Chapter 198 : Step 1

『Endou…by the way, what are you going to do with that?!』

The baseball club member, Koizumi speaks to Endou who’s on the ground.

『Oh, that one!』

Sugiyama grins…

『You see…it’s nice and all that you got kicked out of the baseball club but don’t think we’re going to let you get away with even that!』

Koizumi grabs Endou’s chest and pulls him up…!

『T-That?…W-What?!』

Endou stares at his seniors while blood runs down his nose.

『Isn’t that obvious?…The bet!』

…Bet?

…Isn’t that?!

『You, and that…who was it again?』

『…Yukino-chan』

『That’s right…the bet where you’re going to fuck her on what day on May…』

Endou…and Yukino’s bed day…

The entire baseball club made a bet, didn’t they…?

『T-That…I don’t care about that woman anymore! I!』

Yesterday…Endou was shamed by Yukino in front of the baseball ground audience.

『…I don’t care about that woman anymore!』

Endou said as if spitting out…

『…Hee, so that’s what you intend…!』

『We won’t let that however!』

Koizumu drives another hit in Endou’s belly!

『…We also bet! We wanted to make money you know!』

『It’s too late for a refund just because the woman’s useless now!』

The two of them beat up Endou.

『…Do something about it bastard!』

『Even if it’s impossible, do something about it!』

They beat up Endou.

『T-That’s…What are you telling me to do!』

Endou got covered in mud and shouted half-crying

『Isn’t that obvious?…!』

Koizumu tells Endou while having a faint laugh.

『Rape her or something…do something to complete the bet!』

Sugiyama laughs frivolously…

『Oh, by the way…Koizumi and I bet on May 2…it means our bet is today』

『In short…You need to do it by all means…!』

…Today?

Endou’s going to rape Yukino?!

『B-But…You know her don’t you?! She’s the one being talked about in the TV yesterday…the daughter of Shirasaka Sousuke!』

Ooh, the baseball stupid Endou is also watching the commotion last night.

『I don’t want to get involved with her anymore!』

Endou abandoned Yukino quickly.

As soon as he knew that he was a daughter of a criminal suspect…the value of Yukino has disappeared for him…

…But

Sugiyama and Koizumi…the baseball club members!

『That doesn’t matter!』

『…Ha!』

『That doesn’t matter!』

『…There we go!』

『That doesn’t matter!』

『…Yeah!』

They’re not changing their mind at all.

They just hit Endou while laughing…!

『We’re the only ones who made a bet on May 2 among the baseball club members…!』

『Isn’t that right? Koizumi-kuun~…!』

『If Endou was able to finish it today then we’re going to be rich!』

『We’re going to receive the full price!』

『Then…how much are we going to earn again, Koizumi-kuuun?』

『Well you see…it’s roughly 42k yen, Sugiyama-kuuun~!』

『For each of us…?』

『…That would be 20k yen』

『Isn’t that biiiiiig…Sugiyama-kuuun?!』

『It’s something you can’t overlook…Koizumi-kuuuun~』

Both of them beat up Endou again…!

『That’s why…You have to…~!』

『Definitely do that…!』

『Fuck that woman!』

『Then…take photos as evidence!』

Endou’s being poured on with fists!

On the soil of the unpopular back of gym…

Endou who’s beaten up falls down.

『Do you get it, Endou!?』

『You have to do it today okay…』

『Your reply?!』

Endou’s not answering.

『Well fine…we’ll call you later…!』

『Try to do something about that woman until then !』

『If you do anything funny then we won’t be done with this』

『…Do you get it, Endou?』

『…Then, ptui!』

Sugiyama’s spit falls to Endou’s face.

Sugiyama and Koizumi walks away while laughing…

Endou who fell down forward…

…Before long.

『…Dammit!』

He speaks in hatred but he doesn’t seem to move.

『W-Why do I have to…dammit!』

Endou thinks that he did nothing wrong…

He thinks that everyone else is responsible for his hardships…

That is what Endou Kenji is.

『Those bastards are saying bullshit…bullshit…bullshit…!!!!』

…That’s when.

Someone comes in on the camera screen.

