her stomach. The little bitch is doing her best to resist Makoto’s actions, but it’s futile. There was no way she could compete with Makoto.

Wild cheers rose from the surrounding area. The crowd, especially the men, seemed to think that Makoto and the little bitch were given a special sexy service, and they were gleefully excited.

It’s might be a different story with Makoto, but I don’t know if I’d be that happy to see the belly of a little kid, no matter how cute she is. But this isn’t the time to be thinking about that so calmly.

“Makoto-chan, calm down! You’ll cause trouble for Shizuka! And the stomachache is probably an act! If it were true, Kijima-san wouldn’t be standing there idly!”

Satonaka, who arrived a bit later, intervened between Makoto, the stripper, and the little bitch, the stripee.

“Satonaka-senpai, please get out of the way! Shizuka-san’s tummy gets sore when she’s cold! She must have forgotten to put on her wool panties! But if I rub her tummy, it’ll get better!”

“I’m not wearing them! I’m not wearing the wool panties! How long ago are you going to keep talk about it? So stop pulling my skirt up!”

“Calm down, Makoto-chan! What do I do, she’s completely lost her mind! Kijima-san! Don’t just stand there all dazed, stop Makoto-chan! If you don’t, Shizuka-chan will be exposed!”

The three of them were shouting while rubbing up against each other. As I stared blankly at the scene, I felt a presence beside me.

I turned my head, and out of nowhere, my brother was standing there.

“You said all those cheeky things, but in the end you don’t have an answer, do you? Well, at least you had to courage to stand up to me.”

He let out a big sigh, then glanced at me and smiled.

Oh? My brother is standing next to me, and the two idiots are struggling with Satonaka.

Could this be a chance?

“B-brother! Would you like to have a cup of coffee? I know a great place! Let’s go!”

I looked up at my brother and shouted, taking his hand and forcing him leave with me.

It would soon become obvious that the little bitch’s stomachache was just an act. Rather, Satonaka seemed to have noticed already.

We had diverged considerably from the plan, but the little bitch’s shouting had served the purpose of redirecting Makoto’s attention away from my brother.

Therefore, I can’t let that opportunity slip away. If I miss it, there is a high chance that Makoto will realize that the little bitch’s stomachache is fake and start fighting with my brother again.

“I’m happy to have coffee with you, but I’m worried about you running, tripping, and hurting yourself! If it’s you asking me, I’ll never turn it down, you know. So there’s no need to be in such a hurry, right?”

My brother was saying something, but I ignored him and kept running, breaking through the wall of the crowd.

I was worried about leaving those three behind, but without my brother, Makoto would calm down and Satonaka would take care of the rest.

Something was strange about Satonaka, but I’ll try not to think about it right now.

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After leaving the station and entering the arcade area, I headed to the open café where I had stopped before.

It’s the same café that Satonaka and I stopped at last time when we were handcuffed.

Even if I want to keep my brother away from Makoto, it’s dangerous to be too far away from those three. It’s better to stay near the station so that we can move quickly if something happens.

Also, it would be better to send a text message to Satonaka to let her know our current location.

“H-how about here?”

I stopped running and asked my brother, pointing to the café with a gasp.

Unlike me, who was out of breath, my brother nonchalantly smiled at me.

“Aahh, okay.”

My brother, still smiling, nodded his head.

“By the way, Aoi, your big brother is happy to do so, but are you sure you want to be holding hands?”

I was relieved that my brother agreed. Then I looked down at what he was pointing to.

There was my hand clutching my brother’s hand.

“S-sorry!”

I quickly let go of his hand and raised both my hands up.

“Aoi, you don’t have to apologize. Didn’t I just say that I was happy? However, Aoi was in a hurry, and if he later notices and feels uncomfortable, big brother would be sad. So I thought it was a good idea to point it out now.”

Then he reached out his hand and put it on my head and stroked it gently.

It’s not that I think my brother is creepy or anything, it’s just too embarrassing to do something like that.

“Back in the day, I used take walks with Aoi, holding hands. You used to love walking between the rice fields. Aoi would pull me by the hand, singing happily. It was so cute. Wasn’t that nice? If I could, I’d like to go back to that time….”

My brother smiled gently, tears in the corner of his narrowed eyes.

I remember it well. I remember my brother holding me by the hand along the path between the rice fields.

In the spring, small flowers bloomed along the roadside, and lush rice seedlings spread all around.

In the summer, I loved to see the rice plants growing strong in the brilliant sunshine and the clouds floating in the sky.

In the autumn, the golden ears of rice were draped in the wind with their heavy stalks, and the red dragonflies were flying in the sky with the gently floating cumulonimbus clouds.

