Episode 1: “The Steamy Hot Spring Romance Case Files ① ~The Tragedy of KN~”

The next day, Thursday, November 4th.

“We’re heading out!”

Akira and I left the house together as usual, stepping into the crisp morning air.

The moment we started walking, she slipped her arm through mine with practiced ease. I’d grown accustomed to this sort of thing lately, so it didn’t really bother me anymore—though I still felt my shoulders tense whenever I caught glimpses of neighbors watching us through their windows.

“Trip with Aniki ♪ Hot springs with Aniki ♪” she sang under her breath, swinging our linked arms with infectious enthusiasm.

She must really be looking forward to the family trip. Her excitement reminded me of an elementary schooler the night before a field trip, practically vibrating with anticipation. Akira had been like this ever since yesterday—humming cheerfully, bouncing on her toes, eyes sparkling with joy. It was wonderful seeing her so happy, but I had to wonder if she could really maintain this level of energy for over two more weeks.

“What are you gonna wear, Aniki? What are you gonna wear?”

Well, knowing Akira, she probably could.

“It’s almost winter and we’re going somewhere near the mountains,” I replied thoughtfully. “Something warm for sure.”

“Then I’ll do the same too! Ehehehehe, I’m so excited~ ♪ —Ah, but but, what should I wear on the bottom? Maybe jeans after all~?”

To be honest, I was looking forward to it too. The place Dad had chosen for our family trip was called ‘Fujimi no Saki Hot Spring Village,’ a tourist destination famous for its hot spring hopping. You could stroll through the traditional hot spring town wearing a yukata and wooden geta, freely visiting any of the seven outdoor baths scattered throughout the area.

The old-fashioned hot spring town that the literary master Fuwata Jinta once loved still serves as a filming location for movies and dramas today, drawing crowds of foreign tourists who come to experience authentic Japan. It was exactly the kind of place I’d always wanted to visit—somewhere that felt like stepping back in time.

Just imagining it made my heart race with excitement. But what I was really looking forward to was—

“Maybe I should wear a skirt… but that’d be cold. But jeans are… What should I wear~!?”

I snuck a glance at her bouncing, cheerful expression, suppressing the smile that threatened to spill over. Instead, I decided to think about other things before my face gave me away.

Oh right, yesterday Akira had mentioned she’d been to Fujimi no Saki with her biological father Takeru-san before. What was it actually like there?

“You said you’d been to the place we’re going, right?” I asked. “When was that?”

“Um, when I was six. Right after I started elementary school.”

“Huh, how was it?”

“It wasn’t really like sightseeing,” she said with a slight frown. “I just tagged along with Dad for a drama shoot. We stayed at a business hotel instead of a hot spring inn.”

Come to think of it, Akira mentioned before that she’d never been in a hot spring…

“That’s a shame. You should’ve stayed at a hot spring inn.”

“Well, budget constraints maybe? He was playing a victim, just a small role.”

“Um, so Takeru-san wasn’t playing the villain?” I asked cautiously.

You know, like the type who steps on someone’s hand while they’re hanging off a cliff… I felt a little bad for having that preconception just because of his intimidating appearance.

“That was the last memory I have of staying overnight with Dad,” she said quietly.

“Um, what about with Miyuki-san?”

“Only at my mom’s parents’ place.” Her voice grew softer. “Come to think of it, the three of us never went on a trip together: Dad, Mom, and me.”

“I see…”

The mood was growing heavy, so I quickly forced a smile, determined to lighten the atmosphere.

“Well, that makes this trip even more special, then. Your first time in a hot spring, going back to a place with memories of Takeru-san, a family trip…”

“Hmm, that’s part of it, I guess, but~…” she trailed off, a mysterious smile playing at her lips.

“Hm? Is there something else you’re looking forward to? The food? I hear they have a lot of great stuff to eat.”

