Image:The story revolves around the daily life of a university freshman in the Tama University School of Literature Department. While he grew up with his older sister in the same house, he left home to live on his own when she got married, taking the two daughters from the husband's previous marriage in the house. The reason for moving out to live on his own was to distance himself from his sister's family. Approximately 3 years later, his sister and her husband suddenly went missing on an air flight. His life thus turned upside down when he was tasked with the responsibility of looking after the girls. He now has to live with three daughters of his sister. Two of the three are from a previous marriage and are hence not blood related. The girls are of various personalities; namely a tsundere (14 years), a mischievous girl (10 years) and a toddler (3 years).
Original title: パパのいうことを聞きなさい!
Author: Matsu Tomohiro
Illustrator: Nakajima Yuka
Publisher: Super Dash Bunko
Volumes out: 8
The genre of the book would be something like love comedy and slice of life. It's quite a nice read. Funny, but is touching at times. I'd probably start a volume after kamimemo3. But until then, this'll have to do. And the anime is airing now by the way.
Excerpt from chapter 1:
Spoiler! :
Chapter 1 Yuuta Goes to College
I opened my eyes in an inexplicable daze, and found that I was in an unfamiliar room.
“You’re finally awake, Segawa Yuuta-kun, first year, majoring Japanese literature.”
A glaring light that pierced my eyes shone in front of me. It seemed that a desk lamp or something was being shone on me, while a faint shadow could be seen behind the light. However, why does this person know my name? And even my major?
“Uuu…… Urgh!”
At the instant when I started to say something, a nauseous feeling suddenly came from my gut.
I feel terrible…… And my whole mind’s blank, I couldn’t think of anything.
“You’re just a first year, but you drank till you almost puked, you really got guts.”
The guy spoke again. Though he spoke in a domineering tone, his words were rather high-pitched, and the silhouette behind the light looked rather wide as well.
“However, you really know how to get into trouble.”
“Err…… I…… Did I do anything?”
“Did you do anything, you say!? There is no answer other than ‘yes for that question!”
The silhouette raised his voice that was already rather high-pitched.
“See for yourself!”
The man turned the desk lamp, shining it towards corner in the dark room.
A female was slumped on the floor. Her long, slender legs extended on the floor, biting the long sleeve of her shirt, looking as though she would make sobbing noises any time now.
“Sob sob sob……”
She said that, she really said that. But her flat tone doesn’t even have any emotions in it.
“Oda-kun, Oda-kun! Put in some more feelings! Didn’t we got found out just now because of this?”
The fatty hastily muttered directions to the female just now (Though I could actually hear it clearly). The female turned her head to a side slightly, then……
“Sob sob sob……?”
“No, I’m not telling you phrase it in a question!”
Though I’m not really sure about the situation, it seems that there’s a huge farce happening here.
“A- anyways! First year, Segawa Yuuta!”
“Ah, yes!”
“When you were drunk, you did some shameful acts towards Oda-kun over there. So you have to claim responsibility! And immediately!”
“Eh— !? I, I did such a thing!?”
How is that possible! It’s to unreasonable! Even if I did get dead drunk……
“Shameful acts……? I- I don’t remember at all!”
“Here, Oda-kun, what do you say about this?”
“…… Hmm?”
The female who was practicing her ‘sob sob sob’ at the side thought after being urged by the fatty.
“…… No.”
……
“Erm, is this a trick by any chance?”
“Ah! He got suspicious so quickly! Oda-kun! You probably have something else to say, right!”
After the fatty finished saying that, the desk lamp that was facing me suddenly rose, and someone poked his head out from below.
“Sako-senpai, why don’t you give up already?”
The fellow who said that while placing the desk lamp that was on his head onto the floor, was a tall, slim man that looked rather handsome.
I think I saw his face somewhere before this……
“Yo! You’re Segawa, right? We’re quite unlucky.”
“Err……”
It seems that the handsome guy knows me.
“Eh? Don’t you remember me? Didn’t I sit beside you just before this?”
“Ah, I remember now! Let me think for awhile…… You’re Nimura!”
Declaring something like ‘Bingo!’, he winked while pointing at me.
“Wait a sec, what’s with this situation! I remember that I was at a welcome party…… E- eh?”
I tried to recall about what occurred at the welcome party that I went to, but I could only remember up till the time that I gulped down the beer in my glass.
