“The rain and wind are so intense today…” (Kento)
Saturday—since the heavy rain meant training was limited to indoors, I returned home earlier than usual and muttered while staring out the window.
The rain was so heavy that the visibility outside had become quite poor, and the wind was strong enough to bend the trees.
With Jessica-san and the others out of the house, I had to pick up Sophia from cram school, even on a weekend. But with this weather, even if we used umbrellas, we’d both end up drenched.
“Fortunately, she said I could pick her up at the station, but still…” (Kento)
Sophia had told me she would do her best to make it to the nearest station by herself and asked me to meet her there.
Since her cram school was in the city, there were streetlights and plenty of people around, so she could probably make it there by herself.
But with this kind of weather, just picking her up from the nearest station seemed like it would get us both completely soaked.
“Maybe I should get the bath ready for her in time for when the train arrives…” (Kento)
Just as I was thinking that, my phone chimed with a notification.
There should still have been some time before her cram school ended, but the message I received was from her.
Sophia: <I’m sorry… Please come pick me up from cram school…>
It was oddly formal for her.
“She’s probably using polite speech because she feels guilty about going back on what she said… But in the end, perhaps she was scared of walking alone at night?” (Kento)
Considering her personality, I felt like she was trying to be stubborn at first, but maybe she got scared and reached out for help after thinking it through.
Kento: <Of course. Just wait for me when your cram school ends.>
Feeling happy that Sophia was relying on me, I sent my reply.
Sophia: <Thank you very much…>
She responded with another formal message, which made it clear she was quite self-conscious about this.
Kento: <Like I said before, you don’t have to hesitate to ask for help.>
The heavy rain was troublesome, but I didn’t find picking her up to be a hassle.
Rather, letting her walk home alone in the dark was far more concerning, so this was for the best.
“Well, I’ll just heat up the bath before heading out, and if the water cools down by the time we get back, I can just reheat it.” (Kento)
If it were just the station near our house, there wouldn’t be an issue, but since I had to pick her up at Okayama Station, which was near her cram school, there was a good chance the bath would cool down before we returned.
Still, the bath had a function to reheat the water, so it would be faster to prepare it now rather than waiting until we got back.
—Before long, it was time to go pick her up, so I headed out. However, due to the rain, the train ended up being slightly delayed.
Because of the delay, I arrived at the cram school later than usual—
“Ah…” (Kento)
Sophia, who had been shivering at the entrance of the cram school, relaxed her face in relief as soon as she saw me.
“I’m sorry for making you come all the way to the cram school…” (Sophia)
“No, I’m the one who should apologize for being late. You’re shaking—are you cold?” (Kento)
Even though it was raining, it was still September, so I didn’t feel cold at all.
But since Sophia was trembling, I wondered if she might be feeling cold after all.
“…That’s not it…” (Sophia)
“…?” (Kento)
She gave a small shake of her head.
Then why was she trembling?
Just as I started to wonder—
A lightning strike hit nearby.
“Kyahhhhhh!” (Sophia)
A flash of light followed by a thunderclap that resonated deep in my body made Sophia scream and cling tightly to my arm.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she trembled even more than before.
Seeing her like this, I finally understood why she had asked me to come all the way to the cram school.
“You’re scared of the thunder, huh?” (Kento)
Boys often get excited when lightning strikes, but I have the impression that girls tend to get scared. Some even end up crying, and it seemed Sophia was that type.
“Uu…” (Sophia)
She didn’t even have the energy to put on a brave face. Still clinging to my arm, she squeezed it tightly and looked up at me with tearful eyes.
Her vulnerability was so unbearably cute that I couldn’t help but reach out and gently stroke her head.
“It’s okay, there’s nothing to be scared of.” (Kento)
I gently stroked her hair as she trembled like a frightened child.
Maybe my words reached her just a little as her grip on my arm loosened slightly.
Ideally, I should stay like this until Sophia calmed down.
But we were still standing at the entrance of her cram school.
Because I had been late, there were no other students around, but there was always the possibility of someone coming out later.