“I’m looking forward to the food too,” she said, then suddenly pulled hard on my arm and pressed her cheek against it. “But I think with trips, it’s not about where you go, but who you go with—”

“What I’m looking forward to most of all is traveling with the Aniki I love so much.”

After that declaration, Akira didn’t say anything else and just kept walking beside me, clinging to my arm with quiet contentment. While walking, I struggled with how to respond to such a direct statement, my mind racing—

“Um, Akira, isn’t it kinda hot today?” The voice I finally managed to squeeze out was so high-pitched it had none of an older brother’s dignity.

“Um, it’s a little hard to walk like this, you know?”

“…………”

“Uh, are you listening, Akira?”

“…………”

“C’mon, say something, anything…”

Her silence was what felt the most painful. The atmosphere between us was way too good for siblings, which made it even worse…

“Say something, please…”

Seeing my flustered reaction, Akira gave a soft, amused giggle that made my heart skip a beat.

＊　＊　＊

After exiting the ticket gates at Yuki Academy Front Station, we met up with the Ueda siblings as planned. When we told them about Dad’s trip proposal right away, Hinata clasped her hands together, her face lighting up with a radiant smile.

“Wow, that sounds amazing~! A family hot spring trip, how wonderful!”

Despite the chilly overcast sky, Hinata was bursting with energy this morning, her enthusiasm infectious enough to energize everyone around her. She really was a genuinely good kid.

Next to her, Kousei wore his usual composed expression and just said, “Huh,” without any particular reaction. Basically, this blond pretty boy’s defining characteristic was his complete lack of interest in anything that didn’t directly concern him.

I decided to ignore Kousei for now and focus on the Ueda family’s travel experiences instead.

“You guys go on a family trip every year too, right? Last year was Okinawa, wasn’t it?”

“Yes! It was so much fun!” Hinata’s eyes sparkled with the memory. “Ah, but since we went in winter, we couldn’t swim in the ocean~…”

She gave a wry, disappointed smile that was somehow endearing.

Okinawa, huh. I’d like to go there someday too. I wonder what authentic rafute and soki soba taste like. While I’m there, I’d love to do some historical sightseeing as well.

“So how was it for you, Kousei? Okinawa.”

“Hm? It was fine, I guess. Nothing special.”

…I admit it. I was an idiot for asking this guy for a “normal” opinion.

Hinata sighed and tugged on Kousei’s uniform sleeve with an exasperated expression.

“Don’t say that! You were the one who was most excited about it, weren’t you, Onii-chan?”

“Hey, when was I ever excited?” he protested.

“You were going on about how you couldn’t sleep the night before, remember?”

“That was because I hate flying, not because I was excited!”

“You’ve flown plenty of times, you should be used to it by now, right? Are you still scared of planes?”

“It’s a hunk of metal flying through the sky!” Kousei’s voice rose defensively. “What if it crashes!?”

Jeez, a hunk of metal…

“Besides, you were the one getting all excited on the plane!” he shot back.

“Well, the view from up there is fun to look at!” Hinata replied cheerfully.

“If you make a ruckus, the plane will crash!”

“It won’t crash just from that!”

“Alright, you two, that’s enough.” I stepped in to break them up as usual. The Ueda siblings were exactly the same as always.

They say the more siblings fight, the closer they are, but these two’s bickering was just hopeless. Still, there was something endearing about their dynamic.

Hinata cleared her throat with an “Ahem” and smiled brightly again, her mood instantly restored.

“Ryouta-senpai, you used to go on trips with just your father every year, right?”

“Well, it was more of a guys’ trip than a family trip,” I explained. “We’d just casually hit up some hot springs every year.”

“A guys’ trip sounds nice. I’m kinda jealous.”

“It’s just a bunch of guys being stuffy. But this year—”

I glanced toward Akira, and our eyes met unexpectedly. We just stared at each other in silence, our gazes somehow unwilling to break away. As we kept looking at each other with matching “What?” “What is it?” expressions, it started to feel awkward, and we both looked away simultaneously.

