After. The reason why the grade-skipping genius girl who doesn't get close to anyone only clings to me
--Hoshimiya Hijiri gave a small smile.
(Youhei is really such a mysterious boy...)
The boy she had just waved goodbye to, Ozora Youhei, was walking ahead of her. As she watched his back, Hijiri couldn't help but think this.
(He seems so ordinary from any angle... so why is he different from other boys?)
He was an average high school student with no notable traits. His way of walking, his posture, his face, his abilities—everything about him could be described as perfectly normal. Yet,
(Hime-chan is so fond of him...)
Her usually cautious little sister, Hoshimiya Hime, was extremely attached to him. For Hijiri, who knew Hime’s difficult side well as her older sister, Youhei was not "normal."
"Please marry Youhei-kun."
Hijiri suddenly remembered Hime’s words.
A boy who was so trusted by her sister that she suggested marriage to her—Hijiri still hadn’t gotten used to the idea.
(I was so surprised when she talked about marriage...)
At first, Hijiri had been suspicious. She had worried that her sister might have been tricked or misled. As the older sister, she had purposely approached Youhei, trying to understand him better.
And then, she understood. Or rather, she was made to understand.
(He’s kind, calm, listens attentively, and accepts things without rejecting them… I understand now why Hime-chan is so fond of him.)
Now, Hijiri understood why Hime was so attached to Youhei. She also understood what it meant that Hime recognized him as someone worthy enough to suggest marriage to.
(When I’m with Youhei, I feel so calm…)
Someone who makes you feel at peace when you're with them.
Hijiri had never had someone like that beside her, apart from her family.
(...Maybe, this isn’t such a bad thing.)
Truthfully, Hijiri wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea. She wasn’t really interested in romance or relationships, so she hadn’t yet recognized Youhei as a potential romantic interest.
However, she didn’t think ill of him.
On the contrary, he was the first boy she had ever felt such good impressions of.
(At this rate, it might not be impossible for me to fall in love with him one day...)
Though still uncertain, she could sense that possibility. Meeting someone who made her feel this way was thanks to Hime.
As she thought this, Hijiri couldn’t help but feel grateful for her sister’s kindness and, with a smile, called out to her.
"Hime-chan, I wanted to tell you something—"
She was about to share her thoughts about Youhei when suddenly…
"...?"
"Eh, what’s going on?"
Hijiri noticed something strange about her sister.
"Hime-chan? Hey, Hime-chan?"
No response. Concerned, Hijiri looked closer and saw that Hime was in a daze.
Staring blankly ahead in the direction where Youhei had just walked, Hime seemed absent, her expression distant.
Of course, Youhei was no longer there. She was gazing at an empty street.
(It's not heatstroke... right?)
Hijiri briefly considered if her sister might be unwell but immediately dismissed the idea.
"...Ehehe."
Although Hime didn’t respond, Hijiri noticed her smiling. No, perhaps "grinning" would be a better word.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her eyes were half-lidded, and her lips were stretched into a soft, relaxed smile.
Her expression was so blissful that it didn’t seem like someone who was unwell.
Seeing this, Hijiri was shocked.
(Wait... Could it be...? No way...)
It wasn't a logical thought, but an instinctive feeling.
(Does Hime-chan... like Youhei?)
Of course, she meant as a romantic interest, not just as a person.
Hijiri immediately felt, with her gut, that her little sister had feelings for Youhei.
Seeing her sister so giddy after being patted on the head... it could only mean one thing.
(She’s in love with him!)
Then, it clicked. The dots connected, forming a straight line.
Earlier in class, Hime had directly eaten the chocolate Youhei was holding, even biting into it off his fingers.
When Hijiri saw that, she felt an odd sense of discomfort.
You don’t act that way just because you’re fond of someone. As an older sister, Hijiri had never experienced such a thing herself.
She hadn’t understood why Hime had acted so sweetly until now... but if it was because she liked him, it made sense.
(What should I do...?!)
Hime was probably unaware of her feelings. If she were conscious of them, she wouldn’t have suggested marriage to her sister for someone she liked.
After all, Hime was only eight years old. It wasn’t the age to be aware of romantic feelings.
Hijiri Hoshimiya. Seventeen years old. Summer.
She had just realized something she had never expected—that the boy she was just a little interested in, was the same boy her younger sister was in love with.
(What should I do as an older sister, Hime-chan?!)
In the face of this completely unexpected situation, Hijiri was flustered inside—completely caught off guard.
Post a Comment