BSS – Vol 2 Chapter 5 – What I Can Do for My British Stepsisiter

“――No, I won’t approve the club membership.” (Teacher)

On the first Wednesday of October, Sophia handed her club application form to her homeroom teacher in the faculty office, only to be immediately rejected without room for discussion.

Her eyes wavered as she turned to look at me, seeking help.

So, I stepped up beside her and addressed the homeroom teacher of the Special Preparatory Course first-years.

“I don’t understand. Whether she’s in the Special Preparatory Course or a scholarship student, there is nothing in the school rules prohibiting her from joining a club. What’s wrong here?” (Kento)

“You are… if I’m not mistaken…” (Teacher)

“I’m Kento Shirakawa from the Sports Course, Class 1B. I’m Sophia’s older brother.” (Kento)

As I introduced myself, the teacher pushed his glasses up with his index finger and looked at me with a condescending gaze.

“A student from a course that only excels in sports should refrain from interfering in matters concerning the Special Preparatory Course.” (Teacher)

“――!?” (Sophia)

The teacher’s words made Sophia’s complexion visibly change.

Even though she wasn’t the one being insulted, her face was filled with anger.

I took her hand and gently guided her behind me.

Naturally, she looked up at me with a dissatisfied expression, but I shook my head, signaling her to stay silent.

This teacher was deliberately trying to provoke us.

If we responded with anger or let our frustration show, he would gladly label it as problematic behavior.

And then, using that as an excuse, he would reject Sophia’s application.

When dealing with someone like this, we had to stay calm.

Normally, I’d think Sophia could handle someone like him, as she tends to stay composed even when irritated. But right now, she was too worked up, so it wouldn’t be ideal.

Though I couldn’t blame her—she was angry on my behalf.

“Even if I belong to a different course, Sophia is my precious imouto. As her brother, I want to respect her wishes.” (Kento)

“You might not understand since you’re still a child, but respecting someone’s wishes isn’t always in their best interest. Sophia is said to be the greatest genius this school has ever seen, and the school has high expectations for her. What if she joins the baseball club and her grades drop? Who will take responsibility? Throwing away a once-in-a-lifetime talent over a fleeting emotion is utterly foolish.” (Teacher)

It was impressive how smoothly he could spew insults like that.

He must be someone who looks down on others on a regular basis.

“With all due respect, Sophia isn’t attending this school for the school’s sake. She’s here for herself. Shouldn’t she be allowed to do what she wants?” (Kento)

“She’s a scholarship student. Since the school is fully covering her tuition, she has an obligation to uphold her end of the deal.” (Teacher)

“She will do everything in her power to maintain her grades. And even if she does end up slipping, that responsibility falls on her. As long as she is willing to take responsibility for herself, I don’t see an issue. What do you think?” (Kento)

If Sophia’s grades dropped, she would lose her scholarship.

That is what it means to take responsibility.

Since there was never a rule prohibiting scholarship students from joining clubs in the first place, there was no reason for anyone to complain.

Of course, as I said earlier, Sophia would put in maximum effort to maintain her grades. Based on my impression of her studies with Jessica-san, I was confident she could manage without her grades slipping.

“If she joins the baseball club, which is a specially designated elite team, she won’t have enough time to study, and her grades will definitely drop…! Are you too stupid to understand something so simple…!?” (Teacher)

“――!!” (Sophia)

The teacher’s heated words were met with an equally intense heat radiating from behind me.

I didn’t need to turn around to know—Sophia was absolutely furious.

I tightened my grip slightly on her hand, trying to calm her down.

In response, Sophia squeezed my hand back—hard.

The strength of her grip reflected just how angry she was.

I gently squeezed her hand again, then met the teacher’s gaze head-on and opened my mouth to speak.

“Nadeshiko Kujouin-san from the General Course, second year, manages to balance being a baseball club manager while maintaining a level of academic excellence that rivals the Special Preparatory Course. Wouldn’t that be proof that it’s possible to balance both studies and club activities? And I believe Sophia is just as capable.” (Kento)

“――!?” (Teacher)

The moment I brought up Kujouin-san, the teacher’s expression visibly twisted.

Unlike before, this wasn’t just an act—he was genuinely irritated.

I was certain this was the same teacher who had been complaining about how things would have been different if Sophia had been born a year earlier.

“There’s no guarantee that Shirakawa can do the same as Kujouin…!?” (Teacher)

“So, does that mean you believe Sophia’s academic ability is inferior to Kujouin-san’s?” (Kento)

The teacher once again swallowed hard at my question.

