CH 35

(POV Kaito)

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to observe them all closely, thanks to the differing pace of progress in class 1 and class 2. I considered using a camera or something, but after further thought that would be embarrassing.

After attentively listening to Chiharu and Chiaki’s presentation in class 1, I made my way to class 2. With a slight bow, I positioned myself near Chinatsu and Chifuyu, uttering a polite “Excuse me” as I did so.

Chifuyu glanced over at me, so I lightly raised my hand and gave a subtle signal. At the same time, I felt a piercing gaze from the boys in the class.

Since I had to listen to the essay, I ignored the stares and carried on with a composed expression. There were other parents other than me in the classroom who were either covering their heads in frustration at their own sons’ reactions oror suspiciously eyeing me, curious about the presence of this young man among them.

I ignored all of that with a calm face. I didn’t mind, and I didn’t want Chifuyu and Chinatsu to worry if they noticed the attention I was receiving.

And now, it was Chinatsu’s turn first. Standing up, she held the manuscript paper with both hands and began to read aloud.

“My gratitude and dreams. The person I must express my deepest gratitude to right now is Kaito-san. Kaito-san is a very kind person who always takes care of us. At first, I couldn’t speak to him at all, and I even doubted whether Kaito-san was a good person. But now, I understand that Kaito-san is truly a wonderful person. I can’t repay him, and I can’t be of any help, but I want to always remember to be grateful. Please continue to support me. Now, as for my dreams, I want to become a Vtuber, a voice actor, an idol, or an actress. I think it would be great to be involved in those areas because they seem fun and interesting. I still don’t have a clear idea of what I want to do, so finding that is also one of my dreams… That’s all.”

Chinatsu, it’s great to have dreams. They may all be challenging, but it’s strange because Chinatsu seems like she can do anything. We can easily talk when we’re at the dining table or when all five of us are together, but there’s still a distance between us that can’t be denied.

Our current connection may sound like an improvement compared to before, but I suppose we shouldn’t settle for that.

Pure applause resonated throughout the classroom. Chinatsu took a relieved breath and sat back in her seat.

And now, it was Chifuyu’s turn. Rising from her seat behind Chinatsu, she paused for a moment to regain her composure before she began to speak. 

“My gratitude for Kaito-san and my dreams.”

It seemed that Chifuyu had changed her third person way of speaking in her essay. She appeared nervous, as her shoulders trembled ever so slightly. I sent my silent encouragements, urging her to do her best.

“For me, Kaito-san is a benefactor. Firstly, he has been there for me, providing the basic necessities of life such as food, clothing, and shelter. However, what truly touches my heart is his unwavering empathy, always ready to lend a listening ear when I find myself in distress. Whenever I engage in a conversation with Kaito-san, my horizons expand, igniting a renewed sense of determination within me to face the future. Without his support, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I truly appreciate him, and I will continue to do so. The person who always stands at my level, patting my head and acknowledging my efforts, Kaito-san…”

Chifuyu’s words suddenly became jumbled and incoherent.

“I… I love you… Um, um, without his support… Ah, this is where I was reading from… Um, um… From now on, too, please take care of me. My dream is to repay Kaito-san for his kindness. Th-thank you, that’s all.”

The entire classroom was filled with a warm and fuzzy atmosphere. Even the other parents couldn’t help but smile, finding her adorable.

The teacher and the students alike were all wearing bright smiles.

Of course, I was also delighted to receive such heartfelt gratitude. However, I couldn’t help but feel indescribable emotions inside, yet it still warmed my heart.

I’m glad I came today. Witnessing the brightness of these four girls on their special day filled my heart with warmth and moved me deeply.

The class will be ending soon. Afterward, we will have a parent-teacher meeting and then play volleyball. I need to show my best side as well.

I clenched my fist tightly, readying myself for what lay ahead.

◆◆

(POV Chiharu)

After the classroom parents’ visitation came to an end, we made our way to the multipurpose hall, where we awaited Onii-san, doing homework and chatting until the parent-teacher meeting was over.

The multipurpose hall was a spacious room adorned with carpet-like flooring, which required the removal of our shoes upon entering. The four of us huddled around a desk, sitting down and discussing how the half-coming of age ceremony went.

“Sigh…”

“Hey, Fuyu, you’re sighing way too much.” Chinatsu remarked

“But… sigh…”

“Chifuyu, what is the matter? As your older sister you shall tell me.” Chiaki added

“Oh, it’s nothing… sigh…”

Chifuyu rested her cheek on the desk, continuing to sigh.

“Sigh, messing up a little is not that big of a deal, you know?” Chinatsu said

“Oh, Chinatsu sighed too.”

“Shut up. Aki, stay quiet.”

“I refuse.”

“Come on, Fuyu, it’s not a big deal to worry about a little mistake.”

“Hey, don’t ignore me.”

“But, it was a chance to show Kaito-san my good side…”

“Kaito-san already told you that you did well, didn’t he?”

“But if I’m going to show something, I want to show a better side of me…”

“Y-you two, I get very angry when I get angry! I told you two not to ignore me!”

