Chapter 3: Favorite Person (1)

Favorite Person (1)

"Is there anything else you don't understand?" Hoshino-sensei asked in a calm, pleasant-sounding voice as he sat down at his desk.

Hoshino-sensei is a teacher at the cram school I attend. His two-block haircut, combined with a short, mashed cut, suits him well.

"Me" I lied, "I have a question," because I just wanted to talk. There was nothing I didn't understand that was beyond the level of a junior high school student—the questions I had prepared in advance were answered in the blink of an eye. But I wanted to interrupt him a little longer, so I racked my brains to come up with something. "...Recently, the theory that Oda Nobunaga was a woman has become the accepted view in some circles. What do you think, Sensei?"

"..." Hoshino-sensei fell silent.　

Even though I'm asking this, I also find this question meaningless. What is this theory that Nobunaga was a woman? What kind of circle is this? It's scary.

The reason this bizarre and strange theory suddenly popped into my head was because my sister was talking about it the other day. In other words, it's all my sister's fault, a dim-witted girl who's obsessed with looks and athletic ability.

So, Hoshino-sensei, don't look at me like that. But, this is also...

Just as I was about to open the door to this strange world, Hoshino-sensei spoke up. "I've heard that rumors, but are they true? Which circles proposed tha—ah"

Hoshino-sensei's arm hits his smartphone and keys, causing them to drop to the floor. They land just at my feet, so I pick them up.

This is…….　

The red bear keychain is cute, but the problem is the woman with light brown hair in a gradient bob that appears on my smartphone's wallpaper. It makes me feel a chill of jealousy.

"Is this photo ..." (of your girlfriend?)I tried to continue asking, but Hoshino-sensei interrupted, saying, "I can't answer personal questions." A shadow fell over Hoshino-sensei's face for a moment.

But I made a frivolous expression and hid my awareness by asking, "Are you embarrassed? You're so cute, sensei."

"Okay, okay," Hoshino-sensei brushed me off. "If you don't have any more questions, you can go home. It's getting late, so be careful on your way home."

"Okay," I obediently agreed, and left the classroom.

Seeing that expression, I was convinced. Hoshino-sensei had been rejected, which meant that now was the perfect opportunity.

There were age (legal) obstacles, but if a girl who was just right for him to ease his loneliness (sexual desire) and came close to him and said something convenient -- I'm not as good as the onee-san in the photo, but I'm pretty good too -- I was sure he might be tempted and cross the line.

If I got that far, I'd practically won. With Hoshino-sensei's personality, I was sure he'd quickly develop feelings for me and wouldn't be able to ignore me -- at worst, I could even threaten him with the legal implications. Then, I could slowly make him fall for me and slowly secure my status as his future wife

"Hehe." Oops, that was close. I shouldn't let anyone see me making that face...

"You're thinking of something creepy again, aren't you?" I'd seen him. Tachibana-kun, who was also applying to the same high school, looked at me in shock.

"What are you talking about?" I tried to sound cool. "Isn't that just a virgin's fantasy?" I added, spouting a bit of insult while I was at it. There was no deeper meaning to it.

"You should probably keep your delusions to a minimum," Tachibana-kun replied venomously, completely unfazed. "You're talking about Hoshino-sensei, aren't you?"　

"...That's true, but it's okay," I like it him after all.

"...Well, I guess it's not really my place to interfere."　

It dawned on me. "Could it be you...?"　

"That's not true," he asserted.　

When he say it so bluntly, it hurts my pride...　

"Again, honestly--"　

"That's not true."　

"Ugh..." I force myself to burst into tears. "Maybe I'm not that attractive..."　

"You are cute, but I definitely don't want to make a move on you," Tachibana-kun replied without any hesitation. "No fool would willingly step on an obvious landmine."　

"Isn't that a bit too much?" I was shocked. I was truly disappointed. "I'm the type to do anything for my beloved, you know?" I don't know.

"...Huh," she snorted. "That's the kind of thing a landmine woman would say."

"That makes me so mad. If we went to the same school, I'd use the other girls and kids to bully you."

