The Protagonist's Sister Loves Me, But She's Definitely a Yandere. - Chapter 06: After School

Chapter 06: After School

Shinji Usui: childhood friend of the Ichinose siblings.

It didn’t take long for that information to spread like wildfire.

By the time the final bell rang, I’d already had a few first-years approach me. I also noticed some of them casually talking to Hinata. I’d worried that this might happen sooner or later, and, well, here we are.

My dream of a peaceful school life was slipping further and further away.

“This sucks…”

A groan escaped my lips.

No one knows me better than I know myself —I hate being the center of attention.

And yet, the overwhelming popularity of the Ichinose siblings had once again ruined everything.

All I did was deliver a phone.

Goodbye, my peaceful days. Hello, unwanted middleman duties. I regretted not forcing Hinata to deliver it himself, even if I had to use brute force.

Runa wasn’t exactly helping either.

Before school started, I’d told her, “I don’t want to stand out. For reasons like this and that.” But she completely ignored that and acted like her usual self.

Sure, being treated like a big brother by a beautiful girl like her was nice… but everything has its limits.

Thinking about all the girls who’d come to talk to me because of Hinata and the boys who’d approach me because of Runa made my cheeks twitch.

“Heh, Hehe. This is just miserable.”

The more the Ichinose siblings’ reputation spread, the more I, a regular guy, felt out of place. I was the normal one here.

The brighter their spotlight, the darker my shadow.

People had expectations, then got disappointed.

It was always the same cycle.

I knew I was being pretty honest about myself.

My looks? Average. My grades? Also average.

My romance skills? A big fat zero.

My dating experience? Non-existent, unless you count imagining cringy date plans.

I was just a guy who, for better or worse, happened to be born next door to the Ichinose family. That’s all.

“Hey, Shin-nii! Over here!”

As I passed through the school gate, a familiar voice called out to me.

Even with all the noise of students heading home, her voice somehow rang loud and clear.

I didn’t need to guess who it was. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and sighed.

Clearly, my lunchtime warning had zero effect. It was like talking to a brick wall. Nothing worked with Runa.

“You’re so slow! I was waiting for you!”

“…I didn’t ask you to wait.”

“Wow, so rude. Now I’m sad. Shin-nii’s bullying me… boo-hoo…”

Runa pretended to hide her face, acting like she was crying.

But through her fingers, I could see her smiling from ear to ear.

“Stop joking around. Seriously, cut it out. I’m already getting too much attention —and not in a good way!”

From the outside, it looked like I was making the popular school beauty cry.

And let me tell you, the stares from people around us were freezing cold.

I quickly tried to save face by offering an apology —I mean, a follow-up— to Runa. She just smiled mischievously, like a little troublemaker. The power dynamic between us was clear: I was the loser, no question about it.

At this point, there was no way we could go home separately.

So, by the natural flow of things, we ended up walking home together.

I knew first-years finished a bit earlier than us, but I didn’t expect her to actually wait for me.

“Honestly, Shin-nii, I was looking forward to when you’d come see me.”

Her smile turned into a slight pout.

But I had my reasons. In middle school, this was fine. But now we were in high school, and everyone was hyper-aware of romance. Especially when it came to popular students like the Ichinose siblings.

It wasn’t like the old days where we could always hang out.

Sure, Hinata and Runa didn’t care. But I cared.

Bragging about being childhood friends with the Ichinose siblings would just feel hollow. The truth was, they were amazing —I was just plain, boring me.

“I told you I don’t want to stand out. Dealing with Hinata is hard enough. If people find out I’m close to you, too, it’ll be a nightmare.”

Hearing this, Runa exaggerated a dramatic sigh, shaking her head in mock disappointment.

“So, what you’re saying is, dealing with his stuff is already a pain, and if you add mine, it’s just way too much, right?”

“Well, yeah, pretty much…”

Whenever Hinata was mentioned, Runa’s usually soft tone turned cold.

I raised an eyebrow slightly.

Also, personally, the two of them are so good at everything that it gives me a massive inferiority complex.

But saying that out loud would just make me look pathetic.

“Ugh, I should’ve come to see you first. I like you in your uniform. Time for a photo spree!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. You look great in your uniform too, Runa. You’ve gotten really cute.”

I said it casually, joking around.

“…Huh, thanks. Wait, ew! That’s so cringe coming from you, Shin-nii. Nope, can’t handle it.”

“Geez, you don’t have to shut me down that hard.”

The setting sun painted Runa’s face a soft red.

But I knew it wasn’t just the sunlight’s fault.

We’d known each other for so long that I could tell she was a little embarrassed. It was a relief that she wasn’t completely put off by my comment. Not that anything beyond childhood friendship could ever happen between us.

“Shin-nii, you always say you don’t want to stand out, but does it really matter that much?”

She suddenly stopped walking and pointed a finger at me, standing tall.

Even in such a simple pose, she somehow looked like a picture-perfect model.

“Because whether you stand out or stay low-key, to me, you’re still Shin-nii. That doesn’t change.”

“Thanks. But you know, the people who try to get close to me because of you or Hinata look at me like hungry hyenas. It’s terrifying.”

Their eyes were practically bloodshot.

The power of the Ichinose brand was no joke.

If Hinata ever started dating someone, there might actually be casualties from sheer jealousy. Just thinking about it made a cold chill run down my spine. And it wasn’t even that far-fetched.

“I don’t care about him, honestly. If he gets stabbed someday, oh well.”

“You’re ruthless, Runa.”

“Can you blame me? He’s so wishy-washy, treating everyone the same. Ugh, just thinking about it gives me the creeps.”

She shivered and rubbed her arms.

I stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue.

“Anyway, just blow off the people trying to use you to get to him. And if some guy’s only talking to you because of me, just toss him aside!”

“…And what if one of those guys decides to hold a grudge against you? That’s what worries me. I can’t just ignore it.”

Runa froze when I said that.

Of course, she did. Hinata was a guy, so he could handle himself. But Runa was a girl. Even though she was tough, if something happened, she could end up getting hurt.

If that ever happened, I’d never forgive myself.

Even if a guy approached me wanting to meet Runa, I had zero intention of introducing her. I planned to turn them down in a way that made sense and didn’t provoke any unnecessary drama.

I didn’t want jealousy or grudges to ruin things.

“You’re worried about me, Shin-nii?”

“Of course I am. Idiot.”

“Hmm, I see, I see.”

Runa’s reply felt like it held some hidden meaning. Her voice was unusually cheerful.

“—But it’s okay.”

She gently pressed her finger against my chest. A soft floral scent tickled my nose.

“If things ever get dangerous… you’ll protect me, right, Shin-nii?”