Translator: Lilo
Editor: Ryuubii

Chapter 2: Average Day Was Well Off The Average Value

Act 4(1)

I returned to the Hasumi residence at exactly 7:00 pm.

If I consider the time I spent having coffee with Takinami-senpai on the station platform, I would have been home 15 minutes early.

I got through the gate and stood on the front porch.

After taking a deep breath, I opened the door.

I don’t have a key to this house. No, to be precise, uncle almost handed it to me once, but I saw the complicated face of Hasumi-senpai from the corner of my eye and I refused it. I said, “I’ll take it once I get used to the house.”

I mean, what did you expect? For Hasumi-san, it might be a no-brainer since I’m his son, but for Hasumi-senpai who got introduced to her half-brother that came out of nowhere and was as good as a stranger, her reaction was to be expected.

Therefore, as much as possible, I tried not to go out or come back when they were away.

‘On that note, it’s quite convenient that I’m on the library committee.’

I made a self-deprecating smile.

Since If I open the library, I will naturally come home late like this.

I silently go up to the entrance.

It was quite strange. When mom was still alive, I would say “I’m home” even if no one was present. But here, I just silently walked up, even if Hasumi-senpai was home.

I continued down the hallway and went into the living room.

I looked toward the kitchen and saw Hasumi-senpai cooking in the same loungewear clothes and apron she wore in the morning. She was probably preparing dinner.

“I’m back.”

“Mhm…”

Cold, not even a word. And naturally, she didn’t look towards me.

I don’t expect a friendly greeting, and I don’t think Hasumi-senpai would want to give me either. After reporting that I’m back, I went up the stairs in the corner of the living room and returned to my room on the second floor.

And in the middle of this, I heard Hasumi-senpai’s voice.

“…It’s already done. Once you get changed, come down.”

I turned around. But the angle seems off, so I can’t see her. I went down a few steps back. However, Hasumi-senpai was still in the middle of cooking.

“Understood.”

I replied to her back and started to climb the stairs again.

Crawling into the room, I threw my bag and quickly changed into my regular clothes. I was feeling the need to take a breather, but I quickly left the room. On the way, I washed my hands in the washroom upstairs and went down once I’m done.

In the kitchen, Hasumi-senpai was in the middle of arranging dishes on the dining table.

The menu consists of Kyoto-style grilled pork, braised burdock root and tuna salad.

For two people.

That means it was for me and Hasumi-senpai.

“Um, what about uncle?”

“He’s on night duty today. He won’t be back.”

“I see.”

I was convinced. That hospital also provided nighttime diagnosis services in addition to emergency services. Hasumi-san, a doctor specializing in cardiovascular medicine, would probably be on duty as well.

“Medical examination at noon, night shifts, then repeat on the next day. What a brutal job, being a doctor.”

Hasumi-senpai said it like she was not interested – maybe because she really wasn’t amused, or maybe because she was dealing with me.

“It’s done… Now, why don’t you sit instead of standing there aimlessly?”

“Ah, sure.”

As I talked with Hasumi-senpai, admiring her skill in arranging the dishes on the plate, I realized that all the plates had been set, and I suddenly came to my senses.

I sat down as I was told, and Hasumi-senpai also sat down.

Then, just like in the morning, the two of us began to eat together.

As expected, no small talks. Perhaps that’s why the food was so tasteless, even though it was undoubtedly delicious. This is a good example of how the atmosphere affects the food.

“Senpai, next time you don’t have to wait for me and you can just go ahead and eat ― Ah, and no, I’m not trying to be considerate…”

In the middle of my talk, Hasumi-senpai turned to me with a grumpy expression, and I immediately changed my choice of words to clear up the misunderstanding.

She probably thinks I’m being considerate of her again by saying this.

“As you know, I’m on the library committee, so I’m usually gonna be home around this time every day. If you eat along with me, you’ll be eating late too.”

“Oh, so that’s what you meant.”

What I got back from Hasumi-senpai was a reply that sounded more like she had lost interest rather than her being convinced.

“Don’t worry. This is the usual time we eat.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Dinner at 7 p.m was probably later than any average household. Well, maybe a house whose parents are doctors was not probably an average household.

Our family also had dinner at the same time too. However, in our case, mom worked at the same hospital as Hasumi-san, but she usually came home earlier than I did when I opened the library, so she had to wait for me.

“If you’re gonna be home any later, call me.”

“I understand.”

That said, I did not have her contact address. So it would be safe to come back straight after closing the library so as not to be late.

‘I can’t come back earlier, or any later… Man, it’s getting more and more restrictive.’

I will ask Hasumi-san for the phone number of this house tomorrow because I don’t want any unforeseen circumstances to arise.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you―”

After silently moving her chopsticks for a while, Hasumi-senpai unexpectedly cut to the chase.

“Who else is on the library committee?”

What a question.

I didn’t think she would initiate small talk. Perhaps she was trying to fill in the silence?