If other students saw her like this, she would definitely feel embarrassed.
It was best to leave this place as soon as possible.
“If you’re scared, just cover your ears and close your eyes. Hold on to me tightly—I’ll take you to the station.” (Kento)
It was probably dangerous to walk like this, but Sophia was too terrified of the thunder to move on her own. There was no other choice.
I would just have to be extra careful of her footing and our surroundings as we moved slowly.
She pulled out a pair of earphones from her bag, put them in both ears and clung to my arm again.
Just like when she had a fever, Sophia became several times more honest when she was feeling weak.
While making sure to avoid any danger in our surroundings, I carefully guided her towards Okayama Station.
“—Alright, we’re here. It’s okay now.” (Kento)
Once we stepped inside the station, I gently patted her head.
Sophia slowly opened her eyes, but they were still brimming with tears.
She must have been really scared.
Our legs were soaked from the rain and wind, but she didn’t seem to have the energy to care about such things.
“I’m sorry for everything…” (Sophia)
“I told you, I’m happy when you rely on me, so don’t worry about it. Besides, in situations like this, I’d rather hear a thank you than an apology.” (Kento)
I responded with a smile to Sophia, who looked apologetic as she lowered her head.
Perhaps it was the right thing to say because, after a little fidgeting, Sophia slowly opened her mouth.
“Um… thank you…” (Sophia)
“You’re welcome. Since we have to wait a bit for the train, why don’t we buy some dinner?” (Kento)
The train wasn’t arriving anytime soon, so I decided it was best to use the waiting time to get dinner.
Originally, Sophia was supposed to cook tonight, but given how drained she was, that didn’t seem like a good idea anymore.
“I can still cook, you know…?” (Sophia)
“You don’t have to push yourself. You can cook again tomorrow.” (Kento)
She had recovered a little now that we were indoors, but at home, the thunder would sound even louder without the insulation of the station.
If she got startled while handling a knife, she might cut herself. If she was using a frying pan, she could burn herself.
Buying a bento was the safer option.
“Ugh… I always cause trouble and can’t repay you for anything…” (Sophia)
Sophia seemed to be really bothered by it, and she visibly sank into a bit of a slump.
Even though she had recovered a little, she was still shaken from the thunder, which probably made her more honest than usual.
“The bento you make for me every day was delicious, you know? You even went the extra mile to think about the nutritional balance, and it really helps me a lot.” (Kento)
“But… that’s all…” (Sophia)
The bentos Sophia made was thoughtfully prepared, tasted good even when cold, and was nutritionally balanced.
She woke up early every morning to make them, yet she still thought it wasn’t enough.
She’s still way too hard on herself…
“You don’t have to worry about it so much. I mean, sure, a completely one-sided relationship wouldn’t be great, but it’s impossible to always keep things perfectly even.” (Kento)
I understood the idea of not wanting debts, but I didn’t think relationships—whether between friends or siblings—worked like that in the first place.
Wanting to do something for someone simply because you care about them should be enough.
At the very least, I wasn’t doing things for Sophia because I expected something in return.
Part of it was concern for her, but more than that, I simply wanted to do these things.
There’s no need for anything in return.
“Relationships are so complicated…” (Sophia)
“Most people don’t think that deeply about it, so you don’t have to either, Sophia. The reason I’m with you like this is because I simply enjoy being with you—” (Kento)
Realizing what I had just said, I suddenly froze.
That was… way too much.
“~~~~~~!!” (Sophia)
Sophia let out an unintelligible sound, and when I looked at her, her face was bright red. She stared up at me, wide-eyed in shock.
“Uh, no, I didn’t mean—” (Kento)
“I-I’m here because… I enjoy being with you too…” (Sophia)
Before I could try to explain myself, Sophia turned her flushed face away, lightly pinching the sleeve of my shirt with her fingers.
She mumbled something in English under her breath, too softly for me to make out.
I had never wanted to understand what she was saying more than I did at this moment.
But I couldn’t bring myself to ask her directly—that would be way too tactless.
“……” (Kento)
“……” (Sophia)
We both fell silent, and in that awkward silence, we headed to buy the bento.
After finishing our shopping, we made our way to the train platform, and as we were about to board—
“Wow, it’s packed…” (Kento)
Perhaps due to the rain and delays, despite the late hour, the train was packed with people.
“Sophia, come here.” (Kento)
As I guided her onto the train, I positioned her between myself and the door.
At times like this, I knew it was better to keep her away from others to avoid any potential issues, like molestation.
“You do things like this so smoothly… it’s not fair…” (Sophia)
Sophia was still looking down, mumbling softly in English.
The fear of thunder seemed to have faded, but she was clearly still hung up on what happened earlier.
“Are you okay? Is it too cramped?” (Kento)
“Mmm… I’m okay… Thank you…” (Sophia)
It seemed like there wasn’t any space issue, so I decided to maintain this position for now.
If I let my guard down, the pressure from the people behind could end up pushing me onto Sophia, so I had to stay alert.
“Ke-Ke-Ken—Shirakawa-kun, are you okay…?” (Sophia)
What was that odd little laugh?
I briefly thought that, but then I realized that she might have been trying to call me by my first name again.
She probably corrected herself because she felt embarrassed to say it.
I could relate since I felt nervous the first time I tried calling her by her first name.
For a moment, I considered prompting her to say it, but knowing Sophia’s personality, she’d likely try to cover up her embarrassment.
If it had been earlier, when she was weaker from the thunder, she might have been more straightforward, but… it seemed like I missed my chance.
At this point, I thought it was better to just wait until she called me by my first name by herself.
“Ah, I’m fine. I’m not trained for nothing.” (Kento)
“Now that you mention it… You’ve got quite the build for someone who doesn’t look it.” (Sophia)
Sophia’s gaze shifted to my right arm, which was holding onto the overhead strap.
Perhaps she was referring to how I didn’t look like someone with a solid build at first glance.
“Well, baseball requires strength, so that’s part of it. But if my legs get too slow, it becomes a problem, so I make sure to train carefully in that area as well.” (Kento)
To be a power hitter, having strength is essential. Ideally, I’d want to build as much muscle as I can, but if I gain too much muscle, my body would inevitably get heavier, and my running speed would slow down.
The speed of my legs directly affects how quickly I reach the base, so I can’t neglect that if I want to stay safe on the field.
…Well, if I could hit home runs regularly with sheer power, I might not need to worry about running speed, but that style doesn’t really suit me.
“How fast is your 50-meter dash?” (Sophia)
“Hm? The last time I timed it, it was 6.4 seconds.” (Kento)
“Isn’t that too fast…?” (Sophia)
When I answered her question, Sophia looked up at me in surprise.
“I think it’s fast, yeah. But it’s still not quite as fast as Shouta. He hits exactly six seconds.” (Kento)
Shouta, our lead-off hitter, has the fastest legs on the team.
His speed, combined with his high on-base percentage and wide defensive range, always helps us out.
“Shouta, you mean Kannagi-kun, right? I knew he was fast, but he’s that fast?” (Sophia)
It seems like Sophia is genuinely interested in the baseball club.
Despite her indifferent attitude, it seemed like she knew about Shouta as well.
If I told Shouta, he’d probably be thrilled.
“Yeah, remember when we ran into each other at the field? The guy with the buzzcut.” (Kento)
“He’s the one with all the energy, right?” (Sophia)
I half expected her to say he was loud, but Sophia seemed to choose her words carefully.
“He’s our mood maker. A really good guy, and the boys like him.” (Kento)
Though, the girls… well, not so much.
He’s the type to be loud and pushy, which probably doesn’t sit well with the girls.
“You’re always with him, so I figured he must be a good person.” (Sophia)
Since we’re in the same class and Shouta’s personality tends to draw people in, we’re often together. It seems Sophia had picked up on that.
She’s observant…
“So, is your best friend Kannagi-kun?” (Sophia)
“Ah… well, I’d say I get along better with Shuuto though.” (Kento)
“Eh?” (Sophia)
Sophia’s eyes widened in shock, and she froze, staring at me.
