Chapter 5 - 3

Chapter 5: Chapter 3

9th of June (Tuesday)

Morning. Naturally, some dramatic event like being woken up by my little sister did not happen. Even last night, Ayase-san went to take a bath after me, and only went to bed after I was already asleep. I bet she woke up before me as well.

"Big trouble, Yuuta!!"

When I stepped out onto the hallway, I ran into a clown wearing shaving cream as make-up. No, correction, it was my old man currently reading himself for work. His eyes were wide open, blood-shot even, as he frantically pointed towards the living room.

"What are you panicking for?"

"I was shaving just now!"

"Yeah, I can see that."

"And then, I heard some suspicious sounds coming from the kitchen, so when I went to check it out..."

"Yeah?"

What is he, some murder witness? I barely suppressed retorting like that, when my old man continued with a quivering voice.

"S-Saki-chan...She's making breakfast!"

"You say it like that's some shocking development."

"Because it is! I would have never imagined eating breakfast made by my own daughter!" I could see tears started to build up in the depths of his eyes.

I can tell that he's happy, but can you not splatter foam everywhere?

"Alright...Just go wash your face, will you."

"How cold of you. If only you could be as lovable as Saki-chan."

"Lovable...as Ayase-san?" I imagined her dry and cool face, and tilted my head in confusion.

Of course, her face is cute. She's definitely in the upper spectrum. But, this and being lovable are two different things if you ask me.

...As I was thinking something rude like that, I pushed my old man back into the washing room, and headed over to the living room, when a delicious scent tickled my nose.

"Fried eggs?" I asked.

"It's pretty orthodox, right. I figured you wouldn't have anything to complain about something simple." Ayase-san answered indifferently.

"I really don't, but can I say one thing?"

"That beginning sure sounds like I'll get to hear a complaint right after, but sure, go ahead."

"Why are you making breakfast?"

She didn't make it yesterday. I always thought that you could just live off of toast in some tea in the morning, never seeing the need for anyone to prepare anything.

"I mean, it's for our contract."

"Talking about yesterday? I thought we only decided on dinner."

"I mean, we did, but I thought I might as well make breakfast. When talking about give & take, it's my policy to have more on the give side."

"I see..."

How upright—or, you could call it dry even. Ayase-san wore an apron above her uniform, with a frying pan in her hand. Being able to see your little sister cooking for you is a scenery every boy in this world could grave for. However, as always, the reality was much different than you would read or hear about.

I felt a bit guilty to only have Ayase-san work like this, so I thought about what I could do to help out, ending with me wiping the dining table. Ayase-san took a peek at me from the kitchen, and opened her mouth.

"...Thanks." Giving her gratitude a bit more awkwardly than usual, she brought three plates with fried eggs on them.

I figured that this would be the least to do now that we're family, but I guess that Ayase-san's policies require her to thank me nonetheless. Following the fried eggs, she brought white rice and miso soup, which led the dining room to be filled with a pleasant and comfortable scent.

"When did you prepare that?"

"Last night before going to bed...Well, it's not that big of a thing."

She said it like it was nothing special, but to me, it sounded like a pain beyond belief, so I had trouble even finding any words. Ayase-san and I sat down at the dining table, facing each other, clapped our hands together, and gave our thanks for the food, when my old man walked into the room, fully dressed. He sat down at the dining table with us, and ran his eyes over the food.

"I'm going to cry..."

"Ahaha, you're exaggerating." Ayase-san showed a wry smile.

I could see a different expression compared to the usual dry and cool one she shows me. Probably because it's towards an adult that she'll be relying on in the future. Looking at the distance, or the type of conversation, it feels less dealing with a little sister, and more like a wife that had just started living with us.

In the end, my old man kept blabbering on and on about how delicious the food was, and quickly left the house after he finished his own breakfast. Really, he's so much of a fast-eater. Then again, I'm honestly on the faster end as well, but this time, it just took me a bit longer.

"Is it bad?"

Of course, I didn't plan on saying the reason as to why that was, but Ayase-san gave me an anxious gaze, already reaching a conclusion of her own.

"That's not it."

