[Warning 15+]
Author's Notes:
The TV commercials are officially hittin' the airwaves on broadcast TV.
Be sure to check out the physical books (LN), for real!
The TV commercials are officially hittin' the airwaves on broadcast TV.
Be sure to check out the physical books (LN), for real!
Part Four
"―From Now On, You Better Treat Me with That Same Energy, Too!"
Chapter 138
Saki Gettin' Tossed into a Flock of Sheep
"―From Now On, You Better Treat Me with That Same Energy, Too!"
Chapter 138
Saki Gettin' Tossed into a Flock of Sheep
High noon with the sun blazin' right overhead. A small road runnin' along the Tsukinose River.
Trail of water droplets was markin' the path as they walked.
Everyone had gone all out playin' in the river, not givin' a d*mn about gettin' their clothes soaked, though some were wetter than others.
"Man, hittin' the river 'til you're totally drenched feels pretty good for a change!"
"It was so cold and felt awesome!"
"Seriously, Haru-chan, I was shocked when you waltzed right into the middle of the river like that!"
They were all smiles, havin' a blast chattin' away.
Besides Hayato, who'd taken a spill and landed on his b*tt in the water, Haruki was definitely the one who was soaked to the bone.
Haruki's T-shirt was clingin' straight to her body, showin' off her feminine lines and even the camisole she was wearin' underneath.
Since that was basically "poison" for Hayato's eyes, he started to say somethin'—but then he stopped himself.
Instead, Hayato just scratched his head as it started feelin' a bit too hot. The sun was pretty intense, so they'd probably be dry in no time, though.
As they headed back the way they came, they talked about what they'd caught in their traps.
"Still, we didn't catch a single fish, did we, Hayato?"
"Well, if you're splashin' around and makin' that much noise right next to the traps, no wonder the fish stayed away."
"By the way, can't you catch Ayu or Yamame around here?"
"They're around, but not many. If you're aimin' for those, you're better off goin' to the fishin' spot on the other side of the mountain."
"That place is far and you gotta pay to get in... ...well, it's not like we came up totally empty-handed, right?"
Then both Haruki and Hayato shifted their gaze to the plastic bottle trap that Shinta was starin' at so intensely.
Inside were about a dozen freshwater crabs, each about the size of a thumb. The only prize they'd actually trapped.
Some were scuttlin' around like crazy, some were just chillin' there, and others were holdin' up their claws to act tough when they saw a face. Watchin' 'em was actually pretty fun since they all had their own "personalities," and it brought a warm smile to everyone's face.
"Yeah, for real, freshwater crabs are a solid catch too!"
"True that, they're pretty lively. First, we gotta soak 'em in fresh water overnight to let 'em spit out all the mud."
"But Big Bro, with only this many, it’s basically just enough for one person's snack, right?"
"Wait, Hayato, Hime-chan, you're actually gonna eat those crabs!?"
""...Huh?""
Haruki's shocked voice was followed by the Kirishima siblings just lookin' totally blank.
They exchanged glances, and a moment of silence kicked in.
Then, like she couldn't believe her ears, Haruki rushed over to Shinta and stared at the crabs in the trap, lookin' for someone to back her up.
"Tellin' me they're gonna eat these tiny, cute little things... ...that's just messed up, right? Right, Shinta-kun?"
"I like fried freshwater crabs, they're all crispy and crunchy."
"Shinta-kun!?"
But at Shinta's reply, Haruki just froze.
And when she turned her gaze toward Saki with a "No way" look on her face, she only got a troubled expression back.
"They're actually a pretty popular snack to go with beer at parties..."
"Even Saki-chan!?"
Looks like freshwater crabs are actually a pretty popular snack in Tsukinose.
Everyone except Haruki, who was holdin' her head in her hands, let out some awkward-*ss laughs to try and change the subject.
Then, maybe 'cause they were talkin' 'bout food, someone's stomach let out a loud-*ss growl. It was already lunchtime.
"Big Bro, I'm starvin'. What're we doin' for lunch?"
"What should we have... ...either way, we gotta go grab some supplies."
"Oh, that reminds me! Hayato, you said you had a secret trick for lightin' charcoal at a BBQ, right? I'm dyin' to see it!"
"Whoa, BBQ time!"
"Big Bro, I wanna eat that chicken that's covered in herbs and marinated in yogurt! I'll go get the grill and stuff ready!"
"Wh-Whatever I can do to help, just lemme know!"
"BBQ! BBQ!"
