My Little Sister Is the Best F*p Material - Volume 6 Chapter 03: A Slightly Cute, Sassy Twintail

Volume 6 Chapter 03: A Slightly Cute, Sassy Twintail

The meeting place for my date with Yuka was in front of the ticket gate at the station. I, having been instructed to arrive early in the morning, searched for the person I was supposed to meet in the still quiet location.

I hadn’t been told what we were going to do. I had been instructed on the time and place to meet, and told to dress up nicely, so I left the house after grooming myself as best I could, following orders.

Even so, it was summer, so I was going to be wearing light clothing no matter what, and other than wearing a reasonably high-quality polo shirt, there was nothing different from usual. The only thing I went out of my way to do was to groom my eyebrows and hair myself, with advice from Miyu.

“I’m waiting right next to the ticket machine.”

After receiving the message from Yuka, I headed in that direction and spotted a girl. Wearing a light blue dress, her hair styled in twintails with separate, curled strands, she was standing upright, holding a pouch. Her appearance, no matter how you looked at it, gave off the air of a lady, and I almost forgot who I was supposed to meet.

“Good morning.”

I called out to that person, who was probably Yuka, with half-confidence. Her lips, a darker shade than usual, and her long eyelashes. Her height further accentuated by the heels she was wearing, gave her an adult sensuality that I didn’t usually sense. At that moment, I honestly thought she was cute.

“What are you staring at?”

“Ah, no. I thought I made you wait.”

“I wasn’t waiting that long.”

Yuka, looking somewhat nervous, took out an electronic card, which served as her train ticket, from her pouch. She had failed at all her confessions so far, but I wondered if she had ever been on a date before.

“Well, let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“Where else—”

Yuka, who had been about to head for the ticket gate, stopped and looked back.

“An amusement park, of course.”

Even if she stated it so definitively, I hadn’t been told even a fragment of today’s plan.

“If the plan’s already set, I’m relieved, for now. I just need to have money prepared, right?”

“You just need to bring yourself, Onii-san. Leave the rest to me.”

Yuka replied with a more subdued voice than usual, but stated it definitively. It seemed like she had been thinking about the date plan, on the premise that she hadn’t told me anything. However, amusement parks were places where you go back and forth to various attractions, so I wondered if wearing high-heeled shoes was a good idea. It seemed like Yuka was trying her best to dress up, so I didn’t intend to tell her it was a bad idea, though.

“Tell me right away if your feet start to hurt.”

As Yuka started walking towards the ticket gate again, I quickly walked alongside her.

“It’s okay. I’ve been practicing walking for today.”

Yuka, while pouting, walked towards the train platform, looking somewhat embarrassed. For students, today was a holiday, but working people were taking the train to work from the morning. Surrounded by men in suits, we swayed on the train to a relatively famous amusement park in the area.

“Is styling your hair like that trendy? Miyu and Haruka do it a lot, too.”

I hadn’t gone out with them that many times yet, but I had a strong impression that Miyu and Haruka curled their hair when they dressed up. Those two had a thing for loli, so they might just prefer loose, sweet hairstyles.

“Miyu and Haruka do it, so you must like it better this way, Onii-san.”

Yuka spun the curled strands of her hair with a face that lacked affection. Was she matching my tastes? I felt a hint of affection, but it didn’t make me particularly happy, maybe because I had come to like her usual straight twintails.

“That hairstyle suits you too. It matches your outfit well.”

“Yeah, yeah. So that’s how you’ve been charming girls.”

Still fiddling with her hair, Yuka turned her eyes to the outside of the window. She was expressionless, but it didn’t irritate me that much. Still, was she someone who didn’t take compliments so easily?

“—Ouch!”

The train, receiving a stop signal, suddenly decelerated, and Yuka, failing to grab a strap, grabbed onto me, having nowhere else to steady herself. There was a considerable impact, but Yuka’s slender body, without unnecessary fat, was much lighter than I had expected.

“Ah, thank you. You’re stronger than I thought.”

“My part-time job was physical labor, and I’ve been doing strength training.”

And, more than that, I’ve been using my physical strength a lot lately. Even if I’m not as trained as those who train seriously, I’ve gotten a lot stronger compared to before.

“I see.”

Even after the train started moving at normal speed, Yuka quietly stayed close to me for a while. Since she was making her footing unstable with unfamiliar heels, I was more relieved to have her grab me than to have her force herself.

It was a very quiet time. Every time people got on and off from the train doors when the train stopped, I would pull Yuka and move, and Yuka would follow as I directed her. She didn’t complain or even chat, and we continued like that until we arrived at the closest station to the amusement park.

