Chapter 226. [Strategic Point]

“Iroha-chan, I’m feeling better, let’s do a livestream, a livestream!”

“Oh, whoa, Ah-nee!? Don’t stick to me like that!”

A few days later, Ah-nee, completely recovered and was messing with me in the living room.

My and Angu Ogu’s eyes were filled with disbelief as we watched her.

“Well, it seems like everything is back to normal.”

“Yeah, in the end, our worries were needless.”

Yes, the cold was cured, and Ah-nee’s relationship with me had returned to normal—externally.

Internally, I was sweating over this situation.

“Iroha-chan, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, ahaha.”

Ah-nee asked with a sly smile, and I awkwardly laughed it off.

Hidden from Mai and Angu Ogu’s view, Ah-nee had intertwined her fingers with mine.

It was what they called the lover’s handhold.

“Hehe, Iroha-chan. It’s a bit embarrassing, but this is fun, isn’t it?”

Ah-nee whispered to me with a grin, blushing and looking shy.

They were secretly dating! What is this!?

It was totally different from what I had in mind—’If we’re alone, it’s okay to be affectionate,’ I thought!

“Hey, onee-chan! You’re too close to Iroha-chan!”

“Okay, okay. Mai, you’re strict, huh~?”

Ah-nee laughed and moved away from me.

The hand that had been interlocked with mine loosened. Ah-nee’s warmth escaped from my hand.

“…Ah.”

Somehow, a sound slipped out. No, it’s not like I’m sentimental or anything! If I were, then I’m not!?

Ah-nee slyly winked at me, as if saying, “See you later.”.

“By the way, Anego, even if Iroha gets mad, I don’t know. I mean, I said earlier, this time is when Japanese streamers are active. It’s noisy. Well, whatever.”

“…It’s okay. If it’s just a little noisy, it’s fine.”

“”?!?!?!?””

Mai and Angu Ogu looked at me with surprised expressions, then approached me.

“What’s wrong? Are you still sick?!”

“No!? I-I’m not!”

“Well, but…”

“Nah~”

Mai and Angu Ogu exchanged glances, giggling and squabbling.

What is this? I haven’t been ‘dere’ enough for them to say that!

If anything, I’ve been extremely lenient.

Yeah, it’s all because of these two and their usual behavior.

“Hey, you two, isn’t that rude!? Besides, I just thought in the shared space called the ‘living room,’ it might be weird to ‘quietly’ force someone to be quiet. I just thought so!”

If it’s too noisy, go to your own rooms. It’s quiet and solitary there.

Well, someone will probably follow me anyway.

“Oh, Iroha, Papa and Mama asked when would be a good time to go to the shooting range now that they’ve recovered.”

“Ah, right.”

“Shooting range?”

Ah-nee tilted her head. Did she still not get it?

It’s all because of her that I ended up going.

“Anego, a shooting range is…”

Angu Ogu started explaining.

At that moment, I had a really bad feeling.

“W-Wait, An-oog! That story is!?”

“‘Shooting’ means that kind of shooting, right!? That sounds incredibly interesting! Alright, decided! Since we’re all here, let’s make it into a video!”

Ah-nee’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Angu Ogu belatedly exclaimed, “Ah.”

“Sorry, Iroha.”

“No, it’s not your fault, Angu Ogu. It probably would have come to this sooner or later.”

After that, a simple planning session for the project began.

Mai was checking my schedule, too.

“By the way, is it okay for Mai to help with this? I mean, isn’t it summer in the 3rd year of middle school? They say ‘Summer is the Strategic Point of exams,’ and ‘He who conquers summer conquers exams’. Even though spending summer in America is fine, don’t you need to study?”

“Ugh!?”

Mai made gestures as if she was hit, crumbling down.

Uh-oh, this looks bad.

“But, but, Iroha-chan hasn’t been studying at all!”

“No, don’t use me as a reference.”

“Well~? Even so…”

Mai and Angu Ogu looked at each other, silently communicating and nodding.

I haven’t been acting all ‘dere’ to be called that! If anything, I’ve been very considerate.

“Yeah~! Iroha-chan, you’re like a teacher! Oh, that’s right!”

Oh no, Ah-nee’s ‘that’s right’ came out! Usually, things go downhill when she says that.

“Now that the cold is gone, every night, Mai and Iroha-chan will be alone in the room, right? In that case, why not have Iroha-chan help with Mai’s studies!?”

“Huh?”

“Let’s call her ‘Translation Girl Iroha’… no, ‘Private Tutor Iroha’!”

“Don’t treat me like a teacher so casually!”

I shouted, but I had a debt to Mai for helping with my schedule. And above all, the originator of this idea was Ah-nee.

In the end, unable to refuse, I became Mai’s tutor every night.

Meanwhile, the project steadily progressed.

***

A few days later.

I was tormented by intense vibrations and noise.

“How did it come to this… seriously? How. Did. It. Come. To. This~!?”

For some reason, I was dressed in camouflage, wearing a helmet with ear protection.

And shaking in a tank.