Chapter 3: Life for Two

"───Alright then, Shirakawa Kento, Shirakawa Sophia—Dad and I are heading out!"

It was a Thursday, two weeks into the new school term.

Dad and Jessica-san were about to set off on their honeymoon trip.

"Make sure you two get along, and if anything happens, you can call us anytime."

Jessica-san was understandably uneasy about leaving me and Frost-san alone to look after the house—after all, she had once witnessed us quarreling firsthand…

"Don’t worry; I’ll get along with Frost-san until you both return."

"That’s right—we’re getting along pretty well now."

After all, it was their rare honeymoon getaway. Having always been cared for by our parents, we naturally hoped they could finally relax. So we put on a façade of harmony, even though inside we were full of apprehension.

"Just think—you two have even started sharing meals together lately, sometimes chatting happily."

Ever since we learned they were going on their honeymoon, we made a point of acting cordial in front of them, which finally reassured Jessica-san. With reassuring smiles, they stepped out and left.

The next moment───

"Don’t you dare take advantage of me just because Mom and Dad aren’t around, okay?"

Frost-san glared at me with eyes as cold as ice—revealing her true nature so quickly.

"Do you think I’ve grown impatient with you?"

Even if it were just the two of us at home, if I were to get carried away, she’d stop at nothing to ruin my reputation. Whether it’s spying on her while she bathes, stealing her underwear, or even forcefully making a move—she’d unhesitatingly call the police. I simply can’t act recklessly like Shouta.

"That may not be so—after all, men are beasts. Who knows? Maybe you’ll suddenly attack me now that we’re alone."

Frost-san shot me a cold look and wrapped her arms around herself. Does she really think I’d do anything to her?

"From the way you put it, it almost sounds like you’re secretly looking forward to it."

That remark irked me, so I decided to tease her a bit in return.

"Wha—what!?"

I wasn’t sure if Frost-san hadn’t expected a retort or if I had inadvertently exposed her true feelings. Her cheeks flushed bright red as she gasped in surprise. I, who had expected nothing more than a cool, indifferent stare, ended up gasping myself at her reaction. Her occasional outbursts like that always catch me off guard.

"Since you went out of your way to say it, doesn’t that mean you secretly expect it?"

Normally, I would have held back at moments like this, but today I chose to push back. After all, with her so flustered right now, I might have a chance to score a point.

"Are you out of your mind!? Save that bedtime babble for when you’re asleep!"

───That aside, being shot down in English was utterly hopeless—I couldn’t understand a word she was saying, leaving me with no counterargument. That move was downright underhanded…

"Sorry, sorry—if we don’t eat breakfast soon, we’ll be late!"

Unlike Dad and Jessica-san, who were off on a trip, we still had to obediently go to school. Especially since I had morning club training, I really couldn’t afford to dawdle. With no room for being late, I was about ready to leave.

"You started this conversation—could you please not wrap it up on your own!?"

"I said I don’t understand English, okay."

"Ah... sorry..."

As Frost-san edged closer, I offered a wry smile and a little jab; she deflated like a punctured balloon and mumbled an apology. Having encountered this scenario countless times before, I supposed she would eventually feel a bit guilty.

"By the way, do you always speak English like that?"

"Yeah, because…I’ve been speaking English since I was little. Even after learning Japanese, I still speak English at home, so I end up slipping into it without even thinking."

She was explaining how she normally has to remind herself to speak Japanese. No wonder she unconsciously switches back.

"Sorry, I’ll be more careful…"

Her obedient apology still managed to catch me off guard.

"It’s just a small thing."

"Eh...?"

Frost-san looked at me in surprise.

"Even though not understanding your words is a problem, on the other hand, it also helps prevent our quarrels from escalating, doesn’t it? It lets us pause our argument for a bit—so I don’t think your habit is entirely a bad thing."

Though it frustrated me not to understand her, I couldn’t help but think that her English rants at least allowed me to vent some anger. When Frost-san spouts off a stream of English, I can tell she’s really upset, and strangely, that doesn’t bother me too much.

But then───

"What’s this... It’s utterly inexplicable…"

Frost-san covered her mouth with her right hand, turning her face away. Was she deliberately holding back this time, or was she simply unmoved inside? Since she was speaking in Japanese now, I could understand her perfectly. It seemed she wasn’t resonating with what I was trying to say.

Even so───

"…Why are you blushing?"

Her blush, which had nearly faded, began to return. I couldn’t help but express some concern—after all, nothing in my words should have made her blush.

"I’m not blushing at all…! It’s your eyes that are problematic, isn’t it!?"

Alas, my concern only earned me a fierce glare. Since she was speaking in English now, it was clear her mood was rather unsettled.

"It’s my fault—anyway, let’s go have breakfast."

Time wasn’t exactly on her side, but I, who had to attend morning training, was really close to being late. I had even been planning to discuss dinner later… yet given the circumstances, that might only rile her up further. Dinner could wait until tonight; I had better head out immediately.

With that thought, I began eating breakfast───

"…………"

Across from me, Frost-san glared at me fiercely. Judging by her look, I was definitely on her record…

◆

"───Hey, Kento, aren’t you heading home yet?"

After our club activity ended, a teammate called out upon noticing I wasn’t heading toward the station’s ticket gate.

"Ah, I’ve got other errands to run."

Next, I had to go pick up Frost-san from her cram school. Although her cram school is only about a fifteen-minute walk from the station, her classes finish rather late, so Jessica-san usually drives to pick her up. But with Jessica-san away on her trip today, letting Frost-san walk alone at night would be too dangerous. Thus, she entrusted me—since I apparently have a good rapport with her—to pick her up for now.

That said, it was only a little past 8:30 PM. Normally, her classes don’t finish until about 9:00 PM, so I had to wait a bit.

"…So, you’re off to see a woman, huh?"

"How could that be? Look—the train’s about to pull in."

After shooing away this perceptive teammate, I headed toward Frost-san’s cram school. After waiting a while───

"She… she’s actually here…"

When Frost-san emerged from the cram school, she immediately wore a disdainful, sulky expression.

