≪School Re:Zero! Hour 3!!≫

The morning’s awakening usually comes with a sudden shock.

“—Hey, get up already!”

“Huh!?”

A light voice jolted me awake with a not-so-light thump on my stomach. Letting out a yelp, I found my adorable little sister’s face right in front of me once again today.

“…Morning, Beako. You’re pretty cute and lovely as always.”

“Of course! Today too, Betty is super pretty! Now, get up quickly; it’s a nice morning, and we’re eating breakfast together!”

Sitting on my stomach with a triumphant smile, Beatrice kept her lightweight body on me while I nodded, muttering, “Okay, okay.”

“Ah! You’re not getting it at all! You’re in the position for a second sleep!”

“Ugh, please understand, Beako. I want to cherish every moment I spend eating with you. But equally, I want to savor this decadent morning time!”

“How dare you! You won’t be allowed to sleep again! Nii-chan… Subaru, which is more important, sleeping with Betty or eating breakfast!?”

“What an unreasonable theater-like drama you’re portraying… no, wait, that’s a good idea!”

“What? What are you suddenly thinking of… ugh!?”

I reached out to the little girl swaying on my belly and dragged her right into the futon.

With my sister’s head snugly nestled in my arms, I petted her and cozied into the decadent second sleep time, successfully pulling Beatrice in along for the ride—this was indeed a double win of sleeping with my sister!

“With this, Beako can enjoy a second round too! The joy of this second sleep exceeds that of an ordinary one, multiplying it, I’d say!”

“Are you saying stupid things again! Let go! Betty is no longer a child who will sleep with Subaru!”

“Ehhh, lately Beako hasn’t been sleeping with me, and it feels lonely… So now, I will thoroughly enjoy some Beatrise! Sniff sniff!”

“Don’t sniff me!”

As the adorable Beako squirmed in my arms, I continued to play with her.

By the way, “Beatrise” is a special brain chemical I came up with that’s produced by interacting with and enjoying Beatrice. If a man from the Natsuki household doesn’t ingest this, he will wilt away and die. The only samples are me and my dad.

While I was having fun with my sister, ironically, my eyes began to feel sharper.

“Oops, this was Beako’s plot all along, wasn’t it? Using her lovely self as bait to separate me from my sleep—that’s a clever scheme!”

“Ugh, I don’t even know what’s going on, but let me go! Oh no, my hair and clothes are a total mess!”

“Don’t worry! Even if it’s a mess, your charm won’t fade! Messy has a messy kind of beauty! Messy Beako!”

“Stop being so noisy!!”

Angry, Beatrice hopped off the bed and stuck her tongue out cutely. While I scratched my head at my sister’s tantrum, I suddenly tilted my head and thought, “Huh?”

The reason was the clock, or more accurately, the time it showed.

That is—

“Hey Beako, you woke me up an hour earlier than usual. You really are quite the clumsy one. Now, let’s continue that second sleep!”

“Don’t spread your arms like that! It makes me want to jump! But that’s not it; this morning, I woke you up early for a reason! Is that right?”

“For a reason…?”

“This morning, I have a meeting for the school field trip planning committee! So, we need to eat breakfast early and get fresh for school!”

“I see, so I was dragged into this… Why!?”

I rebelled against Beatrice’s proud reasons, having my cozy time ruined.

Even if she’s an adorable little sister, some things just aren’t right. I stand firmly against such selfish notions.

“My resentment for being disturbed from my second sleep runs deep. How can you overcome my grievances? Now, tell me, Beako! Why did you wake me up?”

“Well, if Betty wakes up early alone, I wouldn’t get to say good morning or goodbye to Subaru, or have breakfast together… I’d be lonely…”

“Damn! Cute!”

In the end, my power to reject my cute little sister’s wishes as a siscon was weak!

To respond to Beatrice’s sincere feelings, I got up energetically from the bed. Sure, my eyes were clear, and second sleeping felt unnecessary now.

As an older brother, my duty is to respond to my adorable little sister’s requests!

“Alright, then let me get changed, Beako!”

“Do it yourself!”

She wouldn’t do that much.

Anyway, it felt like there was a mysterious pickled time, so it was also important to go through with the usual comedic setup.

△▼△▼△▼△

“Alright, I’ll be taking Beatrice-chan with me!”

“You’re taking her, huh?”

Despite the early morning, Petra-chan came to pick up Beatrice with a radiant smile, heading to school.

The two were inseparable friends, and it seems they were together in the field trip planning committee, unable to hide the novelty of attending school at an unusual time.

As her older brother, I felt worried about my clumsy little sister with a high all-around parameter, but I was relieved knowing Petra-chan would expertly fill those gaps. Together, the two could likely conquer the world.

