Affiliated with Axcis Crown, with over 700,000 channel subscribers, Rina.
Affiliated with Axcis Crown, with over 450,000 channel subscribers, Ayaya.
Unaffiliated, Oni-chan.
It was Thursday, 10:20 PM.
The day of the collaboration stream, which drew so much attention that the combined likes from all three announcements exceeded 50,000.
“Ayacchi, Oni-chan just sent a message in the group chat that he should be able to join by 10:30 PM.” (Rina)
“Got it!!” (Ayaya)
Rina had 25,000 concurrent viewers.
Ayaya had 15,000 concurrent viewers.
Even before the trio’s collab began, the two of them had already gathered 40,000 concurrent viewers and were waiting for Oni-chan on the ABEX home screen.
“[Being late for your first collab is way too much]? Nah~ Just so we’re clear on that, we originally planned to meet between 10:20 PM and 10:30 PM, so it’s totally fine.” (Rina)
Not all the viewers who tuned in had come because they saw the announcement.
Rina, who responded immediately to the comments section, quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
Comment: [Still, it leaves a bad impression~]
Comment: [Honestly, a collab with Oni-chan…]
Comment: [Getting a bit too full of himself]
Comment: [Who does he think he is, trying to collab when he has so few subscribers?]
Even so, the comment section on Rina’s stream remained aggressive toward Oni-chan.
When a streamer decides to team up with someone who’s controversial, this is bound to happen.
Meanwhile――
Comment: [He should just cut back on the number of streams lol]
Comment: [Maybe he’s rushing back from his part-time job?]
Comment: [He really seems busy…]
Comment: [He probably hasn’t even had a proper meal lol]
Having done a few collabs with Oni-chan and understanding him well, Ayaya’s comment section had taken on a much kinder tone.
Additionally, the difference in atmosphere was quickly conveyed through the viewers’ messages.
“Hm!? Rina-san, is your comment section okay?” (Ayaya)
“Oh, I wonder. Wanna see for yourself?” (Rina)
“Well then, I’ll take you up on that…” (Ayaya)
Curiosity, the desire to see something strange or exciting—it’s something everyone has.
When she moved the mouse and brought Rina’s stream up on screen, a flood of comments, just as she’d said, poured in.
“Ahaha, it’s really going wild!” (Ayaya)
“Ayacchi, yours isn’t like this?” (Rina)
“Probably, but I think it’s about a hundred times calmer than Rina-san’s comments… I mean, it’s really peaceful over here!” (Ayaya)
“Seriously!?” (Rina)
“Rina-san, feel free to mirror my stream if you want.” (Ayaya)
“Thanks, thanks. Alright, I’ll just show it for a sec.” (Rina)
Even though Rina’s stream had reached a level of chaos it had never seen before, she remained perfectly composed—a true mark of a seasoned, famous streamer.
With a smirk on her face, Rina showed Ayaya’s screen on her stream—and sure enough, the comments matched what Ayaya had said.
“Whoa, it’s actually a hundred times more peaceful.” (Rina)
“Told you~” (Ayaya)
Now that both screens were being shown at the same time—
Comment: [Quit bullying him lol]
Comment: [Those guys over there are so petty]
Comment: [Try being more tolerant like us, okay?]
Comment: [He’s probably rushing, cut him some slack lmao]
Ayaya’s viewers began provoking Rina’s viewers.
Comment: [He’s always the one who stirs things up]
Comment: [No idea why you’d defend him]
Comment: [He’s just reaping what he sowed]
Comment: [At least don’t cause trouble for others]
—And in response, Rina’s viewers started lashing out at Ayaya’s.
Normally, their viewers wouldn’t clash. But when collaborating with a streamer who had both fans and critics, these kinds of things could happen.
“Looks like today’s stream is gonna have a different vibe, huh?” (Rina)
“That just makes it more exciting!” (Ayaya)
“Someone’s been looking forward to this day.” (Rina)
“Ehehe, well, yeah!” (Ayaya)
While the two chatted cheerfully, their respective viewers continued to argue.
A few minutes passed, the situation growing increasingly chaotic.
