CH 36

Yua’s brother is sitting in front of me.

This place is a famous sweets store. It’s a store with a reputation for delicious pancakes. The atmosphere is bright and cute, with pastel colors as the base color, and the place is filled with the sweet aroma and the savory smell of coffee.

Since it was a holiday, most of the seats were occupied. Most of the customers are women. In short, we were the only male customers, except for those with children.

–My shoulder is stiff…….!

The one who suggested this place was him.

“Um,……, why this place?”

Onii san, who were chewing the pancake, said,

“I’ve been wanting to come here for a long time, but it’s hard to come in alone, right?”

–I think it’ll be weirder if there was two men in here……!

You could say that this is a forced double suicide. I could feel the glance from the classy-looking woman with a child that sat next to me.

However, He didn’t seem to mind the glances, and scooped the melting ice cream on top of the pancake with a spoon and brought it to his mouth. Then, he took out a pen and a notepad and began to write something down.

“Well, I got a high score. It’s more than I expected.”

Perhaps, visiting sweet shops is his hobby. Well, looks can be deceiving.

Speaking of appearances, his hairstyle had changed. He had a 7-3 trimmed haircut, with a line-shaped shave on the trimmed part.

–Why do these people want to draw mazes on their heads…..?

He  pointed to his own head, perhaps noticing my gaze.

“Interested? Bariato.”

“Bariato, is that what you called it?”

“Yes, that’s right. We have a reputation for being very skilled. Would you like to try it?”

“No, no. I’m sure my parents will be called to school.”

“Let’s go beyond the school rules.”

“That’s just breaking the rules.”

“Well, let me know if you change your mind.”

And son, he gave me his business card. In gold letters on black paper, the name of the store, contact information, and his name are printed on it.

— [Urushibara Akimi] That’s a surprisingly cute name…….

“Ah, come to think of it, I didn’t properly introduce myself, did I? I’m–“

“You’re Izuma Seita, right? Yua told me about you.”

“I’m sorry…….”

“I don’t mind at all.”

He smiled as if he didn’t really mind about it and ate the pancakes. I took a sip of my café au lait.

Now, let’s get down to business. However, it seems that the answer to my question has already been given. I may have wasted his time. Let’s just make sure that he knows what I’m talking about.

“So, Yu–I’m talking about your sister.”

“Yua is fine.”

“Okay. –I’ve been a little concerned about Yua’s condition. After she changed her fashion, she also seemed to be troubled by something. I was wondering if something happened. It’s just–“

“Just?”

“Yesterday. I saw Yua on the street. She was with a beautiful woman who was about years old. And this woman is Miyazawa Azuki, the owner of a rather famous apparel company.”

“Okay.”

“So maybe–“

“–I thought Yua might’ve start modeling.” “I think, that’s her mother.”

His voice overlapped with mine.

“Eh?” “Hm?”

“Mother?” “Model?”

Both of us looked at each other questioningly.

“Miyazawa Azuki, right? She’s our mother. By the way, her last name is different from her stage name.”

“……”

I think back to how friendly the two of them were yesterday.

–That’s right,……!

Thinking about it calmly, I think that possibility is more likely. I had ruled out that possibility from the start, thinking that a celebrity from a very far world that I had only seen on the screen of my phone couldn’t possibly be this close to me.

What’s with the modeling?

–Shame on me…..

I was so embarrassed that I held my head down.

Then, he said, 

“Ah～……, you’re not wrong when you said about modeling. When she  was a little girl, she once appeared on TV in a dress that my mother designed.

“……”

–Could it be he’s covering for me……?

He continued.

“So you think highly of Yua.”

“W-.well, yes……”

“Don’t worry about it. Sometimes you get narrow-minded or make mistakes and are embarrassed to death. It means you were taking it seriously, right? I’d rather say thank you.”

he smiled.

Eh……? So, so, so–

–So cool…..! !

If I were a woman, I might have made a move without shame.

“Thank you…….”

“Like I said, don’t worry about it.”

What a nice person he really is. If I had known him earlier, I would never have been afraid of delinquents.

–But about her mother……

I had no idea that Yua was the daughter of the company president. The fact that she is cute and her brother is handsome is more convincing if her parents are former celebrities.

–After all. it’s about genes….

I was deeply impressed by the cruelty of this world.

He took a sip of coffee and wrinkled his brow. Was it bitter, or was he thinking about something else?

He began to speak slowly.

Let’s talk in order. –My mother loved Yua very much. Maybe she wanted to entrust her with the dream she couldn’t fulfill.”

“An idol?”

“Yes. When she was little, she was forced to practice singing, dancing, and wearing a lot of pretty clothes. Yua was also willing to make an effort. My mother suddenly became very busy and rarely came home. I was in high school at the time, and I was playing around with my bad friends, so it must’ve been lonely for Yua.”

He looked more bitter than when he drank the coffee.

“Some time after Yua entered middle school, she started wearing flashy clothes and coming home late. I was going to vocational school and didn’t have time to take care of her, so I just gave her a lenient warning and didn’t really do anything for her.”

He placed the coffee cup on the table, which he had been holding with both hands as if to envelop it.

“That’s why we decided to move in together when Yua goes to high school. I don’t want her to feel lonely anymore. But still,……, I guess I couldn’t take my mother’s place.”

He sighs, which is not appropriate to do in a sweets store.

Unexpectedly, I heard a deep story about Yua’s family. For me who has little life experience, I don’t know how to respond.

Instead, I ask a question.

“If she’s been seeing your mother, does that mean she’s no longer busy these days?”

“No, I think she’s still busy. But she’s getting remarried. So she has more chances to see us.”

I felt it was unnatural that their father didn’t appear in his story, but it seems that there’s only their mother in the family.

Yua was lonely because her mother was busy with work and had no time for the family. However, this doesn’t explain her recent strange behavior. If Yua is able to spend time with her mother now, she would be more than happy.

I had thought that talking to her brother would clear up my doubts, but I didn’t expect that another question would come up.

“Seita.”

He leaned forward and grabbed my hand.

“Y-yes?”

“Please, look after Yua. I’m sure that Yua needs you more than me right now.”

“I-I don’t think that’s true……”

–Or rather, isn’t this distance too close?

He suddenly called me by my first name. As expected of Yua’s brother.

I heard a thump from next to me, and I glanced to the side. The lady from before was blushing and typing something on her phone at high speed.

–Oh, no. She wasn’t concerned because male customers are rare, but probably because she’s a fujoshi.

(TL/N: Yaoi enjoyer.)

Probably right now, on SNS,

[I’ve just seen a male couple flirting at a pancake store ! ! Oh my God, it’s too much ! ! ! !]

She probably writes something like that on SNS. That’s the look she has on her face. I don’t know, but I’m sure I’m not far off the mark.

“I-I understand. Anyway, I’ll do my best…….”

When I responded, he smiled reassuringly, thanked me, and began to put his hand on the pancake again.

–Although I said that……

I wonder how I should do my best. I slurped down my already cold café au lait and let out a small sigh so that he wouldn’t hear me.