The Reversi match was quite laid-back.
Haruto sat cross-legged, and Suzuha, with a cushion on her lap, engaged in casual conversation.
“Oh, since your exams are over, does that mean that you’ll come by the cafe again?” (Haruto)
“If it’s not a bother…” (Suzuha)
“I’ve never found it bothersome. If anything, I look forward to it.” (Haruto)
“T-Thank you very much…” (Suzuha)
“But, you know, the environment for concentration varies from person to person. Yuu mentioned that she can’t concentrate well when at a cafe.” (Haruto)
That opinion was quite accurate.
The voices of the customers could be distracting, making it hard to concentrate when studying.
But for Suzuha, she was there for a different reason.
(Just seeing Haruto onii-san’s face, and for the whole day…)
—A wave of happiness would overwhelm her, making it impossible to focus on anything. She couldn’t concentrate on her studies.
She would find herself staring at the cup with the message and latte art for a long time.
Sometimes, she couldn’t even bring herself to finish it.
It was because of all this that, during exam periods, she would always endure not meeting him.
All this to ensure that she could get good results and receive praise from Haruto.
“Ah, oops. I just lost a bunch of pieces.” (Haruto)
“Speaking of which, I heard from Yuno-chan. It seems that you got punished for forgetting to contact her.” (Suzuha)
“Huh!?” (Haruto)
“I was also asked to remind you about it.” (Suzuha)
“Haha… As expected of my imouto… I didn’t want Suzuha-chan to know, though.” (Haruto)
Seeing Haruto scratching his cheek with embarrassment, Suzuha unconsciously smiled.
Although she had heard many similar stories before, she had never once thought negatively about it.
If she had been bothered by such stories, she probably wouldn’t have had any reason to want to spend time alone with him.
(On the contrary, I’ve heard about many wonderful things too. Although Yuno-chan told me to keep it a secret.)
“Did she say anything else?” (Haruto)
“She mentioned that if you repeat the same thing, she won’t celebrate your birthday.” (Suzuha)
“I-Isn’t that a bit too much!?” (Haruto)
“If I were in Yuno-chan’s shoes, I might think the same thing?” (Suzuha)
(If you care about someone, it’s normal to worry about them.)
“…I’ll reflect on it more.” (Haruto)
“Hehe.” (Suzuha)
Some people might feel uncomfortable with having close relationships with siblings.
However, their family situation is complicated, having lost both parents before reaching adulthood.
It’s only natural to want to do anything possible to help each other and cherish each other even more.
“Oh, right. I know I’m changing the subject again, but Suzuha-chan, you can play chess, right?” (Haruto)
“If we’re talking about board games, it’s my favorite.” (Suzuha)
“Exactly! You mentioned that before! Actually, I’ve been practicing a bit, so could we have a match sometime?” (Haruto)
“…D-Did you learn the rules for my sake?” (Suzuha)
“Well, not exactly. It’s more for myself; I just wanted to pick up a new hobby.” (Haruto)
“Eh?” (Suzuha)
It depends on how you interpret it.
(…I’m happy.)
She felt both intentions, and that’s what made her feel this way.
“Um… I just remembered something from the past.” (Suzuha)
“Huh? Something from the past?” (Haruto)
“When I was in middle school… during the time I was being bullied.” (Suzuha)
She said this while gently touching her naturally silver hair.
Her hair, which was a symbol of her quarter genes, was once called ‘a strange color’, and she was even told by a teacher to ‘dye it black’.
It might be a dark story, but Suzuha has already come to terms with it.
Back then, it played a role in many awful experiences. This was because no one could empathize with her, but—because of those words.
“Back then, you ‘remembered’ for me too. You even used my grandmother’s native language to tell me, ‘Your hair is beautiful, so don’t waste it by lacking confidence. You don’t need to worry about what others think’.” (Suzuha)
“S-Stop bringing that up! Okay!?” (Haruto)
“Hehe, just a little more, please.” (Suzuha)
Ever since her elementary school days, Haruto and Suzuha had always been close friends through their mutual connection, Yuno.
Because of this connection, she knows.
She knows that back then, Yuno, who was trying to help her resolve the bullying issue, consulted with Haruto to make it happen.
(If it weren’t for Yuno-chan and Haruto onii-san, I definitely wouldn’t be who I am now…)
—Ever since that time, something in her changed.
She started to see Haruto as more than just a friend.
—(“Feel free to come over anytime.”)
Those words became even more precious to her.
“…Haruto onii-san, thank you so much back then.” (Suzuha)
“Even though you’re saying that, you’re taking my pieces! That’s the one I really didn’t want you to take!” (Haruto)
“Hehe, no mercy.” (Suzuha)
(For Yuno-chan, who did something considerate for me, and for myself, I have to enjoy this moment I have with him.)
Even though she found herself wanting to tease him, some things haven’t changed since that time.
“Ugh… Where should I place my piece…? There should still be a chance to win…” (Haruto)
“How about here?” (Suzuha)
“Huh? If I take that spot, you’ll just take a corner again2, won’t you!?” (Haruto)
“Hehehe.” (Suzuha)
As the endgame approached, the conversation shifted from casual talk to discussions about the game of Reversi.
The two of them continued their enjoyable time in Yuno’s room for dozens of minutes.
Because of their engrossing conversation, they didn’t notice.
Yuno, who had returned home, was leaning against the door, squinting her eyes, eavesdropping on their conversation.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Happy new year. There’s an epilogue left, so I think I’ll go finish that and maybe release it at the same time as this one. Let’s finish this exactly on new year.
Um, I probably scuffed it towards the end, but the way that the author worded everything was weird.
Thanks for the chapter, and Happy New Year too!
Wait, does the author mentions Suzuha is half Russian or something? I forgot
It was never stated, so maybe