2. Takashi returned from the war. He wants to be reunited with his family.
1.
My brother left for the battlefield three years ago today.
The sudden invasion by the Space Invaders began the war. In that conflict, my brother Takashi was selected as a soldier.
At the time, Japan declared it would not participate in the war, but in the face of the survival competition against the Invaders, it was impossible to maintain such ideals. At the same time, sending soldiers to the battlefield without thought would undoubtedly lead to condemnation from the public. Thus, the government adopted a conscription system based on selection.
To put it simply, instead of sending a thousand incompetent soldiers, they chose to send one of the country’s best soldiers.
Although I don’t know the criteria for selection, by choosing soldiers based on the country’s standards, Japan was able to limit conscription to just around a hundred people, where it would have otherwise required the participation of hundreds of thousands.
Japan was a country far removed from the front lines, with few soldiers sent to the battlefield. Compared to other countries, we were quite fortunate.
In some places, entire nations had already been wiped out.
When considering that, we should have been thankful. At least, I thought so—until my brother was called up.
When my brother was selected as a soldier, I couldn’t believe my ears. I never imagined that someone from my family would be conscripted.
After all, my brother was just an ordinary boy with average grades, a boy who was kind, the only trait that stood out to me. He was my beloved little brother.
I couldn’t accept the reality.
The day I screamed in fear of being separated, begging my parents to never let him go.
The day I tried to stop the officers who were taking him by force, only for him to say, “I’ll be fine… I’ll be back,” and leave.
The day I cried endlessly in his empty room, overwhelmed by a sense of void.
Since that day, I haven’t been able to recover.
If my brother dies in battle, the family will be notified.
Each day, I prayed that news would not arrive.
In the morning, I would check the mail first to see if any news from the military had come.
During the day, I would tremble, praying for no urgent notifications.
The only time I could breathe easy was by nine o’clock at night, when the day’s deliveries were over.
It was only then that I could finally feel like my brother was still alive.
Every day, confirming life or death.
I felt like I was losing my sanity.
As time passed, I started to grow afraid of the mail.
What if the death notice arrived… I couldn’t bear the thought anymore.
Maybe today, I’d hear that my brother, still just a small boy who had just started middle school, had died alone in a distant foreign land.
I was scared.
I didn’t want to imagine it.
I didn’t want to think he was dead.
The very thought of him being gone was painful.
I was truly terrified of losing someone I loved.
Today, as I sat alone in my brother’s room, reminiscing about the memories we shared, the sound of the doorbell echoed.
Normally, I’d ignore it, but today, the visitor seemed insistent, ringing the bell repeatedly.
The repeated chimes made me uneasy, so I went to the door to check.
“No one’s coming out?”
“You’ve been ringing it too much… Stop it, you’re going to break it.”
“In my country, it’s polite to ring like this.”
“Huh? Your country’s messed up… That’s culture shock.”
“Of course, I was just kidding. You’re too gullible.”
“Heh. Knock it off.”
“Don’t take me seriously. I wasn’t complimenting you.”
I could hear the voices of a young man and woman through the front door.
Could they be old friends?
Anger welled up inside me at their lack of manners, and I opened the front door to shout at them—
But then my thoughts stopped.
"Ah... Sis, long time no see. I somehow made it back alive."
I couldn't believe my eyes.
I thought I was dreaming.
"Sis? A-are you okay?"
A gentle smile from the simple boy.
He had grown taller and his voice had changed, but there was no mistaking it—my brother was standing there.
"Ah... ah..."
I couldn’t catch my breath.
My thoughts weren’t working properly.
"Ah... Ah... Ta... Ta...?"
A hoarse voice escaped, and I couldn’t form any words.
Tears naturally began to flow, and I couldn’t stop them.
There was only one thing I could do.
"Ta... Ta... Kun... Ah... Ahhhhh..."
I burst out of the house and embraced my brother tightly.
I held him tightly, with all my strength.
My brother, the one I had dreamed of.
The brother I thought I would never see again, the one I had cried over, endlessly torn between giving up and not being able to.
I had finally seen him...
I thanked God from the bottom of my heart.
"Hey, sis... Ka... Karin-sis... It... it hurts... gi... give..."
"Ah... Oh~... Even Takashi’s in pain..."
Ignoring my brother’s struggles, I continued to hold him tightly.
I felt his body temperature, his skin, his scent, and I could finally feel that my brother was alive and back.
Taking advantage of the confusion, I kissed his lips. I got carried away and licked his cheek. I sucked his earlobe as well.
The sensation, unchanged from the past, began to heal the emptiness in my chest.
I’ll never let go.
I won’t let anyone have him.
My brother. Absolutely no one.
2.
My sister, whom I hadn't seen in three years, had lost a lot of weight.
She had always been slender, but now she looked more than just thin—she looked frail.
She had heavy dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was damaged... Is she okay? She looks really sick.
"Sis, have you been eating properly? You look pale."
"Ah... sniff... I... I ate... sniff... sniff... ahhh..."
My sister, sobbing and choking on her tears.
She had to eat properly. Before we celebrated our reunion, we needed to focus on food first.
"How about we go for some beef bowls? I'm hungry too."
"Takashi! You can't take a cute beauty like me to a beef bowl place! Take me somewhere more stylish!"
Here we go again...
Before I could hear more complaints, I roughly patted Natalie's head.
"What are you saying? If it’s our first date, I’d take her to a proper place, but if I’m going with my wife, we’re going to a beef bowl shop, no doubt."
"H-huh? W-wife?"
"I want my wife, someone who knows me well, to taste my favorite food..."
"M-mooo~ Takashi, you’re such a hopeless guy..."
I threw out some random lines, and Natalie turned bright red, embarrassed.
She's so easy to tease.
"T-Takkyun... Who... who’s that person?"
After watching our half-hearted flirting, my sister, still sniffing, spoke up.
"Her name's Natalie. Introduce yourself."
"Chwasssu! I’m Natalie Tarferait Pinkstar! I’m marrying Takashi to make kids together!"
As usual, she blurted out some bizarre statement.
Thanks to Natalie, my sister was frozen in shock.
"Calm down, sis. This idiot is my comrade, and she had nowhere to go, so she followed me. Don’t worry about her; just ignore her."
"Hey~... Don’t tell me to ignore her~... I wanna get along with my sister-in-law~."
"S-sister-in-law?!"
My sister, stunned, shouted in surprise.
It seemed Natalie’s toxic words were a little too much for my pure-hearted sister. She immediately began to play the role of the responsible adult.
"N-no! I absolutely won’t allow you to marry Tak-kun!"
"Oh? Looks like there’s a hurdle already between the couple, Takashi!"
"The higher the wall, the hotter the love... Make that wall as high as possible, sis!"
"Wait, wait, Tak-kun! What’s with that attitude?! You never used to joke like this!"
After my sister’s retort, Natalie and I laughed together.
I guess it’s fun for us, but the one being dragged into it probably doesn’t enjoy it. I stopped the pointless banter and helped my sister, who was feeling unsteady.
"Anyway, let’s go get some food. We can talk more in detail there."
"Ah... Yeah... I’m still not sure about all this..."
Mumbling to herself, my sister still seemed uneasy, but my excitement naturally rose.
I was finally going to eat real food, not military rations, after so long.
Just the thought of it made my heart feel lighter.
Eating beef bowls, Natalie and I enjoyed our meal.
My sister watched us, her expression stiff.
"Ugh... Are you two really eating that much? Are you sure you’re okay?"
"Are you really okay with just that little bit, sis?"
My sister had a small serving of beef bowl.
It had been a while, but she hadn’t even eaten half of it yet.
"Ah... yeah... It’s just... it’s been so long since I had rice... this is a little too much..."
"You need to eat more, sis. You won’t get better unless you eat properly."
"I’m getting a drink and curry, but what about you two?"
