Category: British Stepsister

<Nadeshiko’s PoV>

“—Coach, tomorrow is the day, huh?” (Nadeshiko)

After practice, I spoke to the coach as he was heading toward his car.

“Oh, it’s you, Kujouin. Yeah… feels like the day has finally come.” (Coach)

The coach smiled broadly, clearly in a good mood.

Apparently, this year’s batch of new first-years was an exceptional one. The team he had half given up on as a pipe dream might actually become a reality.

He was usually a good-natured person, but now he seemed to be in an especially great mood.

—But to be honest, I wasn’t too thrilled.

For my batch, the new second-years, was said to be the exact opposite of this year’s first-years. In other words, a “bad crop”.

Of course, it wasn’t something the coach ever said. It was just what people around us were saying. But being labeled that way meant people thought we were lacking in skill.

And now that talented kids were coming in, when it was supposed to be our turn, there was a high chance we’d be replaced as regulars by our kouhais (juniors).

When I looked at the second-years who had been working so hard all along, I couldn’t help but feel that would be unfair.

“We have the ace of the team that made it to the national best four—Kurogane-kun. And though he lost to Kurogane-kun and only made it to the top eight, Kannagi-kun from Kanto became a huge name thanks to his high on-base percentage and solid defense. And then—” (Nadeshiko)

“Shirakawa. He might be the biggest catch of the year. He’s got the potential to bring my ideal team to life.” (Coach)

The coach stole the words right out of my mouth, his eyes gleaming sharply.

I had been about to mention someone else, but the fact that he deliberately cut me off like that showed just how much he was looking forward to Shirakawa-kun.

To be honest, I didn’t know much about him.

It seemed he was a player from Okayama, but he didn’t have any notable records, nor had he ever been in the spotlight.

And yet—despite Kurogane-kun being called the number one pitcher in last year’s national tournament and having served as the ace of the U-15 Japan national team, the coach rated Shirakawa-kun even higher.

I couldn’t understand that.

“He’s the one you discovered when you went to scout Kurogane-kun, right? I remember how cheerful you were when you got back from that trip… Is he really that amazing?” (Nadeshiko)

Taking the opportunity, I tried to probe a little.

I already knew the coach was planning to build the future team around that boy.

“He’s a raw gem. If you’re talking about current ability, then yeah—he’s behind Kurogane as a batter, and our upperclassmen are better too.” (Coach)

“…Are you saying he’s a bigger catch than Kurogane-kun just based on potential?” (Nadeshiko)

I couldn’t quite accept it, so I pressed him on that point.

“Even if he’s a raw gem, he’s a diamond in the rough. If we raise him right, there’s no doubt he’ll become a core player both offensively and defensively. Besides—Kurogane himself made it a condition of his recommendation that we scout Shirakawa along with him. That alone should tell you how special he is.” (Coach)

“Kurogane-kun did…?” (Nadeshiko)

He was undoubtedly a talented player, but he was also known for having a difficult personality.

I’d heard that he was intensely meritocratic—cold even toward teammates or senpais who didn’t meet his standards.

For someone like Kurogane-kun to go out of his way to name someone and ask that they be brought in together—yeah, that definitely wasn’t normal.

“Their teams were different, weren’t they…? Were they from the same junior high, or maybe originally played together…?” (Nadeshiko)

“Nope. Apparently, other than facing each other in a summer tournament, they had no connection at all. In other words, Kurogane saw Shirakawa in just one game and decided he wanted to play with him.” (Coach)

“…That’s hard to believe…” (Nadeshiko)

If he were really that good, even in a losing effort, he should’ve made headlines.

So why had Shirakawa-kun remained a completely unknown player?

“Well, either way, he’ll be joining the team tomorrow. The rest is up to you—see for yourself. Especially since he’ll probably be relying on you more than anyone.” (Coach)

With just that, the coach climbed into his car, clearly signaling the conversation was over.

He’ll be relying on me—those words did ring a bell, but since I didn’t know what kind of person Shirakawa-kun was, I decided I’d just keep an eye on him for now.

◆

The next day—the new members arrived at the field and began introducing themselves one by one.

Kurogane-kun, as rumored, gave off a cold and aloof vibe, making him seem a bit intimidating.

Kannagi-kun seemed cheerful and like a good kid, but he struck me as a little shallow in his thinking, so I felt I should keep an eye on him to make sure he didn’t cause trouble.

And as for the key person, Shirakawa-kun—

“I’m Shirakawa Kento, aiming to be a catcher. I will work hard to become a useful member of the team as soon as possible, so I humbly ask for your guidance and support.” (Kento)

—Despite his light and easygoing appearance, he seemed surprisingly earnest.

It’s rare to see someone give such a formal greeting during a new member introduction.

To be honest, my first impression was simply that he was a bit of an unusual one.

After that, I observed him during practice, and indeed, he did seem to have something that shone.

Even the third-year starting catcher struggled to catch Kurogane-kun’s pitches, yet Shirakawa-kun handled them with a calm expression, catching them effortlessly.

He probably had exceptional dynamic vision.

However, when it came to batting, just as the coach had said, the upperclassmen were clearly better—he didn’t leave much of an impression.

In fact, the other recommended first-years seemed to be stronger batters than him.

It made me wonder if the coach only saw Shirakawa-kun as special simply because Kurogane-kun did—that kind of doubt even began to creep in.

—That said, while he didn’t stand out much as a player, I did think he seemed like a genuinely good kid.

“—So what kind of way is that to talk to a senpai!?” (Upperclassman)

“I’m just saying to catch the ball properly. At this rate, if the starting catcher gets injured, I won’t be able to throw seriously.” (Shuuto)

“You bastard…!” (Upperclassman)

Just as the rumors suggested, Kurogane-kun really didn’t hold back, even with seniors.

This time, he’d been paired with a backup catcher, but that upperclassman couldn’t handle his serious fastballs, and it seemed to have led to a confrontation.

I could understand Kurogane-kun’s point—if he couldn’t pitch at full strength, his talent would be wasted—but from the perspective of those around him, causing trouble like that was a serious issue.

Whenever there was a commotion like this, the one who always stepped in to mediate was—

“Kurogane, that’s enough. I’m sorry, senpai, I’ll be borrowing him for a bit.” (Kento)

—Shirakawa-kun.

Since he was also catching for other pitchers during their bullpen practice, it made sense that he was often nearby when arguments happened. But it really felt like he was acting as Kurogane-kun’s handler—every time Kurogane-kun clashed with someone, Shirakawa-kun would be the one to intervene.

He must’ve been the caring type.

Shirakawa-kun always took Kurogane-kun somewhere afterward, and I got curious—so I decided to follow them.

“—I didn’t say anything wrong.” (Shuuto)

Once they were out of sight behind the school building, Kurogane-kun began to speak, clearly voicing his frustration.

When someone like him, with his naturally sharp eyes, acted displeased, he gave off such an intimidating aura that even seniors would flinch.

But—Shirakawa-kun simply gave him a gentle, resigned smile.

“I know. You’re not wrong, Kurogane. If we’re aiming for the top, it’s not you who should hold back—your senpai should be the one who steps up and learns to catch your pitches.” (Kento)

It seemed Shirakawa-kun shared Kurogane-kun’s opinion.

But it felt like he was just saying that to keep Kurogane-kun in a good mood.

No one wants to stir up trouble unnecessarily.

—Or so I thought…

“Then—” (Shuuto)

“But you’re not right, either. Right now, the one causing trouble for the team is you, Kurogane.” (Kento)

Up until a moment ago, Shirakawa-kun had been smiling, but suddenly his expression turned serious, and he fired sharp words straight at Kurogane-kun.

It was shocking.

Kurogane-kun, though only a first-year student, was already among the top players on the team.

On top of that, his difficult personality made it hard for anyone to openly oppose him.

“What did you just say…?” (Shuuto)

Naturally, Kurogane-kun’s mood soured even more than before.

I began to wonder if I should intervene, and got ready to jump in at any moment.

“I agree with the mindset of aiming high, and I think that’s how it should be. But ideals and reality are different. You know as well as anyone that there’s no point talking in ‘what-ifs’ during a game, right? We can only do what we’re capable of now. Telling someone to improve is fine, but think about how you say it. If you start causing fights, it becomes a burden on the team and ends up being a net negative, doesn’t it?” (Kento)

Shirakawa-kun acknowledged Kurogane-kun’s perspective, but still pointed out what needed to be corrected.

He was absolutely right.

Even the backup catcher senpai was doing his best in practice to catch Kurogane-kun’s pitches.

But the fact remained—he couldn’t catch them now. That’s the reality.

There’s a difference between motivating someone and cornering them.

“The game won’t wait for us, so we have to figure out how to win with what we’ve got now. Demotivating the people around you won’t lead to anything good.” (Kento)

“…Got it.” (Shuuto)

It seemed Kurogane-kun had accepted it.

Surprisingly, he was the kind of person who could understand if you talked to him properly.

That day, I came to learn an unexpected side of both Kurogane-kun and Shirakawa-kun.

And from that day on, Kurogane-kun’s behavior softened a bit, and he somehow started getting along with the team.

—Well, he still occasionally caused some trouble, though.

◆

One day, as the team was steadily preparing for the summer tournament—

“You’re the one who puts together the data, right, Kujouin-san?” (Kento)

During lunch break, Shirakawa-kun came up to me.

“Yes, that’s right. Is something wrong?” (Nadeshiko)

“Could I help with making the data? I already got the coach’s permission.” (Kento)

“Huh…?” (Nadeshiko)

The coach usually prioritized the players’ training, so data compilation was left entirely to the managers.

That’s why it surprised me that he would let someone like Shirakawa-kun, whom he clearly had high hopes for, take part in the data work.

“Wait… was my data hard to read…?” (Nadeshiko)

If he was volunteering to help, I thought maybe he was dissatisfied with something.

However—

“No, it’s the opposite. Your data is incredibly detailed—so much so that, even without seeing the play in person, I can vividly imagine what kind of player is being described. That’s exactly why I’d like to learn from you. Also, I want to hear your thoughts as we go through the video footage.” (Kento)

“Ah…” (Nadeshiko)

That was the first time.

I had never been praised for my data work by anyone other than the coach before.

To begin with, the data I compiled was usually just passed on to the others by the coach—none of the club members ever really looked at it themselves.

That’s exactly why being praised made me so happy.

“Also, organizing data in that much detail must be a heavy burden for you, Senpai. If I can help lighten that load even just a little… that’s another reason.” (Kento)

And on top of that, for him to be this considerate—I thought it was unfair, in a way.

“I see… then I’ll take you up on your offer, if that’s okay.” (Nadeshiko)

And so, during breaks in club activities or when we could find a bit of extra time, I started working on the data together with him.

What I came to realize through that was that he didn’t just have great dynamic vision—he also had excellent insight, deep knowledge of baseball, and an incredible eye for detail. He truly faced baseball with sincerity.

That must’ve been the side of him the coach had seen.

And the coach’s eye hadn’t been wrong.

It was proven in the semifinals of the prefectural summer tournament.

Just one more out, and we’d lose the game—faced with that situation, the coach announced he would send Shirakawa-kun, a first-year, in as a pinch hitter.

That naturally caused a stir in the bench, and the upperclassmen opposed it— but the coach silenced them by saying, “If you want to win, follow me. If we lose, blame me.”

Then he told Shirakawa-kun, “Go prove your worth.” Normally, in such a situation, most would hesitate, but Shirakawa-kun replied, “Thank you.”

At first, I didn’t understand why he thanked him instead of saying “I can’t” or “Understood”— but it was probably a way of saying, “Thank you for giving me the chance.”

From the start, Shirakawa-kun hadn’t thought about whether he could hit or not; he was only thinking about how he would hit when his turn came.

And he delivered results that met the coach’s expectations.

Honestly, at that moment, I thought he was really cool—

Then he came back to the bench and gently said to me with a smile, “Thanks to Kujouin-san’s data, I was able to read the pitching and hit. Thank you.”

It was the first time I realized what love was.

---

First of all, thank you for picking up volume three of British Stepsister.

Thank you so much to the editor who took charge of this work, to Parum-sensei, and to everyone involved who lent their support!

As always, I was able to create this work thanks to the editor patiently putting up with my selfish requests, and I think it turned out very satisfying!

By now, you’ve probably noticed that British Stepsister is Neko Kuro’s specialty—while centering on kuudere, tsundere, and clingy elements, it also places baseball on a separate axis. (Usually, Neko Kuro incorporates a separate thematic axis besides the romcom. Sometimes they don’t, but that’s rare.)

I know some say sports stories and novels don’t mix well, but I think it’s all about how you handle it.

Since this work primarily focuses on romcom, I took great care to make it enjoyable even for readers who don’t know much about baseball, using certain creative techniques while crafting the story.

I love sports stories and want to write them—but if readers don’t enjoy it, it means nothing. I’ll keep working hard to create stories everyone can enjoy, so I hope you’ll continue to follow along!

And this is only possible because my editor has stuck with me, so I’m truly grateful!

Now, about the illustrations—once again, Parum-sensei drew a ton of wonderfully amazing art for this volume!

The frontispiece bath scene was absolutely stunning!

I’m sure it’ll only increase Nadeshiko-senpai’s popularity even more…!

Thank you so much, as always, for the wonderful illustrations!

Now, I think some of you might have already noticed—

Nagisa, who appears this time, is actually a character from my previous work Make Heroine to Ore ga Tsukiatteiru to Mawari kara Kanjigire, Osananajimi to Shuraba ni Natta, published by Overlap Bunko!

She played a fairly major role in that story, but since it’s also set in Okayama and because of the role she needed to play here, I included her in British Stepsister as well.

It’s such a pleasure to be able to bring back characters from previous works, and I really love Nagisa, so I’m truly happy about it.

For those enjoying British Stepsister, I think you’ll also like Make Shura (short name), so if you haven’t read it yet, please give it a try!

By the way, Sophia, who pulled the little sister move this time—

Like Nadeshiko-senpai, I imagine some readers might be thinking, “Sophia, are you sure that’s okay?”

In terms of romance, it’ll be interesting to see how she, who unknowingly created a new wall herself, will proceed, and how the other heroines who have feelings for Kento will react. I hope you’ll continue to enjoy those developments.

One thing that might be fun is to pay attention to their positions—their roles and the rules that bind them.

Also, I’ve purposely never explicitly said this before, but Sophia, whose father was a star athlete, is super wealthy. In fact, Jessica-san is insanely wealthy.

If Sophia weren’t so earnest, Kento probably wouldn’t have struggled so much in volume two (lol).

There’s still some undisclosed information about Sophia’s father, which I think will become clearer when we delve more into Kento’s story (though I might choose not to write about it explicitly).

With that said, I’ll keep doing my best to get sequels, anime adaptations, and manga spin-offs going, so please continue to support us!

I look forward to seeing you in volume four—See you!

---

Thanks for reading!

I know this chapter is supposed to be about Nadeshiko, but I’m more surprised at the fact that Nagisa is a character in a different work, which means she isn’t going to show up anymore NOOOOOO—

By the way, the aforementioned series is “I Went Out With a Losing Heroine, But Before I knew It, My Childhood Friend, Who’s Supposed to be The Winning Heroine Thought We Were Dating, Got Angry and Went Into an Argument” if you’re curious.

---

1. None

“—I’m glad for Riku-kun… He was able to get into Seijou.” (Sophia)

On the way home, a cheerful Sophia held down her hair as it fluttered in the wind and smiled at me.

From her perspective, it must have ended with a satisfying result.

“If he had quit like that, all his efforts up to now, and Haimiya-san’s feelings too, would’ve been for nothing. I’m really glad it turned out this way.” (Kento)

And it was good for Seijou as well.

If Haimiya-kun developed well, we’d be able to face top-level national teams with a solid lineup.

Well, there were still issues to address, and how much he would actually grow depended on him.

However… Kujouin-san was probably feeling dissatisfied with the outcome.

She’s very kind, and because of that, she cares deeply about the second-years.

Haimiya-kun wasn’t ready to be an immediate asset, but depending on how much he improved in the next six months, he might be considered for the bench come spring based on his potential.

If that happened, then inevitably, someone currently on the bench would be pushed out.

Also, due to the coach’s policy, only four pitchers are allowed on the bench, and currently, aside from the ace Shuuto, the rest are second-years. So if Haimiya-kun were to make it onto the bench, one of the second-years would have to be dropped.

It was no surprise that Kujouin-san wouldn’t be happy about that.

From my perspective, it would be great if the second-years, who had essentially given up on competing because they thought they couldn’t beat Shuuto, were now motivated by the possibility of losing their spot to Haimiya-kun and pushed themselves harder.

Shuuto was just exceptionally talented, but I genuinely thought the second-years were all quite skilled too, and they had good instincts.

As long as they didn’t lose their fighting spirit and kept training hard, I was sure the upperclassmen still had plenty of room to grow.

“Thanks to that, the money we planned to lend ended up unused, so now we can use it for Miumi-san instead.” (Sophia)

That was probably the biggest reason Sophia was in such a good mood.

The moment she realized Haimiya-kun wouldn’t need that much financial help, she immediately spoke with Haimiya-san, Kujouin-san, and coach, and arranged for Haimiya-san to be admitted as well.

Of course, Haimiya-san wasn’t going to be a scholarship student like her brother, but still, Sophia’s move like this was probably unexpected by everyone.

I knew that Sophia liked Haimiya-san, so it wasn’t all that surprising to me.

Despite how she seemed, she really loved cute things…

Her room was filled with stuffed animals, after all.

“It’s a bit late to ask, but are you sure about this? That’s a lot of money, isn’t it?” (Kento)

The money Sophia was planning to lend was in the millions of yen.

In Haimiya-kun’s case, it had been necessary in order to prevent his sister from turning against us later, and to ensure she wouldn’t hold back her support. But since he had been accepted as a scholarship student, there was no longer any need to lend it.

And yet, despite that, she still lent a large amount of money—money she might never get back—just to make sure the sister could enroll. Even if she liked her, that wasn’t something you’d expect anyone to do.

“When I heard Miumi-san’s story… I realized how fortunate I’ve been.” (Sophia)

Maybe to answer my question, Sophia began with that.

I quietly listened to what she had to say.

“My biological father isn’t around anymore… but when he was alive, he cherished me and loved me. My mom still takes care of me and treats me with love… and deep down, I guess I thought that was normal. But really, it wasn’t. Even in a peaceful, wealthy country like Japan, there are kids abandoned by their parents, kids who want to go to school but can’t… When I understood that… I just couldn’t ignore Miumi-san anymore—someone the same age as me, working hard and trying to survive for the sake of her little brother.” (Sophia)

I understood what she was trying to say.

The Haimiya siblings had been abandoned by their parents at a young age and raised in a facility, and even though they had a place to live, they probably lived a life where they could rarely get anything they wanted.

On top of that, they were bullied at school. I could only imagine how painful those days must have been.

Because Sophia had experienced firsthand how cruel even classmates could be, she could easily imagine their suffering. And if she considered that they’d gone through even worse from an early age, it was only natural she’d feel sympathy.

“Of course, if Miumi-san didn’t want to go to school, that would’ve been a different matter… but she wasn’t like that. She simply couldn’t go because of financial reasons and had no choice but to work — so if it was something I could do something about, then I wanted to help.” (Sophia)

I was there too when that conversation happened, so I understood.

When Sophia asked Haimiya-san directly, she was hesitant to say it at first, but she did admit that if she could, she wanted to attend high school.

However, she had already been away from school for half a year, and with the trouble she had caused, her chances of getting into a public school were extremely slim.

That’s why Sophia thought a private school would be more flexible, and asked the coach—who was close with the school director—to overlook the recent issues she had caused when she applied for admission.

There was also the argument that it wasn’t enough to have the younger brother make amends—that she herself needed to atone by serving as a manager for the baseball team.

—But that was probably just a pretext.

The reason Sophia appealed to the coach with Kujouin-san involved was likely because she believed Kujouin-san would take her side.

Fortunately, the coach was an understanding person and approved it immediately, so it wasn’t even necessary in the end.

“You’re really kind, Sophia…” (Kento)

Even if one feels sympathy, actually lending a large amount of money isn’t something most people can do.

At the very least, I wouldn’t.

If it were a close friend I’d known since childhood, maybe—but to lend money to someone you’d just met, someone you weren’t even sure you could trust, that’s unthinkable.

Especially when it’s a large sum.

If you were to lend that kind of money, you’d have to assume it might never come back.

—Well, considering the conditions Sophia set, she probably understood that too.

“It’s not that I’m especially kind or anything… I just knew I had money that I wouldn’t be troubled by lending. And Pa—my father, if it was money used to help someone, I think he wouldn’t just allow it, he’d be happy about it. That’s all there is to it.” (Sophia)

Money she wouldn’t miss even if she lent it—while I didn’t know the exact amount, Jessica-san had once said that Sophia’s father had left behind enough money that even if Sophia had to start paying her own tuition, she wouldn’t be troubled in the slightest.

It was separate from our household finances, something they usually didn’t touch.

Given how quickly Jessica-san agreed to lend it, it was probably a substantial amount. But Sophia had been reluctant to use it for herself.

Still, it seemed she had decided that it was okay to use it if it was for helping others.

“Even so, it’s an incredible thing to do.” (Kento)

“I don’t think you’re any different, Onii-chan… You knew about that large sum of money too, didn’t you? And now that we’re family, it’s your money too—” (Sophia)

“Hmm, I don’t think that’s right.” (Kento)

Bothered by what Sophia said, I cut her off—even though she was still speaking.

“I heard about that money from Jessica-san, but it was left behind by your biological father, right?” (Kento)

“Well, yes, but…” (Sophia)

“Then that money belongs to you and Jessica-san. It’s not mine, and it’s not Dad’s either.” (Kento)

People probably have different views on this, but I didn’t think it was right for me or my dad to use something left behind by Sophia and Jessica-san’s father—the man who loved them.

Their real father wouldn’t feel good about that either.

That money should be managed by them, and used for their sake.

“Well, that’s true. Assets from before marriage are considered separate property, not shared property…” (Sophia)

Sophia, sounding a little awkward, explained the legal side of things.

I hadn’t known about that rule, and I was a bit surprised that Sophia did…

“But people’s feelings aren’t that easy to divide, are they?” (Sophia)

It seemed that even if the legal rights were clear, Sophia believed that once you’re married, it’s natural to share everything.

There were probably plenty of people who thought that way—maybe even the majority.

“At the very least, I don’t think Dad sees it that way. That’s why Jessica-san is the one managing it, isn’t she?” (Kento)

Jessica-san, given her personality, usually avoids talking much about her ex-husband out of consideration, but I was sure she must have discussed the money with Dad.

Even if she didn’t give an exact number, she probably mentioned it was a large sum—but Dad likely didn’t pry any further.

He probably felt that it was something left behind specifically for Jessica-san and Sophia.

Having watched Dad since I was young, I had a pretty good sense of how he thought. And since I felt the same way, it wasn’t hard to imagine.

“Both Dad and I believe that if the money was left by Sophia’s father, it should be used for you two. That’s why, when Sophia decided to lend it this time, we didn’t interfere.” (Kento)

“…I love that kind side of you…” (Sophia)

Sophia, her head lowered, muttered something under her breath.

It was quieter than usual, barely audible, and I couldn’t even tell if it was in English.

Well, it was probably just a mutter—and in English, I guessed.

“Your face is red… are you okay?” (Kento)

I couldn’t help but point out how suddenly Sophia’s face had turned red.

In response, she quickly waved her hands in front of her face.

“Th-This is just because of the sunset…!” (Sophia)

Such a classic excuse.

Even I could tell that there was no way this redness was from the sunset.

If she was trying this hard to cover it up, it must’ve been something she really didn’t want me to touch on.

“A-Anyway, I was totally surprised when Onii-chan and Riku-kun ended up having a match!” (Sophia)

“You really just forced the topic in a completely different direction, didn’t you…?” (Kento)

Watching Sophia suddenly change the subject made me recall that time we talked in her room, and I couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

“Come on, I was surprised! Why did you do something like that…!?” (Sophia)

Sophia asked with an assertiveness that made it clear—she wasn’t letting this go until I answered.

She must really not have wanted to talk about her blushing face that badly.

“Ah, that… well—” (Kento)

Realizing it was pointless to press her any further, I shifted gears and recalled the moment I had that match with Haimiya-kun, preparing to answer her question.

◆

“A-amazing…” (Riku)

Right after the satisfying crack of the bat echoed across the field, Haimiya-kun slumped his shoulders on the mound.

No pitcher feels good the moment they give up a home run.

“This is the ace and cleanup batter of Seijou. You can join us with confidence, right?” (Shuuto)

Shuuto walked over to Haimiya-kun and told him with a serious expression.

Since Haimiya-kun had managed to strike out our entire starting lineup, Shuuto had been concerned it might make him question Seijou’s true strength.

Haimiya-kun seemed humble enough that it probably wouldn’t be a problem, but it was better to put his mind at ease—so I went along with it too.

◆

“I figured if he saw that we’re a strong team, he’d feel more motivated and give it his all.” (Kento)

“There’s no way a team that made it to the semifinals of the Chugoku Tournament isn’t strong, you know?” (Sophia)

Sophia looked at me with a slight, wry smile.

“Ahaha, of course I know that. It’s just… more of an emotional thing.”  (Kento)

I smiled back and looked up at the sky.

“Still… the Chugoku Tournament, huh… We absolutely have to win…” (Kento)

“Of course you do, right? Well, the results of the spring Koshien aren’t everything, so even if you don’t win, there’s still a good chance you’ll be chosen…” (Sophia)

No, that wasn’t true.

The coach hadn’t said anything, but given what had happened with me this time, I was certain that for us to make it to Spring Koshien, winning the tournament was mandatory.

If we didn’t win, I had to assume we wouldn’t make it to Koshien.

And that meant, as the one who had caused trouble for the team, I had no choice but to win—no matter who the opponent was, even if it was one of the ace pitchers of the national U-18 team.

“If you go into a match thinking it’s okay to lose, it never ends well. You can’t even think about losing. You’ve got to give it everything you’ve got.” (Kento)

“…I don’t think you or your team could lose to anyone.” (Sophia)

After hearing what I said, Sophia thought for a moment, then looked up at the sky like I did and spoke.

I glanced at her, and saw that she was smiling. She didn’t seem to be forcing it at all.

“Why do you think that?” (Kento)

“You’ve got Kurogane-kun, who’s probably one of the top three pitchers in high school baseball right now. Then there’s Kannagi-kun, who not only gets on base a lot and steals like crazy, but also has a wide defensive range as a shortstop. The second-year senpai are all high-level players too. You’ve even got Nadeshiko-senpai, an expert at gathering information, and a cleanup hitter who can make full use of that data on both offense and defense. I think it’d be harder to lose with a lineup like that.” (Sophia)

Sophia folded her fingers one by one as she rattled off her reasoning smoothly.

When she talked about me, Sophia looked over with a sly grin—she probably avoided saying my name on purpose.

It was likely payback for when I pointed out how red her face had gotten earlier.

“‘Perfectly utilizes information,’ ‘strongest batter’—isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?” (Kento)

I mostly agreed with what she said about everyone else, but when it came to me, that was way too much.

“Is it, though? I think it’s a fair evaluation.” (Sophia)

She tilted her head slightly with an innocent expression, clearly feigning ignorance.

Maybe it was because she was in a good mood, but it was rare for her to compliment me so openly like this.

“If anyone else heard you, they’d just say you’re biased because we’re close.” (Kento)

“Fufu, don’t worry about it. People who say that just don’t know what they’re talking about.” (Sophia)

She really does go her own way, as always…

Seeing Sophia laugh so happily, I couldn’t help but think that.

Well, I can’t say I dislike being complimented.

“You’re the only one who thinks that highly of me, you know.” (Kento)

“Oh my, I wouldn’t say that. I know at least a few people close to you who seem to think just as highly of you—” (Sophia)

Just as she said that, she suddenly froze.

Then, her expression twisted in mild displeasure, and she muttered again.

“On the internet, he’s being fawned over, so there must be a whole swarm of them…“ (Sophia)

“S-Sophia-san…?” (Kento)

Sophia suddenly wore an expression full of disgust, and I instinctively addressed her with a respectful -san.

Huh? Why did she suddenly get so grumpy…?

“You don’t really look at social media much, do you, Onii-chan?” (Sophia)

“Uh, well… yeah…” (Kento)

Most of my time was spent on baseball-related things, so I rarely had time to check stuff online.

That’s why I hadn’t even created an account until that video got spread around recently.

And Sophia had been the same way, preferring to study and avoid interacting with people.

“Ever since that video of you helping Miumi-san started spreading, the number of girls who became your fans suddenly exploded… Some of them even call you “Prince” or something…” (Sophia)

Sophia started muttering to herself again.

Did I say something that offended her…?

No, I don’t think so, but…

“Onii-chan.” (Sophia)

“Y-Yeah?” (Kento)

She suddenly called out to me, and I tensed up, startled.

“Even if the girls come on strong, don’t get swept away, okay?” (Sophia)

“Didn’t you say something like that the other day too!?” (Kento)

How much do I look like I’m weak to girls!?

—was what I wanted to say.

“I worry, you know… like you might get seduced or something…” (Sophia)

“Ahaha… that’s definitely overthinking it… I mean, no one’s actually hitting on me.” (Kento)

“…………” (Sophia) 

“Huh…?” (Kento)

I thought I was just stating the facts, but Sophia gave me a look like, ‘Are you serious?’

“No, seriously, no one’s hitting on me… Sure, I’ve had more girls talk to me lately, but they’re just making small talk or cheering me on…” (Kento)

“This guy’s seriously going to get stabbed by a girl someday……“ (Sophia)

Turning away from me, Sophia muttered something again.

She was probably complaining about me.

“If you’ve got something to say, you can just say it, you know?” (Kento)

“It’s nothing. Really. I just… thought that if I’m not nearby to watch over you, it might be dangerous.” (Sophia)

“Why’d you jump to such a scary conclusion!?” (Kento)

Is it because I got framed that time!?

She’s still holding a grudge about that and decided to bring it up now!?

“I really do think you should be more careful.” (Sophia)

Sophia let out a resigned sigh.

It didn’t seem like one of her usual playful remarks—she genuinely looked exasperated, and worried.

“If something like what happened with Haimiya-san were to happen again, I’d probably step in to help… but I’ll try not to repeat the same mistake, alright…?” (Kento)

I didn’t think the choice I made back then was wrong. But it was still true that I caused trouble for everyone.

That’s why I planned to be more careful about who I trust and pay closer attention to my surroundings.

Still, like I said—if someone’s in trouble, I can’t just turn a blind eye. That won’t change.

“I don’t really understand how you got to that way of thinking, but… helping Miumi-san was the right thing to do. Everyone in the baseball club said that too, and I feel the same way—no, I’m proud of you for choosing to help without hesitation.” (Sophia)

Sophia looked a bit unsure for a moment, like her thoughts hadn’t quite aligned with mine, but then she gave me a gentle smile.

She probably realized I was still feeling a little conflicted about it.

Still, to hear someone say they’re proud of me so directly like that… it was kind of embarrassing.

“Uh… thanks…” (Kento)

“Don’t get all shy about it. You’re making me embarrassed too…” (Sophia)

When I awkwardly scratched my neck and thanked her, Sophia responded with a pout, sounding a little brusque.

Her face turned faintly red, clearly embarrassed by what she’d just said.

—Well, probably because of how I reacted.

“Um… going back to the topic… anyway, I really think you should be careful even if a really cute girl tries to approach you.” (Sophia)

Since the air between us had grown slightly awkward, Sophia gave her warning hesitantly.

It felt like she was saying, beware of honey traps or something along those lines.

“You don’t have to worry—like I said before, I don’t intend to get distracted by romance right now. Baseball’s what matters most.” (Kento)

If she kept bringing it up this often, then she must be truly worried—but even so, my priorities wouldn’t change.

Not that I believed a cute girl would actually come onto me in the first place.

“Are you really sure about that? Even if a super popular national idol or a ridiculously cute, explosively famous streamer girl tried to hit on you, you could turn them down?” (Sophia)

“What kind of imagination are you having…? There’s no way people like that would be interested in someone like me. This isn’t a manga…” (Kento)

Sophia was smart, which probably fueled her vivid imagination.

But still, there’s no way something that dreamy would ever happen in real life.

“You didn’t answer…” (Sophia)

Apparently thinking I’d dodged the question, Sophia puffed her cheeks in frustration.

She didn’t seem to be joking at all.

“Well, it’s not even worth answering… I mean, seriously, it’s just not gonna happen, right? Besides, lately you’re almost always by my side anyway. If you’re that worried, you could just be the one to shoo them off.” (Kento)

These days, we went to school together in the mornings and went home together afterward. Even on weekends, I had practice, so it wasn’t like there were many chances to be alone and approached by outsiders.

About the only time I wasn’t with her was during my nightly self-training.

Even if someone did try talking to me while I was out walking, judging by how Sophia had been acting, she’d probably just take it upon herself to chase them away.

“That’s true.” (Sophia)

Looking convinced, Sophia nodded firmly.

She really seemed intent on doing it.

…Well, I didn’t mind.

It was probably just her overthinking things, and I didn’t see any reason to stop her if it made her feel better.

Honestly, I was happy to have her around. As long as it didn’t make others resent her, she could do as she liked.

And if it ever got to the point where it seemed dangerous, I’d step in and stop her. That was all there was to it.

“It’s fine to look out for me, but you should also try to get along with the other club members, okay?” (Kento)

“Ugh… I know…” (Sophia)

When I pointed out how focused she was on me, Sophia awkwardly averted her eyes.

Since she seemed to be aware of it, I didn’t press the matter too much.

During club activities, she stuck close to Kujouin-san and didn’t really talk to the other members.

While it was true that the male members had been forbidden by the coach to interact with her, the fact that she wasn’t talking much with the other managers was likely because she herself was keeping her distance.

Since she’d be part of the baseball club from now on, I hoped she’d improve in that area too.

To be honest, after Kujouin-san, the person she was closest to now was probably Haimiya-san…

And even after that, the next person wasn’t a manager either—it felt like Rindou-san might come next.

“Come to think of it, have you already forgiven Rindou-san?” (Kento)

She’d gone out of her way this time to help me.

Sophia had said she wouldn’t forgive her until she’d made amends, so I figured she might have forgiven her by now.

“Of course. Thanks to her, this whole thing was resolved, after all.” (Sophia)

As expected, Sophia had apparently forgiven Rindou-san.

Even though Rindou-san had tried to throw Sophia under the bus to save herself, she wasn’t a bad person at heart, so I hoped they could get along moving forward.

Honestly, as her older brother, it was concerning to see that she had no real friends at school.

“She seems like a kind girl, so try to get along with her, alright?” (Kento)

“…You’ve been oddly kind to Rindou-san lately. Don’t tell me… is that kind of girl your type?” (Sophia)

Sophia getting along with Rindou-san would be a good thing.

Even though I said it with good intentions, for some reason, Sophia gave me a half-lidded, accusatory stare.

“Wait, I didn’t say anything like that… did I?” (Kento)

“You like girls who look weak and seem like they’ll accept anything? Or… is it the chest?” (Sophia)

“Wh-What the hell are you saying!?” (Kento)

I didn’t expect Sophia to bring up the topic of breasts, and I could feel my face heat up as I snapped back.

“Boys all like big ones, right?” (Sophia)

“That’s a stereotype, isn’t it!? I don’t care about size or anything!” (Kento)

I quickly denied it, feeling like I was being unfairly accused.