“Ah!” (Ayaya)
“He’s here.” (Rina)
The sound of someone joining the voice channel on Diacord echoed through both Ayaya’s and Rina’s streams.
And then—
“Ah, ah… Ahem, hello…” (Oni-chan)
—A male voice, and it was none other than Oni-chan’s voice.
“Good evening~ Oni-chan! It’s been a while!” (Ayaya)
“Y-Yeah, it has. And… nice to meet you, Senpai.” (Oni-chan)
“Sup, Oni-chan. Looking forward to today~” (Rina)
“Yeah, hang on… I’m still booting up.” (Oni-chan)
Though they had met in real life before, this was their first time interacting on stream.
Given the viewers, that greeting was a reasonable one.
Comment: [Was Oni-chan’s voice always like this?]
Comment: [He sounds kinda tired]
Comment: [He’s out of breath lol]
Comment: [Bet he rushed so he wouldn’t be late]
In Ayaya’s comment section, people immediately noticed something was off, but in Rina’s comment section, things were different.
Comment: [Can’t even apologize for being late?]
Comment: [He doesn’t feel bad at all, huh]
Comment: [The two of them are way too lenient]
Comment: [At least handle that part properly, seriously]
The comments were full of aggressive remarks.
As things unfolded just as she’d expected, Rina wasted no time kicking off her plan.
“Hey, Oni-chan, my viewers are saying something interesting, y’know? They mentioned that you didn’t even apologize for being late.” (Rina)
“Hah? Tell ’em to shut up. There’s a lot going on, alright?” (Oni-chan)
Comment: [Seriously disgusting]
Comment: [No way…]
Comment: [Is this guy really going to participate in the Ebe Festival?]
Comment: [This is the worst]
The more he responded, the harsher the attacks became—but if he wanted to keep up his provocative persona, this was the only way to respond.
As the collab started off under an already tense atmosphere, Rina was the first to take the lead.
“Weren’t you helping your store manager with a favor?” (Rina)
“…Huh?” (Oni-chan)
“You were apologizing like crazy behind the scenes, saying, ‘I’m really sorry’, right?” (Rina)
“…” (Oni-chan)
“You even sent that little bowing stamp.” (Rina)
“…………” (Oni-chan)
While Rina spoke with a mischievous smile on her face, Oni-chan, who had been full of energy up until now, became silent.
All that could be heard now was his panicked breathing.
Comment: [Well, his momentum’s dead now lol]
Comment: [Getting exposed right off the bat haha]
Comment: [Well, that stream disaster caused all of this anyway]
Comment: [Hey! Ayaya, you better follow up!]
Just as Ayaya’s viewers had hoped, the situation developed exactly as expected, and the comment section was buzzing with excitement.
Realizing that Rina was cleverly diverting some of the hate directed at Oni-chan, Ayaya decided to join in and lend her support.
As the comments said, the real “juicy content” was happening right here.
“Oni-chan, didn’t your imouto-san scold you today for worrying her? Like when you showed up at your house out of breath and she said, ‘Don’t do anything dangerous!’ or something?” (Ayaya)
“…W-What are you saying?” (Oni-chan)
“Bet you got a good lecture, huh? If you weren’t in such a rush, you wouldn’t be out of breath.” (Ayaya)
“W-Wait… uh, t-that’s… C-Cut me some slack with that stuff… please…” (Oni-chan)
“Haha, tough luck, Oni-chan.” (Ayaya)
“Nihihi, well, I’d also hate it if my precious viewers got into an accident from rushing to do something.” (Rina)
For Oni-chan, topics regarding his real-life circumstances exposed from his previous streaming incident were something he wanted to avoid.
As his muffled voice, from covering his face with both hands, echoed through the stream, the chaos in the comment section gradually began to settle.
Rina glanced at her sub-monitor to check the situation, then raised her brows with a look of relief as she spoke.
“Ayacchi, can you invite Oni-chan to the party for now? I’m not friends with him.” (Rina)
“Got it! I just sent the invite~” (Ayaya)
“…Thanks.” (Oni-chan)
Almost immediately, Comment: [Oni_chan] appeared on Rina and Ayaya’s lobby screens.
