Kaiwa mo shinai tsurekko no imouto ga, naganen issho ni baka yatte-kita Netoge no friend datta

Even this Yasutora had confessed his romantic feelings towards Nanjo Rin last year and got rejected.

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Even so, Yasutora was still gazing intently at her from the corner of the classroom.
Not only Yasutora, but several other boys were eyeing at her intently in a similar fashion.
That’s how charming she is, I guess.

In fact, even I think Nanjo Rin looks really cute.
Not only that, but she is also very friendly and well-liked by both boys and girls alike.
She seems like a girl with almost not flaws at all.

But…

“There does seems something fishy about her.”

“Did you say something, Subaru?”

“Nope.
Nothing at all.”

I look at Nanjo Rin, who was leading the conversation with a smile that captivates everyone who sees her.
Not only does she look good, but she also provides interesting topics to discuss with everyone, and sometimes she is even a good listener.

It’s almost as if she’s been made up by someone or something else, ―making me wonder if this was all just an act.
Am I just thinking too much?

Rather than her, I was more concerned about Hiyori at present than her.

She is looking from one place to another, as if she is at a bind.
However, it doesn’t seem like that she is being bullied or something along those lines.
Nanjo Rin is controlling the flow of conversation exquisitely so as not to make Hiyori, feel uncomfortable.

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… Well, I guess she will be fine.

“Here’s the dictionary.
It’s been sitting in the back of my desk.”

“You didn’t lose it?”

“Even if it is me, I won’t ever lose something that I borrow.
Or… even if I would, I would have bought you a brand new one?”

“… Don’t lose it, rather don’t forget it in first place.”

Hehe, I’m sorry like this.
Saying that he put his hands up, as I go my way for the adjacent classroom.

“… Tsu!”

When I looked back for the very last time, somehow my eyes met those of Hiyori’s, wet with tears.

Even if it was obvious that she was asking for help, but unfortunately there is no prior connection formed between me and Hiyori at school.
It is not difficult to imagine that if I break into their discussion, I will be just pouring oil to the existing fire.
So, I just laughed vaguely and avoided it.

“Yoshida-san, I have some more recommendation for you―”

“Oh, nope, I mean, I don’t―”

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I had no idea what the girls thought about Hiyori, who was continuously looking from one place to another.
But it seemed as if Nanjo Rin had forced her way into the conversation so that Hiyori would not be pursued by other girls as to who she had been in a date with.

… I wonder why?

I don’t know why it was, but somehow Nanjo Rin and Philia san seemed one and the same for a moment.

◇◇◇

Throughout the entire class that afternoon, I was only thinking only about Hiyori.

She was usually quiet and calmly reading books in her own seat.

It was not like she didn’t have any friends or so, but it was more of the role of being the silent listener around the corner.

Even in the class, she was sober, calm, inconspicuous, never doing something which can make her the centre or attention.
She was just a quiet girl who can be found everywhere.
Speaking of Hiyori, such an image always came to my mind.

That was truly why, the event that took place during the lunch break was truly something unexpected, the very fact that Hiyori eyed me as if asking to rescue her was indeed quite unbelievable and unexpected.

As the setting I have with Hiyori at home, the same is not when understood with relation in school.
Everyone is oblivious to the fact that both of us are related to each other and are stepbrother and stepsister.
Until now, I’ve never approached her at school before, and we’ve never even made eye contact.

Just what on earth did she thought while doing that I suppose?

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As I was continuously thinking about these things, it was already late afternoon now.
The classroom around me was abuzz with private conversations, perhaps due to a sense of freedom as our classes were over.
As if being lured by the hubbub, Yasutora came to show his face in my class.

“Subaru, why don’t we stop by the game centre before going home?”

“Oh, oka― nope, I think today might be a no.”

“I see” saying Yasutora left, humming the tune of the theme song of his favourite game.

I am not enrolled in any club at school, so I usually don’t have any plans after school, so much so to add some occasionally shifts more at my part-time job.

That was the reason, when I’m invited out to go to the gaming centre, most of the time I would tag along.
However somehow, I could not get into that mood for it today.
I couldn’t help but keep thinking about that expression of Hiyori during the lunch time.

When I got reminded of the incident that happened during lunch break, I felt the urge to need to speak about it with Hiyori all the more.
But even if that was…

I somehow didn’t feel like going home right away.
My mind was completely haywire with the thoughts of Hiyori all about it.

“I’m home.”

My voice echoes at the entrance of the house.

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I ended up stopping by a convenience store to look at job magazines and came home about half an hour later than usual.
Hiyori’s loafers were scattered around untidily, indicating that she had already arrived home.

―― It was just as if yesterday was repeating itself.

I need to give some explanations about what happened during daytime at school―― thinking so I went back to my room and turned on my PC.

“You are so terrible! Even though you could have saved me there! also you are too late!”

As soon as I logged into the game, I immediately got scolded by Philia san.

“… How would I have?”

“Th—That… by doing anything, somehow?”

“Do you want me to barge into a girl’s conversation? That is something impossible to me, live strong?”

“Ugh— ugh, Kries you are so cold hearted!”

Somehow everything in that conversation was without any context at all.

The first thing I noticed about the blaming and accusations was that she was sulky and reproachful to her best friend, it made me realize that that she wasn’t holding any grudges against me for real.
It was just a light-hearted remark from her.