I loved the peaceful scenery, but it wasn’t the walk that made me happy.

I was happy just being with my brother.

My brother is second to none. My brother is the best at everything. And he’s the kindest of all. I was so proud of him, and when he walked with me, I felt like I was awesome too.

I wish I could go back to that time. If I had known what was happening with my mother and father, I’m sure I wouldn’t be in this situation.

“S-sorry, I got too sentimental.”

With his fingers, he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. He patted my head again, and walked toward the café.

I wasn’t crying, but my eyes were itching, so I rubbed them with the sleeve of my jacket and followed him.

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I ordered a cup of coffee and the clerk behind the counter gave me a paper cup with coffee in it.

“H-here’s your order. O-one original blend coffee……”

Her voice and hands were shaking violently, and her face was flaming red.

“Ahhh, thank you.”

My brother smiled and accepted the coffee from the clerk. But his smile seemed sad somehow.

I took my coffee and sat down at an empty table.

Since it was an open café, I could see people walking through the arcade area, but thanks to the trees and potted plants surrounding the café, I couldn’t feel the stares of people walking by.

“I guess they’re special, those three.”

“Eh?”

My brother brought the paper cup to his mouth and sipped his coffee, speaking with a sigh.

“Like with the clerk earlier, the people I meet always treat me the same way. I’m used to it by now, but it’s still tiring.”

My brother lowered his eyebrows and smiled.

The employee who handed my brother his coffee was clearly conscious of him. Of course she was. He’s a beautiful man, the kind you rarely ever see. It’s natural to be nervous.

The employee who had approached me before seemed to have no problem dealing with my brother. She was a customer service professional.

“When I first talked to Satonaka-san, I was shocked. It wasn’t just that she wasn’t conscious of me, she had a disgusted face. I thought she was an interesting girl.”

“Are you talking about the first time when I was in elementary school?”

“Yeah, when Aoi was in the sixth grade. I was curious about the girl that Aoi was so crazy about, so I talked to Satonaka-san without telling you.”

My brother looked at me apologetically as he said that.

Officially, the first time my brother and Satonaka met was when I was in middle school. Before that, my brother and Satonaka had never met.

But since they went to the same elementary school, it’s not surprising that they’ve seen each other before.

And yet, it seems that my brother had been in contact with Satonaka without telling me. But, well, you can’t really win against my brother, so I’ve given up trying, so it’s whatever.

But in the sixth grade, Satonaka made a really bad face. It was clear as day that Satonaka didn’t like him.

“The first time I met Makoto in person, I was even more shocked than with Satonaka. To her, I was just Aoi’s older brother, nothing more, nothing less. She treated me normally, but that was new to me.”

Makoto, well, she’s a lot of things. When she stays quiet, she’s a beautiful girl, but when she’s in front of someone she likes, she acts like a child, and her actions are outlandish and unpredictable.

Besides, since the beginning, Makoto was pretending to be okay with my brother. It is natural to be shocked and experience a feeling of freshness when you meet the real Makoto.

“There are a lot of women who are interested in me, but most of them are only attracted to my looks. I know that not everyone is like that, but you never know. But those two are different.”

It’s the same for me. I don’t like women who get caught up on my looks either. But I suppose I’m better off than my brother. It’s not like I have a feminine figure. But my brother has a masculine beauty. I’m sure that the women who come to him are much different than the ones that come to me.

I don’t have much experience in being courted by women, though.

I’ve been told many times that I look like I would be popular, but I’ve never actually been popular.

“Shizuka is probably in a similar situation to me. It’s not every day that a girl is blessed with such good looks. That’s why she needs Aoi. It’s refreshing to see Aoi scolding her without hesitation, and I’m sure that that is more important to her than anything else right now.”

As expected of two people who are similar to each other, it seems that my brother understands the little bitch’s feelings.

She’s a normal girl on the inside, but her looks are a bit out of the ordinary. I’m sure she’s experienced her fair share of hardships.

“Satonaka-san and Shizuka-chan are both really good kids. It’s a good that they love Aoi more than anything. Especially Satonaka-san, she’s very thoughtful. I’m sure she will support Aoi well.”

I averted my gaze from my brother who was looking at me and talking. My brother has always had a tendency to say embarrassing things without hesitation.

I don’t know what he’s actually thinking, but I’m pretty sure he likes Satonaka. Satonaka’s obedience and thoughtfulness must be convenient for him.

“But Makoto-chan is a different story. She really is a terrible child.”

“Eh?”

My brother’s voice suddenly became tense and I looked back at him in surprise.

My brother, who had been laughing until just now, was staring at me with a straight face.

