Source
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n5612jg/17/
Around 8pm, I finished looking for something at school and looked at my phone to see a RINE message from my mom.
She told me that stepfather had come home today with a surprise and they were going on a date, and she wanted me to finish dinner by myself.
I sent a stamp of approval and opened the door to the house.
It was late after the club activities had ended, but Kenshiro will not be home when stepfather comes home.
Now was a good time. I don’t have to worry about him getting suspicious.
So I open the door to the living room…
“What took you so long?”
Kenshiro, who is usually absent, was sitting at the table drinking coffee.
I was surprised to see him, but I quickly tried to act nonchalant.
“Why are you here?”
“Dad came home without calling me. I had no choice.”
He usually stays at Karasawa kun’s house, but I didn’t expect to run into him today of all days.
“…..That’s a pretty dirty sweatsuit.”
Kenshiro says, looking at the muddy sweatsuit in my hands.
I hid it as quickly as I could, but there was no way my brother would overlook my upset.
“Anyway, I’ll make you some coffee. Come sit down.”
He urges me to sit down.
Judging from the situation, everything seems to be known.
I had never shown him any openings, but…
I did as my brother asked and sat down at the table to take a sip of the coffee he had made.
It’s my favorite flavor.
“So? What happened?”
I respect this brother of mine, even though he is usually outspoken.
I admire the way he can study, do sports, and do everything by himself.
What’s also great is that it’s not a result of talent, but of hard work.
When it comes time for a test, he studies harder than anyone else, and on his days off, he goes out to exercise by himself.
One year ago, he became my older brother.
I am proud of him.
So I am trying to be a sister whom he will not be ashamed of.
I want him to be proud and to be seen as a capable sibling.
But it’s not that easy.
There is no way that I can suddenly study something that I have never studied before.
If we are compared, there is a huge difference between heaven and earth.
To top it off, I’m being bullied by my classmates.
I feel ashamed and pathetic.
I don’t want my brother to know how I feel, and I hate myself for being so hard on him.
That’s why I can’t tell him.
I can’t tell him that I’m in pain. I don’t want him to help.
I don’t want to cause trouble for my brother or anyone else.
If I make a fuss about the bullying, the gap between my brother and I will widen.
I have to handle the bullying on my own.
Otherwise, I can’t be his sister.
“No. There’s nothing going on.”
I stifle my true feelings and dismiss my brother’s concerns.
“If there is nothing—“
“Shut up ! Leave me alone ! It’s my problem !”
I realize after I say it.
It was almost like I admitted it.
Thinking that he would pry any further, I finished my coffee and left the living room.
My brother did not follow.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Ayaka runs out of the living room vigorously, and silence falls.
I would have liked to hear from her and have a reason to help her, but it seems that she is determined to hold on to it.
I was wondering if I should take Ayaka’s feelings into consideration.
As this thought crossed my mind, my dad’s words from earlier came back to my mind.
Even remembering it made me angry, and I mentally punched my dad.
At the same time, those words light a fire in my heart.
I called the person who had promised to cooperate with me with some conditions and told them that I would proceed as planned.
Solving Ayaka’s bullying problem is easy.
It will take only two days.
Ayaka might say it’s none of my business.
But I will help Ayaka.
I will help her so that I don’t end up like my dad.
I drank my coffee, which was already cold, and went back to my room.
–
–
If you enjoy our content, feel free to donate, Thank you in advance !