Chapter 110Where She Runs Away
(Gosh, not again...)
Ichinose Mina was starting to feel that her interactions with her big bro were fruitless. It all started when she witnessed her big bro making out with his girlfriend, but there were overwhelming emotions there, already starting to build up since the relationship itself began.
"Maybe I am the reason you started working part-time, right? I think you wouldn't do that kind of thing because you don't need the money."
"Th-That's not true..."
A bitter rebuttal. She had no effective cards left in her hand to counter her big bro's argument. She didn't feel that her big bro had done anything wrong. Of course not, because she always felt that it was her fault. This — is just her selfishness.
"I heard that serving customers is difficult. I don't want Mina to experience that kind of hardship."
"I-It's not difficult, really..."
"Mina..."
"Oh..."
A pressure mixed with a reprimanding voice. It sounded as if he was implying, "Enough!". The gaze she disliked was directed at her, and Mina flinched. However, even though she realized it was her fault, she felt frustrated and wondered why this boy didn't understand her feelings like he usually did.
At that moment, they heard the sound of running coming from the right side of the dining room stairs. She and her big bro both turned around and their eyes widened in surprise. The boy who was in the same room — Sajou Wataru, also turned his head a moment later.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Ichinose-kun!"
Why the heck was that girl here? What else were she and her big bro up to? A dubious voice rang in Mina's head. Unsure of what she should do, the runaway girl stared diagonally at the boy in front of her like before.
"You finally came here, Yuri-chan."
"Yeah. I don't think this matter only involves Ichinose-kun and Mina-san. Long time no see, Sajou-kun. Thank you, you helped us a few days ago."
"...No, that's no problem. Long time no see you too."
"Eh...?"
Mina looked at Wataru in surprise. This boy knew her big bro's girlfriend...?
Come to think of it, that boy said that he knew her big bro from the beginning. She wondered if he not only knew them but was also involved with them before. The questions that couldn't be thought of with calm words, rang through her head in various expressions. Now, she began to feel bad about the vocabulary she had acquired through reading books.
"Oh, please sit down, Senpai."
"Oh, I'm sorry, okay? Sajou-kun."
(—Oh.)
The boy moved back from his seat. Her big bro's girlfriend — Yuri, who was now sitting there. So where would that boy sit? Anxiety spread in Mina's heart, wondering if he would just go home, but it seemed that it was just unfounded anxiety. The boy took a seat behind Mina, making an attentive gesture. As if he was going to be by her side.
(...Why...?)
Sajou Wataru──Mina's senpai at her part-time job and her classmate at school. Previously, she knew that he was one of her rowdy classmates, but it wasn't until she started being a kouhai in her part-time job that he pointed out the difference in life experience between her and him. Although she was rather weak in some areas, he would patiently explain to her what was wrong with her. Even though she couldn't do anything about her personality, he would pick out the best works from her limited abilities.
Then, what is right and what is wrong? She thinks the line between right and wrong is very clear. If something was wrong, that boy always had sharp words. Mina couldn't say anything because she knew she was the one in the wrong.
This time was no different.
To reiterate, she knew she was wrong but she refused. How could the boy standing behind her not realize that? When she spoke to her big bro here, she was surprised every time he turned his attention to her.
That boy would never take her side. Mina didn't expect much from him. But the look in his eyes silently pleading with her, "Please just tell him," had been stuck in her heart for a long time.
"Yuri-chan, um.—"
Her big bro told them the story of how they got to this point. Of course, it didn't contain Mina's true feelings. It couldn't be helped, since she had only answered yes or no and she hadn't properly explained the reason for her decision.
Hanaoka Yuri. She was smart and serious, but she also acted spoiled and cute in front of her big bro. The latter was the part that Mina couldn't forgive.
The girl who had taken her big bro from her. Although no dark feelings or anything like that came to mind, she just felt lonely and sad. She was already surrounded by her big bro's warmth, but ever since they started dating, it was no longer the usual scent.
Sure enough, the girl who was like a sunflower turned towards her.
"Long time no see, Mina-san."
"Y-Yeah..."
Although the voice that came out of her was not strong, it was full of authority. Receiving all those words simultaneously, Mina's mind went blank. She did not know what to say. She could not think of anything.
"When we heard that you suddenly started working part-time, Ichinose-kun and I were curious about why you did that. We talked about this and wondered if it was so you could find your runaway. After all, maybe you think I've entered and seized the same place you were."
