novel-bin Page 229
Page 229
"Is there no problem with that? Ahaha... By the way, Komachi, your brother actually did think about it quite a bit... Komachi?"
Only after Yuihama called out to her did Komachi's brain, which had been pawned, start functioning again.
"...Ah! Oh no! I almost fell for my brother's cutesy act again! Anyway, thank you so much, Yukino-neechan and Yui-neechan...and brother."
What does "being deceived" mean... As the older brother, I'm completely fooled by Komachi's cute appearance all year round... Komachi and I both felt embarrassed and turned our faces away at the same time.
"Yeah, it's nothing serious. Don't worry about it."
"That's right~"
Yuihama looked at us, brother and sister, and chuckled softly. Yukinoshita quietly looked over, then suddenly seemed to remember something and spoke to Komachi:
"By the way, Komachi, I'm so sorry for inviting you out while I've been busy preparing for my entrance exams. Even though you're already here, is it really alright for you to come all this way today? It might be too much of a hassle—"
"Don't worry, it's necessary to catch your breath every now and then."
As soon as I answered, she glared at me.
"Too much rest will only make you lazy, and you'll even forget what you've learned."
"Ugh, you've hit a nerve..."
Yukinoshita was absolutely right. Whether it was "taking a breather" or "changing one's mood," these were just common excuses people used to slack off. These words also struck a chord with Komachi, and she began to mutter to herself.
"Is Yukino-neechan the type of mother who is a strict education mom (Note 69: a mother who has high expectations for her child and actively arranges a lot of academic, extracurricular, and other courses for her child to learn)? She seems quite reliable... It would be nice to have a sister like that."
A glint flashed in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Yukino. Komachi is so serious, she'll definitely be fine."
"Yes, my sister is indeed diligent and hardworking." Komachi was pleased to hear Yuihama speak up for her, and began muttering to herself again:
"Yui-neechan is probably the type of virtuous wife and loving mother... She seems very tolerant... It would be nice to have a sister like her in the future."
A glint flashed in her eyes again.
"What have you been muttering to yourself about...?"
"Hmm? It's a secret~♪"
Komachi raised her index finger and shook it a few times, then winked at me... Damn it, this little devil is so cute it's infuriating.
"Anyway, there's really nothing to worry about. And look, even I got in, didn't I?"
Yuihama lightly tapped her chest, and Yukinoshita couldn't help but show a complicated expression.
"After you put it that way, I really can't refute it..."
"Please, hurry up and refute this! Give me some comfort, okay?"
Seeing her emotional and tearful outpouring, Yukinoshita calmly spoke:
"So, may I ask you, which prefecture has the highest sweet potato production in the country? To add, the second place is Ibaraki Prefecture."
"Huh?!"
Faced with the unexpected test question, Yuihama was completely flustered. Such a simple question, she didn't even need to think about it...
"You know, this is already a super easy question... and the hint was so obvious."
Yui listened and began to think seriously.
"An easy question, the hints are quite obvious... taro, Ibaraki... ah! It's Chiba Prefecture!"
"No, that's not right. Didn't I mention Satsuma? (Note 70: In Japanese, sweet potatoes are called 'Satsuma-mochi'.)... The correct answer is Kagoshima Prefecture. By the way, Chiba Prefecture is third place."
"Xiaoxue, you're setting a trap! You're so cunning!"
"This question is so simple, there's absolutely no trick to it..."
Yukino sighed helplessly, while Yuihama protested again with "Ugh ugh ugh~". But seriously, how did you come to the conclusion about Chiba Prefecture from that clue? Do you mean Chiba, like Ibaraki, is like a taro? Don't look down on Chiba, okay?
When Komachi saw this, a shiver ran down her spine.
"...Yui-neechan, how did you manage to get in?"
"Miracles and magic exist in this world (Note 71, a famous line from the anime 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'). But, you won't say anything wrong, will you? You're my little sister, and you're just as bright. Although you're a bit of a goofball, you're quite good at grasping the essentials."
"Although the self-praise about your intelligence is too redundant, I understand what you're trying to say."
Yukinoshita nodded, not particularly bothered by my words. However, it was rather cumbersome, wasn't it...? Not only that, Komachi also frowned, seemingly not quite accepting of my comment.
"Hmm—but, 'knowing how to grasp the essentials' doesn't quite sound like a compliment..."
"Ah, that makes sense. Usually, when others say that to me, it feels like I'm trying to be clever."
Yui Hama shared the same opinion. It was unexpected that she would take this to heart. However, Yui Hama certainly had a knack for social maneuvering. She was adept at subtly navigating interpersonal relationships, which inevitably created that impression in others' eyes, leading to some gossip behind her back. The world of women is truly terrifying.
I scratched my head and continued to rack my brains.
"Okay, let me think of another way to put it... How about cunning?"
"Isn't that even worse?"
Yuihama was taken aback. However, Yukinoshita ignored her reaction, gently stroking her chin, thinking for a moment, before carefully speaking:
"Or rather... insidious."
"So Yukino was the real demon king after all..."
For some reason, Yuihama looked at Yukinoshita with an adoring gaze. Meanwhile, Komachi took a different approach, cutely suggesting:
"The little devil is not bad either☆"
"It's not quite right for you to say that!"
Oh, about that? Well, there's nothing I can do about it. That's just Komachi's personality. This is within the scope of her understanding of the essentials. Therefore, we can conclude that the synonym for "understanding the essentials" is—
"By the way, 'Komachi is so cute'."
Yuihama showed a defeated expression.
