A hesitant voice rang out. After knocking on the door, my little sister, wearing a maid dress, entered the room.
“You have to get up, Nii-san, it’s morning already. Or, are you still not feeling well? You’ve been in bed ever since we got home from the amusement park yesterday…”
Oddly enough, my little sister was worried about me. Indeed, yesterday was the day we went to the amusement park. After returning from Musashino Land, I’ve been in my room the entire time. Normally I would have had to sleep in that tent again, but for whatever reason, upon coming home, Ichigo-san guided me to this guest room.
“Eat breakfast, and cheer up. Onee-sama is back to normal, so we’re all waiting for you.” She called to me, as I hid myself inside my blanket.
Oh yeah, Suzutsuki returned to normal. Yesterday during our amusement park visit, when Konoe and I went to the plaza, she explained to everyone that she had returned to her usual self. Though, she kept the trigger for that a secret. But, none of that really matters right now. What I need the most is—
“…Kureha.”
“W-What is it, Nii-san?”
She must have been flustered at my awfully gloomy voice, as she stuttered when giving a response. I however ignored all of that, and voiced my request.
“…Won’t you pull some wrestling moves on me?”
“Eh?”
“I want to taste some of your wrestling moves. The one you do every morning.”
“B-But…”
“What, do you not want to?”
“I mean, I don’t have a problem with it, but…I just thought it’s odd.”
“What is?”
“Well, you never asked me for that yourself until now…”
“It’s fine, right? I just feel like it.”
“Y-You feel like it…”
“Ahhhhhh! Just do it already! Normally you’d do it without even waiting for my consent, right!? Come on! Don’t hold back! Use me as a punching bag!” I screamed, while throwing away the blanket.
In response, Kureha twitched in shock, and even used polite language with ‘Y-Yes, I understand!’. Following that, she started running, aiming at the desk in the corner of the room. She used it as a stepping stool, with her back turned towards me, and leaped into the air. The trajectory of her leap was directed at me. Mid-air, her small body started twirling. Right upon nearing my body, she turned her own towards me, and—
“Gahaa!?”
It was a stardust press. It was a finishing move differing from the moonsault, with quite the difficulty spike compared to other moves. Met with this impact, my body convulsed on the bed, which creaked in agony.
“H-How was that, Nii-san? I feel like I really nailed it, but…” Kureha sounded hesitant oddly enough, and got off of me.
Yeah, she’s right. The angle, timing, impact, and impressionability, it was all perfect as a finisher. I had no complaints there, however…
“…Not yet, Kureha.”
“Eh…”
“This isn’t nearly enough.”
“N-Not enough?”
“More. Give me a combo and full course like you always do.”
“B-But…”
“What’s wrong? This isn’t all you can do, right?”
“~~~! F-Fine! If you’re that adamant on it, I’ll show you! Don’t complain to me after though!”
“Yeah! Come at me with your full power!”
“Aye aye, sir!”
I must have tickled her pride, because Kureha was now burning with motivation. She lifted up my body from the bed, and began her onslaught of high-level wrestling moves…
“Take this! Running Three!”
“Gyaaah!”
“Following that, a Northern Lights Bomb!”
“Guuuuuh!”
“To finish it off, a Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex Hold!”
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
My body slammed into the bed, making me worry if she didn’t accidentally break it with all of that. Or I would have worried about that, if I wasn’t too busy groaning in pain.
“T-This is enough, right? Anymore than this, and your body will…” Kureha’s shoulders went up and down, as she was gasping for air.
However…
“…No, not yet.” I pushed up my aching body, and continued. “Kureha, more. That wasn’t enough.”
“Nya!?”
“Is this the strength of the oldest daughter of our Sakamachi family? It’s not, right? More. Give me one that’ll knock the memories out of me.”
“Wha…Wha…”
“What’s wrong, my little sister!? Hurry up! Mess me up! I’m still brimming with energy! Use me as a punching bag!”
“Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Nii-san went crazyyyyyyyy!” She screamed, and ran out of the room.
“Urk…”
As expected, the damage still caught up to me, and I fell backwards onto the bed. If possible, I really wanted something that would erase all these awful memories. These memories that keep haunting me…
×
“—I’m sorry.”
These words reached my ears, as the sky was filled with fireworks.
“Eh…”
I was unable to react, merely freezing up. My thoughts came to an ultimate halt, as Konoe continued.
“You know, I’m really happy to hear you feel that way…I also…r-really like you, but I don’t think we can go out…”
“……”
“That’s why, let’s stay…as best friends. That, for now, is probably the best…”
“……”
“…Jirou…Do you not like this answer after all…?” Konoe looked at me, her gaze filled with anxiety.
Even now, she looked close to breaking out in tears.
…I know. What I should be doing right now, so that she doesn’t break out in tears.
“—Got it.” I tried to respond with a calm voice. “Sorry, Konoe, for saying something like that out of the blue.”
“Y-Yeah…But, are you sure?”
“About what?”
“I mean…that we’ll stay best friends…”
“Sounds great to me. Being friends with you is a privilege.”
“…I-I see…”
For some reason, Konoe showed a gloomy expression.
“A-Anyway, I’ll participate in the costume parade now.” She said, almost like she wanted to run away.
