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Chapter 310: You've Got It All Wrong! We're Not Like That!
🕑 Added 2025-04-26 10:00:38 +0000 UTCIjichi Seika was a hardcore siscon.
She knew it. She didn't even try to deny it.
Behind the harsh words and indifferent expression she wore with everyone else.
Was a heart full of concern for Ijichi Nijika.
That's why...
Even though she found Minami's choice of address cold and stiff,
She didn't make a big deal out of it.
She just glanced at him again, then gestured toward the drink bar nearby and said:
"Minami, you feel like chatting for a bit?"
Yes.
Talking to him.
That was the real reason she'd approached him today.
Normally, Minami was always walking to and from school with Gotoh Hitori and the others.
Add in the fact that Nijika was her sister and worked with her at STARRY, and she was practically glued to Seika's side.
Which meant that even though Seika had so much she wanted to say to Minami—
She never got the chance to say any of it.
But today was different.
Minami had just finished his finals at Shuka High.
Yamada Ryo and Nijika were still stuck in exams at Shimokitazawa High and wouldn't be back for a while and Gotoh Hitori and Kita Ikuyo were off somewhere doing who knows what.
Right now, the only two people in STARRY were her and Minami.
With a chance this good—
Of course Ijichi Seika wasn't going to let it slip by. She cut straight to the point and invited him for a talk.
"Mm...?"
Minami's handsome brows furrowed slightly.
He could tell, there was something behind the way she was looking at him.
This invitation definitely wasn't random.
But considering she'd helped him out more than once, was his current landlord, and Nijika's older sister...
There was no way Minami could just turn her down.
"There's something you wanted to discuss, Manager?"
He took the seat across from her, accepting the invite.
"..." Seika didn't answer.
Instead, she pulled a small carton of strawberry milk from her pocket.
Then looked at him.
"Want one?"
As soon as she said that, Minami couldn't help but look at her again in surprise.
Strawberry milk.
It was Ijichi Seika's absolute favorite.
She always carried a stash with her during work—supervising the bands while sipping away.
Minami had never once seen her offer one to anyone.
"...Sure."
Still a little shocked by the gesture, Minami accepted the carton she held out.
I mean, turning down something from a tsundere like Ijichi Seika?
That just didn't feel like a smart move.
He took the strawberry milk.
Unwrapped the straw, stuck it through the seal, and started sipping while glancing at her again.
And just as expected, after handing him one, she pulled another from her pocket.
She popped in her straw, took a sip—
Then the 29-year-old blonde finally spoke.
"Minami."
"Yeah...?"
Minami set down the strawberry milk and looked at Ijichi Seika.
"Come to think of it, what do you think of Nijika?"
Seika rested her mature, fair-skinned face on one hand and gazed at him, asking with a vaguely suggestive tone.
"What do I think of Nijika...?"
That wasn't a hard question to answer.
"I think Nijika is a responsible band leader. Kind, gentle. Those are definitely her strengths."
His tone was steady.
His choice of words was precise and thoughtful.
As far as Minami could tell, there shouldn't be anything wrong with that answer.
And yet—
"No, that's not what I meant..."
Seika gave him a strange look.
"That's all you have to say about Nijika?"
"Huh?"
What was that supposed to mean?
Minami was genuinely confused by her question.
Still, he tried to follow her lead and added:
"Ah... well, besides that, she's considerate, observant of others... I'd say that's all pretty accurate, right?"
"It's not... I mean, it's not wrong. But..."
Seika's cheeks flushed slightly as she listened to him.
Everything Minami said about Nijika was true.
She was thoughtful and warm-hearted, always upbeat and kind to others.
But!
But that's not what Seika wanted to hear!
Those were things everyone already knew!
What she wanted to know, was something juicier. Something more personal.
Already a bit hot-tempered, she somehow managed to keep her composure on the outside, but inside she was about to explode.
She needed to know what Minami really thought of her sister. Whether or not he had intentions.
All her inner turmoil built up until she couldn't take it anymore, and finally, she blurted out:
"Ugh, that's not what I'm asking you at all! I mean... ahh, forget it!"
As if steeling herself, Seika slapped the bar top and leaned forward, voice firm:
"Minami, I want to know if you like my sister."
If she held it in any longer, she'd burst.
Ijichi Seika had finally said what was on her mind.
And as soon as those words left her lips—
She leaned in close, her expression deadly serious, practically cornering Minami:
"Well?! Do you like her or not? I finally caught you alone! I'm not letting you dodge this one!"
This big-sister-in-charge wasn't stopping at words.
She even reached out and grabbed Minami by the collar, staring him down with laser focus:
"Well?! Yes or no? I want an answer right now! Do you like my sister or not?"
She asked again and again and again. Didn't leave him a chance.
Clearly the textbook definition of a siscon.
The sudden interrogation left Minami a little stunned.
But as he processed her words, the surprise began to fade.
Ah... So that's what this was about.
No wonder she had come after him like this. No wonder she insisted on a private conversation.
It was about Ijichi Nijika.
Made sense.
Ijichi Seika had always been an overprotective sister.
And if she already knew Nijika had feelings for him, it was only natural she'd take this seriously.
Minami was just about to answer her question about whether he liked Nijika or not.
When—
Clatter.
A sudden sound came from near STARRY's entrance, something had dropped to the ground.
Both Minami and Seika instinctively turned to look toward the door.
And there they saw—
Someone neither of them had noticed arrive.
Ijichi Nijika and Yamada Ryo, who had just finished their exams at Shimokitazawa High,
were now standing at the entrance.
The yellow-and-blue duo their lips slightly parted in surprise, both stared in stunned silence at the scene before them: Minami and Ijichi Seika.
And honestly, their shock was justified.
Because the pose between Minami and Seika was... incredibly suggestive.
Minami looked like he was backing away as much as humanly possible, clearly on the defensive against the "fang-baring" Ijichi Seika bearing down on him.
Meanwhile, Seika had a firm grip on Minami's collar, her entire body leaning in, like she was bullying him. Add in the fact that just moments ago, she was shouting things like
"Do you like her or not?"
The whole thing, took on a vibe that was impossible to explain away.
Of the two onlookers, it was the ever-cool Yamada Ryo who recovered first.
Expressionless, she lifted her head slightly.
First, she glanced at the well-endowed, mature figure of Ijichi Seika.
Then, she turned her eyes to the cornered Minami.
"Didn't expect you to be into older-woman types like the Manager, Minami."
The navy-haired girl said it completely deadpan.
"It's not—!"
Seika immediately realized just how easily their pose could be misunderstood.
At the same time as she felt a rush of fury at being called an "older woman".
She was also hit with panic at the thought that her own little sister might seriously misread the situation.
Her mouth opened in a rush:
"It's not like that... Nijika, listen to me, it's not what it looks like!"
She was flustered.
And that flustered look, paired with the blush blooming on her cheeks, only made her seem more like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't.
It practically confirmed the suspicion she was hiding something.
Just as she was about to explain herself—
The bright, cheerful expression on Ijichi Nijika's face completely changed.
The joy and excitement from finishing exams vanished, replaced with wide-eyed shock.
Especially after seeing her own sister pin Minami into a corner.
She couldn't stop herself from mumbling in disbelief:
"I... I didn't expect... Sis... you and Minami-kun... to have that kind of relationship..."
She remembered the last time—
When she and Minami had entered STARRY together, and her sister had suddenly jumped in and declared she was going to marry Minami.
At the time, she thought it was just her sister being dramatic after reading "The Girl Hidden Within the Azalea Fields"—
But now...
Was it possible her sister actually had feelings for Minami?
Just the thought made Nijika suddenly bow deeply.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt you and Minami-kun!"
"Wait—!"
Seika tried to stop her sister but she was a step too late.
Nijika had already spun on her heel.
Pushed the door open and bolted out without a moment's hesitation.
She moved so fast, even Yamada Ryo had to blink and murmur in admiration:
"Nijika's fast."
"This is not the time for commentary like that!"
Unable to stop her sister in time, Seika shot a glance at the completely unfazed Ryo, who looked like she was just here for the show.
The composure she'd kept earlier while interrogating Minami.
Now replaced by growing panic.
Because honestly, she hadn't expected Nijika and Ryo to finish their exams this early.
Was it that tutoring from Minami actually worked...?
Seika's head was a chaotic mess.
If this were any other unexpected situation, she could've handled it with her usual level-headedness but when it involved Ijichi Nijika, It was a whole different story.
That was what finally threw her off.
The worst part? They were being misunderstood... as having romantic feelings for each other.
And her.
A 29-year-old woman who had never dated in her life—
When it came to matters of love between men and women, she was basically completely clueless.
What am I supposed to do now...?
Panic started creeping in as she struggled to think.
And just then—
"Excuse me, Manager."
Minami's voice rose, tinged with exasperation and awkwardness.
"I know it's rude to interrupt while you're thinking, but... could you let go of me now? If I hurry, I might still be able to catch up to Nijika and explain."
"Uh—"
It wasn't until he spoke that Ijichi Seika snapped out of it, suddenly realizing—
She was still gripping Minami's collar.
"S-sorry, Minami."
She let go immediately, flustered.
"It's fine."
Minami rolled his shoulders slightly.
His neck still felt a little sore, but otherwise, he was okay.
"Well then..."
Taking a deep breath, Minami looked over at Seika and said:
"Before I go chase after Nijika... there's actually something I still need to say to you, Manager."
"Huh...?"
Seika tilted her head, puzzled.
"It's about that question you asked me earlier."
Earlier...?
Seika instantly recalled what she'd asked—
Whether or not he liked Ijichi Nijika.
"I'll give you that answer, after I've found Nijika and cleared things up with her."
Minami gave her a small, reassuring nod.
"After you come back...?"
His calm words brought her back to her senses a bit.
"Alright. I'll wait."
Maybe she picked up on something in his tone but this time, she didn't press him. She simply nodded.
Good.
Seeing Seika had cooled off a bit, Minami let out a breath of relief.
He really didn't enjoy being backed into corners by girls.
As for everything else...
"I'll think about it later."
With that, Minami turned and quickly left through STARRY's front door.
Before anything else, he had to find Nijika.
...
Once outside, he was immediately met by the crowds of Shimokitazawa's main street.
Trying to find someone here without direction would normally be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
But Minami wasn't just anyone.
He had run countless simulations with the members of Kessoku Band.
He knew all of their habits.
And he especially understood Ijichi Nijika, the band's leader.
He knew, if Nijika ran out like that, upset and emotional, there was only one place she would go...
