Chapter 63Second Invitation
(TL Note: Just sayin' this is the last chapter of Part Two (Volume 2) of the Web Novel version, so enjoy the chapter.)
"You said your name is Sajou-san, huh? Wow, are you a student at Kōetsu High School!?"
"Eh? Yeah, that's right... ...that high school is so close to my house and my grades make it possible for me to get in there."
Seeing is believing, as the saying goes. I proved my identity by showing my Student ID Card which I needed to apply for a part-time job. I wasn't a suspicious guy. You see, I was wearing a polo shirt.
I can't say that I got in because I studied hard to pursue the girl I love. Why are the three of us sitting with Kouta-kun in the middle? Do I have no tolerance for a big sister who isn't my big sister? Yeah, this is better than talking to her directly...
"Kōetsu High School is so nice! The uniforms are cool and the backyards are beautiful, and it looks almost like a college already!"
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, it's true!"
If she is indeed a college student, saying so, I guess it's true, but it's even worse that the motherly nature of this big sister is having fun. What's with that crack? Is she trying to kill unlucky virgins? Uhehe.
Back to the topic at hand... the backyard at my high school is completely covered by grass... ...but no one sits on the grass. If anyone wants to sit, they usually sit on a bench.
Is she an alumnus because she knows about my high school? If so, maybe she knows a better place... to sit in the hut past the garden behind the school building? That place is now Aizawa and Arimura-senpai's love nest.
"Kouta-kun's big sister — Sasaki-san — is very mature and it seems like you'll fit in well on campus. I can imagine you sitting on the grass reading a book."
"N-No way...,...I'm not mature at all."
"No, no, if Sasaki-san is immature, then everyone around you must be full of children."
"T-Thank you so much... ...I've never heard anyone say that to me before. I've suddenly grown taller lately, and until a moment ago, I looked like a child."
"Haha, I can't imagine that."
This humility. I don't know if it's because she's adjusting to me or because Sasaki-san's tolerance is so crazy, but talking to her like this makes me feel comfortable. It's nice that she's willing to accept everything I say honestly. Is this what you call being "mature enough"? I can only think of compliments.
On the other hand, since she's so shy, it's very stimulating. Maybe she's doing this on purpose. ...Well, I don't want to believe it. Whatever it is, this girl seems to be very popular. Like Natsukawa, she's the kind of girl whose level is too high for me and I will fail. I'm afraid I'll shorten my life span if I get in touch with her too often, so this time I'll leave before I get caught.
"Kouta-kun, have you calmed down now?"
"Ah, yeah... Thank you, Onii-san."
"Next time, don't go to such a lonely place where you can't be reached. Your big sister would be worried."
"Ah, yeah. I'm sorry."
"Ah, no need to apologize. Next time, be careful."
That was indeed the calmest voice I've ever heard. I'm probably the best "Onii-san" in my life. What about Airi-chan? I look more like a horse than a big brother. I look more like a dog now.
Onii-san — What do you mean by "Onii-san"? I also want to warn this "Onee-chan". Whether she realized it or not, she's quite conspicuous.
"Sasaki-san, please be more careful. Although this isn't the safest area around here, you're very eye-catching even for me as a high school boy."
"What? ...What?"
"It's possible that there are adult men, and there are also middle school boys who are well-built. Even if you have to take a detour, I recommend you to go down the crowded streets. I hope you'll take this as advice from an ordinary guy."
"Yeah. ...Thank you very much..."
"Then, excuse me."
This was very pleasant. I never thought it would be so comfortable to talk politely to a pretty girl who was older than me. Ah, I see, so this is where women's life skills come from. Maybe it's harder for women with communication disorders to live nowadays than men.
♦
It's been a week since I started working part-time at that place. I guess it's lonely when you don't see the people you used to see all the time. I guess I feel that way myself, but doesn't everyone feel the same way, right...?
Even though I'm lazy to get up early, if I just have to show up for my part-time job that only lasts for five hours — or three hours if I'm too good at it — I'm willing to "give it a try" even though I don't have any motivation. I had already taken a nap on the living room sofa after returning from my part-time job recently, so even if I stayed up late, I didn't have to worry about the next day.
"Aaahhh, so tired..."
Big Sis, who was preparing for the college entrance exam, went to the cram school during the summer vacation according to the calendar schedule. I'm also going to be like this in 2 years and I feel like I'm going to lose all my life at once. On top of that, she had to keep up with the Student Council's agenda and the busy cram school schedule. You seem bored this time, and it's not just a habit of yours, but I think I understand why you're surrounded by good-looking guys, and not once has it been brought up.
"...You often wake up early even though it's summer vacation, right?"
"Because after I get up early that morning I'll get paid. I get paid for my five-hour part-time job, but you don't get paid to come to the cram school, right...? That's a j*rk."
"You're kinda j*rk, huh?"
"You siblings j*rks, stop talking dirty in everyday conversation."
I was talking and not getting along with Big Sis, and Dad was scolding us. We were all having breakfast ...and Dad had to go to work not just for five hours, but until the night, so it was understandable that he was annoyed by this conversation right in front of him.
