episode_0071

Following Akari, we soon arrived at a quaint building.

Upon opening the sliding door, after glancing at the sun-faded wooden sign engraved with ‘Sato General Store,’ a jingling sound and the sweet smell of snacks greeted us.

Inside the shop, all sorts of cheap snacks and colorful candies, along with nostalgic toys, were displayed all over the walls. In one corner, dust-covered machines were huddled together.

“It’s still the same after three years. I used to blow all my allowance here back when my parents gave it to me. I wonder if that machine still works?”

Recalling her childhood memories, Akari looked around every corner of the shop.

Her gaze naturally drifted to the empty counter.

“No one’s here, though. Did they go out early this morning?”

It was just as Akari said, looking around. From beyond a door inside the shop, presumably leading to the living quarters, a bustling sound came.

“Welcome~. Oh?”

“Honoka Unnie?”

Rushing out with hurried footsteps was a woman with vivid red hair.

Her shirt was disheveled, as if she had been in a hurry, and she was breathing roughly, as if out of breath.

She was Ane Natsu’s third and final heroine, Sato Honoka.

“Oh, it’s Akari! I knew you were back because the kids told me. But you haven’t changed much, have you?”

Despite meeting after three years, Honoka approached Akari and playfully smacked her shoulder.

This unique candidness was surely her charm.

Not to mention her looks.

“Honoka Unnie, you haven’t changed at all either. Did you completely take over the shop now?”

“Well, yeah. I don’t have anything else I want to do. As soon as I started taking over, they both went on a trip as if they had been waiting. It’s like their precious daughter means nothing to them.”

“Ahaha… I can relate to that.”

Watching Honoka pout and grumble, Akari let out a chuckle.

“So? How’s college life?”

“Nothing much different. Just a continuous cycle of studying, assignments, studying, assignments.”

When Akari shrugged in response, Honoka grimaced and waved her hand dismissively.

“Ugh, I can’t stand that. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.”

“Still, it’s several times more fun than this boring town. I barely have time to get bored.”

“This unnie is bored to death, though. Even if the city is great, come down once in a while. There’s nothing but snot-nosed brats in this town, so it’s no fun.”

“Honestly, I didn’t plan on coming this time either, but my parents pleaded so much that I came down.”

“Hmm~. So how long are you staying? You’re not just going to stay for a day or two, are you?”

“I’ll be here for about a month. Since I’m already here, I plan to see the festival before I leave.”

“The festival? …Ah~, are you going to make some hot memories with your boyfriend?”

Akari’s face flushed at the mischievous, playful question.

“It’s already spread?”

“It’s a small town, after all. So, how far have you gone with that rumored boyfriend? Have you held hands? Kissed? Or something more than that already…?”

“Why would you ask something like that! There’s a kid here, Unnie, really…”

As Honoka pretended to poke Akari’s side with her elbow and asked, Akari slapped her hand down as if hitting a switch.

Yet, her voice, as she answered, seemed to hold a subtle bitterness.

“Ow, ow. Hehe. So? Who’s the little kid next to you?”

“Well, it’s a bit of a long story explaining this kid. So…”

“Ah, wait a minute. Let me guess.”

Honoka, who had hastily cut Akari off, stroked her chin with a finger as if she were a great detective.

“Perhaps… what you brought wasn’t a boyfriend, but a husband?”

“What are you talking about, really!”

Akari’s fury, unable to bear the continuous teasing any longer, echoed through the shop.

She was straightforward in the original work, and she’s quite blunt here too.

But if her reactions are that good, even I wouldn’t be able to resist teasing her.

****

After the atmosphere calmed down, Akari explained the whole situation to Honoka, just as she had to Fumika.

Meanwhile, I slurped the ice cream Honoka had brought out for me, while perched on a chair.

It’s convenient in ways like this now that my body is small.

“What? You became a child?”

Once Akari’s explanation was finished, Honoka raised her voice loudly, as if she had heard something absurd.

It was so loud that the snacks inside the shop rattled slightly.

To be honest, Fumika’s reaction was abnormally calm, and Honoka’s reaction was actually normal.

“Unnie, your voice is too loud.”

“No, how can I not be surprised hearing that? You’re not doing this to get revenge for me teasing you just now, are you?”

“It’s not like that. I just came from the shrine, where I got an explanation from Fumika-san because of it.”

“Hmm. If Fumika Unnie said it, then it’s plausible. She’s always had a mysterious side to her.”

As soon as Fumika was mentioned, Honoka, who quickly accepted the explanation, turned her head and stared intently at me.

“Is this really that Yuu kid?”

“Doesn’t quite match, does it? I feel the same.”

Akari sighed deeply, agreeing with Honoka’s skeptical reaction.

“Oh. Lately, he wouldn’t even answer when I spoke to him, just quickly bought something and left. Was he this cute back then?”

Honoka’s hand, stroking my head as if intrigued, was softer than I expected.

“Hey, kiddo. Do you know who I am?”

“You’re Honoka Unnie. You always teased me, calling me ‘snot-nosed Yuu.’ Even though you cried all the time too.”

I spoke, even pouting my lips, as if pulling out a pre-prepared script, recalling childhood memories.

This time too, the words flowed naturally, as if I were truly talking about my old days.

“When did I ever cry, you darn kid? Still, seeing that you remember that, you must really be Yuu.”

Honoka lightly tapped my head with a fisted hand.

Not only did it not hurt because she didn’t use much force, but her chest, revealed by her loose shirt, came closer to me.

