"Onii-chan." Komachi's voice suddenly beca very calm. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"
Hikigaya knew his little sister too well; the quieter she acted, the more bad ideas she was brewing.
"Nikaido Hiro. She's in the sa grade."
"Just in the sa grade?"
"Class J."
"I didn't ask you what class she's in!" Komachi's gaze swept over his face as she shot him a glare, then she turned to Nikaido Hiro, her face instantly blooming into a radiant smile. "Hello, Nikaido-san! I'm Hikigaya Komachi, this guy's sister!"
Who exactly is "this guy"... could you show your brother so respect?
Nikaido Hiro offered a smile and nodded to her.
"Hello. Nice to et you. I am your brother's classmate, Nikaido Hiro."
Komachi's smile deepened as she leaned forward a step, her eyes sparkling.
"Um, Nikaido-san, what is your relationship with my brother? Why are you walking ho together? Are you two dating?"
Hikigaya reached out to stop her.
"You're asking too much."
"No, I'm not!" Komachi said righteously. "Isn't it perfectly normal for a sister to be concerned about her brother's love life?"
"It's not normal."
"It is normal," Komachi said while sidestepping his hand, leaning in front of Hiiro again. "Nikaido-san, even though my brother looks like... that, in reality..."
"Hikigaya-kun and I are currently in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship."
Komachi's words ca to a dead halt. She blinked, looking as if she hadn't quite heard the sentence correctly.
"Eh?"
Her mouth ford an 'O' shape. The convenience store bag in her hand wobbled, and a bag of potato chips slipped out entirely, hitting the ground with a thud.
"E-E-E-E-E-Eh—?!
Onii-chan?! For real?! You actually got a girlfriend?! And it's a beautiful girl like Nikaido-san?!"
She rushed up to Hikigaya, grabbing his arm and shaking it violently.
"Since when?! How did it start?! Who confessed first?! How far have you progressed?! Have you held hands?! Have you kissed?! Or have you already..."
"Komachi!" Hikigaya cut her off quickly, feeling sweat begin to bead on his forehead. "You're too excited!"
"No, I'm not!" Komachi said defiantly. "Isn't it only natural for a sister to care about her brother's romantic life?! Besides, this is Onii-chan's first ti having a girlfriend! This is world-class breaking news!"
She let go of Hikigaya and turned back to Nikaido Hiro, her eyes shining like stars.
"Nikaido-san! Are you really dating my brother?! You're not joking, right?!"
Nikaido Hiro nodded, trying her best to remain calm, though a slight blush tinted her cheeks.
"Yes, it's true. We are dating."
"Wow!" Komachi cupped her face with both hands, making an exaggerated expression of being moved.
"That's wonderful! Onii-chan is finally off the market! Komachi is so touched!"
She paused, and as sothing suddenly occurred to her, her expression turned serious.
"But Onii-chan, you didn't use so weird thod to force Nikaido-san to agree, did you? Like threats, or blackmail, or catching her in so kind of predicant..."
"Who would do sothing like that!" Hikigaya couldn't help but retort.
"Well, because Onii-chan usually looks so gloomy, being able to get a girlfriend like Nikaido-san is suspicious no matter how you think about it!" Komachi tilted her head, assuming a thoughtful pose.
"Could it be... Nikaido-san actually has so special fetish? Like, you specifically like the gloomy type of guy?"
"Komachi!" Hikigaya felt his face burning.
Nikaido Hiro laughed instead, looking as if she were reminiscing.
"No, that's not it. Hikigaya-kun was very serious when he confessed, and... he's actually a very interesting person."
"Interesting?" Komachi repeated the word, then nodded as if having a sudden epiphany.
"Ah~ I see! Nikaido-san likes Onii-chan's inner beauty, right! Even though he looks like that on the outside, his heart is very gentle or sothing!"
She patted Hikigaya on the shoulder.
"Onii-chan, you have to treat Nikaido-san well! You have to cherish such a beautiful and smart girlfriend! If you dare bully her, Komachi will be the first one to object!"
"Komachi."
"Alright, alright, I'm done."
Komachi backed away with a smile, picked up the chips and put them back in the bag, then shook the bag in the air. "Then I'll head ho first! You two go back to your date! Don't mind !"
She finished by winking at Hikigaya and mouthing a few words.
"Good luck."
As Hikigaya watched his sister's figure finally disappear around the street corner, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, but at the sa ti, an indescribable sense of awkwardness welled up.
"Your sister is very lively," Nikaido Hiro's voice pulled him back to reality.
"Yeah. Lively to a fault."
Hikigaya rubbed his temples. "She's always like that, making a big deal out of everything."
Nikaido Hiro stood beside him, the redness on her face not yet fully faded. He glanced at her and then looked away.
"Let's go."
"Mm."
The two continued walking forward. The setting sun slowly dipped behind them, and the light grew dimr; the streetlights hadn't co on yet.
As they passed a bakery, the glass window reflected their figures—separated by a perfectly asured distance. They didn't look like a couple; they looked more like two strangers who just happened to be walking the sa path.
After walking for a while, Hikigaya spoke first.
"You don't need to take those words to heart."
"Which words?"
"The things Komachi said. About special fetishes for gloomy guys and all that."
Hiiro's mouth twitched slightly. "I didn't take them to heart."
"Also, you don't need to tell her we're boyfriend and girlfriend in the future."
Hiiro's pace faltered. "Why?"
"There's no point. She was just asking casually. You don't have to put on an act for her; she won't go around spreading it to others anyway."
Nikaido Hiro didn't respond, and they walked in silence for a while.
"Besides," Hikigaya added, "with her, the more you admit it, the more hyper she gets. If you tell her you're the girlfriend today, she'll be asking when the wedding is tomorrow."
"Are you worried about that? When the wedding is?"
"...I just think there's no need for you to be pestered with questions by her. It's fake anyway; you don't need to deal with even my family just for the sake of the act."
Nikaido Hiro remained silent. After another stretch of road, she finally spoke.
"Are you being considerate of ?"
Hikigaya blinked. "I suppose so."
"Then what about yourself?"
"What?"
"Your sister knows now. Your parents might find out too. How do you plan to explain it?"
Hikigaya thought for a mont.
"I'll just say we broke up. It's normal for high school relationships to start and end quickly."
"Oh." Hiiro's voice sounded devoid of any particular emotion.
The two reached a crossroad. The streetlights flickered on, casting an orange glow onto the pavent.
Nikaido Hiro stopped and glanced at him. Before Hikigaya could clearly see the expression on her face, she looked away.
"My house is this way. See you tomorrow," she said.
"See you tomorrow."
Nikaido Hiro turned to the left. Hikigaya noticed that her ears were red.
He stood there for a mont watching her, then turned right and headed toward his own ho.
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