Well, now that we’d come this far, it was probably time to worry about her already. Yuka was never this demure of a person, and I had wanted her to be like this someday, but now I had come to like her wildness, so I would be troubled if she stayed like this.

On the way from the station to the entrance of the park, while matching my pace to Yuka’s short strides despite her long legs, I was racking my brains to analyze this situation. It was something that seemed lame and I couldn’t tell anyone, but we unattractive guys—or at least it was becoming that way for me—would register for suspicious mailing lists and research techniques for talking to girls and becoming close to them. Among them, there were also methods for dealing with when a girl went silent like this.

“Yuka, what kind of attractions do you want to go to?”

I started the conversation positively. I moved the conversation forward, hinting that I was looking forward to our date.

“I’m planning on going around to the popular rides first. We can use the places with short wait times to adjust before we eat.”

Yuka didn’t try to make bold physical contact like Yamamoto-san, and talked while looking straight ahead, maintaining a slightly distanced space. Her complexion was good, and she seemed energetic. In that case, I shouldn’t ask her if she was feeling unwell. That would be blaming her for seeming boring.

Therefore, the correct answer was to act normally until I had confirmation. The best option was to subtly take more breaks.

“So, why are you being so quiet, Yuka?”

Yuka and I weren’t lovers, nor were we dating in order to become lovers, so I asked what I was concerned about directly. The things I had mentioned earlier were techniques for people who were seriously considering a relationship, and to me, who already had a lover, it was none of my concern.

“Say ‘modest.’ …It’s a date, so, you know, the atmosphere is important, right?”

While glimpses of her true nature could be seen here and there, Yuka still seemed to be conscious of acting like it was a date. For Yuka, who had a strong desire for sex like lovers, this was a fitting appearance.

“I came prepared to let you do what you want, but to be honest, I want to go on a date with the usual Yuka.”

If we continued the date in this atmosphere and started having sex, I felt like it wouldn’t be with Yuka. Even if she got what she wanted as a result, Yuka might regret it somewhere down the line.

I wouldn’t be able to stay with Yuka forever, and someday Yuka would seek lover-like sex with someone else. I didn’t think Yuka, who had failed at all her confessions despite having such looks, would easily obtain a loving relationship, and if she started flitting from man to man who just wanted her young body after wandering astray, that would be a repeat of old Harumaki-san.

“Everyone says that. What’s wrong with me?”

Yuka glared at me, fists on her hips.

“I’m preparing for the date, dressing up, being demure—what’s not ideal about that?”

“Before talking about the ideal girl, let me point out that knowing Miyu sets a high bar for me.”

“Ugh… You’re right, I have no comeback…”

Leaving aside those average guys, to me, who has a perfect beauty like Miyu as my girlfriend, the ideal image of a girlfriend is no lower than that level. It’s not something I can proudly boast about, but it’s not a realm that those other girls can easily reach.

“Anyone who agrees to date you wouldn’t be happy with you suddenly acting like a normal girl.”

A man who would become interested in Yuka would, like me, have their brain eroded to the point that they could appreciate that carefree nature. There was no way such people would seek ordinary girliness in Yuka.

“Everyone says that, but in the end, they all leave saying, ‘I liked quieter girls after all.'”

Yuka muttered, as if spewing out resentment.

“That’s because—”

There shouldn’t have been any lies in the fact that I had thought well of Yuka. Most likely, they just had a few arguments during their dates, and he ended up lamenting that her ‘score’ as a potential girlfriend didn’t match what he’d hoped for.

Even so, no matter what the reason was, it’s cowardly to take it out on Yuka. Because he demanded something different from the norm and then ultimately forced her to be normal.

“You just had bad luck with men. You were right not to date guys who couldn’t appreciate your charm.”

“I seriously think so too.”

Yuka crosses her arms and nods deeply.

“That’s why I’m telling you now. If you think I’m the same as those other guys, you should stop this date.”

This date won’t end with Yuka and me becoming lovers. Even so, the reason Yuka insisted on going on this date with me is because she must be looking for something she can only find in me.

“That’s true, too.”

Yuka’s face snapped back to serious and she nodded in agreement.

“You’re getting quite a mouth on you, aren’t you?”

“I owe that to you, Yuka.”

“Then add that to the tab.”

“You’re impossible…”

I sigh and hold my head, exasperated by Yuka who’s pointing at me with a smug look. Yuka-ness is Yuka-ness, but I wonder if there’s anything I can do about her habit of constantly devaluing everything.

“You siblings are both troublesome. You can’t stand leaving a debt unpaid. I’m happy about it because that’s how I get to go on a date with Onii-san.”