"..."
Her body was trembling.
Right. That's right. It's right, she was indeed looking for a new runaway place. She did not have any friends. Although she was spoiled by her big bro, he was no longer the big bro she used to know. She felt awkward. She hated seeing her big bro. So she threw herself into that second-hand bookstore and desperately stayed there.
The girl leaned closer and felt a part of Mina that made her want to look away.
"But, look, Mina-san, I'm not going to take your place. I want you to be spoiled by Ichinose-kun as usual, and that makes me happy too. You have that right, as his little sis."
That's not it. It wasn't a matter of whether there was still a place for her. Hanaoka Yuri — it was the fact that this being was here that was the problem. The stranger who came into her daily life, labeled by her precious big bro as a "woman" and chased her away like an exterminator.
However, she was still an insect with wings. She felt like flying around her big bro and felt the need to exclude other beings from her big bro's life. However, as a little sister, Mina had no reason to prevent her big bro's happiness. But she also didn't want her big bro to be taken away from her. This may be a selfishness that the rest of the world finds funny, but for Mina, it makes her feel very bad.
"Mina-san is a shy girl. It must be hard to keep working part-time like that, right? From what I heard just now, you also have to serve customers, so I think, it's still too early for you to do that."
That was indeed true. At least, that's what the boy standing behind her had said. According to him, she should quit her part-time job and just enjoy the pocket money from her parents. But that was not the case, her reason for choosing to work hard was not to be underestimated. To make her mind-independent. She didn't want that feeling to be challenged.
"I-It can't be too early."
"Hey, how can you be so sure...?"
She has said it clearly. One to five words. Only she can recognize herself. It was no exaggeration to say that she had become more open-minded and she realized that she had done something dumb. Even so, there was still one boundary Ichinose Mina had in mind that she could not compromise on. To protect herself, she would do that, even if she had to run away again. At the very least, there must be things she had gained from her part-time job up to this point.
"Mina, why are you being so stubborn? You were never like that before."
"Please, Mina-san. I don't want to destroy Ichinose-kun's family like this..., ...please, just go home."
"..."
A small amount of passion arose within her. At the same time, she felt a conflict.
Where could she get rid of this conflict? That's right, there was a table of affordable quality in front of her. However, it was made of acrylic, which meant it was solid. She hesitated and was reluctant to put down her small hands, which she had been using only to read books. Even so. Oh, this will indeed hurt her hand as well as her heart again, she thought.
"—Um, sorry, you two. I think you still haven't listened well enough."
"...Eh?"
A voice came from behind her. His tone was very light, incompatible with the situation that had occurred up to this point. The boy, who had been quietly observing, moved next to her. A hand was slowly placed on the spot where she was about to place her hand.
(...Eh?)
She didn't understand this situation. Why was he interrupting them? She was wrong, so he had no reason to interrupt her big bro and also his girlfriend.
"Um, Sajou-kun..., ...what do you mean?"
"Yeah, first of all, Ichinose-san has done her job very well. I've been impressed by her motivation and ambition lately. Yeah, she didn't seem very good at it at first, but everyone is like that at first."
"Eh...?"
Mina's big bro made a doubtful voice as if to say that it was impossible. That was because his little sis was shy and quiet. She was a fragile being who would give up if things got difficult. That was how she was as a little sis according to her big bro.
"Um, why are you two continuing this conversation with the assumption that Ichinose-san finds her part-time job difficult? Of course, I can't just stay silent about it as her senpai."
"Oh, that..."
"So that she can become an independent person." That's what Ichinose-san told me about why she started working part-time. What's wrong with that?"
"Sajou-kun, that's just a cover for her. This problem arose because I ignored Mina."
That was true. The moment those words appeared, even Mina looked down. The word "independent", in a sense, was indeed just a cover for her. She had indeed started working part-time with impure motives. She did not want to return to that awkward environment, even if it meant selling her respect for her big bro, so she would do anything, even if it meant prostrating herself on the ground. This detachment from her big bro is what being independent means to her. If you ask her if it was difficult for her, she certainly can't deny that it was difficult. How many times did she feel like giving up already?
"—No, it's not just a cover for her, hence. There's nothing wrong with that, absolutely nothing."
But they were right, why would he say that?
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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