Ch.44Chapter 7. Chaos (2)

I thought about going somewhere else—but.

To be honest, I was curious too.

I’m not someone who read [Tokyo Slayers] all the way through, but I really enjoyed reading the early parts. I was quite immersed in the protagonist.

And naturally, I liked the situations between the protagonist and the heroines. It’s a harem story, after all.

It’s a bit awkward to point out which heroine was my favorite, but as a teenager with raging hormones, I naturally preferred the older sister-type heroine.

For reference, among the three heroines, only one could be called “normal”—the childhood friend—while the other two were the type whose presence would completely shatter your daily life.

First, Yuka Yuuki worked at a shrine and caught yokai.

The other one, the older sister-type heroine, wasn’t a yokai… but someone who did something similar to exorcism.

That’s right. She was a nun.

If you ask me why a nun wasn’t wearing a veil and staying in a church or convent, I don’t have much to say. I’m not the author, so how would I know?

Back then, it was trendy to have maids wielding guns or swords, or nuns and priests slicing up vampires with blades. I guess the author really wanted to include a heroine in a nun’s habit.

The story mentioned Catholicism and the Vatican, but it was quite different from the real-world Catholicism and Vatican I knew. The author even openly admitted in the afterword that they just borrowed the names and systems loosely. I really liked how they confidently stated, “As long as it’s cool, that’s all that matters, right? Hahaha,” in that typical afterword style of that era.

So Yuuki’s real rival was that senior character—

—but not anymore.

Hmm.

“I understand your concern, little sister.”

The three of us sat side by side on a park bench nearby. Shii was in the middle, with Yuuki and me on either side. Yuuki seemed surprisingly interested in romance.

Well, she was like that in the original work too. A character who pretended not to be interested in lewd things but actually wanted to know about all sorts of things…

“I guess it would be a bit awkward if your brother had girls on both sides.”

But honestly, her expression wasn’t concerned—it was full of interest.

“Yes… that’s right. I thought my brother hardly had any girls around him until now, but suddenly there are two.”

Hmm.

Knowing how he suddenly got entangled with two girls, I kept my mouth shut.

If I made a slip here and revealed that I already knew about those relationships, it would be a disaster. It would look like I was stalking him or something.

Shii had already assumed once that I was quite close with her brother and might even be a girlfriend candidate. I’d cleared up that misunderstanding, and I didn’t want things to develop in an even stranger direction.

In the original story that I’d skipped ahead of, Sasaki’s childhood friend was someone he hadn’t spoken to for quite a while.

The Sasaki siblings had temporarily moved to another area due to their parents’ issues. During their divorce process, there was a big fight, and the father took Souta Sasaki while the mother took Shii, and naturally, their surnames were different for a while.

Meanwhile, Souta Sasaki’s family went abroad for about two years following his father’s work assignment before returning.

For reference, the reason for the divorce was infidelity. Shii’s mother had been seduced by another younger man.

The father’s side said, “I don’t intend to raise both children. I’ll only take the boy who will continue the family line,” and the mother responded, “Fine,” so that’s how it ended up.

Naturally, after the divorce, when Shii’s mother took her, the father’s side was extremely unhappy about it.

Shii was often neglected at home, and her mother gave all the money and child support she had to the man who was playing with her.

When Souta Sasaki returned to Japan, he learned about this and brought Shii with him. His father was furious, but—

Well, one way or another, he got “permission.” On the condition that if they lived together, they shouldn’t expect any support from him.

Souta Sasaki chose to work part-time jobs and take care of his sister himself.

The reason Shii called him “oraburni” (honorable brother) was partly due to her admiration. Also, having already been abandoned by her mother, she acted as the “perfect little sister” in front of her brother to avoid being abandoned again.

So for Shii, the existence of a “brother’s girlfriend” was a threat to her life and daily routine. If Souta Sasaki ever fell for a girlfriend, Shii would be abandoned—that was the main reason she was wary of girlfriends in the story.

Plus, since the decisive reason for their parents’ divorce was “infidelity,” well, she would absolutely be against anything like a “harem.”

The reason I know all this in such detail is because this part left a strong impression on me.

“…”

This is getting more dangerous now that I’ve organized it all.

But how do I reassure Shii?

“Ah!”

Shii suddenly clapped her hands.

Then she looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“You two know my brother, right?”

“…”

After thinking for a moment, I pointed at Yuuki.

“She’s in the same class.”

“Eh!?”

Yuuki was extremely flustered when I redirected the target.

Shii turned her sparkling eyes toward Yuuki.

“Are you perhaps close with my brother?”

“Um, I…”

She’s probably not close with him.

Yuuki wasn’t an exceptionally sociable person. She wasn’t isolated in class, but she didn’t have many friends either. She preferred deep relationships with a few people rather than shallow relationships with many.

She’s really a nice girl. It’s a shame.

And when it came to relationships beyond same-sex friendships, in the original story, Sasaki was her only male friend at school.

“He, he sits right behind me!”

But Yuuki had a fatal weakness—she was weak to small, cute children.

