Living Normally In An Abnormal World

Chapter 11: Heroine Show

One day during a holiday,

“Do you want to go see a heroine show?”

“Yeah!”

As I was washing the dishes after breakfast, Yuuna was asking me for advice, just like she usually does when suddenly she mentioned a heroine show. Lately, I’ve been feeling like a father for some reason.

“What’s it about?”

“Pretty Cure!”

Ah, it’s the same as Pri◯ure.

“Where is it being held?”

“On the rooftop of a department store five stations away!”

That’s quite a distance. This is a decision I shouldn’t be making on my own, so I’ll consult with Mana.

“It’s a bit far, so I’ll have to consult with Mana.”

“Okay!”

“Good girl.”

“Hmm?”

She leans her head forward, a sign that she wants me to pat her head. It’s an adorable gesture of Yuuna’s, something she’ll only do when she’s still a child.

I wonder if Yuuna will ever rebel. If she ever says something like, “Hey, crappy big bro, buy me a juice,” I’d probably be bedridden for a few days.

I try to pat her head, but there are soap bubbles on my hands, so I wash them off with water and dry them with a towel before patting her head gently.

“♪”

Yuuna is humming happily. I can’t help but spoil her because she reacts so adorably.

“Nii-cha, let’s watch Pretty Cure on TV.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

I watch it because it’s entertaining, but I don’t tell her that. The sound effects during the fight scenes, like “Doshaa!” and “Gushaa!” are quite funny. It’s surprising how realistic the punching sounds are in a girl-oriented anime.

‘Pri~♪ Pri~♪ Pretty Cure!!’

“Pri~♪ Pri~♪ Pretty Cure!”

Yuuna dances and sings next to me, holding the remote control like a microphone. She’s adorable.

It brings back memories… I used to do the same thing during the transformation scenes of Kamen Rider. (T/N: Let’s Start the experiment, shall we? Henshin!)

“Nii-cha, dance too!”

“Eh?”

“I’ll teach you!”

“Sure.”

Let’s go back to our childhood and enjoy ourselves.

– One hour later –

‘Pri~♪ Pri~♪ Pretty Cure!!’

“Pri~♪ Pri~♪ Pretty Cure!!”

We perfectly copied the dance.

‘Your hearts are our target! Bang! Bang! Bang! And you’re done for!’

I’m shining brightly… or so I feel. Sweating is wonderful!

“Nii-cha! Now I’m ready for the heroine show!”

“Okay.”

Sometimes, it’s nice to do something like this.

“Heroine show?”

It’s night, and Mana has returned from work. We’ve finished dinner, and I’m consulting with her about the heroine show. Yuuna went to bed early because she was tired from dancing today.

“Is there any way we can make it work? It’s a bit far, and I can’t take her there by myself.”

The last time I went on a date with Rina, the distance was walkable, so it wasn’t a problem. But this time, it feels like a long trip. There’s also the issue of the stalker from the other day. Since then, I’ve avoided going out except for school, the supermarket, and the department store.

“I have the day off, so I can make it work, but we really need to think about dealing with the stalker.”

“That’s true.”

“How about hiring a male security guard?”

“If that’s what you want, Mana, I don’t mind.”

“Hmm, but I don’t like the idea of leaving it to someone I don’t know.”

I feel the same way. Even if it’s someone who does this for a living, I’d be worried about leaving it to a stranger.

“Let’s think about it another time.”

“Okay.”

“For now, let’s focus on the heroine show.”

“Okay.”

“By the way, Yuu-kun.”

“What is it?”

“…… You don’t have to push yourself too hard, you know?”

“Eh?”

“I appreciate that you’ve been doing the housework since you started going to school. But I don’t like the idea of you overworking yourself because of it.”

“……”

“It’s okay to be more selfish and let me spoil you sometimes.”

“Hmm.”

In reality, my total age is already over 20. I don’t remember how I used to be spoiled, and I don’t know how to act spoiled now.

I used to think that letting my parents relax was a form of filial piety. But now, instead of being spoiled, I’m being asked to be selfish and cause them trouble.

Have I been too hasty?

Suddenly, my life changed, and to avoid causing trouble for Mana, my mother, I started doing housework and stopped acting spoiled.

Now, as a first grader, I…

“…… Mana.”

“What is it, Yuu-kun?”

“Can you… ear pick for me?”

“…… Sure, I’ll give you a lap pillow as a an extra service as well♪”

And so, Mana gives me a lap pillow and ear picks me.

Looking at Mana’s face, she seems happy and asks me,

“What’s wrong?”

“No… It just feels nice.”

That’s right. Being cared for by someone fills my heart with warmth.

“Also… can we sleep together tonight?”

“Fufu… Sure♪”

From now on, I’ll try to be a little more selfish.

– At the department store on the day of the heroine show –

“I came to see Pretty Cure~!”

“Here~!”

The siblings raise their hands and strike a pose. We’re being watched, but who cares. We need to focus on enjoying ourselves.

“Fufu… You two are so cute!”

Mana is taking pictures of us, as she usually does when we do something together.

“Nii-cha, Mom! Hurry up! I want to watch from the front!”

Yuuna pulls on my and Manatsu’s hands, urging us to walk faster. I guess she’s given up on calling me “nee-cha.”

