Test Result Announcements

“Big Brother, it’s morning, you know?”

“Good morning, Catherine.”

In the morning, Catherine came to wake me up. Caro was sleeping right next to me. Marie-san had been sleeping in Caro’s room with Catherine. Last night, after some discussion, it was decided that Caro and I would sleep in my room together, while Marie-san and Catherine took Caro’s room.

“Good morning, Catherine-chan.”

“Mugyu— I can’t breathe, Caro-oneesan!”

As soon as she woke up, Caro gave Catherine a “good morning” hug. Usually, she does this to me, but it seems her target changed today.

“You’re so soft and warm.”

Caro clung to Catherine, rubbing her face against her.

“Honestly, Caro-oneesan, you need to get up too. We have to prepare the shop.”

The two of them showed up in the living room still in their tracksuits.

“Good morning, Kent-san, Caro-chan. I’ve prepared breakfast, so make sure to eat. I’m heading over to the shop ahead of you.”

Lately, I had only seen Marie-san’s slovenly side, so seeing the usual, composed Marie-san for the first time in a while felt fresh. She quickly finished her preparations and headed to the shop.

“Well then, Big Brother, Caro-oneesan, I’m going on ahead too!”

Catherine had also finished getting ready and followed after her.

Caro and I quickly finished breakfast and headed to the shop ourselves.

“Well then, Kent-san, Caro-chan, I’m counting on you today as well.”

“ “Yes!” “

Caro and I took our respective positions and began preparing for the opening. Once the bread was ready, we opened the doors. A long line had already formed before the opening. It was fine while Caro and I were helping, but while we are at school, the number of newly baked loaves drops sharply. Popular breads sell out immediately and aren’t easily restocked. Regulars who realized this had started coming to buy before we left for school. That way, the probability of getting the bread they wanted went up significantly.

As a result, the time window while Caro and I are there has become incredibly busy. However, since we only knew this level of busyness, we never even imagined there were times when the shop was quiet.

“ “Well then, we’re off!” “

“Take care!”

Seen off by Marie-san, Caro and I held hands and headed for school. We seemed to be an officially recognized couple within the school now, as no one paid any mind to our behavior anymore.

“Kent-san, the test results should be posted today.”

“Is that so? You didn’t have much time to study because the part-time job was so busy, right, Caro-san? Are you going to be okay?”

“…Well, I’ll probably be fine.”

Caro said to a worried me, looking a bit apologetic. The two of us headed to the place where the rankings were posted. The results were displayed in order of first, second, and third years.

“Let’s see… Huh, second place is Rachel. She’s actually quite smart. Let’s see… Caro-san is… wait? Her name isn’t here?”

No matter how many times I checked the board, Caro’s name was missing.

“That’s strange. Your name isn’t here, Caro-san?”

When I turned to her and said that, she spoke bashfully.

“Um… look at the first-place spot…”

Told that, I looked at the first-place position and saw “1st Place: Caroline” written there. I remembered that in the game, she was always at the top of the results—a high wall that you couldn’t overcome unless you put all your stat points into study.

“Ehh—? Caro-san, was your name actually Caroline?”

“Yes… I’m sorry for not being able to say it sooner. Caro is a nickname.”

It was only in Chapter 19 that I finally learned this shocking fact.

“Um, Caroline-san?”

“You can keep calling me Caro like you have been.”

“I get it. Then I’ll call you Caro-san just like before.”

“Yes!”

Caro answered with a happy smile. I felt an impulse to hug her, but since we were at school and people were watching, I held myself back.

“So, I wonder what rank you are, Kent-san?”

Saying so, Caro pulled my hand and we came before the second-year board.

“As expected of you, Kent-san. You’re first place.”

Finding my name, Caro spoke to me. Since the content of the test was what it was, honestly, I couldn’t be purely happy, but it didn’t feel bad to be told that.

“It was probably just luck.”

I answered for now.

“I didn’t know you were so smart, Kent?”

Hearing a voice from behind, I turned around to see Rachel standing there.

“Good morning, Rachel-san.”

“Good morning.”

Kent and Caro gave their greetings.

“You were second place too, Rachel-san. That’s amazing.”

“I couldn’t beat the person in first place, Caroline, last time either. I thought I studied quite hard, though.”

“I’m sorry.”

Caro apologized to Rachel.

“Why are you apologizing, Caro-san?”

“Um… that first place… is me.”

“Ehh—?”

Rachel was astonished.

“Somehow, Rachel-san, you have the same way of being surprised as Kent-san. You’re just like siblings.”

Hearing Caro’s casual remark, Rachel and I stared at each other.

“Big… brother?”

“Lit…tle sister?”

