Chapter 11: Daikichi Might Come Off as Rather Sullen

Putting aside the history of the Sazanka family, it seems Sazanka Tsubaki came to the arcade because she wanted a plush toy exclusive to the crane game.

“Hey! That mini-cute plushie!”

‘Mini-cute’ refers to characters that are, well, mini-sized and cute. Various animals serve as their motifs, and they’ve become completely ubiquitous.

“Is it one of the ones trending right now?”

“Yeah! They even collaborate with food brands!”

“I saw that too. When I was about to buy a half-price bento at the supermarket, I noticed something unusual in the section right next to the cup noodles and packet ramen.”

“Ha, a half-price bento…? That’s pretty down-to-earth, Kii‑kun… You really eat those?”

“Well, it’s always best not to spend money.”

“Will you start eating at home? Maybe you should talk to Papa or Mama?”

“You don’t need to trouble yourself. Uncle and Aunt would only end up getting hassled.”

“I think it’s fine if we take care of it, but—um, maybe I’m just wondering, Kii‑kun… are you being bullied by that person, guardian Eleanor‑san? Like, are you being told to eat nothing but half‑price bentos?”

“That’s not it… Not spending money on what I eat is just my habit. Besides, I think you should stop calling her ‘that person.’ She’s a high school teacher, you know.”

“‘That person’ is fine. Kii‑kun, why are you defending her so much? Ah, I get it. It’s because she’s got big boobs, and that somehow makes you let it slide.”

“Did something happen with Eleanor‑san?”

“Not at all. Geez, Kii‑kun—you just love boobs.”

Daikichi couldn’t understand why Tsubaki was getting so irritated.

However, he knew that when Tsubaki gets like this, if she doesn’t get a prompt answer, the conversation will just circle endlessly, so he decided to share his thoughts right away.

“Do you really have to get so harsh over nothing? I mean, I don’t really care about boobs. Even if I tried to let it slide, you’d keep bringing up the same topic, so I’ll be frank: I’m genuinely not interested in boobs.”

“Really? But surely you have some taste, don’t you? What kind of boobs do you like?”

“If I had to say, it’s the exact opposite.”

“Huh? The opposite…?”

“If it’s a part of a woman’s body you’ve fallen for, you end up liking every part of her. It’s not that you love a woman because you love one particular part; you love her because it’s her body you adore. That’s the feeling.”

It was an embarrassing confession of his inner thoughts, but if he didn’t say it, Tsubaki would never be satisfied.

Daikichi snorted, “I said it,” and exhaled through his nose. Tsubaki blinked repeatedly, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected answer.

“Mm, mm… I see?”

“Did you understand?”

“So, if it’s the boobs of a girl you love, does that mean that size, shape, and even how they feel don’t matter?”

“That’s right. I don’t fall for someone based solely on their boobs.”

In reality, although various obligations force him to exercise strong self‑control subconsciously, there are moments when his heart skips a beat for Sakurazaki. Like any ordinary boy, there’s an instinctive side he just can’t ignore.

Even when it comes to Eleanor, Daikichi’s measured way of speaking isn’t solely due to their history and relationship; if you ask him, it might also be because he’s aware of her being of the opposite sex—but he couldn’t entirely deny that possibility.

Although Daikichi is older than Tsubaki and Sakurazaki, it’s only by a year or two, meaning he’s also at that complicated, awkward age.

“The debate is over. You’re getting the mini-cute plushie, aren’t you?”

“I felt like you were just talking in circles, but somehow it was an answer I could understand…”

“I’ve clearly laid out my thoughts. Now, it’s up to you, Tsubaki, to interpret them.”

“Alright, then. For now… I get that you don’t care about your body. Well, since Kii‑kun is such a loser, that’s just how it is.”

“Yeah, I guess. I’m a loser, so it can’t be helped.”

“Alright, alright, then I’ll take it~”

Tsubaki, seemingly satisfied, started frantically maneuvering the crane game to rescue the mini‑cute plushie behind the glass.

But it seems the store had set the difficulty pretty high, so she just couldn’t get it.

After thirty minutes of Tsubaki continuously exclaiming, “One more time!” and spending her electronic money, she finally realized she’d overspent her allowance—and her face gradually turned pale.

“Eek…”

“I’ve failed so many times I lost count.”

“B-but I thought I was almost there…”

Even though Tsubaki is just a kid, she is actually from the main branch of a family of business owners, and her allowance is far greater than that of an average kid. Still, she spent so much that she thought, “This is bad…”

At times like these, the smart move would be to back down quietly. But seeing Tsubaki, with her finger in her mouth and a sad look in her eyes, gazing at the mini‑cute plushie, Daikichi couldn’t just stand by; he reluctantly decided to use his own money to play.

“Kii‑kun…?”

“I was watching, so maybe if I do it like this…”

There’s always a strategy for everything. Unlike Tsubaki, who had been impulsively driven by the thrill of winning, Daikichi had been calmly observing her repeated failures at the crane game—and somehow figured out what to do.

Then, as if by magic—on his second try, he managed to snag the plushie of the character Tsubaki had been aiming for above all the mini‑cute ones.

“Here.”

Daikichi took Tsubaki’s hand and let her grab the mini‑cute plushie. Tsubaki, head bowed yet smiling, mumbled,

“…Thanks.”

Her speech was slightly mumbled, with a hint of needy affection.

“I’ll take good care of it.”

“Do you love mini‑cute that much? But it’s just a crane game prize plushie—it probably didn’t cost much to make, so if you treasure it, it’ll break in no time.”

“Even if it does break, I’ll still treasure it until it’s truly beyond repair.”

“Before it gets to that point, just replace it with a new one.”

“That’s not what I mean…”

“Well, do as you please. …It’s getting late.”

Daikichi casually checked his smartphone and noticed that it was nearly 5 PM.

In summer the sun might still be high, but now it’s already autumn. Soon enough, evening would quickly give way to the falling veil of night.

“Let’s go home.”

Deciding it was about time to call it a day, Daikichi figured that if it were just him, he wouldn’t mind wandering around until midnight—but Tsubaki is different.

Tsubaki is still a middle school student, and unlike Daikichi, she actually has a real family.

Not to mention, there are relatives watching.

Daikichi was mindful that it wouldn’t look good if the Sazanka family thought she was out partying at her age.

Tsubaki seemed to understand that, as she didn’t put up any objections.

“…Yeah. If I come home too late, everyone will worry.”

Seeing Tsubaki shove the plushie vigorously into her bag as she headed for the exit, Daikichi followed after.