Stealing Spree

For the next thirty minutes, I accompanied Anzu to the nearby park. It’s the same park where I brought Minoru to play before.

Because it was Sunday, kids and parents filled the playground next to it. The mothers were gossiping with each other while their kids either go in groups to play on the sandbox or go up the slides to push each other down.

It’s quite a lovely sight.

Anzu was even a little lost watching the kids enjoy their time there. But when she noticed me watching her closely, the girl blushed and once again put on an act as though she didn’t care about what she was witnessing.

Alright. That’s a side of her that I was only seeing for the first time. Most likely, Anzu also has a soft spot for kids. After all, they would always see her as an older sister. She’d always be pleased whenever she was around them.

When I tried teasing her by urging her to also play on that playground, I got hit by her fist before quickly running away while laughing contentedly. As for the direction she took, it’s still within the park. I followed her with my eyes and saw her stopping at the empty spot where most of the sunlight focused on.

“What are you waiting for, Onoda-kun? Come here!” Disregarding the attention that we would get, the girl shouted at me and waved her hand excitedly.

The embarrassment from being teased and the way she kept up appearances as an older sister seemingly disappeared. The girl was taken over by her fervor that someone accompanied her.

Well, she’d still remember those in a little while anyway. So instead of making this difficult for the both of us, I simply went to her and stood by her side as we took in the morning sunlight.

“Un. Even if you’re a little rebellious for a little brother, you’re still the best in my eyes.” Anzu said while merrily laughing. Her hands were kinda shaking from her side as though she was trying her hardest to stop them from moving. Either she wanted to do something rather childish and she was afraid to show it to me or she was holding herself back on reaching out to me.

In a way, she’s kinda making this situation hard for herself.

“Aren’t I the only one you can call little brother? Isn’t it normal to be the best?”

“Psh. Don’t mind the details, you cheeky brat. At least, you’re the best, right?”

“So, you’re just going to admit that? Well, I guess it’s fine. I don’t need competition.” I shrugged and looked around. There’s not a free bench and even if there was, it’s shaded by the nearby trees. No choice but to continue standing here then.

“There you go. That’s the right mindset, Onoda-kun.” Pleased by my answer, Anzu reached for my shoulder and tapped it. She was actually going for my head but she couldn’t reach it.

Seeing that, I had to put on a blank face. She’d be hurt if I started laughing.

However, as though noticing what I did, Anzu leered at me. I raised my hands to stop her from moving closer which immediately resulted in another click of her tongue.

I thought she was going to stab me with words but she surprisingly went with an unexpected question.

“Onoda-kun, you’re very considerate, aren’t you?”

Well, that’s not unexpected, I guess? I get that a lot, after all. But how did she even come up with that conclusion?

I was only going along with her whims, is that already an act of consideration? Maybe…

“Should I not be?” Without denying that, I raised a question instead.

Anzu took my answer positively. Her lips curled up before she went on to contemplate what her reply should be.

“Hmm… It depends. Are you considerate to everyone or only to those you favored?”

<o>,m I didn’t need to think twice to answer that.</o>

“The latter. Don’t I look like an unapproachable guy? I don’t care a lot about other people. But to those I care about… they always get my 100%.”

“Yes, you are. Especially now that you got that new haircut. Your overall presence flipped. It’s like the difference between heaven and earth. Compared to the first time I saw you with Eimi, you now stand out a lot. Look behind you, the housewives in our neighborhood are staring at you.” Anzu elbowed me as she teasingly whispered that last part.

And sure enough, I could feel the gazes of the women that were busy gossiping earlier. Instead of watching their children, their attention switched to us.

Well, Anzu was wrong that they were all staring at me. They’re staring at us. They’re possibly thinking that we’re a couple having a morning date.

I even heard them gasping when Anzu tiptoed to reach my shoulder earlier.

Anyway, the girl’s evaluation wasn’t wrong. I truly had a stronger presence than before. It’s now impossible to be an inconspicuous guy lurking in a corner to watch my targets. Good thing I had no more targets, just girls I got close to.

“Anzu-nee, I believe they’re staring at us. I don’t know if you noticed but…” I paused. There’s a possibility that this girl would react differently if I completed it.

But then again, stopping halfway would garner her curiosity.

“But?” Right on point, Anzu tilted her head in confusion.

Uh. She looked more like an adorable junior like this. I better not say that though.

“Forget it. It’s nothing. Let’s just get your vitamin D from sunlight and return.”

“This guy… Are you hiding something from me? You dare hide your thoughts from your older sister? Come here, you!” Not accepting my attempt to brush it away, Anzu knitted her brows as she jumped again. This time, the girl successfully grabbed me by my nape.

Obviously, her strength was something I could overpower easily. But I chose not to, I let myself be pulled down and eventually got squeezed beneath her arm.

However, it was proven to be a bad idea. Because getting squeezed like that made my cheeks hit the softness that I felt earlier. And in the eyes of those spectating us, we’re flirting with each other.

Evidently, the gasps of shock followed by ‘Oh my!’, ‘How bold!’, ‘What an adorable pair.’ or ‘I wish I could go back to my youth and flirt like that with my husband’ reached our ears.

Anzu, who was about to grind her knuckles on the crown of my head, seemingly froze. And in a monotonous tone, she asked, “O-oi, Onoda-kun. W-what are they saying? We’re not flirting, right?”

I thought she was giving me a chance to answer but instead, her arm squeezed my head tighter as though she was about to choke me. But before I could escape, Anzu continued, “Hey… s-say something! You’re my little brother, not my lover.”

Little by little, her breathing started getting ragged. Her body temperature also started rising. Even though I couldn’t see her face yet, she was most likely already blushing profusely.

This girl… Is she this susceptible to being teased in public? I thought she was an experienced girl with many heartbreaks under her belt? That kind of misunderstanding by the crowd should not affect her, right?

Yeah. That’s what I hoped.

Unfortunately, my earlier guess was correct, when I freed myself from her arm, I immediately noticed the girl’s crimson face. And because of how she’s under the sunlight, it was further highlighted because of her originally white skin.

What should I do in this situation?