A guide to survival in a heavy girl's world

Chihaya Tetsuya hesitated for a while after hearing this, and then replied:

"After all, a large part of the reason I was able to enter this industry as a latecomer was because of my experience as a child laborer in an orphanage. That memory is not at all pleasant for me, but the experience it gave me has indeed become the foundation that has led me to where I am today."

"Rather than choosing to become a designer out of passion, I'd say fate pushed me down this path. As for my motivation, it wasn't the joy I felt creating clothes, but other reasons, like my gratitude to the Chihaya family and the empathy I felt for my childhood friend. These two reasons alone are enough to keep me working so hard."

"........."

Although she had heard a lot about Chihaya Tetsuya from Chihaya Aine before, when she actually heard him tell it in person, she suddenly had a completely new feeling in her heart.

As a member of society, Chihaya Tetsuya possessed experience and maturity that he could never match, but ultimately, he was merely a peer, three years his senior. Behind this trustworthy reliability lay a far more complex background than that of his peers.

Just like Xiangzi.

Now that I think about it, a big part of the reason why I was attracted to Xiangzi was because of the complexity she carried, right?

Having experienced family changes and a completely changed living environment, she has never been able to become true friends with those carefree young ladies.

She had no prejudice or malice towards those innocent girls. She simply couldn't see them as the same kind of people as herself, who was used to overthinking.

In this situation, Shoko Toyokawa is the best companion for her.

Like her, Xiangzi, who also has a complicated past, has an obvious sense of being different and superior among his peers. In addition, Xiangzi's outstanding excellence and the confidence that he is always on the right path also deeply attract her, a person who is isolated but lacks goals.

But... as time went by and she continued to grow, her thoughts inevitably began to change.

Xiangzi, who chose to escape during the misfortune, made Nagasaki Suyo realize that she also had her own weaknesses and limits.

And what Chihaya Tetsuya just said also made her understand that a person's strength is not taken for granted, but is actually shaped by different experiences.

She was still inevitably attracted to them, but... rather than blindly worshipping and following them, other ideas gradually emerged in her mind.

She wanted to know more about their past, wanted to find out what they were thinking, and wanted to witness from the closest place what kind of future they would face.

And she herself...maybe she can gradually find her own direction in this process.

……

"...I saw the dress that Hoshino Ai wore online when I got back. It's truly a masterpiece."

Nagasaki Suyo suddenly spoke:

"Even if you personally made clothes that were recognized by everyone, you still couldn't feel happy from it?"

"As for that dress, the situation is more complicated."

After hearing this, Chihaya Tetsuya tilted his head and stopped what he was doing.

"After all, that dress was designed solely for someone I love, so other people's opinions are of no value to me. Rather than that... I'd rather hear what Ai actually thinks of that dress."

"In that case, you should be able to hear it soon."

Nagasaki Suyo said as she sat down on his bed.

"After all, you two are meeting the day after tomorrow."

"If the situation allows, I will ask."

Finally, Chihaya Tetsuya reluctantly put the book in his hand back to its original place on the bookshelf.

"Okay, now we're finally done... Well, I won't bother you anymore. Shigaraki-san, just rest here—yes?"

Just as he was about to turn around and leave the room, he suddenly discovered that Nagasaki Suyo slowly pulled out another book from under his quilt...

"...You must be kidding, right? Why is there still more?"

An unprecedented despair appeared on Chihaya Tetsuya's face.

"I just put my life into stuffing that book..."

"…………"

Looking at the apocalyptic expression on Chihaya Tetsuya's face, Nagasaki Motoyo couldn't help but laugh and shook her head, then she got out of bed and came to his side with the book.

"Let me help you clean up... Let me see, this is an English book? It should be in the second row, right?"

"Uh, yes."

"...Ah, no wonder you can't put the book in. Look here, there's something stuck in the middle of this book... a pencil?"

"Eh? Oh, right! I was taking notes with a pencil while reading, so I accidentally stuck it in there."

"...You're worse at housework than I thought."

"I'm sorry... I really wasn't paying attention at the time..."

"It's okay... Look carefully, aren't the other rows of books crooked too?"

"At least they are all staying there peacefully, right?"

"That looks so awkward! Okay, you take this book first. I need to reorganize this bookshelf."

"Isn't that necessary? Nagasaki-san, you really should rest—"

"It won't take long to rearrange a few books. The reason you think it's a hassle is because you're just terrible at organizing... Here, take these too."

"Oh……"

In this way, Nagasaki Suyo's sleep time was delayed by at least fifteen minutes compared to usual.

However, she also gained a new experience that she had never had before - helping others clean their rooms.