Yuka, a little unsteady on her feet, starts walking more leisurely than before. The reason Yuka doesn’t question why she can go on a date with me while Miyu and I are dating is because she thinks this is paying back past debts. In a way, that’s not wrong. Miyu feels responsible for what Yuka has become, and that’s why this situation exists.

I haven’t heard about Yuka’s problems from either Miyu or Haruka. They just told me to listen to what Yuka says and do what I want, which means I have to notice and solve her problems myself. When I’m with her like this, it doesn’t feel like she has any problems, but I wonder if Yuka is even aware of her own problems.

“Hey, what are you doing! Hurry up and let’s go enjoy today!”

Yuka, who was ahead of me, turned around and stood with her arms akimbo. And, the moment she turned back to face forward and tried to run off with gusto, Yuka tripped and fell spectacularly.

“Haa…”

Seeing that, I decided that I would be kind to Yuka today.

“Waaah…hic…hic…why did this happen to me…”

We immediately went to the infirmary for treatment, and I have now got Yuka sitting on a bench with a bandage on her knee.

“At least your clothes didn’t get dirty. And the wound wasn’t too deep.”

“I guess it’s good I’ve been used to falling since I was little…”

“Can’t you, like, try not to fall?”

Yuka’s childhood must have been rough. I want to thank her parents for raising her so well.

“I can’t just mope around here. I need to go scream my head off soon.”

“You like those kinds of rides? Then, let’s stick to the original plan and hit the popular ones first.”

Unless it’s an attraction based on a particularly popular character, the most popular ride in any amusement park is the roller coaster. I’m not someone who frequents amusement parks, but I don’t feel like I’ve been to one unless I ride a roller coaster.

The wait is forty minutes. Considering it’s summer vacation, that’s a short line. Amusement parks are notoriously known as the number one break-up spot, and the waiting time is the downfall. You’re forced to just stand and wait for your turn. Even though Yuka and I aren’t a couple, this time is just as frustrating.

“Waiting is such a waste of time. Why don’t they just use numbered tickets?”

“Because then scalpers would take over and fewer people would actually get to enjoy it.”

“The world becomes inconvenient because of bad people.”

“That’s how it is everywhere.”

Yuka complains and grumbles, but she doesn’t get angry or raise her voice, so I don’t get irritated either. This amusement park doesn’t have anime-like buildings like some other amusement parks, just thick steel frames supporting the fast-moving vehicles. This time is only good for sharing personal stories, but being with Yuka isn’t painful.

“I’ve been wondering for a while, but why is Yuka’s class so messed up?”

“It’s messed up because you think it’s messed up. Everyone’s just dating normally and having sex normally. Miyu and Haruka are the ones who are special.”

Hearing that, I guess racking up sexual experience while you’re young isn’t a bad thing, and I know that Miyu has a side to her that could make anyone, regardless of gender, fall in love with her. Even so, I still think my friends’ lack of resistance to sex is strange.

“It’s also a big deal that my friend group, especially my closest friends, hasn’t changed classes since elementary school. It all started at an overnight school trip, when we used one of the girls’ bodies to study health and physical education.”

“That’s a pretty significant root cause…”

Yep, these guys are definitely unhealthy. There’s no doubting that anymore.

“Girls our age will casually date even unattractive older men. It gives us the wisdom to avoid being deceived by those kinds of guys.”

“Wasn’t it Yuka’s friend who asked me out within minutes of meeting me, an older guy?”

When she asked me, a total stranger, to have an orgy with them, I was seriously worried about those girls’ futures.

“You underestimated the “Miyu’s brother” status too much. I can’t blame you for not knowing if you’re not at our school.”

“She’s popular at school, even though she seems so aloof.”

“Maybe she was aloof with you too?”

“That’s… true…”

Miyu is unsociable even now, usually, and that’s what makes the cuteness she shows at random times so good. Maybe she showed that side of herself at school too. After all, that girl named Yukari, who I heard about once, fell for Miyu because she experienced Miyu’s unexpected kindness.

While we were having this trivial conversation, it was finally our turn. The thick rope that was hanging in front of the entrance was raised, and we sat down in the front row.

As the safety bar lowered to our waists, Yuka grabbed my hand. In that clasp, there was a powerful force that made me wonder if she was trying to twist my wrist off.

“Yuka, that’s actually kind of painful.”

“Endure it. And talk about something, anything.”

The signal to start the roller coaster blared, and the car shook with a clunk. Yuka’s face turned pale.

“Yuka, don’t tell me…”

“Just talk about anything, it’s fine if it’s about your favorite AV.”

