Seishun Buta Yarou Series - Volume 7 - Chapter 4.1

Chapter 4: Kindness, and a Hand offered in Kind

1

Someone was shaking him.

He was lying facedown, and someone had their hands on his back.

Oh, is it morning?

As his mind woke up…

“Get up, Sakuta!” His sister’s voice.

He half opened his eyes and reached for the clock by the bed. As he did, winter’s chill prickled his skin. Leaving the comforter’s warmth seemed like an insurmountable task. He felt like staying in bed the rest of his life.

It was eight.

The temperature in the room was fifty-nine degrees.

It was January 6.

“It’s still winter vacation, Kaede.”

It was the last day of break. Third term started tomorrow. He pulled his hand back under the covers, wrapping himself up like the filling of a chocolate cornet.

“You’re the one who’s got a shift at nine.”

“Oh. You’ll have to cover for me, Kaede.”

“Wow. There’ll be so much egg on your face later. You send your sister to work for you and you’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Okay.”

“Okay how?”

“I can handle that, no prob.”

“Well I can’t! Get up and go!”

She gave him a stronger shake.

“No! I’m still asleep.”

“You clearly aren’t!”

“How’d you know?”

Obviously, all this talking had been a dead giveaway.

It was no use. He sat up. His eyes met Kaede’s. Her school was also on vacation, but she was in uniform.

“I’m getting used to seeing you in that.”

“Y-yeah?”

Trouble with bullies at her old school had left Kaede not attending classes for a long time, but with third term of her third year quickly approaching, she finally felt ready to try again.

Over vacation, Sakuta had been helping her practice, and they were getting solid results. Yesterday she’d gone all the way to her school’s gates and back on her own.

Last night she’d been excited to do it again.

“You’re gonna do your practice run now?”

“I already did it.”

“Whoa.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“You make it there okay?”

“Mm…it’s still pretty stressful, but…”

He could tell she was putting on a brave face, but Kaede’s smile looked genuine. She was clearly proud of herself.

“I’m glad you’ve grown so independent.”

“I—I always have been!” she protested.

“Like, a week ago, you only made it to school plastered to my back.”

“Th-that was ages ago! Ancient history.”

She hmphed once and turned away. Her body language was still pretty childish. And to top it off, her stomach growled.

“Breakfast?”

“Not yet.”

“Figured.”

“Well, you were sleeping!”

That made it sound like this was his fault. She hadn’t been running around on an empty stomach because of a weird “I want to eat breakfast with you, Sakuta” thing; she was just literally unable to cook at all and even slapping together a simple breakfast was beyond her.

“Definitely not very independent,” he muttered to no one in particular.

“I’m hungry! C’mon!” Kaede said, yanking his arm while pretending she hadn’t heard him.

He made it off the bed and headed to the kitchen to make his sister some breakfast.

“Thanks for the food!”

On the table was toast (fresh from the toaster), ham and eggs, and sausages (fresh from the skillet) with a few chopped tomatoes and some shredded lettuce.

Not one thing about this menu was the least bit difficult. Kaede could easily learn to do it herself.

“That was pretty good.”

“Glad you liked it.”

They wolfed down the food, and then he washed the dishes.

Then he splashed some water on his face, brushed his teeth, fixed his bed head—kinda—and got dressed.

“I’m off to work.”

“Bye!”

Kaede saw him off as he left the apartment.

He took the elevator to the first floor. In the street outside, he ran into a familiar face.

“Oh, Sakuta!”

A high school girl who wore her sparkly blond hair in a side ponytail was coming out of the building opposite. Even at this hour, her makeup was a wonder to behold.

“Mornin’,” she said. Her name was Nodoka Toyohama. She was dragging a little suitcase behind her.

“Morning. Bye.” He waved and started walking toward the station. The restaurant he worked at was in that area.

“Er, hey! Wait up!”

Nodoka hurried after him, suitcase rattling. Her boots also made quite a racket.

“Why’d you rush off?”

“Not like we had plans.”

“Sure, but if you bump into someone you know, it’s normal to walk together! We’re both headed to the station. Also, why are you up and about this early? It’s still winter vacation.”

It was too early for this much conversation.

“That’s why I took more shifts.” He gave her a sidelong glance. “You running away from home?”

Between the hair, the makeup, and the suitcase, she sure looked like a runaway. Exactly the kinda girl they showed in alarmist news segments about schoolgirls who stayed out all night.

“Already did that.”

“Right, I remember now.”

Nodoka had already ditched her home over disagreements with her mother. Now she lived with Mai, her sister (from a different mother). This had all happened three months ago, in the fall.

She was trotting a bit to keep up with him. That made her suitcase rattle even louder.

“Lemme carry that for you,” he said, reaching for it.

“Oh, sure.” Nodoka initially blinked at the offer but quickly let him take it. “Thanks.”

She didn’t look like the type to willingly accept help, which made it always feel novel when she did.

“What’s in it?”

It wasn’t very heavy.

“We’ve got a mini gig in a mall in Saitama.”

So presumably this was stuff she needed during the show. There was a reason for her slightly outlandish look—she was in show business, specifically as a member of an idol group named Sweet Bullet.

On weekends, she was always off somewhere, throwing herself into concerts. Listening to her chatter about that, they headed to the station together.

It was still rush hour, and Fujisawa Station was packed with suits. People going in, people coming out, people switching trains.

Sakuta stopped by the JR gates.

“Have a good show,” he said as he handed the suitcase back to Nodoka.

“Mm, thanks. Oh, right…”

He’d taken a step toward work, but she stopped him.

“Mm?”

“You should come to our Valentine’s show next month.”

“Why?”

“I’ve got a center number.”

“So?”

“And afterward you can ask for chocolate directly from any one of us.”

“Okay, so I can get one from the girl who doesn’t wear panties?”

He’d gone to a show of theirs once before, and the group leader had yelled, “Idols don’t wear panties!” Her name was Uzuki Hirokawa. He’d forgotten the rest of their names, but that line had left an impression, so he remembered hers. Also, she had a slim model build that kinda resembled Mai’s, which had helped.

“Why not me?!”

“You’re legally obligated to give me chocolate anyway.”

“Huh?”

“As my sister-in-law.”

“That’s ridiculous. And we aren’t in-laws yet.”

“It’s gonna happen, so you might as well get used to it.”

“You’re awfully sure my sister won’t dump you, huh?”

“I refuse to even consider the possibility.”

Nodoka sighed dramatically.

“Fine. She promised she’d come, so…”

“Then I’ll be there, too.”

“It’s a full-size arena. Six thousand five hundred yen.”

“You’re gonna charge me? Don’t you have tickets for family?”

That was a lot of money for him.

“You oughtta fork up that much for you sister-in-law’s big day, Bro.”

“……”

“……”

She’d said that last word to tease him, but when he stared back at her without saying a word, she turned bright red. Not just her ears and neck, either. She was probably scalding hot all the way to her toes.

“Quit gawking! Bye!” she snapped, before dashing through the gate. He watched her flee, considering this his responsibility as her future in-law.

“Being a brother-in-law might not be so bad…,” he muttered.