I wouldn’t mind getting hit a few more times.

“So, did Fumika Unnie tell you anything else? Like how to return to normal, or at least why this happened?”

“Nothing certain yet… She just said it’s probably because of a wish Yuu made at the shrine yesterday… and that if that wish is granted, he might return.”

“A wish? You’re saying he became younger because he made a wish at the shrine? That’s truly miraculous. I wonder if I can become younger if I go to the shrine and make a wish too?”

I unintentionally let out a laugh at Honoka’s expression, smacking her lips as if she was genuinely envious.

Fortunately, both of them seemed too focused on their conversation to hear me.

“So? What are you going to do now?”

“I have to find a way to reverse it. No matter what, I can’t just leave him like this.”

“I think he’s fine like this, though? He’s cute, isn’t he?”

Two fingers, smelling of sweet snacks, pinched my cheek.

At that sight, Akari stamped her feet and puffed out her cheeks.

“Unnie, I’m serious right now?”

“Sorry, sorry. Hehe.”

Honoka laughed playfully and apologized to Akari, then stretched lightly.

Her armpits, damp with sweat due to her loose shirt, were clearly visible.

She’s completely defenseless in front of a kid.

Though, I’m just grateful.

“Well, there’s not much I can do to help, but if you need to talk, come find me anytime. I’m free anyway.”

“Aren’t you saying ‘come spend some money’ in a very roundabout way?”

“Did you catch me? Hehe.”

After chatting for a while longer, we bought a few more ice creams and some bags of snacks, then left the shop.

“Hey, kiddo!”

Before I passed through the door, Honoka called out to me and whispered in a voice only I could hear.

“Come visit once in a while and play with Unnie. I’m really bored.”

She added with a final wink.

“And even though you might be confused about everything, take good care of your unnie. You’re her little brother, aren’t you? Understand?”

Right.

Honoka wasn’t a completely frivolous person either.

“Yeah, I understand.”

“Hehe. Get home safely~.”

Honoka smiled vaguely as she returned to the counter, seemingly satisfied with my answer.

On the way home, Akari asked what I had talked about with Honoka, but I insisted it was a secret.

Akari would take good care of herself, so Honoka didn’t need to worry.

First Akari, then Honoka. Your turn is coming too, so look forward to it.

I turned my head for a quick glance at the shop entrance, then let Akari lead me home.

****

Upon returning home, Daiki, who had been sprawled on the living room sofa engrossed in a smartphone game, spotted us and stood up.

“What were you doing that made you so late? You didn’t even answer your calls.”

Pouting like a child after such a short time.

“Sorry, Dai-chan. We stopped somewhere on the way. I bought ice cream, so eat some.”

At the mention of ice cream, Daiki’s expression softened as if he had never been upset.

Such a simple guy.

Towards Daiki, who was calmly eating his ice cream, Akari repeated the same explanation for the third time today.

“A wish? Desire fulfillment?”

However, Daiki didn’t even listen to Akari’s serious explanation completely and scoffed mid-sentence.

“Akari, do you believe such nonsense?”

“It must be true because Fumika-san, the shrine maiden living at the shrine, told me.”

“What’s that? Isn’t that just the kind of deceptive talk unique to religious people? Talking about divine revelations and swindling innocent people…”

“Dai-chan!”

Akari’s voice rose sharply, like shards of glass.

“Watch your words. Fumika-san is my acquaintance. She’s not someone who would lie about such things.”

“She just took advantage of that. An acquaintance who contacts you after a long time turns out to be a swindler. You know, that kind of obvious pattern? No matter how rural you are, aren’t you too ignorant of the ways of the world?”

Wow.

I expected it, but he’s really going to self-destruct like that?

Akari’s face froze coldly at Daiki’s selfish words.

Her cheeks, which had been flushed red just moments before, turned pale and cool, and her eyes clearly showed disappointment.

“Are you saying you don’t believe me now?”

“It’s not that… Haa, never mind. Let’s not talk about it.”

Daiki, giving up on the conversation, shook his head and stood up.

Before leaving the living room, he didn’t forget to glare at me with a disgusted expression.

I inwardly cheered, but outwardly maintained an innocent expression.

There’s no benefit in him having something on me so early.

Meanwhile, Akari repeatedly sighed with a complicated expression.

Her shoulders were slumped, as if the argument with Daiki had hurt her quite a bit.

“Unnie, are you okay?”

To my carefully posed question, she looked at me with a complicated expression, then soon replied with a faint smile.

“I’m okay. You must have been very surprised that Unnie shouted, right?”

“Hmm. Not really.”

When I shook my head, Akari stroked my head as if I were commendable.

As I savored her gentle touch, her hand naturally moved to my forehead.

“Oh my.”

On the hand that lightly swept over my forehead, there was abundant sweat, though I didn’t know when it had formed.

Now that I noticed, perhaps because I had walked for quite a while under the scorching sun, my whole body was soaked in sweat.

“If you stay like this, you’ll catch a cold. You should wash up quickly…”

Wash up.

I couldn’t just stand by and watch this golden opportunity pass.

“Wash up? Then I want to wash up with Unnie!”

“Eh?”

Hearing my words, she let out a dazed sound, as if her previous worries had completely vanished.

Towards her, whose cheeks instantly turned red like a ripe apple, I grinned.

My face, reflected in her widened, rabbit-like eyes, was undeniably that of an innocent and bright boy.