“What couple talks about that on a date?”

We slowly climbed the steel frame of the hill with a 45-degree incline. Yuka’s body started to tremble slightly, and her face, with her teeth gritted, had completely lost all color.

“Answer me. Why did you ride a roller coaster when you’re so scared?”

“Don’t be stupid. It’s a scream machine. Why else would you ride it if not to scream?”

“You don’t have to push yourself this hard…!”

I forgot because she’s sometimes cunning. This girl is fundamentally an idiot. Soon, we reached the top, and the roller coaster changed its angle to dive into the magnificent view we were now seeing.

“Ah, wait. I’m going to die. Wait, stop it!”

“Calm down, Yuka. Think of it the other way around. If you imagine the roller coaster dramatically flying off the rails and exploding, it might make you feel better.”

“Like hell I will!! I’m done! Back it up! I give! I give!!”

Okay, here’s the translation:

Despite Yuka’s desperate plea, as the car reached the limit of its forward incline, the roller coaster mercilessly executed a near-vertical drop that felt like freefall.

──GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!

That’s what I expected to hear, a death-throes scream from next to me. However, amidst the scenery of concrete rushing towards us and the storm of wind, what I felt from the seat beside me was only pain—pain so intense that it made me want to scream, as her fingers dug into my hand. Yuka had her eyes squeezed shut, curled up small, praying for this hell to end quickly.

I’m the type who likes to make a lot of noise when riding thrill rides, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Yuka because I was worried about her, so in the end, I didn’t even let out a single sound myself.

When we returned to the disembarkation point, Yuka finally raised her face and looked around, blinking. Then, following the staff’s instructions, she raised the safety bar, staggered a bit, and grabbed onto my clothes.

“I thought I was going to die…”

“You’re definitely still alive.”

It’s not unusual for people to be scared of roller coasters, but it’s the first time I’ve seen someone so completely wrecked by one.

“That felt just like a real scream machine, though.”

“You didn’t scream at all, you just shut out all external information, didn’t you?”

“I-I can handle it sometimes. This was just one of those times when it didn’t come out.”

“I see. Well, you did your best.”

A dull ache still lingers in my left hand, but if this pain helped alleviate even a little of Yuka’s fear, then it was worth it.

“Okay, next is the Scream Maze.”

“That’s a haunted house, you know?”

“I know. But if we’re going for the popular ones first, that’s next, right?”

“Wait a minute.”

Given this flow, Yuka is definitely the type who’s terrified of ghosts. And she’s sadly a bit of an airhead, so she’s probably trying to go even though she knows that.

“Let’s at least do a gentler attraction in between.”

“Are you serious? Are you the type of person who cools off in the open-air bath after just doing the pre-bath rinse before getting in the hot spring?”

“Could you stop forcing through arguments that are subtly impossible to refute like that?”

In the first place, I don’t think that was even close to the level of a pre-bath rinse. The wait isn’t short either, so let’s hope she calms down there.

We joined the back of another long line, queuing for the second scream facility that still had its run-down walls. This Scream Maze is literally designed like a maze inside, a rare type of haunted house where groups of entrants might bump into each other. The interior isn’t themed around something like a derelict hospital, but a pure maze that looks like it could be from a fantasy movie.

They’ve incorporated new technologies like 3D mapping, so there are walls you can walk through that seem to be there, and sounds coming from places where there’s nothing, apparently with quite elaborate effects. It’s a flagship attraction of the park for the next generation, successfully attracting even those who find haunted houses boring because they’re not scary.

“What are they planning to do if people get lost and don’t come out?”

“It seems like guidance signs appear and dead-end paths get blocked off as time passes, making it easier. And on top of that, scare-actor staff chase you towards the exit or something.”

“The last one doesn’t sound very appealing…”

“There are also many emergency exits for people who get too scared to move forward, so just try to stay calm.”

I’ve never been to an amusement park with a girl before, but I guess haunted houses are more fun when your partner is scared.

I can’t imagine Miyu being scared of ghosts. That gap would be kind of endearing though. Yamamoto-san, whether she’s scared or not, would probably let out cute screams and cling to you, so she really is someone who embodies men’s dreams and ideals.

“We’ll enter with the next group, and after a pre-explanation, we’ll officially enter. Are you mentally prepared?”

“Whether I am or not, we have to go, right? Then I’ll just go for it.”

Yuka makes a mysterious resolution even though no one is forcing her. I understand the feeling of not wanting to turn back now after waiting for almost an hour.

“I’m telling you, it’s not like I believe in ghosts or anything.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Certainly, Yuka is more of a down-to-earth type. It’s a bit surprising that she’s so scared of something unscientific.

