V1 – Episode 37 – Vigilance

Chapter 4 – Reunion With an Old Friend

Volume 1

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“How did Yamazaki …… meet you?”

It was a name I didn’t want to remember. It was the name of someone I used to hang out with when I was a delinquent. After I quit being a delinquent, I hardly saw him anymore.

Because I didn’t want to see Yamazaki, I stopped hanging out near my house. When I did go out, I took the train and went somewhere. At most, I walked around the neighborhood only for shopping.

Even if I saw his face once in a while, I would walk away without being noticed.

“…… I don’t know. Suddenly, he spoke to me, saying, ‘You’re Naoya’s sister, aren’t you?'”

“…… And then?”

I don’t know what’s going on with Yamazaki now. But when I met him before, his appearance hadn’t changed much. His red hair was still the same, and he was still wearing the same outfit. He’s the same age as me, so he must already be in high school.

“And I replied, “Yes, and so?”.  Then he said, “I see,” and went away. I remember. That person was definitely my shitty brother’s friend.”

“Are you sure there was nothing more to it?”

“Yup.”

I thought back to the time when I was hanging out with Yamazaki.

I did not do anything good. I was always getting into fights with other students I didn’t know well. I even got into a fight late at night and got arrested.

I was always with him.

At that time, being with Yamazaki was the most fun.

“Stay there for a minute.”

I rushed to the front door and opened it.

I only put my face out and looked around.

No one was there. There was only the silent darkness of the night.

Relieved, I closed the door. I wondered if he was still standing in front of the house.

This time, I head towards the living room. I looked out the window.

There was no one there either. Just a bleak landscape spreading out in front of me.

When I got back to Sayaka, she told me.

“Aren’t you being too cautious?　You were friends, right?”

“Yeah, but…”

It’s not that he’s a bad guy to be so wary of. He had some good points. If he wasn’t, we wouldn’t have been able to become friends, even if it was only for a time.

“Shitty brother, you have a scary face”

“……”

“He’s really tall, isn’t he? When you look at him up close, you can almost see that he’s about 185. He’s very handsome, and he’s not the type of guy you’d expect to find at our school.”

The more I heard about him, the more I was sure. It must be Yamazaki.

The question is, why now? It had already been four years since we had been hanging out.

“By the way, where did he talk to you?”

In response to my question, Sayaka pointed behind her.

“Over there, towards the station. It’s about a hundred meters from here.”

“I see.”

It doesn’t seem like the house has been identified.

“Was he alone…… Yamazaki?　Was there anyone else with him?”

Sayaka shook her head.

“There was no one there. He was alone. There wasn’t anyone who looked like a delinquent, not even at a distance.”

“All right. Just be careful, okay? If you want, I’ll walk you home from now on.”

“No, thanks. You don’t have to do that much.”

Even if Yamazaki himself is not that bad, I can’t guarantee the quality of the people he is with.

“Anyway, if anything happens, call me. I’ll be right there.”

“You’re exaggerating. Okay, okay, I understand.”

I’m glad I have tomorrow and the next day off. Besides, I have a midterm exam starting next Monday. I usually come home earlier than usual when I have a test. That way, the chance of running into Yamazaki and the others would be reduced.

“Don’t hang around too much on weekends. Stay home as much as possible and, yes, study.”

When I said that, Sayaka looked unhappy.

“Eh~ why? Is your friend that dangerous?”

”It’s not like that, but…”

No, but I wonder how it is now.

At that time, Yamazaki was rough, but he didn’t do anything rash. At least, her being my sister wouldn’t make him do anything wrong. But that was four years ago. The Yamazaki of those days may have already changed.

“If you’re going out on Saturday or Sunday, …… sure, you can come with me.”

“What? I don’t wanna.”

” I’m worried about you. You’ve got a pretty face, at least”

“Oh, that’s a very non-shitty-brotherly thing to say. If this were a battlefield, you’d be flagged for death.”

“Don’t kill people without permission.”

Whatever the case may be, we can’t leave the situation as it is now.

In some cases, I might have to talk to Yamazaki directly. But for now, there is no particular damage. Anyway, my priority is to ensure the safety of my family.

“It’s not the first time you’ve been a worrier, is it? Yes, yes. I’ll do as you say~”

Saying that Sayaka walked up the stairs.

She swears a lot, but she’s surprisingly straightforward. I’m always taking care of her, but she rarely refuses to do anything. I guess she’s used to it and has given up on the idea that her brother is such a troublesome creature.

I exhaled loudly after making sure that Sayaka had left.

Yamazaki. Hiroyoshi Yamazaki. At the time, he was a student at a nearby public junior high school.

We might meet again in the near future. I had a strong feeling that we might meet again soon.

–Anyway, let’s take a bath.

I opened the sliding door of the bathroom.

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TN/AN: Next time, date with sister..

Checkout the teaser project and let me know your thoughts : When Nekura & Hiria Meet

IMPATIENT MTL READER

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