Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093093152263860/episodes/16818792436173541612
Two days later――.
Kagurazaka came to Toka’s house incognito. Apparently, Kagurazaka’s manager (?)—the one I saw at the shopping center—had gone out of their way to drive her here and back. A luxury foreign car, completely out of place in this apartment complex, was parked in the lot.
“Long time no see, Onee chan!”
“Well, it hasn’t been that long.”
Toka and Kagurazaka’s voices drifted from the entrance.
I was still recuperating in bed today. My fever had gone down and I was feeling better, but just to be safe, I decided to spend another day resting.
“Listen, listen! I have so much I want to talk to you about!”
“I don’t really have anything…”
Will I be able to sleep through this…? For some reason, I’m feeling incredibly nervous.
“Don’t say that! I brought an apology gift today…”
“You mean the travel vouchers?”
“Yep, here are the pair of travel vouchers! Plus, it’s a resort frequented by celebrities, so privacy is guaranteed! You can relax and enjoy yourselves without a care in the world!”
“Please!!”
“Then will you listen to what I have to say?”
“W-well, I guess I have no choice…”
First-year high school student Toka is being completely outmaneuvered by sixth-grader Kagurazaka… Being lured by material things? How pathetic. This girl needs re-education.
“Alright, you can come in.”
“Yay! I’m going into Onee chan’s house for the first time!”
“Don’t make too much noise, okay? I’m raising someone here.”
“Raising?”
Kagurazaka’s bewildered voice echoed. Well, that’s the reaction you’d get if you said something like that. Just say you’re nursing me, for crying out loud.
“Excuse me—”
“Hi there.”
Kagurazaka made her way to the room. She immediately spotted me lying in bed and her eyes widened.
“Kyaaaa! Onee chan has a boyfriend!? Huh? Huh? You’re already living together!? Wait, he’s sleeping in my sister’s bed!? That’s dirty! I saw something dirty!”
“Don’t just label people as dirty! I’m sick, so I asked her to take care of me!”
She’s so noisy! I think Kagurazaka gets more hyped up in private than she does watching TV. Usually it’s the other way around, right?
“So you two are living this lewd, lazy, decadent life together…”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Onee chan is amazing after all! So grown-up!”
“Both of you shut up right now!”
For elementary schoolers, he sure know a lot of fancy words. And Toka, don’t just say “Yeah, that’s right.” Deny it instantly. We’ve got two more airheads now.
“So, what did you want to talk about?”
Toka urged Kagurazaka to sit down on the sofa.
“……”
Kagurazaka grew quiet. She hung her head, looking dejected and downcast.
“…Well, I’ve decided to transfer agencies.”
Kagurazaka’s voice was so quiet it seemed like the earlier energy was a lie. She gripped the hem of her skirt tightly in her hands.
“The agency… the one you’re with now?”
Toka widened her eyes in surprise.
“Yeah. My manager and my dad both said, ‘There’s a place that suits you better’… I know things are pretty messy there right now, so I know it’s a really good opportunity…”
Even as she said this, Kagurazaka’s expression remained deeply clouded.
“I just don’t know. I joined Murasaki Productions because onee chan was there… but is that really okay? I know, okay? Because of me, onee chan’s work opportunities decreased. Is it really okay for someone like me to just abandon the agency now…?”
The room fell completely silent for a moment at her words, which sounded far too mature for an elementary schooler.
…I honestly thought it was amazing. A girl still in elementary school thinking that deeply. I could feel the weight she carried and the magnitude of her resolve toward her work. Kagurazaka, who should have been petite, suddenly seemed enormous.
“Isn’t it fine?”
While I was still impressed, Toka answered immediately.
“Bu-but…”
“I saw that movie Kaede-san was in the other day.”
The one I rented the other day, huh? I did watch that properly with Yuzuha later, though.
“Kaede-san has long since surpassed the old me. So I don’t think you need to worry about that at all.”
Toka answered, looking straight into Kagurazaka’s eyes. There was no trace of lies or pretense in those eyes.
“Onee chan…”
Tears welled up in Kagurazaka’s large eyes.
“It’s not… It’s really not…”
“What isn’t it?”
“…Is it my fault you started getting called a ‘failed project’? Because I showed up, you…”
“Kaede-san.”
Toka’s voice cut Kaede off sharply. Her tone held none of its usual languor or teasing lightness. It was quiet, deeply resolute.
“Let’s stop this.”
At those words, Kagurazaka Kaede fell silent, as if she’d gasped.
“It’s hindsight, but I think it turned out for the best because I got to meet Ryo-kun. So please, don’t worry about someone like me anymore.”
“Bu-but! My dream is to work with you again, Onee-chan!”
“I don’t plan to do entertainment work anymore. I’m sorry.”
Kagurazaka choked on her words at Tohka’s statement.
Then, she simply murmured――.
“…Onee-chan, are you really going to quit?”
That voice wasn’t the cheerful elementary schooler’s voice from before. It was the voice of a child on the verge of tears, desperately holding them back. Toka crouched down in front of Kagurazaka, looked her straight in the eyes, and nodded.
“Yeah. I don’t think I can go back to how it was before. A lot happened, and I don’t think I’m cut out for it anymore.”
“That’s such a waste… onee chan, you’re so beautiful, and you’re such a great actress… I looked up to you…!”
Tears fell steadily from Kagurazaka’s eyes. Her small hands clutched her skirt tightly as she continued, her voice trembling.
“I entered show business because of you… I could keep going because of you…!”
Her small frame seemed overwhelmed by emotions too heavy to bear.
“Kaede-san, thank you. Hearing you say that makes me really happy.”
Toka was being the proper senior… I somehow felt out of place being here, so I quietly pretended to be asleep.
(Up and down… Kagurazaka’s like a roller coaster…)
While mentally making that comment, I desperately tried to hide the heat rising in my own eyes.
“Onee chan, will you take this travel voucher? It’s partly an apology, but also my way of thanking you for everything…”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Of course. I want you and your boyfriend to have a great time.”
Kagurazaka Kaede is such an amazing girl. I didn’t like her that much before, but my feelings for her are skyrocketing. She’s so much more sincere, earnest, and conscientious in person than she seems on TV.
“Listen, I’m not busy with work right now either, so I’ll come with you.”
““Huh?””
Toka and I spoke at the same time. Come to think of it, she did hint at that in her email…?
“It’s fine, it’s fine! I promise I won’t get in the way! I’m going with my family! Oh, I need to tell Dad too. Toka-nee-chan is coming on the trip too!”
“Dad?”
“The guy waiting downstairs is my dad.”
So that guy in black wasn’t her manager after all! No wonder he’s tagging along for such a private thing!
“It’s a fun place with the ocean, hot springs, and lots of delicious food!”
Could it be… his real goal was to take Toka out to play…? Typical celebrity—never misses an opportunity, even when things go wrong.
“Oh, right. There’s just one more thing I really need to ask.”
Really? From the tone of her voice, I could tell Kagurazaka was somehow hesitant to say it.
“H-have you two… kissed yet…?”
I couldn’t see her, but I could picture Kagurazaka blushing embarrassedly. No way, the conversation just took a sudden, drastic turn!
“Yeah.”
“Waaaaaah! Amazing, amazing! I wanna see onee chan kissing!”
Hey, someone stop this elementary schooler.
–
–
If you enjoy our content, feel free to donate, Thank you in advance !