Terrible? Well, she’s the kind of person who would pick a fight with my brother. I’m not saying she’s terrible, but that she’s just terribly idiotic.

“Today was a close call. If it weren’t for Satonaka-san, I might have been murdered.”

“Huh? M-murdered? N-no, there’s no way…..”

What do you mean you might have been murdered? Makoto murdering my brother? That’s impossible. At first glance, my brother may look slim, but because of how my father raised him, he learned kendo and judo from an early age. Even as a child he was unbeatable, and now he must be even stronger.

But that’s not what’s scary about my brother. Despite his athletic prowess and mastery of martial arts, he’s not a fighter, he’s a tactician. There is nothing more annoying than a smart person who has trained his mind and body.

Besides, Makoto couldn’t murder anyone. She couldn’t do that. Ever.

“Oh, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, I meant it as a figure of speech.”

“Figure of speech?”

“I didn’t mean that she would literally murder me, I meant that she would murder my determination.”

“Your determination?”

He put the paper cup in his hand on the table, put his elbows on the table and crossed his fingers.

“I was almost swallowed up, or maybe I should say I was cornered. I understood what she was trying to say. I understood, but I couldn’t do anything. But if she had continued, it might have broken me. She was really striking at the heart of the matter. She’s a scary girl. Really……”

The heart? The heart of what my brother and Makoto were arguing about, so, the pudding? Was the heart in the pudding?

No, no, that’s not it. Then, was there anything in that argument that frightened my brother?

I tried to remember, but the argument about the pudding was so intensely burned into my mind that the rest of my memory was fuzzy.

“Perhaps Satonaka-san noticed it. If I had left Makoto alone like that, I might ended up groveling before her. If that happened, I could have become Satonaka-san’s enemy. She must have felt threatened by that and intervened. She’s a smart girl.”

My brother’s words reminded me of the strange feeling I had towards Satonaka at that time.

It was true that she was strangely in a hurry. She also said that the situation would get bad.

“The amazing thing about Satonaka-san is that she left Aoi behind and intervened by herself. If Satonaka had intervened along with Aoi, Makoto would have definitely lost her momentum. I’m sure Satonaka-san had calculated that much. They’re both quite something.”

My brother slowly left his seat after saying that. I just stared at him, dumbfounded.

What the hell was Makoto even trying to say? What cards was Makoto holding that could break my brother?

I’m really curious about it, but I’m sure he won’t tell me even if I asked.

I mean, It’s not like I’m afraid to ask.

It’s probably something about me.

“In any case, I’m relieved that Satonaka-san has joined us. I can trust her with Aoi.”

He stood next to where I was sitting and put his hand on my shoulder.

“Also, Mom is going back to the family home tomorrow, so I’ll be heading back too. I’m planning to leave in the evening. I don’t want to force you, but it would be nice of you to see her off, if you want. I’m sure she’s very concerned about the fact that she told Aoi the truth when she was drunk.”

He patted me on the shoulder, smiled gently, patted me on the head, and walked away.

My mother is leaving tomorrow. Even if you tell me to see her off, I don’t want to see her now.

And my brother is leaving too? Ah, then, I guess this morning was the last time my brother and I would cook breakfast together.

If I’d known that, I would have let you take pictures of me all you wanted.

“Oh, yeah, I almost forgot to tell you something important.”

I heard his voice from behind me and turned to see my brother standing there staring at me.

“About the son-in-law thing, your big brother won’t accept it. If you insist on it, you’ll have to do your best to convince me. But your brother is a tough guy, okay?”

With a big smile on his face, he turned on his heel, turning his back to me, and left the café, disappearing into the waves of the crowd.

Haha, as expected, he found out. I expected as much.

---

After spending some time in the café, I checked my phone.

I sent Satonaka a text message with my current location, but she didn’t reply, let alone show up at the café.

If there was a problem, she would contact me. If there’s nothing, it means there’s no problem. Or maybe she’s in such so much trouble that she can’t even reply.

No, Satonaka would have found an opportunity to contact me, no matter how desperate she was. But Satonaka was acting strangely.

“Let’s find her.”

I texted Satonaka again to tell her that I was leaving the café and that I would return to the café if I couldn’t find her.

I headed for the square in front of the east exit of the station where I had left the three of them.

The moment I walked up the stairs and saw the square, I staggered and put my hand on a wall.

There were more people than before. Are those idiots still in the square? And they’re making so much noise.

I felt the urge to leave, but I couldn’t just leave them there. Besides, Satonaka is probably going to stay in my room until the one next door becomes available.

Letting out a sigh, I staggered up to the crowd and stopped, looking around.

