Skill Kasegi 5

Date with Little Sister?

Ten minutes after the incident with the pick-up people, we arrived at a large, domed shopping mall in the school district.

Although I’m surprised at first that ‘there really is a shopping mall in another world?!’, I’m too used to my life now so I’m not as excited and somehow able to recognize it as a natural thing.

That’s why I’m always trying to figure out how to add a bit of excitement to these everyday things.

Well, before that, there is a matter that needs to be done in front of my eyes—

”Nii-san, Nii-san, I want a crepe!”

My little sister, Hiyomi-san, has been on this state for a while now. [0]

We had takoyaki, ice cream, a cold drink with tapioca, and now crepe.

I don’t care about the food culture, which is close to Japan. The important thing so far is we have only eaten through the stores in our way since we arrived at the shopping mall.

And they’re all on me——

”U, um, Hiyomi-san? I’m a student too, so I don’t have that much money……”

I guess that’s how students’ pockets are.

Most schools is quite strict when it cames to working, and you cannot work unless you have a good reason to do so.

In our family, both of my parents work, so there is no reason for me to work too, and my only source of income is my monthly allowance.

”A, un, I know, I’m being too selfish, I’m sorry ……”

Hiyomi’s shoulders narrowed and she was blatantly disappointed.

I couldn’t watch her like that forever. I sniffed lightly and then spoke in a gentle tone.

”It’s the last crepe, okay? I’ll buy it if you keep the promise. The rest you’ll have to buy with your own money.”

”Nii-san…..”

In contrast to her earlier attitude, she looked up at me with sparkling eyes.

Then she hugged me, showing the utmost favor, as if her emotions were overwhelmed.

”I love you, Nii-san!

”Hey, don’t hug me here, if anyone we know sees us like this——“

And, when I looked around, my eyes perfectly met one of the passersby.

The person was a girl with semi-long brown hair that she wore in a half-updo, with the left side bang hanging straight down and the right side pinned up with a stylish floral hairpin.

My faint hope that I had been mistaken for someone else was shattered, and the other side seemed to have noticed my presence with her mouths saying “Ah,”.

I’m pretty sure she was the last person I wanted to meet under the current situation—–

”Tsukinoto!”

”A, Asaumi-kun! What are you d-d-d-doing here? With a girl, um……”

”No, It’s not like that! This is my——.”

I tried to be honest with Kotoka to clear up her misunderstanding, but another classmate Asumi Karasudani, who was standing beside her, interrupted.

She is an athletic girl with excellent motor nerves with semi-long flaxen hair with a wavy habit.

”Is that girl Asaumi’s little sister? Wow, she’s as cute as they say!”

”……eh? What, little-sister?”

With a surprised look, Kotoka repeated what Asumi had said.

”Hello, I’m Hiyomi, his little sister. Thanks for always taking care of My brother.”

”You’re an awfully polite girl, why don’t you take a lesson from your sister, Asaumi?”

”Wait, did I ever once have a bad attitude towards Karasudani?”

As far as I remember, this is the first time we’ve spoken, but did I cause her a great deal of trouble without realizing it?

Anyway, I’m very glad that my misunderstanding of Kotoka has been cleared up, but there is still one problem——

”Um, Hiyomi? Isn’t it about time to stop the hug? Even though the misunderstanding has been cleared up, I’m still embarrassed in front of my classmates.”

Then, Hiyomi smirked as if she had come up with something good.

Seriously, I have a bad feeling about this.

”Eeeh? Even though I’m on a date with Nii-san we can’t hug? Nii-san also seems so happy to have a date with me……”

””Huh?””

I raised my voice in doubt, in addition to the two people in front of me.

It was Hiyomi who invited me to a date, and it was also Hiyomi who hugged me.

Huh? Am I so happy that I got to date Hiyomi without knowing it?

No, even if I felt it was fun, I must not feel happy to be dating Hiyomi.

Although emotionally similar, they are very different in meaning and should not be put together.

But there was no way they could understand what was going through my mind——

”A,Asaumi-kun? Well, what is your relationship with your sister, ……?” (Kotaka)

”Asaumi, could it be you and Hiyomi ——?” (Asumi)

”No, she really not! Hiyomi is just my sister! Hiyomi too, explain to them that it’s a misunderstanding!”

