Chapter 164With Who?
After I left the school gate, I tried to match my pace with Natsukawa, then I realized that there was something different from before. I was having trouble keeping up with Natsukawa's footsteps. I became curious and when I checked, I found that Natsukawa was looking at my feet, she was watching my footsteps hesitantly. This is... ...Is she trying to match my pace?I watched Natsukawa without saying a word, as we walked out onto the narrow sidewalk. There was only a small white line on the street that passed by cars, so I had no choice but to walk along the sidewalk. Like before, when I tried to take a position on the sidewalk, Natsukawa showed me an unexpected movement, and I became even more convinced that something was strange.
"Um... ...Natsukawa."
"Wh-What's wrong...?"
"I'm not Airi-chan, you know."
"Huh?! What are you talking about...?"
"How come you're asking questions back...? ...You tried to walk at the same pace as me, and you even pushed me off the road, you also tried to walk on the side of the road..."
"E-Eh...?"
"See?"
I grabbed both shoulders of the flustered Natsukawa and slowly directed her to the other side of the street. I just touched her with all my might in the heat of the moment, but she didn't say anything, did she...? If she had tapped me on the shoulder or hand, I would have burst into tears. All I can say here is that she's rather slender...
When I looked at Natsukawa's condition with a nervous feeling in my heart, she looked as if she was in a daze and lost her mind, not like the reaction I expected. I don't know if she still hasn't realized it either, or is it my point of view that has missed? And she's already acting regardless of Airi-chan...? If the latter is true, then why is she treating me like a spoiled child?
"Th-Thank you..."
"It's amazing that you can do that unconsciously."
I guess it's something called "her aura and strength as a big sis", but looking around she seems much more like a gentleman than me. Even if there's a difference, I think a big sis who moves away like Natsukawa just did, saying, "It's dangerous over there, so just go this way, okay!" and the boy will casually take the other side of the street.
"If I had a little sibling, I might be able to pull off that handsome boy move like you did..."
"...I don't think I can imagine what it would be like if Wataru acted as a big bro."
"No, come on, it's more or less like me when I was playing with Airi-chan that time."
"Doesn't that make you seem like an ordinary type of big bro... ...Wouldn't it be a bit of a setback if you acted like her?"
"Isn't it not too much for an adult to try to fit in with a child?"
"I don't think you need to adjust yourself to her age..."
Oh no, I was immediately completely refuted by her...
It's not like I enjoy playing with little kids or anything, you know? But I don't know how to interact with little kids, so the only thing I can do is just act like a little kid, right? Or maybe I can just be a ride or a horse for them all the time...
"Have you never interacted with your younger cousins that still a little?"
"I'm the youngest among my cousins..."
There's only one of them who's the same age as me, but she's only a few months older than me judging from our birth dates.... ...So whenever I see her, she's always babbling at me to respect her as my big sis. It's like she's too influenced by Big Sis.
"I see...?"
"Why are you kind of grinning like that?"
"I-It's nothing... ...I'm not grinning!"
She was kind of grinning at me, judging by the tone of her voice. Then when I glanced at her, I found that kind of expression on her face. I'm pretty sure that she must be grinning at me right now.
"Don't underestimate me, I'm the youngest child, you know? When I was in elementary school, I got tons of New Year's gifts, you know?"
"Phew... ...So that's it—Fufu."
"Aren't you laughing too much?"
She laughed too much at something commonplace for me as the youngest child. What's so funny about this, anyway? Is it funny because I'm the youngest child and I'm talking about the benefits of being the youngest child? Even though I was the youngest child, I didn't get any affection when I was in high school. I was treated like an adult. Every parent everywhere has experienced this with their kids, so they'll ask, "How's school?" or "Do you have a girlfriend?" because they've been there too. "Don't say anything and just leave me alone, okay?", they're too sensitive about it, and I started to worry instead. I'm the type of person whose growth is monitored through my New Year cards.
"Is anyone from your extended family coming to the Cultural Festival tomorrow?"
"No, of course, no. I was born and raised here, but the distance between my parents' house and my grandparents' house is far apart."
"Eh, I see."
"What about you, Natsukawa?"
"I'm... ...close to everyone in my extended family, I guess. Both Mom and Dad are an only child respectively, and Grandma is like one of three children. So I don't have anyone that called a cousin in my extended family."
"Eh, is that so?"
I hadn't thought about that number in a while, not just about my uncles and aunties, but also about my cousins... ...I was too lazy to count them. I even used to get New Year cards and gifts from relatives I didn't even know who they were.
"But it will be much easier to gather if your houses are close together."
"Eh? Gather...?"
"No, it's like a family gathering, for example."
"Have you ever been to a family gathering...?"
"No... ...have you?"
"Yeah..."
...Eh, I don't know for sure, though. Which of these things makes sense? There's a high possibility that I'll be invited to the event around the beginning of next year. I couldn't go to the event during my third year of middle school year due to high school entrance exams, and I think the last time I was invited to the event was during my second year of middle school.
"Wataru's extended family is scattered in several places, but why would they all get together?"