"Don’t you think it’s a bit much treating me like this?"

I had come all the way to pick her up, you know…

"Because…"

Frost-san glanced toward the other students leaving, and I instantly understood what she meant.

"Hey! Is that guy Frost-san’s boyfriend!?"

"Who would have thought Frost-san already has a man…!"

"She always gives off such an unapproachable vibe—how on earth did that guy win her over!?"

It wasn’t just at school; she was the center of attention even at cram school. When others saw a man picking her up, they naturally assumed she’d started dating someone.

"My head just started hurting…"

"Uh, well… it’s all my fault for not being more considerate."

I had thought it best to wait closer to the cram school, but in hindsight, I should have been clever and met her farther away.

"I'm really sorry for letting your friends get the wrong idea…"

"It doesn’t matter—after all, I don’t have any friends…"

"…………"

Even though a bit of a stir had been caused, no one came over to talk to her, which made me suspect that she really didn’t fit in at cram school either. Could it be that she isn’t troubled by all this?

"Anyway, what about dinner? Shall we just go to a restaurant?"

Trying to lighten the mood, I asked her.

"A restaurant…"

But Frost-san’s reaction was ambiguous—I couldn’t tell if she was open to eating out or not.

"What's wrong?"

"I actually rarely eat out…"

Ah, I see.

Not having much experience with dining out, she wasn’t sure how to answer.

"Then let’s eat out—after all, no one here is cooking."

Up until now, Jessica-san had handled all the cooking at home. Since I was busy with club activities and Frost-san had cram school, everything was left to her. Even though she works, she’s clearly overburdened, yet we still dump all the household chores on her. As a result, neither Frost-san nor I really know how to cook.

"But I can cook, you know."

Frost-san glared at me in a pout.

"Really? Is that so!?"

"Before Mom remarried, whether it was breakfast or during breaks at cram school, I’d always help her cook. It wasn’t difficult at all—I hope you’re not underestimating me!"

She glared at me icily, as if genuinely offended that I might think little of her. Though I had never seen her in the kitchen, since she used to help Jessica-san, she must be quite skilled. And the reason she stopped helping after her mother remarried was probably to give Dad and Jessica-san more time alone.

"Then, can you cook for me?"

"…I’ll make you breakfast tomorrow. Today, let’s just eat out."

What!? I have to wait until tomorrow morning…!

Though my instinct was to protest, I managed to hold back. Being a lifelong bachelor, the only chance I’d get to taste a meal made by a girl would be during home economics class—aside from that pitiful rice ball snack during baseball club breaks. So if I ever got the chance to savor food prepared by a girl, I’d cherish it, especially if it were by Frost-san—it would be all the more special.

"Then tomorrow’s breakfast is on you. So what do you feel like eating today?"

"Since I don’t know much about it—if you ask me, I really wouldn’t know what to say…"

It seemed she really didn’t eat out much. After all, Jessica-san usually prepared all our meals, and Frost-san didn’t really have friends to dine with—so it was inevitable.

"Then let’s go to a family restaurant."

The idea was that a family restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes. For someone like Frost-san, who isn’t used to dining out, she should be able to find something to her liking.

"Mm…"

Frost-san seemed agreeable and nodded. It was rare to see her look so well-behaved—could it be that her nervousness over unfamiliar surroundings was finally showing? I wondered as I led her toward the restaurant───

"…………"

When we reached the entrance, she suddenly grabbed my sleeve from behind with two fingers.

"Wh-what’s the matter?"

Her behavior was unlike her usual self, and it made me tense up as well.

"Eh… ah!"

It seemed Frost-san had instinctively clutched my sleeve; once she realized what she’d done, she quickly let go. Then her cheeks reddened slightly as she shot me an exasperated look. Uh— I hope I didn’t do anything wrong…

"Relax, no one here is going to grab you and eat you up."

Seeing that she looked extremely nervous, I smiled to help ease her tension.

"It’s just... we’re only here to have a meal…"

Her tone revealed that she was trying to act tough. What a tsundere girl—though that label might not fully capture her, I found that side of her rather endearing. Though her indirectness was all too familiar, since I wasn’t actually attacked, calling her tsundere might be a bit harsh.

Once we went inside, a server came over to seat us.

"…………"

Frost-san poured over the menu with complete concentration—a look that strangely fascinated me. After I decided what I wanted to order, I patiently waited for her to choose. I thought it best not to prompt her, lest it come off as rushing. So I stayed silent and waited───

"Hey."

Finally, Frost-san spoke up.

"Have you decided?"

"Not yet... What about you? What are you going to order?"

She seemed curious about my choice.

"I’m going to order the Italian-style cheese chicken cutlet."

I pointed to a picture on the menu showing a chicken cutlet generously sprinkled with cheese.

"Is that dish any good?"

"I personally really like it."

That was why I decided to order it.

"Mm～…"

Frost-san looked at the menu again, deep in thought. Then───

"Then I’ll have that too."

She decided to choose the same dish as I did.

"Are you sure?"

"Since I don’t really know what to order and there are so many options that it’s hard to decide, I might as well pick the same dish as you so I won’t end up with something I dislike, right?"

When visiting a restaurant for the first time, choosing what the regulars order is a safe bet. I was pleasantly surprised that she trusted her instincts enough to make that choice.

"…………"

But then she glanced back at the menu in her hand, as if still curious about other items.

"Do you want to order something else too?"

"Not exactly… but this one…"

Frost-san pointed to a dessert—a muffin drizzled with chocolate sauce and whipped cream, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, looking incredibly tempting.

"Since it’s a dessert, you might as well add it."

After all, she had deliberately shown it to me, clearly indicating she really wanted it.

"But the price isn’t cheap…"

It came to about 500 yuan including tax—rather steep for a dessert. But since opportunities like this are rare, I thought it didn’t matter.

"Sometimes it’s okay to indulge a little, right? Besides, I’ve got enough money."

Dad and Jessica-san had left us plenty of meal money, so an extra expense like that was no problem.

However─── Frost-san suddenly seemed troubled by something else.

