Too Many Losing Heroines! - Volume 5 - Chapter 2.3

I leaned my body as forward as I could and listened.

“The new hoe is here. I want to give it to Satoshi.”

“I see. Kaju has something to do with Tachibana-kun as well. Can I go with you?”

“Sure, but why, Nuku-chan?”

“I want to talk about the arrangement on the 14th. It’s a little inconvenient to talk about that in the class. So, can I?”

I knew it. They are meeting on Valentine’s Day.

Also, it’s something you can’t talk about in the classroom…? Gon-chan, say no. Say no right this instant.

“Hmm, well, how about you give him the hoe as well?”

“Huh, are you sure you don’t want to see Tachibana-kun?”

“It’s okay. Well, I’ll leave this to you.”

“Sure, got it. Leave it to Kaju.”

My prayers were in vain. Kaju and the young man Tachibana will be hanging out alone.

Gon-chan left in the direction where Kaju came from.

…I observed the corridor after a while. Kaju is already nowhere to be found.

Should I go after Kaju? But there’s nowhere to hide in the Gardening Club.

I can’t get close enough to hear their conversation…

Asagumo-san suddenly shook her head as I was thinking.

“Kazu-kun, was that tall girl your little sister’s friend?”

“Uh, I think she’s indeed Kaju’s friend. She visited my house several times- are we still going with the whole twin's thing?”

“I like that setting quite a lot. Alright, I have to adjust the device.”

…Adjust the device? Asagumo-san started clicking her smartwatch with sparkling eyes.

“Wait, don’t tell me you did something in the Gardening Club? Didn’t you promise not to use GPS anymore?”

“Yes, I’ve already learned my lesson. Stalking someone with GPS is an action that violates their dignity. It’s unforgivable.”

Yes, that’s right. I’m glad you understand.

“What are you doing then?”

“Nukumizu-san, will you blame someone if he overhears our conversation just then?”

…Eh? I couldn’t help but look around.

There’s no one in the empty corridor. Only the cheers of sports clubs can be heard from afar.

“It’s okay. This is the corridor, anyway. It can’t be helped that people hear us.”

Asagumo-san nodded forcefully.

“Yes, that’s why. A building’s exterior can be seen by everyone freely, right? Well, then accidentally hearing someone’s conversation in public won’t get us scolded, right?”

I see…? I think I get the gist of it.

“So, in other words, you installed an eavesdropping device instead of a GPS?”

Asagumo-san slowly shook her head.

“Humans are creatures guided by languages. It’s not an eavesdropping device, but a Smartbug- that’s what I call it.”

What was that? That sounds rad.

“In other words, listening to their conversation is morally fine. …That’s what you’re saying, right?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“It can’t be helped if that’s the case, but don’t tell others, alright?”

“I know. This shall be a secret between us.”

We both stuck our ears close to the smartwatch after it had been adjusted.

<-Are-you-sure-this will->

A lot of noise is mixed in between, but the voice sounds like the young man Tachibana.

Asagumo-san and I kept our ears close as we moved to the window suspiciously. The noise disappeared.

<-Well, shall we go along with the plan?>

The voice is definitely Kaju’s. I won’t mistake it. I can’t help but hold my breath.

<Oh, I’ll leave it to you. Sorry for making you come to the Gardening Club.>

<Kaju doesn’t mind. It’s a little embarrassing to talk about this in front of people.>

A little embarrassing to talk about this in front of people…? No, wait, just because something is embarrassing doesn’t mean it’s about love. I was a middle school student at one point. One time I called my teacher “mom”.

My confused brain became utterly fried with the following conversation.

<Hmm, about this, your brother->

<Fufu, …make sure to keep what happens on the 14th a secret from onii-sama, okay?>

Ha!? Keeping something embarrassing a secret from me!?

“Onii-chan will never acknowledge something like this!”

I yelled at the top of my lungs. Asagumo-san is shocked.

