Suzuhara's hospital room was a double room.
The bed at the back is currently empty, so it's essentially a private room.
"Sorry, Sotomichi. The injury was nothing serious, yet you came to visit me."
"You're bandaged up pretty drastically for something not serious."
It seemed that Suzuhara's injuries were limited to just cracked ribs, but there were lacerations all over his body from when Kurosawa had kicked him. Judging from the treatment he received, he appeared to be in severe condition.
"Also, I'm sorry that the meeting turned out like that. I seem to have caused trouble for Miyu and the others, and that was really selfish and awful of me. I'm sorry."
"If we had let him go, there's no telling what would have happened to Harumaki, so there's no need to worry too much. Anyways, it seems that Miyu and the others called the police before taking action."
Suzuhara was deceived by Harumaki and was led astray, which was also a result of Harumaki's desire to escape from Kurosawa.
It would be naive to forgive him just because he had no ill intentions and things turned out well, but no one could have predicted that things would get to that point.
Above all, the reason why Miyu came to help was because of my actions.
I don't intend to push the blame onto him.
By the way, regarding what to do with Kurosawa-san after he is released from prison, I have asked a small connection I made when I suffered a difficult time some time ago to help out, so it's safe to say that there is very little danger to Suzuhara as a result of this matter.
"Exactly, exactly. It was Onii-san's fault we arrived, and we only helped Suzu-chii and Haru-chii because it was convenient. There's nothing to be worried about."
Next to me, a girl with twin tails curiously pokes at the bandages wrapped around Suzuhara's leg.
I'm pretty sure I came to this hospital alone.
"I haven't mentioned it until now. But, why are you here?"
"Haru-chii told me about your movements as a token of gratitude."
Yuka makes a peace sign and smiles at me.
I wonder if she actually earnestly likes me.
"I'm sorry, Sotomichi. I just couldn't refuse, so without Suzuhara-kun knowing..."
Harumaki-san also came to the hospital.
Apparently she had originally intended to come to visit him too, though our timings aligned.
After what happened, it would be awkward to suddenly be alone with Suzuhara, so I don't mind if she wanted me to be there as a buffer.
"Onii-san made us worry, so maybe it's your turn to be punished next?"
"Even if that's so, I'll ask Miyu for that."
"I-- was worried too. So it's two against one. Being punished by two beautiful girls at the same time is practically a reward, so there's no reason to refuse, right? Ah, so it's not really a punishment then... Well, I guess we can think about that later!"
Yuka grabs my hand with great excitement.
I couldn't look directly at the surprised faces of Suzuhara and Harumaki-san.
"Stop using weird expressions, it will lead to misunderstandings."
"It's to create the flow, the flow. Haru-chii's gonna have sex with Suzu-chii as apology, right? If so, I thought it would be easier to bring it up if we started on the bed in the back."
"That's too much consideration..."
The situation is gradually becoming irreversible.
Suzuhara is trying to say something with his mouth twitching, but can't say anything.
"Are Yuka-chan and Sotomichi-kun are dating after all...?"
Harumaki looked like she had a lot to say about what Yuka said, but what she was most concerned about was her relationship with me.
"There's really nothing going on with this girl."
"Unfortunately, that's the truth. Onii-san's lover is Miyu, after all."
Her words left me choking, Harumaki speechless, and Suzuhara clutching his ribs in agony.
I didn't expect to be exposed in a place like this.
"S-Sotomichi. How true is Yuka-chan's story? Miyu is, uh, your little sister, Miyu-san, right?"
"Miyu-chan is the girl who helped me, right? Is she and Sotomichi-kun non-blood related?"
"I wonder what to say about that."
I was at a loss for a moment, but the other three went quiet, waiting for an answer, so it was no longer an atmosphere in which I could hide it.
I had to tell them eventually. I decided to confess everything about my relationship with Miyu after judging that Suzuhara and Harumaki-san wouldn't make a fuss about it now.
