A little while later, it seemed Issei and the others had returned, but fortunately, he didn’t notice in this large house.
While he was dozing, the sound of a knock echoed in the room.
His consciousness, which was about to drop off, awakened, and he stood up to open the door while replying to the outside.
While feeling a sense of déjà vu, he opened the door and found Irina there.
Perhaps because of what had happened earlier, she wore a somewhat awkward smile.
“Auntie said dinner is ready.”
“…I’m sorry.
I don’t have an appetite today, so could you tell her I don’t need any?”
His stomach felt much better, but he hesitated to meet his brother and the people around him now.
He didn’t want the atmosphere to get any worse because of him.
“Right, I see!
Wait a minute!”
“Eh?
For what?”
Without answering the question, Irina moved away.
Then, she brought back food for two people.
“Let’s eat together!”
Before hearing Kenji’s answer, she set up the legs of the low table she had brought along.
“Come on, hurry,” she said, making him sit across from the low table.
“Since I started living here, I haven’t had much of a chance to talk properly.
I wanted to talk to you properly too, Kenji-kun!”
For Kenji, who said he didn’t have an appetite, a small portion of rice was served.
As they were eating face-to-face, Irina spoke to him.
“We used to play a lot in the old days, didn’t we?
Kenji-kun was much younger, so you were always desperately chasing after us.”
“I was surprised that Brother thought you were a boy, Irina-san.” New chapters come out on g.com first.
“Back then, my hair was short, and I was as active as any boy.
Though Kenji-kun seemed to know.”
When Irina, who had returned to the country shortly before summer vacation, came over to play, he was surprised that Issei used to think Irina was a boy.
Irina didn’t seem to mind, laughing as she ate her rice, saying, “That’s terrible, right~?”
“But, you’ve become beautiful, Irina-san.
Like you’ve become more adult.
I was surprised when you came to the house before.”
“O-Oh, stop!
Flattery won’t get you anything!”
To Kenji, who had just entered middle school, being a high school student felt somewhat adult-like.
Not just the appearance, but their perspective and way of thinking when he listened.
After that, they talked about old times for a little while, and when his plate was empty, Irina spoke to him.
“So.
Did something happen today?”
It was obvious that she was referring to the incident where he punched Issei.
“For Kenji-kun to raise a hand, it must have been something significant, right?
If you’d like, won’t you tell me?”
It didn’t sound at all like she was forcing him, but he was worried about whether it was okay to talk.
“Maybe talking about it will make you feel better?
Besides, over there, I’ve listened to people’s troubles in the confessional as a religious sister!”
Irina stood with her hands on her hips, puffing out her large chest.
Her bountiful breasts strained against her clothes, her long brown hair framing her cute yet mature face.
Perhaps because of that slightly playful tone and the fact that they were old friends, his mouth opened naturally.
“We were talking about starting a band with friends for the next cultural festival, and then────”
Once he opened his mouth, he was able to speak smoothly from there.
That the sister of the friend of the person he invited was a victim of Issei’s sexual harassment.
That he had suffered similar damage until now.
That when those things were swirling around, Issei and the others showed up and the blood rushed to his head, and he accidentally raised his hand.
When he finished talking, Irina finished the barley tea in her glass and nodded, saying, “I see.”
“Issei-kun has become very perverted now, hasn’t he?
He wasn’t like that in the old days.”
She let out a heavy sigh.
“Also, Kenji-kun, have you been training your body lately?”
“No, not particularly…”
“Yeah.
Issei-kun’s body has been getting firmer lately, hasn’t it?
Even if it was a surprise attack, you knocked him down, so I was a bit curious.”
“Who knows?
Maybe it’s just because it was a surprise attack?”
“I suppose so…”
Whether she was convinced or not, she nodded with a face Kenji couldn’t read.
As Irina tried to clean up the dishes, Kenji stood up.
“Ah, I’ll clean up!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.
You look tired!
Oh, but you have to brush your teeth properly, okay?”
“I’ll do it, properly.”
Feeling a bit miffed at being treated like a young child, Irina tried to leave the room.
“Oh, but.
If the girl you invited to the band doesn’t actually dislike it, why not try inviting her again?
If Kenji-kun talks to her properly, she might unexpectedly understand.”
She left the room after saying those comforting words.