CH 40

(POV Chiharu)

“I’m struggling with what to write for the book review essay… It’s so frustrating.” Chiaki said

“Oh, come on… It’s impossible.” Chinatsu added

My adorable younger sisters were seated at the desk on the second floor, cutely scratching their heads in frustration. It was all well and good to be happy after returning home from Hokkaido. However, the moment they set foot in the house, reality came crashing down.

Chinatsu and Chiaki hadn’t completed their homework during the spring break. Among the assignments, there was one that proved to be particularly bothersome.

It was the dreaded book review essay. With the end of the spring break rapidly approaching, it was high time for them to finish it.

“Uuu… It’s such a hassle. I don’t want to write a book review… And four and a half pages of manuscript paper is excessive…”

“That’s right, that’s right!”

“Even one page is excessive! Plus, reading the book is such a chore.”

“That’s right, that’s right!”

“I want to eat udon.”

“That’s right! That’s ri… Huh? Why udon?”

“I’m hungry.”

“You’re too carefree…”

They’re so adorable. If I were to write about the two of them for the book review, it would easily fill up around ten sheets of report paper.

“Hey, come on, Haru, lend us a hand. Writing a book review should be a breeze for you.”

“Oh yeah, with Chiahru’s help, it’ll be a piece of cake!”

“Uuu, I really want to help too… but Chifuyu…”

“No can do. You both have to do your own homework!”

Chifuyu sat near Chiaki and Chinatsu, keeping an eye on them. Though we were all gathered around the desk, I couldn’t help them at all.

“It’s impossible, impossible! Writing a book review is impossible for me!”

“Please don’t throw a tantrum, Natsu-nee.”

“It’s impossible!”

Chinatsu laid on her back, pouting and kicking her feet. Seeing that, Chiaki had a sudden realization.

“Could this be the work of a demon (yokai)?” Chiaki questioned.

“Yeah, it’s because of the yokai that I can’t do my homework. So, please help me.”

“…Natsu-nee, for the time being, you should at least read the book. It’s not the time to talk about yokai.”

“You’re so stingy.”

“It’s fine to be stingy.”

With that said, Chifuyu passed the book to her, and Chinatsu reluctantly accepted it, pursing her lips. It appeared as though she believed that even if she were to write the review herself, it wouldn’t make any difference. 

“Uwaa… I hate strings of words so much that they rank among the top three things I dislike in both this world and the afterlife…”

Chinatsu grumbled as she opened the book. Just then, Chiaki leaned in and whispered to me.

“You know, I actually think Chinatsu might be a chuunibyou like me…” 

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, I occasionally sense traces of chuunibyou in her. I wonder if we can bring her over to our side… Kukuku, I wouldn’t mind seeing that talent blossom.”

“A Chuuni Chinatsu is adorable too.”

I thought what Chiaki said was interesting as I started imagining what Chinatsu could be like 

Kukuku, it seems like I’ve awakened my true power. (Imaginative Chuuni Chinatsu)

Honestly, it wouldn’t be a problem if even Chifuyu became chuunibyou as well. The typically serious Chifuyu turning into a Chuunibyou would be adorable. 

Chiffuyu is telling you…..today, the wind is weeping. (Imaginative Chuuni Chifuyu)

Ah, how adorable. But right now, more than that…

“Chiaki, don’t you have to write your book review too?”

“Uuu… Hey, can you help me out?”

Uuu, I’m weak against this kind of cuteness… Chiaki sometimes has these sly moments, you know? With sparkling eyes and a pleading gaze, I’m no good against these attacks.

“…Just a little bit, okay?”

“Yay!”

“No, you can’t!”

I brought my thumb and index finger close together, emphasizing that I would only help her a tiny bit. In response, Chifuyu placed her hand on her hip and frowned, indicating that it was not allowed.

“Eeeh, Chifuyu is stingy!”

“It’s okay to be stingy, so Aki-nee should do her homework too.”

“That’s enough. I’ll go to Kaito and I’ll have him help me all the way.”

“Huh?! W-Well, but you have to do your homework yourself.”

“Kaito said it’s fine to rely on him if you’re in trouble!”