But it wasn’t a lie.

I would never judge someone based on the size of their chest.

“Then, do you like the size Miumi-san has? So you really are a lolicon…” (Sophia)

“What do you mean ‘really’!? I’ve never said anything like that! Not even once! And besides, if you say that¹—!” (Kento)

I stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing something.

I realized that if I said anything more, I’d be stepping on a landmine.

However—

“And if you say that…?” (Sophia)

Sophia tilted her head, her temple twitching slightly.

She wore a smile, but I could feel the irritation bubbling beneath it.

Even if I hadn’t said it out loud, her sharp mind seemed to have figured it out.

“N-No, I’m just saying… I don’t care about chest size, seriously…” (Kento)

Sensing danger, I tried to deflect, sweat trickling down my back.

“How strange. That doesn’t really connect with the context of what you were saying.” (Sophia)

But she wasn’t letting it slide.

I’d never seen her act particularly self-conscious, but maybe, deep down, she really did care about her chest size.

“It’s just your imagination… Anyway, I’m not a lolicon…” (Kento)

I mean, Haimiya-san only looked young—she was actually our age.

Just because someone liked her didn’t mean they had a thing for kids.

“Hmm… Then what kind of girl do you like…?” (Sophia)

Just when I thought she’d stop pushing, Sophia began to twirl her hair with her finger, gazing up at me with upturned eyes.

Her eyes glistened as if filled with heat.

“Um, I haven’t really thought about it much… but I guess it’s whoever I end up liking, right?” (Kento)

I answered honestly while looking at Sophia’s face.

She looked dissatisfied with that answer.

“That’s such a typical response.” (Sophia)

“Even if you say that, it’s really how I feel. So, what about you, Sophia?” (Kento)

Since she asked me, I thought it was fair to ask back.

She swallowed hard for a moment, then smirked with a mischievous grin and opened her mouth.

“I’m not telling you.” (Sophia)

“Isn’t that unfair…?” (Kento)

“I’m under no obligation to tell you.” (Sophia)

It seemed she wasn’t going to answer.

But well, that probably meant she did have a type she liked.

She was serious and valued her studies, so maybe she liked the type who was also studious and diligent.

“Well, if it’s Sophia, I’m sure she has plenty of choices.” (Kento)

When I said that, for some reason, Sophia lightly tugged my cheek.

“W-What was that…?” (Kento)

“It’s just, I got a little annoyed for a moment.” (Sophia)

She said that and released my cheek.

“You’re angry even though I was complimenting you…!?“ (Kento)

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t exactly a compliment, but it was something like one.

Still, I didn’t understand why she’d get mad.

“Idiot (baka).” (Sophia)

Sophia pouted and said that, then scampered away from me.

But she quickly stopped, turned back toward me, and whispered softly in English.

“I’m the one who wants to be chosen by you…” (Sophia)

Her words didn’t quite reach my ears, but the longing look on her face, backlit by the sunset, was burned deeply into my mind.

—After that, for some reason, she came back over beside me, and we headed home together, getting along well.

---

Thanks for reading!

MC’s denseness is on full display in case you’re wondering if there’s progress in the romance. I mean, kinda expected, but it must be disappointing for Sophia to hear that he didn’t notice anything.

This isn’t the last chapter. If you remember, there is still that extra chapter for Nadeshiko.

---

1. I think he was about to make a comment on Sophia having the same chest size.

“…♪” (Sophia)

“You’re in a good mood…” (Kento)

As I waited, Sophia came back to me, humming unusually, and I felt my body temperature rise intensely as I spoke to her.

“Yeah, everything went well, and Miumi-san even thanked me.” (Sophia)

Sophia tucked her hair behind her ear with a bright smile, clearly in a good mood.

Since I had heard everything through the smartphone, I already knew the situation.

Yes… I had heard everything…

“…? Why is your face red? Don’t tell me—you have a fever?” (Sophia)

“No, don’t worry about it…” (Kento)

“Don’t worry, you say? I will worry. You finally got the chance to play in a match, and if you suddenly can’t participate because of a fever, that’d be a problem, you know? Well… I’m the one who made you wait out here in the cold, so I probably don’t have the right to say that—” (Sophia)

While saying that, Sophia stepped closer to me.

And then, her gaze fell on the smartphone in my hand.

Normally, she wouldn’t have thought anything of it.

However, today, this smartphone had played a very important role—and it seemed Sophia finally remembered that.

“—! O-Onii-chan, did you happen to hear everything we said!?” (Sophia)

“Even if I didn’t ‘happen to,’ I was on the call for that reason, right…” (Kento)

Apparently, Sophia had forgotten halfway through that our call was still ongoing.

No wonder she was praising me so much…

“~~~~~~~~! N-No, that was just to convince Miumi-san! It’s not like I seriously meant all of it…! Ah, wait—! I’m not saying I didn’t mean any of it either…!“ (Sophia)

Sophia spun around, flustered, frantically speaking in English.

As usual, I couldn’t understand what she was saying—but I knew for sure that she had done her best.

So, I gently placed my hand on her head *patpat*.

“Onii-chan…?” (Sophia)

“Thanks, Sophia. For giving it your all. Thanks to you, we’re almost there.” (Kento)

“…………” (Sophia)

As I smiled and thanked her while patting her head, Sophia froze completely.

And then, with an almost audible *poof* sound, her face turned even redder.

◆

“(No. You’re not playing.)” (Coach)

After returning home, I called the coach to report that Sophia had obtained the evidence, but the coach told me he wouldn’t let me play in the match.

Sophia, who had been holding the phone to her ear with me, changed her expression.

“Wha—!” (Sophia)

“Ah, yeah. It’s because of the bad rumors about me, right?” (Kento)

I felt bad for Sophia, but I had already anticipated this response from the coach, so I wasn’t particularly surprised.

“(That’s right. Unless we spread the fact that you’re not guilty, the heckling during the game will be brutal. Of course, even without you there, we’ll get bashed, but having the person at the center of it all makes a huge difference. If the heckling’s intense, everyone’s focus will drop, and it’ll affect the gameplay. Most importantly, it’ll wear down your own mental state. You’ll play after your innocence is properly known.)” (Coach)

Just as I thought.

Right now, the only ones that could be persuaded with the evidence of my innocence were the High School Baseball Federation.

To many ordinary people, I was already being seen as the villain.

If I didn’t do something about this situation, it would be difficult for me to play.

And aside from that, there was also the issue concerning the Haimiya siblings.

It wasn’t enough to just solve my own problem.

“I understand. I’ll take care of that side of things. Thank you for your time.” (Kento)

With just that, I ended the call.

“Onii-chan, are you really okay with this…!?” (Sophia)

“Just like the coach said, there’s nothing but problems if I play now. I can’t let everyone play under those conditions.” (Kento)

“But…” (Sophia)

Sophia looked down, clearly unable to accept it.

She tugged gently on the sleeve of my shirt, silently expressing her frustration.

I understood why the result was hard for Sophia to accept—after all, she was the one who worked so hard to get me back into the game.

But even so, I couldn’t just ignore the current reality.

“It’s okay. Since Sophia worked so hard up to this point, I’ll do my best from here on.” (Kento)

“Mm…” (Sophia)

When I said that and patted her head, she gently rested her face against my chest.

◆

“Sorry, and thank you for going out of your way to come.” (Kento)

The next day after school, Rindou-san and Haimiya-san came over to my house.

Apparently, Haimiya-san even got her shift at work covered just to be here. That kind of thing really showed what a kind person she was.

“His tone and voice are so gentle…” (Kento)

“Why do you sound so dissatisfied…?” (Sophia)

Sophia, who was sitting on her own bed, puffed her cheeks slightly with a sulky expression.

I had no idea why she was sulking the moment they arrived.

“If it’s for Kento-kun, I’ll go anywhere…” (Arisu)

“Same here… I caused so much trouble this time, so if you need me for something, just say the word…” (Miumi)

Rindou-san and Haimiya-san both said that, but even though their words were similar, I felt the meaning behind them was a little different.

“By the way, Sophia, you’re pretty close with Haimiya-san, huh?” (Kento)

I couldn’t help but comment when I noticed how closely Haimiya-san was sitting next to Sophia.

She looked and sounded a bit childish, but if I remembered correctly, she was the same age as us… right?

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” (Sophia)

Sophia answered like that, then hugged Haimiya-san tightly.

Rather than looking bothered by it, Haimiya-san smiled happily, her expression innocent and pleased.

…Well, Sophia seemed happy too, so I guess it was fine.

She probably hadn’t had many chances to be relied on like this before, so it must feel nice.

I guess it feels like she gained a little sister?

By the way, I was still standing while Rindou-san was sitting in Sophia’s chair.

For some reason, she was seated very close to me…

Well, it wasn’t causing any harm, so I figured it was fine.

“The things I want to talk about are how to deal with my reputation and Haimiya-san’s situation.” (Kento)

Being the only guy among three girls was awkward, so I decided to dive straight into the main topic.

Haimiya-san looked down in embarrassment at that, but Sophia gently patted her head to comfort her.

“Maybe we should do what was done to Shigurazaka and spread the original video on social media?” (Arisu)

Rindou-san quickly offered a suggestion.

It was something I had thought about too… but honestly, I couldn’t predict how effective it would be.

“Thanks, I think it’s a good idea. But with that kind of spread, if it’s something bad, people tend to share it out of curiosity or a sense of justice. When it’s a video proving someone’s innocence, though, we just don’t know how far it’ll actually spread.” (Kento)

On the surface, it seemed like something that should spread easily.

Once people saw that I had been framed, surely some would raise their voices in support.

But the initial video had likely been shared by people who were driven by something close to jealousy—put bluntly, people who were thinking, hope he crashes and burns.

People like that definitely wouldn’t spread the video showing the truth. In fact, there’s a high chance it wouldn’t even reach those who already believe I’m the villain.

On top of that, if we were the ones to release the original video, Shikurazaka would realize Haimiya-san had betrayed her, and she’d take action.

There’s a strong chance Haimiya-san would suffer for it. And even worse, they might go after her weak point—her little brother.

The ideal scenario would be to clear my name and neutralize Shikurazaka at the same time.

Of course, nothing in life goes that conveniently…

“Ah… yeah, that’s true… Kento-kun, what are you thinking, then…?” (Arisu)

“I’m thinking of telling a drama-style exposé streamer about what happened, and having them spread it.” (Kento)

Drama-type exposé streamers—those people who expose when celebrities do something bad, or listen to the voices of victims and act to resolve things on stream.

Usually, they cover celebrities, probably to boost their views, but some of them are also willing to take on cases from regular people.

I figured reaching out to one of those people might be a viable option.

“It’s surprising that you know about exposé streamers, Kento-kun…” (Arisu)

Maybe she thought I wasn’t the type to watch that kind of thing—Rindou-san looked up at me with a genuinely surprised expression.

“Haha… well, I usually don’t watch them. But while I was looking for some way to deal with my situation, I came across them. So I’m not really that familiar…” (Kento)

“You do understand there’s a risk involved… right?” (Arisu)

In response to Rindou-san’s question, I nodded firmly.

Exposé streamers may seem like champions of justice on the surface, but in reality, many people dislike them.

When they expose the wrongdoings of celebrities, it naturally upsets that celebrity’s fans. In the worst cases, the person being exposed may end up suspending activities or even retiring.

Also, people naturally feel disgusted toward streamers who profit from those scandals.

So even if they did take up my story, there’s a good chance people would view me negatively as a result.

That risk was exactly why I hadn’t dared to take that step yet.

On top of that, if I were the one to approach them, the viewers would end up debating whether what I said was true or not, and there was a real chance they wouldn’t believe me.

“Ah… In that case, what if we asked Nagisa-chan…?” (Miumi)

While being patted on the head by Sophia, Haimiya-san spoke up and mentioned what sounded like a girl’s name.

Nagisa-chan—now that she mentioned it, I did see that name during my research…

“Is she a good person?” (Sophia)

“Yeah… She’s a really popular justice-style content creator… She uses a cute persona to corner bad guys and fully supports the people who come to her for help, so she has a huge fanbase… She barely has any haters, and she’s really like a true ally of justice…” (Miumi)

When Sophia asked, Haimiya-san nodded enthusiastically in response.

From what I remembered seeing, she showed her face on stream, wore a cat-eared hat, and looked to be around our age.

For some reason, she wore boys’ clothes and referred to herself as “boku,” so she was the so-called bokukko type—but judging by her appearance, she was probably a girl.

“Nagisa-chan might be a good option. She’s kind, and she takes ordinary people’s consultations seriously too. More than anything, she has this ‘evil must never be forgiven’ attitude, and she goes all in. If she hears Kento-kun’s story, I think she’ll help.” (Arisu)

Rindou-san seemed to know her too, and looked pretty enthusiastic about it.

But like Haimiya-san said—Nagisa-chan had a massive fanbase, didn’t she?

Thinking that, I checked her subscriber count on the video platform.

2.5 million subscribers—yeah, no way.

“I mean, no matter how you look at it, someone this popular is probably way too busy… right?” (Kento)

I was sure tons of people were reaching out to her with requests. Even if I did, it’d probably be ages before I got a response.

And by then, it’d be too late.

“Well… still, there’s no harm in trying, is there? She’s our age, but I heard she works as a detective and doesn’t go to school. If we’re lucky, she might be able to make time.” (Arisu)

Rindou-san looked at my face carefully and encouraged me to try.

I didn’t think things would go so conveniently…

But, if we were going to ask for her help—

“Haimiya-san, could you be the one to contact Nagisa-san?” (Kento)

“Why Miumi-san?” (Sophia)

Maybe she was already feeling like a guardian, but Sophia interrupted the question I had directed at Haimiya-san.

Probably because it didn’t sit right with her, but even without her stepping in, Haimiya-san would’ve answered herself.

“If I’m the one who contacts her, then Haimiya-san might end up being seen as the villain too. If I’m seen as defending her, it could raise suspicion. And if we claim we’ve already reconciled, that too might look shady to viewers. They’ll start wondering—was she really the one who tried to frame him? Instead, I think it’s better if Haimiya-san confesses on her own and explains everything herself.” (Kento)

If we were allowed to speak on the stream, and I appeared first, viewers would probably start off questioning: “Is this guy really a bad person, or was he actually set up?”

Of course, Nagisa-san, being the streamer, would likely begin by saying she had confirmed my innocence through the evidence, and she’d make that clear beforehand.

However, there would surely be viewers who suspect the evidence might be forged.

But if the one who did the wrong thing confesses and says she wants to spread the truth, then the viewers might actually believe it. If that happens, it would be easier to gain their support.

After all, when people can’t make a decision on their own, they tend to follow the opinion that’s more widely held.

“Of course, Haimiya-san would face the risk of being identified, but that risk exists even if I’m the one who makes the request. And probably—she’ll go through something painful too. But there’s a big difference in how the world sees a girl who admits her guilt and tries to tell the truth, versus a girl who did something wrong and just happened to get caught. At the very least, the leverage Shikurazaka holds over her would be drastically weakened.” (Kento)

Just because she confesses everything and tries to make things right doesn’t mean she’ll be forgiven.

In fact, most people probably won’t forgive her.

Still, the intensity of their anger will be different.

Because they’ll see that this girl acknowledged her wrongdoing and was ready to face criticism to atone for it.

And the fact would remain that she atoned and worked to resolve everything.

If Haimiya-kun ever became a professional, even if Shikurazaka tried to expose what her older sister had done, it likely wouldn’t lead to Haimiya-kun being forced to retire or being subjected to anything awful.

After all, her sister had already properly atoned, and thanks to her, the truth had been made known and the problem resolved.

Of course, as the victim, both I and my family—especially Sophia—would raise our voices to protect Haimiya-kun, so we wouldn’t let her be treated unfairly.

“So you’re saying it’s better if Miumi-san is the one to talk, in order to spread the truth and stop Shikurazaka-san from threatening her?” (Sophia)

“Yeah, that’s what I mean. But of course, if you’re scared, I won’t force you.” (Kento)

I bent down slightly, aligning my line of sight with Haimiya-san’s, and looked her in the eyes.

This is the best solution I can come up with right now, but whether to go through with it or not, I have no choice but to leave that to her decision.

Because I can’t be the one to take responsibility for Haimiya-san’s life.

If that wasn’t possible, then we’d have to come up with another plan.

“It’s something I did… and for Riku-kun’s sake too… I’ll do my best…” (Miumi)

Though she looked a little scared, Haimiya-san seemed to have made up her mind.

“Thank you. In that case, the message should include—” (Kento)

I instructed her on what to send to Nagisa-san.

She also included the fact that we had already reconciled.

If it came to a face-to-face meeting, Haimiya-san would probably feel uneasy going alone, and having Sophia go in her place might be a bit intimidating since the other party would be a total stranger.

That’s why I figured the safest option would be for me to go with her. There was a chance she already knew my face from the video, so I had her include that detail too.

Realistically speaking, it was unlikely we’d get Nagisa-san’s help.

We weren’t even sure we’d get a response, and if that happened, we’d just have to move on to the next option.

I made sure she mentioned we were short on time, just in case…

“Well, we probably won’t get a reply right away, so let’s start coming up with a backup plan—” (Kento)

“Ah, she replied…!” (Miumi)

“That was fast!?” (Kento)

I hadn’t expected a reply to come anytime soon, so when Haimiya-san spoke in a bright voice, I couldn’t help but react.

No, seriously—how did a reply come this fast when she just sent the message!?

“She said okay…! Apparently, she’s living in Okayama right now, and she wants to meet and talk in person…!” (Miumi)

“Isn’t this going a little too smoothly!?” (Kento)

“Ah… she did punish a delinquent group at a park in Okayama a while back, and there were tons of posts saying they saw Nagisa-chan there, so… it might be true that she lives there…” (Arisu)

Rindou-san seemed to be a fan of Nagisa-san, knowing about her activity area like that.

I had assumed that a popular content creator like her would be based in Tokyo, but maybe she was born in Okayama or something…?

“Well, if she’s willing to hear us out, that’s a huge help… Did she say when and where?” (Kento)

This was all going almost too well—it was a bit scary, honestly, but it was definitely a stroke of luck.

“Um… she said she’s free this Sunday around noon… and asked us to let her know a place that’s convenient for us…” (Miumi)

Sunday—that meant it wouldn’t make it in time for tomorrow’s opening match or the second round three days later.

Everyone had already left for the prefecture where the tournament would be held to prepare for tomorrow anyway.

“I see. Thanks. Then, the location will be—” (Kento)

◆

“This is the place, right?” (Kento)

On Sunday, we arrived at the karaoke place we had chosen to meet with Nagisa-san. Sophia looked up at the building, fidgeting with curiosity.

She probably hadn’t been to a place like this often.

Not that I have either.

Haimiya-san also seemed restless, but in her case, it looked more like nerves.

“—Heya, you’re Miumi-chan and her companions, right nya?” (Nagisa)

As I was watching the two of them, a voice suddenly came from behind me.

Turning around, I saw a small figure wearing boyish clothes and a hat — a young boy, or so I thought.

They were wearing sunglasses over their eyes — no, wait. It was a girl.

“Are you… Nagisa-san?” (Kento)

“That’s me, Nagisa nya!” (Nagisa)

When I asked, she curled her hands like cat paws and struck a cute pose.

She really had come all this way to meet us.

The fact that her hat wasn’t a cat-eared one was probably to avoid standing out.

“Is… is this person really okay…?” (Sophia)

“Sophia!?” (Kento)

Sophia muttered that quietly, probably because Nagisa-san’s playful behavior seemed a bit odd to her.

But we were the ones asking for help—so I really wished she wouldn’t say something that might offend her.

“Nyahaha… you’re similar to someone I know, nya~” (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san, whether because she was just that good-natured or simply used to this kind of thing, brushed off Sophia’s rude comment with a laugh.

Or maybe she really did have someone like Sophia in her life, and that had built up some tolerance.

Either way, I was relieved things didn’t take a turn for the worse.

“I’m sorry…” (Kento)

“It’s fine nya! Let’s talk more inside, nya!” (Nagisa)

Grateful for Nagisa-san’s forgiving smile, we headed inside together.

Once we were settled in one of the rooms—

“Thank you very much for agreeing to help us.” (Kento)

I immediately expressed my thanks.

And following my lead, Sophia and Haimiya-san hurriedly bowed their heads as well.

“It’s fine, nya. I saw your video too, Kento-kun, and I could tell something was off. It’s a shame, especially with such an important tournament coming up.” (Nagisa)

She took off her sunglasses and gave us a warm smile.

So she had seen my video after all.

Considering how widely it had spread and how people like her live off internet buzz, it was probably inevitable that it reached her eyes.

“Is that why you agreed to help so quickly?” (Kento)

“Well, yeah~♪ I absolutely hate people who try to frame others, and I really hate the kind of injustice where someone brave enough to help others ends up suffering for it.” (Nagisa)

“…………” (Miumi)

At Nagisa-san’s words, Haimiya-san looked down in pain.

Nagisa-san probably said that, knowing it would strike a nerve.

She might look kind and easygoing, but I could tell there was a sharp, cold side to her too.

“The details and evidence you asked for were all sent already, but did you want to meet in person because there was something you needed to confirm?” (Kento)

After our initial contact, they requested the details and evidence, so I sent everything.

Still, they insisted on meeting, so I figured there was something they wanted to see with their own eyes.

“Yeah, Kento-kun, you’re smart, nya. What I wanted to confirm was whether Miumi-chan truly feels remorse and whether she’s serious about fixing this situation, nya.” (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san’s eyes gleamed sharply like a cat’s as she fixed her gaze on Haimiya-san.

I understood then, so that’s why she deliberately said things that would dig into her heart.

“She really believes she was wrong, and she’s reflecting on it…!” (Sophia)

Sophia, thinking Haimiya-san was about to be blamed, quickly hugged her protectively.

She was really into her role as a guardian now.

“Yeah, I already understand that, nya.” (Nagisa)

Apparently, Nagisa-san trusted Sophia’s words.

It’s hard to tell what someone truly feels from just a brief exchange, but Nagisa-san seemed confident in her observational skills.

“What would you have done if she hadn’t thought she was in the wrong?” (Kento)

“Hmm~ better not ask, nya.” (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san pressed her index finger to her lips, glanced up at the ceiling, then gave a cute smile to dodge the question.

Well, since she said she hates that kind of person so much, maybe she had put some serious mental pressure on her here…

“As for this case, would it be alright to go all out, nya?” (Nagisa)

Just as we shuddered at her words, Nagisa-san asked with a smile something terrifying.

“What do you mean by that…?” (Sophia)

“You want me to prove Kento-kun’s innocence and spread the word, and with Miumi-chan’s confession, expose that there’s a mastermind behind this, right?” (Nagisa)

“Yes, that’s right.” (Sophia)

But in these kinds of streams, even if the opponent is a villain, the real names of civilians can’t be revealed.

They could hint at things, but that alone wouldn’t be enough to corner Shigurazaka.

At best, the current plan would probably be limited to making sure she couldn’t threaten Haimiya-san again through this incident, and maybe requesting that the police place her under probation-like protective observation.

At least, that’s what I’d thought—until…

“Normally, I have to investigate a lot of things, so it might take some time, but don’t worry, I’ve already got some interesting info. My grandfather’s a bigwig in the police, so I have connections, and I’ll make sure they never lay a hand on you again, nya.” (Nagisa)

Apparently, when she said “go all out,” she meant going after Shigurazaka.

That was more than we could have hoped for.

It seemed Nagisa-san’s main profession was really something of a detective, so she was probably quite skilled at digging things up.

“Yes, please…!” (Sophia)

“Yup. Then, let me confirm things one more time—” (Nagisa)

From there, we went over all the information we’d given her to make sure there were no mistakes or omissions.

And that night, her stream was already set to go live.

◆

“(Everyone~! Good evening, nya~! This is Nagisa, nya!)” (Nagisa)

At night, Nagisa-san’s voice came through the smartphone.

Even I was starting to feel nervous.

“Miumi-san… I wonder if she’ll be alright…” (Sophia)

“Well, I think she’ll manage.” (Kento)

Sophia looked worried, but Nagisa-san was the one leading the stream.

Even if Miumi-san got flustered or couldn’t speak well, she’d handle it skillfully.

“No, I mean… if Shigurazaka-san is watching this stream, what if she storms into the house…?” (Sophia)

“Ah, that’s what you meant…” (Kento)

It was quite possible that Shigurazaka-san was watching.

Rindou-san, a former member of her group, seemed like a fan of Nagisa-san, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they shared similar interests.

“That’s taken care of too. Nagisa-san said she reported it to the police, and they’ve set the area under alert with patrols.” (Kento)

She said they’d be passing by frequently, especially from now until morning.

If Shigurazaka showed up during the stream, it would be caught on Nagisa-san’s stream, and everyone would know.

That’s why I thought everything would be okay.

“(Tonight’s stream is about a hot topic going around lately—yes, that video where a top-tier high school baseball player supposedly assaulted a couple~!)“ (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san had set up tonight’s stream just for my sake, and she got straight to the point with my case.

After my part was finished, she planned to switch over to giving advice to viewers as usual.

The comment section was immediately flooded with messages about me.

Everyone seemed to believe the video and was bashing me relentlessly.

Since the stream title mentioned covering that case and noted that the female victim would appear, they were all probably expecting some kind of new info.

Well… it was new information.

It just happened to be the kind that would completely flip the narrative.

“(Okay, okay, everyone calm down~! Because today’s information comes straight from the supposed victim herself, and it’s a confession~!)“ (Nagisa)

As soon as Nagisa-san said that, the comment section exploded even more, twice as chaotic as before.

Everyone started flooding the chat with things like “Eh!?”, “What do you mean!?”, “A confession!?”

“(That video was clearly suspicious nya~ And now, the supposed victim girl is going to tell us about it nya~)“ (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san connected the call with Miumi-san.

As soon as Miumi-san greeted everyone, the comment section was instantly filled with things like “Her voice is so cute!?”

“Miumi-san’s getting looked at weirdly…” (Sophia)

“Don’t. Aiming your anger at the countless invisible people behind the screen won’t do any good.” (Kento)

As I watched Sophia show her anger, I turned my attention back to Miumi-san’s confession.

At first, the comment section was confused. But gradually, it started shifting toward sympathy for me, and the blame was directed at Miumi-san.

Eventually, once she had told the whole story—

“(Yeah, even if you did something bad, the fact that you’re coming clean and trying to help the guy from the video… I think that’s admirable nya)” (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san gently offered kind words to turn down the hostility toward Miumi-san.

“(But you need to remember this deeply. Your actions nearly ruined a boy’s life. Had things gone even slightly differently, it could have ended in something irreversible)” (Nagisa)

Because the topic was serious, Nagisa-san spoke without using her cat tone, so her words were more stern and direct.

As a result, the comment section was flooded with messages agreeing with her.

“(Yes… I deeply regret it.)” (Miumi)

“(Yeah, I already understand that nya. Luckily, the boy who was the victim has said he forgives you for being honest, and I’ll help spread the truth too nya)” (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san didn’t mention that Miumi-san and I had already reconciled before the consultation.

From the way she phrased it earlier, the viewers likely assumed that Nagisa-san acted as a mediator in helping us reconcile.

Without telling a lie, she carefully shaped the audience’s perception using only the truth.

After that, the original video with everyone’s faces blurred was played on Nagisa-san’s stream.

Of course, the part where the police arrived had been cut out, but everything before that was shown just as it was.

Since the video started just before Miumi-san screamed, everyone could clearly see that I stepped in to help because of her scream.

After I appeared, the camera seemed to follow me closely—it showed me catching her when she almost fell, shielding her with my back, and other such moments—and before long, the comment section turned into a flood of praise for my actions.

“He’s gonna get a bunch of female fans now…” (Sophia)

Watching the stream, Sophia muttered quietly beside me.

When I looked at her, she didn’t seem happy.

“What’s wrong…?” (Kento)

“It’s nothing…” (Sophia)

Even as she said that, she moved closer until our shoulders were nearly touching.

Yeah… she was definitely upset about something.

After the video ended, Nagisa-san next displayed the chat logs between Miumi-san and Shikurazaka on screen.

Naturally, both names and identifying details were hidden, but since the messages clearly showed instructions to frame me, Shikurazaka no longer had any way to deny it.

For someone who pulled off something so bold, leaving a chat log behind seemed incredibly careless—but she probably never imagined that Haiya-san would betray her.

“(――So, everyone! I’ve just posted the video we watched on my social media, so help spread it around, nya~!)” (Nagisa)

When Nagisa-san said that, I checked her post using the account I’d set up for monitoring.

Her influence was staggering—the video spread like wildfire.

“Looks like things are going to be okay…” (Kento)

Of course, not everyone would believe the video.

And I knew there would definitely be some people it wouldn’t reach.

But—if enough people knew the truth, public opinion would shift.

Even if someone tried to condemn me based on false beliefs, those who knew the facts might step in to correct them. Eventually, the situation would settle down.

“Sophia, really… thank you. It’s only because you worked so hard that we were able to resolve all of this.” (Kento)

I said that, and gently patted Sophia’s head like I always did.

Then, she rested her head on my shoulder.

“It’s only natural for an imouto to do her best for her onii-chan. And you’ve helped me so much all this time, so if I was able to repay even a little of that with this… then I’m glad.” (Sophia)

She was probably just clinging to me like a doting little sister.

My heart was pounding like crazy, but I gritted my teeth and held back any impure thoughts.

I simply kept gently patting the head of my sweet, adorable little sister.

—By the way, this is something that happened a bit later, but according to Nagisa-san, after wrapping up our case, she thoroughly investigated Shikurazaka. Apparently, Shikurazaka had committed a lot of other misdeeds too, and Nagisa-san succeeded in getting her thrown into juvenile detention.

She also mentioned that before that, Shikurazaka had received some pretty severe punishment—so she likely wouldn’t be trying to mess with us again.

Well, according to what Rindou-san heard through a friend, just mentioning Nagisa-san’s name now is enough to make Shikurazaka tremble in fear, so there’s no doubt she went through something pretty serious.

It seems the guy involved also got what was coming to him. With that, everything was settled peacefully—or at least, not exactly.

◆

“Uh…?” (Kento)

The day after the livestream, I returned to school and even rejoined practice, but after school, I was caught off guard by an unexpected visitor.

The reason was—

“I truly apologize…! Because of my sister, we caused trouble for you, Kento-san, and the baseball team…!” (Riku)

Haimiya-kun had come to the school, bringing his sister along to apologize.

When I was called over by the coach, I had no idea what it was about—never would I have guessed they’d show up at school in person.

And really, the coach was something else for bringing them all the way to the field.

“It’s already over, and your sister has reflected plenty. She came forward on her own and helped spread the truth. I hope you won’t worry about it anymore.” (Kento)

Haimiya-san looked extremely downcast—she must’ve gotten seriously scolded by her little brother.

Thanks to Shuuto and the rest of the team’s efforts, we managed to stay in the tournament and reach the semifinals, so there’s really no problem anymore.

“No, I can’t let it end like that…! Today, I came to take responsibility…!” (Riku)

Take responsibility?

What’s with the sudden, intense declaration from this kid?

“What exactly are you planning…?” (Kento)

“In this whole situation, my sister was entirely at fault, and yet, I heard that Kento-san’s little sister kindly offered us something very generous…! Please allow us to decline it…!” (Riku)

“Hah!?” (Sophia)

Just as Haimiya-kun bowed his head deeply, Sophia shouted in disbelief.

So basically, he wanted to turn down the financial support that had been offered to them.

Considering Sophia had even gone as far as to directly negotiate with her mother for their sake, it was no wonder she thought this was absurd.

“Even though my sister did something so horrible to Kento-san, I can’t bring myself to take advantage of your kindness…! As a way of taking responsibility, I’m quitting baseball…!” (Riku)

Upon Haimiya-kun’s declaration, Sophia’s face turned pale.

It was no wonder.

Of all things, this boy was choosing a path where no one would end up happy.

For a boy who had been working so hard to ease his sister’s burden, to say he was quitting baseball—it must have taken a considerable amount of resolve.

I glanced at Haimiya-san standing behind him.

She only looked down with a face about to cry, making no move to stop her brother.

She probably didn’t want him to quit baseball, but even so, she hadn’t been able to stop him.

“Onii-chan…” (Sophia)

This isn’t right.

Knowing that, Sophia clung to my sleeve as if pleading.

Of course, I couldn’t just stand by and watch anymore either.

“I understand how you feel, Haimiya-kun. But—” (Kento)

I gently placed my hand on his head.

“You can’t take responsibility the wrong way.” (Kento)

“Huh…?” (Riku)

He looked up at me in confusion, clearly not understanding what I meant.

“Are you free after this?” (Kento)

“I don’t have anything planned…” (Riku)

“Great. Coach, do you have a moment?” (Kento)

After confirming his availability, I called out to our coach, who had been silently listening nearby.

He was smirking, so he probably already understood what I was trying to do, but I still had to go through the proper steps.

“Today’s practice is going to be light, right?” (Kento)

“Yeah, we had games on Friday and Sunday, and since a certain someone wasn’t around, the guys are probably worn out both physically and mentally.” (Coach)

“Ugh, sorry about that…” (Kento)

I gave a wry smile as I apologized for his jab.

He was speaking quietly enough that it was fine, but if Haimiya-san overheard that, it’d just make her feel even worse.

“Well, no matter. You go ahead and skip practice and handle whatever you need to with that kid. After practice, we’ll go ahead with what you asked me about before.” (Coach)

Before I could even make my request, the coach gave his instructions.

Since I had already told the coach about Haimiya-kun the day after he came to my house, he probably had a general idea of what I was trying to do.

Anyway, with the coach’s permission secured, I brought the confused Haimiya-kun over to the clubroom.

I couldn’t let him go inside, but I asked a teammate around his height to lend a spare practice uniform, and had Haimiya-kun change behind the building.

“What exactly are we doing…?” (Riku)

“You’ll see soon. For now, let’s warm up.” (Kento)

If you try to exercise without loosening up first, your risk of injury shoots up.

For any athlete, warming up is essential.

I joined him for stretches, played a short round of catch, and then led him to the bullpen.

“You want me to pitch!?” (Riku)

“Yeah. Just start off light to loosen your shoulder. After that, I want you to show me what you’re really capable of.” (Kento)

There were other pitchers and catchers already training in the bullpen, and they turned curiously to look at Haimiya-kun.

“Kento, what’s going on?” (Shuuto)

Shuuto came up to me and asked.

When I stepped out of practice earlier, I had Haimiya-kun paired with another catcher, but I hadn’t explained the details, so it made sense that Shuuto was curious.

The rest of the team had expressions like, “We want to hear all about it!”

“I’ve got the coach’s permission. There’s something I want to confirm.” (Kento)

I didn’t know what Haimiya-kun’s actual ability was.

The only thing I’d heard was from Haimiya-san during a casual conversation—she said that no catcher could handle her brother’s full-power pitches, so he hadn’t been able to go all out in a game.

It might’ve been the words of an overly doting sister, but my gut was telling me there was something more to him.

That’s why I wanted to take this chance to see it for myself.

Of course, I would’ve preferred to prepare a more proper setting for it, but…

Once I took my position behind the plate and gave the signal, Haimiya-kun threw without forcing himself, just like I instructed.

And when his shoulder had fully warmed up, I asked him to throw his best fastball—and…

As expected, it doesn’t really compare to Shuuto’s.

That was my honest impression.

