Ch.46Chapter 7. Chaos (4)

Where should the term “mature” be applied?

It’s probably not a term to use for adults. Adults are just adults. The only expression you can use for adults is the opposite: “immature.”

But what’s funny is that this position of “adult” differs for everyone. Even in modern times where the boundary of “adult” is clearly defined by law.

There are people who call teenagers “mature,” while others say they’re “immature.” Honestly, it’s a ridiculous expression. Calling children who are still in school “immature” – isn’t that actually just stating the obvious?

What’s wrong with a kid acting like a kid?

Well, if I were just entering high school, maybe Hagiwara would have seemed “mature” to me.

At least she could teach me various things. Even if it’s just last year’s exam content.

But from my current perspective… both Hagiwara and Yuuki, who was confronting her while holding two pieces of bread, were nothing more than children.

“What were you doing just now?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Hagiwara seemed quite flustered by Yuuki’s sudden intrusion.

There’s no way to immediately identify someone’s grade level at this school. When I was in school, they differentiated grades by name tag colors, but this school doesn’t have such convenient rules. They could have distinguished by ribbon colors or something, but they don’t have that either.

But Yuuki seemed to sense from the atmosphere that Hagiwara was her senior.

It made sense. Even if you’re not particularly social within your own grade, and even if you don’t memorize everyone in your year, you usually become vaguely familiar with the faces you pass in the hallways.

Plus, Yuuki had already seen her once before.

So when you encounter someone with a different vibe from the people you usually meet, you naturally assume they’re from a different grade.

“Well, you see…”

Hagiwara wore an expression that suggested she didn’t know what to say.

In the original work, Yuuki and Hagiwara frequently clashed. Partly because they competed for the same guy, but also because they had a rivalry when it came to hunting yokai.

Judging by their reactions, they didn’t seem to know each other yet.

Well, Hagiwara hasn’t been active like this for long. The church only recently started hunting yokai.

Yuuki moved slightly to block the space between Hagiwara and me.

Hmm…

In these kinds of media, Christian religious organizations tend to be extremely hostile toward people of other faiths.

Remembering this fact, I hid slightly behind Yuuki.

That’s right.

I belong to a cult. Yuuki doesn’t care much about that. Japan is a country with countless beings with the prefix “kami,” or “god.” The way they use the word “god” is fundamentally different from the Christian concept.

So even if someone worships an “evil god” (jashin), she chooses to observe first. She might step in if they start causing harm to society, but she doesn’t think about destroying them preemptively. To Yuuki, that evil god is “a god that exists” after all.

The church is different.

In their religion, there is only one God. All other gods are heretical. Worshipping them is forbidden.

The Catholic tradition might respect traditional rituals, like ancestral rites in Korea or shrine ceremonies in Japan… but the problem is that the Catholicism here isn’t the Catholicism I know.

Isn’t the church’s purpose to destroy all foreign gods and spread God’s will throughout the world?

Up to the part I’ve read, it wasn’t clearly explained why the church started moving. I don’t know yet if they’re moving because of Zipguras or for some other reason.

But I should be careful as long as I’m using that avatar. Even if that’s not the case, I’ll become a target for elimination once they find out.

“Are you two… going to eat lunch?”

Hagiwara asked. Her gaze alternated between the two pieces of bread in my hands.

Yuuki nodded.

“The weather looks nice today.”

“I see…”

She looked at Yuuki’s face once, then at me as I peeked out slightly from behind.

“Sorry. I was being nosy.”

With those words, Hagiwara turned away without hesitation.

Did she think I was “okay”?

Well, she’s gone now, so it should be fine.

“Isn’t she the person who was with Sasaki last time? Why was she here?”

Yuuki asked me.

“She seems to have heard rumors about me.”

“Ah…”

Her shoulders, which had been tense, slumped down.

“She wasn’t trying to bully you using that as an excuse, was she?”

“No. She was just asking if I was okay.”

“I see.”

The tension in Yuuki’s eyes briefly relaxed.

“You really do get involved in a lot of incidents. Well, I can see why you’d attract attention. I just didn’t expect her to approach you directly.”

Hmm…

I think it’s because Hagiwara has seen me before, but I didn’t mention that.