Novelty is sometimes an important factor in promoting people's growth.

At least in this room, Nagasaki Suyo has developed a slightly strange new hobby.

Chapter 52: The Best Way to Comfort Your Adolescent Stepsister

When Chihaya Tetsuya finished cleaning the room, Nagasaki Suyo was so sleepy that she couldn't even open her eyes completely.

Seeing her sleepy look, Chihaya Tetsuya found it amusing and turned off the light for her. After saying good night to her, he left the room.

As soon as he closed the door, he was shocked by the scene in front of him.

“Aine?”

Aine, who should have gone back to her room to rest long ago, was now standing in front of him, her eyes fixed on the door behind Chihaya Tetsuya.

"Why aren't you asleep yet? Is something wrong?"

"...Nothing, I just saw that the light in your room was always on, so I wondered if something happened."

Chihaya Aine shook her head.

"Compared to that...Brother, are you really going to sleep on the sofa tonight?"

"kindness."

Chihaya Tetsuya nodded.

"After all, I sleep there occasionally, so it's not a big deal for me."

"…………"

After hearing this answer, Chihaya Aine hesitated for a long time before she said softly:

"Brother, do you remember the last time we slept together?"

"Eh? Let me think...it must have been during your elementary school summer vacation. You watched a pretty scary movie that day, and since you couldn't sleep, you came to my room and slept with me that night."

Chihaya Tetsuya stroked his chin and recalled:

"That night, I spent nearly an hour coaxing you to sleep... Eh? Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden..."

However, after the recollection ended, this somewhat sudden question also made Chihaya Tetsuya realize something.

“Aine, you’re not planning to…”

"Really? It's been so many years..."

Chihaya Aine first showed a nostalgic expression for a moment, then she glanced at the closed door behind Chihaya Tetsuya, and then asked:

"In that case, brother...would you like to sleep with me tonight? I also have something important to discuss with you."

“…Huh? Wait, wait, Aine?”

As a result, before Chihaya Tetsuya could ask what his sister wanted to discuss, he was forcibly dragged into her room by his sister.

boom!

Then, the moment Chihaya Tetsuya stepped into his sister’s room, Aine immediately closed the door tightly behind her.

........................

"???"

As soon as the door closed, Chihaya Tetsu couldn't help but stand there in shock.

On the one hand, it was because of Chihaya Aine's decisiveness in acting first and reporting later, and on the other hand, it was because of the expression on her face.

My sister, who used to be cheerful and sunny, now had a face filled with lingering anxiety and depression.

Not only that, as if she didn't want to leave the room, she still blocked the door handle after closing the door.

“…What’s wrong with you, Aine?”

After seeing his sister's expression, Chihaya Tetsuya immediately put away the confusion on his face and asked with a worried look:

"What happened?"

"..."

Facing Chihaya Tetsuya's worried question, Chihaya Aine first lowered her head and pursed her lips before saying:

"Nothing happened, but these past few days, I've been inexplicably feeling like my brother is drifting further and further away from me..."

"Farther and farther? Why?"

After hearing this, Chihaya Tetsuya immediately showed a puzzled expression.

"Is it because I've been getting off work later than usual these days?"

"It has nothing to do with this...it's just my feeling."

Chihaya Aine shook her head.

"Brother is going to meet Hoshino Ai the day after tomorrow, right?"

"Well, that's what we've decided for now."

"And you will really do as you said before... reject her properly, right?"

"...Of course. Oh, so you're still worried about that?"

After hearing Chihaya Aine's question, Chihaya Tetsuya suddenly showed an expression of sudden enlightenment.

"Even though I told you so much that day, are you still worried that I will elope with Ai?"

“…It’s not just Hoshino Ai.”

Seeing Chihaya Tetsuya's somewhat surprised expression, Chihaya Aine shook her head.

"Even if she wasn't there, you would have dated someone else and gotten married sooner or later, right?"

"Well... maybe?"

Chihaya Tetsuya said in an uncertain tone:

"But this is not something that can be forced. Like I said before, my values ​​may not be accepted by modern women."

“There will definitely be someone who can accept it!”

Chihaya Aine was very sure of this.

"Rather, a man as outstanding and handsome as my brother would definitely be the type that girls would fight over!"

“That’s a bit exaggerated.”

Chihaya Tetsuya shook his head and said:

"It's not like I haven't met other people of the opposite sex before. At least in those few years, I've never had anyone confess to me."

"That's just because you're too slow to understand this, brother! Even if a girl really showed you some affection, you'd probably ignore her!"

Chihaya Aine frowned and said:

"In any case, in my opinion, brother will definitely be able to find a lover in the future!"