My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 18

"No, no, I know. I understand everything."

"Look at me when you talk...!"

"don't want."

Rejecting me with such simple words. You really don't want to see my face? Fine, I understand. Sorry, I am a rotten, gloomy woman!

Just as I was about to start sulking, I noticed that Mizuto's ears were turning slightly red... uh.

"...Are you... embarrassed?"

"…………I'm not ashamed."

"Are you... happy...? Happy to hear that I'm collecting your erasers or change or something...?"

"How could I be happy? It's disgusting, absolutely disgusting."

"Then let me see your face!"

"Just tell them you don't want it!"

Mizuto stubbornly refused to turn his face towards me. Ugh, that's enough...! Even my face is starting to burn!

I fanned my face with my hands to cool it down. I had to be careful not to react in a way that might cause misunderstandings. I absolutely couldn't let this guy misunderstand that I still liked him; I didn't even want to think about it.

"...But then again..."

Mizuto continued to turn his face away, as if trying to change the subject.

"I really admire your willingness to speak the truth. You could have easily made up some excuse to cover up your behavior and unilaterally condemned me."

"…………ah."

"Huh?"

Mizuto looked at me in surprise. This time, it was my turn to turn my face away.

"...Are you thinking, 'Oh, there's this trick too?'"

"...I...I didn't...I did it...yes, it was based on the spirit of fair play—"

"Deep down, you really want me to know, don't you? Now's the time to be honest. You really want to expose your twisted nature to me, don't you? Hmm?"

"Your turn!"

How could this man say something so accurately that it's exactly like my delusions?! Is it some kind of telepathy?!

Mizuto clicked his tongue lightly, his face expressionless. Thank goodness, so he was trying to skip his excuse time in the chaos. I glared at him, determined not to let him off the hook. "Well..." Mizuto began, looking embarrassed.

"How should I put it? My situation is... well... you probably won't believe it."

"I don't really believe what you say, so it doesn't matter."

"...It fell on the floor, so I picked it up."

"........."

I glared at his profile as he blatantly lied.

"...Despicable. You're being so despicable! Even if you're just making excuses, there's no way you're the only one who'd happen to be in this situation...!"

"No, it's true...! It fell right in front of the basket! I picked it up to put it back, and then you came...!"

"Didn't you want to find something on each other? Just admit it, and I might let you off this time. Hurry up and confess, admit you had fantasies about my lingerie!"

"Who would...!...Who would..."

Shuidou turned his face away again.

...Um, please wait a minute. If you don't deny it right away, I'll be in a very difficult position...

"No, no. I wasn't thinking anything. I promise I wasn't. It's just, a little, um..."

"...Which one?"

"...It feels bigger than I imagined..."

"...Ah...Ugh...Ugh...!"

I wanted to swear, but I couldn't say a word.

...Aaaaaah! Why am I the one being humiliated?!

That's right. Compared to when I was dating this guy, my breasts have grown quite a bit. He might be surprised—wait a minute?

How did he know my bra size...? Why could he tell my breasts were bigger than they were in junior high just by looking at my bra?

...How often did this guy look at my chest when he was in junior high school?

"...I...I'm telling you...you're useless, my...my underwear, go do weird things...!"

"...What's the strange thing?"

"Uh, well..."

When he asked me in a sullen tone, I couldn't answer.

"No need to worry, I just carried it back and forth between my room and the locker room—I swear I did nothing else."

"……Really?"

"real."

"And you didn't poke the bra cup area with your fingers?"

"...Really, no."

"Why did you seem to pause for a moment?"

"Really not...!"

Mizuto nearly yelled, but restrained himself at the last moment, sighed, and continued:

"...Since you're asking so many questions, then I'll ask you one too. You didn't do anything weird with my boxer shorts, did you? Like smelling them or something?"

"...Ugh..."

I do not remember.

"...Now you understand, right? Let's both stay away from this matter."

"...Hmm, it seems that this is the wise choice."

I never imagined I'd actually reach a consensus with this guy. Underwear truly lives up to its name; it's a revolutionary invention by humankind.

Okay, now both sides have given their excuses. Next, only—

"...Speaking of which, Mizuto-kun?"

"...What's up? Meeting a female classmate?"

"Well, it should be... that's it, right? ...Completely out of the game, isn't it?"

"You mean that rule, right? I understand."

Ordinary siblings don't steal each other's underwear. Probably.

"Now it's time for negotiations... Alright, what should I ask my younger brother to do?"

"You slut. Don't think that just because we're both badly hurt, I'll go easy on you."

The meeting later descended into chaos, and the final agreement was that "each party can issue an order, as long as it does not violate the principles of public order and good morals." The meeting ended in this ambiguous manner.

"……Um……"

As soon as my consciousness surfaced, I felt that the pillow felt strange, so I turned my head a few times.

What is this feeling...? It's a bit hard and bony, yet strangely comfortable... It doesn't smell very good, but my heart is pounding in my chest...

"……Uh-huh……"

I rolled over in my half-awake state and pressed my face against the pillow.

Oh, right.

This pillow...smells a lot like those boxer shorts...

"...Hmm...?"

It smells a lot like those boxer shorts?

The thoughts that flashed through my mind gradually brought my consciousness to a clearer state.

I opened my eyes with trepidation.

Then, I finally realized my current situation.

"........."

I...slept on the sofa.

He used the water bucket's thigh as a pillow.

It's what's known as a lap pillow.

"........."

In the stillness of contemplation, memories from before sleep gradually resurface.

I remember having a family meeting with this man about those underwear—and then what?

I don't remember going back to my room.

Could it be that... I just fell asleep like that...?

I slowly got up.

The woolen cardigan covering my body slipped off... I wasn't wearing this last night. This is... I remember now, this is the cardigan I wore on Mizuto.

Even though it's spring, it still gets chilly at night. This man saw I was asleep and put his coat on me...?

Mizuto fell asleep sitting up. Maybe it was because I was lying on his lap, preventing him from moving.

...If you give me your coat, won't you be cold?

I will repay this favor. I picked up the blouse that had fallen to the floor and covered the water bucket, which was snoring softly.

Just then, suddenly—his mouth moved, and he mumbled:

"...Ayai..."

My heart skipped a beat.

...Really...dreaming about someone from some time ago? You're way too attached to her.

Well... it's just a dream, so I'll let you off the hook.

"hehe."

Suddenly, Mizuto's eyes snapped open.

"morning."

“…………!”

I was speechless and frozen on the spot.

Shuidou chuckled maliciously from a very close distance.

"You're in such a good mood first thing in the morning? Did talking in my sleep and calling your old surname make you this happy?"

...This...this man...!

"You're out for doing this! Didn't we say that siblings shouldn't address each other by their surnames?!"

"I just whispered the surname of a classmate from the second year of junior high. Or do you have some special memory of me calling out that surname?"

I say one thing and you say ten...! Waaaaah...!

"Don't blush like that. I don't know if you're shy or angry... This is just me getting back at you. You have no right to protest to me."

"Retaliate...? What did I do to you...!"

"I'm not telling you. If you want to know, record yourself sleeping and see for yourself."

After finishing his leisurely conversation, Shuidou cracked his neck as he turned it around.

"Alright, Dad and the others will be up soon. Let's continue to play the role of a close brother and sister today."