My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

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"yes."

I drank miso soup.

"What are your plans for this year...?"

"What and how?"

"What I mean is, are we going to leave the group again this year?"

"Ah──..."

Every year when the summer festivals are held during this period, I deliberately go alone to a deserted shrine to enjoy the fireworks by myself.

Last year, Yui also came to that shrine, and then—

"—What would you prefer me to do?"

I smiled and threw the question back at them.

Jie Nu put on a stern face, as if she was a little angry with me.

"Well, it's a hidden gem, so of course I'd like to go... but we've been sneaking off alone for two years in a row. Won't that raise some suspicion?"

"It's probably not as simple as just raising suspicions."

"Then let's do it together this year..."

As Jie Nu said this, her expression was slightly forlorn.

As I dissected the grilled fish with chopsticks, I said:

"Just say you want a summer festival date."

"...When we're here, we have to act like family."

The rule that step-siblings should be punished for inappropriate behavior is outdated and has been defunct for 80,000 years. Instead, we have an unwritten rule: no romantic behavior in places where we must act like family. So even when Dad and Aunt aren't home, we've never done anything untoward in the living room.

Now that we're back in the countryside as siblings, according to the rule, we can't go on dates... That being said, last night was still a bit dangerous.

"Then let's behave ourselves this year."

"……Um."

"It's just a summer festival, there are so many in my area that we can't go to them all."

"…………Um."

"--However, I've been acting alone for more than just a year or two."

The girl's regretful and dejected expression suddenly brightened.

"If we ask Cousin Yuanxiang to help you with an alibi, maybe we can squeeze out a little bit of time just for us."

Jie Nu's expression suddenly brightened, but then she shyly looked away.

"Today... I promised to pick out a yukata with my cousin... I asked her to take a look."

"Um."

The problem is that my cousin Yuanxiang is really bad at lying... Will this work...?

While I was worrying—

"Did they talk about me? --?"

"Wow!"

Cousin Yuanxiang suddenly appeared and pounced on Jie Nu's back.

Yui really won her heart. She used to always rush over and hug me like this, but this year she only clung to Yui. Or maybe she's considering Yui's feelings and avoiding getting too close to me.

"You two are sharing secrets? I'd love to know! What are you talking about so early in the morning?"

"N-no, it's just... I'm going to pick out yukatas with my cousin Yuanxiang today."

"Ah—yes, yes, yes! It's a must! Look, Yui has grown and gotten bigger in many places compared to last year ♥ She can't wear that yukata from last year anymore—"

Cousin Yuanxiang giggled and reached out to move her hands restlessly across Jie Nu's chest. Jie Nu blushed.

It's not a swimsuit or underwear, so why are you bringing up the size of that area?

"It has nothing to do with size, though! Hehehe!"

...Won't it go wrong to rely on this relative for help?

"Oh right, I haven't asked yet. How many centimeters are you, Jie Nu? What's your bra size? Tell your older sister!"

"Ugh...! Why do you like to harass girls like an old man...!"

While I was feeling sorry for the girl who was being bothered by my boring harassment, I noticed a new message on my phone as I was clearing away the breakfast dishes.

Is it Kawabata?

It turned out not to be, it was Izana.

What could it be? It's quite rare, really, that she would get up on a holiday morning.

After I took the dishes to the kitchen, I replied to Isana:

"I'm so sorry to bother you while you're traveling home..."

"No, it's okay. I'm free anyway."

I walked along the well-ventilated corridor while talking. Actually, I really wanted to stay in an air-conditioned room, but no matter where I went, I would be overheard.

Have you checked my account's private messages?

"Yeah, I saw it. Although I also felt it was about time, it came really fast..."

The social media account for submitting illustrations, which I co-manage with Izana, is currently set up so that only accounts that follow each other can send private messages. Therefore, just in case, I regularly try to follow back potential clients such as publishers, illustrators, and VTubers…

Unexpectedly, the "what if" scenario actually occurred.

The other party is a moderately well-known independent VTuber. The private message listed the submission date, fee, and request details in a well-written format.

It seems they want to commission Isana to draw illustrations for their cover song videos.

That's right—it's work.

Although it was a business meeting conducted privately, it became formal work as long as payment was involved. For Isana, who had previously only drawn for fun and without any financial involvement, this project was tantamount to launching her career as an illustrator.

"W-what should I do? I don't know how to respond...!"

"Calm down. I've already checked the case acceptance process beforehand."

Isana herself seemed to never dream this would happen, but I knew this day would come sooner or later. Her follower count has grown rapidly recently, and the quality of her illustrations is so high that it doesn't seem like she's only been creating for less than a year. Of course, there are still many areas that need improvement, but as long as she chooses her illustration content carefully, it's perfectly applicable to the commercial field.

Now it's just that the time has come.

"That being said, the other party is, after all, an independent business owner... I'll ask someone I know to help investigate whether there are any problems."

What kind of problem might there be...?

