CH 16

On the next day off, I was on my way to the meeting place with Yua.

In the end, I decided to go shopping or karaoke, depending on the mood. Yua is an expert at a date, as expected of her, she didn’t make a concrete plan in advance, but improvised.

At 11:00 a.m., we were to meet in front of a giant donut-like object in the station. I entered the station and proceed through the concourse. I saw Yua through a hole in the object.

I was walking fast and had to stop immediately.

Yua was talking to someone. A tall man was at the end of sight. Is he an acquaintance or–?

— She’s getting hit on?

The possibility seems high. Because Yua is really cute. I felt proud.

–I’m going on a date with that girl !

Yua is a skilled fighter, and I’m sure she’ll put up a good fight, but I don’t want any accidents to happen. I started walking again.

And then I heard a man’s voice.

“–Yua–, –“

–……Eh?

he just said “Yua,” right?　Does that mean he knows her? Or…….

I had a bad feeling about this, so I move closer to them so that they don’t notice me, and put my back behind the object to hide myself. I glanced at the man.

I can hardly see him with my eyes. With his wavy, center-parted hair and well-muscled physique, he looks like he could be a member of any dance and vocal group. He’s probably older than me. he could be a mature teenager or a boyish in their twenties.

In short, he looks a bit like a yankee, which is not my favorite type of person.

–I wondered if this man was Yua’s ……?

My old memories come back to me, and my legs start to stiffened. My heart beats fast, and a nasty sweat drips down my back.

“What about your promise to me?”

Said the man. The man’s voice was rough, as if he had suppressed his emotions.

“A-ahaha….. Of course I remember.”

Yua said in an uncomfortable tone.

“I don’t care who you play with. But first, you have something to do, right?”

“……”

“It’s piling up, you know. Cuz it’s been a while.”

“……”

“Reject that one. …..Let’s go.”

“Tsu !”

A gasp. When I turned around, a man grabbed Yua’s arm and pulled her along.

–I knew it…….

The conversation between the two of them indicates that they have a very deep relationship. I felt a sense of rejection, as if I had been thrown away, because I had only been spoiled by Yua’s goodwill.

–I knew that the world we lived in is…..

“No !”

The moment I heard Yua’s voice, my body jumped out from behind the object.

“Seita kun !”

Yua looked at me with watery eyes. The man glared at me with a wrinkle between his eyebrows.

“Could it be…. Yua, have you found a man yet?”

“N-no. That’s not it –“

“Y-you’re wrong.”

I answered as if I were covering for Yua. With a high voice like a falsetto.

“Would you like to let go of that hand for now?”

“No, first of all, who are you?”

The man’s eyes became even sharper and my body trembled. I even felt dizzy with fear.

But I can still manage to stand because Yua is here. I’m the only one who can protect her. I have to do something. That thought seems to be holding me together just in time.

“I would never tell my name to someone who would be rough on a girl.”

“Rough……?”

The man quickly removed his hand as if in a panic.

“T-that’s not true ! It’s not how it looks.”

“….It’s not convincing when you’re trying to do it with brute force.”

Why do these kinds of people try to control people through fear and violence? Why do I have to be so frightened by such a worthless person?

Above all, why would they do such a terrible thing to a good girl like Yua, preying on her and throwing her away? And they’re using her for their own convenience. The anger heated my heart, but at the same time cooled my head.

The man shrugged his shoulders.

“I think there’s some kind of misunderstanding. I’m telling you, I was first.”

I know. You were intimate with Yua before I met her. That’s what you’re saying.

To hell with that.

“You think you have a right to her because you got to her first? Like she’s an object.”

The words came out smoothly. It was as if the thoughts that popped into my head were being output directly from my mouth.

“No, I don’t think she’s an object.”

“You were using violence to get what you wanted, weren’t you?”

“Hey, you……”

“What’s important is how she feels now, right?”

“Like I said……”

“It doesn’t matter what she used to think or what she used to do.”

“You know what…..”

“I don’t give a shit.”

“Yeah, I understand….”

“She–“

“Can you let me talk now !?”

The man interrupted quickly. When he saw that I was silent, he cleared his throat.

“I finally realized what you’re misunderstanding”

“Misunderstand?”

“You know, —I’m her brother.”

He pointed at Yua.

–……………Hm?

“And by that, you mean …..?”

“No, there’s no way I could have said it any better. Brother, big bro, older brother.”

“…….”

I looked at Yua. She nodded her head.

–………………Huh?