“Even within horror, there are types that scare you with atmosphere and types that scare you with jump scares, right? I’m bad with jump-scare horror movies and stuff.”

“Doesn’t that make you even less suited for haunted houses?”

Well, it can’t be helped now. I’ll just treat it like walking a timid dog and hold her hand tightly. Yuka had already been firmly gripping my hand since before we entered, so from the outside, we must have looked like a really close couple.

We moved forward in the hallway for waiting customers every five minutes, and in the pre-explanation room we arrived at, about forty people took seats. There, we were told the basic way to proceed and precautions, and then when we were made to stand at the entrances of the multiple mazes, we were guided into the mazes respectively.

Holding the penlight that was handed to us at the entrance, we were thrown into the dim darkness. Walls covered in countless handprints and reddish-black scars formed narrow passages. This feeling of pressure is also driving up the fear nicely. 3D mapping can’t create perfect three-dimensional objects like holograms, but this dim lighting helps to achieve a texture close to real walls.

When we reached a dead end, there was a piece of paper left there like something an adventurer would write, with a hint on it for getting to the exit. “Don’t stare too long at Count Paak’s painting!” – it really hits the human psychology of wanting to do what you’re told not to. Presumably, the image that I thought was a painting will suddenly change, or staff will come to scare customers who stop there.

“…Are you enjoying yourself?”

As usual, there was no conversation. Rather, Yuka was closing her eyes even here, just stumbling along relying on the direction of the force of my hand pulling her.

“You get quiet when you’re scared, huh?”

“I’m not scared. I just don’t want to open my eyes because it feels like something will be there.”

Isn’t that what being scared is? How is that different from someone who believes in ghosts?

“It’s dangerous, can you at least open your eyes? You’ll hurt your leg again if you fall again.”

“Okay. There’s nothing around, right? Wait, my brother is standing right in front of me.”

“Yes, yes.”

I’ve gotten quite used to this princess treatment for Yuka. Maybe it’s because I know she’s a bit of a ditz, but I’m even starting to find this selfish attitude endearing. I’m getting pretty poisoned myself.

When I stood in front of Yuka and tapped her shoulder, Yuka slightly lifted one eyelid. After confirming that she could definitely see me, Yuka first clung to me tightly, and then looked around at her surroundings.

“This is a creepy place.”

“It’s a haunted house, after all.”

I tuned out Yuka’s grumbling as she rehashed facts she should already know, and deciphered the symbols on the wall as written in the memo, and continued onward.

Hints are usually placed at dead ends, and if you just read them, escaping is easy. However, after reading the memo, when you try to return the way you came, a thud! sound comes from a place at the dead end where there should be no one, or one whole wall suddenly turns blood-red, and gradually the accumulated fear makes you refuse to go to read the hints anymore.

“If you let go of my hand, I won’t forgive you!”

“I know, I know.”

Her hand was gripping mine so tightly that I was starting to want to scream, and it was around this time that I began to think we might finally be seeing the exit. When we reached a T-junction, a dull thud, like something hard dropping, sounded from the right-hand passage.

While rebuking the flinching Yuka, I went ahead and checked the right side of the T-junction. There, a woman was peeking out at us in the same way. It seemed we had bumped into another group of customers, and I just gave the other person a light nod.

“Hmph. Don’t try to scare me.”

Yuka muttered angrily at the innocent woman who had just happened to pass by. Immediately after that. The head of the woman we had bumped into fell cleanly off and rolled onto the floor.

“Eh…”

A choked voice leaked from Yuka’s mouth. Drowning it out, a cackling, eerie laugh echoed through the passage from the severed woman’s mouth.

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”

Yuka’s scream, finally released. That voice was leaving me behind and receding into the distance. Here, of all places, she suddenly made a mad dash.

“Wait! Yuka! Don’t get lost!!”

Calling out wouldn’t reach Yuka in her panicked state, and I was stuck searching for someone in this maze. Fortunately, the exit was near, so after separating from Yuka, I retraced my steps to passages I hadn’t yet been through, confirmed Yuka wasn’t there, and then went outside the attraction.

Yuka was sitting on a bench outside, sobbing quietly. Why is this girl such an idiot? And why can’t I bring myself to dislike such a clumsy and selfish woman?

“I didn’t hear anything about them scaring you like that…”

“Because it wouldn’t be scary if they told you.”

Yuka put the handkerchief she had been using to wipe her tears back in her pouch, and then took out a park map from it and spread it open.

“Waaah… where do we go next…”

“M-maybe food would be good?”

