[Warning 15+]
Part Two~Save That Old Energy Only For Me, Seriously!~Chapter 74Blindside
"Hey, are you still messing with it?"
"Big Bro, quit moving!"
Himeko's sharp voice rang through the Kirishima Residence early Sunday morning.
Hayato had been forced onto the living room sofa for nearly thirty minutes now, letting Himeko go to town on his hair. Apparently, it was taking a while for her to get it exactly how she wanted.
Today was the day they'd promised to head to the movie theater.
Since Hayato was totally clueless about his own look, Himeko was all fired up to fix him up, huffing, "Look, I'm going with you today, so you better look decent!"
As for Himeko, she was rocking a sleek, sleeveless blouse with a navy asymmetrical long skirt. Between her slender build and that mature vibe she had going on, anyone looking from the outside wouldn't be able to tell which one of them was actually the older sibling.
"Alright, done!"
"...This feels kinda weird."
Finally, Himeko nodded with a satisfied look on her face.
Hayato let out a pathetic groan at the stiff, crusty feeling of his hair, which had been styled with wax for the first time in his life.
"Okay, I don't wanna keep Haruki waiting, so let's head out—"
"Huh? Wait, Big Bro, you're seriously going out dressed like that?"
"Eh? Is something wrong with it?"
"Sigh..."
As soon as Hayato stood up to head out, Himeko shot him a weird look and made a confused noise. He had no clue why. He looked himself over, but all he saw was a loose moss-green shirt and black chinos—totally standard gear in his book.
Seeing Hayato standing there looking lost, Himeko let out a massive sigh. She slapped one hand on her hip and pointed at him with the other.
"That shirt! The color is fading, the collar is totally stretched out, and the cuffs are literally fraying apart!"
"G-Guess you're right."
To put it bluntly, it was just old and busted. Clearly, there was no way Himeko was letting Hayato leave the house like that.
After that, Hayato was forcefully dragged back to his room to have his outfit picked out by his little sis.
◇◇◇
The station front on a weekend morning wasn't as crazy as a weekday, but it was still pretty packed.
Since even people who don't usually take the train were using it, there were a few people lined up at the ticket machines. Hayato was one of them.
"Wait, how much was it again...?"
When you live out in the countryside like Tsukinose, you never really pick up the habit of buying train tickets.
I mean, duh. Not having your own ride is basically like being paralyzed there—it's a land where the mini-truck is the absolute law.
That's why Hayato had to go all the way to the front of the ticket machine just to double-check the fare chart before finally pulling out his wallet. He was being super slow and clumsy about the whole thing.
"Hurry it up, Big Bro."
"Sorry... ...wait, don't you need to buy a ticket too?"
"Heh-heh, that's 'cause I've got this!"
With a smug look, Himeko flashed an IC card featuring a distinctive melon logo. It was one of those things you could use as electronic money, not just for trains and buses, but at stores too.
Apparently, Himeko'd scored one without Hayato even noticing.
"With this, you don't have to wait in line every single time to buy a ticket, and paying at the convenience store is way smoother too!"
Giving Hayato an even more annoying "I'm-so-cool" face, Himeko showed off the IC card to her big bro one last time before breezing through the ticket gate.
'Insufficient balance. Please top up your card.'
The robotic voice of the gate announced.
"...Himeko."
"Ugh..."
Himeko ended up having to line up at the ticket machine anyway, practically half-crying from the sheer embarrassment.
◇◇◇
Three stops on the rapid line from their local station, and 20 minutes of rocking back and forth on the train later. They were back in the same part of the city where Hayato'd gone with Haruki to pick out his smartphone—right in front of that bird monument. That was the designated meeting spot for today.
Even though this was his second time here, Hayato didn't think he'd ever get used to navigating through such a massive, chaotic, and labyrinth-like station. He pushed through the crowds, slowly making his way toward his destination.
