[Warning 15+]
Part Two~Save That Old Energy Only For Me, Seriously!~Chapter 44The Changes That Are Definitely Hitting in This New Environment
The sunset in the city hits different than back in the countryside of Tsukinose. Instead of hills, it's the skyscrapers that get painted bright red.
"Bye, Himeko-chan!"
"See ya, Kirishima-san!"
"Later~!"
"Yeah, see you girls tomorrow!"
At the path leading from the main road into the residential area, right in front of a big convenience store, Himeko waved goodbye to her classmates and headed home.
The streetlights were already flickering on, making the city streets way brighter than the sunsets Himeko was used to.
But for some reason, her feet felt a little heavy.
(Ugh, I totally overdid it with the snacks again today... ...I mean, they're delicious, but they're so pricey...)
Himeko rubbed her stomach, slowing her pace down to a crawl.
The culprit? Convenience store sweets.
Back in Tsukinose, snacks meant those tiny mom-and-pop shops that felt more like a hobby than a business, selling nothing but shelf-stable old-school candy.
But here in the city, the convenience stores are loaded with rows of fancy sweets packed with fresh cream and short shelf lives.
For Himeko, who already had zero willpower when it came to sugar, the temptation was straight-up impossible to resist. To make matters worse, Torigai Honoka and her other classmates thought it was hilarious to egg Himeko on, recommending every new treat they could find.
As a result, Himeko's allowance was in total shambles.
"Sigh, I'm ho...me?"
"Yo, welcome back."
"...Welcome back, Hime-chan."
The second Himeko stepped inside, she found herself tilting her head in confusion.
There was Hayato chopping up veggies looking totally stressed, and Haruki sitting on the sofa with her knees tucked to her chest, clutching a cushion like she was guarding her life. The vibe between them was definitely... ...off.
By the way, Haruki had already kicked off her socks, and even though she was trying to cover her chest, her guard was so low that you could see her underwear clear as day if you looked from the front. Himeko couldn't help but let out a weird-*ss sigh.
"Eh... ...Haru-chan, what the heck is exactly going on here?"
"Hime-chan... ...Hayato turned out to be a total beast..."
"...Huh?"
When Himeko asked what happened, all she got was Haruki clutching a cushion for dear life with a dead-serious look on her face.
Seeing her childhood buddy acting like that, Himeko's chill factor evaporated in a split second.
Of course, Himeko knew the deal between them. They were close childhood buddies. That's exactly why Haruki's "I'm-guarding-my-virtue" reaction was so worrying, and Himeko couldn't wrap her head around why her big bro was just casually making dinner. Her brain started spinning from overthinking.
"W-W-W-Wait, did Big Bro feel you up?! Is that why Big Bro is a beast?! I mean, you are pretty stacked, Haru-chan! Can I get a quick feel too? Or like, give me some of that good luck?!"
"H-Hime-chan?! No, it's not like that! It wasn't me, it was in the gar— eek, that's my stomach!"
"Hey, what are you doing, Himeko? Cut it out."
Who knows how she interpreted it, but Himeko went totally rogue and lunged at Haruki to check the "goods" for herself.
Hayato couldn't just stand by and watch the train wreck anymore, so he peeled off Himeko, but her eyes were 💯% serious.
"Half... ...no, even a third is fine, just share some with me!"
"I-I can't!"
Hayato furrowed his brows even deeper and let out a massive sigh.
◇◇◇
"Hahaha, I see how it is. So Big Bro was checking out some girl's chest, huh?"
"I'm telling you, Hayato was totally making heart-eyes at that girl."
"...Give me a break already."
The dinner conversation was nothing but Haruki and Himeko relentlessly teasing Hayato.
Himeko's misunderstanding had already been cleared up, and unlike before, Haruki's voice was now full of playful mockery.
Hayato seemed to realize he was a lost cause, just giving a strained laugh while staying low.
Tonight's main dish was a twist on Mapo Eggplant: Diced eggplant sautéed with ground meat, garlic, maitake mushrooms, and green chilies, seasoned with a sweet and savory mix of soy sauce, mirin, oyster sauce, and a hint of miso.
It went perfectly with white rice. Instead of plating it separately, Hayato just dumped his portion straight onto his rice like a rice bowl. Haruki and Himeko followed suit, digging in like they were starving.
"By the way, Haru-chan, is that girl really that big?"
"Hmm, that girl's on the petite side, but I'd say she's at least two ranks above me."