"After all, you rarely eat out, right? Now that we’re here, I think you should order it."

I wasn’t quite sure what she was hesitating over, but if she wanted it, she should just go ahead. Besides, no one here would get upset about it—there was nothing to worry over.

"…………Because… eating this… will make me gain weight…"

Frost-san murmured softly. Unfortunately, she spoke so quietly that I couldn’t quite catch her words.

"Sorry, what did you just say?"

"…………"

I’d only asked once more, yet for some reason she glared at me, her face reddening. Had I accidentally stepped on a landmine…?

"Um…?"

"Come closer with your ear…"

Frost-san seemed determined not to let anyone else hear, beckoning me with a subtle finger gesture. I obediently leaned in───

"If I eat this, I’ll get fat…"

She whispered her concern. Her breath against my ear sent a slight tingle down my spine, but I managed to hold back any reaction.

"I didn’t expect you’d care about that at all…"

"Do you have a problem with it? I’m a girl, after all!"

Frost-san glared at me, clearly dissatisfied with my response—even though I meant no offense…

"Don’t get me wrong—I only say that because you’re so slim, I really don’t think you need to worry about it."

Compared to other girls our age, her figure was exceptionally slender. There was absolutely no reason to fret that a little extra food would make you gain weight.

"───! I—I just can’t stand your habit of spouting polite pleasantries so casually…!"

Perhaps because the topic turned to her figure, Frost-san became flustered once again. I hadn’t expected her to be so sensitive… Had I known this side of her earlier, I’d never have believed she was the aloof, lone beauty everyone talks about. She loses her composure far too easily.

"Anyway, I’ve said it several times already—indulging once in a while is fine, you know?"

Having learned to tune out her English rants, I reiterated my point. But she seemed displeased by my feigned inattention, glaring at me with flushed cheeks.

Women really are hard to please, huh…

"Then I’ll call the server to take our order."

Fearing that further prodding would earn me a scolding, I pressed the call button. I ordered two sets of the Italian-style cheese chicken cutlet with white rice, plus an extra order of chocolate-sauce muffins.

"You actually went ahead and ordered extra…"

Frustrated at not having decided whether to order dessert, Sophia glared at me.

“Don’t be like that, it’s already ordered anyway.”

If she really didn’t want it, I could always finish it off myself.

But I was pretty sure she would eat it.

“—Sorry to keep you waiting.”

First up were the Italian Cheese Chicken Steaks with rice.

“So, we have to cut it ourselves…”

“Just cut it into bite-sized pieces, you know how, right?”

“…Are you looking down on me?”

I’d asked out of kindness, but got a glare in return.

It seemed she did know how to cut a chicken steak, at least.

Come to think of it, we did have it at home sometimes.

“Just checking, no need to get mad.”

“I-I’m not mad…”

Sophia said, picking up her knife and fork to cut into the chicken steak.

“It’s so soft…”

She seemed surprised at how easily the knife sliced through the meat.

“It tastes great too, you know.”

After I said that, Sophia went “hoo-hoo” to cool down a piece of meat before putting it in her mouth.

“It really is delicious…”

After chewing and swallowing, she looked genuinely surprised.

I wondered what she’d expected it to taste like?

“Jessica-san’s cooking is amazing, but eating out isn’t bad either, right?”

Seeing her enjoying her meal, I couldn’t help but sound a bit like a seasoned veteran of dining out.

And got another glare for my efforts.

“But you hardly ever eat out either, do you?”

Since we lived under the same roof, our daily meals were naturally identical.

Sophia would naturally know that I didn’t buy takeout or eat out often.

Plus, Dad hadn’t eaten out much before the remarriage either, so she was right on the money.

“Because during baseball club away games and training camps, I eat out with my teammates…”

Considering Sophia’s feelings, I deliberately avoided using the word “friends.”

She might not show it, but she could be sensitive about it deep down.

“I think showing off is bad behavior…”

“Uh, I didn’t mean it like that…”

Why did this girl have to twist everything?

I thought I was being careful with my words…

But her mood gradually improved as she ate, which was a relief.

The food must have really hit the spot.

Then, the dessert pancakes arrived—

“…………”

Although Sophia was holding back from showing too much excitement, the moment the dessert was placed on the table, she looked like she couldn’t wait to dig in.

She was a girl after all, she must really love sweets.

So, I quietly watched her enjoy her dessert.

She cut off a bite-sized piece of pancake, first dipping it in whipped cream before putting it in her mouth.

“So, so good…!”

“——!”

The moment Sophia tasted the pancake, a radiant smile bloomed on her face, making me gasp involuntarily.

Her usual cold demeanor made this unexpected smile all the more devastating.

It made me feel, without thinking… that she was really cute.

“Wh-What are you staring at…? Do you want to try some?”

As I was captivated by her smile, she looked at me suspiciously.

“Uh~ not really…”

“…Here.”

“Huh?”

For some reason, she used her own fork to spear a piece of pancake and held it out to me.

And it was specially prepared with whipped cream and ice cream.

“You can have a bite.”

Sharing a bite… that was practically an indirect kiss, wasn’t it…?

That being said, if I pointed that out, Sophia would predictably freak out.

To avoid disturbing the other customers, I decided to keep quiet and gratefully accept her offer.

And then—

“Wow, they’re so lovey-dovey…”

“They’re feeding each other without a care for anyone else, amazing…”

In the next booth over, separated by a glass partition, two girls in casual clothes were staring at us, their faces flushed.

Judging by their appearance, they looked to be around our age… I could only pray they weren’t from our school.

“～～!”

Hearing their conversation, Sophia must have finally realized what she’d just done.

She let out a silent shriek and looked mortified.

‘N-No, it’s not like that…! I didn’t mean to do that, it was more like subconscious? Or maybe I just wasn’t thinking…!’

Sophia rattled off a string of English, and judging by her reaction, she was probably making excuses.

Even though I couldn’t understand what she was saying, I could understand her meaning through the overall atmosphere and situation—probably.

‘Unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable… I actually had an indirect kiss with him… This is seriously too much…’

Seeing Sophia muttering to herself in front of me, I felt a chill run down my spine.