“Hmph! It seems that you really don’t remember anything, Segawa Yuuta. You took off your clothes while you’re drunk, running out to the streets naked, even climbing up the decorations in the plaza.”
The fatty called Sako-senpai changed his stand, pointing at me while saying that again.
Anyways, isn’t this completely different from what he said just now.
“Not only that! You argued with the police in front of us, the people passing by…… ‘Don’t get close! If you come closer, you’ll force me to release the inner energy in my body! Ugh! No! Don’t force me to repeat the destruction and death again!’ and on the next instant, black smoke puffed out from your body! And then, your right hand slowly held the dark object at your groi— Uwaagh!?”
Smack! A clear sound interrupted Sako-senpai’s words all of a sudden.
“I detest obscene topics.”
It seemed like the ‘sob sob sob’ person flung a slipper at him.
“Oda-kun, don’t get in my way. Just a little more, us ‘RoRe’ can get a new member. Also, didn’t I tell you to use a paper fan when doing a tsukomi?”
“Oh, that’s right.”
And then she hit her palm with her other fist as though she just understood something, and took out a paper fan from somewhere.
After that, she emotionlessly hit Sako-senpai with the paper fan repeatedly, sounds of the fan hitting him ringing clearly.
“Wa- Wai……! Wait a minute, I didn’t do anythi—!”
Thwack! Thwack!
“O- Oda-kun! Stop! Ahhh!”
“No. No. No.”
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
“Ahhh! No! There’s this strange feeling! Noooooo—!”
The fat senpai made a disgusting wail, then stopped moving.
For some reason, a satisfied smile was on his face, and along with the movement of him biting his thumb, it gives people an eerie feeling.
“You two.”
The ‘sob sob sob’ who expressionlessly lashed out with the paper fan turned over and said to us.
“Let me handle this. You guys have class tomorrow right?”
Does that mean we can go back now?
“Oi, Segawa, let’s listen to her advice for now.”
“Mnn…… Alright.”
I glanced at the ‘sob sob sob’ person who was expressionlessly tying the fat senpai up, and then we left the room.
When we came outside, it was of course already night time, as the welcome party was in the evening……
A large field was in front of my eyes. We were in front of a small concrete building, and there were two or three similar buildings nearby as well.
“What is this place?”
“This is the club building, didn’t someone say that yesterday already?”
That’s true, I think someone mentioned something about a club building yesterday during the student orientation yesterday after the opening ceremony when someone from the staff explained to us about the places in the campus.
Tama Literary College where I’m going to from tomorrow— the campus that’s known as ‘Tamabun’, was built on a small slope, the highest place in the campus would be the field, the baseball field and the handball court.
Beside these fields would be the club building where the sports and cultural clubs are located.
Since most of the student orientation was about the things that would make people feel like sleeping, such as class contents, ways to study and the likes, and also because of the time, we didn’t have enough time to walk all over the campus, but it seems like the club building mentioned that time.
“So, were we in the clubroom of a club just now……”
We walked on the night road of April that was still had a hint of coldness, walking past the club building under the streetlights, walking towards a path that goes through the campus with sakura trees all around, and arrived at the slanting slope. At this time, Nimura turned his head around, looking at the building that couldn’t be seen now.
“Segawa, haven’t you looked around the clubs yet?”
“…… wasn’t the opening ceremony just yesterday? Who would be so hasty to get into a club?”
Nimura said: “You’re really an outsider.” And shrugged.
“If you want to meet more girls, joining a club is the best way.”
From this sentence, it gave me some understanding about this guy’s personality.
“But just joining a club wouldn’t be enough, it must be a relaxed, but a flashy and interesting club. The more interesting the club, the more easily girls would gather there.”
“What in the world are you thinking of?”
“Listen to me, the ones that I recommend the most are the Skiing Club or the Tourism Club. Also, don’t be so silly as to joining music oriented clubs. The practices of those clubs are unexpectedly harsh and also expensive.”
This guys is obviously just a first year new student like me, why is he so clear about these things?
It looks as though he’s at college just to hit on girls.
And it might be true as well.
“By the way, who are those two people? Why am I back at the school? Wasn’t I supposed to be at the pub in front of the station instead……”
“Huh? You really don’t remember? You were dead drunk even before they changed places. Because of this, and also because I was beside you, they asked me to send you back home.”
“Eh…… Is that true?”
Really, really. Nimura nodded.
“How should I say this……. I’m really sorry for bothering you.”
“Never mind, just find some time to treat me to lunch.”
Would the things in the school canteen be okay? If he asks for more, I don’t think my wallet can take it.
“You’re really a masterpiece, getting drunk though you’re just drinking non-alcoholic beer.”
“Eh……? Non-alcoholic?”
“Of course. Even though we’re already college students, most of us aren’t twenty yet. The senpais considered about that as well.”
I only knew about this now.
As the color and taste was the same as beer, I really thought I was drinking real beer.
“It’s when I was dragging you out to get a cab that I saw the senpai squatting down by the road just now.”
“…… Ah?”
“Don’t be doubtful, it’s true. Didn’t you see just now? She just went ‘sob sob sob’ like that by the road just now.”
She actually did that already just now……. And on the streets?
“What were those people playing at?”
“How should I know? But they said that they’re from the ‘Road Observation Research Society’ or something like that. It seemed like they were trying to get new members like that.”
Getting new members? Wasn’t that just plain threatening people?
It’s best if I don’t have anything to do with those people.
“But she’s really a beauty, the sob sob sob person.”
“Eh…… Really? The room was really dark just now, so I didn’t really see her face.”
“That’s such a pity! She’s a beauty of model or idol level. She might already be someone from a company now.”
“I- Isn’t that a bit too exaggerated……”
Nimura’s words made me regret not looking at her more closely just now.
My determination for ‘not having anything to do with those people’ wavered.
“By the way, Segawa-kun.”
“Wha- what is it?”
Hearing Nimura suddenly add a –kun behind my name made me feel rather guarded.
“Is your house anywhere nearby? The last train left quite some time ago.”
That was my encounter with Nimura went.
From that day on, that guy would always find a reason to stay at my house overnight, even bringing things like video games, mangas and the likes here, and would return home after playing, eating and bathing.
According to him, his room is a place where he’s going to invite girls to, so he doesn’t want unnecessary things to be there.
But even so, does that mean you have you place your things here……
However, being able to make a friend as soon as I came to the college actually made me feel rather relieved as well.
‘Oh? It seems that you’ve found quite a nice friend.’
After some time, my sister called me.
From the opening ceremony till now, I didn’t speak to my sister through the phone for a month or so now.
“My room is getting more and more cramped because of that guy. Really, he even brought a futon over here recently.”
The rent of my room is about fifty thousand yen, including the management fees. Fortunately, though this is a five year old room, the rent is quite reasonable. While at a corner of this cramped room, a futon was tidily arranged there. It was like then from the time Nimura went out.
Though people say that you can’t judge a book by its cover, that guy’s personality is actually quite similar to what he looks like, attentive, tidy, and he even cooks.
Every time he stays here for the night, he would tidily keep the futon folded, and would even help me prepare breakfast as well.
Not only that, he would come and tidy up the house in the morning, going to his class after keeping his futon, getting back his futon in the evening again.
In this age, if Nimura was a girl…… Such a thought would sometimes arise in my heart.
‘He even give you something for staying there, such a person is quite rare nowadays. Your friend called Nimura is probably quite friendly with women, right?’
“Ugh……”
‘Guys are like women, the ones who can do the housework and can cook are more popular! I’m educating my husband in this direction as well. Yuuta, you should really learn from him and get a girlfriend soon. And then you can marry as soon as you graduate.’
“Hey…..”
Sister is saying such unreasonable things again.
From some time before this, she would encourage me with things like ‘get a girlfriend’, ‘hurry up and marry’ and so on every two or three sentences.
The reason that she would turn out like that is probably because of me.
To be more precise, it would be from the time that I started to keep my distance from sis.
About four years before this, my sister married.
Her husband is a rather plain office worker. Though I say that, that guy has some land in the city, and even uses his money on stocks, so he’s a rather wealthy person.
Though I’m not sure where and how that guy met sis— to be exact, she just wouldn’t tell me the reason. But after some vigorous effort on sis that was actually too lovey-dovey for other people, he successfully walked on the red carpet with sis.
To be honest, I objected strongly that time, and I couldn’t even imagine that sis would actually think of marrying him.
