While Taking Care of My Shut-In Little Sister, I Somehow Ended Up Ejaculating Inside a Beautiful Girl - Chapter 9: After Settling the Drama, My Friends’ Attitudes Somehow Changed

Chapter 9: After Settling the Drama, My Friends’ Attitudes Somehow Changed

“You seem to be doing a lot better.”

“Guess so.”

The gloomy vibe from this morning was gone, replaced by Usotsuki-chan’s usual bold—maybe a bit cheeky—expression, complete with a teasing smirk.

It was evening after school, and Yuu, Nijouin, and I were at Usotsuki-chan’s house at her invitation.

Sitting on the living room sofa, she looked up at me.

Her confident eyes narrowed into a gentle smile.

“Maybe this time… you did all that for me?”

“Nah.”

Her vague phrasing made it clear what she meant. She already knew the gist of the rumor drama, so there was no point hiding it, but for appearances’ sake, I shook my head.

“This time, I was a victim too. Just dealt with it.”

“Dealt with it? Heh, you’re so kind~”

“Not really.”

“Oh, sure. You’re always so cold to me~”

“…”

“What?”

“No, it’s just…”

Catching my gaze, Usotsuki-chan suddenly adjusted her skirt’s hem, covering her knees as if she just noticed.

Ugh, so obvious. As if I’d be staring there. That reaction is the last thing I need.

“Your girlfriend’s gonna get mad~”

“For what?”

Her words and behavior were clearly meant to stir up misunderstandings.

Of course, Yuu, working in the nearby kitchen, was eavesdropping on our exchange.

“That’s no good~ Staring at a girl who’s not your girlfriend.”

“I wasn’t staring.”

“You were.”

“Wasn’t.”

“You were…”

“Nope—oh!”

Mid-sentence, Usotsuki-chan grabbed a cushion from the sofa and playfully jabbed it at my thigh with a thump.

“Why weren’t you looking…?”

“Where’s your emotional range at, huh?”

Did she want me to look…?

And now, she wasn’t sporting her usual mischievous grin.

A girl joking with a straight face is tough to respond to.

“Both of you! It’s ready, come sit!”

Cutting through our banter, Yuu set a plate of freshly baked cookies on the living room table.

Cookies and chocolate cookies of various shapes were piled on parchment paper, like treasures hidden in a cave.

“Wow, they look delicious! ☆”

“Quite impressive.”

We all marveled at the treats Yuu whipped up shortly after arriving at Usotsuki-chan’s place.

Nijouin, who’d apparently been snooping around Usotsuki-chan’s room, had already taken a seat.

“These were made at home…? They rival our chef’s work.”

“You’ve got a personal chef? That’s wild… But yeah, Yuu’s cooking skills are top-notch. I vouch for her.”

“Ren-kun’s vouching makes it less credible~”

“How rude!”

“They’re just cookies, no need to go overboard. I’m glad you’re excited, but eat already. The fresh-baked smell is the best part. Here, Ren-chan, your tea.”

“Thanks.”

A teacup was placed before me, steaming with the fragrant aroma of rooibos tea.

I took a sip, the rich flavor dancing on my tongue with the hot liquid.

For some reason, Usotsuki-chan, watching me, grinned slyly.

“Where’s my tea~?”

“Make it yourself.”

“My throat’s so dry~ Gimme a sip, Ren-kun.”

“That’s the tea I just drank—”

“Got it! I’ll make some, hold on!”

“Nihehe! ☆”

Yuu snatched the tea back from Usotsuki-chan and hurried to the kitchen.

Nijouin let out a small sigh, watching the scene.

“Is it always like this?”

“Yup. Always like this.”

Nijouin gave a disinterested “hmph” at my confirmation, munching on a cookie with a crisp crunch.

“Are you, like, some high-class lady, Nijouin?”

“Why must you make me say it myself?”

Fair point. Denying it would sound like a lie, and admitting it could come off as smug. These kinds of questions, though common, put all the risk on the answerer even if the asker means no harm. I’ll be more careful next time.

“Your manners and demeanor just give off that refined vibe.”

Talking to her, I started wondering if her “ojousama” persona had a reason behind it.

“You’re complimenting me, but it feels like you’re hitting on me, and I don’t like it.”

“Sorry, that wasn’t my intention at all.”

