CH 63

(POV Chiharu)

Once we had packed everything tightly, our bags became large and full. Holding onto them, we patiently stood in front of the entrance, awaiting our departure. And then, Onii-san, dressed in his suit, opened the front door.

It seemed that we had a lot of luggage to take for the school trip, which meant Onii-san would be driving us to school today. Afterward, he would head straight to work.

“Well, it’s about time to go…”

“O-Oooh, got it, Kaito…”

Onii-san looked visibly down. I wonder just how much he didn’t want to be away from Chiaki, Chinatsu, and Chifuyu. It seemed like the affectionate feelings of a caring parent. Nevertheless, I could truly empathize. I wouldn’t want to be separated either when it comes to my adorable “sisters” (in English).

We loaded our luggage onto the trunk bed and climbed inside. Onii-san started the engine, and the car began to move. 

“K-Kaito! M-Maybe I shouldn’t go after all…”

“That’s not an option. It’s out of the question for Chiaki and the others not to go and experience various things.”

“I-I see. Got it. Look forward to hearing about our souvenirs.”

“I will…”

Onii-san’s disappointment was obvious. Chiaki, sitting in the passenger seat, seemed concerned and unsure of what to say. It was an unfamiliar sight, leaving her unsure of how to react.

Upon arriving at school, we got off in the parking lot. There, an unusually large bus was waiting.

“Well then, take care.”

“Kaito! I’ll definitely be back, okay?”

“Kaito-san, Chifuyu will make lots of wonderful memories!”

“Oooh…”

Onii-san seemed a bit down…. but he shook his head once, switched gears in his mind, and put on the brightest smile he could muster.

“Have fun!”

“Kaito! Got it!”

Chiaki replied with a loud voice, and with Chinatsu and Chifuyu waving their hands, we bid farewell right there. Onii-san headed straight to his workplace.

“Kuh, Kaito! I’m definitely coming back for sure!” Chiaki said.

“Well, you don’t have to make such a big fuss about it.” Chinatsu remarked.

“Aren’t you feeling lonely, Chinatsu?”

“I am feeling lonely a little bit, but… well, it’s not like I’m going on a year-long journey or anything.”

Chiaki and Chinatsu engaged in an argument, while Chifuyu’s face darkened slightly. It could be seen how the three of them were displaying three different reactions.

Since the schoolyard served as the meeting point, we carried our heavy bags and headed there. Some of our classmates had already gathered, and the teacher was checking various things with the class roster in hand.

“Hey! Chiaki! Good morning!”

“Good morning, Mary.”

Chiaki exchanged morning greetings with Mary. They seemed to have become good friends. On the other hand, Chinatsu looked a little lonely.

As her older sister, I need to properly support her in times like these. Something like a hug would definitely….Ah, she suddenly distanced herself.

It’s sad. I wish she would rely on me more… Well, Chifuyu looked a bit sad as well, so I…

Oh no, s-she distanced herself too… Oh, nooo, I can’t show my big sisterly affection! I wonder if saying something like that would make them allow me to hug them.

Of course, I wouldn’t say something like that. Chiaki has a friend nearby, and Chinatsu and Chifuyu would just run away if I tried to hug them. In that case, let’s just have a normal conversation with the two of them and wait in line until it’s time to depart.

◆◆

(POV Sakura)

My name is Sakura Kitano. I was just an ordinary elementary school student who could be found anywhere.

Now, I was going through a situation that could be described as the worst of my life. It was because Nishino was sitting in the seat next to mine on the bus.

Well, it’s not like I disliked him or anything. It’s just that his elbow kept bumping into me.

The bus had two seats on each side, allowing four people to sit in a row. Next to me were Mary and Chiaki. Those two have been getting along well lately. Chiharu once said that with a tinge of frustration.

“Tch…”

Nishino clicked his tongue, as if he couldn’t get along with us. It seemed like jealousy to me. Since I was by the aisle, Nishino leaned over and peered. Well, I understand if he’s interested. I also think that Chiaki is cute.

I could sense his impatience lately, probably because he wasn’t getting any attention. Well, still, his elbow was hurting me!

“Hey, could you move closer to the window, please?”

“Ah (A)?”

“Eh (E)?”

“Oh (O)? No…Are you making fun of me?”

“Even though you got here by yourself… well, never mind. Just go to the window’s side; your elbow hurts when you bump into me.”

“Oh, I see…”

He seemed dissatisfied, but he reluctantly moved towards the window. It showed that he had at least some conscience, though shallow.

“If you want to see Chiaki that badly, I can switch seats with you,” 

“What? No way, I wasn’t planning on that,” 

“Well, your tsundere act, who does it benefit? It’s better not to do that too much. Chiaki doesn’t like that,” 

“Huh? Wha…”

“Okay, okay, enough,” 

I interrupted Nishino’s words and halted the conversation.

