She Was Actually My Stepsister. ~Recently, The Sense Of Distance Between Me And My New Stepbrother Is Incredibly Close~ - Chapter 9 Part 5

Chapter 9: “Apparently, I’m Protecting My Stepsister…”

 

Translator: AJ1703

 

“It’s fine. You were just trying to protect Akira.”

 

　I still apologized nonetheless. I had made a mistake and gotten ahead of myself─

 

　As a matter of fact, while I was still on the train.

 

　Akira got off earlier and was walking home, when a group of flirtatious young men started talking to Akira.

 

　They were just trying to pick up girls, but then Takeru-san showed up.

 

“Hey, you filthy trash, what do you want with my daughter? Huh?”

 

　Takeru-san is an actor who mainly appears in gangster movies. He is a strong, tough-looking yakuza-like man without a shred of fashion sense. His eyes are sharp and his body is strong. If he were to walk down the street, a child might cry.

 

　What would you do if someone like that had a menacing look? …If you were an ordinary person, you would naturally be scared.

 

　As expected, the young men ran away with their tails between their legs.

 

　When Akira asked why Takeru-san was there after the young men had left, he said that he had been watching his daughter from afar because he was worried about her situation.

 

　He said that he was watching over her new family with parental concern, wondering if they were OK and if she was being treated badly, and that he had shown up to scare away some bad insects that had been attracted to Akira.

 

　Akira told him not to worry about it, that everything would be fine.

 

　However, when Takeru-san saw Akira getting tangled up with the young men, his blood was completely up in his veins.

 

　Then he saw Akira’s skirt,

 

“What’s with that short skirt!? You’re wearing that kind of thing, that’s why guys are coming to you!”

 

　He took it to the extreme.

 

“I’ll buy you a new skirt! Get in the car now!”

 

“No way! You’re hurting me! Let go of me!”

 

“Shut up! Just get in the car!”

 

　And then I ran into that situation without fully understanding what was going on…

 

　─But looking at it again, it’s quite scary. Did I grab such a person by the chest…?

 

　Even though the blood was rushing to my head, my legs almost trembled, even after all this time.

 

　But Akira said,

 

“It’s Daddy’s fault! Mou~!” [TLN: I’ll just make it daddy since she’s a girl after all, and MC calls his father as MC so yeah.]

 

　Without hesitation, she slapped Takeru-san on the shoulder.

 

“That was so misleading, and if it had been any worse, he would have been reported!”

 

　Takeru-san scratched his head with a ‘oh dear’ expression.

 

“I feel bad too. Don’t blame your Dad so much…”

 

“Didn’t I always say that Daddy’s outfits are misleading?”

 

“Ah, yes, that’s right, I’m sorry… It truly was my fault…”

 

　Takeru-san looks annoyed at his daughter’s insinuations.

 

“Akira, that was my fault as well earlier…”

 

“Aniki didn’t do anything wrong!”

 

“No, no, it’s true that I didn’t ask him what was going on and I just barged right in─”

 

“That’s because I didn’t stop him─”

 

“No, it’s not Akira’s fault!”

 

“It’s not your fault either!”

 

　While we were arguing about who was responsible for this incident, I heard a voice erupt with a “pfft”.

 

“…Good grief, you guys are really close, aren’t you?”

 

“”Eh?””

 

　Takeru-san was smirking.

 

“You have done what you had to do as Akira’s Aniki, so don’t worry about it.”

 

“Okay…”

 

　We made peace, but Akira was not happy about it.

 

“Don’t talk so high and mighty, and apologize too, Daddy!　Otherwise I won’t contact you anymore!”

 

“Oh, yes… Boy, I’m sorry for the confusion…”

 

　Shigeru Takeru-san was a little funny because he didn’t match his appearance.

 

　Despite his character and appearance, he is, after all, not a bad guy.

 

　He is a good father to Akira, or maybe he is just presenting himself as such in front of Akira.

 

“By the way, boy, you said you’re Akira’s Aniki, what’s your name?”

 

“Majima Ryouta.”

 

“I see, so it’s Majima Ryouta… That’s a good name.”

 

“Huh…? Thank you, I guess.”

 

　I don’t know what to make of it, but I don’t feel bad about the compliment.

 

“By the way, you can tell I’m a bad father as you have seen, right?”

 

“Eh…?”

 

“I’m just a scummy yakuza actor who easily gets carried away and ends up causing Miyuki and Akira a lot of trouble. I’m such a bad person that I don’t deserve to play the father figure to this person.”

 

“Saying it like that─”

 

　I can’t say that I don’t have it.

 

　The fact that he ruined his family and that it was all his fault. I have no room for sympathy because it was entirely his own fault.

 

　However, I felt that there was more to it than that.

 

　If he was not the person I had heard about, he must have regretted it as much as Miyuki-san did. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to check on his daughter.

 

　Miyuki-san said that they broke up because of differences in values.

 

　If that is the case, what are Takeru-san’s values?

 

　Unable to find an answer, I looked at Akira’s face.

 

　Akira was staring at Takeru-san’s face and seemed to want to say something.

 

“Akira, isn’t he a good brother? He’s a good man, no doubt about it. He seems to have settled in well over there, hasn’t he?　That’s a relief.”

 

“Y-Yeah…”

 

“It’s just, you know, it’s given me a bit of time to think. I think it’s time for me to move on from my children.”

 

　Akira said “Eh?” as she heard that.

 

“I can’t keep getting in the way of your life. I’m sure your new father will be troubled if I’m around.”

 

　What does this guy want to say? Like really, what is he trying to say here?

 

“Hey kid, Akira may be like me, with a bad mouth and no charm─”

 

　That’s not true.

 

　For me, who always wanted to become a brother, Akira is like a little brother, a really cute guy…

 

“─But she’s still my precious daughter.” [TLN: Manly tears o7]

 

　I know that, because when it comes to Akira, my blood rushes to my head too.

 

“…So please, take good care of Akira from now on…”

 

　Takeru-san quietly got up from the bench and bowed deeply to me.

 

　I froze. It might be because it was the first time I had been bowed to by a grown-up man.

 

“With that said, Akira, you’ll be fine with this boy.”

 

“Daddy…”

 

“Don’t fall for any strange men, okay? Get a good man like this brother. Okay?”

 

“Daddy…?”

 

　What Takeru-san is trying to say.

 

　I think he’s saying that he’s already cutting himself off from Akira for life.

 

“Well then, I’m leaving now. Both of you, live your life a go.─”

 

　In any case, it’s no good to let things go on like this. If so, he and Akira will never be together again.

 

　If I don’t say something, I might end up with a life of regret.

 

　For Takeru-san and for Akira, only regret will remain.

 

　There are many things I want to say.

 

　But I don’t know where to start.

 

　Does he know that Akira goes by the surname of “Himeno” at school?

 

　Akira still refers to him as…─

 

　Akira is…─

 

　I want to say it, but the words are stuck in the back of my throat and I’m in terrible pain.

 

“Daddy!”

 

　Akira shouted, but Takeru-san’s back was getting smaller and smaller.

 

　And yet neither Akira nor I can say anything. We are frozen and unable to move. I want to follow him, but I can’t.

 

　I’m sure Akira and I both realise that there’s no way we can just let it go like this.

 

　If that’s the case, what I can do is─

 

“Eh? Wait… Aniki!?”

 

　─I took Akira’s hand and ran right up to Takeru-san.

 

“Takeru-san!”

 

　Takeru-san stopped, but remained silent and did not look back.

 

“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

 

　Akira, who was standing next to me, said, “Huh?” but I ignored it and continued.

 

“Because of you, Akira was born.”

 

“Aniki…”

 

“What I want to say most now is that I am the happiest I’ve ever been, living with Akira.”

 

　But it’s a happiness only I’ve achieved.

 

“But Akira’s happiness can’t be achieved by me alone… and my family alone. No one can replace you…”

 

　There are things that can’t be fulfilled by me or my parents.

 

　Something that even Miyuki-san can’t fulfil, something that Akira wants.

 

　Without it, Akira will never truly be happy, I think.

 

　I’ve been aware of this for a while now.

 

　And today, watching Akira and Takeru-san from the outside, I finally became convinced.

 

　The reason why Akira was trying to keep her distance from other people─

 

“Akira is only happy when Takeru-san is her father!”

 

　──Because Akira always wanted to be close to him.

 

　More than others, more than anyone else, she wanted to be very close to Takeru-san…──

 

『Um, first of all, I don’t want you guys to get too close to me.』

 

　Those words on the day I first met Akira.

 

　Looking back on it now, it was probably a declaration that she would not accept anyone other than Takeru-san.

 

『I can do it by myself, so it’s alright and I don’t really wanna get spoiled.』

 

　I kind of understand.

 

　Akira has now become more lenient, but the reason why she didn’t want to rely on others until then was probably because she didn’t want to cause trouble for anyone else.

 

　She must have lived her life in such a way that she had to be strong and resolute so that she could cope without Takeru-san when he left. In truth, she is a very spoiled child.

 

『Only when I washed Daddy’s back when I was little…』

 

　Akira’s mind is much more relaxed than it was at first.

 

　But I realized that I couldn’t replace Takeru-san. Maybe not even my father.

 

『Somehow, it feels like a father’s back…』

 

　The “like” she was referring to at the time was just because of the similarity. It’s not the real thing.

 

『──Daddy, thank you…』

 

　It’s frustrating, but I can’t give Akira what she wants with the unreliable person I am right now.

 

　So I don’t want Akira to lose him.

 

“I’ve always hated my mother for abandoning me. But Akira here is different. Even though she lives far away from you, she really, really loves you…”

 

　What I don’t have, what I’m looking for─

 

“I honestly envy you for being so important to Akira… You’re related to her by blood, you share the same blood, she’s dependent on you, and she loves you… from the bottom of her heart.”

 

　─That’s what a family should look like.

 

　That’s why I have to clearly tell him this─

 

“Which is why, Takeru-san, please don’t leave Akira!”

 

　When I said this, Takeru-san’s shoulders trembled a little.

 

　But he said nothing and started walking slowly again without looking back.

 

　Soon after, the rain started to drizzle, darkening the colour of the ground.

 

　The smell of the rain became stronger, and soon the rain became heavier.

 

　My uniform is soaking wet.

 

　But Akira and I stood there, holding each other’s hands.

 

　Then, we just watched Takeru-san’s back as he left.

 

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Translator’s Afterword: Sorry it took so long, I only had a break this week since it’s the Holy Week. Family also made me go out for a bit but it’s impossible to refuse due to cultural beliefs so there’s that.

 

Oh, and I also made a facebook group for Light and Web Novels. If you wanna join, please do so by clicking here. I hope to see you guys there!

 

P.S. I only posted this chapter because of iyo pestering me there LMAO. I will be translating more after this post, I’m not sure when I’ll finish/be able to upload them but yeah look forward to it.