『My?!…Someone seems to have fallen here?!』

That is…

The student council president…Iwakura Yukiyo…!

Iwakura-kaichou’s followed by two male students.

Both of them have a student council armband.

If I recall…all those in the student council are under Iwakura-san.

『What’s wrong? You seem to be injured …!』

Iwakura-san acts surprised then approached Endou.

『My my, this is a horrible injury… Harada, Makino, take this boy…let’s see, the sports training room in the gym is near. There are meds there…!』

No…you normally take them to the doctor’s office.

I’ve never heard of a sports training room either.

…Is there anything behind it.

『…Yes, Kaichou』

『Now… hurry up and take him!』

Iwakura-san looked towards the camera and smiled while saying that.

…She knows the position of the camera.

She’s making an appeal over the camera as she acted according to Minaho-neesan’s order?…

『Here, can you stand?!』

The two subordinates raise Endou.

『…Y-Yeah』

Supported by the two from the student council…Endou heads to the entrance of the gym.

Iwakura-kaichou walks behind elegantly…

◇　◇　◇

「Okay…that’s the end of the video」

Katsuko-nee stopped playing the video.

「Eh…wait a moment…!」

I look at Minaho-neesan.

「W-What’s going on?! What did Minaho-neesan tell Iwakura-kaichou?」

…Minaho-neesan.

「I can’t tell you right now.」

She said…then dinks coffee.

「…That’s. Could it be that you really would let Endou rape Yukino?!」

When I asked her…

「I wonder?! Isn’t that all dependent to Endou-kun and Yukino-san…? Isn’t that right?!」

T-True…

I don’t think that Endou would just do what the seniors say because he was beaten up by them…

With Endou’s personality…he’ll try to avoid Yukino instead.

He definitely won’t let those two seniors win…

「What…Yoshida-kun, are you that worried about Yukino-san?」

Minaho-neesan looks at me.

「No…but」

「You don’t need to care about that person anymore…!」

Mana mutters.

「…Onii-chan, hug me!」

「…Sure」

I embraced Mana.

Mana is holding a deep inferiority complex towards Yukino as her younger sister.

THat complex is accelerating her『dependency』towards me.

「Onii-chan has Mana already…don’t think about that person anymore…!」

…Mana said.

…I

「My…Yoshida-kun, isn’t it about time you pick up Megumi?」

Minaho-neesan looks at her watch then said.

True… the morning practice is about to end.

「Yes…I’ll pick her up」

Megu…

She’s also in『addicted』state too

I’m worried unless I pick her up.

「Hora hora, Mana-chan will be staying behind with me!」

Nei-san calls Mana.

「…I」

Mana clings to my school uniform…

「Mana-chan…you’re worried about Megu-chan too aren’t you?」

Nei-san smiled kindly and told Mana.

「…That’s why we have to let Yo-chan stick with Megu-chan for a while…okay?」

Hearing Nei-san…Mana…

「…Got it. Onii-chan, I’ll leave Megu-oneechan to you」

Mana let go of my student clothes…

「Yeah…leave her to me」

I answer while patting Mana’s head.

「Nei-sama…could you clean up the kitchen along with Mana-chan?」

「Okay, Katsun!」

Next, Margo-san to Michi…

「Kudou-san…should we move our body a bit on the principal’s office above? We don’t know what would be the timing of battle situation in the future so we should keep up. Could you spar with me for a bit?」

「Roger…that’s what I was thinking as well」

Nei-san and Mana goes to the kitchen.

Margo-san and Michi goes up the principal’s office.

…Could this be

Minaho-neesan and Katsuko-nee are planning something again.

What is in this room they don’t want Michi and Mana to see…?

That is most probably Yukino.

It’s about time for the start of school…

Then…Minaho-neesan is going to let Yukino participate the class…

「…You don’t need to think about various things.」

Minaho-neesan says while looking at my face.

「Clear up the problems in front of you…if you don’t do what you can then nothing will be solved…」

The problem in front of me…

「First…Megumi’s heart care, right?」

…That’s right.

Megu…is she getting along with the other members?

Captain Takeshiba said that so I’m not that worried…

But…Megu…

She’s firm but she’s mentally weak.