"I’ll have curry with cutlets. What about you, sis?"
"............I’m fine with water."
She said, and then slowly started moving her chopsticks. But then she hurriedly said, "N-no... this isn’t the time to be eating beef bowls!"
"Wh-what’s your relationship with Natalie?!"
"Best friends forever!"
"We’re the ultimate power couple!"
"Answer me seriously..."
Seeing my sister’s eyes welling up with tears, I reluctantly gave a serious response.
"As I said earlier, Natalie is my comrade. I’ll send her back to the military after I let her sightsee a bit, so until then, please be kind to her."
"Hey, hey~! I’m not going anywhere! I’m going to be buried with Taka~su!"
"That’s what I want!!"
"Stop competing... T-takun..."
Watching my sister act all flustered, I still thought she was as cute as ever.
It kind of stirred up my protective instincts, or something like that.
Even when we were just joking around, she still responded seriously. I can imagine the kind of person who would marry her—someone who would definitely keep her on a tight leash.
While I was lost in such thoughts of the future, my sister, still teary-eyed, asked me.
"U-um... I still don’t get what your relationship is like... Are you two dating?"
"Dating...?"
What’s with that sweet-sounding word? I hadn’t heard it in a long time.
Come to think of it, before going to war, we used to fuss about whether we were dating or not.
"Dating, huh~. What a nostalgic sound~."
"Yeah... it makes me realize the war’s over."
"Dating... dating, huh~. Hehe... we’re dating, huh~."
We both lowered our eyes and smiled at each other.
Seeing this, my sister seemed confused.
"Huh? D-did I say something weird?"
"No, it’s not weird at all."
"S-so then, what’s with that reaction...?"
Ah... how should I explain this...
It’s hard to put this feeling into words.
"Well... the place we fought at had an insanely high death rate. It was common for whole squads to be wiped out when they went in, and the few who miraculously survived often died the next day in a suicide mission."
"Eh... u-uh... yeah..."
"So, the fear of death was overwhelming... Even if we tried to escape reality using leaves or medicine, it only made things worse, and some people ended up dying because they couldn’t move properly... and some just went completely mad."
"............"
"Even the mentally tough guys couldn’t stay sane in that kind of environment, so to keep our sanity, we’d just say anything that gave us hope, like 'I want to get married,' 'I want kids,' 'I want to live and see my family again.'"
Just as the curry I ordered arrived, I washed down my beef bowl with curry and continued speaking.
"Surviving today meant a bright future tomorrow... We clung to these fantasies to force ourselves to keep going. That’s why there wasn’t anyone talking about something as small as dating—"
"Takashi, your sister’s getting creeped out, so maybe it’s time to stop this talk, yeah?"
Natalie pointed to my sister.
Because of my story, my sister’s face looked like she was about to cry again.
"…Ugh... sniff... That must have been really tough... sniff..."
"I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said all that."
When it’s just me and my sister, I can’t help but talk like this. Even though I was trying not to make things feel too grim.
I still have a long way to go.
Trying to shift the mood, I changed the subject.
"By the way, are Mom and Dad working today?"
"Sniff... Uh, yeah... Ah... I forgot to tell them that Taka-kun’s back!"
She quickly started operating her phone in a panic.
She keeps switching between crying and flustering, and it’s adorable to watch.
Feeling warm inside, Natalie suddenly raised her hand and spoke up.
"Hey, hey! So, Takashi, is your mom open to international marriage? If she’s against it, you better have my back, okay? ♡"
"It’d just start a mother-in-law war. Good luck with that."
"I ain't got the energy to fight on two fronts! Help me out here!”
If it’s Natalie, I’m sure she’ll manage somehow.
Without thinking too deeply, I finished off the rest of my beef bowl.
3.
"Ah... ah... aaaa..."
"Ta, Taka... ugh... ah..."
An hour after my sister’s call, Mom and Dad rushed back home.
When my parents, reunited after three years, saw my face, their expressions twisted into something unreadable.
They must have been pretty shaken up. After a brief moment of trembling, Mom let out a choked sob and stumbled over to me.
"Ahhhhh... Ta, Takashi... aaaaa... uaaaa..."
She hugged me tightly, burying her face into my neck.
I could feel my long-sleeve t-shirt getting wet with Mom’s tears.
"I'm home, Mom. I somehow made it back alive. Pretty impressive, huh?"
"O-oka... aaaa... oka... eri... Takashi... aaaahhhh..."
I hugged her back, feeling her warmth.
Had Mom always been this small and fragile? I guess our heights have completely reversed now.
I wonder if it’s because she’s been so worn down, just like my sister? She seems to have aged a lot, and there are more white hairs in her hair now.
Only three years apart, and yet she’s changed so much. The Mom who was once so bold and youthful now seems so frail.
Trying to give her some of my strength, I held her tightly, and soon Dad joined in, enveloping us in a warm embrace.
"I’m so glad... sniff... I-I’m really glad... that Takashi’s safe... I’m so happy... uaaaa..."
Dad’s voice cracked as he cried, his tears flowing.
Dad too... seems to have shrunk... He’s probably been under a lot of stress. His hair is thinning just a little too...
I must’ve caused them so much worry.
Thinking about it, three years felt short but long at the same time. It makes me feel guilty for causing everyone so much worry during all that time.
"Welcome home, Dad. I’m sorry for making you worry all this time."
"It’s okay... As long as Takashi’s safe... that’s all that matters..."
Dad kept crying, his voice full of emotion in a way I’d never heard before.
From his tone, it was clear how relieved he was.
I know this might not be the right time to think about it, but hearing Dad’s gentle voice made me finally realize that I really had made it back.
I had returned to the everyday life I had dreamed of.
As I felt my tear ducts starting to loosen, I noticed Natalie making a gesture from a little distance.
‘Hey! Hurry up and introduce this cute Natalie to everyone in the family!’ She was making some mischievous motion.
My tears quickly stopped flowing.
Could someone please stop that idiot...? Her need for attention is so intense that it kind of ruins the emotional reunion...
Even though I felt that way, I couldn’t just ignore her, so I gave Natalie a small wave to come over.
"Mom, Dad, I have a small request. Can I bring her into the family? She’s my comrade, and her hometown was destroyed, so she has nowhere to go."
"Hi there! I’m Natalie Tarferait Pinkstar! My hometown was destroyed, and all my family died, so Takashii’s the only person I can rely on! I won’t be a bother, so please let me join the family!"
With great enthusiasm, Natalie bowed and introduced herself.
She naturally included her desire to become part of the family. That was a pretty good move on her part. At first glance, it sounded like a polite and considerate line, but there’s this boldness behind it, trying to marry into the family with no hesitation.
As expected of my Natalie. Most people wouldn’t have the guts to say that on their first meeting.
While I was impressed with Natalie’s tactics, Mom sniffled and asked cautiously.
"Se-secomrade? sniff... Does that mean Takashi’s... friend...?"
"Friend? Well, kind of, but more like a comrade in arms, really. Natalie helped me a lot on the battlefield, so I want to help her out with her life going forward."
"Helped...?"
Mom looked at Natalie with a puzzled expression.
I mean, I can see why she’d look like that. Natalie doesn’t really come off as the type who would be helping others.
I explained further to clarify.
"She may look like this, but actually, she’s a pretty outstanding soldier. She’s so skilled that no one in the military doesn't know her."
"Huh? Ah... is that so...?"
"She’s that skilled, so I’ve been helped by Natalie a few times. Honestly, I can say that everything, even us being reunited right now, is all thanks to her. If it weren’t for her, I probably wouldn’t have made it back alive."
"..............."
"Since she saved my life, I really want her to be happy. So I’d like to have her live with us—"
Before I could finish, Mom pulled away from me and rushed over to Natalie.
Then, Mom hugged Natalie tightly and started crying again.
