CH 27

Chapter 27 – The Strategist Haruko Comes Up with a Plan

Since Himeka-san’s visit to our house, we have been in frequent contact via chatapp.

The first day or two after exchanging contact information, I wondered how I could get her to open up to me about her feelings for Onii-chan. But after the third day, things seemed to be going well and all I heard from Himeka-san was her love for him, well from what I can tell…

“Haruko-chan! Listen! Moriyama-kun likes chocolate cake!”

Yeah, I know. We’re brother and sister.

“Haruko-chan! Listen! Moriyama-kun ate my lunch and praised me so much! Moriyama-kun looked so nice when he was eating it.”

Hmm? Onii-chan got a girl’s homemade lunch. That’s unusual.

“Haruko-chan! Listen to me! Today, on the way home from a walk with Dozle, I walked hand in hand with Moriyama-kun. I was so embarrassed, but I got carried away and hugged him at the end. I smelled Moriyama-kun’s scent a lot.”

Eh!? Onii-chan hugged Himeka-san???

Even I, his younger sister, have such memories, but in the early elementary school years. Himeka-san, what kind of tricks are you using???

Karate masters are scary indeed.

“Cooking with Moriyama-kun, now.”

There was an image file attached, so I opened it and looked…

A photo of the two of them, with Onii-chan making a dumb face with his mouth open and Himeka-san making a happy face at the sight of him.

Eh? Aren’t you two supposed to be cooking?

Himeka-san doesn’t say it out loud, but it’s obvious that Himeka-san likes Onii-chan, and in that sense I support them both.

And after only a week or two of being friends with Himeka-san, Onii-chan has changed a lot.

No matter how much I tried to persuade Onii-chan, he stubbornly tried to remain alone, but Himeka-san’s different.

She’s a super beautiful girl with a great style, a strong sense of justice and a kind personality, and she’s probably very popular at school.

Maybe a man the caliber of Onii-chan would fall for Himeka-san.

I continued to interact with Himeka-san in such pleasant and surprising ways, but on my way home from school, I met Kasumi-chan, who was recognised as an enemy by Himeka-san, in front of my house.

Kasumi-chan seems to have just come home from school.

She was in her private high school uniform.

I don’t want to ignore her unnaturally and get into trouble, so I greeted her with a neighborly smile.

“Good evening.”

“Ah, Haruko-chan, it’s been a long while.”

“It’s been a while, Kasumi-senpai.”

“Senpai…?”

“I have some business to attend to, if you’ll excuse me.”

“W-Wait a minute!”

“Sorry. I’m in a real hurry.”

I refused, turned my back and quickly went inside the gate of my house.

Before entering the front door, I heard Dozle groaning, and when I looked at the garden, Dozle seemed to be threatening Kasumi-chan.

GRRR (Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her.)

Kasumi-chan, it seems that even Dozle has recognised you as an enemy.

I told Dozle, “I’ll bring some jerky for a snack later,” and left Dozle to take care of the situation as I entered the entrance.

Onii-chan had already returned and seemed to be concerned about Dozle in the garden.

“I’m home, Onii-chan.”

“Ah, you’re back. Dozle sounds restless, what’s wrong?”

“There was a stray cat there, so maybe that’s it. It was a badly behaved cat.”

“Hmm, then I guess it’s okay.”

“Yes, it’s okay, it’s okay, Dozle and I and Himeka-san are here.”

“Eh? Why Urushibara-san?”

“It’s fine, nevermind that.”

Dozle came to us about three years ago.

Papa was worried about Onii-chan, who had started to distance himself from everyone around him, and brought Dozle home one day out of the blue “as a friend”. Papa bought Dozle at a pet store on his way home from work.

It seems that beagle dogs get lonely easily and are spoiled pets, so Papa thought that he would bring one for Onii-chan who seems lonely.

Onii-chan, who used to be clingy to Kasumi-chan before, became affectionate to Dozle, and he started going out for walks with Dozle every day, like a true friend.

Dozle is still spoiled by Onii-chan even though he has grown up after three years, and he is the first to try to protect Onii-chan when something happens to him.

According to Himeka-san, Dozle protected Onii-chan from Himeka-san during that incident by putting up a tremendous fight to keep her away from him.

Well, it seems that because of this, Himeka-san is still considered an enemy by Dozle.

In other words, there is no room for Kasumi-chan to impose on Onii-chan now.

Dozle, me and Himeka will stand guard and make sure that nothing more will happen to hurt Onii-chan.

While I was thinking about this, I got a message on my phone from Himeka-san.

“I want to see Moriyama-kun again this weekend, but I can’t make up a reason to see him~ Do you have any good ideas, Haruko-chan?”

Even a beautiful girl like Himeka-san has worries like a maiden in love.

No one would refuse an invitation from a woman of Himeka-san’s stature, whether it’s “Let’s go to the movies” or “Come shopping with me.”

Ah, but I don’t think Onii-chan would go through with something like that.

So I devised a plan.

“Let’s have a study session at my place tomorrow. Himeka-san can study for her test and I can study for my exams. I’ll take care of my brother.”

“Really!? I can come visit again!?”

“Of course. My brother rarely goes out on holidays, except to walk Dozle, and my mother would be happy if Himeka-san came.”

“I’ll come prepared with my studies! Can we start in the morning?”

“Yes, morning is OK… Let’s start around 10am.”

“Roger that! I’ll see you tomorrow at 10:00. Thank you, Haruko-chan!”

And I said to Onii-chan who is obsessed with Close-Up Today on the TV in the living room…

“Do you have any errands tomorrow?”

“I don’t have anything special to do… I want to study for a test tomorrow, so if you need help with shopping or something, please find someone else.”

“Ah, it’s okay, I’m not shopping or anything like that. Please stay home tomorrow.”

With this, everything will work out tomorrow.

It’s still a secret to Onii-chan that Himeka-san is coming.

It’s a surprise for Onii-chan and a chance to boost their romance.