Chapter 41: Premonition

(POV Chiharu)

Our fifth-grade school life began, and time passed without any significant changes.
The classroom was filled with noise and commotion.
Everyone had already become accustomed to the changes in this environment, perhaps because being in the fourth grade wasn’t much different.

Speaking of changes, it could be said that social relationships were affected.
With the class reshuffling, the power dynamics within the classroom shifted to some extent.

When previously close friends ended up in different classes, they would feel strangely out of place in the classroom or have to navigate challenging relationships with those they weren’t comfortable with.

However, so far, it seemed that our class had been spared from such situations.
As I looked around, I confirmed that there didn’t seem to be anyone in that predicament.
Everyone was engaged in conversations with smiles on their faces.

The boys stuck with the boys, and the girls stuck with the girls as a general rule.
However, occasionally, you could spot a few noisy individuals buzzing around when they discovered someone talking with someone of the opposite gender.
They were the Nishino Group, consisting of a few boys.

It was like they couldn’t shake off their immaturity, or rather, they still gave off a childlike vibe.
But maybe that was what was considered normal for boys our age.
In fact, maybe me perceiving them that way might have been the real oddity.
However, Nishino, with that attitude, Chiaki would never look at you favorably for the rest of her life.

“Hey, did you see that yesterday?”

“The World Horror Story, right?”

“Yeah, that was intense.”

“I watched it too.”

“Was it really scary?”

“Yeah, it was seriously creepy.”

Most of the students in the classroom were discussing horror shows.
It seemed like there had been a recent boom in that genre.
Apparently, these shows were based on real paranormal experiences that had occurred around the world, with actors and actresses reenacting them.

However, I and my sisters didn’t watch those kinds of shows.
The reason was simple: they were scary.

I wasn’t particularly scared of them.
It’s just that there was no real reason to go out of my way to watch a scary movie.
What was so enjoyable about listening to stories about the supernatural?

Besides, even though I wasn’t scared, my cute little sisters were frightened by it.
And for some reason, despite the fear, all three of them wanted to see those things.

They would talk about the supernatural, ghosts, and monsters, and even though they claimed to be scared, they couldn’t help but be curious.
We had never watched any supernatural shows ourselves.
However, Chiaki had seen one on Onii-san’s smartphone once.

At that time, she kept coming to me, crying, and saying she couldn’t go to the bathroom alone.
As someone who was responsible for taking care of my little sisters, I didn’t feel annoyed or any such emotion, but I didn’t particularly enjoy seeing her scared.

That’s why… I tried my best for us to not watch them…

“Hey, hey, you can’t even watch some horror shows?” Nishino said to Chiaki.

“…It’s not like I can’t or anything.”

Hey, Nishino.
Again!? Do you really want to keep bothering Chiaki like this!? If so, there must be a better way to approach her, right!?

“Geez, Chiaki really is childish.”

“I’m not a child.

“Well then, next time, tell me what you think about some horror show.”

Nishino, by treating Chiaki like a child, acting all high and mighty, do you think you can become the boss of this classroom?

And don’t simply address Chiaki by her first name without honorifics.

Stupid Nishida, use the san at the end.
Show some respect, you shorts-wearing idiot.

I held firm to a belief I cherished.
Individuals who showed a lack of consideration when addressing others were not held in high regard by me.
Giving someone a nickname without establishing familiarity or casually using their first name without consent was a display of thoughtlessness.
Even in the simplest of interactions, a sense of consideration should have been present.

Those who acted without considering the impact on others, who failed to ponder the potential consequences, were not received warmly in my eyes.
The same went for Chiaki, Chinatsu, and Chifuyu.
Even if the other party’s intentions were positive, it was meaningless without the essential element of consideration.

Due to the lack of consideration, Chiaki didn’t hold a favorable impression of Nishino.

“Alright.
I’ll check it out this night,” Chiaki replied.

“O-oh… let me know what you think,” Nishino responded.