"My paternal great-grandma was a big boss. If memory serves and if I'm not mistaken, she was the person we could least resist."
"I see, your great-grandma, huh... ...your great-grandmother?"
"That's right, my great-grandma. She is an old lady who is still strong and over 80 years old. There are a lot of people who are below her."
"Heh... ...I see."
Come to think of it, I don't think we've ever been able to get together with my maternal grandparents' extended family. We don't have many relatives there either. I guess I'll just greet them one by one, right?
"I kind of envy you..."
"No, it's too much trouble, even though I have a lot of relatives. I'd have to write a lot of New Year's cards to them."
"Isn't that good? Writing New Year's cards is so much fun."
"There are times when Big Sis enjoyed that too... It must be a culture that's more for girls."
"But I don't think so...!"
I get the impression that girls like to write cards, not just New Year cards. Even Big Sis, back when she was a blonde gyaru, would cross her legs and twirl her pen proudly. Seriously, the combination of postcards and Big Sis in those days was so disproportionate. No, I don't think she's a postcard kind of girl, so why is she blonde?
"What about you, Natsukawa? Even though you guys rarely have family gatherings, is it possible that they'll attend the Cultural Festival?"
"Hmm... ...I don't think we have that kind of relationship... ...I think it's more like we're people who meet each other at certain times..."
"Oh–... ...but it's true that if you listen to stories about the families around you, you might hear a lot of stories like that."
To be honest, I rarely got the chance to hear the stories. I can't even remember who I've heard stories from. I guess it's the same with the people I meet during Obon and New Year. However, the more people there were, the more important events I was able to capture. Weddings, funerals, and other ceremonial events.
"Oh, but Mom and Dad said that they wanted to bring Airi with them too."
"!!"
"I can't help but ask them not to come. .... I don't think I'll have much time on the management side."
I-I was surprised... ...I thought Natsukawa's parents would show up in our classroom... I've only met Natsukawa's mother once at her house, but she never said hello to me. It would be very awkward if they came. There's also a possibility that Natsukawa has already talked to them about me following her around in the past.
"Yeah, I see. As a member of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee, it seems like you don't have much free time because of the tasks you have to complete... ...So, are you just planning on doing something like walking around with Ashida there?"
"Yeah, I'll talk to Kei and make plans for the second day. I don't want to be a member of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee again next year..."
"I'm sure that you'll feel differently when you're in the third year, but right now you're already a member of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee when you were in the first year... ...You want to have fun first, don't you?"
"Yeah."
If I recall, Hasegawa-senpai, the Chairman of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee, became a member of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee because she nominated herself. When I think that there is a senpai like that, I guess their feelings for this school must be very different than ours.
"How about you Wataru...? You see, on the second day... ...did you have an appointment with someone...?"
"Eh? Oh—... ...I didn't have one."
I was playing the role of Cosplayer in the riddle competition, and we were probably at our busiest time of the day, so I didn't have any plans. Oh, but, I already have a much more important role on the first day. I must guide Sasaki-san together with Ichinose-san. I'll make sure that I only remember that.
"There was nothing special on that second day."
"I see... ...Um, then..."
Natsukawa looked at me with a somewhat uneasy look. Natsukawa, who had promised to go around with Ashida on the second day of the Cultural Festival, asked me about my plans for the second day. I'm not the kind of boy who can't guess what's going on here. Especially since my interlocutor here is Natsukawa. Who here is sitting and can say who is the founder of the Natsukawa Sect?
"I don't want to have a boring time at the Cultural Festival, so can I come with you guys?"
"...! Yeah."
"..."
How charming──Eh, how charming...!
Eh, is it okay for her to smile at me like this? There was something inside me that just disappeared. My left shoulder felt a bit lighter. I felt like someone was watching me at midnight for a while just now.
I looked over fearfully. Natsukawa's carefree smile had lost its usual model student look and she looked more like an innocent child. Not like Airi-chan, that momentary childishness peeking out amongst her unusual sexiness.
"—..."
Gosh...! I've become enamored with Natsukawa again to the point that I've forgotten! I remember when I fell in love with Natsukawa when I was in the second year of middle school! Those feelings were like when my entire field of vision was instantly colored in an instant... ...Wow, that must be love. That's not a lie.
I put my hand into the gap between my blazer and patted it, pretending to scratch my chest. I felt that I couldn't control my heart pounding in my chest while I was standing there. I'm probably the high school student with the most erratic attitude right now.
Huh... ...Marginalization.
"N-No... ...I'm glad if you were that happy too."
"...Hey."
"Oh, that reminds me, I think they've given us a bookmark. Have you decided where you and Ashida are going?"
"Hey, Wataru."
"Yeah?"
"You said "There was nothing special on that second day!", does that mean you already have an appointment with someone on the first day?"
...Yeah?
Author's Note: Yeah.
TL Note: There's an extra chapter after this one, but because it's an LN-only chapter, we're not gonna translate it, if you want to read it, you must purchase the seventh volume of Official English of the LN version when it comes out at the time.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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Yumemiru Danshi