"You don't need to be considerate. I'll try to fix it if it tastes bad."

"No, seriously."

If I had to guess, she probably did this according to a recipe, not trying any weird arrangements at all, making sure that everything was perfectly put in its place, and the taste was great as well. Of course, if the taste really wasn't that great, it'd fit perfectly for all the stereotypical little sisters in anime and manga, but that wasn't the case here.

If so, then why are my chopsticks moving slower than usual? The reason was simple, and I explained it to her while stuffing some rice in my mouth.

"It's just, I'm used to eating fried eggs with soy sauce...that's why."

That's really all it was. The fried egg Ayase-san made was seasoned salt and pepper, not using any other ingredients. Of course, salt and pepper aren't anything unorthodox, so I can perfectly eat these fried eggs, but when you let them suck up some soy sauce, they go down much easier, and that's what I'm used to.

"Soy sauce with fried eggs...I never thought about that..." Ayase-san muttered.

If anything, I'm the one surprised that she ate her fried eggs with only salt and pepper. Ayase-san's expression didn't change much, but her voice made it sound like she was slightly dejected.

"Sorry, I didn't even think about your tastes, and just made it like I would eat it."

"No no no, this isn't something you need to apologize for. If anything, I feel bad for not telling you beforehand, yet complaining as I do now."

"I'll ask next time."

"Yeah, I'll provide you with proper information as well."

That's why, neither of us said any more than that. We're just two people trying to arrange things for the benefit and convenience of the other. Honestly speaking, it didn't feel half bad. From an outsider's perspective, our conversation might seem impersonal and robot-like. But, there I was, feeling a sense of relief and relaxation from this.

After spending this time together in the morning, Ayase-san and I left our home again at different times. It was a safety measure to make sure no odd rumours would come into existence at school, as well as that we wouldn't get too close to each other. Although we're practically family, she still is a member of the opposite sex, exactly my age. Being considerate of each other in the home was one thing, but being aware of this on the outside could be quite exhausting.

You have to treasure the time you have of your own. Since we both respected this idea, I felt like we'd be able to get along just fine in the future as well.

"Between cryptocurrency and youtuber, what do you think is better?"

"I think it'd be better to drop it."

The time was a bit before the beginning of homeroom. In the face of the question I threw at my trusted friend Maru, he gave a cold and harsh statement.

"That's the catcher of the baseball club for you, quick judgement."

"Everybody would have reacted that way. Where did that even come from, Asamura."

"I'm looking for methods to effectively earn money with the shortest time of work needed."

I carefully chose my words, only conveying the bare minimum of information needed. I can't break my promise with Ayase-san, and I can't tell him about the conversation I had with her either, so I had to be extremely cautious. Of course, that wasn't enough to convince Maru at all, as he gave me a suspicious glance.

"Asamura...are you being chased by loan sharks or something?"

Why'd you come up with the worst-case scenario?

"I'm not wrapped up in some crime or anything. I mean, no matter what great corporation or business you might work at, it's never really safe nowadays, and being a government official seems rough to boot. I'm thinking of saving as much money as I can right now."

"That's some early life plan you got there."

"If possible, I'd like to go without paid dating."

"That was in your range of options?...Hm?" From the depths of his glasses, Maru gave me a dubious look. "Yesterday you ask me about Ayase, today you're searching for some shady part-time work...Don't tell me?"

"No, it's not what you think." I immediately denied his thoughts.

Since I did that before he could even finish his assumption, it probably sounded more fishy than anything, but I couldn't sit still without immediately shutting him down. Maru stared at me, as I swallowed my spit, only to slowly open his mouth.

"Give up on that. There's nobody who'd buy a male prostitute, alright. Look at the mirror, dude."

"...Phew." I let out a sigh of relief.

I felt all tension in my body vanish, to a level where I didn't even feel like biting back at that diss. Thanks for being so dense at times, Maru.

"You were just making fun of me inside of your head, right?"

"Not at all." I lied flat out.

