I Managed to Bring Down the Entire Family of That Impossible-To-Conquer S-Class Beauty, Completely Filling in Her Outer Moat
After several dozen minutes of the bus swaying, we finally arrived at our destination, the forest park.
“We’re here! Where are the bugs!?”
“Akitoshi, wait! You gotta spray bug repellent first before dashing!!”
“Waaah!!”
“Akitoshi!!”
The moment we got off the bus, Aki-kun darted away from Amagiri-san, who was ready with the spray.
Amagiri-san is surprisingly gentle with her little brother. If it were my sister, a fist would be flying without a word.
But rather than thinking about that, I decided to help her out.
“Gotcha!”
“Eek! Onii chan caught me!!”
“You might get itchy later, so make sure to use the bug spray properly, okay?”
“Okay!”
After I said that, he raised his hand and obediently accepted the bug spray.
Amagiri-san muttered with a sad look, “Why won’t you listen to me…?”
“Alright, we’re all set. Let’s go find some bugs! Heave-ho!!”
“Whooo-hoo!!”
It was just before summer. While rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles wouldn’t be easy to find, there were plenty of other fascinating insects around.
Even in this meadow we were standing in, quick-moving bugs were darting about.
“Akitoshi kun, can you see that?”
“Huh? What?”
“Don’t you see something sparkling?”
“…Ah! I see it! What is that!?”
“Let’s catch it and take a closer look.”
“Yeah!”
We raced across the field, catching the swift-moving creature with our butterfly net.
They placed it in the bug jar and showed it to the pair. Aki-kun was excited, but he didn’t seem to know what it was.
“Hmm, the field guide says… Ah, ‘Hanmyou’!?”
“Akitoshi-kun, you got it! You’re a genius! This is a Nami Hanmyou!”
Blue, red, green, navy, white. A bug with a flashy pattern using all those colors.
It sparkled like a jewel, a beautiful species of insect.
“I’m catching one too! Wait—!”
“Akitoshi kun, watch your step—don’t fall!”
Glancing sideways at him dashing across the field, Amagiri-san took a picnic sheet out of her bag and spread it on the ground.
“Almost noon already?”
“Yeah. Today, my bento is all delicious, you know! Right?!!”
“I, I’m looking forward to it…”
Seems she’s still holding a grudge about that sweet potato dish.
It did have a unique taste, and she seems to want a rematch.
(Still, it’s a strange feeling.)
Meeting Amagiri-san, who’s touted as an S-class beauty, on a holiday and even getting to eat her bento…
Honestly, Amagiri-san and I aren’t a good match. People might say we’re like a lantern and a bell.
But hey, even if it’s just a fleeting, ephemeral dream, it’s fun.
“Well, I guess I’ll go look for them too. What about you, Amagiri-san?”
“I’ll get lunch ready. Take care of Akitoshi, okay?♪”
“Got it.”
Just by entrusting me with her brother, I must be earning quite a bit of Amagiri-san’s goodwill, right?
…To avoid such delusions, I gulped down some tea from my thermos to cool my overheated brain before heading over to Aki-kun.
――A few minutes later.
We ran around the field catching ground beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, and such, then finished observing them.
“Hey, you two—lunchtime’s almost here!”
“Yeees! Let’s go, onii chan!”
“Yeah, let’s head over.”
Following Amagiri san’s call, we made our way to the spread-out picnic blanket.
Spread out before us were mountains of rice balls and lunch boxes. It was a quantity fit for a sports festival.
“S-so many… I could cook too, maybe we should’ve shared the work?”
“Nope. I wanted to make them, and Mom helped too. Come on, let’s eat! Hands together, everyone~?”
The three of us clasped hands and spoke in unison.
“””Let’s eat!”””
There was so much to choose from, it was hard to decide where to start.
I played it safe and started with a rice ball, and as always, it was delicious.
“Mmm~! nee san, this mixed rice ball is so good! Try it!”
“Well, I made it myself. Open wide. Mmm, I have to say, I did a good job!”
Akitoshi-kun shared the rice ball he ate with Amagiri-san. What a heartwarming sight.
While I was eating rice balls with these two as my side dishes, the focus suddenly shifted to me.
“Eat, eat, onii chan!”
“…Huh?”
“Huh!?”
My chewing stopped, and Amagiri-san’s chopsticks paused midway to her lunchbox.
Right after Amagiri-san ate, he tried to feed me… That’s basically an indirect kiss, right?
“N-no, I’m fine, really? Akitoshi-kun should eat plenty!”
“Onii chan, you don’t want to eat…?”
“Ugh!”
Thinking I’d refused him, Aki-kun’s face clouded over instantly, looking like he was about to cry.
What do I do? What should I do? No, even thinking about it must be painful for Aki-kun. Dammit, just do it!!
“Munch! Uh, yeah! This is super delicious!!”
“Yeah! Right?!”
I took a bite of that rice ball. Honestly, I couldn’t really taste anything.
After watching Akitoshi-kun look happy, I turned my face toward Amagiri-san. Then, I saw her face hidden under a straw hat.
(My good points, which might have just gone up, are now at rock bottom…!? I could cry…)
What if everything I eat from now on tastes like tears?
Thinking that, I reached for my chopsticks.
As I ate my bento in slightly awkward silence, something fluttered down onto Amagiri-san’s hat.
“Oniichan!”
“Akitoshi-kun, shhh. That’s a Blue Admiral butterfly. I used to raise them from caterpillars back in the day~”
Resting on her head was a beautiful butterfly, the Blue Admiral, with its black base and blue patterns.
Amagiri-san looked utterly confused, a question mark floating above her head.
“Amagiri-san, turn toward me… slowly.”
“H-huh?”
Snap.
The moment I took a photo with my phone, the butterfly flew away again.
But then,
“Grab it!!”
“Wah!?”
“Ah, Amagiri-san—!?”
Akitoshi swung his butterfly net down with all his might, successfully capturing Amagiri-san.
“Ah! I let it escape!”
“A-ki-to-shi~?”
“Ah…”
Despite her cheerful smile, Akitoshi-kun noticed Amagiri-san radiating an overwhelming aura, and the blood drained from his face.
He hurriedly hid behind my back and started trembling.
“Seriously, you got grass all over me. So? Did you catch anything?”
“You failed spectacularly, Akitoshi-kun. But I got it perfectly on my phone.”
The photo captured a butterfly that looked like a hair ornament and Amagiri-san smiling awkwardly.
It was so beautiful, I thought it could probably fetch a high price if sold.
“Onee san looks gorgeous in the pic!”
“Yeah, Amagiri-san is beautiful, so she photographs well too.”
It was an honest thought that slipped out naturally.
In response, she said one word, looking a little embarrassed.
“Ehehe… Thank you, Watarai-kun.”
I’ll never forget that smile, not for the rest of my life. Thinking that, I began to purify and fade away.
…It was a truly joyful moment.
But it was precisely this moment that would later be revealed to be the calm before the storm…
Maiasa