“W-well, since it’s a family trip this year, I’m looking forward to it, you know!” I stammered.

“R-right! I’m looking forward to the family trip too!” Akira added quickly.

Having heard Akira’s true feelings earlier, this probably sounded terribly forced to the Ueda siblings. When I noticed, both expressionless siblings were looking at us and spoke at the exact same time.

“Oh wooow~ that’s so great for you (that’s so great for you).”

Both siblings seemed like they had something more to say about our obvious awkwardness, but it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.

＊　＊　＊

Still, you never know when an incident or accident might happen. After school, I opened the drama club room door as usual, and—

“HYAHHA————!”

I witnessed a bizarre scene.

I’d thought it was noisier than usual, and there, in the middle of the club room, our drama club president Nishiyama Kazusa, was jumping around by herself while the other members watched on with lukewarm expressions. Her movements were wild and uncoordinated, like some sort of strange victory dance.

Um, is this déjà vu?

I felt like someone with the same energy level had ended up tumbling down the stairs just yesterday… Anyway, she looked kinda scary in her current state, so I decided not to approach Nishiyama directly.

Instead, I called out to the vice president, Ito Amane, who was watching Nishiyama with a wry smile.

“Hey there, Ito-san. Sorry to jump right in, but what’s up with her?”

“Majima-senpai, good afternoon,” Amane replied politely. “Well, the faculty meeting officially approved our club’s continuation.”

“Wow, that’s great news. So she’s celebrating all by herself?”

“No, that’s not all—”

Just as Ito started to say, “Actually,” Nishiyama finally noticed my presence.

“Oh, if it isn’t Majima-senpai!” She rushed over to me and immediately grabbed both my arms, shaking them up and down vigorously.

“We did it, Majima-senpai! We finally did it! We really did it!”

“Ow, my joints, ow, they’re coming apart, ow, let go, ow…”

“Did you hear!? Did you!?”

“Um, I just heard about the club’s continuation from Ito-san, but—”

“Then you should be more excited~!” she insisted, still shaking me.

“Okay, I want to be genuinely happy, so please let go…”

“Oh, my bad,” Nishiyama said, releasing my arms, then pointed at me sharply with dramatic flair. “And and~ I’ve got big news for you, Majima-senpai!”

Somehow, I feel like I heard those exact words yesterday too…

Just then, the club room door opened, and Akira and Hinata entered, looking slightly confused by the scene before them.

“You two, perfect timing~!” Nishiyama called out.

Both of them blinked in confusion. Well, of course they would.

“What’s wrong, Kazusa-chan?” Hinata asked with concern.

When Hinata asked, Nishiyama’s face lit up as if to say, “I’m so glad you asked!” Akira glanced at me, her expression clearly asking, “What happened?” but that moment was short-lived—

“Since we’re officially approved as a club, we’re all going on a training camp!”

Nishiyama declared loudly, spreading her arms wide for emphasis.

“Um, a training camp… Y     ou mean that kind of training camp?” I asked cautiously.

When I asked, Nishiyama pointed at me again with renewed enthusiasm. “That’s right! A training camp!”

“I wonder where we should go~” she mused aloud, already lost in her own fantasies. “Beach swimming is out of season, but I bet they’re already skiing up in the Tohoku region~”

The excited Nishiyama had completely left the rest of us drama club members in the dust, carried away by her own imagination.

Must be nice, being able to get that worked up all by yourself. By the way, is that really what a training camp should be? Normally, don’t you do overnight practice sessions or something?

“Nishiyama, going on a training camp is fine,” I said, trying to inject some reality into the conversation, “but when are we going? And what’s the objective?”

“To answer your question about the objective, it’s to deepen the bonds between club members!” she replied earnestly. “Don’t you think we need to know each other well to perform in sync?”

