My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 50

After finishing a day of classes, I left the classroom and headed straight for the library without thinking.

The library is always empty after school.

The reading area was still deserted today, except for the bespectacled librarian sitting quietly behind the counter reading. The usual crowds during exam season felt like an illusion.

That being said, it's just that there's no one there from the entrance.

I went to the corner diagonally opposite the entrance, which was blocked by the bookshelves by the window, creating a blind spot.

An air conditioning unit, seamlessly integrated into the building, was installed by the window of the library. A girl sat brazenly on the air conditioner, which protruded into the room like a shelf, with her legs wrapped around her.

The girl placed the school-issued loafers on the floor, took off her socks, crumpled them into a ball, and stuffed them inside, leaving her bare feet. She rested her heels on the edge of the air conditioner unit, wiggling her pale toes. Wearing a skirt and sitting with her legs drawn up, she felt her underwear might be exposed, but she skillfully used her legs to hold down the hem of her skirt.

She hunched over like a cat, resting her chin on her knees, gazing intently at a paperback book. *The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya*—Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko Edition.

"Hi, East Head. Today is the day to read about spring."

As I approached and struck up a conversation, I gently leaned down next to the barefoot girl sitting on the sports bench—Izana Higashito. Air conditioning isn't meant for sitting, so I felt a little awkward sitting on it like Higashito.

"No, Mizuto-kun. Today is the day I'm studying for Nagato."

Dongtou said as he turned a page.

"Today I want to be admired by a petite girl with glasses. Nagato from 'The Vanishing' is incredibly cute no matter how many times I watch it. I really want a girlfriend like that."

"Why don't you just wear your own glasses?"

"Sigh... This is really troublesome. Mizuto-kun, you just don't understand at all. What you're saying is no different from telling someone who wants a girlfriend, 'Why don't you just make a 3D model of yourself and turn yourself into a beautiful girl?'"

"I think quite a few people would be satisfied with this..."

"How pathetic. Mizuto, have you never thought about wanting a hardworking, petite girlfriend with glasses? I'm starting to question your character."

"Don't doubt me like that. Do you think everyone who doesn't want a girlfriend who wears glasses is mentally ill?"

"right."

"Right……"

It seems so.

When I think of petite girls with glasses, I picture Minami in disguise, but with the added bonus of hard work, she becomes someone else entirely.

...Okay, so if I say I never wanted it, I'll be lying. Looks like I can avoid being diagnosed with a mental illness.

"I mean, Mizuto, you don't talk about which character you like at all. Don't be shy, it's okay. Just tell me, tell me your first love is Asuna."

"I'm not shy, and I've never really been in love with Asuna."

"Huh? That's Misaka Mikoto? Oh, I see, that's the direction..."

"Why would I want a light novel character to be my first love?!"

He's just a regular real person!

I think it goes without me saying that Higashito Isana is a light novel reader.

As far as girls are concerned—I don't know if it's rare or not, but at least I don't know any other girls who read light novels as often as this guy.

She boasted, "I've read about 10% of the more than 100 light novels published every month!" (A student's wallet can only afford to buy ten books a month at most), which is very compatible with my natural tendency to overread.

Action, romantic comedy, science fiction and mystery—light novels are all-encompassing, so even someone like me who doesn't specialize in one genre can still have a decent conversation with them.

For example, when I talk to her about H.P. Lovecraft's works, she will respond with "Nyaruko"; when I talk about Osamu Dazai, she will respond with "Kaoshio".

Unlike some people who can only talk about classic mystery topics.

Although I've only known Dongtou in this library for a few days, partly because neither of us has any other like-minded reading companions, we've now developed a relationship where we meet up after school every day to read together or chat idly on our phones.

As for why we still need to be so polite when we're already so familiar with each other—

"Isn't it complicated to specifically distinguish between people who need to be polite and those who can be casual? Wouldn't it be easier to just be polite to everyone?"

That's what she said.

She clearly doesn't have many people to talk to that would confuse her, yet she seems quite efficient. But after hearing this, I thought, "Oh, so that's one of her tricks," and it's not exactly a better approach.

When we meet, we exchange a few words, but Dongtou and I usually just read books to pass the time.

Moreover, talking is prohibited in the library. Even if you're in a corner, you have to restrain yourself.

We occasionally share articles or illustrations that surprise us, but basically, we're just two book lovers—or rather, two otaku sitting together.

Before I knew it, the school was closing time.

"...Ah, it's already so late."

Dong Tou let out a "heave-ho" sound, maintaining his athletic sitting posture on the air conditioner by the window, and reached hard for his shoes and socks on the floor. However...

"...I can't reach them. This is really frustrating. I wish my breasts were smaller..."

Stop showing off.

