The Protagonist's Sister Loves Me, But She's Definitely a Yandere. - Chapter 31: The Day Before

Chapter 31: The Day Before

Time flew by so quickly that before I knew it, it was the day before the sports festival.

Even though it was a Sunday, the event committee members were hard at work, sweating through our tasks. We set up tents with roofs for the guests, checked the microphone volumes, and went through the whole event procedure.

There were stacks of supplies everywhere. Student council members were rushing around with documents in hand. Everywhere I looked, the place was filled with people.

Since the students were running the whole thing, it wasn’t wrong to call it hard labor.

I grew up hearing my parents say that working weekends is normal for adults. As I wiped away my sweat, I thought this must be what they meant by a “glimpse of the real world.”

The weather forecast showed clear skies today and tomorrow, with not a single cloud in sight.

It was expected to be the hottest day in June.

This year, the rainy season was also shorter compared to usual.

“…Are we really okay with this?”

Sweat rolled down my neck like droplets of water. The thin fabric of our gym uniforms was almost see-through. Even as a first-year student, Runa had a presence that couldn’t be ignored. She tilted her head and said, “Hm?”

Even though it was a Sunday, all of us students wore our designated gym uniforms and kept our hands and mouths moving to hide our exhaustion. Runa shaded her eyes with her hand to block the harsh sunlight and paused her work. I followed her lead.

“What do you mean, ‘okay’?”

“…I mean, are we really okay with not telling the teachers or her parents about Ogawa’s situation?”

“…She said she was fine with it, so we can’t really do anything.”

Runa quietly looked off into the distance.

There, Mimi was smiling without a care, busy with the preparations.

To anyone who didn’t know the situation, she just looked like a hardworking girl, giving it her all. For someone as young as her, it was unbelievable behavior. Maybe her love for Hinata, or her sense of duty, was what kept Mimi Ogawa going. —That’s what I used to think.

But now, there was a part of me that considered the possibility that Mimi herself might be the stalker.

I had no solid reason for it. The only thing I knew was that Mimi’s feelings weren’t directed at Hinata.

…Please forgive me for sounding so full of myself, but that’s just how it felt.

If things were normal, we should have already told her teachers or parents about the harassment she was facing. It was too much for us to handle on our own. But Mimi turned down my offer to help. She said, “I’m fine.”

Was there something she still wanted to achieve when it came to Hinata?

Did she want to enjoy the sports festival that she had worked so hard to prepare for?

Or… was she unaffected because she was behind everything herself?

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“…What’s with the serious look all of a sudden? Doesn’t suit you.”

“Why do you think the stalker hasn’t targeted you, Runa? The stalker seems to be overly hostile to anyone who gets close to me. Ogawa’s the best example of that. So, if you think about it…”

Runa shook her head, cutting me off before I could finish.

I had no idea what she meant by that. But in her eyes, I could see that same hazy look I’d noticed before.

“You’re saying I should be the one getting targeted, right?”

“No, I didn’t mean it that strongly.”

“It’s fine. I think it’s weird too. During that, um… the date—well, the practice date! When we held hands… I thought for sure the stalker would show themselves.”

Runa spoke, stumbling over her words here and there.

I remembered the feeling of her hand in mine, and at the same time, I remembered the mystery of the handkerchief. A mix of embarrassment and suspicion stirred inside me, and all I could do was nod.

“But even after all that, they’re only targeting Ogawa-san. No matter how you look at it, it’s strange.”

“Maybe there’s a reason the stalker isn’t going after you. Or maybe Ogawa has a personal grudge.”

“…Who knows. …………Me and—”

The last part of her sentence was barely a whisper, with only the beginning and end audible. It sounded like she was talking to herself, so I decided not to ask any further and went back to work.

The issue with the birthday present that Himeno-senpai asked me about had been settled smoothly.

Being a guy myself —and knowing Hinata— even if I made a half-hearted guess, I’d at least get something right about what he liked. …I wondered what Rika and Mimi had given Hinata for his birthday.

A while back, Hinata’s group of popular kids threw a birthday party for him.

They invited me too, but I didn’t feel like joining them at all.

We were childhood friends, but I knew we lived in different worlds now.

It hadn’t always been like that. I wasn’t trying to be nostalgic, but Hinata had changed. And I probably changed too. We kept changing, little by little, until we settled into who we are now. And time just kept moving forward.

But Hinata… I think he changed for the worse.

Everyone around him praised Hinata Ichinose, lifting him higher and higher. They pushed him up faster than he could handle. Pushed him toward the version of himself they wanted to see.

Runa was right. The bad rumors and unfair judgments I got because of Hinata were things I should just ignore. But people aren’t that simple.

It’s hard to let go of the values we grow up with.

“…Good thing we got in here early.”

“Shin-nii, I think I’m at my limit. …Sorry, can I throw up?”

“I get it, but hold it in. We don’t want to cause trouble for the store.”

After finishing the preparations the day before the sports festival, Runa and I stopped by a café for what we called a “pep rally.”

We had invited Mimi too, but she said she had things to do and turned us down.

Just a few minutes ago, Runa’s eyes were sparkling with excitement over the café’s new drink and pancake. But now, her mood had taken a sharp turn for the worse.

