Vol 1 Chapter 7 (1/2)

「That Nasuhara – could she be the daughter of that Nasuhara Group?」

A few days later

Ginbei said after hearing about my tour around the academy

“Hm? The Nasuhara Group? Seriously?”

「Well, the naht? All the ious school, right? Goin’ by your description, this Miss Anastasia gives off soht?」

“Ah, yeah That’s true”

The Nasuhara Group

A leindustry from spaceshi+ps to doorknob screws

「assu acquaintance before school even started How lucky, huh?」

“Yeah Even if you say that, it’s still not clear whether it’s true”

「Even if she wasn’t part of that large corporation lineage, I think the girl you met had quite the pleasant character nonetheless」

“Well… true I don’t think she’s just banal”

Though, adding to that, there’s a bunch of other problems with her…

「Makin’ friends and not eneood, especially e think about the situation you’re in Livin’ with your sister’s so that’s only possible ’cause delicate power relationshi+ps between so balanced here You should realize that this balance’s slowly chippin’ away On top of that you hardly have any allies Puttin’ your blood-related sister aside, there’s only me」

“Mh Well, guess that’s true”

「That Miss Anastasia see, don’t you think? That’s a rare chance! You should take it no matter what Not just her, that president as well」

“Nikaido-san, huh? She’s certainly beco, she seeerous type, you know?”

「Controlled poison’s medicine, fail to control it and it’s just poison So, don’t you think takin’ in good and evil makes one exceptional? If there’s soe of it as much as possible」

“No, well, maybe But she doesn’t make it easy for me If I carelessly dabble into it, then the hunter’ll become the hunted, or so I think that in the end I’ll be the one being seduced”

「Oh, really? I don’t really wanna hear this froet where he is」

An exasperated sigh slipped through the phone

And a little while later:

「Akito, wouldn’t you consider to stop your current lifestyle?」

“Eh?”

「You’re very ireed to support you with all of that stuff I gave you advice when necessary And on top of that, I’ve tried to respect the decisions you’ve beenlately as much as possible, since it seehly That’s why I hate to say this, but – I’m at my limit」

For the first time ever, Ginbei, who always seemed to value some cynicism, had a somewhat serious voice

「Akito, that’s my last advice to you It’d be better if you stopped Honestly, you’re not the type that’s cut out for such a life It needs careful balancin’ of different relationshi+ps, like a tightrope act, you need to carefully hold those relationshi+ps together」

“…”

「As far as I can tell, your personality’sspinach on some farm or so I think your misfortune started when the Takanoh you’ve strayed off this far, you et back on track You know that yourself, right? The most suitable path for you, that is」

“…Well, I can’t argue with that I agree”

「Come back, Akito! If you do so now, you could barely awas It’d be fine if you just relied on the Takanomiyas like you’ve been up til now There’ll probably be some trouble, but the rewards wouldn’t lack either Not to awa and Takano to take away the relationshi+p as siblings between you guys, right?」

“You’re right about that Or rather, that’d be the best”

「I s like you two to not be able to talk with each other and to be separated as you were It’s not hard to iet in touch But this short living together should’ve calawa and Takanomiya Families won’t be able to not reconsider how they treated you as siblings, so it should be easy for you to negotiate soe the fact that you till end up separated again, but… it’d be better than no relationshi+p at all, like before」

“That’s true, probably”

「And I don’t think I need to say this, but I want to make it clear I’awa Families asked me to」

“I know, Ginbei Like you said, no need to tell me that”

「Then let ain」

There was a small pause

「Akito, won’t you consider to stop your current lifestyle and come back here?」

“I don’t”

I said without any hesitation

“I neither have any intention of giving up on my current life, nor do I plan to return back there As you said, I’ve put a great amount of consideration into what I’ve done After I’ve come this far, I’ve no intention to withdraw or raise a white flag I wouldn’t trade the privilege to live together withpushed around by so separated froet me into deep trouble to protect this life, I’ll use all h And so I’ll always protect ht like that – no matter what Gin, I think your advice is sound, if our situations were switched out, I think I’d do the same But I can’t follow this time”

「No matter what?」

“No matter what”

「Even if it worked, what you’ve done this tiical and sht’ve taken a bit more time, but you should’ve been able to find a uess So even though it’d be a somewhat roundabout way, that path’d be still available – knowin’ that… still no?」

“Give it up, Gin This once I’d like to have it my way”

「…I see」

Saying that, ood friend went silent on the other side of the phone

“Gin”

「”What is it?”」

“Are you mad?”