“That phrasing’s a bit off too…”

Getting to know her as a friend, I realized she’s surprisingly easy to talk to. Her words carry a strong personality, but her calm tone, subtle expressions, and composed posture exude confidence or serenity.

“He’s already hitting on a new girl.”

“Hey!”

“Ara, was I being hit on after all?”

“No!”

No matter how much I denied it, the girls’ teasing was relentless.

“…Ren-chan.”

Yuu, who’d just sat next to me, turned to me with a smile.

“Yuu, I swear it’s not like that. Pure curiosity, nothing else.”

“Curiosity means you’re interested, right?”

“No… It’s definitely not what you’re thinking.”

I scrambled to clear the misunderstanding, but Usotsuki-chan, with a wicked grin, whispered something to Nijouin.

“Pent up…? What’s that mean?”

“Oh, uh… nothing~”

Nijouin, apparently clueless about that kind of slang, tilted her head.

Usotsuki-chan, caught off guard, awkwardly looked away and attempted to whistle.

“Phew, foo, fss.”

She totally failed at whistling.

*

Chatting idly and messing around with our phones, we lost track of time, and the evening had gotten late.

“I should head out.”

I had to get home in time for dinner, or my little sister would skip eating and stay up until morning.

“Me too.”

“Ara, then I shall as well.”

Yuu and Nijouin stood up almost at the same time as me.

“By the way, I need to call for my ride. Where should I have them park?”

“Huh? Just park out front of the apartment.”

“Fair enough.”

Nijouin hadn’t had a car pick her up at school today, and we’d all walked here together, so it made sense.

If she’s usually chauffeured, she’s either super considerate or just goes with the flow to match us.

Her intense way of talking and her whole “ojousama” vibe—if she toned that down, she’d probably be crazy popular in no time… but I won’t say it.

It’s her choice, after all. It’d be weird for me, an outsider, to comment on it.

“Aww, you’re leaving already~?”

“Ara, you want us to stay?”

“…”

Usotsuki-chan probably didn’t mean for that to be taken seriously, but…

Nijouin responded with a sly grin.

“Not really~ Just go home already~”

“My, aren’t you stubborn♪”

Nijouin laughed playfully, and Usotsuki-chan turned away with a huff.

Nijouin’s laugh and responses were oddly similar to Usotsuki-chan’s.

No malice, just pure banter.

They’ll probably make great friends.

Yuu and Usotsuki-chan’s easygoing dynamic, and now Usotsuki-chan and Nijouin’s budding one.

Similar yet different, different yet similar.

Or maybe it’s not just those two—Yuu, Usotsuki-chan, and Nijouin might all share something in common.

“Well, it’s about time for my curfew, so I’ll be off.”

Nijouin headed toward the hallway leading to the front door.

As she opened the living room door, she glanced back.

“I’m glad to see Yakko-san’s back to her usual self.”

“…”

Usotsuki-chan’s eyes widened at her words.

“Stop that…”

Her voice trailed off, barely audible by the end.

“Um…”

Usotsuki-chan struggled, as if reluctant to say goodbye.

“Tha…”

“?”

“Tha… than…”

“!”

Catching what Usotsuki-chan was trying to say, Nijouin broke into her brightest smile of the day.

“Oh? What’s that?♪ Got something to say?♪”

“Ugh… I mean…”

Sensing Usotsuki-chan’s hesitation, Nijouin, barely containing her grin, leaned in closer.

“Than… than…”

“‘Than’…?”

In this short time since starting school, they’d clearly bonded in some way.

“…Thank-you-very-much!”

“My, no need for thanks! It’s only natural for friends♪”

“Ugh…”

Usotsuki-chan, resorting to an almost childlike outburst to escape the moment, couldn’t faze Nijouin.

She probably understood the joke but chose to let it slide instead of calling it out.

With that mental juggernaut energy, Nijouin cheerfully led the way out.

*

““Thanks for having us!””

Yuu and I chatted with Usotsuki-chan, who walked us to the front door, as we waited for the elevator.

“…Yuu-chan, thanks for today. For me.”

“No big deal. I did it for myself. I didn’t want those nasty rumors sticking to Ren-chan.”

“Right…”

Yuu said it with a cool, almost guy-like swagger. Badass.

“Ren-kun.”

“No need to thank me. I did it for—”

I tried to play it cool like Yuu (not that she was trying to), but Usotsuki-chan cut me off with something that made my joking irrelevant.