Hayato had suggested that Haruki just come along with them since they lived so close, but Himeko had shot that down with a wicked, crescent-shaped smirk. Himeko definitely had that "I'm up to no good" look on her face.
Once they hit the meeting spot, Himeko couldn't seem to sit still. She kept whipping out her compact mirror to mess with her bangs.
For Hayato, watching the sea of people rush by was a trip—he wasn't bored at all just people-watching.
Hayato felt like if he actually stepped into that massive crowd, he'd get swallowed whole. Honestly, he and Himeko had already been tossed around by the human tide just trying to get here.
"...Huh?"
"...Oh."
"Oh, Haru-chan! Whoa, what is that? You look so cute! Or should I say, you're totally playing the 'innocent' card!"
Seeing a girl who stood out that much even in a crowd like this made a weird sound slip out of Hayato's mouth. Himeko started cheering too.
Haruki was dressed up in a seriously adorable outfit. She was wearing a short, sky-blue camisole dress with a flower pattern. The skirt was tiered, and from the high-waist down, it split to reveal a different colored inner skirt as an accent.
Topped off with a lace cardigan styled like a bolero, it was a totally girly look that screamed "femme." On top of that, Haruki had her hair in twintails today with ribbons and everything. No wonder Himeko called her look "calculated."
Haruki looked a bit younger than usual, but it really brought out that innocent-yet-fragile vibe unique to girls in their mid-teens. Hayato could only blink in shock.
And it looked like Haruki was feeling the exact same way.
Instead of his usual overgrown hair and "whatever" clothes, seeing Hayato all cleaned up thanks to Himeko's handiwork gave off such a fresh vibe that it left Haruki standing there with her mouth wide open.
"Wh-Who the heck are you?!"
"What do you mean 'Who'? It's me."
Haruki was the first one to snap out of it. Shocked, she pointed a finger straight at Hayato.
"Heh-heh, Big Bro cleans up pretty good when you put in the work, right?"
"Urgh, talk about a blindside! That's right, I forgot Hayato had Hime-chan in his corner...!"
"Hey, come on... ...seriously."
Haruki let out a frustrated groan.
As Himeko pushed Hayato forward like she was showing off a masterpiece, Haruki puffed out her cheeks in a pout.
Looking at Haruki acting all childish—matching her outfit for once—Hayato couldn't help but let out a weary sigh.
Seeing the look on Hayato's face, Haruki looked like she suddenly realized something and cleared her throat. She straightened the hem of her short, lace-and-frill-covered skirt—something she clearly wasn't used to—and put on that provocatively smug face she'd been using lately as she stepped closer.
"Heh-heh, you got me on the opening move, but I'm not the same girl I was yesterday, you know!"
"O-Oh, really? Well, yeah, you definitely look different than usual. Caught me off guard."
"Actually, that's not the only thing~. Come on, what do you think is different? Want to know? Do you? Do you?"
"Eh, not really..."
"Ngh, don't be like that! Come on, you're dying to know, aren't you?"
Losing her patience, Haruki scooted right up to both Hayato and Himeko and gave the neckline of her camisole a little tug to show them. In the next split second, Hayato turned into a human instant-water-heater. Haruki felt a huge rush of satisfaction seeing Hayato turn beet red and recoil in shock.
That brief flash that Hayato and Himeko caught... ...was black lace lingerie.
With its chic lace design, it gave off a weirdly seductive, mature vibe. Because it was such a massive mismatch with the "innocent girl" clothes Haruki was wearing, it stood out like crazy.
Hayato was completely floored by the gap. His brain was absolute mush, and it was written all over his face.
Seeing that expression, Haruki smirked like she'd just won the lottery, while Himeko let out a low, quiet mumble as if she were speaking for the chaos inside Hayato's head.
"That is so lewd!!!"
Haruki was living for their reactions.
Haruki had that same smug-*ss face she used to get back in Tsukinose whenever one of her pranks landed, and she was totally feeling herself now. Feeling bold, Haruki started pestering the heck out of Hayato.