“Yuuna, calm down, we’re almost there.”

“Yes, if you rush, you might fall.”

“Okay!”

I’m looking forward to this small event because I’ve never been to anything like this before.

(I used to only go to Comiket.)

It’s a fond memory now. But even if you arrive at the crack of dawn, it takes hours to get in. Comiket is crazy, isn’t it?

On the rooftop, there are many women with their children, as expected. It’s a children’s anime, after all.

We managed to get seats in the fourth row from the front, which is a pretty good spot. It’s not too close, and we can see the entire stage.

So, in a typical heroine show, the villain appears and kidnaps children from the audience, right? Then, the heroine is called upon to save them.

Simple is best.

On the other hand, if they add gags, the children get confused. Well, elementary school kids tend to laugh at dirty jokes, so it might be okay.

‘Everyone~~~!!! Kon-nichi-wa~~~!!!’

“Kon-nichi-wa~~~!!!”

The show has started. Yuuna greets enthusiastically, while I… I tend to stay quiet in these situations for some reason.

‘Today, Pretty Cure has come to meet everyone because someone called for them! Now, without further ado… “Hahaha!!! Who’s that voice?!’

Boom! An explosion occurs, and smoke rises from the stage. Then, from the smoke,

“I am New Hin! I have come to conquer this venue today! As a start, I’ll take these children here as hostages!”

“Kyaa!!! Nii-cha, help me~~~♪♪”

The children scream. Well, it’s scary to be kidnapped by the villain… By the way, New Hin is an original character from the show. Actually, I like New Hin more than Pretty Cure.

New Hin descends from the stage and walks into the audience to choose a child to kidnap.

“Then… I’ll take this child as a hostage.”

Yes, she’s being taken away.

“Kyaa♪ Nii-cha, save me~~~♪♪”

Yuuna is enjoying herself even though she’s been kidnapped.

“Hmm… Then I’ll take that Nii-cha too.”

She completely misunderstood and thought that “nii-cha” was my name.

“Yuuna! Nii-cha!”

Mana plays along, camera in hand.

As Yuuna and I are taken away, the other children look like they’re about to cry. It’s a typical heroine show.

‘This is terrible! Pretty Cure will lose if we don’t do something! Everyone~~~ Let’s call Pretty Cure together and give them our energy~~~!!!’

“Please help us, Pretty Cure Sensei.”

“If someone calls for us, even if it’s not the sky or the earth, we will come without hesitation!”

“Evil ones, we will judge you! !!”

Boom!!!

Two Pretty Cures, one in red and one in white, appear amidst the explosion. The children are thrilled. Yuuna, on the other hand,

“Pretty Cure… So cool!”

She stares at Pretty Cure with sparkling eyes, completely forgetting that she’s been kidnapped. What a carefree girl.

“New Hin! Let those children go!”

“Fufu… If you think you can.”

“Guys, get them!”

“「「Iii-!!!」」”

Ah… They’re the show’s combat troops.

The fight with the combat troops begins, and of course, Pretty Cure wins…

“New Hin, this is your last chance!”

“Now, let those children go!”

“What are you talking about? Those guys are just underlings… I’m in a completely different league. You think you can beat me just because you beat them? Pretty Cure, I’ll show you the difference in our strength!!!”

Wow… New Hin is such a cool villain. She wants to defeat Pretty Cure with her own strength, even though she took children as hostages. I like her.

New Hin overwhelms Pretty Cure, putting them in a pinch.

‘This is bad! Pretty Cure will lose if we don’t do something! Everyone~~~ Cheer for Pretty Cure and give them your energy~~~!!!’

“Ganbare- Pretty Cure~~~!!!’

And thanks to their support,

“With everyone’s help, I’ve powered up! Now, New Hin!”

“「You can’t beat us at this point!」”

“Kuh! You think you can beat me just because you have the children’s power?!”

“Take this! Our finishing move!”

“「Cutie Curl Heart Break!!!」”

“Kyaaaa~~~!!!’

New Hin is blown away by the finishing move. Thank you, New Hin. You were so cool, and even though you lost, I still like you better.

“Thank you, Pretty Cure!”

“Fufu, don’t worry now.”

Yuuna, who has been rescued, hugs the red Pretty Cure, who gently pats her head. As expected of a pro, she’s used to this.

“Thank you very much.”

“No… It’s my job.”

Please don’t respond so casually, White Pretty Cure.

I want children’s dreams to remain dreams until the very end.

After that, there was a handshake event. Of course, Pretty Cure and New Hin were shaking hands. But people tend to avoid the villain, so I went to New Hin without hesitation.

“Please continue to do your best. I like New Hin, so I’ll be cheering for you.”

“Thank you!”

She happily shook my hand. New Hin is so cute. It’s a gap moe moment.

Although, I may have sounded like a man from my voice, I got nervous, but I managed to pass it off as a female voice.

I always try to sound like a girl, and since I’m a kid, I can get away with it.

“Today was so much fun~♪”

“Yeah…… New Hin was so cool.”

“Ah… By the way, Yuu-kun, you like New Hin, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I was happy to see her up close.”

New Hin is a great villain, and it’s clear at first glance.

“Well, let’s head home now.”

“Yeah.”