As Haruto traced his way home under the starry sky illuminated by streetlights, a sense of nostalgia overcame him upon arriving home.
“I’m home!” (Haruto)
Haruto opened the front door and called out for his sister.
The first thing he saw was Yuno’s neatly arranged shoes and an unfamiliar pair of sneakers lined up next to them.
Confirming that Suzuha, who had said that she would be staying over today, was visiting, he took off his shoes.
Footsteps echoed from the living room, and the door connecting the hallway to the living room opened.
“Welcome back, Onii-chan.” (Yuno)
“Haruto-oniisan, sorry for intruding.” (Suzuha)
“Ah! It’s fine, I already heard about your visit from Yuu, so no worries. Thanks for coming out to greet me.” (Haruto)
Haruto stepped into the entrance, smiling as he greeted the two.
“It’s been a while, Suzuha-chan. Are you still enjoying school?” (Haruto)
“Yes, thanks to Yuno-chan.” (Suzuha)
“Onii-chan is such a worrywart… He asks the same thing every time.” (Yuno)
“Fufufu, isn’t it the usual?” (Suzuha)
“I-I know I’m persistent.” (Haruto)
Because Haruto attended school in the unique situation of having lost his parents, he worried that Yuno might face the same challenges. Being whispered about, teased, or left out because of conversations about parents…
Suzuha, influenced by her quarter-blood heritage, had striking silver hair that made her stand out more than anyone else.
Knowing her past of being bullied at school for unreasonable reasons like “not having black hair”, “not being liked”, or “looking strange,” he couldn’t help but worry about her too.
All of this was because――
“Well, I really care about Yuu and Suzuha-chan… So, um, it’s something I can’t help but ask.” (Haruto)
“Ah, um, I’m happy… really happy to hear you say that…” (Suzuha)
“Haa… Don’t include me when Suzuha-chan is here, it’s embarrassing.” (Yuno)
Suzuha expressed her feelings while shyly curling up, and Yuno showed a slightly prickly attitude.
Seeing the two, Haruto gave a sheepish smile and conveyed what he hadn’t been able to say.
“So, anyways! Take it easy tonight, Suzuha-chan. You don’t have to worry about imposing too much.” (Haruto)
“T-Thank you for your kindness… I’ll take you up on that…” (Suzuha)
“No problem.” (Haruto)
Suzuha bowed her head modestly. Her silky, beautiful silver hair swayed, making her movements look even more graceful.
“…By the way, onii-chan.” (Yuno)
“Hmm?” (Haruto)
“I’ve been curious for a while now, but what did you bring home today? I can clearly see something that looks like it’s going to cause a storage problem.” (Suzuha)
“Oh, this? Ta-da! It’s a sea turtle plushie!” (Haruto)
Haruto quickly took it out of the bag and held it up for the two to see.
“What do you think? Cute, right? Suzuha-chan?” (Haruto)
“Uh, um… It’s cute, but it’s really big…” (Suzuha)
“I purposely chose a big one.” (Haruto)
“Haa… Good for you, onii-chan. If Suzuha-chan hadn’t been here today, I would have nagged you about it. Well, you probably brought it home knowing you’d get scolded anyways.” (Yuno)
“Haha…” (Haruto)
Haruto could only let out a dry laugh, knowing he had been found out.
“By the way, where did you buy that? It’s not something you usually see at a game center.” (Yuno)
“I bought it at an aquarium. The Nozomi Aquarium.” (Haruto)
“…Haa!?” (Yuno)
“…!” (Suzuha)
This came as a shock to both of them.
“Onii-chan, did you go to an aquarium today? You said you were going out with your workmates.” (Yuno)
“Yeah, that’s right. So we went to the aquarium and some other places… Huh? Did I say something strange…?” (Haruto)
“No, you didn’t say anything strange… It’s just that the destination was unexpected, that’s all.” (Yuno)
“Ah, yeah, I suppose it was. But it was really fun. There were huge jellyfish, cool sharks, and cute penguins.” (Haruto)
“Well… if onii-chan enjoyed himself, that’s good.” (Yuno)
Yuno glanced sideways at Suzuha, who was visibly shaken and frozen in place.
The place he had visited was an aquarium. It was only natural to think that he went on a ‘date’… so her reaction was understandable.
“I have something to ask you, onii-chan. Did you get a girlfriend or something?” (Yuno)
“No, no, that’s still the same as always.” (Haruto)
“Hmm.” (Yuno)
With a drawn-out voice, Yuno gazed into Haruto’s eyes.
Having lived together for many years, she could tell that he wasn’t lying about something like this.