No, I wasn't lying. I wasn't making fun of him, I was thanking him. Stereotypes are something scary, I dare say. With glasses, and as a catcher of a baseball club, my dear friend seems skilled in observation, and possessing great guessing abilities. Yet, he can't even imagine Ayase-san in the same context as 'Little sister'. This episode told me that this gal who was under doubts of doing paid dating could in no way be a 'Little sister' in the eyes of others.

"Anyway," Maru started his words, raising one finger to begin his lecture. "First of all, don't even think that you can make big money in a short amount of time by being a youtuber or doing cryptocurrency. That's naive."

"R-Really?"

"Of course. To make it big with that, you need to invest insane amounts of time. Just like with any sport, it's also a gamble as to how and where you hit the ball."

"Ahh, I guess that makes sense."

Since Maru, who practiced baseball for a long time now, was saying it, it sounded oddly convincing. However, at the same time as I found reason with his words, there's also a contradiction that caught my attention.

"But, if there's people who bet tens of years to finally earn lots of money, there's also those who can achieve that in barely a year, right? Just what separates the two? I don't think it's the time they invest."

"Since I'm not someone who earns ridiculous amounts of money, I can't tell ya, but there might be some trick behind it."

"A trick, huh..."

"Maybe just your mental attitude. Both my parents are history fanatics, so I've been told all sorts of stories from the Warring States period to the Three Kingdoms, so I got myself a lot of knowledge about that, but—"

"Sometimes you sound like Zhuge Liang, yeah1."

Through this one year I've been talking with Maru, I could see that he's quite the tactician. During last year's ball sports festival, he gathered information on the other classes, and instructed people. Thanks to that, our class managed to easily get first place. That might also be the reason as to why he's on the seat of the catcher in his club.

"It's really not that great of a deal, but...Well, I got the basics of war hammered into me."

"For example?"

"That information and knowledge are your greatest weapon."

"Know your enemy, know thyself, and you shall not fear a hundred battles??"

"Something like that. The enemy's soldiers, the geographical location, weapons they like to use, and how many they have, actual experience in practical battle—they all sound like small details, but added together, they become strong weapons. But, even so, clever soldiers with axes can't win against guns."

"I see, so you're comparing that to earning money...You're saying that I lack knowledge about money?"

"Probably. I feel like the more you know about how society works, and the situation of the market, the higher your chance of success is?...No idea." He spoke all knowledgeable, only to break down in the final moment.

It's very much like him to give advice with his own examples, only to not make it sound like the perfect method in the very end. I carefully listened to everything he said, and made a mental note of it for later.

Once school ended, I drove off on my bike, and headed straight to the bookstore I was working part-time at. Located right at the front of Shibuya train station, a lot of youngsters as well as salary men and business people visited it, so the peak storm was at roughly 6 to 7pm. However, once you overcome that, things tend to calm down a bit, and the number of people on shift goes down to four.

Roughly at 8pm, two of those entered a break of an hour, so me and Yomiuri-senpai were alone. Said Yomiuri-senpai stood behind the cash register as she let out a yawn, as I acted like I was working on the shelves, and instead searched for the book I was looking for.

First, I need knowledge about money. About the economy, running a business, and the construction of capitalism. Honestly speaking, the titles all sound fairly similar, so I can't really tell them apart, so I picked something that sounded somewhat trustworthy. I might as well take some magazines that could give me information about workplaces with lots and easy money. Looking it up on the phone is one thing, but I didn't want to run into some shady employer. Of course, the ones in magazines aren't exactly the safest either, but it's better to be on guard than on no-guard.

...Alright. I took the books with me to the register. There—

"Hey now, you're on your shift, no storing books for yourself. ." Together with a warning voice, someone poked their finger at my shoulder.

Of course, it was Yomiuri-senpai.

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"Just kidding~ Nobody cares about that rule, so don't mind me. Even the store manager even does that. As long as you're not storing some super popular novel, or a release, things should be fine~ Just think about it rationally, right?" Yomiuri-senpai laughed.

She might look like a Yamato Nadeshiko, but she's quite relaxed most of the time. I still remember how she would always complain that the second she stopped acting prim and proper, the number of confessions towards her went down drastically.