We probably understood how he felt because he was so busy, but we didn't retaliate even though he called us j*rks. I guess he's the one with the most reservations in this place. If I were in his shoes right now, I'd be bald.
"Is this a second-hand bookstore? Sounds easy."
"It's not just an ordinary second-hand bookstore, it's more of a private hobby business. It's not like a chained shop where the more you do, the more work you get, but once you're done, you don't have to do it anymore."
"The student council is like a chained bookstore, isn't it...?"
"No, it's not like that."
This one is also quite heavy. According to the stories I heard, during this summer vacation, in addition to preparations for the School Culture Festival, there were also school visit tests from middle school students?
When I said a few words to Big Sis, she responded normally.
"Ah? Ah..., I heard that the teachers have selected some of the students to show them the school. Those selected consist of handsome boys and beautiful girls..."
"Ah, I see, it's only fitting that you weren't chosen."
"Yeah. I'm glad I'm not a pretty girl."
Hey, you're okay, here... ...I hope you're not too pretty... ...She usually won't let me make fun of her... ...I'm not surprised that she suddenly helped me... Eh, what was I thinking? Wait a minute..., that means we siblings are both less charming, right?
However, we now have a select group of students consisting of beautiful girls and handsome boys. The combination that I just saw, came to mind, but it seems that they were asked to do so as part of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee. Especially Natsukawa. Natsukawa is the best. Huh? Sasaki*? Who is that? What I knew about is just Sasaki-san.*
(TL Note: There are two different Sasaki-s here. The first one (佐々木) is Sasaki Takaaki, the MC's handsome classmate, while the second one (笹木) is Sasaki-san, the big sister of Sasaki Kouta whom the MC just met.)
"Ah- ...well, I heard you were invited to join the Disciplinary Committee?"
"Hmm? How did you know... ah... and also, do you know Shinomiya-senpai?"
For Shinomiya-senpai, Big Sis is her gyaru friend, right? Eh, I was wrong, wasn't I? Seriously, though, how do the two of them know each other? I think judging from their personalities, those two are not the type of people who would get involved with each other.
"Acquaintance... - Yeah, sort of. What's our relationship? She asked me out of the blue, what about you two?"
"No, we don't have a good relationship like that, I think she treats me like I'm her little bro. That's what she told me."
"Okay, that's fine. Do you want to be a member of the Disciplinary Committee?"
"Of course not. No need to ask, where there is that person, there must be a heavy burden."
"Then you should join the Student Council."
"Huh...?"
What did you say...? Student Council? Not just any committee, but the Student Council? That's a heavy burden. There are so many school events, so they must be busy. The things they seem to do every day are complicated little details, which I can only imagine the handsome and active Todoroki-senpai working with.
"Why?"
"Just like Rin, I also don't want to leave the rest of my duties to someone I don't recognize and don't know where they came from."
Are you the president of the girls' club? I kind of heard "Please take care of me" at the end. Suddenly you're showing your former gyaru side... ...Anyway, too much stress is not good, right? Let's continue with the cheerful and serious swastika*. But why me? I'm maybe a member of the Sajou family, but I have no such abilities, you know?
(TL Note: Swastika is a symbol or ornament in the shape of a cross with crosses bent at right angles, commonly interpreted as a symbol of the circulation of the universe, the sun, etc.).
"You're good at office work, aren't you?"
"Really?"
"Ah."
"Ah," your *ss. Dad reacted. Which part did you react to? The "disgusting" part, right? ...I hope you didn't tell him that I had a part-time job when I was in middle school. Are you trying to recruit me or put me in a bad mood? I'm not sure which one. Am I that good at office work? Can't you call that a strength?
"I'm helping out in the Student Council office. I haven't been there recently."
"You haven't been there recently, are you skipping school?"
"I'm not a member of the student council myself from the beginning. Besides, right now, I'm on summer vacation."
"When you receive your wages, buy me a drink."
"Okay, ...I can buy you an ice cream from the convenience store."
"Wait for me, Hägen."
She seems to be having a hard time, so I'll try to be nice to her... What's wrong with Big Sis? Even if she weren't born a girl, I think her personality would still be the same as it is now.
"Student Council, I'm serious about recruiting you. Think carefully about this."
"Huh? Hey, Big Sis..."
As I was dumbfounded, Big Sis urged me to answer her invitation and went upstairs with the dishes on the table. Huh? Are you serious? This is either the Student Council or the Disciplinary Committee. What? You're kidding me, right? I'm not the type of person who can be counted on like that.
What pisses me off is that Dad just eats his food as if he doesn't care...
Author's Note: chomp, chomp, chomp (*eat sound effect)
TL Note: There's an Extra chapter after this one, but that one is a Light Novel-only chapter, so to read the extra chapter you have to support and purchase the official English translation of LN Volume 2. The first volume is released on February 5th, 2024, and you can purchase it on https://monogatari-novels.com/collections/the-dreaming-boy-is-a-realist/products/the-dreaming-boy-is-a-realist-vol-1 . There's no announcement yet for the second volume, we will inform you later if there are new recent pieces of information about that. After this, we're going to move to the Part Three of this novel.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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