Deepening bonds, huh…

“If it’s just swimming or skiing, shouldn’t we just call it a trip instead of a training camp?”

“It’s a training camp! Because we’re going as the drama club!” she insisted stubbornly.

“…So what’s the real reason?” I pressed.

“If we call it a ‘training camp,’ we might be able to use the club budget for transportation costs… Ehe ♪” she admitted with a mischievous grin.

How cunning can this girl get…?

“That’s obviously not gonna fly! The student council will never approve it.”

“That’s where, you know, I was thinking of asking Amane, who has the student council’s trust, to handle the negotiations~” Nishiyama said, glancing hopefully at Ito.

“Eh!? Me!?” Ito yelped, her eyes wide with surprise at being suddenly put on the spot.

I couldn’t let Ito get stuck with such a thankless task.

“Using club funds for personal reasons could get the drama club in hot water,” I warned firmly. “We’re paying for travel and transportation ourselves!”

When I chided her, Nishiyama replied “Yes~” with a visibly displeased expression, like a child being told they couldn’t have candy before dinner.

Well, Nishiyama was right that Ito was good at negotiations. Ito was serious but flexible, trusted not just by the student council but by the teachers as well. She could probably negotiate skillfully and get casual approval—but it would be terrifying if what we did got exposed later.

Now that we were an officially recognized club, we couldn’t risk something like this. I’d have to lecture Nishiyama about this later, making sure she understood the importance of following proper procedures.

“So when are you planning to have this training camp, Nishiyama?”

“The four-day weekend starting November 20th!” she announced confidently. “There’s a four-day break with Saturday, Sunday, Yuki Academy’s founding day, and Labor Thanksgiving Day! We can go for one night, two days, from that Sunday to Monday—”

At that moment, Akira and I glanced at each other. “Ah…”

“Sorry, Nishiyama. We have a family trip that weekend…” I said apologetically.

“We can’t make it. Sorry, Kazusa-chan…”

When we told her, Nishiyama’s face fell dramatically, her excitement deflating like a punctured balloon. Apparently, she’d already checked with the other club members, and that was the only time that worked for everyone.

Incidentally, Hinata was available, so only Akira and I wouldn’t be able to participate.

“Sorry, Nishiyama. Even though you went to all the trouble of planning this.”

“No, please prioritize your family trip.”

“Don’t worry about us and have a great time, okay?” Akira encouraged.

“I understand. Thanks, Akira-chan, Majima-senpai.” Nishiyama nodded with forced cheerfulness. “But you absolutely have to come next time!”

We promised we would if there was another opportunity, and the training camp discussion seemed to end there—or so it appeared.

“For now, I’m gonna try asking the student council if we can apply for transportation costs!” Nishiyama declared suddenly.

“…Hey, wait a minute. Did you hear what I just said?”

“I heard you loud and clear! I think it’s fine to ask beforehand, even if reporting it after the fact isn’t!” she replied with stubborn optimism.

“No, but you—”

“And so, Amane!”

“Huh!? M-Me!?” Ito’s eyes went wide again at being suddenly called upon.

“I’m nervous going alone, so come with me! Please!” Nishiyama grabbed Ito’s hands pleadingly.

“I don’t mind, but like senpai said, won’t they just reject it~?” Ito asked with resignation.

“You can’t decide it’s impossible before you even try! The sun has not yet set! Right!” Nishiyama declared dramatically.

Oh, Melos?

But I didn’t like the idea of Melos running for something as petty as training camp transportation costs. He should be running for something much more important and noble.

“Okay everyone, Amane and I are heading to the student council room, so practice your vocal exercises for a bit!” Nishiyama announced, standing up energetically.

She tried to dash out of the club room with theatrical flair.

“Wait, Kazusa-chan!” Ito called after her.

“Follow me, Philostratus!”

[T/N: A reference to “Run, Melos!” by Osamu Dazai, where Melos must run to save his friend Philostratus.]

