#75: Side Story. — Since she was NTR'd by my senior, I'll NTR his girlfriend (WN)

Please note: This story follows the Kakuyomu WEB version. It is not connected to the Light Novel (Bunko) version.

Timeline: This takes place three years ago, when Yu was still a sophomore in high school.

It was a Saturday, the final day of periodic exams had just ended.

I left the gates of Prefectural Kaihin-Makuhari High School and headed toward my house, walking between the Open University and the Ito-Yokado supermarket.

For now, it looked like I’d get decent scores on my midterms for the first semester.

That said, while my scores in math and science were good, my grades in humanities were poor, so I probably wouldn’t be able to get into a university at my desired level through a recommendation.

…Which university should I pick? Takada? Keirei? Joto? But Keirei is so far away. Their Faculty of Science and Engineering is in Kanagawa. If I go for a national university, I guess it’s Chiba University after all…

I was vaguely pondering such things while waiting for a traffic light when it happened.

“Yu-san!”

A voice suddenly called out from beside me.

I turned around to find Meika Ishida.

“Oh, Meika-chan? Long time no see.”

Meika-chan is the younger sister of my close friend, Yota Ishida.

She’s two years below me, a third-year in middle school.

While Ishida is tall with a rugged, tough-looking face, Meika-chan is small with large, round, lovely eyes.

Honestly, she doesn’t look like Ishida’s sister at all.

I occasionally tease Ishida, saying, “Are you sure you guys are actually related by blood?”

Meika-chan ran up to me with a little skip in her step.

“It really has been a long time! You haven’t come to our house lately, Yu-san, so I was worried about what happened!”

Meika-chan said, her cheeks slightly flushed.

“Yeah, well, school started, you know. I talk to Ishida at school normally. I’ll come over to hang out again once summer vacation starts,” I replied.

No matter how close I am with a friend, I don’t visit their house that frequently unless it’s a long break.

“Ah… you see Big Brother at school, so there’s no need to come to the house… I see, that makes sense.”

Meika-chan muttered, looking a bit lonely. Her eyes drifted downward.

“By the way, Meika-chan, what brings you here today? Do you have an errand?” I asked, feeling a slight curiosity.

Meika-chan’s middle school is on the other side of the river; this was effectively the opposite direction of her usual route.

“Eh? Oh, um, I just had a little shopping to do at the supermarket there…”

Still looking down, Meika-chan glanced at the Yokado right next to us.

“Is that so? Are you finished with your shopping?”

“No… not yet, but…”

After hesitating for a moment, Meika-chan suddenly looked up.

“Yu-san, do you have some time right now?”

“Eh? Why?”

“I’m not very confident in math. I was thinking of buying a reference book, but I don’t know which one to choose. So, I want you to help me pick one, Yu-san. You’re good at math, right?”

She said it all in a hurried rush, as if she were being chased.

“I suppose, but I’m not exceptionally good or anything. I’m probably on par with Ishida. Since he’s your brother, wouldn’t it be better to have him choose one for you?”

But Meika-chan shook her head vigorously.

“No! I hate having Big Brother teach me! It just doesn’t work with him!”

Is it that bad to have a sibling teach you? I’d think it would be easier to ask someone close to you.

Being an only child, I didn’t quite understand that feeling.

“Please! Yu-san!”

Meika-chan sounded desperate.

“Well, I don’t mind. Exams are over, so I’m free anyway.”

“Yay!”

Meika-chan clasped her hands and did a little hop.

Seeing her so happy over something so small… she really is cute, Meika-chan.

“Shall we go, then?”

I headed into the Yokado with her.

We looked through the reference books at the bookstore.

“Hmm, I wonder which one is perfect for me?”

Meika-chan was agonizing over several books she had picked up.

“What kind of reference book are you looking for?”

“I’m a third-year, so I thought a book for high school entrance exam prep would be good. My results on the last mock exam were terrible.”

“Can you solve basic problems?”

When I asked that, she tilted her head and gave a troubled laugh.

“Ehehe… actually, I’m bad at quadratic functions and geometry. I feel like I understand the gist of it, but I just can’t get the points when it comes to the actual tests.”

“In that case, instead of a thick reference book or a difficult workbook, you should buy a thin workbook that focuses on basic problems.”

Saying this, I picked up a suitable workbook.

“First, you need to be able to do school-level math, then public high school entrance exam level. For that, instead of tackling a thick book, I think it’s better to get a thin workbook and make sure you finish it to the very end.”

I flipped through several workbooks and handed Meika-chan one with an appropriate difficulty level.

She took it in her hands.

“Then I’ll take this one! Since you went to the trouble of picking it for me, Yu-san!”

She clutched it to her chest and headed for the register.

Once she finished paying, we left the bookstore together. Meika-chan stole a glance at my face.

“Um, Yu-san, do you still have a little more time?”

“It’s fine. Like I said, my exams are finished.”

“Then, even if it’s just a little bit… could you teach me how to study?”

Meika-chan said shyly, hiding her mouth with the bag containing the reference book.

When asked like that, I couldn’t exactly say “no.”

Besides, it’s not like I had anything else to do, so there was no reason to refuse.

“Sure. But before that, want to grab something to eat? I’m getting hungry. How about you, Meika-chan?”

“Oh, I haven’t had lunch yet either.”

“Then let’s go somewhere. My treat.”

Meika-chan and I entered a donut shop. We bought drinks and donuts and sat at a table.

“Thank you so much. You helped me pick out a book, and now you’re even treating me.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. My parents are usually working and not at home. It’s more fun to be with someone like this than going home to eat cup noodles.”

Meika-chan looked up. She had a look on her face as if she were expecting something.

“Being with me… is it fun?”

“It is. You’re honest and cute, Meika-chan. Honestly, I’m jealous of Ishida.”

This was the truth. Meika-chan really is a lovely girl. She’s pretty much the image of the “ideal little sister.”

Of course, I don’t know the reality. She might act completely different at home or in front of Ishida, but at least in front of me, she has the image of a “cute little sister.”

Meika-chan blushed again, held her donut with both hands, and started munching on it. It reminded me of a hamster or some other small animal.

“…I wish Yu-san were my big brother.”

“Isn’t Ishida a good enough brother? He’s kind to you, isn’t he?”

Ishida cares quite a bit for his sister. Even when hanging out with me, he’d often bring Meika-chan along, saying, “My sister is home alone today, so I felt bad for her.” From my perspective, the Ishida siblings looked like the “ideal brother and sister.”

“Big Brother might be kind, but… Yu-san has a gentler aura, and I feel like we get along better. Plus, you’re cool…”

Meika-chan said, looking up at me. I gave a wry smile.

“Thanks. I think it would be fun if Meika-chan were family, too.”

“Fa… family…”

Suddenly, Meika-chan’s face turned beet red.

She looked down and started eating her donut frantically. In her haste, she then gulped down her milk tea.

After finishing the donut in silence, she fanned her face with both hands and stole another glance at me.

“U-um!”

“What is it?”

When I asked, her eyes widened and she stammered.

“N-nothing! Never mind. Actually, it’s not nothing… next time, only if you have time… could you teach me my studies?”

“Sure, no problem. If there’s something you don’t understand, just ask.”