Chapter 81: The Battle for the Lap
I’m in desperate need of help. I’m trapped to the point where I’m thinking about asking the cat robot if it has any secret tools that could help me get out of this situation. [TL: Doraemon reference.]
“Rika’s place is on Yuya-onii-chan’s lap! I’m not giving it to anyone!”
“No! I’m the only girl allowed to be on Yuya-kun’s lap! I don’t care what you say, Rika-chan, I have to ask you to step aside!”
I sighed in my mind, wondering how it happened, and tried to calm Kaede and Rika-chan, who were glaring at each other with sparks flying between them and me.
“Ka-Kaede. Rika-chan is still a child, so don’t talk to her like that.”
Ever since we watched the dinosaur movie together, Kaede had been wanting to get on my lap whenever we sat on the sofa, which was cute, but to be honest, arguing with a first grader for that spot wasn’t very mature. What happened to her declaration last night?
“Yes! That’s my Yuya-onoi-chan! This place is my special seat!”
“Yuya-kun, would you rather have Rika-chan on your lap than me!? Could it be that Rika-chan is more important to you than me—!?”
Rika-chan sat on my lap with a big smile on her face, while Kaede-san grabbed my shoulders and stared at me with moist eyes. No, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back those big tears.
“You don’t have to be so tearful… I mean, I never said I wouldn’t take Kaede on my lap. It’s Kaede I love, so don’t worry about anything weird.”
Rika was cute, sure; I liked her as a little, cute sister, but the love I have for Kaede meant I love her as a woman, so it was a different direction.
“Besides. I love Kaede more than anyone else in the world.”
I’m embarrassed, so don’t make me say it.
“Wa, I also love Yuya-kun more than anyone else.”
Kaede’s face turned red like a ripe apple and she whispered in a thin voice. She looked even more embarrassed than usual, which was so cute that I couldn’t help but pat her head. But there was a girl who raised her voice in protest.
“… Yuya-onii-chan is going to marry this woman? I thought you were going to take me as your wife?”
Rika muttered in a distant voice. Eh? Where was your cheerful voice like always? How did you end up sounding so scary, as if you were a dangerous wife? [TL: It’s supposed to be a reference, but the only thing I got was that the reference wasn’t an anime.] I mean, where the h**l did you get that sound from, first grader!? I guess that’s how you could infer it was Taka-san’s beloved daughter.
“Fuffuffu. That’s right, Rika-chan. I’m the one who’s going to be Yuya-onii-chan’s bride! Because Yuya-kun is enraptured by me, body and soul!”
Kaede, who would soon be entering her second year of high school this spring, took full advantage of the situation to stir up a first grader. She turned to Rika with a smug look on her face, so proud that you could almost hear the sound effect. Yeah, it was a little too immature for me.
“No, no! I’m going to be Yuya’s-onii-chan’s wife! That’s right, right?”
“No, no! I’m Yuya-kun’s bride! Please give up, Rika-chan!”
How happy I would be if I could sigh as a bystander. This was what they commonly called a scene of carnage. I never thought that Kaede and Rika would really be in this situation. And I wasn’t happy that my prediction came true.
“Yuya-kun will choose me, right!?”
“Yuya big brother is going to choose me, right!?”
I wondered why Rika was with Kaede and me in the first place. I remembered the events from this morning, with a grudge against Taka-san.
＊＊＊＊＊
“Really, I’m sorry. Yuya-kun. I’m sorry that you had to listen to Rika’s selfishness.”
“I’m counting on you to take care of Rika, Yuya.”
This morning. Taka-san and Harumi-san came to my apartment with Rika-chan. As expected, I had to meet them at the entrance on the first floor since they might be late for their flight if I greeted them at my room.
“It’s a sleepover at Yuya-onii-chan’s house! Ehehe, let’s have lots of fun, Yuya-onii-chan!”
Rika-chan entered into my embrace with a smile like a sunflower. I stroked her head, murmuring in my mind how cute she was.
Eh, what is this? I can feel an absolute zero gaze piercing my back and a chilling growl.
“I’ve got Rika’s change of clothes and other things in here. Take care of her for three days from today, Yuya. – Hitotsuba-san.”
“Hitotsuba Kaede. I’m sorry to interrupt your lovey-dovey life with Yuya-kun, but please take care of my daughter, okay?”
When Harumi-san bowed politely, Kaede, who was standing behind me, looked flustered and said, ‘It’s my pleasure,’ and returned the bow.
