My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 137

As long as I'm not afraid of failure and tell him I've fallen for him again, and then continue to express my feelings through my attitude and words, perhaps I can drive away my past illusions from his heart.

"........."

—Although… that possibility certainly exists…

But now, it's a bit... how should I put it? The timing isn't quite right. My mother and the others are all home, and I just finished visiting the graves. Confessing now seems a bit too opportune—

—Knock knock.

"Are you there?"

"Alas!"

Water, water bucket?

"Are you there? May I come in?"

"Yes, yes, it's possible—no, no, no, no! It won't work! It still won't work!"

"I'll go in if you're okay."

"How could you do this—!"

I jumped out of bed and tried to run to block the door, but the door clicked open first.

Shuidou looked at me with a clever look in his eyes and said:

"Your hair is all messed up. Were you taking a nap?"

"Huh?"

I quickly glanced at the vanity, tidied my messy hair with my hands, and at the same time peeked at Mizuto's face in the mirror. Mizuto was looking at me from behind, his weight on one leg and his arms slightly crossed.

Looking at him in the mirror, I was able to remain relatively calm...

"...What are you going to do?"

I tried too hard to stay calm, and ended up being really irritable. Ugh, what a jerk I am!

"I want to make things clear."

Shuidou, with his back against the closed door, said:

"I'm no longer going to play hard to get with you."

"...Huh?"

"I just went straight to the point. What was the meaning behind that kiss during the fireworks?"

My heart skipped a beat and my whole body tensed up; I didn't dare turn around to look at him.

What else could it mean...? Aren't there only 101 reasons to kiss...?

The water bucket in the mirror left the door it was leaning against and strode towards me.

"Was it the atmosphere that influenced you? Or was there another reason? What did that defiant look mean? I don't understand a single thing."

Shuidou grabbed my shoulder, which I dared not turn around, and then pulled me forcefully.

I turned my body around, and Mizuto's face came close to mine.

Her intelligent eyes, framed by long eyelashes, pierced straight into my vision, binding my movements.

"Speak your mind if you have something to say."

Call...call me, explain clearly...If you could do it, I wouldn't have to go through all this trouble! What do you mean by being influenced by the atmosphere? You're making my big decision sound like it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing! And you're just too good-looking! Don't put that handsome face so close to me! It's making me want to kiss you again! Is that okay? No?

Frustration, shame, and desire mingled together, boiling and swelling in his mind, until finally—

"—Lost..."

"lose?"

"I lost my balance for a moment!"

I screamed like that, completely bewildered.

"What are you misunderstanding? It was just a light touch of the lips! It's not the first time! Don't overthink such a small thing! And don't give me this long lecture as if it's my fault! That's what I've always disliked about you—!"

I followed my spinal reflex and vented my frustration, talking until I was breathless.

"Haa, haa..." It wasn't until my brain gradually absorbed oxygen that I slowly regained my senses.

...What...happened? I...just now...

"........."

The water bucket became silent and quickly moved away from me.

what.

Wait...wait a minute. I didn't mean to do that—

"...Oh, I get it."

The voice is devoid of emotion.

"I'm so sorry."

I didn't even have time to make an excuse.

Mizuto left my room after saying just that.

Left alone, I could only stare blankly at the closed door for a long time.

Then—with a thud, he collapsed weakly onto the bed.

—Great, I messed up.

◆ Irito Mizuto ◆

"……hateful!"

I couldn't help but curse. I just had to vent this pent-up frustration.

It was just a temporary loss of balance.

Is that so? Fine. Anyway, whether it was intentional or unintentional, it doesn't change the fact that we're siblings, or the past relationship breakdown that led to our breakup. It doesn't matter anymore! It doesn't matter!

Just as I was filled with anger with nowhere to vent it, my phone vibrated.

It's an incoming call. The screen displays "Higashito Izana".

Hello.

"Hey, please open the door for me!"

Oh right, she said she would come to play today.

I went out of the room and down to the first floor, put on a pair of shoes in the entryway, and opened the door.

"Mizuto-kun—!"

“Ouch!”

The man guarding the door rushed up and hugged my neck.

I staggered back a few steps, barely managing to catch Dongtou's weight, and then gently patted her back like I was comforting a child.

"Don't give me a bear hug the moment we meet. Are you my dog?"

"No—it's because we haven't seen each other for so long. You have no idea how scared I've been these past few days. I thought I was going to die of loneliness."

"Dying alone isn't like a rabbit dying of loneliness. Forget about that, you should probably learn how to ring a doorbell too."

"No. What if someone other than Mizuto answers the door? Wouldn't that be terrifying?"

"It would be scary if a 60-kilogram object suddenly rushed at you."

"Who are you calling 60 kilograms?!"

"Didn't you smugly explain to me last time how much your breasts weigh? If you take that into account, they should weigh about this much."

"No matter how big your breasts are, they won't affect your weight!"

Dongtou said irritably, rubbing her face against my neck. I touched the back of her head and ran my fingers through her fluffy, soft hair.

As I combed my hair, my agitated mood gradually calmed down.

"...The efficacy of animal-assisted therapy is truly remarkable."

"I don't quite understand, but are you saying I'm an animal?"

I've never thought about having a pet, but if it's this effective, it's worth considering.

I dragged the thing that wouldn't let go of me and moved towards my room first.

As we passed the living room doorway on the way...

"Water Fighter—? Has Dongtou arrived—?"

"Yes. We're in my room."

"Welcome, Dongtou student! I'll bring you some snacks later!"

"No...you're welcome..."

Dad and Aunt Youren no longer treat Dongtou like an outsider. On the contrary, Dongtou's adaptability is too poor; who can hear her when she speaks so softly?

We went up the stairs, and as soon as we entered my room, Dongtou walked straight in without any hesitation and plopped down on the edge of the bed.

"Hoo—"

"Don't act like you're back home relaxing. Did you just get back from a trip?"

"I'm not a good sleeper; I can't fall asleep unless it's Mizuto's pillow."

"So how do you sleep every night?"

Ignoring him, I lay down on the east side of my bed and picked up a package that had been placed on the table beforehand.

"Dongtou, this is for you."

"What?"

I placed the package next to Dongtou's head, and she immediately turned over to look at it.

"What is that? A bomb?"

"Why do you think like a terrorist? It's just a regular souvenir."

"Oh my god! A souvenir!"

"There are snacks sold at the station, I just picked one out. You can eat with your family."

Dongtou sat up, his eyes shining as he held the gift box high in the air.

"A gift... This is the first time I've received something like this from a friend..."

"I guess so. Just gratefully turn it into heat."

"Okay, I'll gain weight with my whole family."

"It's basically a terrorist attack."

Dongtou swayed her body from side to side in a cheerful mood, and I sat down next to her.

I originally wanted to talk about my travel experiences back to the countryside... but unfortunately, there wasn't much to talk about. I basically just stayed in my study reading.

Just as I was thinking this, Dongtou suddenly said:

"And then—?"

"Um?"

Dongtou placed the gift box on his lap, glanced at my bookshelf, and said:

"Why would you need my assistance in treatment? Is something bothering you?"

"...I think it's unlikely, but you don't want to hear me complain, do you?"

"No, I'm just curious."

"I think so."

I don't think this guy can offer any constructive solutions.

"It's nothing really. It's just that I feel my stepsister's attitude towards me is really bad."