“Is something bothering you?” (Haruto)
“I was just curious. Anyways, why don’t you go take a bath? I’ve already filled the tub with hot water.” (Yuno)
“Really!? Then I’ll get in before it gets cold!” (Haruto)
Having received a message saying, “I’m heading home now!” Yuno hurriedly filled the bathtub with hot water.
“Oh, right! This bag is for you and Suzuha-chan. This one has sushi that my workmate, Aya-san, bought for you. She also told me to tell you ‘Please eat it’. And this bag has desserts I bought from the convenience store. I’ll put them in the fridge, so eat them whenever you like!” (Haruto)
“I’m happy about it, but… why did Aya-san go to such lengths? Sushi is expensive, so onii-chan should have declined.” (Yuno)
“Of course, I initially declined. But she said she wanted to give it as a gift to make you happy.” (Haruto)
“If she put it that way… well, alright. But make sure you tell her ‘thank you’ from me.” (Yuno)
“…A-And from me too, please…” (Suzuha)
“Got it! Well then, I’ll go take a bath after sending the message.” (Haruto)
The conversation at the entrance ended there.
The three of them moved to the living room. Haruto placed the sea turtle plushie on the sofa and put the sushi and the desserts he bought from the convenience store into the refrigerator.
“Alright then, I’ll go take a bath now. You two take it easy. Oh, Suzuha-chan, just one thing!” (Haruto)
“Y-Yes!?” (Suzuha)
“If it’s alright with you after I get out of the bath, would you like to play that chess game we promised1?” (Haruto)
“Y-Yes, I’d love to…!” (Suzuha)
“Great!” (Haruto)
“I’ll help you get the board set up.” (Yuno)
“Thanks! Alright, I’ll be off then!” (Haruto)
With that, Haruto, holding his smartphone, headed to the bathroom.
In the living room, it’s just Yuno and Suzuha left. They quickly exchange glances.
“Y-Yuno-chan… Haruto-oniisan he…” (Suzuha)
“I didn’t expect that either. I mean, onii-chan hanging out with a girl…” (Yuno)
Their thoughts aligned—because he was someone who didn’t seem to have any romantic interests.
They exchange wide-eyed glances.
“But judging from his behavior, it seems like she’s just a coworker. I mean, onii-chan is terrible at lying.” (Yuno)
“Y-Yeah…” (Suzuha)
Suzuha lets out a relieved sigh but then continues with a lowered voice.
“…But, as expected of Haruto-oniisan. Before I knew it…” (Suzuha)
“W-Well, he’s someone we admire… so it won’t be weird for him to be popular, but maybe he’s just too busy for romance all this time.” (Yuno)
Both of them know many good qualities about Haruto.
Yuno and Suzuha are both thinking, “It’s strange for him to be single”.
“For now, why don’t we eat the dessert onii-chan got for us to calm down? Oh, and while we’re at it, let’s take a look at the sushi too.” (Yuno)
“Y-Yeah.” (Suzuha)
It’s already quite late at night.
Although they’ve already had dinner, they’re both curious about what’s inside.
Yuno opens the refrigerator and Suzuha peeks in as well.
Once they’re ready to look, Yuno lifts the lid of the sushi box.
“Eh… What’s with these extravagant toppings…? And there’s fatty tuna and sea urchin, and it’s seasoned with red vinegar and sprinkled with gold… T-This must be really expensive!” (Yuno)
“I-I’ve never seen sushi this fancy before…” (Suzuha)
There are 20 dazzling pieces of sushi, each packed meticulously into the box.
For high schoolers like them, knowing the price of such a product is terrifying. They’d rather not think about it if possible.
“This person, Aya-san, definitely tricked him into bringing this home… onii-chan would never let her choose something this expensive…” (Yuno)
“In other words, she knows Haruto-oniisan well enough, I think…” (Suzuha)
“Yeah, otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought it home. He probably got convinced by some excuse like she has a free coupon…” (Yuno)
There’s no way something this extravagant could be free. Normally, they wouldn’t think Haruto could be deceived like this, but they could imagine the scene playing out in their minds.
Because Haruto is kind, pure, and straightforward, it’s easy to imagine him being easily tricked by someone.
“She’s definitely targeting onii-chan, isn’t she? I don’t think someone who doesn’t care about him would spend this much money on his relative.” (Yuno)
“Unn…” (Suzuha)
Suzuha’s weak voice leaks out, as if in agreement.
“Well, we’ll just have to switch our mindset for now. Since you’re going to play chess together later, we can’t let onii-chan worry about you, right?” (Yuno)
“Yeah, you’re right, Yuno-chan. Okay…” (Suzuha)
Haruto may have his dense moments, but strangely, he’s more sensitive than anyone else when it comes to people’s worries and can quickly notice them.
