[Warning 15+]
Author's Notes:
December 24, 2020.
I've officially changed how Saki addresses Hayato, switching it up from "Hayato-san" to "Big Bro".
Translator's Notes:
In many Asian cultures, like Japan and Indonesia, it's a common sign of respect and closeness to address someone slightly older as "Big Bro" (Onii-san / Abang) or "Big Sis" (Onee-san / Kakak), even if they aren't related by blood.
Part Three"―Seriously, Your Vibe Hasn't Changed a Bit Since the Old Days!"Chapter 90Wait... No Way, Could It Be?
Unlike the city, the summer night sky in Tsukinose is crystal clear, with tons of stars twinkling away.
And down on the ground, the frogs are croaking their heads off, like they're trying to outdo the glowing sky.
"Ugh~..."
Saki had just finished her bath and her skin was looking fresh and smooth. She was sitting in a formal seiza style on her bed in her yukata pajamas, looking all serious and focused.
Saki was fidgeting like crazy in front of her smartphone, her heart racing just as loud as the frogs and stars outside.
The reason? A message Saki got from Himeko a bit ago.
'I'm making Big Bro install the app right now, so he should show up in about 20 minutes~,'
Looks like the group chat invite Saki'd asked for the other day actually went through.
That's why Saki'd scrambled to take a shower and was now sitting there in a formal seiza stance, waiting on standby.
Saki was stoked, but also kind of low-key terrified. She had no clue what she should even talk about.
Even though it was Saki's own idea, now she was just stuck in a loop, second-guessing if this was actually a good move. Her brain was just spinning.
But Saki knew she couldn't just leave things the way they were. They'd finally swapped contact info, yet she hadn't even talked once with Hayato.
I mean, being your friend's big bro is one of those spots that feels close but is actually miles away. And since Hayato's a boy, their circles didn't really overlap at all.
So Saki'd just been sitting on her hands, unable to find a good opening to strike up a convo... ...That was her reality. And she wanted to change it.
(I-If Hime-chan is there too, I bet I can do this...!)
In a group chat, Saki'd be in the same space as her bestie.
And if Saki could just casually slide into their sibling banter, she might get way more chances to talk to Hayato than she does now.
With a mix of hype and nerves written all over her face, Saki gripped the hem of her yukata tight.
"!!??"
Right then, her smartphone buzzed with a notification, and Saki lunged for it instantly.
'Test. This is Kirishima Hayato. Is this how you do it?'
The second Saki saw that basic, blank profile icon and that message on the screen, she started typing back as fast as she could.
'This is Murao Saki. Don't worry, you're doing it just right.'
'Good to know. First time I'm using one of these apps, so I was a bit lost.'
'Same here. I didn't really have anyone to chat with except for Hime-chan.'
'Haha, yeah, Tsukinose is pretty quiet after all. But are you sure about this? I totally thought Murao-san hated me or something—'
The second Saki saw those words, her face went into a full panic. Her fingers started flying across the screen with more speed than ever before.
'That is a total misunderstanding that is not it at all I am just really bad at talking, there was just a tiny mix-up with you Big Bro, and that is exactly why I wanted to do this!'
'O-Oh, I see. Well, in that case, I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, Murao-san.'
'The pleasure is all mine.'
Just as Saki was letting out a sigh of relief, thinking she'd somehow cleared the air, a familiar face popped up as a profile icon.
'Phew— finally picked my icon! What do you guys think!?'
'Ahaha, Hime-chan, your makeup is totally on point. Is that a selfie?'
'Himeko... ...I was wondering what you were rustling around in your room for... ...Come to think of it, I've seen Murao-san’s icon somewhere before...'
'It's an Oinari-san charm that we sell at our shrine.'
'Oh, right, I thought I'd seen it. Looking at it like this, it's actually pretty charming and cute.'
'...Is it?'
'Oh, Saki-chan's icon is totally adorable. Anyway, Big Bro, you haven't set a profile icon at all, it looks so boring, y'know.'
'I mean, even if you say that...'
Saki couldn't have been in a better mood if she tried.
Saki couldn't stop grinning, and a weird little "nyufufu" laugh escaped her lips as she totally spaced out.
On Saki's smartphone screen, the names and messages from Hayato Kirishima, Saki ⛩, and Himeko were just dancing along, keeping the convo lively.
Even now, Himeko dropped a photo of what looked like a massive banquet feast with a text: 'If we're talkin' icons that actually fit Big Bro, it's gotta be this, right?'
When Saki replied with 'That looks delicious,' Hayato jumped right in, hyped up to explain the recipe: 'Oh, for this one, you see...'
It was just some random, everyday talk. But it felt so natural. Thanks to Himeko jumping in, the whole flow had gotten way smoother. This was exactly what Saki had been aiming for.