“Even if I feel a little lonely, it’s the duty of an older brother to send his sister off with a smile… If my favorite could reach the Budokan, I’d die happy…”

“Hey, hey, don’t bring that up too early, my son. It’s true our daughter is a lovely girl worthy of the Budokan’s center stage, but dad won’t allow it for at least five more years.”

I said goodbye to my little sister cheerfully at the entrance while my dad spoke to me, starting to mist up. Dad usually goes around half-dressed, but of course, he wears proper clothes on days when visitors like Petra-chan come.

His T-shirt featured Beatrice’s smile, a piece that allows him to feel her adorableness even on days when she goes to school early.

“Don’t worry. Your little childhood smile is also printed on my back.”

“I’m not even worried, just be careful with the distance from your teenage son. In the case of Beako, I don’t know what might trigger the family’s collapse.”

“Don’t say scary things. Sure, the smile of you when you were a kid is on my back, but I still love the high school you just the same. You know that, right?”

“I get told that once a day.”

One of our family rules is to say “I love you” or “I like you” at least once a day.

I respect dad for taking that to heart, but it still makes it a rather difficult family rule as a teenage boy.

“But I’m not embarrassed to say it to Beako or mom, so it must be a matter of daily behavior.”

“Ugh, how unlovable! By the way, Beatrice left early, but what about you? You have plenty of time, so do you want to wrestle with me until Rem-chan arrives?”

“Wrestling with you after waking up early? When did I become Hinomaru Man? Although, now that you mention it, it’s indeed lazy to just dawdle… Alright.”

It’s annoying to feel like I’m conceding to my dad, but I didn’t want to waste time doing something as futile as wrestling, so I swiftly put on my shoes at the entrance.

On a rare early morning, it would be worthwhile to take a morning stroll.

“Early birds catch the worm, so something good might happen!”

“Is that so? A walk, huh? Just wait a bit; I’ll get changed.”

“I’m not going with you! I’ll go alone! You and mom can do your thing!”

“Hmm, I see. Sorry about that. Feels like I made you worry.”

“Worrying about leaving my parents alone isn’t a thing! Stop pretending you’re a wingman for your love-shy classmates!”

After exchanging this uncertain conversation, I stepped out of the house.

I felt somewhat hesitant about returning immediately after that talk. My parents, having been married for about twenty years, still seem as fired up as newlyweds, which makes it utterly difficult for us as kids. Of course, I’m grateful that my parents get along so well.

“A fun household free from conflict… They say bonds can grow through arguments at times, but an easy-going life is preferable.”

I firmly believe that having fewer worries, unhappiness, and obstacles is always better.

Thus, while the Natsuki household is a fairly ordinary middle-class family, just having a close family and a cute sister means I’m blessed by far.

“Grateful for this miracle of being born in this era, thumbs up for everything that is me, bright sunshine in the future illuminating the sky ahead, don’t block my way because I’m a runaway train!”

Oh, my excitement rose somehow, and I couldn’t help but start rapping.

I see, waking up early makes me feel oddly sharp. Walking along the streets, a touch less crowded than usual, while basking in the cool morning breeze was quite pleasant—

“—Oh, good morning, Subaru! What a coincidence to see you here!”

“Whoa!?”

Just when I started to skip along, suddenly being called out threw me into a panic.

And rightly so; depending on the situation, there was a chance this person might have heard my little rap, and the voice that came was that of a lovely silver chiming.

The only person who instantly came to mind that sparkled in my history was—

“E-Emilia-chan? What are you doing out here so early in the morning!?”

“Hehe! I know you’re surprised, but it’s not what you think. I’m alive and well even when you’re not looking at me!”

“Y-Yeah, that’s true. Haha, hehehe… I just got a bit surprised…”

Oh no, I let out a suspicious laugh at this unexpected encounter.

But while I was mentally scolding myself, the girl directly in front of me—the transfer student Emilia—looked at me gently with her kindly eyes and smiled like an angel.

With her long, beautiful silver hair shining like moonlight and gracefully long limbs, she was truly captivating.

Since she had just transferred and didn’t yet have her school uniform, she wore clothes from her previous girls’ school, but here it felt different.

Thin shirt and a fluffy skirt that spread softly—she was in casual attire.

“Wow, her casual outfit is cute…”

“Eh? Is it? Thank you! Subaru’s casual outfit is… um…”

“Oh, this? It’s from my sweet lovely sister Beatrice. Isn’t it adorable? This is her face right after waking up with bedhead…”

In front of Emilia, who tilted her head in curiosity, I showed off my T-shirt.

