“...Are you serious about my brother?”
“...What do you mean by that?”
In the living room, alone with my boyfriend’s younger sister, I braced myself slightly at her serious question while trying to discern her true intentions.
“No, it’s just... someone as beautiful, kind-hearted, and talented as you, Amane-san, could surely have any boyfriend you wanted. I just don't understand the logic of choosing my brother among them...”
“No, that’s not...”
“Of course, I’m not saying I suspect you're tricking him or anything. It’s just, well...”
Yuzu-san hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words, before continuing.
“Anyway,” she said.
“This is my brother’s first girlfriend. And since it's someone as wonderful as you—someone he admired to a creepy degree—I think he’s completely over the moon. So, if you're just dating him because he likes you, or something like that... I wanted to ask before he gets too deep into it...”
Hearing that, I felt strangely convinced.
This must be why Yuzu-san sent Konuma-kun out of the house.
One reason was to protect Konuma-kun from getting hurt.
And the other reason was probably...
...Konuma-kun’s childhood friend is also Yuzu-san’s childhood friend.
If I wasn’t serious, Yuzu-san knew there was someone else who was.
“...Yuzu-san.”
I gave a wry smile, cleared my throat, and told her the absolute truth.
“I want to be with Konuma-kun for the rest of my life.”
I nodded as Yuzu-san’s eyes widened and continued.
“...To be honest, there are many times when I think things would go much smoother if I just let go of these feelings. You see, Konuma-kun is actually very popular...”
“...Huh?”
Wow, she made such a dubious face it almost hurt my feelings.
“You don't have to be polite. I mean, I have to admit I know there are some eccentric people out there once in a blue moon, but I wouldn't go as far as to say he's popular, right?”
“...No, no.”
Her expression really did look like Konuma-kun’s. I ended up waving my hand in front of my face in a casual manner.
“That’s definitely the case. He’s respected and adored by wonderful girls to the point where it makes my stomach ache. Even for me, I’ve managed to be the one he chose for now, but I don't know what will happen tomorrow...”
“Haa...”
Even after saying all that, it didn't seem to get through; Yuzu-san continued to tilt her head in confusion.
“You see, as you already know, I was working as a musician under the name amane. But due to certain circumstances, I quit, and after that, I couldn't sing my own songs for a long time.”
“Is that so?”
I gave her a brief summary of what happened from the time I met Konuma-kun until the Lock-on event in July.
How I couldn't sing my own songs, the reason why (though I didn't mention that Sako-san was the one who posted the tweet), forming a band with Yuri and Sako-san, him writing the song ‘Weekdays’ for me, the somewhat unrelated story of Konuma-kun helping a girl named Erina-chan, and how Konuma-kun supported my singing with all his heart at Lock-on.
How he was just like a protagonist.
By the time I finished talking, her impression seemed to have changed; Yuzu-san’s dubious face turned into one of realization.
“I see... so that happened...”
“Yeah. Konuma-kun brought my voice back to me. He saved my life and changed it. Since then, no matter what he does, he just looks cool to me... I guess you could call it the weakness of being the one in love.”
After hearing my words, Yuzu-san scratched her cheek.
“...Listening to someone gush about my brother is, well, a bit... something...”
“Ah, was that a bit too much to listen to?”
“No, it’s just...”
She looked away from my wry smile and smirked a little.
“It doesn't feel too bad,” she said.
“Ahaha, I see.”
Looking at that smile, I thought about how siblings really have a mysterious relationship.
I’m an only child, so I might not truly understand, but seeing them like this, I felt that blood relatives of the same generation have a bond that’s hard to compare to anything else.
And, as expected, I felt a bit envious.
It was similar to the envy I felt toward Sako-san.
After all, (though I don't want to think about it, even as a hypothesis), if I were to break up with Konuma-kun, nothing would remain, and we would become total strangers.
But Yuzu-san’s firm relationship with Konuma-kun wouldn't disappear no matter how much they fought.
...Just as Sako-san and Konuma-kun will always be childhood friends no matter what.
Just as my lips were about to form a distorted smile.
“...Well then, Amane-san.”
“Yes.”
Yuzu-san placed her hands on her knees and looked me straight in the eye again.
“...Please don't do anything half-hearted.”
That expression was that of Konuma-kun’s sister, but it was also the face of Sako-san’s childhood friend.
“...I understand.”
Just as I gave a firm nod.
“I’m back~”
Konuma-kun returned, bringing a slight chill with him.
I shook my head to brush away the ‘unpleasant side’ of myself and headed toward the entrance with Yuzu-san.
“Welcome back, Konuma-kun.”
“I-I’m back...!”
Konuma-kun said it again as if caught off guard.
“Tak-kun, make sure you get along well with Amane-chan!”
“Huh? What are you talking about? And wait, ‘chan’?”
Konuma-kun seemed to realize something after saying that, and he turned to look at me with the slow, jerky movement of a tin toy.
“...Wait, Ichikawa, did you tell her something?” he asked.
...Oh, was I not supposed to say anything?
“Maybe Yuzu should go watch Tak-kun’s live show too~?”
“Stop it, don't come, seriously.”
“Is it okay to say that~? I might tell Amane-chan exactly how old Tak-kun was when he stopped taking baths with Yuzu, you know?”
“No, you should be the one embarrassed by that!”
“True!”
I watched their exchange with a constant smile—seeing expressions Konuma-kun usually didn't show, and seeing how much Yuzu-san really adored her older brother despite what they said.