Chapter 168Sasaki ≈ Nicotine
"Hiya...!?"
"I-It's okay, there there."
After I had gotten used to this doggy costume and forgotten my embarrassment, we came to the haunted house run by the third-year students. I don't think my cuteness had the same healing effect on that terrifying performance. I was no longer the pet that followed Sasaki-san and Ichinose-san around everywhere. Bark.
The bloody wooden plank tilted with a clatter, and Ichinose-san let out a small cry and hugged Sasaki-san. Sasaki-san, somewhat agitated, hugged Ichinose-san's petite body. Okay, so now it's my turn as their pet.
"Um—."
"Guah!?"
I was very surprised by the sound I heard in my ears and jumped right in front of me. Subconsciously, I heard a sound like a drain coming out of the back of my throat. Gosh... ...I was almost, just a step away, hugging Sasaki-san and the others...
My heart skipped a beat for the second time and when I turned around very nervously, I found a girl with eyes that looked like they could torture people mercilessly standing there.
"Huh? Isn't that too harsh? What's with that face? You look like you're begging for your life. Please don't look at me like that."
"Th-That was you, Yuki-chan... ...I thought that you had left..."
"Can you not beg for your life like that?"
"But I want to keep myself alive."
In the multi-purpose hall on the second floor. It was usually brightly lit with glass windows and a beautiful view that led to the school grounds, but now it was a dimly lit room that had been converted into a haunted house. The theme of this haunted house is "the future", so there are few human surprises, and the construction is quite interesting as it makes full use of motion sensors and traps. It was a bit disappointing that some kind of noise could be heard from time to time, but considering that it was a performance by high school students, it seemed like a very high level.
As a result of helping the Cultural Festival Executive Committee, I already knew the circumstances of what was going on behind the scenes, so I just said, "Haha, I can handle it", and it was time for me to show off my bravery. The third-year students were so cool, they were able to scare Yuki-chan in the haunted house.
"Big Bro, you're not within my reach..."
"What's the reach...?"
She complained to me with an expressionless face while staring at the screen of her smartphone — Did she complain? Yuki-chan complained to me or not. It's none of my business, though....
"Yuki-chan, isn't a haunted house scary?"
"Of course it's scary, especially when Big Bro isn't here. Look at this, my legs are shaking."
Who the heck is playing the role of her Big Bro here...? She is indeed an extreme brocon and is starting to suffer from withdrawal symptoms due to overreacting...!
I wanted to give this helpless brother-loving girl a scare, being suddenly yelled at "I am your Big Bro!" by an older boy whose name I didn't even know. No, I don't care if she's broken or not. Let alone in a haunted house, even on her way to school in the daytime she would feel scared. If she was Yuki-chan, she would have said "I see!" with an innocent face, handcuffed him, and hung him on the curved mirror pillar around here.
First of all, taking out your smartphone in this haunted house is not allowed. It is disrespectful to third-year senpai-s. If you try to record or take pictures of them, you will be banned from entering here again. This is a bad idea.
"Why don't you stop staring at your smartphone? Let's enjoy the haunted house — Hmm...?"
As I warned her, suddenly something stood up from next to the mossy rocks on the roadside behind Yuki-chan. It was Kuroko, whose entire body was wrapped in blue tights. Eh, blue tights? I can tell that because the floor is covered with blue cloth, though... ...but she's no longer Kuroko right now, is she? She's scary when she does that full circle.
The Kuroko pointed her index finger at us in a shooing motion and put the familiar spray on the back of Yuki-chan's hair. That's...! Air Salonpas of the odorless type...!
Kuroko installed a single-point type nozzle on the Air Salonpas! The droplets don't splash elsewhere, so it only hits the affected area which is cooled efficiently! Moreover, since it is not a compress, it will not peel off and lose its effectiveness, so it is very safe! That's it! If it's just with Air Salonpas!
That's it...! Please just do it!!!
"First things first... ...I'm having fun with Big Bro —Gya?"
"Ogya!?"
"S-Sajou-senpai...!?"
Splash, with the sound of sizzling spray, Yuki-chan let out a scream that sounded like the scraping of a styrofoam and jumped forward, and my jaw was pinched by a pat attack from her.
"A-Are you guys okay?"
"Wh-Whoa..."
Has it fallen out...? Has my jaw fallen out?
I impatiently chewed with my mouth to see if my jaw had fallen out. When I touched it, and sure enough, there it was, my jaw was still there. I could feel it, and it didn't seem to have fallen out. Thank goodness.