Unlike the one from my father, this one had Beatrice’s face printed on both the front and back. I appreciate my dad’s sentiments, but really, mixing my existence with adoration for Beatrice felt quite unnecessary.

“Oh, she’s your sister? She’s an incredibly adorable girl!”

“Oh, do you get it? Yes, she really is an adorable little sister! Recently, she’s been a bit rebellious, but back in the day she’d always follow me around, calling me nii-chan… I’m not boasting or anything, but Beako is the one I raised!”

“Wha!? What about your parents!?”

“Of course, they contributed too, but well, even combined, I’d say it’s a seven-to-three win for me.”

“I see! Subaru, you’re a real hard worker!”

It’s the usual banter, but thanks to Emilia accepting everything I said smoothly, I started to speak without restraint. Gradually, my shock from the earlier encounter eased, and I began to savor the joy of meeting such a beautiful transfer student.

“By the way, what was Emilia-chan doing? You’re out super early this morning?”

“Hm? I was out for a stroll. You see, since I just moved here for school, I don’t know the area well at all. I have to learn for Pack as well!”

“Oh, really? Quite diligent… wait, Pack?”

“Yes, Pack! He’s the cat I keep at home… look over there!”

As Emilia pointed, I looked toward a nearby brick wall where a gray furball was curled up, swaying its long tail.

Peering closely, I verified it was indeed a cat.

Noticing my gaze, the cat turned its big round eyes toward me and said—

“Hey there.”

“Huh!?”

“What’s wrong!? Why did you shout out of nowhere…?”

Startled by the suddenness, I caught Emilia also surprised by my reaction.

Yet, even with such a naturally astonished response, I was still confused. Because right now, that cat—

“Did it just talk? It was waving at me saying ‘hey’…”

“Eh? That can’t be right! Come on, don’t tease me… I won’t fall for that!”

However, while I tried to confirm, Emilia wouldn’t listen at all. Instead, she was reacting way too normally. If she had said, “That’s right, Pack can speak! Pretty rare, huh?” I’d have been at a loss for what to do.

“Well, it must’ve been some kind of mistake or an illusion… wow, I’m shocked.”

“Exactly, let’s leave it at that. You wouldn’t want Subaru to be seen honestly surprised or as a quirky person, right?”

“Seriously, it’s so natural the way you’re talking to me!”

The cat—Pack—jumped down from the wall, curling up at my feet while still talking casually. His brazen otherworldly demeanor caught me off guard as I bent down and picked him up.

Pack’s paw playfully poked my face. What a fluff.

“By the way, I don’t have some special ability to converse with animals. So really, if anything’s odd, it’s more on your side.”

“Well, if Subaru wants to insist that, I won’t force you to change your mind, but taking that route would get you strange looks instead, you know? Look over there!”

I turned my gaze as instructed. Emilia was staring wide-eyed, darting between me and Pack, who were glaring at each other.

“It looks like you two are genuinely having a conversation. Pack isn’t squirming at all either. That’s quite rare for him!”

“Is that so? By the way, Emilia-chan, how did it look to you?”

“Eh? Pack was meowing cutely, and it seemed like Subaru was saying something while wearing a mischievous face…”

“My reputation is taking a downturn! Wait, is this for real…?”

From Emilia’s reaction, it seemed like only I couldn’t hear Pack’s voice. My heart raced as Pack slipped from my hand, landing elegantly.

While washing his face with his paw, he said, “Don’t worry, this won’t lead to some strange story starting. I won’t turn you into a magical girl or grant wishes or start rambling about the entropy of the universe, so relax and consider this a contract!”

“I won’t be contracting anything! The word ‘contract’ is far from comforting!”

“Just kidding! Just kidding!”

Laughing jovially, Pack leaped into Emilia’s arms. As she caught him and stroked his back, she said,

“But I’m glad Pack and Subaru became friends. I was a bit worried.”

“Worried? Why’s that?”

“Well, Pack doesn’t get along well with many of my friends… By the way, Subaru, is it okay for me to consider you a friend? I hope I’m not being too forward?”

“Not at all! Not at all! If anything, it’s an honor to be deemed your first friend! I’d even aspire to level up from that friendship.”

“Sorry, I don’t quite get what you’re saying.”

When I slip up, I tend to blurt out unnecessary details; that’s one of my bad habits.

Anyway, having met Emilia like this feels like fate—

“If you’re going for a walk, can I join you? Anyway, I’m still heading to school, so let’s call this a date!”

“A da-date… going out with a boy! It’s true!”

“Whoa, could this be your first time?”

Looking at Emilia’s sparkling eyes, it hit me that she likely attended an all-girls school.