“Listen, that girl is the opposite of what you think she is, and she’s a genuinely good person. But if you continue like this, she won’t pay any attention to you,” 

“…” 

Nishino seemed to urge me to continue speaking.

“That girl is the complete opposite of being simple. Surprisingly, she’s cold and rational. She unconsciously discards things she deems unnecessary. Instead of getting angry when something happens, she cuts it off. Instead of forcing someone to be angry, she discards them. So, when she doesn’t pay attention to you… it means she sees you as unnecessary,” 

“…That’s your opinion,” 

“Yes, it’s my opinion. So, think what you want…”

With those words, I turned my head away.

I think Chiaki is quite difficult to get. That girl is truly unique to watch. She seems to get along with everyone and appears to have no thoughts of her own.

She engages in conversations with different people, but the connections remain superficial. Whenever someone speaks, she listens intently without uttering a single word. Surprisingly, there are moments when it feels like she’s assessing people… Perhaps Nishino isn’t well-suited for her.

Well, I won’t meddle too much to say that much.

◆◆

(POV Chiharu)

“Chiaki-chan, your onion-chopping skills are truly impressive.”

“Well, I do it regularly, you know.”

It was one of our school trip activities, a curry cooking session. It felt more like a cooking practice as the students were especially lively. But seeing Chiaki in the kitchen was nothing out of the ordinary, she was always there.

Although we worked in teams to make the curry, you could see the other teams’ cooking too. So, our team, consisting of Chiaki, Chinatsu, Chifuyu, and me, attracted attention.

“Usually, I’d add some ketchup or something to adjust the flavor…”

By the way, there were six members in our curry making team, including Mary-san and Sakura-san. Both of them were amazed by Chiaki’s efficiency.

“You’re amazing, Chiaki.”

“It’s only natural. After all, it’s Chiaki we’re talking about. I think Sakura-san is also quite efficient.”

“Well, I often make pancakes when my younger brothers say they’re hungry.”

Sakura-san was amazing. I tend to break plates and mix up salt and sugar, or soy sauce and dashi stock before tripping over my own feet. I honestly think she’s incredible.

“I’m doing my best too, you know.”

Sakura-san skillfully peeled the carrot with a peeler. She was so efficient.

“Sniff, Sniff…”

Chifuyu was cutting onions next to her with tears streaming down her face. She was trying her best. Chinatsu, on the other hand, didn’t like being near someone who couldn’t properly handle a knife, so she kept her distance.

“Chinatsu, are you okay?”

“…This wouldn’t happen if we were at home.”

“I see… Is home better?”

“To be honest… I want to go home right now…”

“I see… Well, to make sure you don’t feel lonely today, let me give you a hug.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“…Sob.”

It would have been better if she didn’t respond so abruptly… I was overwhelmed with grief.

◆◆

(POV Chiharu)

Time passed, and after having dinner, we were able to enjoy the hot springs. Me and my three sisters, along with Sakura-san and Mary-san, gathered in the bathing area and immersed ourselves in the hot tub. It was a way to relax and soothe the fatigue of the day.

Before we knew it, time swiftly slipped away amidst our various activities. From cooking curry to relishing the beauty of nature…..the hours seemed to evaporate effortlessly.

“Hey, Chiaki, let’s go to the open air bath over there!”

“Huh? Sure, why not.”

Chiaki and Mary-san left with excitement. Seeing that, Sakura-san murmured with admiration.

“They really get along well.”

“Yeah, they do…”

Chinatsu and Chifuyu, on the other hand, remained relatively quiet. While they had interacted with Sakura-san before, their relationship wasn’t as close, making the atmosphere a bit awkward. This was particularly true for Chinatsu, who had fewer opportunities to engage with Sakura-san compared to Chifuyu.

Sensing the situation, Sakura-san stepped out from the bath.

“Hey, I’m going to the other bath,” She said.

“…I’ll go too. Chinatsu, Chifuyu, Onee-chan’ll be back in a bit,” 

“Okay.”

“Understood,” 

I also left the bath and walked through the bathing area.

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Sakura-san said.

“That’s my line,” 

“I see…” 

As we strolled together, we spotted Chiaki and Mary-san engrossed in a lively conversation in the open-air bath.

“Chiaki is so adorable… My sister is definitely the cutest in the world. I mean, her skin has such a translucent glow. I’m almost worried that my sisters will turn invisible and become transparent beings due to their skin,” 

“…Don’t go overboard with your sis-con tendencies,” 

Sakura-san said with a wry smile.