But Hiyomi just turned away with a pout and didn’t seem to have the slightest intention of correcting anything.

This rascal, I’ll remember this.

And when I managed to clear up the misunderstanding of Kotoka and Asumi without Hiyomi’s help——

”——, please stop! You’re annoying me!”

A high-pitched voice of a woman who refuses something runs around the shopping center endlessly.

I wondered what was going on and looked in the direction of the voice, isn’t it a female student with our high school uniform being picked up by a male student from another school?!

I’d like to go help you right now, but to get in trouble with students from other schools would go againts what Tayama-sensei wants.

Now that I’ve promised not to cause any problems, I can’t intervene.

Since it is inside a shopping mall, it is best to notify the guards by “thoughts transference”.

——but, aren’t they’re all too hungry for women?!

With that in mind, I tried to use “thought transference” to report the incident to the security guard, but someone tugged lightly on the cuff of my uniform a couple of times.

The culprit is, of course, Hiyomi.

”Nii-san, don’t you want to help?”

Hiyomi lowers the corners of her eyes and gives a sad expression.

But for once, I can’t live up to my sister’s expectations.

”They’re students from another school. If I go there now, I’m sure to get in trouble. So I’m going to have to call security here——“

As soon as Isaid that, Hiyomi opened her mouth to interrupt me.

”So, Nii-san, would you do the same thing if I was being picked on by a student from another school?”

”No, of course I’d help you any way I could.”

”If that’s the case, there’s no reason not to help her, right?”

”It’s… that’s right.”

Indeed, Hiyomi is right.

If that was Hiyomi, Asumi——or Kotoka, would I just shut up and wait for the guards to come?

Am I going to do nothing just because it causes problems with other schools?

No, I would jump headfirst without thinking about such problems.

If that’s the case, what’s the difference between Hiyomi or Kotoka and that girl?

Because we’re classmates? Because they are acquaintances? Am I supposed to distinguish between who I should help and who I souldn’t just because of such a small reason?

Such things——There’s no way that would be forgiven.

Before I know it, the hesitation inside me has disappeared cleanly.

”You girls, don’t move from here, okay?”

”Yes, I get it.” (Hiyomi)

”A-Asaumi-kun! That’s dangerous, no matter how you look at it! I think you should leave this to the adults…….” (Kotoka)

”This is not the time for saying such things.”

While I was doing this and that, a male student from another school was trying to take a female student by force.

And yet, the adults and students around us just pretend not to see it.

Perhaps they were too afraid of the thugs who are picking the girl to jump into that one.

Already—-this is not a time to pray that someone would help.

”Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”

”A-Asaumi-kun, wait—-” (Kotoka)

As if to prevent Kotoka from blocking my path, Hiyomi and Asumi pull her hand.

Then I slowly approached the pick-up people and—

”Hey, don’t do anything more than that. It’s unsightly.”

”Oh, who the fuk are you? If you don’t want to get yourself killed, get the fck out of here, you fu*king shady bastard.”

Oh, it has much more impact than the school pick-up group… but it’s not scary.

Just as I was calmly analyzing the intimidation level of my opponent, I saw an unbelievable sight.

A male student wearing the same uniform as me was lying on the ground with blood on his face, probably trying to help this female student.

Then I ask them with a scornful look, not letting the spirit of the pick-up group get the better of me.

”Hey, you rutting monkeys, did you hurt the guy over there?”

”Who the fuck are you talking to, you shady bastard?

One guy tries to punch me in the face, his fists balled up tightly.

However, the fist was too slow for me, as I immediately activated my “Spirit Augmentation” and “Physical Enhancement”.

I grabbed the man’s wrist and kept my grip so tight that I could hear his bones creak.

Even if there are restrictions on the “psychic life core” to prevent crime inside the building, if I don’t adjust your power, I can easily break a bone.

”You shady bastard! If you don’t want to get blown up, get your filthy hands off me!”

”All right, I’ll let you go, as you wish.”

I then swung my fist boosted with “spirit augmentation” and “Physical enhancement” to the man’s cheek with great force.

