The person who likes me is a yandere.

"Brother, don't worry about what happened today. It's all Mengmeng's fault. You're right, of course you're the one who's most upset. I'm sorry!"

"Ayase, listen to me. I—!"

"I know!"

Ayase reached out and interrupted me, stopping me from continuing and also preventing me from getting any closer.

"...Ayase, you won't make the same mistake again."

"Huh...?"

Ayase covered her face with her hands and muttered something. I had never heard that tone before; it sounded like a prayer, or a plea.

What is she saying? Making a mistake?

"That's how it is! Brother, you should go back now. Ayase Shizuka will go back after she's calmed down!"

Ayase suddenly jumped up from the bench as if acting. Then, her long, beautiful hair danced in the wind, and she quickly turned around.

"Hey, wait a minute—!"

"I'll be back before dinner!"

Ayase interrupted my attempts to stop her and ran off towards the setting sun.

"Ayase!"

"It hurts! I'm so sorry... Oh, I'm sorry... It hurts."

Along the way, she kept bumping into pedestrians.

Goodbye, brother.

At the same time, he waved his hand violently.

She kept calling me "brother" until she disappeared from sight...

Chapter Twenty-Seven: My Brother's Meal Diary

The number you are calling is not in service or is switched off.

An emotionless electronic voice reads out the prescribed prompts.

I put down the microphone and pressed redial. Even after seven attempts, the electronic voice calmly and politely repeated the same message. I gave up, put the microphone back on the phone, and turned to look at the clock in the living room.

It was 7:15 PM, and Ayase still hadn't returned home. For most high school students, being out and about at this hour would be perfectly acceptable, but I wondered how the Renjo family would judge it. As I was about to pick up the phone again, my hand stopped.

"I...I don't even know if you're my sister."

Why did I say those things?

The words I uttered in the park at that time were entirely from my heart, not just impulsive ramblings. The unease of not being able to recover my memories and the actions of a self that didn't exist in my memories tormented me. I did consider distancing myself from Ayase, who was always clinging to me, and I truly couldn't tolerate her imposing on me a personality that wasn't mine as the only correct answer. Even if I hadn't said it then, I knew that one day I would have expressed those intense emotions in another form.

Hachiyo-kun says, "I'll just be myself." Hachiyo-sensei says, "No matter what my sister becomes, she'll still be my sister." But why won't Ayase accept who I am now? Why does she want me to go back to who I used to be? Why can't she control her arrogance? Yes, it's not wrong for me to get angry.

……But……

But why do I feel so sad? Why am I feeling more and more regretful? Coming to my senses, I realized I kept replaying what happened in the park in my mind. I tried to stop myself countless times, but the part of me in my memory just wouldn't shut up.

I slowly let go of the receiver. Staying in the living room would only make me want to make more calls, so I decided to go back to my room on the second floor.

"...Mmm..."

Then, I immediately regretted it.

In the dozens of photos in the room, Ayase smiled at me as if she were on high alert.

Looking at it again, the scenery is truly insane. I'm amazed I managed to take so many photos. There are standing, sitting, indoors, outdoors, in all sorts of locations and poses, but none of them have that same smile she had in the park today… that empty smile, as if she were on a deserted beach. Ayase always smiles like that at the most unexpected moments.

I couldn't help but open the drawer of my desk, take out the notebook titled "Reading Ayase's Diary," and flip through it.

Today, Ayase said she wants to start practicing piano—

"Ayase-chan's massage skills have reached a new level—"

"Write a haiku for Ayase—"

"There's Ayase-chan—"

"Together with Ayase—"

Although Ayase's name is sometimes followed by "sauce" and sometimes not, every page is crammed full of those ridiculously lewd titles. This observation diary is truly disgusting; it gives me goosebumps no matter how many times I read it. But, regardless of the form it takes, Aragaki Asagami definitely loves Ayase genuinely... and Ayase probably feels the same way about Aragaki Asagami.

An overwhelming feeling welled up inside me. I closed my notebook and left the room as if I'd been kicked out. With each step, the old, steep stairs creaked and groaned. She said, "Our parents passed away three years ago… How many years have we, siblings, spent in this cramped house, cultivating such intense feelings? A home for just the two of us, a world for just the two of us… What kind of personalities did this kind of life shape in us, and what kind of common sense did it forge?"

The stairs led down to the bottom.

I felt restless whether I was in the living room or the bedroom, so I came to the dining room and poured myself a cup of barley tea even though I didn't really want to drink it.

"Ok?"

Just then, something caught my eye. Beside it, where my gaze had swept, sat a double-burner gas stove, and a small notebook, like a frying pan, rested carelessly on the left burner. On the cover, written in a familiar, girlish handwriting, were these words...

My Brother's Meal Notes

This must be Ayase's cookbook notes; these siblings really enjoy writing. I picked it up and saw that the corners of the notebook were perfectly flat. It seems this notebook is basically new… Should I check the contents? Probably not. I glanced around aimlessly, then opened the still-soft cover.

