CH 13

“Nanami nee-chan, you haven’t read the email I sent, have you?”

It was right after Mio’s friend, Nanami, returned home. Her younger brother, Haru, was waiting for her and approached her with his phone.

“Uh, is it an email from you, Haru? Hold on, let me check it.”

Nanami sat down on the sofa and started to check her phone, taking a while to respond. She leaned closer to the screen.

“Oh, it’s here, it’s here! Ahaha!”

“It’s not funny!”

Haru retorted with a strong tone, hitting his thigh, possibly because Nanami’s reaction had struck a chord with him. He sent a strong gaze as if to say “look at it quickly.” Finally, Nanami understood what he meant.

“So, what is it… ‘Is there anyone with the last name Sasaki who is the same age as you, Nanami nee-chan?’ … What is this email? It’s too sudden, even for you. I don’t understand the meaning.”

“I was worried that my friend Toma might be approached by someone from Reijou Nursing University, so I asked you,  Nanami-neechan, because you might know someone with that surname. He wants to find out who this person is. So, what’s the answer?”

“If we’re talking about someone with the last name Sasaki who is the same age as us… Well, there’s only Mio-chan, right? You know her too, Haru. She’s the ‘Nursing’s Angel’.”

“Yeah, I know her. She’s so beautiful… but wait, what does it mean that there’s no one else but Mio-senpai with that surname?”

“What do you mean, is Mio-chan making a move on your friend, Haru?”

“No, what I mean is, if Sasaki is the last name, then there’s only Mio-senpai, right?”

“…”

“…”

And then, somehow… Nanami and Haru slowly began to understand the situation through their own self-solution.

“Hey, Haru. Let’s organize things for now! Otherwise, we won’t be able to move on with the conversation!”

“Y-Yeah!”

Nanami had a delighted look on her face, as if she had finally completed thousands of puzzles. Thanks to Haru’s information, it was about to be revealed that Mio, her best friend, had made advances on her crush.

“So, does that mean Mio-chan is approaching Toma-kun?”

“From what I heard, Mio-senpai apparently made Toma do a pseudo-confession . They competed to see who had better grades, and the loser had to listen to the winner’s argument.”

“I see, a pseudo-confession, huh? That’s totally aimed at Mio-chan! After all, she has an S grade, which is equivalent to the top grade at the university which you attend.”

“It’s too amazing that she could get that grade at that university…”

An “S” grade is not something anyone can achieve. It’s a percentage of only about 5% of the entire grade level, and less than 1% maintain that grade. Mio is a hard worker and has been studying hard to maintain her grades.

“For Mio-chan, the probability of losing was 0%, and at worst, it was a fixed race. She’s so clever, just as expected from Mio-chan.”

“That’s right! And Toma was good, so he apparently lost. That’s why he made the pseudo-confession.”

“Oh, ‘good’ is also impressive. Both of them are so brilliant. Getting an ‘A’ grade at South Public University with a deviation value of 63 is not easy, and getting an ‘S’ grade at ReiJo Nursing University with a deviation value of 69 is especially impressive.”

“Nanami nee-chan, you  scored B, though.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, Haru, who got a pass grade. At the nursing university, it’s equivalent to a C grade.”

“I can still go to university, so it’s fine. But that’s not the point I want to talk about.”

“But you’ve been saying that since spring!”

Nanami is experiencing complete injustice, but this is not the first or second time it has happened to her. She has encountered it too many times to count, and she can easily dodge it because she’s used to it.

“Hey Haru. That guy, Toma-kun, works at a bar, right?”

“Why do you know that…? That’s scary no matter how you look at it.”

“Well, there were some things…I’m pretty sure of it now. Oh, what was the name of the bar again…”

“It’s called ‘Shine.’ It seems to be located in a somewhat hard-to-find place, so you should use a map app.”

“‘Shine.’ huh? Alright!”

The moment Mio’s crush’s tail was caught, Nanami grinned creepily, looking extremely happy.

Yes, Nanami knows why Mio goes to the bar. It’s to see the bartender.

“I wanted to ask you about something, Nanami nee-chan. Is Mio-senpai really going after Toma?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that.”

“What? Why not?”

“If I tell you, then you will give advice to Toma-kun based on that information, right?”

Nanami searched for the location of “Shine” on a map app, looking at Haru with a piercing gaze.

“Of course, that’s true! Mio-senpai might like Toma, so it’s better to tell him and see if anything progresses.”

“You’re naive, Haru. You’re still a beginner when it comes to love.”

“Don’t call me a beginner! It’s embarrassing!”

“Hehe. Well, I’ll tell you then.”

Nanami confidently placed her index finger on her well-shaped chin and shared her experience with Haru. Her argument was quite convincing.

“Advice is just about how to get someone’s attention and interest. It’s enough to give advice on how to make someone like you. You don’t need to say, ‘I think she likes you’ or anything like that.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Let me explain it simply. This is the first obstacle you have to overcome in a relationship – the wall. If you can’t overcome this wall on your own, then you’ll face even bigger walls and break up soon after starting a relationship. That’s why you have to practice getting over this wall now.”

As the relationship progresses, negative emotions such as frustration, dissatisfaction, impatience, and worry will inevitably arise. In order to overcome them… Nanami believes that it’s better not to confess your feelings at this stage before you start dating.

“So, just tease Toma-kun a little, okay, Haru? But when he comes to you for advice, be sure to help him out. Got it?”

“I understand… But it’s also fun to just watch from the sidelines.”

“As expected of my little brother. Your big sis is the same way, haha!”

Siblings often share similar traits. It’s only natural since they are born of the same parents.

“Well then, I’m going to take a bath.”

“Got it.”

As Nanami gets up from the sofa, she teases Haru as she heads towards the door leading to the hallway.

“Hey, don’t peep at me naked, okay? Behold this enchanting body.”

With both hands spread out and a proud expression on his face, Nanami tries to be playful. Haru reacts to his words.

“Heh, LMAO”

“This guy…making fun of me like that…That’s why you can’t get a girlfriend!”

“Shut up.”

You might think that they’re fighting, but this is just the daily life of the Kaidou siblings. They’re on such good terms that they can exchange words like this.

And so, Nanami, who had brought a change of clothes from her room, arrived at the bathroom.

“Phew… I wonder what will happen from now on…”

It was a soliloquy that no one else could hear. She knew that, which is why she spoke aloud while undressing.

“I want Mio-chan to find a proper boyfriend… and I’d like to do some reconnaissance on that rumored Toma-kun…”