Chapter 93: Unfaithful Teddy Boy

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“Morning, Onii-chan…”

Oops, I was lost in thought, and now Ange is awake.

“Morning. You’re up early.”

“Yeah… I had a bad dream. It felt like I was being humiliated in front of everyone. I don't remember much, though.”

“…”

Ange sometimes has these prophetic dreams, though the events in real life are usually much less dramatic. Like dreaming of the world ending and then finding out she filled out a test bubble sheet wrong. It's usually something harmless like that.

Her dreams are too abstract to act on directly, but I should keep them in mind.

“That sounds ominous. Maybe you should skip the Spring Festival today and head back home.”

“It’ll be fine. Even if something happens, it won’t be anything major.”

“But there's always a chance…”

“No way. I’m definitely going.”

“…” 

It’s common for siblings to worry about each other, but sometimes it doesn’t quite get through. To be honest, I don’t expect anything serious to happen either.

Still, with yesterday’s creepy mole guy incident, I can't shake this bad feeling…

—

Eventually, Mom woke up too, and we had a rare full-family breakfast at the Uemura house. Despite everything, spending time with familiar faces isn’t bad.

Mom brought the rice cooker to the table, so we had natto rice for breakfast. I wish I’d taken it with me when I moved out.

“By the way, what time does the Spring Festival start?”

Ange, struggling with the sticky natto, suddenly asked.

“It starts at ten for the public.”

“Got it. Then we can head out right after breakfast. You're coming too, right?”

Ange seemed eager to explore the festival with me, but I had other, more pressing matters to attend to. Sorry, Ange.

“Sorry, Ange, I’ve got something to do. You can go with Mom first. I’ll join you in the afternoon.”

“What? Going with Mom is no fun. It's just like usual.”

“I'm involved with setting things up, so I can't skip it.”

“Nooooo!!”

Ange threw a tantrum. It might look cute to an outsider, but not to me. Seeing this, Mom stepped in.

“Ange?”

She shot a glare that could kill.

“But… but… I wanted to hang out with Onii-chan.”

“You need to stop being so obsessed with your brother.”

Mom’s words stung a bit. It’s nice to be adored, but Ange is still my sister, not a girlfriend.

At least she left with some natto stuck on her lips for the festival.

—

After breakfast, I convinced Ange to go out with Mom, leaving the apartment free. Hopefully, my mind will be at ease by the time we meet again.

After cleaning up the faint natto smell, I had fifteen minutes left until my 11 a.m. appointment. The doorbell rang.

It was Kurebayashi-san.

“Come in.”

“Th-thank you…”

I opened the door, and she nervously stepped inside, carefully aligning her shoes before standing. She was wearing a frilly white dress that made her look either very prim or very clueless. If I had to describe her in one word, it would be pure.

Knowing she's a s**t, I wasn't fooled, but other guys might be. Looks can be deceiving.

Beautiful women attract men, so it’s no surprise they lose their virginity more often than those who don’t.

Unless they’re like Kenzaki-san, living in her own tower.

“Sorry, it's cramped. Sit wherever.”

“Th-thanks…”

Kurebayashi-san was visibly anxious, trembling like a vibrator.

I suppose it's natural. She's about to face someone who's like a sister and a rival. Although Kurebayashi-san is currently in a stronger position, things might change if they reconcile.

… Stay in check, Libido.

She probably intends to forgive Kenzaki-san, or she wouldn't agree to meet her.

Let's see what's on her mind.

“Kurebayashi-san? Today…”

“…” 

“Kurebayashi-san?”

“…” 

“Mii-chan?”

“Eek!?”

Ignoring me when I called her by her surname but reacting when I used her first name—what's up with that?

“Your mind seems elsewhere. Are you still undecided about forgiving Kenzaki-san?”

“No, it’s not that. I'm just… nervous.”

A nervous summer, a Japanese summer. Though it's still spring,.

“Are you that nervous about meeting Kenzaki-san?”

“N-no!”

Her response was overly enthusiastic.

“I’m just being alone here with you; it's, um…”

“Huh?”

“…”

She's back to mumbling incomprehensibly. She's been here before, during the Onigiri incident.

Kurebayashi-san isn’t a naive virgin. So what’s with this coy act now? It's ridiculous.