Although Harumaki-san knew from natural instinct, I did hide from Suzuhara that I had female experience, giving him a face that said, "What are you talking about?" However, Yuka interjected and broke the tense atmosphere, allowing me to explain more smoothly than I had expected.
"Sotomichi, you too. I guess it was tough for you. To be honest, I don't really understand, but I'll just say that I do."
"I should also mention that he had a pretty deep relationship with Yamamoto-san for a while."
"My heart is burdened with hidden sadness and embarrassment from showing off."
"By the way, I was raped by this man and robbed of my virginity."
"Please, just speak about real things..."
Suzuhara holds his head with a sullen face.
The more she talked, the more I realised how terrible my sex life was.
My first time was with my sister's friend, who I met through a messaging app that same day.
"Sotomichi-kun, you're saying you're 'not a virgin,' but you're doing things that are far more obscene than me and yet you don't have a shred of ethics, do you?"
What Harumaki-san said was completely and utterly reasonable without a single flaw.
I can't find any words to rebuke her.
"If you were that lewd... you should have just taken my invitation... Well, now that everything about me is out there, I'm not going to complain. But not Yuka-chan either? Isn't she cute?"
"Am I right!? Isn't that right!? I strongly agree!! While you're at it, fuck this woman too!"
"Don't collude, don't collude, please."
They were supposed to be enemies when they met for the first time yesterday.
I'm sure Yuka has let her guard down now that Harumaki-san has reflected on a lot of things, but this girl's willingness to use anything she can get his hands on is truly, frighteningly unhesitant.
"Sotomichi... so you were that popular of a guy..."
"It's just that the people around me are acting that way. I haven't done anything."
It's not that I haven't put in any effort at all, but I don't think I've become notable enough to receive such passionate attention from girls.
It's mainly because Miyu's presence was just that significant on me.
"Besides that, are you okay with this, Suzuhara? You really do love Harumaki-san, don't you? It would be a shame to let this wonderful encounter end like this."
"O-Of course, I really do love her. That hasn't changed even now. But, if I get the OK in this situation, it'll just seem like I'm taking advantage of her weakness..."
Suzuhara was reluctant to make eye contact with Harumaki-san.
In the end, it was Yuka and the others who saved Harumaki-san, and he probably feels guilty about the fact that he was the one who got beaten up by Kurosawa-san.
"Regardless of whether you'll date or not, why don't you have sex for the time being?"
Yuka proposes to Suzuhara.
"You really said that as soon as you could..."
"I mean, Haru-chii wanted to have sex with him as an apology, so why not. It won't take anything away."
Yuka says so peculiarly, but Harumaki herself is puzzled and replies, "I never said that."
"Well, for me, I wouldn't be unwilling to do that as an apology. Like I said, I'm this kind of woman. Suzuhara-kun probably doesn't like those kinds of women either- or so I thought."
When Harumaki-san opened up about her feelings, Suzuhara was surprised and at the same time began to feel restless.
It's not the same as Miyu and I, but I can understand Suzuhara's psychological situation now.
He wants to date Harumaki, and even if they can't date, he wants to have sex with her.
That is Suzuhara's true feelings.
However, his pride prevents him from being seen as trying desperately to get her. He feels ashamed that she would know he is interested in having sex with Harumaki-san, and so he is unable to speak his true feelings.
"I, I also try not to worry about the past as much as possible! But, pretending it never happened won't benefit either of us... so let's talk about it first..."
Suzuhara was awkward, tinged with a subtle sense of distance from Harumaki-san.
There's the pride thing from earlier, but this also shows that he hasn't come to terms with Harumaki-san's past.
I don't mind it because I'm blessed with good luck with women, but Suzuhara's reaction is normal.
As expected, it was Yuka who gave Suzuhara a stern scolding, without caring about the bandages.
"All you need to have sex is a yes or no! Does Suzu-chii want to have sex with Haru-chii! Or not!"
"Eh, w-well... of course, but..."
"Haru-chii, it's fine to have sex with Suzu-chii too, right!"
"For now, if it's just for expressing thanks, I guess 'yes' is fine."
