episode_0088

“Wahahaha! This is much better than I thought! Hey, Akari, you’re recording properly, right?”

It was a scorching afternoon.

Inside the ranch, on the circular sand track.

Daiki, riding a small pony, shouted in a childishly excited voice and waved his hand towards me.

“Yep! I’m recording properly, so don’t worry!”

Standing outside the fence, I held my phone camera and waved back at him with my other hand.

Even though the ranch owner, Uncle, was slowly walking while holding the horse’s reins, Daiki struck a pose as if he were a jockey galloping across a vast prairie.

“Honestly. He was so disappointed, asking where the racehorses were, and now look at him.”

His figure on the pony, despite his size, looked a bit comical.

But seeing him so happy, it was worth making the reservation.

Just then, Yuu, who was standing beside me, tugged at my clothes.

“Nuna, when can I ride the horse? I want to ride it quickly…”

“It’s Yuu’s turn after Daiki Hyeong finishes his experience, so let’s wait a little longer, okay?”

“Okay!”

I stroked Yuu’s head as he answered brightly and was about to turn my eyes back to the phone camera screen when.

“Oh my, look who it is!”

Auntie, the ranch mistress, who was carrying milk containers inside the ranch, spotted us and approached us warmly.

Auntie was someone who had been close to our family since Yuu and I were little.

“Auntie, hello. How have you been? I should have visited earlier, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, don’t say things you don’t mean. It’s not easy to come all the way down to this rural corner from your busy city life, you know.”

At my words, Auntie laughed playfully and lightly patted my back.

From her touch, a rough but warm heat emanated.

“By the way, you’ve become such a beauty since I last saw you. City air must be good for you, dear.”

“Auntie, you’re too much… Auntie, you’re still in your prime, too.”

“Oh? You’ve not only gotten prettier but your witty remarks have also improved. Hohohot.”

As I was talking with Auntie whom I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Woah?!”

Daiki’s unusually loud scream came from the track.

I turned my head to check and saw that the horse, which had been calmly walking on the track, suddenly started moving wildly.

“Ah, Uncle, do something! I’m going to fall!”

“Don’t get excited, calm down, young man. If the rider gets excited, the horse gets even more startled.”

Unlike Daiki, who was full of tension, Uncle skillfully calmed the horse down.

As the horse’s movements ceased, Daiki let out a sigh of relief, gripping the reins tightly.

“Phew.”

“Hahaha. How can a grown young man be so timid?”

As Uncle’s hearty laughter rang out, Auntie, who was watching the scene, pointed at Daiki with her chin and said.

“Is that young man riding the horse your boyfriend, you said? He’s tall and handsome, but he lacks courage for his size. Hohohot.”

At Auntie’s good-natured joke, a small laugh unintentionally burst out of me.

“And the child next to him… a relative, you said? Seeing him up close, he’s the spitting image of your little brother when he was young, absolutely!”

At those words, the smile instantly vanished from my face.

My heart felt like it suddenly thudded and sank to the floor.

“Ah, haha. He does resemble him a bit, doesn’t he? Even I get confused sometimes.”

“Yuu used to ride horses so well and was so energetic when he was little. It feels like just yesterday he was running around here getting dusty. Time really flies, doesn’t it?”

“…Yes. He was.”

I barely managed to answer, but I couldn’t properly look at Auntie’s face anymore.

Auntie, unaware of my complicated feelings, continued speaking kindly.

“By the way, how is Yuu doing? I thought he’d come with you today.”

“W-well, he caught a severe cold recently.”

“Oh dear. Summer colds are especially stubborn. But it’s a good thing Akari’s group came just in time.”

“Y-yes, it is. Ahaha.”

With each word I uttered, it felt like my lifespan was shrinking by a year.

Yuu, on the other hand, was peacefully gazing at the track, grinning widely.

“Oh my, where’s my head. I forgot to move these while talking.”

Auntie, remembering belatedly that she was moving milk containers, laughed as heartily as Uncle and picked up the milk containers again.

“Heave-ho. Have fun while you’re here. Oh, and before you go, make sure to try the freshly squeezed milk and homemade cheese from the ranch. They’ll be delicious.”

“Yes. I will, Auntie. Thank you very much.”

Auntie said that and then, carrying the milk containers, busily walked away.