"Na-Natalie-chan... Ah, thank you... Really, thank you..."
"Eh? W-What’s wrong? Takashi’s mom…?"
"You saved my son... sniff... thank you so much... Ahhh... uaaahhh..."
"Ah... yeah..."
"You can stay with us, okay? You can stay here forever... thank you... thank you so much..."
"Ah... uh, yeah! I should be the one thanking you!"
Mom’s kindness seemed to touch Natalie, and a soft smile lit up her face.
It seemed like she was genuinely happy to be accepted so quickly, and she was smiling from the bottom of her heart.
She probably didn’t expect to be accepted this quickly, and for a moment, her true self came through.
Seeing Natalie’s rare expression made me feel a little warmer inside.
"You’ve got some good parents, huh~. I never thought they’d accept me so easily."
After we went back to my room, Natalie happily spoke to me.
She was grinning with joy, clearly thrilled that my parents had welcomed her into the family, and she leaned in, looking up at me with that mischievous grin.
Seeing her so pleased made me want to tease her a bit.
"I was hoping they’d say, 'We won’t let you have our son!'"
"Too bad! My wonderful inner self must’ve shone through, don’t you think~? Pupu~."
I tried to tease her, but she teased me right back.
I think they accepted her because her 'inner self' wasn’t what they were worried about. Don’t get too cocky.
I silently put some pressure on her, and Natalie quickly changed the subject, trying to avoid it.
"By the way~. Don’t you think you should’ve told them?"
"Told them what?"
"About your body."
Natalie suddenly spoke in a serious tone.
I met her gaze and answered seriously too.
"Honestly, there was no need to tell them. Our bodies are military secrets."
"Well, I don’t think we need to keep any military secrets. The military can’t stop us anyway."
"Yeah, but... don’t just assume we’re going to cause trouble. I don’t want to make things difficult for the General."
I shrugged and smiled a little.
"To be honest, I was planning to tell them before I met Mom and Dad again. But after seeing Mom like that, I just couldn’t bring myself to say it..."
"Ahh~... Yeah, the way your mom reacted was definitely over the top."
"If she cried like that, I just couldn’t say it. That her son’s body was modified..."
Telling them wouldn’t make anyone happy. So it’s better if I just don’t say anything.
I can read the room on that, at least. I’m not that oblivious.
"It won’t affect my daily life, so I’ll just keep it hidden forever. I don’t think anyone would be happy if I told them."
"Don’t let it slip, okay? Takashi, you’ve got some clumsy moments, you know~."
"You’ve got a point."
Natalie rolled around on the floor, laughing happily.
I really liked this side of her. She worries, but doesn’t interfere too much.
It’s so easy to be around her.
As we exchanged mischievous smiles, my sister barged into the room, holding a pillow.
“I’m going to keep an eye on you two today, so don’t do anything weird!”
She declared boldly as she scanned the room.
I’m not sure what she’s misunderstanding, but her strong will is clear. Looks like she plans to sleep in the same room with us tonight.
"Sister-in-law, what do you mean by ‘weird’? Teach me, the pure and innocent me~."
"Ah... ugh... uh..."
Natalie’s playful jab left my sister stammering and at a loss for words.
Well, it looks like I’ll have to step in here and help.
“I’ll teach you instead. Alright, get on all fours on that bed over there. I’ll show you how it’s done!!”
“Eh? Eh? Ta-Takashi, are you serious!? I-I’m so happy! I’ll go take a shower right away!”
“Don’t take me seriously. I’ve heard that reaction before.”
If she was pretending not to know, I was planning on showing her exactly what I meant... (in a seductive voice).
My sister rushed in, interrupting me, flustered.
“So, so you two really have an improper relationship, huh... D-Don’t do that! I won’t forgive you, I’ll stop you!”
“The clash of love and love, to be dismissed as impure is a mistake! It’s an insult to our sexuality!”
“Taka-kun, whose side are you on~...?”
My sister’s eyes were filled with tears.
Forget that for now, though, there was something I wanted to ask. I should do it now while I have the chance.
“By the way, Sis, does your school have uniforms or is it casual clothes?”
“Huh? S-School uniforms, of course.”
“Heard that, Natalie!! I’ve decided where I’m transferring to!! It’s Sis’s school!!”
Uniforms are the way to go when it comes to high school. This is non-negotiable.
Just having a uniform boosts the ‘youth’ points. I’ve dreamed of having that kind of high school life during the war.
“Eh~... You’re planning to go to school, Takashi? I’m fine with it, though~...”
When Natalie heard what I said, she lazily rolled around on the floor and refused.
Well, I expected her to say that.
“It’s going to be so much fun! Let’s enjoy school life together!”
“No way~... Why would I go back to group living after being free from it? I’ve had enough of that~.”
“Don’t compare the military to high school! It’s going to be so much fun! Come on, let’s do this together!”
“Nooo~... School isn’t fun~... I just want to lie around at home~.”
Natalie shook her head stubbornly like a child throwing a tantrum.
I pressed her head down gently and leaned in closer to say it to her.
“I’ll make your high school life so fun! I promise! So let’s go!”
Her expression turned blank as she stared at me.
After thinking for a moment, she grinned in her usual mischievous way.
“Really~? If it’s not fun, are you going to take responsibility~?”
“When you graduate, I’ll make you cry saying that your high school life was super fun. Just wait for it.”
“Hehehe, I’ll be ready~.”
She licked her lips and smiled with squinted eyes, looking like a big cat.
She’s helped me so much. Since she’s in Japan now, I want her to experience an ordinary high school life.
“Ta-Tak-kun, are you really planning to go to my school?”
“Yeah.”
“L-Liar... This feels like a dream... sniff...”
After hearing our exchange, my sister’s eyes filled with tears again.
I quickly threw in a reminder as she smiled so happily.
“Sis, I haven’t actually been accepted to the school yet. I still need to pass the transfer exam, so nothing’s been decided yet. I’ll need to study hard for it.”
“Eh? Takashi, you’re really going to study? Why don’t you ask the military to help you transfer?”
“No thanks.”
I don’t want to get involved with the military anymore.
“If I go through the military, people will find out I returned from the battlefield and I’ll stand out in a bad way. No thanks! I just want a normal high school life!”
“That’s not something a victorious warrior would say...”
Natalie laughed, exasperated.
No matter how much she says, there are some things I won’t compromise on.
If I have to stand out, I’ll do whatever it takes. Seriously.
“Let’s just study normally and take the transfer exam. That way, we won’t stand out!”
“Ugh, too much trouble~...”
“You’ll be fine if you use your special abilities! You can do it!”
“Whee~…”
Natalie lazily waved her hand, clearly not enthusiastic.
She may not be motivated, but I’m the one in worse shape.
My academic ability is way worse.
I’ve already decided to start studying for the exam right away.
4.
It's been five days since Tak-kun returned from the battlefield.
After five days, my confused mind has started to calm down, and I'm able to analyze the situation more rationally.
So, I'm just going to say it clearly.
What is the relationship between Tak-kun and Natalie-chan?
Seriously, what is it? Are they friends? Are they lovers?
Their closeness makes me uncomfortable.
They’re always together, and of course, they sleep in the same room. The closeness between them, for a pair of young adults, is honestly... weird.
Just yesterday, when I woke up in the morning, Natalie-chan had crawled into Tak-kun’s bed... and she was cuddling him, soundly and peacefully sleeping...
Tak-kun, on his part, didn’t seem to get excited by the situation; he just looked vaguely annoyed and ignored it...
Their conversations don’t sound like those of a couple, more like close friends... or maybe partners in crime.
But Natalie-chan constantly flaunts her "wife status" 24/7... Honestly, I don’t understand at all.
Speaking of not understanding, I couldn’t make sense of Tak-kun’s recent behavior either.
Like today. Both of them are studying to transfer to my high school.