“Okay, Rika. Like I said at home, you can’t bother Yuya-kun and Kaede-san, okay? And of course, you can’t be selfish, okay?”
“I know! I’m being a good girl and listening to Yuya-onii-chan!”
Rika declared as she squeezed my waist, but Harumi looked very worried. Taka was almost crying, as if he was sad to be separated from her. If that was the case, why don’t you take Rika with you?
“Hmm… I’m still worried about you. Hitotsuba-san. If Rika misbehaves, please scold her. This girl has no boundaries when it comes to Yuya-kun.”
“It’s okay. Even if Rika-chan is cute, I have faith in Yuya-kun!”
That was strange. I think Kaede’s response to Harumi’s comment was exquisitely off. But Rika’s gaze sharpened when she heard it. And before you knew it, the two of them were staring at each other.
“Ah…Yuya. I know it’s a lot to take in, but I’m counting on you.”
“Uh-huh. Take care of yourself, Taka-san and Harumi-san. Have fun on your trip.”
This was how I saw them off and came back to the room with Rika about an hour ago. After that, I checked the contents of Rika’s bag, then took a break and sat down on the couch, and the fight for my lap started.
＊＊＊＊＊
That was the end of my recollection.
“Come on, Yuya-kun. Me or Rika-chan. Have you decided which one you want to put on your lap!”
“Of course it’s me, right? Please tell me it is, Yuya-onii-chan!”
The two of them approached each other with fierce looks on their faces. I mean, Kaede. You’re burning with hostility towards a first-grade girl, aren’t you? Did you forget your declaration to Harumi-san?
“Ah… here’s the thing. Why don’t we decide with that? It’s this game that Rika-chan brought.”
That’s right. Rika had brought the blow-up game that I had beaten up Taka-san with from home. She said she wanted to play with me with that game.
“I see. So the winner of this matchup will get the right to sit on Yuya-kun’s lap. It’s easy to understand, right?”
“Fuffufuffu. I’ve got this game!”
Rika-chan uttered the famous words of a certain high school detective in the west. It makes me want to ask her what kind of educational policy she received.
“I won’t go easy on you, you know. Please be prepared for that, Rika-chan!”
“Kaede-onee-chan, you’re the one who shouldn’t cry when you see how serious I am!”
Hey, don’t they seem to be getting along?
—
Chapter 81: The Battle for the Lap
I’m in desperate need of help. I’m trapped to the point where I’m thinking about asking the cat robot if it has any secret tools that could help me get out of this situation. [TL: Doraemon reference.]
“Rika’s place is on Yuya-onii-chan’s lap! I’m not giving it to anyone!”
“No! I’m the only girl allowed to be on Yuya-kun’s lap! I don’t care what you say, Rika-chan, I have to ask you to step aside!”
I sighed in my mind, wondering how it happened, and tried to calm Kaede and Rika-chan, who were glaring at each other with sparks flying between them and me.
“Ka-Kaede. Rika-chan is still a child, so don’t talk to her like that.”
Ever since we watched the dinosaur movie together, Kaede had been wanting to get on my lap whenever we sat on the sofa, which was cute, but to be honest, arguing with a first grader for that spot wasn’t very mature. What happened to her declaration last night?
“Yes! That’s my Yuya-onoi-chan! This place is my special seat!”
“Yuya-kun, would you rather have Rika-chan on your lap than me!? Could it be that Rika-chan is more important to you than me—!?”
Rika-chan sat on my lap with a big smile on her face, while Kaede-san grabbed my shoulders and stared at me with moist eyes. No, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back those big tears.
“You don’t have to be so tearful… I mean, I never said I wouldn’t take Kaede on my lap. It’s Kaede I love, so don’t worry about anything weird.”
Rika was cute, sure; I liked her as a little, cute sister, but the love I have for Kaede meant I love her as a woman, so it was a different direction.
“Besides. I love Kaede more than anyone else in the world.”
I’m embarrassed, so don’t make me say it.
“Wa, I also love Yuya-kun more than anyone else.”
Kaede’s face turned red like a ripe apple and she whispered in a thin voice. She looked even more embarrassed than usual, which was so cute that I couldn’t help but pat her head. But there was a girl who raised her voice in protest.
“… Yuya-onii-chan is going to marry this woman? I thought you were going to take me as your wife?”
Rika muttered in a distant voice. Eh? Where was your cheerful voice like always? How did you end up sounding so scary, as if you were a dangerous wife? [TL: It’s supposed to be a reference, but the only thing I got was that the reference wasn’t an anime.] I mean, where the h**l did you get that sound from, first grader!? I guess that’s how you could infer it was Taka-san’s beloved daughter.