After all, he’s an ojisan who’s more than ten years older than sis, and he even divorced two times, having two kids from his two ex-wives.
Any person with common sense wouldn’t just give their blessings to them just like that.
And to me, whose parents died long ago, my sister isn’t just any ‘sister’, but an existence that is equal to parents.
With a dazzling appearance and an elegant personality, my sister was the dream girl of many people from primary school, and received confession letters three times a day, or would be confessed to behind a school building.
Every time I felt jealous and unknowingly turn harsh. Being such a devoted brother, how can I suppress the motions that are like envy, jealousy and also pain? Impossible, I can’t do that!
Just like that, these emotions still lingered in the depths of my heart.
Besides that, there are still other reasons that I decided to keep a distance from sis.
‘Hina says that she wants to see her oji-chan as well. Right, Hina-chan?”
Hina would be the girl that sis had with the detestable man that divorced for two times now.
She’s probably sleeping in sis’s lap right now.
“…… Isn’t it impossible for a two year old to say that?”
‘She’s almost three now, and even two year olds can speak a lot nowadays. She could even say all the names of the animals that she saw on a show on TV! And she even said ‘Thanks for your hard work, papa!’ to Shingo yesterday as well! Isn’t she great!’
I really don’t get how great is that.
I remember that the last time I saw her was when she had her first birthday, so we haven’t seen each other for two years now.
That time, she was still a baby who’d just cry or sleep all day……
‘Why don’t you come home and play sometimes, I want Hina to remember your face faster as well, Yuuta.’
“My face, huh…… Never mind, I wouldn’t want to trouble you and your family—“
‘Yuuta, you’re wrong.’
Sis interrupted in an unusually harsh tone.
‘After I married Shingo, I had two daughters already. Of course, we aren’t related by blood, and we haven’t lived together long enough for them to call me mother…… However, I’ve treated them as my true ‘family’. Just like Hina, they’re both my daughters.’
I could more or less imagine the expression on my sister’s face on the other side of the phone.
She would probably look somewhat angry, but with a hint of sorrow.
She would look like that every time I did something wrong.
‘Yuuta, it’s the same for you. No matter how far apart we are, you’re always my family.’
“…… Sorry.”
‘It’s okay.’ Sister’s voice recovered its usual gentleness, and she said to me.
Then she said: ‘If you have a person that you like after this and have a family, you’ll know that naturally.’ And hung up.
“A person I like, huh…...”
Is it because of that, that she would keep nagging me to get a girlfriend?
But…… That’s not a simple task.
To a person like me who just went to college for a month, and had one person who’s like a friend to me- Nimura Kouichi, it’s just too hard. I heaved a long sigh since I wouldn’t be overheard.
Ding dong!
I opened my eyes in an inexplicable daze, and found that I was in an unfamiliar room.
“You’re finally awake, Segawa Yuuta-kun, first year, majoring Japanese literature.”
A glaring light that pierced my eyes shone in front of me. It seemed that a desk lamp or something was being shone on me, while a faint shadow could be seen behind the light. However, why does this person know my name? And even my major?
“Uuu…… Urgh!”
At the instant when I started to say something, a nauseous feeling suddenly came from my gut.
I feel terrible…… And my whole mind’s blank, I couldn’t think of anything.
“You’re just a first year, but you drank till you almost puked, you really got guts.”
The guy spoke again. Though he spoke in a domineering tone, his words were rather high-pitched, and the silhouette behind the light looked rather wide as well.
“However, you really know how to get into trouble.”
“Err…… I…… Did I do anything?”
“Did you do anything, you say!? There is no answer other than ‘yes for that question!”
The silhouette raised his voice that was already rather high-pitched.
“See for yourself!”
The man turned the desk lamp, shining it towards corner in the dark room.
A female was slumped on the floor. Her long, slender legs extended on the floor, biting the long sleeve of her shirt, looking as though she would make sobbing noises any time now.
“Sob sob sob……”
She said that, she really said that. But her flat tone doesn’t even have any emotions in it.
“Oda-kun, Oda-kun! Put in some more feelings! Didn’t we got found out just now because of this?”
The fatty hastily muttered directions to the female just now (Though I could actually hear it clearly). The female turned her head to a side slightly, then……
“Sob sob sob……?”
“No, I’m not telling you phrase it in a question!”