It’s impressive, in a way, that she’s not giving up even after being so scared. I respect her vitality, at least.

It was about the right time, so we went into a restaurant to have lunch. Even though it was called a restaurant, it was the kind of place where you take a seat first, and after ordering, you get a numbered ticket and wait. Yuka quickly spotted a seat that looked like it was about to become free, so we were able to have lunch with almost no waiting.

“Today is… kind of like a date, maybe…?”

Yuka scratched her cheek with her finger, looking bashful as she asked.

“It’s becoming more date-like than I expected.”

“I-is that so?”

Yuka has become a bit girlish, maybe her head is messed up from the fear. I don’t dislike this demure side of her either.

Putting that aside, I was worried about Yuka’s feet. It didn’t seem like she had twisted anything, but she was showing signs of dragging her foot, and when I looked closely, the skin where her belt rubbed was red. I want to tell her to wear more comfortable shoes, but I don’t want to make a girl who’s trying so hard feel down.

“Can I decide where we go next?”

“Eh? W-what, is there somewhere you want to go? Then you should have said so sooner.”

Maybe it’s because I showed some initiative in the date, but Yuka suddenly perked up. She’s easy to handle because she’s so mercenary.

I looked at the map, thinking about a route so we could visit attractions that were as close to the restaurant as possible and also interesting first. If I made the conditions that we could move with as little strain on her feet as possible, and that there were cafes for breaks along the way, the order to visit them naturally became decided.

As for properly crafted attractions, there were things like a ride on a cruiser while armed with laser gun-themed weapons, and a ride on a speedboat speeding around an artificial lake. Outside, there were many typical attractions like teacups and merry-go-rounds, and Yuka would beg to ride them, saying “It’s so couple-y!”, so we ended up riding them.

Even while changing plans midway, we were somehow enjoying a date-like time, but Yuka looking like her foot was hurting was becoming too much to ignore.

“Yuka. We’re going into that cafe over there next.”

“Again? We just rested a little while ago, didn’t we?”

“It’s fine. Just sit down on any empty bench or anywhere.”

Since I was forcing her to rest, even Yuka seemed to realize what my intention was. I bought two iced coffees as a seating fee, and Yuka and I sat around a round table.

“I’m totally fine, though.”

“You were walking weirdly to protect your foot. Show it to me for a sec.”

“Ah, hey, st-stop──!”

Since we were already in a relationship with excessive physical contact, I didn’t think it was rude and touched Yuka’s foot to check the extent of the injury. As expected, the mark of the strap was swollen bright red.

“Don’t you have any bandages?”

“No. And if I use one, it’ll be visible with these shoes and won’t be cute.”

Yuka fluttered her bare feet, looking dissatisfied, but her complexion had returned to being better than before we entered the cafe. She was constantly opening and closing her toes, showing just how cramped they had been. Fashion is endurance, as they say, but too much endurance is also not good.

“Even if bandages are visible, you’re still cute, Yuka. Being energetic is your best quality, after all. A little injury is just part of your charm.”

“Is that… a compliment?”

“It is a compliment. At least, I think those kinds of things are what make you good.”

“H-heh…”

Yuka didn’t retort with sharp words like she usually does. She just mumbled, her mouth moving awkwardly. Praising her and encouraging her to look forward is more effective than scolding her.

“When we met at the station, I couldn’t say it honestly, but. I was surprised because I didn’t expect you to become so beautiful. That impression hasn’t changed even now.”

A girl’s fashion’s job is done when she’s praised for it. Once that role is over, all that’s left is practicality.

“Whether you’re happy to hear it from me or not, as someone playing the role of your boyfriend, I’m fully aware of your cuteness.”

This was genuine. It’s frustrating to admit, but it’s a fact that I, as a man, am finding this selfish and unreasonable girl attractive.

“Everyone else who was watching you here probably thought you were cute too.”

“I don’t care about other people.”

Yuka, who had been silent, opened her mouth.

“T-tell me more.”

Yuka’s cheeks were completely relaxed into a smile, but because she wasn’t used to being praised, her face was stiff and awkward in a way I couldn’t describe. It was interesting, so I decided to praise her more.

“Even today’s date, I’m probably enjoying it more than you think. Being with you energizes me, and there’s no way I wouldn’t be happy to be on a date with a cute girl. About your feet, I’m also partly to blame. I noticed a while ago that heels looked painful, but they suited you, so I kept quiet.”