“Do you remember what I said to Sorimachi-kun today?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

Last week, Usotsuki-chan had simply turned down Sorimachi’s confession.

But today, she rejected him again, this time saying it was because she liked someone else.

“I said I have someone I like.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

But wasn’t that just an excuse to let Sorimachi down gently?

I couldn’t imagine Usotsuki-chan being that brutally honest—

“It was true.”

“…Oh.”

She looked at me, straight into my eyes.

Intently.

Unwaveringly.

“…Ren-chan, let’s go.”

The elevator doors opened behind me.

Yuu tugged my arm, pulling me inside.

“See ya, Usotsuki-chan.”

“Later, Tsuki-chan.”

“…Yeah, see you. Both of you.”

As the doors closed, Usotsuki-chan’s face disappeared, and the elevator carried us to the ground floor.

*

The surroundings had grown completely dark.

Yuu and I walked home slowly, side by side.

The only people around were salarymen heading home, and there was an odd comfort in the quiet of the evening. I spoke up.

“Walking home like this in the evening…”

“…Yeah.”

“It really hits you that the day’s over, huh?”

“…Yeah.”

Yuu had been noticeably down since earlier.

Just nodding, nothing more.

“Yuu, something wrong? You’ve been quiet for a while.”

“—N-No, it’s nothing.”

“Alright.”

Her long, glossy black hair was tied into a single braid, draped over her left shoulder. She fidgeted with it, combing it with her fingers, her eyes fixed on some distant void.

No matter how you looked at it, something was up.

But we’d spent almost the entire day together, except during classes.

If Yuu was troubled by something from today…

Mizuno’s issue, and then—

“Usotsuki-chan’s words getting to you?”

“…Yeah.”

She admitted it and stopped walking.

“What do you think of Tsuki-chan right now, Ren-chan?”

“Not much, just that she’s a friend with a weird way of thinking.”

Lately, Usotsuki-chan’s been acting more normal—or maybe I’m just getting better at understanding her. I can kinda read her actions and motives now.

She used to be even more chaotic, but that’s a story for another time… if I get the chance to reflect on it.

“A friend…?”

“Yeah.”

“I mean, after what she said today?”

“That’s what I’m talking about.”

Yuu gave me a searching look. Hmm, her mood’s definitely one of worry.

It’s hard to pin down exactly what’s bothering her right now.

To me, Usotsuki-chan’s just a friend. Nothing more, nothing less.

“My relationship with her isn’t gonna change out of nowhere.”

“That might be true, but…”

Her expression was hesitant, tinged with sadness or anxiety.

“I won’t pry into what’s worrying you, but…”

There’s one thing she’s clearly overlooking.

“We made plans to hang out tomorrow, right?”

“…Y-Yeah.”

She seemed thrown by the sudden topic shift.

“The forecast says it’ll be sunny, so wanna go out?”

“Wha…?”

Her eyes widened, and she froze in the middle of the path.

She stood there, stunned, for a moment.

“A-A-A date?!?!”

“Why’re you so shocked?”

“And you suggested it…!?”

“Is that so weird?”

I’ve invited Yuu to hang out plenty of times before.

“B-But we’re, like, different now, you know… compared to before… I mean…”

“…”

A fake couple. A pretend boyfriend and girlfriend.

A sham relationship.

“…You don’t want to?”

“No way, I do!!”

“Whoa!”

I asked for her thoughts, and she answered almost before I finished, leaning in close with a pained expression.

“There’s no way I wouldn’t want to…”

“Yuu…”

Her eyelashes fluttered, her moist eyes locking onto mine.

Her shoulders rose and fell slightly.

A flush spread across her cheeks, and words spilled from her lips like a sigh, soft and deliberate.

“I want to spend the whole morning with you tomorrow… Is that okay?”

“Of course it’s fine.”

As we started walking again, one of us—hard to say who—reached out, and our hands intertwined, fingers laced.

“Your hand’s warm, Ren-chan…”

With my free hand, I pulled my phone from my pocket and lit up the screen.

The lock screen showed today’s and tomorrow’s weather.

This morning’s forecast had said sunny, but now it showed a chance of rain in the afternoon.

—Must be some kind of fate.

I pocketed my phone and started rethinking tomorrow’s plans.