It seems my answer was too unexpected.
“Haha, don’t look so surprised.” (Kento)
“Because it’s surprising…” (Sophia)
Given the situation at the field the other day, Sophia likely views Shuuto as an intimidating, stoic, handsome guy.
I can understand how people could misunderstand him if they don’t know him well.
“People might misunderstand him because of his attitude, but he’s a straightforward and good guy. I mean, he’s a baseball idiot. Honestly, he’s just crazy about baseball and he takes practice more seriously than anyone.” (Kento)
His intense focus on baseball might cause friction with others, but his commitments are admirable.
Most importantly, he’s a good person at his core.
“Only thinking about baseball? That sounds like it would cause a lot of trouble with others…” (Sophia)
Perhaps because they’re similar, Sophia seems to have noticed the issues Shuuto faces.
In fact, it’s not the first time Shuuto has had problems with people around him.
He often gets into arguments with Shouta, after all.
“Well, that’s why I’m here. It’s the catcher’s job to support the ace pitcher. My role is to be the buffer and act as a bridge to keep things from escalating.” (Kento)
I guess that’s why Kujouin-san calls me the guardian of the team.
Thinking about it, what I’m trying to do with Sophia isn’t too different from what I do for Shuuto.
Just like with Shuuto, I want to step in and help connect her with the others.
“By the way, they say a catcher is the pitcher’s ‘wife’ or something like that…” (Sophia)
“—?! W-What’s wrong?” (Kento)
Suddenly, Sophia’s demeanor changed, and she had a displeased expression on her face, so I couldn’t help but ask.
“It’s nothing, really…” (Sophia)
But Sophia pouted and turned her face away.
Is she sulking…?
Why…?
“U-Um… If you’re curious about the baseball club, how about coming to watch practice sometime?” (Kento)
Trying to break the awkward silence, I invited her to the practice.
However—
“I’ve got cram school, so it’s fine.” (Sophia)
She shook her head.
It seemed like she was just trying to make it clear that it wasn’t possible, and there was no longer the same heavy pressure I used to feel.
I sighed in relief over that, but it was still clear that convincing her would be difficult.
As I was thinking about that—
“Kyah!?” (Sophia)
The train jolted violently, and Sophia leaned into my chest.
“Are you okay?” (Kento)
“Y-Yeah, thank you… That was sudden…” (Sophia)
Since she wasn’t leaning against the wall or holding the strap, she must have lost her balance.
It seemed like the crowded train actually worked in her favor, as there wasn’t enough space for her to hurt herself.
However―― for some reason, Sophia didn’t try to regain her posture and stayed leaning on me.
“*Sniff, sniff*…” (Sophia)
Wait a second, is she… sniffing me?
I didn’t take a bath after practice, but I did at least take a shower, right…?
Do I smell bad…?
Even while I was frozen in place, it felt like Sophia was still sniffing me.
She didn’t pull away and just stayed close. What should I do…?
I was frozen in place, unable to move, and ended up letting Sophia do as she pleased.
“……♪” (Sophia)
◆
“It’s still raining like crazy…” (Kento)
We arrived at the nearest station and stepped outside, only to be met with the same heavy rain and strong winds.
More than anything, the sky was rumbling, and it felt like lightning could strike at any moment.
“If you’re scared of the thunder, do you want to put your earphones in again?” (Kento)
“No… It’s fine… I’ll just hold out until we get home…” (Sophia)
Sophia said this, but her expression was stiff.
It seemed like she was barely holding it together, waiting for the thunder to strike.
“Got it. Let’s make our way back quickly.” (Kento)
“Mm…” (Sophia)
Sophia nodded slightly and then grasped the sleeve of my jacket with her fingers.
It was probably an unconscious action due to her fear of the thunder.
The contrast between her usual cool demeanor and her current, fragile, almost animal-like state made me feel an overwhelming desire to protect her.