"Wh-What?! And there's already a two-rank gap between me and you, Haru-chan?!"
"Ahaha, honestly, even my eyes were drawn to them too."
"Ugh, well, I guess it can't be helped then. Big Bro, you're forgiven."
"...Yeah, yeah. Stop talking and just eat your food, okay?"
""Okay~!""
After finishing dinner and chilling for a bit, by the time Haruki was about to head home, things had pretty much gone back to normal.
While Hayato was busy doing the dishes, Haruki was rolling around on the living room floor like she owned the place, giving even Himeko a run for her money.
(Oh, so that's what's up.)
Himeko finally caught on to Haruki's vibe.
Haruki must've been sulking about whatever happened earlier today. That's why she was just looking for an excuse to make up—or rather, a reason to start acting like her usual self again. And Himeko had totally fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker.
"You're not very honest with yourself, are you, Haru-chan?"
"Wh-What's with the sudden question, Hime-chan?"
"Oh, nothing in particular?"
As Himeko said that with an exasperated look and glanced over at Hayato, Haruki seemed to realize she'd been read like a book and started getting her stuff ready to go, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Oh, right, gotta head home. Thanks for the meal again today!"
"Yo, don't mention it."
"Haru-chan..."
With a little "heave-ho," Haruki hauled herself up and started pulling on those long socks she'd kicked off earlier.
Watching her, Himeko—still thinking about their earlier convo—muttered as if just continuing their mindless chatter.
"Seriously though, Big Bro is such a pain. I mean, he's got two cute girls right here, and he's out there checking out someone else's goods?"
"Ahaha, tell me about it. Honestly, he should've just settled for me and been happy with th—...at..."
"Well, I mean, I'd actually be pretty weirded out if he looked at me like th— Haru-chan?"
"..."
For some reason, Haruki just stopped dead in her tracks. She was in the middle of the most awkward pose ever—one sock on, and the right one halfway up her leg.
Even Himeko started giving Haruki the side-eye after Haruki stayed frozen like that for a good thirty seconds.
"Haru-chan? Earth to Haru-chan!"
"—! H-Hime-chan! A-Ahaha... ...Y-Yeah, I'm leaving now! No need to see me out, later!"
"Haru-chan?!"
"Rebooted" by Himeko's voice, Haruki—with her long socks still looking all messy and half-done—bolted out of the house in a total panic. It happened so fast, there wasn't even time to tell Haruki to wait.
While Himeko stood there dumbfounded, Hayato, who looked just as baffled, stopped doing the dishes and spoke up.
"Did that Haruki girl just leave?"
"Yeah, looks like it."
"Is Haruki gonna be okay without someone walking her home?"
"Maybe Haru-chan thought if she was with you, Big Bro, you'd just keep staring at her chest?"
"...As if. Stop talking cr*p and go take a bath; The water’s already hot."
"Okay~!"
Exchanging those kinds of quips, Himeko headed for the changing room.
As Himeko got her towels ready, she couldn't help but wonder if that joke she'd just made wasn't actually that far off the mark.
(Wait, has Big Bro ever actually looked at Haru-chan like that before...? No, no, no way.)
But Himeko shot that idea down immediately.
The way Haruki acts when she's just hanging at their place is, well, pretty messy. She's so relaxed that she's basically no different from Himeko herself.
Himeko'd never seen Hayato act weird or self-conscious around Haruki. If anything, he looked at Haruki exactly the same way he looked at Himeko.
(Or wait, maybe it's Haru-chan who's actually starting to catch feelings for Big Bro... ...Ahaha, as if!)
But as soon as that thought crossed her mind, Himeko felt this weird tug in her chest, so she shot that idea down too.
Trying to shake off the vibe, Himeko whipped off her sailor uniform in one go until she was buck naked.
Then, Himeko spotted the scale sitting right there. She hadn't weighed herself in a minute. After catching a glimpse of her slightly pudgy belly, she nervously stepped onto the scale.
"~~?!?!"
And just like that, Himeko let out a totally silent scream.
"Himeko, what happened?! You okay?!"
"Idiot! Don't come in! Don't look! You stupid Big Bro!!"
"M-My bad!"
Himeko slumped down on the spot from pure embarrassment, and then started clutching her head in total panic.
(Wh-Wh-Wh-What am I gonna do...?!)
The number on the scale Himeko'd stepped on for the first time in ten days—probably thanks to her recent convenience store sweets binge—showed a growth rate of nearly +10% compared to her last weigh-in.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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The sunset in the city hits different than back in the countryside of Tsukinose. Instead of hills, it's the skyscrapers that get painted bright red.
