My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 19

"...I've already told you I'm the older sister. I just hate your petty and fussy personality."

"I'll return those words to you verbatim."

After saying this kind of cheesy stuff, Mizuto tilted his head and offered a contrary viewpoint.

"I like your personality of saying what you dislike directly... so you won't mislead me."

"……Misunderstand?"

What I mean is, we still have to live our lives. Let's just live happily as long as we don't cause each other any trouble.

You haven't changed at all, haven't you? You just keep reading books. Even on dates, I'm the one who usually asks you out. I just hate this kind of thing about you.

However, I admit there is some truth to what that statement makes.

Now is now, and then was before.

The me who was so grateful for a mere eraser is a thing of the past—the me who dated this guy is also a thing of the past.

◆

And so, we ended that terrible night quietly and peacefully.

In the end, the whole thing was just a man and a woman acting like idiots. All those terrifying phenomena were fake.

Having finished my slightly embellished recollection, I'm now on my way home from school. I turned right onto Karasuma-dori, intending to stop by a bookstore before heading home. After walking a short distance, the building housing that large bookstore stood right in front of the bus stop.

The bookstore is located on the second floor, while a well-known burger joint is on the first floor. Both are frequented by students from our school, and in fact, you can see a few people wearing the same suit jacket as me scattered around the store.

I vaguely remember coming here with that guy. After buying books at the bookstore upstairs, we read and discussed them, and almost got seen by our classmates—

As I walked towards the escalator leading to the second floor, these thoughts lingered in my mind. Just then…

—An unbelievable hellish scene came into my view.

Two people were mixed in with the bustling burger shop on the first floor, which was packed with students.

My stepbrother and a girl with black braided hair, just like I used to have, sat side by side.

What Mizuto said yesterday came back to mind.

Let's just live our lives as we please, as long as we don't cause each other any trouble.

"…………What～～～～～～～？"

Does this mean living life to your own pleasure?

Volume 1: Past Relationships Remain Unresolved - Couples Must... (Part 1) "Please date me with marriage in mind."

◆ Water Fighter ◆

Just as I cannot know everything that woman has gone through, she cannot know everything that I have gone through. You might think this is obvious, but for someone like me who rarely acts in this way, it's quite easy to forget this. This is especially true when we live very close by. The arrogant thought of knowing everything about this person can create the illusion that nothing exists.

I live my own life, and that woman lives hers—even though we live together now and even share half a name, that won't change.

Anyway, let me rewind a bit.

The incident occurred the day after that girl—my stepsister, Irito Yui—had caught a cold and missed school.

In the deserted school library, she took the initiative to strike up a conversation with me. That girl with black-rimmed glasses and braided hair, who looked exactly like the former Ayai Yui, said this to me, someone she was meeting for the first time:

—Please date me with marriage in mind.

She proposed to me beside the bookshelf, bathed in the slanting rays of the setting sun.

◆ The Maiden ◆

I admit it. I was devastated.

Yesterday. That was yesterday. After school, when I visited my usual bookstore, I spotted my stepson, Mizuto Irito, at the hamburger joint downstairs.

Yes, I saw it with my own eyes—my stepson was eating fries with a girl I didn't know!

I was so scared I ran away. I didn't know what they were doing. A date? It was a date, right? Because when I was dating him, it was in the same place... Waaaaaaah!

I was really unhappy, so I quietly probed around the house.

"How's school been lately? Have you...have you gotten a girlfriend?"

"Huh? What kind of sourness is this? Thanks to a certain lady, I've had enough."

This is what I really wanted to say! I'm the one who's incredibly popular, but I'm not interested in having a boyfriend! All thanks to a certain gentleman!

In short, he appeared calm and composed, showing no sign of being with the girl. This guy was still adept at maintaining a poker face, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Who exactly is that girl?

She's so unfashionable, just like I used to be—what's wrong with her? What kind of girl does he like? Oh—oh, I see. I'm so sorry? I'm not your type anymore.

Although it has nothing to do with me, I'm still related to him by blood (we're family, after all!), so I want to find out where he's from and what kind of person he is.

Therefore, after school, I took the opportunity to chat and asked my classmate Nan, who had a wide circle of friends, about it.

"A girl with black-rimmed glasses and braided hair? Hmm—it's a prestigious school after all—there are a lot of girls like that, right?"

How could such a thing happen... I think this school is paradise for girls who love unfashionable styles.

Just as I was trembling with fear, Nan grinned and revealed a lewd smile.