It was only natural that his fastball would be slower than Shuuto’s—after all, Shuuto was taller than most in our age group, while Haimiya-kun was shorter.

But still, that was only in comparison to Shuuto. His fastball was clocking in at nearly 130 km/h, which was more than enough for a third-year middle schooler.

In fact, being able to throw a fastball at that speed with his build was actually quite impressive.

However, after watching him throw a few times, I noticed that he had a problem that went beyond just the speed of his fastball.

And among the people here, the only one besides me who seemed to have realized it was Shuuto.

He was watching Haimiya-kun intently and let out a sigh that sounded almost exasperated.

“Yeah, it’s a good ball. By the way, do you throw any breaking balls?” (Kento)

“Ah… I can throw a slider, curve, sinker, and split.” (Riku)

“I see…” (Kento)

To have four breaking pitches as a third-year middle schooler in the fall—that was pretty abnormal.

For middle schoolers, being able to throw a curve and a slider was usually more than enough. If they could also manage a fork-type pitch, that alone was considered impressive.

“You can’t throw a changeup?” (Kento)

“Ah… well, a pitch that’s just slow and meant to throw off timing kinda scares me…” (Riku)

Yeah—there was no mistaking it now.

Watching his pitching form made it clear—this kid was…

“Alright, why don’t you try throwing all your breaking balls? You can throw them at full strength.” (Kento)

I explained that since his teammates couldn’t catch his full-powered pitches, he needed to give it his all.

If he didn’t throw with full effort, we wouldn’t be able to see how good he really was.

After that, he showed me all the breaking balls he had, and each one broke sharply.

However, just like with his fastball, his control was poor.

That was probably one of the reasons his team’s catcher couldn’t handle his pitches.

“How was it…?” (Riku)

Haimiya-kun asked, carefully reading my expression.

There was plenty of room for improvement.

Above all, having four breaking balls at this stage and working on them was amazing.

But—

“This is no good.” (Shuuto)

As I hesitated on how to tell him, Shuuto stepped in.

He probably couldn’t stay silent after seeing Haimiya-kun’s wasted potential.

“Eh…?” (Riku)

“Your pitching form is all over the place. That’s why you can’t control your pitches. The release angle even changes depending on whether it’s a fastball or a breaking ball. How do you even call yourself a pitcher like that?” (Shuuto)

“Huh!?” (Riku)

I thought he didn’t have to be that blunt, but Shuuto was right.

Chances are, this kid never received proper pitching instruction.

If he had, someone would’ve told him to fix his form, and they wouldn’t have taught him so many breaking balls at once.

More importantly, having different arm angles depending on the pitch type is basically telling the batter exactly what you’re about to throw.

Any decent coach would force him to fix that.

“Didn’t your team’s coach say anything about your form?” (Shuuto)

“Ah… basically, they just told me to do whatever I want… I couldn’t even go to away games…” (Riku)

I see. The coach must have abandoned him because he couldn’t cover travel expenses, uncertain if he could even make it to away games.

But since he had talent, they probably used him for nearby matches.

It was a cruel situation.

“First, you need to solidify your form by using a mirror or recording yourself with a smartphone. You have such good pitches, so once you fix your form, you can level up several steps at once.” (Kento)

If he managed that, he’d become quite valuable.

At least, having trained this far mostly by himself, his talent was top-notch.

His pitching style was different from Shuuto’s, and in the future, he might become our reliable number two.

“Just be careful not to overdo it, okay? Kids who practice hard on their own tend to injure their shoulders or elbows.” (Kento)

If he kept pushing like this, an injury was inevitable in the near future.

Knowing that, I gently warned him. This part would be better monitored by his sister.

“If you want to train here, you have to at least learn basic control. Otherwise, you’ll ruin Kento’s pitching strategy.” (Shuuto)

Shuuto seemed to recognize both his talent, sense, and effort.

So, even though my tone was strict, I gave him advice.

“No, I’m done with baseball already…” (Riku)

“Let’s put that aside for now. But can you throw one more time?” (Kento)

I sat down again and had him pitch.

Shouta just stared quietly, as if he were trying to memorize the trajectory of the ball in his head.

— Damn, that guy doesn’t hold back…

I gave a wry smile, glancing sideways at his serious expression.

◆

“Alright, let’s go.” (Kento)

Since practice had ended, I called out to Haimiya-kun.

“What are we going to do…?” (Riku)

“Hmm, maybe some recreation?” (Kento)

When we arrived, it seemed the coach had already finished speaking, and all the members of the baseball club turned their eyes toward me and Haimiya-kun.

The eight starters, excluding me, were wrapped in a fighting spirit as if they were about to play a real game.

Because of that, Haimiya-kun faltered, but it was no wonder for him, being a middle schooler.

“Kento, are you ready?” (Coach)

“Yes, please.” (Kento)

After nodding at the coach’s words, the starters—except for Shouta and Shuuto—took their positions.

A substitute took the shortstop position that Shouta usually covered.

“Could it be… a match!?” (Riku)

“No, it’s just that Haimiya-kun will face each starter in one at-bat.” (Kento)

I smiled and explained what we were about to do to the surprised boy.

Then, I was met with a look as if he wanted to say, “Is this person a demon!?”

“It’s impossible, impossible…! Me striking out Seijou’s starters…!”(Riku)

A battle between a middle schooler and high schoolers.

Even though there was only a difference of one or two years, it felt like a battle between a child and an adult.

It was no wonder he felt intimidated.

“Quit whining and just do it.” (Shuuto)

“Eek!?” (Riku)

Since Shuuto was the pitcher, he didn’t have to take a position while Haimiya-kun was pitching.

So he was just standing nearby, but I wished he wouldn’t weaken Haimiya-kun before the match even started.

“Oh, Shouta’s at-bat will be last, okay? Shuuto’s just before that.” (Kento)

Normally, Shouta batted first and Shuuto third, but this time, they would go last.

If they had to face him at the very beginning, the loss was obvious.

“Eh~ You should’ve told me earlier…! This is such a pain…!” (Shouta)

Shouta slumped and complained, but obediently put on his glove.

Changing the defense for every batter would take too much time and be a hassle, but it was tough not to have the defense at the highest level.

So, only those who had to bat switched with the substitutes like this.

“It’s okay. Just throw it the way I tell you. Just be careful not to leave it in the middle.” (Kento)

I placed my hand gently on Haimiya-kun’s head and got ready.

Since he had already taught me his signs during some casual talk earlier, I used the signs he was using this time.

“Listen—what a pitcher needs is absolute confidence. Throw as if no one can ever hit your pitch.” (Shuuto)

While I was putting on my catcher gear, Shuuto was talking to Haimiya-kun.

He seemed more interested in him than I had expected.

“After that, trust Kento and throw your best pitch. The results will come naturally.” (Shuuto)

“Y-yes…!” (Riku)

Shuuto had probably given him advice.

Hearing the words from the silent yet intimidating absolute ace of Seijou, Haimiya-kun looked happy and stepped onto the mound.

Then I took my position.

“Kento, I’m allowed to hit mercilessly, right?” (Club member)

The senpai, who normally batted second, asked me as he stepped up to the plate.

“If I didn’t, it wouldn’t be for his sake or ours.” (Club member)

Yes—this was a battle for Haimiya-kun to prove his value to us.

If he didn’t give it his all, it would be meaningless.

I hadn’t told him the pitch types, but since he had thrown in the bullpen, the information had likely been shared.

Now, this guy was good with small tricks and had strong contact skills, but he was weak against vertical movement—

Since Haimiya-kun had no control, he had no choice but to rely on pitch types.

So I had him throw a fastball first.

The senpai probably expected a splitter.

He didn’t even try to swing at the high pitch and just let it go by.

He must have realized it was a fastball partway through, but he didn’t swing because he thought he wouldn’t make it in time.

If he had popped it up, it would have been a lucky break.

Now, since he was wary of the splitter, I aimed to get one more strike.

This senpai was cautious, so unless the pitch he wanted came, he rarely swung until he was in a full count.

Thanks to that, we got two strikes.

He’d probably think that the next pitch would be a ball to bait him, then a splitter to strike him out.

I deliberately let him throw a ball pitch just as the senpai expected.

Now, he was getting eager to hit.

Seeing the slight tension in the senpai’s body, I signaled for a high pitch.

It didn’t matter if it was outside or inside.

Even a ball pitch was fine at worst.

Just throw it high.

I gave the sign with that intention and set my mitt high.

“Got it—!?” (Club member)

The senpai swung, thinking the pitch he was aiming for had come, but the ball soared high and ended up as a fly to the outfield.

He had hit the ball and popped it up.

“The last one was a fastball too…!?” (Club member)

He probably never expected me not to throw a single breaking ball, let alone one he struggled with.

By the way, compared to a forkball, the splitter has a shallower grip, so it breaks less, but it’s easier to throw faster.

That’s why it’s harder to distinguish from a fastball than a forkball.

Well, Haimiya-kun had a good sense, so even his splitter had quite a bit of movement.

The senpai was impressive for realizing it was a fastball midway and instinctively making contact.

“I did it…!” (Riku)

He probably hadn’t expected to actually get him out.

Haimiya-kun celebrated on the mound like a kid.

But the battle had just begun.

Behind him, there were still scary batters waiting.

“Haha, you tried to trick me but got used by Kento instead, huh?” (Club member)

“Shut up, idiot.” (Club member)

The next batter teased the previous senpai, who sulked and took his defensive position.

Well, there was no way he’d slack off on defense.

If anything, I could even feel the fighting spirit of the next batter, determined to get the same treatment as the last.

I continued reading their stance, positioning, and the types of pitches they swung at.

For those trying to outsmart me, I countered their tricks.

For those going straight at me, I made them face their weak pitch.

As a result, Haimiya-kun splendidly shut down six batters in a row.

“…!” (Riku)

He must’ve been incredibly happy.

Unlike at the start, he didn’t shout, but he clenched his fist with a smile.

Now then, you’ve got your confidence, right?

From here on out, it’s the real battle.

I turned my gaze to the next batter stepping into the left-handed batter’s box.

Standing there was Shuuto, who had been memorizing Haimiya-kun’s pitching patterns since the bullpen session.

To be honest, it would be tough for Haimiya-kun in his current state to strike him out.

For the first time, I called not only for a splitter but also precisely for an outside low pitch.

That made Haimiya-kun’s expression tense.

He must’ve understood that if he didn’t throw it there, it would be bad.

However, Haimiya-kun’s pitch came to the middle of the outside zone.

Though the splitter dropped sharply from there—

*Clang!*

With that sharp sound, Shuuto made perfect contact.

The clean, powerful hit soared, aiming to fly past the shortstop—

—but at the very last moment, Shouta caught it in his glove.

“Hell yeahhhhh!” (Shouta)

After making a spectacular play, Shouta pumped his fist with a strong guts pose.

It was only natural.

That ball was only caught because he had an absurdly wide defensive range.

Well, from Shouta’s perspective, it was probably because it was Shuuto’s hit—a guy he never got along with—that he was dead set on catching it no matter what.

And probably—Shuuto hit it toward Shouta on purpose.

“Fufuun, too bad, huh?” (Shouta)

Since Shouta was the final batter, he grinned smugly as he walked over and spoke to Shuuto.

“Shut up, idiot.” (Shuuto)

“What was that!?” (Shouta)

As Shuuto let out a sigh of exasperation, Shouta flared up in anger.

It was convenient how easily he let his emotions get the better of him.

Honestly, if the goal was just to get one out, Shouta was even more troublesome than Shuuto.

That was the reason I put him last, and I needed a plan to take him out.

“Oh, sorry. Shuuto’s gonna take shortstop now.”  (Kento)

When I saw the substitute trying to take the shortstop position, I called out to stop him.

As a result, everyone turned to me with surprised expressions.

“Hey, are you serious!? Shortstop is a tough position! There’s no way he can handle it!” (Shouta)

“It’s fine. Shuuto can play any position besides catcher.” (Kento)

I had heard that from him directly in the past.

He played pitcher because it suited him best, and he played right field because it made the most use of his strong arm and speed.

“But he’s left-handed, isn’t he…!?” (Shouta)

Generally, being left-handed is considered a disadvantage for a shortstop.

The main reason for that is that throws to first or second base take a beat longer than with a right-handed player.

There are other reasons too—like being at a disadvantage when covering the area between second and third—but honestly, in this case, it didn’t matter.

“What’s wrong, afraid I’ll catch you out?” (Shuuto)

Sensing my intention, Shuuto openly provoked Shouta.

“Hah!? As if! Just hurry up and get to shortstop already!” (Shouta)

Apparently fired up, Shouta stepped into the batter’s box.

His eyes never left Shuuto, who was heading toward the shortstop position.

Same as Shuuto—this would be a one-pitch duel.

Thinking that, I gave a sign to Haimiya-kun.

Shouta’s style was to rely on his exceptional dynamic vision and reflexes, swinging at pitches the moment he saw them without trying to predict.

That meant there wasn’t much room for mind games—but the flip side was, if we could throw a pitch that even outpaced his reflexes, we could get him out.

Well—that was the theory, at least.

“A slider? Don’t underestimate me…!” (Shouta)

The slider thrown by right-handed Haimiya-kun curved inward toward Shouta in the left-handed batter’s box.

But Shouta, without hesitation, tucked in his elbows neatly, angled his body, and timed it perfectly—striking the slider cleanly.

The ball flew toward shortstop, just like with Shuuto—and landed squarely in Shuuto’s glove.

“UAAAAAAHHHHHH!?” (Shouta)

Shouta screamed, clearly frustrated beyond belief.

As he shouted, I ran past him toward the mound.

Maybe it was because both batters had made perfect contact with the ball.

Even though he had shut everyone down, Haimiya-kun looked completely spaced out.

“Those two are monsters. You should just be happy you got them out.” (Kento)

Even if he was helped by Shouta’s backup and the plans we made, without actual skill, there’s no way he could have handled those two—no, our regulars at all.

He had more than enough talent.

Now that his form had stabilized, I couldn’t wait to see how much stronger he’d become once he mastered control.

“To win the national championship, I want your help. If you’re going to take responsibility, then instead of doing something meaningless for no one’s sake, I believe this kind of responsibility is the right way to go.” (Kento)

As things stood, we honestly didn’t have the strength to compete at the top level.

But he was still a middle schooler.

If he joined our team and received proper training, he would surely become the ace to succeed Shuuto.

I saw a glimpse of that potential in him today.

“Ah… Are you really sure it’s okay—” (Riku)

“—Wait, isn’t his sister the one who set Kento up?” (Club member)

“We were the ones who struggled without Kento, and now you expect us to welcome the brother of the one who caused it all?” (Club member)

Just as Haimiya-kun was about to accept my offer, voices of discontent rose from the upperclassmen.

No, not just the upperclassmen—other club members also began voicing their dissatisfaction one after another.

And I couldn’t exactly say I didn’t understand how they felt, but—

“Did he himself do anything?” (Shuuto)

A sharp, low voice suddenly rang out across the field, instantly silencing everyone.

“Shuuto…” (Kento)

“The one who did wrong was his sister, not him. Isn’t he a decent guy for trying to atone for what she did? And more importantly, we need him if we’re going to keep winning.” (Shuuto)

It looked like Shuuto had fully acknowledged Haimiya-kun.

“Yeah, exactly! Besides, we made it through the tournament—we didn’t lose anything we can’t take back, right!?” (Shouta)

Shouta also stood up for him, just like Shuuto.

In his case, it was probably because he felt sorry for Haimiya-kun being blamed.

“They’re both right.” (Coach)

“Coach…” (Kento)

The coach, who had stayed silent until now, stepped forward in front of us.

“Besides, his sister confessed and even helped Kento. The real mastermind was someone else. If she hadn’t done that, Kento still wouldn’t be back. And if the biggest victim—Kento—is willing to forgive, then stop fussing over it.” (Coach)

With the coach’s words, the dissenting team members were left with nothing to say.

Of course, just because the coach said it didn’t mean they could accept it immediately.

But everyone here was a good person, so I knew they’d come around soon.

Once he confirmed everyone had fallen silent, the coach turned his gaze to Haimiya-kun.

“Riku Haimiya, I heard about you from Kento. You’re a pitcher who might be buried in a team, unable to show his full potential.” (Coach)

I had told the coach about Haimiya-kun before I even heard about his situation from his sister.

It had been purely a mention of him as a possibility.

“On top of that, I saw your performance just now. You still have issues to work on, but I want to see how you’ll grow. There’s still a spot open for a scholarship student—what do you say?” (Coach)

That was a roundabout way of saying he was accepted.

Saying there was a spot left was probably a lie—more likely, the coach was willing to make one for him.

It meant he wanted Haimiya-kun enough to go that far.

Now, it was up to him.

“Are you really sure… someone like me is okay…? Even though my sister caused trouble, and I don’t have any achievements…” (Riku)

“I told you, didn’t I? If Kento has forgiven you, that’s enough. And as for achievements, our clean-up hitter didn’t have any in junior high either, but he’s made a name for himself in high school. With that precedent, the higher-ups won’t complain about my decision. You should thank Kento for that too.” (Coach)

Hearing those words, Haimiya-kun turned his tear-filled eyes toward me.

I hadn’t done it for anyone else — it was for myself, so there was no need for him to thank me — but I gave him a small nod.

And with that, he—

“I… I want to play baseball! I want to play at Seijou…!” (Riku)

—declared that he wanted to join Seijou and keep playing baseball.

With that, it really felt like everything had fallen perfectly into place — or so I thought.

“Then step up to the plate.” (Shuuto)

Suddenly, Shuuto stepped onto the mound and challenged Haimiya-kun to a match.

“W-Why the batter’s box…!?” (Riku)

“Even a pitcher on our team needs to be able to hit. I want to see your ability as a batter.” (Shuuto)

As Shuuto said this, the backup pitchers all averted their eyes at once.

Good grief… always chasing ideals.

That’s what I thought, even as I pulled the mask back on and took my seat in the catcher’s box once more.

Realizing there was no way out of the challenge, Haimiya-kun stepped into the batter’s box.

“I’ll give you a heads-up. Every pitch is going to be a fastball, right down the middle.” (Shuuto)

“What—!?” (Riku)

Not only the pitch type, but even the location—dead center, the sweetest spot.

Feeling completely underestimated, Haimiya-kun tensed up all over.

“You won’t hit anything if you’re that stiff. And watch carefully. What you’re about to see is a fastball at the highest level of high school baseball.” (Kento)

When I said that, Haimiya-kun looked at me in surprise, but quickly took a deep breath and readied himself.

Then Shuuto fired off a serious fastball—and he whiffed cleanly.

“So fast!? Wait, that rise… no, it’s floating… what!?” (Riku)

It probably wasn’t just the speed—he’d never seen a fastball that carried that kind of rise before.

Haimiya-kun was visibly shocked.

“I’m just getting started.” (Shuuto)

On the next pitch, surprisingly, Haimiya-kun managed to make contact with the ball.

This kid had a sense for batting too…

Though he was mostly just trying to make contact, he managed to stay alive by fouling off pitch after pitch.

And then—finally, he rolled the ball forward.

“Damn…” (Riku)

Seeing the grounder back to the pitcher, Haimiya-kun slumped in disappointment.

Since every pitch had been right down the middle, missing them all must’ve been a huge shock.

“No, even fouling off Shuuto’s serious fastballs was amazing, and you even managed to push one forward. With proper practice, I think you could be a good batter too.” (Kento)

Even though I’d warned him of the easy middle pitch, most batters wouldn’t even be able to make contact.

That’s just how high-level Shuuto’s fastball was.

He had more than proven his worth as a batter as well.

“Next up, Kento, you’re up to bat.” (Shuuto)

“Hey, what’s this!? Feeling confident enough to take on Kento now!?” (Shouta)

Misunderstanding Shuuto’s words, Shouta started teasing him.

“Idiot, the one pitching is that guy.” (Shuuto)

But Shuuto ignored him and told Haimiya-kun to take the mound.

“Ha… well, that’s true. Haimiya-kun, how about you face me next?” (Kento)

Understanding his intention, I stepped up to the plate.

Of course, Haimiya-kun was hesitant, but he had no choice but to accept the challenge.

After all, I had said everyone in the starting lineup would get one at-bat.

And when I faced him, I sent his split-finger fastball flying far, far away.

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Thanks for reading!

WHO IS THIS NAGISA PERSON AND CAN WE HAVE MORE OF HER PLEASE? Like seriously, I never would have imagined that the solution to their problems would be this random catgirl tomboyish streamer who just so happens to be a detective irl. Even though she was introduced out of nowhere, she’s such a fun character so I will overlook the contrivances lol.

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1. None

<Sophia’s PoV>

“I said to leave it to me, but… in reality, what should I do…?” (Sophia)

During break time, I found myself troubled.

Of course, it was about how to prove Kento-kun’s innocence.

The best way to prove Kento-kun’s innocence would be to get the original version of that video… but realistically, that wasn’t going to happen.

To begin with, I didn’t even know who the person behind it was.

“U-Um, Shirakawa-san…? Do you have a moment…?” (Classmate)

While I was deep in thought, a girl from my class timidly approached me.

Even though it had already been half a year since we’d been in the same class, it seemed she was still nervous around me.

“What is it?” (Sophia)

I tried my best not to come off as intimidating.

Whether or not I succeeded… I wasn’t sure.

“Someone’s calling for you…” (Classmate)

She glanced briefly toward the classroom door.

There, peeking inside with a look even more nervous than hers, was a gyaru cautiously observing me.

I recognized her by her distinct light purple hair.

She was Rindou Arisu-san¹, the girl who was head over heels for Kento-kun.

If I recalled correctly, she had been suspended… but the fact that she was at school now meant it had been lifted.

“Thanks.” (Sophia)

I stood up from my seat and walked over to her.

I had no idea what her intentions were, but judging by how nervous she seemed, it must have taken a lot of courage just to come talk to me.

After all, when she realized I was walking in her direction, she audibly caught her breath.

From what I could see, the other two girls—aside from the gyaru leader who had been expelled—weren’t with her.

“Did you need something?” (Sophia)

Since I hadn’t forgiven her, my tone was a bit colder than it had been with the classmate earlier.

She averted her gaze awkwardly and slowly began to speak.

“I wanted to talk about Kento-kun…” (Arisu)

Hearing those words, I paused to think.

It wasn’t strange that she knew about Kento-kun’s situation.

Because the video had circulated quite a bit, the entire school already knew about what happened.

And rumors had likely already spread about Kento-kun being absent as well.

Maybe she had gone to Kento-kun’s class first before coming to me.

“I don’t think you’re here to mock him or anything, but I have nothing to say about him.” (Sophia)

Since she was a fan of Kento-kun, it was unlikely she came to tease or harass him.

That said, it wasn’t a situation where I could welcome her openly either.

However—

“I know the girl who appeared in the video…” (Arisu)

Rindou-san whispered something I desperately wanted to know.

“—Really…?” (Sophia)

“Yeah, she has a distinctive voice and look. I’m sure of it…” (Arisu)

The girl in the video had a distinctively high-pitched voice—what you might call an “anime voice”—perhaps due to her young age.

Her face had been pixelated, but her hair was a noticeable pink, which seemed to have triggered Rindou-san’s memory.

There was a possibility it was just someone who looked similar—but I needed to confirm whether it was really her or not.

“I don’t have much time right now. Can we talk during lunch break?” (Sophia)

“Right… Where should we meet…?” (Arisu)

She seemed willing to cooperate and agreed to come back later without complaint.

“The usual spot is fine. You know, the place where you and I had that talk.” (Sophia)

I named a location that only the two of us would understand, so that no other students would catch on.

Of course, she looked a little uncomfortable, but it wasn’t like I said that to be mean.

I simply didn’t want any onlookers poking around.

“Got it, I’ll be there.” (Arisu)

“It might turn into a long conversation, so bring your lunch or some bread. Well then, you should head back for now.” (Sophia)

A gyaru like her really stood out in the Special Preparatory Course building.

More than anything, there were rumors going around that she had been suspended for harassing me, so if we were seen talking together, it would definitely draw attention for all the wrong reasons.

“Yeah… see you later…” (Arisu)

With that, Rindou-san gave a small wave and left.

She really seemed to have mellowed out quite a bit.

She was probably feeling remorseful… but just in case, I thought I’d have Nadeshiko-senpai come along too.

Besides, I usually ate lunch with Nadeshiko-senpai anyway.

◆

Lunch break—

“Why… are you here…?” (Sophia)

I couldn’t help but feel confused when an unexpected person appeared behind the school building.

No—Rindou-san and even Nadeshiko-senpai looked confused.

It seemed no one had expected him to show up.

“Relax. I’m just here to keep watch. I won’t butt into the conversation.” (Shuuto)

Kurogane-kun said coolly, holding up the bread he brought, with a nonchalant look on his face.

“Keep watch…?” (Sophia)

“You know exactly what I mean, don’t you? I’m not just gonna sit back while that girl over there makes contact with Kento’s little sister.” (Shuuto)

With that, he shot a sharp glare at Rindou-san.

It seemed he had come to make sure nothing weird happened to me.

Though how he knew I was meeting her—or even where—was a mystery…

“I just can’t see you going out of your way like this, Kurogane-kun…” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai still didn’t look convinced, glancing up at him with a puzzled expression.

I wasn’t convinced either.

Kento-kun seemed to be an exception, but Kurogane-kun didn’t usually act for other people.

“Kento asked me. He said if I ever saw his sister being bothered, I should help her out. Well, not just me—he told the baseball team too.” (Shuuto)

“Onii-chan… did…?” (Sophia)

I hadn’t known that.

Actually… that was probably something Kento-kun didn’t want me to know about.

Still, I see… He’d been looking out for me because I tend to attract trouble…

“Kento-kun is so overprotective… Well, I can understand how he feels, though.” (Nadeshiko)

It seemed Nadeshiko-senpai hadn’t heard about it either. She let out a resigned little laugh.

But there was warmth in that smile.

Even her half-lidded eyes held a gentle kindness.

“Rindou-san, are you okay with Kurogane-kun being here?” (Nadeshiko)

It seemed Nadeshiko-senpai had accepted Kurogane-kun’s presence and now turned to ask Rindou-san.

She asked her instead of me, probably because Rindou-san was the one who’d be doing the talking.

“I’m okay with it, but…” (Arisu)

Rindou-san kept glancing nervously at Kurogane-kun.

Her expression showed clear fear—she was probably intimidated by him.

Kurogane-kun was likely the most popular boy at school… and also the most feared.

That’s why I always thought there were about the same number of girls who really liked him and those who were too scared to even go near him.

And Rindou-san seemed to fall into the latter group.

“Thanks. Kurogane-kun, Rindou-san’s trying to help Kento-kun by giving us information, so could you try not to intimidate her, okay?” (Nadeshiko)

So far, all we’d heard from Rindou-san was that she knew who the girl in the video was.

Even so, Nadeshiko-senpai seemed to believe that Rindou-san had come to me in order to help Kento-kun, and she stepped in to rein Kurogane-kun in.

“…Understood. I’ll listen to the conversation, but I’ll keep my distance.” (Shuuto)

Kurogane-kun took her words seriously and backed off without complaint.

Surprisingly, he might be the type who’s obedient to people he acknowledges.

“While we eat, could you tell us about that girl?” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai sat down in the spot where she usually ate with me and Kento-kun, and gestured for us to sit as well.

Just like Nadeshiko-senpai suggested, I decided to eat my lunch while we talked.

However, Rindou-san seemed intent on getting straight to the point.

“The girl in that video… she’s Ri-chan—Shigurazaka Rio’s childhood friend.” (Arisu)

At the mention of that name, both Nadeshiko-senpai and I paused with our chopsticks in midair.

Kurogane-kun seemed unsure who that was and glanced at us suspiciously.

“Wait, isn’t that…” (Nadeshiko)

“Yes. The one who got expelled… for the harassment incident involving me.” (Sophia)

So this whole incident was being orchestrated behind the scenes by Shigurazaka-san…?

Was her goal revenge on Kento-kun?

Because he and I were the reason she got expelled…?

“But this girl, judging from her height and voice, looks like an elementary or middle schooler…” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai pulled out her phone and began watching the widely circulated video of Kento-kun.

I thought the same, and Kento-kun had also said she looked like an elementary school kid.

However, since the girl had shouted “boyfriend” in the video, Kento-kun figured she was probably in middle school if she had a boyfriend…

“She just looks young for her age… she’s the same age as me and Shirakawa-san.” (Arisu)

If Rindou-san, who claimed to know the girl, said so, then it was probably true.

“What kind of girl is she?” (Sophia)

I wanted to start by understanding the girl in the video.

That might give us a clue about how to resolve this.

“I’ve only met her a few times, so I don’t know her that well… but I think she’s a really pure girl, kind of like a child…” (Arisu)

“Really pure…? After doing something like that…?” (Sophia)

The part about her being childlike stood out, but I couldn’t help but focus more on what she had said before that.

I couldn’t believe that a girl who had framed Kento-kun could be described as pure.

“She’s being used because she’s pure. That girl—if it’s something Shigurazaka says, she believes it completely and just does what she’s told.” (Arisu)

Perhaps because we were around, Rindou-san chose to refer to the gang leader-like girl by her surname.

Still, could someone really place so much trust in someone like that—someone who so clearly looked malicious and acted without empathy?

“No matter how close they were as childhood friends, is that really possible…?” (Sophia)

“That’s what I mean by really pure. I mean, it sounds like she’s been taken care of by Shigurazaka a lot, and that Shigurazaka has always protected her since they were young.” (Arisu)

“What do you mean…?” (Sophia)

I didn’t quite understand what she meant by “being taken care of” and “protected,” so I asked her to explain.

“Shigurazaka’s family is rich. Her parents run several companies, so she’s been doing whatever she wants with money since she was a kid. That girl in the video, because of her cute appearance and circumstances, was seen by Shigurazaka as someone she could use and manipulate. She thought the girl had value and could become one of her pawns. I know this for sure because Shigurazaka told me directly.” (Arisu)

Since this was a private school, it wasn’t uncommon for wealthy students to be enrolled.

Maybe the reason Shigurazaka-san had gathered the gals under her was because of her money.

And it seemed the girl in the video had some kind of circumstances which Shigurazaka-san cleverly exploited to win her trust.

“So that’s why she helped with something so stupid…? Do you know what high school she goes to now?” (Sophia)

“She shouldn’t be attending high school. She said she started working after graduating from middle school.” (Arisu)

“She got a job right after junior high?” (Sophia)

“No, it’s just part-time work, apparently.” (Arisu)

Working part-time after middle school…

Well, it’s not impossible—there are people who don’t want to go to high school.

But judging from what I’d heard so far, it was likely that she had some reason she couldn’t go to high school.

“Do you know her situation in more detail?” (Sophia)

“Well, somewhat… But we’re not really close. I think she actually dislikes all of us…” (Arisu)

“She disliked you?” (Sophia)

“Yeah… She seemed to think we took Shigurazaka away from her…” (Arisu)

As far as I could remember, whenever I saw them at school, those four were always together.

If they spent that much time as a group, then they probably hung out after school too.

But that girl started working part-time, couldn’t go to the same high school as Shigurazaka-san, and eventually lost most of the time she could spend with her.

And when she was occasionally invited to hang out, Shigurazaka-san was always with Rindou-san and the others—which she likely didn’t appreciate.

If Rindou-san was disliked, and the girl was especially attached to Shigurazaka-san, then having Rindou-san try to convince her was out of the question…

“What about the guy in the video? Do you recognize him?” (Nadeshiko)

Senpai seemed to have also judged that talking to the girl wouldn’t work and shifted her focus to the male in the video.

But Rindou-san shook her head.

“I don’t recognize him… But, Shigurazaka tends to choose who she hangs out with based on looks… Especially when it comes to guys, she’s really picky, so I don’t think he was a friend of hers…” (Arisu)

Even with the mosaic, you could faintly make out some of his facial features, and judging from his bone structure, it wasn’t impossible to imagine what he looked like.

Then, it seemed Rindou-san was trying to say that the guy in the video wasn’t Shigurazaka-san’s type, so he probably wasn’t her friend.

“Then… could he be a friend of the girl in the video?” (Nadeshiko)

“I don’t think so either. If she hung out with a guy Shigurazaka didn’t like, she’d be excluded. So I doubt she’d do that.” (Arisu)

“Wait… then what kind of relationship do they have?” (Nadeshiko)

“Probably… someone she found online and paid to act the part…” (Arisu)

Rindou-san’s unbelievable guess made me and Nadeshiko-senpai exchange glances.

She used someone that untrustworthy for something like this…?

It’s true that I’ve been hearing the term “dark part-time jobs” a lot on the news lately…

“Still, that’s hard to believe…” (Sophia)

At the very least, I wouldn’t use someone who looked like they’d easily spill everything if you just flashed some cash.

“Shigurazaka does outrageous things without a second thought, but she’s not exactly the type to think things through…” (Arisu)

“Now that you mention it…” (Sophia)

I recalled what Kento-kun had been worried about all this time.

Even though he had been framed and the incident involved the police, the other party hadn’t demanded money or anything—in fact, they had acted as if they didn’t want the police to find out too much about their injuries. That strange behavior had made Kento-kun suspect they had some other goal in mind.

“Onii-chan said the two in the video didn’t exaggerate being hit at all. On the contrary, they seemed like they didn’t want the police to know about the injuries. They even said they forgave him so he wouldn’t be charged, and didn’t file a report.” (Sophia)

I brought up something Rindou-san probably didn’t know. Since she hadn’t heard it directly from someone involved and was judging based only on the video, she wouldn’t know the police had shown up, since that part was cut from the footage.

“So the police got involved, huh… They probably didn’t want things to get too serious, which is why they hid the injuries and didn’t file a report. Maybe the plan had some flaws, and they were afraid that if it got investigated too deeply, the police would find out they were trying to frame Kento-kun. Or maybe they were worried that if the video got out and things blew up, the police would ask why they hadn’t shown the footage earlier. If Kento-kun had actually been charged, that might be different, but since it didn’t turn into a proper case, even if new evidence came up, the police probably wouldn’t bother reopening it.” (Arisu)

Rindou-san, who usually acted listless, seemed to be pretty sharp after all.

I agreed with her.

“Normally, if they didn’t want the police to investigate, they wouldn’t report it at all. But even if it didn’t become an official case, Kento-kun’s trouble would still be on police records. So when the video spread and the school or others asked the police, it would serve as evidence of a violent incident — that was enough for them, right?” (Nadeshiko)

“Yes. That’s why, even though they turned onii-chan in, they tried to keep it from becoming a big deal.” (Sophia)

I nodded at Nadeshiko-senpai.

If they could create that fact alone, then by spreading the video and making Kento-kun look like the bad guy, the school and the baseball league would naturally punish him.

That was probably their plan.

But the plan had many holes, leaving us chances to strike back.

That was what Rindou-san meant by saying that Shigurazaka wasn’t the type to think things through.

Normally, no one would carry out a plan full of holes like this.

They used the police recklessly, and the video had unnatural cuts here and there.

“They cut the scene where the police arrived, and hid the fact that they didn’t file a report—if we can get a statement from the police on that, we might be able to argue that the video was made with malicious intent.” (Sophia)

“But… in the end, this girl is still the victim. Would the police really cooperate with us?” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai responded with skepticism to my suggestion.

Of course, I understood that too.