Was she going to kill me the moment we got home…?

It was to the point where I was genuinely worried.

“O-Okay, okay, if you don’t eat it soon, the ice cream’s going to melt, you know?”

Because I was genuinely scared, I tried to distract Sophia by shifting her attention back to the pancake, hoping to calm her down.

Honestly, I couldn’t think of any other way to handle this.

‘Y-Yeah, you’re right… Nothing happened between us. Yeah, nothing at all…’

And so, Sophia continued to eat her pancake, probably trying to put it out of her mind.

But she was still speaking English, meaning she wasn’t completely over it.

It wasn’t hard to see that she was forcing herself to eat the pancake, using it as a way to mask her inner turmoil.

—The problem was, it wasn’t working at all.

◆

“Listen up, okay!? You absolutely have to forget about that indirect kiss just now!! I, for one, haven’t given it a second thought…!”

Sophia’s furious shouting echoed through the empty train car.

Honestly, I’d chosen an empty car specifically to avoid this, but maybe having other people around would have made her more restrained.

“I know, I know…”

“Do you *really* know!?”

She kept asking for confirmation, her face still flushed.

This girl was such a nag…

But I couldn’t say I didn’t understand why she was so flustered…

“No matter how many times you ask, that’s still going to be my answer, you know…?”

I’d already agreed, what else did she want me to do?

“Haa… I should have never shared it with you…”

“No, you were the one who offered, weren’t you…?”

After all, I hadn’t asked her to share, nor had I said I wanted to try it.

It was purely her misunderstanding and offer to feed me…

…Of course, I should have realized it would lead to an indirect kiss and still accepted, so I had to take some responsibility too…

“It’s all your fault for looking like you wanted some…”

“That’s because I was captivated by your smi───”

I caught myself just before finishing the sentence.

That was close.

What was I about to say just now…?

“My… what?”

I’d barely managed to stop myself from blurting it out, but the sharp-eared Sophia chose to press on.

Probably because she saw me suddenly clam up and realized I was hiding something.

“…Nothing.”

“Is it something you can’t say?”

Seeing me clam up, Sophia leaned in closer, a mischievous grin on her face, looking like she was saying, “Spill the beans.”

This girl was definitely a super sadist.

“You’re too close…”

“——!?”

The moment I voiced my thoughts, her face flushed crimson.

I’d been wondering why she was being uncharacteristically close, and it seemed she really hadn’t realized it at all.

‘Wh-Wh-What are you thinking about!? Pervert!’

Yeah, I still couldn’t understand what she was saying, I could only tell from her expression that she was probably calling me names.

But I didn’t feel annoyed.

Turns out her habit of speaking English when flustered wasn’t all bad.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“——!”

Because the situation was just too ridiculous, I reflexively laughed and apologized.

Seeing this, Sophia gasped again, then turned her face away.

Her face looked even redder than before.

‘What are you laughing at…? It’s not like I really think it’s all your fault, I just got flustered and said all that… Sorry…’

Sophia started muttering to herself again, and since she was speaking English, I naturally understood almost nothing.

But I did understand that her last word was an apology.

I knew at least *that* English word, ‘sorry.’

As I spent more time talking to Sophia, my initial stereotype of her was gradually breaking down.

I was starting to feel like she wasn’t a bad person at heart, just bad at expressing herself.

If there was a chance, I might be able to get her to open up her heart.

Thinking this, I quietly watched Sophia, who still didn’t dare to look me in the eye.

◆

After getting off the train—

Because we lived in the suburbs, the streetlights along the way were quite dim, and places without streetlights were pitch black, unlike the brightly lit city center.

Late at night, all the residents had already returned home and gone to bed, and the outdoors became eerily silent.

Because of this, the night roads here could be quite scary for some—

“…………”

Sophia seemed to be one of those people.

The moment we stepped out of the station, she secretly and gently tugged at my sleeve.

—Uh, that was definitely playing dirty…!

I couldn’t help but shout that internally.

For an ice queen like Sophia to secretly tug on someone’s sleeve out of nervousness, I personally thought it was just too unfair.

The contrast was just too much.

Honestly, she was just too endearing like this.

“—Hey.”

“Y-Yeah, what is it?”

Startled by her sudden voice, my heart skipped a beat as I asked back.

“Tell me something funny.”

And what I got in return was this unreasonable demand.

“Why all of a sudden…?”

“No complicated reason or anything…”

Was she trying to distract herself from her fear?

Then I should tell her something funny—no way I could pull that off.

And this was my biggest weakness.

“Can’t think of anything right now…”

“You’re really boring, aren’t you…”

“Ugh…!”

My heart was pierced by that whispered remark.

If she was going to speak so softly, could she please just use English like usual, where I couldn't understand her?

Come to think of it, she usually spoke English when talking to herself, meaning she’d said that on purpose for me to hear.

“By the way, how’s your club doing…?”

Maybe she was getting scared of the silence, so Sophia initiated a conversation.

And she brought up a topic about me, not herself—honestly, I was quite surprised.

“What do you mean, ‘how’s it doing’?”

She’d gone out of her way to talk to me, so naturally, I wanted to respond.

That’s why I asked back, trying to figure out why she was asking me this.

“Um… like… the tournament?”

Since summer vacation was over, the autumn tournament regional qualifiers were currently underway.

The format was a league system, not a knockout tournament. If you won your block, you advanced to the prefectural tournament, and the runner-up had to face the runner-up from another block, and win, to advance to the prefectural tournament.

Incidentally, our school’s last game was the day after tomorrow.

But she probably didn’t even know the autumn tournament was happening.

“Actually, we’re in the middle of the tournament right now.”

‘I know that much… That’s why I brought it up… Of course, I already know the result anyway…’

Sophia muttered to herself, sounding like she was complaining about something.

Had I said something to upset her?

“Oh~ is that so? I’m not interested in it, so I had no idea.”

When she looked at me again, she had a strange smile on her face, like she was trying to make fun of me.

I didn’t understand what kind of emotional shift had happened in her mind in those few seconds, and it was a little scary.