I thought it would be better for the two of them to keep some distance from each other for now.

“Here.”

Yuuki handed me one of the pieces of bread.

It was a croquette bread.

“…”

I took it with both hands, looked down at it for a moment, then looked back up at Yuuki.

“What? Don’t you like it?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Hmm…

If I told her now that she doesn’t need to buy bread for me anymore, Yuuki would probably be shocked.

…Should I buy bread for both of us and share it with her instead?

Once you start accepting help, it becomes quite difficult to change the relationship.

Should I have refused from the beginning?

I pondered this as I followed Yuuki, who had already started climbing the stairs.

*

Shii was usually a child who completed everything neatly. She was like that at her part-time job, and according to the novel’s description, in her daily life as well.

In the original work, Souta Sasaki, as the male protagonist, was dependable but also had some human aspects. He would be reluctant to clean his room or procrastinate on household chores. If it weren’t for Shii’s nagging, Sasaki’s room would have quickly become quite messy.

Just as Shii depended on Sasaki, Sasaki also depended on Shii in his own way. Of course, their relationship itself was formed out of necessity because of their dysfunctional parents.

Shii’s daily life exists because of Sasaki. That’s why Shii felt almost fearful about being separated from Sasaki.

“Ah!”

Shii’s hand slipped. Her hand slid while wetting a plate for washing.

Thump.

And I, who had been watching Shii’s hands intently, quickly reached out. Well, I didn’t exactly catch the plate elegantly as it fell through the air; it was more like I blocked the plate that was about to slip from her hands. With my reaction time, if I had tried to catch a falling plate, I might have accidentally knocked it further away.

Fortunately, I had noticed the signs early and had finished my task to stand beside her, otherwise it would have certainly broken.

“…I’ll do this.”

“But…”

“It’s fine.”

I said that as I firmly grabbed the plate and took it from her.

Since my hands were already wet, I just washed the plate without bothering to put on gloves. It wasn’t a big problem since we washed dishes as we used them rather than letting them pile up.

“I’m sorry…”

“…”

I glanced at Shii apologizing, then lowered my gaze back to the plate.

“After work is done, tell me while we eat.”

“…Yes.”

Shii responded with her head bowed low, looking dejected.

*

“…Those two people.”

Shii’s story was simple. Today, Sasaki would be visiting home with those two members of his harem.

It’s probably due to his indecisive personality when it comes to romance and his inability to refuse.

After school, he was probably caught by his senior who tried to seduce him in various ways, and his childhood friend who saw this got heated and started an argument, and what probably started as a joke turned into reality.

“Yes…”

Considering that Shii comes home late, there was probably no need to tell me in advance.

Even if I went home and encountered those two, Sasaki isn’t the type to do anything outrageous. Neither are the other two.

It was a light novel of that era, but the story didn’t descend into that level of chaos.

But the reason he contacted me in advance was probably because Sasaki was worried about Shii.

Sasaki, who lives with her, would know best that Shii is a bit strange because of those two women.

“…”

After thinking for a moment, I asked:

“Are they still together?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I didn’t… I was afraid to ask again after that.”

“Good.”

I took one last spoonful of ramen broth with my spoon.

“Are you done eating?”

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

Shii blinked and answered, seeing me suddenly take action.

“Good.”

I said as I took out my coin purse from my pocket.

*

“Um, senior.”

“It’s okay.”

The place where I was standing now wasn’t the station where we usually part ways.

I had never been here before, but the neighborhood where Shii and Sasaki lived was “Sangenjaya.”

Surprisingly, it was a neighborhood I knew.

The reason I knew this neighborhood was because it had appeared as a setting in a game I used to enjoy. It didn’t appear under its exact name in the game, but a slightly twisted version.

I’m not sure exactly how similar it is to the game’s depiction. It’s been years since I played that game.

I just thought it looked like a good place to live, so the land value must be quite high.

…I heard he was almost abandoned by his father, but it seems he still provided a house. Well, it would have been impossible to maintain their lifestyle with just their own money. It seemed like he was at least paying for school tuition.

Anyway.

“It’s getting a bit late…”

“It’s okay. I’ll stay overnight.”

