Chapter 3.1: Aoyama, Hirai, Takenaka

Chapter 3.1: Aoyama, Hirai, Takenaka

Hey, big brother, how long are you going to be sleeping? Its almost lunchtime.

Shut up!

Groaning, I rolled over under the covers.

Big brother.

Shut up, stop shaking me.

Even though I was sleeping peacefully earlier, the sound of my younger sisters crude laughter, the persistent clicking, and the roar of the cicadas on the balcony awakened me thoroughly.

Whether I woke up or didnt, I had made up my mind to stay in bed until 14:00 today. I would not yield to this and would go back to sleep again.

Big brother.

If youre starving, go boil somen noodles and eat them yourself.

Ehhh.

What ehhh? Let me sleep, Im tired.

Youre just a NEET, slacking off at this late hour, what a trash of society you are.

Oi, what did you just say?!

When I heard this outrageous line, I pushed off the futon and rose to my feet. Any sleepiness I had been suffering from was now swept away.

What the hell did you just say to your brother! You dare to say Im a NEET! I am working, even if Im not a great person! At least call me a freeter!

A freeter and a NEET are the same things.

You idiot! That was a line that would set off a flurry of outrage from freeters all over the country!

Its different! Its not the same!

Dont lump me in with those who confined themselves in a cramped room, staring at a computer and living off their parents backs!

I was working part-time and being independent!

Whatever, just get a steady job and send some money into my pocket.

This bastard.

I just started a new part-time job, you might want to hear about it.

After placing one of the caramel pudding parfaits by my sisters side, she finally decided to listen to me and took off her headphones to face up to me.

Whats with this?

I got it from the disposal.

Even though it was about to expire, I could buy it for much cheaper than the listed price, which was a privilege for this kind of part-time job for a single person.

Disposal? Oh, you mean the convenience store

Whats with that face?

I mean, convenience stores pay ridiculously low wages.

Wrong! Its not daytime, Im working late at night!

Late at night? Where?

When I told her it was a convenience store near a certain place, she put a caramel pudding in her mouth and gave a broad smile.

Pugyaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Pugya?!

With her index finger pointed at me, a giggle followed.

Stop it, didnt mom tell you not to do that?

Big brother!

What?

I heard thats a really dangerous place, so you really need to leave right away.

What? Why?

Eh, you dont know, big brother? That place is a haunted place.

A haunted place?

Yeah, my friend Misuzu has supernatural senses. People who committed suicide in the sea of trees or died in accidents in the vicinity would drop by there because they were lonely and wanted to be rescued.