Chapter 34: Little Sister Figure and Protective Figure
And so afterward, I backed up my best friend's little sister Nozomi as she kept scheming to set up Sho and Kashii-san at every opportunity, and then watched the star of the day, my best friend's little brother Hii-chan, perform his routine at center stage—and ended up crying a little.
After helping out the family who were bawling their eyes out at Hii-chan's performance, the recital came to an end.
I never imagined that little Hii-chan could sing and dance like that.
I said my goodbyes to Sho's family and headed home.
Nozomi, wearing a huge grin,
Nozomi "Ah! Kousuke-nii-chan! I have to stop by the middle school! Let's go together, at least partway!"
Uh, my house is basically right next to the middle school? What do you mean, partway?
So I end up walking and chatting with Nozomi—honestly, we've talked quite a bit today.
"Kousuke-kun, you're a lot like nii-chan."
Nozomi says this as she looks straight ahead,
Well, we were together all the time as kids.
Still, people say Sho is kind of like a background character, but if anything, he actually has main character vibes.
But me...I'm not the protagonist...
Are we really that alike?
"...You think so?"
Nozomi keeps looking forward.
"You're like nii-chan, and since I've watched you since we were little, I kind of get it. Sorry if I'm wrong, but...are you still struggling with something?"
Am I really worrying even a little sister figure two years younger than me?
That's rough—am I really that easy to read?!
People say I'm expressionless, so I thought I kept things hidden!
But maybe...I really am struggling?
Still, I can't say it. I can't admit I'm scared of girls.
"...Yeah, I've been struggling, but now I feel like I just have to move forward. ...Did I make you worry? Sorry, sorry."
I ruffle Nozomi's hair. Her silky black hair and big, round eyes—my cute little sister figure.
My girl phobia doesn't activate with my little sister figure. I feel safe with her, from the bottom of my heart.
"Geez! Treating me like a kid again! I'll be all curvy soon too, you know!"
Nozomi puffs up her cheeks in mock anger.
"Haha! If that happens, I'll start treating you differently!"
"Even now, if I put pads in my bra, it looks amazing, you know?"
"That's just the pads doing all the work."
The two of us burst out laughing.
For me, the Tachibana family is like a breath of fresh air—refreshing, warm, and kind.
Outside of my own family, I can honestly say I've never trusted anyone this much.
I'm really glad I got to see the three siblings again!
I part ways with Nozomi in front of my house—which is basically right by the middle school.
Nozomi's been working hard at tennis, and apparently she's one of the top players in the prefecture.
As we say goodbye, she grins and says, "I'm going to have nii-chan buy me a new racket next time!"
Good luck, Nozomi! She waved with a bashful smile and headed into school.
It was the most relaxing day off I've had in ages.
☆ ☆ ☆
After taking a bath and eating dinner, I laze around and play games for the first time in a while.
Maybe I've been pushing myself a little too hard lately.
It's nice to relax sometimes. I'll start working hard again tomorrow.
As I'm thinking that,
♪〜
LINE...wait, is that a call?
Tomonaga-san? I wonder if she enjoyed the aquarium.
"Ah, Kousuke-kun! I ate sushi, I ended up eating sushi!"
Her voice is a mix of happiness and regret.
Is this a video call? I'm not really good at those.
I prefer just audio—I can pick up on the nuances, the emotion, even the way someone breathes.
"...Yeah, today's a day you're allowed to eat, right?"
"But! It's all because of you, Kousuke-kun. Going from the aquarium to a sushi place—do you think I'm some kind of food-obsessed girl?"
No way! But you're dieting, so food cravings must be tough, right?
Even I struggle when I'm trying to lose weight, even if it's just a little.
That's right! My abs are starting to show! I got kind of excited.
Back in middle school, the baseball club jocks would always shout "Muscle!" and I finally get how they felt!
"Tomorrow—tomorrow, could you check on me? I'm a little nervous...!"
Tomonaga-san's diet has dragged on so long, she's been a little emotionally unstable lately.
I try to support her as much as I can, listening and relieving even a bit of the burden.
Of course, I'll be with her tomorrow. When I say that,
"Really, thank you! What should we do tomorrow? I'll stick to my diet menu—after that, how about tea? I'll skip sweets, just tea!"
She gets so happy over something like this—Tomonaga-san is definitely going through it.
Sure, is coffee after club activities okay?
"Yeah! I'm happy! Let's talk again, okay? I can keep going!"
I'm just glad Tomonaga-san is so fired up!
Even if today's mood boost doesn't last, this is probably the hardest time for her emotionally.
I should think carefully about her menu and how I can support her.
Lately, I've started seeing Tomonaga-san as a girl.
At first, I just thought she was a handful.
But we spent the summer together, sweating side by side, and she let me see her at her lowest, with no pretense.
I couldn't help it—I just wanted to help her!
Her once-chubby body is gradually becoming more girlish.
"Kukkuku!"
When she's doing sit-ups and her stomach shakes, or when her chest jiggles during push-ups, I catch myself looking and have to quickly look away.
These days, her figure's gotten so good that I don't know where to look.
Maybe she still thinks she's too fat to attract guys' attention.
Her face is getting slimmer, too, and I'm starting to realize she's actually a really attractive girl, with big eyes and a nice nose.
Tomonaga-san treats me like I'm her mentor.
And I feel like I have to protect her, too. After seeing Tomonaga-san get hurt by Kuzu-kun and Satsuki, I just can't see her as a stranger.
She's been easy to talk to from the start—even for someone like me with a fear of girls.
She's the only girl at school I can approach without being scared.
I'm afraid of falling for a girl.
That realization hits me out of nowhere.
I thought I understood myself, but deep down, that's really it.
I still haven't broken free from Satsuki's curse.
Even so, seeing Sho and Kashii-san today made me realize a lot of things.
There are things you can only get by pushing forward, even blindly.
That's how I feel now.