Chapter 5: Apparently it’s my younger sister’s birthday.

I got tangled up with a troublesome woman at the shoe box, but after that I arrived home without further incident.

Even though it was a once-a-week committee meeting, without Mai, I was bored on the way home …… and my life would be more boring than ever.

“I’m dependent on her.”

I’ve been estranged from Mai until recently, or …… I’m lying, aren’t I? How could I live without Mai?

─ ─ I don’t have any plans when I get home, so let’s just go to my room and play a smartphone game or something.

I’m not going to say “I’m home” and walked into the house. …… Well, my mom probably isn’t home yet, so she won’t answer me when I say it.

“……………”

Nagisa was standing just inside the front door.

She looks like she wants to say something while crossing her arms, but the sight of her makes me uncomfortable.

When I saw the dead body of a small animal on the side of the road –it was comparable to the discomfort I saw my sister. It was definitely not the kind of thing I came home for.

“………, you’re late.”

“…………”

Uwa, she was talking to me in a casual manner.

I just told the student council president, “Go to hell,” but she didn’t really go to hell, did she?

I’m seriously annoyed that I don’t have a single thing to talk to Nagisa about. …… In general, why is she at the front door?

Plus she didn’t even change out of her uniform, and there’s a vibe of waiting for someone …… probably that damn older sister. ……

“Y-you know”

She starts to make a gesture of playing with her hair as she says it.

I remember that gesture,……, it’s a habit of hers that she used to do when she was talking about something difficult to say.

I always used to call out to her when she did this, but that is absolutely not going to happen now.

I ignore her and head to my room.

“W-wait!”

“……….”

Nagisa grabbed my arm to hold me back.

I stare down at the arm in her grasp, though she has a serious expression on her face.

“…………”

Nagisa once disinfected her hands when she touched me.

I’ve always wondered why she would do such a terrible thing, but now I finally understand.

Nagisa’s hands are really disgusting.

If she felt the same way, then I can understand why Nagisa did that—Yeah, I’ll disinfect it later, too.

“……, don’t you have something to say to me?”

Nothing.

“W-why are you not saying anything?”

I have nothing to say, so I’ll just shut up.

I always go straight to my room when I get home because I don’t want to see any of them. I should run away this time too, but …… my room is on the second floor.

The stairs leading to it are behind Nagisa.

(I don’t want to pass by too close.)

I gave up and headed for the living room.

It was because I didn’t want to pass so close to Nagisa.

I’m just tired of being tangled up with the student council president, so please don’t talk to me.

“H-hey! Wait a minute!”

“…………!”

(Don’t follow me!)

I went straight to the kitchen and used the alcohol there to disinfect my arm that Nagisa had touched.

“….Ah….kuuu”

At that moment, I heard a gasp from Nagisa.

When I was silent without saying anything, my ex-sister opened her mouth while her expression became tense.

“H-How terrible,…… big brother,…… even though it’s my birthday today,……..”.

Birthday? If so, it’s a cursed day, no?

I mean, you did the same thing to me, don’t tell me you forgot about it, right?

“………you did it first.”

“…………Eh?”

“Rubbing alcohol on it.”

“Ah, that was …… a long time ago.

“Ah, I see”

“W-wait big brother L-let’s talk—“

“Don’t call me “big brother” from now on”

“….H-haa? But you’re my big brother!?”

“Don’t you …… pretend that never happened. You don’t really deserve to call me “big brother”. Honestly, I wouldn’t even complain if it were true, but you’re too crazy for that, so I’m just warning you…… don’t ever treat me like an older brother again.”

“W-wait—“

“Any comment?”

“Like I —-“

“Any comment?”

“………Kuu!”

“…………”

“Ugh………gusu……”

Nagisa’s face, which I had not seen in a long time, was wet with tears.

But her face looks like a very ugly sight.

I don’t even know why she is crying…… but I didn’t feel sorry for her at all when I saw her crying face.

I didn’t understand why she had suddenly become so familiar with me, and conversing with her only increased my discomfort.

[I don’t need a brother like you!]

She once said that to me.

Not just once, but many times.

That’s why I quit being her older brother, so what’s the point now?

I was so uninterested in her that I didn’t even know it was her birthday today.

………

………

Not good, there is no way I can get any attachment to her.

The relationship between us siblings must be really bad now. ……

“Ugh,…… big brother,……”

I ignored my sister who started crying and went straight to my room.

About an hour later, I felt the urge to do my business, so I closed my manga I was reading and headed for the restroom.

