Chapter 70: Afterstory & Prequel – 14: The Distance Before Reconciliation

“So that’s how it is. But, about Nakano, I wanted to hear more from you. Talk about it while you’re at it with the cardigan.”

“Oh, Nakano-san, huh? I mean, it’s not like I care or anything, but you saw it today, right? That girl is seriously insane.”

“Yeah.”

Yeah. That’s all I could say. She was so crazy that no other word came to mind.

“Right? Keeping someone like that in the baseball club will ruin the team dynamics.”

“Definitely.”

Definitely. That’s all I could say. The team dynamics were already ruined anyway. There was almost an all-out brawl yesterday.

“…So, you know.”

“……”

I couldn’t say anything. Maika, my sister sitting beside me, was looking at me with anxious, trembling eyes. Yet, she mustered her courage to meet my gaze. Her golden-blonde hair framed her face. She was too cute—it was unfair.

“So… I mean, you get it, don’t you? What I’m trying to say.”

And in the end, she avoided saying it outright. How sly.

“Yeah, I get it. But still, I can’t just tell a manager who joined of her own free will to quit, can I? I don’t have that right.”

“Huh?”

Huh? That’s all she could say, and it was fair. When she tried to join the club of her own free will, I told her not to. Even I realized how hypocritical I sounded.

“………”

“Sigh…”

Maika sighed in exasperation as I fell silent.

“Well, I get that having a new manager is helpful. I’ve been involved with your baseball club since last year and heard a lot about the internal issues from Ogikubo-senpai and the parents. I’ve helped out during games and seen how short-handed you guys are. It’s tough, right? Ogikubo-senpai’s struggling. And Tachikawa-senpai? She’s useless—just fluff and charm. Plus, she’s dating the basketball captain.”

“I’ve heard that. From you.”

“Oh, right. But I don’t think I mentioned this: Tachikawa-senpai is considering transferring to the basketball team.”

“What? Seriously?”

Maika avoided my gaze, swinging her legs as she continued.

“Well, maybe ‘considering’ isn’t the right word. She’s probably already decided. It’s not really about her boyfriend, though. In the baseball club, Ogikubo-senpai’s presence kept her from fully playing the ‘princess’ role she wanted. I think she plans to enjoy the drama of everyone begging her to stay before making her move. She won’t bring it up herself—she’ll just act troubled until Mitaka-captain says, ‘Wanna talk?’ Then she’ll dramatically announce it. That way, she can subtly assert dominance over Ogikubo-senpai. Two birds, one stone.”

“What a schemer… She’s just trying to squeeze every last drop of attention from the innocent boys in the club!”

At this rate, she’s more dangerous to the baseball club than Nakano.

“Well, this is where Kyugo’s leadership comes in. If the enemy is outside, you can rally the team against them. Use the shared grudge against Tachikawa and the basketball captain to unite the team.”

“That makes sense…”

“But Ogikubo-senpai will have an even harder time. Even if losing Tachikawa-senpai isn’t a big deal, there are fifteen new members and a troublesome addition. It’s too much—she’s going to break.”

“Yeah, I mean, she didn’t join because she loves baseball. She just thought managing the boys’… ‘activities’ would be fun. She even kept a weird notebook with strange symbols to track them—it was basically an ejaculation management ledger.”

“So when she said ‘shasekan,’ it was short for ‘ejaculation management’? Your baseball club is full of crazy women. How do you plan to make it to Koshien like this?”

“Well… it’s going to be tough…”

“Tough? What does that mean? Do you have a plan? Come on, tell me. What’s the plan? What are you going to do? What are you going to do, huh?”

“Whoa… too close.”

Maika leaned forward, closing the distance between us. Her face flushed bright red, but she held her ground, lips tight, her moist eyes unwavering as she stared at me. That sharp gaze, framed by her short blonde hair, pierced through me.

This was the perfect opportunity. No, in baseball terms, it was a sacrifice bunt. Maika put herself on the line, creating a chance for me. I didn’t need a home run—just a simple, solid hit would do.

If Only One Simple Word Could Solve Everything

“Hey, Kyugo. Hey, listen. Hey. Hey. …Hey…”

Softly, Maika placed her hands on my thigh. I thought she’d shake me like a sulking child, but no—she just rested them there. Her hands felt warm and tender. She looked at me like she was about to burst into tears, glaring with those watery eyes. Even while glaring, she was too cute. Her naturally bold features and ash-blonde hair perfectly complemented her defiant expression. Physically, all she did was place her hands on me, but psychologically, I was completely shaken.

Alright, enough of this. My stupid pride is worthless. I’m older than her by a year, so my adolescent phase should’ve ended a year earlier anyway.

“…Maika.”

“…What? What is it?”

“That… two days ago, I said something weird, but…”

“Yeah. …Yeah, go on.”

Unable to keep looking at Maika’s adorable face, I scratched my head and averted my eyes. Still, I forced myself to speak, to convey just this one thing.

“That is… about the female manager in the baseball club—”

“The bath is ready, onii-san♪”

“Gah!”

“What are you doing, Riko?”

Maika and I whipped our heads toward the voice singing from the doorway. Two bright, round eyes peeked through the gap in the door. Mochi-like. It was Riko. My other little sister. Even with just her eyes showing, she looked like an adorable bundle of mochi. Mochi-mochi…!

“Oh, Maika-chan’s here too.”

Completely unconcerned, Riko strolled into the room in her gelato pique loungewear. She sat down on my left like it was the most natural thing in the world, pressing close to me as if it were her rightful place.

“Shall I scrub your back, onii-san? It’s been a while♪”

“I’ll pass. I’m not at that age anymore, and besides, I already showered.”

“Oh, I know. But soaking in the bath helps you sleep better and relieves fatigue. You told me that, remember?”

True. Though I got that advice from Maika.

“Also, I found some lovely bath salts. They’re incredibly soothing. I’m sure they’ll wash away all of onii-san’s worries♪”

“Really?”

“Really♪ Let’s forget all your troubles together and smell like Riko! Your skin will turn so soft and mochi-like. Mochi-mochi~♪”

“Kyugo, seriously.”

“Too close, Riko… Mochi-mochi!”

“Mochi-mochi!”

Riko clung to my left arm, rubbing her soft, mochi-like cheeks against me. Unable to resist, I rubbed back with a hearty “mochi-mochi!”

“Kyugo. We’re in the middle of a conversation, Kyugo.”

“Ufufu, onii-san, you’re getting so rugged lately. Thanks to Riko’s snacks, right? This weekend, I’ll bake more secretly for you… without Maika-chan knowing♪”

“Really?! Then I want that buttery financier with the crispy topping—”

“Huh?”

“Ah.”

“Ufufu♪”

I turned cautiously toward the source of the “huh?” On my right was Maika, cheeks puffed up, tears pooling in her eyes, trembling like a plump, ash-blonde critter. Too cute. Too cute to not be scary. Yeah, she was straight-up terrifying. Some small animals are venomous, after all. The kind that makes you addicted.

“Kyugo… you said you’d leave all the meal planning to me…”

“M-Maika, calm down.”

“I don’t care anymore! I’ll never be your manager! Do everything by yourself! Idiot! Pervert! Siscon! …Circumcised loser!”

“Wait, Maika!”

But she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. I tried to follow, but Riko’s soft, mochi-like arms clung to me tightly, holding me back.

“Onii-san.”

“Riko… sorry, but I need to—”

“Onii-san. What does ‘circumcised’ mean?”

“Riko… sorry, but I really need to—”

“What does ‘circumcised’ mean, onii-san?”

She’s right. What could I even do if I caught up with Maika? She’d only dig her heels in further. Even if I begged her to help as a manager, would she really agree? Maybe if I sincerely apologized for everything and told her how I truly felt, she’d blush and say, “I guess I have no choice…” But I couldn’t do that. If I let it all out, I might not be able to stop. I might say things I should never say. Besides, it was too embarrassing. Even I have my pride.

“What does ‘circumcised’ mean? Riko’s really curious.”

Damn it! If only I’d managed to say it when Maika’s mood softened. But Riko had ruined it with her trick play. Maika had set up a perfect chance for me, but my hesitation had let Riko crush it.

“Does ignoring me mean circumcision is something inconvenient for you, onii-san?”

Riko had probably been eavesdropping on our conversation from outside. The walls in this crummy house are paper-thin. If I ever reincarnate, I want to be born in a rich family. With Riko and Maika. Oh, but make Maika unrelated by blood.

“Is being circumcised that bad, onii-san? Is it something that can’t be fixed?”

No use fantasizing. I’m not Nakano. I’m not some maiden in love. I’m one year older than Nakano and Maika. I should grow up faster.

In the end, Riko figured out what circumcision meant. Damn it—I never should’ve let her have a smartphone.