However, it was understandable that elementary school students were still young and in the midst of development.
Mistakes were bound to happen.
And perhaps, nitpicking about every little thing was just a result of my hypersensitivity.

But even so, at the very least, Chiaki should have shared the same sentiments as me.

Consideration was crucial, especially when the relationship wasn’t particularly close.

◆◆

(POV Chiharu)

As I and my sisters rode the bus back home, we reflected on the events of the day, swaying with the motion of the vehicle.

“So, that’s Nishino, huh? I’ve been hearing stuff about him from Aki, and well, he seems just as I heard,” Chinatsu remarked.

“Chifuyu feels the same.
Can’t really say anything else,” Chifuyu added.

“Well, I don’t think Nishino is a bad guy though.
He still gives off that youthful vibe, like he’s inexperienced.
But I approach things with a broader and more generous heart than the sea itself, so it doesn’t bother me much,” Chiaki said nonchalantly.

“Hmm, well, I guess there are quite a few people like that, so it’s not a big deal, I suppose,” Chinatsu chimed in.

Truly, as expected of my little sister.
Her heart was deeper than the Mariana Trench and wider than the vast prairies.

“By the way, everyone in class seems to be talking only about horror TV shows,” Chiaki said.

“Yeah… Hearing those kinds of things always makes you curious and want to watch them….even though you know you won’t be able to sleep afterward,” Chifuyu said.

.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s so true….I mean, the other day, after watching one, Chiaki couldn’t even go to the bathroom alone,” Chinatsu chimed in.

“Huh? I can go alone, It’s not that I couldn’t go alone, it’s just that I didn’t go on my own,” Chiaki retorted.

Chiaki and Chinatsu began to bicker, and Chifuyu intervened, trying to calm them down. 

While consideration was important, I had learned from Onii-san that being too reserved is not always a good thing once you become closer with someone.

We have to talk to each other more.

“Well, well, Chiaki, you have quite the witty comebacks,” Chinatsu said.

“First and foremost, let me make it clear that I’m not afraid of anything paranormal.
Scary stories hold no power over me,” Chiaki confidently proclaimed. 

“Well, that’s a bit hard to believe.
Haru and Fuyu, don’t you share the same opinion?” Chinatsu inquired. 

“Y-yes, well, I have to admit that Aki-nee gets a little bit scared of….scary stuff” Chifuyu responded.

“Well, it’s only natural for humans to have fears, after all,” I added.

“… I’m not scared or anything.
It’s the truth!” Chiaki pouted, her cheeks puffing up. 

Both Chifuyu and I were aware of Chiaki’s fear of the paranormal, unintentionally confirming Chinatsu’s question.
This caused Chiaki to turn her face away and sulk.

“I’m sorry… Chiaki,” I apologized.

“It’s okay.
At least Kaito will believe me,” Chiaki said.

Ah, Chiaki was truly sulking now.
We had made a promise to jog together in front of the house, getting ready for the upcoming sports day.
Since we should be able to go home early today, we decided to stick to our plan.

Nevertheless, even as we walked home from the bus stop, Chiaki continued to look away, sulking.

“Hey, Aki.
When we get home, let’s practice running for the sports day together.
If we’re going to do it, we should all have fun together, right?” Chinatsu said.

“Yeah, that’s right.
Aki-nee looks cuter when she’s smiling.” Chifuyu added.

“…Hmm, is that so.”

“That’s right.
Since you’re the fastest, you have to be a good role model for us.
Show us the legendary speed of the Hitsuji daughter.” Chinatsu nodded.

“Yeah, and you also have the nickname ‘TGV’.” Chifuyu added.

“Chinatsu is the cutest and fastest, just like an ideal Onee-chan.” I said.

“…good grief, it can’t be helped; what troubling sisters I have,” Chiaki stated.

It seemed like Chiaki’s mood had finally improved.
Chinatsu, Chifuyu, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
When Chiaki gets down or becomes moody, the atmosphere in the room changes completely.