“What?!”

“I’ve stayed over at friends’ places many times, so it’s fine.”

“B-but what about clothes…?”

“…”

Oh, right.

“…I’ll just buy some underwear.”

“O-okay…”

Shii responded in a daze to my words.

Since I knew my size, I took Shii to a nearby store and bought cheap underwear, a white T-shirt, and shorts to wear.

With the money I had saved from my part-time job… well, it wasn’t that I didn’t mind spending it, but it wasn’t enough to significantly impact my finances. Labor truly is sacred. It allows even a starving person to at least feed themselves… though that’s only when they have a place to sleep.

The house I followed Shii to was a standard two-story house that often appears in Japanese manga.

The lights were on inside. Curtains were drawn over the windows, so I couldn’t see clearly what was happening inside.

“A-are you really okay with this?”

“I’m fine.”

Actually, I was the one who should be asking if it was okay, but I answered that way for now.

Having come this far, I had no choice. It was almost curfew time, and if I took the subway home now, I would certainly be stopped at a checkpoint.

Then Kagami would get a call again. I didn’t want that.

Shii looked at me with a slightly anxious expression, then took a small breath, took out her key from her bag, and opened the door.

A small bell hanging on the door jingled.

“Shii!”

As if he had been eagerly waiting, Sasaki rushed to the entrance, but froze when he saw me standing next to Shii.

“Ah, um, brother, you see.”

“I’ll be staying overnight. Thank you for having me.”

As I said this and bowed,

“Uh, y-yes, you’re welcome?”

Sasaki, extremely flustered, bowed his head toward me.

I rummaged through my bag and took out a chocolate bar I had bought earlier, offering it to Sasaki.

“A gift.”

“Th-thank you?”

Sasaki received it with both hands.

“Souta, who—”

When Sasaki didn’t immediately return to the living room, his childhood friend Nanami Nakahara followed him out, saw me, and froze.

And following her, Hana Hagiwara came out and similarly froze.

“…”

Both of their eyes turned to Souta. Souta shook his head vigorously.

“Shii, let’s go in.”

“Ah, yes.”

Shii still seemed a bit anxious, but she appeared more relieved than when we first arrived.

That makes sense.

Even though we had seen each other at the cafe last time and even had a meal afterward, it would still be better to have at least one acquaintance present than to be with her brother’s friends whom she had barely spoken to.

That’s what I was aiming for by coming here.

I took off my shoes and neatly arranged them with the toes pointing toward the entrance.

No one spoke until I entered the house.

*

“Y-you’re staying overnight!?”

Sasaki almost screamed.

“S-Souta! How many girls have you been involved with!?”

“Indeed. You seem to be more popular than I thought. I mustn’t let my guard down~”

Nakahara was indignant, while Hagiwara had regained some composure and found her poise.

But judging by how she kept alternating her gaze between me and Sasaki, she was still quite flustered.

Well, that makes sense. According to the novel, she grew up in an ordinarily happy middle-class family. It would take her a while to properly understand the Sasaki siblings.

“These two are his guests.”

Then I pointed at my face,

“I am,”

Then pointed at Shii.

“Her guest. There’s no problem.”

“Um… but I…”

“You’re just my little sister’s friend.”

Sasaki seemed somewhat relieved at my words. The expressions of the other two also seemed to relax a bit.

I picked up and ate a senbei cracker from a plate on the table, which had seaweed stuck to it.

“So… you didn’t come to see Souta?”

Nanami Nakahara cautiously asked me. I nodded.

“That’s right.”

To be precise, I had come to see these two.

I couldn’t openly warn them, but just my presence would boost Shii’s confidence, and above all, it would prevent the two from acting recklessly.

I turned my gaze to a corner of the living room. There were two fairly large bags.

They probably contained uniforms to wear tomorrow.

“Are you two planning to stay overnight as well?”

“Yes!”

“That’s right, we’re planning to stay. As you said, we’re Souta’s guests.”

Nanami Nakahara answered energetically, while Hagiwara Hana responded with a bit more composure.

“Did you get permission from your parents?”

“Of course I did. I don’t worry my parents unnecessarily.”

“What about you?”