Something was clicking for both of us, but we couldn’t yet reach a conclusion. The preparatory bell rang, and it was time for everyone to head to their classrooms.

“The bell rang. Kent-san, see you at lunch. Well then, since we’re going the same way, let’s walk partway together, Rachel-san.”

“Yes, Caro… line-san?”

“You can just call me Caro. You two really do have the same reactions.”

Watching Caro and Rachel head toward the first-year classrooms, I made my way to my own.

Lunch break arrived, and I sat down on my usual bench behind the school building.

“Please say something before you leave. You were gone before I knew it, and I had to search for you.”

Saying so, Josette sat down next to me. After a while, Caro and Rachel arrived.

“Caro-san, why did you bring Rachel with you?”

Josette spoke to Caro with an explicitly displeased expression.

“We’ve become friends, so… was it bad to bring her?”

Caro said to Josette apologetically.

“I’m sorry, I insisted on coming along. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

Rachel bowed her head.

“It’s not as if you’ve done anything wrong. If the others don’t mind, I won’t mind either.”

With that, Josette backed down.

Caro sat next to me, and Rachel sat next to her.

Today’s lunch was the usual bread. For hygiene, I decided to use paper bags for packaging starting today. Of course, they were brand-new disposable ones sourced from the home improvement store. Additionally, bread with toppings that might stick was placed in plastic bags or covered in plastic wrap. I decided to use the same packaging at the shop as well.

“I didn’t notice the other day, but this is the famous Marie-san’s bread, isn’t it? Wait, aren’t these plastic bags and plastic wrap? Where did you get these?”

Rachel pressed me with a look of pure shock.

“Wh-what’s wrong all of a sudden?”

Josette raised her voice in surprise at Rachel’s sudden change.

“And the bread inside… Tuna bread, custard cream bread, margarine bread, even strawberry jam bread… and sandwiches too.”

“My, you certainly are knowledgeable about bread, Rachel-san.”

As usual, Josette said while already eating her bread before anyone noticed.

“The bread Kent-san came up with is delicious, you know?”

Caro said while munching away.

“If you’re selling bread like this, it’s no wonder the gross bread at my part-time job isn’t selling! Plus, they taste exactly like they look… just who on earth are you?”

“Um… it’s just bread I… thought of?”

Feeling like she was hitting a sore spot, I answered vaguely while trying to manage.

“This tuna bread, the taste is exactly like canned Sea-Chicken. Where did you get this?”

“Ugh, why do you know that?”

Then, Rachel suddenly burst into tears.

“Oh my, Kent-san, making a girl cry. You’re a bad person.”

Josette said with a mischievous face.

“Kent-san, how many girls do you intend to make cry before you’re satisfied? I’m truly angry!”

Caro followed suit.

“Sob… if you make me eat such nostalgic flavors, I can’t help but remember. Being thrown into a world like a game… surrounded by people I don’t know… I decided to use my knowledge of the game to get by, but lately things have been going in such a weird direction… it makes me want to go back to my old world. I want to play games with my big brother!”

It felt as though a piece that had been missing from my head snapped back into place.

“That’s right… my little sister… I forgot that I had to find Akane.”

“Eh? Big… brother?”

The two of us stood up, stared at each other for a moment, and then embraced.

“It really is you, Big Brother. Big Brother, Big Brother!”

“Akane? Is it really you, Akane?”

Caro and Josette were left wondering how to even speak to the two of us as we hugged each other, shedding tears for quite some time.

“So, what is the meaning of this?”

After we had calmed down a bit, Josette questioned us.

“Um… I don’t know how to explain it well, but Akane… I mean Rachel… seems to be the sister I was looking for.”

“Um, Kent-san, weren’t you an only child?”

Caro asked, likely having heard from Marie-san that I had no siblings.

“Originally, we lived in a different world, and while the two of us were out together, we both died in an accident, which triggered our being sent to this world. It seems Rachel was my sister from that time. The ability I received back then allows me to bring out things from my original world, albeit with limitations. That’s why I used ingredients from there to make this bread.”

“Ah, I see. So those mysterious tools and things were… brought from another world?”

“Yeah, something like that. I don’t know why I got that ability, though.”

Caro, who knew I had the ability to obtain various things, was convinced, but Josette and Rachel were unable to comprehend.

“I don’t understand the meaning at all. What does it mean to bring things from another world?”

“Big Brother, is the secret of this bread there too?”

Josette and Rachel asked.

“I can’t explain it here, so is it okay if we talk after the evening shift?”

With lunch break almost over, I made the suggestion because it seemed like the explanation would be long.

“I don’t have work today, so I’m fine.”

“I am fine as well.”

Having secured the promise from Rachel and Josette, I decided to explain everything later.