Is A Girlfriend Who Can't Say "I Love You" No Good? Houkage-san Reads Light Novels Too Much - Epilogue A — Aramaki Hayu

“Anyway, I’ll talk it over with my dad and the others.”

Kaho said, and went home.

Since then, I’ve been receiving frequent calls from her on my phone, and although it’s still very difficult, I heard that she was able to persuade her parents to let her publish the book.

I decided to take it easy on this matter. If the book failed in some way, it would be a big event for Kaho and she would be depressed, but I would follow up on it in an insensitive and easy-going manner.

That should make her feel better, and if she gets angry like the other day, that should cheer her up. I don’t want us to become too serious while we’re together.

I still don’t know much about Kaho’s hobbies or what she writes about.

But after this incident, I’ve come to realize that it’s not enough to act like a friend. Kaho is in my other world, and I should be in hers.

All that remains is one more problem—

The sky from the rooftop was blue without a cloud in the sky, and I could almost see the hint of summer in the distance.

One day, about a week after Kaho ran away from home.

I was confronting my brother’s girlfriend.

It was the break time between the third and fourth period. At lunchtime, the rooftop is filled with people eating lunch or chatting, but right now, it’s just the two of us. It’s me and Houkage Ayumi-senpai, who received a note from me in her shoebox this morning.

She came alone, just as I had written in the note. She was looking at me with a vague expression on her face as usual, tilting her head slightly.

She was just a little bit taller than me and has a very rich body, but she also has a fragile impression. She was my brother’s girlfriend. I used to think that I didn’t know what she was thinking about, but now I think I know a little bit more.

The break was ten minutes, and considering the time to get to the next class, I had less than five minutes to talk.

I spoke up straightforwardly.

“First of all… I’m very sorry!”

I bowed at an angle of 45 degrees in apology. I could feel my ponytail bouncing vigorously on my head.

“I’m sorry for saying that I don’t understand people’s minds. …Thanks to you, I was able to find Kaho. I really appreciate it.”

Houkage-senpai was trying to reply, but seemed to be unsure of how to do so. She might not be used to being thanked face to face like this.

But as soon as I raised my head, I put on a stern face to my senior.

“So—if you can understand Kaho’s feelings, then please tell me,

How does Houkage-senpai feel about my brother?”

I clenched my fists on both sides of my body and looked at my senior with straight eyes.

This is a continuation of the question that was interrupted at the coffee shop.

This incident has made me reevaluate Houkage-senpai a little bit. Even though it was for some crazy reason like dissolving my brother’s harem, she stayed up late at night to help me find Kaho. She also seemed to have an idea of how Kaho felt about my brother.

I had made up my mind that I would rehabilitate my brother, but if he and the woman he chose were serious about each other, then as his sister, I would have to approve of their relationship.

Receiving my serious gaze, Houkage-senpai took a step forward.

“For me, Aramaki-kun is…”

I prepared myself. Depending on the answer, I will have to ask my brother to leave her…

However, contrary to my enthusiasm, my senior gave me an easy answer.

“A man of convenience.”

“……………..Eh?”

My eyes were wide open and I couldn’t close them even though I felt them drying up — I was mortified.

Houkage-senpai was a stark contrast compared to me. She tilted her head with a thin expression and said.

“Aramaki-kun helps me get things from high places and helps me carry heavy things too. In winter, he carried the stove from the shed in the schoolyard to the club room. Also, recently he has been making me café au lait and helping me in many other ways.”

……

As the senior finished her talk, a quiet silence fell among the rooftop. A warm spring breeze blew past us like fate. Draw a line.

My face naturally turned downward little by little. Then, a voice crawls out of my ground-facing mouth.

“…Is that it?”

“Yes?”

“You’re dating my brother just because he’s convenient!?”

I looked up with an explosive voice and leaned forward to close in on my senior.

She turned her back to me, looked up at the sky, stared up at it, and then answered.

“—Yes.”

Bang!

A few seconds later, I violently closed the steel door of the rooftop.

I left my senpai behind. She’s probably standing there all alone right now.

Leaning my back against the closed door, I couldn’t help but feel the heat in my gut boiling over. My breath is hot.

The landing leading to the rooftop had only a small window, and even in the daytime, it was dimly lit. My eyes shone in the darkness as I tried to regulate my ragged breathing. Even if I grabbed my chest, I couldn’t stop my heart from beating so wildly.

Deep breaths. Soooooo…haaaa…

Soooooo…haaaa…

I’m sorry. I can’t forgive you.

I let my violent impulses take over, and this time I violently opened the iron door. Under a blue sky that was too good for a cold-blooded woman, Houkage-senpai was standing in the exact same position as before.

“I’m not going to leave him to you, you lizard! I’ll take care of my brother myself!”

Bang!

I said as much as I possibly could and closed the steel door again.

At the same time, a chime rang out to announce the start of the classes.

For the first time ever since I entered junior high school, I was late for class.