Tannin Wo Yosetsukenai Buaisouna Joshi Ni Sekkyou Shitara,

Chapter 5 volume 4

Leaving the shopping center,

The food I just bought is in my hands. We walked along the paved road together.

I wonder how long it's been since I came out like this with Sayaka. I don't think we came out recently.

Sayaka steps lightly. It must be because of the treatment I gave her. Unlike when she was shopping, she bounced her feet forward from time to time.

"Hey, what did you do for lunch?"

It's past 1pm. My dad's probably hungry.

"I think I'll make yakisoba. I bought some cabbage and it feels right."

"That sounds good."

Neither my father nor Sayaka could cook. I've tried to teach them, but they never really improved. I feel doubtful now that they had the intention to learn from the very beginning.

"Why don't you try to make it yourself sometime?"

But Sayaka shook her head.

"That's too much of a hassle. I have to learn too."

"Thank you?'"

"really, really. I'm the kind of person who's motivated at the last minute.'"

The value of Sayaka is in the middle of the scale. Although there are some fluctuations, the score is generally close to the average. This is a natural result of not initially aiming for the summit.

"The annoying sister is too serious. You don't have to get first place every time. I'll be tired if I do."

"It's not too hard if you work hard every day. High school kids don't learn as much as they think."

"Are you bragging?"

"That's not what I meant. I'm just saying that you have to study hard every day."

I also don't study ten hours a day like university examinees. I only spent four hours at my desk studying. Even so, if I concentrate and work hard, I can maintain the top rank in my class.

"I don't want to study even for an hour, and I definitely don't want to study every day. Okay well? There are lots of fun things to do in high school. You have to do what only you can do now."

"Is it a game or a game or maybe a game?

"Yes, yeah."

I think he probably spends as much time playing games as I do learning in a day.

"Do you enjoy studying all the time?"

Sayaka asked.

I have no hesitation in answering that question.

That's delightful.

There were a lot of hard times, but I still enjoyed it. There is a part of me that pushes myself. There was also a part of me that kept running and trying hard to escape.

But for me, I think this is the best I can do.

Even today was fun. It's been a while since I dated my sister. Arguing about trivia and taking care of Sayaka is fun.

I believe that this natural-looking everyday life is a precious thing that I must continue to protect.

"I feel fulfilled every day."

My reply was greeted with a suspicious look from Sayaka.

"Well, it's okay. My annoying brother is weird."

As we talked, we got around the house.

It's a little cold today. Every time the wind blew, a chill ran down my skin from my nape. It's already starting to enter the autumn. Under the cloudy sky, the air was thick with darkness.

When the house is seen, Sayaka stops her steps.

What's wrong? I was just about to ask that when I saw that there was someone in front of the house.

My heart's soaring. I am familiar with the faces of the people there.

Long and slender legs. Slim body. He was standing there with his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

Sharp eyes peeked out from his profile. His face is still clearly visible in my memory.

"That guy. ......"

Sayaka's murmur was blasted into the sky by the cold wind.

The red-haired man heaved a heavy sigh in front of the intercom.

I approached him without making a sound.

That figure is clearly visible. My body stiffens. Five meters, four meters, three meters. I passed Sayaka and still keep moving forward.

...I wonder what words I should say to her.

– Four years ago we played together. Since then, we never had a chance to talk.

When the distance was less than a meter, the man noticed my presence.

When he saw my face, his eyes widened in surprise.

Our eyes meet. And at that moment, all the memories of four years ago came back.

I feel nostalgic. I realized that even though the months had passed, the presence of this person did not diminish much in my mind.

The man said,

"It's been a long time."

I retaliated.

"Yes, it's been a while."

Maybe I should pretend I don't know him. I could have ignored it and stayed inside.

But I could not force myself to do that because the guilt I felt in the past was once again on my mind.

...... Not much has changed.

It was the first thing I felt when I spoke to him after a long time.

Not much different from how I felt when we spoke. Maybe he thought so too.

Why did he come to see me after all this time?

It was no coincidence that he approached Sayaka the other day. He approached with clear intentions.

When I thought about it, he said to me,

"It seems you haven't changed much."

For some reason, I found myself relieved by those words.

The man, Hiroyoshi Yamazaki, gave a small smile.

#Connected