Then, three red badges—symbols of the highest rank, Predator—lined up in a dazzling display, shifting the screen into something far more intimidating.
Comment: [Hah!? Oni’s a Predator too!?]
Comment: [I didn’t know that… Wait, doesn’t that mean he’s seriously strong?]
Comment: [I never wanna run into this squad lol]
Comment: [Those badges are so damn cool…]
It was a rank limited to just 700 seats in the world, where players were constantly battling in real time to claim and keep their spot.
It was only natural that many viewers reacted this way.
“Ah, I sent a friend request to Senpai, so please accept it. I’ll start my stream in the meantime.” (Oni-chan)
“Thanks! Wait, Oni-chan, you hadn’t started streaming yet?” (Rina)
“…I was in a hurry.” (Oni-chan)
“Pfft.” (Ayaya)
Ayaya’s voice, trying to hold back laughter, came through the stream.
“So, in the end, did imouto-chan scold you?” (Rina)
“Well… yeah, of course she did.” (Oni-chan)
“Pffft—ahaha! Stop trying to make me laugh, you two!” (Ayaya)
“You’re laughing way too much, seriously.” (Oni-chan)
Comment: [Of course she’s laughing lol]
Comment: [Ayaya sounds like she’s having a blast]
Comment: [Rina-san’s probably grinning too]
Comment: [Also, why’s he calling her Senpai lmao]
The fact that he couldn’t even start his stream showed just how much he had rushed.
And just like that, the comments in Rina’s stream steadily grew kinder.
“Wait, Oni-chan, was it really okay for you to say that?” (Rina)
“You’re the one who brought up my imouto first—how am I supposed to dodge it from there?” (Oni-chan)
“Honestly, once that streaming incident happened, it was already impossible, right?” (Rina)
“D-Don’t you dare bring that up again! …Aah, yo, everyone—just like the announcement said, we’re starting now.”
Comment: [He forgot that he jus started his stream LOL]
Comment: [He just can’t escape the incident lmao]
Comment: [That switch-up was insane lolol]
Comment: [Oni-chan pulling 15,000 viewers!?]
While the aggressive comments directed at Oni-chan hadn’t entirely disappeared, they were quickly replaced by reactions that seemed like viewers had found a new toy to play with.
With things settled to this degree, there was no problem moving into the actual discussion.
Stretching her arms with a big, relaxed motion, Rina clapped her hands together.
“Alright! Now that everyone’s here, let’s start deciding on the team composition.” (Rina)
“Okay!” (Ayaya)
“Y-Yeah… absolutely.” (Oni-chan)
And with that, the discussion for one of the main topics—the team comp for Ebe Festival—finally began.
∮
“For starters, I’d like to hear Ayacchi’s opinion.” (Rina)
“For now, I’m thinking of a balanced setup! In terms of roles, Rina-san would be the support, Oni-chan would do the fighting, and I’ll take recon!” (Ayaya)
“Hmm, I see.” (Rina)
“Since the placement points from the five matches have a big impact on winning, I think it’s better to go for stability.” (Ayaya)
Comment: [Makes sense]
Comment: [Surviving is key]
Comment: [A lot of teams went that route last year too]
Comment: [If you die in last place, winning gets tough]
“…” (Oni-chan)
Oni-chan stayed quiet, taking notes on the keyboard without missing a word of their conversation, all while keeping an eye on the comments.
“What do you think, Rina-san?” (Ayaya)
“I’m actually thinking the opposite—an aggressive, fight-heavy comp~ I’d go with a support character I’m used to, and you two would play the fighters you’re comfortable with.” (Rina)
“Wait, really!?” (Ayaya)
“Think about it—wouldn’t it be a total waste not to make full use of Ayacchi and Oni-chan’s talent?” (Rina)
“That might be true, but… wouldn’t the whole match end up depending on how well Oni-chan and I are doing?” (Ayaya)
“That’s where I’d try to minimize the risk with my support character. Plus, Ayacchi, you don’t usually main recon characters, right? So I figured it might be harder for you to show your full potential with that setup.” (Rina)
Comment: [That actually makes sense!]