To enjoy their time together, they want to avoid causing him any worry.
“Well then, Suzuha-chan, what dessert would you like? We have jelly, pudding, and cake. Each of us gets two.” (Yuno)
“I-I’ll have the pudding…” (Suzuha)
“Then I’ll have pudding too. Here you go.” (Yuno)
“Thank you…” (Suzuha)
Yuno hands the pudding to Suzuha along with a plastic spoon.
Then, they both sit down in their chairs and continue their conversation while eating.
“…Hey, I just thought of something. Did onii-chan really walk into the convenience store carrying that huge sea turtle plushie? Wasn’t he embarrassed?” (Yuno)
“Oh, yeah, you’re right. He might have been embarrassed…” (Suzuha)
“And I hope he didn’t brag to the cashier about it. Like pulling out the plushie and all.” (Yuno)
“Hehehe.” (Suzuha)
What exactly was going through his mind when he entered the convenience store is something only he knows.
But considering the possibility that he might have felt embarrassed but still bought it, Yuno activates her “can’t be straightforward” mode and makes a lighthearted comment while munching on her pudding.
“Y-Yuno-chan.” (Suzuha)
“Hm?” (Yuno)
“What kind of person is Aya-san…?” (Suzuha)
“Well, ultimately, we’ll have to ask onii-chan, but based on what I can guess for now, I think she’s someone with financial strength and kind-hearted nature. She seems to have a good eye for people.” (Yuno)
The fact that she was able to buy that sushi with the intention of making them happy. The fact that she noticed Haruto’s charms.
That’s how Yuno assesses her.
“…Other than that, maybe Aya-san is popular too. I mean, onii-chan wouldn’t come up with something as classy as ‘Let’s go to the aquarium’ so maybe it’s her suggestion, and even her name has a certain aura.” (Yuno)
“Don’t make me even more anxious…” (Suzuha)
“I-I didn’t mean to do that! You’re the one who asked me, Suzuha-chan!!” (Yuno)
“W-Well…” (Suzuha)
“Haa… I guess it can’t be helped.” (Yuno)
Suzuha who was thinking the same thing as Yuno, couldn’t help but ask out of anxiety.
“Then let’s focus on something positive next. I mean, Suzuha-chan, you were invited to hang out by onii-chan. There are plenty of chances to turn things around.” (Yuno)
“…Huh?” (Suzuha)
“Hm?” (Yuno)
Yuno who was hoping for a delighted response, blinked rapidly as she saw Suzuha’s blank expression, as if she had no idea what she was talking about.
Upon seeing this expression, Yuno herself lets out a hesitant “Ah…”
“Um, sorry, Suzuha-chan… Did I forget to mention it…? We’re going shopping for clothes with onii-chan next time, and I was wondering if you’d like to come too.” (Yuno)
“I didn’t hear anything about that…” (Suzuha)
“Ah, I see… I’m really sorry… I was looking forward to Suzuha-chan coming over that I forgot… Anyways, I should’ve told you about this first.” (Yuno)
If she had mentioned this earlier, Suzuha might have felt less uneasy.
She probably wouldn’t have been plagued by such big worries.
But because she hadn’t been told, Suzuha inadvertently revealed the extent of her feelings.
“So, can you keep Saturday free? Since onii-chan’s day off is Saturday, I think that’s when it’ll happen.” (Yuno)
“Yeah, got it.” (Suzuha)
Suzuha nodded and brought the pudding to her mouth.
Knowing she’s been invited by Haruto seems to have eased her anxious feelings.
Compared to before, she was eating the pudding at a much faster pace now.
“Just so you know, I’ll make sure you two can have some alone time, Suzuha-chan.” (Yuno)
“Y-You don’t have to worry so much… Just being able to hang out with Haruto-oniisan makes me happy…” (Suzuha)
“Hmm… So you’re not happy to hang out with me? That’s mean…” (Yuno)
“Y-Yuno-chan, you’re being mean, you know that’s not what I meant…” (Suzuha)
“Haha, just kidding, just kidding.” (Yuno)
As soon as Suzuha seemed to have regained her composure, Yuno immediately resumed her usual teasing.
And so, they continued their lively conversation, uninterrupted, while eating their pudding for what must have been dozens of minutes.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
And so, after an entire volume and a half, Yuno and Suzuha finally realized that Aya existed. Aya still doesn’t know, but maybe she’ll catch them during their clothes shopping date.
BRUH I just realized that this is the last chapter before interlude 2 and the epilogue. This means that the whole streamer tournament and Suzuha’s “date” are most likely happening in the next volume. The remaining of this chapter is just Suzuha time.
In other words, Rina really just appeared for 3 straight chapters before becoming irrelevant for the remaining chapters.