But wasn’t that exactly what he was implying?

If he was claiming that what Kujouin-san could do was impossible for Sophia, despite calling her the greatest genius since the school’s founding, how would he counter this contradiction?

“Tch… Brat…!” (Teacher)

Having no retort left, the teacher glared at me with obvious disdain.

For someone who loves to provoke others, he sure couldn’t handle being provoked himself.

He wasn’t much older than our coach, yet their attitudes as people were completely different.

—That said, guys like him were troublesome.

The type who firmly believed they were always right and refused to listen to anyone they looked down on.

If there weren’t a rule requiring approval from the homeroom teacher to join a club, we wouldn’t have had to go through this hassle.

Maybe we should just bypass him and take this matter to someone higher up.

As I was considering that—

“—Isn’t it rather ironic for a teacher to be getting worked up while the student remains calm and attempts to hold a rational discussion?” (?)

A familiar, pleasant voice interrupted our conversation with a tone of gentle admonishment.

When I turned to look, two figures stood at the entrance of the staff room.

One of them was the person whom we were just talking about, Kujouin-san, standing with a graceful posture and a kind smile.

And beside her stood our coach.

“Kujouin-san, and the Coach…? Why are you two here…?” (Teacher)

The coach was from the Sports Course, and Kujouin-san was from the General Course, so their school buildings were different from this one.

There was no way they had just happened to stop by.

“I heard you were submitting the club application during lunch today. Figured things would turn out like this.” (Coach)

“We do hear a lot of rumors, after all.” (Nadeshiko)

It seemed that the coach and Kujouin-san had anticipated that we would run into trouble.

The “rumors” were probably about this teacher.

Kujouin-san must have informed the coach about it, which was why they had come here.

“Now even more outsiders are getting involved…!” (Teacher)

Sophia’s homeroom teacher made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

His expression was particularly hostile toward Kujouin-san.

She was the only one who had ever managed to outperform the Special Preparatory Course and had refused their invitations to join, so he must have despised her for that.

“Ara ara… it seems you hate me quite a bit.” (Nadeshiko)

Kujouin-san placed a hand near her mouth, staring at Sophia’s homeroom teacher with eyes that were far from smiling.

I didn’t know how much she had overheard, but for someone like her to adopt such an exaggeratedly polite tone, she must have been quite irritated.

“Kuzumine-sensei, let’s have a more constructive discussion here.” (Coach)

While Kujouin-san maintained her silent pressure against the teacher, the coach stepped forward in front of us.

“Hijima-sensei… People like you are the ones I hate the most.” (Teacher)

In response, the homeroom teacher—Kuzumine-sensei—visibly reacted with displeasure.

Had something happened between these two before?

“Now, now, no need to say that. The issue at hand concerns the baseball club, doesn’t it? As the person responsible for the club, I can’t exactly stay out of the discussion.” (Coach)

“No matter what you say, there’s no benefit to the school in allowing Shirakawa to join the baseball team. Therefore, I have no intention of approving her admission.” (Teacher)

Kuzumine-sensei was clearly trying to wrap up the conversation as quickly as possible.

His reasoning—that it didn’t benefit the school—was infuriating, but for now, it seemed best to let the coach handle things.

I focused on keeping Sophia calm, making sure her anger wouldn’t explode.

“That’s not necessarily true, is it? At the very least, I believe Shirakawa Sophia joining the baseball club would be beneficial to the school.” (Coach)

“Hah? And how exactly would that be?” (Teacher)

Kuzumine-sensei scoffed and tilted his head mockingly.

I was starting to worry the coach might actually throw a punch.

“If the baseball team makes a name for itself at Koshien, it’ll be great publicity for the school.” (Coach)

“Hah…! And here I thought you were going to say something worthwhile. A manager who can’t even play in games has nothing to do with that. Ridiculous.” (Teacher)

Kuzumine-sensei ridiculed the coach even further.

I wished he’d get what was coming to him at least once.

“A manager who supports the team behind the scenes is an invaluable presence. More than that, I believe this girl is our goddess of victory. Don’t you think so, Kento?” (Coach)

For some reason, the coach suddenly turned to me. What exactly was he up to?

However, with a glance from the coach, I instantly understood what was being asked of me.

“Yeah, I think so too.” (Kento)

It was the right move to go along with the conversation, so I nodded immediately.

But Kuzumine-sensei just shrugged and looked at us with an exasperated expression.