Did she have a fever?

“If you’re not interested, then I won’t talk about it…”

“Since you brought it up, just hurry up and continue.”

I tried to end the conversation, but immediately got a frown in return.

But I didn’t think I’d said anything to pique her interest…?

If someone was even remotely interested, hearing about a tournament, they’d probably be curious about the results, but she seemed completely indifferent…

Unfortunately, her eyes were clearly urging me to continue, so I had no choice but to keep talking.

“We’re undefeated so far, and we’re guaranteed at least second place in our block. If we win the next game, we’ll clinch first place and advance to the prefectural tournament.”

Since she wasn’t interested, going into too much detail might annoy her, so I kept it brief.

“Hmm~ so our school’s baseball team is that strong, you guys are pretty good.”

Judging by the fact that she didn’t ask about what kind of tournament it was or how the blocks were divided, she really wasn’t interested in it.

She didn’t even know we were a baseball powerhouse.

Our school was a regular at Koshien, even elementary and middle school students who didn’t play baseball almost all knew that, and we’d even been commended during school assemblies—which meant she was probably indifferent to everything around her, not just baseball.

Based on my observations living under the same roof with her, she seemed to be completely focused on her studies.

“Speaking of which, we did get second place in the summer prefectural tournament, you know…”

“Oh yeah, I think I heard something about that, I forgot though, but—”

Just then, Sophia stopped mid-sentence, as if she’d suddenly come to her senses.

“Anyway, never mind.”

She turned her face away, looking embarrassed.

“No way, you can’t just stop talking halfway through, it’s going to make me curious, you know…?”

Because that was even more of a cliffhanger than what I’d done earlier.

“Because I thought it would be inappropriate to say it…”

It seemed she was being considerate and didn’t finish her sentence out of kindness.

That made me want to internally retort—she’d been so blunt when she was being sarcastic earlier, what difference would it make now?

“Does it mean it would make me angry?”

“Most likely, yes…”

Hearing her say that made me even more curious.

What exactly did she want to say?

“I won’t get mad, just tell me.”

“People who say that are usually not trustworthy.”

That was true.

At least, I didn’t trust it.

Because parents and teachers often said those words, and most of the time, they would end up losing their temper.

“Don’t worry, putting aside other people, I at least will keep my promise to you.”

After all, if I didn’t keep my word, the consequences would be unimaginable.

She would definitely hold a grudge, and surely find a chance to get revenge on me.

In that case, enduring it and not getting angry was a hundred times better than suffering her revenge.

‘Wh-What is it… You’re making it sound like I’m someone special to you…’

Sophia stopped walking, turning her face to the side.

It was dark, but I thought I could vaguely see her cheeks were slightly flushed.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand why she sometimes acted like this.

Could it be that she occasionally didn’t quite understand the Japanese I was speaking?

—No, that was impossible, no matter how you looked at it…

Although I didn’t know when Sophia had moved to Japan, her Japanese was incredibly fluent.

Not only had I never seen her not understand Japanese, her modern and classical literature grades were also top-notch.

In that case, there was no way she wouldn’t understand the Japanese I was speaking.

If there were any Japanese words she might not understand, it would only be idioms or proverbs that even Japanese people themselves would have to look up to understand.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to go home?”

Thanks to our chat, we were almost home.

But she was still standing there, and if we kept this up, we’d never get home.

“…………”

Thanks to my words, she glared at me, looking quite displeased.

“Don’t look at me like that…”

“Because I have a lot to say to you.”

So, she was holding a grudge against me?

It felt like I was about to get a good scolding.

“Getting back to the point, you promised you wouldn’t get mad, so keep your word, okay?”

In the end, she didn’t start complaining, but was willing to answer my question.

Compared to getting a scolding, I’d rather hear her ‘potentially anger-inducing topic.’

“Yeah, I’ll keep my promise.”

Seeing me nod in agreement, Sophia slowly opened her mouth and said:

“It’s true that second place is amazing… but second place can’t get you to Koshien… so I think in terms of value, it’s worlds apart from first place…”

I see, no wonder she’d hesitated to say it.

Some people would definitely get angry hearing those words.

It was that sensitive of a topic.

“I understand what you’re trying to say, Sophia. Although first and second place are only one rank apart, the gap between them is probably like heaven and earth. And for baseball players, that difference is all about whether or not they can go to Koshien.”

Only one school from each prefecture could go directly to Koshien.

Getting second place meant you couldn’t go to Koshien.

For those three years aiming for the stage of Koshien—no, for those who had been aiming for this goal since elementary or middle school, since they were kids, their entire youth was poured into this, and in the end, they couldn’t achieve it.

The blow would be immeasurable.

I could still vividly remember the tears of the third-year seniors when they lost in the summer finals.

“You actually… really aren’t angry…”

Sophia seemed genuinely surprised by my reaction, and said that with deep emotion.

“People who aren’t in the baseball club have no right to say that’—some might argue that, but I don’t think what you said is wrong, I even sympathize with it. In that case, why would I be angry?”

“…………”

Sophia fell silent, staring intently at my face.

Although I couldn’t read her expression at all, it didn’t seem like she was angry, meaning I didn’t need to worry about it.

—No way I could just not worry about it.

She was the school’s top beauty after all.

Naturally, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Because she usually showed me a harsh attitude, or rather, always wore a frown, I hadn’t thought much about it.

But right now—she was staring intently at me like an ordinary girl, without a hint of disgust, naturally making my heart race.

Wait… why was I getting nervous around Sophia…?

“Wh-Why are you suddenly looking at me like that…?”

“N-No reason in particular…”

Sophia said, turning her head away.

Since she didn’t say anything else, we both fell silent, surrounded by tranquility.

Silence enveloped us, and a rather awkward atmosphere hung between us.

I had to say something—thinking that, I quickly opened my mouth and said:

“But that’s exactly why making it to Koshien is so valuable, right? Although not making it despite getting second place might feel like ‘aren’t the conditions a bit too harsh,’ but when you actually make it, it must feel incredibly fulfilling, right?”