"Bye, Himeko-chan!"
"See ya, Kirishima-san!"
"Later~!"
"Yeah, see you girls tomorrow!"
At the path leading from the main road into the residential area, right in front of a big convenience store, Himeko waved goodbye to her classmates and headed home.
The streetlights were already flickering on, making the city streets way brighter than the sunsets Himeko was used to.
But for some reason, her feet felt a little heavy.
(Ugh, I totally overdid it with the snacks again today... ...I mean, they're delicious, but they're so pricey...)
Himeko rubbed her stomach, slowing her pace down to a crawl.
The culprit? Convenience store sweets.
Back in Tsukinose, snacks meant those tiny mom-and-pop shops that felt more like a hobby than a business, selling nothing but shelf-stable old-school candy.
But here in the city, the convenience stores are loaded with rows of fancy sweets packed with fresh cream and short shelf lives.
For Himeko, who already had zero willpower when it came to sugar, the temptation was straight-up impossible to resist. To make matters worse, Torigai Honoka and her other classmates thought it was hilarious to egg Himeko on, recommending every new treat they could find.
As a result, Himeko's allowance was in total shambles.
"Sigh, I'm ho...me?"
"Yo, welcome back."
"...Welcome back, Hime-chan."
The second Himeko stepped inside, she found herself tilting her head in confusion.
There was Hayato chopping up veggies looking totally stressed, and Haruki sitting on the sofa with her knees tucked to her chest, clutching a cushion like she was guarding her life. The vibe between them was definitely... ...off.
By the way, Haruki had already kicked off her socks, and even though she was trying to cover her chest, her guard was so low that you could see her underwear clear as day if you looked from the front. Himeko couldn't help but let out a weird-*ss sigh.
"Eh... ...Haru-chan, what the heck is exactly going on here?"
"Hime-chan... ...Hayato turned out to be a total beast..."
"...Huh?"
When Himeko asked what happened, all she got was Haruki clutching a cushion for dear life with a dead-serious look on her face.
Seeing her childhood buddy acting like that, Himeko's chill factor evaporated in a split second.
Of course, Himeko knew the deal between them. They were close childhood buddies. That's exactly why Haruki's "I'm-guarding-my-virtue" reaction was so worrying, and Himeko couldn't wrap her head around why her big bro was just casually making dinner. Her brain started spinning from overthinking.
"W-W-W-Wait, did Big Bro feel you up?! Is that why Big Bro is a beast?! I mean, you are pretty stacked, Haru-chan! Can I get a quick feel too? Or like, give me some of that good luck?!"
"H-Hime-chan?! No, it's not like that! It wasn't me, it was in the gar— eek, that's my stomach!"
"Hey, what are you doing, Himeko? Cut it out."
Who knows how she interpreted it, but Himeko went totally rogue and lunged at Haruki to check the "goods" for herself.
Hayato couldn't just stand by and watch the train wreck anymore, so he peeled off Himeko, but her eyes were 💯% serious.
"Half... ...no, even a third is fine, just share some with me!"
"I-I can't!"
Hayato furrowed his brows even deeper and let out a massive sigh.
◇◇◇
"Hahaha, I see how it is. So Big Bro was checking out some girl's chest, huh?"
"I'm telling you, Hayato was totally making heart-eyes at that girl."
"...Give me a break already."
The dinner conversation was nothing but Haruki and Himeko relentlessly teasing Hayato.
Himeko's misunderstanding had already been cleared up, and unlike before, Haruki's voice was now full of playful mockery.
Hayato seemed to realize he was a lost cause, just giving a strained laugh while staying low.
Tonight's main dish was a twist on Mapo Eggplant: Diced eggplant sautéed with ground meat, garlic, maitake mushrooms, and green chilies, seasoned with a sweet and savory mix of soy sauce, mirin, oyster sauce, and a hint of miso.
It went perfectly with white rice. Instead of plating it separately, Hayato just dumped his portion straight onto his rice like a rice bowl. Haruki and Himeko followed suit, digging in like they were starving.
"By the way, Haru-chan, is that girl really that big?"
"Hmm, that girl's on the petite side, but I'd say she's at least two ranks above me."
"Wh-What?! And there's already a two-rank gap between me and you, Haru-chan?!"
"Ahaha, honestly, even my eyes were drawn to them too."