Unlike Nakahara who answered properly, Hagiwara subtly directed the conversation toward me.

“Did you get permission from your parents?”

The only bag I had was the one I carried to school. Obviously, it didn’t contain a uniform.

She probably asked that targeting this fact. She must be judging that I’m ‘still’ interested in Sasaki.

“I don’t have any.”

So I deliberately gave a curt answer.

“…Huh?”

Hagiwara’s mouth opened slightly.

“My mom doesn’t come home, and I don’t have a dad.”

“…”

A terrifying silence.

Hagiwara’s face turned pale.

“Ah, no, I…!”

“It’s okay. I’m used to it.”

I reached out again to pick up a senbei. This is delicious.

“Senior, would you like me to get you more?”

Shii asked. I nodded.

By this point, Shii seems to have figured out why I came here.

Having someone completely on your side is a good thing.

I felt the same when Yuuki stayed at my house.

“…”

Hagiwara seemed uncomfortable with me.

Even if she’s older, she’s only one year older than us. Honestly, the physical age difference looked much greater, but that’s just because I’m particularly thin.

If Hagiwara was like this, Nakahara, her childhood friend, was even more so. She seemed to have no idea how to deal with me.

Well, the novel also mentioned that she grew up in an ordinarily happy middle-class family. It would take her a while to properly understand the Sasaki siblings.

Well… to be honest, I’m not exactly sure what I should be doing either.

“Senior, I brought more!”

Looking at Shii’s attitude as she placed a plate of senbei in front of me with sparkling eyes, compared to the attitudes of the two people in front of me, it seems I’ve achieved about half of my purpose in coming here.

*

“…Kurosawa.”

“Sasaki.”

In the middle of the night, on my way back from the bathroom, I met Sasaki on the stairs.

There are quite a few rooms in this two-story house. What the two heroines hadn’t considered was precisely these rooms. In a normal household, one would be used as the parents’ room, but unfortunately, parents don’t frequent this house.

It was temporarily designated as the women’s room, and the two probably had a battle of nerves in that room for a while before falling asleep.

Sasaki slept in his room, and I slept in Shii’s room. I laid out a futon under the bed.

Our meeting like this was purely coincidental.

“…Um.”

I looked up at Sasaki quietly.

“What?”

“…You came here today because of Shii, right?”

“…”

“Shii’s behavior has been a bit strange for the past few days…”

Shii hid even the fact that she was anxious. The fact that she could tell me that much was probably because to Shii, I was “an outsider with a connection to her who had no intention of getting involved with her brother.”

If I had clung to Sasaki like the other two, I would have been treated similarly to them.

“…That’s right.”

I answered quietly.

“…What did Shii say?”

I hesitated to answer for a moment.

It didn’t seem right to tell everything, as it would be disrespectful to Shii.

So I decided to just briefly mention the most crucial part.

“You two are family.”

“Huh? Yes, but…”

“Make sure there’s a place for Shii.”

“…”

Sasaki stared at me with a slightly dazed expression.

I passed by him and went up the stairs.

When I glanced back, Sasaki was still standing there in a daze. From my position, I could only see his back, but it was as if I could see his expression through the back of his head.

This should be enough for now.

Sasaki… wasn’t a stupid kid.

And Sasaki cared about Shii as much as she thought he did.

Girlfriend? He can have one. Harem? I think he can have that too.

But it would be problematic if he grew distant from his little sister who had such a past because of that. Even if Sasaki doesn’t think that way, Shii would judge it that way and try to distance herself. There was actually an episode about that.

…This counseling isn’t my job.

To be honest, I wanted to recommend professional counseling. However, saying such things to someone you don’t know well usually results in an unpleasant response.

I slowly climbed the stairs again.

When I opened the door to Shii’s room, I saw her sleeping soundly on the bed, lying on her side.

As if anxious about something, she was tightly hugging the blanket even in her sleep.

I gently took the blanket she was hugging and covered her body as much as possible.

“…Mom…”

“…”

Is it a nightmare?

Or in her dreams, is her mother someone who treats Shii well?

Feeling that I might hear too much of Shii’s personal matters if I stayed longer, I quickly got into the futon laid out under the bed.

And soon fell asleep.