Chapter 67Big Sis' Intention
Iced Café Latte from the convenience store. With the gradation created by the dark brown coffee mixed with milk, thirsty people for the heat, and Instagrammers currently screaming with delight, I tried to see if I could reproduce it at home. Prepare a glass while surfing the internet on my smartphone. Grab an ice-cold one and cast a spell.
"Come out, Iced Meteor!"
The ice will make a clinking sound when thrown with a very serious face. Stick a GaeBolg straw in the center, pour milk as white and pure as the beginning of the world, and gently pour hot coffee on top.
—Perfect. This is indeed more than just a gradation. The difference in weight between the coffee and milk creates a separation between the two like water and oil. It's no longer a latte, it's just milk and coffee. You two... ...when did you two become like the sun and the moon?
"Combine."
Turn over the floating ice cubes and give them a little stir. After doing all this, you finally managed to reproduce the Iced Café Latte from the convenience store. I was ecstatic, and it felt like I was on a great summer vacation. I took a photo with my smartphone to commemorate the moment and stirred it with a cheap plastic whisk to combine everything.
Then, a hand quickly passed in front of me.
"Thank you."
"Big Sis, wait a minute."
"Hurry up and make another one."
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
After I successfully made that, it was easy to make it again, just repeat the same process, ice meteor, insert GaeBolg straw, and combine! As I looked to the side and suddenly I saw a gaze colder than ice staring at me.
"Well, this is it."
"Hmm."
I obeyed Big Sis as usual, not because I gave in to her. It was a reflex...—Right, just a reflex. Just like when I close my eyes when something comes at me, my body moves on its own when I stretch out my chin. Oh no..., it's engraved in my soul...
"You're taking it easy today. You usually go to school or cram school."
"Why, Am I not allowed to just stay at home?"
"Hey, your leg. Five seconds before you kick me."
She's a big sis. You still look great even at home, are you a bug catcher? Are you wearing underwear? Don't tell me you're shameless about yourself at your age...?
Just as I was thinking how I would crumble next to this bug-catching girl, Big Sis looked at me with flat eyes while stirring my homemade Iced Café Latte using a straw.
"Don't look at me like that... You're embarrassed, aren't you?"
"Can't you come to school the day after tomorrow and help the Discipline Committee?"
"Um... ...I want to talk more about... Eh? Help the Discipline Committee?"
Why should I help with the Discipline Committee? Aren't you a Student Council member? Is it possible that she's not only in charge of the Student Council but also the Discipline Committee from behind the scenes*? I mean, why do I have to come to school?
(TL Note: As done by the character Iino Miko in the Kaguya-sama series.)
"The day after tomorrow? Why do I have to come to school?"
"It's August 6th. Only third-year students go to school, and when they go, the first-year students can show the school scenery to future student applicants next year."
"So what happened... ...then? Why are we talking about the Disciplinary Committee?"
I'm 100% awkward with the President of the Disciplinary Committee right now. I don't want to work hard anymore, and I want to give it all the brilliance I've got. I recently refused to join the Disciplinary Committee, so it's no good if she just forgets about me...?
"School Visit Test of middle school students. The mandate has been entrusted to the Discipline Committee."
"What, didn't the teachers say that they would do it?"
"In rough outline, yeah. But the current students are doing the actual work. Last year's Student Council made that decision, so Rin has to bear all of that now."
"What about the Student Council...?"
"We've exceeded the capacity of that task for a long time. If we spend all our time on the event, we'll endure more during normal times."
"It was a bad accumulation."
So all the time you don't spend on events will be reduced. What the hell is that? The Student Council is more like the norms of students, they're imitating the corporate world. There's no such thing as a welfare program, that's what makes it worse...
"Why me?"
"I owe her a favor. So do her a favor, please."
Are you two really good friends? I didn't get the impression that you were the one taking action. It makes my heart tighten when I think that Shinomiya-senpai is the only person who considers Big Sis a friend... ...What kind of conversations do you have with her when you're alone? I was a bit curious.
"Rin's been talking about you a lot lately, so do me a favor and do something."
"Huh?"
"Are you telling me not to maintain any weird hostility? How should I react to seeing a female classmate of mine being on good terms with my little bro?"
"..."
...Do I care if you owe her a favor? It must be troublesome to get that strange Senpai to talk to Big Sis seriously when she's so busy and hateful. Even so, I've realized that this Shinomiya-senpai is quite sensitive.
...However, it will become much more troublesome if I leave it at that.
"I know, I got it, I just have to help her, right? I'll do it for you, Big Sis."
"Ah, isn't that going to make her happy? I'm sure she doesn't want to be hated by you, right?"
"Stop it, you're making me feel uncomfortable by saying such things."
"No, for Rin, you probably have a good relationship with her with me in between, don't you?"
Eh? Is that so? Doesn't Shinomiya-senpai feel concerned about me because I'm Big Sis' little bro? Seriously... You said it again. You're trying to flatter me to make me feel better so I can buy you a drink, right? But how? When you were my age, you couldn't just talk to one or two older girls, right? You definitely can't talk as easily as me, right? You stuttering b*stard.
