NOVEL NEXT chapter 7
7. The Girl Named Himawari Koshiba 2
“…Big brother, are you going to take me to get a parfait now?”
She fidgeted and looked at me, as if she wanted me to allow her to be selfish but also knew that she couldn’t push it too far. This is the girl who waited for me for a whole day after I told her I would contact her later. If I were to be vague now, there’s no telling how far she would go.
“Ah, yeah. Can you go now?”
“Yay! I’m so happy!”
Himawari jumped up and down like a child who had been told they were going to an amusement park. She looked like an innocent and adorable little girl, but after her strange behavior earlier, I couldn’t shake my unease.
“Oh, but… big brother?”
“W-what is it… ah.”
Himawari was wearing the same T-shirt and shorts as yesterday. Of course, it would be embarrassing for a teenage girl to go out in clothes she had been wearing for a day.
“Um, I’ll wait outside. Take your time getting ready.”
“Okay! Got it!”
I left the room for a moment and took a deep breath. I remembered the word “abnormality” that the doctor had used earlier. Himawari’s behavior was certainly not normal. She wouldn’t budge from her spot when I told her to ‘wait, ‘ and when I pointed out that she had misunderstood, she suggested that she hurt herself as an apology. It’s not the kind of idea that a normal person would come up with, especially not a middle schooler like Himawari. She must have been in an environment where she had no choice but to do those things… that’s what I would assume.
“Big brother, I’m ready.”
It was unusually fast, but Himawari called out to me from the other side of the door. Was she in such a hurry to get ready because she didn’t want to keep me waiting?
“Let’s go then.”
The door opened after I spoke. The strange feeling I had about Himawari’s every little action after what happened earlier suddenly became clear.
“Do you have a favorite parfait place, Himawari?”
“I’ll go wherever you want to go, big brother.”
“But it’s Hinawari’s birthday, so…”
“It’s okay. Whatever my brother decides is what will make me happiest.”
“R-right.”
What is it? Something feels off. This feeling of trying to be positive about everything. Like she’s being obedient, or maybe even submissive. I hope I’m just imagining things.
When I brought Hinawari back to the bookstore, I made eye contact with Momo, who was looking bored.
…Oh no, I completely forgot about my promise to Momo. Hinawari was so intense earlier that I totally double-booked, which is a terrible thing to do as a man, but also kind of makes me yearn for it just a little ! This is exactly like the harem rom-com the professor was talking about.
“Ugh, Senpai, you’re late! Momo’s been waiting forever! …Wait, Hinawari-chan is here too? What’s going on?”
“…Ishizue Momo.”
Even though I made plans with Momo first, I can’t just tell Hinawari to wait any longer. I’m not a playboy, so I have no idea what the right thing to do is in this situation.
Wait, come to think of it, this isn’t a date. Let’s just make it a group outing. Momo probably knows about all the trendy places, and it’s not like I promised to go somewhere with just the two of us. This is a great idea.
“Um, well, Hinawari and I were going to get parfaits. Why don’t the three of us go together? You know, Momo probably knows about all the cool places.”
“Yay! Momo wanted to be alone with Senpai.”
Could it be that the members of the team don’t all get along, and it’s not just Akane-san?
“Just kidding! I’m happy to have Hinawari-chan join us.”
“Oh, okay. Sorry, Momo, for deciding on my own.”
“It’s okay. Momo wanted to get to know Hinawari-chan better too! Actually, this is perfect.”
Phew, I guess I was just being paranoid.
“If you’re getting parfaits, there’s a really popular cafe nearby that my friend told me about. Their strawberry desserts are supposed to be amazing, and they’re all over social media. They’re not just pretty, they’re delicious too! Do you want to go there if you don’t have any other plans?”
“Um, is that okay with you, Hinawari?”
“……..”
“Hinawari?”
When did she get behind me? She’s holding onto the hem of my shirt tightly, and for some reason, she’s looking down at her feet and mumbling something.
“I shouldn’t get in the way of my brother. I’m a good girl. I shouldn’t be selfish. My brother will hate me. If I don’t listen, he’ll abandon me. I won’t disobey. I have to be a good girl…”
“…Hinawari?”
I can’t make out what she’s saying as she mumbles softly to herself.
“Um, if you’re not feeling well, maybe we should just call it a day?”
“N-no, it’s not that. I…”
“Ack!”
Momo, who had been watching me try to talk to Hinawari in confusion, suddenly cried out.
“I’m so sorry! Momo just remembered she had plans with a friend!”
“Huh?”
“….”
Momo started packing up her things, either because she sensed the awkward atmosphere or because she’s just naturally airheaded.
“I can’t go today! Sorry, Senpai? I know you wanted to go out with cute Momo… Let’s reschedule for after school. Bye!”
She left the store without another word. Did Momo just save me this time?
“Well then, Hinawari. Let’s go, just the two of us.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Huh?”
“I got in the way. I didn’t know you were on a date with Ishizue Momo.”
W-what? What is she talking about?
“Big brother, I’m sorry for getting in your way. You don’t need me, right? I won’t do it again, I promise. I’ll disappear, so please don’t hate me.”
“Huh? No, that’s not it, that date… It’s just a figure of speech. Neither Momo nor I intended it to be anything special.”
“But I messed up your plans…”
Hizumi was about to cry as she gripped my shirt tightly.
“Don’t worry about it, okay?”
“….”
This girl seems to get anxious over the smallest things.
“Hiz Aoi?”
“Okay, I won’t worry about it.”
“Thank you, for giving me… I’ll try my best to be more useful to you. Please tell me if there’s anything you need me to do.”
Hizumi bowed her head repeatedly, even though it wasn’t something to be so grateful for. I felt not only her devotion but also a hint of madness in her demeanor.