"Ugh, well, I guess it can't be helped then. Big Bro, you're forgiven."
"...Yeah, yeah. Stop talking and just eat your food, okay?"
""Okay~!""
After finishing dinner and chilling for a bit, by the time Haruki was about to head home, things had pretty much gone back to normal.
While Hayato was busy doing the dishes, Haruki was rolling around on the living room floor like she owned the place, giving even Himeko a run for her money.
(Oh, so that's what's up.)
Himeko finally caught on to Haruki's vibe.
Haruki must've been sulking about whatever happened earlier today. That's why she was just looking for an excuse to make up—or rather, a reason to start acting like her usual self again. And Himeko had totally fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker.
"You're not very honest with yourself, are you, Haru-chan?"
"Wh-What's with the sudden question, Hime-chan?"
"Oh, nothing in particular?"
As Himeko said that with an exasperated look and glanced over at Hayato, Haruki seemed to realize she'd been read like a book and started getting her stuff ready to go, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Oh, right, gotta head home. Thanks for the meal again today!"
"Yo, don't mention it."
"Haru-chan..."
With a little "heave-ho," Haruki hauled herself up and started pulling on those long socks she'd kicked off earlier.
Watching her, Himeko—still thinking about their earlier convo—muttered as if just continuing their mindless chatter.
"Seriously though, Big Bro is such a pain. I mean, he's got two cute girls right here, and he's out there checking out someone else's goods?"
"Ahaha, tell me about it. Honestly, he should've just settled for me and been happy with th—...at..."
"Well, I mean, I'd actually be pretty weirded out if he looked at me like th— Haru-chan?"
"..."
For some reason, Haruki just stopped dead in her tracks. She was in the middle of the most awkward pose ever—one sock on, and the right one halfway up her leg.
Even Himeko started giving Haruki the side-eye after Haruki stayed frozen like that for a good thirty seconds.
"Haru-chan? Earth to Haru-chan!"
"—! H-Hime-chan! A-Ahaha... ...Y-Yeah, I'm leaving now! No need to see me out, later!"
"Haru-chan?!"
"Rebooted" by Himeko's voice, Haruki—with her long socks still looking all messy and half-done—bolted out of the house in a total panic. It happened so fast, there wasn't even time to tell Haruki to wait.
While Himeko stood there dumbfounded, Hayato, who looked just as baffled, stopped doing the dishes and spoke up.
"Did that Haruki girl just leave?"
"Yeah, looks like it."
"Is Haruki gonna be okay without someone walking her home?"
"Maybe Haru-chan thought if she was with you, Big Bro, you'd just keep staring at her chest?"
"...As if. Stop talking cr*p and go take a bath; The water’s already hot."
"Okay~!"
Exchanging those kinds of quips, Himeko headed for the changing room.
As Himeko got her towels ready, she couldn't help but wonder if that joke she'd just made wasn't actually that far off the mark.
(Wait, has Big Bro ever actually looked at Haru-chan like that before...? No, no, no way.)
But Himeko shot that idea down immediately.
The way Haruki acts when she's just hanging at their place is, well, pretty messy. She's so relaxed that she's basically no different from Himeko herself.
Himeko'd never seen Hayato act weird or self-conscious around Haruki. If anything, he looked at Haruki exactly the same way he looked at Himeko.
(Or wait, maybe it's Haru-chan who's actually starting to catch feelings for Big Bro... ...Ahaha, as if!)
But as soon as that thought crossed her mind, Himeko felt this weird tug in her chest, so she shot that idea down too.
Trying to shake off the vibe, Himeko whipped off her sailor uniform in one go until she was buck naked.
Then, Himeko spotted the scale sitting right there. She hadn't weighed herself in a minute. After catching a glimpse of her slightly pudgy belly, she nervously stepped onto the scale.
"~~?!?!"
And just like that, Himeko let out a totally silent scream.
"Himeko, what happened?! You okay?!"
"Idiot! Don't come in! Don't look! You stupid Big Bro!!"
"M-My bad!"
Himeko slumped down on the spot from pure embarrassment, and then started clutching her head in total panic.
(Wh-Wh-Wh-What am I gonna do...?!)
The number on the scale Himeko'd stepped on for the first time in ten days—probably thanks to her recent convenience store sweets binge—showed a growth rate of nearly +10% compared to her last weigh-in.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
Follow Our Official WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaRa6nHCsU9OAB0U370F
Read in other languages:
• Indonesian / Bahasa Indonesia
←Previous Table of Contents Next→