This actually wasn’t mentioned in the original story. The childhood friend of Souta Sasaki was a small animal-type heroine, but she was Yuuki’s rival in the original.

There were consistent mentions of her liking cute things, like spending all her pocket money on crane games to get plush toys, or treasuring a cute teddy bear that Souta Sasaki bought her. It was what they called “gap moe” back in those days.

I only learned that this applied to people too after I directly entered this novel.

“Then could you help me a little?”

“Ah…”

“Please casually ask my brother! What kind of relationship do they have!”

“That…”

The little confidence that had been emanating from Yuuki instantly diminished.

“If I get… the chance?”

“Thank you!”

Looking at Shii’s sparkling eyes, Yuuki seemed to feel she had made a big mistake—

But seeing Shii’s bright smile, it seemed too late.

*

But why did Shii make such a request to Yuuki?

Yuuki is a girl too. And she’s pretty. She has a good figure. She was literally a “heroine.”

Didn’t she consider the possibility that Yuuki could become Sasaki’s third girl?

“Kurosawa, what should I do?”

The next day, during lunch break.

Yuuki asked me for help.

“I’ve barely ever talked with Sasaki.”

More like, she’s barely talked with any boys, I think?

In a sense, she was indirectly talking to a boy now, but my outward appearance was that of a girl, and I was legally a girl too, so let’s move past that.

“He sits behind you.”

“Just because he sits behind me doesn’t mean I can just talk to him casually, you know?”

I understand.

I also attended a co-ed middle school, and the girl who sat behind me never spoke to me until the end of the school year.

…Oh, is this different? Anyway.

“To ask something like that, shouldn’t we be closer first? Besides, the moment I ask, he’ll think I’m weird. I don’t want a boy I’ve barely talked to thinking I like him!”

I listened quietly while eating my pastry. The thin, crispy layers of bread stacked on top of each other with a sweet coating were incredibly delicious. The portion was small, but the calories were enough to get me through the rest of the day.

“Hello? Kurosawa? Are you listening? Besides, you’re the one who was sitting next to him then!”

Yuuki grabbed my shoulders and shook me, making my vision sway left and right.

“I understand.”

Indeed, it would be awkward to ask someone who they’re dating if you’re not very close. Especially if you’re asking, “Are you dating two girls at the same time?”

The truth was that he wasn’t dating either of them, but still.

I thought for a moment and looked out the window.

Hmm.

It was still gloomy, but it didn’t look like it was about to pour.

Then… I could call him out like that.

“I have a way.”

“A way?”

To Yuuki’s question, I explained my plan.

“…”

After hearing my plan to the end, Yuuki frowned and asked.

“Isn’t that method too likely to cause misunderstandings?”

“Don’t worry.”

I declared.

Because Souta Sasaki is a “harem protagonist.”

He definitely won’t misunderstand, so rest assured.

I took another bite of my pastry.

*

My plan was simple.

I always come to school early. While changing my shoes, there weren’t “no people” around me, but there were “almost” no people.

So, it was easy to slip a note into Souta Sasaki’s shoe locker without being seen by anyone.

That’s why Yuuki said there was “room for misunderstanding” after hearing my plan.

“To the rooftop after school.”

The note, hastily scribbled on a torn piece of paper and folded carelessly, looked extremely suspicious. Any male student would probably get excited receiving such a note.

Thinking it might be from a female student planning to confess.

But, as I said before, Souta Sasaki was a “harem protagonist.”

“W-w-w-what did you call me for?”

Souta Sasaki, who came up to the rooftop and faced me, stuttered as he asked.

The sky was slightly clearer than yesterday. It was still gloomy enough that it might rain, but it wasn’t pouring.

“I wanted to ask you something.”

“Ask me what?”

“Yesterday, I saw you walking with two other girls.”

“Ah.”

“So, I wanted to ask if you’re dating both of them at the same time.”

“Um… is that all you wanted to say?”

I nodded.

A slight look of disappointment crossed Souta Sasaki’s face.

He probably had some wild expectations. Even though there was no reason for us to date and I had no desire to date him, he must have been thinking, “How should I reject her?”

And this was why I wasn’t worried.

Souta Sasaki is a “harem protagonist from that era.”

That means he’s incredibly dense when it comes to romance.

The kind of protagonist who goes to a summer festival with his childhood friend in a yukata, and when she confesses, fireworks inconveniently go off, and even though he couldn’t hear her words, he clearly saw her mouth “daisuki” (I like you), yet still asks, “Huh? What did you just say?” in an infuriatingly clueless way.

So as long as I don’t explicitly confess, Souta will naturally think, “It was just a misunderstanding.”

“Well… um.”

“Are you dating them?”

“Ah, no.”

When I asked directly, Sasaki immediately shook his head from side to side.

“I see.”

I nodded.

“…”

“…”

“Um… is that all you wanted to say?”

“Yes.”

At my words, Sasaki’s shoulders slumped.

“Um… may I ask why you asked?”

“I thought others might misunderstand if they saw, so I wanted to let you know.”

“Ah, I see.”

Sasaki nodded at my words and said.