Suddenly, Tachibana-kun comes to his senses.

Perhaps he has finally realized his own foolishness. However, even if he apologizes now, I will not forgive him.　

"You guys, stop making out and just go home." I turned around to see Hoshino-sensei with his eyebrows raised as if to say, "I won't forgive you even if you apologize."

•

•

"Is it really okay to stop here?" Tachibana-kun asked if he didn't need to take me home.　

"It's okay." I feel happy when people worry about me. "Thank you."　

We were near the river that divided our school districts. We had taken the same path up to this point, so we had walked home together after leaving the cram school.　

"I see." It seemed she had no intention of pestering Tachibana-kun. "I understand."　

"Yes. See you tomorrow." But I'm still a student preparing for exams. I have to go to cram school again tomorrow.　

Tachibana-kun simply replied "Hmm," then got on his bike and crossed the bridge.　

Tachibana-kun's back became smaller and smaller, and eventually disappeared from view.　

"..."

I think I probably would have fallen in love with him if it weren't for Hoshino-sensei.　

"...Just kidding," I muttered, when I spotted something shining in a patch of grass along the riverside path.　

What is it?

When I got closer, I saw a bear keychain lying there, but it had no key attached.

I picked it up and held it up to the sky. It had the same design as Hoshino-sensei's. It was old-fashioned and had lots of scratches.　

That's weird. Let's put it back where it was.　

I thought so, but I decided to throw it away in a proper place after all.

I just throw it in my bag for now and start walking towards my house.

•　

•

"I'm home," I said as I enter the front door. There's no reply, but that's not unusual.　

First, I want something to drink, so I head to the kitchen.

My portion of food was wrapped up and laid out on the dining table. Mom wasn't home today, so it must have been made by my older sister. The way it was cut so roughly suggested that it was my older sister's doing.　

I opened the fridge and was about to grab my favorite soda when I noticed it.　

"Café au lait...?"

It wasn't there in the morning, and it wasn't the kind my mom or sister usually buys.　

"..."

Suddenly feeling curious, I checked the sink. There were no dishes there, even though the rule is that the last person to eat has to wash them.

Look in the fridge again.　

"...It's gone down."

As of this morning, the bottle of iced coffee was unopened. However, it has now been opened. My older sister never drinks it, and my mother doesn't drink it either. My father will be in another prefecture for the next four days.

It hit me.

My sister has a boyfriend!

I had noticed something strange about my older sister recently. She seemed to be paying more attention to her smartphone than usual, and she was also taking better care of her room than before.

I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from relaxing.

"Heehee." Oops, no good, no good. I'll have to show this to others, hehe.

"I'm home!" Someone said in an irritatingly clear voice. It was my older sister.

The word "affable" did not exist in my older sister's dictionary. She looked at me with an extremely sullen expression.

"Hey, Onee-chan."　

"What's the matter?" My sister is a little above average height. I'm shorter than average, which means she's looking down at me with a sour look on her face. It's unnecessarily intimidating.　

"What's wrong with this cafe au lait?" I really want to smile like the evil mastermind in a TV drama, but I hold myself back with determination.

"...I bought it," my sister answered bluntly.　

"Hmm. It's so unusual?"　

"...There's no reason." There was nothing strange about her expression or voice.

My older sister is generally good at keeping her facial expressions straight. However, when her emotions exceed a certain level...　

"Maybe a boyfriend?"　

My older sister is squeezing her face.

What an understanding person. I stretched out my arm and patted my sister on the head.　

"Hey, stop it," she said, blocking away my hand.　

"What kind of person is he?" I'm really curious.　

My older sister has always been a sports fanatic and had no interest in romance. With her looks, my mother and I used to lament how it was a waste, but it seems spring has finally arrived.

However, the older sister seems to deny the crime. "Huh? When did I say that I have a boyfriend? I don't have one," she says, taking a cafe au lait from the refrigerator and taking a sip.

"Have you kissed yet?"　

She didn't burst out laughing, but she was coughing heavily. It's highly likely that they had kissed.