“I think I’ve only seen you… Well, I’ve only been there a few times, so maybe it’s just bad timing.”

“It’s just me alone.”

“Ha?”

When I answered her question, she sounded so surprised.

“It’s just me alone.”

“I heard you… Eh? What’s up with that? You’re alone?”

What do you mean you could hear me when you just asked for confirmation? I thought you couldn’t hear me.

“I had seniors until last year, but after they graduated, I’m the only one left.”

Maybe it was because it was a modest and unpopular committee to begin with. It would have been nice if someone new had joined this year, but as you can see, it was unfortunate. Maybe it was because committees have the same opportunities to recruit new members as they do in clubs.

“Isn’t that a lot of work?”

“Well, I suppose. The school is also aware, so they don’t make me do this and that.”

I guess they were just thankful that it was being opened. That’s expected, at a school where almost all students choose to go on to college, it would be unbecoming for the library to remain unopened.

“Isn’t it hard work? Why continue doing it? What, do you enjoy it? Do you like books?”

“I don’t particularly like books. I’m also not the kind of person who would be happy if I were to be surrounded by books.”

“Then why?”

Hasumi-senpai tilted her head, looking really puzzled.

“If I had to say, it was probably because there are people who are annoyed when the library is not open and people who are happy when it is.”

Two women’s faces immediately come to mind.

“Okay?”

Suddenly, Hasumi-senpai threw her back against the backrest, sounding both impressed and dismayed.

“I can’t imagine doing that. I can’t.”

Then she looked up.

Well, I guess that’s true for some people. It’s not even about competing with others. There are no records, no evaluations, no merit to it. The best you get is a line to your unofficial report.

It’s merely a service activity.

Not everyone, but there will be those who are suited for it.

“Why would you even think of doing something like that?”

Hasumi-senpai again moved her body away from the backrest, this time leaning forward while peering for an answer.

“When I was in middle school, there was a lecture at a nearby university.”

Then, I answered.

“A lecture?”

“Yes. From a librarian in the United States.”

I happened to hear about the lecture and went to listen to it on a whim.

The lecture was about how Japan’s library administration was lagging behind and had gone in the wrong direction. Libraries were not places to borrow books, but to obtain information. Such was the story.

Sadly, the audience was small, and I was struck by his chuckle as he said, “Look at how little interest there is.”

“That’s how it started.”

However, I could not understand the attraction of libraries. What attracted him to libraries and why did he cross the ocean to become a librarian in the U.S? But I felt that it was wrong to dismiss him just because I didn’t understand it. So I decided to give it a try and joined the library committee when I entered high school.

“Did anything good come out of trying?”

“Nothing in particular at the moment.”

Standing at the podium, he also said that librarianship is the job of bringing books and people together. Unfortunately, neither me nor the high school library committee members can do such a big job. At the moment, I’m not confident whether I could fulfill the role of a librarian as he had described it.

But for myself, I met people, not books. It could be Takinami Ruika or someone else.

“What about you, Hasumi-senpai? Club activities, committees, things like that.”

This time, I asked her.

I thought we’re in that kind of atmosphere right now.

This was probably the first time since I came to this house that we are having an honest conversation. What I see in front of me now is close to the Hasumi-senpai I see at school. So now I wanted to continue the conversation a little longer.

But apparently that was a mistake.

“Me? I was on track and field until 8th grade.”

“Until 8th grade?”

Kind of a half-baked time to quit. Usually, students quit in preparation for high school entrance exams, which can be as early as the summer of 9th grade, and as late as the fall of the same grade.

“But―”

And that was when the expression disappeared from Hasumi-senpai’s face.

“My mother was hospitalized for an illness and died in less than six months and ― I lost all motivation to do anything. By the time I realized I couldn’t go on like this, it was too late. I couldn’t do the same training routine as before, and my record was not going to come back. So I knew I had to stop.”

Perhaps remembering her late mother, Hasumi-senpai told only the truth and then fell silent.

Once again, a silent meal ensued.

“Say,”

After a while, she opened her mouth again.

She didn’t look at me. Her gaze remains fixed on her plate.

“Do you think mom died, not knowing anything about you, or dad’s infidelity?”

Ah, I was mistaken.

What she remembered was not her mother. But she remembered that we don’t have a great relationship.

Hasumi-senpai must have been caught off guard. She had asked a question on a whim to fill the silence and had unexpectedly received an interesting answer, which made her a bit talkative. But then she came back to her senses and thought I was proof of her father’s betrayal.

“I’m sorry but I have no clue… You’ll probably have to ask uncle about that matter.”

Only Hasumi-san knows the answer to that question.

“I suppose. Next time, I’ll ask him.”

“….”

She probably doesn’t really have the intention of doing so, so she simply dodged the topic.

That’s natural. It was normal to hesitate when Hasumi-san might give an unwanted answer.

In the end, we finished our meal without exchanging any more words.