The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

“Um, Rento-san, I’m thirsty…”

Just as I was about to guide her to the train, Saki-chan made such a request.

“But someone’s coming to pick you up, right? Don’t we need to hurry?”

“Hehe, I thought I might get a little lost, so I left early. We still have time.”

“You shouldn’t be so smug about it. Well then, shall we go to that cafe over there?”

“You’re lucky, Rento-san. Your pick-up attempt was successful.”

“Ah, yeah, I guess so.”

I was tired of denying the whole pick-up thing, so I decided to give up on retorting.

Nevertheless, this girl has a different kind of ‘evasiveness’ than the older Yosaki.

We entered a casual cafe, where I ordered an iced coffee for myself and apple juice for Saki-chan.

Naturally, I pay for her.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Consider it a responsibility of being the older one.”

“You can drink coffee, Rento-san…and it’s black too. So mature! In contrast, I’m here with apple juice…”

Well, she’s in sixth grade, so that’s about right. I couldn’t drink coffee back then either

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Right. Considering you tried to pick up someone as young as me, you probably don’t care about these little differences. I was naive, my drink is sweet too, hehe.”

“Haha.”

(TN: Probably a wordplay, the word “甘い” can mean both “sweet” in taste or “naive”.)

I wanted to interject several times, but there’s no end to them, so I just swallowed my retorts along with my coffee

“Is it your first time in a while going to Onee-san’s place?”

“No, I visit quite frequently because we live close by. Mom and dad would usually take me there, but they’re working today, so they wanted me to go ahead by myself.”

“And that’s how you got lost.”

“I just found myself in the feeling of being left alone in the city.”

“Ah, yeah, I see.”

She couldn’t accept that, but that’s just the feeling of being lost.

Somehow, I felt her strong desire to act mature. Maybe she’s at that age.

It’s cute.

“Even so, Rento-san, you actually approached and talked to me. Other adults just ignored me.”

“As you grow up, you tend to avoid unnecessary risks. Well, I believe in taking initiative.”

“Taking initiative? So, you’re a master pick-upper, Rento-san?”

“Okay, I’m giving up the ‘no retort’ thing. I’m not a pick-up artist. Can you at least acknowledge that?”

“But here we are, having drinks together, right? Onee-chan told me this is a common pick-up tactic.”

“It was Saki-chan who said she was thirsty, right? Also, knowing the cause of your distorted way of thinking makes me feel complicated.”

Well, Yosaki does get approached quite often, so she might be tired of such people. Therefore, it wouldn’t be odd if she warned her cousin, Saki-chan, about them.

Still, it feels a bit skewed to share such things with a grade-schooler. I haven’t confirmed it yet, but the kind of conversations these sisters have… it’s slightly terrifying.

As I wore a troubled expression, Saki-chan giggled.

“I’m sorry. Everything up till now was a joke. I never really thought of you as a pick-up guy, Rento-san.”

“Oh?”

“Rento-san, you keep up with whatever nonsensical thing I say, so I just got carried away. Teehee—”

She’s cute. The resemblance to Yosaki makes it even more endearing.

“I wondered if having an Onii-san would feel like this. I have an Onee-chan, but no brothers.”

“That’s sweet. I’ve always wished for a younger sibling too.”

“Really!? …But, if I had to choose, instead of an Onii-san, I might be happier if Rento-san was my boyfriend.”

“???”

The smiling Saki-chan… no, Saki-san, exuded a charm that was weird for a grade-schooler.

I was sure she’d grow up to be a little devil, playing with men’s hearts. She’s a terrifying girl.

The fact that my heart was surprised even a bit by a kid was embarrassing!

“Never expected the stray cat I approached in the city to be such a little devil…”

“I wasn’t lost. I just lost track of where I was for a bit.”

“You really won’t admit it, huh?”

Saki-chan puffed out her cheeks and turned away. That too was adorable.

But, on reflection, she just seemed like a little kid trying hard to act mature.

Relieved to know I wasn’t a lolicon, I felt a weight lift off my chest.

***

After leaving the cafe, we headed to fulfill our main objective.

I thought about buying a ticket, but it seemed her parents had given her an IC card, so we proceeded to the ticket gate.

“Once you pass this gate, go to the platform at line number two… descend those stairs over there. After that, you just have to board the arriving train.”

“Thank you…Um, Rento-san, your home is near the same station, right?”

“Huh? Yeah, it is.”

“…I want you to ride the train with me. Even though you kindly showed me, I’m still scared.”

“Alright, let’s go together.”

With that begging look on her face, I couldn’t possibly refuse. I practically agreed out of reflex.

I really wanted to buy the new volume of Torupani… but I can come back next time.

Forgive me, Oda. Our time to discuss will come eventually.

I boarded the train with Saki-chan, watching her profile as she gazed out the window.

Upon closer inspection, it wouldn’t be odd to mistake them for sisters instead of cousins.

Yet, more than having similar facial features, it feels like their auras match.

Maybe this, too, is hereditary? I’ve been constantly caught off guard by this heredity.

…Wait, they’re cousins and share the same surname?

Cousins share grandparents since their parents are siblings… Is it the heredity from Yosaki’s father’s lineage!?

Maybe I…with Yosaki’s father… No, I better not think any further.

“Saki-chan, we’re getting off at the next station.”

I notified Saki-chan one stop before our destination.

“Yes, I understand. …Um, I’m worried about getting lost after we leave the station. There are so many people. Can we hold hands?”

“Sure.”

At this point, I feel like I’ve been utterly toyed with by the Yosaki family genes.

As I grasp Saki-chan’s hand and we exit the ticket gate, a familiar figure catches my eye.

She seems to have noticed us too, briefly looking puzzled before rushing over.

“Onee-chan! I finally found you~”

“Saki. Uhm…what’s going on? Why is my cousin with my classmate?”

“I ran into her when she was lost. Just guided her here.”

“…I see. Then why are the two of you holding hands?”

“I didn’t want her to get lost again.”

“Maybe it’s okay to let go now. Seeing my dear sister being touched by… just a little, I don’t like it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Was she worried that I was stealing her beloved sister?

Or was it more like, ‘Don’t you dare touch Saki’?

Probably not the latter. Anyway, Yosaki seemed displeased with us holding hands, so I quickly tried to pull away from Saki-chan, but..

“Saki-chan? Could you let go of my hand?”

“Onee-chan and Rento-san, you two know each other?”

“Aha, pulling the classic dodge, huh? I’ve been classmates with Yosaki since middle school.”

“Hmm, I see.”

With that, Saki-chan released my hand.

Hoping that this would improve Yosaki’s mood, I glanced at her expression, but she still looked unhappy.

“…Is that all?”

“Yes?”

I thought that was a sufficient explanation of our relationship, but Yosaki seemed unsatisfied.

If she expected more… Oh.

“Also, Yosaki is the one I’ve had a one-sided crush on.”

Upon hearing that, Saki-chan’s face turned red, and she covered it with both hands in shock.

Meanwhile, Yosaki looked rather pleased.

Internally, I started to feel a bit anxious, thinking that my life might be thrown into chaos by these sisters.