Since I’d never been to Koshien myself, this was just my imagination.

But the moment a school won the prefectural tournament and secured their spot at Koshien, the players, coaches, and everyone around them would be ecstatic.

It did seem like something worth being so happy about.

“I think so too, but—”

Sophia paused, then looked at my face again.

“Your goal isn’t just to get to Koshien, is it?”

The way she asked that question was so gentle.

She slightly curved the corners of her mouth upwards, gazing at me with kind eyes.

I was surprised she remembered what I’d said, and also didn’t expect her to look at me with such an expression.

How many more unknown sides did she have…?

“That’s right, my goal is to win the championship at Koshien.”

“Then I’ll be watching to see if you’re just all talk.”

The gentle expression from before instantly vanished, and she put on a mischievous smirk, looking at me.

“Then, let’s hurry home. Besides needing to shower quickly, we also need to hurry and do the laundry.”

Sophia turned to face forward again, and seemed to be in a particularly good mood.

Seeing her switch expressions so quickly, I felt like I’d seen so many different sides of her today alone.

As I got to know her better—I felt inexplicably excited.

“You’re right, we definitely need to shower quickly.”

And so, I smiled and agreed with her—

‘——!? That didn’t mean showering together though!? ’

But for some reason, she started to get angry, her face completely red.

Did she misunderstand that I meant showering with her?

…Uh, probably not.

We weren’t dating, why would we suddenly think about showering together?

That being said, why was she so flustered?

And her face seemed even redder than before…

“Calm down…”

‘How can I calm down…! Listen up!! If you dare to barge into the bathroom, I’m going to blow a fuse, okay!? You big pervert…!’

Yeah, why was she getting even more agitated?

It was completely baffling… Since the more I said, the more I seemed to provoke her, it was probably better to just leave her alone for now.

And so, I just brushed off Sophia’s constant English chatter as we walked, and we returned home.

◆

‘I messed up…’

As soon as I got back to my room, I quickly calmed down and buried my face in my hands.

What was I even hearing to have misunderstood him as suggesting we shower together?

Including the family restaurant incident, I wanted to erase today’s memories.

Those blunders were just too ridiculous for me.

‘To be honest, I’ve been opening up to him too much…’

It was true that I was… just a little bit changing my opinion of him now.

When we first became family, he seemed like a totally frivolous guy, but when he did anything at home, he was considerate of me, and never forcefully intruded on my personal space.

Meaning he was different from those usual perverted and frivolous guys.

More importantly, back when we were talking through the door, his thoughts about baseball didn’t sound like lies at all.

Not just wanting to get to Koshien, but his desire to win the championship at Koshien, even made me admire him a little.

Judging from the fact that he didn’t complain about the grueling practice schedule of a baseball powerhouse and even managed to become a starting player, I thought he was the type of person with perseverance, not just empty talk.

And he should have been exhausted after practice, but he came all the way to cram school to pick me up without a word of complaint, and at the family restaurant, he even considerately ordered pancakes for me, and on the way home, he immediately accepted my opinion without arguing—thinking back now… he should be a good person, right?

—But that could also be him putting on an act to gain my trust.

After all, a common tactic of frivolous perverts was to deceptively win a girl’s heart and then devour her whole.

Looking back at myself getting happy over a pancake and even feeding him a bite, and nervously tugging on his sleeve because I was scared of walking alone at night—maybe I’d already completely fallen for his scheme.

While staying vigilant and treating him coldly would be a good approach—

‘Maybe I should play along and use this opportunity to secretly observe him…’

Maybe if he saw me taking the initiative, he would mistakenly think I’d fallen for him and reveal his true colors.

In that case, I could just immediately distance myself from him, and never trust him again.

Conversely, if I couldn’t make him show his true colors, then I could at least make up for my previous blunders.

Having made up my mind, I returned to the living room.

◆

“—Bring out your practice uniform.”

Sophia, who had come out of her room and regained her composure, walked into the living room and held out a hand to me.

“Huh…?”

“What are you wondering about? Your practice uniform is obviously going to be filthy, right? I’ll wash your clothes first before I take a shower, so hurry up and hand them over.”

It seemed she wanted to wash my clothes for me.

…That ice-cold Sophia?

What on earth had caused this change in her?

Was she trying to set a trap for me…?

“I thought we were just going to wash our own laundry…”

“Your laundry is usually done by Mom, right? You seem pretty clueless about chores like laundry, so I’ll begrudgingly help you out.”

“I do my own laundry during away games and training camps, so I do know how to wash clothes, you know…”

Although in high school, the club had a manager who helped wash practice uniforms and team uniforms, I’d been doing my own laundry until middle school.

To be honest, I’d even been forced to help wash the seniors’ dirty laundry—so how could I not know how to do laundry?

“…! Stop your rambling and hand over your clothes already…! If we don’t hurry, we might not finish washing all the clothes, and it’ll make me go to bed late…!”

Sophia was strangely insistent on washing my clothes for me.

Did she think I was clumsy or something?

Since she wasn’t speaking English, it meant she wasn’t flustered… maybe she really just wanted to hurry up and wash the clothes like she said.

“Thanks, then I’ll take you up on your offer. But don’t get mad if they smell too sweaty, okay…?”

Although my opinion of Sophia was gradually changing, based on her attitude until recently, even if she offered, I still expected her to blow her top at any moment.

Honestly, I could even picture the scene of me getting yelled at.

But she should be—

“How could I not get mad?”

—Still the same as ever.

“Seriously!?”

Unbelievable, she was so unreasonable.

“Hehe, just kidding. If it smells sweaty, it just proves you’re working hard, right? I won’t get mad about that.”

Sophia chuckled softly, a smile on her face.

But that smile wasn’t sarcastic, she actually looked genuinely happy.

“…………”

I couldn’t help but stare at her, dumbfounded.

Joking… with me…?

Sophia was actually joking…?

At this rate, not only would it rain tomorrow, it might actually snow.

—Even though it was still summer.

“What’s with you now…?”

Unable to understand where I’d gone wrong, I tilted my head in confusion.