I guess I’m weak against girls like this…
While I nervously watched Sophia follow me, holding an umbrella in one hand and quietly tugging at my sleeve with the other, we made our way home.
When we arrived…
“My legs are all soaked…” (Kento)
Both of us were drenched from the rain, especially our lower bodies.
“I’ve prepared the bath, so you should go in first so you don’t catch a cold. If the water’s too cold, just warm it up.” (Kento)
“Thank you. But you have the tournament, so…” (Sophia)
“I’ll take a bath later. The tournament is next week, after all.” (Kento)
I smiled back at Sophia, who had been trying to be considerate.
When we first became a family, she used to ignore me and take a bath first, but people really do change.
“In that case, I’ll take you up on that offer. Hmm…” (Sophia)
Probably because her socks were wet, she seemed hesitant about stepping into the house with them still on. She began to take off her knee-high socks right in front of me.
But strangely, I couldn’t look away.
“Ah…” (Kento)
Just as she finished taking them off, Sophia seemed to notice my gaze. Her expression froze, but her cheeks quickly turned bright red.
Then, she pursed her lips—
“Ecchi…” (Sophia)
—and shot me a sharp, accusing glare.
…Ah, this is bad.
I feel like I’m awakening to something strange…
Sophia’s reproachful expression looked so captivating that I felt like a new door was about to open.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—” (Kento)
“If you did, I’d be much more vocal…” (Sophia)
When I apologized, to my surprise, she forgave me easily.
She didn’t slip into her usual English-speaking habit, nor did she get overly flustered, so it seemed like she wasn’t as shaken as I thought she would be.
“If you peek into the bath, I’ll get mad, you know?” (Sophia)
“Yeah, don’t worry. I wouldn’t do something like that.” (Kento)
“Mm…” (Sophia)
Sophia nodded, then quickly ran toward the bathroom as if trying to escape.
However, for some reason, she stopped, turned toward me, and gave me a meaningful look with her heated cheeks and eyes.
“But… if it’s Shirakawa-kun… maybe… someday…” (Sophia)
She said only that, and then finally entered the changing room.
“…? What did she just say…?” (Kento)
She definitely said something to me, but her voice was quiet, and it was in English, so I couldn’t catch it.
She wasn’t panicking, so did she say that unconsciously? Or had she said it deliberately in English so I wouldn’t understand?
I couldn’t ask her about it directly, so I just decided to head to my room to change and avoid catching a cold.
◆
[Sophia’s PoV]
“I almost said something bold…” (Sophia)
As I entered the changing room, I remembered what happened earlier, and my face turned red.
It was because he didn’t understand English that I had said it—though that wasn’t really the point. Saying something like that wasn’t like me at all.
“Am I feeling lightheaded…?” (Sophia)
Just thinking about his smile made my face heat up, and hearing his voice made my heart race.
It was clearly abnormal.
“Even on the train, I ended up sticking so close to him and I couldn’t pull myself away… I need to be more careful. It might be dangerous…” (Sophia)
It wasn’t intentional that we ended up so close because of the train shaking, but once it happened, I couldn’t bring myself to pull away from him.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure why I couldn’t do it.
I knew that staying close to him would make things awkward, but I didn’t want to pull away from his body.
And… I couldn’t help but be drawn to his scent, just like before…
“Uuu… the more I think back on it, the more it feels like what I was doing was kind of perverted…?” (Sophia)
I felt happy when I was close to him, and I couldn’t help but smell him right away…
I have to be careful, or I might make him dislike me…
“But I can’t control myself…” (Sophia)
As I took off my clothes, I faced myself.
Even though I knew better in my head, when I actually interacted with him, I couldn’t control my feelings.
I had never experienced anything like this before, so I didn’t know how to hold back my emotions.
It would be so much easier if I could just stop overthinking and be honest with myself…
“But then again, Shirakawa-kun is still being Shirakawa-kun. He keeps getting closer to me so naturally… And when the thunder struck, he even patted my head…” (Sophia)
I was completely overwhelmed by the thunder at the time, but I could still remember everything he did so clearly.