"Hey, hey, did your heart skip a beat? It did, didn't it? Your face is totally beet red~. Heh, I can tell without you even saying a word~. I guess you gotta pay attention to the parts people can't see, not just the surface, right? Is this that 'sexy vibe' oozing from my inner self? Do you even get it? Actually, you definitely get it, which is why you're so re—"
"SHUT UP!!!!"
"—Mya?!?!"
Still blushing like crazy and refusing to be the loser in this exchange, Hayato reached out and grabbed Haruki's nose, yanking it upward. He was making her make such a hideous face that all her hard work to look like a pretty girl was completely flushed down the drain.
Hayato couldn't think of a comeback, so his hands just moved on their own... ...it was the exact same kind of childish move you'd see on a playground.
"Why, you...!?"
"Fugo?!"
Haruki wasn't about to just take it lying down. She shoved her finger right up Hayato's nose and used her other free hand to yank on his ear.
It was a full-blown toddler brawl at this point, just a pure clash of stubbornness. Both of them looked absolutely pathetic, completely wrecking the stylish looks they'd worked so hard on.
Himeko watched her big bro and her childhood friend with a deadpan stare, looking totally fed up. She was just about to find the right moment to step in and stop them.
"Big Bro, Haru-chan, people are staring, so sto—"
"—Kuku, kuha, ahahaha! Seriously, what the heck are you guys even doing?! Hahaha!!"
Suddenly, a low but clear laugh rained down on Hayato and Haruki.
The boy was clutching his stomach like it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. It was a pure, innocent laugh—something you'd never expect from his usually cool and collected persona at school.
That made Hayato scowl even harder as he muttered.
"...Kaidō."
Standing right in front of them was Kaidō Kazuki, laughing his head off while holding his stomach.
Author's Notes:
I-I've been so busy this week that I didn't even have time to swing by the home center to look at the kitties...
No way! For the sake of this poor Author who's literally starving for some "meows," let's all meow together in the comments section! Meow!
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:
"Hey, are you still messing with it?"
"Big Bro, quit moving!"
Himeko's sharp voice rang through the Kirishima Residence early Sunday morning.
Hayato had been forced onto the living room sofa for nearly thirty minutes now, letting Himeko go to town on his hair. Apparently, it was taking a while for her to get it exactly how she wanted.
Today was the day they'd promised to head to the movie theater.
Since Hayato was totally clueless about his own look, Himeko was all fired up to fix him up, huffing, "Look, I'm going with you today, so you better look decent!"
As for Himeko, she was rocking a sleek, sleeveless blouse with a navy asymmetrical long skirt. Between her slender build and that mature vibe she had going on, anyone looking from the outside wouldn't be able to tell which one of them was actually the older sibling.
"Alright, done!"
"...This feels kinda weird."
Finally, Himeko nodded with a satisfied look on her face.
Hayato let out a pathetic groan at the stiff, crusty feeling of his hair, which had been styled with wax for the first time in his life.
"Okay, I don't wanna keep Haruki waiting, so let's head out—"
"Huh? Wait, Big Bro, you're seriously going out dressed like that?"
"Eh? Is something wrong with it?"
"Sigh..."
As soon as Hayato stood up to head out, Himeko shot him a weird look and made a confused noise. He had no clue why. He looked himself over, but all he saw was a loose moss-green shirt and black chinos—totally standard gear in his book.
Seeing Hayato standing there looking lost, Himeko let out a massive sigh. She slapped one hand on her hip and pointed at him with the other.
"That shirt! The color is fading, the collar is totally stretched out, and the cuffs are literally fraying apart!"
"G-Guess you're right."
To put it bluntly, it was just old and busted. Clearly, there was no way Himeko was letting Hayato leave the house like that.
After that, Hayato was forcefully dragged back to his room to have his outfit picked out by his little sis.