For a sheltered girl, a chance to go out with a boy would indeed be rare. So then—

“For my first ‘date’… what do I do?”

“Wait! If this is Emilia-chan’s first date, it’s got to be done right! At the very least, this T-shirt with my sister’s face all over it isn’t appropriate!”

“Hidden Beatrice under the armpits…!”

Honestly, if I’m going to treat this as a date, I want to do it properly.

If it’s a moment that will be etched in memories, then the stage must be set properly.

“Thinking calmly, I actually don’t have any dating experience either…”

“Really? But you seem to be on good terms with everyone in class…”

“No, just going out with girls is something I do quite a bit. I often go shopping with my childhood friend Rem, and I get dragged along shopping by Rem’s older sister Ram too.”

However, why do I count such outings with childhood friends as sad experiences?

Of course, I’ve gone shopping with Crusch and Felix and helped Anastasia, and I’ve been dragged around by the moody Priscilla when her attendant Al couldn’t be reached. I’ve even played with the lovely six sisters living next door—

“Now that I think about it, I probably look quite experienced from an outsider’s perspective…”

“It’s like your outside and inside don’t match up. Yeah, yeah, I definitely think that’s the case with you, Subaru.”

“Why is it that a cat is so chattier than expected! Don’t read my heart without permission!”

I scolded Pack, who was purring in Emilia’s arms. But Pack just acted innocent, while Emilia stared at me curiously. Damn it.

“Anyway, today’s walk doesn’t count as a date. This is a stroll date… yes, let’s mark it as distinct from a real date.”

“Well, I don’t really understand, but if that’s good then that’s great. So, what should we do now?”

“Hm, well. Emilia-chan, it seems like you’re trying to learn the layout of the area while also picking a walking route for Pack, right?”

Thinking about it calmly, cats generally don’t accompany their owners for walks like dogs do, but it seems neither of us is keen to point that out.

Now the question is on what kind of route to suggest—

“For me, it’d be great to find a place with a good view, where I can feel the nice breeze. I also prefer to avoid steep hills since I don’t want much exercise. And based on the cat treaties, I haven’t introduced myself to many of the local strays yet. So, avoiding any spots that are claimed by boss cats would be much appreciated.”

“Wow, you’re detailed in your requests… no, actually, that’s helpful.”

“Right? It’s confusing when someone on a date says ‘anywhere is fine.’”

As I grimaced at Pack’s composure while speaking, I still figured with stricter selection criteria, it’d be easier to narrow down.

So, for my stroll date with Emilia, I decided on this route—

“Alright, let’s go for a course that heads toward the riverbank. A large river flows right by, so it’s beautiful and pleasant to look at.”

△▼△▼△▼△

And with that invitation, we arrived at the riverbank in my town.

This bank, where a famously large river flows right alongside, is well-known as a popular spot for seeing the first sunrise on New Year’s Day and is also frequented by enthusiastic young people and the elderly for jogging on weekdays.

Of course, many people had come for the same reason we did, and I could spot a few dog owners chatting joyfully.

Yet—

“Sure enough, I don’t see any cat owners…”

“Cats dislike collars and leashes, so maybe that’s why… But Pack often wakes me up, wanting to go for walks.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah! For sure, a new day doesn’t feel right unless it’s with Ria.”

While our destination might be for walking pets, different types of owners catch my attention with their fine details, and while Emilia held Pack in her arms, she appeared worried.

Her sentiment seemed to imply that overly loving pet owners are meddling, but from what I heard from Pack, it didn’t sound like it was one-sided. My bias about cats considering their owners as servants seemed to have been incorrect.

“Speaking of which, isn’t it strange that Emilia-chan’s carrying Pack around the whole time?”

“—? Oh yeah, Pack doesn’t like to walk, so I always carry him. But sometimes, when he gets too chubby, I make sure to let him exercise too.”

“Ah, I see. I had this preconceived notion that once an animal gets fat, it can never return to form, but it sounds like that RIZAP thing really is possible!”

“Well, it’s all about effort.”

“Huh, that’s a product of laziness…”

With Pack’s smug expression, I couldn’t help but sag my shoulders.

As it stands, he was currently thin, so it seemed he had no intention of breaking out of Emilia’s grip. If Emilia wasn’t heavy about it, I had no complaints.

“But isn’t it tough carrying a fully grown cat all the time? Pack’s relatively small though.”

“I’m fine! I might look like this, but I’m surprisingly strong. At my old school, people would ask me for help whenever there was heavy lifting going on.”

“Just because you’re considered strong by girls from an all-girls school…”

It’s hard to take someone with such delicate, pale arms seriously when they claim to be strong. To be clear, I also have confidence in my own physique when it comes to that.