It was bad luck that things lined up like this.

The café had a cozy interior with natural wood tones.

There were table seats by the windows, where gentle sunlight streamed in. The green of the decorative plants stood out beautifully against the café’s unified color scheme.

At the counter, there were seats for solo customers, and in the back, a long table with chairs neatly arranged. Office workers and students were sitting there, working on their laptops.

“…Seriously, how can they flirt so openly in public like that?”

“He’s such an idiot. …Having a brother like that is so embarrassing, honestly.”

“You mean Hinata and Rika? …You think there’s a chance they’re dating?”

“No way. That indecisive guy could never actually date anyone.”

“Yeah, figured.” I chuckled and took a sip of my coffee.

Even though I ordered it black, it tasted a little sweet. Maybe the lovey-dovey atmosphere was getting to me.

Luckily, they were sitting at the table farthest from us. We could see them, but from their side, we were mostly out of view.

Even though it was a café, it was still a public place where everyone could come and go. Was it just a coincidence? Because no one else was really talking, the flirting between Hinata and Rika was easy to hear.

Or maybe everyone’s attention was on the handsome guy and the pretty girl.

“Hii-kun, let me try your strawberry drink~!”

By some twist of fate, Hinata had ordered the same drink as Runa.

Runa stared at her drink for a few seconds, hesitated, and finally muttered, “You can have it,” before handing it to me. It was the new strawberry flavor she had been looking forward to. Giving it up like that showed just how much she couldn’t stand the situation. I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

“…It’s not the strawberry’s fault!”

“I know.”

In exchange, I gave her my coffee. She took one sip and made a face like she was about to cry, saying, “Eww…”

Even that expression was cute, and it made sense why she was so popular at school.

It seemed like she wasn’t a fan of black coffee, so she started adding little bits of milk to it.

“You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

“Nope. I just think it’s kinda cute.”

“C-Cute. …………I see.”

Runa sipped the coffee, which had turned into coffee milk, through a straw.

It was technically an indirect kiss, but saying it out loud would be way too embarrassing.

She lifted the glass slightly to hide her face —whether she did it on purpose or not, I couldn’t tell.

While we were doing this, Hinata and Rika’s voices continued to fill the café without a care. …I had no intention of getting involved, but maybe it was time to say something.

“Hii-kun, you know, you’re really cool, right?”

“Really? …I don’t really see it myself.”

“You’ve always been cool. …Hey, do you remember? That time when we found that abandoned kitten, and you worked so hard to find it a new home? You tried harder than anyone else, didn’t you?”

It seemed like Rika realized how loud they were being. Since she lowered her voice just a bit, I decided not to say anything. Even though it still felt a little loud.

An abandoned kitten… Yeah, now that she mentioned it, we did find one back then.

I couldn’t remember the color or what it looked like anymore, but there was a faint memory of it in the back of my mind.

Runa’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and she nodded a few times.

“Did that really happen? I don’t remember.”

“Really~? Ever since then, I thought you were cool, Hii-kun.”

“Huh. Well, whatever, that was so long ago.”

Hinata smiled cheerfully, trying to end the conversation.

But something about his tone felt off —like he was getting annoyed or uncomfortable. It was as if he didn’t want anyone digging up that part of his past.

“And then, didn’t you say you found a home for the kitten, Hii-kun?”

“Okay, that’s enough. …Oh, let me try your banana-flavored drink, Rika.”

“Wait, you’re drinking too much! Slow down~!”

Hinata forcefully ended the conversation and practically chugged the drink.

“Geez, if you’re that greedy, no one’s going to like you, you know?”

“What do you mean? As long as I have you, I’m good.”

—I almost burst out laughing.

It wasn’t cool; it was cringy to the point of being painful.

With Hinata’s good looks, he barely managed to pull it off.

“…You probably say that to everyone.”

Oof, that gave me chills. If it were me, I’d already be apologizing for stepping on a landmine.

When I glanced at Runa, she was rubbing her arms, saying, “So cold, so cold.”

Hinata let out a small laugh, then said something I’d never be able to say in my life.

“I’m saying it because you’re important to me. Don’t take it the wrong way.”

“Hii-kun, you’re so unfair. …You don’t even want a girlfriend, do you?”

“That’s not true. It’s just the timing hasn’t been right.”

He once told me he didn’t understand love, yet now he sounded different.

Or maybe he was giving vague answers on purpose to keep things going.

“…Shin-nii, don’t end up like that, okay?”

Suddenly, I felt a tug on my sleeve.

When I looked over, Runa was pouting.

“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. I’m me.”

“Good. I’d hate it if you turned out like him.”

She tugged on my sleeve again, twice this time.

“Nothing good comes from that. Whether it’s liking someone, hating someone —anything, really— doing things halfway and just letting them slide by. And maybe… it’s because of an inferiority complex.”

“Inferiority complex?”

When I asked, Runa gave a short nod.

“…I think he feels inferior to you, Shin-nii.”

“Hinata? To me? No way. That guy’s perfect. There’s no way he’d feel something like that. And especially not toward me. That’s just impossible.”

I fired back quickly, but Runa let out a little giggle.

“How many times do I have to say that you’re cooler than him, Shin-nii?”