“Hmm?”

Then I heard a voice talking from the doorway.

“We’re going out to eat,”

“………Yes.”

It was a conversation between my mother and father.

They are going to eat out for Nagisa’s birthday celebration.

He’s always been a bit cold to me, but recently he’s started treating my mom coldly as well.

He doesn’t like the fact that my mom and I always eat together, and he doesn’t like the fact that he is not getting his way.

A mere outburst.

Even if Kaede and Nagisa are children and just lack brains, you are an adult, right?

“Well, have a good day, Kaede and Nagisa.”

“…………”

“…………”

My sisters left the house with my father without even looking at my mother while playing with her phone.

But Nagisa seemed more depressed than ignoring her.

The eyes are red and swollen — I guess she was crying because she was so frustrated that I had ridiculed her earlier.

“Haa~ …… I don’t care about that person anymore, but it’s hard to bear the bad attitude from Kaede and Nagisa …….”

Mom, who was left behind, looks sad.

As a mother, it’s natural to think of your children, …… because she is kind, unlike my father who abandoned me so easily.

—I’m sorry to my mother, even more so.

“Mom…I’m sorry”

I know I’ve put her through a lot of trouble because she covered for me.

But I can’t tell her to leave me alone, because all I have is my mother and Mai and her family…….

“……! Ryosuke! It’s okay! Let’s eat dinner together! Don’t worry, I’ll do my best!”

My mom is so kind and caring.

I’m going to kill those guys who hurt my mom, and those guys at school who exclude Mai, someday I’m going to kill them.

~From Kaede’s point of view~

I was visiting my younger brother, Ryosuke, in his room.

However, I still don’t like his attitude.

“What are you trying to do?”

“…………”

“Again with the silent treatment?”

Does this guy …… know what he’s done?

Nagisa went to all the trouble of trying to reach out to him, but Ryosuke turned his back on her!

I can’t allow that to happen today!

“I heard the details!? You seem to have deliberately disinfected your arm when Nagisa touched you!? Can’t you even tell the difference between what’s right and wrong!?”

“Haha, you heard the details, huh?”

“……why are you laughing?”

“Nothing? Wasn’t she just trying to make things easy for you?”

“………!”

Ryosuke! You talk to me like I’m an idiot. ……! I thought if I warned you, you’d be sorry, but I didn’t think you’d make fun of me, your sister. ……!

I haven’t been able to talk to him at all lately. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard your voice, and what a surprise…

“Enough! You’re a criminal by nature! The only reason that didn’t happen is because the other side agreed to settle! And the only reason you’re still able to live as usual is because father is letting you stay at home! Don’t get carried away just because mother is on your side!”

Yes! I said it!

Now you’re a little more aware of the situation you’re in, right? Because of mother’s stupid defensiveness, a year has passed and you still haven’t said a single word of apology.

I’ve lectured you so much, you must have felt some remorse.

“Have you said what you wanted to say? If so, can you leave now? I’m having a high level multi-battle with Mai and it’s depressing.”

Depressing…..Your sister is talking to you!

“Kuu! You wouldn’t take your eyes off your phone because you were playing a game?! I told you the whole time not to play with her! She’s so stupid she could barely get into my high school—“

“I’ll kill you if you say another word.”

“………Wha!?”

Ryosuke stares at me with eyes that I have never felt before, as if he is going to stab me to death.

It’s been a long time since I saw his face,…… but I don’t remember Ryosuke having eyes like this.

I’m scared……I don’t know Ryosuke like this……What is it that makes you so angry at me for saying bad things about that woman?

Please don’t look at me like that……I just want you to be sorry and change your mind!

“Kuu!!”

I found myself running out of Ryosuke’s room.

I turned around and looked at him through the open door and saw him playing with his phone without looking at me.

It was as if he was saying he wasn’t interested in me,…… and that frustrated me.

“……Why……Why”

I went back to my room and lay on my bed.

The words that Ryosuke said to me earlier have stuck in my mind and won’t go away.

[I’ll kill you if you say another word.]

—-I love him.

The hatred that I have for Ryosuke is all the flip side of my love for him. …… otherwise I wouldn’t have spoken to him in such a horrible way and urged him to reflect on what he did.

And yet…… he threatened to kill me for saying something bad about Mai Nakazato?

I can’t believe it.

I was so frightened that I couldn’t say anything back, and I hate myself.

But I never thought he would want to kill me. …… What am I supposed to do?