Gloomy Outside, Gal Inside ~Dealing with My Step-Sister Isn't Easy~ - Chapter 06: Ayato Gets Angry

Chapter 06: Ayato Gets Angry

“Hey, Kuon.”

“Ha?”

I reacted a bit harshly due to being called by a voice I rarely hear. I regretted my response as it became a bit stern. 

When I turned around, he seemed taken aback by my reply, but his gaze sharpened, and it annoyed me a little. It was that guy, Ito, the classmate I had mentioned before with a bad reputation with girls.

“Isn’t that quite a greeting?”

“Sorry about that. We don’t usually talk, and I haven’t heard good things about you either.”

“You’re pretty straightforward.”

Isn’t it better to be straightforward?

Ito chuckled and then immediately got to the point by placing his arm around my shoulder.

“The other day, the girl walking with you here, was she your sister?”

“Yeah.”

“She may look plain, but she’s first-class material, don’t you think? Does she have a boyfriend?”

At this point, I instantly understood what Ito was trying to say.

I forcefully separated myself from the guy who brazenly put his arm around me, and in a surprisingly low voice, I spoke.

“Don’t you dare say anything else in front of me. I’ll overlook the fact that you looked at my sister with a disrespectful gaze back then, but if you ever try to lay a hand on her, remember this.”

“Huh… Are you some kind of siscon? That’s creepy.”

“I’m not a siscon or anything like that. It’s only natural for me to protect my sister as her older brother.”

Siscon… Well, I guess I’m probably a siscon.

Miu is always a cute little sister to me, and I protected her when she was being bullied… No, even before that, I’ve always wanted to protect her. That’s why I don’t want someone like this shallow guy, who walks around dressed in flashy clothes, to get close to her.

“Who would even touch such a boring girl? You and your sister aren’t anything special, yet you act so cocky.”

As he spat out those parting words, Ito walked away.

It honestly annoyed me to hear him say that, not just about me, but about Miu as well… I was so furious that I wanted to run after him and kick him in the head right now.

“Huh?”

But it seemed that wasn’t my role to play.

Just as I thought something flew neatly through the air, hitting Ito’s head with a satisfying thud—it was a gym shoe.

Ito seemed like he was about to shout something, but quickly averted his gaze and returned to the classroom.

“…Ah~”

Why did Ito back down so easily? The answer was standing before me—the one who had kicked the shoe.

“Shinozaki-san.”

“Hey!”

Approaching with one hand raised was Sana Shinozaki, Rikiya’s girlfriend.

Her appearance was more akin to that of a tough gal… or rather, closer to a delinquent.

She had an aura scarier than the typical delinquent boys around here, so even Ito, who was no pushover, seemed unwilling to oppose her.

“I overheard you from over there. Rikiya was talking about it, but Kuon, you really are a hot-blooded guy.”

“Is that so? I think it’s normal, considering what happened with my sister.”

“That’s precisely why. I think it’s cool that you can become so strong for the sake of your family.”

“Oh, come on. If a girl tells me I’m cool, it’s embarrassing.”

“Haha, even if it’s said by a gorilla-like girl like me, you wouldn’t be happy.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Hey!”

She lightly tapped my back.

Although Shinozaki-san called herself a gorilla-like girl, she was indeed tall for a woman, and she went to the gym, so her arm muscles were impressive… but she was incredibly beautiful.

Her slender figure resembled that of a model… Well, to me, someone like my sister is much more…

“You’re grinning like a pervert.”

“Oh, oops, my bad.”

“…I know you’re thinking something nasty, but it’s oddly refreshing when you try to act cool like that.”

“Don’t praise me.”

“I’m not praising you.”

Once again, she gave me a light tap on the back.

It’s rare to have this kind of banter with a girl, but I guess it’s because of Shinozaki-san’s vibe.

But even though Shinozaki-san has this strong tomboyish side, she becomes like a maiden in front of Rikiya.

“Oh? Ayato and Sana?”

Speak of the devil, huh?

Rikiya elegantly appeared, inserting a straw into a pack of juice he bought from the cafeteria, and observed us with a curious look. 

Despite his girlfriend being with another guy, he didn’t show any signs of suspicion, which speaks to the trust between us.

“What’s up?”

“Kuon showed his manly side.”

Well, that doesn’t really explain it…

As Rikiya tilted his head, I explained the situation, and he nodded in understanding… Well, Rikiya also knows Miu, and we’ve talked about her a bit, so he naturally didn’t look happy either.

“That guy never gets any good rumors about him. But if anything happens, let us know. Sana and I will help you out.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

He’s truly a reliable friend.

Afterward, when we returned to the classroom, Toshinobu joined our conversation.

“Ugh, that Ito guy is such a jerk.”

Toshinobu also knows about Miu, so he was equally outraged.

Actually… It’s true that Miu, who doesn’t stand out, might seem plain… even I think so… but the hidden cuteness within her is truly amazing.

Miu doesn’t try to show that side to anyone outside of our family, including me, so it really makes me angry when people say whatever they want without knowing her true self.

(Sigh… There’s nothing much I can say.)

Well, if that’s what Miu wants, then it’s fine. 

In fact, it’s not entirely bad to feel a sense of superiority from knowing that side of her… Well, it can’t be helped.

▼▽

After school, I bought a cake at the station before heading home.

It seems like Miu has already returned, as her shoes are placed by the entrance, and I can hear the sound of the TV coming from the living room.

“I’m home.”

“Oh, welcome back, Nii-san.”

She’s lying sprawled on the sofa, just like that after coming back from school.

Her skirt is flipped up, and she is proudly showing off her panties without a care in the world.

I wish she had a bit more modesty as a girl… but it’s pointless to say that, considering I know what she’s usually like.

“I bought a cake from the station. Want to eat it?”

“Huh? Really!?”

Her response is beyond enthusiastic.

Miu immediately gets up and rushes to my side, grabbing the box containing the cake before I even give her permission.

“This is from that bakery, right? It’s really delicious, but it’s quite expensive… But why did you buy it?”

“… Ah~”

Well, you know… I got irritated by that Ito guy saying whatever he wanted, and I thought of her as my cute little sister, so I just wanted to do something that would make her happy.

“I just wanted to give a present to my adorable little sister. There’s enough for Dad and Mom too, so don’t eat them all, okay?”

“Oh… Okay.”

Eating them all would be unfair to our parents, and besides, you don’t want to gain weight, right?

I bought four different types of cake, but as for my portion… I thought it would be fine to eat it separately, but when I told Miu she could eat it if she wanted, she strongly refused.

“No, we should eat it together, Nii-san.”

And so, although I knew it would happen, we ended up eating together. 

We transferred the cake onto plates and sat down on the sofa together. In the midst of that, I glanced at Miu’s profile.

Her hair is messy as usual, but she’s not wearing her glasses.

Even so, the elements that everyone points out about her being plain are emphasized… But still, I think she’s cute even when I see her like this.

“Definitely cute…”

“W-what!?”

I accidentally whispered it close to her ear, apologizing quickly before starting to eat the cake. Miu was dumbfounded for a moment, but soon she started eating the cake as well.

“Is something wrong?”

“Nothing. Is the cake delicious?”

“It’s delicious… really delicious♪”

“That’s good to hear.”

~Meow~

Oh, Cocoa-chan, you can’t have cake, you know.

Well, in any case, my sister’s smile is the best. No matter how far it goes, that much is certain. 

While eating the cake, I immerse myself in the feeling of happiness as I look at my sister’s smile.

And then, that night, a conversation like this took place.

“Actually, you know… I’m going to accompany Dad for work.”

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

It was only natural for both Miu and me to be surprised by our mother’s words.