Logically speaking, my vehement denial just now was perfectly justified.

In that case, why was she getting angry…?

“N-Never mind…”

It seemed I really hadn’t done anything wrong.

She turned her face away, looking embarrassed.

“‘Never mind’… is that really okay…?”

“If it’s not okay… it would be troubling for me…”

What exactly would be troubling for her?

Would continuing this conversation make her embarrassed?

Although I was tempted to tease her a little to get back at her—but thinking about it, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“Just changing the subject for a bit, can I take care of hanging the laundry? Anyway, it doesn’t include underwear, you probably don’t mind me touching those, right?”

Because we’d gotten home quite late, and Sophia had taken longer than usual to shower today, if this kept up, it would affect her sleep.

And she’d even helped me wash my practice uniform, so naturally, I should be the one to hang the laundry, it was the least I could do.

Besides, she’d promised to prepare breakfast for tomorrow morning.

“That little thing is nothing… You have morning practice tomorrow, right? I, on the other hand, can leave later.”

“But you always wake up early to match my schedule so we can have breakfast together as a family, right? If you also have to prepare breakfast, you’ll have to wake up even earlier…”

“Compared to you, who’s constantly moving your body at school, I mostly just sit in a chair, it’s not tiring at all, it’s fine.”

Could it be that she was actually quite caring?

No, it was probably that she was just bad at relying on others.

Even though I could handle it, she wanted to take care of everything herself.

“Won’t that make you sleepy in class?”

“Don’t look down on me, don’t lump me together with you guys.”

“Uh, yeah, you’re right…”

Those in the advanced classes probably paid attention in class.

On the other hand, there were quite a few students in our sports class who would doze off in class.

Of course, if you fell asleep, the teachers would report it to the coaches and they’d blow their tops, so everyone tried their best to stay awake.

That being said, staying awake in a class you weren’t interested in was truly agonizing.

Sometimes you’d snap back to reality and realize you’d been in dreamland.

“Besides, I have to study, I can’t sleep either.”

“No way… you study so much at cram school, and you still study when you get home…?”

I’d asked Sophia before why she was always holed up in her room, and Jessica-san’s explanation was that she was studying.

So, I knew she studied even after coming back from cram school, but I didn’t realize she studied so late.

Since she rarely left her room, I didn’t know what time she usually went to bed.

“To be the top student and still work so hard without being arrogant, you’re really amazing.”

Whether it was sports or studying, I liked people who worked hard.

Although she was quite confident in her academics, you could also see it in a different light.

Since it was the result of her hard work, it was natural for her to be proud of it.

‘…It’s nothing, it’s just that I’m slow-witted… If I don’t work this hard, I can’t maintain my top position…’

But for some reason, her expression darkened, and she gave a self-deprecating smile.

Was something making her uneasy?

“…Effort is something not everyone can do, you know.”

I couldn’t understand what she was muttering, nor did I know why her expression had turned so gloomy.

But seeing that self-deprecating smile, I reflexively blurted out those words.

“What are you suddenly talking about…?”

My nonsensical words naturally confused Sophia.

“Some people are born hating effort, some people want to work hard but can’t stick to it, and some people give up after working hard because they don’t see results. That’s why I think you, Sophia, who can keep going, are really amazing.”

This wasn’t a lie to comfort or flatter her.

It was my honest feeling.

“But in my case, I did get results…”

“That’s because you’ve been working tirelessly, and that’s how you achieved your goal, right?”

“——!”

Hearing my words, she gasped.

I believed she could relate to that.

When I saw her studying with an almost abnormal intensity, I could tell she definitely had the mindset of ‘I have to work hard.’

People like that mostly believed that if you wanted to get results, you had to put in the effort.

Maybe because we were similar, I could understand her thoughts, perhaps.

“But results aren’t necessarily always thanks to effort, right…?”

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, she asked me this question that deviated from the main point.

But since she’d specifically asked, it meant she probably cared about it quite a bit.

Then I had to answer.

“There are indeed some people in this world who can achieve results without effort, the so-called monsters.”

Such people occasionally existed in the sports world.

These monsters despised effort, mocked effort, and constantly achieved results based solely on talent.

This wasn’t limited to the sports world.

No matter what industry, monsters like that were bound to exist.

“That being said, the vast majority of people can’t get results without effort, so I believe as long as someone gets results, it means they must have put in effort at some point.”

People who could achieve results solely through talent were few and far between in this world.

Ordinary people who wanted to climb up had to put in effort to some extent.

Of course, the amount of effort required would vary greatly depending on talent, but that didn’t mean you could get away without effort.

The key point was—

“When two people have the same amount of talent, most of the time, the one who works harder will win.”

Even kids understood this principle. If two people had the same level of talent, the one who worked harder would have the advantage.

It wasn’t just the physique honed through rigorous training, experience was also very important.

Things like the killer instinct at crucial moments, knowledge and strategy of the sport.

All of which had to be honed through experience.

Although there were no absolutes in matches, you could definitely gain more advantages through experience.

Statistically speaking, the winner was usually the one who put in the effort.

“To hear you say such a long-winded speech… it’s really unlike you.”

“Is it really that exaggerated…?”

I didn’t think I was being too dramatic…

“Seeing you trying so hard to validate me makes me feel kind of nauseous…”

“Hey!? ”

It was true that I wanted her to understand that her efforts were praiseworthy and commendable, but I wasn’t trying to brown-nose her.

“And you started drifting off-topic halfway through.”

“You’re the one who made it drift off-topic, you know…!”

“Hehe… but I feel a little happy after hearing it.”

“——!?”

Faced with that sudden, sweet smile—

My heart suddenly pounded.

“Th-Then why did you call me nauseating first…”

To hide my cheeks, which were starting to burn, I couldn’t help but retort.

Because that move… was just too unfair…

“But it’s just a little bit, okay? Just a little bit.”

Sophia said, making a tiny gap between her index finger and thumb.

She was probably using that gap to express how much happiness she was feeling.

The problem was, her fingers were so close together, there was almost no gap at all…?

“Is it really necessary to emphasize that…?”