“…Uuu, in that case… Chifuyu will help you.”

“Huh?! Is that okay?”

“…..Y-Yeah.”

“Huh?! That’s not fair! Teach me too!” Chinatsu chimed in.

“T-This time only, okay…” 

Chinatsu also joined in and snuggled up to Chifuyu. “Teach me, teach me!” they both chimed in. With her head in her hand, wondering how things ended up like this, Chifuyu took out another book from her bag and handed it to Chaki.

“For now, both of you should start reading the books. Since Chifuyu has read them before, I’ll help you with various problems after you’re done reading…”

“”Yes!””

Chifuyu is a child who reads a lot of books, so she can probably write countless book reviews if she wanted. The two of them responded like obedient students and began reading. Chifuyu had a complicated look on her face as she crossed her arms.

Chinatsu and Chiaki yawned occasionally as they continued reading. Once they finished, they faced each other with poker faces, holding their manuscript papers. Chifuyu assisted them from a minimal standpoint.

In the end, with my help as well, they quickly completed their book reviews.

◆◆

(POV Chiharu) 

Spring break always seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye, leaving you startled as you suddenly realized that the remaining days on the calendar were dwindling, and tomorrow marked the return to school. It was a common reaction to feel a sudden rush of panic upon this realization. 

The period of spring break was often filled with enjoyable and rewarding activities, making the transition back to school all the more draining. Even my younger sisters, sitting on the bus on their way to school, appeared weary and fatigued, gazing out the window with a lack of enthusiasm or crossing their arms, wearing expressions that conveyed a sense of hardship. 

Starting fifth grade today, I couldn’t help but wonder if my sisters also harbored anxiety about the upcoming challenges of studying and the uncertainties that lay ahead. They might also be concerned about the prospect of changing classrooms.

Back when we were fourth graders, our classes were divided into two separate ones: me and Chiaki being class 1, while Chinatsu and Chifuyu being in class 2. However, this time around, the situation remained uncertain. It wouldn’t have been surprising if the outcome resulted in three of us being placed in one class while the other was left alone. As four sisters, it was only natural for us to hope for the chance to be in the same class with at least one of our siblings.

The future of our school life hung by a single thread of fate.

That’s just how important a class was.

After getting off the bus at the nearest bus stop, we walked towards the school. Cherry blossom petals scattered and danced in the sky, as if celebrating the promotion of Chinatsu, Chiaki, and Chifuyu to fifth grade.

The three of them, so delicate and the petals so beautiful. They blended together seamlessly, like a painting depicting the play of goddesses.

It was a fact that the three of them were beautiful, but this cherry blossom tree revealed a different aspect, revolving around them. The cherry blossom petals did a great job; let’s give them praise.

Now, we headed towards the school and checked the new class list posted in front of the shoe lockers.

“Oh! We’re all together!”

“Ohh!”

“It’s good to have something like this happen… I’m relieved.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Well, it was only natural. After all, I specifically requested in a lengthy paragraph in the school survey that we be placed in the same class considering we were sisters.

If we were to be placed in different classes, I would protest, heavily protest!

“Oh, isn’t this Nishino-kun that Aki-nee mentioned? It seems like we’re in the same class as him.” Chifuyu said

“Isn’t that great! You’ll be together with your good friend Nishino.” Chinatsu added

“Eh, really? Will we have school lunch today?” Chiaki asked

“No, there’s no lunch today.”

Chinatsu and Chifuyu told Chiaki that we would be in the same class as Nishino, but Chiaki didn’t react much, and her thoughts immediately turned to lunch.

“Oh well, no lunch then. Eighty percent of the reason for coming to school just disappeared.”

“That’s why you’re a big rat…”

“You’re so annoying, Chinatsu. I’ll start calling you a little mouse too, you know.”

With Chinatsu and Chiaki’s cute conversation as background music, we changed our shoes at the shoe lockers and headed towards our new classroom.

As we entered the classroom, the seating arrangement was posted on the blackboard. All four of us were seated in the row by the window. It was in the order of Chiaki, Chinatsu, me, and then Chifuyu.

This was the best.