The time they have before the transfer exams is only two weeks, and the time to study is incredibly limited.
And yet, the actions Tak-kun and Natalie-chan have taken to catch up on their lost academic skills... are completely beyond my comprehension.
Seriously, can you understand?
They’re trying to learn all the middle school material by just reading books in the bookstore’s reading corner.
They’re not going to a cram school or anything; they’re just reading reference books on the shelves, trying to get into my high school!
No, no, no! What are they even doing?
My high school isn’t one with a low level of difficulty where you can just read a book and pass the transfer exam!
In fact, it’s one of the top schools in the area! I was looking forward to going to school with Tak-kun, but this is just going to be an empty hope!
When I pointed this out and tried to teach them from a reference book, both Tak-kun and Natalie-chan politely turned me down, saying, “It won’t be enough anyway.”
They really just want to stand there together, reading books happily.
What is this... they’ve created their own little world.
I sat on a bench in the bookstore, watching them intensely read their books, completely absorbed in their own world.
But... they’ve been like this for six hours already.
For the past five days, they’ve been reading books non-stop from open to close.
When it comes to focus, they’re impressive. It’s just not exactly a behavior to commend.
While I was absentmindedly watching them, Natalie-chan returned the book she’d been reading to the shelf, stretched, and then said something to Tak-kun before running over to me.
“Sister-in-law~. We’re done with studying, let’s go look around the store~”
“............Huh?”
She grabbed my hand with a big smile, and even though she was small, she pulled me along with ease.
“We don’t want to keep you stuck with us studying forever, so let’s go buy clothes~”
I don’t know... When I see her carefree smile, it hurts in my chest... I came here trying to interrupt their bond, but when she says things like that, I just feel guilty.
Trying to shake off that guilt, I turned the conversation back.
“A-are you sure your studying is okay?”
“No problem~. It’s perfect~”
“R-really?”
Where is this confidence coming from, after just reading a reference book?
I can’t help but feel like they’re seriously underestimating the efforts of real students.
“Hehehe~. Sister-in-law really worries about me, huh? That’s why I like you~”
Seeing Natalie-chan happily smiling innocently, I couldn’t help but feel a jolt in my chest. For a moment, I almost thought I was falling for her, even though we’re both girls.
I really wish she wouldn’t smile at me with that doll-like, perfectly symmetrical face. And on top of that, being so friendly? That’s just unfair.
Even without that, Natalie-chan already stands out in a crowd, and with the way she smiles so frequently, it’s like she’s an angel.
Just now, even the people around us couldn’t help but...
“Huh? What’s wrong, Sister-in-law?”
Natalie-chan, noticing my stunned silence, looked at me suspiciously.
I couldn’t answer her.
I couldn’t.
In fact, I couldn’t focus on anything else at that moment.
Because in my line of sight, there was a man I desperately didn’t want to see, the one I had been avoiding for so long.
The man I absolutely didn’t want to get involved with.
And now, that man was staring at us, who had gathered some attention.
With a smile full of disgust, that man shouted at me.
“Hey!… Shibusaki… Why the hell won’t you answer my calls!?”
I had been found by the worst person.
Terror seized me, and I instinctively gripped Natalie-chan’s arm tightly.
Tengawa Ogami.
At my high school, there isn’t a student who doesn’t know this guy.
With a tall, athletic body and muscles that could rival any professional athlete, his abnormal strength was said to be so immense that even professional fighters could be easily incapacitated by him.
If he were to practice martial arts, it’s said he’d become a top contender in no time. He has a kind of natural talent for it.
But if only he had the right personality to go with it... Unfortunately, the heavens didn’t give him both.
He was mentally broken to a pathological degree.
He causes trouble wherever he goes and hurts people for no reason at all.
He seems to take great pleasure in seeing others in pain or distress, and as a result, many students had to stop attending school due to his bullying.
What’s worse, his parents were influential figures in the local community, and they had enough power to easily cover up any problems. Even teachers couldn’t stop him.
A tyrant doing as he pleased.
The cancer of our generation.
That’s who Ogami Tengawa was.
“Shibusaki!! Are you listening to me!? Hey!!”
As the demon-like figure of Ogami approached, shaking his shoulders to intimidate, my legs felt as heavy as lead.
At the same time, my vision blurred with tears of fear. My stomach began to ache.
This man had been stalking me for so long.
“I’m gonna get the car now! Today, you’re coming with me—”
Just as Ogami’s hand reached out to me, Natalie-chan pulled me into her embrace.
<Don't touch me.>
Then, a strong, clear voice rang out.
At that moment, I didn’t even know whose voice it was.
“Huh? What’s this? You wanna get in my way after Shibusaki? You think I won’t break you too!?”
<What? Do you want to die?>
“Huh!? What the hell!? What’s with that attitude!? I’ve decided. I’m gonna mess you up too!!”
<OK. I’ll kill you!>
It was only then that I realized Natalie-chan was speaking to defend me.
The owner of the calm, resolute voice was Natalie-chan.
As I was stunned by the unfamiliar tone of her voice, a light chop came from behind, as though trying to stop her.
“Hey... what’s with all the killing intent?”
It was Tak-kun.
It seemed that he had finished his studies and came back.
As more people gathered, Ogami-kun’s expression grew darker.
“Takashi!! I didn’t do anything wrong! It’s this guy! This muscle-bound idiot is the one being disrespectful! Let’s crush him!!”
“Look... don’t cause trouble for ordinary people...”
“I’m not the one causing trouble! It’s him! He’s been following around Sister-in-law!”
“Following my sister?”
Tak-kun turned his gaze toward Ogami-kun after hearing that.
He stared at him for a while, and then, in the next moment, said something completely unexpected.
“Is this guy sister’s boyfriend?”
“No!!”
I couldn’t help but shout out loud.
There’s no way I’d ever accept someone like him! I’m totally devoted to Tak-kun!
“S-sorry... I just thought maybe my sister's boyfriend was annoying Natalie and making her mad... since she has a short temper...”
“From that comment, you can tell what Takashi thinks of me, huh...”
Ogami-kun watched the exchange between Tak-kun and Natalie-chan with great interest.
What’s with that look... like he’s planning something...?
Feeling a bit uneasy, Ogami-kun suddenly spoke to Tak-kun.
“Are you Shibusaki’s brother? I heard you were off fighting in a war or something...”
“Huh? Yeah, that’s me... How do you know so much?”
“Hmm...”
He flashed a grin, then, without saying another word, walked away.
Tak-kun and Natalie-chan both had confused expressions on their faces.
“What’s up with that guy? Why’s he wearing such a tight shirt? You can see his nipples through it.”
“No idea~. Maybe he’s too stupid to even know his own size?”
“Hey, you two! Shh!”
I quickly shushed them, not knowing how much trouble we could be in.
Fortunately, it seemed Ogami-kun hadn’t heard them, but if he had, it could have been life-threatening.
Someone like him wouldn’t let anything slide.
But why did he leave so easily?
With his obsessive nature, I thought things would escalate into a big problem...
I was confused but relieved that we had somehow avoided further trouble for the moment.
I was just glad nothing had happened to Tak-kun and the others, especially after they had just come back.
But then, an hour later, I received a short message.
【If you don’t want your brother to get killed, come to my house.】
It seems I have a tendency to be bullied easily by boys.
Back in elementary school, I was bullied by all the boys in the school, and if I wore a skirt, it would get lifted up every minute.
Since my younger brother disappeared, the teasing lessened, probably out of sympathy, but it never fully stopped.
According to my friends, I have a look that somehow stirs sadistic tendencies, and it seems they just can't help but want to bully me.
I’ve even had female friends with tendencies toward same-sex attraction try to come on to me quite seriously... so I suppose they might be right.
The first time I caught Ogami-kun's attention was about six months after I entered my current high school.