Chiaki is not only sincere and adorable, but also has a big heart.
She can quickly switch her mood.
Not everyone can do that.
I’m sure she would have greeted us with a smile without us trying to cheer her up.
She would have created the usual cheerful atmosphere on her own. 

Both Chinatsu and Chifuyu were aware of this fact.
However, despite our knowledge, we were eager to offer compliments in order to bring a smile to Chiaki’s face.

Chiaki didn’t become genuinely upset.
It was because she could trust us, allowing everyone to reveal their true selves and express their true feelings.

Consideration is always necessary in our lives, even if we have a good relationship, there are times when we may not handle things well.

However, we have a unique bond where consideration is only minimally required.
We can still speak our minds freely.

Upon confirming this, I couldn’t help but smirk.
When my three sisters tilted their heads and asked what was going on, I laughed it off and told them that it was nothing.

■

“Heh… huff… just how fast… is she…” 

“Haa… haa… She’s too fast!”

I hope they’re okay, both of them. 

After arriving back home, everyone swiftly changed into their tracksuits and gathered in front of the house.
Some onlookers couldn’t help but smile amusingly while observing us running.
Suddenly, Chiaki, at the front, looked back.

“Hey, hey are you guys okay?” she asked.

“We’re… we’re fine.
Damn it, this little bit of sunlight is annoying.” Chinatsu grumbled

“It’s… it’s simply that my legs…” Chifuyu trailed off

“Are you okay? Onee-chan will support you from behind.”

They continued their back-and-forth running in front of the house, mimicking shuttle runs repeatedly.
Chiaki burst into laughter and extended her arms like an airplane as she sprinted.

Struggling to keep up, Chinatsu and Chifuyu were on the brink of exhaustion.
Their legs trembled, but they somehow managed to summon the strength to press onward and keep running.

“I… I can’t go on anymore.
I’m at my limit, my limit.
I give up.”

“C-Chifuyu will keep up for a little more… Ugh, huff, huff…”

Chinatsu stopped running and placed her hands on both knees.
I released the hand that was supporting her.
Meanwhile, Chifuyu continued to run relentlessly.

Chifuyu is really giving it her all.

“I-I hope I’ll receive praise from Kaito-san… Ahh, but my legs… I can’t… anymore…”

“Whoa.”

Chifuyu reached her physical limit and almost stumbled, but Chiaki supported her.

“Tha…nk…ryou,” Chifuyu stammered.

“Don’t worry, little sister.”

“Huff, huff, huff, huff.”

“A-are you okay? Chifuyu?” Chiaki asked worringly.

“A… A’m jood…” 

“I don’t understand what you’re saying anymore.
Let’s take a break for now.”

Chiaki slowly walked towards us, still with her arm supporting Chifuyu’s shoulders.
Unable to continue, Chifuyu involuntarily sat down in front of the house.

Her determined figure was incredibly admirable.
But I wondered if she was alright.

“Chifuyu, that’s enough for today.”

“H-Haru-nee, I-I can… I can still… keep going.”

“No, it’s over.
We’re done for today.”

“But… but just… one more round.”

“U-umm… Onee-chan doesn’t want Chifuyu to push herself too hard.”

“But… just one more, please.”

Finally, her words started to make sense.
I wanted to support my motivated sister and see her give her best.
But I also knew she shouldn’t push herself beyond her limits.

“Sigh… A-after one more round, we’ll be done,” I said.

“Y-yeah, that’s okay with me.”

Chifuyu lifted her wobbly legs and started running.
Despite her unsteady state, she kept running, sweating, and completing the back-and-forth run.

“You’re doing great, Fuyu.”

“Heh, who’s that running, determined girl… Ah, she’s my younger sister.” Chiaki said.

“No, she’s mine as well.” Chinatsu added.

We cheered for her, urging her to keep going.
Then,with labored breaths, Chifuyu managed to finish the run and had a refreshed expression on her face.

“You did well, Chifuyu.”

“You did it!”