Chiaki began shaking Chinatsu and Chifuyu’s shoulders.

“Hey, don’t leave me out of the discussion!”

“Alright, alright, I got it. So, how did it go for you, Aki?” Chinatsu said

“Hehe, Perfect!”

“…Sigh.”

With utmost confidence, Chiaki proudly stood tall, but hearing her words, Chifuyu let out another sigh.

“Come on, Aki, at least support Chifuyu a little.”

“Uh, yeah, you’re right… Sorry, little sister.”

“No, it’s okay. This is something Chifuyu messed up on. It’s Chifuyu’s fault… Why did I end up reading the same line twice?”

It seems that Chifuyu accidentally read the same line twice. It happens often. We had someone like that in our class too. I don’t think it’s something to worry about; in fact, I find those playful moments rather cute, but that’s just my opinion.

So I wanted to convey to her that you can always see things in a positive light by changing your perspective.

“I think it’s cute when you do that,” I said.

“Really?”

“Yeah, because you’re usually so serious, talented, perfect, and flawlessly cute. So when you do something like a little clumsy mistake, it creates a cute gap.”

“…The first half was impressive, but… is being clumsy really cute?” Chifuyu asked.

“It is cute. Well, to put it bluntly, no matter what Chifuyu does, she’s cute. It’s not that Chifuyu is cute because she’s clumsy, but it’s more like her cuteness makes the clumsiness cute, you know?”

“Well, I think that’s an overly exaggerated argument… and I don’t understand the second half either…” Chifuyu said.

“Sigh, Haru, you should control your sis-con feeling a bit more. But, what Haru said is true. It’s a fact that Chifuyu looked cute when she made the mistake. Maybe it’s good to think of it in a positive way.” Chinatsu said.

“I-I see… Is that so?”

“Yeah, I don’t fully understand either, but it feels like it would be better to think like that.” Chiaki added.

Somehow, I felt like the conversation was coming together in a good way. Alright, as their Onee-chan, I should wrap up the discussion properly.

I clapped my hands and gathered their attention. Then my cute younger sisters, with their sparkling eyes, looked at me.

“I think we can all agree that all three of you are cute and that today’s half coming-of-age ceremony was a great success, right? No objections allowed.”

“Ohh! A great success! If Chiharu says so, then it must be true!” Chiaki exclaimed

“Well, your way of summarizing things is a bit tricky…” Chinatsu added.

“Well, I appreciate the effort to cheer me up. Thank you, Haru-nee.”

Fufufu, I wonder if I was able to show them a glimpse of the greatness of an older sister. If I can’t even do something like this, I’d be a failure as the big sister.

Now, then, it’s about time to do our homework. I want to finish it before Onii-san arrives. And just like that, we waited for Onii-san while helping each other with our homework.

◆◆

(POV Chiahru)

After completing our homework, we waited for a while until Oniisan approached us. We swiftly put on our shoes, slung our backpacks over our shoulders, and joined him.

“Oniisan! Well done today. The parents’ meeting must have been challenging, huh?”

“Nah, I made sure to blend in like an assassin, so they wouldn’t assign me any odd roles. I basically just sat there, and it was over.”

“Wow! Kaito can even become an assassin! That’s incredible!” Chiaki exclaimed.

You’re not half bad, Oniisan. Including phrases that provoke an involuntary reaction from Chiaki while conversing with me is an advanced technique. Serving as a bridge between our conversation and Chiaki’s communication—a move that encompasses both elements.

Yes, I’d love to learn that too. It’s not something you can master overnight.

“Well, Chiaki, if you can achieve a calm and composed mind like a clear mirror, you might be able to do it… probably.”

“Oh wow, let’s try it together next time! I definitely want to learn it, no matter what!”

While Oniisan and Chiaki were engrossed in their hallway conversation, I noticed a familiar guy approaching us from behind Oniisan. He seemed to be accompanied by a man who appeared to be his parent.

“Here he comes… Nishida.”

Oniisan reacted to Chiaki’s seemingly displeased expression and turned around. Chiaki remained hidden behind Oniisan’s back.

Observing Chiaki’s reaction, Oniisan muttered to himself.

“I see… I’ve pretty much figured it out…”

It seemed like Onii-san had deciphered everything from the past conversations with Chiaki, the name Chiaki had muttered, and the change in her expression.

…I genuinely think Onii-san is amazing. Incidentally, both Chinatsu and Chifuyu seemed to, rather than dislike Nishi (west)… Nishi (Two people), NISHI, what was it again? Ah, Nishino. Rather than dislike Nishino, it seemed like they were afraid of his father, so they distanced themselves.

Chinatsu stood behind me, while Chifuyu stood behind Oniisan. What’s with this feeling of defeat…..?

Oniisan greeted him with a smile reminiscent of a salesperson, lightly bowing his head.

“Ah, nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, likewise. I’m Nishino’s father.”

“I’m the father of these children. Thank you, thank you.”

Incredible! Oniisan’s sales smile was flawless, without a trace of discomfort. And I could read from his choice of words that he had no intention of mentioning his surname.