Comment: [Trying to force a specific comp can make the team weaker]
Comment: [Feels like there’s no “right” answer here]
Comment: [Love how they’re actually aiming for the win with this convo]
Meanwhile, Oni-chan, still taking notes, muted his mic and spoke directly to the viewers.
“What do you guys think…? This is all happening because my main character overlaps with Ayaya’s.” (Oni-chan)
Comment: [You should let Ayaya use Octane]
Comment: [The one more experienced with events should use the high-pressure role]
Comment: [Oni-chan should pick a recon or another fight character]
Comment: [Just play it safe]
“…Got it.” (Oni-chan)
Oni-chan played at the same rank level as the other two, but without being part of a team, and with no real event experience.
If it came down to who could get the most out of the character’s potential, the viewers were probably right.
“Oni-chan, what did you think after hearing our opinions?” (Rina)
“Well, yeah, I guess it’s best for you two to stick with your main characters. As for me, whether it’s a scout or a different fighter, I’ll just use whichever character you two tell me to.” (Oni-chan)
“But Oni-chan, don’t you specialize in Octane? I feel like you’d probably be stronger overall in shootouts than I would. I’ve got other fighter characters I can use too.” (Ayaya)
“I-I get what you’re trying to say, but… seriously?” (Oni-chan)
In the end, it meant Ayaya would be giving up her main character, the one she was best with.
“Oh my~ Don’t tell me even someone like Oni-chan is getting nervous?” (Rina)
“Hah!? What kind of nonsense are you spouting? I’m not scared or anything…” (Oni-chan)
“So, you’re good with it?” (Rina)
“…Obviously. I’ll do it.” (Oni-chan)
“Nihehe, then it’s settled—Oni-chan’s going with Octane.” (Rina)
“I’m counting on you to take my place!!” (Ayaya)
“…………” (Oni-chan)
The result was completely different from what he had secretly discussed with his viewers.
Comment: [He folded lmao]
Comment: [The pressure from Ayaya giving it up is intense lol]
Comment: [He’s gonna get roasted the second he loses a fight]
Comment: [That’s a huge responsibility]
In an event like the Ebe Festival, watched by over 100,000 people, Oni-chan was entrusted with Ayaya’s main character.
Just laying out the facts was enough to make his heart ache.
“Depending on the character I choose, it’ll either be a balanced comp or an aggressive one…” (Ayaya)
“Then, since we’re all here, why don’t we run some ranked games now and get a feel for it? We can use whatever comp feels right at Ebe Festival.” (Rina)
“Ah, that sounds like a good idea!” (Ayaya)
“…I’m okay with it too.” (Oni-chan)
Oni-chan patted his chest a few times to calm his nerves.
Comment: [Wonder if he can keep up with them]
Comment: [Just make sure to follow instructions]
Comment: [Let’s see how this goes…]
Comment: [They’ve got insane cover skills, so he should be fine]
With the comments swaying between anxiety and excitement, they all hit the ready button. The match was found in less than a minute.
Finally, the main event of the collab—the ranked matches—was about to begin.
“Ah, I found your favorite weapon, Senpai, so I’ll ping it for you.” (Oni-chan)
“Hmm. You actually know quite a bit about me, huh? That makes me happy~” (Rina)
“……” (Oni-chan)
“Oni-chan, Oni-chan, you wouldn’t be punished for calling yourself a fan, you know!” (Ayaya)
“S-Shut up…” (Oni-chan)
In order to minimize the luck factor, they chose to start by gathering items in an area where no enemies were present.
Comment: [What is this collab even lol]
Comment: [Once you start snapping at your teammates, it’s over]
Comment: [Already off to a wild start]
Comment: [Anyway, good luck]
Still, this little exchange ended up being the reason why Rina’s viewers found it easier to warm up to Oni-chan.
As for the match results:
- With the aggressive comp, they placed 1st once and 3rd once.
- With the balanced comp, they placed 3rd once and 6th once.
Feeling the clear difference in how easy it was to play between the two styles, the three decided to go with the aggressive comp for the Ebe Festival.
There was no doubt—it had been a productive session.
∮
The day after the three of them did their collab stream.
It was lunchtime at a lively and chatty high school.