After getting their consent, Yuka turned to me for some reason.
"With that being said, will Onii-san have sex with me?"
"I don't know why you turned to me, but my personal answer is no."
"Uguh... You know what I mean. By the way, my answer was a total yes."
Yuka squinted her eyes in frustration.
It was indeed a beautiful way to sacrifice oneself.
"Anyways, if you give it a go, you'll see that all your worries were for nothing. Just fuck her and see if you get tricked."
"I-I'll try my best."
Even Suzuhara would be confused if someone casually told him that, as if he were doing exercises to relieve stiff shoulders.
Well, the conversation won't get anywhere if we stay behind, so I guess I'll bring Yuka with me.
I'm sure Harumaki-san's awkwardness with Suzuhara has eased a lot now.
"Well then, you two can discuss it later. I'm glad you're both okay."
After saying that, I left the hospital with Yuka.
I came to this hospital by train, so I have to turn around and go back to the nearest station to my parents' house.
As I was walking, I asked Yuka a question that I hadn't been able to ask in the hallway because there were so many people around.
"Why did Yuka want Suzuhara to have sex so badly? It's a little different from your usual meddling behaviour, isn't it?"
Even if she was planning to stir up Harumaki-san to take advantage of the situation, there's no way that something like that would change my mind and make me happy to have sex with Yuka.
"Repay apologies and thanks with sex. I wanted to instill this common sense in Onii-san."
"You ruined it by saying that."
In the end, she was just full of ego.
In Yuka's case, for some reason this is just dismissed as her 'personality.'
"Onii-san, are you going home now?"
"I have to meet someone, so I'll go there directly."
"Hmm. So you can't play with me then."
Yuka had a nonchalant look on her face, but deep within her expression, there was a hint of dissatisfaction.
I understand how she feels, but for now my relationship with Yuka can only be that of my sister's friend.
"I don't mind hanging out with Yuka. But I don't think a relationship between a man and a woman should be just about feelings. For the time being, I want to prioritize Miyu. Yuka also approves of our relationship, right?"
"That's true. But it would be nice if you paid me attention as a token of appreciation for all I've done."
Yuka said she would give up on Miyu, but she certainly didn't say she would give up on me.
What Yuka is looking for is healthy sex, which seems to equate to affectionate sex, so I can see why she wants me to act like her boyfriend.
For some reason, lately I've been feeling that Yuka has genuine feelings for me.
I hope it's just my arrogance, but my relationship with Miyu hasn't progressed much yet, so I don't want to cause any more trouble.
"So, is your next stop a date with Miyu?"
"I'm not meeting Miyu. I would appreciate if you wouldn't probe into it."
"Oh, is that so? Got it."
Yuka readily agreed.
This doesn't seem like she's plotting anything, so I'll trust her, I guess.
'-I have something important to tell you, so please give me some time tomorrow.'
A message sent to me last night.
To put it simply, it was from Haruka.
I never thought that the day would come when I would be called by her personally, but there were a lot of things I needed to talk about, like Miyu.
In a way, it's like I stole her partner, so I should apologise in some cases.
The meeting place was an Italian restaurant in a department store near the station.
The interior is stylish and calm, but the food prices are not much different from those of a family restaurant.
Several people were standing in front of a sign that was integrated with the restaurant's menu, waiting for someone.
There was a dazzlingly beautiful girl in a slightly mature fashion, with her white shirt standing out, attracting the attention of everyone passing by.
Everyone was probably curious about who she was waiting for, wondering what kind of man she was expecting.
For some people, just letting them think such thoughts would cause a pang of regret to well up in their hearts.
I can't believe I'm the subject of that envy.
After all, it's an unrealistic story.
However, I must not forget that this relationship is merely leftovers from the absolute beautiful girl power called Miyu.
As Haruka was wasting time playing with her smartphone, I looked over at her from the front and when she suddenly looked up, our eyes met.
Her hair, shorter than Yuka's, was tied in two fluffy ponytails in a two-side up style.