“Ah, Kazusa-chan! That way is danger—”

Ignoring Ito’s warning, Melos Nishiyama started running with dramatic determination. And so, dragged along by some great, incomprehensible force, Melos Nishiyama tried to run ten times faster than the sun, with the result that—

“UGYAAA——!?”

Along with a death cry, we heard a tremendous crash…

She was probably so empty-headed that she’d completely forgotten about the “Wet Wax” sign posted in the hallway we’d passed on the way to the club room. I definitely felt like something similar had happened at my house yesterday…

“Kyaa! Kazusa-chan!? Are you okay!?” Ito cried out in alarm.

Anyway. Don’t run in the hallways, Melos.

＊　＊　＊

On the way home that day, as the three of us—Akira, Hinata, and I—were walking together through the quiet residential streets, Akira suddenly muttered something under her breath.

“Ahh, I wanted to go to      the training camp too…”

Her voice carried a note of genuine disappointment that made both Hinata and me glance at her with sympathy.

“I’m looking forward to the family trip, but a training camp with everyone…” She sighed heavily. “Ugh, I wish I could split myself in two~”

Seeing Akira’s frustrated expression, Hinata and I exchanged a wry smile, both understanding her dilemma perfectly.

“I know how you feel, Akira. I wanted to go on the training camp with you and Ryouta-senpai too~” Hinata said with genuine warmth.

“Well, Nishiyama did say ‘Next time we’ll definitely all go together,’ so there’ll probably be another chance, right?” I offered hopefully.

“That’s true, but~…” Akira replied, still looking unsatisfied.

While Akira continued to look dissatisfied, I was actually feeling a little relieved about missing this particular trip. I was the only male club member, after all. Thanks to Akira, I’d built up some immunity to being around girls, but spending a night and two days with seven of them was still, honestly… a bit much. It felt awkward, and I was resistant to the idea.

If there was going to be another training camp in the future, how should I handle getting out of it? But then again, I was also worried about letting seven girls go on a training camp by themselves. Our advisor, Ishizuka-sensei, was shared with the badminton club and wasn’t really interested in our drama club activities…

Plus, I was honestly concerned about Nishiyama’s tendency to go completely wild when left unsupervised. Well, the other club members were reliable, so it would probably be fine… As the only male member and the oldest, I found myself worrying about things far beyond just acting.

“What’s wrong, Aniki?”

“Is something troubling you, Ryouta-senpai?”

I looked up to find both girls watching me with worried expressions.

“No, I just have a few worries on my mind…”

When Akira pressed, “What kind of worries?”, I honestly told them about my concerns regarding being the only guy and the only upperclassman in the drama club.

“I see… So you were concerned about being the only guy, Ryouta-senpai?”

“I thought you’d be happy, being the one guy surrounded by all those girls,”

“Thanks, Hinata-chan,” I replied gratefully. “…Akira, you’re getting a lecture when we get home.”

I wished there was at least one more guy in the club, but I couldn’t expect any new members to join at this time of year.

“Oh, what about Onii-chan—” Hinata started, then caught herself. “No, that’s not gonna work…”

“Yeah, Kousei’s not an option…”

Hinata and I sighed in unison, both knowing the impossibility of that suggestion.

Kousei had his part-time job keeping him busy, and since he’d declared “Clubs are such a drag” back in his first year, he probably had no intention of joining now. Besides, “theater” and “acting” were essentially taboo words for him.

Kousei had suddenly quit being a child actor in his fourth year of elementary school. The genius child actor “Ueda Kousei” was once in high demand on television—he’s a complete ghost of that past now, but there were apparently very good reasons why he quit acting.

All I ever heard from Kousei was that he had some “unpleasant memories” related to that time… The official reason given was “to focus on middle school entrance exams,” but in the end, the real reason remained a secret that only he knew, unknown even to Hinata, their parents, or me.