Well, well, now that we were seated, it was time to distribute the food souvenirs we brought from the Hokkaido trip. Not only my own former classmates but also some of Chinatsu and Chifuyu’s former classmates were in this class. So, the four of us took turns handing out the gifts.

“Huh? Is it okay?”

“Thank you!”

“Thanks!”

Everyone received the stylish cookies with joy. Just like Oniisan had mentioned, souvenirs really had a great effect. It made us appear like nice people, just by giving out these gifts. It wasn’t bribery, but somehow it felt like we were earning popularity through material things.

Well, my sisters didn’t really need to do something like this, though.

“Alright, I’ll bestow you guys with this gift of gratitude.”

Chiaki handed a few cookies to the boys. It seemed like a casual gesture, but among them was Nishino a well.

“W-well, I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll accept it.”

“I see. Hey, you guys over there! The free-spirited ones! Here, have some souvenirs!” Chiaki exclaimed.

“Here, take this souvenir.” Chifuyu said.

“T-thank you.”

“No, please take this as well.”

“I’ll give you this. Can you give some to that person over there too?” Chinastu said.

“Ah, sure.”

Everyone seemed a bit shy. Well, it can’t be helped. As I stifled a giggle in a corner of the classroom, a gentle tap on my shoulder caught my attention.

“Hey, Chiharu!”

“Long time no see, Sakura-san. Oh, here, this is a souvenir for you.”

“Oh, thanks! Also, let’s get along well this year.”

“Likewise.”

Sakura-san may come across as a bit flashy, but she is genuinely friendly, so there’s no issue there. It made me quite happy that we would be in the same class again this year. 

“By the way, it’s wonderful that all four of you sisters are together in the same classroom.” 

“Yeah, I’ve been requesting in the school surveys every time to be in the same class.”

“Oh, so that’s why… That’s why I used to hear the sound of scribbling pencils coming from your table on those ○× surveys…”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Sakura-san gave me a wry smile in response. Perhaps I had gone a bit too far on those surveys. Well, it didn’t really matter since we ended up in the same class anyway.

“Well then, I’ll (Ore) head to my seat over there. Bye-bye,” she said.

With those words, Sakura-san made her way to her own seat. It would have been nice if we were seated closer to her, but there was nothing I could do about it.

There had been times when Sakura-san was teased by the boys for using the first person pronoun “Ore” even though she was a girl. They would say things like, “Why’s a girl saying that?” or make fun of her based on gender stereotypes. Nishino was among those who engaged in such behavior. Perhaps it was just a phase of adolescence, where boys tend to tease girls.

There were times when I and Chiaki would intervene to stop it, though.

However, Sakura-san herself seemed indifferent to it all. She would simply glance at them and not engage.

I couldn’t help but ask why. The question slipped out when we found ourselves alone together.

“I have my own convictions when it comes to how I live my life. I used to use the first-person pronoun ‘ore’ because my younger brothers were being bullied, and I started using it to protect them. Well, since my brothers go to the same school, I wanted to give off an intimidating vibe like, ‘You should know exactly what will happen if anyone messes with my brothers,’ or something like that… It had a remarkable effect, and those bullies would tremble in fear.” That was her reply.

I couldn’t help but think to myself that this person was quite extraordinary. I genuinely felt a sense of admiration. It was as if we were birds of a feather.

I honestly believed that we could get along well with this person.

However, at the same time, I felt that the same thing could not be said for Nishino.

◆◆

(POV Kaito)

“Oh, so you guys went to Hokkaido?”

“Well, yeah. We also went shopping at the department store and stuff.”

“I see.”

Beside me, as always, I found myself explaining our family situation to Sasaki. Surprisingly enough, Sasaki seemed genuinely concerned. I can sense that he’s a decent guy at heart.

“It’s been more than half a year already. Have there been any significant challenges or anything of the sort?”

“Well… whenever we watch TV together, if a celebrity says something outrageous or inappropriate, it creates an awkward atmosphere. Since Chiaki and Chinatsu are not familiar with those words yet, they ask what they mean, and it gets a little uncomfortable.”

