[Warning 15+]
Author's Notes:
Part 5 Sub-Part 4 is startin'!
Volumes 1-3 got a reprint!
Part 5 Sub-Part 4 is startin'!
Volumes 1-3 got a reprint!
Part Five
―Even If, I Can't Treat You with That Same Energy Anymore
Chapter 189
Strollin' On Over There
―Even If, I Can't Treat You with That Same Energy Anymore
Chapter 189
Strollin' On Over There
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Sunday mornin', in the Kirishima Family livin' room.
Forced to sit on the sofa, Hayato was makin' a sour face.
"...Are you girls still not done?"
"Big Bro, hold still!"
"Hime-chan, wouldn't it look better if we kept it soft and flowin' instead of overly styled? What do you think, Saki-chan?"
"Huh!? Um, well, every style looks fresh and gives off a totally different vibe, I guess..."
They'd been messin' with Hayato's hair for over thirty minutes now, with Himeko takin' the lead.
Every now and then they'd force Hayato into different clothes, turnin' him into a literal dress-up doll.
Havin' no particular interest in fashion himself, Hayato just went along with whatever they did.
To be honest, Hayato felt that as long as he didn't look like an eyesore, it was fine, but he felt bad rainin' on their parade while they were havin' so much fun gigglin' around. Besides, it wasn't like he actually hated it.
Hayato shifted his gaze back to the three girls in front of him.
Himeko wore a loose cut-and-sew top paired with skinny jeans, going for a slightly mature look.
Haruki was dressed in a casual high school style, combining a loose summer knit with a paneled skirt.
And Saki was wearin' the same slightly stylish dress meant for goin' out that she'd worn to the convenience store last night.
Hayato's little sis, his childhood buddy, his little sis' bestie.
Even without family bias, Hayato had to admit all three of them were cute.
Hayato was only by their side because they happened to share such close relationships.
Haruki in particular had started payin' more attention to her casual outfits ever since they reunited, and Hayato'd been watchin' her become more and more attractive up close.
Thinkin' about that brought a crease to Hayato's forehead.
"All done!"
Just then, Himeko's satisfied voice pulled Hayato's mind back right as it was about to sink into a swamp of thoughts.
"Ooh, did Hayato's handsome factor go up just a tiny bit more than usual?"
"Big Bro's vibe changed quite a bit from usual, makes my heart skip a little beat~"
Himeko puffed out her chest as if sayin', 'How's that?'. Looks like she was pretty pleased with the final result.
Along with a sense of relief that it was finally over, Hayato grabbed a handful of his hair, which felt different than usual thanks to the stylin' product. It had gotten pretty long.
Thinkin' back, when was the last time Hayato actually went to get a haircut?
Hayato pondered for a moment.
"Maybe I should try goin' to a hair salon next time..."
"""Wait, WHAT!?"""
At Hayato's softly uttered murmur, all three girls showed complete shock.
"H-Hayato's actually startin' to care about his looks...!?"
"Big Bro, did you eat somethin' weird this mornin'!?"
"B-Big Bro is gettin' corrupted by the big city's vibe..."
Hayato puckered his lips at their reactions, grumblin', "...What's with you girls?" while Haruki, unusually enough, soothed him sayin', "There, there."
◇◇◇
Although the early fall sunshine had softened quite a bit, it still held onto a sultry heat as if summer was reluctant to leave.
It was the kind of weather where a short walk would leave you lightly sweatin'. Still, it was a prime day for an outin'.
The nearest train station was swallowin' up crowds of people settin' out for an outin', gulpin' them down one after another.
In the middle of all that, both Hayato and Saki were standin' in line at the ticket vendin' machine.
"Um, the station for where we are right now is... ...where is it...?"
Starin' at the route map spread out as intricately as a spiderweb, Saki looked like her head was about to spin in circles.
Havin' just finished buyin' his ticket beside Saki, Hayato saw her struggle and threw her a lifeline.
"You should get the 180-yen ticket."
"Th-Thank you!"
"I got completely lost lookin' at the route map at first, too."
