Chapter – 52
After finishing breakfast, I immediately went back to my room and started putting my stationery and study materials into my bag.
Normally, it would make sense to do this first, but if I did, I might end up cutting corners when making the bento later, so I deliberately decided to leave this for last.
I had already handed my handmade bento to Kana-neesan, and I wondered if there was anything else I might be forgetting.
I had to be careful not to get too hasty and neglect the little things around me…
As I thought this and looked around the living room, Kana-neesan, who was at the entrance, called out.
“Let’s go, Kaede. If you dawdle, we’ll be late.”
She was right.
If we didn’t hurry, we’d be late.
While I was busy preparing, time had already slipped by.
“Yeah, I’m coming.”
I said that and headed toward the entrance where Kana-neesan was.
She hadn’t put her shoes on yet and seemed to be waiting for me.
I wondered if something had happened and asked her.
“Oh? You haven’t put your shoes on yet?”
“Yeah. I was just wondering when you’d come, so I waited.”
Kana-neesan said that with a smile.
It seemed like there wasn’t anything wrong.
Even so, seeing that carefree smile, I couldn’t help but say:
“Thanks for waiting. I was checking if I forgot anything.”
“I see… So, did anything come up?”
“Not really. How about you, Kana-neesan?”
“Me? Hmm… I already brought everything I needed yesterday, so nothing special.”
“I see. Then it should be fine.”
When I said that, Kana-neesan started putting on her shoes.
Watching her do that right in front of me felt kind of strange.
Since there aren’t any girls in my house, it was a fresh experience.
“If there’s nothing left to forget, let’s go already.”
“Yeah.”
After putting on her shoes, Kana-neesan said that, and I nodded.
Because the girls’ school cultural festival was approaching, everyone in the band was very motivated to practice.
Since the cultural festival preparations didn’t require coming to the boys’ school gate, everyone came in the evening, right after school.
They were still in their uniforms.
While practicing in our usual separate room, Nao-san approached me.
“Hey, Kaede-kun.”
“Yes?”
“How have things been with Kana lately?”
“How… do you mean ‘how have things been’?”
I said that while glancing at Kana-neesan.
She had gone over to Misa-san and Rie-san for some kind of planning.
Of course, Kana-neesan couldn’t hear my conversation with Nao-san.
Since we were speaking quietly, that made sense.
“From what I’ve seen, Kaede-kun and Kana seem to be getting along well.”
“Really?”
“My eyes don’t lie. You really are the cool guy I thought you were. I’m glad I helped you with the underwear back then.”
“Underwear…?”
“When a girl gives her underwear to a boy, it has two meanings. One is that she’s showing genuine affection. The second is that it’s a token of friendship.”
“A token of friendship?”
I asked that back, and Nao-san gently took my hand and smiled.
“Yes. Friendship.”
“Nao-san?”
“I’m definitely friends with Kana, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on you, Kaede-kun.”
With that, Nao-san kissed my left cheek.
I was stunned and couldn’t even react.
“Ah—! What are you doing, Nao-chan!”
At that moment, I heard Kana-neesan’s voice from where Misa-san was.
It seemed like Kana-neesan had witnessed it.
Well, from her perspective, it probably happened just when she looked away for a moment.
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
Nao-san acted as if nothing had happened.
Kana-neesan opened her mouth with a sulky expression.
“You can’t play dumb! I know you’re hiding something from me!”
“I didn’t do anything. We were just having a little meeting with Kaede-kun… see?”
Nao-san smiled as she said that.
It probably was a ‘meeting’ of sorts… but still…
I felt like keeping secrets was wrong.
Nao-san looked at me intently, almost as if to say, “What happened earlier stays between us.”
Seeing her like that, I fell silent.
Kana-neesan glared at Nao-san, clearly upset about what had just happened between us.
“See, you’re hiding something from me again! I can tell just by looking at you.”
“I’m not hiding anything. We were just talking about music… right, Kaede-kun?”
Nao-san seemed completely calm.
“Y-yeah.”
I looked Nao-san in the eye and nodded.
Well, we weren’t really talking about music, more about me and Kana-neesan…
I guess this also had to stay a secret.
“Really? Hmm… seems suspicious to me.”
Kana-neesan looked at me with a skeptical expression.
Even if she looked at me like that, nothing had happened.
“Uh… even if you look at me like that, nothing happened… Anyway, shouldn’t we practice a bit more? We all came together after all. Let’s try a full run this time.”
I picked up the bass I had slung over my shoulder and said that.
It may have seemed like I was trying to cover something up, but right now, we had gathered to practice.
Even I didn’t want to dwell on what happened with Nao-san.
Kana-neesan seemed to think the same and looked at everyone.
“…Right. Then, as little brother says, let’s try a full run-through.”
She said that, glancing briefly at me, which I noticed but decided to ignore for now.
Misa-san had been watching me closely but shrugged at Kana-neesan’s words and spoke.
“I agree. Then this practice will be the last for today, right?”
“Yeah. Time’s getting tight anyway, so this will be the last.”
Kana-neesan said that and began checking the lyrics sheet.
Nao-san smiled and strummed her guitar.
“After this, everyone can practice on their own.”
“Nao-chan, you better tell me later what you did to little brother.”
“I told you, I didn’t do anything. Really, Kana, you get jealous so easily—”
Nao-san’s words were drowned out by the music everyone else was playing.
Well, I already knew Kana-neesan got jealous, so I wouldn’t say anything.
With just one week left until the girls’ school cultural festival, we’d do everything we could.