"But speaking of which, going on a date at McDonald's after school... Irito seems like the well-behaved type, but I didn't expect him to be so charming! Well, he's quiet and gentle, and upon closer inspection, he's quite handsome. Shy girls might easily fall for him!"

Just like you said! I'm sorry, I'm just that naive!

Looking back, I was so easily fooled that words can't describe it. You could say that a gloomy girl who had absolutely no contact with men would fall for someone just by being treated gently! It's the law of nature!

In other words, because that guy's usual behavior makes him unattractive to girls, he only targets girls who are easy to seduce. How petty and narrow-minded of him to try and manipulate innocent and vulnerable girls!

Since that's the case, I can't remain silent. To prevent a second or third version of myself from appearing, I must help that girl. While there's still time!

"...Ah! It's already so late."

Nan looked at his smartphone and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Sorry, Yui! I have to work today too!"

"Okay, sure. I'm fine on my own. Good luck with your part-time job!"

"See you later!"

Nan waved energetically and then jogged out of the classroom. I was the only one left in the classroom. I didn't have any plans, I hadn't joined any clubs yet, and now all I could do was go home.

That's perfect. I need to take this opportunity to think of a way to rescue the innocent girl from that man.

Then I went home...

I saw a woman's loafers in the entryway.

"........."

I'll watch it again.

There is a pair of women's loafers in the entryway of my home.

---Aa ...

I stared at the shoes casually tossed aside next to Mizuto's sneakers. They weren't mine, nor were they my mother's. They were way too small for us. A girl who wears such small loafers must be quite petite—yes, like the girl who was with Mizuto the other day.

That...that guy...! You're kidding, right? You've already taken him home?!

It's been less than a month since we started high school—when we first started dating, he wouldn't let me into his house for half a year!

Thinking about this, I suddenly remembered something.

What was the man's purpose in bringing me into his house?

I looked up at the stairs from the entrance hall.

...No way. Could it be... happening right now...?

No...no, no, no. This is too ridiculous! It's one thing if it were someone else, but how could that coward possibly strike so quickly and accurately!

...But, if, I mean if.

What if he uses my relationship as a cautionary tale and employs electric shock tactics?

What if, as I pass by the room, the wicked and obscene sounds suddenly stop, followed by frantic, chaotic noises...?

No...no! In short, no!

Anyway, let's take a look first.

I first recorded a video of the loafers with my phone. Taking photos produces sound, so I used video recording.

Then I quietly stepped into the entrance hall, picked up my shoes, and hid in the bathroom and changing room.

After that, I called Mizuto's cell phone.

"……Hello?"

"it's me."

What are you going to do?

Where are you right now?

"Huh? I'm at home."

I focused intently on the sounds around the water basin... but heard nothing.

"I remembered my parents asked me to buy something. I'm busy right now, could you go for me?"

What?

He sounded extremely reluctant. Was it because his girlfriend was visiting, or was he simply unwilling to run this errand for him?

"Okay, alright, I'll go, okay? I'll go then..."

Please.

"Please, do me a favor?"

On the other end of the phone came a scornful snort.

"You actually asked me for a favor? I think it's going to rain blood."

"...You're so annoying. Stop arguing with me about everything."

"I'm running errands for you, so please let me say something sarcastic."

How can there be such a twisted personality in a man? If any woman wants to be his girlfriend, she must be just as twisted.

So what do I need to buy?

"I'm thinking about it now..."

"Are you thinking about it now?"

Oh no! I accidentally made the reaction I was only thinking about now.

"Ah, no... noodles! I meant I was thinking about noodles!"

"Noodles...? It's not summer yet."

"What's wrong with eating noodles in spring? Noodle vendors don't only work in the summer."

Maybe.

"Okay, that's the noodles, right? Anything else?"

I casually mentioned a few everyday items, and then hung up the phone.

I held my breath in the locker room for a moment, then I sensed someone passing by outside the door.

Then, click... followed by the slamming sound of the door closing.

Very good, he's gone out, he's gone out...

I listened intently to make sure the water bucket hadn't come back before leaving the changing room.

Right now, that girl should be alone in the sink's room! Watch me catch her and explain things to her... I'm not going to threaten her with "How dare you seduce my brother," but rather to gently remind her "You can't just barge into a boy's house." My kindness moved audiences across America to tears.

I climbed the stairs and reached out to grasp the doorknob of the sink room.

I wanted to push the horizontal doorknob down—but I didn't have time to do so...

The door opened from the inside first.

"what?"