Vol 1 Chapter 1 (1/2)

Chapter 1 - Start of a New Beginning

”We're home”

”Ah yes--Hey hey hey, Hina-kun, Hina-kun”

As soon as I entered the front door, when I was just starting to untie

While untying my shoelaces, I looked at her slender arms and little hands, as well as those frail shoulders that looked like they could break anyand childish face

”Dinner time~”

”What dinner? What makes you think that dinner will be ready immediately?”

This girl, seriously

”Where did we just come back from?”

”I know the answer! We just went clothes shopping!”

Yes yes, being full of lively enthusias However Let me tell you this

”That's right We went out early this o on a faraway trip because you requested it! How do you think I'll be able to conjure dinner out for you iry too!”

”Hmm~ The fairies will make dinner for us?”

”Lovely lovely, you're so smart, Suzuri I really wish fairies existed in this world”

”W-Why are you looking at me with such eyes of kindness and pity? Fairies definitely exist in this world”

Yeah, whatever you say Muttering, I took off my shoes and stood next to Suzuri

The wind from my movements caused Suzuri's head of beautiful silver hair to billow like silk Inherited froht, silver-violet, waist-length hair, combined with her Sweet Lolita attire decorated by abundant ribbons and frills, adorned her as though she were a high-class western doll

Suzuri's body was also s extrehtly small build for a boy, Suzuri was almost a head shorter than me

Nevertheless, there was one part of her petite body for which the word 'small' absolutely did not apply

Namely--Her bust!

Although her height and physique could only be described as ed greatly, exhibiting a powerful sense of presence!

--Anyway, enough of that tangent Or rather, once opened up, I could speak volumes on this topic, so let's skip it for now

”Hina-kun, why are you shaking your head?”

Suzuri cocked her little head and looked up at me

Being petite, Suzuri's gaze was inevitably directed upwards whenever she was standing besideat me

Who knehat Suzuri was thinking about, her cheeks were blushi+ng htly e Her smooth, pale skin was pristine and flawless while those striking cherry lips puckered lightly--

”Wapu”

”Why are you suddenly trying to kiss me?”

”Eh? Of course we have to kiss e return hoht?”

Suzuri's face was looking as though she were askingabout?” I didn't kno to react either

”Sigh, fine, just go and get changed quickly I'll prepare dinner in the meantime”

”Seriously!?”

Watching Suzuri frohed and walked into the kitchen Sigh, I' Suzuri too much

However, I had no choice but to spoil her today more than usual

”Time to eat!”

”It'll be ready in a while”

”Eh”

Suzuri earing a white sleeveless blouse, exposing her underarether with a trendy tie while her lower body was dressed in a s Attired casually in ho roo my answer, she made a displeased sound

”Muu Hina-kun, you usually get ic Do you need my help?”

”Oh my, how rare But aren't you exhausted too?”

”It's suffering to wait after s these lovely aromas”

”Fair enough”

A fragrant aro from the oven where chicken coated with

There were also other dishes in the kitchen, every one of the with rich aromas

”Don't worry, it'll be ready in a bit The chicken is also about to finish baking so just wait for et the salad done”

”Okay, I'll look forward to your delicious food, Hina-kun”

Suzuri obediently sat down on a chair at the dining table

Hu a tune, she did not hide her hardly suppressible anticipation S wryly on the surface, I couldn't help but feel overjoyed inside

Whether cooking or doing anything, it always feels happy to know that so forward to it Besides Suzuri is very cute No boy would be unhappy to know that a cute girl is relying on him

”Okay”

While I was thinking over these things, I casually finished preparing the salad as well My salad was htly sauteed onions, simple yet quite tasty Then I served the freshly baked chicken onto a plate and brought these two appetizers to the dinner table

Suzuri picked up these two dishes froentle s on her face as usual

”Hurry hurry”

”Who's the one who said she'd wait obediently just now”

She was in a particularly excited mood today

Muttering, I went back and forth to the kitchen, bringing out the food I had prepared to place on the dining table that was a bit large for just the two of us This was the same as usual, virtually a daily task ever since I cae of the doo

After setting out the food as usual, dinner could begin as soon as we put our hands together to say a custo different about today

”Suzuri”

”Yes?”

Suzuri was staring wide-eyed at the food I was carrying over As soon as she heard me call her name, she looked up towards me

No , Suzuri always acted herself S towards her, I said:

”Happy 17th Birthday, Suzuri”

”Yes Thank you, Hina-kun!”

That's right, it was Suzuri's birthday today Otherwise, I wouldn't have cooked this much food

At a glance, the dining table was laden wtih teriyaki chicken, hae soup Basically, a luxurious feast in a fusion of western and japanese cuisine What was common to all these dishes was that each and every one of them was Suzuri's favorite

”I still have a cake prepared, so don't stuff yourself too much, okay?”

”Uh, Hina-kun, did you reallyhome?”

”Nope? Some of the food wasonto dishes”

That said, just heating up all this food already took a fair amount of time

”Suzuri, today's your birthday after all, so it does call for devoting a bit of effort to prepare”

Suether

However, Suzuri lightly bowed her head for some reason Usually, our hearts were so connected that it was as though we read each other's ht red while her entire body remained completely still

After roughly a aze, Suzuri looked up with determination

”Say, Hina-kun Before we start, there's so I'd like to tell you”

”What is it?”

Suzuri made a serious look--nevertheless, her face was naturally docile and did not express or in seriousness--

But after seeing that expression of hers, I collected ht

”Hina-kun, you've been living with ether for seven years already”

”Yeah”

I nodded and encouraged her to continue with a look frohtly

”After your parents passed away, Hina-kun, my family took you in Papa and Mama also entrusted this home's chores and affairs to you, Hina-kun, then went overseas a long tio”

”It was a rare opportunity for Uncle to be pro it”

To be honest, I found it a bit inappropriate for them to leave children behind unattended, but it was true that neither Suzuri nor I wanted to leave japan

”Yes, but I don't mind that It's thanks to the with you in leisure, Hina-kun, just the two of us”

”Du a leisurely time”

”Ah--Yes Sorry, I'll start helping out from now on”

”Did you get a fever?”

Extre up causing , Suzuri actually offered to help? Co up the past, I totally could not guess what she was thinking Hence, I had no choice but to suspect her of a fever

Suzuri slowly shook her head and gazed squarely at me

”Many things have happened over the past few years People frequently s and even treat us as a couple”

Suzuri carefully chose each word of hers After saying thehtly exhaled a warm breath

”Ahem, perhaps I really do have a fever A fever from all the confusion in my mind”

Suzuri coughed lightly and continued

”However, I never thought there was anything bad about how others saw us It didn't make me unhappy at all”

”Suzuri?”

Hey hey, what's with this atht, this feels like the ending to some kind of romance novel, doesn't it?

Suzuri called my nah proving my speculations

”Hina-kun”

Eyes dreaazed at me and said:

”We were teased so frequently Everyone called us cohabitating couples or husband and wife In that case--We ht?”

Speaking in a h gathering her resolve

”Ever since a long tio I've always loved you Hina-kun, please--please go out with me!”

”--Sure, no prob”

”Ah, u-uuess you need tiry You won't be thrown out of the house even if you reject hts honestly Eh, wait a sec?”

”Oh, the phone is ringing”

The ringtone overwhelmed Suzuri's voice I hastily took out my cellphone and stood up to pick up the call

”Sorry for picking up the phone at this kind of ti first”

”W-Wait a second! Hina-kun, did you just--”

Suzuri still seeer on her lip She nodded hastily and covered her own mouth

One of Ayakawa house rules forbadenoise when someone else was on the phone Punishment was no snacks for three days

Even a child could understand this kind of rule, but in this house, there was actually an idiot who broke the rule and ended up banned from snacks many times, so caution was imperative

I nodded at Suzuri whose lips were sealed, then walked into the corridor while holdiing the cellphone in one hand

With my back to the door, I first took a deep breath

Jeez, that girl Suzuri I don't know if she was trying to make her birthdayat dinner time?

To think she'd confess to et shy, you know?

Sighing in ht the cellphone to my ear

”Hey, hello”

'It's Yue Are you free right now, Hinata?'

”Ohat this time?”

Misono Yue--h schooler as currently looking for a boyfriend She was one yearin the same school as me, with frequent interactions But for her to call at this ti on, it was truly quite rare

'Were it not for so particularly iuy who dumped me either'

”Uh”

So aard, super aard Only now did I recall this fact

According to her, it's all because I broke up with her last year that she's still single Saying that I caused herthe blame on me

”So, what's this particularly important matter?”

'Did you know that you have a younger cousin?'

”Wha?”

This sudden and completely unexpected question caused my mind to cool down rapidly from the turmoil caused by Suzuri's confession

”Younger cousin But Yue-san, ht?”