“As expected of Chiaki’s sister.”

The three of us praised her, and Chifuyu happily flashed a peace sign, despite the sweat on her forehead and one hand resting on her knee. 

“Ehehe, it’s only natural for me to do this…” Chifuyu said.

So cute.

“Well then, let’s call it a day!”

“Oh no, I forgot about my homework.”

“Oh noo!”

Chiaki and Chinatsu groaned as they headed inside the house.
I walked alongside them, but Chifuyu suddenly stopped.

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

“N-No, it’s nothing…”

“Really? It doesn’t seem that way…”

“I’m just tired and feeling a bit lightheaded…”

“Alright, then let’s walk with our arms linked.
I’ll support you.”

“Th-Thank you, Haru-nee…”

With our arms linked, Chinatsu and I entered the house together.

◆◆

(POV Kaito)

“Hey, hey, Kaito, listen up! Everyone in our classroom has been obsessed with scary stories lately.”

“Is that so? It’s true that ambiguous things like ghosts and demons (yokai) can pique people’s interest.”

“Yeah, I’m thinking of checking out the latest one too.”

“Well… umm, won’t you have trouble sleeping at night if you watch those things?”

“Not me, I’m not scared of such things! Aren’t I amazing!”

“Y-yeah, I guess so.”

While we were having dinner together, Chiaki mentioned this to me.

The other day, Chifuyu told me how Chiaki was watching horror movies on my phone and getting all nervous.
It appears that despite being scared, she was also quite curious.

However, I can’t just disagree with what Chiaki is saying.

“Mufufu, Kaito believes me after all!”

“W-well…”

“Hey, hey, Kaito, do you know any scary stories?”

“W-well, yeah, I know a few.”

“Then tell me!”

“W-well… umm, even if Chiaki is okay, what about Chiharu and the others? Won’t they get scared?”

In the game, there was a setting that portrayed all the sisters as being afraid of scary stuff.
While it didn’t completely apply to everyone, I could sense that even Chiharu unconsciously avoided anything related to horror.

“U-um, Chifuyu also wants to hear Kaito-san’s story!”

“If it’s just a little bit I want too…,” Chinatsu added.

Both Chifuyu and Chinatsu seemed interested in scary stories.

“W-Well, for me I’m not really…” Chiharu trailed off.

“…Let’s save that story for another time,” I suggested.

“Ehh!?”

“Onii-san, please tell us.
I want to hear it too,” Chiharu said.

Chiharu seemed reluctant to listen at first, so I decided to drop the subject.
However, Chiaki had a sad expression on her face, prompting Chiharu to insist on me recounting the story.

Well, if she finds it scary, she can simply express her discomfort, and I’ll immediately stop.

But Chiaki seemed enthusiastic to hear it.
I suppose I should choose a story that isn’t too terrifying.

“Alright then, how about ‘The Terrifying Miso Soup’?”

“Oh! That sounds intriguing!” Chiaki exclaimed.

“I thought you would say that.”

“””…”””

Chinatsu, Chifuyu, and Chiharu held their breath, caught between fear and curiosity.
It was an intriguing mix of emotions—they desired to know despite their anticipation of regret, intensifying their apprehension.

Since I already had the story in mind, I knew that the four of them would become frightened once everything unfolded. 

“…This is a true story,” I began.

“”””…””””

“In a certain place, there resided a young boy and his mother.
As evening approached, the boy inquired, ‘What kind of miso soup will we be having for dinner tonight?’ His mother responded with a sly smile.”

“”””…””””

“Today, we shall have wheat (Kyo wa fu) gluten miso soup… Today, we shall have wheat (Kyo wa fu) gluten miso soup.
The terrifying (Kyofu) miso soup…”

“Hahaha! Kaito, that’s so funny!”

“I’m glad you find it so.”

“””…”””

Chiaki burst into laughter, while the other three regarded me with eyes akin to those of dried fish.
Perhaps it wasn’t as amusing as I had thought. 

