Hello and welcome to you who came to read this version. First of all, I want to say that I am learning the language and I am using AI for support, so there may be errors.

◆ 2: Jealousy on the Sofa

More problematic than Ousaki, my next-door classmate, was Yua after school.

—Mmm…

Yua was visibly upset, with a scowling expression as she sat on the living room sofa with her arms and legs crossed.

—Shin-nii, what’s wrong with Yua-san? —Tsugumi approached me, who was standing in front of the open kitchen that overlooked the living room, with a worried expression.

—Humph!

I’m not sure if it was because of Tsugumi's voice, but Yua puffed up her cheeks like a blowfish. Her attitude was so ambiguous that I couldn't tell if she was genuinely upset or just joking. She had been acting comically for a while, so the atmosphere at home hadn't become tense, but if I left her like this, her behavior could become problematic.

—Well, it’s because of the seating change…

Yua was probably like this because of the seating change. Apparently, Yua thought that Ousaki and I, who now sat next to each other, were playing together during breaks. Although Ousaki was a bit more approachable at school than Yua, she was still a beautiful girl, so I tried not to get too close to her so that our classmates wouldn't think badly of us.

—Shin-nii, tell me what’s wrong with Yua-san.

Tsugumi took my shoulders and began hopping in front of me. Her black, shiny hair bounced as if it had a life of its own.

To calm Tsugumi’s worry, I explained the situation. I omitted the part about Ousaki having pink hair so she wouldn’t think I was involved with a gang. I simply said she was a somewhat active girl.

—Eh? Shin-nii has a friend he talks to in class?

—Yes, it’s because we sat together today.

—Incredible! Shin-nii has made a friend in class!

To some, this might seem like a tease, but coming from Tsugumi, I took it as a sincere compliment. My heart warmed, and my desire to be recognized soared.

—I want to be a good brother to you, so I make an effort with that.

The truth is that my relationship with Ousaki began because we happened to share a hobby for wrestling, not through my own effort. Anyway, it was unlikely that Ousaki and Tsugumi would meet, so I decided to maintain that image.

—So, next time I bring a friend home, you’ll be able to talk to her too.

—Hey, I’m not so weird as to act strange in front of someone younger than me.

Did she really think I was so incapable of talking to other people? Tsugumi was sometimes so sincere it affected my self-esteem.

Still, I was glad to know that she considered the Nagumo house as her home and felt comfortable enough to invite her friends. That made me happy.

—Ah, by the way, that friend is a girl, right?

It was an important question for me and for Tsugumi’s safety.

—Yes, of course.

With Tsugumi tilting her head with curiosity, I raised my fist in internal victory.

—Then, Shin-nii, today we’ll celebrate with crispy tonkatsu.

—Thanks, but since you can’t cook, either Yua or I will have to do it. It’ll be another time.

It would be extra work. Although I think Tsugumi just wanted to eat tonkatsu. She’s at an age where she eats a lot, not as much as Yua, but still quite a bit. At least it’s better than extreme diets and having an unbalanced diet.

—Humph!

From the sofa, I heard a strange sound. Yua, with her hands raised, puffed out her cheeks, first the left, then the right, and again the left. It seemed like she had been listening to our conversation and didn’t like that we weren’t talking about her.

Although it seemed there wouldn’t be a problem if we left her like this, there was a chance she would get seriously upset about being ignored, so I quickly continued talking to Tsugumi.

—Anyway, if Yua-san is like this, it must be because she’s jealous of that friend. She thinks she’s taking Shin-nii away.

Tsugumi had an excited expression.

—Jealous? Yua couldn’t be jealous.

I denied it, though I felt a bit embarrassed. It’s better than being hated; I prefer to be liked and envied.

—Shin-nii, you’re making a silly face.

Tsugumi pinched my cheeks to readjust my expression, then turned me around and pushed me toward the living room.

—Look, look, Shin-nii, now you can get much closer to Yua-san.

Tsugumi, literally pushing me from behind, directed me toward Yua, who was sitting with a gangster-like pose, with one knee up.

—Hey, Yua…

—What’s up?

She still looked at me with a puffed-up expression like a blowfish.

—I… love you a lot! You’re the best!

—Hey, Tsugumi, stop. Don’t do ventriloquism with me using a high-pitched voice.

Tsugumi, right behind me, was moving my hand without permission. Also, the high-pitched voice sounded like a mouse saying “Ha, ha!”

—Shinji, do you have something to tell me?

Yua was pressing me, not making it clear if she wanted me to speak or not.

—Well, about Ousaki…

I tried to say “it’s nothing,” but stopped. I couldn’t just say “don’t be jealous,” that would probably make her angrier.

—Hey, Yua-san.

Tsugumi peeked her head from my side.

—If you can’t sit next to Shin-nii at school, then sit next to him at home!

—Hey, Tsugumi…

Before I could protest, Tsugumi took Yua’s and my hands and pushed us onto the two-seater sofa, making us sit right in the middle, causing our arms and thighs to touch.

—Now you two, enjoy.

Tsugumi left the living room with light steps and then peeked her head in again.

—Ah, you can flirt if you want, but make sure to prepare dinner on time.

I heard Tsugumi go up the stairs. Although it was a two-seater sofa, if I moved away, it might make Yua angry, so I didn’t move. Yua didn’t move either, which meant she wasn’t that upset.

Yua broke the silence.

—I’m not angry with Rumi or you, Shinji.

Although Yua turned to avoid looking at me, her cheeks were flushed.

—So why did you seem so upset?

—It’s just… I get frustrated with myself.

I could only respond with an “oh…” Frustrated with herself… in my house?

—Rumi is my best friend, and if she sits next to you, it should be okay for her to talk. Also, it’s good that you’re not alone in class. Everything should be positive, but…

Yua pressed her index finger against her temple and frowned.

—But I feel strange.

Yua smiled shyly. Then, not content with just touching my hand, she leaned in and rested her chin on my shoulder. Her breath on my neck made me nervous, even though we were in my own house.

—It seems I don’t like it when I can’t have you all to myself, Shinji.

Yua whispered in my ear, and although she didn’t seem entirely serious, there was a playful tone in her voice. I couldn’t move my neck, but I knew she was in teasing mode. Yua enjoyed seeing me uncomfortable, so I tried not to show my nervousness.

—I’m sorry, but Tsugumi has me busy.

—Then, I’ll take the whole package of Shinji and Tsugumi.

—Don’t try to buy it all in a bundle.

—But, Shinji, your hand is sweating a lot!

Yua lifted my hand to show me.

—How nervous you are, it’s funny!

I couldn’t control my sweat glands, so I sighed.

—Could it be your sweat too, Yua?

Smelling my hand, I realized it didn’t have a bad odor.

—It can’t be my sweat, it smells fine.

Saying something so absurd made me realize how weird it was.

—Well, then maybe your hand has the smell of Shinji.

Yua looked at my hand with interest.

—But I can’t distinguish the smell of your sweat, Shinji.

—That’s something you should never know.

—Come on, tell me.

How was I supposed to explain that? While I was thinking about it, Yua pressed her nose against my neck.

—It smells like Shinji.

Yua pressed her nose against my neck and didn’t move. I didn’t know what to do.

—Well, I already knew that, I smelled it before.

The time Yua stayed at my house, we shared a bed and were close all night.

I didn’t have the strength to argue. I could only whisper:

—Stop… it’s embarrassing.

My mind was about to disconnect.

—I don’t want to. Rumi doesn’t know what you smell like, Shinji.

Why compete with Ousaki in something so silly? She would probably think my smell was unpleasant.

In the living room without Tsugumi, with Yua smelling me, my back became stiff with tension. Finally, when I could hear the ticking of the clock, I regained my composure.

I couldn’t stay like this; dinner would be delayed.

—I’m not a pet!

With the sole intention of not leaving Tsugumi hungry, I found the strength to get up abruptly.

—Oh, come on, let me smell you more.

—Don’t talk as if you’re inhaling something weird.

—Let me enjoy Shinji.

—That sounds illegal.

—I follow all the laws, including school rules, so don’t underestimate me.

Escaping from Yua, I headed to the kitchen.

—Are you going to cook? I’ll help you.

Despite the strange scene, Yua was in a good mood and followed me. So, we both ended up cooking together in the kitchen.