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The ducking brat wants to know.

(POV: PAST)

While spreading the children’s enemies on the table, The three brats are busy working on their homework.

I play the role of a private tutor who teaches them whenever there is something they don’t seem to understand or when they stumbled upon something.

“Hey, have you two already finished your independent research task yet?”

After a short break, Asaka asked timidly.

“I’m going to make a daily diary on observing beetles.”

Mio said that confidently. This brat really loves beetles, doesn’t she.

[TL notes: gonna change Mio to Mio.]

“Heh, that’s amazing. What about Mahiru-chan?”

“I researched and put together the history of Japanese games and compiled them.”

“Waow~”

“It seems the old men of the previous era used to play games that didn’t have a touch panel.”

“What th, nowadays do elementary school children have to do independent research from the very first grade?”

“Didn’t you have one Yuu-nii?” Mio asked.

In my time, I think it was probably from the third year… Or maybe from the fourth year I think that I was asked to make one?”

My memory is vague, but I think it was from somewhere around that time.

“Unn”

“I wonder what we are supposed to do in that independent research?”

“You can find out and write about things that Asaka, you yourself wonder about. It greatly benefits in the long run when you investigate these things all by yourself.”

“Don’t you say nice things too once in a while, Yuu-nii?”

Mahiru says that haughtily.

“What do you even mean once in a while. Anyway, try to give explanations to something like that?”

“Something that concerns you or have you wondering about…”

Asuka holds her head in her anguish.

I reach out for the cup having barley tea.

“Why do people keep on doing bad things?”

[TL notes: Asaka is thinking of making this her independent research. This is research taken in by PhDs, by the way…]

“… That’s a philosophy that can never be solved. Not something like that, but more of something that is grounded, like a daily thing.”

“Hmm, then how about, ‘why is the sky blue’?”

“Oh, isn’t that a fine one? That’s what you should try to go with.”

“Why does water boil at 100 degrees Celsius?”

“Yes, yes, just like that.”

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“How are babies made.”

“Guhoghh!?”

“Uwaa, Yuu-nii. Don’t spit out the barley tea! Mio, bring the towel.”

“Sure thing”

“Just what happened?”

Asuka’s eyes, which were staring blankly at me, were just so pure and white.

“Well, that’s something you don’t need to know!”

“Why? I’m really curious about it.”

“Sure, even I don’t understand it quite well either. Although I can easily figure out that storks bringing it flying to your window is a whole bunch of lies.”

“Wouldn’t it be done with a kiss? A kiss like this.”

Mio pursed her lips together to show.

“It won’t, damnit.”

“What–what? Yuu-nii knows something about that?”

Mahiru looked at me with a questioning look.

“N—no, even I don’t know, I think? But more importantly, isn’t it just fine to go with the stork brought from the skies? But even I’m curious. I mean, the universe is so huge, you know, right, definitely curious how.”

“Come to think about it, really so. Unn, I wonder why.”

“I’m curious too. About that.”

“Alright, I’ve got my topic then.”

It’s because these ducking kids will again put me in a strange place if I were to say. Like just the other day, when they put one another in a dire situation from which one cannot extricate while playing house-house…

Let’s just guide them quickly before they change their minds.

“Okay, well then, let’s go to the library and check it out.”

“Ou”

A corner of the municipal library, a space for children.

Rows of waist-high bookshelves were lined up in parallel, with the premise overflowing with children from infants to the upper grades of elementary school had come along with their guardians.

The air conditioning works moderately, and the lighting is also not made too bright, so it’s a very comfortable space.

Asuka took some books from the children’s science corner and looked them up with a complicated expression on her face.

Beside her, Mio and Mahiru were silently reading children’s books. Discussing their impressions of the book after reading.

The sounds of turning pages of paper and the sound of footsteps resound in the spacious hall.

Occasionally, I can hear whispers of consideration for the surroundings.

“I’m relieved that even these as*ho*es don’t seem to make a fuss over here.”

“So how is it? Did you get to know something?”

“Unn”

Asuka nods her head in denial.

As expected, was it too difficult for a 1st grader in elementary school?”

“There’s a lot of sunshine, but every color is different, and the blue light spreads easily…?”

“So, why does it spread so easily?”

“So, there’s something called a wavelength. And the reason for the wavelength of light remaining short is because there’s a lot of dust in the air… so the blue light has a short wavelength… …And since the light hits the dust easily, it spreads easily. The blue light spreads more than any, and so the sky appears blue. Desu.”

“Aren’t you amazing~. Now all that’s left is to put it all together in a way that’s easy to understand.”

“Ehehe”

Well, this will be a secret, that I also learned this for the first time.

Asuka diligently copied the contents of her individual research into her notebook.

Well, since I’ve come all the way to the library. I should read some books too. Actually, I don’t dislike reading. Instead, I like it. My go-to is basically fantasy and adventure novels. However, I’ve also started getting the hang of mystery novels recently.

Above all, I like authentic mysteries with an emphasis on solving those mysteries.

After choosing a book and returning to the table, I found Asuka alone.

“Can you do the rest by yourself?”

“yes”

Okay then, let’s go read without worrying about anything anymore.

An old mansion. A blood-ridden family. A mysterious, beautiful girl and a clan with mysteries and closed circles.

Fumu, just the type of atmospheric stage that I like.

After a while, Asuka let out a small cheer.

“Fu, I made it.”

At about the same time, Mahiru returned.

“Asaka, look. I found an interesting book.”

“Woaw”

It seems she found an interesting book for themselves. Whatever it is, don’t make too much noise. I’m at a great place right now. Ah, this looks like some sort of hint, huh…

―And just as I was thinking that this time Mio came back and,

“Hey, there’s a movie upstairs,” yelled.

“Mio, please be quiet.”

“The librarian is staring at you.”

“What-what?”

“Movie?”

“Yuu-nii, can I go?”

“Quiet-quiet.”

It looks like they’re holding some sort of movie screening. Well, it’s easier for children to grasp pictures than words.

I think that’s fine, with that I can concentrate on reading the book at hand thanks to the absence of these noisy brats. Even so, the more I read this book, the more I feel it pinpoints right into my tastes.

＊

“Fu~uu”

It was a really lovely piece.

The accumulated logic uncovers the trick, logically revealing the culprit. At the same time, the family’s heartbreaking secret is revealed, leading to a moving ending.

It was so interesting that I got absorbed in it. A masterpiece is called something like this. Even so, to think those words were the hint itself…

Speaking of which, what time is it?

I looked at the clock and found it to be 4:00 in the evening.

It’s already been two hours, hasn’t it?

I seemed so focused on this book that I couldn’t see what was happening around me.

I guess even they should be coming back sometime soon.

“giggle”

“Stahp~”

“Hey~ boy~.”

Somehow, the gazes — especially women — seemed to gather over here.

Come to think of it, I felt like I could hear their laughter while reading as well…

Is it because I was alone in the children’s corner?