Volume 1 - CH 5

Chapter 5 - My Little Sister's Mobile Phone Debut

Saturday. This was Soyoka's first day off since kindergarten, and the two of us were visiting the mall at the next station.

We don't really have to come all the way here if we just want to shop for groceries, but if we want to buy electronics or household goods, then this is the place.

This mall has various shops and sometimes they like to hold events for kids.

As soon as they opened, the shops inside were immediately bustling with shoppers. I held Soyoka's hand tightly so as not to be separated from her.

"Buy andphone, buy andphone!"

"Soyoka's handphone, not andphone."

Our goal is the handphone counter in one corner of the mall. I came here to buy a Soyoka cell phone with my mother's permission.

Although it might seem too early for a kindergartner to use a cell phone, but I decided that it would be best if she had it just in case, because sometimes she likes to be left alone without me or my parents.

Unlike early childhood education programs children, kindergarten children have a much wider range of activities. And it would be too late if something happened to him before we could take any precautions.

Of course, I didn't mean to make him addicted to games or the internet at this age. Therefore I intend to buy a cell phone for children with various functions. Moreover, Soyoka seemed more impatient to have her than to want to do anything with her.

TL/N: The point is, I just want to have it rather than want to play it.

Well, moreover all the adults around him have it, right?

"Buy andphone, buy a---... Taiyaki?!"

Soyoka who was walking fast suddenly stopped and grabbed my hand. She had a surprised expression and his eyes widened. What she saw was a Taiyaki shop.

Wait, how could she notice it when the shop was closed with a crowd of people?! Soyoka! Your nose is so sharp!

I wanted to buy it, but we just had breakfast. If she eats taiyaki now, I'm afraid that she won't be able to eat lunch later.

Smiling, I tried to say softly to Soyoka who was looking at me with sparkling eyes.

"If we stop, people will buy the cellphone, you know?"

"Ah...! Let's go there, Onii-chan! Hurry up!"

"Oh, don't run!"

Remembering her destination, Soyoka started walking again. The HP counter we went to was on the third floor. So, holding onto Soyoka's nervous shoulder, We took the escalator and arrived at our destination. After telling me what I wanted to do, I received a queue number.

(We've been waiting for an hour. But, this place is always busy, isn't it?)

"Which phone should I choose for Soyoka?"

There are two types of cell phones for children, and each has three colors.

His cell phone is equipped with a security system and GPS, so I can rest easy when something happens to him. Because when the alarm sounds, a notification will be sent to the guardian's cellphone. And I can also check its position via app.

I think, all parents in this world should be proactive in giving this device to their children. And most importantly, I will be able to hear Soyoka's voice whenever I want!

"Pink..... Yellow.... Black...."

Soyoka's eyes widened as she poked at what looked like an antenna at the top of a child's cell phone.

Previously, I had looked at the catalog at home, but I still can't seem to decide which one to choose. The black phone I didn't choose somehow made me feel sad. But that's okay, I'm sure the boys will buy it for sure.

To clear my mind, I casually looked around the shop.

There are many new phones that come out every year. And to be honest, I couldn't keep up with the progress. Well, after all I buy a new cell phone once every three years.

While I was comparing the newest models that I couldn't see the difference, a familiar face appeared there.

"Hey, Akiyama-san!"

I raised my hand and called out to him.

Akiyama looked happy and smiled while talking to Iku. But when she saw me, the expression on his face immediately disappeared.

"Oh, what a strange coincidence, huh."

She brushed his hair back with his right hand and opened his mouth without smiling.

"Don't act so cold. I've seen it all before, so you won't be able to fool me by pretending to be cold now."

"I don't know what you're talking about. But, I've always been like this."

You're actually in a really good mood, aren't you?

Akiyama who was wearing a hat with a white hoodie and jeans, had a completely different aura when compared to her who was wearing a school uniform. If it wasn't for Iku, I probably wouldn't have recognized him.

Hmm, I see, well. Since our little sister/brother went to the same kindergarten, so it's possible that our house is in the same neighborhood as well. Even though Akiyama and I went to different middle schools, but that's probably because he went to the next district.

"Soyoka-chan!"

"Iku!"

Hey, small child! Don't talk to my sweet little sister so casually!

I wanted to say that, but I decided to hold back because it seemed like I would be hated if it interfered with the friendship between the children. But even so, I kept putting pressure on Iku silently, and he immediately hid behind Akiyama when he noticed.

Isn't this kid too cowardly?

On the other hand, Akiyama looked at Soyoka and tilted his head.

"I wonder, would you like to buy a cell phone for Soyoka-chan?"

"Ah, yes. Just in case. I thought it would be best to take precautions before anything happened to him."