◇◇◇
The station front on a weekend morning wasn't as crazy as a weekday, but it was still pretty packed.
Since even people who don't usually take the train were using it, there were a few people lined up at the ticket machines. Hayato was one of them.
"Wait, how much was it again...?"
When you live out in the countryside like Tsukinose, you never really pick up the habit of buying train tickets.
I mean, duh. Not having your own ride is basically like being paralyzed there—it's a land where the mini-truck is the absolute law.
That's why Hayato had to go all the way to the front of the ticket machine just to double-check the fare chart before finally pulling out his wallet. He was being super slow and clumsy about the whole thing.
"Hurry it up, Big Bro."
"Sorry... ...wait, don't you need to buy a ticket too?"
"Heh-heh, that's 'cause I've got this!"
With a smug look, Himeko flashed an IC card featuring a distinctive melon logo. It was one of those things you could use as electronic money, not just for trains and buses, but at stores too.
Apparently, Himeko'd scored one without Hayato even noticing.
"With this, you don't have to wait in line every single time to buy a ticket, and paying at the convenience store is way smoother too!"
Giving Hayato an even more annoying "I'm-so-cool" face, Himeko showed off the IC card to her big bro one last time before breezing through the ticket gate.
'Insufficient balance. Please top up your card.'
The robotic voice of the gate announced.
"...Himeko."
"Ugh..."
Himeko ended up having to line up at the ticket machine anyway, practically half-crying from the sheer embarrassment.
◇◇◇
Three stops on the rapid line from their local station, and 20 minutes of rocking back and forth on the train later. They were back in the same part of the city where Hayato'd gone with Haruki to pick out his smartphone—right in front of that bird monument. That was the designated meeting spot for today.
Even though this was his second time here, Hayato didn't think he'd ever get used to navigating through such a massive, chaotic, and labyrinth-like station. He pushed through the crowds, slowly making his way toward his destination.
Hayato had suggested that Haruki just come along with them since they lived so close, but Himeko had shot that down with a wicked, crescent-shaped smirk. Himeko definitely had that "I'm up to no good" look on her face.
Once they hit the meeting spot, Himeko couldn't seem to sit still. She kept whipping out her compact mirror to mess with her bangs.
For Hayato, watching the sea of people rush by was a trip—he wasn't bored at all just people-watching.
Hayato felt like if he actually stepped into that massive crowd, he'd get swallowed whole. Honestly, he and Himeko had already been tossed around by the human tide just trying to get here.
"...Huh?"
"...Oh."
"Oh, Haru-chan! Whoa, what is that? You look so cute! Or should I say, you're totally playing the 'innocent' card!"
Seeing a girl who stood out that much even in a crowd like this made a weird sound slip out of Hayato's mouth. Himeko started cheering too.
Haruki was dressed up in a seriously adorable outfit. She was wearing a short, sky-blue camisole dress with a flower pattern. The skirt was tiered, and from the high-waist down, it split to reveal a different colored inner skirt as an accent.
Topped off with a lace cardigan styled like a bolero, it was a totally girly look that screamed "femme." On top of that, Haruki had her hair in twintails today with ribbons and everything. No wonder Himeko called her look "calculated."
Haruki looked a bit younger than usual, but it really brought out that innocent-yet-fragile vibe unique to girls in their mid-teens. Hayato could only blink in shock.
And it looked like Haruki was feeling the exact same way.
Instead of his usual overgrown hair and "whatever" clothes, seeing Hayato all cleaned up thanks to Himeko's handiwork gave off such a fresh vibe that it left Haruki standing there with her mouth wide open.
"Wh-Who the heck are you?!"
"What do you mean 'Who'? It's me."
Haruki was the first one to snap out of it. Shocked, she pointed a finger straight at Hayato.
"Heh-heh, Big Bro cleans up pretty good when you put in the work, right?"
"Urgh, talk about a blindside! That's right, I forgot Hayato had Hime-chan in his corner...!"
"Hey, come on... ...seriously."