While rubbing her back, I pursued, "So, what about sex?" Her back was beginning to get hot.

"I said I don't have a boyfriend." she said, her reaction a little weaker this time.　

"Hmm. So you still won't admit it."　

"What is wrong with you, so annoying."

"Hmm."

It can't be helped. If that's what you're up to, I have an idea.　

"Heehee."

Hey, hold your villain expression now, me. Save it for later.

•

•

•

The next day, my sister, my mother and I were all together for dinner.

I immediately said, "Onee-chan has a boyfriend."　

"Ugh" As usual, my sister seems to be able to hold back from bursting out spurts - although she is choking. By the way, I'm not sitting across from my sister, so there's nothing to worry about.

"Really?!" Mom, who was sitting in the danger zone directly in front of my sister, asked my choking sister. However, she just coughed with teary eyes and didn't answer.

I had no choice but to add a nice follow-up: "It's true. He came over to our house yesterday and did all sorts of things!" I said, laughing at my sister as if we were just sharing the events in a friendly manner.　

"You're lying, you brat?" It seemed she'd finally won the fight with the miso soup. "I told you there is no one here."

"Say that again." Mom couldn't stand my sister's delinquent-like slang. "You'll get dumped if you keep doing that." However, since she was laughing now, I didn't think she was all that upset.

"It's okay, Mom." I was having so much fun that my tongue was flying out of control. "She seem to be making meals for him and making other efforts, and it seems like she is doing pretty well."

The fact that the dishes weren't in the sink meant she must have destroyed the evidence! I'm not sure if that's true, but I wanted to talk about whatever came to mind, so I had no choice.

It was Mom who let out a strange cheer, "Uhyah!" You should think about you age. "Our Sora who hates cooking so much," she muttered thoughtfully, while I sipping my clam miso soup.

The questioning of my sister continued after this. She looked like she was having a lot of trouble eating, but she managed to finish it all, so maybe she actually had some composure.

It was past 9 p.m. I was watching TV in the living room, fiddling with my smartphone, when I heard a presence coming from the bathroom. I guess my older sister was about to take a bath.　

It seemed like it was time for the next mission. "Hehe." I stood up and headed upstairs.　

However, my mother stopped me in the hallway, saying, "Haruka, come here for a moment."

What the heck, I only have 40 minutes.　

Reluctantly, I returned to the living room with my mother and sat down on the sofa in the same spot I had been sitting on just a moment ago.

"What? I'm busy." Since I'm in my rebellious phase, it's okay to be a little pushy.　

"You didn't take the mock exam seriously the other day," my mother said in an irritating voice.

"Huh? I tried seriously," I said, looking mad.　

In the last mock exam, I filled in the answers to the questions that seemed bothersome without even looking at the questions. I sometimes feel like that. What on earth is making her angry? Is it menopause?　

"That's a lie," Mom declared with the same vigor as a detective demonstrating his deductive reasoning in the dining room of a Western-style mansion. "There's no way you could make a mistake with a long English passage of that level."　

No wonder she always asked for the question booklet. Apparently, this person had checked the questions to see if I had slacked off. Is she bored?　　

A bored older woman is a real pain. Not that it's because of that, but I gave up. "It's fine," she continued. "It's better than Onee-chan's grades."

The only thing I have better than my sister is my IQ.

"Ha," Mom sighed. "That's not the point. Your sister works hard! But you're just not serious. I'm saying that kind of attitude is not acceptable."

How absurd. If Mom's argument is correct, then idiots are forgiven even if they don't produce impressive results, while smart people are forgiven only if they consistently produce worthy results.

This is completely unacceptable. People who can do a decent job without trying hard should have the right to cut corners.

"By that logic, it would mean that hopeless idiots who can only get zero points even when they try their best don't have to answer any questions at all, right? Isn't that unfair?"　

If there is no change in outward appearance, there is no change in inner presumption either. There is no denying the fool's defense that "I did it honestly."　

"Ahh," my mother said, sounding tired. Maybe it was because of her age. "You know the problem, but you're still nitpicking. That's what I mean, that's what I mean! Be a little more serious!"　

