Ordinary I and Extraordinary Them

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For the most part, I was done procuring the goods Kaede had asked me to get.
When we exited the shop, the sky was already, completely dyed in black.

The stars glittered in the clear sky devoid of any clouds.
While thinking about how it was going to be sunny tomorrow, I proceeded through the shopping district, accompanied by the three.

Like a protagonist from an RPG.

Surely, I was in the position of the hero.

The lowest-level hero with no battle prowess.

The kind of character that they would often use in tutorials, only to be replaced by some ‘gacha’ character, soon after.

[TN – ‘gacha’ refers to capsule toys or the loot crate system in-game that randomly generates items.
I reckon ‘gacha’ character refer to any popular in-game (or imported from mangas and animes and the likes maybe) character.
I am hoping that someone can enlighten me what is the precise meaning of ガチャ産のキャラ]

“Kanzaki-san, if it’s fine with you, I can carry your bag.” (Yuuto)

“Ah, no, it’s fine.”

Shizuku lightly dodged Yuuto’s kindness which was devoid of so much as even a shard of nonchalance.

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However, it was so natural, that I had to turn around.

“Fufu……”

Even now, Kirasaka was maintaining a distance from the two behind her.
However, at Shizuku’s denial, her lips distorted to form a suggestive smile, and she let out a chuckle.

It would seem that even Kirasaka didn’t have the immunity to maintain a poker face when confronted with Shizuku’s outright rejection.

“Is, is that so?”

“Yes!”

Um, Shizuku-chan?

Shouldn’t you not be so cheerful when saying that?

Because of that, isn’t the young man walking next to you, unable to hide the bitter smile on his face now?

As we left the shopping district behind and entered the residential area, the scenery before us transitioned into one of darkness, with only a few streetlights illuminating the road ahead.

A few bicycles and cars passed us by, but apart from that, there were no other sounds.

The sounds from the hustle and bustle of the shopping district gradually faded, and the only sound that remained was that of our footsteps.

No conversations were held.
Only the sound of our footsteps reverberated in the air.

What should we talk about? Or would it better to not talk?

Before I could finish organising my thoughts, we had arrived in front of my house.

When I opened the door to the entrance, I could hear the sound of footsteps of someone running, emanating from inside, as it closed in on us.

“Welcome back Nii-san! Oh, everyone has come along I see.”

Kaede greeted us with a face full of smiles, her head tilted a little to the side.

……An angel?

No, she might be a goddess.

 

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For a moment there, I had completely transitioned into Hino-kun’s mindset, but her smile was just that powerful.
At any rate, having lost myself for a bit there, I hadn’t been able to issue a reply.

I hadn’t informed her beforehand.
It was only natural that she was surprised.

“Sorry for turning up so suddenly.
Is it fine for us to be intruding?”

Shizuku dangled the shopping bag in her hand and asked Kaede.

There was no way Kaede was going to refuse.

She smoothly showed the three in.
Then, she lightly poked my back and said,

“If you are going to have guests over, let me know, will you?”

“Ah……my bad.”

The positions have reversed.
She was like the older sister, telling her younger brother off, in a gentle voice.

“I didn’t think all of them were going to be tagging along”, was what I would have liked to say, but I couldn’t make such an excuse to my younger sister.

Yuuto sat down on a chair and looked on as the girls stood in the kitchen.

I assumed the sofa and went about innocently appreciating the show that was being broadcast on the television.

Not long ago, there was a similar spectacle.

At that time, our relationships were vague, and everyone was still testing the waters.

If I had to say what it was that was definitively different about today compared to that day in the past, it would be that everyone acted more naturally before.

Hiding something, keeping the other party at a distance, trying to get close to someone.

Now, everyone seemed to have their designs.

Even while desiring non-interference, I continued to get involved.

Now, everyone had some kind of problem.

The only person who hadn’t changed during this time was Kaede.
Her next words served as a reality check.

“Nii-san, did everyone make up?”

Most people wouldn’t notice the slight sense of malaise in the air.
However, Shinra Kaede didn’t turn a blind eye to it.