“Where’s your basis for saying that?” (Teacher)

And as if he had been waiting for this moment, the coach flashed a sly grin.

“For the next game—the third round of the prefectural tournament, this guy will hit three home runs. If he can do that, would you be willing to approve Shirakawa Sophia’s membership? If he can’t, then we’ll have to drop her application.” (Coach)

“Huh—!?” (Kento)

I couldn’t believe what the coach was saying. He was proposing something absolutely outrageous!

Three home runs in a single game!?

There’s no way that’s possible…!

“Haha, even someone like me, who knows almost nothing about baseball, can tell that’s impossible!” (Teacher)

Kuzumine-sensei clapped his hands together, laughing loudly.

But in this case, he was right.

“Then, is the negotiation settled?” (Coach)

“…Wait a second. To decide a student’s future based on that—no matter how you look at it, that’s…” (Teacher)

As the coach tried to make a firm agreement, something seemed to have caught Kuzumine-sensei’s attention, and suddenly his attitude shifted.

Since the coach was so confident, maybe he felt something was off and hesitated.

I was relieved that the deal hadn’t gone through yet, but just as I was thinking that…

“—Then, if he can’t do it, I’ll transfer to the Special Advancement Course whenever you prefer, on top of everything else.” (Nadeshiko)

“Eh!?” (Kento)

Just when Kuzumine-sensei had stopped, an unexpected push came from behind.

The one who made the suggestion was none other than Kujouin-san herself, the one who had been refusing the invitation to the Special Advancement Course all this time.

“Kujouin-san joining the Special Preparatory Course…!? That’s…!” (Other teacher)

“Kuzumine-sensei, this is a huge opportunity…!” (Other teacher)

“Exactly, three home runs is impossible anyway…!” (Other teacher)

With Kujouin-san’s unexpected proposal, the teachers from the Special Preparatory Course, who had been quietly observing, all jumped into the conversation.

That was how valuable she must have been to them.

Even in the regular course, her outstanding grades would be even easier to maintain in the Special Preparatory Course. Moreover, there was a real possibility of her advancing to one of Japan’s top universities.

That would be a significant achievement for the school, and it would likely have a direct impact on the teachers’ performance (and salaries) as well.

By the time she entered her third year, I could see them competing over who would be her homeroom teacher.

Above all, they’d no longer have to worry about the Special Preparatory Course losing to the regular course.

This was turning into something extraordinary…

Naturally, with such a tempting opportunity dangling in front of him, and backed by the support of those around him, Kuzumine-sensei—

“Fine. I’ll take you up on that offer!” (Teacher)

He nodded with a refreshingly bright smile as if he had just won a victory. Even though he had seemed to dislike Kujouin-san, it looked like he was now thinking of how he could take credit for bringing her into the Special Preparatory Course.

This situation had really escalated…

◆

“Coach!” (Kento)

After leaving the staff room, I called out to the coach, who was about to leave down the hallway.

“What is it? Why are you shouting?” (Coach)

The coach turned around with a look of mild annoyance, clearly trying to act nonchalant.

“I appreciate your help, but why did you make such an unreasonable demand…!? And Kujouin-san, too—why did you do that…?!” (Kento)

“Haha, it’s the first time I’ve seen you this angry, Kento!” (Coach)

“Well, I knew you were going to do something like this, but still…” (Kento)

The coach laughed cheerfully, and even Kujouin-san couldn’t help but chuckle.

How could they be laughing in a situation like this?

“Three home runs in a single game? That’s beyond unreasonable…! And you’re betting on Sophia’s club entry and Kujouin-san’s course change…!” (Kento)

“Calm down, Kento. I don’t say things I think are impossible.” (Coach)

In response to my complaints, the coach spoke in a surprisingly calm voice.

Somehow, his face, which had been smiling moments before, had shifted into a serious expression, his eyes now filled with a strong determination.

“You really don’t think it’s impossible…? Are you serious about that?” (Kento)

“The field we’ll be playing on has narrow outfield lines and a low fence. The opposing school’s already decided, and they’re a mid-tier school. It’s the perfect scenario for this challenge.” (Coach)

In other words, the environment was perfect for hitting home runs, and the opposing team’s ace pitcher was someone well-suited to be taken on.

Even so, it was hard to simply agree with him.

“Even so, only a monster could hit three home runs in a single game! No matter how you look at it—” (Kento)

“—Oh? So you get it, then. That’s right, you just have to become that monster.” (Coach)

“Huh…?” (Kento)

Caught off guard by his response, I fell silent.

