The Protagonist's Sister Loves Me, But She's Definitely a Yandere. - Chapter 27: The Shy Girl and a Threat

Chapter 27: The Shy Girl and a Threat

“—It’s fine already! I might’ve been a little too harsh too…!”

Careless. Once again, I had taken advantage of Runa’s kindness.

Regret hit me like a wave. I almost betrayed her trust. I was always causing her trouble, and with the stalker situation, any careless action could lead to more danger. Even so, Runa muttered, “Don’t worry about it,” her face still bright red.

She’d always been a mix of shy and strong-willed. It was part of her kindness but also just who she was.

This time, it was my fault for falling and dragging her down with me. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like harassment, and I had braced myself for at least one slap. Especially since this was the second incident in such a short time.

The first time had been an accident, but this one was mostly my own clumsiness. And to think, there was a chance the stalker could’ve been watching us here —that thought alone made it hard to laugh this off.

They say the more you explain, the less believable you sound, but I couldn’t stop apologizing.

“It’s really fine. Didn’t I say that stirring up a little jealousy is part of the plan?”

“…But this time, it was just me messing up. You could’ve hit your head, and it might’ve been worse.”

“…You’re so stubborn, Shin-nii. So serious… really.”

At those words, Runa smiled softly. The sky outside was dim, and the evening was slowly settling in. The school at night didn’t seem so bad after all.

Also, I wasn’t thrilled about being called stubborn by her. If anything, Runa was way more stubborn than I was.

We finished our report and headed to the teacher’s office to wrap things up and go home.

Side note: Even as a student, I could tell how serious the teacher shortage was these days. I’d heard they didn’t get overtime pay, and their workload was ridiculous. Just thinking about my future made me anxious.

“—Excuse me!”

As we reached the teacher’s office, Mimi walked out, her dyed hair standing out and her uniform casually worn. Her relaxed voice drew out the words, and due to the direction we were heading, we bumped into each other.

“Hey, good work. You guys finished too, huh?”

“Yeah. Good job, Ogawa-san. Did everything go through okay?”

“Of course! All that effort we put into the paperwork paid off!”

It was funny seeing two people who wouldn’t normally get along talking because they were both on the committee. I realized that Runa and Mimi actually worked pretty well together.

…It was just that the huge obstacle named Hinata stood between them.

“…Hey, is it just me, or are your cheeks red, Ichinose-san?”

“—! It’s just your imagination. Or maybe it’s because I moved around a lot.”

“Hmm, okay. Yeah, the art prep room was a total mess, after all.”

When Mimi had to go to the art prep room for class, it had been just as messy back then. We seriously needed to ask the art club advisor to organize a proper cleanup.

“But hey, it’s been fun. The committee work is way better than I thought!”

“…Considering your motives weren’t exactly pure, you’re putting in way more effort than I expected.”

“Hey! Shh! Not in front of Ichinose-san!”

Runa just shrugged at my and Mimi’s exchange.

Mimi had poured out her feelings back at the diner. Her plan probably fell apart the moment Hinata backed out, but she was still doing her work seriously. I’d even heard she was getting praise from the student council and teachers.

“It’s fine, I get it. I’m not going to comment on your thing with him. But as his sister, I wouldn’t recommend it. —It’s like buying a house with… hidden damage.”

“…Yeah, I know. My head knows this is a thorny path.”

Mimi leaned against the window and scratched her nose.

Her eyes lowered slightly, and her expression seemed shadowed and lonely.

It wasn’t the time for jokes, so I waited quietly for her to continue.

“I just think… even if I somehow managed to date him, would I always feel like this? That thought makes me really scared.”

“…Ogawa-san, if you know that, then why?”

“Because love is hard, isn’t it?”

She smiled softly. —Then someone’s phone rang.

It happened just as our conversation paused. The sound was mechanical yet upbeat.

The timing was almost too perfect.

That cheerful notification sound wasn’t mine. My brain immediately went on high alert. A bad feeling crept over me. I hoped it was just a harmless message. Or maybe… I hoped it would finally give the stalker away.

I locked eyes with Runa. We didn’t need to say anything.

She understood the situation just as well as I did.

Runa shook her head a few times.

“It’s not mine.”

“It’s not mine either. …means…”

I turned my gaze to Mimi. She looked back at me, confused by my serious expression.

“W-What’s with you two? You’re scaring me.”

But after a brief pause, her eyes widened.

Mimi was one of the few people who knew about my situation. She seemed to catch on to what I was hinting at.

“S-Should I check it?”

“Please. If it’s just a normal notification, that’s fine.”

“…Usui-senpai… O-Okay.”

Mimi turned on her phone. —One second, two seconds.

As her expression grew more serious, I knew my bad feeling had been right. The timing was too suspicious. I needed to know what the message said.

…Was the stalker still watching me?

“U-Usui-senpai, t-this…! Uh, but…”

Mimi glanced at Runa.

Then she looked back at me, unsure whether to say it out loud or keep quiet. I reassured her with a simple, “It’s okay,” and handed the conversation over to Runa.

“…Ogawa-san, I know what’s going on. Just tell us everything.”

“If you two say so… It’s an email, from an unknown address.”

“Sorry, can you show me the screen? Saying it out loud might cause trouble if someone overhears.”

I didn’t want to drag any random bystanders into this mess. If it were just me, people might dismiss it as some weird delusion. 

But if Runa and Mimi got involved, it could get serious. If teachers found out, things would only get more complicated.

“Okay… Here.”

Mimi handed me her phone. Runa and I looked at the screen at the same time.

Our brows furrowed as we read the message.

Sender: I will never forgive you.

The message read:

[You’re getting too close to my Shinji-sama. I’ll curse you forever. I’ll never forgive you. Curse you, curse you, curse you.]

The words were filled with hatred and anger.

Unlike the polite tone of the messages directed at me, this one was written in rough, hostile language. Pure malice leaked through every word.

The message continued:

[Tonight, meet me behind the school at 10 PM.]