Her skin has the texture of a high-end doll and her eyes are crisp and moist, but there is a definite warmth to them that completes her human form.
No matter how close I became with Miyu, Haruka's cuteness did not change.
"It's been a while, Onii-san."
"I never thought I'd be called by you. Sorry I'm late."
"Don't worry. Shall we go in?"
We entered the store together and sat in the back seat of the store at Haruka's request.
I thought I saw Haruka looking behind me just before entering the store, but there's no way Yuka would be following me, right.
"Onii-san, There are two things I'd like to discuss with you. One of them is just a side note though."
As soon as she sat down and ordered a set of soup and baguette, Haruka immediately began talking.
I'm not that hungry either, so I'm asking for the same thing.
"Is the main story about Miyu after all?"
"Unfortunately. That's the other thing."
"Aah, is that so? ...Then that means..."
"It's about Yuka."
I was not surprised by Haruka's words.
Given what had happened up until now, I thought that Haruka was also involved in Miyu's plan to rehabilitate Yuka.
Haruka looks at the entrance to the store behind me for a while again, then looks me in the eye and continues talking.
"Do you remember what I told Onii-san at that karaoke place?"
"When talking to Yuka, I should remember my feelings of the past, you mean?"
"Yes. I thought I'd tell you the truth."
The true meaning of yesterday's conversation.
Admittedly, I had thought about it in my own way, but when I was asked to recall my feelings of Yuka when I spoke to her in the past, I didn't really get it.
"What is Yuka's image to Onii-san?"
"She's stupid, vindictive, or whatever. She loves Miyu too much, and that's what has warped her personality, so she's playing pranks to get her attention but it's in vain... that's how I feel."
That was my first impression of Yuka.
However, looking back at Yuka's recent words and actions, there are many things that are the opposite of what she says.
She may not be able to study, but she doesn't seem to be an idiot who can't do anything about it.
Her memory is impressive when it comes to committing criminal acts, or perhaps she's the type whose mind only works on things that interest her, or perhaps her stupidity is just an act to attract Miyu's attention.
And recently, her feelings for Miyu have completely disappeared and been replaced by an interest in me.
Moreover, her interest in me doesn't feel as obsessive as the one she felt towards Miyu.
"Recently, she's become more of a straightforward big sister type, and I feel like she's a surprisingly nice person."
Perhaps Miyu's punishment is helping her become a better person.
That's how much my perception of Yuka has changed.
Sometimes she seems stupid, other times she's smart. Other times she's just an idiot.
She may seem selfish, but she also cares about others, and yet her words and actions are ultimately selfish.
Although she appears to be devoted, she also changes her mind drastically, yet her tenacity is stronger than anyone else's.
"Well, I guess she does work hard. She's pretty brave and cute."
As I continued to speak like that, Haruka smiled.
"Have you fallen in love with her?"
"Ah, ahh, no! Of course, the pranks she've done so far are unacceptable, and I don't like her or anything like that! After all, I'm just assessing her comparatively..."
"There's no need to be so concerned for Miyu. It's the answer I expected."
Haruka said so with satisfaction.
Apparently, everyone who knows Yuka well has a similar impression of her.
"Yuka is, as a matter of fact, quite an idiot."
So that was the case, after all.
"The problem is the structure of human memory. Onii-san said that Yuka likes Miyu, right?"
"That's right. No one likes Miyu as much as she does."
It is unclear how much Haruka knew about the details of the punishment, but Yuka's obsession with Miyu was frightening.
It was no longer merely a matter of affection; it was a kind of love close to worship.
An abnormal amount of affection.
A love that can't be understood.
...I don't feel comfortable expressing that as love.
"Do you really think Yuka liked Miyu?"
"Eh... ahh... I think so. There were a lot of things she wouldn't do if she didn't like her..."
The reason why Yuka played pranks on Miyu was because she wanted to make Miyu smile and get her attention, acting with the pure kindness of a child.
As a result, Yuka became so fond of Miyu that her personality became twisted.
Although I had a moment of doubt just now, there is no doubt that Yuka at least likes Miyu.