(A-Alright! From now on, I'm gonna get closer and closer to Big Bro... ...huh?)
But suddenly, Saki's fingers, which had been flying across the screen just a second ago, came to a dead stop.
A photo of Hayato cooking popped up right in front of Saki's eyes.
Hayato's profile looked so happy like he was about to start humming, and the look in his eyes was super gentle, like he was thinking about the person who'd be eating his food.
Getting hit with a shot like that out of nowhere made Saki's heart skip a beat, tightening with a mix of shock and total adoration.
'Hey, hey! Sounds like you guys are having a blast, but if we're talkin' Hayato, this is definitely the vibe, right?'
Then, underneath the photo, those words appeared alongside a game-character icon and the name †Haruki†. Suddenly, Saki's heart started racing in a whole different way, and a cold sweat ran down Saki's spine.
'Haruki, when the heck did you take a picture like that?'
'Oh, I totally get it, though. When it comes to Big Bro, it's all about the food.'
'Hayato just had that "I love taking care of people" look on his face, so I couldn't resist snapping a pic!'
'Good grief...'
'So, Haru-chan, what's with this icon? It looks like a fairy, is it from some game?'
'This little boy is Tantakatan. It's my own character from the MMO I'm playing~'
On the screen, the convo kept heating up, with Hayato being the star of the show.
But Saki could only stare at it, totally stunned and unable to move a muscle.
(Wait... ...what?! Haruki-san too...?! I-I mean, yeah, I was the one who said we should start a Tsukinose group chat, but—!)
Saki couldn't help but get all teary-eyed, feeling a bit salty toward Himeko.
'Right, right. Is this officially our first time saying hi? I'm Haruki. We barely ever talked back when I was still living in Tsukinose, didn't we?'
'Oh, yeah. Guess so.'
'Look, Haru-chan, remember that old candy shop run by Granny Murao in front of the shrine? Saki-chan's that girl.'
'Well, I personally have a much stronger image of Murao-san being a miko. Check this out.'
"Wh-What!?"
Before Saki could even process that she'd suddenly become the center of attention, she gasped.
What flashed on the screen was a photo of Saki in her Festival outfit. It was a selfie she'd taken late at night while she was in a total "vibing" mood, posing and making faces. Seeing a photo like that shared in the chat made her whole face turn beet red in an instant from pure embarrassment.
To top it off, the people seeing that photo were both Haruki and Himeko.
Haruki was the kind of gorgeous girl who'd make even other girls sigh in awe, and Himeko—even though she was Saki's bestie—had a killer figure and was so cute she'd make 10 out of 10 people do a double-take.
So, it was no wonder that having a photo of herself being all "hyped up" exposed to those two felt like pure torture. Saki actually started to tear up.
'Wait, what?! This is like, so freaking cute!!!!'
It took Saki a hot minute to actually process Haruki's praise. A weird noise escaped Saki's throat: "Phueh?".
'Wait, hold up, is this her natural hair?! Her skin is so pale! Whoa, whoa, the outfit is like something out of a fantasy and so cute, I'm totally jelly... ...plus, she's actually pretty well-endowed too...'
'Right?! Saki-chan performs a dance in this every year, and let me tell you, she looks absolutely stunning!'
'N-No, I mean, it's not really that big of a deal...'
'That's not true. I always look forward to Murao-san's dance every year. I definitely want to go see it this summer too.'
Saki was totally caught off guard.
"Au..."
Part of it was just not being used to compliments, but with Haruki firing off questions and showing genuine interest in Saki—calling Saki cute, praising her posture, and asking all about miko outfits in such a friendly way—it was pretty hard for Saki to stay guarded.
Besides, Haruki's the person that even the super-shy Himeko is totally attached to. Haruki's gotta be a good person.
'Hey, hey, Saki-chan, how do you even put on a hakama? Is it tough? Miko outfits are so cool, they look so girly. I've been getting into that kind of stuff lately~'
'O-Oh, me too! I've been curious about that for a while now.'
'U-Um... ...if there's a chance, would you girls like to try wearing one? E-Err, Big Bro, you can join in too if you want.'
'...Give me a break.'
Before long, the convo was naturally peaking. Hayato looked totally overwhelmed by the non-stop girl talk, which just made everyone burst out laughing.
(Haruki-san might actually be a really sweet person after all~)
Before Saki knew it, Haruki had completely waltzed past Saki's defenses. And the worst part was, it actually felt pretty good.
Between all the compliments and the friendly vibe, Saki was totally starting to fall for Haruki's charm.
Author's Notes:
Since Saki grew up in the countryside and is super innocent, she's honestly just way too straightforward... ...I mean, let's be real, she's a total pushover!
