Chapter 108 - Recap

You must be confused about what’s happening, so let me briefly explain what happened up until now. As you know, I was supposed to talk with Erina nee-san about Hotaru’s decision. And so I did. But to my surprise, Erina nee-san didn’t cry or become angry. She just asked me to tell her exactly how the conversation went. So I explained everything to her: his line of thought, what he thinks about her and Tachibana-san, and how difficult it was for him to choose between them. And of course, I told her that I was the reason why he decided to choose only one person. I didn’t mention anything about us being from another world, but as her own brother, she deserves to know everything she wants to know, even if she ends up hating me. So I was expecting her to blame me and even raise her voice at me. After all, I really hadn’t helped her at all this time. But she only replied... “I see... Thanks for telling me. Let me think about this in my room. But don’t worry about me, I won’t lock myself in my room.” - She said in a calm way. Then I could only trust her and hope that everything would be fine the next day. By the way, all my sisters know what’s going on. After all, they noticed she went to my room last time, and they asked me what happened. ♦♦♦ And so the next day came, and I woke up. It seemed Erina nee-san had already gone somewhere... Well, I guess she was trying to meet him in the park again. So, just as always, I prepared to go to school. As I was heading to my classroom, I could hear some gossip about Hotaru. Well, every girl seemed to be interested in him and talking about what their chances were of hitting the jackpot with him... Yeah, you heard me. Jackpot. Not gonna lie, I’m jealous of him. It’s clear as day that they want him as a love interest. And to make things worse, I even overheard some girls’ conversations... “If I’m not mistaken, Morikawa-san is Hirose-kun’s childhood friend. I guess it’s not a surprise, considering how they treat women kindly. I wonder if we have a chance with Hirose-kun.” “I talked with Hirose-san a little. It’s really comfortable talking with him. It kind of reminds me of what Morikawa-san once said about why bother trying to talk to a boy who ignores you. Well, since Hirose-san doesn’t see us as a bother, that means it’s worth trying, right?” As you can see, both Hotaru and I have become popular with girls in a sense. But let me ask you, as a man, which of us would you rather be treated like? Not only am I jealous of him, but I’m kind of worried now. I mean... “Good morning, Tomoki! Everything okay with you?” - Ayame asked. “Good morning, Ayame! This time you arrived earlier than me.” “Fufu~ That’s because Sasaki-san needed to drop me off earlier today. But hey, I noticed you were lost in your thoughts. You can talk to me if you need to.” So yeah, I’m worried about whether Ayame is actually interested in him. I mean, think about it. He received a scholarship, and we know the main intention of the Edomae family. “Well... how can I say this... The next discussion in the auditorium is already near, right? I was just thinking about that.” And she did it again. She started staring at me for a moment. “You’re right. But don’t worry. All you need to do is be yourself. After all, you’ve already experienced it twice, and you did well. Have more faith in yourself.” “Thanks.” Of course, I couldn’t directly ask her what she thought about Hotaru. Ding dong, ding dong. And so the lesson started. ♦♦♦ I had lunch with Ryuichi and Ayame, while Himari went to have lunch with Hotaru. “So, Tomoki, everything okay with you? Especially with your sister?” - Ryuichi asked. “Yeah, it’s okay. My sister just needs some time.” “Erina-san is a really strong person. If it were me, I would never be able to get over it.” - Ayame said. Heartbreak is painful, after all, but I wonder what it’s like for women from this world. “Ayame, do you think it’s really difficult to find a man who... how can I say this... is reliable and loyal to a woman?” “To be honest, yes, it is. From all my encounters, I’ve never met one until now.” - Ayame replied. Wait... Until now!? “Not to mention that most of the men I know don’t talk well with women. Either they’re afraid of them or rude to them. Well, I’m kind of like them if I think about it.” - Ryuichi said. “Satou-san, don’t talk poorly about yourself. Just so you know, we’ve noticed that you’ve really improved since we first met.” - Ayame-san said. “She’s right, Ryuichi. At least I can’t imagine you proposing to segregate male and female students in a co-ed school anymore.” - I said playfully. “Couldn’t you give me a simple compliment?” Ayame and I noticed that he was kind of embarrassed by our comments. Now that I think about it, I was able to take a brief break for a moment. ♦♦♦ Ding dong, ding dong. Finally, today’s classes ended, and I noticed that Himari had been restless since lunch. “Himari-san, everything okay with you?” - Ayame asked her. “Well, guys, today I noticed that Hirose-kun was acting weird. He was more absent-minded, and this time he was often forcing himself to smile.” And so everyone glanced at me. “I can try to ask what happened. But could you give me more details? For example, did he lose his appetite during lunchtime?” “Yes! You’re right! He usually eats all of his bento and mine too. But today he left some leftovers.” “What!?” - Both Ayame and Ryuichi asked. “Then that means something serious happened to him.” He’s a big eater, after all. “Couldn’t he have just been full this time?” - Ryuichi asked. “No, not a chance.” - Both Himari and I answered. If something unusual happened, I can only think of one possible reason... “Tomoki, do you know what could be troubling him?” - Himari asked. “I don’t know, but I’ll talk to him. Don’t worry.” - I lied. “I see. Thanks, Tomoki! But if something happened to him, tell me, okay?” Sorry, Himari. To be fair, I don’t even know what I should do at this point. But don’t worry. Since you two have mutual feelings for each other, one thing is for sure: you two will end up together. As for Erina nee-san... It’s my duty as her brother to help her get over it. Later, I sent him a message asking him to meet me in the park to talk. And he agreed. ♦♦♦ “What’s up, Hotaru? Everything alright?” “Hey, Tomoki. I have something to say.” “Go ahead—” Then, Erina nee-san suddenly appeared and grabbed Hotaru’s hands... Huh!? “Tomoki... I talked with Morikawa nee-san, and so I decided to date your sister.” And now we’re back where we left off. As you can see, I’m just as confused as you are. What the hell happened!? “Eh!?... I must have heard that wrong, right?” - Himari asked... clearly way more shocked than me. Why is Himari here!?