So his temporary comeback at the recent Kanon Festival was a massive exception to his usual stance. During our performance of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ at the final kiss scene between Hinata and me—because I was so pathetic and stopped the play in my tracks, Kousei had no choice but to rush in and save Hinata from the awkward situation.

The Kousei at that time didn’t have his usual languid expression, but a tense, serious one as he declared dramatically: ‘She’s my woman!’

After jumping onto the stage, he delivered one cheesy line after another that only a pretty boy could get away with, then swept Hinata away in a princess carry in an equally theatrical manner. But there was one thing he said as he left that really stuck with me.

‘Don’t think you can have ’em both for yourself, got it? Later—’

Both of them mine? He meant Akira and Hinata? What kind of ladies’ man did he think I was? He should know better than anyone, having known me since middle school, that I could never pull off something like that.

So why did Kousei say something like that? I tried asking him about it later, but he just said, “Figure it out yourself.” Seriously, if you’re going to say that much, don’t just dump the most important part on me. Vague comments were his specialty, but he shouldn’t do it for important things—

“Aniki, what’s wrong?”

“Are you lost in thought again, senpai?”

I put on a smile and said, “It’s nothing,” not wanting to burden them with my confusion.

“By the way, Kousei seems busy again lately, doesn’t he?”

“Yes. He’s been going to his part-time job constantly since midterms ended.” Hinata confirmed.

Since I’d started my club activities, I hadn’t walked home with Kousei in quite a while. He was busy with his part-time job on weekends too, so apart from our morning commute and time at school, opportunities to talk with him had drastically decreased.

“Speaking of which, what kind of part-time job does Ueda-senpai have?” Akira asked Hinata curiously.

“Sorting packages at a shipping warehouse.”

“Eh, that’s unexpected! I would’ve guessed karaoke or a restaurant.”

“He said the hourly wage is better there. Plus, he said he hates customer service.”

I’d heard that reasoning from Kousei too. But—

“But I wonder what he’s saving up all that money for?” Hinata mused aloud.

Hinata’s words made me pause.

“He’s saving money? Kousei is?”

“Yes. Onii-chan seems to have been saving it all up without spending a yen.”

That’s strange. He’d told me that clothes and accessories were expensive and he was always broke… Why would he need to lie to me? Or was he lying to Hinata?

Well, I should probably keep quiet about this for now, since it might worry Hinata unnecessarily.

“I see. He really is a serious guy, isn’t he?” I said diplomatically. “He’s probably saving for his future. I should learn from his example…”

“But I think it’s affecting his studies. Sigh…” Hinata let out a particularly heavy sigh.

When she did, Akira and I could only offer wry smiles, both of us understanding her concern but feeling helpless to do anything about it.

＊　＊　＊

That evening, Akira and I were playing ‘End of the Samurai 3’ (Limited Edition with Nakazawa Koto figure), which we’d recently gotten our hands on. The game had become our regular evening entertainment, and we’d both gotten quite skilled at it.

Akira was playing as her usual choice, Nakazawa Koto. She was still going strong in Ensamu 3, her fingers dancing across the controller with practiced precision. As for me, I was using Ensamu 3’s hidden character, ‘Rampaging Yoshinobu.’

Why was he called ‘Rampaging’? According to the ‘Ensamu 3 Setting Materials Collection – Earth Volume’ that Akira had acquired—

The Tokugawa family had been troubled for generations by the curse of the Sixth Demon Lord, Oda Nobunaga, who had failed to achieve national unification. However, Yoshinobu was determined to end that curse in his generation. After becoming the fifteenth Tokugawa shogun, he summoned Nobunaga’s spirit and fought bravely. However, his indecisiveness, which earned him the mockery of “Lord Two-Hearts,” was exploited, and he became possessed by Nobunaga’s spirit, his mind corrupted. Losing his reason in the gap between righteousness and evil, the rampaging Yoshinobu accepted the return of political power to the emperor against his retainers’ opposition, then abandoned his position as shogun and disappeared into the darkness of night—

Well, there were various things to nitpick, like why the Tokugawa family had to be cursed by Nobunaga—but Yoshinobu certainly had a lot going on around the end of the Edo period.