"Wow... A sister-complex comment has appeared... It's great that the siblings have a good relationship, but your reaction is a little uncomfortable..."
"How could that be? Even if I put it in my eye, I wouldn't feel uncomfortable at all. (Note 72: 'Not hurting even when put in the eye' is a Japanese proverb, representing excessive indulgence towards someone.)"
Just how much doting do you are on your younger sister?!
This time, not only Yuihama, but also the other person couldn't help but take a few steps back.
"Hmm... Even Komachi felt a little uncomfortable hearing this... It's fine if it's just at home, but it's not really okay outside."
"It's okay at home, right...?"
"Ah, hahaha..."
Yukinoshita was half surprised and half helpless, and Yuihama was probably the same, chuckling foolishly a few times. Then she noticed something and suddenly raised her hand.
"Ah, Xiao Cai's here! Hey—over here!"
I looked in the same direction and immediately saw Totsuka running towards me from a distance.
"Hachiman——"
"Oh, Totsuka, you're here!"
I took a step forward, ready to embrace Totsuka. The next second, a creature that looked like a wild boar rushed out from behind him, charging menacingly straight at him.
"Hachiman——"
"Ah... Zaimokuza, what brings you here..."
The woodworker adjusted his breathing with a "whoosh." At the same time, Yuihama greeted Totsuka.
"Hi, Xiao Cai!"
"Yeah, hi!"
What a cheerful greeting! Greeting someone is such a wonderful thing, and greeting them with "Hi" adds even more to the cuteness! Just as I was thinking this, Zaimokuza also resumed breathing and raised a hand to me.
"Hmm. Hi, Hachiman!"
I take back what I said earlier. That way of greeting is still embarrassing... and why did he only greet me?
"Oh, excuse me... who brought the timber pedestal?"
I asked Yuihama and Yukinoshita in a low voice, and they both looked surprised.
"Huh? Isn't that you?"
"I always thought that person would be your responsibility..."
"No, I didn't look for him..."
Even without a definitive answer, his ability to resolve any issue with the excuse "it's just a lumber mount anyway" is one of his strengths. Another reason is that people are simply uninterested in his behavior. In short: whatever, as long as he's happy!
"...Okay, that's fine too. Anyway, I was planning to thank you sometime."
"Hmm. If you don't want to go bald, don't worry about those little things. So, what's the purpose of coming out today?"
After being questioned by Zaimokuza, Komachi looked at Yukinoshita and Yuihama.
"Hmm... We're having a Christmas party later, so we need to buy food and drinks, as well as gifts for the exchange. Right?"
Yui nodded.
"Okay. Now that everyone's here, let's get going."
"Indeed, we should hurry up and buy everything we need."
After Yukino finished speaking, she walked into the shopping mall, and we followed her.
× × ×
In some ways, gift-giving is a complex art.
If you give an inappropriate gift, the recipient might think, "Oh, so that guy thinks I want this kind of thing."
Insight, taste, financial resources… When giving gifts, a person's true capabilities are laid bare. I'm not exaggerating—no, maybe a little. Hmm… hopefully, it really is an exaggeration. Anyway, be prepared for that now.
The shopping mall was also packed with people, everyone carrying large bags and bundles; Christmas carols played one after another without interruption, and shops decorated their facades with Christmas wreaths and colorful ribbons. A quick glance around revealed a vast number of shops.
"Wow... I've never been to this shopping mall even once since it was built. I didn't realize there were so many shops inside."
As I stepped inside for the first time, I looked around curiously, and Xue Zhijian also kept looking around.
"The space inside is really spacious... Plus, it's Christmas today, so there are huge crowds. Just walking around like this is tiring..."
Yukinoshita not only lacked physical strength but also disliked crowded places. I could vaguely sense a sense of despair in her words. As for Yuihama, that was a completely different story.
"Seriously! It'll be super exciting, it'll be so much fun! Oh, look, Santa Claus!"
She caught up in the joyful atmosphere, became excited, and happily pointed at Santa Claus handing out balloons, while tugging at my sleeve.
"Hey, how long do you believe in Santa Claus?"
"I think I believed it before I started elementary school."
"Oh, that's a bit of a surprise."
Yuihama opened her mouth in surprise. But actually, there was nothing surprising about it; I also had a carefree childhood. Just as I was about to retort, Komachi leaned closer and said:
"My brother was so cute when he was little. Looking at old photos and videos always makes me sigh that those days are gone... And he didn't have those dead fish eyes back then."
"Ew~ I really want to see it!"
Komachi seemed not to hear Yuihama's words. Her gaze was distant, and her expression seemed to be lost in thought. She was probably lamenting those days that would never return. "I'm so sorry... It's all my brother's fault for becoming like this..."
Yukino looked at them and smiled with pity.
"I really don't know why it turned out this way... Time is indeed a cruel thing."
"I completely agree. It's all the fault of timing."
"Oh my god, it's still the same as always..."
Yuihama sighed, as if to say, "This person is hopeless." Yes, it must be the timing's fault, not mine.
"No matter what that person says, it's useless. So, Yukino, do you even believe in Santa Claus?"
Upon hearing her question, Yukinoshita's gaze turned ethereal, and she murmured:
"When I was just old enough to understand things, my older sister immediately told me the truth..."
"Oh, she really is the kind of person who would do something like that..."
This seemed far too tragic, and Yui and I couldn't help but look at her with sympathy. However, since the other party was Haruno, we had no choice but to accept our fate. Besides, if she was naturally clingy to her older sister and often said "As expected of my older sister" (Note 73, adapted from a fixed phrase in "The Irregular at Magic High School"), it didn't seem quite right.