Author: Inaida Sou
Translator: Kei of ChocoCats

○ 140 DAYS AGO

I cut tomatoes for breakfast systematically. The table is lined with toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs, and all I have to do left is to place this decorative tomato on top of the salad.

After the last night, I couldn’t sleep well, and I didn’t know what kind of breakfast I would make for my brother, so I made a meal without any surprises.

On holiday, because I couldn’t make bento lunch, I told my parents that I will make breakfast, and I put the surprise meals only for my brother’s part, but today they all have the same breakfast.

I used to make weird things until yesterday, and it might be surprising to have a regular breakfast today. But I wonder if it really makes sense.

As I stared at the cut tomatoes absentmindedly, someone’s hand rested on my hand that is holding the knife. When I raised my head, my brother is staring at me.

“Morning. What’s wrong?”

Since I was run over, my brother has become touchy. He usually touched my wrist pulse, or on my cheek. Is his hand that seems to confirm if I’m still alive, actually trying to tell me that he will kill me in the future or an expression of affection?

tbh, I don’t know how to make that sentence more sensible, I can’t find the right wording equal in English. Sorry.

“Nothing in particular.”

“Tell me, I won’t move from here until you say it.”

My brother’s abyss-like eyes are shaking a little. It seems my brother really won’t move unless I confessed. He doesn’t seem to be joking.

“…Last night.”

“Hmm?”

“You threw away something.”

Cautiously, I asked about the thing my brother did last night. I was hesitant to mention the letters. He doesn’t seem to be perturbed with what I said. On the contrary, he pretends to be a little disappointed.

“Ah, the graduation memento? I received it, but somehow, isn’t it scary? I thought because it’s the last time, I’m scared they wrote bad things about me, so I threw it away.”

“Scared?”

“Yeah. I was the class president, and it seems I was seen as arrogant and annoying.”

My brother laughs lightly as if it’s nothing. But no matter how I see it, his expression at that time was not the expression of a person who got frightened of defamation. It was a frightening expression. And I don’t think anyone would do bad things like that to my brother, and if I had to say… it’s actually the other way around.

“I don’t think there is anyone who does such a bad thing.”

“That’s the case for Mai, isn’t it? …What’s today’s breakfast?”

“Exploded, so let me go.”

I deliberately shoo him with a mysterious expression, and my brother touched my head while smiling fondly.

“…As always, thank you, Mai.”

From my head, he touched my hair while smiling as if he treats something affectionately, and turned his back, to sit on the sofa. My brother’s back is the familiar back that I always know. He isn’t dyed with blood and didn’t carry any knife.

…now.

I took out the scrunchie in my pocket and put it on my tied hair.

“Scrunchie!”

I called my brother. His eyes that turned to me, don’t seem surprised and felt deep and dark as usual.

But when he took a good look at it, I feel like there is lighter than before.

“I put it on! Thank you for this!”

I tilted my head to show my brother the scrunchie. He approached me silently, then suddenly put his hand on my shoulder.

“Uhm, what is it?”

“It’s a little crooked.”

Before I knew it, my brother’s face filled my field of vision. My stupid face is reflected a little in his pitch-black eyes.

“Done.”

My brother’s hand separates from my hair. At that moment, softly, I can smell a clean scent like soap from him, making my heart bounce.

“I’m looking forward to breakfast.”

“Ple-please do.”

My brother let my shoulder go and sits on the couch. I blinked my eyes and then stared at the cutting board.

If I were frightened by my brother and stopped offering surprises, it would be a truly terrifying tragedy.

Originally, he was a person who has a desire to see his classmates kill each other and make it true.

He won’t change his mind easily. But I still have time. There will be no time to hesitate and slack off. I have a responsibility to avoid my brother’s tragedy. And save my brother’s life.

◇

T/N: Hello, this will be the last of Mai’s POV chapter for now, and next is the 5 chapters of Makoto’s POV! I saw comments saying they can’t wait for it ahaha. Anyway, thank you to everyone who cheered on me for translating Makoto’s POV T^T you guys really make me feel so blessed!

And a shout out to Leolore, TeeTwoLee, and Stinky for the Ko-fi! I’m truly grateful and appreciate it!

Also, I saw the reviews from Novelupdates and I’m so grateful that everyone gave good reviews for this novel! Thank you very much!

See you in the next chapter with Makoto!

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