Chapter 65: The Tsundere Becomes Honest

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Translator: Soafp

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After buying souvenirs for our families, we rode the train for another two hours before returning home.

A lot had happened along the way, but even so, it had been a satisfying trip.

At least, that's how I was about to wrap it up—

“Waaah!! Don't go, Anna-chan!!”

““……””

While we were away, Anna-chan had been staying at our place.

It was about time to send her back to Nodoka's home.

But Mom clearly had no intention of letting her go, clinging to her and throwing a childish tantrum.

“Onee-san, help me…! This lady keeps dressing me up like a doll over and over…!!”

“Calling me ‘this lady' is so cold, Anna-chan! Besides, when I sent your cute photos to your parents, they were absolutely delighted!”

Since when did Mom even exchange contact info with the Komori couple?

She really is incredibly social—or maybe she just gets along with anyone instantly.

Then something I'd been wondering about came to mind.

“Nodoka, didn't you say your family is strict about overnight stays?”

I remembered her saying before that her father was overprotective and wouldn't easily allow it. Even staying at a hotel for two days to avoid that traffic accident had been difficult, if I recall correctly.

“Ah, um, well…”

Nodoka scratched her cheek nervously and looked away.

“Isn't it obvious, Ren-kun?”

Airi answered in her place.

“She used me as an excuse. Told them she was going on a trip with a female friend. And instead of saying this was your house, she said it belonged to that friend.”

“…I see.”

So technically, she didn't lie.

But then, how did things not contradict when the Komori couple met my mom?

Did they suspect my existence and stay quiet?

Or did Mom read the situation and act as Airi's guardian, since she has no family?

“B-but!”

Nodoka's face turned bright red as she fidgeted with her fingers.

“I-I just wanted to go to the beach with the person I like! D-don't get the wrong idea! That person I like is you!!”

“Ah… yeah…”

Her usual tsundere tone was slowly losing its sharp edges. Maybe confessing had started to change something.

But it wasn't just me and Airi here.

Mom and Anna-chan were present too.

Right on cue, Anna-chan reacted.

“Wait, Onee-san—did you finally confess to Oji-san?”

“Wha—!? N-no! I mean, not exactly—but also yes! That's right, I confessed! So what!?”

“No, I just thought it would take at least another year. You really worked up the courage, huh.”

“That's right! I deserve some praise!”

“Good job, Onee-san. I'll praise you.”

Anna-chan stood on tiptoe and reached up to pat Nodoka's head.

…Shouldn't it be the other way around?

What kind of older sister gets praised by her little sister?

As I watched this strange scene, Mom quietly slipped up beside me and whispered.

“First Sugawara-san, now Nodoka-chan too—what are you going to do!? At this rate, you're going to get stabbed!”

“…Mom, why are you calling only Airi ‘Sugawara-san'?”

And besides, Airi dislikes her last name now because of her father.

“W-well, even I get nervous when someone that beautiful is around! It's like the whole atmosphere changes when she's there!”

“…Huh.”

I felt like I'd just seen a side of Mom I never knew.

Or maybe this is how people normally react, and I'm just too casual with Airi.

“A-anyway! You need to sort things out with Yuzuki-chan and choose just one person soon, or your life might be in danger!”

“You don't need to worry about that, Mother.”

Airi suddenly cut into the conversation and clung to my left arm.

“Here, Nodoka-san, you too.”

“Huh? S-suddenly?”

“We should tell his mother properly. We can't let her worry about Ren-kun.”

“I-I guess that's true…”

Nodoka then clung to my right arm.

“We've decided not to fight over Ren!”

“…Huh?”

“We're both his women, Mother. In fact, we're the ones who asked him—not to choose just one of us.”

“Eeeh…?”

Mom stared in disbelief, mouth hanging open. Even I was confused, so from her perspective, it must have been overwhelming.

Besides, I don't remember agreeing to that—it's already being treated like a done deal.

“O-oh, I see! So that's it!”

Mom clapped her hands and brightened up.

“It's that polyamory thing! I hear relationships among young people are becoming more diverse these days!”

…That's not quite it.

---

“Onee-san, you sold me out for a guy…! I'll never forget this grudge…!!”

“Alright, Anna-chan. Let's try on this outfit next!”

“Nooooooo!!”

Watching Anna-chan get dragged into a room by Mom, we headed upstairs.

It seemed Nodoka still didn't want to leave my side. And I also wanted to talk with her properly about the “nightmare.”

“Anyway, sorry about my mom. She just loves cute girls.”

“It's fine. Mom's taking care of Anna, so I'm actually grateful. She must have really wanted a daughter.”

“Yeah… probably.”

…Though Nodoka calling my mom “Mom” so naturally is kind of something.

“Sometimes I wonder if it would've been better for her if I'd been born a girl instead.”

“T-that's not allowed!”

“Huh?”

“If you were a girl, we could still date—but I wouldn't be able to have your child! I want to have the child of the person I love, so absolutely not!”

She said something that embarrassing so casually today… Maybe Nodoka actually likes kids more than I thought.

Airi giggled.

“Looking at it this way, Nodoka-san might be even bolder than me. She even beat me to the kiss.”

“N-no, that was just—!”

“Hey, Ren-kun, would you prefer if Nodoka and I got pregnant one after the other? Or at the same time?”

“I've never even considered something like that…”

That's not exactly a normal family planning discussion.

“More importantly, let's figure out what to do about Kokoa-san.”

“Don't say ‘more importantly'! Pregnancy is important too!”

“That's right, Ren-kun. For a girl, it's something that can change her whole life.”

“…No, Kokoa-san's situation is an immediate problem.”

Also, even if we were dating, it's way too early for that kind of discussion. Are these two seriously thinking about marriage already?

I pulled a low table closer, opened my notebook, and sat down to jot down everything I remembered from the “nightmare.”

“Alright.”

Nodoka slipped in between my legs and sat down.

Her slender back pressed right against my chest.

“…Why here?”

“W-what, am I heavy? If you say I am, I'll kill you!”

That's a bit unreasonable.

“You're not heavy, but isn't it cramped? Looks hot too.”

“I-I'm fine! The AC is on.”

“Nodoka-san, you need to be honest in moments like this, or Ren-kun won't understand.”

“Ugh…”

Blushing bright red, she whispered.

“I-I want you to hug me… and pet me like this… l-like a stuffed animal…”

“Nodoka-san, isn't there more than that?”

“Ugh… geez! Ren, you're so mean!!”

…I didn't even say anything.

“I don't like that your head is full of Kokoa-san. I know we have to save her, but… I still don't like it…”

That caught me off guard.

What is this adorable creature?

I placed my hand on her shoulder through her blouse.

“Can I touch anywhere?”

“Eh? Y-yeah…”

“Even your ch*st?”

“I-I don't mind… I took off my bra earlier, so… if you want to put your hand in, you can…”

“…No bra?”

“Y-yeah! You said you liked that before when you came to my house!”

I don't remember saying that…

But seriously?

“Ren-kun, Nodoka-san, don't shut me out. I'm here too.”

Airi moved behind me and gently pressed her ch*st against the back of my head.

“…You two really like sandwiching me, huh?”

“Hehe, because we both want to be close to you. You like it too, don't you? Nodoka-san was honest, so you should be too.”

“…Honestly, I'm very happy.”

“G-geez! You're such a pervert, Ren! B-but since I fell for you, maybe I'm one too…”

“Not maybe—you definitely are, Nodoka-san.”

“Eh!?”

While Nodoka stood there stunned, I wrote in my notebook.

Thanks to the detailed news coverage, I knew the date, place, and time exactly.

“Hm… In the end, the best way to save Kokoa-san is probably to get involved as her sponsor again.”

“Right. At the very least, we'll have to ask her not to take the train that day.”

“Another round of persuasion… Depending on her schedule, I might have to compensate her again.”

Just thinking about meeting her again already exhausted me.

Then Nodoka said something unexpected.

“Hey, Ren. If you're going to have to spend money anyway…”

“Probably.”

“Then there's no need to persuade her, right?”

“Hm? Why?”

“Because—”

Nodoka looked up at me and continued,

“You could just buy her a car.”