My Younger Stepsister with whom I have never spoken to is an online friend from a game into which I have been fooling around for years. - Chapter 8.7
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Chapter 8: An Usual Event
Translated by: White Fanatic
Edited by: SevenTails
(Part 7)
“Hey, you!”
“I’m sorry, I’m in a hurry right now!”
I almost yelled out loud, but looking at Sakaguchi Kenta’s unexpected reaction going from irritated to enraged, my mind was instantly filled with confusion instead of fury. The color of his eyes, which could be described simply as righteous anger, only made me more and more confused.
But more importantly, the main concern right now is Shiyori. I ran out of the place once again and headed for where I had spotted her heading earlier.
“Shiyori!”
“…!”
Shiyori stood in the shadows behind the school building, looking down. When I called out to her, she reacted with a jerk as if she were frightened. The reaction showed that there was obviously something that was not normal.
—Just what in the world is…?
I tried to keep my composure and looked at her, but there was no sign of disarray in her clothes, much less any sign of violence. I was relieved that it was not the worst of situations, but I was also overcome with a sense of helplessness. Shaking my head as if to ward them off, I slowly approach Shiyori.
“Are you all right?”
“… yes.”
“Did he do something to you?”
“… that’s, he didn’t do anything.”
The expression on her face, one of smiling without effort, saying that it was nothing, overlapped with that from when she would force herself to endure despite everything back then. Somehow, looking at how she resembled how she looked the other day when she got picked on and lost her footing out of fear, also furthered my confusion. However, in light of Sakaguchi Kenta’s, whom I just passed by, expression in response, it was hard to imagine he had done something improper to Shiyori. Especially if she said he didn’t.
Nevertheless, I could not find any words to say to Shiyori. I don’t even know where to start. It would probably be best to leave this to someone of the same sex, who is smart and clever.
“Shiyori, I’m calling Nanjo right now.”
“Please wait!”
“Shiyori?”
She cried out loud in a way I would have never thought possible under normal circumstances and in her present state of mind.
And most importantly, she grabbed the hem of my uniform and continued,
“Don’t leave me alone…”
And then she muttered in a voice that sounded as if she tried her best to squeeze it out of herself.
I couldn’t… get any word out to reply to that. I didn’t even know what to say. When I turned around and looked into her face, she looked as if she were looking frightened of something.
“I—… I don’t want her to see my expression right now…”
“Ah….”
All I could do was turn my back after returning those words to her. From behind, I felt a gaze that I remember feeling some time ago.
—Are? This is…
But with my mind whirling with thoughts, I couldn’t remember much about which time it was.
And as usual, in addition to it, I was left unable to even find the words that I wanted to say in return… But I really felt that I needed to tell her this. Yet, since I didn’t know how I was supposed to put it in front of her, with the help of several of my emotions, I tried to say.
“… You don’t need to hold back in front of me.”
“!!”
At that moment, Shiyori, like a spoiled kid, embraced me from the back very tight. She is so tender. I thought to myself as I wrapped my hands in Shiyori’s.
She is a courageous girl who tries hard to change for the better. That girl, who I even felt was dazzling, was now trembling like a lost child.
Shiyori’s condition was not normal at all. Even though she had swollen cheeks yesterday as well, she acted as if nothing was wrong at all. Just what was really going on? I felt frustrated with myself for not being able to do anything about it.
“I’m sorry…”
“… Shiyori?”
And now, for some reason, Shiyori apologized to me. With surprise, I involuntarily turned around.
“…”
“!?”
And when I did, I saw that Shiyori had a solemn smile on her face.
I felt somewhat melancholic for some reason—it was somewhat similar to the kind of smile she made some time ago that I didn’t like at all. And now this silence. After becoming a high schooler and knowing that I couldn’t do anything about it yet, my stomach was boiling in anger for Shiyori, who was trying to hold it all together by herself, all alone, and for my unworthy self, to whom she couldn’t rely upon.
I’m sure that’s the case.
At this rate Shiyori will continue to hold it all in with no further showing of her weakness to anyone. Even the fact that she just hugged me on my back must surely be buried in the past as a momentary distraction. Even if Nanjo Rin and I were to resolve this matter after this, Shiyori would remain as she is right now forever.
That was something I could never forgive myself for.
“Shiyori, please tell me. What happened?”
“… Eh?”