Yamato Nadeshiko, Koibana no Gotoku Chapter 6

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

【SIDE：Yamato Takeru】

Two weeks have already pa.s.sed from the start of the new semester.
In the morning that day, while I was in the middle of changing into my school uniform and preparing to go to school,

「Good morning, Takeru.」

My mom who rarely appeared was in the kitchen.
I didn’t notice at all when she had come back home.
Starting from junior high school, my parents were frequently away from home due to work. After my older sister moved out, it was often just Nades.h.i.+ko and I, the two of us, living here now.

「Breakfast has been prepared.」

「Thank you. When did you come back?」

「Late last night. I had some business along this way, but I won’t have any more time to come back home today. Sorry about always being unable to slow down. If you have something for me, you should tell me now.」

I understood that dad’s work was also very difficult.
We might not seem like an ordinary family, but it was not like we were abandoned either.
Our parents properly loved our family, and there was no dissatisfaction on that part.
I sat at the table and began to eat breakfast.

「Nades.h.i.+ko still hasn’t woken up yet?」

That girl was a weak person in the morning.
If she does not wake up and come down soon, I’ll go to her room to wake her up.

「…… Takeru, can I ask you a question?」

Saying so, my mom looked at me with an unreadable expression on her face.

「What is it?」

「I had a feeling from before, but don’t you siblings get along too well?」

Apparently, it seemed like there was some strange misunderstanding.
I explain that it wasn’t anything in particular.

「For as long as I can remember, Nades.h.i.+ko and I have always had gotten along well, as siblings.」

「It’s because you think that is normal that you’re mistaken, okay? Takeru, in this world siblings don’t repeatedly go on dates on the weekends with their arms linked and fingers interlocked like lovers. Your father and I really want you to think that the relations.h.i.+p and att.i.tudes the two of you have are abnormal.」

Having my parent say that much was also painful for me.
She warned me with an amazed expression on her face.

「Though being on bad terms with siblings is also a problem, what do you think about siblings who are too intimate?」

I received my mom’s preaching while eating an omelet.
Our parents have had a negative view of our relations.h.i.+p from since a long time ago.

「Be honest, you aren’t in a strange relations.h.i.+p with her, right?」

「A strange relations.h.i.+p?」

「…… romantic relations.h.i.+p.」

I choked in response to my overly frank mother.
What the h.e.l.l kind of suspicions are being directed at me?!

「Geh, cough. Wha-what kind of things are you trying to say, there’s no such thing going on!」

「……」

「Can you stop with that silent stare?!」

That all too serious face was unnecessarily painful.

「Please also consider the feelings of the parent who can’t help but make that sort of face. I also want to hear about Takeru’s feelings. Do you want to have a lover’s relations.h.i.+p with Nades.h.i.+ko?」

「What kind of question is that?! A brother who will tell his mother, ‘I want to be lovers with my little sister,’ would be a hopeless person in society right?!」

「…… Can I really believe that you don’t have that intention?」

「Up to now, have I done anything to make you believe otherwise?」

I lied in order to avoid having my own feelings be seen through.
Well, I do like Nades.h.i.+ko, but there’s no way I can admit such a thing in this kind of situation.

「Because Nades.h.i.+ko and I are siblings, you see.」

That line is starting to become my standard line.
Every time I uttered it though, my heart ached.
In addition, I didn’t even know whether mom was relieved by that.

「Anyway, it will be a problem if you don’t show some moderation in a.s.sociating as siblings, understand?」

「I understand already.」

「I don’t really want to say this, but if your brother-sister relations.h.i.+p that I’m already worried about goes any further, even I won’t be picky with the methods I need to use. I’m sure you can imagine how that will turn out, so please don’t make me worry too much about your relations.h.i.+p becoming too intimate.」

What an ominous statement, as if warning me that hostile countermeasures were being considered.
Mom quietly told me「Takeru should prepare himself for that time.」
I don’t know exactly what she was thinking about, but she seemed to have some scheme in mind.

「If you two had a close but wholesome relations.h.i.+p as brother and sister, even I wouldn’t have anything more to say. However, Nades.h.i.+ko completely sees you as a love interest. Takeru, you are the final line of defense. I implore you, don’t lose sight of yourself.」

For my parent to be able to speak about our siblings’ relations.h.i.+p to that much detail was amazing.
As for my family’s worries, let’s place that matter in the corner of my mind.

While on the way to school together with Nades.h.i.+ko, I was telling my sister about the order of restraint from our mom.

「I see, so mother has noticed the romantic relations.h.i.+p that exists between big brother and me.」

「Don’t fabricate reality. We don’t have a relations.h.i.+p as lovers, just as siblings with an overly close relations.h.i.+p.」

「That would be the difference in “perception” between big brother and me, right? I have every intention of being big brother’s lover.」

A younger sister who would calmly declare herself to be her older brother’s lover, that would be Yamato Nades.h.i.+ko.