「Got it…I’ll be going」

「Bring your bag…you’re going straight to classes, don’t you?」

…So that’s what will happen timewise.

「Right. Got it, Minaho-neesan」

I bring my student bag…

Then face the female track and field team…

◇　◇　◇

「Okay…that’s for the morning practice. First years, clean up…others, dismissed!」

Captain Takeshiba’s voice echoes in the ground.

…Fuu

…I made it in time.

Megu’s cleaning up along with the other first years.

「Ah, Yamamine-chan, your boyfriend came to pick you up!」

One of the first years noticed me.

「Go ahead…we’ll do the clean up」

Ogino-san from the same class said in consideration.

「But…it’s fine. I feel sorry for everyone」

Megu…says and hold the basket with the tools.

「Geez, you’re not being honest…we’re the one’s who would feel uneasy if you make Yoshida-kun wait!」

「That’s right…Yamamine-san」

…I

I hurry and enter the room with the first years.

「…Let me help out Megu」

I took the basket Megu’s holding and lift it up.

「Should I just take this to the girl’s track and field room?」

「…U-Un」

Ogino-san…

「It’s fine, Yoshida-kun doesn’t need to do that…!」

「That’s right, you can just take Yamamine-san away」

「Un…you can leave the cleanup to us」

…I

「I think everyone knows it already but Megu’s a very serious girl. To the extent you’ll ask if she’s too serious… Therefore…we’re thankful that you’re being considerate but I’d like everyone to let Megu clean up with everyone. I’ll help out too…!」

「…Yoshi-kun」

Megu looks at me.

「Here, I’ll take it…Megu」

「…Un!」

Everyone hold the tools and return to the clubroom.

Then we make two roundtrips…

「Thank you, Yoshida-kun…we’ll take care of it inside later」

「The girl’s clubroom forbids boys…you can’t come in!」

Un…so this is as far as I can do?

「Then…I’ll wait outside」

「Un…we’ll return Yamamine-san as soon as possible so please lend her to us now!」

The girl’s members laugh.

「Or rather…shouldn’t Yoshida-kun enter a club?」

「I mean you can be the manager of the girl’s track and field team」

「To be honest…we need a boy to carry our luggage!」

From that voice…Captain Takeshiba looks out of the clubroom.

「Don’t say ridiculous things! Didn’t I always say that preparing and cleaning up are always a part of the training? Also, keeping things in order is also one of the basics of martial arts」

As expected of Captain Takeshiba who speaks『Athletics is martial arts』…

「S-Sorry」

「…Well, that’s fine. You can just leave the tools in front of the clubroom. Either way, we’ll be using it on after school practice. Go and take shower right away!」

「Y-Yes!」

「Don’t daze off! Our motto is both literary and martial arts!」

「Got it!」

「Hey, faster little girls!」

「Excuse us!」

The first years bring their change of clothes and head to the shower room.

「…I’ll finish quickly」

「Un」

Megu goes with everyone…

…I’m glad.

For the time being, it seems that it’s going well with the girls in the track and field team…

「But still…you really are a diligent guy」

Captain Takeshiba told me.

「Diligent?…Me?」

「Yeah…normal boys won’t do that. I was the one who told you to come at the end of morning practice but I didn’t think that you’d help out in cleaning up」

「Well…I want Megu to get along with the other girls…also」

I look at Megu’s back going away.

「If the girls always try to be considerate…Megu would feel sorry. She’s not mentally strong…」

She’d be grateful being taken care of but…

Megu’s heart would become heavy from placing burden on other members.

Also…the members aren’t all Megu’s ally.

Even now…there are first years who doesn’t talk to Megu and I.

…Reality is like that.

If so…if Megu is treated as special, it has a possibility of it becoming a problem later.

Therefore…I helped cleaning up.

I also made Megu work with everyone until the end.

We have to remove the seed of the problem bit by bit…

For Megu’s sake…

「…You really are caring. Don’t you think that’s bothersome/」

Takeshiba-senpai asked me with a smile.

「Eh…what is?」

I don’t get it.