Most of these discussions tend to arise from an inability to see oneself objectively, and I suppose both Emilia and I are equally matched there.

Just then—

“—Oh? Subaru-kun, what’s going on?”

Startled by a very familiar voice, I turned around.

No need to verify by looking back, since it’s a voice I could recognize as well as family or even more.

“Eh? Rem? Why are you here?”

“I’m here as my sister’s escort this morning! But wow, I never expected to run into you, Subaru-kun… As expected, sister’s blessings are exceptional!”

“Don’t act like she’s some deity! Rim is just your sister.”

With a wry smile at Rem’s quirky comment, I answered her in a typical manner.

Hanging there as always was Rem, in a charming casual outfit. I often see her on my days off, but adding the early morning weekday effect instantly made her presence sparkling. Wow, weekday effects sure work wonders.

“Hey, hey, Subaru. That girl from the same class, right?”

“Hm? Ah, right! This girl is Rem, my childhood friend who’s great at household chores!”

Beatrice poked me from behind, reminding me to not leave Emilia out. I shifted sideways, introducing Emilia to Rem.

After which—

“Rem, this is Emilia-chan as you know. We met while I was walking Pack, and we’re currently sorting out a suitable stroll route for our lazy cat.”

“I see! That makes sense. —Let me introduce myself, I’m Rem. I’ve known Subaru-kun since we were babies.”

“Stop lying. The one who was in the same baby tub as you was your sister.”

“Right! It was my sister who was in the same baby tub with your precious mother.”

“`

「It was a mistake to say I was wrapped up.」

“That’s also your fault, sister.”

Well, I wouldn’t know since I was unconscious right after childbirth, but considering that my and Rem’s birthdays are about two months apart, I don’t think that kind of thing happened.

“Oh, thank you for being so polite. I’m Emilia. This is my grey cat, Pack.”

“Sounds like a delivery service introduction…”

“Wow, what a cute cat! Can I touch it?”

“Of course. Here, Pack, show your belly.”

“Can’t be helped, nyah.”

Pack rolled onto his back as if he didn’t mind, and both Emilia and Rem started to playfully mess with him. As I stood there with my arms crossed watching them, I tilted my head in confusion.

“Rem, you said you were accompanying your sister, but why here? What does it have to do with Ram?”

“That’s because sister is in training right now.”

“Training?”

“Yes.”

While tickling Pack’s belly with her fingers, Rem smiled proudly. Typically, when Rem brags, it’s either about Ram or me. While it’s somewhat embarrassing to have Rem bragging about me, I do the same when I talk about her, so it’s a mutual thing I guess.

“Rem’s sister is the Ram from the same class, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Rem has an amazing sister that’s too good for her.”

“Rem’s favoritism towards her sister has become so habitual, so take it with a grain of salt.”

“Hmph, that’s not true at all.”

Pouting and turning away, Rem started talking about Ram while still looking away.

“As you know, Subaru-kun, my athletic sister gets asked to help various clubs…”

“Ah, I see. It’s well known she’s active in many clubs. She blends in just fine with the boys, which shows her exceptional talent…”

Ram seems to have a remarkable trait where she quickly improves at anything she’s made to do, especially in activities that require skill.

So, in that regard, Rem’s enthusiastic praise isn’t wrong at all.

“So, what’s the deal with amazing Ram?”

“Well, since my capable sister was asked to help out another club, she has started her morning training seriously because she wants to do her best.”

“Ram is!? Doing something so virtuous!?”

That was quite a shock for me; honestly, it felt like a bolt from the blue. Ram has always had this air of someone who’s gotten by on innate talent, and she’s fundamentally arrogant and overly confident, consistently showing results to back it up.

So, I assumed she was pretty much uninterested in any real effort.

“And wasn’t she supposed to be busy taking care of Roswaal the novelist? Isn’t she always focused on him, dragging Rem along and being a nuisance?”

“That’s true, but she’s also working hard separately for this. So, Rem wants to support her feeling, and that’s why we’re preparing like this.”

“Wow, that’s impressive. So that’s why you’ve set up this picnic-like affair.”

Behind a fired-up Rem, there was a picnic basket, a thermos, a first aid kit for emergencies, and a towel set neatly arranged on a leisure sheet.

It’s a virtue of Rem to always be fully prepared, but it also shows a flaw in her habit of overthinking and bringing unnecessary things.

“Well, I’m sure Ram will be satisfied with all this… But what kind of help did Ram agree to take on?”

“It’s the girls’ judo club.”

“The girls’ judo club…? We had one of those at our school?”