「All those who would come between the relations.h.i.+p between big brother and me, for example, even if it were mother, I would declare to be an enemy! Regardless of whoever they are, I cannot forgive anyone who would try to interfere with my love. It is not my intention, but I have resolved myself even for the need for full-out war!」

「N-No no, let’s put behind us this parent and child showdown. Peace is important, peace is number one.」

「……. it is sad, but even looking at history, parents and children are fated to fight one another, big brother.」

「Fate?! Wait, please calm down! Nades.h.i.+ko, a family feud between parents and children is not what I want.」

If it was the Nades.h.i.+ko right now, she would be capable of anything, so I needed to stop my younger sister’s reckless rampage.
If things became like that, my dad who doted on his daughter would also be in a huge quandary.
I think a family which gets along happily is the best.

「As long as big brother is mine, there is nothing else that I would want.」

「Nades.h.i.+ko is really single-minded」

「That’s right! That’s why, big brother should take responsibility for these feelings and get married with me please.」

「…… regarding that matter, I have no comment.」

There is a brother here who was proposed to by his younger sister early in the morning.
And then, forget rejection, that soft-hearted older brother who couldn’t even mount a strong denial was me.
When we arrived at the school, Nades.h.i.+ko went「that’s right」as if she suddenly recalled something,

「Because of some business I need go to the faculty room today, so I’ll bid you farewell here. Let’s meet again for lunch, big brother.」

As I see off Nades.h.i.+ko’s figure from behind her, Satake called out to me.

「What’s this, were you fascinated with Nades.h.i.+ko-chan’s appearance from the back, Yamato?」

「…… I was doing no such thing. It’s because she’s my little sister.」

「With such a cute younger sister like that, to worry would be the natural reaction, huh? Right from the start of her admission, Nades.h.i.+ko-chan seems to have been considerably popular, you know. There are also a lot of rumors.」

Nades.h.i.+ko is an indisputably beautiful girl, so of course becoming popular was a natural outcome.
It was that way in junior high too.

「Hmm? Ohh, a popular girl has appeared over there too.」

In front of where Satake was staring at, people were gathering.

「Good morning, Sudou-san.」

「Good morning. Even though it is warm and relaxing today, the fact that the cherry blossoms have already scattered is a little sad.」

In the center of the crowd, there was a beautiful girl with a gentle smile floating on her face.
She had an adult appearance and a calm and composed atmosphere which would make you think that she was mature beyond her age.
Her long hair fluttered in the breeze, and she quietly used a single hand to grasp her hair.

「That Sudou-san is popular as always.」

A girl who corresponded with a kind smile even when surrounded by everyone.
The name of the beautiful girl with hazel-colored hair was Sudou Fujiawayuki.
With an appearance like her name “light snowfall”, she was a stunning girl with suitable snow-white skin.
Due to a pleasant and friendly personality, her popularity with boy and girls alike was high.

「But jeez, this school sure has a number of high cla.s.s ladies. We’re talking about the distinguished Sudou family, so she’s quite a considerable ojou-sama, but the fact that she hasn’t let that go to her head makes her really popular.」

「That’s right, she’s a good-humored person, so talking to her is interesting.」

Awayuki-san was my cla.s.smate in the same cla.s.s as me last year.
If I were to describe us, it could be said that we had a small relations.h.i.+p, enough to say that we could be called friends.
When she noticed us, she lightly raised her hand in greeting.

「Takeru-kun, good morning. Just now I saw you getting along well with your sister while walking with her. The relations.h.i.+p between you two was so close, it was as if you were lovers.」

「I wish you wouldn’t say that to make of me.」

「I wasn’t joking, you know, because it really seemed that way.」

This girl’s smile had the charm to captivate others in an instant, and she just showed me a really wonderful smile.

「Girls who are in love are beautiful. Surely, she was in love. I’m a bit jealous.」

Awayuki-san muttered 「I also wish to fall in love」 in a small voice.
Her profile somehow looked a bit lonely, though I also knew why.
Even though she wanted to fall in love, there were circ.u.mstances that won’t allow it.

「It is good that I am in the same cla.s.s as Takeru-kun again, because the only boy that I can place my trust in is Takeru-kun.」

「I am honored to be trusted by Awayuki-san above all.」

「Fufu… Hey, may I continue to count on Takeru-kun from now on?」

Most men would probably have been cajoled if she had whispered in their ears with that sweet voice.
…… Even I might be counted as one of those men charmed by that smile.

「If you require my power, then my strength is yours. As a friend, of course.」

「I’m glad to hear your say that. I’ll be counting on you. …… Now then, I’ll see you again in the cla.s.sroom.」

As we separated from her, Satake muttered a sigh behind me.

「Aren’t you getting a little too lovestruck from being relied on by a beautiful girl? I’ll tell Nades.h.i.+ko-chan.」

「I’m not lovestruck or anything! Also, keep this a secret from Nades.h.i.+ko, please.」

「…… Yamato, I really don’t get your “friends.h.i.+p” with Sudou-san.」

Despite being such a popular girl, there were few males that were close to her.
That may be the reason why I frequently received glares from the other guys.

「It is because she is popular. It would be difficult to find a trustworthy guy with no ulterior motives, right?」

「And the reason why that trustworthy party is Yamato?」

「….. due to my everyday conduct?」

「Nicely said. If you really were trusted due to luck, I envy you. As expected of her “former lover” huh.」

I deceived Satake by giving a vague smile and saying nothing.

【 To be continued 】