At that moment, I felt comforted and happy… but now, looking back, it’s just so embarrassing.
The fact that he can do things like that so naturally makes Shirakawa-kun so unfair.
“He’s so good at pampering others, so I thought maybe he had a younger cousin or something, even if he doesn’t have a sister… but it seems like he doesn’t…” (Sophia)
Which means he’s just naturally good at spoiling others.
Scary.
But at least I don’t have to worry about some cousin stealing him away.
“I just need to build up some resistance to his unconscious straightforward approach…” (Sophia)
Having finished undressing, I mutter to myself as I step into the bathroom.
The bathroom had the heating on, but when I checked the water temperature, it was still lukewarm.
I pressed the warm-up button and began washing myself in the shower.
Even during this time, my thoughts were all on Shirakawa-kun.
I’ve started to want to be closer to him, and the fact that he’s called us close makes me think I’ve been doing well lately.
But, the one thing I still haven’t managed to do is call him by his first name.
When I try to call his name, I get nervous, and even though I know it’s unlikely, the thought of him possibly not liking it scares me.
It was unfair that Shirakawa-kun could call me by my first name as if it were nothing.
“――It’s still raining outside…” (Sophia)
I had finished washing my body and was soaking in the bath, but the sound from outside distracted me.
Despite how I look now, I’ve always been really scared of thunder.
Since becoming a high school student, I’ve managed to endure it, but when I was younger, I would crawl into my mom’s bed on days when thunder occurred.
…Even now, on days with violent thunderstorms, I still end up hiding in my mom’s bed.
But now that my mom has remarried, I can’t do that anymore.
What should I do from now on…?
Especially today, since my mom isn’t here…
“I can’t possibly ask Shirakawa-kun to let me hide in his bed…” (Sophia)
If I were to ask something like that, he would definitely find out that I like him.1
…No, considering how surprisingly clueless he is when it comes to romance, he might not even notice.
Watching him, I’ve come to realize that there really are people who are sharp in most areas but completely oblivious when it comes to love.
He’s that out of touch with romance.
He’s the type who would casually pat my head without thinking twice.
But I can’t bring myself to ask him to let me into his bed, even though I’m his “imouto (little sister)“. I’d be too embarrassed, and even if he didn’t realize my feelings, the awkward atmosphere would make it impossible.
“It’s also impossible for him to invite me into his bed… right?” (Sophia)
He’s someone who has a solid understanding of common sense.
He wouldn’t suggest something like that, even if he was half-asleep. After all, we’re not even in a romantic relationship.
“Come to think of it, what does Shirakawa-kun really think of me right now…?” (Sophia)
I’m not talking about being “good friends”, but I’m genuinely curious about how he perceives me.
Does he see me as just a classmate, or does he think of me as his imouto…?
Normally, I’d think it would be difficult to treat someone as your sibling when you’re not blood-related and have only just met… but, this is Shirakawa-kun, after all.
Looking at how he’s been acting around me lately, I can’t help but feel like he sees me as his imouto.
“I’m happy that he pampers me… but if he doesn’t see me as a girl, that would hurt just as much...” (Sophia)
I know I’m complicated, but… as someone who has feelings for him, I think not being seen as a girl is probably the second most painful thing after being hated.
As I think about him, I realize that I’ve forgotten all about the thunder.
That’s probably how engrossed I am in him.
“I’m glad I found a way to forget about the thunder, but… I can never use it outside…” (Sophia)
If someone were to see my cheeks soften while thinking about him, I’d want to jump into a hole and disappear.
It really is frustrating…
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
No way Sophia just said that she doesn’t dislike the idea of him peeking at her showering in the future.
Also, that Sophia PoV was gold. Sophia is really in this state where she knows that she likes him, but she doesn’t realize that she likes him way more than she thinks she does.
Part 2 is gonna be really cute, they’re gonna be sleeping together (nothing naughty) so you can look forward to that.
Part 2 in two days
Thanks for the translate!! Excited for part 2…
What do mean nothing naughty? Girl just casually sniffed him.