Life In The Reverse World

“Eh? Aya-chan, where are you and Harutaki going?”

Fuyuno, who had been squatting on the sofa watching a variety show, heard movement behind her. She climbed to her feet and turned around, only to see her sister Ayaka and her brother Harutaki getting ready to head out. Instantly, her curiosity flared.

In her eyes, no matter how outstanding Harutaki had become lately, the sight of Ayaka and Harutaki together was still downright strange. Those two had practically been sworn enemies.

And with Ayaka’s super awkward personality, she thought there was no way her sister would go out with Harutaki this quickly.

Something was definitely fishy!

“Fuyuno’s soooo bored… can you take me out to play too?”

Putting on an innocent act, she pleaded in a sweet, childish voice with the softest-hearted one of all, Harutaki.

Unfortunately for her, this trick had long since worn thin with her sister Ayaka, and her disguise was exposed in an instant.

“Be a good girl and watch your variety shows. Don’t think I don’t know you went to bed early last night just so you could watch the rerun today.”

“Tch…”

Her pure, adorable expression immediately collapsed, and she pulled a face at Ayaka and Harutaki in displeasure.

“Bleh! If you’re not back by eight tonight, I’m calling Mom!”

“Fuyuno!”

Thump.

The petite middle schooler clutched her head after taking a steel-fisted blow, pouting as she sprawled face-down on the sofa in surrender.

“Guuuh… Aya-chan, I won’t do it again…”

“Won’t do it again? I bet you’ll totally do it next time.”

Watching Fuyuno get put in her place, Harutaki folded his arms and teased his little sister without a shred of sympathy.

“Hey, you trash-tier Onii, don’t get cocky! If you’ve got guts, fight me three hundred rounds tonight!”

Thump.

“Three hundred rounds? If you don’t go to bed properly, you’ll stay a little bean forever!”

Ayaka drew back her slightly reddened fist and scolded Fuyuno with fierce momentum.

“I’ll be checking rooms tonight. Don’t lock your door… If I find you still awake, hmph…”

It was a bit noisy, but amid all the bickering was nothing but love and concern.

Watching the scene unfold, Harutaki couldn’t help thinking with a smile, this was probably what everyday life in the Hoshikawa household was supposed to look like.

…

“Ha, Harutaki, why did you suddenly stop…?”

“Hold on. Your beret’s a bit crooked, I’ll fix it for you.”

As he leaned in, her view filled almost entirely with his collarbone and shoulder, and the faint scent of body wash lingered in the air. For no clear reason, Ayaka felt flustered.

At home, it was one thing. But once outside, with the gentle spring breeze brushing her face and passersby hurrying past, she became acutely aware of the distance between herself and her brother.

This gesture was just… just like a couple on a date!

Sure, that was technically the goal, but… as she fidgeted uneasily, she couldn’t help thinking that when it actually came down to it, it was still unbearably embarrassing.

“All done.”

“Th-thanks…”

“So, where to next? Are we taking the train from the station?”

Hearing Harutaki’s calm, utterly casual tone made her inexplicably annoyed.

Was going on a date with her really that ordinary to him?!

Normally, if a guy got to go on a date with a cute, beautiful girl like her, he’d be thrilled and excited, right?

So why was she the only one all nervous and fired up?

Grumbling inwardly, she stole a glance at Harutaki beside her. His stylish casual outfit and tall, well-built frame suddenly gave her the illusion that she was walking next to a magazine model.

“Let’s go to Korakuen, next to Tokyo Dome.”

“Huh? For an amusement park date, shouldn’t it be Disneyland, or maybe Fuji-Q, a bit farther but still doable in a day?”

Harutaki was genuinely surprised by the first date spot Ayaka had chosen.

He knew a bit about Korakuen, the amusement park by Tokyo Dome.

It was certainly famous, but just knowing it was located within Tokyo, near the city center, was enough to roughly guess what it would be like.

Compared to Fuji-Q in Yamanashi, Disneyland in Chiba, or Universal Studios in Osaka, Korakuen was smaller and had fewer attractions. By comparison, it was like a kiddie pool next to a deep-water pool.

“Going to Fuji-Q or Disneyland during Golden Week, are you going to have fun, or are you going to stand in line? Use your brain a little, baka aniki.”

“…Fair point.”

With that reminder, memories of being crushed by crowds during holiday travel came flooding back to him.

After enduring endless queues at both Universal Studios and Disneyland before, he never wanted to experience that again.

But the real reason…

Ayaka knew perfectly well that Korakuen was a fairly unremarkable place. Avoiding lines by not booking Disneyland tickets or Fast Passes was part of it, but the more important reason was—

Even if it was under the guise of “practice,” this was still her first date ever with her brother Harutaki.

For such a precious first time, she wanted a slightly special memory, one that belonged only to the two of them.

Seen that way, the cookie-cutter Disneyland everyone went to was obviously off the table.

She’d started planning for this date back on May 1st, a full three days of preparation!

Even though two of those days were spent agonizing over whether she should really go on a date with Harutaki at all…

…

After getting off the Chuō Line at Suidobashi Station, Harutaki and his sister Ayaka bought Korakuen all-day passes, spending a total of 7,800 yen.

Compared to Disneyland ticket prices, it was quite a bargain.

“Hmm, wanna ride the merry-go-round?”

After briefly admiring the rounded silhouette of Tokyo Dome in the distance, he joked as he asked the girl beside him, only to receive a look as if he were an idiot.

“Idiot, don’t you know that when you go on an amusement park date, you’re supposed to ride things that make a girl’s heart race?”

Ayaka smugly lectured him on date essentials, completely failing to notice that he was already holding her hand and leading her toward the roller coaster entrance.

“The first one should obviously be, eh, w-wait, how did you already—”

“Isn’t this date practice? Holding hands on a date is normal, right? Or are you saying you’re scared of roller coasters, Ayaka?”

“Idiot Harutaki…”

Lowering her head shyly to avoid the glances people were throwing at the handsome guy and beautiful girl, she muttered her complaints under her breath. Still, she didn’t resist his hand at all, letting him lead her along.

Once they lined up at the roller coaster entrance, he looked up at the ride. It was fairly ordinary, its only real feature being the city view. The level of thrill seemed just right for a beginner.

And although this so-called “date practice” had been Ayaka’s idea, and she was the one managing the itinerary, there was no way he couldn’t sense her feelings.

He’d been an only child in his previous life, with no siblings, and had heard plenty about how annoying younger siblings could be. Even so, after getting to know Ayaka through memories and lived experience, he honestly couldn’t think of another girl as impressive as her.

Even compared to Nogami or Shihou, aside from her background, Ayaka didn’t lose to anyone, if anything, she surpassed them in many areas.

If he had to name a flaw… after thinking about it, all he could come up with was that her personality was a lot like Nogami’s, both a little awkward, not very honest with themselves.

Shouldn’t a near-perfect girl like that be cherished and spoiled?

After about ten minutes in line, it was finally their turn to board.

Harutaki first checked all the safety restraints for his sister, then reached out again, intending to hold Ayaka’s small, warm right hand, the one with faint calluses at the base of her fingers.

This time, however, she noticed his intention in advance and quickly hid that hand away.

“Why would you hold hands on a roller coaster…”

Half a minute later, the coaster started up and climbed to its peak before plunging down for the first drop.

“Eek—!”

Experiencing that weightless sensation and the headlong rush toward the ground for the first time, Ayaka couldn’t help but scream. The way she squeezed her eyes shut in terror made him laugh despite himself.

Then, at the most thrilling part, the full 360-degree loop, his left hand, resting by her side, was suddenly grabbed tightly. A warm, slightly damp sensation followed.

“Uu… Harutaki…”

“It’s okay. I’m right here.”

Even though she kept her nails neatly trimmed, the strength she’d built up through years of housework and cooking still made her grip painfully tight.

He thought to himself that he’d probably be left with red or purple marks afterward.

After the loop, the rest of the ride was fairly uneventful, but even when they disembarked, Ayaka still didn’t let go.

…

“S-slow down… ugh…”

Her legs went weak, and Ayaka stumbled, her left foot catching her right as she pitched toward the cold concrete.

But the pain she expected never came.

Cracking her tightly shut eyes open just a sliver, she saw the hem of Harutaki’s white T-shirt.

He’d pulled her into his arms just before she fell…

Warm. Reliable.

And when she realized how he’d managed to catch her in time, she finally noticed that she’d never let go of his hand.

She’d been too scared to control her strength at all,

Sure enough, when she turned to look at Harutaki’s left hand, five small red crescent marks were clearly visible.

“I-I’m sorry…”

How embarrassing. She scolded herself for being such a coward, and at the same time felt a pang of sympathy for Harutaki, who hadn’t said a word.

As if the one who’d been pinched wasn’t him, but her.

“This was supposed to be practice for you, and instead— ”

“Isn’t this perfect?”

His voice came from above her. Feeling the vibration in his chest as he spoke, Ayaka finally realized her head was still pressed against him.

“The point of practice is to get familiar and adapt ahead of time. You played the part of a girl riding a roller coaster for the first time really well. On the real date, I’ll remember to wear gloves beforehand. And besides, ”

He paused, then continued lightly.

“---first times always hurt.”

“Idiot…”

Weakly clenching her fist, she thumped his chest once and pulled herself free of his arms.

She was afraid that if this went on, the “date practice” would be canceled halfway, simply because she couldn’t make herself leave his embrace.

“Idiot Harutaki. Making dirty jokes to a girl on a date, how awful.”

Putting on a brave front as she scolded him, she walked straight toward the next attraction without looking back, absolutely refusing to let him see her face burning red.