Once both Haruki and Himeko started hypin' up the BBQ, Shinta, who'd been all about the crabs until then, jumped into the convo with a huge smile.
Gettin' stared down by three pairs of eyes full of hype, it was pretty hard for Hayato to say no.
"It's gonna take a while if we start now... ...alright, alright, I get it."
"I-I'll help out too!"
"Haha, I'm countin' on you, Murao-san. Let's see, first we'll grab some meat from Kanehachi-san's poultry farm, then the veggies are fine, but herbs, huh... ...I think Old Man Gen had a few planted—wait?"
Right then, a group of white, fluffy-*ss things showed up on the road ahead. Bringin' up the rear was Old Man Gen.
Prob'ly let 'em loose to munch on weeds at some vacant lot, huh? Old Man Gen's bleatin' crew often puts in work as substitute lawnmowers. It's a pretty common sight around Tsukinose.
Though, they're actually pretty picky even with weeds, so don't even talk about their "Work efficiency." Apparently, they dig veggie sprouts way more than grass. Total foodies, for real.
"Baaa~~!"
"Huh?"
Then, one sheep that noticed 'em let out a loud-*ss bleat.
It headed straight for Saki and started rubbin' its body against her like it was beggin' for some headpats.
"Baaa~~!"
"Oh? Oh my, oh my~?"
"Baa, baaa~."
"Baaaa~~~~."
"Baa, baa~~."
"W-Wait, hang on a sec~!?"
Startin' with that first one, the rest of the gang swarmed in and surrounded Saki.
Even one sheep that was extra big and a total slowpoke scrambled to keep up with the pack, which was actually kinda cute to watch.
Haruki, caught totally off guard by the sudden chaos, grabbed the hem of Hayato's shirt and pointed at the bleatin' crowd, but Hayato, Himeko, and Shinta just let out some awkward-*ss laughs.
"S-Saki-chan!? H-Hayato, is that even okay!?"
"It's fine. They're smart enough to know it's Murao-san, so they're just goin' over to act all spoiled."
"Big Sis is always like this."
"Saki-chan is weirdly popular with 'em, isn't she?"
As Saki, who'd basically been tossed into the flock, started pettin' 'em for all she was worth, the sheep let out some happy-ass "Baaa~~" and "Baa, baa~~" sounds.
Apparently, this was just another everyday sight in Tsukinose too.
"Yo, Kirishima boy! Headin' back from the river? Look at you, lookin' like a real snack all soaked like that—and wait, looks like that little brat's sidekick has turned into one fine-*ss lady, too! Gahaha!"
"Mya!?"
Old Man Gen, lookin' all cheerful as he walked up with his hand raised, let out a huge laugh at the sight of both Hayato and Haruki lookin' like drowned rats.
Haruki, only realizin' how she looked after Old Man Gen called her out, turned bright-*ss red in an instant and curled up, crossin' her arms to hide her melons.
Watchin' that, Himeko just let out an exhausted sigh, while Shinta looked totally clueless.
Then Hayato, with a complicated-*ss frown on his face, tried to change the subject to dodge the awkward vibes.
"Eh, hey, didn't you have some thyme and rosemary planted over at your place, Old Man Gen?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, got a few. What about 'em?"
"I'd like to get some from you. We're talkin' 'bout havin' a BBQ, see."
"A BBQ? Oh, gotcha. Since it's summer and the whole gang's together. That means you're gonna need some meat too, right? Want me to hit up Kanehachi-san for ya?"
Old Man Gen pulled out his smartphone and showed it to Hayato with a mockin' tone.
But Hayato just let out a smug-*ss snort, and like he was waitin' for this exact moment, he whipped out his own smartphone and fired back with some dramatic-*ss "Regret."
"Yeah, true, I'd call him myself, but see, I don't actually have Kanehachi-san's number. Old Man Gen, mind hookin' me up?"
"Oh? What's this? You finally caved and bought a smartphone, kid?"
"...It was a total-*ss pain not havin' one in the city, honestly."
"Gahaha, is that right!?"
"For real though, listen to this, Old Man Gen! Since Big Bro didn't have a smartphone back then, he—"
"Oh yeah, and then Hayato—"
Both Himeko and Haruki started spillin' the tea on Hayato's old-*ss failures like they were ventin' for real.
Old Man Gen's loud-*ss laughter and Saki's quiet giggles filled the air.
And after havin' his embarrassing stories blasted by the two of them, Hayato could only pull a total-*ss awkward face.
Author's Notes:
Chapter 2 of the manga adaptation just dropped.
It's only up for a limited time, so y'all better go check it out for real!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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