These were words I consciously chose to praise her, but when I said them out loud, they were all sincere. It’s a little different from saying she’s a good person at heart. She has fundamentally flawed parts, and on top of that, she’s arrogant and insincere – that’s the woman called Yuka. However, that overwhelming energy of hers makes even those bad aspects seem attractive. In a way, she might be similar to a major villain in a shonen manga.

“S-so so so, th-that’s what… you should have… sooner…”

Yuka spoke in a small voice, almost groaning. She probably wants to say “You should have said those things sooner,” but she can’t speak properly because her mouth is so loose with smiling. Maybe I praised her a bit too much.

“So, in order to enjoy the rest of our time, let’s get into some more comfortable clothes, okay? The collaboration shop might have sneakers, and I’ll buy bandages, or get some from the souvenir shop or the first aid station, whatever we can find.”

“If you say so much, I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Okay. Leave it to me.”

After that, I left Yuka waiting at the cafe and found some suitable shoes and bandages. The shop wasn’t nearby, so it was quite a bit of trouble, but it felt good to do something that was asked of me, no matter who the person was.

The shoes were quite expensive, but Yuka had bought both of our entrance tickets together, so thinking of it as a return for that, it wasn’t a painful expense. I returned to the cafe, gave Yuka first aid, put on the sneakers, and put the heels in a box.

Yuka jumped up from her chair, and while being momentarily confused by her suddenly lower eye level and foot height, her complexion was remarkably better, freed from the pain. The light blue dress was a refreshing outfit, so from my perspective, it was actually a more preferable look than before.

“Yuka, you really are beautiful. Why aren’t you popular?”

“H-hey, you’ve been praising me so much since a while ago! I don’t know what to say!”

And with that, she lashed out in reverse anger at the end. Lacking in charm, but very good.

“Sorry, I just blurted it out. I wasn’t lying.”

“What do you mean ‘just blurted it out’? You don’t need to follow up with ‘I wasn’t lying’ or anything. Remember this later!”

Having regained her usual spirit, Yuka thrust the shoebox at me and dashed off. We haven’t talked about where to go next, but I’m not worried about her feet anymore, so I guess I’ll just let her do as she pleases.

I had never tried to flirt with a girl before. Even what I did just now was closer to teasing than flirting. But still, praising a girl and seeing her happy was a pleasant feeling I had never experienced before.

Or maybe it was just a feeling of superiority. But perhaps I shouldn’t just be scared all the time, and try to step into the deeper places of a girl’s heart that she doesn’t let others touch.

When I get home, I’ll praise Miyu a lot too. I only praise her when she’s hyped up, and I want to convey the charm of Miyu that I feel on a regular basis. I think she’ll be happy.

“Hey, flatter me more, you can even kiss me! Let’s have a romantic date!”

Yuka, who desperately wants to be lovey-dovey with me, made such a demand in a loud voice, not caring about being seen by others.

“I’ll do my best.”

I replied as if to myself and chased after Yuka. Come to think of it, I’ve never been on a date as lovers with Miyu. I’ve always just gone along with things, and I want to be the one to initiate something for once.

But how should I ask her out? Or should we have real sex first? Common sense would say that having sex before a date is ridiculous, but my process of getting together with someone is unusual. My relationships with all the women I’ve been involved with so far have started with sex. Because of that, I have no idea what normal people do normally.

“Yuka, where do you usually go when you hang out with your friends?”

Miyu is a bit of a homebody, so she probably doesn’t hang out much with people other than Yuka and Haruka. Asking this might give me some dating tips.

“Why?”

“No, I was just wondering.”

When I tried to change the subject so clumsily, Yuka turned sharp eyes towards me, glaring.

“Ah-ha! You were thinking about Miyu, weren’t you! Talking about another woman in the middle of a date is the worst! Unbelievable!”

Yuka began to criticize me like a fish in water. But thinking about it, I was definitely in the wrong here.

“Sorry, I apologize.”

“Of course you should apologize.”

Yuka took out her phone, opened a notepad app, and wrote down the misconduct I had just committed, showing it to me.

“Adding up all the apologies and debts so far, it’s already over 500 points. You’re my slave, my slave. Tonight you have to be even more lovey-dovey with me than you are with Miyu, or I won’t forgive you.”

“I’ll do my best with that. But is it fun to be lovey-dovey with a slave?”

“Of course it’s fun. Are you stupid? What’s important isn’t objective fact, it’s what I think!”

“I see, I understand.”

I’m curious about how she calculates the 500 points, but this time I’ll just obediently go along with it. Being with Yuka is fun. To make people happy, you have to start with yourself. Yuka, who excels at making herself happy, might in a way have the potential to make people happier than anyone else.

“This is bad… I might like Yuka.”

“What’s so bad about that?”