Haruki let out a frustrated groan.
As Himeko pushed Hayato forward like she was showing off a masterpiece, Haruki puffed out her cheeks in a pout.
Looking at Haruki acting all childish—matching her outfit for once—Hayato couldn't help but let out a weary sigh.
Seeing the look on Hayato's face, Haruki looked like she suddenly realized something and cleared her throat. She straightened the hem of her short, lace-and-frill-covered skirt—something she clearly wasn't used to—and put on that provocatively smug face she'd been using lately as she stepped closer.
"Heh-heh, you got me on the opening move, but I'm not the same girl I was yesterday, you know!"
"O-Oh, really? Well, yeah, you definitely look different than usual. Caught me off guard."
"Actually, that's not the only thing~. Come on, what do you think is different? Want to know? Do you? Do you?"
"Eh, not really..."
"Ngh, don't be like that! Come on, you're dying to know, aren't you?"
Losing her patience, Haruki scooted right up to both Hayato and Himeko and gave the neckline of her camisole a little tug to show them. In the next split second, Hayato turned into a human instant-water-heater. Haruki felt a huge rush of satisfaction seeing Hayato turn beet red and recoil in shock.
That brief flash that Hayato and Himeko caught... ...was black lace lingerie.
With its chic lace design, it gave off a weirdly seductive, mature vibe. Because it was such a massive mismatch with the "innocent girl" clothes Haruki was wearing, it stood out like crazy.
Hayato was completely floored by the gap. His brain was absolute mush, and it was written all over his face.
Seeing that expression, Haruki smirked like she'd just won the lottery, while Himeko let out a low, quiet mumble as if she were speaking for the chaos inside Hayato's head.
"That is so lewd!!!"
Haruki was living for their reactions.
Haruki had that same smug-*ss face she used to get back in Tsukinose whenever one of her pranks landed, and she was totally feeling herself now. Feeling bold, Haruki started pestering the heck out of Hayato.
"Hey, hey, did your heart skip a beat? It did, didn't it? Your face is totally beet red~. Heh, I can tell without you even saying a word~. I guess you gotta pay attention to the parts people can't see, not just the surface, right? Is this that 'sexy vibe' oozing from my inner self? Do you even get it? Actually, you definitely get it, which is why you're so re—"
"SHUT UP!!!!"
"—Mya?!?!"
Still blushing like crazy and refusing to be the loser in this exchange, Hayato reached out and grabbed Haruki's nose, yanking it upward. He was making her make such a hideous face that all her hard work to look like a pretty girl was completely flushed down the drain.
Hayato couldn't think of a comeback, so his hands just moved on their own... ...it was the exact same kind of childish move you'd see on a playground.
"Why, you...!?"
"Fugo?!"
Haruki wasn't about to just take it lying down. She shoved her finger right up Hayato's nose and used her other free hand to yank on his ear.
It was a full-blown toddler brawl at this point, just a pure clash of stubbornness. Both of them looked absolutely pathetic, completely wrecking the stylish looks they'd worked so hard on.
Himeko watched her big bro and her childhood friend with a deadpan stare, looking totally fed up. She was just about to find the right moment to step in and stop them.
"Big Bro, Haru-chan, people are staring, so sto—"
"—Kuku, kuha, ahahaha! Seriously, what the heck are you guys even doing?! Hahaha!!"
Suddenly, a low but clear laugh rained down on Hayato and Haruki.
The boy was clutching his stomach like it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. It was a pure, innocent laugh—something you'd never expect from his usually cool and collected persona at school.
That made Hayato scowl even harder as he muttered.
"...Kaidō."
Standing right in front of them was Kaidō Kazuki, laughing his head off while holding his stomach.
Author's Notes:
I-I've been so busy this week that I didn't even have time to swing by the home center to look at the kitties...
No way! For the sake of this poor Author who's literally starving for some "meows," let's all meow together in the comments section! Meow!
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: