Jaku-chara Tomozaki-kun

TL: GIN
TLC: learning2tl, Kagefij
ED: N/A

This is what happened on the evening of the same day, after the meeting, when I was eating dinner with my family .

In the words of my Master,「You see, you becoming the coordinator would be, as expected, too unnatural, and anyway it’s probably impossible for you to do so suddenly」, which meant that now that Izumi had been invited, Hinami would be taking charge . Which is why I was eating dinner worry-free . By the way, my sister was sitting beside me . Our mother had also been sitting opposite of her, but after a quick meal, she had stood up, gone to the kitchen, and started doing some housework . Apparently she’s on a mini-diet so she doesn’t eat much at night . It’s a commendable effort for someone in her late 30s . By the way, our father is absent because of work .

While absentmindedly watching TV, dinner continuing silently, the phone I left in my pocket vibrated . Ho, I wonder which mailing list that’s from?

「Hn . 」

On pulling it out and checking it, the words『You’ve been invited to a group』were on the smartphone screen . It’s a notification from a messaging app . What’s this, it’s my first time seeing this kind of notification . Invite?

When I tried tapping it, I found that I had been invited to some kind of chatroom-like thing by the name of 『B-day present♡strategy meeting』, and was being offered the choice to either accept or reject the invitation .

「……What’s this . 」

The creator of this chatroom-like thing seems to be Hinami because the words『You were invited to the group by Hinami Aoi』were displayed . There seemed to be

an option to see who the other members were . After tapping it, under『Invited』the names『Takahiro』and『Yuzu-san』were displayed . 『Yuzu-san』is probably Izumi so I guess『Takahiro』is Mizusawa, huh .

It’s my first time being invited to something like this, but my guess is that it’s a group chat for deciding the time and date of the shopping . I was invited to this, huh . Most likely, such a function is built into the messaging app, and as the coordinator, Hinami simply made use of that . How’s that for a deduction? Even I can sense that not knowing this in the first place is bad so please don’t touch on it further .

While I was thinking and looking at my screen, 『Yuzu-san』changed from『Being invited』to『Joined』 . Woah, real-time . She probably immediately accepted the invite as soon as she received this invitation . As expected of the riajuu Izumi . There’s no hesitation for her when it comes to joining a group created by someone .

Well, let me also tap on the accept b.u.t.ton…… is what I thought but, for some reason, I’m nervous . Regardless of the fact that Hinami created the room, and that the other members Izumi and Mizusawa are people I’ve been earnestly talking to about the shopping trip anyway, is it really alright for me to be here? I felt a mysterious sense of discomfort . This is probably another reason why I’m a hiriajuu .

「Hmm」As I was wavering while staring at the screen of my smartphone, a displeased tone of voice reached my ears .

「Hey . You grumbling to yourself is annoying . It’s interrupting dinner . 」

My younger sister sitting beside me has her eyebrows knitted and is looking here . As I return that gaze, she looks away ignoring me and resumes eating . She’s

She’s pretty self-important for someone who doesn’t turn up for dinner very often .

「I’m not really grumbling or anything though . 」

「Hmm . What is it, are you playing an erotic game or something?」

「Haa? I’ve never played that kind of game before . That’s the truth, believe me . 」

「Ha? Gross . I wasn’t even that suspicious . 」

It feels as if she is glaring at me with a look halfway between one of looking at something filthy and one of contempt .

「Wait, huh?　……LINE? Onii-chan is?」

Perhaps having been able to seen my smartphone’s screen while she was glaring at me, she raised her voice in surprise .

「……Yeah, so?」

「Hmm . That’s unusual . 」

Saying that with an unsatisfied voice, for some reason, she continues to send glances in my direction as she eats dinner .

「What?」

「It’s nothing . 」

「Haa？」

As I press her by saying「No, What is it?」she tiresomely answers .

「It’s just that I wasn’t expecting to see Onii-chan using LINE . That’s even a group screen, isn’t it?」

「Yeah……」

「What, did you get invited to an awkward group?」

Unusual for my younger sister, she expanded the topic . Even though I would usually get a response like「Aye aye bye bye」 .  [1]

「Rather than it being awkward, while I’m not really saying it really is like that, it’s more that I’m finding it kind of hard to join . 」

「Heeh . 」

My sister, as if losing interest says that and pulls her gaze from me . Her eyes nonchalantly land on the TV and she resumes eating . You were the one that asked so what’s with that att.i.tude .

Well, it’s not as if I really mind, though . I resumed eating as well .

「……Well, it happens right, that sort of thing」

「Eh?」

My sister glances up at me as she asks me that question . It happens?

「I mean,

happens?

「I mean, when you’re invited to a group and it’s kind of hard to join, but really you have no choice but to join . That kind of thing, it happens, right . 」

「Ahh . 」

So that’s what she meant . It might be the first time for me but this kind of thing happens huh . Actually, it’s really rare for me to talk with her earnestly about a common topic .

「Sounds like it might . Well, for me, rather than that, I’m hesitating since I’m afraid it’d be too awkward . 」

「Oh really . 」

We’ve come all the way here but she easily says that harshly . As if ignoring me, she resumes eating . What’s up with her?

Though I’m slightly hurt being treated that roughly, following my sister’s lead, I resume eating as well .

「……Is it personal relations? With people you’ve only gotten to know recently?」

「Eh?」

Again, she fleetingly asks me a question with a weird gap in conversation . What is she trying to pull here?

「I was just wondering, is it with people you’re not that familiar with, who went and decided something like ‘why don’t we make a group!‘」

She says that as pouts her lips while giving me a sidelong glance . I don’t understand what she means .

However, when was the last time I had an upfront conversation with her? We’ve probably never had a common topic, huh .

Still, the words ‘personal relations’ coming from her mouth, huh .

I found it surprising . To think that even though my sister is pretty involved with the riajuu side, and seems like the cheerful and fun type that doesn’t think too deeply about things, she has that type of worry when it comes to groups in LINE .

As I ponder on that, I wonder if and when the day will come when I’m freewill come when I’m free from worrying about stuff like this . With a distant look, I answer her question .

「No, well, um, how should I put this? I recently just got to know everyone but, everyone is fairly high-spec y’know . That’s why, I feel a bit awkward, a bit nervous about entering the group…… it’s that kind of feeling . 」

「Ahh . Well, I get it . It’s a pain huh, personal relations . 」

She says that while on the「It’s trouble-some」pose . It feels like she’s acting . This girl occasionally has this annoying way of talking .

But still, she’s a little odd today . There’s probably a chance that this same thing has been weighing on her mind recently . Should I try hearing her out?

As an older brother, I mean . Although in a sense there is a bit of that EXP element involved .

「Hey, have you by any chance been having trouble with personal relationships recently?」

For a split second, my sister shows a look of surprise on her face, but she then sighs in exasperation and looks at me pityingly .

「You know, Onii-chan . Even if I have, do you think you would be able to give me decent advice?」

In response to that challenging gaze,

「Ugh……」

I couldn’t utter a sound . How frustrating . I wonder if the day when I can have a fair argument with my riajuu sister will ever come .

After that, well, just like with my answer to my sister, I vaguely understood that continuing to mull over it would be fruitless, so I decisively thrust my finger at the screen and joined the group .

As a result of the group discussion that began shortly after that, the shopping trip was set for Sat.u.r.day this week . That’s pretty soon, huh……