“Well, one of them is someone I’ve been close with since childhood, and the other is a senior I somehow got connected with… They were probably both just teasing me. The senior started the joke first. She’s that kind of person normally.”

“I see.”

I nodded.

“I understand. But you should still be careful.”

“Um… okay. Thanks?”

Sasaki said that while scratching his head.

When I stared up at him, he hesitantly turned around and said.

“Um… I’ll go now?”

“Yes. Thanks for answering.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Sasaki finally smiled slightly at my words, but with an expression that seemed to wonder what that was all about, he turned around and headed for the open door of the rooftop.

Creak, thud.

After the rooftop door closed, Yuuki emerged from behind the wall leading to the rooftop corridor where she had been hiding.

“This actually worked.”

“He’s the type who doesn’t misunderstand things like this.”

“I see… but how did you know that?”

“I met him once before.”

In Akihabara.

Of course, I can’t say we had a lot of conversation, but it was enough to judge his character. I’ll just say I figured it out then.

“Really?”

“That’s also when I met Shii.”

“I see…”

Strangely enough, I started getting involved with Yuuki before I talked to Souta Sasaki and Shii.

For both of them, our first meeting was an accidental encounter.

“Great, then let’s tell Sasaki’s little sister first!”

Yuuki said energetically.

*

“Hmm…”

“Hmm?”

But Shii didn’t seem very satisfied with our answer.

“What? Is it not enough?”

“Ah, I’m sorry, it’s just…”

Shii rolled her eyes troubledly and said.

“I already knew my brother was dense from before…”

…That makes sense.

Shii lives with Sasaki, after all.

“Even if they’re not dating right now, they might suddenly start dating someday.”

“But normally, he’d only date one of them.”

“What if my brother starts dating one of them, and the other one doesn’t accept it!?”

“…”

Yuuki was momentarily at a loss for words.

Then she looked at me for help.

Hmm.

What should I say?

It was a bit awkward to pretend to know Sasaki well in front of Shii.

Besides, knowing the personality of that “older sister” character, I was hesitant to speak freely.

She wasn’t explicitly a yandere, but she wasn’t someone you could completely relax around either.

She was the type who might use somewhat aggressive methods—like suddenly pouncing on Sasaki—and it wouldn’t be surprising at all.

And she was a nun, too.

While I was slowly choosing my answer, Shii suddenly clapped her hands.

“I just thought of something!”

Shii’s face turned sharply toward me.

“We work at a café, right?”

“…”

Hmm, I think I can guess what she’s about to say.

“What if we invite my brother and those two women?”

“…How?”

This time, I asked.

“If we give him free coupons, my brother will definitely come! Let’s give him three free coupons!”

“Our café doesn’t have things like that.”

I thought of the manager’s face.

While he was the type to freely give away dusty machines from the storage room, he was absolutely against giving away menu items for free.

“I can make the coupons myself. And I’ll pay the manager!”

“…”

I looked at Yuuki.

Yuuki was looking at me with a serves-you-right expression.

…Oh boy.

I looked at Shii with her sparkling eyes, seriously wondering what I should do with her.

*

Anyway, the next day.

I had wondered if he would really bring two girls with him just because he had three coupons, but my expectations were shattered.

Why would he bring two girls on either side when he doesn’t even have a boyfriend? Is he in his right mind? Usually, he’s so dense that he wouldn’t understand even if someone confessed directly and launched a physical attack, so why would he bring all the heroines—

No, thinking about it, it makes sense that he’s being dense. He probably thinks neither of them is sexually interested in him.

But if that’s the case, couldn’t he have brought two male friends instead?

“Ah, Shii, hello?”

After greeting her, Sasaki looked at me and awkwardly greeted me again.

“Hello.”

“Welcome, Master.”

When I responded politely, Sasaki became incredibly awkward and uncomfortable.

That’s understandable.

Even if he’s dense, he must know it’s strange to come with girls on both sides.

In the original work, there were scenes where he got beaten up by jealous male friends who saw his harem. Of course, it wasn’t out of real anger but just an exaggerated comic portrayal of typical male pranks.

Surely this time too, they must have gone through various “light novel-like events” that I didn’t see to end up coming here as a trio.

“Oh my, there really is a maid. How cute. Is this your taste, Sasaki? I could wear it for you if you want.”

“Hahaha…”

The “older sister” type spoke. Just looking at her appearance, she seemed pure. She had well-maintained black hair cut straight at the back, with long bangs gathered and swept behind her right ear.

But her figure was… even “more impressive” than Yuuki’s, whom I already considered “impressive.”

Sasaki scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“W-w-what, Sasaki, y-you had this kind of taste? Making Shii wear such clothes…!”

“I-I didn’t make her wear anything!?”

Next to her was a girl with a bob cut who seemed energetic.

In terms of atmosphere, she was somewhere between Miura and Kaneko. In the original work, neither of them appeared directly, so the characters didn’t overlap. Her bob cut was similar to Miura’s, but her hair was a bit more voluminous and round than Miura’s.

“…What would you like to order?”

Today’s shift is going to be extremely tiring.

With firm resolve in my heart, I asked them.