Though I’m not really sure about the situation, it seems that there’s a huge farce happening here.
“A- anyways! First year, Segawa Yuuta!”
“Ah, yes!”
“When you were drunk, you did some shameful acts towards Oda-kun over there. So you have to claim responsibility! And immediately!”
“Eh— !? I, I did such a thing!?”
How is that possible! It’s to unreasonable! Even if I did get dead drunk……
“Shameful acts……? I- I don’t remember at all!”
“Here, Oda-kun, what do you say about this?”
“…… Hmm?”
The female who was practicing her ‘sob sob sob’ at the side thought after being urged by the fatty.
“…… No.”
……
“Erm, is this a trick by any chance?”
“Ah! He got suspicious so quickly! Oda-kun! You probably have something else to say, right!”
After the fatty finished saying that, the desk lamp that was facing me suddenly rose, and someone poked his head out from below.
“Sako-senpai, why don’t you give up already?”
The fellow who said that while placing the desk lamp that was on his head onto the floor, was a tall, slim man that looked rather handsome.
I think I saw his face somewhere before this……
“Yo! You’re Segawa, right? We’re quite unlucky.”
“Err……”
It seems that the handsome guy knows me.
“Eh? Don’t you remember me? Didn’t I sit beside you just before this?”
“Ah, I remember now! Let me think for awhile…… You’re Nimura!”
Declaring something like ‘Bingo!’, he winked while pointing at me.
“Wait a sec, what’s with this situation! I remember that I was at a welcome party…… E- eh?”
I tried to recall about what occurred at the welcome party that I went to, but I could only remember up till the time that I gulped down the beer in my glass.
“Hmph! It seems that you really don’t remember anything, Segawa Yuuta. You took off your clothes while you’re drunk, running out to the streets naked, even climbing up the decorations in the plaza.”
The fatty called Sako-senpai changed his stand, pointing at me while saying that again.
Anyways, isn’t this completely different from what he said just now.
“Not only that! You argued with the police in front of us, the people passing by…… ‘Don’t get close! If you come closer, you’ll force me to release the inner energy in my body! Ugh! No! Don’t force me to repeat the destruction and death again!’ and on the next instant, black smoke puffed out from your body! And then, your right hand slowly held the dark object at your groi— Uwaagh!?”
Smack! A clear sound interrupted Sako-senpai’s words all of a sudden.
“I detest obscene topics.”
It seemed like the ‘sob sob sob’ person flung a slipper at him.
“Oda-kun, don’t get in my way. Just a little more, us ‘RoRe’ can get a new member. Also, didn’t I tell you to use a paper fan when doing a tsukomi?”
“Oh, that’s right.”
And then she hit her palm with her other fist as though she just understood something, and took out a paper fan from somewhere.
After that, she emotionlessly hit Sako-senpai with the paper fan repeatedly, sounds of the fan hitting him ringing clearly.
“Wa- Wai……! Wait a minute, I didn’t do anythi—!”
Thwack! Thwack!
“O- Oda-kun! Stop! Ahhh!”
“No. No. No.”
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
“Ahhh! No! There’s this strange feeling! Noooooo—!”
The fat senpai made a disgusting wail, then stopped moving.
For some reason, a satisfied smile was on his face, and along with the movement of him biting his thumb, it gives people an eerie feeling.
“You two.”
The ‘sob sob sob’ who expressionlessly lashed out with the paper fan turned over and said to us.
“Let me handle this. You guys have class tomorrow right?”
Does that mean we can go back now?
“Oi, Segawa, let’s listen to her advice for now.”
“Mnn…… Alright.”
I glanced at the ‘sob sob sob’ person who was expressionlessly tying the fat senpai up, and then we left the room.
When we came outside, it was of course already night time, as the welcome party was in the evening……
A large field was in front of my eyes. We were in front of a small concrete building, and there were two or three similar buildings nearby as well.
“What is this place?”
“This is the club building, didn’t someone say that yesterday already?”
That’s true, I think someone mentioned something about a club building yesterday during the student orientation yesterday after the opening ceremony when someone from the staff explained to us about the places in the campus.
Tama Literary College where I’m going to from tomorrow— the campus that’s known as ‘Tamabun’, was built on a small slope, the highest place in the campus would be the field, the baseball field and the handball court.