If you're that easy of a woman, then go color your hair and give other people that impression—was a frequent complaint, and I could understand that. In a certain way, she's the exact opposite of Ayase-san, which is quite ridiculous. Stereotypes are going down the path of destruction, huh.

"So, Junior-kun, what were you trying to buy?"

"Can you not invade my privacy like that?"

"That reaction...A lewd book?"

"I wouldn't dare buy porn magazines when I'm still struggling to even get along with my little sister...Also, I'm not even 18 yet, so I can't buy them anyway."

"Then, just show me...what!"

"Ah."

She stole the books from me when I let down my guard.

"Hmm...Hmmm hmm...Mmm??" She glanced at the various book covers, and showed a curious expression. "I had never known you were that keen on getting the riches. Were you always this self-conscious?"

"No, not really." I immediately denied any such assumption.

That being said, revealing Ayase-san's personal wish felt bad manners, so I decided to only reveal the most important details.

"Once I graduate from high school, I want to move out, and live alone. That's why I need to earn as much money as possible."

"But, should you really be working part-time here then?"

Damn it, I can't say anything against that...

"Um, well. The amount of money I have isn't enough yet, and I enjoy working here because I love books, even if the pay isn't that big."

"Ah, I see."

"Getting a new little sister at this age, I don't feel like staying at my family's place. Don't wanna put too much pressure on them now."

"I see?" She gave a comment with a rather blank tone and expression.

"Do you doubt me?"

"I understand wanting to stand on your own two feet, but your little sister being the reason is wrong, right?" She spoke with a fairly serious tone.

I was only with Ayase-san's values, and even I was left surprised.

"It's about my own feelings right?"

"I meant it like you're inconsistent with your logic."

"Can I not be?"

"I mean, it's a waste."

"Eh?"

The word coming from Yomiuri-senpai's mouth took me by surprise, and my eyes opened wide.

"So that you don't bother other people, such reasoning like that...I don't think you can't become a person who earns a lot of money just by reading all these books."

"I'm sorry, but we've jumped so many steps of logic, I can't follow at all. Could you say it with words that I could understand."

"A sister your age is more of an asset. And, a lifestyle that doesn't rely on that is like you're just tying down your arms and legs." She said it quite blankly, but it had a sharp tone to it.

In reality, Ayase-san is the one who wants to live without relying on me or my old man, but since I agreed with her ideas, the words hit straight in my heart as well.

"Why do you think money is necessary?"

"I mean, you can't live without it?"

"Is that really the case?"

"Is that a rhetorical question? I mean, you need it. Clothing – Food – Shelter, these three are basic needs of us humans, and each requires money."

That is capitalism.

"Hmm, I see. Then, let's take it to the extreme. A baby that can't earn money, will it just be left to die?"

"That really is a bit too extreme."

"In reality, a baby can live on even without earning money, right?"

"Because the parents are paying for its expenses, yes."

"That's right, because it's being helped...So, why can't adults live like that? Isn't that fine?"

"I don't think it is."

If everybody started asking for help, society would collapse, I'm sure. Adults are to protect the children, and once you earn your own money to stand on your own two feet, you will be protected by this society.

"I mean, there's more adults who want to become babies again, right."

"I don't think you should generalize that."

On social networks and wherever, I can see people treating 2D characters as their Mamas, or contents that show adults returning to children just as they wished for. But, even if you keep that in mind, you shouldn't just generalize that this is the case for every single adult out there...Or, I at least hope that to be the case.

"I never said all of them~ But, the fact that such contents keep appearing more and more is because there's people who actually wish for that, right."

"That...is true, yes."

"At first, every single one of us was a baby, and yet once we're adults, it's a no-go. Isn't that even more cruel?"

"...I guess so."

"This is another extreme, but if someone provided clothes, food, and a place to sleep at...if someone helped you like that, then you could live without money, right?"

"So a basic income different from money?"

"So well-versed~"

"Stop it already."

I didn't expect to be treated like some cool kid who used words they just learned recently. Not to mention that I heard about that term from a book Yomiuri-senpai lent me, so I don't think she has the right to lecture me. But, she just showed a smile, not bothering with my thoughts.

"If you can't live on your own, then you just have to ask someone else for help. Or, so I think at least."