“Because if you get the wrong idea or start having expectations, it would be a problem for me. Someone like you pursuing me is impossible.”

When did I ever say I wanted to pursue her?

She was just making things up, wasn’t she…?

“There’s no way I’d pursue you…”

“Are you sure?”

Sophia tilted her head, feigning cuteness, and stared straight at my face.

Did she really think I was pursuing her?

…Uh~ probably not…?

“It’s impossible, you don’t need to worry about it.”

It was true that I often thought she was cute.

But I had no intention of pursuing her at all.

The reason being, something like that was too much for me, who had zero experience with girls.

Not to mention, the object of my affections was the unattainable Sophia.

‘What’s with you, emphasizing so much that you have zero interest in me…’

For some reason, she glared at me, looking displeased.

Weird.

Why did it end up with her reacting like this…?

Since I’d emphasized that I wouldn’t pursue her, shouldn’t she be relieved right now…?

Talking to girls was just too difficult…

Anyway, I had to try and lighten the mood—

“Getting back to the point, although effort is a good thing, but pushing yourself too hard will backfire, you know?”

Desperate to steer clear of her glare, I tried to bring the topic back.

“But I think effort is a good thing.”

Hearing that, Sophia looked displeased again.

But she didn’t continue to glare at me, instead, she just looked like she simply couldn’t accept that idea, so it wasn’t hurtful.

“You must have heard of ‘overdoing it,’ right? Whether it’s training or studying, overdoing it won’t end well.”

Overtraining could cause physical problems, and in the end, it would shorten practice time or force you to rest temporarily.

Pushing yourself too hard was detrimental in anything.

“Maybe that’s true for training, but studying is different, right? The more knowledge you absorb, the more advantageous it is.”

“And then you end up cutting down on sleep time?”

Honestly, I hadn’t intended to touch on this topic.

The reason being, once I did, it would most likely lead to an argument.

But seeing that Sophia was completely dismissive of it, I couldn’t help but blurt it out.

“…I do get enough sleep.”

Smart as she was, she understood without me having to spell it out.

Since she turned her face away, looking embarrassed, that was enough to prove she felt guilty.

Even though it was already so late, she said she still wanted to study instead of going to bed, naturally, she’d react like this.

“If you ruin your health, it’s not worth it, you know?”

“None of your business. You wouldn’t understand anyway.”

Sophia glared at me with an expression that was clearly hostile.

It was the same look she’d given me when we first became family, to keep me at arm’s length.

It was the sharpest look I’d seen from her in a while.

This topic was probably the one thing she absolutely didn’t want to discuss.

“Sorry, but I just hope you won’t push yourself too hard.”

“It’s not related to you.”

I was really at a loss now.

She was being as stubborn as a child, completely ignoring my advice.

I’d expected this might happen, so I hadn’t originally planned to bring it up…

“About studying, I won’t say anything more, but let’s split the housework, okay? That way, you can have more time to rest, right?”

I could understand her valuing her studies so much, but since she was showing such a stubborn attitude, there was no way I could persuade her.

In that case, it would be better to help reduce her burden in other areas.

“I’ll take care of hanging the laundry too.”

“You’re so persistent…”

I’d thought she might give in on this.

At this rate, this conversation was just a waste of time.

“Then breakfast—”

“I’ll make it.”

“Are you kidding me!? ”

Seeing that she wouldn’t budge on anything, I couldn’t help but get worked up.

Even I wanted to express my dissatisfaction now.

“Making breakfast is part of cooking too, isn’t it…?”

Perhaps because I’d shouted too loudly, Sophia took a small step back and offered her opinion.

If I’d scared her, I’d feel a bit bad…

“What I mean is, let’s split the housework… why are you so insistent on doing it all yourself…?”

“Because sleep is also very important for athletes…”

She was sacrificing herself to ensure I got enough sleep?

Hearing those words, I was convinced that she was definitely kind-hearted at heart.

After all, she should hate me, but unexpectedly, she’d decided to prioritize my well-being.

But this situation was just too much now.

“Sleep is important, and not just for athletes, you know? Even adults need to prioritize sleep, and it’s even more crucial for us kids who are still growing. In other words, it’s the same for you, Sophia.”

“That’s true, I guess…”

It seemed she grudgingly accepted my words.

But she still seemed to have some reservations.

“But according to priority, you, as an athlete, are above me…”

“We’re the same age and in the same position, what priority are you talking about? If Dad and Jessica-san heard you say that, they’d be mad.”

In their hearts, they wouldn’t choose to prioritize me or Sophia.

Even though we weren’t blood-related, they both cherished each other’s child, even treating them as their own.

They wouldn’t be sexist, nor would they show favoritism just because a child was good at sports or academics.

“This has nothing to do with Mom and Dad…”

“It’s your fault for saying something weird like that. We don’t need to prioritize anyone, isn’t that good enough?”

This girl usually always acted like she never considered others’ feelings, what was she even on about now?

But if her mindset was changing, I thought it was a good sign.

Because the Sophia of the past was truly difficult to get along with.

But her being so dismissive of herself like this was another matter.

“…Speaking of which, do you really know how to cook rice?”

Maybe unable to find a reason to refute me, she shifted gears and tried to find fault with me instead.

“Cooking rice is no big deal for me, you can rest assured about that.”

Otherwise, why would I argue so vehemently?

After all that big talk, if it turned out I actually couldn’t cook rice—I’d really lose face.

“I see…”

Sophia fell silent, lost in thought.

Was she still trying to resist?

For now, I’d just wait for her to reach a conclusion.

“—I understand, then I’ll leave the rice cooking to you.”

She seemed to sense what I was trying to say, and finally relented.

Making me feel like… this debate had been really long.

“Yeah, leave it to me.”

And so, the next morning, I was in charge of cooking the rice.

After showering and waiting for the washing machine to finish, I pretended to casually go help hang the laundry.

Sophia predictably protested vehemently again, but I forced her to give in with reasons like “two people working together is more efficient” and “it always feels better to share chores.”

But the next morning—she didn’t wake up on time.