May 21

Hello, I'm Ayase. The meals I cook might be the key to my brother regaining his memories, so I'm starting a cooking diary today. Ahh, I'm so nervous!

Breakfast: Grilled salmon, nameko mushroom miso soup, tofu salad, and natto. Breakfast was at Dr. Miyazaki's house. The Ayase family usually eats crushed natto.

The doctor's house only has ordinary furniture, but it's fine. The doctor lives alone, yet his refrigerator is so big; Ayase is so envious.

Result: My brother doesn't even remember what he ate. What a pity, it seems he's gone back to being a simpleton. But, he finished all the food, which makes Ayase very happy. Hehehe, Ayase loves cooking for her brother. Good luck with lunch too!

Lunch: buckwheat noodles, oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl), curry rice, fried noodles, pan-fried dumplings, fried chicken... Goodness, the portions! I ate way too much. However...

These are all foods my brother likes to eat; this should remind him of Ayase. Once he remembers, Ayase will act all cute and spoiled!

Result: Total failure. She couldn't remember anything. Ayase was a little dejected. But her brother forced himself to eat it all; Ayase really loves her brother the most. Okay, let's win this round with dinner!

Dinner: Sukiyaki. Oops, I messed it up! I spent a fortune on meat! My wallet is in serious trouble. But if this is enough to get my brothers to reply to everyone, it's a pretty good deal. Brother, is this okay?

Result: My brother finished his meal with gusto. Hmm, that's enough. My brother worked hard today, and it's been a long time since we've had a meal together. I'm already very happy. Tomorrow, I should at least think of Ayase a little bit. Goodnight, brother, I love you the most.

May 23

Breakfast: Natto, tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and miso soup. Because I made too much yesterday, there wasn't much of my brother's favorite food left.

Alright. This time, let's launch an offensive with a traditional Japanese breakfast. It's up to you, with your ever-present crushed natto!

Result: Another total wipeout. However, Ayase is confident about her lunchbox. Potato salad… this kid will definitely win this round. The Ayase family's boiled eggs are a specialty, always perfectly runny. Potato salad, please.

Lunch: meatballs, Western-style omelet, mini sausages, potato salad, and pickles.

Result: Still no luck. Is the potato salad not good enough? I'm sorry, I'll definitely make dinner better. Come back soon, brother.

Dinner: Fried chicken beans, tofu salad, baked vegetables, burdock root, and miso soup.

Result: ×. What to do? There's nothing left for my brother to eat. Has he forgotten Ayase? God, is this punishment? Because Ayase is a bad child? Oh, right. There's one more thing my brother likes to eat. I'll try making it as soon as I wake up tomorrow morning. Brother, you're sleeping alone tonight too. Ayase is so lonely, she can't sleep.

May 23

Breakfast: hot sandwich, milk tea, yogurt, onion salad.

What am I doing? I haven't done any of these things.

Result: ×. I knew it. It really comes down to that kid. Well done, let it cool down until tonight. He'll definitely remember after we eat it after the date. This kid is our last hope. God, please bless us. God…

I found the children right away. They were the two heart-shaped containers right in the middle of the refrigerator.

"…………tasty"

The pudding Ayase made was so sweet it almost melted my tongue. I glanced at the clock in the living room; it was already 7:30 PM.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: How Can You Be a Brother?

—Gala gala gala.

I heard the door open from the entryway, so I tossed the pudding back into the refrigerator and stumbled into the hallway.

"Ayase!"

"ah!"

"...Huh? Luo Tianyi? It's you?"

"Ah, Qianyu... don't scare me!"

The neighbor, dressed in a princess dress, appeared in the entryway. She seemed quite frightened, letting out a scream that was completely unlike her usual self, and clutched the half-open door.

"Luo Tianyi, what's wrong? Why are you here so late?"

"Ah, it's nothing... I just wanted to know if Ayase was home."

"Ayase?"

"Um"

Luo Tianyi tiptoed and peered anxiously into the depths of the corridor.

"Ayase hasn't been answering her phone or replying to emails since just now, and the lights in her room don't seem to be on. Is she in the living room?"

"No, um, uh..."

"What happened?"

Luo Tianyi seemed to have some idea of ​​what was going on before coming here. She astutely noticed my hesitation and asked me this in a sharp tone. So, as she asked, I roughly recounted what had happened that day. Luo Tianyi listened to me silently for a while, but finally—

"Fool!"

As if a single sentence had shattered the previous silence, he shouted.

"So, Ayase hasn't gone home yet? Why are you leaving her here so late?"

"Hmm? It's late there, it's only 7:30..."

"It's completely dark now! This area isn't safe at night. What if something happens to Ayase!"

"You're making a mountain out of a molehill. What could possibly happen in a small town like this?"

"What? You call yourself an older brother?!"