The Way They Call Me

“Kent-san, isn’t it strange that a daughter who called you ‘Big brother’ until now suddenly changes how she addresses you after spending just one night together?”

“I’m the one in charge of the ‘little girl’ role, you know!”

Marie and Caro pressed me for answers. I could understand Marie, the mother worrying about her daughter, but Caro’s remark made no sense at all.

“Kent-san, I don’t think you would, but you didn’t lay a hand on my young daughter, did you?”

“That’s right! Because I’m the one in the ‘little girl’ role!”

“It shouldn’t matter if I change how I call you, right? Right, Kent-san?”

With that, Catherine clung to my arm.

“Um, Marie-san?”

I decided to persuade Marie first.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Nothing happened last night.”

“I know that.”

“Eh?”

“Ah… I mean, did something happen by the time I woke up?”

“Nothing happened, okay?”

“…”

Marie had come to check on us during the night, so she knew nothing had happened. It didn’t seem to her like I was lying. Realizing that her previous emotions were just jealousy toward her own daughter, Marie found herself at a loss for words.

“I’m sorry. Just because my daughter changed the way she calls you, I jumped to conclusions and got emotional. I should have trusted you more, Kent-san.”

Marie reflected on her actions and apologized to me.

“I’m sorry for causing so much misunderstanding.”

“No… but if my daughter grows up a bit more and chooses you, I won’t be able to say anything against it. I’ll be counting on you for both mother and daughter when that time comes.”

“Thanks, Mother!”

With that, Catherine gave Marie a big hug.

“Um, next… Caro-san?”

“Yes! I’ll say it as many times as it takes—I’m not giving up my ‘little girl’ role!”

“What is this ‘little girl’ role you’ve been talking about?”

Caro had been insisting on being in the “little girl” role for a while now. I didn’t think such a term existed in this world.

“Rachel told me. She said someone like me is a ‘legal loli’ and a precious existence. So, to Big brother, I’m the one in the ‘little girl’ role.”

“That Akane… what on earth is she whispering into pure-hearted Caro-san’s ear? I’ll have to have a word with her later.”

Realizing the influence my sister was having, I held my head in my hands.

“Is everyone still asleep? It’s almost time for the shop to open!”

Rachel came bursting into the house.

“Oh no, is it that time already?”

“I haven’t eaten breakfast yet!”

“I completely forgot that the time had passed. This is unlike me.”

“Crap, I have to get ready fast!”

Because we had been talking so much, we had completely forgotten about the shop. Caro, Marie, Catherine, and I scrambled to get ready and headed to the bakery.

After that, Marie and I mobilized everyone for a full-scale bread-baking session, and we managed to finish just before opening.

When it was time for school, Caro, Rachel, and I headed out.

“I couldn’t ask because the morning was so busy, but why were you late today?”

Rachel asked Caro and me.

“Actually, Kent-san and Catherine-chan slept together last night.”

“Ehh?! Big brother, did you lay a hand on Catherine-chan?”

“No, I didn’t!”

“And because of that, there was a dispute with Marie-san.”

Caro said this while making sure to emphasize that she wasn’t involved.

“By the way, Akane. You’ve been whispering strange things to Caro-san, haven’t you?”

“Eh? Me? To Caro?”

Rachel answered with an expression that claimed ignorance.

“Weren’t you saying something about a ‘legal loli’?”

“Oh, that! Well, Caro’s body is amazing, you know? Her skin is elastic like a child’s, and her physique… well, whether she’ll grow from now on… no, she’s in the middle of her growth process, and she smells sweet like milk. Isn’t she the definition of a loli?”

“You seem to know an awful lot about her.”

“W-well, yeah. We’re best friends.”

Rachel, who had become strangely knowledgeable about Caro’s body, answered while dodging the subject.

“Speaking of which, when did you two start calling each other by your names?”

I felt like they used to use honorifics, but somewhere along the line, the “-san” had been dropped from their names.

“We’re best friends, after all.”

「「Right?」」

The two of them spoke in perfect unison. They really seemed to get along.

“Well then, Kent-san, see you later.”

“See ya, Big brother!”

Having arrived at school, Caro and Rachel held hands and headed toward the first-year classroom.

“They really are close. Well, I should head to my classroom too.”

I muttered to myself and headed toward my own class.

When I arrived at the classroom, the girl in the seat next to me was surrounded by other female students from our class.

“Hey, hey, Patty. Where did you get that?”

“Where did you buy it? Tell us!”

The girl next to me—now known as Patty—looked troubled as she tried to think of how to answer.

“Um… Kent-kun gave it to me.”

Without thinking, she told the truth.

“Ehh?! Does that mean you’re dating Kent-kun?”

“Wasn’t Kent-kun dating that noble girl in the first year… the one who’s ranked first in grades for her year? I can’t remember her name. Weren’t they together?”

“Did you steal a noble lady’s boyfriend? Nice move.”

The surrounding girls spoke one after another.

“Oh, honestly, it’s not like that! Ah, good morning, Kent-kun.”

Patty spotted me entering the classroom and greeted me.

“Good morning, Patty-san. It’s quite lively here this morning.”

The moment I greeted her, the girls who had been surrounding Patty swarmed around me instead. It wasn’t that hot today, so the odor was minimal, but being crowded like this was still a bit much.

“Kent-kun, are you dating Patty?”

“Why did you give her underwear as a gift?”

“Did you break up with that noble girl?”

They all pressed me at once.

“I’m sorry, Kent-kun. I wore the bra under my uniform, and everyone started interrogating me.”

“Ah, I see.”

Patty spoke to me apologetically. I had seen Caro and Rachel go through similar interrogations, so I understood the situation.

“Alright, I’ll answer you in order. First, I’m not dating Patty-san. I didn’t give her underwear as a gift; it’s part of the uniform for the part-time job she started last week. So, I guess you could call it a supplied item. As for the noble girl… you mean Caro-san, right? We haven’t broken up.”

I answered each of the people who had asked questions.

“Wait, what? He answered every question we all asked at once perfectly? That’s amazing!”

“As expected of the top student in the grade.”

“Wow, I just saw something incredible.”

The girls surrounding me were shocked by my ability.

“So, Patty. Where are you working that they supply such expensive underwear as a uniform? Is it some kind of suspicious shop for adults?”

“It’s nothing like that! It’s a bakery. Yes, I started a part-time job at a bakery.”

Patty answered the girl’s question.

“Are bakeries really that profitable? It doesn’t look that way no matter how you look at it.”

“Right? I don’t think a bakery could afford to give out underwear as a uniform.”

The girls didn’t seem to believe what Patty was saying. Patty looked cornered, trying to figure out how to respond.

“You girls! Class is about to start. Get to your seats!”

「「「H-hyah! Sorry!」」」

Josette spoke to the girls. No matter how much equality was preached within the school, the words of Josette, a Duke’s daughter, were absolute to those of the commoner class. The girls scrambled back to their seats.

(Thank you, Josette-san.)

Josette gave me a thumbs-up that only I could see. I returned the thumbs-up in the same way.