“Ah, I can relate. I used to feel awkward too when my parents watched TV together and the actors there casually mentioned adult topics.”

“And then, well… with four kids at that age, I often wonder about the boundaries and how far I can go in terms of physical contact.”

“That sounds tough.”

“Not really, to be honest. All four of them are well-behaved children. They always take their actions into consideration… even if it might be a subconscious action on their part.”

“To think that fourth graders would be so thoughtful… It must be a result of the environment they’ve grown up in.”

……Now that I think about it, I never actually discussed……the challenging upbringing of the four children with Sasaki. This guy….he must have overheard it during our conversation when I was speaking to Miyamoto-san.

Well, Sasaki isn’t the kind of person who would go around spreading rumors, so I suppose it’s alright.

“I always thought Director Hitsuji was crazy, but I guess he really was crazy.”

“Yeah, I suppose so.”

I didn’t particularly plan on discussing that matter now. However, it was something that could not be avoided when dealing with the four sisters.

“Well, I don’t intend to speak ill of the dead, but it’s scary how the parents influence lingers even after death.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

There was undoubtedly a detrimental impact from their parents. That’s why it was crucial for me to determine if I could transform that negative influence into a positive one. 

Whether I can guide them in a positive direction…

“Kaito-kun, thanks for the food souvenir.”

Just as I was about to dive into the sea of my thoughts, I heard Miyamoto-san’s voice.

“It was delicious. You definitely have a good taste.”

“Thank you.”

“The other employees, both men and women, were talking about your taste and your sense.”

“Is that so?”

“Kaito-kun, you might be the type of guy to get more popular once you get married, you know?”

What does it mean to be the type that becomes popular once married? Well, I wasn’t married or anything. I’m just a papa, after all.

Are there any other papas who actually skipped the whole marriage thing out there? Doesn’t really matter, I suppose.

“Tch, I should have brought some souvenirs too.” Sasaki suddenly said.

“Oh, did you go somewhere too?”

“I went to Okinawa, Ishikawa, Fukushima, and Ibaraki, I think.”

“Come on, make sure you bring something for the office.” Miyamoto-san said

Even though he was a good guy, it’s a shame. Maybe this guy was also the type to become popular once married.

“Oh, by the way, Kaito-kun, show me some pictures of your daughters.”

“Sure thing.”

I couldn’t help but smile smugly. I could proudly show off my beloved daughters without feeling ashamed about anything. I displayed a photo of Chiaki eating her meal on my smartphone.

“Oh, she’s so adorable. It reminds me of the old days.” Miyamoto-san remarked.

“Hey, If you were to post this online, it would probably go viral, don’t you think?” Sasaki added.

Miyamoto-san and Sasaki both reacted to the photo in their own ways. It seemed like they had feelings of praise and endearment.

“Certainly, if I were to post this online, it would become internet news in no time. For now, I want my daughters to have a normal life, so I won’t upload it to the internet. Besides, it would be troublesome if their identities were revealed or something.”

With all four of them, it seemed like they could eventually enter the entertainment industry and make a big breakthrough, but for now, I thought it would be best to keep things peaceful. There were plenty of reasons not to post on the internet, considering you never knew who was watching.

“That’s right. I also won’t post my daughter on the internet.”

“Exactly.”

“Hmm, I see. That’s how it is.”

Well, it may not be the only correct answer, but it’s one of the answers. Sasaki’s statement also remains a valid response.

“By the way, Kaito-kun, do you have any sports events or something coming up?”

“Yes, we have one event coming up, and I’m fired up for a revenge since I couldn’t perform well in the parent-child volleyball last time.”

I won’t forget the memory of twisting my own feet back then. I’ve made a firm decision to excel this time.

“Can I see the photo again? It somehow brings back memories and makes my heart leap.” Miyamoto-san asked. 

“Sure.”

“Well, while you’re at it, show me too.” Sasaki chimed in.

“Can’t be helped, I suppose.”

“…Come on, why are you giving me this bad reaction compared to Miyamoto-san.”

That’s right, I need to focus on improving my physical strength for the upcoming sports event. Additionally, I should research how to prepare tasty bentos that remain delicious even when cold.