In the game, not only were his power and speed enhanced, but the damage from his normal special moves was also criminally increased. Therefore, he was a broken character who was guaranteed to earn the resentment of opponents in online matches.

So why was I using Rampaging Yoshinobu? The answer was obvious—because I wasn’t very good at the game!

“Hey Akira— Ora!” I called out while executing a move.

“What? —Sei!” she replied, countering smoothly.

“If I got a part-time— Hey, watch it! —job, what would you think?”

“No way!” she declared firmly while continuing to play.

“Ahh!? —Why not?”

“Why, you ask— Sei!”

At that moment, a close-range standing heavy punch led into a series of perfectly timed combos, and finally, Nakazawa Koto’s super special move, ‘Style Two: A Hundred Flowers in Profusion,’ activated with devastating effect.

‘—To be distracted during battle is foolish indeed…’

After Nakazawa Koto’s cut-in appeared on screen, cherry blossoms danced gracefully across the display, an incomprehensible “Ninety-nine slashes” hit count flashed by, and “Ippon” appeared in large letters. …Sorry, Yoshinobu.

“Damn… even Rampaging Yoshinobu wasn’t enough…”

“Well, I took some damage too— but that’s not the point!” Akira suddenly grabbed my shoulders with surprising intensity.

“You getting a part-time job is absolutely not allowed, Aniki! Never! Forbidden!”

“Wh-why? You don’t have to be so intense about it, do you?” I asked, startled by her vehemence.

Akira pouted, her lower lip jutting out adorably.

“If you get a part-time job, you won’t pay attention to me like you do now!”

“Um, I think I’d still pay attention to you…” I said uncertainly.

“Nuh-uh, you’d definitely say ‘I’m tired today’ and turn your back to me when we sleep!”

“…Wait. Whose marriage are you talking about?”

I sincerely hoped it wasn’t our parents she was using as a reference…

“Besides, you’re already assuming we sleep together as a rule,” I continued. “And sneaking into my futon in the morning is forbidden.”

“I refuse!” she declared stubbornly.

“Don’t refuse! Just accept it!”

When I said that with exasperation, Akira puffed out her cheeks again—or so I thought, but then her expression completely changed. She looked at me with the watery, puppy-dog eyes of an abandoned kitten left in a cardboard box by the roadside.

This stepsister of mine, honestly—

“That look won’t work on me,” I said, trying to sound firm. “Besides, I told you I’d still pay attention to you. I will, I will. It’d just be a short-term job for two or three days anyway.”

“Then why do you want a part-time job so badly, Aniki?” she asked, tilting her head.

Actually, our family’s financial situation had apparently improved significantly since our parents remarried. Miyuki-san said she could work without worry since neither Akira nor I caused any trouble, and she seemed genuinely happy about that.

Dad’s income as a mid-level employee at a movie production art company was pretty decent, too. According to him, “Don’t worry about money, I’ll handle it.” We could buy what we wanted within reason, and we got decent allowances, so both Akira and I could live relatively carefree lives—so really, there wasn’t a pressing financial need for me to get a part-time job.

“Do you want to save money like Ueda-senpai, Aniki?”

“No, there’s just something I want,” I said, scratching my nose in embarrassment.

“What is it you want?”

It was embarrassing to say out loud, but—

“You know Labor Thanksgiving Day is coming up, right?” I began hesitantly. “Well, I’ve never really done anything for Dad before, and now that Miyuki-san is here too, I wanted to give them both a present…”

When I said that, Akira’s eyes went wide with surprise and something that looked like admiration.

“Aniki, that’s… that’s so cool…” she breathed.

“Well, I was just trying to act cool for a change…” I mumbled, feeling even more embarrassed now that she was praising me.

Being complimented by Akira just made me feel even more self-conscious. Then Akira seemed to have an idea too—

“Then maybe I should try getting a part-time job too…?” she said thoughtfully.

“Oh, you want to give it a shot too, Akira?”

“Yeah, I want to try!” she said with growing enthusiasm.

While we were talking, the timer for round two of Ensamu 3 ran out, and round three was about to start. Round two had been less of a proper match and more of a non-event due to our conversation. For round three, Akira and I focused on the screen again, though we continued talking.

“So anyway— Ora! —we’re getting part-time jobs!”

“Yeah! But I want to work at the same place as you, Aniki!”

“In that case— ah, damn it! —I know the perfect place!”

“Where?” she asked, landing a successful counter.

“The place I worked last year— take this!”

“Nice one, Aniki!”

“Right? Don’t underestimate— Rampaging Yoshinobu’s power!”

The command input succeeded, and Rampaging Yoshinobu’s cut-in appeared dramatically—

‘—GIVE ME YOUR SOUL——————!’

Not exactly what you’d expect from a shogun, but his super special move, ‘Royal Camera Flash Rampage’ activated.

He pulls out an anachronistic camera and drains the opponent’s health to make it his own, plus it’s unblockable—a pretty nasty technique—but damn… Cameras from this era took time to actually take a photo… I didn’t think they needed to be that historically accurate, but there was still a slight time lag before activation.

There was no way Akira would miss this huge opening.

“Sei!” She easily slipped into close range, starting with a standing heavy punch that flowed into various combos—and once again, ‘Style Two: A Hundred Flowers in Profusion’ connected perfectly.

‘—I will not marry one weaker than myself. If you desire me, then defeat me.’

Nakazawa Koto’s usual provocative victory line echoed through the room. By the way, Koto-kyun, hasn’t your outfit gotten a bit more revealing since Ensamu 2?

“Ehehe, I win again~ ♪ Koto-kyun is the strongest~ ♪”

“Damn… I lost again…”

Akira was      composed even while carrying on a conversation. Yeah, I really can’t beat her.

“But I took some damage too, so let’s go one more round!” she suggested cheerfully. “Also, for Rampaging Yoshinobu’s super special move, ‘The End of Bakumatsu: Devour’ is better, you know?”

“Come on, let’s actually focus on talking about the part-time job…” I said with a laugh.

After that, we had a proper discussion about the part-time job opportunity. The “perfect place” I’d mentioned was a workshop where one of Dad’s acquaintances worked. I had experience working there last spring through Dad’s introduction, and they’d told me to contact them anytime if I needed work again.

The work involved simple packaging tasks that didn’t require any special skills or training. They were paid by the day, and even working just one day was perfectly fine with them. Most importantly, everyone working there was genuinely kind, and I remembered them patiently teaching me the ropes when I was completely new to that type of work.

It might actually be better suited for Akira, who was still a bit shy around strangers, than a customer service job would be. Though, I did want to see Akira smiling while serving customers, just a little…

Family restaurants, convenience stores, maid cafes— no no no no, I couldn’t let strangers see Akira in that kind of outfit. Not as her older brother, anyway.

“I’ll contact them for both of us then.”

“My first part-time job~ Just thinking about it makes me so nervous~”

“Don’t worry, I think you’ll be fine, Akira.”

“I’ll be totally fine since you’ll be with me, Aniki ♪”

“Well, I’m happy you feel that way…”

Akira smiled brightly and said, “Please take good care of me, Ryouta-senpai ♪” as she suddenly hugged me tightly.

“Um, Akira, are you copying Hinata-chan? Hinata-chan doesn’t just suddenly hug people like this~? Hey, are you listening~? Hey—”

By the way, I wonder when Akira will outgrow her brother complex. I have a feeling we’ll stay like this even after we’re working adults.

Then again, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad, I’ve found myself thinking lately.