Become a monster…?

“You’re the cleanup hitter for a team aiming for the Koshien championship. If that’s the case, you need to become the kind of player people call a monster. Hitting three home runs should be nothing for you.” (Coach)

“……” (Kento)

“Besides, if I hadn’t said something that extreme, the Special Preparatory Course would never have accepted Shirakawa Sophia’s application.” (Coach)

“That… might be true, but…” (Kento)

There probably weren’t many students as academically gifted as Sophia.

That’s exactly why, now that she was here, the school wanted her to enter one of Japan’s top universities and add to their track record.

It made sense that the Special Preparatory Course wouldn’t let her go so easily.

As I hesitated, the coach placed a firm hand on my shoulder.

“It’s for your precious little sister, right? Show them what you’re made of. Well, I do feel a little bad that our club’s idol got involved in all this.” (Coach)

“Coach~? Don’t act like you weren’t involved~ We properly discussed this and decided together, didn’t we~?” (Nadeshiko)

As soon as the conversation started shifting as if the coach had nothing to do with Kujouin-san getting involved, she immediately shut it down.

In other words, even her joining in on the bet was all part of their plan from the start.

“Haha… as terrifying as ever. Well, that’s how it is. I’ll leave the rest to you.” (Coach)

With that, the coach turned and walked back alone to the sports course building.

—He probably ran away.

“Kujouin-san, I’m really sorry for dragging you into all this…” (Kento)

Now that the coach was gone, I bowed my head to Kujouin-san, feeling guilty for involving her.

Sophia, who had been quietly listening, quickly followed suit and bowed as well, but—

“It’s fine. I did it because I wanted to.” (Nadeshiko)

Kujouin-san simply smiled and brushed it off.

“But there’s no merit in this for you, Kujouin-san…” (Kento)

“Hmm, no, there is. If Sophia-chan joins the baseball team, I think Seijou High can achieve more.” (Nadeshiko)

It seemed that Kujouin-san also believed in what the coach was saying.

When it came down to it, just like Shuuto, she trusted the coach.

—No, now that I thought about it, the whole baseball team was like that.

Everyone followed the coach because they believed in him.

I couldn’t be the only one who didn’t.

“I believe in you, Kento-kun. You’ll hit those three home runs, right? But don’t worry, I’ll support you however I can. Let’s go over the opposing pitcher’s data again during practice.” (Nadeshiko)

Even though she had faith in me, she wouldn’t just leave everything to me.

She’s doing what she could to support me properly—so we could fight together.

“Thank you…” (Kento)

Not only did she become Sophia’s conversation partner and put herself on the line to help her join the team, but she was also willing to fight alongside us. I bowed my head deeply to my senpai.

“Save your thanks for when everything works out. Well then, I have to head back now. See you later.” (Nadeshiko)

With lunch break almost over, Kujouin-san waved and walked away.

I really can’t thank her enough…

“Nadeshiko-senpai is such a kind person…” (Sophia)

Maybe because she realized how much trouble had started because of her, Sophia finally spoke up.

“Yeah, she really is. I have to do my best so I don’t betray her trust.” (Kento)

This wasn’t just about me and Sophia anymore.

The conditions were insane, but with no way out, I had no choice but to make it happen.

“…I’m sorry…” (Sophia)

“Sophia?” (Kento)

Hearing her trembling voice, I turned to look at her.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she bit her lip.

She was probably feeling guilty for dragging everyone into this, frustrated that she couldn’t do anything herself.

“This all happened because of me…” (Sophia)

“It’s okay. You’ve been working hard—not just with your studies but also with trying to get along with everyone. Thanks to that, we’ve made it this far. So now, just leave the rest to me.” (Kento)

Looking back, I had only been helping set up the right conditions for her—I hadn’t actually done anything for her directly.

Now that I had the chance to prove myself with my own hands, I would definitely make sure to live up to her feelings.

With that thought in mind, I gently placed my hand on her head and softly stroked her hair.

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Thanks for reading!

In this day and age, this teacher would get in trouble for refusing the application for such a reason. It’s not even like Sophia has bad grades or anything, so there’s no reason for the application to not go through. 

Man, reading this was so infuriating.

P.S. Amazon is doing some annoying shit where you can’t download books anymore or something, which kinda makes it difficult for me since I have to download the books to extract the text before translating. Basically, I might not even be able to translate anymore new light novels (aka vol 3) after this  unless I find a workaround. Either that or I misunderstood their change.

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