'That's what I thought originally, but--'

Ding-dong Just at thisYue-san's voice

Sheesh, putting aside Yue-san's phone call and Suzuri's confession, as today especially packed with sudden situations?

”Excuse me, there's a visitor”

'I figured I could hear your doorbell ringing on the other side of the call'

”I' a local notice Please hold on, I et to the bottom of this later”

'Fufu Yes, I'et to the bottom of this'

Feeling unnerved by Yue-san's chuckling, I pressed the phone's hold button first then looked through the door's peephole

Instead of the elderly neighbors next door, standing outside was a very cute girl

Exuding an intellectual air, her face was red to so soave off an iirl

Tied into lointails on the back of her head, her chestnut-brown hair suited her quite well along with the sky-blue one-piece dress If a pretty girl like her joined my homeroom class at school, I'm sure all the boys would totally crush on her

Hmm I pressed the talk button

”Yue-san, would the afore, sleek, chestnut-brown hair in twintails along with a coure? Plus a kind of prettiness that feels quite mature and adorable?”

'You find her pretty too, Hinata? That girl has quite a lot of potential'

”Hey No way, no way”

Argh, I really hated my brain This brain of mine was pretty useless norh speed to analyze the situation

”No way, she's not my cousin, is she?”

Hearingtone of voice, Yue-san answered directly in a single word

'Correct'

”What's going on here?”

That's all Iprose, Yue-san replied casually

'That girl is apparently named Misono Satsuki Her o, so everyone decided to send her to live with a close relative That close relative is you She's apparently a cousin from your mother's side'

Speaking of which, she's the daughter ofshe was an only child?

”No one ever told er cousin?”

'I was quite surprised to learn about it too However, my father and some of the adults apparently know about this Furthermore, they had already planned beforehand where to settle her in case so happened This decision was issued directly fro'

What the heck Those guys didn't even givea decision on their own damn them

'Anyway, so that's what's going on I'm not sure of the details either You should ask her yourself if you have further questions'

”Tellingthat I take her in?”

The doorbell at the entrance rangthe door, the girl was getting anxious

Hearing the background ain answered my question directly

'Correct She's your cousin and has lost her parents just like you Please help take care of her'

”Hold on, hold on! This is too outrageous! I' off the Ayakawas, you know?”

'There's no use telling , then just reject her forcefully? --Just like how you called off our engagement back then Goodbye, my ex-fiance'

Having said what she set out to say, Yue-san hung up directly without caring about the speechless me All that could still be heard from the cellphone was a cold and continuous electronic tone

”What should I do?”

I could not help but stand rooted to the spot, holding the cellphone

”Uh May I ask who is this?”

”Supposedly my cousin”

After exchanging siirl with chestnut-brown hair, I took her to the dining room to introduce her to Suzuri

Suzuri had been waiting obediently forchopsticks in her hand Staring at the scene, astonished, she was shaking her head in disbelief

”Hina-kun, you've brought your mistress home!?”

”Are you even listening to me!?”

Didn't I just say she's ht, cousins are allowed to marry, so it's not entirely impossible, is it?

While I was troubling over these less matters, Suzuri reached under the table in search for so

”Sob sob Hina-kun, do you pick the axe? Rope? Or the switchblade?”

”Those are Bad Ends no matter which one I pick!”

Patting Suzuri lightly on the head, I hugged her

”H-Hueh? Hina-kun?”

”Didn't I just agree to go out with you? How could I possibly betray you?”

”Hina-kun Then prove it to me”

Suzuriher lips

Her intent was readily apparent In the past, I had refused her demand for kisses every time

But starting today--

”Mmm”

I kissed her lightly on the lips, like a bird's peck, then separating immediately after the kiss

”That's it for now, satisfied?”

”Y-Yes! Satisfied! Super satisfied!”

Suzuri nodded vigorously, her petite face all red

Seeing her so pure and innocent, even I was about to blush

”So Would it be better if Satsuki went out for a while? Would two hours be enough?”

” ”Oh” ”

We had cootten my cousin's presence

”Oh, so Hina-kun has a younger cousin”

”I-I'm Misono Satsuki, pleased to meet you”

”Ah yes My name is Ayakawa Suzuri, pleased to meet you too~”

I first explained the story to Suzuri then had the two of them do self-introductions

”She's honestly not your mistress, Hina-kun?”

”How many times do you want me to repeat myself”

Satsuki was definitely very cute

But unfortunately, she had a fatal flaw Lacking in an area that was, to en was to humans

”Her bust is lacking, her bust is lacking Most i!”