The Gal Next to Me Is Trying Too Hard to Make Me Fall in Love With Her
“…Alright, that should do it.”
Sunday evening.
That day, I’d returned to my parents’ house for the first time in a while.
“Well, I’ll be heading back soon. If you can’t finish it, make sure to refrigerate it properly.”
“Wow, it smells amazing! Thanks, Shiro-nii!”
“No need to thank me. Just don’t team up with Amagi-san to try and frame me again. If you want me to cook, I’ll come by like this every now and then.”
“Okay!”
My sister, Ouran, who had recently contacted Amagi-san and schemed to bring me back to our family home.
Her motive seemed to be wanting to eat my home cooking. Since I didn’t want her plotting anything else, I came over to make dinner today.
“You’re coming home for New Year’s, right?”
“Sorry. I have work until New Year’s Eve, so I can only make it for the first three days.”
“Oh… Oh! Bring Amagi san too. I want to properly introduce her to everyone.”
“N-no, that’s—”
I was about to say, “Of course not,” but…
But because of that video circulating, my whole family knows about Amagi-san. I might need to explain clearly that it’s not her.
“…Well, if Amagi-san says she wants to come.”
“Yay!”
That person would almost certainly never say no.
Actually, she’d probably want to come even if I didn’t say anything. To fill in the gaps.
“Oh, right. Shiro-nii, wait a sec!”
Just as I reached the entrance and put on my shoes, Ouran turned on her heel.
After a moment,s he returned holding a thick brown envelope.
“I ran into Suzuki san from the neighborhood this morning. he asked me to give this to Shiro-nii.”
“To me? What could it be… Whoa, what the—!?”
Tilting the envelope, a thudding pile of paper spilled out. A stack of ten-thousand-yen bills.
At a glance, it looked like three hundred thousand… no, probably five hundred thousand yen.
Grandpa Suzuki had looked after me since childhood, buying me toys and sweets, but we certainly weren’t on such intimate terms that he’d give me this much money.
“This has to be some kind of mistake! I’m taking it back right now!”
“Eh? Since it’s here, just take it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!! There’s no way I can accept this much money!? Besides, I have no reason to take it!!”
“There is a reason. Suzuki-san said it was a congratulatory gift.”
“…A congratulatory gift?”
A high school entrance celebration?
That seems way too late… but then again, Suzuki-san is getting on in years. Maybe he’s getting a bit senile. No, even so, this amount is crazy!
“He said it’s a gift for Shiro-nii getting married. He’s not sure if his health will let him attend the wedding, so he asked me to use it toward the ceremony costs!”
“…………”
Even old folks watch videos on social media these days.
Modern times are amazing…
On my way home, I naturally went to return the money to the Suzuki household.
I also explained that I wasn’t married, but they were surprisingly hard to convince.
Apparently, around here, it’s been decided that I’m engaged to Amagi-san. …Oh no, the outer moat’s been completely filled in—there’s nowhere left to hide.
Anyway, I returned the money and, as if in exchange, was given some mandarin oranges to take home before heading back.
I did say I’d bring Amagi to my parents’ place for New Year’s, but is that really okay…?
If someone actually saw us walking together, I’d have no excuse left. Amagi would happily blab about things, real or imagined, and my escape route would be completely cut off.
…Well, but.
Maybe that’s fine too,…
I find myself thinking that.
“Hm?”
Arriving at my apartment door, I sense someone inside.
Probably Amagi. I gave her a spare key a while back.
“I’m home.”
Sure enough, her shoes were in the entryway.
Hearing my voice, she came out from the living room with light, quick steps.
Her flashy golden hair was tied back in a single ponytail, and she wore a cute apron over her revealing loungewear.
“Welcome home, Saeki! Quick, quick, give me your bags!”
“Huh? Ah, um… Amagi?”
“Never mind, never mind!”
She snatched my bags and dragged me straight into the room.
…Something… looks a bit nicer. Did she clean?
Wait… wh-what is this? What’s going on?
“Amagi… um, why is there a kotatsu in my room?”
“Hehehe! This is my new plan to make Saeki fall head over heels for me!”
“…Huh?”
She struck a smug pose with all her might, hands on hips, chest thrust out proudly.
“Today, I’m going to be Saeki’s wife!! I’m Arisa-chan, the perfect wife and mother!!”
I couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but I understood one thing: she’d started doing something stupid again.
Maiban