Beside these fields would be the club building where the sports and cultural clubs are located.
Since most of the student orientation was about the things that would make people feel like sleeping, such as class contents, ways to study and the likes, and also because of the time, we didn’t have enough time to walk all over the campus, but it seems like the club building mentioned that time.
“So, were we in the clubroom of a club just now……”
We walked on the night road of April that was still had a hint of coldness, walking past the club building under the streetlights, walking towards a path that goes through the campus with sakura trees all around, and arrived at the slanting slope. At this time, Nimura turned his head around, looking at the building that couldn’t be seen now.
“Segawa, haven’t you looked around the clubs yet?”
“…… wasn’t the opening ceremony just yesterday? Who would be so hasty to get into a club?”
Nimura said: “You’re really an outsider.” And shrugged.
“If you want to meet more girls, joining a club is the best way.”
From this sentence, it gave me some understanding about this guy’s personality.
“But just joining a club wouldn’t be enough, it must be a relaxed, but a flashy and interesting club. The more interesting the club, the more easily girls would gather there.”
“What in the world are you thinking of?”
“Listen to me, the ones that I recommend the most are the Skiing Club or the Tourism Club. Also, don’t be so silly as to joining music oriented clubs. The practices of those clubs are unexpectedly harsh and also expensive.”
This guys is obviously just a first year new student like me, why is he so clear about these things?
It looks as though he’s at college just to hit on girls.
And it might be true as well.
“By the way, who are those two people? Why am I back at the school? Wasn’t I supposed to be at the pub in front of the station instead……”
“Huh? You really don’t remember? You were dead drunk even before they changed places. Because of this, and also because I was beside you, they asked me to send you back home.”
“Eh…… Is that true?”
Really, really. Nimura nodded.
“How should I say this……. I’m really sorry for bothering you.”
“Never mind, just find some time to treat me to lunch.”
Would the things in the school canteen be okay? If he asks for more, I don’t think my wallet can take it.
“You’re really a masterpiece, getting drunk though you’re just drinking non-alcoholic beer.”
“Eh……? Non-alcoholic?”
“Of course. Even though we’re already college students, most of us aren’t twenty yet. The senpais considered about that as well.”
I only knew about this now.
As the color and taste was the same as beer, I really thought I was drinking real beer.
“It’s when I was dragging you out to get a cab that I saw the senpai squatting down by the road just now.”
“…… Ah?”
“Don’t be doubtful, it’s true. Didn’t you see just now? She just went ‘sob sob sob’ like that by the road just now.”
She actually did that already just now……. And on the streets?
“What were those people playing at?”
“How should I know? But they said that they’re from the ‘Road Observation Research Society’ or something like that. It seemed like they were trying to get new members like that.”
Getting new members? Wasn’t that just plain threatening people?
It’s best if I don’t have anything to do with those people.
“But she’s really a beauty, the sob sob sob person.”
“Eh…… Really? The room was really dark just now, so I didn’t really see her face.”
“That’s such a pity! She’s a beauty of model or idol level. She might already be someone from a company now.”
“I- Isn’t that a bit too exaggerated……”
Nimura’s words made me regret not looking at her more closely just now.
My determination for ‘not having anything to do with those people’ wavered.
“By the way, Segawa-kun.”
“Wha- what is it?”
Hearing Nimura suddenly add a –kun behind my name made me feel rather guarded.
“Is your house anywhere nearby? The last train left quite some time ago.”
That was my encounter with Nimura went.
From that day on, that guy would always find a reason to stay at my house overnight, even bringing things like video games, mangas and the likes here, and would return home after playing, eating and bathing.
According to him, his room is a place where he’s going to invite girls to, so he doesn’t want unnecessary things to be there.
But even so, does that mean you have you place your things here……
However, being able to make a friend as soon as I came to the college actually made me feel rather relieved as well.
‘Oh? It seems that you’ve found quite a nice friend.’
After some time, my sister called me.
From the opening ceremony till now, I didn’t speak to my sister through the phone for a month or so now.
“My room is getting more and more cramped because of that guy. Really, he even brought a futon over here recently.”
The rent of my room is about fifty thousand yen, including the management fees. Fortunately, though this is a five year old room, the rent is quite reasonable. While at a corner of this cramped room, a futon was tidily arranged there. It was like then from the time Nimura went out.