「You see…normal boys, when he enters a lovers relationship, doesn’t he just watch the girls’ butt and chest? Getting pampered by women to fulfil their own desire…there’s a lot of them who doesn’t think about the women’s feelings at all, right?」

…Err

「Sorry…I don’t know about other men…」

「You…is Yamamine the first girl you dated?」

…That is

Yukino’s my first sex…

…Un

The first『lovers』relationship is Megu, right

Misuzu, our relationship began with『Master and pet』…

「Yes…Megu’s my first」

「Then…you’re too calm」

「…Is that so?」

「Yeah…you’ve got too much guts. It’s not like a first year student」

「…Sorry」

「Idiot, I’m praising you…!」

Takeshiba-senpai said with a smile

「I want to be『family』with megu」

「…huh?」

「I just remembered it when Takeshiba-senpai mentioned it but…family is a bother isn’t it? It’s normal that they’re troublesome…!」

…Inside my mind.

…A nostalgic memory comes back.,

「You see…I was brought up by my grandmother. Since I was a child. It’s been a while since she passed away…」

I remember grandmother’s small and curved back.

「My parents were busy…or rather, they’re not interested in me at all… Then, my mother is a woman who doesn’t do any housework at all so the whole house is being done by grandma. Everyday, she looks so troubled…and yet, grandma is always worried about me」

…That’s right.

…Grandma is always.

「『Do you have a handkerchief?』or『Watch out for the cars outside』or during my birthdays, she buys a small cake and we celebrate with the two of us…she’s really kind to me」

Even though she was oppressed by mother so much…

She’s always worrying about me and kindly looked after me.

「At that time…only my grandma was the one really kind to me… Then…when I was in first grade in elementary…I asked Grandma」

「…What?」

「『Grandma, why are you so kind to me? Isn’t it troublesome to look after me? Aren’t I just bothering grandma?』I asked…!」

…I

「I thought that I’m just being a burden to my grandma. If I didn’t exist then grandma might be happier, I thought. That’s why I asked told grandma. 『I’m fine even if you don’t worry about me that much. I can manage somehow by myself. Grandma should take care of herself more』I said.」

I was really a brat.

「Then…what did your grandma say?」

「Grandma said…『It’s obvious that kinds are troublesome. That’s why you don’t have to mind it and trouble grandma a lot. It’s grandma’s job to look after you and be troubled, there’s no need to worry about it…」

「…Is that so?」

「Yes…then, grandma died not long after that. But, I remember what she said. That’s why…I」

That’s right.

…I

「Isn’t it obvious that you worry and look after your『family』?…! It’s natural that it’s troublesome. But, if you are suffering or in trouble…you have to help, it’s『family』after all…!」

I think so.

「So Yamamine’s already your『family』?」

「…Yes」

I answered Takeshiba-senpai clearly.

「I see…then take care of her in the future」

「No, I’m the one who should ask that」

I bow my head to Takeshiba-senpai…

「Un. Leave her to me during club activities…But」

Takeshiba-senpai laughs.

「…What is it?」

「Well you see…your helpfulness is really like a grandmother」

「…Eh?」

「I now get it why you’re unwavered…!」

Senpai said grinning…

「…Yoshi-kuun~」

Megu who took a shower quickly and put on her uniform runs towards us.

「Hey…your princess came back. Go and meet her」

Captain Takeshiba pats my back.

「Yes!」

I run and pick up Megu…

「You see, Yoshi-kun! Everyone was kind to me! Captain, the other girls, everyone…!」

Shirasaka Sousuke’s illegitimate child, Megu.

She’s not telling anyone but she must be having a lot of things she’s thinking inside…

Her hate towards Shirasaka Sousuke…and the desire to destroy Shirasaka at the same time…

As a daughter of a Shirasaka…there was always the fear that she’d be punished in public…

Therefore…her『dependence』towards me is rising.

Megu takes refugee in her mind…

「I’m glad…everyone’s kind」

「Un…everyone’s kind…I’m glad that they’re all kind!」

Megu spills tears in my chest.

I’m really glad that the track and field team accepted Megu as usual.

…But

We’re going to class after this and attend a lesson.

The people in class…

How will they accept Megu…?

I don’t know for now.