“Nukumizu-san, they can’t hear you over there, alright?”

“Oh yeah? Then I’ll just go there and-”

“They will see you if that’s the case. Are you sure?”

This is bad. I need to calm down and think about this. I put my hand before my chest and took a deep breath.

…Kaju is there to talk about Valentine’s Day with the young man Tachibana.

It’s just that it’s hard for her to talk about it with others. It’s embarrassing. That’s why she’s keeping it a secret from me-

“No, something’s definitely not right. Don’t you think so, Asagumo-san?”

“Nukumizu-san is the only one not right since then.”

Maybe, but my knees are still shivering.

Based on their conversation, the two of them seem pretty close. Even though I don’t know whether they are going out, there’s not a boy in this world who won’t fall in love with Kaju-

“In other words, he will become my little brother. …Onii-chan is about to become the brother-in-law…?”

“Alright, let’s pause for a moment.”

Asagumo-san put her hands on my pale cheeks.

“Eh, pause what-”

“Alright, take a deep breath-”

“Ah, yes.”

I took a deep breath.

“Then, exhale! Exhale!”

I took a deep breath twice after that. I finally calmed down slightly after the third one.

“Are you good? Your little sister is just flirting for a little bit. Onee-chan and you do the same, right?”

“No, never.”

You’re not my older sister.

“Well, we can do that later, okay? Alright, Kazu-kun. Let’s group up with Remon-san and go back. Here. Wear your uniform properly.”

Asagumo-san reached her hand toward my neck and buttoned the top of my shirt.

Huh, …is she really my older sister? She’s my older sister, right…? I’m Kazu-kun, …Kazu-kun is me…

A petite female student passed in the corridor as I stared absentmindedly at the forehead before me.

The girl stopped. Her eyes bulged in disbelief.

“Huh? Huhhhhhh?”

The girl grabbed my hand and hopped around.

“Kya! Onii-sama!? What’s wrong with you!? Did you go back to middle school again!?”

Onii-sama, …ah, right, …I have a little sister, …is this…my little sister…?

“Are you Kaju…?”

I finally regained consciousness, yet Kaju leaned on me tightly.

“Uwah, uwawah! Onii-sama looks so handsome in our uniform too! Sorry, can we take a photo-”

Kaju took out her phone with shiny eyes.

“Huh? You’re Asagumo-san, right? Kaju saw you in my house before. Why are you wearing our school’s uniform?”

Asagumo-san smiled and answered.

“It’s been a while. I’m Kazu-kun’s older sister today.”

…Wait, don’t complicate things, okay?

Kaju’s eyes began to glow eerily after hearing the “older sister” word.

“Onii-sama’s older sister…? That’s unfair! Kaju wants to be the older sister too!”

See? I told you. Kaju shook my hand in utter excitement.

“No, please calm down.”

“No way! If it’s the older sister, I have to feed Kazu-kun, change clothes for him, wash his back, and sleep with him- ahh, sheesh, one day isn’t enough!”

A normal older sister won’t usually do that.

Well, what she wants to do isn’t that different from the usual Kaju.

“Alright, I got it. Let’s pause. Here. Kaju. Look at my fingers.”

I raised the index fingers on each of my hands.

“These two fingers are chasing each other. This finger is getting closer. It touched this one.”

“It’s going after the other one. Oh, they touched…”

Kaju followed the fingers with her eyes. Did she finally recover?

She returned to her serious look and cleared her throat.

“Have you calmed down?”

“...Yes. Well, onii-sama, can you explain what’s going on here?”

“Eh? Well…”

Shit. This happens when things calm down. Of course.

I looked to someone for help. Asagumo-san nodded and took a step forward.

Alright, I have high expectations of you, onee-chan.

“Kaju-san. The reason why Kazuhiko-san and I are in such a pose here is that-”

“What?”

“-It’s a play.”

“Meow!?”

My expectations are betrayed.

