I Promised to Make the Class Honor Student My 'Little Sister'. It Seems She Wants to Be Spoiled a Lot - Volume 1 Chapter 8.0

◇Neon Blue After the Rain◇

Ao’s PoV

──It’s almost the end of May in my second year of high school.

Walking down the neighborhood street with shopping bags in both hands, I can smell the slightly damp wind. The rising temperature and humidity have made me start sweating mildly.

This is troublesome… I have to take a shower as soon as I get home.

After all, there’s a member of the opposite sex living as “family” at home.

I’d be devastated if they thought I smelled sweaty.

I always want to be thought of as smelling nice.

And I’d be happy if they always thought I was cute.

That person is my… contract-based “brother.”

He’s someone I’ve been interested in long before we became “family.”

Even if I say I’ve been conscious of him for a long time… I doubt Ryu-kun would have any idea, right?

◇

“Hey? Takato-kun? What happened to you, being all drenched like this?”

──On that day of heavy rain.

It was truly just a coincidence that I passed by that park.

I went out to buy some spices that we had run out of for dinner. On my way home, the rain suddenly got worse, so I decided to take a shortcut through the park. That’s all there was to it.

…But, you know?

I immediately recognized him sitting on the bench, even from a distance─Takato Ryuuki from my class.

Because… I’ve always been interested in Ryu-kun, always watching him.

“…Kakogawa?”.

Ryu-kun looked up, calling me by my last name.

I was secretly thrilled that he remembered my name.

At that moment, Ryu-kun was… in a really bad state.

His wet bangs stuck to his forehead, and due to fatigue, his eyes were droopy.

“That’s right, it’s Kakogawa! But more importantly, look at you, Takato-kun. You’ll catch a cold being all wet like this.”

So, at that time… all I could think about was helping Ryu-kun.

I was filled with concern that he might get sick.

I wasn’t thinking about what would come next.

After calming down and thinking about it… I realized I had let Ryu-kun sleep in my bed.

And then, somehow, I started feeling like my futon smelled like Ryu-kun.

That night… I was too excited to sleep at all.

…This is absolutely a secret because it sounds so pervy!?

So, we decided─to have Ryu-kun stay over for the night to rest.

Having a boy I’ve been interested in staying at my house,

I tried not to show it, but… inside, I was really excited.

“Don’t move, okay? I’m going to check if you have a fever.”

I ended up being closer than I usually am with boys.

“─You know, Kizuna and I don’t have a father or mother anymore.”

I even opened up about my family situation.

Many blunders were made…

Ugh… I didn’t think my lack of romance experience would hinder me like this…

◇

Around the end of my third year in middle school─after losing our father to illness,

Kizuna and I were taken in by Yukari-neechan, our cousin on our father’s side.

At first, I felt so guilty.

Yukari-neechan had no obligation to raise Kizuna and me.

We were taking away her precious time and money because of us.

So, I thought Kizuna and I would be better off in a facility…

But the “Family Contract”… saved our hearts.

She told us to think of her not as a cousin but as an “older sister.”

From today on, you’re both “little sisters.”

When Yukari-neechan told us that… my heart felt warm.

The “Family Contract” might be just a game with no legal power.

But even if it was just playing “family,” I was genuinely happy.

For us, who had been drowning in sorrow alone, a new “family” was formed.

“Please, Kakogawa-sensei. Sign a ‘Family Contract’ with me… and become ‘family’!”

So… when Ryu-kun asked Yukari-neechan that,

I was very surprised, but at the same time, I felt a bit relieved.

Because Ryu-kun had eyes similar to ours.

Even though he looked fine on the outside, I thought he always saw lonely landscapes behind his eyelids…

So─if we as “family” could make Ryu-kun feel even a little warmer and happier, I’d be glad!

Though I’m far from being as cute a sister as Kizuna.

I, too, want to be a cute “little sister”… and spoil him a lot!

May of my second year in high school is almost over,

But I hope June brings even more enjoyable days.