The man was blown five meters to the side, holding his punched cheek and staring at me with murderous intent in his eyes.

”How’s it feel to get punched? Was it good?”

”Are you fucking kidding me? Change of plans—- I’m going to kill you with my own hands!”

”You’ve hurt people, but you’re not prepared to get hurt yourself? Well, you’re not going to kill me anyway….Mostly in two ways.”

Then, two security guards who had sniffed out the commotion arrived safely.

Just as I was about to explain the situation to the security guard, who could not hide his surprise at the tragedy of the scene——

”——‘Black Smoke’!”

One of the pick-up people suddenly used the Life Core.

The area was filled with black smoke, and in order to prevent confusion, I quickly absorbed all the black smoke that was dispersing with the “Spirit Absorption”.

By the time I had finished clearing away all the black smoke, they were already gone, and all that was left at the scene was me, the guards, the injured male student, and the frightened-looking female student.

”…..What the hell happened here?”

”Yes, Actually….”

I then told the guards everything that had happened here, and was released from interrogation thirty minutes later.

I went back to the three people who had kept me waiting, and they greeted me with three different looks on their faces.

Hiyomi smiles, Kotoka looks worried, and Asumi has no expression—and

”Sorry, I’ve keep you all waiting.”

”No problem, rather, Is the girl okay?”

”Yeah, she said she was fine thanks to the boy who stepped in before I did.”

”Oh, I’m glad……”

Switching place with the breathtaking Hiyomi, this time, Kotoka stands next to me and asks with a thin voice that it was about to dry.

”A-Asaumi-kun! Um, are you hurt or anything…..?”

”Oh, no, I’m fine.”

”I-I see! That’s good…… Um, Asaumi-kun—–“

”Hey, a moment.”

When Kotoka said so, Asumi, who had been silent until now, came between us with a sharp look and opened her mouth.

”What’s wrong?”

”Don’t ‘what’s wrong’ me. Asaumi, did you forget what you just did?”

Then she spelled out the words as she grabbed me by the chest girdle of my uniform.

”You beat up —— people, remember? You didn’t think twice about hitting someone, even if it was for her sake?”

”That’s……”

I had no hesitation to hit people at that time.

How so? Why? No matter how I think about it, I don’t know.

For the first time in my life, I had hit someone, but guilt did not exist in my heart.

What am I supposed to say to Asumi’s question?

Will you answer honestly, or will you lie?

In the end, I couldn’t blurt either statement and all I could do was keep my mouth shut.

”……, did you just get emotional and hit them?”

Asumi asks me again as she lets out a big sigh and removes her hand from my chest.

Emotional—There is no doubt that I got furious when seeing the boy faces covered in blood.

But would a person who had never hit a person hit them just because he became emotional?

I feel like it’s just an argument based on emotion, and I can’t say anything back again.

Seeing me like this for a while, she turned on her heel and forcibly took Kotoka’s hand and walked away.

——“I’ll ask you again tomorrow for the answer, so go think it over,” she said, leaving just that sentence.

As if sensing the tension in the air, Hiyomi said, “I’ll have the crepes another time,” and we decided to go straight home after buying dinner.

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Author’s Note :

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Translator’s Note :

I’ll explain my way of translating -san -kun and other suffixes. I will only translate uncommon ones like -jou in previous chapter. For the common ones, I’ll leave that untranslated. These are the common ones (according to me) and their rough translations for those who may want to know:

-san : used to address someone politely, regardless of gender. Usually used to the one you’re not close to, sometimes can also be used sarcastically/jokingly.-kun : used by girls to call boys around her age or younger than her, also used by adults to address young ones.-chan: used to call girls or kids of any gender, sometimes also used to address a childhood friend even if he is a boy.-sama: used to call someone of higher status, but not really, even in a company usually people refer to their superior with -san . A practical example might be when addressing a princess of a certain isekai country. Often used sarcastically/jokingly.-sensei: used to call teacher, doctor, writer, and perhaps people of certain other profession regardless of gender.-senpai: used to call a senior, either in school or in workplace or somewhere else where he or she has more experience than you.

Feel free to correct me if something is not correct.