TGS – Vol 2 Chapter 2 Part 2 – Accidental Interaction

Time passed, and two days later…

The holiday was over, and it was Monday, the day when school started again.

“Ah, good morning, Yuno-chan.” (Suzuha)

“Good morning. You’re as early as ever, Suzuha-chan. And it’s admirable that you’re studying on your own so early.” (Yuno)

“Well, the final exams are coming up, so I feel like I have to do my best…” (Suzuha)

“I see. It would be nice to be praised again by a certain onii-chan.” (Yuno)

“M-Mouu, Yuno-chan…” (Suzuha)

“Hehe.” (Yuno)

As soon as their eyes met, Yuno’s best friend, Suzuha, blushed and let out an embarrassed sigh, her cheeks turning crimson as she clasped her hands together and looked down.

Yuno knew.

She knew the reason why Suzuha wanted to study hard―aside from the desire to go to her university of choice.

“Then maybe I’ll try to come to school a little earlier too. I think I can concentrate better that way.” (Yuno)

“…You’re going to come earlier?” (Suzuha)

“I’d like to say ‘maybe tomorrow’, but lately, I’ve been dragged into playing picture shiritori with my baka aniki since morning. Well, I guess it’s more accurate to say I’m being forced to join in.” (Yuno)

“Eh, picture Shiritori?” (Suzuha)

It was an unexpected game to hear.

Suzuha widened her blue eyes and blinked rapidly.

Realizing that she probably wanted to know ‘why picture Shiritori?’, Yuno quickly added an explanation.

“He said he wants to improve his illustrations for work and he even started to reduce his sleep time for it. He was trying to perfect his drawing skills, but I managed to convince him to focus on expanding his repertoire of illustrations instead.” (Yuno)

“Hehe, that’s really like Haruto-oniisan… Serious and hardworking.” (Suzuha)

“Well, it’s one of the good things about my baka aniki, I guess.” (Yuno)

“But it’s good that he’s focusing on expanding his repertoire… I don’t want Haruto-oniisan to push himself too hard with perfecting his skills…” (Suzuha)

“I know right? He’s already busy every day, and he’s really bad at managing his time. Plus, he tries to act normal even when he’s sick, which is annoying. And his acting is strangely good in that department for some reason.” (Yuno)

Yuno complains bitterly, but like Suzuha, it comes from a place of concern.

They’ve started playing picture shiritori in the morning instead of at night, considering Haruto’s tiredness after work.

“He tries to act normal even when he catches a cold because he doesn’t want to worry you, Yuno-chan. I’m sure you can tell.” (Suzuha)

“…Huh. I’m not particularly worried, though. Really.” (Yuno)

“Liar.” (Suzuha)

“I-It’s not a lie…” (Yuno)

At that moment, Yuno’s gaze wandered, and her speech hastened. Her cheeks turned red as if it was right on the mark.

Being bad at such lies must be a trait inherited from her brother.

And――there was something that led up to this behavior between the two.

“On the day Haruto-oniisan had a high fever, Yuno-chan looked like she wanted to rush home immediately.” (Suzuha)

“!!” (Yuno)

“You kept saying you wanted to leave early.” (Suzuha)

“…” (Yuno)

On that day, Haruto had a fever close to 40 degrees.

Throughout the day, Yuno was restless, showing no signs of concentration during classes. The moment the last period ended, she hurriedly made her way to the bike parking area.

Suzuha had undeniable evidence, enough to refute Yuno’s claim of “not being worried”.

“Well, um, I mean… if you think about it, it’s common to worry about your family in such a situation…” (Yuno)

“Hehehe.” (Suzuha)

“…I didn’t really have to refute that now, did I?” (Yuno)

The active Yuno and the quiet Suzuha teased each other all the time. That’s how their relationship has always been.

“When I get home, I’ll take it out on my baka aniki. After all, this happened because he caught a cold.” (Yuno)

“Really?” (Suzuha)

“Really.” (Yuno)

“Really, really?” (Suzuha)

“Yeah, really…” (Yuno)

This indeed started with Haruto catching a cold, but catching a cold is inevitable.

Her response is a bit of a pity-driven outburst.

