Chapter 10 | Turning Point in Life

Dinner was my favorite, karaage.

I, Nee-chan, and my mom eat it together.

I don’t reject the food my mother makes, and I don’t feel sick after eating it with her, so I’m fine.

Since last year, the company where both of my parent’s work has become very busy, and neither of them can come home until late.

I haven’t had mom’s home-cooked food in a while, but it’s still delicious. The best thing is that you can’t compare it to the food that my Nee-chan and I make.

“Yuuji… delicious?”

“…Yes.”

It’s okay…I have no problem with it, as long as I’m honest about what I think. I can tolerate the tingle in my chest every time my mom talks to me.

I have to be careful that the two of them don’t realize…

“Pfft. You’re so naive.”

“…This guy.”

Oh, I calmed down in an instant.

She’s my sister, after all. But I’ll make her cry someday.

After dinner, I took a bath and went to bed.

Mom came home early for the first time in a while, but we hardly had any family-like conversation.

Will I ever be able to forgive her?

I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as it is. I hope one day I will be able to forgive her.

Ah stop it, stop it. At night, when I think about it, I can only think of negative things.

I decided to sleep without thinking anymore.

It is dawn, the beginning of student life.

Same as yesterday, I started getting ready at the same time as Youka. Even my quirky sister wouldn’t come to me two days in a row to pick a fight.

That’s fine. Stay quiet.

Oh, no, but I have something to say today.

“Oh yeah, Nee-chan, did you see me in your dream last night?”

“What? That’s disgusting.”

“Right.”

“And?”

“Huh? What?

“No, so what did you dream about? Tell me?”

Why are you so curious… Nee-chan.

And you seem a little too happy about it. Do you really enjoy trolling your brother’s dreams so much? I’m not sure.

“I dreamt I was robbed of my pudding.”

“Wow, that’s shitty.”

What a terrible attitude, even though you asked me yourself. First of all, can you apologize for robbing me of my pudding even in my dreams?

Well, that’s okay.

I left the house at the exact time I was supposed to meet up with Youka.

Youka was already waiting outside, and I was going to head to school with my Kouhai, who I knew very well, in a friendly atmosphere, talking about trivial things.

“…………”

“…………”

“…………”

There is not a millimeter of such an atmosphere. It’s complete silence.

The reason is so simple… And to my annoyance, Airi is here again today.

As I had declared yesterday, Airi still showed up.

Even though I tried to persuade her, and even though Youka tried to be sarcastic, she insisted that she would definitely go with me and wouldn’t listen.

She was in the habit of heading to the next class when she arrived at school.

……I really can’t help myself.

……I really can’t help it.

……Day by day, my feelings for Airi are growing inexplicably distant.

Airi, can’t you really understand my feelings for you? I’m on the verge of hating you, you know?

Well, I guess Airi doesn’t really care if I hate her.

I just don’t know what you’re getting so worked up about, but can you please let go?

And then comes today’s lunch break.

Thankfully, Airi has gone to the next class, so we will be able to eat our lunches more leisurely today.

Although it would be fine to eat in the classroom as it is, it would be a hassle if Airi came back early. 

I grabbed a bento box I bought at a convenience store and left the classroom.

My goal was the courtyard.

It’s a nice place because there are not many people there.

[Youka’s Point Of View]

Lunch break after class is finally over!

Lunch~…… it’s good to have lunch in the classroom, but I’m going to have lunch with my senpai!

─Yes, that’s good, let’s do that.

I’m really, really, really, really happy that the childhood friend who was in the way until now is not there either!

So from now on I can go to my senpai’s place without worrying about it… Hmmm, when I think about it, I really look forward to it every day!

And even though I’m just pretending, I’m still his girlfriend.

Yeah, and I’ve been introduced to some of my friends by my seniors, so the outer moat has been covered enough!

After that… I guess I should say hello to my senpai’s mother. There’s nothing unnatural about going to say hello, right?

But right now, I have to prioritize eating lunch with my senpai instead of that kind of thing!

Once she had decided to do so, even a second was too short for Youka. She immediately grabbed her lunch and was about to leave the classroom ……, but just before she left, a male student stopped her.

“Youka, if you want, why don’t you eat with us today?”

“…Un.”

I didn’t realize there was a man in this world who was so annoying. It really pisses me off. I wish he would read the air a little.

And the warm cheer from the corner of the class that was watching the whole thing was also unpleasant.

Worst of all, the whole class knows about my relationship with him.

This is the guy I started dating a week ago.

I believe his name is Machida… and I don’t know anything else about him. I heard that he has a good-looking face, but I don’t think he’s cool in the slightest. In fact, I think he’s rather obnoxious and annoying.

I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be in a relationship with him.

If so, I can’t blame him for being familiar with me, can I?

Well, if he tries to force me to hold hands or something, I will break up with him on the spot. All my first time is for my senpai.

“It’s so noisy in the classroom.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Hmmm… Oh, I know, let’s move to the courtyard! There should be fewer people there, right?

“That’s fine.”

You may think you’re looking out for me because I’ve been getting more cold shoulder, but it’s all your fault that you’re so casual about talking to me, and that’s why I’m in this mess.

(Huh~ why did I have to go out with a guy I don’t like.)

Youka let out a deep sigh and reflected on her mistake.

The story goes back to the day Machida confessed his feelings for me.

When he told me of his feelings for me in an empty classroom, I naturally intended to refuse. First of all, I didn’t even know that Machida was a classmate of mine.

But worst of all, I was being watched by a woman I didn’t like.

She was the kind of girl who always had a sarcastic tone whenever she saw me.

She said to me, “I’m not confident as a woman, so I keep turning down confessions.”

Indeed, I had been confessed to many times and kept turning them down. I could never think of a girlfriend other than my senpai, so I never once hesitated.

Even so, that one comment still made me mad.

I had already lost confidence in myself as a woman because of all the approaches I had made to him, and I felt like someone had just hit the nail on the head.

So I accepted the confession.

I was just so vain and proud that I decided to go out with him.

This isn’t a relationship I’d want to continue for too long.

I’m sure this relationship will become a problem later on if I want to get to know my senpai better.

Yes, let’s be honest with Machida-kun.

I’m sorry for him, but now is the biggest chance in my life. I have to tell him honestly what happened and break up with Machida as soon as possible.

“I’m glad I did that. Actually, there was something I wanted to talk about with you.”

“…? Yeah, let’s go then.”

Despite feeling a slight sense of discomfort at his lover’s new attitude, Machida and Youka headed for the courtyard together.

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