“Haa. It felt like ten years had been shaved off my lifespan [an idiom expressing immense relief or stress from a near-miss].”

If Fumika-san or Honoka Unnie found out about this, it would be troublesome in many ways if it spread throughout the entire neighborhood, let alone just them.

Still, Fumika-san said he’d be able to return to normal soon…

“Ah.”

A thought suddenly crossed my mind, and my gaze naturally turned to Yuu, who was intently staring beyond the fence.

Right.

Yuu would soon return to his original self.

That was, of course, a good thing.

‘…But if he returns to normal, will he remember everything that happened until now? Including… everything we did every night?’

If that were the case… what on earth should I do then?

With what expression and heart should I face him?

I shook my head vigorously at the distracting thoughts that instantly filled my mind.

‘What am I supposed to do?’

Naturally, we’d go back to how we were before… just a normal step-sibling relationship.

Yes, that’s right…

…Really?

Could we… really go back to normal, as if nothing had happened?

After doing those things?

Perhaps I…

“Nuna!”

At that very moment, Yuu’s loud voice pulled me out of the swamp of my thoughts.

“I’ve been calling you, but why aren’t you answering!”

“Oh, oh? Sorry. What is it?”

At my question, Yuu briefly looked around and then whispered softly to me.

“…I, I need to go to the bathroom.”

“What?”

Those words weren’t just simply about needing to go to the bathroom.

Through the experiences of the past few days, I had learned exactly what this kid wanted.

And what solidified my certainty even further was.

Yuu’s front, brazenly swollen with no hint of embarrassment.

“You, you really… even here…!”

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t speak properly.

Here I was, seriously worried about our future relationship,

And this lewd little rascal…!

“No…?”

“Ugh.”

But Yuu, innocently tilting his head and asking, made the surging emotions I felt moments ago disappear, and my lower abdomen began to throb.

Even I was dumbfounded by myself.

“Haa. Just this once, okay?”

I forced a laugh even as I answered.

How many times had I told myself this?

I was scared of myself for gradually getting used to such acts.

“Okay, I understand!”

Yuu brightly nodded his head, looking so happy.

I really didn’t know anymore.

For now… I’d think about that when the time came, I guess.

“Daiki! Yuu says he needs to go to the bathroom, so I’ll go with him!”

At my shout, Daiki gave an okay sign with his fingers while still on the horse instead of answering.

Whether to consider his apparent lack of interest a blessing or a curse.

Half-resigned, I took Yuu’s small hand and headed towards a small, secluded open space behind a temporary restroom in a corner of the ranch.

My steps towards the back of the restroom were a little faster than usual.

****

After finishing the horse riding experience and our peculiar secret rendezvous at the ranch, we hurried straight home.

The sky was already burning red with the evening glow.

The entrance to the village felt a bit more bustling than usual with people busy preparing for the festival.

Colorful lanterns had already begun to hang on the streets, and the sound of a flute from somewhere made my heart flutter.

Come to think of it, I’d never experienced a Japanese festival firsthand.

I’m looking forward to it.

“Wow, honestly, I didn’t expect much, but it was much more fun than I thought. Should I try going to a horse racing track when I go back to Tokyo?”

Daiki seemed to enjoy the horse riding experience more than he expected, rambling on endlessly about trivial things that happened at the ranch.

No matter how fun it was, how could he think of going to a horse racing track just because he enjoyed the horse riding experience?

He must have been so far away from dopamine in the countryside that his senses must have gone awry.

“It’s good that you had fun. Ahem.”

Akari, who had been listening to Daiki’s chatter, repeatedly cleared her throat.

It seemed her throat still felt scratchy from what she had done with her mouth at the ranch.

Perhaps because of that, Akari kept glaring resentfully at me during the conversation.

It’s not my fault.

I just finished it quickly because Akari told me to finish it as fast as possible.

“Hey~!”

Just then, an familiar red head was seen waving at us from afar, approaching us.

It was Honoka.

“What a coincidence to meet you here! Where are you all coming from so happily?”

She was still in a tank top with a deep cleavage and daring hot pants, perfectly suiting her bold figure.

At her healthy and voluptuous appearance, Daiki unknowingly gaped and couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Your girlfriend is right next to you, kid. Even if that’s your position, try to restrain yourself.

“Oh, Unnie! We just came from the ranch. From a horse riding experience.”