While maintaining a slouching posture, half of Dongtou's chest was flattened by her knees. Well, it was indeed so magnificent that self-proclaimed feminists might find fault with it. Perhaps having nothing else to be proud of, Dongtou often liked to flaunt her large breasts.

"Mizuto-kun, please help me put on my shoes and socks."

"The same routine again today?"

"Rise, my dear subject."

"Once they've tasted success, that's how it goes..."

Dongtou twisted her bare feet around, urging me to hurry up, so I had no choice but to help her put on her shoes and socks. It was practically like taking care of a little child, but Dongtou seemed to think she was being waited on by a butler, and she was thoroughly enjoying it.

Dongtou stepped onto the floor he hadn't stepped on in hours and said:

"Then, let's go home—"

"Um."

She walked beside me and we left the library together.

We take the same route home from school, so we're used to walking together for a while.

We continued chatting as we walked down the corridor toward the shoe section.

"Why are we naturally attracted to busty beauties who cover one eye? Perhaps it's a flaw in our DNA?"

"Don't include me in this. I won't be fooled by a big-breasted beauty who covers one eye."

"My classmate is joking again."

"Enough. Don't cover one eye, you big-breasted woman."

Dongtou, who seemed to have an amazing G-cup bust based on her self-description, covered one eye with her bangs as she walked, showing it to me. This woman didn't hesitate at all to joke about her figure.

As we were chatting idly about trivial things, we came to the shoe section...

""……ah.""

The familiar duo saw us and called out.

It's a girl with long black hair pretending to be a top student, and a girl with her hair tied in a ponytail pretending to be a small animal.

Irito Yume and Minami Akatsuki.

"Isn't this Irito-san?! Are you on your way home?"

Nan shouted cheerfully and approached us with light, quick steps.

"Staying in the library this late?... Wait, who's that girl over there...?"

As soon as Nan looked over, Dongtou immediately hid behind me.

"Light, the Light faction...! It's the Light faction, Mizuto-kun...!"

She looked like a squirrel or something that had encountered its natural enemy. Although she wasn't exactly petite (she was probably over 160 centimeters tall), she looked more like a small animal than Minami.

As someone who's part of the dark side, I can understand her feelings. I let her hold onto my uniform tightly from behind and said to Nan:

"Her name is Higashito Izana. I met her recently, and we get along really well. Her class... I think it's class three?"

"Yes, yes... Class 3, Grade 1..."

"In short, as you can see, she is very shy, so please be careful when judging her distance."

"...We met recently, and we get along very well? Oh..."

Nan peeked out to look behind me, and Dong immediately moved to my side to escape her gaze. Wasn't that incredibly rude?

"It's rare to hear Irito-san say that! You two are such good friends?"

"Maybe."

"Have you already introduced her to Yui?"

"I haven't talked to her yet—"

I glanced at the woman in the distance who was looking at us...

"…………Hmph～～～～Hmm…………"

Jie Nu immediately narrowed her eyes, letting her flowing black hair flutter, and turned her back to us.

"...Let's hurry, Xiaoyue. The school gates are about to close."

"Hmm, ah—that's true! Well then, Irito-san, see you tomorrow!"

Nan returned to Jie Nu's side, shaking his head, and the two left together.

After their figures shrank, Dongtou finally peeked out from behind me.

"...Mizuto-kun, do you know that aloof, unattainable beauty?"

"She's my sister."

"Your sister?"

"And she's my stepsister."

"Stepsister!"

Why did I react so strongly to my stepsister?

"This is incredible... The protagonist... The protagonist of the light novel is right here..."

"I have to admit I've thought about the same thing, and I can't argue with that..."

I wonder what the reaction would be if I told her she was still my ex-girlfriend.

He snorted and moved closer.

"I have so many questions I want to ask you. Even if she's a stepsister, she's still a sister, no doubt about it, so does this mean I'm another brother-complex guy?"

"Don't impose your distorted values ​​on me as common sense. A sister is not the same as a brother-complex."

"Is that so?"

"Brother complex is just a legendary phenomenon. Wikipedia also states this."

"is that so!"

I put down my phone, which I had been using to look up information, and changed my shoes.

"It seems like it wasn't written there!"

"It was removed because it was tagged with [Request for Citation] [Original Research?] [Where?] [Who?]."

"It's just the editor's wishful thinking!"

◆ The Maiden ◆

My stepson has made a female friend.

Okay, nothing much will happen. It'll just feel like, "Oh, I see." But for me, it's a huge, earth-shattering event.

Because, I'm talking about him, aren't I?

That gloomy, sarcastic, taciturn man who loves to preach and seems to always have a protective shield around him, actually managed to make female friends.

Not only that...

—The Light, the Faction of Light…! It’s the Faction of Light, Mizuto-kun…!

They even called him by his first name!

Are you kidding me?! It took me about a week before I dared to call her by her name, Xiaoyue! ...Even I, until the very end, didn't dare to call that man by his name directly...!