Hearing Rem’s story didn’t paint a clear picture of the girls’ judo club for me. Our Lugnica Academy has quite a few active clubs, and they often achieve decent results in regional tournaments.

So, usually, if it were a well-known club, I’d hear about it casually.

“Not to mention, our sewing and home economics clubs are also regulars in the national tournaments.”

“Oh, really? That’s impressive… Wait! A sewing club and a home economics club at the national tournament!?”

“Did you think that was strange? Although it may seem that way, it’s somewhat athletic or cultural in terms of competition. We compete on the speed of wave stitching, how many threads you can thread through needles within a time limit, and the accuracy of setting up sewing machines…”

Surprisingly, if you delve into the competition’s aspect of sewing, it can be quite deep.

By the way, our school regularly participates in inter-school tournaments, but usually, the sewing and home economics clubs end up competing against each other, canceling each other out.

We just see it as a rivalry between the two advisers, Frederica-sensei and Klind-sensei.

“By the way, the most famous club at our school is the light music club led by Liliana-chan. They even go on national tours, which is quite impressive for an indie band.”

“No way, that doesn’t sound like a school club at all!”

“Lugnica Academy seems a bit lax in those regards, so it’s allowed. It seems Liliana-sensei’s enthusiasm reached Principal Wilhelm, too.”

“That legendary face-to-face negotiation where Liliana-chan’s guitar skills pierced the heart of Principal Wilhelm… I wish I had seen it while I was enrolled.”

Although Liliana-chan and Principal Wilhelm seem like a contrasting pair, they actually share the same passionate side for things they like, so their compatibility isn’t bad at all.

Liliana-chan, moved by the principal’s love stories, apparently has her “Sword Demon’s Love Song,” the most popular song on the light music club’s setlist, with the principal’s family photo used as the cover.

“But enough with the idle chatter about Liliana-chan, getting back to the girls’ judo club help request… Why is Ram undergoing training?”

“That’s…”

“—You’re quite the lecherous man, wanting to know every move Ram makes.”

“Whoa!?”

I jumped at the sudden cold voice that came from behind. Cutting off Rem’s answer was Ram, my childhood friend. With her hoodie and jogging shoes, Ram stood there slightly out of breath, staring at me with her pale pink eyes.

“So, why is Balus here? You’re not coming just to tease since you found out Ram is in training, are you?”

“Do I look like I have that kind of free time? As you know, sister, I’m the type who wants to secure my sleep time right up to the very last second. So, I chose the school closest to home.”

“Because Balus chose a school for just that reason, Ram had no choice but to go there, huh… How selfish.”

Rubbing her forehead, Ram sighed, brushing away beads of sweat with her fingers.

During my exchange with Ram, I caught Emilia whispering to Rem.

“Hey, why did Ram have to go to the same school as Subaru?”

“That’s easy. Rem decided to go to the same school as Subaru-kun. And, Rem wanted to attend the same school as her sister, so she requested her to do so.”

“I see… So, it was Rem’s selfishness?”

“Yes. Sister is too kind to listen to Rem’s selfishness.”

With a slight blush on her cheeks, Rem soaked in the feeling of being loved by her sister. As you can see from the current conversation, while it may seem like Ram is acting spoiled, the power dynamics between these sisters are overwhelmingly in Rem’s favor.

However, Rem’s respect for Ram is genuine, so she wouldn’t try to use her sister for her own advantage. It’s just that her way of dependence is a bit strong.

“Well, as for why Rem gets to be herself like this is fine… But it’s rare for her to be working out to the point of sweating. Is Roswaal taking the girls’ judo club for interviews or something?”

“Stop tying everything back to romance, you lecherous brain.”

“You’re going too far calling me a lecherous brain!!”

I retorted at Ram’s venomous words, but she just snickered as she usually does. However, if it wasn’t related to Roswaal, then it became hard to figure out.

Thinking of Ram going all out only brings to mind Roswaal and Rem.

“The girls’ judo club has few members, and if three-year students retire from the upcoming tournament, the club won’t be able to keep running. So, sister wants to show her results as a helper.”

“I see. Ram is super kind.”

“——”

Rem unraveled my question, and at her explanation, Emilia clasped her hands in front of her chest, while Pack, who lay on the floor, nodded thoughtfully.

Understood, I also agreed with Rem’s explanation. Although Ram seems cold to everyone, she surprisingly has a deep emotional side to her.

“…What’s with that look?”

“Well, not really? Just that I think sister is unexpectedly kind… Ouch!!”

I was ruthlessly kicked behind my knee!

As I fell to my knees, Ram, who had executed the kick flawlessly, pulled back her leg.

“It’s practice for a foot sweep. Looks like you’re making progress.”

