CH 40

Chapter 40 "Smiling Sisters"

"Ahhh"

The day after remained uneventful and At night-Emma, ​​who sat on my lap, looked at me with her small mouth wide open.

While being soothed by Emma's cuteness, I put a spoonful of pudding in her mouth.

Then Emma took a bite and started chewing it.

After she gulped down the pudding, she relaxed her cheeks with satisfaction.

( Yeah, Emma is a really cute girl.)

I just wanted to keep feeding her snacks and watch her cute smile.

I gently stroked her head as I gazed at her smile.

Recently these moments were the most healing time for me.

I wished this time would last forever ...

"--It's not fair, just emma..."

As I was repeating the motions of feeding Emma and patting her head, Charlotte, who was sitting across from me, muttered something.

When I glanced at her, her cheeks were bulging for some reason.

By the way, after arriving at school, I feel like I was swelling her cheeks every time we passed each other ...

Did I do something without noticing ...?

"Well, what's wrong ...?"

"What? Ah--"

When I called out to her, she had a surprised expression on her face.

Her eyes were swimming.

"Are you okay ...?"

"I am fine... I was just thinking a little!"

"If you have any problems, you can talk to me."

"No, no! It's not enough to ask Aoyagi for consultation!"

Charlotte desperately tried to deny it.

Looking at her reaction, there probably was something bothering her, but if she rejected it to that extent, there was no way I could step on any further.

"Hmm ..."

When I was worried about what to do, Emma in my arms loosened a little,then she took the spoon from my hand and scooped the pudding on the plate.

And--

"Yes, Lotti"

--She offered Charlotte a spoonfull of pudding.

It seemed that she was trying to feed Charlotte the same way I did with her.

When Charlotte and I mysteriously tilted our heads, Emma smiled and spoke.

"Lotti, you want to eat this, right? Yes, aaann”

Apparently Emma thought Charlotte wanted pudding.

Maybe Charlotte didn't want pudding, but she couldn't ignore her sister's act of kindness so she accepted the pudding.

As she ate, she shyly glanced at me, which was very cute.

"Delicious?”

Emma happily asked Charlotte for her impressions.

"Yeah, it's delicious. Thank you, Emma ”

"Ehehe"

When Charlotte thanked her, Emma laughed even more happily.

Seeing the Bennett sisters smiling at each other, I feel like my heart was cleaned.

I don't care what Charlotte kept from me, anymore.

◆

"--Hey, Onii chan"

When I was watching TV with them, Emma in my arms looked up at me.

"What's wrong?”

"Hey,tomorrow's off, right? ​​I want to go play with Onii chan. "

Tomorrow…….

Certainly, as Emma said, tomorrow was Saturday, so school was closed.

However, I had  a promise with Aki ...

"No, Emma. Aoyagi has a date with a girl tomorrow. "

Charlotte denied it before I refused.

I was concerned about her swollen cheeks, but there was something else that bothered me more.

I hurriedly opened my mouth to point out that.

"No, Charlotte-san, I sure have a plan, but it's not a date.

Obviously I couldn’t overlook this misunderstanding.

If she thought that I was trying to date another girl, it wouldn’t be a good thing

"... The person you go to play with is Hanazawa-san, who you met the other day, right?”

"Yeah, that's right ..."

"You're going alone, right?”

"Well, that's right. I haven't invited anyone else ... "

"By the way, where are you going?”

"Basically, I'll go to where Aki wants to go, so I haven't decided yet, but we usually go to a zoo, an aquarium, or a movie theater ..."

“……………… Isn't it a date no matter what you say ? ……. What's more, you have been going many times ... "

When I answered Charlotte's question, she was disappointed.

"Well, you seem to misunderstood something, but it's not really a date, we are just going to play”

"... If so, would you please play with me?”

"eh?”

"The day after tomorrow is fine, so please play with me. Of course, Emma will be there too... "

"Oh, I see ..."

Charlotte waa trying to promise to play with me for Emma.

It was not possible tomorrow because I had an appointment with Aki, so I thought I'll convince Emma for the day after tomorrow.

...... It was  embarrassing that I expected ‘It’ for a moment ...

Well, I didn't say it, so Charlotte wouldn't know what I misunderstood earlier.

Instead, I had to think about what to do with the invitation.

(The test starts on Monday.

If I want to maintain my usual grades, I would like to study on Sunday as Saturday is occupied.)

I glanced at Emma, who was in my arms.

We were having a conversation in English, but Emma was looking up at my face with a stern look, maybe she didn't understand our conversation.

If I refuse, she will cry for sure...

As I shifted my gaze, Charlotte, who invited you, was staring at my face with an uneasy expression.

The expression was as if she was afraid that she would be refused.

(… Well, should I just push myself ?)

Besides, to be honest, I also wanted to play with Charlotte.

"Okay, let's go play somewhere on Sunday"

"Huh, is it fine!?"

"Yup"

When I nodded to  Charlotte's re-listening, Mr. Charlotte's expression flashed.

She looked down and made a small gut pose, saying, "I did it !” I thought it was an exaggeration to be pleased with such a minor thing, but I was very happy at the same time to see her pleased.

Charlotte really thinks she's so happy for her sister.

(To be this happy for her sister, she really is a sisterly person.)

――While looking at Charlotte, who was still pleased, I felt a smile on my face.