YUU-1
“—This is BREAKING news. At 9:00 am Japan time, President Tenkawa called for an URGENT press conference. Because it is a SIGNIFICANT presentation aimed at citizens, it is thought to be related to the CRASHING of the U.S. military aircraft SQUAD.”
“—This is the DAYTIME news. At approximately 10:30 am Japan time, President Tenkawa PASSED AWAY in hospital. According to GOVERNMENT reports, President Tenkawa appointed Chief Cabinet Secretariat Rindou during his hospitalisation, who has now assumed the role of ACTING President…”
“—This is the EVENING news. At 7:00 pm Japan time, acting President Rindou announced the MASS RESIGNATION of the Cabinet members over the SUDDEN situation. Nagatachou is currently SWEPT in DOUBT and DISBELIEF. Yamamoto-san at the SCENE…”
Yuu-1
We escaped together.
Admittedly, we did that because I did not have any clothes to change into, but it was my first time leaving school so early of my own volition. Ever since I started seeing Haruma-san, I was experiencing a lot of firsts.
“You’re terrible, Haruma-san.”
“Um, could you stop making it sound like I’m the one taking you? You’re clearly the one dragging me…” Haruma-san laughed to cover his embarrassment.
He promptly fell into silence when we came to the front of my house.
“Is this perhaps your first time entering the house of someone of the opposite sex?” I asked him somewhat snidely.
He hemmed and hawed and mumbled some vague response. I thought it was sort of funny, so I giggled. It was one thing for this to be my first time, but the fact that it was a first for him as well evoked quite an inexplicable feeling in me.
When I opened the front door, Misa poked her head out from the living room. “H-How did you get so wet? This isn’t good!” she said in a panic as she rushed out to meet us.
Although we had dried up somewhat during the trip from school to home, our hair and clothes were still rather moist. Drops of water fell to the ground, creating tiny puddles.
Misa promptly walked off and came back with a towel from the bathroom.
“We were attacked by rioters. It’s dangerous out there, so it’s really best if you don’t go outside, Misa.” I sniffled.
“Geez, you can’t pull a fast one on me!” Misa puffed out her cheeks like an angel.
Then she turned her gaze on Haruma-san as if noticing him for the first time. She became aware of his existence quicker than most people did—that’s my angel for you.
There was an awkward distance between them, so I stood there with a regal air.
“Ahem, Haruma-san. This is my little sister Misa. She’s just as cute as I am, isn’t she?”
“Yep, she’s cute.” Haruma-san nodded firmly.
His enthusiasm left me nonplussed. It takes quite a lot to leave me nonplussed. Could it be that he had a propensity towards being a loli + con? What a hopeless person.
“Misa, this person will probably have nothing to do with your life after this. Make sure you observe him closely for educational purposes.”
“There you go again, Onee-chan!” Misa burst into giggles, before looking up at Haruma-san with a sort of amusement. “Could this guy be Onee-chan’s… heh heh?”
“…Oh please, Misa.”
Lately, my sister had a peculiar tendency towards misunderstanding matters. Perhaps it was because she was now of marriageable age. I slowly beckoned Misa towards me.
“What iiiiiis it?”
As soon as she came near me, looking puzzled, I seized her in a hug. Water dripped from my drenched torso onto Misa.
“Eeek—!” A drenched Misa let out a startled squeak. Then her head started shaking in a peculiar manner, and she gazed up at me with her adorable face. “You should just get in the bath already! Geez!”
“You’re right. In that case, shall we bathe together?”
“Urk.”
I hit my palm with my hand, prompting Haruma-san next to me to let out a strange hiccough. Our eyes met, and in that instant we both understood.
“What does that cough mean…? My sister’s the one suggesting it.”
“Y-You don’t have to tell me twice. In fact, it’s so mundane I got the jitters.”
“Nevertheless, you reacted very much. Were you expecting something?”
“I stopped expecting stuff from other people when I was in my second year of middle school. Now go take your bath already.”
I giggled. “You seem rather flustered, my dear.”
“Heeey, do you listen when other people are talking? Oh, and who died and made you boss? I have to admit it suits you, though!”
As the two of us flirted with each other, Misa let out a sneeze.
“Oh my,” I said. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to take the bath first. Please make yourself at home in the living room.”
“…Mhmm.”
Haruma-san went off to the living room tremblingly, as timid as a lamb. I called out to his back and passed him a towel. “Oh right, our bathroom has two doors: one leads to the washroom, and the other is a changing room that leads to the bath. The way to the washroom is the same hand I use for holding a rice bowl, and the way to the changing room is the hand I use for chopsticks.”
“Mhmm… ah, okay.”
“Don’t you dare pretend to make a mistake and peep on us.”
“I won’t.”
“You absolutely mustn’t. It’s wrong if I say so. You understand, don’t you? Things are wrong if they’re wrong. That’s because they’re very wrong.”
“What do you think I am…? Dachou (1)?” Haruma-san clicked his tongue in irritation and scowled openly.
Perhaps he was the kind of boy who liked to be amused. I could see quite clearly that he was happy. He was supposedly one year my senior, and yet to me his actions were like that of a younger boy.
I knew more about him now than I did when we first met. I would know more about him in the future. Haruma-san was still showing me new sides of himself.
Thoroughly satisfied, I went through the washroom and into the changing room.
TRANSLATOR’S NOTES
(1) The Dachou Club is a Japanese comedian trio known for being contrarians.
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