"Eh?" I don't want that. I want to live life happily, following my mood.　

"Hmm... I wonder who you look like..."　

I was about to say that the only thing I lack is my mother's breasts, but I somehow managed to stop myself, thinking that there was still hope for me.

•

•　

Thirty minutes later, I was released from my mother and in now my sister's room.

My sister's bath time, including all the other things, is about 40 minutes. I only have 10 minutes left - and Mom's fussing over trivial things has taken up too much of my time.

But I can't suppress my desires, and even if I could, I don't really intend to.

My goal is to investigate my sister's smartphone - the messages she's been sending with her boyfriend that should be there.

I look around the room to see where it is. It's not near the outlet. It's not on her desk or bed either.

Maybe it's her bag.

With quick movements, I slide open the zipper on her school bag. Inside are the textbooks and notebooks I'll probably use for tomorrow's class, a ruggedly designed long wallet, an empty makeup pouch, and a small navy blue paper bag... Hmm?

I took out the paper bag. It was from a drugstore or convenience store nationwide.　

"...Heehee."

Inside the paper bag were condoms, whose selling point was their thinness, which made me wonder if they were really safe. With all the circumstantial evidence, the death penalty is now inevitable.

I rummaged around, wondering if there was anything else interesting—adult toys, perhaps—and then I pulled out her smartphone from a storage compartment next to it. I swiped it.　Then, choose a password from the two options: face recognition or password.　

"Please enter your password."　

My sister has a low IQ and loves being lazy, so for now I'll try her initials and date of birth.　

"The password is incorrect."　

While there's no denying that the name Sora means empty or void, but I guess she really won't be that simple.

I continued typing in the next option.

My sister wouldn't choose a complex or elaborate password, and she probably wouldn't create one from scratch. In other words, it's highly likely that she's reusing a combination of numbers or letters that's already been used somewhere.

I finished typing and tapped. But it didn't work. So I changed the order a bit...

"...Okay," it's unlocked.

I lined up my sister's favorite baseball players in the order they were most often talked about, entered the initials of their uniform numbers and registered names (converted to romanized characters), and got the winning combination on the second try. My excellent memory is what I put to good use in things like this.

Excitedly, I opened her calling app and checked the call history.

There must be someone other than family in yesterday's call history.

"Found it."

Leaving aside family members, the names that remain are "Minamoto Mizuki" and "Sakaki Sakura". The former is most likely a man, so this must be her boyfriend.

Ah, but there's also a chance she is lesbian version, so maybe the second person is the girlfriend. Big sister has a tomboyish side to her after all. Lately, she's started referring to herself as "I" - could it be that she changed her first-person pronoun to fulfill her role...?

But then I thought, wait a minute. Since there was a condom, it was hard to imagine she as lesbians.

Anyway, I decided to take a look at the contents. I opened the history. And then—I saw it. I saw it.　

"Thanks for today,"

"I see Hitotose-san can also make that kind of face,"

"Shut up,"

"You were so cute,"

"Die,"

"If you hate it that much, I won't do it again. I'm sorry,"

"I didn't say I hate it,"

"Reply,"

"Hey,"

"Come out,"

"Please,"

"Die,"

"Just kidding,"

"I'm sorry,"

"Come out,"

"Forgive me,"

"Don't be mean,"

"Call duration: 1 hour, 7 minutes, 31 seconds"

"..." To be honest, it's tough. Who is this? Is it really that big sister? "Uhh..."　

As I writhed in agony over something I couldn't put into words, a nauseating feeling akin to shame, my ears caught a vibration in the air that had been born as a result of sublimating the psychological concept of fear into a physical phenomenon: the sound of a door opening.

"What are you doing?" my older sister asked in a trembling voice after getting out of the bath. It wasn't just her voice that was trembling, her whole body was trembling too.　

Suddenly, the words "curiosity killed the cat" came to mind.　

So I cried, "Meow, meow." What am I doing?　

The door slammed shut.　

"Let's make it Schrodinger's cat," my sister laughed.　

What does that mean?! That's scary!