Though people say that you can’t judge a book by its cover, that guy’s personality is actually quite similar to what he looks like, attentive, tidy, and he even cooks.
Every time he stays here for the night, he would tidily keep the futon folded, and would even help me prepare breakfast as well.
Not only that, he would come and tidy up the house in the morning, going to his class after keeping his futon, getting back his futon in the evening again.
In this age, if Nimura was a girl…… Such a thought would sometimes arise in my heart.
‘He even give you something for staying there, such a person is quite rare nowadays. Your friend called Nimura is probably quite friendly with women, right?’
“Ugh……”
‘Guys are like women, the ones who can do the housework and can cook are more popular! I’m educating my husband in this direction as well. Yuuta, you should really learn from him and get a girlfriend soon. And then you can marry as soon as you graduate.’
“Hey…..”
Sister is saying such unreasonable things again.
From some time before this, she would encourage me with things like ‘get a girlfriend’, ‘hurry up and marry’ and so on every two or three sentences.
The reason that she would turn out like that is probably because of me.
To be more precise, it would be from the time that I started to keep my distance from sis.
About four years before this, my sister married.
Her husband is a rather plain office worker. Though I say that, that guy has some land in the city, and even uses his money on stocks, so he’s a rather wealthy person.
Though I’m not sure where and how that guy met sis— to be exact, she just wouldn’t tell me the reason. But after some vigorous effort on sis that was actually too lovey-dovey for other people, he successfully walked on the red carpet with sis.
To be honest, I objected strongly that time, and I couldn’t even imagine that sis would actually think of marrying him.
After all, he’s an ojisan who’s more than ten years older than sis, and he even divorced two times, having two kids from his two ex-wives.
Any person with common sense wouldn’t just give their blessings to them just like that.
And to me, whose parents died long ago, my sister isn’t just any ‘sister’, but an existence that is equal to parents.
With a dazzling appearance and an elegant personality, my sister was the dream girl of many people from primary school, and received confession letters three times a day, or would be confessed to behind a school building.
Every time I felt jealous and unknowingly turn harsh. Being such a devoted brother, how can I suppress the motions that are like envy, jealousy and also pain? Impossible, I can’t do that!
Just like that, these emotions still lingered in the depths of my heart.
Besides that, there are still other reasons that I decided to keep a distance from sis.
‘Hina says that she wants to see her oji-chan as well. Right, Hina-chan?”
Hina would be the girl that sis had with the detestable man that divorced for two times now.
She’s probably sleeping in sis’s lap right now.
“…… Isn’t it impossible for a two year old to say that?”
‘She’s almost three now, and even two year olds can speak a lot nowadays. She could even say all the names of the animals that she saw on a show on TV! And she even said ‘Thanks for your hard work, papa!’ to Shingo yesterday as well! Isn’t she great!’
I really don’t get how great is that.
I remember that the last time I saw her was when she had her first birthday, so we haven’t seen each other for two years now.
That time, she was still a baby who’d just cry or sleep all day……
‘Why don’t you come home and play sometimes, I want Hina to remember your face faster as well, Yuuta.’
“My face, huh…… Never mind, I wouldn’t want to trouble you and your family—“
‘Yuuta, you’re wrong.’
Sis interrupted in an unusually harsh tone.
‘After I married Shingo, I had two daughters already. Of course, we aren’t related by blood, and we haven’t lived together long enough for them to call me mother…… However, I’ve treated them as my true ‘family’. Just like Hina, they’re both my daughters.’
I could more or less imagine the expression on my sister’s face on the other side of the phone.
She would probably look somewhat angry, but with a hint of sorrow.
She would look like that every time I did something wrong.
‘Yuuta, it’s the same for you. No matter how far apart we are, you’re always my family.’
“…… Sorry.”
‘It’s okay.’ Sister’s voice recovered its usual gentleness, and she said to me.
Then she said: ‘If you have a person that you like after this and have a family, you’ll know that naturally.’ And hung up.
“A person I like, huh…...”
Is it because of that, that she would keep nagging me to get a girlfriend?
But…… That’s not a simple task.
To a person like me who just went to college for a month, and had one person who’s like a friend to me- Nimura Kouichi, it’s just too hard. I heaved a long sigh since I wouldn’t be overheard.
Ding dong!