But—

“If we get solid evidence, and the school asks the police directly, don’t you think there’s a high chance they’d testify onii-chan’s innocence before the baseball federation? The federation seems to be leaning in his favor too. If we get proof of his innocence, that might be enough on its own… but the more cards we have to overturn Kento-kun’s punishment, the better.” (Sophia)

When judgments are left to people rather than fixed criteria, you never know what decision they’ll make.

That’s why we needed as many cards in hand as possible.

“That might be true, but… in the end, we still have to prove he’s innocent…” (Nadeshiko)

“That’s the most important part, yes. If the man in the video was hired, there’s a good chance he’ll talk if we find him. But to locate him, in the end…” (Sophia)

“We’d have to get it out of either Shigurazaka or that girl… right?” (Nadeshiko)

Rindou-san pointed toward the girl in the video with a disappointed expression.

Yes—no matter how much we could persuade the man in the video, unless we could get through to the girl who could contact him, it would be meaningless.

In the end, everything hinged on whether we could persuade her.

“…There’s no other way, then. Rindou-san, would you be able to arrange a meeting with this girl?” (Sophia)

Even if she was on Shigurazaka-san’s side, if that was the only path forward, I had no choice but to confront it directly.

“Wait, Sophia-chan.” (Nadeshiko)

Before Rindou-san could respond, Nadeshiko-senpai stopped me with a serious expression.

It was rare for her to drop her usual smile, which only emphasized how earnest she was.

“Do you realize how risky this is?” (Nadeshiko)

“Yes, I understand. But it’s also true that we don’t have the luxury of calmly working out a solution anymore. Of course, I’m not going to approach her forcefully. I just want to see for myself what kind of person she is.” (Sophia)

What lingered on my mind was how Rindou-san had described the girl as “quite pure”.

No matter how much she owed to Shigurazaka-san, if she was aware that Shigurazaka-san was simply using her, then surely there had to be a crack in their relationship.

If I could find and press on that crack, then with someone as pure as she was said to be, I believed there was a chance to win her over to our side.

“I see… Well, like I said before, I’ll respect whatever you decide, Sophia-chan. That hasn’t changed. But please, talk to Kento-kun properly. And do as he says. If he says no, then don’t go through with it, okay?” (Nadeshiko)

I was pretty sure Nadeshiko-senpai would indeed respect my decision, just like she said.

But more than that, I understood now that she placed great importance on respecting what Kento-kun decided.

That came from the trust she had in him, and perhaps the fact that she cared more about him than she did about me.

Above all, this was Kento-kun’s issue, and he was the one the coach had spoken to.

So, it made sense that she was saying I should follow his decision.

There was probably also an intention behind it—to keep me from doing anything reckless.

“I agree. Kento is the one you can count on in situations like this. If he thinks it’s safe, then it is. If he thinks it’s dangerous, then it is. If you’re going to walk straight into the enemy’s arms, you better have some kind of plan.” (Shuuto)

Even Kurogane-kun, who had been silent until now and was just listening, couldn’t help but speak up.

Do they all really think I’m going to do something reckless?

If I tried to help Kento-kun and ended up making things worse for him, it would defeat the whole purpose. I wasn’t going to do anything that careless.

Besides, I was the one who trusted Kento-kun the most, so of course I would follow what he said.

That’s what I thought, but it seemed pointless to argue, so I just quietly nodded.

◆

<Kento’s PoV>

“—Of course not.” (Kento)

When Sophia returned home and she started talking about her plan, and I promptly refused.

Hearing that, Sophia gasped and drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

She seemed to think she was being scolded.

“I’m not angry, okay? It’s just… It’s way too dangerous.” (Kento)

It wasn’t that I didn’t understand what Sophia was trying to do.

In fact, if it went well, it could instantly turn the tables.

But the chances were close to zero, and there was a real possibility that Sophia could be put in danger.

There was no way I could allow that.

“I also think it isn’t a good idea… That girl really only listens to what Shigurazaka says, and she sees Shigurazaka as an absolute authority…” (Arisu)

Saying that, trying to stop Sophia alongside me was Rindou-san.

Sophia had brought her here, but it seemed she was the one who had provided most of the information this time.

Honestly, I didn’t trust this girl very much.

She used to come cheer us on often, and I thought she was a good girl when we talked—but in the past, she had tried to set up Sophia.

I couldn’t trust someone who had done something like that, even once. And after receiving a suspension, there was a chance she held a grudge against us.

Not only was she someone who had teamed up with Shigurazaka, but while she might’ve been able to take revenge on me, she hadn’t yet done so against Sophia. There was every possibility she might try to trap Sophia alongside Shigurazaka and get revenge that way.

That’s why I had to be extremely cautious with my decision.

“I know you’re worried about me, onii-chan. But you also understand that, if this goes well, it could be a turning point, don’t you?” (Sophia)

“That may be true, but if there’s a high chance you’ll be in danger, there’s no way I can agree to it.” (Kento)

“…You think there’s a high chance I’ll be in danger because you don’t trust Rindou-san, right?” (Sophia)

After thinking for a moment, Sophia looked me straight in the eyes with a serious gaze.

She was very smart, so once she thought about it, she seemed to fully understand what I was afraid of.

“Eh…?” (Arisu)

Rindou-san hadn’t expected her name to come up here and looked at Sophia in confusion.

She was probably a smart girl, but it seemed she hadn’t realized that I was suspicious of her.

It looked like that line of thought had completely slipped her mind.

“Sure, given Rindou-san’s position and everything that’s happened, I understand why you can’t trust her, onii-chan. But I’ll say this for certain. She won’t betray us in this case, and she’s acting out of a genuine desire to help you.” (Sophia)

For some reason, Sophia seemed to place a strong trust in Rindou-san.

From what I remembered, Rindou-san had only just recently been released from her suspension.

Since then, she hadn’t had any contact with Sophia, and they should’ve only just reunited today.

I couldn’t believe that Sophia would come to trust her in such a short time, so I thought maybe she was just clinging to Rindou-san because she held a possible means to solve the issue.

“Then tell me what makes you so sure.” (Kento)

What I had just said was only speculation, so I needed to hear Sophia’s own words to know the truth.

I didn’t know if she would be honest with me, but from what she said and how she acted, I could tell whether she was simply clinging to Rindou-san or not.

“Rather, I want to ask you—how don’t you get it²?” (Sophia)

For some reason, she wore a complicated expression and glanced briefly at Rindou-san.

Rindou-san immediately blushed, pinched the sleeve of Sophia’s clothes with her fingers, and shook her head slightly.

“A-Actually, you don’t have to say it…” (Arisu)

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t do something so tactless.” (Sophia)

Sophia gave Rindou-san a gentle smile.

She was supposed to have disliked Rindou-san, so what was going on?

There was even a hint of camaraderie between them.

“If it were just me in this matter, I would fully consider the possibility that she might betray us.” (Sophia)

“—!” (Arisu)

At Sophia’s merciless words, Rindou-san swallowed hard.

Earlier, Sophia had only said that Rindou-san wouldn’t betray in this case—not that she wouldn’t betray me.

It seemed the foundation of Sophia’s trust in Rindou-san lay somewhere in that distinction…

“But this time, it’s about you, onii-chan. She’s trying to solve your problem. That’s why she won’t betray you.” (Sophia)

“Why can you say that so confidently…?” (Kento)

It was true—she used to come often to cheer at the games, and she would speak to me rather than Shuuto.

From that perspective, she had probably become a fan of mine.

More than anything, when Sophia and the gyaru got into that fight, I remember hearing a conversation that hinted at that.

But—people’s feelings can change easily, and they weigh their options based on the situation, choosing what benefits them most.

It depends on the strength of that affection too, so I didn’t believe that was solid proof she wouldn’t betray us.

“When I was arguing with those girls, and onii-chan showed up, Rindou-san immediately listened to what you said and deleted the video. Even though she knew that would put her in a tough spot and make her an enemy of Shigurazaka-san, she still sided with you. That’s why—someone like her would never betray you now either.” (Sophia)

Hearing Sophia’s firm conviction, I closed my eyes.

Just like she said—someone who sided with us in that situation wouldn’t turn on us at this point.

Given the difference in punishments—Rindou-san getting off with a suspension and Shigurazaka being expelled—it wouldn’t be surprising if their relationship had become strained.

“…Sophia, do you really want to meet that girl?” (Kento)

“Yes. Even if I can’t convince her, if there’s even a sliver of hope, I want to meet her and talk.” (Sophia)

Not just her words—her serious expression told me she truly meant it.

Since Kujouin-san had spoken to her, I doubted she would go meet the girl without my approval, but unless I gave her my consent, she would likely bring up this matter again and again.

I hadn’t come up with a better solution, and if the girl in the video was really the kind of person Rindou-san said she was, then there might be hope.

Maybe it would be best to trust Sophia’s instincts and let her handle it.

Of course, only if her safety could be ensured.

“Alright. You can do as you see fit, Sophia.” (Kento)

“Really!?” (Sophia)

When I nodded, Sophia looked really happy.

She probably hadn’t expected me to give in so easily.

“But there’s one condition. First, you have to be accompanied by Rindou-san.” (Kento)

No matter what the situation, it was scary to let Sophia go alone.

If Rindou-san was trustworthy, having her come along was the best option.

“Understood. Is that okay with you, Rindou-san?” (Sophia)

“Yeah, of course…” (Arisu)

Rindou-san didn’t seem too enthusiastic, but she couldn’t refuse Sophia’s request, and she nodded slightly.

“Next, we’ll create a group chat on a messaging app and keep a voice call open while you’re with the girl from the video.” (Kento)

If we were going to storm the enemy’s place, I had to keep track of Sophia’s situation.

In case something happened, I needed to be ready to jump in and help immediately.

“One last condition—I’m coming too.” (Kento)

“Eh!?” (Sophia & Rindou)

When I said I’d go, they both voiced their surprise.

From their perspective, it was probably an unthinkable decision.

“I-I think that’s really a bad idea, no, it’s definitely not okay…!” (Sophia)

“Y-Yeah! They’ll get suspicious, and if they even take photos, Kento-kun’s position will just get worse…!” (Arisu)

They both flapped around nervously, which somehow made them look cute.

Since they were speaking out of concern for me, it probably made it look even more endearing.

“Don’t worry. I’ll disguise myself enough not to be noticed and just wait nearby.” (Kento)

If something happened to Sophia, being far away would mean I couldn’t get there in time to help.

So, I was just going to stay nearby, ready in case something happened.

On top of that, I planned to inform my dad and the coach beforehand so they could respond if needed.

“Kento-kun, you’re kind of overprotective…” (Arisu)

Rindou-san muttered with surprise, seeming to realize that I intended to follow Sophia out of concern for her.

From her perspective, the incident behind the school building probably looked like I was hiding out because I was worried about Sophia, so it was understandable that she thought that way.

“Ahaha… anyway, sorry about earlier. For making you listen to that unpleasant conversation.” (Kento)

Sophia and I had been talking right in front of Rindou-san about not trusting her.

That must have felt really uncomfortable.

Since I had decided to trust her, I thought I needed to apologize properly.

“Ah… no, it’s because I caused all this trouble…” (Arisu)

“Please take care of Sophia. And thank you for sharing the information.” (Kento)

“~~~~~!” (Arisu)

When I thanked her with a smile, she made a strange sound and looked down.

Then she busied herself playing by tapping her index fingers together.

Was she always like this…?

When I stared at Rindou-san, Sophia puckered her lips slightly.

She looked somewhat annoyed.

That was strange—why was she a little upset…?

“By the way, Rindou-san, I don’t think I heard that girl’s name—” (Sophia)

After that, while I was still confused, Sophia started preparing to go meet the girl from the video.

◆

<Sophia’s PoV>

“Mmm, I’m so tired! Riku-kun, I’m almost back—” (?)

“—I’ve been waiting for you, Haimiya Miumi-san.” (Sophia)

I waited near a pretty rundown apartment and called out as soon as the girl I was looking for came back.

Of course, she was surprised by my sudden voice and looked at me.

Then, perhaps realizing I was a girl, she let down her guard and tilted her head in curiosity with a puzzled expression.

Indeed, her very small, adorable, and youthful face was so well-formed that Shigurazaka-san saw her as valuable for her purposes.

Also, even though it was our first meeting and I knew her name, she immediately relaxed, which made me feel she was a bit reckless.

“Um, who are you? None of my acquaintances should be a beautiful foreign woman like you.” (Miumi)

Yeah, she wasn’t hostile at all.

Simply put, she was just curious about who I was because I was a stranger.

I thought the world was way too dark—how could such a genuinely nice girl be involved in trapping Kento-kun?

“I’m Shirakawa Sophia. Or would it be easier if I introduced myself as Sophia Frost?” (Sophia)

“Frost…!?” (Miumi)

When I gave her my former name, Haimiya-san’s eyes widened in surprise, and she suddenly stepped back.

So she really did know my name.

I had thought Shigurazaka-san was probably badmouthing me behind my back, and my hunch was right.

What caught my attention, though, was that even though she was supposed to be wary of me, there was a slight hint of fear mixed into her expression.

Was she secretly scared of me?

“How do you know where I live…!?” (Miumi)

“—Because I told her.” (Arisu)

The one who stepped out from behind the building was Rindou-san.

I wanted to know Haimiya-san’s innocent first impression of me, so I had Rindou-san hide behind the building, but when she came out, Haimiya-san’s eyes widened again.

“Arisu-chan…!” (Miumi)

Then, with an expression completely different from the one she had shown me, full of anger, she glared fiercely at Rindou-san.

Because Rindou-san had told me where she lived, that anger showed on her face?

No, this was far from something so simple.

It seemed like she had originally held a grudge towards Rindou-san.

The answer came from Haimiya-san’s next words.

“The person who betrayed and abandoned Ri-chan—what do they want with me…!?” (Miumi)

I see… Shigurazaka-san must have fed Haimiya-san the idea that Rindou-san had betrayed her.

From her perspective during the incident behind the school building, it probably did seem like Rindou-san had betrayed her.

But would that alone be enough to show this much anger?

She probably exaggerated the story quite a bit.

“What? You two came here to get revenge for that Kento guy!?” (Miumi)

Just from the fact that Rindou-san and I appeared, she jumped to that conclusion—she seemed pretty quick-witted.

But since she didn’t immediately pull out her phone to contact her friends, she seemed like the type who’s not great at thinking on the spot.

Maybe her fear was overwhelming her, and she was just trying her best to intimidate us.

“Don’t worry. I swear to God we’re not here to harm you in any way.” (Sophia)

Since she was scared, I tried to speak calmly, making sure to put on my own version of a smile to help her relax.

And maybe she really did feel reassured because the tension in her face disappeared.

“Ah…!” (Miumi)

—Or so I thought, but then Haimiya-san seemed to remember something and quickly started glaring at us again, like she was trying to intimidate.

I see now why Rindou-san said she was a pretty innocent girl.

Most likely, she was glaring at me as a way to convince herself not to let her guard down around Shirakawa Sophia.

Had Shigurazaka-san told her never to trust me?

“I just want to talk to you.” (Sophia)

“I don’t know! I have nothing to say! You’re recording this conversation too, aren’t you!?” (Miumi)

The secret video Kento-kun took during the incident behind the school was used as evidence.

She must have heard about it from Shigurazaka-san and was wary of being recorded.

—That was right.

If she slipped up and said something crucial, having a recording would give us the advantage.

That’s why we had been recording the whole conversation.

With her this guarded, a proper talk seemed impossible—just as I was thinking that, an unexpected person appeared before us.

“Nee-chan, what’s all the commotion about…?” (?)

“Eh, you’re the one from the other day… Now that I think about it, your surname is also Haimiya, isn’t it…” (Sophia)

The person who appeared before us was Haimiya Riku-kun, the same boy who had come to our house the other day.

Since she called him ‘nee-chan’, it seemed he was Haimiya-san’s younger brother.

A strange connection…

He seemed to have noticed me and looked at me coldly.

His eyes had a completely different warmth compared to when we had met before, as if he were a different person.

“Riku-kun, why do you know these two…?” (Miumi)

With her brother’s sudden appearance, Haimiya-san immediately became quiet.

Her expression softened from the harsh glare earlier into something gentle and calm.

It seemed she put on a facade in front of her younger brother.

“I just got a little help from them not long ago…” (Riku)

“Eh…?” (Miumi)

Haimiya-kun — well, since they have the same last name, I decided to call him Riku-kun.

When Riku-kun lowered his eyes sadly and answered, Miumi-san clearly looked confused.

He didn’t seem to talk much about what happened during that day, as if he didn’t want his sister to know that he had come to our house.

Could it be…?

“The man who attacked nee-chan— Shirakawa Kento — I once had the opportunity to talk with him…” (Riku)

I was bothered by how he said it without honorifics, but as I listened to Riku-kun’s honest confession, I closely watched Miumi-san’s reaction.

Her eyes trembled greatly.

Was this reaction caused by her being shaken that her brother had betrayed her?

“Y-You never said a single word about that…!” (Miumi)

“…” (Riku)

Riku-kun didn’t reply to his sister’s words.

Since we had talked about it at our house as a sensitive matter, he probably didn’t want his sister to know about it.

Hmm… maybe he didn’t want to talk about it because he thought telling his sister would only make her sad or corner her emotionally.

He had said something about not having money at home, too…

Riku-kun stood in front of his sister protectively, glaring at me.

“I was… shocked. I thought your brother was kind, cool… a really good person… I even respected him. I never imagined he was the kind of scum who would attack a couple…” (Riku)

It happened to his own sister.

He had probably been told the whole story.

Of course, the fake version.

When I looked back at Miumi-san, who had moved out of her brother’s line of sight, I noticed her face was pale and drenched in sweat.

Unintentionally, Riku-kun’s words seemed to be pricking at her conscience.

Of course. She had framed someone her little brother respected.

More than anything, the situation when Kento-kun was set up had involved him rushing to help after hearing a girl’s scream.

And that girl was none other than Miumi-san herself.

It’s unclear how long she had been screaming, but knowing Kento-kun, he must have run to help immediately.

He would’ve jumped in without hesitation, even against a large, muscular man.

From the video, she had seemed to be standing at a distance at first, and it was easy to imagine Kento-kun fighting while shielding her.

I didn’t know exactly what Shigurazaka-san had fed her about Kento-kun, but surely she remembered that he was the boy who came to help and tried to protect her.

And someone of such character that even her brother ended up admiring him—framing someone like that would eat away at her like poison.

If that’s the case, then—

“Onii-chan didn’t attack your sister, or that guy who claims to be her boyfriend. He only tried to protect your sister—and he was framed for it.” (Sophia)

Having found a way forward, I began preparing to win over Miumi-san.

“That’s a lie…! There’s no way nee-chan would ever do something like that…!” (Riku)

Riku-kun clearly admired his sister deeply.

Even back at our house, he had spoken of her proudly.

Given that, it was only natural that he couldn’t believe my words.

Anyone would choose to trust their family over a stranger—no, they want to trust them.

But—what about you?

I turned my gaze toward the one who knew the truth better than anyone, silently asking with my eyes.

“…!” (Miumi)

When Miumi-san met my gaze, she broke out in a cold sweat and quickly turned her head away.

She was avoiding eye contact—running away from the truth.

She must be thinking, “What if Riku-kun found out the truth?”

That’s why she refused to face me and remained silent, hoping to let this moment pass without confrontation.

And that, ironically, worked in my favor.

“Riku-kun, does onii-chan, no—Kento-kun—really seem like the kind of person who would attack your sister and her boyfriend?” (Sophia)

“—” (Riku)

At my question, Riku-kun drew in a sharp breath.

As expected, it wasn’t that he truly believed Kento-kun had done such a thing.

No… to be precise, deep down, he harbored doubts—questions about whether Kento-kun would really do something like that.

But doubting that would mean doubting the person who was supposed to be the victim—his sister. So, he was forcing himself not to think about it.

“If he did, then what was his motive? Why would Kento-kun attack a couple, throwing away an important tournament he was preparing for?” (Sophia)

“I don’t know…! Maybe he was stressed out and snapped, or maybe he thought my sister was cute and made a move—there could be all kinds of reasons…!” (Riku)

He raised his voice, as if trying to drown out the doubts being stirred within him.

His desire to believe in his sister from the bottom of his heart was admirable—but was he even aware?

The more he tried to defend her, the more he was cornering his sister.

Proof of that stood just behind him—Miumi-san, clutching her chest as if in pain, clearly suffering.

She was clearly being tormented by guilt.

Even being a kind, pure-hearted girl could be a dangerous thing.

“Kento-kun wasn’t particularly stressed out, and he’s popular enough that he wouldn’t need to risk everything just to make a move on your sister.” (Sophia)

Well, it was true that Miumi-san was a beautiful girl with a petite figure, a baby face, and an anime-like voice—definitely appealing to a certain crowd—but she definitely wasn’t Kento-kun’s type.

…Probably not.

…Shouldn’t be, right…?

“Shirakawa-san…?” (Arisu)

“I-It’s nothing.” (Sophia)

I had been lost in thought, distracted by a nagging feeling, but Rindou-san’s voice brought me back to my senses.

Still, something kept bothering me.

That guy… even when he saw me naked, he never tried anything.

Even when we slept together, he never made a move…

On top of that, even when he was with someone like Nadeshiko-senpai—so pure, lovely, kind, and well-endowed—he didn’t seem to harbor any romantic feelings for her either…

No way. Could it really be… that he prefers those types?

Don’t tell me… he’s into lolis or something…!?

I absolutely believed he hadn’t attacked Miumi-san, but in a romantic sense, I couldn’t help but suspect that possibility.

“But you don’t have any proof your brother is innocent either, do you!? Just like me, you’re only acting on your feelings, because you want to believe he’s not guilty—isn’t that right!?” (Riku)

Riku-kun wasn’t going to just take my words at face value—he decided to strike where we were vulnerable.

He was right. I didn’t have any definitive proof that Kento-kun didn’t do it.

That was exactly why I was here—trying to get that proof.

But even with him pointing that out, it didn’t faze me one bit.

Unlike him, I could believe in Kento-kun from the bottom of my heart. No matter how much he tried to attack that part, it wouldn’t cause me to waver my faith in Kento-kun—who hadn’t done anything in the first place.

But—at this point, Riku-kun was just in the way.

“I see. Even if we tried to talk this out, it seems we’d just keep talking past each other.” (Sophia)

“Yes, so please leave now. Nee-chan is tired from her part-time job.” (Riku)

He must’ve thought the conversation was over and that I would leave.

His composure returned.

That alone told me how much our earlier exchange had shaken him and taken away his peace of mind.

“One last thing. You’re her little brother, so you must know the kind of person your sister is involved with, right? What kind of person are they? And why can you believe your sister isn’t at fault?” (Sophia)

Shigurazaka-san and Miumi-san were childhood friends.

And Riku-kun, judging from what he said the other day at my house, had already retired from the team—so he must be in his third year of middle school.

Since he was only one year younger and had been by his sister’s side since they were little, he surely knew Shigurazaka-san as well.

Moreover, Shigurazaka-san was pretty unhinged, so unlike his pure and innocent sister, I thought it was highly likely that Riku-kun had noticed her strange side.

“Yes, I know her. She’s a good person who’s been kind to both me and nee-chan since we were kids.” (Riku)

I see… so Shigurazaka-san had been playing the “nice person” even in front of Riku-kun.

That was probably because she understood the influence he had over his sister.

—No, was that really all…?

Feeling unsettled, I couldn’t shake the strong sense of something being off.

I wondered if I was overlooking something.

“And also, nee-chan—” (Riku)

It seemed Riku-kun was continuing his story, so I switched my thoughts back to him.

“Ever since long ago, she’s been a kind person who’s desperately worked hard for me. So how could I ever doubt my sister?” (Riku)

Riku-kun’s eyes were clear, without a trace of doubt.

As he spoke, he must have recalled his past with his sister and decided to believe in her completely.

I didn’t know what kind of history they shared, but the hesitation he had shown until just a little while ago was now completely gone — a sign that there was something deep in his heart for his sister.

At this point, he probably wouldn’t doubt her anymore.

But — his last words felt like a decisive blow.

“I see. I understand that feeling. Sorry for intruding. And Miumi-san, I’m sorry to bother you when you’re so tired.” (Sophia)

When I spoke, Miumi-san, looking completely worn out, turned to face us.

She was sweating profusely, her face pale, and her unfocused eyes made her look like a completely different person from a few minutes before.

“Nee-chan, what’s wrong!?” (Riku)

“I think she’s feeling unwell. Please take her to her room quickly.” (Sophia)

When I gently urged him, Riku-kun gave Miumi-san support on her shoulder, and they went inside the apartment.

I wondered if I had pushed her too hard, but I decided she had to accept it as punishment for framing Kento-kun.

“Are you sure it was okay…? I thought she was about to let loose just now…” (Arisu)

Rindou-san, who had been quietly watching so as not to interfere, glanced at my expression.

Just as Rindou-san said, with her so exhausted, I thought she might have naturally confessed the truth.

But she probably wouldn’t say anything.

“It’s impossible. As long as Riku-kun is by her side, she won’t tell the truth.” (Sophia)

I turned on my heel and answered Rindou-san’s question as I headed home.

“Why…?” (Arisu)

“Since Riku-kun appeared, Miumi-san’s attitude softened drastically. I think that came from not wanting to show the ugly, angry side of herself to Riku-kun. If that’s the case, then she probably doesn’t want to be disliked by Riku-kun and values him deeply, right? You can tell from Riku-kun’s words that he’s probably been lovingly raised by Miumi-san. Do you really think someone who doesn’t want to be hated by her little brother would confess to him that she framed someone else?” (Sophia)

“Ah… that’s true…” (Arisu)

Rindou-san is pretty sharp, so she seemed to understand right away.

Exactly. That’s why, after cornering Miumi-san, Riku-kun’s presence became a nuisance.

“But how did you figure that out…?” (Arisu)

“I just know.” (Sophia)

Because I also don’t want Kento-kun to hate me or see the worst side of me.

“More importantly, there’s something I want to ask. When you talked at lunch, you sounded like you knew about Miumi-san’s situation, right?” (Sophia)

Rindou-san had mentioned that Miumi-san seemed to be exploited because of her circumstances.

From where she lives in that rundown apartment and Riku-kun’s remarks, I had a rough idea, but I wanted to know the details accurately.

“So you finally asked…” (Arisu)

Sensing my intention, she told me what she knew about Miumi-san and the others.

They had been abandoned by their parents when they were young and were raised in a children’s care facility.

Because of that, they had been bullied by those around them, but Shigurazaka-san had helped them.

Also, noticing Riku-kun’s athletic talent, Shigurazaka-san encouraged Miumi-san to have him play baseball, and the expenses were covered by Miumi-san agreeing to follow Shigurazaka-san’s instructions.

She also told me that Miumi-san had started working multiple part-time jobs after graduating junior high, had left the care facility, and was now living alone with Riku-kun.

But the thing that caught my attention the most was—Riku-kun was desperately working hard to repay his sister’s kindness by aiming to become a professional baseball player.

Because of that, I could now see what had caused my earlier sense of unease.

But for now, that matter could wait.

Honestly, listening to their story, there were so many things I wanted to say—like “Don’t abandon children,” “Is this something elementary school kids should be doing?” and “Stop bullying.” But more than that, I thought Miumi-san, who had been working so hard for her little brother since they were young, and Riku-kun, who was trying so hard to repay such a sister, were both admirable.

I could really understand the reason they treasured each other so much.

But precisely because of that, this situation wasn’t good.

Not only for Kento-kun, but if things continued like this, Miumi-san and the others would be crushed by Shigurazaka-san.

“Onii-chan, you’re here, right?” (Sophia)

When I arrived at the place where Kento-kun was waiting, I called out.

Since I’d been listening over the phone, Kento-kun probably already noticed.

He looked up at the sky dyed by the sunset, holding his forehead with a hand, as if he had a headache.

“What is it?” (Kento)

Sighing, Kento-kun lowered his hand and looked at me with a serious expression.

“This time, it was onii-chan who got framed, and Miumi-san herself probably doesn’t have good feelings toward you, so I want to ask. If I said I wanted to help those kids, what would onii-chan say?” (Sophia)

The highest priority this time was Kento-kun.

That didn’t just mean helping him, but also respecting his feelings.

After all, it wouldn’t be strange for him to feel uneasy about helping the person who had framed him.

So, I wanted to make sure and confirm it properly.

“Sophia, you can do whatever you want. I think things can’t go on like this either.” (Kento)

—As I thought, he was such a wonderful person.

He gave such a gentle smile, even about helping the person who had set him up.

◆

“Mom, I have a favor to ask.” (Sophia)

After my nighttime study session ended, I spoke up before my mother left the room.

Then, my mother smiled gently and sat back down in her chair.

“What is it? Don’t hesitate to say whatever you want.” (Jessica)

Her smile was kind, but I felt a little nervous.

Because what I was about to bring up was something outrageous.

“Well… I want to borrow the money Dad left behind… I don’t know exactly how much, but it’s quite a large amount…” (Sophia)

I braced myself for getting scolded and spoke up.

However—

“That’s fine.” (Jessica)

—My mother nodded with a gentle smile without asking anything.

“Fine…? Wait, really!? But it’s a large sum, and I haven’t even said what I’m going to use it for!” (Sophia)

I hadn’t expected her to agree so easily, so even though she said yes, I ended up digging into it myself.

My dad had been a star player in professional baseball, earning hundreds of millions, and there was also a huge life insurance policy, so there should be a massive amount saved up. Still, my mother was very strict about money.

There was no way she would allow spending money without knowing what it was for.

There absolutely had to be more to this.

As I was suspicious, she said—

“Kento-kun told me this might happen. He mentioned that Sophia would come to talk about money, and he wanted me to listen without getting angry and without digging too much into what it’s for.” (Jessica)

“Onii-chan…” (Sophia)

Though I said I wanted to help Miumi-san and the others, I hadn’t actually told Kento-kun specifically what I planned to do yet.

But from watching my exchanges with Miumi-san and their situation, he seemed to have predicted how I would act.

And on top of that, it seemed he had talked to my mother beforehand so we wouldn’t end up arguing.

Maybe it was to lessen my burden.

—Wait, what!?

“That means onii-chan knows that Mom has a large sum of money, right!? How does he know!? Did you tell him about Papa!?” (Sophia)

Normally, when it comes to money, you’d ask the family breadwinner—Dad.

Even if his dad isn’t my blood relative, that wouldn’t change.

If anything, he should probably think that I would ask Dad, who treats me kindly, rather than Mom, who’s stricter with her own daughter.

But if he’s going directly to Mom, that means he already knows she has a large sum of money.

“Of course, he knows. I told him.” (Jessica)

“Why!? Mom said to avoid talking about Papa because both Dad and onii-chan would feel uneasy, and they wouldn’t like it…!” (Sophia)

That’s why I thought it would be okay not to specifically ask Mom to keep it a secret.

If Kento-kun found out that Papa was Riley Clark, he would think of me as—

“Don’t worry. What I told him was only that he left a large sum of money, so even when Sophia goes for higher education, we won’t have any trouble at all.” (Jessica)

As I panicked, Mom placed her hand on my head.

Then she gently stroked it.

She’s so mean… she definitely said it that way on purpose to make me misunderstand…

“Why didn’t you say that sooner…?” (Sophia)

“I think Sophia was just overreacting.” (Jessica)

Of course, I panicked.

Papa was someone Kento-kun’s admired, and if he found out I was the daughter of the person he admired, Kento-kun would start seeing me differently—not as a romantic interest.

If that happened, I felt like he’d never look at me as a romantic partner again.

More than anything, Papa had already passed away, and even though I’m Riley Clark’s daughter, there’s nothing I can do that would make him happy.

That’s why I thought it was better not to talk about it.

I decided that I would only talk about it once I became Kento-kun’s girlfriend.

“Well, anyway, don’t worry. I’ll lend you the money. Of course, when the time comes, I’ll be there too, and we’ll make sure all the paperwork is properly done, okay?” (Jessica)

My mother said that with a playful smile, and then left the room.

I thought convincing my mother would be the hardest part, but thanks to Kento-kun, it was resolved more easily than I imagined.

Thanks to that, I could take action as soon as tomorrow.

With that, my preparations to persuade Miumi-san were complete.

◆

The next day—

“Why are you here again…?” (Miumi)

After school ended, I changed quickly at home and stopped by a certain shop before suddenly showing up at Miumi-san’s house. She came out looking very displeased.

She worked multiple part-time jobs, but thanks to Rindou-san remembering roughly when Miumi-san worked, I managed to arrive at a time when she was actually home.

Her displeasure was probably because I had cornered her relentlessly the day before and held a weakness over her.

“I wanted to talk with you once more.” (Sophia)

“I don’t want to… And you’re alone today, huh…?” (Miumi)

Even though she said she didn’t want to, she carried on the conversation.

She could have just flat-out refused me and stayed inside, but she’s a conscientious girl.

“I wanted to have an honest, one-on-one talk. I’ve also got some good news for you.” (Sophia)

Miumi-san seemed to dislike Rindou-san way more than I did, so I had her stay home this time.

Of course, Kento-kun was still around here just like yesterday.

“I don’t believe that… and I have nothing to say about Kento-san’s matter…” (Miumi)

I didn’t miss the way she said “Kento-san.”

Judging by this, the exchange with Riku-kun yesterday had hit her pretty hard.

She no longer saw Kento-kun as Shigurazaka’s enemy.

“Is that so? But it’s something that would be good for Riku-kun, you know?” (Sophia)

“Eh…!?” (Miumi)

The moment I mentioned Riku-kun’s name, her attitude changed completely, and she showed a keen interest.

I worry this girl might get tricked by a con artist…

Or rather, she had already been deceived…

“For now, could you let me in? We can talk comfortably in your room.” (Sophia)

I lifted the box of gifts and gave her a gentle smile.

She looked puzzled because she couldn’t tell what was inside the box, tilting her head in curiosity.

So, I opened the box and showed her—

“Cake…!?” (Miumi)

Her face instantly lit up.

It was strange… she should be the same age as me, but she was ridiculously cute.

I almost wanted to make her my little sister.

At that moment, I really wanted to just take her home with me.

“Since I’m going to take your time, this much is only fair.” (Sophia) 

“……” (Miumi)

Miumi-san seemed like she wanted to eat the cake, swallowing hard and staring intently into the box.

But when she noticed I was watching, she shook her head vigorously to push away her craving for the cake and forced a strained smile toward me.

“Is it really okay? If I let you in and I call my guy friends, it’s over, you know? Sophia-san, you might look good, but—” (Miumi)

That was probably a threat, no doubt about it.

She was so cute, yet that gal had probably fed her some strange ideas…

Feeling a bit of anger, I kept my smile unbroken.

“You wouldn’t do something like that, right? After all, this is where you live with your precious little brother.” (Sophia)

“…Come in.” (Miumi)

Maybe she gave up, or maybe she just really wanted the cake.

She let me into the room without much hesitation.

I had thought it was highly likely she’d contacted Shigurazaka-san yesterday, but it seemed she hadn’t.

This was exactly what Rindou-san had said.

Miumi-san would join in if Shigurazaka-san called her, but rarely did Miumi-san ever contact Shigurazaka-san herself.

The reason was that Miumi-san, being dependent on Shigurazaka-san, had repeatedly contacted her in the past, and Shigurazaka-san found it annoying, so she forbade Miumi-san from reaching out to her.

She was really just being used like a convenient pawn.

I wish Miumi-san would realize it too…

But if she’d been manipulated since she was little, it was probably impossible.

Or rather, maybe she was desperately convincing herself that she hadn’t been disliked by Shigurazaka-san and just hadn’t realized the truth.

Either way, their relationship wasn’t a good one.

“You can choose whichever you like.” (Sophia)

I was allowed to sit at the small table and let her pick a cake.

“Well, then… this one.” (Miumi)

She pointed at the classic shortcake among the three options.

I placed the shortcake on a paper plate I had brought and handed it to her along with a plastic fork.

“Thank you…” (Miumi)

Miumi-san took it happily and genuinely said thanks.

Yeah, I wondered if she hadn’t forgotten that I was Kento-kun’s sister…?

She was that lacking in caution.

I had to settle things before Riku-kun came home… but first, I needed to deepen our bond.

To convince her, I had to earn her trust.

For that, I figured we could grow closer by eating cake together.

“It’s so good…” (Miumi)

After taking a bite of the cake, Miumi-san let out a breath of admiration.

I noticed a slight welling of tears at the corner of her eyes.

“You don’t eat cake very often, do you?” (Sophia)

“No… Just earning enough to cover our living expenses and to let Riku-kun keep playing baseball already takes everything I’ve got… Even when there’s money left over, I save it for when he might need a lot for baseball…” (Miumi)

She must have relaxed emotionally while eating the cake.

Just like that, she easily started talking about their situation.

A girl only fifteen or sixteen years old, earning enough to support both herself and her little brother all on her own…

There might be more kids like her out there than I realized.

I should’ve brought more cake.

“Let Riku-kun have the rest.” (Sophia)

“Yeah, thank you…!” (Miumi)

She smiled sweetly, like a small child, and thanked me.

Seeing that smile, I thought to myself—

Shigurazaka-san, I will never forgive you…

I truly resented her for leading such a good girl so far astray.

“—Well then, shall we get to the main topic?” (Sophia)

After finishing the cake, I brought it up with a smile.

However, as expected, once I brought up the real reason I was here, Miumi-san immediately became wary and tensed up.

Well, even so, I couldn’t back down now.

“I’ll get straight to the point. I want you to be honest with me about onii-chan.” (Sophia)

As soon as I said that, Miumi-san looked down, avoiding my eyes.

Yesterday, she’d insisted she “didn’t know”, but clearly, something had changed in her since then.

It was probably because of her exchange with Riku-kun yesterday.

I was sure her conscience had been stirred quite a bit—and that she was suffering from a heavy sense of guilt.

“I promise you, we won’t blame you for anything. All we want is to prove that onii-chan is innocent and allow him to compete in the tournament. If we don’t act, then someone who’s done nothing wrong—no, someone who tried to help you—will be unjustly punished.” (Sophia)

Right now, Miumi-san was likely torn between her conscience and her sense of obligation to Shigurazaka-san.

To someone like Miumi-san, who believed she had been saved by her since she was young, betraying Shigurazaka-san was probably unthinkable.

That’s why I kept pressing on her conscience.

“Miumi-san, you’ve been following Shigurazaka-san’s instructions and receiving money for it since the past, haven’t you? Is it the same this time too? And if it is—don’t you think Riku-kun would be heartbroken if he found out he was playing baseball with money earned by hurting or deceiving others?” (Sophia)

“…………” (Miumi)

She said nothing.

But she didn’t deny it either.

Normally, someone would firmly deny such a thing.

The fact that she didn’t—couldn’t—was as good as an indirect admission.

Above all, if her past relationship with Shigurazaka-san had always been about doing what she was told and receiving money in return, then this time must have followed the same pattern.

“Riku-kun is a really good and honest boy, isn’t he? I’m sure he doesn’t know the truth about your relationship with Shigurazaka-san. If he ever found out… would you be able to face him?” (Sophia)

Miumi-san’s shoulders trembled slightly.

Maybe she took it as a threat.

I had no intention of telling Riku-kun, but I couldn’t blame her for interpreting my words that way.

All I wanted was to keep shaking her conscience.

But even with that, Miumi-san still wouldn’t speak.

It was clear now—her sense of debt to Shigurazaka-san was just too overwhelming.

There was no helping it. I hadn’t wanted to go this far if I could avoid it, but—

“Shigurazaka-san isn’t the kind of person you think she is. She—” (Sophia)

“Don’t talk badly about Rii-chan!!” (Miumi)

Just as I thought.

No matter how much I tried to shake or pressure her, Miumi-san’s feelings of gratitude and attachment to Shigurazaka-san acted like a wall, stopping her cold.

That’s exactly why I had to break that part down—Which meant, of course, I had to show her the true nature of Shigurazaka-san.

But she held on to a fantasy about Shigurazaka-san, and that’s why she reacted so strongly.

“I’m only stating the facts.” (Sophia)

“You’ve hardly even been with Rii-chan, have you…! I’ve known her since elementary school, so obviously I know her better…!” (Miumi)

“For example?” (Sophia)

“Huh?” (Miumi)

“For example, what exactly is so good about Shigurazaka-san?” (Sophia)

When I asked her that, Miumi-san’s eyes shook with unease.

She clearly hadn’t expected that kind of question.

“W-Well… right, she’s kind! When I was getting bullied in elementary school, Rii-chan helped me! She ordered the kids who were bullying me to stop…! And after that, they stopped picking on me right away…!” (Miumi)

That desperate answer Miumi-san gave me—

When I heard it, a certain possibility came to mind.

“When did the bullying start?” (Sophia)

“What do you mean, when…? Why are you asking that…?” (Miumi)

“Just tell me, please?” (Sophia)

“I think it was sometime after I started second grade…” (Miumi)

As I suspected.

In Miumi-san’s case, if she was being bullied despite being cute and kind, the likely reason was that she had no parents and grew up in a facility.

But that would’ve been known since first grade.

And yet, the bullying didn’t start until second grade.

That’s the first part that stood out to me.

“Wasn’t Riku-kun already the fastest runner in the grade when he started school?” (Sophia)

“Y-Yeah, he’s always been the fastest…” (Miumi)

As I thought—

With certainty in my heart, I slowly opened my mouth.

Shigurazaka Rio… what kind of woman is she…?

She must’ve done something that no second grader should ever be capable of doing.

“Miumi-san… there’s a high possibility that you were bullied because Shigurazaka-san ordered it.” (Sophia)

When I told her my thoughts, Miumi-san’s expression changed.

It wasn’t the pale shock of realizing she’d been tricked from the start—no, her face flushed red with anger.

“How far are you going to insult Rii-chan…! There’s no way that’s true…! Rii-chan saved me…!” (Miumi)

“Miumi-san, you just said it yourself, didn’t you? That Shigurazaka-san gave the bullies an order, and the bullying stopped immediately. That means she was in a position where those bullies would listen to her.” (Sophia)

“Ah…” (Miumi)

Miumi-san was at a loss for words.

She had realized it—what I was trying to say.

If someone had the power to stop the bullying, then naturally, they also had the power to start it.

“Miumi-san, the fact that you were bullied even though you’re cute and kind would normally make people think it was because of your circumstances. But you weren’t bullied in first grade. The bullying only started after Riku-kun entered elementary school. That’s because Shigurazaka-san saw Riku-kun and decided she wanted to make both of you her pawns.” (Sophia)

Miumi-san was very cute in appearance, honest, and obedient.

Riku-kun had excellent athletic ability. Shigurazaka-san probably believed that having them both under her control would be useful.

Of course, even she likely wasn’t thinking about professional baseball at that age.

So she decided to become “the person who stopped the bullying”—someone who could easily gain Miumi-san’s trust and sell her a false sense of gratitude.

That explanation made everything fit together.

“B-but… Rii-chan wouldn’t do something like that…” (Miumi)

Even now, Miumi-san still couldn’t fully believe it.

However, it seemed like her unwavering trust in Shigurazaka-san had finally started to shake.

“I was once nearly framed by her, and she even dumped water on me. That’s why she got expelled.” (Sophia)

“…Rii-chan said she was expelled because Sophia-san and Arisu-chan set her up…” (Miumi)

As expected, Shigurazaka-san had planted lies into Miumi-san.

I wanted to say, Just how easily can she tell such bold-faced lies?

“Then tell me—why did Rindou-san and the others, who supposedly set her up, receive suspension as punishment?” (Sophia)

“Th-That’s…” (Miumi)

Miumi-san couldn’t come up with an answer.

Of course, it was impossible to believe otherwise.

“The reason she kept giving money to Miumi-san was the same. She didn’t see you as a friend, but only as a convenient pawn. On top of that, if the money she gave helped raise Riku-kun and he became a pro, it would be a big profit for her.” (Sophia)

Shigurazaka-san had encouraged Miumi-san to make Riku-kun play baseball because she knew the money she gave would be used for Riku-kun’s sake.

That way, she could control Miumi-san as she pleased, and also raise another person with the money she gave.

If Miumi-san felt absolute gratitude toward Shigurazaka-san, then Riku-kun would also regard her as someone special, and if he happened to become a pro, she could enjoy the sweet rewards.

Even if he didn’t make it, the fact that both were convenient to Shigurazaka-san wouldn’t change, so it was still a plus for her.

Besides, I thought the idea of Riku-kun “becoming a pro baseball player to repay his sister’s kindness” was something Shigurazaka-san had implanted in him.

“That’s not all. By setting up your brother this time, Miumi-san, you’re now holding a huge vulnerability for Shigurazaka-san. Do you fully understand that?”

When I asked, Miumi-san’s face went pale, but she shook her head vigorously.

She didn’t understand.

That’s what happens when you follow blindly.

“On top of that, Shigurazaka-san used you this time to carry out her wrongdoing, and she’s planning to use that as blackmail to threaten you once Riku-kun becomes a pro. That’s why she hired the men with money, but used you, Miumi-san, for the female side.” (Sophia)

That was the part I had been stuck on.

If she hired the men with money, she should have hired a women to play the role too.

That would reduce the risk of association.

The biggest risk this time fell on the people carrying out the act.

Even though their face was pixelated, their image still appeared in the video, and if things went wrong, they would be the first to get caught.

That’s probably why the men were deliberately hired.

So why did they use Miumi-san on the women’s side?

Because they could use her as blackmail material if Riku-kun turned pro, and since Miumi-san was just being exploited one-sidedly, they thought they could easily discard her if something went wrong.

They probably saw her as expendable because the chances of Riku-kun going pro were low at the moment.

After all, he hadn’t advanced much in middle school.

That’s why it felt like they didn’t plan to support him in high school either.

Well, it might have been difficult to pay for a private high school—

But if they really wanted to, splitting costs with Miumi-san, who was working multiple part-time jobs, could have been managed.

Shigurazaka-san’s family seemed to have quite a bit of money after all.

Thinking that way, they used Miumi-san as a disposable pawn in this matter, someone they could cut off anytime, and if Riku-kun somehow became a pro, they planned to use this incident as blackmail.

“But… it was really Rii-chan who gave the orders, so even if you threaten me—ah…!” (Miumi)

She just confessed.

That there was something guilty she could be blackmailed over by Shigurazaka-san because of this incident, and that she did it under orders.

At the same time, she acknowledged that the men involved were hired.

Because she didn’t deny it.

If the men had been comrades rather than hired, she would have dismissed it with a laugh.

But since she answered seriously, it’s certain the men were hired.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t recorded anything.” (Sophia)

A lie—actually, I had.

But if I could win her over, I’d get testimony strong enough that such a recording wouldn’t be needed.

So, if she trusted me enough to keep talking, this recording wouldn’t have to be used.

“That’s a relief…” (Miumi)

She visibly relaxed, placing a hand on her chest.

She was basically admitting it, though she probably wasn’t fully aware of it herself.

“As for the threat, it’s not even. If she plays that card, it would only be when Riku-kun becomes a professional baseball player. The damage between an ordinary person and a pro athlete is just too different.” (Sophia)

Famous people’s scandals often involve things that would never have been reported if the person were just a regular citizen.

And many people would never forgive a celebrity’s scandal—they’d want to tear them down.

Even if the person themselves wasn’t involved, there were famous people forced to take responsibility because their parents, children, or siblings caused trouble.

If the truth about Kento-kun’s case were exposed, Riku-kun would instantly become the target of criticism.

Naturally, caring little sister Miumi-san would do everything she could to stop that, continuing to be used by Shigurazaka-san.

If that happened, she’d be endlessly exploited until the day she died, with no end in sight.

“Rii-chan… wouldn’t do something that cruel…” (Miumi)

“Really? Think carefully about everything with Kujouin-sama up to now. Can you honestly say you weren’t just used? Don’t you have memories of being looked down on since you graduated middle school?” (Sophia)

I took Miumi-san’s hand and looked straight into her eyes.

Slowly, tears began to well up in her eyes.

She must have had something she remembered.

And the fact that she had been betrayed by the person she trusted hit her hard.

“UU…Uwaaaahhh! What do I do!? What do I do!? Riku-kun’s working so hard! He’s giving it his all! Because of me, Riku-kun’s going to be in trouble!” (Miumi)

Understanding the situation she was in, Miumi-san started crying uncontrollably.

The words that came out weren’t resentment toward Shigurazaka-san, but worry for her little brother — a testament to her kindness.

“Don’t worry… if you tell the truth properly, onii-chan and I will protect you both.” (Sophia)

I tightly hugged Miumi-san, holding her head gently.

She looked up at me with tearful eyes.

“Sniff… really…?” (Miumi)

“Yes, I’m not lying.” (Sophia)

“Even though I framed Kento-san?” (Miumi)

“It’s alright. Onii-chan is very kind and generous. He never abandons those in trouble, he’s incredibly reliable, and the most wonderful, coolest person ever, so you can feel safe.” (Sophia)

When I said that, Miumi-san cried as she told me the truth.

She admitted receiving orders from Shigurazaka-san and even showed me all the chats on the app.

Fortunately, she was also the one who had been ordered to edit the video, so she still had the original footage on her computer.

The computer had been given to her by Shigurazaka-san, so before it could be taken away, I made sure to retrieve the video too — now we had complete proof of Kento-kun’s innocence.

As thanks, I promised her that until they turned nineteen, she and Riku-kun would live without hardships, and that I would lend the money needed for Riku-kun to keep playing baseball — including the cost if he entered a private school.

We also agreed that she’d only have to repay it if Riku-kun became a professional; if not, she wouldn’t have to.

Miumi-san cried as she thanked me, but it wasn’t something I expected gratitude for.

It was just my own satisfaction, wanting someone who’d suffered so much yet worked hard for her little brother to be rewarded at last.

---

Thanks for reading!

I felt that it had been a while since Sophia talked in English. I guess that’s a good thing…? Speaking of which, this is really one big Sophia chapter, not that I’m complaining. 

I can’t believe this Shigurazaka Rio person still exists within the story after hearing nothing about her for like two volumes. I thought she was a one and done character. Same goes with Arisu, which is why I just called her girl A back then.

Also, I found the next series I want to translate. It’s a web novel and not a light novel though. I’ll probably work on it soon.

---

1. She appeared all the way back in v1 ch4 part2.
2. I think she’s talking about Arisu’s feelings for MC

Hearing that made the blood drain from my face.

The video had already spread widely, and there were tons of replies.

Among them, some even mentioned my name and school.

It seemed I had already been identified.

“This is obviously been edited…!” (Sophia)

Sophia’s face flushed bright red with anger as she shouted.

“That’s because everyone except Kento has their faces blurred out…” (Shouta)

“That’s not what I mean! It’s been clearly cut so that Onii-chan looks like the bad guy!” (Sophia)

Just as Sophia said, the video had cut out the parts explaining why this happened, why I had to restrain the man.

There was even a comment added to frame me deliberately.

Also, there were strange details about the video—

“—Ah, about that incident, Kento. Come here for a moment.” (Coach)

“Coach…” (Kento)

While we were frozen in place, talking, the coach appeared—usually showing up right when we finished preparing.

Kujouin-san was there beside him.

Both of them seemed to already understand the situation.

“I-I’m coming too…!”

As I started to follow the coach, Sophia hurried after me.

The coach was about to say something about it, but—

“Yes, Sophia-chan is involved too. Let her come.” (Nadeshiko)

—Kujouin-san had already approved Sophia tagging along first.

“Kujouin…” (Coach)

“Sophia-chan is Kento-kun’s little sister, right? It’s better if she hears the explanation with you.” (Nadeshiko)

The coach looked at Kujouin-san reluctantly, and she returned a charming smile.

As always, she was strong.

“But don’t make a fuss, okay?” (Nadeshiko)

Kujouin-san gave Sophia a smiling warning.

That meant they were probably about to say something that would make us want to cause a scene.

The four of us then moved to a quiet place with no one around.

“Well, you probably already know, but this is about the video that’s been circulating.” (Coach)

The moment the coach started speaking, Sophia-san immediately denied it.

“Onii-chan is not at fault…!” (Sophia)

Even though she shouldn’t have raised her voice after being told to stay calm, I was grateful she was defending me.

“We know that much ourselves.” (Nadeshiko)

“Sophia, calm down.” (Kento)

Since the coach couldn’t continue, I took Sophia-san’s hand to help her settle down. She looked like she wanted to say something but swallowed her words.

“……” (Sophia)

Kujouin-san seemed to notice me holding Sophia-san’s hand and stared intently at our joined hands. But she didn’t say anything, instead shifting her gaze back to the coach.

“That video started circulating since yesterday evening, and the school’s been flooded with protest calls already… Well, you just happened to be in the news and papers recently, so the timing was really unfortunate…” (Coach)

But was that really the case?

Honestly, I felt like maybe because I was in the papers and news, they decided to do this kind of harassment.

I thought that silently, but without proof, I couldn’t say it out loud.

“Are they demanding I quit, or that I withdraw from the tournament?” (Kento)

The coach gave a small nod.

With a video like that spreading, this outcome was inevitable.

“That’s nonsense, we should just ignore it—” (Sophia)

“Sophia, it’s okay.” (Kento) 

I could feel her frustration, but now wasn’t the time to let it escalate.

From her perspective, she probably couldn’t stand seeing her brother cornered by such an unfair situation.

But the coach and the others weren’t sharing this with any malice.

Getting angry at them wouldn’t help, and so far the coach was only explaining the current situation.

I didn’t know what would come next, and I couldn’t keep interrupting the conversation.

“Why are you so calm…!?” (Sophia)

“There’s no use making a fuss. Haven’t you forgotten that Kujouin-san warned us not to cause a scene?” (Kento)

“Ugh…” (Sophia)

Mentioning Kujouin-san made Sophia swallow her words hard.

She didn’t seem convinced, but at least she stopped trying to get worked up.

“More importantly, there are strange parts in that video. Let me confirm—Kento, when you were there, the only others around were a large man and a small girl, right?” (Coach)

Before the coach announced my punishment, he wanted to confirm the facts.

It seemed he had noticed something as well.

“Yes, that should be correct. But… although there was park lighting and moonlight, the surroundings were dark, so if someone had been hiding, they might not have been noticed.” (Kento)

Sophia looked at me with suspicion.

She probably hadn’t noticed because she was too worked up.

“That video… the girl appeared on screen, but she wasn’t the one who filmed it. And considering it would’ve been impossible for the man I was restraining to film it—” (Kento)

“Oh, so there was another person filming…!?” (Sophia)

Sophia quickly understood what I meant.

At this point, a question must have arisen.

Why didn’t the filmer step in to help?

Why did they silently keep recording?

Even as the girl was pleading for me to release the man, her voice was captured on the audio.

Even so, only her loud voice shouting was recorded; my voice wasn’t included.

Still, if the person holding the phone had spoken, their voice should have been in the recording.

Yet, in that video, only the girl’s voice was heard.

“But maybe they hid the camera on a tripod and filmed secretly…” (Sophia)

“If that were the case, then why would they be hiding and setting up the camera? More importantly, the camera clearly followed us closely. A fixed setup couldn’t have done that.” (Kento)

“Oh… that’s right…” (Sophia)

Sophia drooped her shoulders.

She probably realized she’d overlooked something so simple.

There was no need to feel down about it, though…

“There’s another strange point. The video started filming when Kento was holding the wooden stick in a ready stance, but the next moment showed him knocking the man down. Why was the part between preparing to strike and actually knocking him down cut out?” (Nadeshiko)

“Probably because it was inconvenient for them. The man was actually holding a piece of glass in his hand and attacked me.” (Kento)

They had completely cut out the parts that would make themselves look bad, all to paint me as the villain.

The man had even said he would kill me.

But that’s basically admitting there’s something inconvenient for them.

“The school is aware that the video was manipulated. They had already informed that Kento was framed, and that had been passed on to the High School Baseball Federation as well. Since the video is clearly ridiculous, the school has decided not to take disciplinary action.” (Coach)

The school side.

At those words, Sophia and I both swallowed hard.

In other words, the Federation must have demanded some sort of punishment.

“And what did the High School Baseball Federation say?” (Kento)

“They said Kento would be put on suspension until he can prove his innocence.” (Coach)

“What!?” (Sophia)

I had been prepared for it, but Sophia voiced her shock.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then—remembering what I had told her earlier—she firmly closed it again.

Instead, she squeezed the hand I was holding tightly.

I felt what she wanted to say, and my chest grew warm.

“I’m glad the whole school wasn’t suspended and made to forfeit.” (Kento)

If the entire school had been banned because of me, I wouldn’t have been able to face my teammates.

Especially the second-year students—it was their last chance to play in the spring Koshien tournament.

Even if I had to quit the team, avoiding a suspension was something I had to do.

It was a small blessing in a misfortune that it didn’t come to that.

“Because it was deliberate, the baseball association couldn’t impose such a harsh penalty. Also, they didn’t say anything about Kento’s registration for the bench.” (Coach)

“Of course, I won’t be allowed on the bench until my innocence is proven, but once that happens, I can participate in the next game, right?” (Kento)

“That’s right.” (Coach)

There was still a way for me to be saved.

But could I actually prove my innocence?

There were strange parts in the video, but I didn’t have the original footage.

On top of that, the police records had me marked as the guilty party.

If anything could break this down, it would be convincing the other side—but the chance they’d listen was zero.

If they were willing to negotiate, they wouldn’t have done something like this from the start.

And I didn’t recognize those guys.

Since I didn’t even know why they did this, negotiation was impossible.

“Hey, Kento, you should take some time off school.” (Coach)

While my thoughts were spinning, the coach suddenly put a hand on my shoulder.

Though it was a suspension, it was supposed to apply only to baseball activities.

Since the school hadn’t said anything about it, I thought there was no need to take time off…

“The Chugoku tournament starts in three days. In other words, there’s no time. So you should take a break from school and focus on proving your innocence. With your intelligence, you should be able to find a way.” (Coach)

“But if Kento-kun takes time off, won’t the students see it as if he’s been suspended?” (Nadeshiko)

Up to this point, it seemed like Kujouin-san hadn’t discussed this beforehand, as she asked the coach with concern.

I agreed with her.

If I took a break here, the students would likely see it as if I were admitting guilt.

“Kujouin, with your popularity and wide circle of friends, you can handle it, right? Spread the word among the students that Kento is only taking time off to prove his innocence.” (Coach)

“What about the teachers…?” (Nadeshiko)

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll leave that to the big boss.” (Coach)

The “big boss” probably meant the chairman of the school. 

I had heard before that the coach was on good terms with the chairman.

“Honestly, we’d like to help you out somehow too, but if we lose the game, it’s all for nothing. You leave a big hole on both offense and defense.” (Coach)

The tournament draw had already taken place, and our first-round opponent had been decided. We also had a grasp on which teams we might face if we advanced.

It was a high-level tournament, with the top four schools from each prefecture participating, but thanks to our captain’s good luck with the draw, as long as we entered in full force, we had landed in a bracket where we could likely fight our way to the finals.

In the final, we’d probably face the prestigious school that came in first in the Hiroshima tournament, so a tough battle would be waiting there, but until then, things looked manageable.

And yet, with me gone, not only as the cleanup hitter but also as the catcher, the entire situation would change dramatically.

The most painful part would be that Shuuto wouldn’t be able to pitch at full strength.

Right now, I was the only one on the team who could catch his fastballs when he got serious.

I understood why the coach and the others wanted to focus on the game.

“Don’t worry. I don’t want to cause the team any more trouble either, so that’s actually better for me.” (Kento)

I did want to rely on the coaches, but if the team ended up losing, that would be a bigger problem.

This tournament was an important one, leading to the Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament in fall and the Koshien Tournament in spring.

I had to resolve this issue on my own.

Just as I thought that—

“Um, I…! I’m not really helping the team right now, so I want to help you instead, Onii-chan…! I will prove your innocence…!” (Sophia)

Sophia raised the hand that wasn’t holding mine and declared it loudly.

“Sophia…” (Kento)

“Yeah, I think that’s better too.” (Nadeshiko)

Kujouin-san gave a gentle smile and placed a supportive hand on Sophia’s shoulder.

She must have known that Sophia would say that.

That was why she wanted Sophia to accompany me.

“I don’t mind. But don’t skip school, alright?” (Kento)

“Yes, I know that. But please excuse me from the club activities in the afternoon from now on.” (Sophia)

For Sophia, her studies were extremely important.

Even missing a single day of school would be a serious setback.

I’d also be troubled if she stayed home completely, so this arrangement worked best.

She probably only came to morning practice today because there’d be nothing to do if she went straight to class.

“But Kento, don’t go wandering around outside carelessly. There’s no guarantee that video was the end of it. Especially during school hours—it’d look the worst.” (Coach)

“Got it. But… regarding the situation now—” (Kento)

“Don’t worry. I’ll drive you home.” (Coach)

It looked like I had no choice but to accept the coach’s help here.

With everything settled, the coach would take me back home after this.

Since I had been targeted, I was naturally worried about Sophia as well, but the coach said he’d make arrangements for a teacher to drive her home after school.

So I obediently let the coach drive me home—though on the way, I asked him to stop by the park near my house, remembering the glass shards.

However, by the time we got there, the glass shards were already gone from the spot I remembered—they had likely been disposed of by those guys.

◆

[Sophia’s PoV]

After Kento returned home, I attended morning practice with Nadeshiko-senpai.

Then, after morning practice ended—

“Kento can’t play in the game? Seriously…?” (Club member)

One of the club members sighed.

It sounded like it was Kannagi-kun who spoke.

I braced myself, thinking he might say something bad—

“Well, what’s done is done, right? Still, I can’t believe someone as reliable as him got caught up in something so messed up.” (Club Member)

“That’s true. Well, I guess Kento’s kindness ended up causing trouble for him?” (Club Member)

Rather than looking displeased, the second-year senpai just chuckled helplessly.

“I mean, helping a girl out in a park at night? What is he, a hero!?” (Club Member)

“Good looks and a good heart, huh? And he fought a guy with a knife, right!? No way I could do that!” (Club Member)

Some of them even started joking around, trying to lift the mood.

It was probably to keep things from getting too heavy.

Kento-kun had said it too—the baseball team really was full of good people.

But what about that person?

With what happened to Kento-kun, there’s no way Kurogane-kun, who lives and breathes baseball, wouldn’t be angry.

I turned my eyes toward him and saw him silently wiping sweat off with a towel.

“…What?” (Shuuto)

Noticing me staring, he glared at me, looking displeased.

However, he was very quiet and didn’t seem as angry as I had expected.

“It’s just… I thought you’d be really mad about what happened to onii-chan.” (Sophia)

“Of course I’m mad.” (Shuuto)

Did I step on a landmine?

Kurogane-kun shot me a sharp glare, filled with what felt like barely restrained hostility, and I involuntarily held my breath.

“Hey, don’t glare at Sophia-chan like that…!” (Nadeshiko)

Perhaps worried about me, Nadeshiko-senpai immediately stepped in front of me, shielding me from Kurogane-kun.

Then, Kannagi-kun quickly came to stand beside her.

“Kento and Shirakawa-san didn’t do anything wrong, did they!? Don’t take it out on Shirakawa-san…!” (Shouta)

“Hah?” (Shuuto)

It seemed like Kurogane-kun and Kannagi-kun didn’t get along at all—they were said to argue pretty often.

Maybe because of that, his glare grew even sharper.

But—

“What the hell are you misunderstanding? I’m not angry at Kento or anything.” (Shuuto)

Apparently, he wasn’t angry at Kento-kun.

“R-Really…? But just now…” (Shouta)

“I’m angry at the bastards who set him up. No matter what reason they had, I’ll never forgive them for interfering with us, and more than anything, I can’t forgive them for taking advantage of his kindness.” (Shuuto)

I had thought this before, but it really did seem like Kurogane-kun viewed Kento-kun as someone special.

Whether it was because they formed a battery together or because of Kento-kun’s personality, I wasn’t sure.

Still… for someone like him, who was often said to not care about others, to get this angry for someone else’s sake was unexpected.

“Not that getting mad will do anything for us.” (Shouta)

“I don’t need someone like you to tell me that.” (Shuuto)

“The hell did you just say!?” (Shouta)

It seemed the phrase “someone like you” had struck a nerve, because Kannagi-kun got all fired up.

These two really were ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

Normally, Kento-kun would step in and stop them—but he wasn’t here anymore.

Maybe I should step in instead…?

That thought crossed my mind, but I felt like if I did, it might only make things worse and fire them up even more.

While I was thinking that—

“You two don’t have the luxury of fighting right now, do you?” (Nadeshiko)

A calm, composed voice echoed mysteriously across the field.

The two of them looked over at me in surprise.

No—more precisely, they were looking at Nadeshiko-senpai standing in front of me.

“You both understand that without Kento-kun, we’re weakened both offensively and defensively, right? Do you really have time to be fighting when the pitcher and shortstop—two especially important defensive positions—are at odds? Since Kento-kun is out, Kurogane-kun is batting cleanup, and Kanagi-kun is the leadoff hitter, right? If you’re fighting like this, do you think you can win the next game? You do understand this is a match you can’t afford to lose, don’t you?” (Nadeshiko)

Just by her tone, it was clear Nadeshiko-senpai was smiling as she spoke.

I understood that—yet, for some reason, I felt an intense pressure.

Before I even realized it, cold sweat was running down my back…

“W-We weren’t really fighting or anything…” (Shouta)

Perhaps afraid of Nadeshiko-senpai, Kannagi-kun suddenly started stammering.

On the other hand, despite being visibly shaken earlier, Kurogane-kun had already regained his composure.

“We know that much. If we lose while he’s gone, he’ll end up blaming himself for it.” (Shuuto)

Surprisingly, Kurogane-kun spoke to Nadeshiko-senpai with a respectful tone.

It might be because he acknowledged her, given her reputation for having exceptional skills in gathering information and analysis.

As I quietly observed the exchange, Kurogane-kun suddenly started walking toward me.

I thought he was simply headed somewhere else and stepped aside to clear the way—but instead, he changed course and came straight toward me.

Okay, but why me!?

I couldn’t help but think that.

“Oi.” (Shuuto) 

“Tone.” (Nadeshiko)

“…I’m leaving Kento to you.” (Shuuto)

Kurogane-kun spoke to me in a high-handed way, but when Nadeshiko-senpai called him out from behind (?), his attitude softened a little.

Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

“Yeah. I’ll definitely prove his innocence.” (Sophia)

That was all I could say.

I hadn’t found a single lead yet, but I had no intention of leaving things as they were.

Kento-kun had helped me so many times—now it was my turn to repay the favor.

“At the very least, prove it before the finals. We might have a chance against the other schools, but against the high school we’ll probably face in the finals, we absolutely won’t win without Kento.” (Shuuto)

I never expected someone like him—usually so full of confidence and never one to complain—to say something like this.

But considering the school they’d likely face in the finals, it was understandable.

“I think it’ll be tough just to make it that far, though…” (Shouta)

“Yeah, I know. But there’s no way a team aiming to win at Koshien can just say, ‘We couldn’t advance because Kento wasn’t there.’ I’m going to fight like hell to win, and so are the others. So tell Kento this: leave the team to us, and focus on doing what you need to do.” (Shuuto)

Kurogane-kun said this with a serious expression, pointing his thumb at Kannagi-kun beside him.

Given the situation, it was obvious that Kento was the one most affected.

He was probably still regretting his actions, feeling responsible for the trouble he’d caused the team.

More than anything, the match must have been weighing heavily on his mind.

Kurogane-kun’s consideration would surely bring some relief to Kento-kun’s heart.

“Thank you, I’ll let him know.” (Sophia)

In reality, advancing without Kento-kun wouldn’t be easy.

It wasn’t just that they absolutely couldn’t win against the team they were likely to face in the finals—when it came to the other teams, the truth was they wouldn’t know unless they tried.

Still, there was no way they would just quietly wait for the match day to come.

They would definitely fight tooth and nail to stay in the tournament.

“Oh, there’s one more thing I wanted to say.” (Shuuto)

Just when I thought the conversation was over, it seemed Kurogane-kun still had something left to say.

He was unusually talkative today.

Even though he usually hardly speaks at all.

“What is it?” (Sophia)

“What you did wasn’t wrong. Tell him that too.” (Shuuto)

I was so surprised that I instinctively widened my eyes.

I never expected Kurogane-kun to say something like that.

“Oh! Yeah, exactly! What’s wrong with helping someone?!” (Shouta)

It seemed rare, but Kannagi-kun agreed with Kurogane-kun and raised his voice energetically.

“Yeah, seriously! The ones at fault are the bastards who set Kento up!” (Club Member)

“Leave this to us! Even without Kento, we’ll fight our way through on our own!” (Club Member)

Then, one after another, the other team members raised their voices in support, following Kannagi-kun’s lead.

Not a single person there blamed Kento-kun. Everyone said that what he did was the right thing.

Yes—just because things turned out badly didn’t mean Kento-kun was wrong for trying to help a girl.

If anything, it was something to be praised.

As I watched the baseball team members, each one standing up to defend Kento-kun, my chest grew warm.

And so—

“Thank you all so much.” (Sophia)

—I bowed deeply and expressed my gratitude to everyone on the baseball team.

---

Thanks for reading!

Since a lot of you want me to continue this series, I’ll at least finish this volume, and I guess I’ll just see what happens from there.

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1. None

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Keep an open mind when reading this chapter, and make sure to read the TL Notes just this once.

---

The night after I woke up to find Kujouin-san in front of me, I was out for my usual run.

“Kyaaaaaaaaa!” (?)

A girl’s scream tore through the silence of the night road.

(What was that!?)

I immediately started running towards the direction the scream had come from.

There, in the park, a large man with a hood was grabbing the arm of a small girl.

“No! Let go of me!” (?)

The girl desperately hit the man, trying with all her might to escape.

But she was just a small girl, around elementary school age.

Even if she hit with all her might, her strength was negligible.

“Just come quietly—” (Man)

“Let her go!” (Kento)

“Gweh!?” (Man)

I tackled the man with full force, and his body was sent flying.

In the process, the girl’s arm was freed, but because he had been holding onto her, her balance was thrown off, and she almost fell.

I quickly reached out and gently caught her in my arms.

“Are you okay?” (Kento)

“Ah…” (?)

Her face turned toward me, illuminated by the moonlight.

She had a young face that matched her short stature, and it was so cute that anyone who saw her would be captivated.

Her pink twin-tailed hair suited her baby-faced appearance well. It was likely this very cuteness that had caused the man to target her.

“A princess carry…” (?)

As she stared into my eyes, she muttered something under her breath.

But her voice was so quiet that I couldn’t catch it.

“Sorry, what was that?” (Kento)

“Ah… N-Nothing…!” (?)

When I asked, she frantically shook her head and started flailing.

“C-Calm down, it’s dangerous if you flail like that…!” (Kento)

I warned her as I gently lowered her back down to the ground.

“Just in case… do you know that guy?” (Kento)

“Nope, never seen him before! I was just walking and he suddenly attacked me and dragged me into the park…!” (?)

I see… so it wasn’t a quarrel between people who knew each other.

Understanding the situation, I stepped in front of the girl to shield her from the man.

“You bastard, what the hell do you think you’re doing!?” (Man)

“Those are my words! You’re the lowest for attacking a girl!” (Kento)

I watched the man’s every move with utmost caution.

He was about the same height as me, but he had a solid build and gave off the vibe of someone used to fighting.

As for me, of course, the last time I got into a fistfight was back when I was a kid.

The odds were definitely not in my favor.

For a brief moment, the word violence flashed through my mind—but surely no one would blame me for trying to protect a girl.

“Can you run?” (Kento)

I asked her in a low voice, making sure the man couldn’t hear.

“I-I can’t… My legs are shaking, I can’t put any strength into them…” (?)

The best option would’ve been to take her and run, but it looked like the fear from being attacked had left her unable to move.

She was barely able to stay standing.

In that case, I really had no choice but to restrain the man somehow…

“Please stay back. Embarrassing as it is, I’m not confident in fights, so I can’t protect you and fight at the same time.” (Kento)

“O-Okay…!” (?)

She nodded, and with unsteady steps, slowly moved away from me.

From the looks of it, she might be able to run once she recovers a bit more.

If that’s the case, all I needed to do was buy some time.

“Shouldn’t you be paying attention to something else…!” (Man)

The man drew back his fist and charged at me with full force.

I focused all my attention on his movements and tilted my head slightly.

“What…?!” (Man)

The man looked surprised when I dodged his punch, staring at my face.

I had thought he was used to fighting, but his movements were wide and wasteful.

I had naturally good dynamic vision, and my time playing baseball had sharpened it even further—apparently, my eyes could track all of his motions perfectly.

In that case—

“What’s wrong? That was a pretty slow punch.” (Kento)

“The hell?! You mocking me, bastard?!” (Man)

The moment I provoked him, the man came at me with another punch.

He threw a flurry of attacks, but I dodged them all with the bare minimum movement.

It was both to conserve energy and to make him believe he couldn’t take me down.

“Damn it, why can’t I land a single hit?!” (Man)

No matter how many times he tried to punch me, nothing connected, and the man roared in frustration.

The more I dodged, the more the man seemed to let his anger get the best of him.

His movements gradually became more predictable, and his swings grew wider and more exaggerated.

Naturally, that made it even easier for me to avoid them, and now I was confident I could dodge them all.

Had the girl still not managed to escape?

Now that I had a bit of leeway, I glanced over at her.

She was holding a smartphone and seemed to be doing something with it.

Was she trying to call the police…?

“What are you doing? Hurry up and r—” (Kento)

“I’ve had enough! I’ll kill you!” (Man)

Run before you call for help.

Just as I was about to tell her that, the man pulled something out from his clothes.

The object in his hand gave off a brief glint, and from his actions and words, I instantly knew what it was.

“A knife…!?” (Kento)

Damn it…!

Unlike fists, a knife could be fatal depending on where it struck.

On top of that, with the tournament coming up, I couldn’t afford to get injured.

I quickly picked up a tree branch that had fallen nearby.

“Fuu…” (Kento)

Stay calm… If I panicked, I wouldn’t be able to dodge properly…

I took a deep breath to steady myself.

Then, holding the branch like a weapon, I prepared for the man’s next move.

“Uwoooooooooh!” (Man)

“Hmph…!” (Kento)

As the man lunged forward, thrusting the knife at me, I struck his hand with the branch, using the same technique as a kendo kote block.

“Argh!” (Man)

The man cried out as pain shot through his hand, causing him to drop the knife to the ground.

I immediately kicked it away, then grabbed his body and swept his legs out from under him.

The large man was lifted off his feet, and without letting the momentum drop, I slammed him hard onto the ground.

“Khah…!” (Man)

He landed on his back, and the impact knocked the air out of him for a moment.

But soon enough, he began breathing again, coughing and gasping.

I quickly grabbed his arm and pinned his body to the ground.

“Stop it already. The police will be here any minute now.” (Kento)

Since I hadn’t stopped the girl, she must have already called them.

As long as I kept the man pinned like this, everything should be resolved.

Still… I was really glad our school had martial arts in the curriculum.

To be honest, I used to wonder why we had to take martial arts classes on top of regular P.E.—why we had to do kendo or judo… But now, here I was, actually putting it to use.

I had to thank the school.

As that thought crossed my mind, I saw the girl running over with quick, light steps.

Maybe now that the man was restrained, she could move again.

I gave her a reassuring smile and opened my mouth to speak.

“It’s okay no—” (Kento)

“Stop! Let him go!!”

“…Huh?” (Kento)

For a moment, I couldn’t understand what she had just said.

Let him go…?

Why…?

And more importantly—why was she crying…?

“What are you talking about…?” (Kento)

“Just let go! Let go of my boyfriend!!” (?)

“Boyfriend!?” (Kento)

No, wait a minute!

What was she saying!?

She said she didn’t know this guy… didn’t she!?

The sudden turn of events was so absurd that my brain couldn’t keep up.

I had no idea what was going on or how things ended up like this.

And to make matters worse—

“Are you alright!?” (Police)

“We got a report about a man attacking someone—what’s going on!?” (Police)

—the police arrived at the worst possible moment.

“It’s him! He suddenly attacked my boyfriend out of nowhere…!” (?)

While I stood there in confusion, the girl pointed at me and pleaded her case to the police.

As a result, the officers turned their sharp, hostile gazes toward me.

Then, from both sides, they grabbed my arms, pulling me off the man I had restrained.

“Please wait, I only stepped in because she was being attacked!” (Kento)

“Don’t lie! Then why is this girl saying you are the attacker!?” (Police)

How should I know?! I’m the one who wants to ask that!

“You there, are you injured?” (Police)

One of the officers turned to the man.

“No, I’m fine. He just pinned me down, that’s all…” (Man)

“I see. That’s a relief…” (Police)

The officer visibly relaxed upon hearing the man hadn’t been hurt.

But as I watched that exchange, something felt… off.

I didn’t know why these two had set me up, but the most likely reason was money.

If that were the case, then exaggerating any injuries would’ve been in their best interest.

At the very least, his hand should’ve been hurt from when I struck it with the stick.

Could it be that they didn’t want the knife incident to be investigated?

If he mentioned the injury on his hand, I’d probably bring up the knife.

Normally, carrying a blade around isn’t something most people do.

If the police found out he had one—and that he tried to use it on me—they might start suspecting him instead.

More than anything, I thought this might be my chance to prove that I was the one who had been set up.

That’s why I looked toward where I had kicked it—

“…Huh?” (Kento)

—but lying there wasn’t a knife. It was a shard of glass.

It seemed I had mistaken the shard of glass for a knife.

“Let’s bring this guy to the station for now…” (Police)

“W-Wait! Please examine that shard of glass! That guy’s fingerprints should be on it!” (Kento)

It wasn’t a knife, but it was still proof that the man had tried to attack me with glass.

Since the girl had called me the bad guy, I wasn’t sure how much it would help, but it was better than just being taken away without any resistance.

However—

“What nonsense are you spouting…!” (Police)

The police didn’t believe me.

They completely treated me like a suspect, and clearly had no intention of listening.

Even after I repeatedly tried to explain, they wouldn’t hear me out, and I was eventually taken away to the police station.

Strangely enough, though—both the man and the girl apparently told the police that it wasn’t worth turning into a case since no one had been hurt, and they didn’t file any reports.

Because of that, I was released as soon as my parents came to pick me up.

◆

“Can we talk, Onii-chan…?” (Sophia)

As I holed up in my room after coming back from the police station, Sophia called out to me from the hallway.

She had come to the station with Dad and the others, and even in the car on the way home, she had been visibly worried. So she was probably still concerned now.

“What’s up?” (Kento)

I stepped out into the hallway, trying to smile so as not to worry Sophia.

However, perhaps I didn’t smile properly, because Sophia’s eyes trembled when she saw my face.

“Can we talk in my room…?” (Sophia)

“Sorry, I haven’t taken a bath yet…” (Kento)

I had at least changed my clothes after getting home, but the sweat from running and the fight with that man was still clinging to my body.

Given the situation, I couldn’t bring myself to walk into Sophia’s room like that.

“Ah, actually, I kind of prefer it that way…” (Sophia)

But Sophia suddenly blushed and looked at me with dazed, droopy eyes.

“Uh… what?” (Kento)

“N-Nothing…! I don’t mind, so come on…” (Sophia)

Flustered, Sophia quickly turned her back to me and headed back to her room.

That was… pretty forceful.

But in this moment, that forcefulness was exactly what I needed.

“Alright, got it.” (Kento)

I followed after Sophia and stepped into her room.

“Here, sit down?” (Sophia)

“Uh, the bed’s a bit much…” (Kento)

“Just do it…” (Sophia)

“…Okay.” (Kento)

Being told so firmly made it feel like I had no choice, so I obediently sat down on the bed.

Then, Sophia immediately sat down next to me.

“Well, I don’t think you need to worry about it. Since it didn’t become a problem, Mom and I believe you didn’t do anything wrong.” (Sophia)

Sophia looked at me kindly, probably thinking I was feeling down about having to deal with the police.

I was actually feeling down, but more than that, I was bothered by this strange, unsettling feeling.

No matter how I thought about it, it just didn’t make sense.

There was no doubt they had set me up, yet instead of demanding money, they were urging the police to release me.

Even if they were just troublemakers, it still made no sense.

“Onii-chan…?” (Sophia)

Lost in thought, Sophia called out to me in a worried voice.

I probably hadn’t responded to her because I was so deep in thought.

“Sorry, I just can’t wrap my head around what happened…” (Kento)

“It’s pointless to think about it. People like that often do foolish things. I’ve been troubled by things like that before, too. Since it ended without incident, I think you shouldn’t worry about it.” (Sophia)

Because of her striking appearance, Sophia had probably been subjected to all kinds of harassment before.

Her coldness toward others came from that past, and the incident with those gals before had been an attempt to trap Sophia.

Sure, it felt similar to that time…

“Maybe this isn’t over yet…” (Kento)

“What do you mean…? Is there something you’re worried about…?” (Sophia)

“No… It’s just a bad feeling I can’t shake. I’ll call the supervisor later, just in case.” (Kento)

I hoped I was overthinking it.

But what if I wasn’t?

If this really ended here, then what they did would have been pointless.

Still, thinking it would just end like this felt like being way too optimistic…

“Onii-chan…” (Sophia)

“It’s fine. If it’s just me overthinking, then that’s okay.” (Kento)

I smiled and told Sophia that, but—unfortunately, I wasn’t just overthinking.

◆

Two days later, in the morning—

“Oi, Kento…! Have you seen this video!?” (Shouta)

Shouta ran up to me with a pale face as soon as I arrived at school for morning practice.

A bad feeling ran through me as Sophia and I leaned over to look at Shouta’s phone.

On the screen was a video showing me holding the man down, and the girl crying while begging me to let him go.

The video ended there; it didn’t show the police arriving.

“What the hell is this…?” (Kento)

“It’s been uploaded on an SNS site! The caption says, ‘My boyfriend was attacked by a star baseball player!’” (Shouta)

---

What the actual fck is all this sudden drama… Right after finishing TGS vol 3, I was met with whatever this chapter was. I absolutely hate drama coming out of nowhere just to screw with the mc at the last second. It especially pissed me off as there was an innocent illustration of the MC and the girl he “saved”. I couldn’t bring myself to translate the rest of this chapter after seeing this shit of a development. This girl doesn’t even deserve me putting the illustration of her for this chapter.

So what I want to ask is if there’s still anyone wanting to read this, cause if not, I’m dropping it. It’s a shame, cause I wanted to see the sweet romance between MC and Sophia play out, but it has to be blocked under this stupid drama. I’m aware that there is also an illustration of Sophia hugging this girl, meaning there were probably circumstances at play, but I’m not interested in finding out. I just wanted a nice romance story, not whatever this is.

Anyways, if you want me to drop this, what do you want me to translate next? I got recommendation for “Takane No Hana” but considering the possibility of DMCA maybe something else.

---

1. None

“Muu…” (Sophia)

“Sophia-chan, I’m sorry, okay? Don’t sulk so much.” (Nadeshiko)

While we were soaking in the bath together, Nadeshiko-senpai smiled awkwardly as she apologized to me, seeing me puffing up my cheeks.

In the end, while I was feeling exhausted, she had already washed her own body, and I couldn’t help but feel like I lost.

“Senpai, you’re so mean…” (Sophia)

“No, that’s not it! I just wanted to help wash you…!” (Nadeshiko)

Lies, absolute lies.

Because she was enjoying it.

She was enjoying teasing me.

Holding a grudge, I shot Nadeshiko-senpai a glare, silently showing my displeasure.

“Ahaha…” (Nadeshiko)

When I simply gave her a silent look, Nadeshiko-senpai began to laugh and her gaze started to wander.

As I gazed at her, I made a mental note to be more careful and avoid bathing together in the future.

However, I suddenly remembered.

We still had to eat dinner, but after that, it had already been decided that we would be sleeping in the same bed.

“Please don’t do anything weird in bed, okay…? If you do, I’ll go sleep in my parents’ room…” (Sophia)

Just in case, I gave her a warning.

Honestly, I didn’t want to sleep in the bed my mom and dad usually used, but my own safety was more important.

If it came down to it, I really would run to my parents’ room.

“I won’t, so don’t worry, okay?” (Nadeshiko)

Senpai reassured me with a gentle smile, but after what had just happened, there was no way I could trust her.

“Alright, I think we can finally have an open and honest conversation now…” (Nadeshiko)

As I watched Nadeshiko-senpai cautiously, she suddenly pressed her hands together and said something ominous.

“Sophia-chan, you like Kento-kun, don’t you?” (Nadeshiko)

“—!?” (Sophia)

Out of nowhere, Nadeshiko-senpai hit me with an outrageous statement.

“Wh-Wh-What are you saying!? No, that’s not true…!” (Sophia)

I had let my guard down, thinking that topic wouldn’t come up, so I hurriedly denied it.

But—Nadeshiko-senpai simply smiled as if she had no other choice, placing her hand gently against my cheek.

“You don’t have to hide it. No one’s going to blame you or spread it around.” (Nadeshiko)

As she softly stroked my cheek, I gradually began to regain my composure.

Nadeshiko-senpai definitely wouldn’t do something like that.

If she were the type of person to spread rumors, Kento-kun wouldn’t place his trust in her.

But… I couldn’t figure out why she was bringing this up.

So, I decided to go on the offensive.

“Se-Senpai, you… like onii-chan too, don’t you…?” (Sophia)

From what I had seen so far, it was obvious that Nadeshiko-senpai had feelings for Kento-kun.

If we were going to talk openly, it wouldn’t be right for her to avoid answering honestly.

When I pointed that out, Nadeshiko-senpai’s face turned bright red.

She was probably aware of it herself.

Despite her face turning red, she didn’t seem to be that flustered.

She must have expected that I might turn the question back on her, so she had mentally prepared for this.

“Yeah… I like him. I mean, he’s kind and cool…” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai, blushing, started fidgeting with her fingers but admitted it without hesitation.

I was sure she wouldn’t acknowledge it…

“A-Aren’t you worried about the rules…?” (Sophia)

She had confessed so easily that I couldn’t hide my shock.

Seeing me like that, she gazed at me gently.

“The rules only say we can’t date. They don’t forbid having romantic feelings.” (Nadeshiko)

“But… people will still look at you differently. And if onii-chan realizes it, he might distance himself from you…” (Sophia)

“Do you really think Kento-kun would do something so cold?” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai tilted her head slightly and looked straight into my eyes.

That question made me freeze.

“I… don’t think he would…” (Sophia)

He was kinder than anyone.

Even if he noticed our feelings, he probably wouldn’t distance himself from us.

Because he would know that it would hurt us.

Most likely, unless we directly confessed, he would act as if he hadn’t noticed, even if he did.

“Yeah, I feel the same way. So, you don’t have to hide it too much, okay?” (Nadeshiko)

“Too much” — she must be referring to me calling him “onii-chan”.

Even though she had told me before that it was fine as long as we were okay with it, it seemed like she had been waiting for a situation where she could talk openly to me about this.

“Are you saying I should stop calling him ‘onii-chan’…?” (Sophia)

I couldn’t help but see things that way, so I decided to confirm.

“No, that’s not it. If you want to call him that, I think it’s fine, and Kento-kun might secretly be happy about it too. After all… it seems like a lot of boys have a desire to be called ‘onii-chan’ by someone.” (Nadeshiko)

She seemed to be saying that as long as it was something we truly wanted, then it was fine.

I didn’t really understand the whole “desire” thing, but it seemed that Nadeshiko-senpai was quite knowledgeable about what boys wanted.

“That’s why I only have one thing to say. I’ll respect whatever Sophia-chan decides, but I don’t want you to lie to yourself about your feelings. Because I think you’ll regret it later.” (Nadeshiko)

I had thought she was mean, but in the end, she was truly kind.

I could tell she was genuinely worried about me.

“Are you sure about this…? I mean… if I’m honest with myself, that would make me your rival, Nadeshiko-senpai…” (Sophia)

With that, I indirectly admitted my feelings for Kento-kun.

In reality, no one likes having a romantic rival.

Everyone wants to be the one who ends up with the person they love.

“Kento-kun is kind, cool… and just a wonderful person. It’s only natural to fall for him.” (Nadeshiko)

Without any hint of embarrassment, Nadeshiko-senpai showered Kento-kun with praise.

It was clear that she really loved Kento-kun, and whenever she spoke about him, she couldn’t help but gush.

“Since I fell for such a wonderful person, I always knew there would be other girls who liked him too… That’s why I try not to let it bother me. You wouldn’t want to be at odds with someone over it, right?” (Nadeshiko)

Just as she appeared, Nadeshiko-senpai seemed to have a personality that disliked conflict.

Even if it involved a love rival—that was just the kind of person she was.

“But… are you really okay with someone else taking onii-chan away from you?” (Sophia)

“Hmm, well… of course, I wouldn’t be happy about it.” (Nadeshiko)

She smiled wryly, lowering her gaze.

Then, she cupped her hands and scooped up some water—before gently pouring it over her chest.

It wasn’t a forceful splash, but a soft trickle from above.

“I’d hate it… but I want Kento-kun to be happy. And if it’s someone he chooses, then she must be a wonderful person… so I think I’d be okay with it.” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai was probably the type of person who believed that as long as the one she loved was happy, it didn’t matter if she wasn’t the one by his side.

Maybe that mindset came from her desire to avoid conflict, but I knew I could never be that detached.

Still—if the one Kento-kun chose in the end was Nadeshiko-senpai, I felt like I would have to accept it.

Because when it came to personality, I couldn’t possibly compare to her.

And besides—

I lowered my gaze.

Floating gently in the bath were two large masses of fat.

Boys tend to prefer them bigger, don’t they…?

“Sophia-chan, where exactly are you looking…?” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai, blushing, covered her chest with her hands.

Even though she had done whatever she wanted with mine, she was embarrassed when it was her turn to be stared at.

“No… I was just thinking that I could never be as mature as you, Nadeshiko-senpai…” (Sophia)

“Um… with the way you’re looking, I’m not sure which kind of ‘mature’ you mean…” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai said with an awkward smile.

If she asked which meaning I intended, well… maybe both.

But since my mother’s chest was even bigger than Nadeshiko-senpai’s, I figured it was still too soon to give up hope.

“I meant in a romantic sense.” (Sophia)

“I see… Well, I think that’s normal. You don’t have to look at love the same way as me, I just don’t want you to lie to yourself and end up suffering because of it.” (Nadeshiko)

Even with just a few words, she seemed to understand exactly what I meant.

She really was sharp—and kind…

Etching her words into my heart, we spent the rest of our time chatting about trivial things.

And then, while we were drying ourselves off in the changing room—

“By the way, Nadeshiko-senpai, why did you choose Seijou? Was it because you liked baseball?” (Sophia)

I decided to ask something that had been on my mind.

With how smart Nadeshiko-senpai is, she could have easily gotten into the top-ranked high school in the prefecture. Even if she chose Seijou, she could have entered the Special Preparatory Course as a scholarship student and had her tuition waived.

The fact that she didn’t take that path made me think she must have come to Seijou to be the baseball team’s manager.

“…I wonder. Maybe I should stop keeping secrets from you, Sophia-chan?” (Nadeshiko)

For a moment, Nadeshiko-senpai froze, placing a hand on her chest, before turning back to me with a smile.

That “to you” meant that she was keeping this secret from everyone else.

“If it’s something you don’t want to talk about, that’s okay.” (Sophia)

“No, that’s not it. I just don’t want to use authority as a shield, so I’ve kept it a secret from everyone. I came to Seijou because… it’s my grandfather’s school.” (Nadeshiko)

“Eh…?” (Sophia)

The revelation was so unexpected that I gasped, staring at Nadeshiko-senpai in shock.

If this was her grandfather’s school, that meant…

“The chairman… is your grandfather…?” (Sophia)

“Yep, that’s right. But keep it a secret, okay?” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai placed a finger in front of her nose and winked playfully.

Her adorable expression almost distracted me, but the shock of learning she was the chairman’s granddaughter was far more overwhelming.

She had never shown any sign of that before…

“But… your surname is different, isn’t it?” (Sophia)

“He’s my maternal grandfather.” (Nadeshiko)

It seemed that Nadeshiko-senpai’s last name was her father’s, not her mother’s all along.

“Since I’m the chairman’s granddaughter, both teachers and students would treat me differently.” (Nadeshiko)

“Not even Kento-kun or the coach knows…?” (Sophia)

“Nope, I haven’t told them. Well, the coach seems to get along well with my grandpa, but I’ve asked my grandpa not to say anything. I want to get along with everyone, but if people knew I was the chairman’s granddaughter, there’d be walls built around me, and some people might try to get close for the wrong reasons, you know?” (Nadeshiko)

I had always thought she was a bit unusual, but this confirmed it.

Most people would want to be in a superior position, to be admired by everyone, but Nadeshiko-senpai hated that kind of thing.

“That’s really impressive…” (Sophia)

“That’s exactly why I don’t want any of that. I just want to be friends with you as a fellow club member, nothing more, nothing less.” (Nadeshiko)

Without warning, Nadeshiko-senpai suddenly moved closer and started squishing my cheeks.

Ever since we bathed together, it felt like the distance between us had shrunk significantly.

“Then… why did you choose to tell me?” (Sophia)

“I said we should be honest with each other, right? It wouldn’t be fair if I kept secrets. Besides, I didn’t think you’d care even if you knew I was the chairman’s granddaughter, and I trusted you not to spread it around. That’s why I told you.” (Nadeshiko)

That was probably not the only reason.

By sharing a secret she hadn’t told anyone else, she was also trying to gain my trust.

She wanted me to feel like I was special to her.

Of course, it wasn’t because she had some hidden agenda—she simply wanted to be closer to me.

And since I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all while talking to her, I was certain that was the truth.

“Thank you… Of course, I won’t tell anyone…” (Sophia)

“Yeah—Ah!” (Nadeshiko)

As she resumed drying herself off, Nadeshiko-senpai suddenly turned toward me, as if she had just remembered something.

Then, she flashed a bright, dazzling smile.

“I said I just wanted to be your senpai, and that nothing else mattered, but… I also think of you as a little sister, you know?” (Nadeshiko)

Her innocent smile was so pure and radiant that it almost seemed like she was shining—so much so that I found myself mesmerized.

◆

<Kento’s PoV>

“—Nn… Hah…” (?)

In a world of pure white, an oddly sultry voice echoed in my ears.

My hands felt something soft and warm, yet at the same time, my palms detected a firmer, slightly rougher texture.

What is this…?

With that thought lingering in my mind, I slowly opened my heavy eyelids.

“Fuh… nn… ah…” (Kento)

As I opened my eyes, all I could see was a large, raised expanse of fabric.

And my right hand was inside that fabric.

When I pulled my face back slightly, I saw a beautiful black-haired girl with her clothes slightly disheveled—

“What are you doing, Kujouin-san!?” (Kento)

Waking up to find the school’s Madonna sleeping right in front of me shocked me so much that I couldn’t help but raise my voice.

She was slightly sweaty, her cheeks were flushed red, and her breathing was ragged.

The sensation I had just felt in my right hand was unmistakable—

“Nn…?” (Nadeshiko)

It must have been my loud voice.

Kujouin-san slowly opened her sleepy eyes, her hazy gaze settling on me.

She slowly blinked, staring at my face.

She seemed to still be half-asleep.

However, as she continued blinking, her eyes gradually began to focus—

“Fweh!?” (Nadeshiko)

—And the moment she recognized me, her face turned bright red in an instant.

She quickly sat up, her movements abrupt, and opened her mouth in a flustered panic.

“K-K-Kento-kun!? Wh-Wh-Why!? Why are you in Sophia-chan’s bed!?” (Nadeshiko)

“Please calm down…! And lower your voice…! Sophia will hear us…!” (Kento)

If Sophia saw this situation, it would be beyond a simple misunderstanding.

Kujouin-san’s clothes and hair were still disheveled, and at a glance, it would definitely look like we did something last night.

She was supposed to be sleeping in Sophia’s room, so I needed her to get back there before Sophia woke up…!

After my warning, Kujouin-san quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

She still seemed flustered, but at least she was capable of listening.

“This is my room, so you must have sleepily mistaken it for Sophia’s… Anyway, if she sees you here, it’ll turn into a huge mess, so please hurry back.” (Kento)

She had probably gone to the bathroom during the night and, in her half-asleep state, entered my room by mistake.

Since she had mentioned sleeping in the same bed as Sophia, she likely didn’t question the presence of someone beside her.

For someone as composed as her to make such a blunder… This was completely unexpected.

“Y-Yeah, I’ll go back right away… It’s just…” (Nadeshiko)

Kujouin-san hesitated, fidgeting with a strand of her hair, looking oddly unsettled.

“What’s wrong…?” (Kento)

“Um… N-No…! It’s nothing…!” (Nadeshiko)

Kujouin-san looked like she was about to say something, but instead, she placed a hand over her chest as if to cover it and got out of bed.

“Sorry about this…!” (Nadeshiko)

With just that, she quickly padded out of my room.

She had been touching her chest earlier… which probably meant she still felt something from when I accidentally touched her.

“Ugh… Should I try to explain this properly…?” (Kento)

There was a chance she thought I had done something to her while she was sleeping.

If that was the case, it could definitely affect our relationship moving forward.

But at the same time, I might just be overthinking it. Maybe she didn’t want to talk about it at all, even if it was just an accident.

I had almost no experience dealing with situations like this, so I had no idea what the right choice was.

――Later, it turned out that as Kujouin-san was leaving my room, Sophia happened to be returning from the bathroom and saw everything.

Because of that, I ended up having to work really hard alongside Kujouin-san to clear up Sophia’s misunderstanding.

---

Thanks for reading!

I didn’t expect that Nadeshiko would admit her love this early. It looks like she’s already aware of it for a while huh?

I think I’ll pause translation for this series for a while, until I finish the new volume of Toxic Game Streamer. I can’t translate too many things at once, and I’ve been looking forward to doing that series again for a while now.

---

1. None

“—I can’t believe she actually wants to stay over…” (Kento)

After practice on Saturday, I returned home with Sophia, just the two of us, and muttered with a wry smile.

“Well, I was serious when I said it… Did you prefer if she didn’t?” (Sophia)

Perhaps thinking I was against it, Sophia looked up at me anxiously.

That was my fault for wording it that way.

“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just… Even though there are younger guys in the house, she didn’t hesitate to stay over. I feel like she’s probably the only one who could be that unfazed.” (Kento)

Normally, a girl her age would be more cautious about staying in a house with boys around.

The fact that she wasn’t concerned at all was typical of Kujouin-san, who could stand her ground even against the coach.

Well, considering how naturally airheaded she could be, it was also possible she simply hadn’t considered that.

“She trusts you, Onii-chan. You wouldn’t actually try anything, right?” (Sophia)

Sophia seemed more concerned about the situation than I was, eyeing me suspiciously with a doubtful gaze.

She must know just how beautiful Kujouin-san was, and it made sense that she’d be worried about whether I’d get any weird ideas.

“If I were going to make a move on someone, I would’ve done it with you a long time ago…” (Kento)

“—! W-Well, I guess that’s true…” (Sophia)

Hearing me say that, she inhaled sharply before turning her face away.

She looked slightly flushed, and she fidgeted with her hair in an unsettled manner.

“U-Um, Nadeshiko-senpai will take a while, right?” (Sophia)

“Yeah, she said she’d be going home first, so it should take her at least an hour or two.” (Kento)

Normally, she would have just come home with us if she was planning to stay over after practice. But her popularity in the club was ridiculously high.

Combined with the fact that I would also be at home, if word got out that she was staying over at our place, the club members would make a fuss.

That’s why Kujouin-san hadn’t brought any of her stay-in belongings with her. Instead, she had deliberately gone home first to get her belongings while ensuring that we left at different times.

As a result, tonight’s sleepover was a secret that only the three of us knew.

By the way, the reason I didn’t know exactly when she would arrive was simply because I had no idea where she lived.

“Well, I guess the timing doesn’t really matter. Our parents are on an overnight trip today and tomorrow, so they won’t be home…” (Sophia)

“Ahaha…” (Kento)

Sophia sounded a bit resentful as she said that, and I averted my gaze with a wry smile.

The fact that our parents, who had just gone on their honeymoon recently, were off on another trip probably meant their relationship was going strong.

I could understand why they’d want to go out—having us around meant they couldn’t completely let loose.

Leaving the two of us alone like this was probably a sign that they trusted us, and honestly, it didn’t feel bad.

“If you wanted them to stay home, you could’ve just said so.” (Kento)

“There’s no way I could do that…” (Sophia)

Yeah, both Sophia and I wanted the parent who had raised us alone all this time to fully enjoy their new happiness.

That’s why, when they said they were going on a trip, we couldn’t tell them no—nor did we want to.

“Anyway, I told them about Kujouin-san, so there shouldn’t be any problem, right?” (Kento)

Of course, I couldn’t just let someone stay over without saying anything, so I had properly informed Jessica-san and the others.

Since this was Sophia’s first time bringing a friend—well, a senpai, technically—Jessica-san had looked delighted.

Since Dad was there, she didn’t say it out loud, but watching Jessica-san’s reaction, I thought maybe she secretly wanted to stay as well.

That must have been how surprising it was for Sophia to bring someone over.

Well, I had never invited a friend over either, so I wasn’t really in a position to talk.

By the way, the reason Kujouin-san’s stay was approved so easily was because of her character.

Jessica-san and Dad had met her at the match venue, so they knew she was a well-mannered person.

If it had been anyone else, Jessica-san and Dad probably would have canceled their trip and stayed home.

“I can’t even serve her a decent meal…” (Sophia)

Sophia muttered, still looking a little dissatisfied.

Seeing that, something clicked in my mind.

“…Oh. So that’s what it is. I was wondering why you were in a bad mood, but you’re just nervous about cooking for Kujouin-san, aren’t you?” (Kento)

If Jessica-san had been here, she would have taken the lead in preparing dinner, with Sophia helping out.

But since Jessica-san wasn’t around, Sophia had to take the lead in making dinner herself.

I’ll help out, but since I can’t cook at all, there’s not much I can do to take over for her.

“But I’ve never cooked for anyone other than for our family…” (Sophia)

Sophia pouted slightly, looking sulky.

Somehow, she’s been acting a bit more childish lately.

But since it was cute, there was no problem at all.

“Sophia, your cooking is really good, so don’t worry about it.” (Kento)

“R-Really?” (Sophia)

When I told her that without any flattery, she loosened her lips slightly and started twirling her hair restlessly.

Her tone was also softer and more casual, which probably meant she was happy.

“Yeah, I eat your delicious bento every day, so I can guarantee that.”  (Kento)

“Hehe…♪” (Sophia)

Sophia smiled even more happily.

What is this cute creature?

The more time I spent with her, the more I found myself drawn to her.

But it seemed like she only saw me as her brother, and with the rules of the club, there was nothing I could do to progress our relationship.

“Besides, Kujouin-san is good at cooking too. She’ll probably help out.” (Kento)

During training camps, the managers sometimes prepared meals for us, and they were always well-balanced and delicious. From what I’d heard, Kujouin-san usually took the lead in cooking, so she had to be skilled in the kitchen.

She didn’t talk much about her home life, but from what little I knew, she seemed to come from a wealthy family. Maybe she had been trained in homemaking since she was young.

It was a private school, after all, and there were apparently quite a few students from rich families.

“She’s the kind of person who looks after others, so—” (Sophia)

Sophia was in the middle of speaking when—

The doorbell suddenly rang.

“Nadeshiko-senpai is already here…?” (Sophia)

Sophia looked toward the entrance, then turned to me with a puzzled expression.

“No, that can’t be. We just got home a moment ago.” (Kento)

We had spent some time talking at the entrance, but it hadn’t been long since we arrived.

It was too soon for Kujouin-san to be back after having gone home once, so it was probably just a salesperson or something.

“I’ll go answer the door. You should go change, Sophia.” (Kento)

Whether it was a salesperson or a delivery, I could handle it alone, so I told her to head to her room.

“Okay…” (Sophia)

Sophia nodded and started toward her room, but for some reason, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Then, she looked at me with a worried expression.

“You don’t have to look so scared. This isn’t some manga—it’s not like I’ll get stabbed the moment I open the door.” (Kento)

I smiled to reassure my cute, anxious little sister.

Sophia gave me a wry smile in response.

“I didn’t say anything like that.” (Sophia)

“Your face did.” (Kento)

She probably didn’t actually think I’d get stabbed, but I could tell she found the sudden visitor unsettling.

Well, it wasn’t unreasonable to be suspicious when someone showed up at this hour.

As we talked, the intercom rang again.

If it was just a salesperson, I could ignore it and let them leave. But if it was a delivery, it would be rude to make them come all this way for nothing.

“If you’re scared, like I said, just go back to your room.” (Kento)

“I’m not scared… Besides, I need to be ready to call the police if something happens…” (Sophia)

What exactly was she so worried about?

I guess Sophia was a bit timid and easily frightened at heart.

That being said, considering she was at high risk of being targeted by a stalker, maybe it was better for her to be cautious and overly worried.

“Yes, who is it?” (Kento)

Since Sophia had no intention of going back to her room, I put on my shoes and opened the door.

And then—

“G-Good evening…!” (?)

—Standing there was a small-framed boy, who looked like a middle schooler, bowing his head energetically.

He seemed polite enough, but… who was he?

“Um… and you are?” (Kento)

There was a chance he was a junior from middle school or high school, but I didn’t recognize him, so I asked.

Or rather, maybe he wasn’t here for me but for Sophia instead.

“My name is Haimiya Riku! I came because I wanted to speak with Shirakawa-san…!” (Riku)

Haimiya-kun introduced himself in a bright and enthusiastic voice.

It was a name I didn’t recognize, but at the very least, he didn’t seem like a bad kid.

“Sophia, he says he wants to talk to you…” (Kento)

Since it seemed like he had business with her, I called out to Sophia.

“No.” (Sophia)

However, whether out of caution toward the unfamiliar boy or simply because she didn’t want to deal with him, Sophia immediately turned away.

She just couldn’t help but put on a mask when dealing with strangers.

“Sorry, would it be alright if I asked what this is about?” (Kento)

I figured it would be awkward if it was a confession, but since Sophia had no intention of engaging, I decided to ask on her behalf.

If he had been some flashy, frivolous guy or someone blatantly rude, I would have sent him away. But since he had introduced himself so politely, I couldn’t just brush him off.

“Ah, no…! The one I want to talk to is Shirakawa-san…!” (Riku)

“Hmm?” (Kento)

Shirakawa-san—so that meant Sophia, or… wait, was he talking about me?

Just as I reached that conclusion, Haimiya-kun once again bowed his head energetically.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to intrude while you’re with your girlfriend!” (Riku)

“G-G-Girlfriend!?” (Sophia)

Sophia reacted sharply to Haimiya-kun’s words, letting out a flustered voice.

Even though she seemed to be flustered, the reason she didn’t switch to English was probably because she just repeated the words she heard.

Now I understood why Haimiya-kun had only used my last name. He probably didn’t know I have a sister with the same last name now.

From his earlier comment, it seemed like he had mistaken Sophia for my girlfriend.

“Ah, I guess it’s easy to misunderstand. That girl is actually my imouto.” (Kento)

“Eh, your imouto…?” (Riku)

Haimiya-kun blinked in surprise and glanced at Sophia.

Given that not just our facial features but also our hair, eye color, and even skin tone were different, it was natural for him to find it odd.

But there was no need to go out of my way to explain that to a stranger.

“Don’t you think we would be a pair?” (Kento)

Sophia was the most beautiful girl in school, while I wasn’t even someone who got talked about much in that regard.

No matter how you looked at it, we didn’t seem like a couple.

“Actually, I thought you suited each other…” (Riku)

But Haimiya-kun really did seem like a good kid—he was clearly being considerate.

He was probably the type to be doted on by older people.

“Onii-chan, isn’t it rude to keep talking at the entrance? Since he has something to say, why don’t you invite him in?” (Sophia)

Just moments ago, Sophia had been keeping her distance with a cold, almost disdainful expression, yet now she suddenly came up beside me and suggested letting Haimiya-kun inside.

Her attitude had taken a complete 180, leaving Haimiya-kun visibly surprised.

To be honest, I was just as shocked. I never expected Sophia to not only allow him inside but even take the initiative to invite him in.

“Are you sure about this?” (Kento)

“Whether I am or not, standing here talking is exhausting, isn’t it? I’ll make some tea, so go have your conversation in the living room.” (Sophia)

What in the world had gotten to her…?

The irritation from before had completely vanished, and now she almost seemed to be in a good mood. Seriously, what was going on…?

“Well, if Sophia’s fine with it… Haimiya-kun, is it okay if we talk inside?” (Kento)

Sophia’s sudden change in attitude was puzzling, but as she said, we couldn’t just keep standing around talking at the entrance.

That said, sending him away felt a bit cruel, so I decided to bring him to the living room.

“Yes, I’d be happy to…!” (Riku)

Haimiya-kun carefully took off his shoes, neatly arranging them before following behind me.

He seemed well-mannered.

“That’s impressive. Not many people bother to line up their shoes properly.” (Kento)

Even among middle schoolers, there were plenty who just left their shoes lying around in a mess.

I didn’t dislike kids who knew how to behave properly.

“Yes, my older sister is really strict about these things.” (Riku)

“Oh? Sounds like a responsible older sister.” (Kento)

“Yes, she’s someone I’m really proud of. She can be strict, but she’s kind, reliable… and she works hard for my sake…” (Riku)

He must really love his sister.

Since he could proudly talk about his sister even to someone he had just met, I figured she must be a well-mannered and dependable person too.

“……….” (Sophia)

As I poured the tea Sophia made into the cups, I suddenly noticed Sophia glancing over at us restlessly.

She looked like she had something to say—or rather, like she was waiting for something to be said.

Ah, I see.

“You’re lucky to have such a wonderful sister. I’m also proud of my sister—she’s great at cooking and excels in her studies.” (Kento)

Realizing what Sophia was expecting, I spoke about her good points, even though it felt a little embarrassing.

Honestly, what am I even doing, bragging about my sister to someone I just met? But since Haimiya-kun started it, I figured it wouldn’t seem weird.

“…♪” (Sophia)

And just as I suspected, I heard Sophia humming to herself.

Looks like she was in a good mood now.

“You two seem very close.” (Riku)

Noticing Sophia’s reaction, Haimiya-kun smiled at me.

Even though I was getting along with someone as stunning as Sophia, he didn’t seem jealous or envious, which really made me think he was a good kid.

He must have been raised well.

“We’re siblings, after all. So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?” (Kento)

If we kept chatting, Kujouin-san might show up, so I decided to steer the conversation toward the main topic.

At that, Haimiya-kun tensed up, just like he had when he first arrived.

“Um… I…” (Riku)

He clenched his fists around his pants, as if trying to squeeze the words out of himself.

I figured pressing him would be a bit cruel, so I stayed quiet and waited for him to find the words on his own.

Taking a deep breath as if steeling himself, he finally spoke.

“I want to be like Shirakawa-san…! How can I be like you…!?” (Riku)

It was such an unexpected statement that Sophia, who had been placing cups in front of us, accidentally set one down with too much force, causing water to spill over the table.

“Ah…! I need to clean this up…!” (Sophia)

As she hurried off to grab a towel, I turned back to Haimiya-kun and slowly opened my mouth.

“Sorry, but… what do you mean by that?” (Kento)

I couldn’t quite grasp what he was trying to say, so I asked him to clarify.

“Actually, I also play baseball… and last year, I saw the game you played with Kurogane-san…” (Sophia)

Apparently, he had watched a match that I would have preferred to stay unseen by others.

Not that it really mattered, but still.

“Ah, I see… and?” (Kento)

Still not fully understanding his point, I urged him to continue.

“Honestly, back then, I felt a sense of connection with you, Shirakawa-san…” (Riku)

A sense of connection?

I wondered what he meant, but since he seemed intent on continuing, I stayed quiet and listened.

“But now, you’re playing in official matches at a top-tier school, making headlines in newspapers and appearing on the news…! Please tell me! How did you become such an incredible player in just one year…!?” (Riku)

I see… So basically, he must have read about me somewhere and, believing that we were once similar, became curious about the secret behind my progress.

“Hmm… First, what’s your position?” (Kento)

I knew nothing about him.

He definitely seemed motivated, and his determination was clear. But I had never heard his name before.

Well, considering he saw himself in me from a year ago, I could more or less guess his skill level.

“I’m a pitcher…!” (Riku)

“…I see.” (Kento)

Ahh…

I let out a small sigh, unsure whether to be impressed or exasperated.

Meanwhile, Sophia had already finished wiping the table and was still sneaking glances at me, as if urging me to say something.

Yeah, yeah, I get it.

“Alright, first of all, let me be clear—I’m a catcher, not a pitcher. That means I can give you advice, but I’m not exactly the best person to ask if you’re looking for firsthand experience.” (Kento)

“Of course! But I still think you can help me…!” (Riku)

Seriously, his enthusiasm was almost blinding.

I scratched the back of my head, trying to figure out how to handle this.

“Well… if it’s about improving as a pitcher, I can at least tell you what I’ve seen from the mound. But, you know, there’s no shortcut to getting better. It’s all about the work you put in.” (Kento)

I wasn’t trying to sound preachy, but it was the truth.

“Yes! I’m prepared to do whatever it takes!” (Riku)

Man, this kid… He really reminded me of a younger version of myself.

I exchanged a brief glance with Sophia, who let out a small sigh but didn’t say anything.

This was going to be a long conversation.

“I want to become a player who can shine as a pitcher, regardless of whether it’s a top-tier school or not…! I want to go pro…!” (Riku)

With a passionate and earnest expression, Haimiya-kun explained his feelings.

Sophia, after looking at him as if she were pitying him, glanced at me with a sad expression.

She probably thought he was dreaming too much and wasn’t seeing reality.

“First, I want to make sure there’s no misunderstanding… I’ve only just started, and I don’t even know if I can make it to the pros myself. So, I don’t have the answer to the question of what the right path is.” (Kento)

I made sure to clarify that upfront.

“But, I did hit three home runs in one game…!” (Riku)

“Well, that was a bit of a special case… But, while I don’t know about your record, if you really want to go pro, I do think you should aim for a top-tier or prestigious school. The training facilities, the coaches, and the level of teammates are all on a completely different level. It’s a given, but if you want to improve, you’ll learn faster in a better environment.” (Kento)

That wasn’t necessarily the case every time.

Compatibility with coaches and teammates also played a role.

More than anything, it depended on one’s own motivation and talent, so simply being in a good environment didn’t automatically guarantee results.

The opposite was also true.

But in the end, what was the right choice? You wouldn’t know until you actually joined.

That said, once you were in, there was hardly any chance to start over.

In that case, it was better to choose the option with the higher probability of success—and which one that was should be obvious.

“If you dedicate yourself for three years at a top-tier school, even without achievements now, there’s a good chance you’ll improve significantly—” (Kento)

“I’m sorry… but I can’t…” (Riku)

As we talked, Haimiya-kun denied it with a pained expression.

Seeing him like that, I started to get a sense of the situation.

“Is it a money problem?” (Kento)

“Yes…” (Riku)

Getting into a top-tier school without any achievements requires paying a high tuition fee.

On top of that, there are costs for equipment, club fees, and travel expenses, making it something that not just anyone can afford.

Of course, there’s always the option of going to a strong public school—but in the end, private schools tend to have better facilities, coaches, and school support.

In fact, in our prefecture, for the past ten-plus years, the schools that have made it to Koshien every year have all been private.

“There are scholarships available, and if you really want to go, shouldn’t you try convincing your parents?” (Sophia)

Perhaps she had been thinking about something.

Sophia, who had been quietly observing until now, sat next to me and spoke to Haimiya-kun.

However—

“It’s impossible… I’d love to go to Seijou if I could… but I don’t want to put any more burden on my sister…” (Riku)

Sister…?

Why was he talking about his sister when we were discussing his parents?

That thought crossed my mind, but I quickly realized a possible reason.

So, before Sophia, who looked dissatisfied, could speak, I held up my hand to stop her.

“What…?” (Sophia)

“Well, right now, this is a conversation between me and Haimiya-kun.” (Kento)

Sophia probably wanted to encourage him, which was why she had something to say.

But no matter how much someone wishes for something, there are things in this world that simply can’t come true.

“It’s not unheard of for public schools to defeat private ones, and there are plenty of strong teams out there. What’s important is figuring out what you need to do and what’s necessary for your growth. Talk things through properly with your coach, stay committed, and don’t neglect your efforts. If you do that, you might just reach the level you’re aiming for.” (Kento)

I stopped focusing on the idea of strong schools and instead gave him the best advice I could.

The rest was up to him.

“You’re right… Thank you. I’ll do my best at the school I get into.” (Riku)

Haimiya-kun smiled at me.

Most likely, the answer he was looking for wasn’t this.

If this level of advice was all he wanted, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to come to me.

“By the way, why do you want to go pro?” (Kento)

When I asked that, Sophia shot me a look like she wanted to say something.

Isn’t it obvious why someone would want to go pro?

Her expression made it clear that’s what she was thinking.

But I had a feeling this was different from what she assumed.

“I want to make things easier for my sister… I’ve been a huge burden on her ever since I was little… The only way I can repay her is by going pro and supporting her for the rest of her life…” (Riku)

“What kind of—” (Sophia)

“I see. That’s a great dream.” (Kento)

I covered Sophia’s mouth before she could finish and smiled at Haimiya-kun.

His eyes widened in surprise.

“Is it really that great…?” (Riku)

“Wanting to make things easier for your sister—there’s no way that’s anything but admirable.” (Kento)

Saying that, I got up from my seat.

“Alright, your sister’s probably starting to worry, so you should head home.” (Kento)

To be honest, I was curious to hear more, but Sophia looked like she was at her limit. Before she exploded, I figured I should get him out of here.

“A-Ah… Sorry for barging in like this and making you listen to all of this…” (Riku)

Haimiya-kun bowed repeatedly, looking apologetic.

He was probably very aware of Sophia’s worsening mood beside me.

“It’s fine. And one last thing—hard work doesn’t always pay off, but if you stop putting in the effort, that’s where everything ends. Believe in yourself and keep pushing forward.” (Kento)

With a grin, I pressed my right thumb against my left chest and said those words.

“Ah… y-yes! Thank you so much!” (Riku)

After hearing my advice, Haimiya-kun bowed deeply once again.

If this helped ease even a little of his hesitation, then that was enough.

He continued bowing repeatedly as he left—but…

“I have a lot of things I want to say…” (Sophia)

Sophia, who had been bottling up her frustration throughout the conversation, was now looking at me like she was ready to unload it.

Kujouin-san, hurry up and get here already…

“Haimiya-kun’s life is his own. We’re just outsiders—no, we only met him today. It’s not our place to interfere.” (Kento)

“But he’s being way too naive…! A kid who can’t even say what he wants to his own family isn’t going to make it…! And aiming to go pro just for the money—!” (Sophia)

“You shouldn’t jump to conclusions based on assumptions.” (Kento)

Seeing how heated Sophia was, I reached out to pat her head, hoping to calm her down.

She might get mad at me, but nevertheless, I decided to calm her down by giving her the head pats she loves.

“…It tickles…” (Sophia)

As soon as I started patting her head, Sophia immediately quieted down.

She grumbled about it, but she wasn’t making any effort to escape.

Her words aside, her body was being far too honest, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Haimiya-kun is probably struggling and doing his best with what he can do right now. I think pushing him any further would only pressure him more.” (Kento)

“Why do you think that…?” (Sophia)

“Well… just a hunch…” (Kento)

The truth was, I had a pretty good idea.

There had been enough hints in what he said.

But since I had no solid proof, and it was a sensitive topic, it didn’t feel right for me to say anything as an outsider.

“You’re really taking his side… based just on a hunch? Even though you just met him…” (Sophia)

“Haha… well, he seemed like a sincere and good kid.” (Kento)

“Your tone was much softer than usual too, Onii-chan…” (Sophia)

“That’s just because he’s younger. If I talked like I normally do, I might have come off as intimidating.” (Kento)

Even if there’s only a one-year age difference between a high schooler and a middle schooler, the older one can sometimes feel much bigger.

On top of that, he had come to a stranger’s house. If I had spoken coldly or unapproachably, he probably wouldn’t have been able to say what he wanted.

That’s why I had consciously chosen a gentler way of speaking.

“Hmm… well, I’ll just say this.” (Sophia)

“What?” (Kento)

“No matter how badly someone wants to talk, it’s pretty crazy to track down your house and just show up unannounced. Be careful, okay?” (Sophia)

“Yeah… there’s no excuse for that…” (Kento)

Sophia was right—showing up at someone’s house unannounced was a bit much.

He was probably that desperate…

That said, Sophia had been handling it pretty well at first. Whatever he said in the latter half of the conversation must have really set her off.

From her perspective, as someone who pushes herself to the limit every day, his words probably sounded like he was making excuses.

Still—there was one thing that stood out to me.

Haimiya-kun didn’t seem very confident, yet he clearly stated he wanted to go pro. And while he acknowledged his lack of achievements, he never once questioned his own ability.

That meant his lack of accomplishments was real—but could it be that he actually had confidence in his skills?

It could just be baseless optimism, but considering his personality, it was worth looking into.

Maybe I should check with the coach…

“—The two of you sure look comfy.” (?)

“—!?” (Kento & Sophia)

While I was lost in thought, absentmindedly stroking Sophia’s head, Kujouin-san’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

When I turned my gaze toward her, I saw that at some point, she had appeared in front of the house, staring at us intently.

“This isn’t what it looks like…!” (Kento)

”Th-Th-That’s right! It’s not what you think it is!” (Sophia)

As I hastily tried to explain, Sophia panicked and started blurting things out in English.

Kujouin-san was most likely skilled in English as well, so she might understand what Sophia was saying.

I usually had no clue what she was saying when she switched to English, but I did know that when she panicked, she had a tendency to let things slip.

So, I gave Sophia a firm pat on the back.

“Ah…” (Kento)

That seemed to snap her back to her senses. She blinked, suddenly looking startled.

Looks like we are in the clear.

“Ahaha… You don’t have to panic so much.” (Nadeshiko)

Kujouin-san smiled wryly as she looked at Sophia.

But she didn’t seem intent on pushing the issue further. Instead, she turned to me with an apologetic expression.

“More importantly, why are you two outside? Were you waiting for me?” (Nadeshiko)

“No, actually—” (Kento)

Since I wanted to ask for Kujouin-san’s help, I told her about Haimiya-kun’s visit earlier.

Of course, I didn’t mention any of my own speculations.

“…I can’t believe there are kids who show up at people’s houses these days.” (Nadeshiko)

It seemed like even she hadn’t experienced something like this before. She listened intently and then gave a troubled smile.

“His match data, huh… If he’s been making it through tournaments, it shouldn’t be too hard, but…” (Nadeshiko)

As expected, it seemed like my request—asking her to obtain Haimiya-kun’s match data—wouldn’t be easy.

I had already expected that possibility, so it couldn’t be helped.

“No, I’m sorry for asking too much. It was just a thought—please forget about it.” (Kento)

With the Chugoku Tournament coming up, I couldn’t put unnecessary pressure on Kujouin-san.

I was curious about Haimiya-kun, but as a team, the Chugoku Tournament was overwhelmingly more important.

“Onii-chan, what are you thinking…?” (Sophia)

Sophia seemed to have sensed something and was looking at me suspiciously.

So she noticed, huh…

“No, don’t worry about it. It probably won’t happen anyway.” (Kento)

If what I was thinking now actually came to fruition, it would be nothing short of a miracle.

Honestly, I was clinging to the possibility because of my own wishful thinking.

The truth was, our team was facing a significant challenge—pitcher shortage.

Of course, it wasn’t just a simple matter of not having enough pitchers.

The ace was Shuuto, but we had reliable upperclassmen who could serve as the second, third, and fourth pitchers.

In fact, against mid-tier or lower-ranked opponents, even our second-string pitchers were more than capable of holding them down.

Even against strong teams, if I did my best with my lead, we could probably keep them within two or three runs.

However—when it came to powerhouse schools that competed for the national championship every year, I thought it would be extremely difficult without Shuuto.

There was a high possibility that we’d get hit hard, and at the very least, we would have to be prepared for a slugfest.

That meant that in order to win, we’d either have to put a heavy burden on Shuuto or commit to an all-out battle of runs—but if we were serious about winning the national championship, that approach wasn’t realistic.

That’s why I wanted a second pitcher at a level who could stand alongside Shuuto.

Just like how Shuuto had joined our team this year, I had been hoping that another super rookie would come next year as well… and that’s probably why I found myself looking for that potential in Haimiya-kun.

“…………” (Nadeshiko)

Hearing that Haimiya-kun was a pitcher, Kujouin-san must have realized what I was thinking.

She was trying not to show it on her face, but her eyes caught me with a look of dissatisfaction.

She was a kind person—but no, precisely because she was kind, she must have had her own thoughts on the matter.

I had a general idea of how she felt, so I figured it was best to stop talking about Haimiya-kun any further.

If she were to become an enemy, she’d be more troublesome than Sophia.

“We ended up talking for quite a while in front of the door. Please, come inside.” (Kento)

To change the atmosphere, I smiled and gestured for Kujouin-san to enter.

In response, she returned a smile.

“Yeah, you’re right. Well then, excuse me.” (Nadeshiko)

It seemed like she switched gears as I had hoped, and Kujouin-san followed me into the house.

However—

“A player of Kurogane-kun’s caliber joining our team was already a miracle, you know? Miracles don’t happen twice.” (Nadeshiko)

As she stepped up from the entrance after taking off her shoes, she whispered quietly into my ear.

She was probably being considerate so that Sophia wouldn’t hear, but doing something like this only made it seem like she was upset.

After that, though, there wasn’t any awkwardness between me and Kujouin-san. She acted just as she always did.

◆

<Sophia’s PoV>

“Nadeshiko-senpai, the bath is ready. Please go ahead.” (Sophia)

When the sound indicating the bath had filled played in the living room, I politely called out to Nadeshiko-senpai, who was sitting elegantly beside me watching TV.

By the way, Kento-kun had gone for self-training, so the only ones left in the house were me and Nadeshiko-senpai.

Even though she was here, he still stuck to his usual routine.

If he were a normal guy, he’d probably try to stay around since the school’s madonna was visiting his house.

“Thank you. Since we have the chance, why don’t we take a bath together?” (Nadeshiko)

As I was thinking about Kento-kun, Nadeshiko-senpai invited me with her usual radiant smile.

I think this is the first time someone has tried to close the distance with me this much.

Even Kento-kun has never suggested taking a bath together.

…No, well.

Of course, he wouldn’t.

“I’m not used to this, so…” (Sophia)

“Yes, that’s why you need experience.” (Nadeshiko)

Suddenly, Nadeshiko-senpai grabbed my hand.

It felt like she was making it clear that she wouldn’t let me escape.

“Eh!?” (Sophia)

“Come on, come on, let’s go.” (Nadeshiko)

Without paying any attention to my surprise, Nadeshiko-senpai pulled my arm, trying to take me to the dressing room.

Such a forceful approach was incredibly rare from her.

“Um, aren’t you being a little too pushy…?” (Sophia)

Between the sleepover and this, I couldn’t keep up with her unusually aggressive approach. As I watched her start taking off her clothes, I couldn’t help but ask.

“Fufu, surprised? Well, I guess that’s understandable.” (Nadeshiko)

However, she didn’t seem bothered at all and continued undressing happily, looking entirely at ease, probably because we were both girls.

“What exactly are you planning…?” (Sophia)

“I’m not plotting anything so serious that you’d need to be on guard. I just want to get along with you, Sophia-chan. If I don’t push a little, you’ll just run away, won’t you?” (Nadeshiko)

“Ugh…” (Sophia)

She hit the nail on the head.

She must have figured it out from the way I acted when we first started having lunch together.

“Could it be… you’re taking a page out of Onii-chan’s book to be forceful?” (Sophia)

“You caught on quick! The only person who’s managed to get close to you is Kento-kun, so I figured he’d be the best example to follow—well, that was my thought process, at least.” (Nadeshiko)

Just as I suspected.

She probably said “you caught on quick” because Kento-kun himself doesn’t actually act this forcefully very often.

But when he decides something needs to be done, he will drag me along without hesitation and even resort to drastic measures.

In fact, he once stood in front of my room for hours, and when it came to lunch, he made me start eating with Nadeshiko-senpai to improve my communication skills.

Nadeshiko-senpai understood this side of Kento-kun, and since I obediently went along with it when he was forceful, she must have thought she should do the same.

Kento-kun… I’m going to hold a grudge over this.

“Come on, Sophia-chan, you need to undress too. Oh! Should I help you take it off?” (Nadeshiko)

“Eh!? N-No, I can do it myself! I’ll take it off myself!” (Sophia)

As Nadeshiko-senpai reached out toward me, I hastily started taking off my clothes.

I had always thought this about her—she was very caring, but at the same time, she could be a bit overprotective.

She just had that nurturing nature about her.

That being said, being undressed like a child would be way too embarrassing.

“Fufu, Sophia-chan, you’re panicking too much.” (Nadeshiko)

“That’s because Nadeshiko-senpai is being too forceful… Why do you care so much about me…?” (Sophia)

After taking everything off, I hid my important parts with my hands and asked her.

She pressed her index finger to her lips, muttering “Hmm~” in thought, before slowly opening her mouth.

“Because Sophia-chan is cute, and you feel like a little sister to me. That makes me want to take care of you.” (Nadeshiko)

Like a little sister… Was that because of Kento-kun?

That thought crossed my mind, but I still couldn’t bring myself to step any further into that topic.

There was also a high possibility that she simply saw me as a little sister, nothing more…

“Come on, come on, you’ll catch a cold! Let’s wash up quickly and get in the bath.” (Nadeshiko)

With Nadeshiko-senpai urging me, I was led into the bathroom.

“Sit down, Sophia-chan. Let’s wash each other.” (Nadeshiko)

“T-That’s too embarrassing…!” (Sophia)

Even if she saw me as a little sister, wasn’t she getting a bit too close!?

I really wanted to say that, because Nadeshiko-senpai was being way too pushy.

But with her warm personality and the kind of beauty that could make anyone stop and stare, I couldn’t bring myself to dislike it.

“Don’t be shy.” (Nadeshiko)

“Ehh…!?” (Sophia)

I tried to resist a little, but it was pointless—before I knew it, I had been seated on the bath chair.

Ugh… she’s really too forceful…

And this is all because of Kento-kun, who put weird ideas into Nadeshiko-senpai’s head…

As I thought about that, I quietly let her wash my hair.

“—Alright, next is your body.” (Nadeshiko)

“Eh? You’re not using a towel…?” (Sophia)

Seeing that Nadeshiko-senpai didn’t reach for a towel and instead rubbed liquid soap onto her hands, I hesitantly asked.

“Yeah, this is a rare opportunity, after all.” (Nadeshiko)

What kind of opportunity is this!?

As I mentally screamed in protest, Nadeshiko-senpai’s hands reached for my neck.

“Hyah!? T-That tickles…!” (Sophia)

“Just bear with it for a bit. But wow… your skin is so smooth and soft…” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai ran her hands over my body, speaking enviously.

Even though she had smooth and delicate skin too…

“—Hah… nn… u-um, isn’t it over yet…?” (Sophia)

“Huh? But I’ve only just finished your back?” (Nadeshiko)

When I asked her to stop quickly, she gave me a puzzled look through the mirror.

Even if she said that, it was incredibly ticklish, so I couldn’t help it.

I felt embarrassed that my voice might escape, and I really wanted this to be over soon.

I never knew being washed by someone else could be this ticklish.

“I’ll move to the front now.” (Nadeshiko)

“Eh, wait— nnngh!?” (Sophia)

The moment Senpai’s hand touched my two protrusions, a jolt like electricity ran through me, and I hastily covered my mouth with my hand.

“Wow, your body jumped so much just now… I was surprised. It’s a strong sensation, but try to bear with it, okay?” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai spoke gently while carefully washing, repeatedly rubbing in circular motions.

I could faintly hear her humming.

“Hah… hah… u-um, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you…!?” (Sophia)

“It’s an important area, so I have to wash it properly, right? Okay, moving lower now.” (Nadeshiko)

As I let out a voice, Nadeshiko-senpai responded in a cheerful tone and, just as she said, slid her hand downward.

Of course, during that time, I was overwhelmed by an unbearable ticklish sensation.

I figured it out…!

I had been fooled by her usual graceful and refined demeanor, but she was secretly an S…!

Seeing Nadeshiko-senpai in such a good mood, I couldn’t help but think that.

She was probably a very kind person normally, but once her switch was flipped, she became like this.

In other words, my reactions must have unknowingly triggered that switch.

And so, I continued to be washed thoroughly—by the time it was over, I was completely exhausted.

---

Thanks for reading!

What was all that from Nadeshiko…? Nothing she did here was in character. Alright, I’m gonna rant for a bit. 

She wants to get along with Sophia, and the best method she came up with was… touching her body in the shower…? I know that it’s a common trope for girls to bond over showering together, but Sophia was clearly uncomfortable with the whole thing, and Nadeshiko knows this but still decides to go one step further and touch her body all-around.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong since I don’t remember every event that happened, but MC wasn’t really that pushy of a person. I remember translating multiple times where the MC knows Sophia is hiding her true thoughts and yet he never highlights it out of consideration for her. The times when MC was pushy were mainly because he wanted to help her, not to get along with her.

Something just doesn’t seem right with how Nadeshiko acted here, so I’m just gonna pretend it never happened.

P.S. I completely forgot to upload this last week.

---

1. None

The next day—

“O-Onii-chan, here’s your bento…” (Sophia)

—It seemed that yesterday hadn’t been a dream after all. As soon as I stepped into the living room, Sophia handed me a bento box while calling me “Onii-chan”.

She still seemed embarrassed as her face flushed bright red.

But more than that, what caught my attention was—

“…………” (Jessica)

Jessica-san, who had probably been making breakfast and the bento with Sophia, stood there in shock, still holding a pair of cooking chopsticks.

Apparently, Sophia calling me “Onii-chan” had been a huge surprise to her.

No, I totally get how she feels.

“W-What is it…?” (Sophia)

Noticing that her mother was staring at her intently, Sophia turned to Jessica-san with a defiant expression, her face still red.

The moment she did, Jessica-san’s lips curled into a wide grin as she leaned in to peer at Sophia’s face.

“Oh my, so you’ve decided to call Kento-kun ‘Onii-chan’ now?” (Jessica)

“~~~~~~! T-That has nothing to do with you, Mom!” (Sophia)

Realizing that her mother was teasing her, Sophia began to get angry, speaking in English.

“We’re family, so of course it concerns me. Oh my, so you’ve really decided to call him Onii-chan?” (Jessica)

Unlike me, Jessica-san, who was fluent in English, began to respond in English.

She was usually a kind older sister-like figure to me, but she could be strict and even a bit mean to her daughter. It was clear that she was teasing her on purpose.

I had been completely sidelined from the conversation, but I decided to stay out of it. The last thing I wanted was for Sophia to take out her frustration on me in English.

“We’re siblings, so this is normal…!” (Sophia)

“Mm-hmm, that’s right~” (Jessica)

Jessica-san nodded repeatedly with a warm, affectionate smile.

Her attitude was as if she were dealing with a small child, and I could tell that it made Sophia’s blood boil.

“Ugh, that smug smile… It feels like you’re making fun of me…!” (Sophia)

“That’s rude, Sophia. By the way, why did you decide to call him ‘Onii-chan’?” (Jessica)

“It’s got nothing to do with Mom…!” (Sophia)

I couldn’t quite catch everything they were saying, but from their expressions and body language, I could more or less guess what was going on.

Sophia probably didn’t want Jessica-san prying into the whole “Onii-chan” thing.

But Jessica-san seemed to be deliberately pushing that button.

Naturally, that would make Sophia flustered and defensive—though it also looked like she was getting more and more worked up.

“If you suddenly start calling him ‘Onii-chan,’ of course I’d be curious. I won’t tell anyone, so just let me know.” (Jessica)

“Even if you don’t tell anyone, you’ll still tease me…! I’m not saying anything, no way…!” (Sophia)

Sophia tried to argue back as best as she could, then quickly hid behind my back, hiding herself.

“Sophia…?” (Kento)

“Ken—Onii-chan, Mom is being mean, so get mad at her…!” (Sophia)

It seemed she had decided she couldn’t win on her own and was now trying to use me—someone Jessica-san wouldn’t go too hard on—as her shield.

Even though she was flustered, she was surprisingly capable of making a rational decision in situations like this.

Well, from my perspective, suddenly being dragged into this, all I could think was, Seriously…?

“Um, Jessica-san. It seems like Sophia doesn’t want to talk about this, so could you let it go…?” (Kento)

There was no way I could actually get mad at her, so I tried to ask her to stop in a roundabout way.

“Sorry, I thought it was kind of amu—cute, so I couldn’t help but ask.” (Jessica)

Jessica-san placed a hand on her cheek and apologized with an amused, slightly troubled smile.

However, I didn’t miss what she almost said.

Just now… she almost said amusing didn’t she…?

Jessica-san was totally just messing with her daughter.

“Muu…” (Sophia)

Thanks to that, Sophia was now pouting behind my back, her cheeks puffed out in frustration.

Sophia pouting like a little kid was cute, but if this bad mood carried over into the club activities, it’d be a problem, so it seemed like I needed to cheer her up on the way to school.

After finishing breakfast and getting ready, we grabbed our school bags and stepped outside—

“Mom is so mean…!” (Sophia)

Apparently, Sophia was still holding a grudge over being teased about how she called me.

“I didn’t expect Jessica-san to be the one to tease you…” (Kento)

I had let my guard down, thinking that the teasing would only start when we’re together at school. I didn’t expect that we would be ambushed before even reaching school.

Now that I think about it, Jessica-san had a surprisingly playful side. If her daughter suddenly started calling her stepbrother “Onii-chan”, it was only natural that she’d want to tease her about it.

After all, to anyone watching, it just looked like we had grown closer as siblings.

“Mom has such a childish side to her…” (Sophia)

“Ahaha…” (Kento)

I let out a dry laugh without thinking.

Despite Sophia’s usual cool demeanor, she had a childish side too, so she probably inherited that from her mother.

Personally, even if Jessica-san was like that, she was approachable, so it didn’t bother me at all.

As for Sophia, well, she was just plain cute.

“Speaking of which, the club members probably won’t tease you about it, but you should watch out for the coach. That guy loves messing with people over stuff like this.” (Kento)

“Ahh… yeah, I can see that happening…” (Sophia)

It seemed like it wasn’t hard for Sophia to imagine it happening, as she nodded reluctantly.

“Well, that said, the coach is actually pretty considerate. If he knows that you don’t like that kind of thing, he probably won’t do it.” (Kento)

And he probably already understood.

Since the coach was in a position to organize the team, give directions, and assign members appropriately, he paid close attention to the club members and knew them well.

Sophia was the type whose dislike for such things was obvious, so chances were, the coach wouldn’t push it too far.

After all, if someone genuinely disliked it, it would turn into actual harassment.

That ability to recognize those boundaries was likely one of the reasons the coach was so well-respected by the club members.

In fact, I’d never seen the coach tease someone like Shuuto either.

“—And if they did something I disliked, Mom would get mad at them too.” (Sophia)

As I was lost in thought, I thought I heard Sophia mutter something under her breath.

It sounded like English, so it probably wasn’t directed at me.

I was curious, but since it seemed like she was just talking to herself, I decided to pretend I didn’t hear it.

“By the way, after you submitted your club application, you went to thank the coach, right? Did he say anything to you?” (Kento)

It had been about a week since then, but since Sophia had said she’d go alone, I didn’t know what kind of conversation took place.

Did she just say thank you and leave, or did they chat for a bit?

“…Nothing in particular. He just told me to do my best as part of the team, something like that.” (Sophia)

“…I see. Well, since you hadn’t really talked to him before, I guess that makes sense.” (Kento)

At that moment, I realized—Sophia had lied.

There had been a strange pause before she answered.

If nothing had really been said, she could have responded without hesitation.

The fact that she didn’t meant there was something on her mind—something she found difficult to tell me.

And knowing the coach’s personality, I couldn’t imagine them not making small talk.

If they were meeting someone for the first time or barely knew them, they would have tried to strike up a conversation to get to know the person better.

But I didn’t press Sophia on it. If she had decided not to talk about it, then asking would just be tactless.

Besides, I trusted that the coach wouldn’t say anything to hurt or pressure her. That trust meant I didn’t need to force the truth out of her.

If Sophia ever felt like talking about it, she would tell me when she was ready.

With that, we shifted to lighthearted chatter as we made our way to school.

And when we arrived—

“Then… see you later, O-Onii-chan…” (Sophia)

Since Sophia was heading to the girl managers’ room, she waved at me before leaving.

Her voice was tinged with embarrassment from calling me “Onii-chan”, and the surrounding club members, who had overheard it, turned to us, looking surprised.

“Ah, see you later.” (Kento)

Even though I could feel the stares around me, I forced myself to stay calm and waved back with a smile.

Then, acting as if nothing had happened, I started walking toward the clubroom—

“Hold on a minute!” (Club members) 

My teammates, who had been watching my exchange with Sophia, pounced on me all at once.

Well, it was more like they grabbed at my arms and shoulders.

“Wh-What!?” (Kento)

“No, no, no! What the hell was that!?” (Club member) 

“Why is she suddenly calling you Onii-chan!?” (Club member) 

“What did you do with Shirakawa-san last night!?” (Club member) 

As expected, everyone was curious about Sophia’s sudden change in how she addressed me.

I figured they’d tease me about it, but it seemed like they were too shocked to even get to that part yet.

“Nothing in particular…?” (Kento)

Since I hadn’t actually done anything to Sophia, I tilted my head and played dumb.

“There’s no way she’d start calling you ‘Onii-chan’ for no reason!” (Club member)

“Wait… don’t tell me… sibling play!?” (Club member)

“What the hell is ‘sibling play’? We really are siblings, you know?” (Kento)

I let out a dry chuckle at my teammates’ completely off-the-wall reactions.

Well, I kind of understood what they were trying to imply, though.

“What kind of dirt do you have on Shirakawa-san to make her call you Onii-chan…!?” (Club member)

“Oi, don’t say things that make me sound like a villain! Sophia just wanted to call me that, that’s all!” (Kento)

The sudden, baseless accusation made me snap back at them.

“No way! There’s no reason Shirakawa-san would want to call you that!” (Club member)

“Exactly! She’s the untouchable, solitary flower!” (Club member)

…Yeah, they were saying some pretty harsh stuff.

Well, considering how Sophia usually carried herself, it was kind of inevitable.

Even if I told them that Sophia actually had a childish side, they probably wouldn’t believe me…

“Well, I’m not asking you to believe me…” (Kento)

I didn’t think I could explain it in a way that would make sense to people who didn’t know that side of her.

Especially since Sophia usually gave off the complete opposite impression, which made it even harder to convince them.

“Damn it, we’re not even allowed to talk to her…!” (Club member)

“Why is it always Kento…!?” (Club member)

“I want Shirakawa-san to call me ‘Onii-chan’ too…!” (Club member)

My teammates were so envious that they were practically shedding tears of frustration.

Even though she was known for her cold personality, it was easy to see how they’d still admire her because of that undeniable cuteness.

“Haha… Well, a lot of things happened…” (Kento)

Back when we first started living together, Sophia’s attitude was downright awful.

At the time, I couldn’t even imagine getting along with her—it was hard enough just to speak to her.

The reason she eventually opened up to me was because of all the difficult situations we been through and overcame together.

To be honest, if any of these guys were put in the same position, I bet most of them would have given up on getting close to her from the start.

Even I, if I lost my memories and had to start over, probably wouldn’t be able to break through her walls again.

I was just lucky things turned out the way they did.

If possible, I’d like to stay close to Sophia just like this—forever.

◆

<Sophia’s PoV>

“—Sophia-chan, do you have a moment?” (Nadeshiko)

During our after-school practice, Nadeshiko-senpai, who had been teaching me how to compile data in the manager’s room, spoke up with a serious expression.

The fact that she deliberately started the conversation this way, despite us having talked normally until now, made it clear that she wanted to discuss something important.

“What is it?” (Sophia)

Feeling a bit nervous, I asked about the matter.

“Why did you change the way you address Kento-kun?” (Nadeshiko)

I had somewhat expected this question at some point, and sure enough, I was finally asked.

Suddenly changing the way I addressed him—and calling a classmate “Onii-chan” on top of that—made it inevitable that someone would be curious.

In fact, even the other baseball team members seemed to be curious about it.

“We’re siblings, so… there’s nothing strange about it, right?” (Sophia)

I maintained a calm expression and answered with a smile.

Knowing her, she had probably seen right through my intentions.

If that’s the case, I wish she wouldn’t ask in the first place…

“I just decided to emphasize our sibling bond more so that people wouldn’t misunderstand. Calling him ‘Onii-chan’ seemed like the quickest way to do that.” (Sophia)

Yes—after hearing Nadeshiko-senpai’s words, I realized that if I could make everyone believe we were truly siblings, I could use that to camouflage my real feelings.

If we were siblings, there was nothing strange about being together. Nothing strange about being close.

Even if we spent time alone, all I had to say was, ‘We’re siblings,’ and that would be the end of it.

And since, even if we weren’t related by blood, Kento-kun and I were still family, I could prove it if necessary.

With this, I could stay by Kento-kun’s side without any worries.

“I don’t think you need to go that far.” (Nadeshiko)

However, Nadeshiko-senpai didn’t seem to approve, subtly suggesting that I stop.

She didn’t look displeased or irritated.

She simply seemed concerned about me.

I wasn’t sure why she was worried, but given the baseball club’s rules, the only way I could stay by Kento-kun’s side was by using my role as his sister.

I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that.

“Kento-kun is currently in the spotlight, both inside and outside the school. I want to eliminate any factors that could potentially drag him down.” (Sophia)

He wasn’t the first player to hit three home runs in a single game—others had done it before.

Still, it was such a rare achievement that many people were paying attention to him.

Even newspapers and online news had headlines like ‘A New Monster is Born in the Reiwa Era!!’, so there were bound to be plenty of people taking interest in him.

In such a situation, someone like me being around him would surely spark rumors.

Even if a passerby happened to see us together, they might mistake me for his girlfriend. But if I called him Onii-chan in those moments, they would assume I was his sister instead.

There was a high chance people would be suspicious due to our different appearances, but as long as the truth was that we were siblings, I figured there was nothing to worry about.

Even if someone posted on social media saying, “They don’t look alike, but she called him Onii-chan,” someone from our school might respond with, “Those two are actually real siblings with the same last name.”

In other words, the chances of people outright claiming that I was his girlfriend would be low.

“…Sophia-chan, you might be more naïve about the world than I thought…” (Nadeshiko)

“Huh?” (Sophia)

I didn’t quite catch what Nadeshiko-senpai muttered, so I tilted my head and looked at her.

“Mm, it’s nothing. If that’s how you see it, and Kento-kun doesn’t seem to mind, then if it works for you two, I suppose it’s fine.” (Nadeshiko)

However, Nadeshiko-senpai simply shook her head, as if dismissing her own words.

It seemed like she had understood my feelings and reasoning.

Just as I was feeling relieved—

“By the way, would it be okay if I stayed over at your place after practice next Saturday?” (Nadeshiko)

She said something outrageous with a smile.

“A sleepover!? Nadeshiko-senpai, at my house!?” (Sophia)

“Yep, that’s right.” (Nadeshiko)

Shocked by the sudden request, I asked again, only for Nadeshiko-senpai to nod with a bright, charming smile.

Lately, we had been spending a lot of time together, so aside from Kento-kun, she was probably the person I was closest to.

But I never expected her to close the distance between us this quickly.

Or rather… Could it be that she was just using me as an excuse to get closer to Kento-kun…!?

That thought even crossed my mind.

But—

“I really want to get to know you better, Sophia-chan, so I’ve been thinking for a while that it’d be fun to have a sleepover someday.” (Nadeshiko)

Seeing that smile, filled with nothing but pure goodwill, made it hard to believe she had any ulterior motives.

More than anything, Nadeshiko-senpai was a genuinely good person.

I had been exposed to plenty of people’s malice before. Even if someone appeared kind on the surface, I could always tell when they were hiding something underneath.

That was precisely why I trusted Nadeshiko-senpai. I knew she was a good person, which was why I felt comfortable spending time with her like this.

“I’ve never had anyone stay over before…” (Sophia)

Having been alone all my life, I had never invited anyone to stay the night—not senpai, not even a friend.

Actually, I had never even had a friend before.

So suddenly being asked if someone could stay over left me feeling lost.

“In that case, wouldn’t this be a good opportunity to gain some experience? Since you struggle with social interactions, Sophia-chan, this could be great practice for you.” (Nadeshiko)

She really seemed eager to stay over.

Did she really like me that much…?

“Nadeshiko-senpai, do you have sleepovers often?” (Sophia)

“Hmm… not really.” (Nadeshiko)

“…………” (Sophia)

I held back the urge to comment as I saw Nadeshiko-senpai smile and shake her head.

If she regularly had sleepovers, I could at least understand why she would want to have one with me.

But when she herself admitted that she didn’t do them often, I couldn’t help but wonder why.

That said, she probably already anticipated that I would think this way and still chose to answer honestly. I didn’t want to push too much and end up making her dislike me, so I kept my thoughts to myself.

“Besides, there are so many things I want to talk to you about, Sophia-chan… Is that a no? We can’t really talk properly during club activities, so I thought it’d be nice to chat while lying on the bed together.” (Nadeshiko)

Nadeshiko-senpai looked up at me with a pleading expression, as if gauging my reaction.

There was no way I could refuse when she looked at me with such a pleading expression.

But that didn’t mean I could just nod my head right away either—

“If you’re staying over at my house, that means my Onii-chan will be there too…” (Sophia)

I brought up Kento-kun and watched Nadeshiko-senpai’s reaction.

It was obvious that she had feelings for Kento-kun, and there was no way she wasn’t aware of it.

I wanted to judge her response before making my decision.

“I don’t think anything would happen with Sophia-chan around, and besides, Kento-kun doesn’t really hang out with you at home, right? So we won’t really interact that much.” (Nadeshiko)

“Well… that’s true…” (Sophia)

When Kento-kun gets home after club activities, he either does his own training or shuts himself in his room. I also stay in my room to study, so we barely spend time together at home.

Since we had already talked about this during lunch while eating together, Nadeshiko-senpai seemed to have factored it in.

She didn’t look flustered, and she probably expected me to bring up Kento-kun as well.

“Um… I don’t mind, but I should check with Onii-chan first, right…?” (Sophia)

I couldn’t refuse Nadeshiko-senpai’s request.

But since I couldn’t make the decision on my own, I had to confirm it with him first.

Well, knowing Kento-kun… he’d probably be surprised, but in the end, he would respect whatever decision Nadeshiko-senpai and I made…

Afterward, when I checked with Kento-kun, he gave me exactly the response I had expected.

---

Thanks for reading!

Come on, parents are always the number one people who you should hide your embarrassing moment from. That’s cause they’re also the ones who would spread it to your relatives, so by the time you know it, everyone in your family tree knows everything about you.

So big news, Toxic Game Streamer is getting a third volume on March 25th. What this means is that I might stop translating this series for a while to complete that one instead. So yeh, just a heads up.

Edit: So, I did translate the rest of this chapter alr, but wordpress decided to die on me so I couldn’t upload them. Rn I have no access to my computer since I’m at army camp. I can only release the chapters on Fri after I come back sry.

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1. None

“—Kento-kun, there’s something I want to talk about. Would it be okay if we spoke in my room?” (Sophia)

On the night of Sophia’s first day as a club member, I had just finished my bath and was staring at data on my screen when she knocked on my door.

After returning together with Kujouin-san, Sophia had gone back to her usual calm self, just like before. It seemed like her consultation with Kujouin-san had gone well.

She still hadn’t quite grasped the right distance with the other club members, but given time, things would surely work out.

“Of course, it’s fine.” (Kento)

She had been avoiding me for the past few days, so there was no way I would turn down her invitation. I stepped out into the hallway and accepted her request.

Having taken her bath before me, she was already in her pajamas, staring intently at my face.

Now that I thought about it, it had been a few days since we’d properly made eye contact like this.

“Aren’t you coming?” (Kento)

“Ah… hmm, yeah, I’m coming.” (Sophia)

When she didn’t move, I prompted her, and Sophia hurriedly scampered off toward her room.

I followed after her and stepped inside.

“Sit on the bed.” (Sophia)

Just like before, she designated the bed as the place to sit, so I quietly took a seat.

As expected, she plopped herself right beside me.

For her, sitting beside me must be the default position when having a conversation.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” (Kento)

Since sitting in silence would just make things awkward, I decided to get straight to the point.

Upon hearing my question, Sophia started fidgeting with her hair slightly awkwardly, her gaze wandering before she finally spoke.

“Before that… I’m sorry about today. I made you worry too, Kento-kun…” (Sophia)

Before getting to the main topic, Sophia apologized for disappearing during the break earlier.

She really was a serious girl.

It was already over and done with, so there was no need for her to go out of her way to apologize…

“It’s fine, I wasn’t worried about it. If anything, I should be the one apologizing—I should’ve stopped Shouta before he got carried away.” (Kento)

Considering how excited Shouta was, it was entirely possible that he would say something weird.

And yet, instead of stopping him, I had even dug deeper into the topic, so I was the one who should be apologizing to her.

“You don’t have to apologize, Kento-kun… You’re too serious…” (Sophia)

“That’s the last thing I want to hear from you, Sophia.” (Kento)

“What’s that supposed to mean…?” (Sophia)

She didn’t seem too happy with my comment and pouted, narrowing her eyes at me in mild annoyance.

But then, she gently placed a hand over her mouth—

“Hehe…” (Sophia)

—and let out a soft, amused laugh.

It seemed like she had only pretended to sulk.

Seeing that cute smile for the first time in days, I found myself unable to look away.

Her smile really suits her.

“I think it’ll be fine, but if anyone gets too forceful or starts bothering you, don’t hesitate to tell me. I’ll take care of it.” (Kento)

I swallowed the words “especially Shouta”.

“Like Kaminagi-kun?” (Sophia)

But Sophia smirked mischievously, tilting her head slightly.

I didn’t expect her to bring it up herself.

“Well… it seems like he’s attracted to you, Sophia.” (Kento)

“He just likes pretty girls, that’s all.” (Sophia)

“You’re calling yourself pretty?” (Kento)

“Because it’s the truth.” (Sophia)

When I called her out on it, Sophia simply responded with a smile.

Since she was often praised as the most beautiful girl in school, it seemed she was well aware of it herself.

That said, she was probably just saying it in a lighthearted way.

The proof was in how she laughed so cheerfully.

“—Anyway, I wanted to apologize for today first, but… Oh, did you hear? My homeroom teacher, Kuzumine-sensei, is being transferred to a distant affiliated school.” (Sophia)

“What? At such an awkward time of the year!?” (Kento)

The sudden revelation caught me off guard.

I hadn’t heard any rumors about this…

“They say his condescending remarks toward students reached the chairman’s ears and were seen as a problem. But considering the timing…” (Sophia)

“Could it be because of what happened in the staff room with us?” (Kento)

Sophia gave a small nod.

There had already been bad rumors about Kuzumine-sensei, so if he was being transferred now, that was the most likely reason.

But the teachers in the Special Preparatory Course all seemed to lean in Kuzumine-sensei’s favor.

That would mean… the coach reported it to the chairman?

…No, that person was on good terms with the chairman, but he didn’t seem like the type to do that.

Then who—?

“His attitude was awful, so I think it’s better for the students that he’s gone, but… doesn’t this leave you and your class in a tough spot with the timing?” (Kento)

“The handover is being handled properly. Everyone was fed up with his condescending attitude and snide remarks, so when they heard about the transfer, they were actually happy.” (Sophia)

So even Kuzumine-sensei’s own class disliked him…

Then again, with the way he treated students, it was only natural.

I had thought that someone should put him in his place, but I never expected that the chairman would actually be the one to do it.

“Well… this is a relief. I was worried he might try to harass you, Sophia.” (Kento)

Even if it wasn’t intentional, Kuzumine-sensei had essentially been humiliated because of Sophia.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if he started treating her more harshly because of it. But now that he was gone, that concern had disappeared.

“I feel the same way.” (Sophia)

“Haha… yeah, I figured. So, was this what you wanted to talk about?” (Kento)

Judging by how she had brought it up, I felt like it wasn’t the main topic, but I asked anyway.

As expected, Sophia shook her head.

“No… There was something I wanted to ask you, Kento-kun.” (Sophia)

“Hmm? What do you want to ask?” (Kento)

She looked at me as if gauging my reaction.

Well, if she had something to ask, she could just ask me directly.

Of course, there were some things I wouldn’t want to answer, and in that case, I’d just find a way to dodge the question.

“Why did you choose this school, Kento-kun?” (Sophia)

Huh, that kind of question…?

I was a little surprised by what Sophia asked, but now that I thought about it, I had never really talked about it before.

Maybe she had been curious all this time but held back from asking.

Now that we had gotten closer, she must have finally mustered the courage to bring it up.

“Well… because the baseball team is strong. I mean, it’s a powerhouse.” (Kento)

“Is that really the only reason?” (Sophia)

Something about it seemed to bother her.

She stared straight into my eyes.

…Did she notice I was dodging the question?

“Does it sound strange?” (Kento)

“It’s not strange… but I do have doubts. You’re not just saying it—you’re seriously aiming to win Koshien and go pro. If that’s the case, you could’ve chosen one of the prestigious schools in Osaka that has dominated Koshien in recent years, or even one of the famous schools in Hiroshima, which is just a neighboring prefecture. Even if you wanted to stay within the prefecture, there were other schools that have actually made it to Koshien recently. So… why Seijou?” (Sophia)

She spoke a little faster than usual, as if she was trying to get all her thoughts out. But from the way she asked, it was clear that she was simply curious.

If you have high goals, it’s better to be in an environment that matches those goals.

I agree with that myself.

But—

“First, the reason I didn’t get scouted by any of the high schools that are active in Koshien is because I didn’t catch the eye of the coaches or scouts.” (Kento)

It’s not uncommon for top schools to not offer a spot to someone who didn’t receive a recommendation and had to enter through regular admissions. In such cases, even if you want to join the baseball team, it’s often not possible at prestigious schools.

So, there were times when it wasn’t even an option, even though I wanted to.

Of course, it depends on the school, and not all schools were like that.

“Next, I didn’t want to burden my father. When it comes to prestigious or powerhouse private schools, the tuition isn’t the only cost—travel expenses for tournaments can add up, and if it’s out of the prefecture, there’s also the cost of dormitories… I didn’t want to put that kind of burden on him.” (Kento)

The financial issue is something that always follows you.

It’s not something you can just casually decide to do.

“So, you decided on Seijou because you were able to get a scholarship, right?” (Kento)

Sophia quickly understood what I meant, and I couldn’t help but admire her as the model student she was.

As she said, I chose Seijou because I was granted a special scholarship that covered all my tuition fees.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.

By the way, in our year, the others were in a similar situation. Shuuto had all his tuition, uniform fees, study materials, and dorm fees fully covered.

Shouta had half off his tuition, with full dorm fee coverage, and the remaining two got half off their tuition as well.

“Well, yeah.” (Kento)

“But if that’s the case… wouldn’t it have been fine to go to another powerhouse school within the prefecture?” (Sophia)

If you’re good enough to qualify for a special scholarship, other schools would often have their eyes on you.

That’s probably why she asked.

Is she quick to understand, or does she just have prior knowledge?

Well, she seems to know a lot about high school baseball, so it’s probably the latter.

“I didn’t make a name for myself in my middle school games in the Boys League. So, there’s no way I would have received any offers for a scholarship.” (Kento)

“Eh…?” (Sophia)

She looked at me, confused.

It was understandable.

If you just hear that, it does sound contradictory.

“But, Kento-kun, you’re a scholarship student, right…?” (Sophia)

“Yeah, that’s right. I guess I was just lucky… Can I tell you the whole story? It might take a little while.” (Kento)

I thought she might not want to hear it, but she nodded with a smile.

When she gave me that sweet smile, I couldn’t help but feel a little shy.

“You know that Shuuto’s an amazing pitcher, right?” (Kento)

When I mentioned his name, she nodded affirmatively.

She’d come to watch the games, so she seemed to understand that well.

“Even though he’s that incredible, he introduced me to the coach… well, I guess it was sort of an introduction…?” (Kento)

As I said it, I started to feel unsure.

Looking back on it, the word “introduction” didn’t seem to quite fit.

“Why are you unsure of that…?” (Sophia)

Naturally, she picked up on my uncertainty.

“How should I put it… apparently, Shuuto set a condition for the coach. He said, ‘If Kento Shirakawa is also coming, then I’ll enroll.’” (Kento)

Shuuto wasn’t always a fan of the coach from the start.

The way he is now, with such strong admiration for the coach, only developed after entering high school and working alongside him.

Until then, even with the coach, he had an intimidating attitude, just like how he’d act around us.

“Why would Kurogane-kun do that…?” (Sophia)

“Well, I’m not sure because he never told me directly, but maybe something happened when we faced off in our third year? Maybe something clicked for him then?” (Kento)

Although, to be honest, we got completely beaten in that match.

Their team went on to reach the top four in the national tournament, and honestly, from the beginning, I didn’t feel like we stood a chance.

That’s why I was so surprised when Shuuto came to me with the coach.

“So, what happened next?” (Sophia)

She seemed eager to hear the rest, prompting me to continue.

I thought she’d gloss over it, but it looked like she was really interested.

“Well, the coach and Shuuto came to my house once. They watched me hit and catch, and gave me some feedback.” (Kento)

It wasn’t so much that they watched me, as much as they forced me to do it…

Seriously, those two were really pushy back then.

Well, not much has changed since then…

“After that, they asked me about my thoughts as a catcher, how I’d move or respond in certain situations. How to lead a pitcher in specific situations, how to handle different types of batters. They asked me all sorts of detailed questions.” (Kento)

That was probably the test for me.

No matter how much they wanted to recruit Shuuto, the school wouldn’t easily accept using the special admission system for someone who hadn’t shown results.

The coach must have wanted to judge whether it was really worth convincing the school to get me on the team.

“So, you impressed the coach, and that’s why you accepted the offer, right?” (Sophia)

“No, I actually turned them down at first. In fact, I turned them down multiple times.” (Kento)

“Eh…?” (Sophia)

Sophia looked at me as if she couldn’t believe it.

She probably thought I was an idiot for passing up such a big opportunity.

It’s a pretty embarrassing past, so I didn’t really want to talk about it, but… I might as well say it now that I’ve come this far.

“It’s an embarrassing story, but… back then, I was really messed up. I’d lost all my confidence in baseball.” (Kento)

“Messed up…? Why?” (Sophia)

Sophia looked at me with concern, her eyes soft with worry. She was genuinely worried about me, I could tell.

“I was practically ostracized by my teammates.” (Kento)

“Wha…!?” (Sophia)

I answered honestly, and Sophia was left speechless.

It must have been quite a shock to her.

“I was playing in a team that was called ‘the fallen powerhouse,’ and my teammates didn’t have much drive. They didn’t care much about winning, either. I guess that made me seem out of place. I often heard things like ‘What’s the point of trying so hard? It’s not like you’ll go anywhere with it.’” (Kento)

“That’s terrible…” (Sophia)

She looked at me with sympathy, her gaze filled with concern.

But the truth was, it wasn’t just their fault.

No, if anything, I was the one at fault.

“I was the one who stayed on that team, and back then, I never even tried to talk things out with my teammates. I thought I could make up for their lack of drive by just working hard by myself, so the gap between us just kept getting wider.” (Kento)

That’s how I ended up getting shut out by my own team.

There had to have been another way, but back then, I was terrible at dealing with people and didn’t have any room to breathe.

If I could go back to that time now, I wonder if I could’ve achieved a different outcome.

“I was always on edge… and when I suffered a crushing defeat in the summer tournament of my third year—when we played against guys like Shuuto —the string snapped. For a while, I even considered quitting baseball.” (Kento)

Looking back, I really was in a bad place during that time.

I was slapped with the harsh reality and everything felt like it was falling apart. I was in a pretty terrible state.

“That’s… but you didn’t do anything wrong, Kento-kun…” (Sophia)

“No, that’s not it… Honestly, if they told me I was the one who ruined the team, I couldn’t deny it.” (Kento)

Because I was an outlier, the atmosphere within the team had soured.

If I hadn’t been there, maybe they would’ve had more fun with baseball.

At the very least, it was me who chose to stay with that team, so I couldn’t blame my teammates.

“Well, I ended up telling the coach about all this when his recruitment got way too persistent.” (Kento)

The guy came to my house every day, after all…

He really wanted to recruit Shuuto, I guess.

“So, what did the coach say…?” (Sophia)

“He laughed and made fun of me.” (Kento)

“What!? That’s awful! The worst!” (Sophia)

Sophia, misunderstanding the situation after hearing it, flushed red in anger.

I guess I didn’t explain it very well just now.

“No, it’s not as bad as it sounds. He actually said this: ‘How pathetic, letting something like that get you down. Just get back at them with results. The guy you were mocking, I’ve risen up to this point through hard work, so what about it? You say you don’t have the ability to produce results? Fool, at least two people believe in your talent. Kurogane and I. Trust me, follow me, and in less than a year, I’ll show you a whole new world.'” (Coach)

I left out some parts of what he said, but that was basically it.

It was actually a good thing he laughed it off first. Those words from the coach fell into my heart surprisingly easily.

That’s when I decided to give it a shot under this coach.

I made an effort to change my personality, to be more accepted by others, based on the coach’s advice, so I wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes.

That’s the kind of person I am now.

“The way he said it… was too blunt. And kind of forceful…” (Sophia)

Sophia seemed bothered by the coach’s way of speaking, giving me a dissatisfied look.

Maybe she thought he should have been more considerate with his words, especially since I was already hurt.

“Well, either way, thanks to him, I was able to move forward, and now I’m able to play baseball like this. So, I’m grateful to the coach, and that’s why I decided to work with him.” (Kento)

If it weren’t for those words, I probably would have given up on my dreams and quit baseball.

Meeting the coach really changed my fate.

“I see…” (Sophia)

She lowered her head, her expression unreadable.

It wasn’t a very interesting story, so I couldn’t blame her for reacting that way.

“Anything else you want to ask?” (Kento)

“Um… What should I do… I was planning to casually bring it up during the conversation, but now the atmosphere’s gotten so heavy…” (Sophia)

Sophia, for some reason, averted her gaze and muttered to herself in English.

Maybe she was looking for a new topic to bring up.

If that’s the case, I’ll just wait for her to come up with something. I hadn’t been able to talk much with her these past few days, so this is a good time to make up for the lost time.

“Ah…! By the way, Kento-kun, the three home runs you hit were covered in the newspaper and online news, and even on TV for a bit. Everyone must have been so surprised, right!?” (Sophia)

Sophia brightened up as if she had found the perfect topic, and eagerly asked.

“Wait, why did the topic suddenly fly off in a completely different direction…?” (Kento)

“Because I’m curious…!” (Sophia)

“Curious…?” (Kento)

Certainly, many students like to talk about the accomplishments of their classmates, but Sophia isn’t the type to show much interest in others.

At least, this shouldn’t be the kind of topic she would latch onto.

“Well, you know, there are always girls who try to get close to you the moment you become famous, and as a manager, I can’t let anything weird happen to our important cleanup hitter right before a major tournament, so I have to keep track of things…!” (Sophia)

Maybe because I had commented about it, she nervously looked up at the ceiling while adding that.

Yeah, I’m not dumb enough to take her explanation at face value.

But… if I kept pushing her any further, Sophia would probably get flustered and start speaking in English.

If that happens, the conversation will stop making sense, so I can’t really push her any further.

For now, I’ll just pretend to believe her…

“Well, I do get approached more than I used to… but even with the Chugoku tournament coming up, don’t worry, I’m not going to lose myself in love or anything.” (Kento)

I smiled to reassure Sophia so she wouldn’t worry too much.

However…

“I knew it… more girls are surrounding him… And whenever I see him on campus, he’s often surrounded by strange girls…” (Sophia)

Sophia started muttering to herself in English.

“Sophia?” (Kento)

“The kind of girls who start clinging once someone becomes famous are never any good… maybe I should act as a barrier…” (Sophia)

“Sophia?” (Kento)

It seemed like she had gotten lost in her own thoughts. I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back to the present.

“—Huh!? W-What…?” (Sophia)

Sophia looked at me in surprise, but did she not realize how deep into her own world she had gotten?

“Well, you were mumbling to yourself, so I was just wondering if everything is okay…” (Kento)

“It’s nothing, really… I was just worried that you might get carried away now that you’re suddenly popular.” (Sophia)

“That’s harsh!?” (Kento)

What did she just say? Was she badmouthing me!?

Just because I don’t understand much English doesn’t mean she can say whatever she wants, right!?

“Have you ever had a girlfriend, Kento-kun?” (Sophia)

Sophia asked, glancing up at me with a sly look.

Why is she asking me that…?

“I’ve never had one…” (Kento)

“Well, that’s a bit worrying. If a girl starts coming onto you strongly, you might fall for it.” (Sophia)

“What are you trying to say!?” (Kento)

Do I really come across as the type to get easily swayed by girls!?

“Kento-kun, I think it’s my duty as your imouto to keep an eye on you to make sure no strange bugs start attaching themselves to you…” (Sophia)

Sophia fiddled with her hair, her cheeks slightly flushed, nervously speaking.

I never thought she’d go as far as to say she’d be keeping watch.

“Are you serious about this!?” (Kento)

“Don’t worry, I’ll just check in on you during break time or something.” (Sophia)

Oh, after spending time together recently, I can tell—she’s not joking about this.

“That’s gonna be tough, since the buildings are pretty far apart, right? But you don’t have to worry. I’m not planning on getting distracted by love until after my retirement… .” (Kento)

My goal is to win at Koshien, so I have no time to get involved with other things.

And then…

I glance at Sophia.

Sophia wore a complicated expression, as if she were both relieved and a little down.

Since she had joined the baseball team, it was clear that I wouldn’t be involved in any romance until I retired.

“I understand that you’re dedicated to baseball, but… do you have the confidence to turn down a really cute girl if she came on to you?” (Sophia)

Sophia still didn’t seem convinced and brought up an extreme example.

But this isn’t some manga or anime—there’s no way I’d suddenly be pursued by some ridiculously cute girl.

“I’m fine. I’ve built up some resistance over it recently.” (Kento)

After all, I spend every day with the most beautiful girl in school.

Honestly, I can’t imagine any girl being more adorable than Sophia.

Plus, I’ve built up some resistance thanks to Kujouin-san.

“Th-Th-That’s…! ~~~~~~!” (Sophia)

Sophia suddenly let out an unintelligible sound and began squirming in embarrassment.

It seemed like she understood what I meant.

When I saw her reaction, I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed…

Crap, did I mess up again…?

The awkwardness started to make my stomach hurt, and I felt a pang of regret.

“Uh… no, of course, I wasn’t seriously thinking about actually monitoring you or anything like that…” (Sophia)

We both fell silent, but Sophia broke the silence first.

I thought she was serious, but…

“At least I won’t cause trouble for the team, so don’t worry about it.” (Kento)

If I did, Shuuto would probably kill me.

As I half-jokingly thought about that…

“I know… onii-chan’s not the kind of person to do something like that..” (Sophia)

Those words hit my ears, and I couldn’t believe what I just heard.

“Eh…?” (Kento)

I must’ve misheard.

When I looked at Sophia’s face, she was blushing deeply and looking at me with teary eyes.

She was clearly embarrassed, and I realized that I hadn’t misheard what she said earlier.

“Did you just call me… ‘onii-chan’?” (Kento)

It was so unexpected that I instinctively had to confirm it.

She had called me “onii-chan” once before, but that time it had felt more like provocation.

This time, however, the meaning behind it was entirely different.

“~~~!! W-Why did you notice so quickly when it was just part of the conversation…!?” (Sophia)

Sophia started rambling in English as usual.

That meant she was really flustered.

Had she just said it accidentally? Or was it something she actually wanted to say?

Her expression was ambiguous, and I couldn’t tell which one it was.

“Ah…” (Sophia)

As I was confused, Sophia seemed to realize that she had spoken in English, and she looked down, embarrassed.

I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but it was clear I had hurt her with my reaction.

As unbelievable as it seemed, maybe, just maybe, Sophia really did want to call me “onii-chan“.

If she didn’t, there was no way she’d be this down.

“If you want to call me ‘onii-chan‘, I’m okay with it.” (Kento)

I smiled gently, trying to encourage her to be more honest with herself.

Honestly, even though she had just started calling me “Kento-kun” recently, I didn’t feel entirely indifferent about the idea of her calling me “onii-chan“.

But I wanted to respect Sophia’s feelings.

…Even though, it was really embarrassing.

“Nn… From now on, I want to call you ‘onii-chan‘…” (Sophia)

Sophia nodded slightly, her face still bright red.

Her reaction was so cute that I almost reached out to pat her head, but I held myself back.

Sometimes I do pat her head, but I could tell her embarrassment was nearing its limit. If I teased her further, she might panic.

“Yeah, let’s go with that. Was that what you wanted to talk about?” (Kento)

“Yeah… I actually planned to call you that more naturally in the flow of conversation… but…” (Sophia)

So that was why she was looking for the next topic once we finished talking.

For someone like Sophia, who’s clumsy with people, this was probably quite a challenge.

In fact, the awkwardness of the way she wanted to address me made it nearly impossible for her to do it normally.

“You’re probably going to get teased by everyone, but don’t worry about it, okay?” (Kento)

If Sophia started calling me “onii-chan“, everyone is going to wonder what’s going on.

And, of course, they would use it as an opportunity to tease her.

“Do you think I’ll get teased…?” (Sophia)

But Sophia didn’t seem to think that was going to happen.

I only knew her since she entered high school, but it was true that, as she was called “Solitary Flower”, she had distanced herself from everyone, so she likely hadn’t been teased for quite some time.

Moreover, no one really had the guts to tease Sophia.

In other words, I would be the one getting teased instead.

That said…

“If you’re with me, they might tease you…” (Kento)

If Sophia were on her own, it was highly unlikely she’d be teased. But if I were by her side, the psychological barrier toward her would lower, and they might try to tease her together with me.

If she didn’t like that, she’d have to stay away from me.

“Well, it’s fine… It’s actually for the sake of staying together…” (Sophia)

“Huh? What do you mean?” (Kento)

Not understanding what she had muttered, I asked her to clarify what she meant.

“It’s… it’s nothing…!” (Sophia)

But I was easily deceived by Sophia’s flustered expression.

Her behavior was so obvious, but was it something too inconvenient for her to talk about?

“I can’t possibly say it… Calling him ‘onii-chan’ just so I could be with Kento-kun…” (Sophia)

Still blushing, Sophia began muttering to herself again.

She didn’t seem angry, so it was fine…

“I’m sorry, that’s all I wanted to talk about.” (Sophia)

As I stared at her, Sophia turned to face me and subtly gave me the message of “Go back to your room.”

It seemed like calling me “onii-chan” was the main topic after all.

“Is that okay…?” (Kento)

It was up to Sophia how she wanted to address me, but I was still worried if it was okay not to get used to it.

She often gets flustered, so I was worried that if she tried to call me in front of everyone, she might panic.

“I-I’m fine…! I mean, I’m already so embarrassed, I’m at my limit…!” (Sophia)

It seemed like Sophia wanted me to leave because she couldn’t handle it anymore.

It really seemed like she had reached her limit.

In that case, I thought it would be better if she didn’t force herself to call me by that, but I guess it was something she really wanted to do.

“I got it. Just don’t push yourself too hard, okay?” (Kento)

“Yeah, thanks…” (Sophia)

With that, I left Sophia’s room, but—

“Waaaahhh! That was so embarrassing! My heart was about to jump out of my chest!” (Sophia)

From her room, I heard her loud, panicked voice.

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Thanks for reading!

Here it is!! It finally happened! Good job, Sophia~ Now we can enjoy her calling MC ‘onii-chan’ for the rest of the volume. 

Honestly, I enjoy the chapters which are just MC and Sophia talking to each other with no one interrupting them. More of these chapters please.

The rest of this chapter will be posted next weekend. I translated this part a week early cause I was somewhat unsatisfied with the previous chapter. Also, this chapter is long man, there are 2 more illustrations.

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1. None