“If you deliver a kick like that, you’ll get the girls’ judo club banned from entering, you know…!”

“Don’t worry about it; after this tournament, the girls’ judo club will dissolve. No lingering troubles.”

“What a rude comment, even as a cover-up!”

I stared at Ram, taken aback by her dismissive attitude, but managed to get back up. Oh well, at least my legs still worked.

Thinking back to when I had said something unnecessary and endured too many of Ram’s kicks, I remembered how my legs had swelled purple, rendering me unable to stand.

“That time, I said I got caught by a nankin trap in the garden…”

“Isn’t an anaconda a bit harsh? That’s not something you encounter in the garden.”

“How could I tell a girl from my childhood that I got kicked too much by my childhood friend?”

It was a fall from grace to have common sense lectured by a cat.

By the way, upon returning from school, Rem earnestly testified, claiming, “It was the anaconda that did it! Not sister!” so my resistance ended in vain.

“So, what’s with Balus? Aside from Rem accompanying, why is the chronic latecomer here? Also, the cute transfer student is here as well… How suspicious.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions! I woke up early today to join Beatrice, and I just happened to run into Emilia-chan! Misunderstood!”

“Be quiet.”

“Snake Fist!?”

In response to my retort, Ram displayed a form of Chinese martial arts known as Snake Fist. It’s a horrifying style mimicking the movement of a snake, but I have no idea why she’s practicing it.

“Just as Subaru said. I just happened to run into him while walking nearby.”

“This is just a warning, but are you sure that was a coincidence?”

“Eh, wait? Could it be… a duel…?”

“Don’t say unnecessary things! And stop dragging yesterday into this!”

Regardless of Ram’s probing, Emilia’s thoughts were complete misunderstandings.

The background to Emilia thinking I was on the lookout to pick a fight right after giving school tours can be referenced from “Academy Re:Zero! Lesson 2!” In any case—

“Although it took some time, that’s why I’m in the middle of showing Emilia-chan around town. Since it looks like you, Ram, and Rem are busy, we will be off.”

“I see, it’s a shame, but…”

“Oh, is that so? I’m sad to say goodbye to Pack-chan.”

With a slight downturn of her eyebrows, Rem looked disappointed as we tried to leave.

I’m weak against this face of Rem, just as Ram is. Before I could think of a plan, Ram sighed, “Well, it can’t be helped.”

“Rem, go with Balus and the others. I can handle it alone.”

“Eh… But that’s unfair to you, sister. There’s so much baggage to carry…”

“Rem prepared this for me. I won’t waste a thing and won’t feel burdened in the least. —I’ll even have Otto carry it.”

“Whoa!?”

Kindly stroking Rem’s cheek, Ram pointed down the path. Coming from that direction, Otto in his tracksuit looked bewildered.

It seemed he was also out for a morning run and, confused by the sudden call, he blinked in surprise.

“Um, what exactly am I being dragged into? And why are you all, who aren’t in sports clubs, jogging on the riverbank at this time?”

“Don’t worry about the details, Otto. I’m leaving the bags to you.”

“Eh!?”

“Thanks, Otto-kun. Please make sure my sister doesn’t catch a chill and give her hot tea regularly. Nice to meet you.”

“Wait a second!?”

“I’m not sure what’s happening, but you seem to be relied on heavily, Otto-kun. That’s truly impressive, so do your best.”

“Even the transfer student!?”

We explained nothing as we hurriedly made our exit.

I’m sorry, Otto. You were born into that role. I know dealing with sisters is tough, but it’s really all your fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“Isn’t this a bit too unreasonable!?”

“Quit complaining and prepare quickly. A man whining like a woman… that’s no good.”

“Even as you say that, you’re making me do it!?”

Back there, the absolute power difference between the oppressor and the oppressed was on full display.

It’s futile to resist; Otto should just accept his fate. All the same—

“It’s not every day a soccer ace gets treated like that…”

Just so you know, Otto isn’t just a helper; he’s genuinely the ace striker of the soccer club, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from how he’s treated.

△▼△▼△▼△

“Still, it’s surprising running into so many acquaintances this early in the morning…”

“Thinking about it, this time when I normally wouldn’t wake up feels like a treasure box. I feel glad I woke up, and it’s very fun.”

“Emilia-san is quite positive. I think that’s a wonderful thing.”

“Nyaa~”

Having pushed Ram’s care onto Otto, the three of us and one cat resumed our walk.

We shared greetings and nods with people passing by, savoring the joy of sharing a refreshing morning.

Fortunately, it seemed Emilia was the type who could get along without being shy, and surprisingly, even Rem, who has a strong flavor to her character, was doing well. Playing a part in bonding those two was Pack, who was being fondled between them.

