Side Story.

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

Timeline: This takes place just before “Chapter 71: Sisters’ Attack” in Chapter 2.

Honoka pulled out the digital thermometer she had tucked under her arm.

…37.3 degrees Celsius. Still have a bit of a fever…

It was her second day off school. Two nights ago, she had spent hours under the freezing January sky in thin clothing, which resulted in a nasty cold. Yesterday, her fever had spiked into the high 38s.

…If he hadn’t come for me, I really might have ended up with pneumonia. I could’ve actually died…

Honoka thought to herself as the face of a certain man drifted into her mind.

Yu Isshiki. The man who recently started dating her older sister, Toko, and the person her best friend, Meika Ishida, has had a crush on for years.

Whenever she thought of Yu, Honoka felt her chest tighten with a sharp “squeeze.”

…That idiot. If you were coming, you should’ve come sooner. I was right by your house the whole time…

Honoka felt her face grow hot. To hide it, she rolled over in bed. For the past two days, she had thought of nothing but Yu.

The way he had taught her so enthusiastically when they first met.

How he searched for her “lost” phone with her, completely unaware it was a trap.

The way his face looked when he was genuinely angry after finding out he’d been tricked.

The troubled smile he wore whenever he was with Meika.

When she had run away from home and Yu had come rushing to the park that night looking so worried, her heart had practically leaped out of her chest with joy.

“You’re freezing, aren’t you?”

The image of Yu pulling her toward his car by her hand filled her head.

The warmth of his hand in hers, the profile of his face as he sat quietly in the car listening to her story. All of it brought her a strange sensation—one that felt painful, yet one she wanted to hold onto forever.

…I’ve never felt like this before. Not even with the guys I actually dated…

Ever since that night, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Deep in her chest, it felt like her heart was being wrung out.

…Agh, what is wrong with me!…

She threw herself face-down into her pillow with a light “paf.” Even so, she couldn’t clear her head. Yu’s words echoed in her mind.

“In my eyes, I think your appearance doesn’t fall short of Toko-senpai’s.”

A smile—30% embarrassment and 70% joy—spread across Honoka’s face. But…

“Then why did you pick Onee?!!”

Honoka grabbed her pillow with both hands, sat up, and slammed it down onto the duvet. She stayed in that position on the bed, deep in thought.

…I’ve fallen for Isshiki-san…

It was the conclusion she had been wrestling with for the past two days.

“Isshiki-san, why do you like Onee so much?…”

She muttered to herself. It was true that Toko was a sister she respected and was proud of. She loved Toko, and she knew Toko would do almost anything for her. But what was with that lack of flexibility and that logic-driven stubbornness? Honestly, even from Honoka’s perspective:

“Even if guys are attracted to her looks at first, won’t they run away once they see how stiff she is?”

“Listening to your story, I found one thing I can empathize with.”

Again, Yu’s words surfaced in her head.

…Yeah, I think so too. I think Isshiki-san and I are a much better match than him and Onee. I feel like I can be my natural, honest self around him. It feels like we feel and think the same way. I’m sure Isshiki-san feels a strong sympathy with me too…

From what she had heard, even though Toko and Yu were “dating,” they hadn’t actually done anything. They hadn’t even gone to karaoke together, let alone kissed. And if Toko said she “won’t have sex until marriage,” she would actually follow through with it.

“If it were me… after dating for maybe a year… if it’s Isshiki-san, I’d be okay with it…”

Honoka whispered, her fingers nervously fiddling with the corner of her pillow.

“Wait, waaaah! What am I saying?!!”

Blushing furiously at her own words, Honoka dove back into the pillow. After a while, she slowly lifted her head.

…That’s right. Onee and Isshiki-san haven’t done anything yet. They’re just ‘dating’ on paper… Meika has loved him longer, and I’m the one who kissed him first… If Isshiki-san says he ‘prefers a virgin for a girlfriend,’ I’m qualified for that too!… There’s no reason for us to give up. No, I don’t want to give up. Even if the opponent is Onee…

Just then, her phone vibrated. For a split second, she hoped it was Yu, but the caller ID showed Meika. Letting out a small sigh of disappointment, she picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hello, En-chan? I heard you caught a cold. How are you feeling?”

“Yeah, I had quite a fever yesterday. But it’s gone down a lot today, so I think I can go to school tomorrow.”

“That’s good. I wanted to give you the homework prints from yesterday and today’s classes. Is it okay if I stop by your house?”

Honoka hesitated for a second. But in that brief moment, an idea flashed through her mind.

“It’s fine. Thanks.”