“A high school boy and girl sneaking into their old school in their old uniforms playing a siblings game- they must be enjoying an unethical game like this. This is definitely not a secret investigation. No way I can think of something this ridiculous!”

Asagumo-san said all of that before looking at me smugly.

Ehh, …this person thinks that was the correct answer? I’m so sorry if she thinks that will get us out safely.

Kaju opened her mouth and coughed before trying her best to speak up calmly.

“W-Well, please follow me. I’ll hand you two to the student guidance teacher.”

Asagumo-san tilted her head curiously.

“Ara, we’re not here to investigate, you know? This is just a play.”

…That’s enough. Kaju’s looking at me in a way I’ve never seen before.

I’m already prepared for tonight's family conference- then Kaju’s body suddenly lifted.

“Kya!?”

“I got the vice prez! The meat buns are mine!”

Kaju’s getting princess-carried. The person who let out a victorious cheer is Yakishio.

The Track and Field Club girls followed soon after. They appeared at the turn of the corridor.

“She got ahead of us again!” Remon-senpai is too energetic!” “Wait, it’s not over yet!”

Yakishio looked at her kouhais with an arrogant smile.

“Fufu, …the meat buns are yours if you can take the vice prez back from my hands. Come chase me!”

“Eh, hold on, Yakishio, what are you doing?”

“Leave it to me!”

Yakishio winked. She then started running with Kaju in her arms.

The girls chased after her after that.

“Wait, meat buns!” “Go around from that side, girls!” “I’m attacking from the second floor!”

…What are these people even doing?

Only we remained with our jaws dropped after Yakishio and her kids disappeared.

After standing still for a while, Asagumo-san poked my shoulder.

Uh, Kaju got carried away, but- Yakishio said to leave it to her.

…Well, let’s leave it to her.

I nodded earnestly and unbuttoned my shirt.

*

My memories as a young child are non-existent.

That seems to be because even though I remembered it, I quickly forgot afterward. Or that I do have the memories, but I just can’t recall them.

I was only 1.5 years old when Kaju was born. I shouldn’t have the memories normally.

So, this is a memory forged by stories from my parents and what I remember after growing up.

I used to be the center of the family, and I was replaced. I threw a big tantrum.

It’s natural to think about it right now. It must have been rough for my parents to care for me when I barely knew how to walk when Kaju came into this world.

My little sister’s name was pretty hard to read. I couldn’t say it correctly.

I think I used to feel lonely and angry about this new character in the world.

Then, I finally returned to the center of the stage on my two-year-old birthday. However, I got really pissed when Mom had to accompany Kaju when she cried.

I threw away the paper crown and curled up in the corner of the room before falling asleep eventually.

I don’t think much time has passed since I woke up.

“Good morning, onii-chan.”

Mom ignored my sulky look and carried me up.

She brought me to Kaju’s baby bed.

I stared at Kaju from above in Mom’s arms. She looked like a human despite being much smaller than I was. It was unbelievable to me.

“Kaju woke up too. Quick, say good morning to onii-chan.”

Kaju woke up and reached her tiny hand out.

I carefully stroked it with my fingers. Kaju grasped my hand tightly.

It was small and warm but felt stronger than I thought.

I froze on the spot. Then, Kaju- suddenly laughed.

I realized it at that moment.

-I’m the older brother.

My first memory of becoming the older brother started when I was 3.

As for Kaju, she kept following me like always after getting into middle school.

So, that’s why I’ve always followed my memory at the time and kept pushing the date of Kaju’s departure on my own.

That day will eventually arrive- but not today. I thought.

*

It’s already nighttime before I even realize it. The streets are dark.

My sight fell to the stone slabs on the pedestrian walk, and I only paid attention to walking forward.

The pavement ended, while the crosswalk lit up by road lights appeared.

Someone grabbed my arm when I was about to step on the crosswalk.