“Fuffuffu. That’s right, Rika-chan. I’m the one who’s going to be Yuya-onii-chan’s bride! Because Yuya-kun is enraptured by me, body and soul!”
Kaede, who would soon be entering her second year of high school this spring, took full advantage of the situation to stir up a first grader. She turned to Rika with a smug look on her face, so proud that you could almost hear the sound effect. Yeah, it was a little too immature for me.
“No, no! I’m going to be Yuya’s-onii-chan’s wife! That’s right, right?”
“No, no! I’m Yuya-kun’s bride! Please give up, Rika-chan!”
How happy I would be if I could sigh as a bystander. This was what they commonly called a scene of carnage. I never thought that Kaede and Rika would really be in this situation. And I wasn’t happy that my prediction came true.
“Yuya-kun will choose me, right!?”
“Yuya big brother is going to choose me, right!?”
I wondered why Rika was with Kaede and me in the first place. I remembered the events from this morning, with a grudge against Taka-san.
＊＊＊＊＊
“Really, I’m sorry. Yuya-kun. I’m sorry that you had to listen to Rika’s selfishness.”
“I’m counting on you to take care of Rika, Yuya.”
This morning. Taka-san and Harumi-san came to my apartment with Rika-chan. As expected, I had to meet them at the entrance on the first floor since they might be late for their flight if I greeted them at my room.
“It’s a sleepover at Yuya-onii-chan’s house! Ehehe, let’s have lots of fun, Yuya-onii-chan!”
Rika-chan entered into my embrace with a smile like a sunflower. I stroked her head, murmuring in my mind how cute she was.
Eh, what is this? I can feel an absolute zero gaze piercing my back and a chilling growl.
“I’ve got Rika’s change of clothes and other things in here. Take care of her for three days from today, Yuya. – Hitotsuba-san.”
“Hitotsuba Kaede. I’m sorry to interrupt your lovey-dovey life with Yuya-kun, but please take care of my daughter, okay?”
When Harumi-san bowed politely, Kaede, who was standing behind me, looked flustered and said, ‘It’s my pleasure,’ and returned the bow.
“Okay, Rika. Like I said at home, you can’t bother Yuya-kun and Kaede-san, okay? And of course, you can’t be selfish, okay?”
“I know! I’m being a good girl and listening to Yuya-onii-chan!”
Rika declared as she squeezed my waist, but Harumi looked very worried. Taka was almost crying, as if he was sad to be separated from her. If that was the case, why don’t you take Rika with you?
“Hmm… I’m still worried about you. Hitotsuba-san. If Rika misbehaves, please scold her. This girl has no boundaries when it comes to Yuya-kun.”
“It’s okay. Even if Rika-chan is cute, I have faith in Yuya-kun!”
That was strange. I think Kaede’s response to Harumi’s comment was exquisitely off. But Rika’s gaze sharpened when she heard it. And before you knew it, the two of them were staring at each other.
“Ah…Yuya. I know it’s a lot to take in, but I’m counting on you.”
“Uh-huh. Take care of yourself, Taka-san and Harumi-san. Have fun on your trip.”
This was how I saw them off and came back to the room with Rika about an hour ago. After that, I checked the contents of Rika’s bag, then took a break and sat down on the couch, and the fight for my lap started.
＊＊＊＊＊
That was the end of my recollection.
“Come on, Yuya-kun. Me or Rika-chan. Have you decided which one you want to put on your lap!”
“Of course it’s me, right? Please tell me it is, Yuya-onii-chan!”
The two of them approached each other with fierce looks on their faces. I mean, Kaede. You’re burning with hostility towards a first-grade girl, aren’t you? Did you forget your declaration to Harumi-san?
“Ah… here’s the thing. Why don’t we decide with that? It’s this game that Rika-chan brought.”
That’s right. Rika had brought the blow-up game that I had beaten up Taka-san with from home. She said she wanted to play with me with that game.
“I see. So the winner of this matchup will get the right to sit on Yuya-kun’s lap. It’s easy to understand, right?”
“Fuffufuffu. I’ve got this game!”
Rika-chan uttered the famous words of a certain high school detective in the west. It makes me want to ask her what kind of educational policy she received.
“I won’t go easy on you, you know. Please be prepared for that, Rika-chan!”
“Kaede-onee-chan, you’re the one who shouldn’t cry when you see how serious I am!”
Hey, don’t they seem to be getting along?
—
