25 Katsumi's Bro

She was waiting on her brother, here.

Her parents wouldn't let her brother leave the house by himself, so she accompanied him on his date. His parents didn't know he was dating, he thought they'd be studying.

My true thoughts blurted out of my mouth the second she finished explaining.

"That sounds incredibly awkward."

Taken aback, her small mouth hung open for a bit before smiling.

Well, fudge. I already blew it so no point in stopping. "Aren't you the third wheel?"

I usually try not to show much interest in the affairs of strangers, a sigh escaped me at my strange behavior.

I wanted to leave but I ended up sitting in the cafeteria with Katsumi and chatting as we read our purchased manga. After all if I came up with an excuse to leave someone as socially awkward as her would blame herself, at least I would. Was I projecting too much?

"It's not so bad..."

"Is he even still in this building?" I ask.

The light reflected on her lens as she looked up and pulled out her phone to quietly text.

"Ah!" Her face looked panicked.

"He ditched you didn't he?"

She sadly looked at me and nodded.

"He and his girlfriend stepped out to go to a restaurant..."

"Typical normies." I huff.

She blinked at me.

I said that out loud didn't I?

I fold in my lips and mentally kick myself. I'm sure to her it probably seemed as if I was hypocrite, since I seemed like a normie after all.

"S-so anyway are you going to meet him? You have to go home together right?"

She slowly nodded.

She reminded me of the meek and quiet bespectacled shoujo protagonist of an anime. It was fascinating.

I always told myself asians weren't like anime characters and not to expect anything. She's destroying my sanity.

We left the department together and I offered to walk her to the restaurant.

She was going to refuse but I could already see someone like her getting harassed so I refused.

"I'll blend in once it gets dark anyway."

"Hm?"

I don't think she got what I meant.

It's a good thing. I'd feel embarrassed if she did.

The restaurant... seems to be a club?

As we stared at the colorful building we exchanged looks.

Thankfully we didn't have to do anything.

"You're here?"

A handsome bespectacled boy walked out, as he got closer I could tell he was Katsumi's brother. I... had a weakness for the bespectacled black-haired bishounen type.

And here I told myself asian people don't resemble manga characters... these two are an exception... well, three with Kagami, he's a real piece of fiction.

"Normally, it's the daughter who the brother has to look after. Not the other way around..." I told him.

Her brother stared at me, probably taken aback by me addressing him in japanese or probably my blackness, I couldn't tell his face was unreadable.

Why am I thinking like this? I felt so self-conscious of myself. It was bizarre, around Kagami I was fine so why am I like this now?

Whenever people see me it's as if they've been either splashed in the face with water or they blink at me and stare in awe aside from him, maybe that's why.

I felt like I got slapped in the face with a poster of a kuudere.

I realized for him, it was neither. He just stared at me for a bit.

"This is my classmate, Ama... ah, which one should I use?"

"Amamiya... if it's easier."

"Amamiya-san." Katsumi explained.

"... Hello." He dipped his head, and I did the same.

Jesus, why does his voice sound so nice and polite like a typical kuudere character? He was so polite it was hard to feel seriously peeved on behalf of Katsumi. What the hell is wrong with me seriously? These thoughts, I'm scaring myself.

"Hello." I looked past him. "Where's your date?" It may have been nosy of me but I felt the issue needed to be addressed.

". . ." He looked to his sister quietly who blinked back at him.

"I'm not going to tell your parents or anything..." Was he upset at her?

I thought he might be younger than her since she had to follow him but it was the opposite. To be honest, I'm kind of confused. Why does she have to escort him?

"We're leaving." He said quietly, he didn't address me, which kind of stung. This is why I hate involving myself with others' affairs. Did he get dumped?

Nah, nah, that's none of my business.

He walked off, Katsumi dipped her head.

"A-ah, are you fine-" She looked past me and stopped, then smiled. "Then, see you tomorrow at school."

I tried to wave goodbye but the difficulty made me look down. I remembered my bag ladled arms. That reminds me...

I took out a selfie to post a picture.

[My quest to find weird things ended in failure, ended up shopping instead. Sorry. Will have to compensate with shopping haul.]

I held up a picture only to blink.

There was a boy with behind me holding up the peace sign.