Chapter 2

**Character Design: Shizuki Shiho**

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Before I knew it, school was already over.

Even as I walked home alone, my mind was preoccupied with those girls.

(_Aoi and the others are probably on a date with Ryuzaki..._)

It wasn’t just my stepsister Aoi. My childhood friend Yuzuki and my best friend Kirari were also out shopping with Ryuzaki. And apparently, they were trying on swimsuits... The thought of Ryuzaki seeing the three of them in swimsuits was almost too much for my brain to handle.

Well, I’m not in a position to feel jealous anymore.

This is probably just the resentment of an ugly side character. I can’t even hold a candle to Ryuzaki, who can do things so effortlessly. I guess you’d call him a "harem protagonist."

“I’m home.”

Of course, I was alone when I got home.

My parents were on a trip overseas, so it was just Aoi and me living together. Until recently, Aoi and I were always together. We were each other’s only family, and we loved each other. But after she met Ryuzaki, she became infatuated with him and started neglecting me.

Well, I can’t blame her.

She’s a high school student in her teenage years. It’s only natural to get infatuated with someone you like.

The fault lies with me.

I couldn’t hold onto Aoi’s heart, so I shouldn’t have any delusions or wishes.

What should I do now that I have some free time?

I remembered that we had a math assignment, so I decided to head to my room to finish it.

...In the past, I used to study with my best friend Kirari.

On the night before the exam, we were both on the verge of failing, so we stayed up all night cramming. The feeling of our high-fives when we passed will never leave me.

Well, I probably won’t get to touch her again.

“...Ah, I forgot my textbook.”

Maybe it was because I was thinking negatively.

Bad things tend to happen in succession. I realized that my math textbook wasn’t in my bag. Great... The assignment is pretty difficult, so I can’t do it without the textbook.

Normally, I would borrow it from Yuzuki, who lives nearby, or my stepsister Aoi, but we haven’t really talked much lately, so it would be awkward.

I guess I’ll have to go back to school to get it, even though it’s a bit far.

I went outside, intending to take the bus to the nearest bus stop, but then I realized I had left my wallet at home.

(_Well, whatever. I’ll just walk..._)

I was already tired. If I considered the time, it would be faster to go back home to get my wallet, but I felt like walking, so I decided to do that.

The school I attend, Shirokumo Second High School, is about an hour’s walk away. It’s not impossible to walk, but by the time I got there, it was already past 5 PM.

(_If I get home, it’ll probably be past 6 PM..._)

What should I have for dinner tonight?

Until recently, Yuzuki used to come over and cook for me, but that hasn’t happened in a while. Aoi has been spending so much time at Ryuzaki’s house that she’s been enjoying dinner there too, so I’ve been eating alone a lot.

Well, I’ll just eat something casual. In the worst case, I won’t die if I skip a meal.

With that thought, I headed to the classroom. Most of the students were already gone, and only those in club activities were left.

(_I wonder if Aoi and the others are getting along well..._)

I opened the classroom door, thinking it would be empty... but there was a girl inside.

(_Huh? Is that... Shiho?_)

Right behind Ryuzaki Ryoma’s seat, a girl with white hair was sleeping with her head down.

“Mmm... fumiu”

Shizuki Shiho was sleeping soundly, making cute snores. She was probably in a deep sleep, and even a faint murmur escaped her lips.

(_What should I do...? Should I wake her up?_)

I tried to get my math textbook from my desk.

I hoped she would wake up if she sensed my presence, but Shiho was still sound asleep.

Maybe it would be better to pretend I didn’t see her and leave.

From her past reactions, it seemed that Shiho didn’t like being woken up. Even when her childhood friend Ryuzaki tried to wake her, she didn’t react well.

Well, she’s always expressionless, so it’s hard to tell what she’s thinking.

(_...Well, it’s fine if she hates me. I’m just a side character anyway._)

I felt more guilty about leaving her there than about the possibility of her hating me.

If she continued to sleep and got home late, she might be attacked by a suspicious person... I couldn’t help but worry.

Shizuki Shiho is just that cute.

Even Ryuzaki, who isn’t usually fazed by anything, would be captivated by her beauty.

I thought it would be better for her to get home while it was still light.

With that in mind, I decided to wake her up, even if it meant she might hate me.

“Hey, it’s after school already.”

I tried to wake her up gently at first.

But Shiho remained asleep.

“Muhuhu...”

She must be having a really good dream. She had a relaxed smile on her face, which made me a bit nervous.

(_Damn, I feel bad just looking at her..._)

I didn’t mean to look, but I felt guilty for seeing a girl’s sleeping face. I reached out to wake her up, but then I remembered something and stopped.

(_Right, Shiho doesn’t like being touched..._)

When Ryuzaki tried to pat her head, she pushed his hand away. She must really dislike being touched. Even Ryuzaki, her childhood friend, was rejected, so it must be pretty bad.

With that in mind, I decided to shake her desk lightly.

I shook it a bit and called out to her.

“Hey, you should wake up soon, or it’ll get dark.”

This time, I called out a bit louder.

It seemed to work, as I finally managed to get through to Shiho.

“...Huh?”

With a dazed voice, she slowly lifted her head.

She almost drooled, but she must have remembered that she was in school.

“!?”

She quickly covered her mouth and looked at me.

Her face, which was usually expressionless, was slightly red.

“...D-did you see?”

“...Here, have a handkerchief.”

I offered her the handkerchief from my pocket, and she took it hurriedly to wipe her mouth.

“A, thank you... I’m so embarrassed to show you this side of me.”

She looked away, blushing.

I was taken aback by her reaction.

(_This is the first time I’ve seen Shiho speak more than a few words..._)

Something seemed off about her... or maybe she was just different from usual.

She was usually unresponsive and quiet around Ryuzaki, but now she seemed a bit different.

“Sorry for waking you up suddenly. But it’s after school, so...”

“Huh? Oh, really... Sorry for making you wake me up.”

Shiho bowed her head in gratitude, which was completely unexpected.

I was taken aback again, not expecting her to thank me.

“...? What’s wrong? You look surprised.”

Well, I just thought of you as a quiet girl.

But it seems that’s not the case.

“Huhuhu, you have a funny face. It’s like my dad’s face when he’s forced to eat steak right after waking up. Mom loves Dad so much that she overdoes it with breakfast. I wish she would consider my feelings too...”

Shizuki Shiho was more talkative than I expected.

It was very strange...

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Illustrator: Roha-sensei