Perhaps he was drawn to my tendency to be a target for bullying, and he started obsessively sticking to me.
He would suddenly shout at me, shove me, or throw things at me.
At first, I thought it was just a temporary thing, so I stayed silent and endured whatever he did.
I had heard the bad rumors about Ogami-kun, and I didn’t know what he might do if I resisted or rejected him.
So, I continued to endure until he lost interest.
But then... as he kept teasing me, Ogami-kun started saying things like I should become his girl.
Why...?
I just wanted him to stop.
If I had known it would come to this, I should have rejected him with all my might. Though, even if I had rejected him, I’m not sure things would’ve gotten any better.
Every day, I was threatened to become his girl.
If I turned down his advances, my classmates would be beaten as punishment.
It wasn’t me who was being hit.
By hitting my classmates, Ogami-kun indirectly cornered me.
My classmates were kind and protected me with everything they had, but that only made things worse for me.
Because of me, my classmates got hurt. It didn’t matter if they were boys or girls. The moment they protected me, they would be violently attacked by Ogami-kun.
It was so painful that I couldn’t go to school anymore.
The last emotional support I had, the school, was taken away from me, and my heart broke.
That's right...
I had forgotten in my joy of Tak-kun’s return...
I... was a school dropout...
“Eh? You finished studying for the exam already? Isn’t that too early?”
"Hehe~ With my abilities, it’s no problem at all! What’s an entrance exam to me!"
“I’m only about 30% done...”
After returning from the department store, we were having a slightly late afternoon snack.
Tak-kun and Natalie-chan were chatting excitedly about how they felt about today’s studying.
It seemed they had completely forgotten about the encounter with Ogami-kun.
"By the way, Takashi, you finished studying early too, right? Why’s that?"
"After Natalie stopped browsing, the store clerk immediately told her off. 'How long are you going to be standing there reading? Get out!'"
"Oh my..."
"Well, if you stand there reading all day long, it’s no surprise they’d get mad..."
Seeing the two of them working hard to get into my high school, my heart tightened.
My high school has him in it.
The demon called Ogami.
"But you know... when Natalie was browsing, the clerk was smiling at her, but why did they suddenly get mad when I was alone? I got yelled at with such a scowl."
"Well, that's because I get the 'cute girl' discount, you know~. And I'm practically a future high school girl, so it’s inevitable~."
"Why’s that... I’ve got a cute face from a distance, don’t I...?"
After today, the two of them have seen my face.
Even if I were to drop out now, Ogami-kun would probably use Tak-kun and Natalie-chan to try to lure me out.
Ogami-kun wouldn’t miss an opportunity to exploit my weak points.
Without a doubt, Tak-kun and the others would be in danger.
And that... I couldn’t bear.
I don’t want to make them suffer after they came back alive...
I don’t want to involve Tak-kun and the others.
Should I just resign myself to it and accept his invitation?
Is there really no other choice...?
"Sis. You think I’m cute, right?"
"Ahahahaha! You’re overthinking, Takashi~. Ahahahaha!"
That’s right.
If I just endure it, it will be fine.
If I keep running away, everything I hold dear will be destroyed.
If that’s the case, I’ll just have to endure.
Yes.
That’s the right thing to do.
"Sis? What’s with that blank stare? Are you listening to me?"
Tak-kun’s face came closer to mine.
Just as our noses were about to touch, I realized they had been calling my name.
"Eh? Huh? What? Huh? Wh-what?"
"Sis, aren’t you overreacting too much?"
"You’ve been acting like this since we got home, what happened?"
Panicking, I hastily tried to brush it off.
"W-what are you talking about? It’s, it’s nothing, just the usual, you know?"
"You’re really bad at hiding it, aren’t you?"
Tak-kun gave a small smile while Natalie-chan, eating some sweets, pointed it out.
"Most likely, you were thinking about that guy from earlier, right? Ever since you met him, you’ve been acting all weird..."
"N-No, th-there’s no such thing..."
"Come to think of it, he said something about stalking you. Is he a stalker?"
With Natalie-chan’s words, Tak-kun’s face grew serious.
I don’t want to involve them.
I have to change the subject somehow.
"No, no! There’s nothing to worry about!"
"You went from not talking at all after we got back from the department store, and now there’s nothing?"
"!!... I-I was just thinking about something! Just... thinking..."
"What’s with that almost-tearful face while thinking?"
"!!..."
His precise observation made me flinch.
I never thought Tak-kun would notice me this much.
With those words, the emotions I had partially resigned myself to were shaken.
I want help.
I don’t want to involve them.
I want to be saved.
I mustn’t drag them into this.
These two conflicting emotions attacked me all at once.
Unable to say anything, I looked down, and Tak-kun gently murmured in a soft voice.
"Sis. It's better to talk to someone about your problems than to try and solve them by yourself. When you try to handle it alone, your perspective gets limited, and you can’t deal with it properly. Sometimes, just talking it out can solve things more easily than you think."
My vision blurred.
If I cry now, it will be undeniable that something is bothering me.
But even though I knew I shouldn’t cry, I couldn’t control my emotions in response to Tak-kun’s kind words.
"Just say it. We’re family, after all."
"......Ah... Ah... Ahhh..."
With those words, my heart broke. Large tears began to fall uncontrollably.
At this point, I couldn’t hide anything anymore.
With a guilty feeling of dragging them into this and a deep sense of gratitude for them listening to me, I became a mess of emotions and told them about the situation I was in.
5.
"What an outrageous guy."
"Seriously."
After hearing the situation from Sis, we were both left dumbfounded by this guy named Ogami.
It turns out that Sis has been harassed by a guy much more troublesome than we had imagined. No wonder she’s been silent about it.
"Seriously, what kind of upbringing would turn someone into that much of a scumbag? He’s a level of trash that isn’t even funny."
"I’d want someone like him on the battlefield. Though, I’d kill him off immediately."
Natalie seemed to have an intense dislike for him as well, tapping her temple with her index finger, clearly showing her disgust.
This is getting bad...
Lately, Natalie has started showing a nasty habit I hadn’t seen in a while. If Ogami and Natalie cross paths again, things could get dangerous.
"By the way, I got a text message from him just now…"
Sis said, showing her smartphone towards us.
On the screen was a message that read, "If you don’t come, I’ll kill him."
Kill him, huh...
"Hmm."
"Why are you so calm about this, Tak-kun? Aren’t you scared?"
"Scared?"
"Well, Ogami-kun is threatening you, right? Aren’t you scared of him targeting you?"
"I never thought of it like that..."
Now that I think about it, it would be terrifying if a guy of his build cornered me. Especially with how fragile Sis is.
I’ve been on the battlefield for so long, I’ve kind of lost touch with those feelings. It’s like I can’t keep up with peaceful everyday thinking.
As I thought about that while staring at the phone she was holding up, Sis spoke in an apologetic tone.
"Well... I was thinking maybe it’d be better if I went to meet him instead, if it means you won’t be hurt..."
"What are you saying, Sis..."
Her vision has completely narrowed.
I don’t want her to go along with Ogami’s plan. I’m really glad I listened to her worries.
"Look, all you have to do is ignore him. Don’t give him any attention."
"Eeh? N-No... but... what if he does something worse if I ignore him..."
"Then just report it to the police. That’s what the police are for."
"Th-the police? The police..."
Sis put her hand on her chin, thinking deeply.
"If I report it to the police, I’ll probably get into even worse trouble... even if he gets arrested, he’ll be released quickly, and I’ll definitely make him hold a grudge..."
"Then just ignore him. Give me your phone for a second."
I snatched the phone from in front of me and quickly started typing.
In about two minutes, I returned the phone to Sis, who was left dumbfounded.
"Done. That’s the end of it."
"Eh!? W-what did you do, Tak-kun...?"
