Life In The Reverse World

Because the yakiniku restaurant wasn’t very large to begin with, its restroom was nothing like the ones in big shopping malls. Whether in decor or overall comfort, the difference was night and day.

Still, to him, to Sato as he was now, this place felt oddly fitting.

A space so cramped that you could barely stretch your arms or legs somehow suited him better.

Small, enclosed spaces didn’t just create a sense of pressure. They also offered a faint feeling of safety.

At the very least, when you were using the restroom, no one would come to disturb you.

“Heh…”

At that thought, Sato let out a dry chuckle, recalling that saying about “loners who like to squat in bathroom stalls to eat their lunchboxes.” He used to think it was nothing more than a joke, but when he actually needed it, he realized that this snail shell–like experience really did give him a quiet, undisturbed sense of security.

Amazing, he thought.

That underclassman, Hoshikawa, wasn’t just someone he could have lively discussions with about literature. Even Chouko had shown a sincere smile while talking with him, one Sato hadn’t seen in a very long time.

Unfortunately, the atmosphere at that moment had been so suffocatingly intense that he simply couldn’t stay. All he could do was flee, escaping the scene like a coward and hiding in a place where no one could see him, nursing his own quiet sorrow.

Sato had interacted with “normies” before.

Setting aside the delinquent normies who had bullied him just because they heard rumors that Chouko liked him, he had also met several upperclassmen through the literature club. In his eyes, those smooth-talking senpai with girlfriends were unquestionably members of the “normie” class.

Even though he had indeed felt timid and intimidated at first when facing those elite-school upperclassmen, their easygoing kindness and the way they often took him out to various activities made it clear that they genuinely treated him like a close junior they cared about.

However, those senpai might have had tolerance and consideration for their juniors, but Hoshikawa the underclassman and the others had no responsibility or obligation to look after him.

When the two of them talked about literature, Chouko and Hoshikawa’s younger sister could only listen from the side. And when Hoshikawa joked around with the two girls, Sato, with his dull personality, couldn’t get a word in at all.

Compared to two cute girls, if he were being honest with himself, even he wouldn’t choose to look after a gloomy loner while leaving the girls aside.

And the moment he thought about his performance from the very beginning, even throughout the entire day today, and then saw Chouko’s long-missed smile, he could no longer hold it in.

He was like a clown.

Maybe even worse than a clown.

At least a clown could make Chouko laugh.

Even something as simple as going out to have fun together, he managed to turn into a complete mess.

The night he was so excited he couldn’t sleep, the alarm clock he forgot to adjust, the hairstyle he didn’t have time to fix, his total lack of awareness when it came to fashion and coordination.

He couldn’t say anything interesting, couldn’t come up with silly jokes, and certainly couldn’t be like Hoshikawa, using self-deprecation as a punchline to liven up the mood.

Right now, there was nothing he could do.

At this point, he, Sato, could only keep running away, hiding in dark, out-of-the-way corners like most loners did.

He couldn’t embarrass himself in front of Chouko.

He was “Onii.” He was Chouko’s senior.

An older person had to have the dignity of an older person.

As long as he didn’t step onto the battlefield, he wouldn’t lose. Right?

That was how he comforted himself.

Those delinquents, those bright, outgoing normies, those clubmates and senpai. Anyone was fine. It didn’t matter who.

Except Chouko.

Except his one and only “little sister,” playmate, and childhood friend.

He didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of her.

Only by becoming an outstanding man would he be qualified to stand beside Chouko. Only then would he be worthy of facing her and conveying his feelings to her directly.

He would get into the Todai. He would become better than those delinquents who bullied him. He would change.

That former self who could only trail behind Chouko, who was even younger than him.

That former self who let Chouko toy with him.

He, Sato, didn’t want to keep being that weak and useless version of himself.

Bang, bang, bang.

The stall door was suddenly knocked, making Sato flinch as his train of thought was completely cut off.

“How long are you planning to squat in there? Can you hurry it up?”

“S-sorry…”

He hurriedly pulled up his pants, fastened his belt, and after opening the door, bowed his head in apology to the person glaring at him. After washing his hands, he quickly left the restroom.

That’s right, he thought. As long as his feelings were sincere, as long as Chouko could understand them, once he got into the Todai and made something of himself, then…

Tap.

The moment his foot touched the wooden floor, his steps froze, as if he hadn’t stepped onto wood at all, but onto the polar continents of an eternal night.

When Sato instinctively looked toward their seats, he stiffened on the spot.

That underclassman, Hoshikawa, was standing behind Chouko, holding her hand intimately as he helped her handle the meat on the grill. The two of them chatted and laughed as they did so, as if there were no barriers or sense of distance between them at all.

What… what is this…?

What is going on?!

His entire body refused to move, as if he had fallen into quicksand. Even breathing became difficult. The air from all directions felt like fine grains of sand burying him, pressing heavily against his chest. A suffocating sensation surged into his mind, his vision going dark. If he hadn’t grabbed the wall beside him, he might have stumbled and collapsed in the next second.

What is this?!

Why is Chouko able to be so close with that guy?!

This kind of distance was something even he, her childhood friend and Onii, had never once been able to approach!

Why?!

An indescribable anger mixed with despair flooded his heart. Yet just as he was about to rush over, to question them, to throw a punch and drive Hoshikawa away from his childhood friend, he hesitated.

First of all, fighting would cause trouble for all the other diners, not to mention the staff and the owner. If word of a public brawl reached the school, it could have serious consequences, making life even harder for a loner like him.

Second, considering his own status as a loner, when he compared his physique to Hoshikawa’s, it was painfully clear that someone like him, who got out of breath just from running a hundred meters, couldn’t possibly measure up.

And besides…

As he looked at Chouko’s genuinely happy smile, a thought surfaced. If Chouko herself were unwilling, she would surely have angrily refused and pushed Hoshikawa away, right? He had already caused trouble for Hoshikawa once due to rumors and misunderstandings, leaving him with a bad impression. Now, he had to be careful.

That’s right. It must have been Chouko asking Hoshikawa to teach her how to grill meat.

Just simple instruction. Just a little hand contact.

As for the possibility of Chouko liking someone else, Sato never considered it, nor did he want to.

Chouko had waited for him for so long. Chouko had resolutely come to Tokyo from Kyoto. Chouko had even said she would only like Onii…

Maybe, just like before, Chouko was using this method to make him soften, to make him give in and admit defeat.

Anyone else would be fine.

But Chouko, this girl, after all these years of persistence, after almost getting into the Todai, he absolutely could not give her what she wanted at a time like this.

Still, Sato let out a long breath, thinking that later he would have to properly lecture Chouko, make her understand that she shouldn’t casually touch other boys, especially not do such intimate things in public.

“Watching over Chouko and making sure she reins in her terrible, overbearing personality to avoid getting into trouble. That’s the duty I, as her Onii, must fulfill.”

He muttered to himself in a low voice, unsure whether he was reminiscing about their past relationship or reminding his future self not to give up.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied his mind, rubbed his stiff cheeks, and only after making sure he wouldn’t show anything strange did he walk toward the three of them with heavy steps once Hoshikawa returned to his seat.

…

“Cough… sorry, the line took a bit long…”

“Onii, you were way too slow, you know? I already learned how to grill meat from Hoshikawa~”

“I-is that so…”

Sato quietly let out a sigh of relief.

As expected, Chouko had just asked Hoshikawa to teach her how to grill. They were simply friends. That was all.

“…I’m kind of looking forward to how the meat you grill tastes, Chouko.”

“Hmph, just wait a bit. This batch will be done soon.”

Chouko proudly waved her right hand like a conductor leading a symphony. The greasy tongs gleamed brilliantly under the warm lighting.

A moment later, starting with Ayaka beside her, she passed out the grilled meat counterclockwise. When it came to Onii, she even deliberately bragged.

“Hoshikawa just said it was super tasty, you know.”

“Thank you… huff…”

A beautiful caramelized brown. The doneness looked just right.

That put him even more at ease. It really did look like Chouko was sincerely learning how to grill from Hoshikawa.

Sato blew on the slice of meat, lightly dipped it in sauce, and put it into his mouth.

“Well?”

Chouko looked at her Onii expectantly, waiting for him to say something surprised and praising.

Admit it wholeheartedly, she thought. Onii would definitely be shocked by her improvement.

“Mm… it’s alright.”

“Pretty good… huh? Hey, what do you mean ‘alright,’ idiot Onii?!”

Chouko glared at Sato indignantly, waiting for an answer that would satisfy her.

“It’s still quite a bit worse than what Hoshikawa-kun grills,” Sato said. He could of course tell Chouko was showing off, but he felt she should be a little more humble, so he swallowed the praise along with the meat. Then he continued, “Though you’ve improved a lot, people should stay humble. You shouldn’t get arrogant just because of a bit of progress.”

There it was again. That nagging lecture. Those clumsy, indirect words.

Chouko let out a shallow sigh, wondering why, even though she knew Onii was an idiot, she still got annoyed with him.

“Shihou really is a genius. It’s my first time seeing a beginner reach this level. Could you grill a bit more wagyu? I still want some.”

Harutaki chimed in at just the right moment.

“Not getting to eat meat grilled by you feels like having wagyu crawling all over my body~”

“That’s gross. Why don’t you just let wagyu crush you to death.”

Spouting nonsense again. Harutaki is an idiot too.

With a smile tugging at her lips, Chouko placed eight more slices of black-haired wagyu onto the grill.

Taking advantage of the chance to observe the meat’s color, she secretly glanced at Sato from the corner of her eye, noting the slight discomfort in his expression.

He probably saw that scene earlier, when Harutaki held her hand to grill the meat, right?

Long line? What a joke.

From where she was sitting, all it took was a slight lift of her head to see the restroom entrance, and she hadn’t seen anyone lining up at all.

So, did Onii really not care even after seeing her that close to Harutaki?

She didn’t know.

And she couldn’t possibly question Onii about it in front of Ayaka and Harutaki, so she focused all her attention on the grilling, trying not to think about anything related to him.

……

At 19:21, night had fallen, but under the glow of neon lights and billboards, Shinjuku revealed a world completely different from the daytime.

Perhaps this was what people meant when they said that Shinjuku’s bustle and brilliance truly began when the day ended.

After grilling two rounds of meat and replenishing some nutrients with potatoes, cabbage, spinach, and enoki mushrooms, Harutaki’s group stepped out of the yakiniku restaurant right as the all-you-can-eat time ended, thoroughly satisfied.

As a side note, to make it up to Chiaki and Fuyuno for staying home, Harutaki had even ordered an extra platter of grilled meat to take away for them.

“It’s getting late. Ayaka and I don’t really have anything else we want to do, so we’re planning to head home. Shihou, Sato-senpai, are you two going to keep hanging out?”

Harutaki stretched and looked toward Shihou and Sato as they came out after him.

That was, of course, a lie. If Shihou planned to stay in Shinjuku longer, he would definitely have to stay with her. As for the meat he bought for Chiaki and Fuyuno, it would get reheated at home anyway, so whether it was cold or warm probably didn’t matter much.

“School starts again tomorrow, so I think it’s better to go home early and prepare too.”

Sato nodded, but Harutaki wasn’t looking at him. He was waiting for Chouko’s answer.

“I-I don’t really mind either. Besides, Shinjuku at night is full of stuff only adults can enjoy…”

“Want me to help you climb the ladder to adulthood, Shihou?”

“Go die already~”

Chouko stuck out her pink tongue at the joking Harutaki, never imagining that Sato beside her saw the whole thing, his emotions in turmoil.

The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming.

It felt like the Chouko from his childhood had traveled through time to the present. Only now, the person she faced was no longer him, her Onii, but another boy he wasn’t familiar with, Hoshikawa Harutaki.

“… ”

Sato’s lips moved slightly. He wanted to say something, but no words came out.

What could he say?

Tell Chouko to mind her image and manners?

Even if he thought she needed guidance and restraint, it didn’t need to be that strict.

Then should he tell her to stay away from Hoshikawa?

Although he truly wished for that, when he saw the sincere smile and joy on Chouko’s cute face as she talked with Hoshikawa, he couldn’t bring himself to ruin it.

Just friends. Just friends. Just friends.

Sato repeated it over and over in his heart, reminding himself not to be paranoid and to trust Chouko.

“In that case, Chouko-senpai, good night. Remember to invite me out sometime. You can even come over to my place~”

Ayaka smiled and waved goodbye to Chouko.

“Good night, Ayaka-chan~”

“Then I’ll see you at school. Good night, Shihou, and Sato-senpai. Bye.”

“See you at school. Good night, Hoshikawa.”

Chouko smiled and waved to the two of them in turn.

Sato also responded hesitantly.

“G-goodbye…”

After Harutaki and Ayaka left, Chouko turned toward Sato beside her, only to find him staring blankly at Harutaki’s retreating back. She raised her hand and slapped his shoulder hard.

A small part of it was to snap him out of it. The larger part was to vent the dissatisfaction she had been holding in all day.

“Onii, I’m heading home too. Your rented apartment is in Suginami, right?”

“Ah… yeah…”

“Since it’s not the same line, then I’ll… get going?”

Are you not going to say anything, idiot Onii.

Chouko’s first step away took an unusually long time to come.

“Uh… be careful on the way. Go to bed early. The break’s over, and we’ve got school tomorrow…”

Sato awkwardly shoved his hands into his pockets, grumbling inwardly. When the four of them were eating together earlier, he’d been fine, so why was he even more nervous now that it was just him and Chouko alone?

“…”

Chouko hesitated for a moment. With her back to Sato, she let out a quiet sigh, then pulled a faint smile back onto her lips and turned to wave at him.

“Good night, Onii.”

“Good night. Message me on LINE or send an email when you get home.”

…

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