"Do you really think so?"
Without even looking at me, Haruka blinked her wide eyes and continued asking the same question.
"Does she... not like her...?"
"Really?"
Haruka lowered her head and confirmed a third time.
Her pitch went up near the end of her sentence, like she was trying to please someone. It almost made my heart flutter, but now's not the time to be distracted by such indecent things.
The fact that I'm being questioned so much must mean that this is an important point.
In other words, past feelings have something to do with this.
"The first time I met Yuka was when Haruka was there too. It was a study session that doubled as punishment. At the time, all I knew was that Yuka was a cruel prankster."
When Yuka first met Miyu, she didn't yet feel any affection for her.
Even if it was just a prank, the truths revealed were so extreme I went into shock. My first impression of her was that she was a total idiot.
"You know that incident where Haruka and Miyu were photographed naked? Before that, Yuka had been pestering me to tell her Miyu's weak points. Of course, I wasn't going to tell her. Well, the reason she wanted to know her weak points was because she liked her..."
At that point, I suddenly lost confidence in my explanation.
Someone who had played all these cruel pranks on Miyu, forcefully imposed her feelings onto Miyu, even coaxed out Miyu's weaknesses to enslave her - how could I come to the conclusion that she loved Miyu?
Because Yuka said so?
How did I come to terms with that?
In the first place, when did she say that she liked Miyu?
The understanding that playing pranks is a way of showing affection has formed in my mind.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. Anyone who enjoys dramas or manga must have this equation.
Therefore, I speculated that Yuka, who tried to play pranks until she found out her weaknesses, had a lot of feelings for her.
Above all, since the purpose of the pranks was to make Miyu smile, it's not at all unnatural to interpret that as a sign of love.
So, looking back at the past from this point on, tracing only the facts, it seems to me that Yuka genuinely loved Miyu.
However. If I really, really think about, that's right.
It's not normal that using someone's things without permission or threatening them with nude pictures is linked to pure feelings of love.
Even if her true intention was to make her smile, does that warrant romantic feelings?
Ah, this is it.
I remember.
I'm sure I was thinking the same thing when I was talking to Yuka.
Her statements are incoherent and incomprehensible.
Yuka's words are always accompanied by plausible logic and a mysterious persuasiveness that supports them.
There's no consistency whatsoever.
That's why I've always had doubts about what Yuka said.
It's the same today.
She said some crazy things at the hospital, but I've now come to believe that it was the right method of persuasion.
Because that's what Yuka is like.
In the same way, before I knew it, I had come to accept Yuka's 'love' for me as something natural.
If I don't remember the feelings I had in the past, Yuka will trick me.
Is this the meaning of the words Haruka advised me about?
"I wonder if Yuka didn't like Miyu after all..."
"Ah, no. It's true that she actually likes her."
"Eh? Huh? Which one is it?"
"In short, what's wrong with your perception is not the result, but the causal relationship."
Haruka paused to take a breath and continued to explain.
"When you say she plays pranks on her because she likes her, that's the mistake. I thought that if you continued to misunderstand this, you would not be able to arrive at the correct answer, so I gave you this advice."
A rather roundabout explanation.
So, is Yuka's troubles something I have to realise on my own?
"Just like Onii-san, both Miyu and I like Yuka. In conclusion, she's not a bad girl. It was Miyu's fault that things turned out that way, so she feels responsible and is asking you for help. But if she were to give advice herself, she'd be overstepping the line, so she asked me to help her. That's how it is."
"I see. Well, I'm also used to being pushed around by Miyu, so I don't really mind."
Is it Miyu's influence that has caused Yuka's pranks to get worse?
Once Miyu shoulders the responsibility, she'll try to settle things thoroughly.
She would never settle for a half-hearted solution.
If she could solve it herself, she could probably get it done more smartly. But when it's her own fault, she has no choice but to rely on others.
I also have a debt to Miyu that I can't ever repay, and I have no intention of giving that up.
Besides, I didn't think I'd make it up earlier.
I also like Yuka.