“Ah, I see. Sounds fun.”

She said that, but she didn’t seem particularly interested.

“Unnie, where are you coming from, leaving your shop?”

“Ah. I just ordered some things needed for the stalls at the festival in advance.”

“Unnie is opening a stall at this festival too? That’s unusual. You seem like the type who would hate something like that the most.”

“Even Fumika Unnie and everyone else, what do you all think of me? Well, I’m not doing it because I want to. I wish someone would do it for me.”

At those words, Akari seemed to roughly guess the circumstances and laughed awkwardly to brush it off.

“Anyway, since I decided to do it, it feels kind of lame to just sell commercially sold snacks, so I’m thinking of making some treats that the kids will like.”

“Snacks made by Unnie, huh. What’s on the menu?”

“It’s a secret. You’ll have to check it out at the festival.”

“You saying that just makes me even more curious.”

“Hehe. I’ll give you a bonus when you come.”

Just then, Honoka looked directly at me with a subtle glint in her eyes, as if something had suddenly occurred to her.

“Oh right, little Yuu. If you’re free during the festival, help your Nuna with work.”

“Work?”

“Yes. It seems like Honoka Unnie and I won’t be enough. It would be good to have one male helper.”

Saying that, Honoka had already come right in front of me and wrapped her arms tightly around my small body.

“Just the right person for the job was here.”

Along with her sweet and sticky scent, two soft and massive mounds of flesh jiggled dizzyingly above my head.

“Ugh.”

But before I could even fully enjoy the sensation of her chest, Akari quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me sharply towards her.

Tsk, what a shame.

“Oh?”

“Unnie. As you can see, Yuu is currently in a child-like state, so he might just get in the way while working, don’t you think? Wouldn’t it be better to find someone else?”

At Akari’s voice, which was somehow sharper than usual, a sly smile formed on Honoka’s lips.

Invisible, hot sparks seemed to crackle between the two women.

I watched the scene between the two of them with great interest.

“Well? From what I saw when he was playing at home, Yuu seemed to have a lot of energy, didn’t he? Even I, who am quite confident in my stamina, had to give up entirely, you know?”

“Stamina like that and stamina for work are different matters. It would also be awkward if he made a mistake and caused trouble.”

“It’s not much work. Just moving things around and keeping me company so I don’t get bored. It’s simple, isn’t it?”

Saying that, Honoka pulled my arm back.

“And I’m not just going to make you work for free. I’ll definitely give you ‘compensation’ after the work is done. Something very special.”

Honoka whispered softly into my ear, blowing a hot breath.

Her voice carried an irresistible power of temptation.

“But… he’s still a child, and also…”

“What~? Since when did you cherish your little brother so much? Hehe.”

“W-that’s not it! I just…”

“Um, Honoka-ssi?”

As I was excitedly watching the tense standoff, Daiki suddenly cut in between them.

Ah, just when it was getting interesting, that tactless fellow.

“If you’re short on help, I could help you. I’m quite confident in my strength.”

The guy said, frankly staring at Honoka Unnie’s ample chest.

Akari’s brow furrowed coldly.

Honoka, however, showed not the slightest interest in Daiki’s pathetic suggestion, casually waving her hand.

“Oh~. I don’t know. This little one is enough for me. And Akari’s boyfriend needs to go on a date with Akari during the festival, doesn’t he? It wouldn’t be right for me to interfere.”

She politely but firmly, and with a hint of sarcasm, dismissed Daiki’s suggestion.

“Ugh.”

In contrast, seeing Akari anxious like a child worried about having her precious toy taken away made me chuckle.

“Well, there’s still about two weeks until the festival, so think about it.”

Honoka said that, ruffled my hair once, and then calmly left.

Akari’s expression, as she watched Honoka’s retreating back, seemed somewhat anxious.

“Nuna, can’t I go help Honoka Unnie with work?”

When I asked in a deliberately bright voice, she looked at me with a huffy face and said.

“D-do whatever you want. Go help or don’t. You don’t need to ask permission for every single thing like that! Hmph.”

Akari snapped back like that, then turned away in a huff and walked briskly towards home first.

Her spiteful yet somehow cute retreating figure naturally brought a smile to my lips.

Just thinking about what would unfold on the summer festival night already made me uncontrollably excited.