"Even if they end up as a burden?"

"There's people in this world who like girls like that, you know?"

"As a personal interest, yes, but generally speaking..."

"Maybe that's just not your type, Junior-kun."

"...I don't really get it."

At the very least, I don't think Ayase-san likes men who are like a burden...Or so I'd like to say, but I don't know her nearly enough, so in both cases, it's a question I don't have the answer for.

"Anyway, that's how money works. If you have it, great, and if you don't, then you have to search for someone to help you. So that someone comes to your help when you need it, always be on the lookout for someone who might need help. I think it's better to keep that thought in mind, than reading some extreme books like that."

"I wonder."

"You do that. In all the various companies of this world, there's more competent employees than excellent company presidents."

"That is one hell of a statement."

"It's the truth. The rich company presidents just happen to be good at being saved, that's all, young man."

"It's pretty lame how you act like you know all of that."

"A flower of a university student always has a sugar daddy or two."

"Eh?" I subconsciously froze up.

Of course, it's not that I had any feelings for her, but since she was always working in the same shift as me, I knew quite a few things about her. However, a shock is still a shock. Just like what happened when I heard about the rumours that Ayase-san might be selling her body. Maybe that's just because I'm a virgin, I don't know.

However, after a few moments of agonizing, Yomiuri-senpai showed me a grin.

"Just kidding~"

"You wench."

My respectful language completely broke.

"A friend at uni does that. It really seems like people with a lot of money are good at asking others for help. Also, whenever I meet her, she has some new brand object with her. From clothes to a handbag to whatever, it's honestly astonishing."

"Wow."

It felt like I took a glance at the darkness of a university student.

"Anyway, before relying on books like that, why not rely on your family first?" She gave me a wink, and started helping a customer who just came in.

In the end, I went home that day without buying a single book, completely influenced by that teaser of a senior.

"I'm back, Ayase-san."

"Welcome home, Asamura-kun."

As always, my step-sister greeted me upon my return home, as a stimulating scent of food ingredients tickled my nose. When I came to the living room, I spotted Ayase-san doing her work in the kitchen. I don't know if she just came home, or if she just didn't bother to change her clothes, but she wore an apron above her uniform, stirring around the contents of a hot pot.

"Good work at your job. Would you like to eat right away?"

"Thanks. I'll get the plates ready."

"Ah, you don't need to, you must be tired from your work." Ayase-san said, right as I took out a few plates.

Rather than being brother and sister, this feels more like we're newlyweds...God, I sound so creepy. I ignored my cursed thoughts, and finished preparing for the dinner with Ayase-san, sitting at the dining table, facing each other. Today's main dish was curry. A lot of vegetables were used, making it look like quite the healthy curry. On top of that, she even prepared some salad. When I carried some vegetables with spice in my mouth, my eyes opened wide.

"Delicious...!"

"I see, glad to hear that."

An honest praise escaped my lips. Honestly, the curry was delicious enough that this was the only word to describe it as. It wasn't something like an amateur made, only going along with the recipe, using market ingredients.

If you didn't use a variety of spice, and put detailed calculations into boiling the vegetables, you wouldn't make them this comfortable to bite on. Same goes for the rice, as it went down really smoothly.

Ayase-san showed a calm reaction as always, but I figured that she didn't dislike my praise, as the corners of her mouth went up a bit, while she carried some curry to her mouth. The second the spice touched her tongue, her eyebrows twitched ever so slightly, and I realized that even she had human expressions.

"I didn't think you'd make this great of a curry."

"I see. Then again, I'd give it 70 points."

"You can still go higher?"

"I didn't have much time to season the meat, so I can still make it better. Sorry about that."

"Season the meat." I just blankly muttered the words I just heard.

"Eh, what? You need me to explain that?"

"I have no knowledge about cooking...The best I know is that you cook both sides of the meat."

From my point of view, her knowledge of cooking makes her seem like she came from a different world.

"Well, sure." She said, and started her explanation. "When you buy meat from the market, the taste is still a bit meh, or the stench can be strong for the nose. Using salt, pepper, or garlic, the taste gets much better."