"To give you a little more information, Yuka has confessed to quite a few people other than Miyu."
"Another confusing piece of information... Which is surprising. I thought it was just Miyu."
"Onii-san is one of them, right?"
"Well, that's right though."
The reason Yuka asks me for lovey-dovey sex is because I'm related to Miyu.
I thought so, but that was just the reason at the time when she 'wanted my sperm because she wanted to become Miyu's sister-in-law,' and now I see it as just how I met Yuka.
To begin with, the suggestion that she wanted to have sex with me because she wanted to be Miyu's sister-in-law was absurd in the first place, but Yuka's words had such a strong impact that I ended up rewriting my memory of past events in a way that made sense to me.
Before I knew it, Yuka's desire had changed to wanting to have intimate sex, even if it was with a condom. Although I felt quite uncomfortable when I first heard that request, it no longer bothers me.
As a result, the impression I had from Yuka was that she was 'a cute girl who cares about me.'
What a ridiculous brainwashing technique.
No one has ever embodied better the idea that when unreasonableness prevails, reason takes a back seat.
Was it intentional or natural?
Either way, she's scary.
"...Hey, wait a second? She said she had almost no sexual experience. So her confessions were rejected?"
"That's exactly it. It was Miyu's fault that things had become so complicated, but she's always been mischievous and cheeky. The negative image that 'if I date Yuka, bad rumors will spread' had become a fatal obstacle for her."
"That's really... I guess she just has to wait until she changes schools..."
If there was a girl like Yuka in my class, I wouldn't be able to honestly ask her to go out with me, no matter how much she liked me.
There's no way a adolescent elementary and middle school students would shake their head vertically either.
"Well, that's all for Yuka. If you just behave naturally, the rest will be resolved quickly. Don't be so considerate of Miyu and treat her coldly, okay?"
"I see. So what about Miyu?"
"I'll put it simply. I want your permission to have sex with Miyu."
Haruka said this with a straight face as she took a sip from the glass of water.
Here we go again.
"Before I give you an answer... I know it's a little late, but is it okay to think of Miyu and Haruka as more than friends but less than business partners?"
"Yes, that's fine. To avoid any misunderstanding, Miyu just wants to enjoy cute clothes. However, the premise for using my clothes is that she will have sex with me, so I just wanted to confirm if that's okay."
Haruka said so in a calm tone like a bank receptionist.
These girls are all so open when it comes to this kind of topic.
Come to think of it, Miyu is renting Haruka's clothes under a contract that stipulates that she will have sex with her a certain number of times for a month.
"Is there no way to pay for something other than sex?"
"There isn't."
An immediate, strong and eager reply.
"Unlike Yuka, I love Miyu 100% sexually, so nothing but sex is possible for me."
"That in itself is complicated for me as her older brother..."
That's what it was.
It's easy to forget because she's always cool and polite, but Haruka is also a member of that group of middle school students.
There was no way she was a healthy person.
"However, as I have said before, I approve of the relationship between Miyu and Onii-san. I only asked this because Miyu is still unable to make clothes at the same level as me, and I'm worried that she wants to continue the relationship a little longer as a temporary measure."
"Ahh, I see."
Being business partners is a relationship that can only continue because it benefits Miyu.
If the reason is that she wants clothes that she can't get herself, then perhaps if that is resolved in the future, they can go back to being normal friends.
"However, even if it is temporary, selling oneself is selling oneself. It would be illogical to expect sincerity only from Onii-san while continuing such a relationship. Miyu was worried about this, so she decided to just secure commitment from Onii-san."
That's what she meant.
Definitely sounds like a problem Miyu would have.
It would be against my sense of duty to allow her to have sex with someone other than me, but the reason Miyu cares about me so much is because I approve of her hobby.
Miyu had such a dilemma.
For me, I should be happy just knowing that she weighed her childhood hobby against me as her lover.
"If Miyu is serious about her hobby, she should be free to enjoy it. Even if it is somewhat sexual, I think I can forgive Haruka. It was a relationship you had in the first place, after all."
