“Toujou-san…?”
The person who came to the room was a girl with silver hair that was almost white.
It was Koneko Toujou, who looked about the size of an elementary school student.
She spoke her business in the voice of a young girl.
“…Auntie said dinner is almost ready, so gather around.”
“Ah, I see.
Thank you…”
The conversation between Kenji, Koneko, and the members of the Occult Research Club could not be described as abundant, to put it mildly.
Rias and the other high schoolers tried to get along, but Kenji basically spoke only the absolute minimum necessary.
Apparently, the parents’ communication skills were not inherited by the second son.
As he tried to leave the room, Koneko asked Kenji a question.
“…Kenji-kun, do you hate Issei-senpai?”
His body froze with a twitch.
“…Why are you asking something like that?”
“…Nn.
Because it looked that way.”
Koneko stared at Kenji as he remained motionless.
After a short while, Kenji spoke as if spitting something out.
“Of course I hate him, a guy like that…!”
His voice was dyed with loathing from the bottom of his heart.
“Because Brother acted like a fool in middle school, do you have any idea how unbearable the environment is for me right now?
I’m marked as a person of interest by the teachers and seniors.
And yet Brother acts like he doesn’t know or care, doing whatever he wants…!”
Perhaps, depending on Kenji’s attitude from now on, those around him might reconsider and see him properly as Kenji Hyodo.
However, he could not erase the anger toward the absurdity of why he had to start from such a disadvantage.
“Even today, he peeked at your class.
He said it’s something that’s already over.
I truly cannot understand how he can think that way…!”
The person himself would say it’s a natural desire for a man, but there are things that are okay to do and things that are not.
If his brother’s excuse is accepted, then groping and stalking wouldn’t be crimes either.
There were still many things he wanted to vent, but his self-control kicked in there, and he closed his mouth.
“I’m sorry for showing you such a pathetic side.
Shall we go?”
As he tried to pass by Koneko, his hand was caught.
“?
Toujou-san…?”
“…I have an older sister too,” Koneko began to speak in a small voice.
“…In the past, she did something bad and went somewhere, leaving me behind.
As the younger sister, there was a time when I was blamed for that.”
Koneko’s small body trembled as she remembered that time.
“…Unable to bear seeing that, I was picked up and saved by the Buchou’s family.”
Kenji didn’t know what kind of circumstances Koneko had been in.
Still, he could sense her gratitude toward Rias and her family, as well as her resentment and distrust toward her sister.
“…We’re alike, aren’t we?”
Koneko smiled faintly.
Having negative feelings toward siblings—it might be a twisted empathy, but through this short conversation, they both felt a sense of relief knowing someone of their own kind existed.
“…Then, let’s go.”
“Ah, yes…”
Koneko pulled his hand with her small body.
He felt that the sense of security entrusted to that pulling hand made her seem like an older sister.
The first semester ended, and summer vacation entered its middle phase.
Kenji had just returned from the trip he had promised his friends.
“Hey, Kenji.
Are you sure I don’t need to drive you all the way home?”
“Yes.
It’s not that far from here.
It would be a detour for you, Kyoji-san.”
Kyoji, Yosuke Takatsuki’s older brother, offered to drive him home, but he declined.
They were traveling by car, but from this point, the distance wouldn’t be much of a struggle even if he walked with his luggage.
It was painful to have them drive him when it was a fork in the road.
Kyoji sighed at Kenji’s attitude.
“I want to tell a kid not to be so boringly considerate, but I have to put gas in this borrowed car and return it to my parents, so this helps me out.”
“Kenji!
The trip is over, but let’s get together and play again during summer break!”
“Yeah!
Of course!”
This bit of consideration was his greatest mistake.
As he split off and headed home, he was called out by a group of unknown high school students on a path near his house.
“You’re Issei Hyodo’s younger brother, aren’t you?”
“Huh?
Yes, I am, but…”
Five boys and girls wearing high school uniforms surrounded Kenji.
“U-Um…”
“For Hyodo’s brother, you don’t look much like him.
Are you the real deal?”
“There’s no way a fake of that guy’s brother would show up.”
“I guess that’s true.”
Kenji’s face resembled his mother’s, making it hard to judge them as brothers at a glance.
As he was being watched as if being observed, a rough-looking guy stated his business.
“My girlfriend here was peeked at by your brother while she was changing, and he even took photos.
As his brother, you have something to say, don’t you?”
“…I am sorry for that.
This is my brother’s phone number.
If you have business, please take it up with him.”
He wrote down Issei’s mobile number and handed it over.
This wasn’t the first time he had been entangled like this, and each time he had decided to give out the mobile number and leave.
However, the opponent grabbed his shoulder firmly and wouldn’t let go.
“It’s not about that.
We’re talking about how, as his relative, you should put out some consolation money.
Right?”
From Kenji’s perspective, he wanted to say to take such talk to his brother or parents, but the opponent showed no sign of backing down.
Kenji didn’t know this, but because Issei had been reincarnated as a devil, his physical abilities had risen dramatically, making it difficult for even multiple normal students to face him in a proper fight.
That’s why his younger brother was targeted.
“I really have nothing to do with this…!”
“Hey, wait!”
The man grabbed the bag Kenji was carrying as he tried to run.
In a panic, Kenji reflexively put strength into pulling the bag away.
Then, that bag hit the man in the face.
“Ah…”
By the time he thought “This is bad,” it was already too late.
“Oh, you’ve gone and done it.
Now I’ll have to charge you for your share of the consolation money too~”
The man stroked his cheek, acting as if it hurt.
The followers drew closer and closer, and Kenji’s feet froze.
(Why does it have to be like this…!)
He had just finished a fun trip with his friend and his brother’s companions.
His brother and Rias’s group, who weren’t home during summer vacation.
He just wanted to have the family to themselves and talk about the trip.
He wanted to play with his friends from tomorrow and welcome the new school term.
That was all he had hoped for, so why was this happening?
Kenji realized the pain only after he was punched and his head was slammed onto the asphalt heated by the sunlight.