“Kaito-san,” Chinatsu spoke up.

“What’s up, Chinatsu?”

It was unusual for Chinatsu to approach me first to start a conversation.

“Well, I’ve been thinking for a while now,” she said.

“Yeah?”

“Your stories, Kaito-san… They’re quite… umm…”

“Are they boring?” I filled in the gap.

“I wouldn’t go that far, but…” 

Chinatsu said, looking somewhat awkward.
This must be what they call a generation gap.
But I was genuinely happy that she spoke her mind.

Although, I still felt a little saddened by being told it was boring.

“Kaito’s stories are interesting! Though occasionally there are some that aren’t as captivating!” Chiaki chimed in.

“I-Is that so? Can you give me a specific example of what you didn’t find interesting?” I asked.

“Well, let’s see… There was this story about how a breeze brings good business to a cooper.
It was a bit complicated and not very exciting,” Chiaki explained.

So Chiaki also found some of my stories uninteresting.
I guess I’ll have to start looking up popular stories on the internet from now on.

“Anyway, Kaito, tell us a genuinely scary story! Not a pun or anything like that!”

“Uh, yeah.
But, you know… stories like ‘The Cross of Evil’ are off-limits, you know? Absolutely…”

“Onii-san, please don’t worry about me.
I’m actually interested too,” Chiharu said.

“Uh, well… Are you really okay with it, Chiharu?”

“I’m fine.”

“And what about you, Chinatsu?”

“I’m fine.”

“And how about you, Chifuyu?”

“I’m fine.”

“Chiaki?”

“I’m fine!”

After being pressed like this, I couldn’t just refuse.
I guess it’ll be alright if I tell them a moderately scary story.

“Alright, then.
I’ll tell you a somewhat scary story…  Once upon a time, there existed a young man named A who relocated to a particular apartment with the assistance of a professional moving company.
After arranging his possessions for the most part, A found himself gazing at his newfound room when he stumbled upon an unexpected small hole in the wall.
Curiosity piqued, he wondered what might have caused such a peculiar opening.”

“”””Gulp…””””

As I built up the suspense a bit, the four of them prepared themselves with expressions that indicated they were ready to face their fears.

“The other side of that hole was a deep crimson.
It was simply, entirely red.”

“””Eh?”””

“Deciding to pay no mind to the hole, A continued living his life normally.
However, as time went by, he couldn’t help but be increasingly bothered by that red color from behind the hole.
In a spur of the moment, A dashed out of his room and approached the landlord.
“Um, what kind of room is next door? Who lives there? All I can see is a red color all the time…,” A inquired.
The landlord responded, “Next door is occupied by someone with red eyes, but apart from that, nothing is out of the ordinary.” Well, that’s all.
It wasn’t too scary, right?”

“Yeah! I wasn’t scared in the least bit!” Chiaki exclaimed proudly.

“Me neither.” Chinatsu added.

Chiaki and Chinatsu seemed completely unfazed, or perhaps they simply hadn’t grasped the essence of the story yet.
As evidence of this, Chiharu and Chifuyu turned pale.

“What’s wrong with you two? You’re so pathetic.
Well, I suppose when you become an adult like me, these kinds of stories will no longer be frightening.” Chiaki said.

“Well, it’s only natural for some people to have things they’re not good at, right?” Chinatsu added.

“Natsu-nee, Aki-nee, were you guys really listening to the story…?”

“”Hmm?””

“If there’s someone with red eyes in the neighboring room… and if all you can see is red through the hole… it means… the person next door has been, has been, has been, peering into the room all this time, right?”

“”Eh…?””

… I wonder if it was too scary.
I thought I chose a rather gentle one…

“Chiharu, are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine.
It was just a made-up story after all.
A tale of pure imagination without any scientific basis.”

“Y-yeah… um, if anything happens, let me know, okay?”

“Alright…”

The temperature at the dining table suddenly dropped.
I thought to myself that I should introduce more topics from now on, to make the dining experience more enjoyable.