Still, Suzuha can smile because she knows that Yuno won’t vent her frustrations in a way that Haruto dislikes.

She might poke him in the side a bit, take him shopping, or even cook more than usual to vent her frustration.

That’s just how they are.

“Then maybe I’ll send Haruto-oniisan a message later and ask [Did Yuno-chan do anything unpleasant to you?]” (Suzuha)

“Y-You don’t have to do that…” (Yuno)

Knowing each other’s personalities well, once they start poking at each other, there’s no stopping.

“If you do that, I won’t invite you to stay over anymore. I was planning to invite you over for the next weekend.” (Yuno)

“T-That’s not fair…” (Suzuha)

“Then let’s not bring up what we talked about today, okay?” (Yuno)

“Hehe, okay, got it.” (Suzuha)

“Anyways, let’s talk about the sleepover I mentioned earlier!” (Yuno)

“Mmn! I’m looking forward to it!” (Suzuha)

“Me too!” (Yuno)

When in a tough spot, changing the subject is often the best move.

But this was something they had wanted to discuss from the start.

Thanks to Yuno’s words, they spent the time until the first period planning the sleepover.

And then, it was during lunch break, after morning classes, and after the final period that they talked about it again.

“…Maybe this is karma.” (Yuno)

Yuno spoke these words while on her way home.

She looked at her bike which was stuck because the chain had tangled up.

“I guess it’s not right to vent at someone who’s working hard for my sake, after all…” (Yuno)

It happened on a busy street.

The pedals wouldn’t turn.

“…Haa.” (Yuno)

There was nothing to do but sigh at the unfortunate situation.

Yuno’s only option is to endure the embarrassment of being seen by others and push her bike home.

“Well, there’s no point in staying here forever…” (Yuno)

As she resolved to change her mindset, it happened.

“Oh, is something wrong, miss?” (?)

“!” (Yuno)

A clear, transparent voice came from behind.

Yuno turned around abruptly to see a blonde woman wearing a hat pulled down low and a black mask, slowly approaching.

“Um, well…” (Yuno)

“Sorry for startling you. I’m not a suspicious person or anything… Oh, saying that might make me seem suspicious instead. Then what should I say… Ah, maybe this?” (Rina)

The woman, who had a clear and beautiful voice, started talking to herself. Then, she adjusted her mask under her chin.

Revealing her stunningly beautiful face like a model, she gave a reassuring wink.

“Oh… I’m sorry, uh, thank you…?” (Yuno)

“Don’t worry about it. So, um, did your bike chain come off by any chance?” (Rina)

Yuno, shaken by the sudden approach and the rapid-fire of words, was feeling flustered by the woman’s communication skills, which she had never encountered before. But she also felt a sense of familiarity with this approachable woman of the same gender.

Her guard naturally lowered, and she calmly explained the situation.

“Y-Yes, it just happened out of nowhere…” (Yuno)

“Hmm, hmm. Can I take a look at your bike for a moment?” (Rina)

“Oh, sure…” (Yuno)

The way she closed the distance between them felt as if they had spoken several times before.

Yuno, still unable to keep up with her pace, stepped from the bike.

The woman then placed her handbag on the ground and began inspecting the bike.

“Ah, I see. The chain got tangled here. That’s why the pedals won’t turn, right?” (Rina)

“Y-Yes, exactly…!” (Yuno)

“This is the most troublesome type where it won’t move unless you lift the rear wheel… Give me a moment. I’ll help you fix it.” (Rina)

“Huh…” (Yuno)

“Even though I’m wearing a mask, back in my student days, they used to call me ‘Rina-nee the bike fixer’, so rest assured!” (Rina)

Her mouth was hidden behind the mask, but even so, the woman called Rina smiled with her eyes as she confidently grabbed the chain with her bare hands.

“Alright… If I remember correctly I had to do this… and this…” (Rina)

With these words, she removed the tightly caught chain and moved it to fit into the ring with her congested fingers.

And―― two minutes later.

“Alright, it’s fixed! Look, the pedal’s turning smoothly now~” (Rina)

“!” (Yuno)

“Isn’t that great? Now you can go home just like usual!” (Rina)

To avoid getting her dirty hands from touching the chain, Rina spins the pedals to show that it has been fixed.

