Behind the school

Autumn, the most comforting time of the year, brings a sense of tranquility and peace.

The chaotic rains and roaring thunder have passed, and the oppressive heat and dry, exhausting air of summer are now just distant memories. In their place are warm, golden rays of sunlight and gentle, soothing breezes.

Autumn is also the season of falling leaves. For many, the sight of leaves scattered across the ground brings comfort and serenity.

But for me, it's different. Such scenes only feel joyful when there's someone by my side. When I'm alone, they evoke a quiet melancholy, a lingering coldness that I can't shake off.

Under the crimson canopy of autumn leaves behind the school, I sat quietly, engrossed in reading stories on my phone.

It was about a movie we had watched last night. Though the plot was simple and the animation nothing special, I liked it more than I expected. I could see myself in the protagonist.

But that was only how I felt while watching the movie with Shinji. Being by his side, holding him close, watching the screen together on the bed under the same blanket—it was those fleeting moments of warmth and happiness that made me like the movie far more than I should have.

When I woke from that rosy dream, the truth settled in: I actually hated that story. "A failure, insecure and ridiculously timid…" A bitter smile crept across my lips as my gaze dropped.

The more I thought about it, the more I saw myself in the protagonist. Unlike them, I don't have any special talents or interests that make me stand out. And I don't even have the confidence to share the things I love openly.

Pathetic, isn't it?

Sighing, I resumed reading. As expected, the protagonist followed the usual arc—making friends, facing their fears, and coming out stronger in the end. Predictable, uninspired, and devoid of any real creativity.

A boring story.

"Yo ho, you're Hoshizora, right?" A bright, almost exaggeratedly cheerful voice called out from behind me. Startled, I flinched and quickly turned off my phone, hoping to compose myself.

I turned to face the source of the interruption and saw a petite girl with vibrant purple eyes and golden hair tied into a playful braid. Her smile was wide and friendly, but her energy felt almost overwhelming.

I had thought the rumors about Shinji and me being siblings would be enough to deter anyone from approaching me. Apparently, I was wrong.

"Wow, you're even prettier up close than people say! Gotta admit, my boss is seriously lucky!" She chirped, closing the distance before I could react. Without hesitation, she grabbed my hand as if we were old friends. Her words, however, threw me off completely. Boss?

"Boss? Are you talking about Shinji?" I asked, pulling my hand back gently. A faint, hesitant smile curled on my lips as I masked the unease her sudden appearance stirred within me.

"That's right! I'm Iroha Hanazawa, one of his trusted juniors in the student council. You can just call me Iroha if you like!" She beamed at me, as if this introduction explained everything.

A junior of Shinji's? Why hadn't he mentioned her before? The thought pricked at me.

While I didn't particularly feel like making small talk, I couldn't resist the chance to learn something new about Shinji—a part of his world he hadn't shared with me.

"...I see," I said softly, curiosity flickering in my chest.

"...Ah, yeah, Hanazawa, so what brings you to find me?"

Awkwardly, I asked, trying to gauge her intentions. She might have been lying to get close to me, maybe even harboring some ulterior motive. But my curiosity wouldn't let me back away.

Of course, Hanazawa wasn't an easy opponent. Almost as if she sensed my wariness, she moved even closer, her approach turning into an outright advance.

"Why am I here? Heh… of course, to become friends with you!"

...Friends?

Eyeing her cautiously, I let a cold aura seep out around me.

"Oh, come on, there's no need to be so cautious with me. After all, we have a mutual acquaintance, don't we?" Despite the cold aura I was giving off, she seemed completely unfazed, stepping closer and grabbing my hand. Then, with an easy smile, she added,

"You might not believe me, but you should trust Shinji's judgment!"

Her smile was so sincere, yet something about her words sounded too perfect, too rehearsed. If she really was Shinji's junior, I couldn't afford to be too openly hostile, no matter how uncomfortable I felt.

"...Fine, but just a mutual acquaintance." Reluctantly, I continued the conversation, throwing her an irritated glance. Her cheerful demeanor felt so fake—like those who had once bullied me.

"Mutual acquaintance or not, we'll be friends soon enough," she said, her tone full of confidence—much more than I expected from someone I barely knew.

That overconfidence only fueled my suspicion. Could someone really approach a difficult person like me so easily? And this girl... she was so stubborn, it was almost irritating. There could only be one reason for her persistence.

"Did Shinji send you here to make friends with me?" I tilted my head, forcing a sweet smile as I asked her, trying to mask the edge in my voice.

"No, I'm also his 'little sister.' I just want to be friends with the other sister," Iroha said, placing her hand on her hip and tilting her head back with a smug expression. 

The way she spoke was as if it was an innocent declaration, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her words. She could very well be telling the truth, or perhaps she was the type to twist things without a second thought.

Then, she gave me an appraising once-over, her eyes flicking downward in a way that made my skin crawl. Her gaze was too familiar—like that of the old men who ogled at me in the streets. I tensed, feeling a shiver of disgust.

"Hmm, from the way you're acting, it looks like he treats you really 'well,' huh?" she said, her tone dripping with something unpleasant. 

Instinctively, I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to shield myself from her prying eyes. This is only for him to see, I thought, desperate for her to stop staring at me that way.

"Yeah, of course. Aside from my mother, he's the best person who treats me well," I responded, my voice tight as I forced a smile, trying to keep my cool.

Iroha raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Eh, really? So, what kind of person do you think the boss is?"

Her expression shifted into something mischievous, and for a moment, I saw a glint of malice in her eyes. 

It was subtle but unmistakable. There was something too familiar about that look—something almost calculating. She was trying to play with my head, to manipulate me into saying something I'd regret.

But I wasn't going to fall for it. I wasn't some naïve fool.

"So, let me ask you then," I countered, keeping my composure. "What kind of person is he in your eyes?"

I leaned forward slightly, forcing her to meet my gaze directly, and asked. 

"Of course, in my eyes, he's the best person ever. He's good at everything he does," Hanazawa responded vaguely. While what she said was true, it felt more like a generic answer—something said just to fill the silence.

"Is that all?" I frowned, showing my displeasure. She was clearly scheming, and it irritated me.

"Hehe, now it's your turn." Of course, she didn't answer my question directly, instead pushing the responsibility back onto me.

 She is truly an underling of Shinji—hard to deal with.

"Hmm, what do you think Shinji is like in your eyes?" Even though I still didn't fully understand Hanazawa's intentions, I had no choice but to ask. 

Talking to her could help me gather more information about Shinji—and maybe improve my rapport with him. If I became friends with one of his juniors, he might open up to me more.

That's right, I should do this. After all, what do I have to lose?

Placing my hand on my lips, I tried to imagine a complete picture of Shinji. His strengths, his weaknesses, everything. But that's when I realized—I still don't really understand him.

 I don't know about his friendships, and I don't even know his flaws.

To win someone's heart, you have to understand them thoroughly. I've been rushing things too much.

But what I understood about Shinji was far greater than what I didn't. So, with a confident tone, I said:

"He's considerate, gentle, understanding, incredibly intelligent, handsome, and charming. And his cooking? It's amazing. Since we've been living together, if I don't get to eat his food on any given day, my mood is awful."

"That's right! Shinji is very sophisticated, and his willpower is so strong—it's almost impossible to sway him." I puffed out my chest, speaking with a proud smile, as if I were bragging about my boyfriend.

Oh no, I might've gone a bit overboard with the compliments!

"...Hoshizora, the person you're describing is the boss?" Hanazawa looked at me with a completely confused expression, her face scrunching up as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Shinji Tsugimoto is a huge idiot, a workaholic, ridiculously diligent, and completely lacking in manners. He's stingy, rude, arrogant and always speaks with an attitude. He even forces me to work overtime. He's a terrible boss, really awful."

Hanazawa seemed genuinely annoyed by my excessive praise, forgetting all her previous scheming as she started listing off Shinji's flaws.

"Oh, and when it comes to love, he's hopeless. I don't know if he's just clueless or doing it on purpose, but I've tried flirting with him so many times, and he's always indifferent, not interested at all."

 Hanazawa pouted as she rattled off more of Shinji's shortcomings. I could agree with the workaholic and diligent parts, but I'd never seen any of the other traits she mentioned.

But when it came to the last part, I couldn't argue.

"Heh... being indifferent in love, that's definitely Shinji." I let out a bitter laugh, reluctantly agreeing with my opponent, who was supposed to be my rival.

But the way she described him meant that she had no chance against me.

With a satisfied grin, the cute girl with golden blonde hair crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks. "You're right! That guy's probably going to be single forever!"

"Or maybe not..."

For some reason, she placed her hand on her chin and gave me a smug look, making a few "Phư phư" sounds—very arrogant, if you ask me.

"Hoshizora, you're just his stepsister, right?"

I didn't quite understand where she was going with this, but I nodded in response.

"...So, do you like him?" Hanazawa leaned in and whispered the question right into my ear, her voice suddenly much lower, and it made my heart race.

"Eh!?" My entire body flushed bright red, an instinctive reaction I couldn't control.

"Haha, so that's it, you're a Brocon."

"Brocon!? Not at all!" I was caught completely off guard. My shy, soft-spoken tone had disappeared instantly. Oh no, I messed up!

Hanazawa smirked, clearly enjoying my discomfort, and she pushed further with no mercy. How does Shinji put up with this girl?

"Come on, Yuki, there's no need to be embarrassed, we're both girls, after all."

"Besides, you're not even blood-related to him. What's the problem? Go ahead, try it. As a fellow loser, I want to help you conquer that cold, hard heart of his."

"A loser doesn't have the right to talk." I turned away, trying to hide my flustered expression and deliberately provoking her.

"Heh heh, so you're looking down on me now, Hoshizora? I've known him much longer than you have." She pointed a finger up, full of confidence, and for a second, I could've sworn she looked like one of those rich girls from stories.

"So what?" I pretended not to care and turned away again, trying to keep my composure.

Seeing my reaction, she leaned in even closer, whispering in my ear with a conspiratorial tone, clearly trying to grab my attention.

"Hehe, let me tell you something... actually, Shinji..."

Come on, tell me.

"...He's really perverted. He just doesn't show it."

Shinji, perverted?

My head was spinning from the sudden shard of information, and my pupils widened in shock. 

Part of me thought she was just messing with me, trying to trap me, but another part wanted to believe it was true. 

If Shinji was also perverted, maybe I wouldn't be so weird for having feelings like that! If that were the case, then we'd be on equal ground.

"Hmm, so now you're interested, huh? Want to know his 'weakness'?" Hanazawa's mischievous laugh rang out, and the silly girl stood up, casually placing her hand on my shoulder as if she were sharing the greatest secret.

"In the literature club, there's a hidden erotic book. Shinji tried to hide it there."

Really? Wait—no, she's probably just messing with me. I can't take her word for it without proof.

"So how do you know that?" I tried to hide the curiosity bubbling up inside me, keeping my tone serious as I asked her.

But that little brat teased me.

Instead of answering, Hanazawa just smirked, turned her head, and waved goodbye.

It felt like she was purposely trying to set me off. As the orange-yellow sunlight bathed everything around us, she called back over her shoulder, "Whether you believe it or not, that's up to you. Bye bye!"

"That girl is really weird," I muttered under my breath. Shaking my head in exasperation, I sighed and stood up, my gaze turning toward the red sun slowly setting. 

It was getting late—the afternoon was winding down, making way for a star-filled night.

"Ugh... alright."

Since I have nothing else to do, I might as well check it out.