＼ Ken ／
∧∧
彡 ｀＞・
Oh, and Tantaka-tan is written with the kanji for Tantaka (鍛高). The '-tan' part is a cute suffix like '-chan' or '-san', but in kanji, it turns into Tan (譚)... ...I bet some of you sharp readers already caught on to that! I'm a huge fan of Shiso mixed with club soda!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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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.
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Unlike the city, the summer night sky in Tsukinose is crystal clear, with tons of stars twinkling away.
And down on the ground, the frogs are croaking their heads off, like they're trying to outdo the glowing sky.
"Ugh~..."
Saki had just finished her bath and her skin was looking fresh and smooth. She was sitting in a formal seiza style on her bed in her yukata pajamas, looking all serious and focused.
Saki was fidgeting like crazy in front of her smartphone, her heart racing just as loud as the frogs and stars outside.
The reason? A message Saki got from Himeko a bit ago.
'I'm making Big Bro install the app right now, so he should show up in about 20 minutes~,'
Looks like the group chat invite Saki'd asked for the other day actually went through.
That's why Saki'd scrambled to take a shower and was now sitting there in a formal seiza stance, waiting on standby.
Saki was stoked, but also kind of low-key terrified. She had no clue what she should even talk about.
Even though it was Saki's own idea, now she was just stuck in a loop, second-guessing if this was actually a good move. Her brain was just spinning.
But Saki knew she couldn't just leave things the way they were. They'd finally swapped contact info, yet she hadn't even talked once with Hayato.
I mean, being your friend's big bro is one of those spots that feels close but is actually miles away. And since Hayato's a boy, their circles didn't really overlap at all.
So Saki'd just been sitting on her hands, unable to find a good opening to strike up a convo... ...That was her reality. And she wanted to change it.
(I-If Hime-chan is there too, I bet I can do this...!)
In a group chat, Saki'd be in the same space as her bestie.
And if Saki could just casually slide into their sibling banter, she might get way more chances to talk to Hayato than she does now.
With a mix of hype and nerves written all over her face, Saki gripped the hem of her yukata tight.
"!!??"
Right then, her smartphone buzzed with a notification, and Saki lunged for it instantly.
'Test. This is Kirishima Hayato. Is this how you do it?'
The second Saki saw that basic, blank profile icon and that message on the screen, she started typing back as fast as she could.
'This is Murao Saki. Don't worry, you're doing it just right.'
'Good to know. First time I'm using one of these apps, so I was a bit lost.'
'Same here. I didn't really have anyone to chat with except for Hime-chan.'
'Haha, yeah, Tsukinose is pretty quiet after all. But are you sure about this? I totally thought Murao-san hated me or something—'
The second Saki saw those words, her face went into a full panic. Her fingers started flying across the screen with more speed than ever before.
'That is a total misunderstanding that is not it at all I am just really bad at talking, there was just a tiny mix-up with you Big Bro, and that is exactly why I wanted to do this!'
'O-Oh, I see. Well, in that case, I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, Murao-san.'
'The pleasure is all mine.'
Just as Saki was letting out a sigh of relief, thinking she'd somehow cleared the air, a familiar face popped up as a profile icon.
'Phew— finally picked my icon! What do you guys think!?'
'Ahaha, Hime-chan, your makeup is totally on point. Is that a selfie?'
'Himeko... ...I was wondering what you were rustling around in your room for... ...Come to think of it, I've seen Murao-san’s icon somewhere before...'
'It's an Oinari-san charm that we sell at our shrine.'
'Oh, right, I thought I'd seen it. Looking at it like this, it's actually pretty charming and cute.'
'...Is it?'
'Oh, Saki-chan's icon is totally adorable. Anyway, Big Bro, you haven't set a profile icon at all, it looks so boring, y'know.'
'I mean, even if you say that...'
Saki couldn't have been in a better mood if she tried.
Saki couldn't stop grinning, and a weird little "nyufufu" laugh escaped her lips as she totally spaced out.
On Saki's smartphone screen, the names and messages from Hayato Kirishima, Saki ⛩, and Himeko were just dancing along, keeping the convo lively.
Even now, Himeko dropped a photo of what looked like a massive banquet feast with a text: 'If we're talkin' icons that actually fit Big Bro, it's gotta be this, right?'
When Saki replied with 'That looks delicious,' Hayato jumped right in, hyped up to explain the recipe: 'Oh, for this one, you see...'
It was just some random, everyday talk. But it felt so natural. Thanks to Himeko jumping in, the whole flow had gotten way smoother. This was exactly what Saki had been aiming for.
(A-Alright! From now on, I'm gonna get closer and closer to Big Bro... ...huh?)
But suddenly, Saki's fingers, which had been flying across the screen just a second ago, came to a dead stop.
A photo of Hayato cooking popped up right in front of Saki's eyes.