"Ohh...precious knowledge."

"Just stuff I picked up on the internet. Most things I just studied up on a recipe site." She said it, stating that she learned most of this herself, without the help of anybody else.

It really made it apparent that her desire to live independently wasn't just for show. Thinking that far, I had a few words of my own.

"About the method to earning money fast and easy."

"I see, so you already looked into that."

"Yeah. But, I couldn't find anything. Sorry, even though you already had to make food twice for me."

"...I see. Well, I figured it wouldn't be that easy." Ayase-san gently dropped her shoulders in defeat, but her disappointment wasn't as deep as I assumed it would be.

I'm pretty sure that she went to gather information on her own before asking me, and realized that finding such a work would be too convenient to be true.

"I just heard about the special attribute of people who end up rich."

"Huh, that sounds mighty interesting."

"Even I was curious when I heard about it."

There, I explained what Yomiuri-senpai told me, and that it's important to rely on others. Having listened to me, Ayase-san's eyes were radiating with curiosity.

"So you had a girl you're close with, Asamura-kun."

"Eh, that's what you picked up from that?"

"Ah, sorry. It was just, you know, unexpected."

"And now you're making fun of me."

"I said I'm sorry, okay."

When I showed my discomfort of being treated like a virgin, Ayase-san showed a wry smile. Of course, my physical contact with girls so far is at a whopping zero, so Ayase-san wasn't wrong either.

"I totally thought you hated girls or something."

"No, not really. Why would you even think that way?"

"Since our situation was so similar, I figured that to be the case"

I see, so Ayase-san hates girls—Of course, I'm not going to joke around like that. Judging from her choice of words, she probably saw her parents not getting along. She never had any strong attachment to her real father, and is thinking something similar to me with my own real mother. Half of that is correct, as I was really bad at dealing with my real mother.

"But, this is this, and that is that. Just because you're bad with one person doesn't mean you start hating all women."

"I see. That's great, honestly." Ayase-san said, admiring my words, and then continued with a light tone. "I ship it."

"...What exactly?"

"You two. She's got great style, is comfortable to be around with, and an older lady, right?"

"That is true, yeah?"

"I think you two are a good fit."

"Ehhh?" n-)o)(v/)e.-l))b./I-/n

Since she told me with a teasing smile, I couldn't help but tense up. It's true that Yomiuri-senpai is an alluring beauty, with big breasts, and older than me, but I can never tell what she's thinking, and I cannot let down my guard around her. I feel like I can be myself around her, but when I'm exhausted already, talking with her can be a bit tough.

"Why do you look so disgusted? From what I've heard, she's clever, and a great person."

"Well, I won't deny that..." I closed my mouth.

I can't tell her that I'd be exhausted just by dating her, as that would make me so much of an asshole.

"Ahh, what to do." Ayase-san put down her spoon. "What she's saying is true, but I still want to become independent."

"You seem to be rushing a lot. You won't even rely on me or my old man?"

"No, you two are good people, and I'm sure you'd help me if I asked for help. But..." She waited for a moment. "Everything would have been easier if you two were bad people."

"What...do you..."

"Sorry. I shouldn't be saying that...Thanks for the food." her eyes opened wide, and although she still had some food left, she took the plate with her.

I felt like calling out to her when she practically ran away to the kitchen, but stopped myself. Not much time passed since we became siblings, but I could tell that she didn't want to talk about that topic any longer, even with my zero experience concerning women.

I feel like I'll be forced to go to bed with gloomy feelings again tonight. Coming to terms with that, I gulped down the rest of the curry. Yup, it really was delicious, although it was lacking a bit of spice for my tongue.

"I wonder if I'll be able to sleep tonight..."

—Starting from the conclusion, I could sleep just fine. The reason for that was Ayase-san, who came to my room when I was already in my bed.

"This is?"

"My aromatic candle and sleeping mask. I was worried that you couldn't sleep because of what I said earlier."

How considerate, really. Although she showed a dry way of speaking, and never flashed any expression, I could see her sympathy and kindness beneath that mask, and it felt like I learned another layer that Ayase Saki had to offer.

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1 Zhuge Liang