"I blocked him and set up a reception block. I also sent a message saying, 'I’m going to report this to the police, so you can tremble in your sleep.'"
"Ta-Tak-kun───────!?!?"
"Ahahahaha!! Takashi, that’s the way to go! That’s what I’m talking about, Takashi! Ahahahaha!!"
Natalie clapped her hands and laughed. It seemed like the tension in the room had dropped, and I felt relieved.
"W-what did you do!? This is bad... this is really bad..."
"It’ll be fine. You worry too much, Sis."
"Tak-kun, you’re saying that because you don’t know how scary Ogami-kun is..."
"It’ll be fine, trust me. Don’t worry. As long as me and Natalie are together, nothing will happen to you."
"Then... you and Natalie-chan will be the ones in danger..."
Sis looked at me with teary eyes, her gaze filled with concern.
This person... she’s always worrying about others more than herself...
I smiled at Sis, trying to reassure her.
"It’ll work out!"
"It won’t work out!!"
Sis’s shout echoed through the dining room.
◇◇◇
"Ahh!!? You’ve gotta be kidding me, you piece of shit!!"
The moment he read the message, Tengawa Ogami hurled his smartphone across the room.
The phone struck the wall with a loud thud, the screen cracking upon impact.
"Damn it!! You think you can mess with me, huh!? Damn it all!!"
Unable to contain his frustration, he pounded the wall repeatedly with his fists.
His rage wasn’t baseless. It all stemmed from a single text message he had just received.
The content? A threat to report me to the police.
And what made it worse was the sender—none other than Karin Shibusaki.
That timid girl, who seemed incapable of voicing her opinion, had the audacity to send something like this.
Ogamii’s anger surged as he felt his pride trampled on by her actions.
This was a man who had ruined the lives of numerous classmates.
Through threats of harming not just them but their loved ones, he had forced them to obey and subjected them to merciless torment.
For someone like him, who was used to getting his way through intimidation, the fact that his usual methods hadn’t worked was intolerable.
To make matters worse, she had dared to say she’d call the police. The mocking tone in the text only added fuel to his fury.
The situation spiraling out of his control drove Ogamii into a murderous rage.
His thoughts began to twist into something far more sinister.
I’ll destroy them.
I’ll destroy everything.
I’ll break her right in front of her little brother.
I’ll drive Karin insane while I violate her over and over again.
That blonde girl too.
I’ll make them regret being alive.
Maybe I’ll force her little brother to watch his sister’s humiliation. That might be fun.
I’ll make her regret ever crossing me. Every last moment of her life will be filled with regret.
Until her dying breath.
A vile grin spread across his face as he walked over to retrieve the phone he had thrown.
Ignoring the cracks on the screen, he began tapping away, summoning his crew without delay.
6.
The next day.
My sister, Natalie, and I were walking towards a different bookstore than yesterday.
After yesterday’s incident, my sister had said that going outside was dangerous, but with the entrance exam approaching, I couldn’t stay holed up at home. I didn’t want to miss out on the dream school life, so I forced my sister to come with me, and the three of us went out.
Originally, I had planned for Natalie and my sister to stay behind, but I changed my mind, thinking it would be disastrous if Ogamii showed up while we were gone.
Knowing Natalie, she wouldn’t show any mercy in that situation. I didn’t want to come home to find a bunch of police cars parked in front of the house. So, for Ogamii’s sake too, I decided it was best to stick together today...
"Takashi~. We’re being followed~."
"I know."
Behind us, three men were tailing us as we walked. From their gait and the way they shifted their weight, it looked like they were carrying something like a tool knife.
They didn’t seem very skilled at following, and their roughness was obvious. It was bad that I noticed them, especially considering I wasn’t the target—Natalie should’ve been the only one aware of this.
I didn’t expect them to act so quickly after yesterday. I was impressed by their ability to move on their plans immediately.
"These guys are annoying~. Takashi~. Can I take care of them?"
"If you do, you'll go overboard. I want to resolve this smoothly, so just wait for a bit."
I calmed Natalie down and turned onto a less crowded street.
My sister, looking confused, asked, "Huh? Tak-kun, where are you going? The bookstore’s this way, though."
"I thought I’d deal with your worries first."
"Huh? Huh? What do you mean?"
"Never mind, never mind."
I said, pushing my confused sister’s back. The men following us also followed suit.
After a few minutes down the quiet side road, a van suddenly pulled up beside us.
"W-What!? Huh? Huh? W-What’s going on!?"
My sister, startled by the sudden turn of events, let out a cute, trembling voice.
Beside her, Natalie had a half-smile on her face.
What a difference.
It’s scary how used to this Natalie and Shelley are. My sister’s reaction was so fresh.
I was impressed by her cute, girly response when suddenly a large man got out of the van.
It was Ogamii.
"Shibusaki!! Oraa!! Urraa!!"
He was wearing a ski mask, but with his tight shirt and lack of intimidation in his voice, it was unmistakably him.
The build was the same, too. There was no reason to hide his face.
My sister stared in shock at his appearance, and Natalie quietly readied herself for a fight. I hurriedly stepped in front of them.
I needed to keep an eye on Natalie’s movements, or else a pile of bodies might form in the next instant.
"Ahh!? What the hell are you, punk!? You want to die!?"
"Don’t get cocky just because there’s a girl here, huh!!"
"We’re gonna kill you! Get in the damn car!!"
When I stepped forward, one of Ogamii’s buddies started shouting, misinterpreting the situation.
Are these guys really this stupid?
"Calm down... if you keep shouting like that, you’ll get reported..."
"T-Tak-kun!! It’s fine if they get reported!! What are you saying!?"
My sister gave a more than reasonable retort.
I understood how she felt, but in this situation, calling the police wouldn’t solve anything.
This all started from a simple, provoked email—look where we are now.
It’s better to settle this here and now.
"Why are you after my sister? If you want to express your feelings, there’s a better way to go about it."
"Shut up, you! Who do you think you’re talking to, huh!? Don’t get cocky with Ogamii!!"
"If you keep shouting, Ogamii can’t speak! Apologize! Apologize to Ogamii right now!!"
"…………Huh? Huh? N-No, I mean, Ogamii-san!! I’m sorry!!"
My joke was taken seriously by Ogamii's underling A.
These guys are really stupid.
"You... are you mocking me? Huh?"
Ogamii's mouth twitched. His eyes were bloodshot.
"Huh? I don't want to mock you. You probably smell bad."
"Aaahhh!!"
"Eh... What’s with that reaction? Did you want me to lick you?"
"I didn’t say anything like that!!"
"Then why’d you get so mad...?"
Is he just looking for attention?
Even through the mask, I could see Ogamii's face turning red as he muttered in a trembling voice.
"This is the first time I’ve been mocked like this... I’ll never forgive you... Never... I’ll never forgive you..."
He huffed and puffed, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he began saying things no one asked for.
"I’m going to break you... while I make Shibusaki scream... even if you cry or scream, I won’t forgive you... I’ll torture you... while I completely break her... you’re mocking me... I’ll show you hell on earth..."
"You're disgusting."
What is this creep doing, suddenly exposing his fetishes?
I think I just heard the grossest confession in the world.
"Takashi."
Natalie’s voice, full of genuine disgust, rang out.
"What?"
"You said it, didn’t you? That you’d make high school life fun and make me cry at graduation?"
"I did."
"Can you really make me have fun, with this piece of crap in the same school? Can you make me cry at graduation?"
"……………………"
"Takashi. I don’t want to go to the school where this guy is."
"Yeah... I get it..."
I agree.
After seeing this firsthand, it’s clear this guy is even more twisted than I thought.
If he’s just talking about bothering my sister, he won’t stop with just words.
What should I do...?
"Hey, you trash."
While I was pondering, Natalie stepped forward, pointing at Ogamii.
"Aaahhh!? What the hell do you want!!"