"Is that so? Well, I'll tell her that."
"Ah, got it."
By the time our conversation ended, we had both finished our meals, so we quickly paid the bill and left the restaurant.
At that moment, Haruka was again gazing somewhere in the store and it was clear she was worried about someone.
"Is it someone you know?"
"No, that's not it."
Despite answering that, Haruka's steps were slow and she seemed reluctant to leave.
Then, as she turned towards the store again, she reacted with a jerk and quickly turned forward.
Then, for some reason, she stared at me.
"Can you accompany me to the bookstore?"
"Bookstore? With me? It's fine by me."
And so, Haruka and I went to a bookstore inside the department store.
There were books of various genres, from manga and novels to reference books and magazines, and when Haruka went to the magazine section, I stood next to her.
There were four rows of bookshelves with the covers visible, and Haruka picked up a fashion magazine in the middle.
The height of the bookshelves is set at the average height of a woman, making all the books easy to see at a glance.
Haruka was sitting next to me, reading a feature on gravure idols in swimsuits (a fairly wholesome one).
I wonder which is the purpose, he swimsuits or the female bodies.
"There are some lolita magazines on the shelf in the back, do you not read those?"
It's possible that Haruka would answer, "I've already read them."
"I think you’ve heard this from Miyu, but we do a lot of concept-based stuff, so we don't really care about traditional designs. Sometimes, looking at skin tones like this really stimulates my inspiration…"
I see.
This is a typical example of someone reading gravure photos in order to see the female body.
I can kind of tell from her tone.
Regardless, this is unexpected.
Despite her penchant for lolita, Haruka seems to prefer well-developed girls.
Or perhaps the reason she said Miyu was special was mainly due to her chest area.
I guess their looks are a perfect match for each other.
Now, which magazine should I read?
"Onii-san, let's move to the back shelf."
Within minutes of picking up the magazine, Haruka put it back on the bookshelf and pushed me.
As expected, she seemed interested in lolita fashion magazines, so I just went along with it.
Unlike before, Haruka walked quickly and arrived at a fashion magazine featuring prominent frilled clothing.
And in the zone of special miscellaneous goods stacked next to it, there was a suspicious-looking person reading a magazine with the book held high enough to cover their entire face.
A young woman with long, slender legs in shorts, her shirt pushed up by her voluptuous chest, which no matter how you look at it, reveals her stomach.
There was only one person I could think of who was so erotic.
"Yamamoto-san?"
When I called out to her, Yamamoto-san lowered the magazine down to just below her eyes, and the moment our eyes met, she quickly put it down on the shelf.
"So-Sotomichi-kun! What a strange coincidence, in a place like this."
Yamamoto-san greeted her with a firm smile.
"Ah, I'm surprised too. It's been a while... hasn't it?"
I feel a bit awkward too, running into her without any contact after what happened like that.
"So it was this person after all..."
Haruka sent Yamamoto-san a burning gaze.
It wasn't visible on her face yet, but her eyes were shining, a stark difference from when she was with me.
"Umm... Sotomichi-kun's... companion. Nice to meet you. I'm Yamamoto."
"Nice to meet you, Yamamoto-san. Feel free to call me Haruka. So, by the way."
Haruka took a bouncy step and picked up a nearby magazine, then flipped to a double page and showed it to Yamamoto.
"Are you interested in clothes like this?"
Needless to say, she recommended frilly lolita clothing to her.
An unexpected solicitation.
Yamamoto-san looked at it intently, then looked up as if startled.
"I might be interested...!"
Probably to dress her younger brother up as a girl.
"Then let's exchange contact information."
When Haruka took out her smartphone, Yamamoto, who wanted to put me on hold for the time being, picked up her smartphone as well.
A few seconds later.
My smartphone vibrates and I check the display.
One message.
Once again, it was from Haruka.
There are no letters or anything like that.
The only emoji being sent was a thumbs up.
I don't know what that means.
"For the time being."
Right in front of me were two picture-perfect beauties, giggling and laughing.
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