"Ahaha, there are so many stations and transfers are so confusin', it really makes your head spin, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, I'm still not totally used to it either."
Sharing a dry laugh, they passed through the ticket gates, where both Himeko and Haruki, who had gone ahead, were waitin' with faces that practically screamed 'What took you guys so long?'. Both Hayato and Saki exchanged glances and shrugged.
And right as they stepped onto the platform, a train pulled up, so they happily hopped on.
Inside, all the seats were taken, and it was crowded enough that you could see people scattered around holdin' onto the handrails.
"We were so lucky we could get on right away!"
Saki gave a sigh of relief with a reassurin' smile.
Just then, Haruki, seemin' to realize somethin', flashed a mischievous grin.
"Yup, yup. But Saki-chan, even if we missed this one, the next train comes in five minutes, though."
"Huh!?"
Saki blinked in total disbelief, glancin' back and forth between Hayato and Himeko. When he responded with, "Train schedules here run every few minutes," Saki's cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment as she looked down. The frequency of trains between the countryside and the city wasn't even in the same league.
"Well, puttin' that aside, Saki-chan, havin' an IC card comes in super handy at times like this."
"Is that the thing you tap at the ticket gates?"
"I use a mobile app on my smartphone. Plus, you get rewards points, too."
"Ooh~ maybe I should use that too..."
"Yup, yup, totally! Wait, Big Bro, why don't you get one?"
"Well, that's..."
Gettin' a skeptical glare from his little sis, Hayato choked on his words.
Honestly speakin', Hayato just didn't feel much of a need for it. Especially since he'd been walkin' to his part-time job and Mom's hospital visits lately just to cheap out on train fares.
Now, how should Hayato answer—just as he was scratchin' his head thinkin' about it, he noticed Haruki leanin' in to peer at his face.
"Is it because you're gettin' a moped? So you feel like you don't really need trains?"
"No, that's not it. I just don't usually take the train, so I figured I could do without one."
"Come on, Big Bro, it's super convenient to have, you should at least just make one."
"Well, maybe so, but it's just a hassle."
Hayato laughed vaguely to brush it off.
Himeko let out an exasperated sigh.
Then, Haruki tossed out a question.
"If we're talkin' about stuff we don't usually use, isn't that true for the moped too?"
"Mm, true enough. Usually there are tons of shops within walkin' distance, and bike parkin' is pretty limited. Plus maintenance costs money, and takin' the train is cheaper and more convenient when goin' out."
"Whoa, Hayato, talk about kickin' the dream yourself--"
"Haha, but y'know--"
Hayato paused right there and turned his eyes outside the window.
There, at the foot of the cloudless, clear blue western sky, Mount Fuji came into view.
Reflectin' that sight in his eyes, Hayato let out what was in his heart.
"If I had a moped, just thinkin' that on a day like today I could randomly ride all the way over there... ...doesn't that get you pumped?"
It wasn't any grand reasonin'.
Hayato was fully aware he was sayin' somethin' childish.
Besides, whether Hayato could actually make it all the way there alone was questionable at best.
It was basically like a good-luck charm, givin' Hayato the feelin' that if he felt like it, he could go anywhere.
So as Hayato gave a sheepish "Ahaha" laugh, he suddenly felt someone timidly tuggin' on his sleeve.
"Himeko?"
"...Oh."
It was Himeko.
However, Himeko herself only seemed to realize what she'd done after Hayato pointed it out, her face showin' a mix of surprise and confusion.
Then, turnin' her head away with a huff, Himeko softly muttered in a needy, clingy tone of voice.
"...Take me with you when that happens, okay?"
"Yeah, got it."
When Hayato said that and playfully ruffled Himeko's hair, she complained, "Geez, you're messin' up my hair," though her face showed she didn't actually mind it at all.
"But Hime-chan, ridin' double on a moped is illegal, y'know?"
"Haru-chan, where's your tact!?"
"Mya!?"
When Haruki teased Himeko like that, Haruki ended up getting her side pinched while Himeko puffed out her cheeks.
Author's Notes: