[Yuno’s PoV]
After Haruto delivered the snacks…
“Well, Haruto Onii-san… is amazing, after all. That’s a lot…” (Suzuha)
“Haa.” (Yuno)
Looking at the snacks on the table and carpet, Suzuha gave a wry smile, while Yuno, placing a hand on her forehead, had a bewildered expression.
At a glance, there were countless snacks scattered around.
—Two-liter carbonated drinks, apple juice, and one bottle of tea each.
—Two bags of family-sized chips.
—One bag of family-sized chocolates and one bag of family-sized cookies.
—Several types of gummies and candies.
—Two triangular shortcakes.
The drinks and snacks instantly took over the table, which was supposed to be used for studying.
“S-Sorry, Suzuha-chan. Onii-chan just thinks that the more snacks there are, the happier people are… He never considers how much one can actually eat…” (Yuno)
She added a firm explanation and defense as a responsible younger sister.
“We don’t have to eat everything just because he gave it to us.” (Yuno)
Suzuha understands Haruto’s personality but says this just to be safe.
“Haa. He must have gotten excited since it’s been a while since Suzuha-chan visited.” (Yuno)
As Yuno moves the snacks on the table onto the carpet to create a space for eating, she reflects on how things ended up like this.
“Normally, one wouldn’t even think about bringing in so much, right? There isn’t even any room on the table for us to eat.” (Yuno)
“Hehe, that’s so typical of Haruto onii-san.” (Suzuha)
“He’s always been like this. I know it’s one of his good points, but still.” (Yuno)
Yuno, with a disapproving look, could easily picture the situation that led up to this.
Her brother happily puts snacks and drinks into the shopping basket without any consideration for the cost, without checking the prices, just to make someone happy.
Although she knew this would happen, her brother refused to let her come with him.
He even proudly said, ‘I’ll go shopping alone! Look forward to what I’ll bring back!’ with a smile.
“Also, he forgot to prepare cups for the drinks and forks for the cake. This is like some malicious prank.” (Yuno)
“Oh, true. Hehehe.” (Suzuha)
“He looked so proud of himself when he brought in the snacks, and it somehow ended up like this… Why is onii-chan and I so different in this regard?”
While muttering complaints, Yuno’s tone and expression remained gentle, and she seemed to be smiling inwardly.
Suzuha, seemingly understanding Yuno’s feelings, silently watches and softens her expression.
She continued to talk about Haruto’s clumsy side one after another. Simple complaints come out, but the atmosphere in the room is warm.
Because they know Haruto well, the conversation ends with a ‘It can’t be helped’.
“Now then, I’ll go get some cups and forks. I’ll also bring wet tissues while I’m at it.” (Yuno)
“Ah, maybe you should wait a bit longer…?” (Suzuha)
“It’s fine. Onii-chan has probably already moved to his gaming room.” (Yuno)
Judging from the happily delivered snacks, it’s safe to say that Haruto read the apology message Yuno sent a little while ago.
Living under the same roof as Haruto, Yuno can easily anticipate what action he’ll take when in such a mood.
He’s definitely going to start working right away.
“Even if onii-chan is in the living room, you can just say you need to use the bathroom and get away with it.” (Yuno)
“Ehh? But the bathroom and living room aren’t near each other.” (Suzuha)
“Usually, yes, but he’ll apologize with a ‘Sorry for catching you at a bad time’ in response.” (Yuno)
“H-Have you tried that before?” (Suzuha)
Suzuha widens her eyes in shock at the surprising revelation.
“When living together, you’ll get used to onii-chan’s absent-mindedness. I’ve been using this to help out more in secret.” (Yuno)
Yuno has been consistently acting this way. If she could help out around the house without him noticing, she prefers it to be that way.
“Besides, if I bluntly tell him about what I’m doing in secret, my brother might cry or something.” (Yuno)
“Hehe, if Haruto onii-san were to cry, it would most likely be at Yuno-chan’s graduation ceremony, wouldn’t it?” (Suzuha)
“Yeah, 100%. He’d probably cry so much that one tissue wouldn’t be enough.” (Yuno)
“Maybe he should prepare three.” (Suzuha)
“Even that might not be sufficient.” (Yuno)
“Well, even though I say that, I’ll probably end up the same way at my graduation. I’ll cry along with him, and there are things that can only be said on that day.” (Yuno)
“Things that can only be said on that day?” (Suzuha)
“My brother may not say much, but because of our family situation, he gave up on his own education, prioritized part-time jobs even as a student, and worked hard for me… There’s no end to the list of things that makes him an amazing person.” (Yuno)
Even in difficult times, Haruto would cheerfully interact with her while hiding his feelings. If she seemed down, he would invite her to go out and show more consideration than usual. He even lied about preferring work over his studies to earn money for her.
Yuno may scold or get angry with him, but deep down, she feels that she can’t compete with her brother. Although it was more than a year away, she had already decided to use the graduation ceremony to convey these feelings that had been accumulating over the years.
“…Ah, we’re starting to get off topic. How was onii-chan when you greeted him? Since it was the exam period, it’s been a while since you saw him, right?” (Yuno)
“W-Well, yeah. I was nervous, but we talked a lot… It was really fun.” (Suzuha)
“I see, I see.” (Yuno)
She intentionally sent Suzuha alone for this reason, so that she could have some one-on-one time with Haruto.
“He praised you for the results, right? Since you worked so hard to be praised by him, you definitely told him about it, right?” (Yuno)
“Uh! W-Well, um…” (Suzuha)
“Well?” (Yuno)
“He… He did praise me.” (Suzuha)
“Hehe, that’s great.” (Yuno)
Yuno notices Suzuha blushing, using polite language, and nodding her head up and down. Unable to hold it in, she breaks into laughter.
Peeking from below, she could see Suzuha’s ears turning bright red.
“By the way, did he compliment your outfit?” (Yuno)
“W-Why are you asking about my outfit…” (Suzuha)
“That’s because the usually modest Suzuha-chan is wearing a shorter skirt today, right? It’s obvious you chose it with onii-chan in mind.” (Yuno)
“T-That’s… not true…? It was just particularly hot today…” (Suzuha)
“Right…” (Yuno)
“Ugh…” (Suzuha)
Her voice becomes softer, and her face continues to redden.
In the first place, today’s temperature is a cool 22 degrees. It’s clear that Yuno hit the nail in the coffin.
“From the looks of it, he complimented that too, didn’t he?” (Yuno)
“W-Well, um, he didn’t compliment my outfit, but he did say, ‘You look beautiful’. I-It’s embarrassing…” (Suzuha)
“W-What the!? I didn’t think onii-chan would ever say something like that! Hehe, if that’s the case, then it was worth coming over today, right?” (Yuno)
While nodding with a smile, Suzuha intertwines her fingertips and playfully wiggles them. It was a joyful reaction which only ever appears when Haruto is involved.
Yuno, who knows about this side of her, smiles without saying anything else. She decided that it was best not to tease her any further.
“Hey, Yuno-chan…” (Suzuha)
“Yeah? What’s up?” (Yuno)
“Um, it’s about Haruto onii-san… Was he not feeling well today?” (Suzuha)
“Huh? There didn’t seem to be anything particularly different about him today. Why do you ask?” (Yuno)
“Well, you see, before I greeted him, Haruto onii-san was lying on the floor face-up…” (Suzuha)
“Huh? On the floor, not on the sofa!?” (Yuno)
“Yeah. He was just sprawled1 out on the floor…” (Suzuha)
It’s unusual for the clever Suzuha to show such expressions. Apparently, he was lying there like a dead fish.
“Gimme a moment. Let me see if I can figure out what happened.” (Yuno)
If he collapsed on the floor, something significant must have occurred.
If Haruto’s health was bad, and he was enduring it, Yuno couldn’t just brush it off lightly. While emitting a serious aura, making her difficult to approach, Yuno starts pondering what could have happened.
“Ah.” (Yuno)
Her expression quickly relaxed.
“It’s not because he’s unwell, so it’s okay. He probably rolled off while lazing on the sofa.” (Yuno)
“Maybe he hurt his back and couldn’t move…?” (Suzuha)
“W-Well, it’s onii-chan, so he’ll be fine.” (Yuno)
Yuno forces a wry smile.
What crosses her mind is the image of Haruto, hurt by insults like “stupid brother”.
She’s relieved that she sent the apology message before things got worse. Fearing that Suzuha might scold her if she found out, Yuno quickly changes the subject.
“*Ahem* Well then, I’ll go to the living room and get cups and forks. We shouldn’t wait too long to eat the cake.” (Yuno)
“I’ll help too.” (Suzuha)
“Thank you. But let’s prioritize not getting caught by onii-chan, okay? If he finds us together in the living room, it might be hard to cover up.” (Yuno)
“Y-Yeah, you’re right. So, I’ll leave it to Yuno-chan…?” (Suzuha)
“Of course.” (Yuno)
As Yuno rises and reaches for the doorknob, the phone in her pocket starts to vibrate.
…
While opening the door with her right hand and taking out her phone with her left, Yuno, after checking the notification, turns to Suzuha with a surprised yet triumphant grin.
“Suzuha-chan, I just received a message from onii-chan. He said, ‘The outfit today really suited you!’ Apparently, he forgot to mention it when he greeted you.” (Yuno)
“?!” (Suzuha)
“He should have probably just said these things directly, right?” (Yuno)
Suzuha, upon hearing the message, tightens her lips, shaking her head left and right.
At first glance, it might seem like a denial, but in Suzuha’s case, it was just a sign that she was embarrassed.
“By the way, Suzuha-chan, do you want to be alone with onii-chan…?” (Yuno)
“W-Wha-wha-wha…” (Suzuha)
Suzuha stumbles over her words, her face turning bright red. However, given their friendship since elementary school, Yuno’s intentions are clear.
“Why are you surprised? When you helped me with my studies during the exam period, I promised I would repay the favor, right?” (Yuno)
Repaying the favor means fulfilling the other person’s wishes within reasonable limits.
It’s something the two of them often do.
“Today is a great opportunity, and I thought that Suzuha-chan might not have had enough time to talk with Onii-chan. Of course, I’m sure this is what Onii-chan thinks too.” (Yuno)
She doesn’t want to selfishly involve important family members, but this suggestion comes from knowing that both of them want to talk more to each other.
“Yuno-chan… is it really okay? I mean, if you leave Haruto onii-san and I alone, you’d be by yourself for a while…” (Suzuha)
“I’d actually prefer that.” (Yuno)
“Eh?” (Suzuha)
“He gets so happy about it, you know? If he’s happy, then I’m happy too.” (Yuno)
Yuno chuckles softly.
That’s because she can imagine the delighted expression on Haruto’s face.
Some might think, “Why not the three of them play?” but even that would be troublesome for Yuno.
—Especially since she finds it challenging to be completely honest in front of her brother.
“U-Um, then I’ll take you up on that… Thank you.” (Suzuha)
“Sure thing.” (Yuno)
“Uh, and also… I need some time to prepare my heart…” (Suzuha)
“It’s okay. I can wait.” (Yuno)
Suzuha shows a relieved expression at those words.
“Well then, now that our little off-topic chat is over, I’ll go get the cups and forks first. Suzuha-chan, take your time.” (Yuno)
“T-Thank you.” (Suzuha)
“Don’t worry about it.” (Yuno)
With that, Yuno stands up, heads to the hallway, and closes the door to her room on her way to the living room.
—And, she backpedals.
She quietly opens her room door just a few centimeters and peeks inside.
“Hehe…” (Suzuha)
There stands Suzuha, covering her face with both hands, embodying the principle of “See no evil” from the three wise monkeys2.
Being complimented on her outfit and the idea of being alone with Haruto seemed to bring her immense joy.
“…Hehe, you’re so easy to read.” (Yuno)
After completely closing the door, Yuno murmurs to herself and heads towards the living room.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
W-Wow, so Suzuha chose that short skirt on purpose. She’s more aggressive than I thought. I know that it might not seem like her skirt is that short, but I think in Japan, their school uniform usually has a super long skirt unlike in animes and stuff. I could be wrong tho.
Again, it’s a long chapter so there might be mistakes somewhere.
Thanks for the chapter!
Yuno has a little tsundere side huh? And damn Suzuha is very aggresive indeed