When I Thought I Was Reborn, My Family Turned Out to Be a Huge Landmine - Chapter 12: Call Me by Name

Chapter 12: Call Me by Name

It’s painful, I can’t breathe… Well, strictly speaking, I can breathe, but it’s incredibly difficult.

“…Help.”

In the pitch-black darkness, no words return even when I call for help. Instead, I feel a pressure increasing, as if something large is pinning me down. It feels like I’m being held down by a heavy force, my body refusing to obey me as if I’m paralyzed.

“What is this… Nee-san, please help me…”

I’m sure I went to sleep in the same bed as Nee-san. If this is still a dream, she might not hear me, but I couldn’t help calling out. It’s unbearable, seriously unbearable… someone, anyone, please help me!!

“…!!”

With a sudden effort, I try to open my eyes, and finally, I seem to wake up…? The breathlessness remains, and my vision is still enveloped in darkness… damn it, what’s happening?

“Already awake, Ren? How sweet of you to seek comfort from Onee-chan so early in the morning!”

“…Ah, I see.”

I understand everything now.

I calmly move my face away from what’s in front of me. Instantly, air floods into my lungs. It seems I almost suffocated again in Nee-san’s chest… Is it a man’s wish to die in a woman’s bosom? No joke, that would be an embarrassingly ridiculous way to die.

“But there’s still plenty of time left.”

It’s much earlier than my usual waking time. I could go back to sleep, but I guess I’m fully awake now. Nee-san is probably going to get up and prepare. Maybe waking up early like this once in a while isn’t so bad.

“Oh, you could still sleep a bit more, you know.”

“I thought maybe a day like this would be nice for a change. Nee-san, you’re going to take a bath first, right?”

“That’s the plan… Ah!”

“I won’t join you.”

“…How mean.”

What do you mean by that? I usually don’t take a morning bath, but I slept next to Nee-san who reeked of last night’s alcohol… The smell isn’t that strong anymore, but I decided to take a shower after Nee-san anyway.

“Well then, I should prepare for today… Huh?”

As I was about to leave the room, my gaze fell on the calendar. It was an ordinary calendar, but one date caught my attention. November 22 was blacked out. To mark one’s own birthday, it seemed a bit excessive or even ominous, hardly a mark for a day worth celebrating.

“…Remember?”

Written in a hasty, worm-like scrawl, that’s what it said. …Hmm, I can’t make any sense of it. After Nee-san finished her bath, I took my shower, fending off Nee-san’s attempts to join in. With Nii-san also present, we finished breakfast.

“Well then, I’m off.”

“Take care.”

As usual, Nee-san saw me off, and I left the house. It was much earlier than usual, which might explain why there were fewer people around. Walking in such a quiet space for a change felt nice, I thought to myself.

“…Yawn.”

Indeed, it was a pleasant morning to wake up to, but being earlier than usual, I couldn’t help but yawn repeatedly. While walking along the school route, yawning over and over, I spotted two familiar figures ahead. Walking in front of me were Yumeno and Arisaka. They didn’t seem to be talking much, just walking together in a rather matter-of-fact way.

“Going to school with a girl, that in itself is a status symbol, isn’t it?”

In my case, I either walk alone or with acquaintances. Watching their backs, I didn’t feel like joining them, so I kept my distance. After walking for a while, Yumeno suddenly stopped and said something to Arisaka. Then, with a nod, Arisaka left Yumeno and walked ahead… What was that about?

As soon as Arisaka disappeared around a corner, Yumeno turned sharply towards me.

“!?”

…Sorry, that genuinely surprised me. Perhaps realizing my shock, Yumeno gave a wry smile and hurried over to me.

“Good morning, Kamisato-kun. You’re early today, aren’t you?”

“Good morning, Yumeno. Yeah, just some stuff. Is it okay?”

“What is?”

“Letting Arisaka go ahead.”

“It’s totally fine. More importantly, are you feeling better now?”

I had thanked her yesterday for accompanying me to the infirmary, but it seems she had been concerned about me all along.

“I’m fine. I hung out with Kenichi after school and took it easy at home, so I’m all good.”

“That’s good to hear. …But, you should’ve gone straight home after school.”

“…Sorry about that.”

“Fufu, can’t be helped.”

I thought she might be upset, but there was no sign of that; Yumeno was laughing happily.

“But how did you know I was behind you? You weren’t looking this way, were you?”

“Eh? I can always tell when it’s Kamisato-kun.”

“…Eh?”

“? Is that strange?”

Yumeno tilted her head in puzzlement… Isn’t it a bit odd? No, it can’t be just me thinking this.

Somehow, I feel unnecessarily tired this morning. It’s not that I don’t enjoy talking with Yumeno; it’s actually quite fun, but if we keep this up, I’ll be late for school. As I start walking, Yumeno naturally falls into step beside me.

“Are you coming with me?”

“Yeah. You don’t want me to?”

“No, it’s fine.”

I’m actually pleased to go to school with someone like Yumeno. However, if we continue like this, Arisaka, who walked ahead earlier, might look at us strangely. But it seems Yumeno sensed my worry, or perhaps she had thought of it from the start, as she suggested,

“If we get talked about, it might be troublesome for Kamisato-kun, so how about we walk together only part of the way?”

“I can’t lose to Asami-san. So, shall we go together just partway?”

Yumeno tilted her head slightly, and for a moment, I thought I saw another Yumeno faintly beside her. After blinking once, that Yumeno disappeared, leaving only the familiar Yumeno in front of me.

“…Okay.”

“Yay♪”

Then, for the first time, I started walking the school route with Yumeno. I didn’t expect we would have much to talk about, but Yumeno shared stories about her younger brother with a gentle expression. It made me think that perhaps those with younger siblings share a certain sensitivity, as Yumeno’s demeanor occasionally reminded me of Nee-san.

“Hey, Kamisato-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“Can I call you by your first name?”

I nodded to Yumeno, who looked a bit shy. It didn’t matter to me whether it was my last name or first name; close friends usually use first names. Shinjo-san, for instance, prefers to call only her boyfriend by his first name, so she still calls me by my last name.

“Okay… Re… Re… Rere…”

“Are you that nervous?”

I wondered if she was trying to mimic ‘The Stuttering Uncle.’

Yumeno took a deep breath and then called out my name again.

“…Ren-kun.”

“Hey.”

I might have felt a bit touched being called by my first name by Yumeno. As I experienced an odd flutter in my chest, Yumeno then expressed her wish for me to call her by her first name.

“Arika.”

“…Hmm, it’s frustrating how you don’t seem embarrassed at all.”

Is that my fault? Well, it’s not like I wasn’t nervous. But seeing Yumeno pouting yet looking pleased made me happy too. …However, there was something puzzling as well.

“What’s wrong? Ren-kun.”

“…No, it’s nothing. Should we part ways here?”

“Yeah. See you at school then!”

“Sure. See you, Arika.”

“…Yes!!”

As Yumeno, now Arika, hurried off, I watched her retreating figure and fell into thought.

“…Why is it? Even though I felt nervous about calling her by her first name, it felt natural.”

Holding onto these unclear feelings, I continued towards school, knowing that this sense of unease would fade in a little while.

Even though I had parted ways with Arika, I was still headed to school. Being earlier than usual, there was still plenty of time. I walked on, pondering over this strange experience.