They were entering a season marked by a gradual drop in temperature. The school trip was canceled due to a typhoon, leaving some of Chiharu’s classmates feeling down.
The winter wind seemed to immerse itself in the hearts of those children, growing colder by the day.
However, Chiharu and the girls were relatively cheerful, in contrast to those kids. After all, Chiaki, for once, never really liked being away from home.
Chinatsu and Chifuyu were not the types who wanted to go out much either. Therefore, they continued to attend school as usual, dedicating themselves to their studies.
“It’s been getting colder lately.”
Chinatsu said as she rubbed her skin while on the bus ride back. It was Chiaki who responded to her words.
“The arrival of this winter is due to the release of my abilities. My apologies.”
“Oh, really?” Chinatsu replied.
“I don’t like it when I receive cold responses like this.”
“Gah!” Chiaki shuddered as Chinatsu totally ignored her response; she didn’t even seem to care about her.
“Chifuyu’s on my side, right? So you’ll support me properly, won’t you!?” Chiaki asked.
“Eh? Ah, yes.”
Chiaki’s gaze shifted towards Chifuyu, who had been immersed in her books for the longest time. However, since she had also been deeply engrossed in her studies, Chiaki’s words didn’t really register with her.
As a result, she responded with a casual nod.
“I’m so sad that even Chifuyu would react like this… sniffle, sniffle.”
Chiaki covered her face with her hands as if pretending to cry. She wasn’t actually crying, but she glanced at Chiharu with an exaggerated performance.
However, unlike their usual routine, Chiharu, who would typically embrace Chiaki and pat her head affectionately, did nothing of the sort.
This struck Chiaki, Chifuyu, and Chinatsu as odd. Their older sister, who adored her younger sisters and always loved to be close to them, was acting unusually distant.
She didn’t join their conversation, nor did she engage with them. Instead, she gazed absentmindedly out the window. It was unthinkable for Chiharu not to look at her sisters.
“Chiharu?”
Chiaki called her name, and with a start, Chiharu turned her face towards her three sisters.
“Were you guys talking about something?”
“Mhmm, we were talking about how I’m the cutest girl in the world,” Chiaki said.
“I see, well, you’re not wrong.”
With a soft giggle, she turned her gaze back to the window. She seemed lost in thought for quite a while, even appearing as though she was looking at her own reflection in the glass.
“Haru, what’s going on? Lately, you’ve been spacing out a lot,” Chinatsu asked.
“Do you think so?”
“Yes, definitely.”
“Hmm, I don’t know.”
She didn’t seem to fully understand herself, but now that it was pointed out, it did feel like she’d had such moments. And while she was lost in her thoughts, it was already time to disembark from the bus.
“We’re getting off; we’re right in front of the house.”
Chiharu was the first to step off, and her actions left the three of them with a subtle sense of unease. However, none of them said anything more.
They realized that she, too, was undergoing changes, much like themselves. Understanding the mix of happiness and loneliness that came with it was a sentiment shared only among the three of them.
■■
(POV Kaito)
It seems like the school trip for the four girls has been canceled, though I had expected them to be a bit more disappointed.
“Hey, Kaito, check this out! It’s a painting I did of angels and demons! Isn’t it amazing?”
“Hmm, it’s well done.”
“The hidden theme behind this is humanity.”
“That’s deep.”
Chiaki didn’t seem to mind the cancelation at all. Come to think of it, I remembered picking her up last year when she had cried her eyes out.
“Chinatsu, aren’t you sad about missing the school trip?” I asked.
“I’m actually a homebody, so I don’t really feel the need to go out.”
“School trips are a pretty big deal, though.”
“Not so much for me. There have been plenty of bad events in the past, like child neglect and discrimination.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“If you give me a hug, I will forgive you.”
It seemed a hug would suffice. Chinatsu had suddenly grown up too fast, and it sometimes left me feeling surprised by the intensity of her maturity. However, such rapid changes also created a noticeable contrast.
“What about Chifuyu?” I asked.
“Chifuyu wants to stay at home most of the time because I’m falling behind in my studies,” Chifuyu explained.
“That’s great! But occasionally, it’s important to play too.”
“It’s fine as long as Kaito-san plays with me,” Chifuyu responded.
“Hmm, what should we do together then?”
“I’d like you to teach me volleyball.”
“Alright.”
Chifuyu was diligently focused on her studies, or perhaps it was more accurate to say she put her whole heart into everything. Lately, she had even taken up sewing. With her multitude of hobbies and her determination to excel in various pursuits, it seemed that above all else, she simply wanted more time.
“How about you, Chiharu?”
“Nothing really; I’m fine just being here.”
“You don’t desire more?”
“Yeah, I don’t have high expectations. But that trip to Hokkaido we took a while back was fun.”
“Shall we go again?”
“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” Chiahru asked.
“Everyone is all too content, you see! I’ve always felt you guys have been too reserved since childhood! I think it’d be okay to be a bit more self-indulgent.”
“I guess maybe we don’t want to be treated like children, so we don’t voice our selfishness.”
Chiharu chuckled. While I sat next to her, pondering quite seriously, her response was rather lighthearted.
Chiharu sat cross-legged on the sofa.
“Well, but I do want to go to Hokkaido or try skiing, even if it’s not related,” Chiharu said.
“Heeh, skiing?”
“I love skiing (skii ga suki)—just kidding.”
“Hmm, it’s a simple pun with ‘suki’ (love) and ‘skiing’ but it’s a decent pun.”
“When I said this to Chiaki before, she ignored me, though,” Chiharu said.
“That’s a given; the joke gets pretty cold there. Just like skiing.”
“Ah, now I understand how Chiaki must have felt when she ignored me. It makes you feel rather silly, doesn’t it?”
“Oi, oi.”
“Just joking, fufu. But I really do want to try skiing. Can you teach me, Onii-san?”
“I’ve never done it before.”
“It’s okay; you’ll manage.”
She had changed somewhat. She wanted to do this, she wanted to do that, and she was being true to her feelings. I understood that it was a good thing. However, I also realized that she herself was afraid of it.
That was true, even in the game.
No, that didn’t matter. I had decided to be by her side in my own way. Suddenly, I felt a connection between her and my past self.
A long time ago, I had regrets, and she too had something akin to regrets. Perhaps that’s why, when I first saw her, there was a sense of déjà vu. Not in terms of me seeing a game character I knew.
It was a sense of déjà vu with my past self.
“Onii-san, what’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“I see, your expression just reminded me of when I’m troubled.”
“You mean my current expression?”
“You have the same expression as my own when I saw it in the bus window.”
“Hmm, I’ll have to check in the mirror later.”
“I can take a picture for you.”
It was probably a joke, but Chiharu continued to smile faintly. However, as soon as I looked away, she returned to her usual expressionless demeanor.
“Well then, I’m looking forward to the trip. Skiing! Onii-san, you like it, right?”
“Yes, yes.”
“…Well, maybe this is it.”
With that, Chiharu said her piece and left the room. The trip was decided quite casually. It really was a simple decision.
But that’s precisely why I never imagined that during this trip, Chiharu and I would truly come to understand each other.
***************
TN: And there you have it, homeboys! Well, this is the latest released chapter and what’s more, it’s a cliffhanger.
I will continue translating this novel till it ends, so as soon as the next chapter appears, I will do so. If there is a new chapter and I somehow forgot to translate it, you can comment down below.
If you liked my translation till now (I hope you did), you can support me by buying me a coffee.
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