Yuka glared at me resentfully.

“Common sense says it’s bad. I like Yuka as a girl, as in, romantically.”

“Huh? Eh? Wh-wh-what, what are you saying? Yu, yu, Yuka? Yuuka? Yuuka? Wh-who’s that? Are you talking about another woman again?”

Yuka stuttered dramatically and panicked. Just how unaccustomed is she to being liked?

“Yuka. The twin-tailed girl within a meter radius of me, on a date at an amusement park, with a bandage on her foot.”

“But, that’s, that’s only, me, isn’t it.”

“That’s why I’m saying it.”

When I stated it definitively, Yuka seemed to resign herself and acknowledge my evaluation of her. And then, Yuka, who had lost her energy, hid behind my back, clinging to my arm.

“Why would you like someone like me?”

Yuka muttered in a complaining tone. She didn’t seem embarrassed or angry.

This reaction was unexpected, even for me. Yuka should be trying hard to be liked by both Miyu and men.

This contradictory behavior, in a way, resembles that reckless and stubborn Yuka when she commits unforgivable misdeeds. This might be Yuka’s weak point.

“I don’t even know why I like you. There’s no point in thinking about things you can’t understand, right?”

“Y-yeah, you’re right! We don’t have time to waste. We still have the best attraction of all left: the love hotel!”

“Don’t treat a love hotel like an amusement park ride.”

I wonder if even students can get into a love hotel. I’m pretty sure they’re officially prohibited from them.

“What if it’s full? I don’t think you can reserve love hotels, can you? Should we just go to a business hotel or something?”

“I’ll wait until we can get in, even if we have to. If they ask for ID, I’ll just keep going to places that don’t until we find one.”

“Why are you so insistent on a love hotel?”

“Because it’s a love hotel! I like the feeling of walking in and publicly announcing that we’re going to have sex. Plus, the bathtubs are way bigger.”

“You’re really determined.”

Honestly, I would have preferred it if Miyu had been the first person I experienced a love hotel with. But since I’ve been told by Yuka and Yamamoto-san that I can do what I want, I was prepared for something to be sacrificed.

And that’s fine. What’s important isn’t my own personal hang-ups. It’s to be happy with Miyu in the end. In order to live a steamy life where I don’t have to hold back at all, I’ll give it my all in every little thing I do. Having sex with Yuka and having sex with Yamamoto-san are just events along the way for me to cultivate a pure love with Miyu.

“Listen, Yuka. We’re a very mismatched pair for getting lovey-dovey. So first, we need a trigger to change this distance between us.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Yuka listened to my story and nodded repeatedly.

“I have one answer to this problem.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Have some modesty. Yuka, you need to have some modesty.”

“I do have modesty, okay!?”

Yuka showered me with boos, saying what kind of person would call a girl as lovely as a flower immodest, but when I explained that her adorableness when she’s embarrassed from being praised made her worth getting lovey-dovey with, she understood.

“What specifically should I change?”

“You don’t need to change anything. I just have a small request.”

This was the conviction that I had finally been able to obtain. It was something I realized for the first time after meeting Haruka and Haramaki-san.

“Just once today, anywhere is fine. I want you to tell me that you like me.”

“I do like you though, Onii-san?”

“I know. But I still want you to say it.”

“Hmph. Well, I’ll say it if I remember to.”

“Thanks.”

Yuka doesn’t like me. Or rather, she does like me, but it’s a completely different kind of liking than what a woman would feel towards a man. It’s just a feeling that was born from thinking that she should like me, or something like that.

If I kept being friendly with Yuka while she was still holding on to that “like,” I would eventually end up on the same path as Miyu. This is the reason why Miyu said she couldn’t solve Yuka’s problems herself.

“Even so, it’s not like I’ll be embarrassed just from saying ‘I like you,’ will I?”

“That’s the only thing I could think of.”

“Ehhh, your level of fantasy is just like a middle school boy.”

“Sorry about that.”

I endured the frustration of being made fun of by Yuka, who was smirking, and took her seriously. I had thought she had serious problems like Miyu and Yamamoto-san. But not everyone is in such a special situation. I had gotten too used to being in such special situations.

There was no need to think about anything difficult. What’s at the root of it is, after all, that she’s an idiot. All that’s needed to solve Yuka’s problems is for me to become a puberty consultation hotline for her. That’s it.

“Alright! I’ll show Onii-san the sure-win confession situation that Yuka-chan came up with!”

After flexing her arm, making a bicep, Yuka skipped towards the next attraction. I held back the urge to say, “If you had a sure-win method like that, you wouldn’t have been violated so much up until now.”