Chapter 2
Congratulations
It was Wednesday, the third day after my little sister, Mai's high fever had finally broken.
After a short pause, the cheesy intercom rang, followed by the sound of someone's modest footsteps climbing the exterior stairs.
"...Someone's coming."
"Just go back to sleep. I'll come out."
"...Yeah. Come back soon."
"It's only a little away."
"...Yeah, but you know."
"All right, go back to sleep."
I nodded to Mai, who was still looking somewhat boiled and headed for the front door.
Is it a solicitation for newspapers or door-to-door sales?
In any case, if you feel a business opportunity in such a shabby apartment, I don't think he has any business talent.
I look at the peephole - but no one's there.
Is it a prank? When I opened the door and looked out, I found a person who was about to descend the stairs.
"...Ah."
Our eyes met.
A girl.
She is wearing the same high school uniform as me and seems to be holding some kind of print in her hand.
I immediately understood what was going on.
This is not my first experience like this.
Sometimes during the first year, when I was absent from school, a male student living nearby would deliver my print when the teacher asked him to do so.
But now it is June.
It has been about two months since I moved up to the second year of high school and the class was already reorganized.
It was the first time Mai had a fever and I had to take a day off from high school to take care of her.
This year, I was in a different class from the boy who took care of me in the first year.
Therefore, it would be the first time for a student from a different neighborhood to bring me a print, and that person would be the female student in front of me.
It seems strange to say "thank you" out of the blue with a familiar face.
As I was choosing my words, the girl lifted her nearly lowered leg and approached me.
"Araki-kun?"
"Oh, yeah, but you brought me a printout of the ...class or something."
"Yeah, yeah. The teacher requested me because I live close by."
It was a girl who spoke plainly.
It doesn't feel cold, but it's not warm either.
But I knew her name and her existence one way or the other. I had only one friend, did not participate in any club activities, and went home as soon as my classes were over.
"Shindo Rei."
According to her, she is a young lady
A beautiful girl, as they say.
A young lady who does not have a useless relationship, according to her.
Well, whatever.
I don't think I've ever talked to her at school.
Anyway, there are a few of them in the school, idol students who live in a different world than me.
It would be like having a young lady serve you.
She looks like the daughter of the president of some company as she walks around with her light-pigmented walnut-colored hair.
"Here's the print."
Even though the rainy season is just around the corner and it tends to be humid, when I stopped at the doorway, my silky hair stoned down to around my shoulder blades.
Mai's pale skin was as white as a sheet of construction paper before she painted, and she seemed hesitant to even fold it.
"Oh..., my bad. Thank you."
"Don't worry, I'm on my way home."
"Uh-oh."
What can I say, I was a difficult guy to distance myself from.
I'm not the affable type either, but still, talking to the girl in front of me shows how hard I'm trying to adjust to society.
"...What? What's on your face?"
It seems that she had been staring at it.
Keeping her face expressionless, but still allowing her unhappiness to show, the female student - Shindo - said.
"Oh no, I'm sorry. This is the problem."
"So..., I know I may be nosy, but if you're well, I suggest you go to school."
"What?"
"It's less work for me and I think it's better for your future."
What are you talking about? I immediately realized, "I see, do you think I'm taking a sly break?"
"Ah... No. Yeah, I'm fine, but--"
That's when I started making excuses.
"...Onii-chan, who are you talking to ......?"
Mai came out from the back of the room.
The reason I'm worried about it is that she hasn't walked properly for the past three days.
She was leaning against the sliding frosted glass door, looking at us.
"Hey, you need to get some sleep."
"Hey, who's she...?"
"She's my classmate from high school..."
I almost said, "she's my friend" and stuttered.
We were never friends, and the only ones I know are on my side.
Shindo must not have even matched my name and face.
"That's why."
I looked like a magician who had just revealed his trick, and proceeded to say, "Here's the thing."
Anyone looking at this figure would have come up with the reason 'for nursing'.
However, Shindo shook her head.
"...? Where is Araki-kun's reason for taking the day off?"
"What? No, so I'm taking time off because I have to take care of my little sister. My father is busy with work. But I can't leave my little sister sleeping alone, can I?"
"...Oh, yeah. I see."
When Shindo compared me with my little sister, she seemed to be convinced of something.
She looked utterly apologetic.
"I'm sorry. I've never experienced anything like this... so I didn't mean to offend you."
After saying this, she put down the print and went down the stairs.
She didn't even want to wait for my response.
The rest of us, Mai and I, felt as if we were dreaming.
A beautiful girl, who is regarded as the idol of the school, suddenly stood at the entrance of our house, was convinced by me, and suddenly disappeared.
The only evidence of Shindo's presence there is a single print.
"What was that...?"
There was no answer to my question, but Mai's mutterings were heard from behind me.
"That Onee-chan looked like a princess..."
A princess.
Yes, it would be wrong in terms of circumstances and appearance.
Then the story is simple.
The princess went back to the castle and lived happily ever after with the prince - Congratulation.
But strangely enough, the story was not over.
The next day, Shindo was still standing at the front door of our house.
TL: Reeze27, ディープエル
ED: Reeze27, Gureimeri-shishou