I Managed to Bring Down the Entire Family of That Impossible-To-Conquer S-Class Beauty, Completely Filling in Her Outer Moat
โUm, first off, nice to meet you. I’m Watarai Nozomu. Just your average high school guy with an average face.โ
I introduced myself to the boy I met in the mountains.
Above all, I needed to put this kid at ease. Otherwise, things wouldn’t move forward.
โW-Wataraiโฆ? Watarai?โ
โWhatever you like. If it’s hard to say, you can call me onii chan or something.โ
โOnii chanโฆโ
โYeah. So, I’d like to know your name too.โ
โAkitoshi.โ
โAkitoshi-kun, huh? Nice to meet you.โ
I speak as gently as possible to the lost child, now Akitoshi-kun.
โAkitoshi-kun, why did you go into the mountains?โ
โWell, I saw a golden stag beetle around here, but my friends wouldn’t believe me. So I came looking for it!โ
โA golden one, huh. I see.โ
โYou don’t believe me either, do youโฆโ
โNo, I believe youโฆ Actually, I came looking for it too!โ
โReally!? I wanna see it! I wanna see it!โ
His gloomy expression did a complete 180, and he shot me a sparkling look.
I thought about checking the answer on my phone, but decided against it. That sense of accomplishment in childhood is a huge investment in his future self.
He still seems full of energy, so I’ll play along.
โAkitoshi-kun. If it’s okay with you, could I join you on that โtreasure huntโ?โ
โSure! Let’s go find it then!โ
โOh, but first, take this. It’s hot, but put on this long-sleeved jacket. Short sleeves are dangerous when you go into the mountains.โ
โOkay, got it!โ
Looks like I won’t be able to do the hobby I had planned after bug hunting.
Well, I can do that tomorrow. For now, I’ll enjoy the present moment with Akitoshi-kun at full throttle.
We climbed the mountain slowly, matching his pace, until we reached a nice spot.
โAlright, first I’ll explain about those stag beetles, so listen up!โ
โYes! Onii chan teacher!โ
โFrom my own experience, those beetles are often found in small holes under trees. So, we’ll use this rake to search!โ
โOoooh!!โ
I handed Akitoshi the rake I’d brought as a backup, and he started raking through the fallen leaves near the tree.
However, since it wasn’t the season when stag beetles were truly active, they weren’t easy to find.
We kept searching, taking breaks as needed, until the sun began to dip.
Just when I thought we’d run out of time, Akitoshi shouted.
โOnii chan! There’s somethingโฆ something in there!?โ
โWhoa! Alright, I’ll lend you this. Let’s get it out!โ
โYeah!โ
The stick we’d made by dismantling a hanger to scrape out stag beetles.
Using it, we scraped whatever was in the hole. Carefully, to avoid hurting the creature as much as possible, we pulled it out of the hole.
โGot it!โ
โI thought it wasn’t there, but it was. Congratulations! This is Japan’s native golden stag beetleโthe โMiyama Stag Beetleโ!โ
โWooooo!!โ
This stag beetle dislikes high temperatures and is an insect that appears in high-altitude mountains and early in the season.
Its rugged head shape is striking, and its golden, shimmering fine hairs are beautiful.
โyou found it yourself, though. What do you think?โ
โIt’s so coolโฆ! onii chan, thank you so much! I love you!!โ
โYou’re welcome. โฆHeheโ
I am absolutely not a shota-con or a lolicon.
But, pure, straightforward affection hits you like a critical hit.
โWell, it’s getting late. We should head back soon.โ
Though searching for insects together is a wholesome activity, playing with a stranger until evening could cause trouble in various ways and attract the attention of criminals.
I placed the stag beetle in the insect cage and headed down the mountain toward the road.
Akitoshi-kun stared intently at the beetle in the cage while squeezing my hand tightly with his other hand.
โIs this the way back?โ
โYeah! Do you wanna eat dinner with me too?โ
โNah, I’ll pass. Also, honestly, playing with strangers is dangerous. Try not to do it too much.โ
โBut it’s okay with you, right? We’re not strangers anymore!โ
โIs that so? Hmmโฆ Maybeโฆ ? Nah, probably notโฆโ
โNo way, no way, no way! We’re playing together again!!โ
โAlright, alright. Let’s play again sometime.โ
Walking along the path tinged crimson, I glanced sideways at Akitoshi-kun, who seemed surprisingly energetic for someone who’d just been hiking around the mountains.
A few minutes later, we arrived at Akitoshi-kun’s house.
โOnii chan, wait a sec! I’ll tell onee chan about today and get her to eat dinner with us!โ
โN-no, I meanโฆ that’d be too much troubleโฆโ
BANG! The door slammed shut.
No room for argument, I guess. What should I do?
Hopefully, dragging a kid around for hours won’t get me charged with attempted kidnapping or somethingโฆ?
โStill, he actually has an older sister?โ
In a romance light novel, this would probably lead to her repaying the favor. We’d become friends, I guess.
Yeah, a light novelโฆ Wait, light novel? Come to think of it, what day is it today?
Suddenly, a hidden resentment within me began to assert itself.
โAhh!? I have to send the manuscript for Volume 7 of the light novel I’m writing to my editor by tomorrow! Guhโฆ Akitoshi-kun, I’m so sorry!!โ
After a moment’s hesitation, I sprinted off.
Apologizing silently to him and my editor in my mind, I faded into the sunset.
ใใ๏ผใใ๏ผใใ๏ผ
โOnee chan, I’m home! Look, lookโa golden stag beetle!โ
โWelcome home, Akitoshi. It’s gold! That’s amazing! Good job!โ
Akitoshi, the boy who had been with Nozomu just moments ago, proudly showed off his beetle the instant he got home.
The target of his pride was, needless to say, his older sister. Only, the true identity of that sister wasโฆ
โChina nee, come outside?โ
Jet-black hair as glossy as night, sapphire eyesโa peerless beauty whose face captivated at first glance.
โAmagiri China. An impregnable S-class beauty.
โHm? What is it?โ
โToday, I got lost in the mountains, but onii chan saved me, okay? He even helped me find a stag beetle!โ
โHuh, reallyโฆ Wait, lost!? Eh, a-are you okay!? You’re not hurt anywhere!?โ
โYeah! Thanks to onii chan! So, he is outside, and I wanna eat dinner with him!โ
He’d safely delivered her little brother and even played with him.
She couldn’t thank him enough, but she also became curious about what kind of person he was.
โSo, what’s he like?โ
โOnii chan with a face like โno big deal, no big dealโ.โ
โW-where did you learn that phraseโฆ?โ
Anyway, if he’s outside, this will be quick. She should meet him in person to thank him.
Thinking that, she dashed out the front door.
โUmโฆ! My little brother caused you a lot of trouble!! โฆHuh? Wait, what? There’s no one here.โ
Nozomu, swamped with light novel manuscript work, was already gone.
โโฆHuh? Something’s fallen here.โ
In his haste, Nozomu hadn’t noticed he’d left behind a certain trace.
China picked it up and stared at it intently.
โMy high school schedule? Could he be a student at the same schoolโฆ? I have to find him and thank him!โ
China was fired up with determination.
However, her real involvement with him wouldn’t begin until after her entire family had been taken downโฆ
Maiasa