NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 25.1 - Interlude 1 - Study session with Erica and her Friends
“Hey, Seiichi-onii-san. Can I talk to you for a sec?”
“Hm? What’s up?”
Night. Seiichi was in his room when Erika peeked her head through the door to talk to him. She seemed to have something on her mind.
“You see, I was talking with my school friends today. We were discussing studying together for the upcoming exams, but we’re struggling to decide where to meet.”
“Ahh, you’re a middle-schooler after all.”
Of course, there are tests. Well, I have them too.
Seiichi, who had never seriously considered exams, thought to himself.
According to Erika, whether it was gathering at a friend’s house where there were siblings, or parents doing remote work, or the place being too far away, it seemed difficult to find a location that met all conditions.
In the end, they always ended up gathering at the same friend’s house, and Erika was worried whether it was becoming a burden.
It was a surprisingly considerate concern for Erika, who usually seemed careless.
“We used to live in an apartment and it was difficult for various reasons, but this house is spacious and well-located, so I was thinking maybe it’s fine to invite my friends. Of course, only if it’s okay with you, Seiichi-onii-san.”
Indeed, the Kakami household would be an ideal place for that.
There’s no need to worry about parents, there are extra rooms, and if Karen is free, she could even act as a tutor.
However, Seiichi had one concern.
“Got it, got it. So I should just go out somewhere and kill time while your friends are here?”
Yes, he thought it would be a problem if he were in the house.
“Huh? No, no. I can’t kick out the homeowner. I’m just asking if it’s okay to invite them. You can act as you usually do, it’s fine.”
“Really? Are you sure it won’t cause any issues in your school life if your friends find out we’re living together?”
“…Seems like there’s a bit of a disconnect between how you view yourself and how I view you… but that’s fine for now. It’s absolutely okay! Don’t worry about it!”
Is that so?
But isn’t it problematic that people would know we’re living together in the first place?
That’s what Seiichi thought for a moment, but in the end, he decided to give permission.
“Alright, got it. Feel free to invite them.”
“Thanks, Seiichi-onii-san!”
Seiichi just needs to stay out of sight, and even if he’s seen, most people would just think they’re siblings. That was his judgment.
A few days after Erika received permission to invite her friends over:
“I’m back~”
“Excuse us~”
“Excuse me.”
“Excuse me~”
It was very unusual, but three visitors had come to Seiichi’s house.
They were Erika’s school friends, Rie, Kozue, and Kana.
(By the way, the girl who recommended part-time work to Erika was not among them.)
“Wow, what a huge house!”
The notably short-statured Rie said, looking around the moment she entered the house.
“You shouldn’t be looking around so much when you’re in someone else’s home, should you?”
Kozue, who has unusually sharp eyes and a very low voice for a girl, warned Rie. She wasn’t angry; this was just her usual demeanor.
“Erika-chan, are you actually pretty wealthy?”
Kana, who looked half-asleep, asked. She often looked absent-minded.
These three were relatively close friends for Erika.
‘Relatively,’ because while they talked at school, they seldom hung out after classes. Erika usually went straight home, so there were few opportunities to go out with friends.
Also, not many girls looked at Erika without prejudice, so these three were somewhat eccentric in their own way.
“I’m not wealthy. You know I’m poor. I’m staying in this house due to some circumstances. Now, let’s study, study~”
After shooing the three into the living room, Erika spread her textbooks on the table.
Everyone was seriously studying for the first hour or so, but–
“Ah, I see you’re all here. Erika’s always talking about how much you help her. If you have any questions about your studies, feel free to ask me. I’ll be in my room so as not to disturb you.”
–Karen, who had returned home, showed her face, and that’s when the conversation went off-topic.
“Ah, Erika’s sister is just as cute as I thought.”
“I met her once before, but she’s definitely someone you’d expect to be Erika’s sister.”
“Erika-chan is more like a beauty, but her sister is small and cute. Though Rie is even smaller~”
“Shut up. Sorry for being small and not cute.”
“Kana didn’t say that. Compared to Erika’s sister, you might not be as cute, but–”
“If you’re going to follow up, follow up properly, Kozue!?”
Praise for her sister lifted Erika’s spirits.
“Hehe, well, my sister is the cutest, after all~”
In the end, they started chatting, and studying took a back seat.
“Must be nice, having a pretty older sister. All I have is a nagging older brother.”
“Oh? Sisters can be pretty nagging too, you know?”
“Really? I still think it’s better than being an only child.”
Conversations about siblings had begun, and time just seemed to slip away.
Unbeknownst to them, the house owner had silently returned home.
“Hey, I’d like to talk to Erika’s older sister again. Can I go up to her room under the pretext of asking about studies?”
“If you’re going to use that pretext, you might as well actually ask her about studies.”
“Haha, Rie-chan, you seem to have forgotten the original purpose was a study session.”
“It’s fine, just don’t ask my sister anything weird. Why don’t you go while I make tea for everyone? Her room is on the second floor.”
Leaving Erika behind, the three left the living room.
And then,
“Ah… Uh, welcome.”
“Huh? Oh, hello.”
“Hello.”
“Nice to meet you~”
After returning home and washing his hands, Seiichiro encountered the three as he was leaving the washroom. (Thanks to training from Karen, Seiichiro had developed the habit of washing his hands after coming home.)
Seiichiro quickly retreated to his room, and the three returned to the living room after having a brief conversation with Karen.
“Ah, welcome back. The tea is ready.”
As the three settled back into their seats, Rie spoke to Erika without even sipping the tea that had been prepared.
“Erika, Erika, who was that guy earlier?”
“Huh? Ah, Sei-onii-san came back, huh.”
“What!? That guy is Erika’s older brother?”
“Uh… well, more or less?”
Erika vaguely dodged the question, not wanting to say, “He’s a stranger, but he helped me pay off a debt, so we live together.”
“They don’t look alike at all. Well, neither do you and your sister.”
“The two of you at least look good, but he’s honestly on a different level.”
“Rie, that’s rude.”
“Really? But it’s true. Wouldn’t you rather have a cooler brother, Erika?”
Erika sighed at Rie’s words.
“You just don’t get it. It might be hard to understand Sei-onii-san, but if you can’t see his coolness, you’ll probably make a mistake in choosing a man in the future.”
“Whoa, what kind of feelings do you have for your brother?”
“You’re not only a siscon but also a brocon?”
“Is he really your brother? The atmosphere is so different.”
It seemed they had noticed the slight outsider vibe that Seiichiro had compared to the sisters.
Erika opened her mouth to dodge Kozue’s question.
“Eh? Um, he’s like, a cousin, or a relative, or something like that. Anyway, Sei-onii-san is really cool. You’ll understand if you spend some time with him.”
“Really? If Erika says so, it must be true.”
“Erika is unusually critical when it comes to boys.”
“People aren’t just about appearances. Although Erika is crazy both inside and out.”
“Kana, you’ve been hitting me pretty hard lately. Do you hate me or something?”
“No way, I like you, in a way?”
“In a way!?”
Despite being a group of oddballs, conversations about love seemed to flourish. However, none of them had a boyfriend.
“Ah, choosing men. I have no confidence in it. I don’t know good from bad.”
“Then why not choose Erika’s brother? If Erika says he’s cool, then he must be.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea! Erika, can you introduce me to your brother? Having an older boyfriend sounds nice.”
“Eh? No.”
“An immediate no!?”
“Ah, sorry, it just came out.”
Erika, who had flatly refused with a serious face, was looked at with a somewhat scared expression by Rie.
“Ah, you’re really into your sister and brother, aren’t you? What are you going to do if your sister or brother gets a boyfriend…or, girlfriend?”
“Erika, you’re making a really scary face. Rie will cry, you know?”
Erika, with unusually cold eyes, feels a light tap on her shoulder from Kozue.
“Eh? Really? I was just imagining various scenarios for a moment and was thinking about what I’d do in that situation.”
“What do you plan to do to whom?”
“Erika-chan, you seem like you might be a bit of a yandere, or maybe have some issues, right? You look easy-going but that makes you seem like a landmine.”
“Do you really hate me, Kana!?”
“No way, I sort of like you, you know?”
“Sort of!?”
In the end, the study session ended without much studying accomplished.
When the three friends were leaving, Seiichiro reluctantly came out of his room since he had already been seen.
Normally, he would prefer to stay hidden, but since the guests were Erika’s friends, he decided it would be better not to leave a bad impression.
As he stood next to Karen at the entrance to see them off, Kozue spoke to Seiichiro.
“Um, big brother, can I ask you something?”
“Hm? Did you forget something?”
Seiichiro hesitates for a moment, thrown off by the sharp gaze of the pretty girl.
“No, not that. Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Huh? No, I don’t.”
“Would a younger girlfriend be okay? Like, a middle school student, for example?”
“Eh—”
“Ahh Kozue, we need to go now, right? Bye-bye, everyone!”
Erika pulls Kozue by the collar and they leave the house.
Not really understanding what happened, Rie just follows.
Kana bows politely after comparing the bewildered Seiichiro and the frozen Karen, and then leaves.
Erika’s three friends departed like a storm.
On the way home, after being seen off by Erika (forcibly), the three walked in silence for a while.
“Hey Kozue, why did you ask that? Erika looked scary, you know?”
“I just asked for Erika’s sake. It would be problematic if he’s not interested in younger girls.”
“Ahh, Erika-chan’s sister also had a serious look. Erika is pretty, but she loses to her sister in the chest department.”
They continued to discuss the topic.
For the record, Kana herself is flat-chested.
“Sigh… I didn’t expect Erika to be not just a siscon but also into her brother.”
“That’s silly. There’s no way that’s true.”
“Yeah, if she made that face at her real brother, that would be a bit problematic.”
“Eh? So that’s how it is? …Well, yeah. The face she makes when she says how cool he is…sigh, I want a boyfriend.”
“Rie, you’re likely to mess up choosing a guy, so consult us first when you find someone.”
“Or maybe it’s impossible for Rie-chan for a while.”
“Hey, can you two be a little less harsh with your word choices!?”
As they talked, each of them had a conclusion in their mind about the day’s events as they parted ways.
(I don’t really get it, but I should stop coming to this house. Erika is scary.)
(I get it now, I’ll visit again. I have to support Erika.)
(I’ll occasionally visit to observe if any sisterly disputes are happening.)
By majority vote, it seems they’ll probably visit again.たいつか勉強会が開催されることが決定していたのだった。