"Don’t you feel embarrassed? You gather your buddies and attack women to satisfy your own desires. If I were you, I’d be so ashamed I’d kill myself."
"Aaaahhh!?"
"Shut up... don’t get all worked up and shout like that... I’m not your mom."
She then stood right in front of Ogamii and, almost spitting out her words, said:
"Go complain to your mommy, you mama’s boy."
Even through the mask, I could tell Ogamii's expression had changed.
He gritted his teeth and raised his clenched fist.
I had hoped to resolve this peacefully, but that was no longer an option.
I let out a sigh and stomped my foot on the ground.
7.
Natalie, provoking Ogamii-kun, finally pushed him to the edge, and he threw a punch at her.
Before anyone could stop him, his fist hit Natalie’s face with a sharp "thud."
It looked like it really hit her.
That’s because... Natalie and Ogamii were at a distance from us, and there was only a few seconds between her provoking him and the punch landing.
So, no one should have been able to stop Ogamii in time... yet, Tak-kun stopped Ogamii's punch with just one hand.
W-When did he move? By the time I realized, he was already standing next to Natalie.
And to stop that big guy’s punch with one hand... H-how is this happening?
"Natalie’s right."
Tak-kun’s usual, calm voice echoed.
His voice sounded the same, except for the fact that he was holding Ogamii’s fist.
"If someone like this is around, we’d never be able to live out that dream school life."
"Exactly. Even Shelly wouldn’t be able to rest easily."
"He’s not dead."
T-The atmosphere is weird...
Beside the two of them, Ogami-kun was crouched down with an agonized expression, holding the fist that was being restrained, trying to endure the pain.
It wasn’t anything complicated.
Just by holding onto the fist, Tak-kun had completely stopped Ogamii’s movement.
"Hey, Ogami."
Tak-kun called out to the suffering Ogamii-kun.
Ogamii-kun, whose mouth was foaming with blood from clenching his teeth, seemed too far gone to respond.
"You started this, so you better be ready," Takashi said, then crushed the fist he was holding.
The sickening sound of bones shattering echoed in the air.
At the same time, Tak-kun swept Ogamii-kun’s feet out from under him. The shock of having his hand destroyed caused Ogamii-kun to freeze for a moment, and Takashi forcefully slammed him onto his back.
That wasn’t the sound of a kick… it was more like the thud of something heavy hitting the ground.
As Ogamii-kun lay on his back, Tak-kun clenched his fist and raised it.
The fist came down, swinging with a terrifying force. The sound it made was like two trucks colliding head-on, a deafening roar that made the air vibrate.
The impact sent dust and debris flying, and the asphalt itself cracked from the shock.
W-What is this scene...?
The sudden chaos left everyone—including me—rooted to the spot, unable to do anything but watch in shock.
Well, Natalie-chan was different… She was watching with a completely unfazed expression on her face…
After the dust settled, we could see Ogami-kun, crouched down, clutching his head.
Whether it was the pain from his hand or the fear from the shock, his face twisted in agony as tears streamed down.
For a moment, I thought maybe a meteor had fallen, but no... that shock definitely came from Tak-kun...
Tak-kun pulled his fist from the ground, then grabbed Ogamii by the head and easily lifted him with one hand.
Looking down at the trembling Ogamii-kun with an uninterested glare, Tak-kun clicked his tongue and then addressed Ogamii-kun’s frightened followers.
"Could you show me the way to his house?"
"...Ah...?"
"Hey, don’t ignore me. It’ll make me feel lonely."
"Hi—hiieee!"
They were all completely terrified.
It was understandable. After seeing that incomprehensible display of power, even I had almost wet myself.
"Takashi, are we moving now? Why not just corner them here?"
"No… His eardrums are probably ruptured from that shock. Trying to talk now would be pointless."
"That's not good. Why did you even punch the ground like that?"
"I wanted to scare the hell out of him... I went a bit overboard though."
"You're such a klutz."
"People will come if they hear that sound, so we should move. Also, Ogamii’s still a high schooler, so his parents will have to take responsibility from here."
"Should I go with you?"
"No, I’ll be fine on my own. You and Sis go hang out. I'll be back by tomorrow morning."
"Okay~"
As always, their conversation was casual, almost like nothing unusual was happening.
Watching them casually chat while Tak-kun was crushing the road with his bare hands, I finally realized just how abnormal they were.
W-What happened to Tak-kun on the battlefield…?
"Alright, let's go, you guys. If you don’t want to end up like Ogamii, you better listen up. It’s pointless to try running away."
"Hiiee—!"
"Don’t be so scared. If you listen to me, I’ll let you go home."
"R-Really?!"
"Only Ogamii matters right now. If you help me, I’ll let you all go back safe and sound."
"U-Understood!!"
The trembling Ogamii-kun was surrounded by his followers, who forced him into the car they arrived in.
"Well, I’ll be going now."
With that, Tak-kun also got into the car and drove off somewhere.
Left behind were just me and Natalie.
"Sister-in-law~! Let’s go get some sweets~!"
She said, smiling as if nothing had happened, and I could only stand there in stunned silence.
The next morning, Tak-kun, who had come back as if nothing had happened, urged me to go outside.
I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask, but Tak-kun insisted on me stepping outside, so I reluctantly went to the front door and found Ogamii-kun and his parents, waiting there on their knees, bowing.
As soon as they saw me, they started loudly crying and babbling out apologies.
The Ogamii family, renowned for their status in the local area, were now crying pitifully, their pride completely shattered.
"I talked to Ogamii’s parents about the situation, and all they could say was that they wanted to apologize to you," Takashi said.
R-Really?
It’s hard to believe that the Ogamii family, who had been covering up Ogamii-kun’s misdeeds, would come all the way here to apologize just because of a conversation…
And, the way the three of them were trembling… it wasn’t normal.
They were glancing at Tak-kun with eyes that looked like they were staring at a monster.
What could they have talked about to make them act like this…?
"Shibusaki-san! We’re so sorry!!"
"I-I’m terribly sorry for my foolish son! P-Please, spare his life! I beg you!!"
Ogamii’s father and mother cried out desperately.
W-What is this...? Why are they begging for his life…?
"Sister-in-law~! These guys said they’ll do anything~. How about we start by cutting off a finger?"
"D-Don’t do that!!"
"Oh, let’s feed it to the fish~," Natalie said with a laugh.
I wish she’d stop with these jokes. When Natalie-chan says things like that, it doesn’t sound like a joke at all.
"This is what we need in times like these—money. Here, a passbook."
"W-What’s this?"
Tak-kun handed over several well-worn passbooks, along with a seal.
I-I don’t believe it… could this be…?
"These are their savings. You can withdraw as much as you want."
"I can’t accept this!!"
Looking closely, it wasn’t just savings accounts—it also included time deposits and insurance policies… They’d brought everything they could gather.
"Sister-in-law~! Maybe you should take the money. After all, they’ve caused us trouble~."
"That’s right, sis. You deserve to take it. Right?"
Tak-kun turned to Ogamii’s family.
Except for Ogamii-kun, who couldn’t hear, you could see how everyone else jumped at the suggestion.
"Of course! We’ll give you everything…"
"See?"
"Ogamii’s family is in full-on panic mode, huh? You can tell that Tak-kun is threatening them," I thought to myself.
What did they talk about to make them act this way...?
"No, we don’t want the money! You’ve already apologized properly!"
"Huh? You’re planning on letting them off for free?"
"That’s right!"
If I accept this money, I’m afraid I might get them back on my bad side later.
I don’t want that. I just want to live peacefully.
"Natalie, did you hear that? She’s not going to do anything. There’s a Yamato Nadeshiko here, you know."
"Hah~. I thought you were really kind, but your kindness knows no bounds~."
"I thought for sure you’d at least say something like ‘castrate them,’ but… I guess this pair of pliers wasn’t needed after all."