“Okay, I’ll head over now. I should be there in about thirty minutes.”

Meika hung up. Honoka sat there, clutching her phone.

Less than thirty minutes later, Meika arrived. Honoka, still in her pajamas with a cardigan thrown over them, met her at the door. Meika was in her school uniform; she must have come straight from school.

“Is it okay for you to be out of bed?” Meika asked worriedly.

“Yeah, my fever is almost gone. It was mostly just physical exhaustion and getting chilled. Come on in.”

“Excuse me.”

Meika entered, and Honoka led her to her room. The two sat on cushions around a low table.

“So, En-chan, how did you catch such a bad cold anyway?”

Honoka told her everything about two nights ago, hiding nothing.

“I see… so that’s what happened. I’m sorry. It’s my fault.” Meika said, looking down.

“Eh, it’s not your fault, Meika. Don’t apologize! It was all stuff I decided to do on my own.”

After saying that, Honoka also lowered her gaze.

“Besides… I’m the one who needs to apologize…”

Meika looked up, puzzled, as Honoka tentatively raised her eyes to meet hers.

“Actually, um… I talked with Isshiki-san a lot, too… and, well, a lot happened… and I feel like I understand how you feel now… or rather, I started thinking that he’s actually… kind of great…”

Meika looked Honoka straight in the eye. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

Honoka looked down again.

“Um… it’s hard to explain, but talking with Isshiki-san feels comfortable, or like our hearts just click… I found myself thinking ‘I want to be with him a little longer’…”

“Does that mean you like Yu-san, En-chan?” Meika asked bluntly, staring at her.

“Uh… I can’t say it as concretely as ‘love’ yet, but…”

Honoka stammered for a moment.

“Sorry, that was a lie. I’ve… already fallen for Isshiki-san…”

Meika stared at Honoka for a long while and let out a small sigh.

“I thought so. You said you were doing it ‘for me,’ but toward the middle, you looked so happy whenever you were meeting Yu-san. I had a feeling you might like him too.”

“Wait, I didn’t mean to—”

Meika gave Honoka a cold, sideways glance as she tried to panic-deny it.

“En-chan, you don’t have to put on an act for me.”

Honoka placed her hands between her thighs and slumped her shoulders.

“Was it that obvious? Have I felt this way for that long?”

“Yes. You might not have realized it yourself, but I’ve been suspicious ever since you first told me you ‘kissed Yu-san.’ You’re famous for being a ‘kissing monster’ with girls, but I’ve never heard of you kissing a guy before.”

The sight of the tall, mature-looking Honoka being lectured by the small, baby-faced Meika would have looked comical to an outsider. But this was the dynamic of their relationship.

Honoka kept her head down and thought:

…She might be right. Looking back, maybe I’ve been interested in him from the start. Maybe I was just using Meika as an excuse to go see him…

“I’m the worst…”

Meika spoke quietly to the dejected Honoka.

“It can’t be helped. Besides, regardless of your true feelings, it’s a fact that you were trying to set me up with Yu-san. Thanks to that, I was able to tell him how I feel.”

“Thanks, Meika.”

Honoka lifted her head. Her eyes were now filled with a strong resolve.

“I love Isshiki-san. And Meika, you’ve loved him for a long time, too.”

Meika nodded firmly.

“This is going to sound selfish, but I don’t plan on stepping aside for you—or even for Onee. I assume you feel the same?”

“Of course,” Meika said decisively.

“Onee and Isshiki-san say they’re ‘dating,’ but I just don’t see it. Those two haven’t even gone on a proper date, let alone kissed. And Isshiki-san clearly holds back and treats Onee with too much respect. You can’t really call them ‘lovers’ yet, can you?”

“I agree. They don’t feel like a couple.”

“So, let’s both declare it fairly. That we want to be Isshiki-san’s girlfriend.”

“…”

“No more weird schemes this time. Both you and I will face Yu-san head-on. In the end, whoever he chooses is up to him.”

Meika nodded, a strong light in her eyes.

“Okay, let’s do it. I don’t want to back down without a fight either. I finally told him my feelings, after all. This time, I want to give it my all.”

“Yeah, let’s do it. We’ll declare war on Onee together!”

Honoka stared at Meika. Meika stared back. After a moment of silence, they both burst out laughing at the same time.

“But I’m the one who has loved him for years. I won’t lose,” Meika said.

Honoka shot back, “I’ve fired up my engines because of this incident. I won’t lose either!”

“No grudges, no matter who wins, okay?”

“Of course! To me, you’re my best friend, and Onee is my only sister.”

With fighting spirit in their eyes, the two looked at each other and smiled.