Episode 5 – The Tale of Complaining to My Friend

[“Hey, Motomu!　Did you get my present?”]

“Yeah, I’m so grateful I’d punch you in the face if you were here right now.”

[“Oh, I see. I’m going to thank the late Edison for inventing the telephone.”]

I could not help but let out a deep sigh of anger as I heard the optimistic voice over the phone.

[“Oi oi, they say that happiness evaporates when you sigh.”]

“Whose fault do you think it is, huh”

Miyamae Subaru. This is the brother of Miyamae Akari, the self-proclaimed collateral (for 500 yen) who came to my house today. He’s the one who borrowed the money.

“Subaru, I used to think it was all right to just let you take the money if you wanted. But now I’m serious. I want my money back.”

[“That’s brutal, Motomu. In many ways.”]

“What do you mean…?”

[“One reason is that I’m in the process of saving up for a trip with my girlfriend.”]

“Ah, now you’re bragging..”

Subaru has a girlfriend. I’d like to say it’s a little bit of a stretch, but she’s too beautiful to be a fake.

It’s a common acquaintance that I met after I entered university, but I never imagined that they would start dating within the first semester… Well, Subaru has a pretty good face too.

He is pretty popular with the girls, and I’m sure it was just a matter of time before he got his hands on one.

[“You’re making a disgusted noise, Motomu-kun. As I thought, do you also want a girlfriend?”]

“Of course I want one.”

[“He~e, that’s surprising. You’ve never said anything like that before.”]

“You don’t say everything you want out loud…”

Unfortunately, although I have been close to some girls in my life, and still am, none of them have progressed to the stage of dating.

Compared to Subaru, who obviously knows what it’s like to have a girlfriend, I’m not as attached to the idea of having a girlfriend because I don’t know what it’s like. But I do have a certain amount of interest in dating someone.

[“But I’m okay if it’s Motomu. I’ll give you special permission.”]

“Why do I have to ask you for permission to have a girlfriend?”

[“Do I have to spell it out?”]

Who else but this guy could say it? If he’s just saying random things like he always does, why not just say so?

[“Ah, by the way, is mah sister Akarin~ there?”]

“No, she’s not. She’s taking a bath.”

[“Hey!　Don’t tell me, with you…?”]

“Of course not!　I’m outside!　In the hallway of my apartment!　Damn it, don’t make me yell too loud or I’ll get angry…”

[“E~h, that’s not my fault, is it..?”]

No, it’s Subaru’s fault. He’s the one who’s responsible for most of the world’s problems. That’s how I feel right now.

“So, what do you want with Akari-chan?　Tell her it’s okay not to hang out with me anymore. You can forget about the 500-yen.”

[“No, I’ll give you the money back! So until then, I’ll have Akari take care of you instead.”]

“You’re saying some pretty disgusting things, you know?　I’ve never seen anyone give up their own sister for 500 yen, not even in a movie.”

[“Well, well. Akari doesn’t mind, right?”]

“No, normally one would mind if you make them stay at their brother’s friend’s house…”

Subaru let out a big sigh. The happiness will evaporate – no, it’s okay. It’s a good thing. I’m sure that happiness would like to be free from Subaru.

[“Motomu, I don’t care about normal right now. What I’m talking about is that whether Akari likes it or not.”]

“That’s… I didn’t get the impression that she disliked it.”

[“Then it’s fine, isn’t it? Or is it that you hate Akari, Motomu?”]

“I don’t hate her, and I think she’s a good girl. But…”

[“Hahahaha!　I’m glad to hear that!　I’m not worried about Motomu, though. You’re the type of person who doesn’t even show an ulterior motive when Akari is taking a bath in your house.”]

“That’s not a compliment…”

[“It’s not a compliment, but I am complimenting you!”]

I let out a sigh for the umpteenth time at his incomprehensible response.

The amount of sighing between him and me is not worth it. It’s going to chip away at our happiness.

[“Anyway, you take care of Akari. After all, she is my beloved sister. I’m not ashamed to show her off anywhere.”]

“I hope you’re not bothering Akari-chan like this in addition to me.”

[“Hahaha. Nothing like that. Because it’s a request of a  lifetime!”]

“If you want to spend a lifetime request for 500 yen, just return it to me already..!?”

After talking so far, I found out that Subaru was surprisingly serious. He’s not the kind of guy who would pull off a messy joke like this.

But if he’s serious, then I seriously suspect a lot of things. It’s not just about him, but also about Akari-chan, who accepted to become collateral.

[“Anyway, take care of Akari for me, okay?　I’m not going to forgive you if you make her cry.”]

“Damn it. I can’t even tell if you care for her or not… But I understand. Anyway, I’ll let her stay here today. It’s late already… of course I’m not going to do anything weird to her!”

[“I know,  I trust you because you’re not that kind of guy and you’re a total pain in the neck.”]

“I knew you weren’t complimenting me.”

[“No, I’m not!”]

This guy looks like he’s having a lot of fun.

It’s like the siblings are pushing me around. Strangely, I’m not in a particularly bad mood, but I’m tired.

“Senpai?”

“Ah, Akari-chan…?”

“I’ve finished my bath. Ah, are you on the phone?”

Akari-chan came out wearing her very own pink pajamas. She carefully wiped the water dripping from her long hair with a towel.

The just-out-of-the-bath look.

[“Oops, Akari’s back… Motomu, are you getting excited?”]

“I am not!　I’m hanging up now!!”

And then I unilaterally ended the conversation and hung up the call. I think Subaru was laughing happily and mockingly until the end.

“Was that my brother?”

“Yeah.. you didn’t have to come out. You’ll catch a cold.”

“No, it’s warm, so I’ll be fine.”

Akari-chan smiled happily at me. The smile on her face was very similar to Subaru’s, perhaps because they are brother and sister.

“Senpai should also take a bath.”

“You look like you’re having fun.”

“Yes, I’m having fun!”

Ah, it was the same with Subaru, but somehow, when I was given such an innocent smile, my strength relaxed, and I also caught myself smiling.

It seems that I’m not a good match for the Miyamae siblings. Not in a bad way, of course.