Afterwards, Rina puts her arm through the handle of her handbag and stands up, showing no change in demeanor.

“Well, it’s fixed for now, but it seems like the chain came off due to deterioration, so I think it’d be better to have it checked by a bike shop. It could be troublesome if it breaks again, so this is just a temporary fix, okay?” (Rina)

Rina adjusts her hat with her clean wrists and flashes another smile.

“A-Alright. I’ll get it checked at the bike shop soon! Thank you so much…!” (Yuno)

“Don’t mention it~. From what I remember, it shouldn’t cost too much! Well then, take care on your way home!” (Rina)

“Ah――” (Yuno)

It’s clear that she wasn’t looking for any repayment, as she’s already about to leave as soon as the matter is settled.

Rina even hides her dirty hands behind her back as she bids farewell to avoid avoid making Yuno feel indebted.

At that moment, any trace of “caution” vanished from Yuno’s mind.

Being helped but not being able to express gratitude was something she couldn’t tolerate.

She had been repeatedly reminded by her now-deceased parents to always say thank you when someone does something for you.

But a mere “thank you” wasn’t enough.

“U-Um!” (Yuno)

“Hm?”  (Rina)

Summoning her courage, Yuno spoke up.

“P-Please, let me thank you properly for this!” (Yuno)

“Um, you really don’t have to worry about it. I wasn’t inconvenienced by it or anything.” (Rina)

“But still, it doesn’t sit right with me…” (Yuno)

“Well…” (Rina)

Rina could only smile wryly at Yuno’s words.

It was as if she would definitely say the same thing if their positions were reversed.

“But, you know, it wouldn’t be right for an adult like me to let a high school student treat me, right?” (Rina)

Yuno wanted to repay the favour, but Rina’s adult pride doesn’t let her accept it. 

Even if it’s just a 100 yen juice, she can’t let a high school girl she just met spend her hard-earned money on her.

“…” (Rina)

“…” (Yuno)

With both of them unable to yield, they lapse into silence.

Their inability to compromise stems from their kind-heartedness.

“Um… I’m sorry to ask you this, but… are you hungry by any chance?” (Yuno)

“Oh, yeah, I am! That reminds me!” (Rina)

Upon hearing Yuno’s question, Rina comes up with a brilliant idea and speaks in a particularly cheerful voice.

“How about we go grab a meal together right now? I’ll cover the bill, so you can pick the place! Maybe somewhere with a counter would be good (since we’re meeting for the first time and it’s less intimidating with other people around).” (Rina)

While she frames it as if she was about to eat alone and suggests eating together, Yuno also had a clever idea of her own.

“W-Well, in that case, it would be your treat… So, if it’s not too much trouble, would you consider letting me treat you at my place? It’s not too far from here.” (Yuno)

“Huh!? No no, that’s a bit too much… you know…” (Rina)

“By the way, um… my parents aren’t around anymore, so there’s no need to worry about imposing on them.” (Yuno)

“!?” (Rina)

Thanks to Haruto’s presence, Yuno has managed to overcome the loss of her parents. That’s why she can calmly mention this without darkening her expression. However, Rina interprets it differently.

“S-So, shall we head over then?!” (Rina)

Worried about the idea of a high school girl living alone, Rina quickly agrees.

With both of them having kind hearts, their compatibility is evident as they walk together, chatting and getting to know each other over the course of 15 minutes.

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Thanks for reading!

Yuno, you know, you really shouldn’t be… nvm I’m sure you know what I’m going to say. 

I can only think of one reason why the author would want to bring Rina to MC’s house, but isn’t this like too soon? Prepare yourself mentally for the next 2 parts as she figures it out.

I don’t know much about bicycles so don’t take my translation at face value. And yes, I don’t know how to ride a bike. 

My only memory of bikes was seeing rental bicycles suddenly pop up everywhere in my country like 7 years ago and then people started doing shit like yeeting them off the top of 20-floor apartment buildings. Well, nowadays they’re mostly gone since I rarely see them.

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