Tak-kun pulled a large pair of pliers from his pocket and placed them on the ground.
What was he planning to do with that?
"T-Thank you so much! We’ll change our ways from now on!"
As Ogamii’s father heard our exchange, he sighed in relief, but Tak-kun’s cold voice cut through the moment.
"Sis may say that, but you don’t really think you’re just walking away, do you?"
"Huh?"
"Your son has done all that, and you think there will be no consequences? From what I’ve heard, it seems your son’s actions have ruined countless lives."
"Aah... Ugh..."
Tak-kun crouched down to meet their gaze and muttered in a chilling voice.
"Distribute all the money here to the victims. Then move out immediately and never come back."
"Y-Yes..."
"At the very least, you’re never to step foot in Kanto, Chubu, or Kinki again. I never want to see your faces again."
"U-Understood..."
The Ogamii family lowered their heads, their faces down.
Despite the unreasonable demands, they complied so easily that it was almost frightening.
"Move out today. If I see you around tomorrow or later, I’ll be angry. Alright, dismissed!"
With a sharp clap of his hands, Tak-kun caused them to jump to their feet and flee.
There was no trace left of Ogamii, once known as a tyrant, who no one could stop.
"Now that the errands are done, I guess I’ll get back to studying for the exam~."
Tak-kun stretched next to me, and it seemed that everything had changed because of his actions.
8.
One week after the Ogamii incident, the entrance exams for me and Natalie were successfully completed.
My academic performance was pretty borderline, so I was anxious, but the exam itself was actually quite simple, and I managed to finish without any issues.
I feel like I answered about 90% correctly, so I should be fine. Probably.
By the way, Natalie seemed to handle it effortlessly. As expected of her.
When we got home and were casually chatting about our upcoming high school life, my sister suddenly barged in with a serious expression.
She puckered her lips, furrowed her cute, troubled brows.
What’s with that face? Is she mad?
Confused by my sister’s unusual demeanor, she pointed directly at me.
"Tak-kun! Now that the entrance exams are over, you're going to tell me, right?"
"Tell you what?"
"About your body, Tak-kun!"
My sister stared directly at me. It seemed like she had figured out that I had undergone modifications.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"Don’t play dumb! Something definitely happened to you on the battlefield! Otherwise, there's no way you could shatter asphalt with human strength!"
"It’s nothing, really. After all, my beloved sister was in trouble, right? In that kind of situation, I could probably break the ground with sheer willpower."
"A-Aw... no! You’re not fooling me! I love you, Tak-kun, but right now, you’re answering my questions!"
With her face turning bright red, my sister vigorously shook her head.
She still had that reaction that made teasing her so rewarding. Every little gesture of hers was just too cute.
"Takashi~ just say it~. With all this suspicion, there’s no way you can keep hiding it~."
Natalie laughed, munching on a rice cracker.
Well, yeah.
I had already regretted breaking the asphalt, and I was certain my sister would interrogate me about it.
Actually, I was relieved she didn’t ask anything until after the exams were done. As expected of a Yamato Nadeshiko, a pro at being considerate.
"Can you keep this a secret from Dad and Mom? I don’t want to add more worry to them."
"Ah... okay. I understand."
Now, where should I start...
Since it’s a military secret, I can’t go into every detail. On the other hand, summarizing it might make it even harder to understand, which is a dilemma.
"How much do you know about the war I was involved in, sis?"
"Only that Space Invaders attacked... I was so worried about whether you were okay, so I searched all over the internet, but I couldn’t find anything about it."
"Heh~. It was heavily censored, huh?"
It seems she doesn’t know much about the war. If I say too much, she might end up being put under military control, so I’ll explain only what’s safe to talk about.
"To cut it short, Natalie and I were modified by the military. To eliminate the aliens, thoroughly."
"....Huh? M-Modifications?"
"Sending a middle schooler like me into a battlefield without training is obviously ridiculous, right? So, they selected people with potential to turn them into modified humans."
My sister’s eyes widened, and her mouth moved soundlessly.
Tentatively, she took my hand and started rubbing it, with an expression as if she couldn’t believe it.
"M-Modifications... Does that mean you’re part machine?"
"Some were turned into machines, but mine is a little different... I’ve incorporated various things to enhance my physical abilities."
"Y-You’re right, your hands are soft and warm... what kind of 'things' did you incorporate?"
"Well... I’m not really allowed to say..."
"Ah... I see. You can’t tell me..."
I knew she would be shocked.
I couldn’t tell her I had absorbed the cells of aliens. It was too much to explain.
When I think about it, the military’s methods were crazy. They must have completely thrown away any sense of humanity.
But I guess it was necessary to survive.
"S-So, as a result of the modifications, you became strong enough to shatter asphalt?"
"Something like that."
"That’s not all though~. Takashi is amazing, you know~!"
Natalie, who was smiling happily, started saying something unnecessary.
"Takashi's adaptability was so extraordinary, it was unmatched among all the soldiers, so he was able to accept all the experimental treatments without any side effects!"
"Natalie."
"Because of that, he gained an insane amount of strength and endurance, becoming the ultimate trump card against the aliens. He became famous as the so-called 'final achievement of humanity.'"
"Natalie."
"Seriously, Takashi's achievements were incredible. Once he joined the fight, the tide of war turned, and if Takashi hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here, and neither would Shelly...!”
"Natalie, stop talking about military secrets so casually!"
I gave her a couple of quick chops on the head.
"Eh-heh, it’s fine~" Natalie said with a carefree smile as she went back to munching on her rice cracker.
She really doesn’t take the military seriously...
As I switched to an iron claw and massaged her head, my sister, looking confused, asked me a question.
"Um... can I ask you something?"
"What is it, sis?"
"T-Takashi, you're still human, right?"
I’m not sure what she means by that... I can understand why she’d want to ask, but still.
"..................What if I said I’m a monster?"
I grinned wickedly.
It was just a small joke as usual, but my sister didn’t react to my smile.
She kept her expression serious and faced me with a calm demeanor.
"Nothing’s changed..."
"Huh?"
After muttering under her breath, she continued, her voice trembling.
"I... I didn’t know... while I was living my normal life, all this... this crazy stuff was happening to you..."
Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes as she kept a straight face.
"Tak-kun, no matter what kind of body you have now, you're still my family... and Natalie-chan too..."
Tears streamed down her face as she hugged me around the neck.
"No matter what happens to you, we’re family! You’ve fought for us until now! This time, I’ll protect you! I swear! I swear I will!!"
And then, her shaking voice turned into sobs.
"For us... sniff... really... thank you... uuu... waaaaah!"
My sister broke into loud, uncontrollable tears.
Both Natalie and I looked at each other in surprise.
I never thought I’d be thanked for having been modified, even though people might resent the modifications.
These were the words no one in the military ever said to me. I never expected to hear them from my sister.
The words I wanted to hear the most...
"Your sister is such a kind person, huh~? Hehe... I'm really happy~..."
Natalie, who usually doesn’t show such a gentle expression, had a soft smile on her face.
She was clearly overjoyed. Her eyes were slightly moist.
"Now we’ll be going to the same high school as this amazing sister of mine. It’s going to be so much fun."
"Yeah, you’re right."
"Let’s start our ordinary and fun high school life!"
"Yeah!"
While patting my sister’s head as she nuzzled my neck, I shared a smile with Natalie.
There was a small issue with the Ogamii incident, but it was all resolved now. From here on, we could just enjoy life.
I thought there would be no more trouble.
It turns out, I was wrong.
I was seriously wrong.
I never imagined that a heartfelt reunion with my childhood friend would turn into a mess because of Natalie, or that a comrade from the military would come to Japan and suddenly enroll in my high school, or that an international singing sensation I met during the war would visit.
Our once-ordinary, peaceful daily life was about to take a loud, chaotic turn.
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