Chapter 9: CH 9

Tuesday morning.

As I rode the train to work, I was thinking about yesterday.

After I refused to let her feed me her crepes, Otozui was pouting for a while.

At first, I thought she was just a child, but maybe it was a miscommunication/misunderstanding.

When I thought about it, I couldn’t help but feel self-loathing.

But it was hard to eat the crepes she had.

Ha~. …. What was I supposed to do?

As I sighed for the umpteenth time, I heard a voice in its usual dull tone.

“Good morning, Onii-San”.

“Hey. Yuika.”

In today’s rapidly changing society, I envy you, Yuika, for being so natural.

When she saw me, she tilted her head.

“You don’t look happy today.”

You can tell?

“We’ve known each other a long time.”

“It’s only been about a week since we met.”

But I guess only Yuika had gotten me to talk so much in just a week, since I have a reputation for being unsociable.

I might not appear like a positive character, but I was a great communicator. I wanted to follow in her footsteps.

Perhaps sensing my mood, Yuika looked up at me with a smile.

“So what’s up?”

“I’ve upset my junior colleague again.”

“Again?”

Her expression didn’t change much as usual, but I could tell that she was taken aback.

I’m sure you’re right, Even I’m disgusted with myself.

But now I was grasping at straws.1

I could rely on Yuika here.

“Actually, we were eating crepes together. …”

“Onii-San crepe. Pfft.”

“Don’t pretend to laugh. It’s .., and that’s why I couldn’t give the reaction my junior wanted, and then couldn’t follow through, and now I’m here.”

Yuika replied.

“Ah~. Onii-San is like that, even with me.”

“I’ll be careful in the future.”

“Good.”

Crossing her arms and nodding deliberately, Yuika spun her index finger around as if to guide her answer.

“First of all, Onii-San is making a big mistake.”

“What?”

“Maybe the junior didn’t want to see the reaction she thought she would get, but wanted to see what Onii-San was really like.”

“… Always like this?”

“Yes, I know that. But I don’t think that’s it. I think she wanted to see the part of you that you don’t always show.”

Hmmm? Not the usual, but the real me?

I’m different when I’m alone. But if you mean my usual self, I’ve shown you that long ago …

“… I don’t understand.”

“If you want to see a side of the person you like, a side that you didn’t know… . You don’t understand ….”

“You just made fun of me.”

“I’m shocked.”

I’d like to say something back, but it was true that I didn’t understand women’s feelings.

I’m sorry, but I have to accept it.

“Anyway, I have to gain back the trust of my junior. …

“Hmm~ I guess so~.”

Yuika tapped her chin with her index finger in a thoughtful gesture.

It must be a habit of hers to think while looking around in a daze like this.

Then, Yuika snapped and looked up.

“Hmm. That’s it.”

“Did you come up with something?”

“Onii-san, I think you should strengthen your ability to compliment.”

When I heard Yuuka’s answer, I grinned.

“Praise. He~ I’m confident in that.”

“You can disinfect that confidence with alcohol and bury it in the ground.”

“What? It’s food waste.”

“Properly handled.”

The point was made so harshly that I asked in a hushed voice.

“Is … that bad?”

“I’d like to see some confidence and good manners in the disposal of food waste. Don’t you think so?”

“I’ll reflect on it.”

Then Yuika – tangibly – stood in front of me and looked at me with a serious face.

“Onii-San, listen to me carefully.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Praise is a way of expressing affection, you know.”

“You’re getting very serious all of a sudden.”

“Onii-san is unsociable, so I think it’s just right to think that way.”

“Well, … I’m aware of my personality, but …”

“Let’s change that.”

Yuika accurately pointed out my problems and proposed a plan for improvement.

But unsociable was my default setting, so it was not something I could change immediately.

Then let’s try to solidify a concrete image.2

The opposite of my personality was … that.

“I see. So you’re saying I should be a cheery-yang3character.”

“A cheery Onii-San. I hate that.”

“Yeah.”

“Stop it. And you’re reading with a stick4.”

After a while, Yuika was trying hard to hold back a faint laugh.

I just did it out of desperation, but apparently I might have a talent for comedy.