The Protagonist's Sister Loves Me, But She's Definitely a Yandere. - Chapter 44: The Two Who Follow

Chapter 44: The Two Who Follow

“—So, why exactly are you both here together?”

I decided to pause the whole beach-invite madness and ask them straight.

Last night, both of them asked if I was free, and I clearly told them I had a part-time job.

I let them know I had plans.

And yet, here they were, acting like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“I asked where you’d be working. I just came to check if you were doing your best.”

“…Check on him? In your case, Ichinose-san, it’s more like surveillance. The Japanese language sure is complicated, huh?”

“That’s funny. I’m suddenly feeling the urge to knock you down, Ogawa-san.”

Runa and Mimi really were a match made in chaos.

“You saw me working during the sports festival, didn’t you? I work pretty normally.”

“Well, Shin-nii, you’ve got a real talent for being a corporate drone. Plus, you didn’t look half-bad working hard.”

“Thanks, I guess. Guess I’m destined to be a cog in the machine.”

As I said that, I glanced at Mimi.

Runa probably got the details from my mom. We’ve known each other long enough for me to figure that out. But what’s up with this cheeky blonde hamster?

“…Oh, right. I’m a stalker, so I know where Shinji-senpai goes.”

“I’m starting to hear ‘stalker’ so much that it’s kind of losing its meaning. That’s terrifying.”

“That’s great to hear! It means you’re finally accepting my existence!”

My mysterious stalker turned out to be none other than my junior, Mimi Ogawa.

And yet, here she was, still casually following me around, acting like nothing happened, and even chatting with Runa as if they were equals. Honestly, it felt like she was completely in control of the situation.

“Don’t worry. That stalker is destined to crash and burn.”

“Oh, I see, I see. —Is that a declaration of war? Let’s have a long chat sometime soon.”

“Yes, let’s. We have plenty to talk about… especially about the future.”

Yep. I was pretty sure it was winter in this spot alone.

After my break, I spent a few more hours battling with yakisoba.

The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the beach with brilliant shades of red. Even someone as unpoetic as me was caught up in the beauty of the scene. Just then, Mimi leaned in and whispered in my ear.

“…Shinji-senpai, what do you think of Ichinose-san?”

In the end, both Runa and Mimi ended up helping out with my part-time job.

They loved teasing me about being a “corporate drone” or a “cog in the machine,” but honestly, they weren’t much different themselves.

“That’s a pretty sudden question. What exactly do you mean by that?”

“Well, isn’t Ichinose-san the person closest to you, Shinji-senpai?”

“…Yeah, I guess so. She’s Hinata’s sister, and we’ve known each other since kindergarten.”

Meanwhile, Runa was efficiently cleaning up. The old men, charmed by her looks, were giving her the gentlest instructions possible.

“She’s such a beautiful girl, you know? Doesn’t that make you feel anything? Normally, you’d at least think you have a shot with her.”

“…It’s not like that. We’re not in that kind of relationship. Romance… let’s just stop here. These conversations usually end with someone getting the short end of the stick.”

The memory of our date flashed through my mind.

I couldn’t just dismiss Runa’s words as lies. She was like a sister to me —and yet…

How did I really feel about her? When asked directly, I couldn’t give a clear answer.

“Ah, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not trying to dig for information or anything.”

Mimi kicked the sand lightly.

“I won’t deny that I see Ichinose-san as a rival. I’m seriously in love with you, Shinji-senpai. …Okay! Got it! You’re just playing it smart, huh? Understood!”

What kind of conclusion did Mimi’s brain just come to?

Her question had been about how I see Runa.

So, it wasn’t about figuring out if I liked or disliked her as a girl.

“Are you dodging the question again?”

“Ahaha, come on, someone who stalks people can’t exactly be normal.”

Not quite the answer I expected.

“Well, I’m satisfied now. I managed to get some steamy shots of you, Shinji-senpai.”

“Hey, that’s not something I can just ignore!”

Mimi turned on her phone and showed it to me, making it clear she wasn’t going to answer any more questions.

On the screen were dozens of photos of me, completely unaware of the camera.

“You seriously took these without me knowing?! What the hell are you doing?!”

“It’d be rude to miss out on such a golden opportunity. Besides, I told you I was taking them, so it’s fine, right?”

“That logic is insane!”

I reached out to grab Mimi’s phone, but she dodged me easily.

She was small, and the soft sand made it hard to keep my balance. I just couldn’t catch her.

“—Cut it out already!”

Frustrated to my limit, I pushed off the ground with extra force. My speed shot up for a moment —and I managed to reach her.

“…Pervert?”

Squish. Yeah, that’s the sound effect.

My hand landed on Mimi’s stomach. Even through her clothes, I could feel how soft it was. At least I hadn’t touched… somewhere worse. Wait, why was I even justifying this in my head?

“N-No! That’s not what I meant to do!”

“Oh, really? Is that so?”

Mimi grinned mischievously and stepped forward.

The tips of my fingers on her stomach turned into my whole palm. Panicking, I jumped back.

“So, Shinji-senpai is a pervert who likes touching my stomach, huh?”

I felt a murderous aura behind me.

With a stiff, creaking motion like a broken tin toy, I turned around. A little way off, the demon had arrived —Runa, her furious gaze piercing right through me.

“Oh wow, scary. She’s seriously mad. Ah well, not my problem!”

The demon —Runa— trembled with rage and began approaching, one slow, deliberate step at a time.

I couldn’t move, like my shadow was nailed to the ground. Mimi, on the other hand, stayed completely calm, casually rubbing the spot where I’d accidentally touched her.

“Poor Shinji-senpai, about to get completely wrung out by Ichinose-san. Since I feel a bit sorry for you, I’ll give you a little tip.”

She traced a finger down my back, sending a chill through me.

“—Shinji-senpai, you know, you’ve actually been pretty popular with girls for a long time.”

Before I could ask why, Mimi added:

“It’s just… your circle of friends has always stayed small.”