Inside a classroom of the second-year students…
“Haa, Suzuha-chan is seriously too cute…” (Classmate A)
“There it is again, your usual thing.” (Classmate B)
“Can we just focus on eating during lunch? You’ve barely touched your food.” (Classmate C)
The three baseball club boys, classmates of Yuno and Suzuha, were having one of their now routine conversations.
“Look at that, guys, the way she’s munching with her little mouth.” (Classmate A)
“I told you, focus on your food! But, yeah, I totally get it.” (Classmate B)
“Well, she’s super cute, no doubt. I’m on team Yuno tho.” (Classmate C)
“If Suzuha-chan would eat my home-cooked meal, I’d go all in on learning how to cook.” (Classmate A)
“Such an opportunity will never come.” (Classmate B)
“No doubt about it.” (Classmate C)
“You could at least give me some hope…” (Classmate A)
“You should already know that some things are just impossible, right?” (Classmate B)
“That’s true.” (Classmate C)
The two quickly dismissed the idea, but their gaze naturally shifted towards Yuno and Suzuha.
They were directed at the two most popular girls in the school.
“Speaking of which, I heard Suzuha-chan was confessed to yesterday. Yuno-chan too, apparently.” (Classmate B)
“It was from a senpai in the third year, right? I heard that too.” (Classmate C)
“This is the first I’m hearing about it… But wait! What did Suzuha-chan say in response?!” (Classmate A)
“Do we even need to say it?” (Classmate B)
“If she said ‘yes,’ it would have spread like wildfire!” (Classmate C)
“Exactly.” (Classmate B)
The boy, showing the most relieved expression, stuffed his mouth full of bento.
Meanwhile, the other two, with no food in their mouths, continued their conversation.
“Considering they haven’t dated anyone so far, does that mean the rumor is true after all?” (Classmate B)
“Are you talking about the guy (monster) who’s supposedly charming Yuno-chan and Suzuha-chan?” (Classmate C)
“Yeah…” (Classmate B)
“I wouldn’t say there’s no possibility of it being true.” (Classmate C)
“Yeah, right. I don’t want anything bad to happen to them, though…” (Classmate B)
The boy who was part of the Yuno faction let out a sigh, while one of the boys from the Suzuha faction chewed his food as he listened to the conversation.
“Well, there’s a good chance that the rumor came from them rejecting confessions too much.” (Classmate C)
“What do you mean by that?” (Classmate B)
“Think about it calmly for a second. We’re talking about Yuno-chan and Suzuha-chan, right? Can you imagine them being the ones getting charmed? No way—If anything, the guys would be the ones getting all flustered and played around by them.” (Classmate C)
“Well, that’s definitely true…” (Classmate B)
Both of them had rejected every confession so far.
They were both beautiful, with great personalities.
The two of them, who were said to be “impossible to date,” never showed any openings.
Because of that, it felt more natural to think that the guys would end up getting played by them instead.
“Realistically, it might be that some rival in love is spreading these rumors to discourage other guys from confessing to them.” (Classmate C)
“That makes sense!” (Classmate B)
“Totally, that’s it!” (Classmate A)
Following the boy who swallowed the food left in his mouth, another boy jumped in, his face lit up with excitement.
“So, how about today… let’s give it a shot?” (Classmate C)
“Totally fine. Actually, I really want to.” (Classmate A)
“Since tomorrow’s a holiday, today’s the perfect day to do it.” (Classmate B)
Another boy, who had been quietly observing the situation, also joined in.
The three boys were thinking about one thing—making their move, and they began strategizing while eating their lunch.
And then, fifteen minutes later…
“Yo, you two! This is kind of sudden, but how about hanging out with us this weekend? You know, making the most of the holiday! What do you think!?” (Classmate A)
“How about karaoke or bowling! Cake buffet’s totally fine too!” (Classmate B)
“If you’ve got friends who wanna join, feel free to invite them!” (Classmate C)
Just as Yuno and Suzuha were sharing a desk and eating lunch together, three boys from the baseball team gathered in front of them.
“Ah… I already promised to hang out with Suzuha-chan this weekend.” (Yuno)
“Then all the more reason to hang out with us too!?” (Classmate A)
“We guarantee it’ll be fun! Promise!” (Classmate B)
“Just once! Just hang out with us once!” (Classmate C)
Yuno puffed up her cheeks, put down her chopsticks, and shifted into a posture ready to talk.
