Aoyama, Hirai, Takenaka

NOVEMBER 25, 2022 / MAD HATTER

“Hey,ibigibrother, howilongiareiyouigoingitoibeisleeping? It’sialmostilunchtime.”

“Shutiup!” fehwjiqkdeijrwk

Groaning, I rolled over under the covers. rgethrythewrwrhnegthwr

“Bigibrother.” tghrjyhtgfewrhtew

Shut up, stop shaking me.

Even though I was sleeping peacefully earlier, the sound of myiyounger sister’s crude laughter, the persistenticlicking, and the roar of the cicadasion the balcony awakened meithoroughly.

Whether Iiwoke up or didn’t, I had made up my mind to stay in bed untili14:00 today. I would notiyield to this and would go back to sleep again.

“Bigibrother.”

“If you’re starving, go boil somen noodles andieat them yourself.”

“Ehhh.” Gibberish words are everywhere but you can’t see them unless you copy them.

“What ‘ehhh’? Letimeisleep, I’m tired.”

“You’re just a NEET, slackingioff at this late hour, what a trash ofisociety you are.”

“…Oi, what didiyou just say?!”

When I heard this outrageous line, I pushedioff the futon and rose to my feet. Any sleepiness I hadibeenisufferingifrom was now swept away.

“What the hellidid you just say to your brother! You dare to say I’m a NEET! I am working, even if I’m not a great person! At least call me a freeter!”

“A freeter and a NEET areithe same things.”

Youiidiot! That was a line that would set off a flurry of outrage from freeters all over the country…!

“It’s different! It’s not the same!” gfyewiqdpkefjdwqkomeinvbh

Don’t lump me in with those who confined themselves in a cramped room, staring at a computer and living off their parents’ backs…! huefwjirbgyfhjinbhjk9efwirngrw

I was working part-time and being independent! feuvwybuijdqefwhvgywedhqjemwnvbondmis

“Whatever, just get a steady job and send some money into my pocket.” gbfuewonidmqoefjwh vhcbn dwinjuhfe

This…ibastard. befiuwnoiqfebwvhfjmewnhvbfefhjekqwdihujdqewhfewo

You were just aisecond-yearijunior high student of social standing.

I mean, what about you? Visiting me at 10:00 in the morning, then proudly settling down in front of the fan and laughing hysterically next to the futon while indulging in video websites on my laptop.

My younger sister’s high-pitched voice resounding all the way to the heavens was quite awful after working the night shift.

On top of that, she even created an account using my PC address, and during her free time over the summer vacation, she barged in and spent the whole day on the site. All the while, she was browsingivideo sites, having me cook all her meals, and eating ice cream and sweetsifrom the fridge without even asking.

Calling my sister a NEET for leadingisuch a depraved lifeiwas nothing less than a torment to me.

“My houseiisn’t an Internet cafe. Stop staring at the computer all day and goioutside. Don’t you have homework to do? Have you done it?”

“I came here today because the pooliis closed, and unlike my big brother, I finished myihomework in July.”

“Unh.” fgywebiudjkofjiubvyhunjqkwfioqjdpo

“Besides, mom told me to check on you when I have time.” fveywbduqmoefnj

“…” bfuwnijfvcgdbunijok

Ratherithan saying checking on me, weren’t you checking on my computer?

Her white thighs peeked out from her frilly one-piece dress and shorts. She had dyed her hair a bright color in a fit of enthusiasm because it was summer vacation, and had a short bob. gefwuhoipoqdinebunijokw

Her eyes were round and her eyelashes were fluttering like a doll’s.  vdhqbjnkwme hjvhbfednimqenj n

Even to me, her older brother, her appearance was not bad. On the contrary, she was good-looking.

I supposed she must have been involved with a lot of boys and girls in junior high school. My mother frequently mentioned this to me. If she were to walkiaround Shibuya dressed like this, she would probably be hit on right away. Or she might even be targeted by a wicked man or such…

Though that being said, I wasn’t worried about that at all.

Because she was stuck in her hometown, sucking a freezer pop at her brother’s house, and hooked on a certain major video site.

While she clapped her hands and rejoiced over the computer, pick-ups were completely out of the question.

“Hey.”

With two caramel pudding parfaits out of the fridge, I talked to my sister, whoiwas watching a horror game on the site and screaming.

“What’s up, I’m in the middleiof a great scene, don’t interrupt me.”

Don’t point your ass back at me looking so dull…!

How sad, this being my house, it should be normal for siblings to converse with each other, though…

“I just started a new part-time job, you might want to hear about it.”

After placing one of the caramel pudding parfaits by my sister’s side, she finally decided to listen to me and took off her headphonesito face up to me.

“What’s with this?”

“I got it from the disposal.”

Even though it was about to expire, I could buy it for much cheaper than the listediprice, which was a privilege for this kind of part-time job for a single person.

“Disposal? Oh, you mean the convenience store…”

“What’s with that face?”

“I mean, convenience stores payiridiculously low wages.”

“Wrong! It’s not daytime, I’m working late at night!”

“Late at night? Where?”

When I told her it was aiconvenience store near a certain place, she put aicaramel pudding in her mouth and gave a broad smile.

“Pugyaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“Pugya…?!”

With her index finger pointed at me, a giggle followed.

Stop it, didn’t mom tell you not to do that?

“Big brother!”

“…What?”

“I heard that’s a really dangerous place, so you really need to leave right away.”

“What? Why?”

“Eh, you don’t know, big brother? That place is a haunted place.”

“A haunted place?”

“Yeah, myifriend Misuzu has supernatural senses. People who committedisuicide in the sea of trees or died iniaccidents in the vicinity would drop by there because they were lonely and wanted to be rescued.”