Author: Inaida Sou
Translator: Kei of ChocoCats
Proofreader: Cinnamon-san

Special thanks and very much love to Will, Yhowan, Jesien, and Impostor for the ko-fi!! We really really appreciate your support!

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○ 61 DAYS AGO

“Why does the end of the school have to come…”

Please read this at ChocoCats.

A day after I vented my anger on my brother and mother, I lamented it to Yukari-chan and Iwai. Today school was a half-day, so the classes were only until the fifth period. I was supposed to go home right away, but there was a kind of unspoken rule that my brother would come pick me up, so I had to stay and wait for him. Yukari-chan was in the sewing club, thus I was waiting with her in the home economics room.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Otherwise, we can’t do club activities and go home.”

Speaking of Iwai, whenever the baseball club had some free time, he would drop by like this. I was wondering whether his performance at the tournament would be affected if he often skipped his practice like this, but it seemed there was a high rate of high schoolers dying from heatstroke, so the school was obligated to take a twenty-minute break every hour of practice.

T/N: NGL, Iwai is a very sad 2nd ML imo, I mean, his screen time is sooooo little in the novel (because of Mai’s POV that never really noticed him), but he’s actually always there for Mai. He’s even willing to sacrifice his practice time just to hang out with her. Lol.

When I peeked into the schoolyard from the window, I could see the baseball team’s figures resting in the shade under the lush green trees. Combined with the yellow sunflowers growing nearby and the blue sky, the white baseball uniform looked great.

“I don’t want to see my brother…”

“Why did you get into a fight?” Yukari-chan asked me.

“I don’t know. I was just one-sidedly annoyed when I looked at my brother… I even took it out on my mother.”

“Are you a hooligan?”

Iwai’s straightforward words pierced my heart. I clung to Yukari-chan, and she stroked my head while saying, “There, there…”.

“But, why did Mai-chan get so irritated?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because my brother is going to have a girlfriend.”

“Then, that’s Mai-chan’s fault.”

Her timid tone of voice pierced even deeper into my heart. My stomach hurts.

“If Yukari-chan’s brother got a girlfriend, won’t you feel frustrated too?”

“My brother has never had a girlfriend, but I believe I wouldn’t get frustrated. Though in your case, I think it’s obvious that Mai-chan feels that way.”

“Why?”

“Because since elementary school, Mai-chan has always said that you want to marry your brother. Then if he has a girlfriend, Mai-chan’s dream won’t come true, right?”

“Dream…”

Certainly, I had liked my brother since I was little. But that was because I’m Kurobe Mai. This feeling was due to the manga scenario. I wanted to change my brother’s future because I didn’t want him to become a killer.

But even though I didn’t want my brother to become a murderer, I also didn’t want him to date Himegasaki-san. This contradiction was…

“Oh, your brother has arrived.” Iwai told me.

“Eh……?”

When I looked out the window, my brother was standing near the school gate. My brother didn’t seem to be having a study session today as he was alone.

“You should apologize to your brother.”

Yukari looked at me with a smile. And Iwai continued, “Do your best.”

“Yeah… See you later.”

While I was still unable to calm my confused heart, I left the place.

Please read this at ChocoCats.

◇

“Mai.”

As I headed over to my brother, maybe he heard my footsteps, he immediately turned around to greet me. Without exchanging words, my brother held out his hand to me, and I silently took his hand.

Please read this at ChocoCats.

Even though we parted just like that yesterday, this morning my brother still escorted me to school. I still made a lunch box, and nothing had changed except that there was no conversation.

I thought it was better to apologize for venting out my anger. But in the end, I was just trying to find an excuse for why I didn’t apologize like I don’t want to apologize without knowing why I’m frustrated, or I don’t want to have a conversation yet, etc.

“About next week’s homestay…”

My brother muttered vaguely. After that, he didn’t continue his words.

When I eavesdropped on the explanation given to my parents the day before yesterday, it seemed my brother’s class would see the illuminations and tour the ranch.

So, I was going to modify a pushcart for toddlers, install a sparkling and lit-up cow with illumination and chase him around a day before. For that reason, I had to apologize quickly.

When I was clenching my free hand that wasn’t holding my brother’s hand, my brother suddenly lost his balance.

“…Onii-chan?”

My brother crouched down and started coughing violently. I wanted to rub his back right away, but my brother held my hand firmly so I couldn’t. I had to face him and rub his back with my free hand.

“Onii-chan, are you okay?”

“Yeah… well, I think it’s a cold…? I’ll get better after I get some sleep.”

While saying that, my brother coughed painfully. He also seemed pale. When I stroked his back for a while and offered him a water bottle, my brother put his hand on his mouth and shook his head.

“Let’s go home, Mai. I want to go home and rest…”

“Yeah, let’s go home, Onii-chan.”

I wanted to support him, but he held my hand tightly and wouldn’t let go. I clutched his hand tightly so at least he wouldn’t stagger and hurried home.

Please read this at ChocoCats.

◇

T/N: Hello, I hope you guys enjoy your weekend! It’s already October without me realizing and it’s almost the end of the year too, I hope I can finish this novel before 2023~ It’s going to be my new goal!
Anyway, see you in the next chapter! And have a great day!

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