Dumped by One, Chased by Another? My Ex's Sister Is a Gal and She's Coming for Me - Episode 41

After that, a lot happened—Marco and Honoka took over and ended up crying from chopping onions, and when it was my turn to stir the curry, the pot was so full my arm nearly gave out.

My body isn’t trained at all—honestly, I’m pretty weak.

Maybe I really should start going to the gym.

With that thought in mind, I carried the pot of curry from the kitchen to the cafeteria.

This children’s cafeteria is set up in a repurposed elementary school building, and the kitchen—probably once the home economics room—is located on the third floor.

Meanwhile, the cafeteria itself is on the first floor, to make it more accessible for the little kids.

Which means, of course, someone has to carry the pot of curry all the way down.

…Now that I think about it, what on earth do they do when we’re not around?

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“Well, yeah, you’re pretty skinny, you know? But I think that’s part of your charm,” Haruki said.

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She was walking unsteadily beside me, gently placing her hand on the pot I was carrying.

Her hand brushed mine, the distance between us was close, and I found myself distracted by unnecessary thoughts.

Maybe it’s because of her hair extensions, but her eyelashes are ridiculously long…

Still, I couldn’t help but dwell on what she’d just said.

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“You treat me like some kind of cute little thing pretty often, don’t you, Haruki?”

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I mean, I’m an adult man.

I don’t think “cute” is exactly the word that should apply.

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“Yeah, so?”

“It’s not that I mind. I just wonder… am I really that cute?”

“Of course you are. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t think so.”

“Hmm…”

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Well, if that’s how she sees me, then I guess I won’t complain.

More than anything, it feels nice to be complimented by Haruki, no matter the reason.

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“You know, I think what makes you really cute is how hard you’re always trying. And it makes me want to be the one to support you.”

“…I see.”

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Last week, I told Haruki about how I chose to live my life—about how I won’t abandon the path of helping others. That I’ve met her and my friends because of it, and I have no regrets.

And this—what she just said—is her answer.

As long as I keep helping people, I’ll probably get hurt again, like I did with Fuyumi.

So then, who’s going to support me? Who’s going to be there for me?

Haruki’s saying that she will.

Thinking back now…

There’s one thing I regret about my relationship with Fuyumi.

It’s that I rarely, if ever, let myself rely on her.

For example, I did almost all the housework. More than that, I just… never leaned on her emotionally.

Maybe that’s fine if someone’s just a dependent. But as a partner?

If that made her feel unsatisfied…

Not that I can forgive cheating because of that—I’m not a saint.

But now…

Now, Haruki’s showing me how to lean on someone.

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“If you’re going to be there for me, Haruki, I might end up relying on you a lot.”

“That’s okay. Just let me take some of the weight off your shoulders. I’ll do my best too.”

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Just like this heavy pot of curry—I might not be able to handle it on my own. But with Haruki, I feel like I can get through anything.

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“Hey! Are you two gonna flirt all day, or what?”

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Honoka, carrying another curry pot with Marco, called out teasingly with a smirk.

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“You two don’t exactly have room to talk, do you?”

“Ehh? We’re not that bad, are we?”

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Honoka waved her hands innocently in front of her face.

Wait a second… Is she even carrying that pot at all?

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“H-Hey, Honoka? Um, are you actually not holding your side? Like, at all?”

“Ah~ sorry, sorry, Marco-kun. But I figured you’d be fine on your own!”

“I mean, to be honest, I’m barely managing here?”

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Marco gave me a desperate look, as if pleading for help.

But I wasn’t in much better shape, so I slowly shook my head.

Sorry, man.

I’ve got my own pot to carry.

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“Go, go, my boyyyy~friend!”

“RAAAAAAAHHH! I GOT THIS!!”

“Is he… going to be okay?”

“Well, I mean, that’s just their kind of relationship.”

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If Haruki and I are about mutual support, then Marco and Honoka balance each other out in their own way.

Marco’s a loud, athletic type—a cheerful idiot who fits in anywhere.

Honoka, on the other hand, is more laid-back and not great with crowds, but she’s grounded and one of the few people who can keep Marco from getting too carried away.

Honestly, Marco only studies seriously because of her, not because of me.

If they hadn’t started dating, he’d probably have failed enough classes to get expelled by now.

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“Well, for all their goofing off, I’m sure if things really got serious, she’d help out too. Probably.”

“Yeah… I think they’ll be fine.”

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In the end, we managed to get the curry downstairs without any problems.

Honoka did apologize and helped Marco properly after that brief moment.

…Come to think of it, Marco might actually be the more reliable one.