CH 25

“Excuse me!”

“Oh, please come in…”

“Good morning, Natsumi-chan, Ai-chan.”

The three of them had made plans to hang out at school a few days ago. Ume, Toma’s younger sister, invited Natsumi and Ai into her home.

Natsumi, who enjoys surfing, wore a deep-brimmed hat and paired a long tunic with culottes and a tank top, creating a cute yet easy-to-move-in outfit.

Ai, who is reserved and not good at expressing emotions, gave off a neat impression by pairing a V-neck t-shirt with a pleated skirt and knee-high socks. As they were at an age when they became fashion-conscious, they wore outfits that suited their respective personalities and appearances.

“Wow, this is such a beautiful house. Ume-chan’s house is…”

“The floors are sparkling clean…”

“Oh, that’s because Nii was cleaning. He always does it with enthusiasm whenever he cleans.”

Toma’s lifestyle doesn’t change even on weekends. Even on days when he doesn’t have university, he doesn’t oversleep and wakes up early as usual. It’s typical of Toma’s serious personality.

“So, Toma-niisan… Does he like cleaning…?”

“Yeah, that’s right. He doesn’t overlook even a speck of dust.”

“Wow, in that case, I should ask him to clean my house too! It’s been getting messy lately!”

“Natsumi-chan, he’s older than us…you know?”

“Hahaha, I know, I know! It was just a joke!”

“You  were a little serious though…”

“I thought so too.” said Ume

Under the gaze of Ai and Ume, Natsumi put on an embarrassed smile. People who would help with cleaning were valuable and attractive, after all.

There were reasons why she couldn’t help taking it a bit seriously.

“Oh…Ume-chan, where is Onii-san Toma?”

“I wanted to ask that too! I just want to say hi to him, even if it’s just a little!”

“He’s in the living room, but…you don’t have to be so concerned about it. Onii-san won’t get mad at you for that.”

“I never thought I’d get scolded or anything. I just thought it would be refreshing to say hi.”

“Me too…”

“Got it. Then come to the living room.”

“Alright!”

Kok

The three of them continued their conversation in the entranceway, and under Ume’s guidance, they headed to the living room where Toma was.

“Ah…”

And then, their voices overlapped.

Certainly, Toma was there. However, he wasn’t in a state where he could be called out to.

With the sound of a mechanical pencil scratching paper echoing throughout the living room, Toma had his reference books and notebooks piled up on his desk. He had black earphones on and was emitting an aura that wouldn’t allow anyone to approach, as he concentrated on studying.

“Wow, studying on a day off…Ume’s brother is really something.”

“He’s very serious…”

Naomi and Ume exclaimed as they looked at the back of Toma, who was studying.

“Um…what should we do about this? Natsumi, Ai?”

“I-I think I’ll refrain from disturbing him…”

“That’s right. We can’t interrupt his studies, so let’s go to Ume’s room and say hello later!”

“Okay.”

Seeing Toma concentrating on his work, the three of them decided to delay their greetings. As they reached for the doorknob and tried to quietly leave the living room, Toma suddenly stopped using his sharp pencil and turned around as if he had sensed someone behind him.

“Oh!”

Finally noticing their presence, Toma took off his headphones and stood up from his chair, approaching them.

“Long time no see, Natsumi-san, Ai-san. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

“Big brother noticed us! Hi there!”

“H-Hello… Toma onii-san.”

“I’m sorry for not noticing you were here. Did you come to say hello?”

“Yeah, but… I’m sorry if we’re interrupting your studies.”

“No, no, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

Ume’s friends, Natsumi and Ai, had visited their house countless times, and it was thanks to that they had become friends and now greeted each other warmly.

“Thank you for always being kind to Ume. As her brother, I appreciate it,” said Toma, smiling kindly.

“No, no, it’s us who should be thanking you! Right, Ai?” said Natsumi.

“Yes…”

“I’m glad to hear that,” replied Toma with a gentle smile, which immediately put the two girls at ease.

As they looked at the kind and cool brother, Natsumi and Ai felt a twinge of envy. But then, Ume muttered, “He’s such an idiot. Honestly.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? I’m just worried about you,” replied Toma, cluelessly.

“I didn’t mean it like that…”

But Toma was too dense to understand what Ume was trying to say: “We just came to say hello, so don’t do anything to embarrass Natsumi and Ai.”

“…Haaah. Ume-chan, are you jealous because we have a good atmosphere?”

“W-What?! N-No, that’s not it!”

“Your face… is turning red…”

Natsumi recovered quickly and showed a coordinated response with Ai. Well, in Ai’s case, she just stated the obvious.

“That’s not true!!”

“No, really, Ume’s face is really red. It’s like she’s been soaked for a few months.”

“You’re good, big brother!”

“Y-You’re really good…”

“You’re not good at all!!”

“No, no, it’s not like I’m boasting about myself, but it’s not like I’m not good at all.”

Toma, who was making a light joke, smiled, but the next moment he became serious and continued speaking.

“… If you have a fever, don’t force yourself. If you want something like fruit or a sports drink, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“I-I don’t have a fever… I’m fine…”

Perhaps Ume sensed the seriousness in Touta’s tone, she turned her face away with an even redder face.

“You’re blushing, Ume-chan!”

“T-That’s not it!”

“Hohee, I wonder if that’s really true?”

“It is true!”

“… Natsumi-chan, you should stop teasing her at that level…”

At that moment, Ai weakly stopped them while glancing at Natsumi and Touta. She probably noticed the degree of teasing and the fact that Touta was studying. She is very good at consideration.

“Thank you, Ai. But it’s okay. I can study anytime, and a little noise is fun for me too.”

Toma repeated his concern for Ai. However, his true feelings were quite included in this. His persuasiveness was quite powerful.

“Th-then… that’s good.”

“Huh? Ai’s blushing too!”

“T-that’s not… it’s not like that.”

And at that moment, the target of Natsumi’s teasing changed to Ai, who was shaking her hands and denying it. It was probably producing a fan-like wind from her hand.

“Um, maybe the room temperature is hot… should we turn on the air conditioning?”

And there was one insensitive person who couldn’t keep up with the situation. What he was saying was not entirely wrong, but it was completely off the mark.

“I’ll just go to Ume’s room now, so it’s okay. Don’t come into the room without permission, Nii.”

“I wouldn’t do something like that… oh, I bought some snacks and juice, so Ume, take them with you.”

“I told you that you didn’t have to do that…”

“I also left some paper cups.”

“Ugh! Listen to me!”

At this point, Toma was essentially in control of the situation. He successfully handed over the snacks and juice he bought this morning to Ume.

Later on, Toma returned to his studies, but he didn’t expect a certain topic to come up in Ume’s room.