Still wearing her princess dress, she mixed beautifully into the crowd. I would have loved to join her, but my legs wouldn’t move. Like a boxer that passed out while standing after a fierce match, I just fell backwards onto the ground. My head was filled with the words Konoe, the girl I like, threw at me.
‘I also…r-really like you, but I don’t think we can go out…’
So basically, she likes me as a friend, but not as a romantic interest.
‘That’s why, let’s stay…as best friends. That, for now, is probably the best…’
In other words, she wants us to stay friends from here on out.
‘…Jirou…Do you not like this answer after all…?’
She was even being considerate of me. Even though I confessed, she was trying to be kind. Ah, I see…Basically, I was…
“…Rejected.”
Sakamachi Kinjirou, in the fall of my 17th year on this earth, I confessed to the girl I love, and got rejected, my first love shattered. My very first experience in love—ended with a broken heart.
×
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
End of flashback. Assaulted with a fierce headache, I could only hold my head and scream. I was rejected. Right when I finally caught on to my own feelings, I was rejected mercilessly. Is this an example of how harsh life can be? The inside of my head was filled with Tchaikovsky’s ‘Sérénade mélancolique’, but on repeat. Eh? You don’t know what song that is? Look it up right now! Or download it! This is my theme song starting today!
“…Ahhhh.” I let out a sigh that hurt deep inside of me.
My thoughts just wouldn’t stay calm. The second I’m trying to explain my BGM, I’m already a lost cause. What should I even do now? Today is the 10th of October, a Sunday. I was still a servant in the Suzutuski residence, so I should get to my work soon, but…
“…I really don’t wanna work.” I muttered, while looking up at the ceiling.
I may be still a student who has to fully experience the harshness of society, but those who work every single day surely will sympathize with me here. Though to be perfectly honest, I don’t mind the act of working, the problem is just that Konoe is working here as well. The person who broke my heart was working in the same location as me.
“Urgh…”
Tough…What kind of torture is this. I don’t think I’ll actually be able to do my work. Or rather, what face should I make when running into Konoe? Ever since that confession yesterday, we haven’t even talked a word.
“Ahhhh…”
I can’t. I’ll just sleep. I’m not sleepy at all, but that’s the best I can do. I can’t muster up any strength to act. But, maybe the damage from being heartbroken will be gone after I wake up. I’ll just wait for time to pass, and my wounds to heal. The best I can do right now is run away.
“…Hm?”
I know I was being pathetic, but the best I could do was snuggled up in my bed. Right then however, I heard footsteps approaching the room.
“Odd Jobs-san.” I heard a familiar robotic voice, coming from Saotome Ichigo.
She is a maid here at the Suzutsuki residence, who now opened the door after knocking once.
“…Ichigo-san?”
“YES. Good morning, Good Jobs-san, there’s something I want to tell you.” She walked towards me, devoid of any expression as always.
It seems like she’s gotten over her cold just fine. She probably wanted to wake me up after Kureha failed. I guess it makes sense, she’s my senior, so it wouldn’t be weird for her to come here and lecture me.
“Odd Jobs-san.”
However, her following words greatly surpassed anything I could have imagined.
“You’re fired.”
“…What?” I froze up in shock.
Fired? So basically…I’m getting kicked out? Why? Because I didn’t come out of my room? But, I wasn’t even in here a whole day, so that judgement is far too quick…
“But, Odd Jobs-san.” She ignored my confusion, and continued. “You’re not the only one who gets fired.”
“Eh?”
“Your little sister—Sakamachi Kureha—is fired as well.”
“Huuuuuuuh!?”
Eh? Why? My head can’t keep up. What is going on? Why did Kureha get fired? She was properly doing her job, right? I mean, I actually don’t know if she’s doing her work properly, we’re talking about Kureha after all. She might not be that useful after all. Or, it was my responsibility and I failed. But, what is going to happen now?
We were taken in as servants as a condition to live here, because we had no place to go to after our house burned down. The plan was for us to stay a solid month until the renovations were over, so why…
“For now.” Ichigo-san kept her indifferent expression, and continued. “Maybe you should hear the details from her.”
“…Her?”
“YES. I will return to my work. It was a brief time, but this is farewell. See you never again, Odd Jobs-san.” She said, and left the room, switching positions with another maid.
This time, a girl wearing her hair in twintails entered—Usami Masamune. She slowly walked towards me.
“H-Hey, Masamune, what is this about?” I asked, confused.
In response, the nasty rabbit took a deep breath.
“Stupid chicken, the person who got you fired was me.”
“Wha…” I stared at Masamune in disbelief, but it didn’t seem like she was lying.
Eh? What is going on? Why does she have the right to fire me?
“I got the master ticket, right? The childish Suzutsuki Kanade gave it to me. With that ticket, I could give Suzutsuki Kanade any order I wanted. I used it so that you would get fired.”
“……!”
No no no, what the hell are you doing? You’re robbing me and Kureha of a stable place to live.
“……”
…No, wait a second. She was there when we learned of what happened to our house, she should know about our situation. Yet, she got us fired…
“It’s fine. Stupid chicken. I have my own thoughts about this. If you don’t have any place to stay…you can just come to my place.”
“Y-Your place…”
As I was lost and confused, Masamune puffed out her chest in confidence. Following that, she pointed at me, and declared with a strong tone like she was ordering me.