When I Brought The Lost Little Girl To Her House, The One Who Came Out Of The Front Door Was The Most Beautiful Girl In The Grade.

I had been curious about Ayano’s stepdad, but I hesitated for a week about whether it was appropriate to ask.

The fact that a week had passed without me asking indicated that even I found it hard to bring up. Additionally, there might be people who wouldn’t want to be asked about such matters.

In any case, I felt it would be better to wait for Ayano to bring up the topic herself.

“Yuusei-kun! Can I talk to you for a moment?”

After school, Ayano called me over. I wondered if there was something she wanted to discuss. She didn’t seem angry, and I hadn’t done anything to deserve getting scolded.

“You know, Natsuno’s birthday is this Saturday, right?”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah! So, um… Yuusei-kun, I was wondering if you could come.”

“But it’s Natsuno’s birthday, right? I think it’s better if I don’t go, so Natsuno can invite her friends.”

I thought that if I attended, it might make it awkward for Natsuno’s friends to be there, so I felt it might be best not to go.

“Natsuno actually said she wants you to come too.”

“Really? She said that?”

“What? Are you doubting me?”

“N-No, it’s not like that, but…”

“But?”

“Is it really okay for me to come?”

“It’s okay!”

“Alright, got it…”

Ayano smiled and said, “Got it!” before heading back to her classroom.

Since I was on cleaning duty today, I had told Ayano in the morning that she could go home first, but she insisted, “I’ll wait!”

“Kuroda~? How about you save your chatting with her until after cleaning?”

“Yes, sorry.

I was scolded to start cleaning. Or rather, did I really spend that much time chatting? I thought.

Well, it’s entirely my fault for chatting instead of cleaning.

After we finished cleaning, our homeroom teacher warned us, “If I catch you slacking off to flirt with your girlfriend next time, I’ll make you clean the classrooms that weren’t cleaned,” which made me a bit embarrassed.

I planned to be more cautious next time, but could I really say, “I can’t chat right now because I’m cleaning,” when Ayano started talking to me… I don’t think I could.

“Ayano-san? Sorry for making you wait.”

“It’s totally fine. Shall we head home then?”

“Oh, about that…”

“What’s wrong?”

“…Can we make a little detour?”

When I said that bashfully, Ayano smiled happily and said, “Of course!” with enthusiasm.

“Where are we going?”

“Well, I was thinking of getting a birthday present for Natsuno, and I thought you might know what she wants.”

“Hmm… Natsuno’s wish…”

Ayano pondered. After much contemplation, she brought us to a store that had sparkling stationery and accessories for girls.

I would never have entered a place like that if I were alone, and even with Ayano, it felt a bit awkward, to be honest.

“Um… Can we step outside?”

“No, you can’t. I’m here, so it’s fine.”

“The atmosphere is already tense.”

It seemed like there were mostly women, or rather, mothers with their children. The children being brought along by the mothers had eyes that sparkled as if they were looking at precious gems.

And this was happening right next to me too.

“Look! That pen is so cute~!”

“Ayano-san, you’re getting a bit too excited…”

“Oh, uh… ahem. Right, I came to buy a birthday present for Natsuno.”

Saying that, Ayano focused mainly on stationery. She picked up a pencil case. It was a fluffy, rabbit-shaped pencil case.

“Are you getting that one, Ayano-san?”

“Yeah, Natsuno likes this kind of stuff, and it’s a hand-me-down from me.”

“I’m… not sure.”

“I think Natsuno would be happy with anything. Especially if it’s cute.”

Even though she said that… there’s a difference between what’s considered cute for boys and what’s cute for girls. I felt a bit unsure, but I found something I thought was good, so I decided to buy it.

“Oh! Yuusei-kun, the one you chose is cute!”

“I-Is it?”

“Yeah!”

Relieved that she liked it, I let out a sigh of relief, but then Ayano’s smile turned into a slightly annoyed expression. It seemed like she was puffing her cheeks slightly.

“W-What’s wrong?”

“I just thought you were seriously choosing Natsuno’s present.”

“And are you upset about that?”

“I’m not upset! I’m not upset, but…”

“W-Well, what is it?”

“It’s kinda uncool to be jealous of your little sister…”

Saying that, Ayano went from an annoyed expression to looking a bit downcast.

Ayano’s facial expressions always change rapidly, but today was even more intense than usual.

“Ayano-san, when’s your birthday?”

“Huh? May 2nd.”

“I see…”

When I said that, Ayano seemed to realize something, and she started grinning at me.