"I thought it was to keep track of it all the time via GPS."

"Hey, what kind of person do you think I am, huh?! I was only planning to monitor him once in a while!"

After all, why should I bother monitoring him when I'm always with him except when she's in kindergarten?

"Is it necessary to give him a child's cell phone?"

"Of course, moreover there is no additional charge for a child's cell phone if purchased with a family package."

"Really? Hmm, should I buy it for Iku?"

Akiyama put his hand on his cheek and thought.

This is not a conversation between classmates, but a conversation between parents who have children.

Soyoka and Iku were playing with the sample cell phone in their hands. The kid's phone is made relatively smaller, but it's still bigger when compared to the Soyoka hand. She held it with both hands and for some reason, she pressed it to his ear.

"Do you want that, Iku?"

"I want to...! Onee-chan, please buy it!"

Iku hugged Akiyama with sparkling eyes. What a good and innocent child. Although not as good as Soyoka.

Akiyama who was hugged by him, was shocked and froze.

"I-I'm seducing me..."

"N-No way, huh?"

"It's forbidden love, Iku... but it's okay if it's Iku. I knew that this day would come. So as your sister, I will always be ready to accept you, you can do anything you want."

Umm, it's about the cell phone, right?

She spoke quickly and his voice was too low.

After coughing and regaining his composure, Akiyama started calling somewhere.

I couldn't hear what he was talking about, but he seemed to be getting permission from his mother.

"Iku, mom said we can buy it."

"Yea!!"

"But, I can't sign the contract, so tomorrow we'll come back here again and buy it."

I was told that a written consent letter from the parents was required for the minor to sign the contract.

Of course I had brought him, while Akiyama had not. I heard Akiyama's mother is busy with her homework on weekends and holidays. So today, she purposely came here to shop with Iku so as not to get in his mother's way.

"I chose the pink one!"

Soyoka gave me a pink cell phone.

By the way, this is just a sample, so don't give it to me, okay?

"Pink is a color created for Soyoka. So, it's the perfect choice for you."

"You idiot brother..."

"You're the idiot!"

Maybe it was because Akiyama was self-conscious, so she turned his face away in a huff.

The complex is much worse than mine.

I did think that Soyoka was an angel-like prodigy who was the cutest, cutest, prettiest and most talented in the world, but well that was all, nothing more.

Then, Soyoka went to Iku to report the color of her phone of choice. Hmm, after all, she still took precedence over her.

Iku seems confused about which one he should choose. With a serious expression on his face, he compared the phones lined up on the platform. His current profile is quite firm, just like his older sister.

"I think yellow fits. It looks cute."

I took the child's yellow cell phone and gave it to Iku. Iku accepted it and looked at Soyoka then put her back on the table. Then, he left the corner of the child's cell phone.

While being watched by Akiyama, he reached out to the standard model platform and took samples of the cell phones for adults. It is the latest model with a large screen.

"I choose this!"

The phone was too big for a child's hand, in fact it almost fell out of his hand. It also doesn't have a prevention function, and it's useless for kindergartners.

Cell phones are exclusively for adults, so they have multiple functions and are difficult for children to master. In addition, the price is also much more expensive than others.

"Iku, it's for adults. Let's just pick that one. It's a cute phone, you know."

Akiyama crouched down in front of Iku and tried to persuade him. She tried to reach for the cell phone he was holding. However, Iku quickly withdrew and dodged it.

".....Don't want to."

"Why? It's too difficult for Iku."

"I want this one!

"If you just want to touch it, I'll lend you mine."

Akiyama patted Iku's head with a troubled expression.

Iku looked at Soyaka, who tilted her head slightly from not understanding what was going on in front of her.

Maybe this is the first time Akiyama has seen Iku like this, so she doesn't understand why Iku is so stubborn to him

"Well, it's also a boy's name."

Apparently, not even Akiyama could understand a man's thoughts.

Akiyama's eyes sharpened upon hearing my interruption. Scary.

"What do you know about Iku, huh?"

"Well, that's... you can think of it that way. ...Here, I'll borrow Iku for a bit."

I left Soyoka in Akiyama's hands, and pulled Iku's hand away for a moment.

I'm not going to kidnap her, so please don't worry, okay? I'm the one who won't forgive you if you do something to Soyoka!

"What's wrong, Onii-chan?"

"I'm not your brother."

Is this kid already his girlfriend?! Soyoka is still too young to date!

"Haa....."

I took a breath and took out the black cell phone from the children's cell phone section and looked at Iku.

"Look, this is a cell phone for children."

"No, I want this one."

"That's right. Because it's cooler

"Un."

He nodded his head and agreed with my opinion. My words might be different from what he expected, therefore when I said it, he couldn't help but let out a groan.

"Soyoka, my cute little sister chose the pink one. If Iku buys this one too, then you two will have the same phone."

"But I want something cool."

"That's right. If I want to buy something, I'll also choose something cool. But, think about it. Soyoka is an angel, even though she's still a child. No, she will definitely become a woman in the future, and she's cute in her own way too, especially when she swallowed the toothpaste yesterday, haha ... yah, after all, it will take a long time to be able to use the phone properly."

Iku couldn't understand what I meant because I was speaking in a complicated way. However, sometimes it is useful to say difficult words. Because men want to look handsome and cool no matter how old they are. And her sister doesn't know about it.

After all, Iku just wanted to look cool in front of Soyoka. Even though I was annoyed that the target was Soyoka, but I can understand the feeling. A man's pride won't let him choose the same thing as the girls.

Besides, the way Akiyama rejected him wasn't good for him. If he did that, Iku would only become more stubborn if he was told directly that he shouldn't choose her.

I continued my words while Iku was pensive in confusion.

"Listen, Iku. You should learn how to use this phone first from him. If you can use it perfectly while Soyoka can't, then what are you going to do?"

".......! I will teach him.......!"

"Right. But to teach it will be difficult if you use a different model."

Iku gasped and her eyes lit up. Iku then snatched the kid's cell phone from my hand and gave me an adult cell phone instead.

"I'll take this one!"

"Good! In that case, have your brother buy it for you."

"Yes!"

Yellow might be a little too cute, so black is a good choice.

When I returned, I found Soyoka and Akiyama talking to each other.

"You understand. Don't you? When you get home, you should tell him, "Onii-chan stinks!""

"Isn't that rude?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm telling you this so you can beat your brother."

"Really?! I'll be able to be better than Onii-chan......?!"

"Yes of course."

Devil. She is the devil. The devil who is smiling evilly.

"Hey, don't teach my weird little sister!"

I'd be in shock and languish in my room for a few days if he ever said something like that to me.

I rushed to save Soyoka from him, but Soyoka's expression looked so confident.

You're not going to tell me that, are you?

On the other hand, Iku returned to Akiyama's place as if we were exchanging hostages.

"I'll take this one!" he said to Akiyama.

"How did you do that?"

Akiyama furrowed his brows as he looked at me.

Wow, she looks really frustrated, doesn't he?

"It's a secret between us, okay?"

I put my index finger on my lips and looked at Iku. Iku smiled at me and replied in the same way.

"Yes, this is our secret!"

That's right. This is a secret between men. As she saw this, Akiyama became even more displeased.

"Oh my God, Iku has caught it. Iku, don't do that. He is a pervert who likes children. Iku is a good boy, so here hide behind your brother."

"What kind of person do you think I am, huh?!"

I don't know how many times I've told him that the only child I like is Soyoka!

Then, my queue number was called, so I parted ways with them and headed to the reception desk.

Since it's a kid's phone, the contract is simple. And since it's for kids, so I have to write down the usage options. And another advantage is, the price is much cheaper because it is regulated by a family contract.

I also bought a scratch-resistant screen, a case, and a strap to wrap around my neck. I'll do the initial setup slowly after we get back home.

"Yeay, got andphone!"

Soyoka was very happy when the employee handed her a new cell phone even though she was exhausted from our long journey.

"What do you want to name him?"

"Just andphone."

I stood up from my seat, holding the bag containing the contract documents and instruction manual. The clerk sent us off in a cheerful voice.

As I left the shop, I saw Akiyama and Iku standing near the entrance.

"Ah, you guys still here?"

"I still haven't properly thanked you."

"You're too polite, and you don't have to worry about that."

"No, no. Although I don't know what you said to Iku, it was you who recommended the child's cell phone to since the beginning, So thank you very much for that."

Akiyama bowed lightly after saying that.

"O-Oh, you're welcome. ......but, why don't you call me by my name? Ah no. It is nothing. Do not think about it."

When I met him before, I thought he called me "Kuremoto-kun". I'm sure that Akiyama only calls me by my surname and doesn't see me as the opposite sex.

"You guys have the same last name, right?"

She said it with a blank expression as if it was nothing. Apparently, it didn't mean anything to him.

"I understand. ……Well then, Sumi.”

"I don't know why I have goosebumps all over my body. But please just call me by my last name."

"Eh, is it disgusting if I say it?"

Soyoka smiled as she heard our conversation.

"Ah, Onee-chan tsundere, huh?! I've seen it in anime!"

"Soyoka, you're wrong. She's just an idiot acting cool."

"Sumi-chan... stupid?"

Lately, Soyoka really likes anime and drama related to romance, so she is very interested in the relationship between men and women.

"Hey..."

Akiyama spoke light words in an ordinary tone, but somehow it sounded cold and creepy. My whole body immediately shivered from it.

When I looked at him in fear, I saw Akiyama in a demonic look. Soyoka and I both froze at that. There was a mysterious aura around him that made others unable to approach him.

……How scary it would be if a beautiful woman was angry.

"Soyoka-chan? I'm a beautiful, smart and cool big sister, right?"

"Sumi-chan! You are beautiful and cool!"

"Well, good."

Soyoka nodded her head at those words. Do you intend to bully my sister, Akiyama?

"Onee-chan, I'm hungry."

Iku's words ended the quarrel between me and Akiyama. It seems Iku is someone who knows how to read the situation.

Then, Akiyama instantly relaxed his expression, narrowed his eyes and looked at Iku.

Ugh, I'd be happy if she could talk to me with that 10% of her tenderness.

"Shall we have lunch now?"

"Yes! How about we eat together, Soyoka?!"

Iku said that innocently while looking at Soyoka. Inevitably, I made eye contact with Akiyama.

I originally intended to have lunch at home, but it seems it's also good to eat out once in a while.

"Akiyama, what do you think?"

"Well, no problem. Looks like the kids want to eat together.

"Why does it sound like you don't want to eat with me?

Well, I think that's reasonable. After all Akiyama and I were able to get involved like this because of the two of them.

***

I walked towards the food court on the first floor of the supermarket with Soyoka who was excited about going out to eat with her friends.

There are many restaurants lined up along the street, and we were able to sit and eat anywhere after placing our order.

We were seated at a table for four with a tray in each hand. We sat opposite each other based on the same age group.

"Iku, clean your hands, then use hand sanitizer spray. The good one."

Akiyama took care of Iku very strictly. Even when Iku started eating, she still took care of her, regardless of the food itself. She was busy serving food on small plates to the children while wiping Iku's mouth.

His expression was serious.

You don't have to be so strict about it, do you? ……Iku held the spoon in his hand and quietly brought it to his mouth.

"Umauma."

"Soyoka? Hmm, looks like he's fine."

When she spills so much food, it looks so cute!

By the way, I ordered katsudon (pork cutlet served over rice). While Soyoka and Iku chose a plate of sushi like you can see in a family restaurant. While Akiyama sipped soba noodles.

"Oh my god, the food is falling apart in your mouth."

"Muu, I'm fine!"

Iku, who was being treated like a child, refused and turned away from Akiyama, who was acting like his mother.

"Iku, would you like some cutlets?"

"May I?"

"Of course. I want to give it to Soyoka. But if you want, I can give it to you too."

I split a piece of meat in half and placed it on Soyoka and Iku's plates.

"Thank you, Kyota Nii-chan!"

"Aitou!"

TL/N: Arigatou.

I didn't need any side dishes because Soyaka's smile was the equivalent of three bowls of rice to me.

Iku also managed to regain his mood in an instant and chewed the piece of meat with a smile on his face.

"......You're an expert in dealing with children, right?"

"Umm, well, I think that's just the basics. I think it would be best if you helped her only when she really needed it."

I myself still learn a lot about this because I have little experience being a big brother. But I think taking care of her like Akiyama does is also good, although I don't know which way is more effective.

"I don't understand why Iku likes Kyota more. I feel like I've been defeated."

"So that's why you've been so grumpy since earlier, huh?"

I think Akiyama is a good big sister. And I'm sure Iku acted like that because she was embarrassed, not because she hated it.

"......I wonder what it would be like if dad were here."

"Hmm? What?"

I couldn't hear Akiyama's words because it was muffled by the sound of the mall announcement.

"I'm just saying that you guys can get to know each other because Kyota's mental age is as low as Iku's. Look, you even put a grain of rice on your cheek."

Reaching out his hand, Akiyama took a grain of rice from my cheek and put it in his own mouth. It happened so naturally that I couldn't react.

"Eh?"

I looked at Akiyama. He froze in position with a finger to his lips.

After a while, she opened his eyes and waved his hand in the air.

"No, no! It's like taking care of children! This means nothing! I just did what I did to Iku before!"

"Y-Yes! I-I see..."

You really make me nervous because of your shyness, you know! I'm not sure if he noticed or not! But when I saw her, I thought she would be a little nervous, but apparently she felt ashamed of myself.

"Are you okay, Nee-chan?"

Iku looked at his big sister with concern. Don't worry, she's just being ashamed of himself.

When I looked at Soyoka, she was looking at me smiling with both hands covering her mouth.

"Uhu-uhu... we're dating huuu!"

""Not!!""

I and Akiyama's voices overlapped.

"You guys are perfect, you know!"

And well, we kept being teased by the kids until the very end.