Knowing her best friend Suzuha was shy, quiet, and had grown uneasy around boys due to bullying back in middle school, Yuno took the lead, ready to protect her.
“We’re happy you invited us, but when something’s not possible, it’s just not possible.” (Yuno)
In the corner of Yuno’s vision, she could see Suzuha nodding up and down, her beautiful hair swaying gently as she backed her up.
They had already made plans to hang out with Haruto on Saturday.
For both Yuno and Suzuha, it was something they couldn’t and wouldn’t compromise on.
“Besides, it’s not just the two of us hanging out that day, so it’s even more of a no-go.” (Yuno)
“Isn’t it fine? Bring that girl along too! Honestly, she’s more than welcome!” (Classmate A)
“If you bring her, it’ll be a perfect three-on-three, right?!” (Classmate B)
“It would be fun!” (Classmate C)
While her classmates clapped excitedly and got hyped up, Yuno, exasperated by the major misunderstanding, made sure to clear things up.
“If we brought him, it’d be two to four. The person we’re hanging out with is a guy. Right, Suzuha-chan?” (Yuno)
“Y-Yeah…” (Suzuha)
“…” (Classmate A)
“…” (Classmate B)
“…” (Classmate C)
The moment they heard those words, the three boys widened their eyes and dropped their jaws.
From Yuno’s perspective, she absolutely didn’t want anyone finding out that she was hanging out with her older brother.
She didn’t even want people to know they were close.
To avoid being teased—even jokingly—as a brocon, it was only natural that she phrased things in a way that could be misunderstood.
“A-Are you serious…? Is that real!?” (Classmate A)
“I wouldn’t lie about something like this. If it turns out to be a lie, I’ll buy you juice.” (Yuno)
“B-By the way, the guy you’re hanging out with… he’s not that rumored guy, is he?” (Classmate B)
“What’s that supposed to mean? What ‘rumored guy’?” (Yuno)
As Yuzuno furrowed her brows and tilted her head, one of the boys flailed his hands awkwardly, trying to explain.
“Uh, how do I put this… Like, there’s a rumor going around that you two have someone you like?” (Classmate B)
“Ehhh… There’s a rumor like that? I have no idea what they’re talking about. See? Suzuha-chan is nodding too.” (Yuno)
“Can we really believe that!?” (Classmate B)
“First of all, the person we’re hanging out with on Saturday isn’t anyone special or anything like that.” (Yuno)
Her desire not to be teased was playing a huge role in the moment.
She was able to speak smoothly in ways that went against her true feelings, and she acted accordingly.
“Alright. That’s the end of that topic. Bye-bye now.” (Yuno)
She shut the conversation down firmly, giving one of them a little push.
“Phew… well, if that’s true, I guess I can relax—wait, isn’t it unfair for you to monopolize both of you?!” (Classmate A)
“Can’t be helped. We wanna play together too, you know?” (Yuno)
She responded again and pushed the second boy away in the same manner.
“I wanted to show off my stylish outfit…” (Classmate C)
“Yeah, yeah. If you send me a selfie, I might not ignore it.” (Yuno)
After pushing away the last remaining boy, the two of them finally regained their peaceful lunchtime.
With the quiet returning, the two began to talk again.
“Honestly, they never change. The guys in our class are always like this.” (Yuno)
“Thanks as always, Yuno-chan.” (Suzuha)
“Don’t mention it, I’m turning them down for my own sake.” (Yuno)
Yuno handled it like she was used to it—because this kind of situation happened often.
When you’re popular and easy to approach at school, that’s just how it goes.
As Yuno drank from her water bottle and picked up her chopsticks after setting them down, Suzuha brought up something that had been on her mind.
“But… it’s not every time, right? You do it for me sometimes…” (Suzuha)
“Actually, it is every time. Just like how you have your own reasons for not being comfortable with boys, I have my own reasons too.” (Yuno)
“Eh?” (Suzuha)
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t be turning down all of them.” (Yuno)
Yuno chuckled softly as she met Suzuha’s questioning gaze and spoke.