“Watch out for the car, Nukumizu-san!”

Asagumo-san stopped me.

She looked at me confusedly in her Tsuwabuki uniform.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“...Eh? I want to go home.”

I looked around after saying that. This clearly isn’t where my house is.

I seemed to have wandered off to Toyohashi Station.

“Sorry, did you follow me all the way here? I’ll be fine after this, so-”

Asagumo-san shook her head determinedly.

“I can’t leave Nukumizu-san alone right now. Let’s go rest somewhere.”

Her line can cause misunderstandings. She brought me to a place called Matterhorn. It’s a vintage western dessert store in Toyohashi. This is my first time coming into their cafe section.

I sat down and looked around the antique-style cafe. Asagumo-san showed me her phone.

“Yakishio-san bid farewell to her kouhais as well. She’s coming here.”

The waitress put a cup of coffee before me. I nodded silently.

“Is that all you want?”

“I’m not feeling hungry.”

Asagumo-san has a cake and mixed juice before her. Her smile quickly faded away.

“...You should take care of your sugar intake. An exhausted brain needs adequate resupply.”

“I know. Sorry for making you worry about me today.”

I added sugar to my coffee and stirred it. Asagumo-san handed me a fork with a piece of cake on top.

“Here, ah-”

“Eh? Hold on. There are people here.”

“Didn’t I say we could flirt with each other later? Onee-chan never breaks a promise.”

Is that game still going on?

It looks like she won’t give up. Fine, I’ll eat it. A nostalgic sweetness radiated in my mouth.

Asagumo-san ordered a plate of Matterhorn cake, named after the store. The thin sponge cake is mixed with cream and chestnuts. It’s been a long time since I’ve tried. This is really good, after all.

I’ve always been a chocolate fan, but returning to the classic seems a better idea now…

I saw Asagumo-san’s smile just as I reached for my coffee.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Thanks. I’m a lot better now.”

I can’t be upset all the time when she’s so worried about me.

I reluctantly smiled and saw a sports bag next to Asagumo-san’s seat.

“What are you two doing?”

Yakishio’s looking at us. She’s staring downward with her big brown eyes. Uwah, she saw us doing something weird.

“I’m Kazu-kun’s older sister today.”

“What? That sounds fun! Ah, sorry!”

Eh, that’s all it takes for her to understand?

Yakishio sat next to Asagumo-san after she ordered.

“So? I heard you seemed pretty depressed, but you look fine to me right now. You still have the energy to flirt with each other.”

She put her elbow on the table and spoke up mischievously.

Things will get troublesome if Ayano knows. I have to change the topic.

“By the way, Yakishio brought Kaju- my little sister away. What happened to her?”

“Imouto-sanr? I think she’s a bit confused.”

Of course. That’s not what I want to ask.

“Uh, you did release my little sister, right?”

“I sent her to the student council room. I won the competition!”

I don’t know about the rules, but you won?

…Well, it’s good that she’s okay.

I drank my coffee. Yakishio’s black tea and chocolate cake arrived.

Yakishio’s dessert is a cross between chocolate cake and sponge cake with a layer of chocolate around it. This has always been popular.

Yakishio mumbled in an unusually calm tone as she stabbed the fork into the cake.

“Imouto-san. How should I put it? Is she okay?”

“...Did you talk to my little sister?”

“Not a lot since I was busy running. However, she’s on good terms with everyone around her and has a lot of friends. How should I say it?”

Yakishio took a bite of cake.

“-She’s a reliable girl. She’s determined with her own opinion. I know you’re worried about her, but you should trust her more.”

Yakishio scooped up some cake with her fork and handed it to my mouth.

“Here. Kazu-kun. Open your mouth.”

“Hey, what are you doing, Yakishio?”

I looked away in fear. Yakishio approached me.

“You can eat Chiha-chan’s things but not Remon-onee-chan’s cake?”

“Hey? Hey?”