I'm the king of heartbreak.
♦
"Oh, Shinomiya-senpai?"
'What...? Who is this... ...a guy? Where was Kaede!?'
"Big Sis is sleeping next to me."
"Don't act like you're my boyfriend."
"M-M-M-M-My ear! My ear will fall off! My ear will fall off!"
'Eh, eh!? Sajou!? Why are you there!?'
I agreed to help Shinomiya-senpai at Big Sis' request. It's a mystery whether a guy with ordinary specifications like me can help or not, but yeah, I have other speculations so let's see.
When I borrowed Big Sis' account on the messaging app and called Shinomiya-senpai, she was very surprised when she heard my voice. Is this girl good at that kind of spirituality? Ah... That Big Sis is? Just now, my ears said, "I'm still petite".
"It's been a while, Shinomiya-senpai. I wanted to talk to you for a while, so I borrowed Big Sis' smartphone."
'O-Oh, I see, huh? Kaede, let go of his ears. So, what business do you have with me?'
My ear, she let it go. I thought my ear was going to fall off. I was just joking, but she couldn't help herself. My ears are red. Just ignore her... My earlobes aren't a bit flared, are they?
"The day after tomorrow, you're having trouble with the middle school students' School Visit Test, right? I'll help you out. If you ask, I know this from Big Sis."
'Wh-What the heck... ...You don't have to worry about it, it's a task that the Disciplinary Committee will be doing from this year.'
What...? She rejected it gently...?
Your best friend just said that, but what do you think, Big Sis? I'm willing to take your best friend's word for it — and let's just do it. You told me to go and see her in person and ask me to do something about this task. Alright, d*mn it, I'll do it.
Well, I've been reborn. For a dozen days during my summer vacation, I talked to an Onee-san-type college girl over and over again, and I knew the "comfort of being an adult"! There is a lot of awkwardness in this society. If you can't overcome this level, you can't be an adult...!
"No need to worry about it. I want to meet Shinomiya-senpai personally."
'What——○▽※△☆□■◎★○--?'
T-That's...? Her reaction was different from what I expected. I thought she would react more like Sasaki-san's, like, "You're joking again—.". She did say something fast, but I couldn't hear her at all.
Big Sis? What's with that very surprised expression on your face? I knew I should learn some manners as a member of society. Hey, are you surprised? What's with that stupid look? Eh, wait "explain"?
"Um...? I heard a broken voice, are you okay?"
'O-Oh... ...I'm okay—but...! What did you say all of a sudden?!'
"Yeah, don't worry about it, it's just a child's babbling. Don't you have any additional tasks left? The Disciplinary Committee has the image that the majority of its members are girls thanks to you, Shinomiya-senpai... ...Aren't you guys short of guys for heavy duty?"
The Student Council was already busy with events other than the usual administrative tasks. As such, it was likely that the same situation applied to the Disciplinary Committee. That's where I come in to keep an eye on it.
'Nonsense, you are... ...Well, that's good — Not great, by any means, but good nonetheless, and I'll commend you for your extraordinary dedication. If you insist on going that far... ...Well, I'll ask you to help us out a bit with the transportation.'
"I see... ...It's just a task that guys usually do."
'Eh, you don't like it?'
"How could I? If it's for Shinomiya-senpai, I'm willing to do it."
It's time to show the results of my hard work, lifting the books in the boxes that I've been working on during my daily part-time job... ...I don't know if I'm a j*rk or something, but if Neo I... ...if I try hard, I'll be able to communicate with my superior!
I mean, I think, there's no shame left, right? Do I still need to help the Disciplinary Committee? Oh, the meaning of "owe" her a favor. Big Sis has some weird responsibilities, doesn't she? She also lent me her notes from her first-year. I can't be gorgeous because I don't have that kind of reference, but it doesn't matter because I feel that I have a gorgeous face.
"Oh, d*mn, we're siblings, huh..."
As I turned my head to the side, Big Sis uttered a mysterious line and started scratching her head. I didn't understand what was going on, but she noticed her resemblances to me. You don't have to feel so bad...
'Kaede! Kaede! I'm not sure if it's safe to assume that we're even...!?'
"Ah, Y-Yeah, that's good, isn't it? Do as you please. D*mn...!"
Big Sis stirred the pseudo-Iced Café Latte lightly while making waves and looking troublesome. She reluctantly replied to Shinomiya-senpai, who seemed to have misunderstood something. I was surprised to see their rather strange relationship. I thought Shinomiya-senpai was the type of person who would be more likely to mess up with Big Sis, but...
But it's so sweet... ...Is that why you showed your strength as a big sister to me, Sajou Kaede-san?! Recently, I've witnessed the power of a big sister that's much greater than that! Compared to her gentle and accepting nature as a big sister, d*mn it...
Oh, I'm sorry, please don't take my notebook.
Author's Note: How about a latte or something?
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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