CH 16

Idle Story Onee-chan is Worried (Suzu-nee Side)

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I have a little brother and a little sister… However, it doesn’t mean that we are related by blood.

They were younger childhood friends of mine who had been in the neighborhood for a long time and I cherished them.

When they were little, the two of them would often come to this coffee shop and I would treat them to a cup of coffee with lots of milk and sugar, which I made with my limited skills.

As they grew up, they gradually stopped playing together and never came to the coffee shop together.

No matter how close you are, as long as there is a barrier of the opposite sex, it is a normal thing that will eventually come.

Boys and girls can’t stay close to each other as they did when they were children, and they gradually grow apart, and then they create their own communities, and then they grow apart, and then they become strangers.

It’s a sad thing, but it can’t be helped.

But these two were a little different.

The reason is… well, if it’s not egotism, it’s probably my existence.

Otouto-kun* was troubled by the sudden distance between them, said, “Does she hate me?”, and Imouto-chan** was embarrassed and felt uncomfortable and didn’t know how to start talking to him. (TL: *younger brother, **younger sister)

That said, I didn’t get in touch with them directly here.

I kind of thought that was a very tactless thing to do.

“Hey, Suzu-nee… Maybe Amane comes here too?”

“………… Hmm? What’s up with you suddenly? What makes you think that?”

I gave a vague answer, I can’t tell him “why” she’s here, Inwardly, “He~e, you finally figured it out?”. I was surprised to see the expression on his face, as if he even vaguely knew.

Two people who were estranged until they were in high school, but continued to care about each other inwardly… If all goes well, they will become…!

And today, otouto-kun visited the store again.

As we’ve promised, not alone, but with imouto-chan as well.

“Here it comeeeees! He’s a man~~~~”

I guess he didn’t like the look on my face as I cheered loudly in my mind.

Otouto-kun was glaring at me, slightly red in the face…

Yes Yes, I’m not going to interfere with the young ones.

I was so happy to see them make such a gesture that I took out my favorite coffee beans from the shelf, which I had planned to fill up when the two of them were together.

“Eh!?”

But when I glanced at them over the counter, I saw that they were not sitting across from each other at the table, but sitting side by side next to each other, as if they were trying to look at one book together.

Are they studying for a test or something?

However, imouto-chan, who is closer to him, doesn’t seem to be conscious of it, but otouto-kun seems to be very conscious of it, and has been glancing at the area of their arms that are about to be touched.

……Eh? What’s that distance?

No way, they just made up yesterday and today, and now they’re already that close!?

I feel a sense of loneliness for my younger brother and sister, who seem to have grown up rapidly without my knowledge, and their existence seems to have become distant.

“O~iii, Suzu, your hands are stopping. Why are you grinning and overhearing them.”

“Don’t bother me, Dad! This is something I need to hear as their sister!”

This is kind of interesting… No, as their sister, I need to examine the relationship carefully to see if it is a healthy one or not.

Kuh, unfortunately, there is a distance between the counter and the table.

Kuh~ I was disgusted when they were featuring it on TV, but now I can understand a little bit how the guy who planted the wiretapping device felt.

Maximum hearing! Do whatever it takes to pick up their conversation, my two ears!!

“Listen… That was just a dream. It definitely doesn’t count… Don’t get the wrong idea…”

……Eh?

What did you just say, Imouto-chan?

Count… She said something like it didn’t count… She said that right, just now!?

The only thing girls care about counting is the first time thing…

Eh? Eh? What is this mean?? What is this mean, imouto-sama!? (TL: her speaking becomes more formal)

No way… Because both of them had been estranged from each other for many years, and the momentum or flow of the situation, that… did that… Then, the next day, they came to their senses… like that??

“We’re going to join together tonight. Don’t go to sleep first, okay?”

“I~ know!”

Gashan!! I dropped my cup in the sink without a second thought at the further bomb remarks.

Join? Sleep first!? What!? What are you talking about, imouto-sama!?

Don’t tell me you guys have already gotten that far!?

Are you saying that you guys, who are younger than me, have already left me behind and are flying high!?

“Oi, Hey! Don’t handle our business tools poorly. Aa~ah, you broke one cup… Why are you so spacing out.”

“No, because, Dad, that!”

“That… Hou”

My father knew them as neighbors, and more importantly, they were acquainted with each other.

But when my father saw the two of them, he smiled a soft smile and laughed.

“He~e, those kids~ You never know.”

“No, but isn’t it a bit much or rather…”

When I said that, my father rolled his eyes a little and let out a sigh.

“No, no matter how much you loved them, don’t be upset about that. You’re a college student now.”

For some reason, my father seemed to recognize me as a reluctant child, and I turned my attention back to the two of them… Imouto-chan was giving otouto-kun a piece of cake with a~n.

……………… No, no, no, I’m sure it’s a nice sight and they look like a couple that just started dating, but that’s not what I’m worried about!

“No, you’re wrong! I am…”

“It’s about time you brought a boyfriend…. I mean, what’s the point of getting all worked up over a little skinship if you’re going to let them get ahead of you? You are their big sister.”

“I said, you’re wrong!!”