“This is, um… something I want you to keep secret, but—” (Yuno)
Lowering her voice bit by bit, Yuno made sure no one was nearby before continuing.
“—To be honest, I’d rather be helping my brother than hanging out with boys. That makes me feel better.” (Yuno)
“Fufu, that’s so like you, Yuno-chan.” (Suzuha)
“Well… I know it’s strange to think that way after being invited, but…” (Yuno)
It was a bit of self-deprecating humor, but Yuno had grown up in a home environment that naturally nurtured that mindset.
Rather than spending time with “just acquaintances” or “people she barely knew,” it was only natural for her feelings to lean toward doing something for her brother, who had done so much for her.
“Do you think Haruto-oniisan… would get mad about that?” (Suzuha)
“If he found out, he’d definitely be mad. For real. Like, ‘You don’t have to prioritize me!’ kind of mad.” (Yuno)
That was exactly why she’d told Suzuha to keep it a secret in the first place.
“In my head, I know all this, okay? I’m not doing anything that would make Onii-chan happy.” (Yuno)
—Enjoy school more than anything.
—Live without any restrictions.
—Make lots of memories.
All of those were clearly what Haruto thought, just from the way he acted.
She’d tried to help him cook, or help with laundry, or even with little things like taking out the trash—stuff that could be done in a minute.
Haruto’s intention was probably also to “make things easier” for her, and he’d even once said, “If you quit your part-time job, you’ll have more time to hang out with your friends, right?”
His feelings had come through more than clearly—but even so, her desire to “prioritize Onii-chan” was something she couldn’t let go of.
Suzuha, who understood that resolve, offered an alternative.
“Yuzuno-chan, how about finding another hobby along with cooking? I think it’s something Haruto-oniisan would be happy about too.” (Suzuha)
“Hmm. Picking up a hobby just to make him satisfied isn’t quite enough to convince me.” (Yuno)
“R-Really…?” (Suzuha)
Suzuha tilted her head slightly, not fully getting it, and in response, Yuzuno made an expression hard to describe with words as she replied.
“For example, even when I told you, ‘If there were someone who would sincerely date Onii-chan, he’d be relieved and happy,’ you still haven’t really been able to go for it, have you, Suzuha-chan?” (Yuno)
“…!!” (Suzuha)
It was a bit of a twisted argument, but the core of what she was saying wasn’t all that off.
In Yuno’s case, if she spent a lot of time trying to find a new hobby, she wouldn’t be able to support Haruto as much as she does now.
Just like Suzuha, she would be facing a difficult dilemma.
When it came to trying to make him happy, there was always some sort of wall in the way.
“But! This time, you really did your best, Suzuha-chan. I mean, you even said you want to go buy a swimsuit, and better yet, if Onii-chan is the one who chooses it.” (Yuno)
“B-But, Haruto-oniisan already has Aya-san, a university student…” (Suzuha)
“Yeah, I know. I was surprised too. That was the first time I heard about it.” (Yuno)
It was when Suzuha stayed over at Yuno’s house that she learned about the existence of a mysterious university student—someone wealthy enough to send Haruto home with high-end sushi.
She still hadn’t been able to figure out who that girl was, but her instincts told her that the university student had her eyes on Haruto.
“Anyway, there’s no point in overthinking that. Tomorrow, let’s just do our best to invite him to the pool, like we planned, by using the swimsuit shopping as a lead-in.” (Yuno)
“Y-Yeah…” (Suzuha)
Suzuha, her cheeks flushed red, nodded while completely pausing the movement of her chopsticks.
Seeing how clearly her nerves were showing, Yuno smiled softly as she brought another bite of her bento to her mouth.
Illustration of Suzuha and Yuno during lunch
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
I’m gonna eat shit when it comes to translating the actual Apex game part of the story.
WAIT A MINUTEEE. I don’t remember that swimsuit part, either I forgot or that was a new part of their plan. So that means that in the future, we’re gonna get a swimsuit chapter in vol 4??
Footnote:
- None
Thanks as always for this PEAK chapter. Can’t wait for more!
Thank you very much for the translation
thanks for the chapter