“…Well, my child seems to be causing trouble for Chiaki-chan all the time. I’m really sorry about that.”

“Oh, no, it’s… well… that’s actually not true.” Nishino retorted.

That’s actually quite true. Honestly, it’s a nuisance, Nishino.

And then, Oniisan astonishingly blurted out, “Oh, no, it’s true.” at supersonic speed. His incredibly rapid diction was so fast that if it weren’t for me, it would have gone unnoticed by everyone.

Indeed, no one seemed to have noticed at all.

“But, you see, this child may be mischievous, but he’s not a bad kid. Please continue to get along with him in the future.”

“Oh, no, it’s no problem at all.”

Oniisan wore a fixed smile on his face, but internally he was irritated. That’s because he had heard about Nishino’s misdeeds from Chiaki before. However, if he were to make a fuss, not only Chiaki but also the position of us sisters in school would be compromised. So, for the time being, he maintained a vigilant gaze.

However, that anger was probably directed towards Little Nishino. Big Nishino-san seemed like a genuinely nice person, so the anger didn’t seem to be directed at him personally.

“Look, Tadashi. This is your chance to apologize to Chiaki-chan. You understand, right? You have to be kind to girls. If you’re not kind and don’t compliment them, you won’t be popular.”

“…Tch, I was on the wrong.”

“…It doesn’t really matter.” Chiaki said.

“…And, you, you’re quite younger than you actually look.” Chiaki added

“…Thnx.”

Chiaki peeked out from behind Oniisan and briefly talked to Nishino. However, she quickly hid behind his back again. Suddenly, she noticed a loose thread on my brother’s suit and started to pull it with the intention of removing it out of goodwill.

But to her surprise, the thread turned out to be longer than she anticipated, steadily growing longer. Chiaki must have realized that if she didn’t cut it soon, the entire garment would unravel.

She frantically pulled at the thread, flustered.

No, she’s so cute.

I almost blurted out, “Which one of you is actually younger than he looks?” but managed to stop myself at the last moment.

“I’m sorry about that. It’s just my child…”

“Oh no, not at all. Please take care of us in the future.”

“Not at all, not at all.”

“Not at all, not at all.”

Well, with that, we said goodbye to the Nishino family and returned to the car with Oniisan to change his clothes. Since we couldn’t park in the parking lot, the schoolyard was being used as a makeshift parking area.

After Oniisan changed his clothes, it seemed like we were headed to the gymnasium, so we left our bags, including our school backpacks, and made our way there.

◆◆ 

The gymnasium was incredibly spacious. We were well aware of its size, as we often used it for our physical education classes. It had two floors, with the second floor primarily serving as an area for observation, except for a small exercise space.

The four of us lined up in support of Oniisan.

Down below, there were about four tall nets lined up. Oniisan, dressed in sports clothing was doing warm-up exercises on the court at the far end.

“Go for it, Kaito!” 

“He’s still warming up.” 

“But still, do your best!”

The teams were divided by regions, and if you won, you apparently received an assortment of snacks as a reward.

Chiaki was trying to motivate Onii-san with all her might.

The gymnasium was filled with the excitement of adults and the cheering of children. However, there were also kids inside playing with their smartphones or engrossed in their PSPs.

It’s truly the era of electronic devices… As I pondered such thoughts, the game began.

“Go for it! Kaito!”

“Kaito-san…”

Chiaki and Chifuyu were both cheering on. Chinatsu also cheered, but she seemed too embarrassed to raise her voice.

Meanwhile, on the court below, Oniisan stood out the most. His youthful, polished movements and impressive ball control were admirable. Didn’t he mention that he used to play volleyball before?

That’s why he’s so skilled.

Oniisan took a running start, spreading his arms like the wings of a bird, and struck the ball with a powerful and precise hit.

The spike was a success. The crowd erupted with excitement. Both adults and children couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow, amazing!”

“Fufufu, my Kaito is incredible!” Chiaki boasted.

“Why are you the one getting proud over it?” Chinatsu asked.

“It’s okay! I just get happy when Kaito gets praised,” Chiaki replied.

“Hmm… I see. Maybe I should learn from your mindset,” Chinatsu said.

“That’s right!”

“No I was joking, you should be more humble,” Chinatsu added.

Even though she was chatting with Chiaki, Chinatsu focused more than anyone on the court below. Once again, Oniisan executed a spike.

“Volleyball… seems interesting…” Chinatsu muttered.

Wait? Chinatsu, interested in volleyball? Just as I was about to inquire, Chifuyu shouted.

“Ah! I-Is Kaito-san okay?”

“Kaito!”

Chiaki joined in and I hastily shifted our gaze downward. There, I saw Oniisan walking with a slight limp.

“Ouch!”

“Are you alright?”

“I twisted my ankle.”

“That means you need to be substituted.”

Worried, Chiaki and Chifuyu hurriedly ran down to the court. I and Chinatsu followed closely behind. However, this game was more like a casual match, and Oniisan prioritized his well-being, stating that he couldn’t continue the match if it risked a serious injury. With Oniisan absent, our team ultimately lost in the first round.