Yakishio can be tough sometimes. Even Asagumo-san joined in on the fun.

It can’t be helped. I ate the cake. A satisfied smile appeared on Yakishio’s face.

“Alright, this is solved. Here. Let’s enjoy our cakes.”

Solve what? Even so, as the older brother, I have to believe Kaju more.

…By the way, just because they are close doesn’t mean they are going out. I’m the best example, after all.

I nodded by myself. For some reason, Asagumo-san looked out the window nervously.

“It’s pretty late. Nukumizu-san, your little sister is already home, right?”

“She has work to do in the student council. She’s probably still at school. I think she will be home late this week.”

“Then now’s the perfect opportunity.”

…? What does that mean?”

I’m confused. Asagumo-san showed me the smartwatch on her wrist.

“Chiha-chan, what’s that?”

“It’s a smartwatch. With this, I can monitor the bugs I’ve planted all over Momozono Middle School-”

“Stop, Asagumo-san!”

I hastily interrupted her. Asagumo-san nodded seriously.

“...This is a Smartbug. It’s not a normal one.”

Didn’t I tell you to stop?

Yakishio looked at Asagumo-san’s wrist with shiny eyes.

“What’s that? That’s so cool! It’s like a detective’s secret tool, right?”

“Yes, indeed. I can hear voices from afar with this through my detective powers. The noises before the student council room, to be precise.”

Detective power is so scary. Huh, hold on…?

“Can we still get the signal after leaving Momozono?”

I questioned reasonably. Asagumo-san answered naturally.

"I left the main unit of a mobile Wi-Fi in the school. The signals from the sub-units are transmitted from there."

“That’s why you signed up for a Wi-Fi service? Just for this? Seriously?”

Asagumo-san smiled and started adjusting her smartwatch quietly.

…Whatever, do whatever you want. I admitted defeat as I watched Asagumo-san’s detective power.

“Hey, hey, Chiha-chan! What’s with this thing? Does it glow?”

“I can add some LED lights next time. Alright, it’s connected.”

We stuck our ears close to the smartwatch.

…Only faint noises can be heard.

“I can’t hear anything. Is nobody there?”

“Ah! I think it just picked up something!”

We did hear something. All of us held our breaths, yet no voices could be heard again.

Then, Asagumo-san seemed to have realized something and raised her head suddenly.

“This isn’t through Wi-Fi. Instead, it’s the radio straight from the eavesdropping device.”

“Smartbug.”

“Yes, Smartbug.”

I’m glad you understand. Also, if the eavesdropping device is nearby, that means-

“Did someone use the same device coincidentally?”

“No, this is connected to the app. No way.”

Asagumo-san shook her arm as she looked at me. She stopped.

“...Why are you staring at me?”

“Nukumizu-san, what’s in your bag?”

“Hmm? The Momozono uniform I just wore.”

Asagumo-san’s forehead glimmered when I opened the bag’s zipper.

The radio is getting stronger. There has to be something inside.

Eh, no way, right? I took out the shirt and searched. In the end, something dropped from behind the collar. I picked it up. It’s a small black chip the size of the tip of the pinky.

Wait, there’s a number on it.

“...No.1?”

“This is the Smartbug I’ve planted on the student council room door. …Wait, then this reaction is-”

Asagumo-san reached her hand into her bag.

After a while, she took out the exact same chip.

“No.2- this is something I planted on Imouto-san’s uniform.”

Did this girl really just do something like this? I think now’s the time to call Asagumo-san “this girl”, right?

We fell silent. Yakishio held her fork and watched us in confusion.

“Uh, anyway, what happened?”

Asagumo-san put her index finger on her chin and tilted her head awkwardly.

“It looks like Watson-onii-san got tricked by the cute Moriarty.”

“Yeah, Watson-onee-chan got-”

“Hmm, I don’t really get it, but thanks for the food.”

Yakishio clapped her hands before the two Watson-kun.