Hayato's profile looked so happy like he was about to start humming, and the look in his eyes was super gentle, like he was thinking about the person who'd be eating his food.
Getting hit with a shot like that out of nowhere made Saki's heart skip a beat, tightening with a mix of shock and total adoration.
'Hey, hey! Sounds like you guys are having a blast, but if we're talkin' Hayato, this is definitely the vibe, right?'
Then, underneath the photo, those words appeared alongside a game-character icon and the name †Haruki†. Suddenly, Saki's heart started racing in a whole different way, and a cold sweat ran down Saki's spine.
'Haruki, when the heck did you take a picture like that?'
'Oh, I totally get it, though. When it comes to Big Bro, it's all about the food.'
'Hayato just had that "I love taking care of people" look on his face, so I couldn't resist snapping a pic!'
'Good grief...'
'So, Haru-chan, what's with this icon? It looks like a fairy, is it from some game?'
'This little boy is Tantakatan. It's my own character from the MMO I'm playing~'
On the screen, the convo kept heating up, with Hayato being the star of the show.
But Saki could only stare at it, totally stunned and unable to move a muscle.
(Wait... ...what?! Haruki-san too...?! I-I mean, yeah, I was the one who said we should start a Tsukinose group chat, but—!)
Saki couldn't help but get all teary-eyed, feeling a bit salty toward Himeko.
'Right, right. Is this officially our first time saying hi? I'm Haruki. We barely ever talked back when I was still living in Tsukinose, didn't we?'
'Oh, yeah. Guess so.'
'Look, Haru-chan, remember that old candy shop run by Granny Murao in front of the shrine? Saki-chan's that girl.'
'Well, I personally have a much stronger image of Murao-san being a miko. Check this out.'
"Wh-What!?"
Before Saki could even process that she'd suddenly become the center of attention, she gasped.
What flashed on the screen was a photo of Saki in her Festival outfit. It was a selfie she'd taken late at night while she was in a total "vibing" mood, posing and making faces. Seeing a photo like that shared in the chat made her whole face turn beet red in an instant from pure embarrassment.
To top it off, the people seeing that photo were both Haruki and Himeko.
Haruki was the kind of gorgeous girl who'd make even other girls sigh in awe, and Himeko—even though she was Saki's bestie—had a killer figure and was so cute she'd make 10 out of 10 people do a double-take.
So, it was no wonder that having a photo of herself being all "hyped up" exposed to those two felt like pure torture. Saki actually started to tear up.
'Wait, what?! This is like, so freaking cute!!!!'
It took Saki a hot minute to actually process Haruki's praise. A weird noise escaped Saki's throat: "Phueh?".
'Wait, hold up, is this her natural hair?! Her skin is so pale! Whoa, whoa, the outfit is like something out of a fantasy and so cute, I'm totally jelly... ...plus, she's actually pretty well-endowed too...'
'Right?! Saki-chan performs a dance in this every year, and let me tell you, she looks absolutely stunning!'
'N-No, I mean, it's not really that big of a deal...'
'That's not true. I always look forward to Murao-san's dance every year. I definitely want to go see it this summer too.'
Saki was totally caught off guard.
"Au..."
Part of it was just not being used to compliments, but with Haruki firing off questions and showing genuine interest in Saki—calling Saki cute, praising her posture, and asking all about miko outfits in such a friendly way—it was pretty hard for Saki to stay guarded.
Besides, Haruki's the person that even the super-shy Himeko is totally attached to. Haruki's gotta be a good person.
'Hey, hey, Saki-chan, how do you even put on a hakama? Is it tough? Miko outfits are so cool, they look so girly. I've been getting into that kind of stuff lately~'
'O-Oh, me too! I've been curious about that for a while now.'
'U-Um... ...if there's a chance, would you girls like to try wearing one? E-Err, Big Bro, you can join in too if you want.'
'...Give me a break.'
Before long, the convo was naturally peaking. Hayato looked totally overwhelmed by the non-stop girl talk, which just made everyone burst out laughing.
(Haruki-san might actually be a really sweet person after all~)
Before Saki knew it, Haruki had completely waltzed past Saki's defenses. And the worst part was, it actually felt pretty good.
Between all the compliments and the friendly vibe, Saki was totally starting to fall for Haruki's charm.
Author's Notes:
Since Saki grew up in the countryside and is super innocent, she's honestly just way too straightforward... ...I mean, let's be real, she's a total pushover!
＼ Ken ／
∧∧
彡 ｀＞・
Oh, and Tantaka-tan is written with the kanji for Tantaka (鍛高). The '-tan' part is a cute suffix like '-chan' or '-san', but in kanji, it turns into Tan (譚)... ...I bet some of you sharp readers already caught on to that! I'm a huge fan of Shiso mixed with club soda!
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: