I Got Dumped by My Childhood Friend Fiancée Who I Didn’t Even Like, I Thought I Could Finally Have a Peaceful School Life… But Then I Got Targeted by SS-Class Beautiful Young Ladies

Chapter 22: [Kirishima Family Contact] I Ignored My Sister’s Crazy Phone Spam, and She Was Waiting at My Door…

“…Sigh. Dealing with those three again today really wiped me out…”

A few weeks had passed since that day—the one where we switched to first names with the conglomerate heiresses, dropped the polite speech, and supposedly got a lot closer (?).

Other than that, though, my days kept getting dragged around in the exact same chaotic way. At the very least, the peaceful everyday life I’d been hoping for had completely given up on me. Life’s rough.

Ever since joining the Polishing Research Society, the number of sighs I’d let out had shot way up. I let out another one today, dragging my heavy feet along the road home.

“…Seriously, what even was today’s activity…? ‘Polishing the right way to handle things when Martians invade’… Like, when the hell is that ever gonna come in handy?”

I went to that clubroom maybe four days out of the week, but today’s topic made zero sense.

If Martians actually invaded, running away would be the only real option. So why did they still have “fight back” on the table? Everything about today was just a giant mystery.

…Well, okay. It’s not like the mystery was only today.

I’d figured this out recently: the club’s activities weren’t the stiff, serious stuff I’d first imagined at all. If anything, it was the total opposite.

From what Rei-senpai had told me before, it was supposed to be a place to polish your individuality as a weapon for surviving in high society—but so far I hadn’t seen even a hint of that.

What they actually did? Building art out of Jenga blocks, trying to break super niche Guinness records, running simulations against alien invasions… In one word: completely pointless nonsense.

That’s exactly why—I take back what I said before. Completely.

That place looks like bored heiresses just messing around, and yeah—it really is just playing. Straight-up playing. Nothing they do there is ever gonna connect to their actual futures.

In the end, I still had no clue why they’d half-forced me to join… Yeah, I’m done thinking about that club. I can’t stand letting those eccentric young ladies invade even my private time.

I shook off the tiredness clouding my brain, pulled out my phone, and scrolled through my SNS timeline with practiced ease.

Right away, I spotted fresh info on my favorite anime that’d just posted a few seconds ago.

“Whoa! For real!? They’re doing a collab café!? Gotta reserve this one no matter what~”

I muttered it happily and was about to tap the reservation link when—

Incoming call: Kirishima Yuzuka

My sister’s name popped up on screen, along with the answer button.

I shoved the phone straight back into my pocket.

“That was close. Almost hit the call button.”

I whispered it to myself and decided I’d seen nothing.

Seriously, though—the reservation link and the answer button being in the exact same spot? Total trap. Anyone else would’ve pressed it for sure.

But the vibration in my pocket wouldn’t quit. It stopped for a second, then started right back up again, over and over.

…No way. I really, really don’t wanna pick up right now. I’m already this tired—any more hassle and I’m done…

“…Yeah. Sucks I can’t reserve right this second, but it’ll be fine later. I’ll definitely do it later… just hang on a bit longer…”

As an otaku, it felt pathetic, but survival came first.

I pulled the noisy phone out again and held down the power button.

Once the screen went completely black and I saw my own face reflected in it, I stuffed the now-silent device deep into my bag so I wouldn’t pull it out easily, then started walking home again.

I passed through the apartment entrance and hurried into the elevator.

In the quiet little box, all the fatigue from the day crashed over me like a wave.

I leaned lightly against the wall and stared blankly at the floor numbers ticking up.

—Man… I just wanna get home, take a bath, watch some anime, and pass out. But first… I should probably call Yuzuka back at some point…

After straight-up ghosting her like that, if I didn’t call today, things would get scary later. Last time I forgot, she made me sit in seiza chanting “Namu Amida Butsu” for two straight hours…

Lost in gloomy thoughts, I barely noticed when the elevator reached my floor.

With a soft ding, it stopped.

The doors slid open to reveal the usual hallway I saw every day…

…No.

It should’ve been the usual—but even though nothing looked different to my eyes, a strange unease and bad feeling spread through my chest.

I couldn’t explain why, but instinct was ringing a tiny alarm bell in my head…

“…Nah, nah, overthinking. I’ve just been too tired lately—I’m losing it…”

I desperately pushed down the growing restlessness in my chest and forced myself to keep walking like nothing was wrong.

Just turn this corner ahead and my completely normal room would be there. Stick the key in, step over the threshold—that’s all it would take for a short burst of blissful peace.

My feet sped up without thinking as I rounded the corner.

And then—in that instant.

My already unsteady heart slammed hard against my ribs.

Right in front of my door. A woman leaned back against the entrance, fiddling with her phone.

Long black hair. A perfectly shaped profile that looked like a painting just standing there.

No way to mistake her—and part of me really wished I could—but standing there was my actual older sister. The same one who’d been spamming my phone earlier.

The second she noticed me, Yuzuka slowly lifted her eyes from her phone.

“…Welcome home, Yoichi. You sure took your time. I got really tired of waiting, y’know?”