「Why would you think that?」

“Err, well, you’ve gone silent, so…”

「Don’t worry It’s just ’cause I’h」

“Ah… Well, if that’s the case, then fine At any rate, you’re the one person in this world I don’t want to anger”

「If that’s true, then think about how you’re dealin’ with me a bit more… Anyway, I’m fine, your stubbornness really amazes me, but I’m fine I somewhat expected that response, but I wanted to try nonetheless」

“…? In other words?”

「If your resolution would’ve swayed just a little bit by my proposal, I had planned to use all I could to force you to stop Your reckless ways to live with your family, that is」

“…Scary”

My friend probably really had that intention

That’s just the kind of person Sawatari Ginbei Haruomi was, if Ginbei had actually tried to, I think it would’ve succeeded

「I’ical go That’s how aof should be」

“What’s that? Praising ht?”

「You’re sayin’ that, but you’re probably blushi+n’ and avertin’ your eyes to nowhere right now And yet you know that I’m on the other side of the phone」

“Oh, shut up”

「Fufu… Anyway, I’m relieved If your resolve’s that resolute, then it’ll be fine From now on there’ll be a lot of trouble But if it’s you then you ht just be able to overcome it」

“That’s very opti from you, Gin To be honest, I don’t think the prospects are that bright”

「No, I’m sure everythin’ will be fine」

With a strange, deciding tone, ave the seal of approval

「Well then, Akito I’ll be co Until then, take care」

“…Oh boy”

I was in the usual apartment in the 70-year-old, run-down dormitory

After I’ve had finished up h and collapsed onto the tatami mat

“Gin’s mood seems to have improved a bit, huh…?”

Sawatari Ginbei Haruomi, the person that always seeh I’ve knowntime, I’ve never once seen that person raise their voice at me

But it’s precisely because we’ve known each other for such a long time that I knew…

Voice and tone sounded exactly the sae has been swinging like crazy

In reality my friend had already said that themselves

Gin had properly responded to any suggestions I proposed and cooperated whenever I had asked for help voluntarily

However, that er has completely dissolved

To put it simple, it’s not an overstatement that Sawatori Ginbei Haruomi was able to contain complete objectiveness in action and emotion Because of that, ht on the spot

Even though al I do doesn’t even compare to Ginbei – that point specifically amazes me every time

Calm, no matter what, yet no one’s more zealous than Gin

For exactly that reason, I couldn’t help but be worried

When’s Ginbei’sto improve?

What could I do to improve it?

At the moment, I had an innureatest worry hat one of the few friends I had was going to do

I onna do

Well, there was no helping it, right? I had proceeded with le detail with anyone That should’ve cost me my credibility as a friend, but Ginbei still insisted that it had not affected our friendshi+p

However, if I ry and forgivin’ are two different things’

Okay

I already thought about visiting Ginbei and bringing that beloved cake with h I wonder if it’d be better to just send it over quickly Gin probably wouldn’t like it if I tried so I’ht now―

“Onii-chan, are you finished with your phone call?”

I heard my sister’s voice

It came from outside the door

While I was using the living roos and waited outside the room for a while

“Ah, sorry It’s fine, you can come in”

I called out laying down on the tatami mat

I kneas a slovenly thing to do, but I orn out from the conversation earlier

That kind of behavior would’ve been unacceptable at the Takanomiya residence, but she was my one and only family, so please overlook it this time

“――!”

I reflexively shot up straight

On the other side of the door,a kimono that I wasn’t familiar with

“――――――”

She silently bowed like that

Then she slidingly crossed over the doorframe with her knees and quietly shut the door

After getting close to ain bowed

“…What’s that? What’s up with those clothes all of a sudden?”

“Are you surprised?”

Then I said to ue:

“Well, yeah of, course I am That’s surely a surprise attack I mean, didn’t you leave all your kiawa residence?”

“Yes, that’s what I had intended However, Shouko-san said, ‘Take this little so I was saying So I borrowed this kimono that was forced upon me”

“Hm I see”

Now that I think about it, this had been the first time that I’ve seen my sister dressed up properly and courteously I hadn’t seen my sister in a kio-san[1]

“That’s great then It really suits you”

“Ehehe Thank you very much”

“…And? I knohere the clothes cain with?”

“It’s for ‘imitate the kind of person you want to become’ I felt that I could surely convey as s this way”

“Hm?”

“Moreover, to ceremony I think it’s the perfect occassion… Above all else, if I kept delaying this, I’d feel like I et another chance to tell you this”