"For example, not paying royalties or constantly rejecting manuscripts could actually be a player who enjoys online dating."

Wow~ I see~

However, the other party seems to be female without a doubt, so the last point shouldn't be a concern... but there are exceptions like Yoshino. Moreover, the other party might mistakenly believe Isana is male. Isana's pen name is the type that completely obscures her gender.

"It seems the other party has been active for quite some time. With a little inquiry, we should be able to find out their background quickly."

"You just said you wanted to ask someone you know for help. Do you know any friends who are illustrators...?"

"I met him through Uncle Keikoin, didn't I mention to you that I've been working part-time lately?"

Uncle Keikoin—Yume's biological father—is the founder of a social gaming company and currently works as an indie game director. Perhaps because of this, he has a wide network of connections and should know a lot about this kind of thing.

"So I will help you decide whether or not you should take this case... but ultimately it depends on your wishes."

My wish is…

"It's alright, take your time to think about it for a few days. The other party probably doesn't think you'll reply during the Obon festival either."

"……good."

I ended the call.

...Perhaps I should have asked her more carefully to understand her thoughts on making money by selling illustrations.

Assuming this case is successful, I can roughly guess how things will develop. If it really does turn out that way, I wonder what judgment Isana will make—

"...I'm clearly in the countryside, so why do I seem to have more things to do than usual?"

It's Kawabata asking for help again, and it's Isana's first case.

A gentle breeze blows, and sunlight streams in. Despite being surrounded by such a natural environment, my brain is working even busier than the crowds in Tokyo.

Although neither of these matters is up to me to decide—

This is really frustrating... When did I start becoming like this, always taking care of others?

I turned back on the veranda. Before I knew it, the time had gradually shifted from morning to noon. In short, I'll spend the whole day relaxing in the countryside and waiting for them to make a decision. I'll think about it when they need my help.

That's what I originally thought.

After having noodles for lunch, I was lazily reading a paperback when Kawanami called and said something that sounded very familiar:

"...Irito...save me..."

Why are you here again?

Then, just like yesterday, Kawabata began to describe what had happened from this morning until now.

Kawanami Kogure ◆ Kawanami Kogure's Complaint

We went to the bowling alley where we had reserved seats in advance.

Twenty people were spread out across four lanes and started playing. To be honest, my bowling skills are just average—not particularly good, but not terrible either; I'm at the level where I'm happy to occasionally get a full knockout.

Surprisingly, among the members of the small alumni group I hung out with in junior high, Makoto was the only girl who was the best at sports. Not just bowling, she was good at almost every sport. But she still didn't become the center of attention, probably because there was another girl in our class, Nan Xiaoyue. That girl's athletic ability was practically cheating.

"Awesome!"

Makoto punched all the pins in one go and cheered. A few boys from our small class reunion sat side-by-side in four seats, saying, "That's amazing!" They habitually offered their praise. We were already used to Makoto's outstanding athletic performance.

That doesn't matter, but there's one thing that bothers me.

Every time Makoto lands a knockout, she looks in my direction.

"See? Did you see that?" Her eyes seemed to be asking me that, expecting my praise.

Every time I feel that gaze, it reminds me of Nan's attitude yesterday, making me feel nauseous. It's as if she's shooting beams of affection from her eyes at me—I don't know why, but Nan has become well-behaved, while Makoto has started a fierce offensive against me.

Damn it, how did things turn out like this? Does the world have a problem with me? I don't want to be in a relationship at all; I'm just happy watching other people date...

As I was gulping down the oolong tea, Makoto came and sat down next to me.

"Looks like I'll be the one to win big again this time."

Isn't it always like this? And she even comes here to swagger around in front of me. Because I didn't want her to find out that my health was deteriorating, I gave a wry smile and said:

"You've been playing mind games all the time since junior high, aren't you tired of it by now?"

"How could I get tired of it? Even if you can dominate in bowling or basketball, you'll still crush me in Super Smash Bros.!"

While we were talking, it was Shouma's turn to lose the ball, and he walked toward the fairway.

Stop using sports to vent your hatred for video games.

We've gathered at one of their houses to play video games more than once or twice, but when it comes to video games, Makoto is only average. She's very competitive, so she's reached a certain level, but when it comes to video games, the boys are probably slightly better... Although there's this guy named Higashito Isana who can easily beat me.

"I really want to play video games again. After starting high school, I have to act like an adult when we go out. I really miss my junior high school days."

"Because you'll start working and have more money to spend. I completely understand how you feel."

After all, even someone like Irito started working part-time after entering his second year. I remember he said he was doing odd jobs at a company and tutoring? But even after he started earning money, he didn't change his ways... Maybe he spent all his money on Irito?

Just as I was trying to suppress my laughter by imagining Irito dashingly paying for our date, someone suddenly grabbed my arm.

It's Makoto.

I was startled and looked to the side, only to see Makoto with a charming smile on her face, opening her lipstick-covered lips and saying:

"Could I... visit your house another day?"

────！ This guy!