Maybe it’s not the three idiots causing the commotion. Maybe they’ve already left the scene. The current commotion might be completely unrelated.

Well, in all likelihood, the three idiots are causing the commotion.

I looked around with a little hope in my heart, but there was no sign of the three idiots. But then I spotted the little bitch shrinking in the corner of the square.

Oh, so the little bitch had left. Then there were only two idiots left.

“Shizuka!”

As I ran up to the little bitch, calling out for her, she looked up. As soon as she caught sight of me, she stood up and shot like a bullet.

“Big brother!”

“Gufu-!”

And she head-butted me in the stomach.

“W-what are you suddenly doing……? Guhh!”

“B-bad news big brother. Makoto and Satonaka-senpai have been in there since big brother left!”

I felt mildly dizzy as the little bitch clung to me, desperately pleading.

Of course. All this commotion was caused by those two idiots. That’s what I thought.

But Satonaka, what are you doing while you’re supposed to be following me?

“I want to go home and sleep, but I have to capture those two idiots……”

Even without my brother, I can handle this.

“I think it might be better to go home…. without capturing them.”

The little bitch, pale and shaking, grabbed my left arm and pulled, urging me to leave.

You’re just going to leave? And abandon the two of them? You’re more ruthless than I thought.

“I’m only going home after I capture these two idiots. If you want to go home, just go.”

“I-It’s not my fault if you regret it, okay?”

At my words, the little bitch was still insisting. I’m not going to go home alone, however, and when I started walking, she followed me.

Jeez, what do you mean “regret”? Don’t tell me that those idiots are about to do something idiotic?

Oh, I suddenly have the urge to go home. Maybe I should leave with the little bitch.

But I still couldn’t leave the two idiots alone, so I made my way through the crowd to the center.

“I don’t approve of you becoming Aoi-san’s girlfriend!”

“Yeaaaaaaah, buuuuuuut, the condition to become Kijima-san’s girlfriend, wasn’t it you yourself who suggested it?”

I heard Makoto and Satonaka’s voices. Makoto seems to be very angry, but Satonaka seemed quite relaxed.

It was depressing to think that they might be dancing around naked or something, but it didn’t seem to be that bad.

I made my way through the crowd and I could see the scene clearly. They were just like before, ah, except now that my brother was gone, Makoto and Satonaka were staring at each other head-on.

Makoto, with her teeth clenched, was glaring daggers at Satonaka. Satonaka was smiling like she was completely deflecting Makoto’s stare.

It seems that Satonaka is back to normal. As my brother had said, she was in a hurry because she was afraid that Makoto would corner him.

If that’s the case, then take Makoto and withdraw. What are you doing, Satonaka?

They were clearly fighting, and there were shouts of encouragement from crowd to do more.

“Like I said before, Makoto-chan insisted on it, right? If one can produce breast milk, one can be Kijima-san’s girlfriend.”

“Y-yeah, I said that, but…..”

“But nothing, right? I’ll make it. I mean, if I get pregnant, I’ll be able to make it.”

“Tsk.”

“My parents already approved.”

“Tsk!”

“I’m going to make a baby with Kijima-san, and I’m going to squirt out breast milk.”

“Urggg. Aaaarrrggg-“

“Do you regret it, huh? Do you regret it? The one who produces breast milk has the right to be his girlfriend, right? You have to be responsible for what you say, right? Right? Ma-ko-to-chan.”

“Uuurrrggg! Uuuuuuuuuuuuugh!”

Makoto, red-faced and teary-eyed, snarls in frustration through clenched teeth, while Satonaka puts the back of her right hand on her left cheek and smiles broadly.

W-what the hell are they…..

“See, I told you that you would regret it. They’ve been saying “breast milk this, breast milk that” for a while now. I’d be so embarrassed if I were you.”

I heard the little bitch muttering and my stomach began to ache.

It was true, the little bitch was right. I should have just left them.

I walked towards the two idiots while my vision began to fade white.

---

“Ow ow ow ow ow! It hurts Kijima-san, it hurts!”

“Owie owie owie! My ear–my ear is gonna rip off!”

In the end, I pulled the ears of the two idiots and went home in silence.

“Big brother, you must be exhausted, right?”

To the mutterings of the little bitch following behind me, I replied internally: You’re damn right.

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(1): Zunda is like red bean paste (Anko), but made with young edamame. It’s sweet, but not as sweet as red bean paste, and it has more of a “crunch” to it. It’s got a very slight beany taste, but has surprisingly fresh feeling. Basically a flavor only found in Japan (as of 2021).

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Thanks for reading! 🙂

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