Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093087122434729/episodes/16818792437903390066
“Senpai, your hands are shaking.”
We were so close that I could almost hear her breathing.
I could feel the warmth from her intertwined fingers, and the slightly sweet scent of shampoo reached my nose.
“Shiramine-san, you’re scared too, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not scared. I already took a shower…”
She was just putting on a brave front. I could tell just by looking at her. After all, I was scared too.
“Then…”
“Yes.”
I reached out my hand.
Toward the TV remote.
[The worst night is about to begin…]
““Hyaa!?””
An eerie sound echoes from the TV.
Sitting side by side on the sofa, we huddle together, our shoulders touching.
That’s right! It’s a horror movie!
Of course, it’s just me and a cute girl alone. Anyone can guess what a typical teenage boy would think in such a situation.
But even if you can imagine it, when it comes to actually doing it…
…Don’t expect anything from a coward like me.
“S-senpai… Shouldn’t we turn on the lights?”
“Ha ha. You’re scared, aren’t you, Shiramine-san?”
Stop trembling, legs. I kept telling myself that.
“No, no, that’s not it. I… I just think it’s bad for my eyes…”
[Gwaaah!!!]
“Kyaa!!”
“Uwaaah!!”
Suddenly, a scream rang out, and we instinctively huddled together in fear.
In such a situation, a boy next to a scared girl would usually say something like, “It’s okay, I’m here,” to comfort her, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of doing that.
“S-senpai. T-this is too scary.”
“I-I-It’s okay.”
I’m probably shaking as much as a smartphone on silent mode, I thought.
[You have to fight monsters with monsters!]
“Hii!”
On the TV screen, there was a huge splash of blood. Yeah, it’s definitely a horror splatter movie.
The movie continued for a while. Then,
“…This movie isn’t that scary, is it?”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
It was a typical jump scare. Once you get used to the sudden music and terrifying images that are characteristic of horror movies, it doesn’t seem so scary anymore.
“By the way, Senpai…”
It seemed that Shiramine felt the same way, and she spoke in a calm voice.
“Hm, what is it?”
“I was talking to father-in-law earlier, and I was wondering, are you still not thinking about going to college?”
“…Oh, that.”
I remember telling Shiramine before that I wanted to get a job. So, I guess she felt weird that my dad wanted me to go to college.
“Sure, if I could, it’d be better to go to college. But I don’t really have any dreams for the future, and I don’t have anything I want to do.”
I used to want to be a pro soccer player, but now I don’t really care.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
No matter what, I can’t bring myself to choose to go to college if I can’t find that dream.
“Personally, I think it would be nice to enjoy high school life with senpai and then experience college life too.”
“Haha, well… yeah, that might be really nice.”
But that’s just a pipe dream.
“I have an unpayable debt of gratitude to my father, mother, and older sister.”
The three of them accepted me as family, and let me do what I wanted in elementary and middle school.
Soccer is quite expensive. Even excluding the small expenses like uniforms, shoes, and travel fees, it’s not cheap.
“I want to get out into society as soon as possible and repay them.”
“Senpai…”
By the time I noticed, the movie had reached its climax.
“Senpai, you should… no, I’m sorry. It’s weird for me to say that, isn’t it?”
“No, I don’t think it’s weird at all…”
On the screen, the vengeful spirit finally appeared, being chased by the protagonist’s group wielding chainsaws. …Honestly, it’s hard to tell which side is the monster here.
As I was thinking that, I felt a slight force from Shiramine’s hand.
“…Senpai! I…!”
Shiramine gathered her courage and tried to say something. But just then.
“Hahaha! I’m back! Little brother!”
My sister returned with such force that it blew away all the tension in the air.
““…””
There was nothing left to say. Yeah, the devil is evil, isn’t she?
Shiramine and I couldn’t help but laugh.
＊＊＊
The next day, I was back at the shoe rack again. Of course, I was there to change my shoes, but since I had already changed them, it wasn’t a place I would normally linger.
However, that day was different. After all, there was another letter in the shoe rack.
“…Um, did someone put this there as some kind of punishment game?”
A pale pink envelope with a heart-shaped sticker I had seen before. And the addressee was…
“—How about it? As they say, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do,’ so I tried to fit in too?”
“If the sender shows up themselves, doesn’t that defeat the purpose?”
Yes, the sender of this letter. It was this person.
It was Sanada Tsubaki.
–
–
If you enjoy our content, feel free to donate, Thank you in advance !