◆◆

(POV Chifuyu)

“Hey, Fuyu…”

“What’s up?”

“It’s quite rare for us to be alone together, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is.”

Being alone with Natsu-nee is definitely out of the ordinary. We usually spend time together with Haru-nee and Aki-nee, the four of us together, but now it’s just the two of us.

It’s not awkward or anything. But it feels refreshing, maybe.

“This is the perfect timing… There’s something I want to discuss with you, Fuyu…”

“You want to discuss something?”

Natsu-nee hesitated, and her emotions of uncertainty and fear mingled like chaos. After taking a deep breath, then another, and giving herself a moment, Natsu-nee leaned in close to Chifuyu’s ear, speaking in a whisper so no one else could hear.

“I… I’ve been thinking of telling Kaito-san about my superpower…”

“…Eh?”

A wave of astonishment pierced through Chifuyu, making my breath get stuck in my throat. I had anticipated something like what Natsu-nee was about to say. I thought I understood her enough, having spent so much time together.

Or so I had thought, but…

“What do you think about it? My thoughts…” 

I didn’t know how to respond. Chifuyu didn’t possess any supernatural abilities for herself. No matter what I say here, it will be someone else’s business. It would be an irresponsible act of me.

“Will Kaito-san accept it….”

“Kaito-san will…” 

What would Kaito-san say…. such a thing……I had never even considered such a thing…

I see… I realized that Chifuyu had unknowingly been contemplating fulfilling her own desires… I hadn’t thought about Natsu-nee and the others worries or their circumstances at all… I am the worst.

I had so many worries and considered myself an outcast, but when I found my saving rope, Kaito-san, I just left everything behind.

Chifuyu is not qualified to answer that……

“You see, I… I thought that if I told him these things honestly, he might accept me…” 

“…”

“We’ve experienced and learned so much together… Based on that, I made my judgment. But I started to wonder if it was right for me to decide on my own… That’s why I wanted to ask you, Fuyu, whom I’ve spent all this time with.”

“Have you already told Aki-nee and Haru-nee…?”

“No, not yet. It’s difficult to bring it up… Besides, I only recently arrived at this decision.”

“I see…”

I had selfishly wanted things, selfishly escaped from responsibility, and only thought about myself like the selfish being I was.

“Oh, but you don’t have to force yourself to say it, okay?”

“Chifuyu is…”

“…?”

“I… I don’t know what to say… I’m at a loss…”

“I see… Well, I guess it can’t be helped.”

“I’m sorry…”

“No, you don’t have to apologize.”

“…But from now on…”

“Hmm?”

“From now on, I’ll think things through properly too! I want you to consult with me a lot, Natsu-nee!”

“I see… Hehe, then I’ll count on you?”

“Leave it to me!”

Chifuyu also decided to consider her sisters’ feelings and act accordingly. I would strive to be someone they could consult with if they had any worries and share the same responsibilities.

Alright, decision made!

“Hmm, then let’s change the topic. It’s no use dwelling on heavy discussions,” Natsu-nee said.

“Do you have something else to talk about?”

“Let’s talk about love!”

“Huh!?”

“Well, in times like this, there’s nothing else to do, right? Come on, don’t you have someone you like?”

“Uh, well, I… I don’t have anyone I like.”

“No way, there must be someone. Just give me the initials!”

“N-No, really, there’s no one…”.

“Oh, how boring.”

“Well, then what about you, Natsu-nee?”

“As for me… Hmm… Nope, no one.”

Indeed, there was no specific person that Natsu-nee mentioned as someone she liked. Although she seemed to be quite popular among guys, she had the aura of an unattainable flower, which kept people away.

“Well, I have quite high standards, you know. There’s just no one who meets my expectations,” Natsu-nee said.

“Oh, I see. That makes sense,”

“That’s right. I’m looking for someone who is gentlemanly, stable, and has a comforting presence.”

“C-could it be Kaito-san….”

“Kaito-san? Ah, now that you mention it, he does fit that description.”

I-it’s a relief that this doesn’t seem like a potential rivalry. I feel a sense of relief… I think?

“What about Aki or Haru? Do they have anyone they like?” Natsu-nee asked.

“I’m not sure… It feels like they don’t.”

“Indeed, that seems to be the case.”

“Haru-nee always seems focused on us and doesn’t seem to pay attention to anyone else. As for Aki-nee… Well, it just feels like there’s no one,” 

“I see… Haru might be like that. But as for Aki… It’s a mystery.”

“A mystery?”

“I have a hunch that there might actually be someone… Well, it’s just a feeling.”

Does Aki-nee have it too? Someone she liked…..Afterwards, the conversation continued about Natsu-nee’s ideal type and the standards for her potential love interests.