The Protagonist's Sister Loves Me, But She's Definitely a Yandere. - Chapter 47: A Dream from Long Ago

Chapter 47: A Dream from Long Ago

Ah, this is a dream. That’s what I thought.

It was a lucid dream —I was fully aware of myself and what was happening.

But I couldn’t move my body.

It was like I was watching a story unfold on its own. The characters were the younger versions of me and Runa, back in elementary school.

“Using me because you want to confess to Hinata seems a bit weird, don’t you think?”

Yeah, even back then, Hinata was starting to get popular with girls, and I ended up playing the role of the go-between.

Not because I wanted to, but because so many people wanted a connection to Hinata, and I just got swept along. I never did it because I liked it.

“Shin-nii, you’re cooler than my brother! Everyone else just doesn’t see it!”

I remember that back then, the rift between the Ichinose siblings wasn’t that big yet.

Probably because they didn’t know what romantic feelings were. And because Hinata’s behavior was simpler and more innocent.

“Really? Well, I’m glad to hear that, Runa.”

“…Hehe.”

When I patted her head, Runa squinted her eyes happily and smiled.

It was such a nostalgic memory.

From that point, the relationship between the Ichinose siblings gradually got worse. I kept running around, trying to mediate between them. When we entered middle school, Mimi joined the mix, and by high school, Himeno-senpai got involved too.

—Scene change.

It was the kind of sudden shift you’d expect in a dream.

Like flipping the pages of a book, the scene transformed. Now, it was me, Hinata, Runa, and Rika —all of us childhood friends, together again.

“I’ll try to find someone who can take it in. It’d be too sad to just leave it like this.”

A childish, idealistic thing to say.

And I was the one saying it, not Hinata. …Was that really how it happened? Even though I was aware, a dream is still a dream. Maybe some things were getting rewritten.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll leave it to you, Shin-nii.”

Runa’s way of speaking had a touch of maturity to it now.

“I agree with Shii-kun, but… do you think we can find someone who’ll take it in?”

I remembered. There was a time when Rika called me Shii-kun.

This was the moment that made her switch to how she calls me now. Probably because she started having feelings for Hinata and wanted to make a distinction.

“I’m with you too. But I’m not going to let Shinji be the only cool one here.”

Hinata grinned widely.

Yeah, that smile was one of the reasons I liked having him as a childhood friend. His overly passionate personality never really bothered me.

“…Alright, first, let’s find a safe place to take care of it.”

Before we could find someone to adopt the kitten, the first thing we needed to do was make sure it was safe.

We found it in the corner of an empty lot.

Hinata and I were out catching bugs or something, and Runa and Rika, who had tagged along, stumbled across it. The kitten wasn’t too weak, but it was covered in dirt.

“…If it’s just temporary, my house should be fine. Mom and Dad are overseas.”

Her voice had a hint of loneliness in it.

I comforted her in my own subtle way. We had those kinds of moments sometimes. I just wanted to help with the loneliness she felt from her parents being away.

“But we can’t keep it forever…”

Hinata said something realistic.

Next to him, Rika frowned and let out a thoughtful “Hmm.”

“Alright! I’ll take care of it at my house for now. …I’ll try my best to convince my parents.”

…Yeah, that’s how it went.

Rika’s family took care of the kitten for a few days until we found someone to adopt it.

—How did we end up finding someone to adopt it?

“I’m going to find a home for this kitten, no matter what.”

We called animal shelters, asked relatives, and did whatever we could think of. Looking back now, there were probably better ways to handle it. But back then, we were just kids, and we did everything we could.

Hinata, Runa, and Rika all helped whenever they had time. But finding someone to adopt a kitten wasn’t easy. Especially a stray without any kind of pedigree. It was one setback after another, but finally, we got a lead.

A student who’d heard about the stray kitten showed up in front of Hinata.

It was at school. During lunch break.

“Hinata-kun, is it true you’re looking for someone to adopt a kitten?”

Had Hinata started acting this way because people expected him to?

Or was it just who he grew into naturally? My memories of him stayed fixed on that version of Hinata —the one who was clumsy but filled with genuine passion.

“Yeah! What, are you interested?”

He was the center of the class. People naturally gathered around him, and conversations blossomed.

“Yeah, kind of! My mom’s always saying she wants a cat…”

The whole thing was decided in no time.

Hinata found the stray kitten, and he was the one who searched the hardest for someone to adopt it. At that moment, the class once again saw Hinata Ichinose as perfect. —They ignored the little details, letting the spotlight cover everything up.

That’s when I understood. No matter how hard I tried, people like me stayed in the shadows.

I wasn’t bitter about it. I knew I had stepped out of my usual role. We found someone to take the kitten in. The result was a happy ending, at least for the kitten. That was all that mattered.

I don’t know how the rumors spread or how the story was told, but in the end, I was just Hinata’s sidekick, his go-between. And that was fine. It was good enough.

I realized that everyone has their own role to play.

Anyone could’ve found someone to adopt the kitten.

But to turn it into a feel-good story, Hinata was the perfect choice. Even Rika, who knew everything that happened, ended up falling for Hinata.

“…This sucks.”

I thought the whole “passionate hero” thing was lame.

No matter how hard I tried, the real deal always overshadowed me. I wasn’t looking for praise, but if there was someone better suited for the role, I’d let them take it. That was the smart move.

I just needed to solve things my own way. Finding someone to adopt the kitten should’ve been Hinata’s job from the start. That’s what people wanted.

They’d rather see the good-looking guy shine than notice the efforts of someone in the shadows. That’s the reality of it.

“I’ll stay with you forever so it doesn’t hurt, Shin-nii.”

I didn’t remember when she said it, but those words were stuck in my mind —and wouldn’t leave.