TGS – Vol 2 Interlude 1

How many hours had they spent in this house?

“Thank you so much for today. I was planning to just say a quick hello and leave, but ended up staying really late.” (Rina)

“Oh no, not at all. Instead, thank you for visiting us. It was fun. Right, Yuu?” (Haruto)

“Yeah! Please come visit us anytime, Rina-oneesan.” (Yuno)

“Hehe, thank you!” (Rina)

As she was being politely seen off to the entrance by Haruto and Yuno, Rina exchanged her final farewells with them.

“Oh, right. Since we exchanged contacts, feel free to send me a message anytime. That goes for you too, onii-san.” (Rina)

“Haha, got it.” (Haruto)

“If you ever have any trouble or concerns about streaming, you can rely on me. Despite how I look, I’m good at keeping secrets, so don’t worry.” (Rina)

“That’s reassuring, Rina-san. If the time comes, I’ll be counting on you.” (Haruto)

“Okay!” (Rina)

With that, Rina had conveyed everything she wanted to say.

(I really wanted to chat more, though…)

Since she had already stayed far beyond expected, she felt it was best not to impose any further.

Despite the reluctance to leave, she decided it was best to wrap things up quickly.

“It’s getting quite late, I should get going soon.” (Rina)

“Before you go, take this as a thank you for today.” (Haruto)

“Ah! Mochi (rice cake)!” (Rina)

“Um… Rina-onee-san, if you don’t mind, could you send us a message when you get home? It’s quite dark outside, so we’re a bit worried.” (Yuno)

“Wow, you two really say the nicest things. I’ll make sure to message you as soon as I get home. …Well then, bye-bye~” (Rina)

After responding to Yuno’s words, she waved her hand and said goodbye, slowly making her way home.

Just before turning the corner of the walkway, she waved once more to the siblings who were still seeing her off and murmured softly as she entered their blind spot.

“That was fun… I can’t believe it’s already this late.” (Rina)

When she glanced at the watch on her left wrist, she saw that it had turned 10 PM.

It was already too late to start a stream.

Time really flies when you’re enjoying yourself.

“Even so, to think that Yuno-chan’s onii-chan is the staff I met at the cafe and that he’s actually Oni-chan… Even if we live in the same area, it’s quite a coincidence.” (Rina)

Furthermore, she thought—

(Being able to meet Yuno-chan and Oni-chan… I’m glad I stopped by.)

She made a new cooking friend.

She was able to meet the streamer she was curious about.

She had such a fun time that she lost track of time.

In addition to that――

“I could really feel that he’s the same person Ayacchi talked about. It’s clear as day. His ‘toxic’ persona just doesn’t suit him at all.” (Rina)

It was difficult to defend someone who used trash-talking as a weapon in their streams, but Rina’s impression of Haruto, aka Oni-chan, was still “a genuinely good person”.

Even though her sister is going through her rebellious phase, she still holds him in such high regard.

After hearing the whole story, Rina could see how Yuno ended up like this.

(…Hehe, if only onii-san could help Yuno-chan let off some steam a bit more, she might still be more open.)

That’s what Rina thought after today’s conversation.

Yuno, who was grateful for her brother, found herself unable to repay his kindness. For every favor she tried to return, he seemed to pile on more at a pace she couldn’t match.

This made it hard for her to keep up, to stick to her plans, and ultimately made her unable to be straightforward.

“It’s enough already, I can’t keep repaying your kindness at this rate, so please stop…”—probably something like that.

Rina also went through a rebellious phase, one of which she wasn’t proud of.

Exchanging contact information with the siblings was not only to fulfill her own desire to cook together with Yuno in the future but also to create opportunities to help her release her pent-up feelings instead of Haruto.

Even though she had just met Yuno today, she found her so likable that she almost wanted to meddle in her affairs.

(I guess this is how onii-san feels watching her grow up.)

Coming to this conclusion felt as satisfying as fitting the final piece of a puzzle.

“…I can understand why Ayacchi would fall for him.” (Rina)

As she held the paper bag containing the thank-you gift in one hand, in the other hand―the one that Haruto had clasped with both of his hands―she repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fist, recalling the sensation from that moment.

(Just like Yuno-chan, Ayacchi probably experienced unexpected kindness from him… or something.)

Being “experienced” was just a facade created to establish her persona.

In reality, Ayacchi, who attended an all-girls school, had a level of experience that was just as comparable to Yuno’s, to the point where even holding hands could have an impact.

“I hope someday I can talk to onii-san naturally… I want to interact with him without any barriers…” (Rina)

Ideally… she wanted to become even closer.

To become closer and get to know him better.

(If only I had discovered the cafe sooner, I could have gotten to know him earlier…)

Thinking about this was pointless and only made her feel a sense of regret.

“…I wonder if I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Seriously…” (Rina)

Unconsciously, she found herself thinking only about Haruto.

The more she tried to focus, the more she couldn’t help but be aware of his rough and large hands.

“Is it possible for a 22-year-old woman to be so susceptible…?” (Rina)

She twirled her hair with her index finger, wearing an indescribable expression as she voiced her anxiety.

At this moment, Rina, who was usually seen as “experienced”, was momentarily neglecting the crisis where her facade could easily crumble.

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Thanks for reading!

Looks like the author is heading in that direction after all… Tbh, the reason why I’m translating so slowly is that I’m not really all that interested in the gyaru on the outside type, it’s more of a personal thing. And well, Rina appears a lot in these chapters.

For those of you who are as anxious as me about Rina’s relationship with MC, I’ll post the next chapter too where it was addressed.

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