Sasaki-san and Ichinose-san, who were in front of me, started rushing back in a hurry. As I looked ahead while asking for their help, I found that Kuroko who was carrying the Air Salonpas had already left. What's with that professional spirit that senpai has... ...I bet she's hiding in a hidden place in that blind spot around here on all fours.
"How about you, Yuki-chan...? Are you okay? Have you been able to calm down?"
"O-Oh... ...Gh-Ghost... ...Big Bro..."
"Eh, ghost...?"
It was a different reaction from what I expected. Yuki-chan, lying on the floor with teary eyes, tried to reach out to Sasaki's footsteps and asked for help. Eh...? ...Doesn't it seem like she doesn't have enough space either? I imagine that if Yuki-chan were a character, she would definitely say "A haunted house? What fun is a childish trick like this?" while intercepting the zombies attacking her.
"Yuki-chan... ...Aren't you scared, huh...?"
"..."
Ichinose-san nodded repeatedly, saying that she understood the words Sasaki-san said. They both looked at me with a strange persuasive gaze. I see... ...Yuki-chan is also a human child, so that's what it means. So she also has her own cute side, right? If she constantly shows her weakness like that, Sasaki might understand and love her more. As a boy older than her, I'll make her feel comfortable here.
"Yuki-chan, come on, let's get out of the haunted house and meet Sasaki."
"Please don't touch me."
Snap. With a voice like that, my hand was pulled and she stood up, then started walking as if nothing had happened just now. Haha, isn't she fine?
"Koh..."
"Um... ...Sajou-senpai, that's..."
"..."
The subtle chi that I had cultivated in Kung Fu awakened my inner strength. I am not an ordinary human — Just as I was about to leave a person or even a dog, and then get up to live the life of a warrior, I caught a glimpse of Ichinose-san who was flailing and wandering around frantically. The image of a young girl teaching a big dog discipline on how to behave came to my mind.
Sasaki-san also seemed to look regretful for some reason... ...I wouldn't be able to get angry if I saw her face like that.
"Huh... ...Well, I guess it's a waste if we try to cheer her up, right?"
Yuki-chan is indeed an extreme brocon, and on top of that, Yuki-chan is also shown as a kuudere. She has two sides, which means she has two opposite sides inside her. If she had a facial expression that she wanted to hide from someone, it was proof that she cared about what other people would think about her. Sasaki wasn't everything to her. Perhaps the "weakness" she showed us earlier was a failure for Yuki-chan. I'm not good enough to be called an older boy who will spoil her. Well, if it's true that that's what happened to Yuki-chan... ...I agree with that.
"I can't wait to see you meet your Big Bro..."
"If Sasaki-san has said so... ...I guess I'll make that a priority."
If that's the case, my goal was originally to entertain Sasaki-san by showing her around as a guide, but if she ends up worrying about Yuki-chan, I have no other choice. I guess if I can't put Yuki-chan in a good mood, we can't go around happily, so I'll do it.
♦
"Next, let's go to the school backyard. They set up a lot of stalls, so let's have a snack lunch while we're there."
"...Oh, taiyaki."
"I think I'll have crepes. I heard they have a wide variety of flavors."
At the end of the hallway, I spread out the school map for the Cultural Festival while talking to them. Sasaki-san and Ichinose-san didn't unfold their own maps, but they peered at the map in my hand from both sides, which made me a bit nervous. Ichinose-san was probably very happy that she found the taiyaki stall, and she looked at me while putting both of her hands on my forearms, which were wearing a doggy costume while holding the map. Stop it...? I'm going to fall in love with her, you know?
Meanwhile, Yuki-chan was standing in front of me contemplating, crossing her arms and tapping her index finger. She's getting more and more emotional as time goes by... ...She's like a smoker who hasn't smoked in a long time. What happened to her addiction to Sasaki?
"Sasaki might be there too. You see, he said that he was traveling around with his friends from the Soccer Club, so he might be in a large group, and he might be outside more often than inside the school building."
"Gosh...!"
The performances at the Cultural Festival were originally intended for visitors, not for the current students to enjoy. The male students are more interested in "gathering and making a fuss on the day of the Cultural Festival" rather than having fun, and they tend to prefer sitting outside the school building and chatting.
After we walked far into the middle of nowhere, Yuki-chan found a convenience store and looked up with her eyes as if to say, "Yeay...! I can finally buy cigarettes!". It was hard to believe that she was a third-year middle school student. First of all, she looked similar to Sasaki and was much taller than Natsukawa. I guess if she keeps her mouth shut, I can't read her mood at all.
"...Alright. I agree with Sajou-san's opinion."
ED: Reeze27
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