Reincarnated as the Promiscuous Protagonist in a Netori Game, Only to Find the Heroine, My Step-Sister, Already Threatened to Be a Submissive Slave~ Liberating the Slave and Planning to Leave Home, Yet Unexpectedly Becoming Loved by My Step-Sister~ - Chapter 21 - The Road to Fashionable

Chapter 21 – The Road to Fashionable

The next day.

I explained the situation to Minase in advance and was given a day off from the study session today.

It was to prepare for Tsumugi’s birthday party.

“First of all, I guess I need to prepare a gift.”

But I have no idea what’s good for Tsumugi.

As long as I have Nii-san, I don’t need anything.

“Your Nii-san is really troubled because of that, Tsumugi…”

I came to the mall, but I still didn’t know what to get…

“—Nii-san? Takuma’s a Nii-san?”

At that moment, I was approached from behind.

“I see~ The girl from before was your sister~ Heh~~”

When we moved to a place where we could settle down and I explained the situation, Sazanami Iroha shook her bright hair and her smile deepened.

“I see, so Takuma’s really a big brother… An Onii-chan… A Nii-san… Pftt~”

I don’t know what’s so funny, but she can’t help but giggle.

Did I make a mistake in my selection…?

I met my childhood friend just when I thought I couldn’t manage on my own any longer.

I thought that she, who treats Takuma both positively and negatively on equal terms, might be able to help in some way…

“Hey, Sazanami.”

“Ahaha, sorry, sorry. It’s just a bit too funny that Takuma is now a big brother.”

Is it really that unbelievable?

“Also, what the hell? Why are you calling me Sazanami? Have you forgotten my name since it’s been so long? It’s Iroha~”

“Ah, s-sorry. I… Iroha.”

“Good~”

She smiled with satisfaction. Today she seems somewhat more excited than when we first met.

“So, a present for your sister’s birthday?”

“That’s right. Do you have any good ideas?”

“When it comes to pleasing girls, I think Takuma is more professional than me in that regard~?”

“I want a girl’s perspective.”

“Yes, yes~ Un~der~stood~”

Iroha put her finger to her chin in a thoughtful gesture.

“Well, to put it in the extreme, I’d be happy with any present that the person I love has worked hard to choose for me. It’s a thoughtful gift. I would have no complaints. I think your sister seems to be exactly that type of person~”

I can’t imagine Tsumugi being disappointed by the contents of the present. I could agree with that opinion.

But that’s why I’m worried.

In other words, whatever I choose will be the correct answer, but I can’t find anything better than that.

It’s a family birthday party. I want to make it special.

“Does Takuma’s little sister adore him?”

“Well, maybe.”

Iroha nodded in agreement, saying that since we went out together before, it makes sense.

“Did you two do it?”

“We didn’t!”

“I see~ No naughty stuff, then.”

What is she thinking of as a gift…

“You’re acting properly as a big brother, aren’t you, Takuma~”

“…Well, yeah…”

“Did Takuma’s little sister change him?”

“……”

Iroha gazed at me sincerely, as if peering into the depths of my heart.

“I haven’t heard any bad rumors lately. As your childhood friend, I’m really happy. Well, until now, it’s been quite embarrassing. I mean, you’re the worst kind of childhood friend, after all.”

And she reached for my head.

“Good job. Yosh, yosh.”

Her flexible fingers stroke my hair. It was a tantalizing sensation. It didn’t feel unpleasant, rather it felt good.

“…W-What’s with you all of the sudden…”

Her sense of distance is a little different from before. This kind of skinship would never have happened in the past…

I still don’t think I’ll ever understand this childhood friend.

What did Takuma do…?

What did Takuma think of Iroha…?

“Well~ I wonder~?”

Then, at her suggestion, we went round the mall together…

“How is it, do you think you got a good present?”

After shopping, Iroha asked…

“Well… I don’t know.”

“I guess so~ I don’t know your sister well either, so I have no idea what’s good to get~”

She laughed and acted like a fool.

“But what I said at the beginning is all that matters in the end. You don’t have to worry too much~”

“Yeah, thank you. You really helped me out.”

“You’re welcome. I had a good time too.”

Iroha smiled softly as usual, but it felt softer than any of her expressions in my memory.

“Anyway, let me get to the point.”

Her expression turned serious.

Her eyes stared at me.

This also happened when we first met.

A gaze that seems to be directed not at my face, but deeper.

Don’t tell me she’s noticed that I’m not Takuma…!?

It’s not impossible for a childhood friend who knows Takuma better than anyone else.

Nervously waiting for her next words, time seemed to drag on tremendously.

And then—

“There~~~!!!”

“Kyaaaaaaa!?!?!?”

Iroha ran into the shadows directly behind me and pulled out a black mass.

A strange scream echoed around.

“M-Mayoi!?”

It was Mayoi Yura, a girl I had just convinced(?) to separate from me yesterday.

Could it be that she’s been following me again today…!?

After yesterday, I thought everything was already settled.

“Takuma, this girl’s a stalker!”

“I-I’m not a stalker… I was just looking at Takuma-san…”

“That’s called stalking~”

Apparently, Iroha has been aware of Mayoi’s presence all along.

“Iroha, I know this girl. Let her go.”

“Eh, really? Ah, wait, even if that’s the case, isn’t this some kind of twisted love affair? Takuma must have accumulated a lot of resentment~ Wouldn’t he get stabbed the moment I let her go? Oh no, that’s too gruesome for me.”

Well, I can’t deny it now that she’s said that…

“Hiiii… So scary~ So scary~… Please don’t bully me…”

Mayoi was sobbing and crying.

“It’s okay. She won’t do any harm.”

“OK~!”

Poof! Mayoi was released.

“T-Takuma-san~~ I was so scared~…”

She immediately clung to me.

I do feel some sympathy for the situation where a gloomy girl is nowadays caught by an outgoing girl.

I stroked her back until she stopped crying.

“Why were you stalking me again?”

“T-Takuma-san, even you’re treating me as a stalker…?”

“Yes.”

“Uwaa…”

Well, I don’t mind as long as she doesn’t do any real harm…

Let’s just move on from that…

“I did my best… Yesterday when I got home, I looked up fashion and everything and tried to be cute…”

Mayoi talked while fiddling with her fingers.

“But, I really didn’t understand… There were too many foreign words… What word means what, I didn’t understand anything… Ahhhh… Huaahh…”

It seems that the level of difficulty was too high for Mayoi, who had a fashion level of 0.

Even Tsumugi, who seemed to have a high sense of style, was hesitant to choose her own clothes.

A sense of style and fashion is not something that can be developed overnight.

“T-That’s why I thought I’d observe first of all…”

“Observe?”

“Yes… Observe the cute girls that gather around Takuma-san who’s so cool! I thought I could watch them and learn from them…”

“…I see.”

It’s true that there are a lot of beautiful girls around me, thanks to Takuma.

Involuntarily, I turned my eyes toward Iroha. She is a beautiful girl indeed. And she is not a completely natural one like Tsumugi or Kokoa, but a type who is moderately fashion-conscious.

Mayoi’s gaze naturally turned to Iroha.

“Hmm? Me?”

“You look so cute…♪”

“I-Is that so? Ahaha~”

Iroha doesn’t seem entirely unaffected by Mayoi’s compliments.

“Well, it’s a little vague, but I get the story.”

Iroha nodded and stepped in front of Mayo.

“Do you want to be cute?”

“Y-Yes…! I want to be cute…!”

When Mayoi said it with full enthusiasm, Iroha smiled and held out her palm.

“Then I’ll make you look extra cute~”

“R-Really!?”

“Well, you don’t look bad. I think I’ll enjoy it.”

Iroha herself took Mayoi’s hand, which was wandering in the air.

“I’m Sazanami Iroha. You can call me Teacher, okay?”

“I’m Mayoi Yura. I look forward to working with you, T-Teacher!”

“It’s nice to meet you too. Yura-chan.”

Thus a strange teacher-disciple relationship was born.

Mayo’s eyes, which peeped out faintly, sparkled with joy.

I initially didn’t know how things would turn out, but this is surely one of those good encounters, isn’t it?