“What a cutie… How old is Pack-chan?”

“Well, that’s hard to say… Pack has always been by my side since I can remember… I think it’s been over ten years.”

“When you say ten, that makes it sound quite elderly.”

“I get that it can be hard to compare to human age, so I’ll stick with the policy of not revealing my age, thinking of me as a kind of shapeshifting cat.”

“That’s hard to believe.”

It’s troubling how casually you’re bringing up the shapeshifting cat idea.

Still, with the fact that I’m the only one who can hear it, there definitely is a shapeshifting cat suspicion… or maybe it’s me going a bit crazy.

“I could have awakened a new power from enduring Beatrice’s hip attacks every morning… In today’s world, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone gained power from being hit by a truck, but to awaken power from catching a sister’s rear is more than unusual…”

And thus, the conflict over Beatrice’s rear began, leading to a bloody struggle.

“My God, Beatrice’s rear is splitting in two…!”

“Subaru seems to be saying something strange…”

“Don’t worry. Subaru-kun just tends to overthink when it comes to his sister Beatrice. However, that’s what makes him a wonderful brother, caring for his sister.”

“No way, I wouldn’t show any brotherly affection to someone else’s sister. It’s not like I’m completely unrelated; Rem is important to me regardless.”

“Wow, saying you’ll cherish your sister forever is making me blush…”

“I didn’t say that!”

Rem blushed and embarked on a rampage, prompting me to wave my hands dismissively as usual.

While having that conversation, just as I was about to greet another group walking their dog, I realized that the dog’s owner was someone I knew.

“Wait, isn’t that Felt and Reinhardt? What are they doing?”

“…Damn, I got spotted.”

“Damn,” is indeed quite a greeting, but Felt, my classmate known for her ‘Cinderella girl’ status, bore a truly annoyed expression upon being addressed by me.

Just to clarify, it’s not like she’s an idol or anything; she’s labeled a Cinderella girl because she’s being targeted by the prince.

And that prince is the handsome young man standing next to the scowling Felt—Reinhardt Van Astraea.

Reinhardt is undeniably one of the most handsome boys not just in our school but also in our city and possibly the entire state. An exceptional human being with skills in both academics and sports, for some reason, he’s fixated on Felt, who constantly appears to be genuinely annoyed by his advances.

“So you’re having a meeting at this early hour? Could it be that all your behavior at school was camouflage…?”

“Shut up! It’s not like that! I didn’t want to say anything because I knew you’d bring this up! I’m doing this for Romy, you know!”

“Romy…?”

Stealing a glance, I noticed a large dog attached to Felt by a red leash that was barking loudly.

It was a sizable dog, and it was so powerful that it seemed to be pulling petite Felt along, but Reinhardt seemed to handle it well.

Additionally, what was the relationship between this dog and Reinhardt?

“Good morning. You both are classmates, right? Reinhardt and the close friend, Felt-chan…”

“We are not friends! What, even the transfer student sees me like that? Damn it, this is a joke!”

Felt roughly raked her fingers through her hair, irritated by Emilia’s words.

While Felt’s over-the-top reaction surprised Emilia, Reinhardt simply chuckled with an apologetic look.

“Sorry for surprising you. Today, Felt seems a bit on edge. Whenever I’m around, she’s like this, but usually, she’s much kinder at heart. I would be glad if you didn’t misunderstand her.”

“Are you my mother or something!? From where are you saying that!?”

“I understand. Don’t worry. I get it. After all, look how attached this dog is to you.”

Ignoring Felt’s complaint, Emilia smiled while pointing out the Romy who was snuggling close to Felt’s feet.

Indeed, Felt may have a foul mouth, but she is quite caring. Contrasting her charming appearance is an outgoing demeanor that surprisingly makes her quite popular with the boys. However, once they learn about Reinhardt’s rivalry, they quickly retreat.

Challenging a nuclear bomb to a game of rock-paper-scissors is something like this; in other words, it’s pointless.

“But how do these two relate to Romy?”

“Originally, Romy was a stray dog. When we found this dog, I was walking home with Felt, and we hesitated about what to do at that time.”

“…My family doesn’t have the luxury to keep Romy. Then this guy here insisted on taking care of it. Plus, it’d be weird just to depend on him.”

“So, we walk Romy in the morning and play outside on holidays to help Felt understand her responsibilities.”

“I see…”

So that’s how it is. It’s a nice story that Reinhardt found a stray dog and is now helping Felt take care of it. That explains how we ran into them while they were out for their morning walk.

Although it sounds like a heartwarming episode,

“Felt, aren’t you being gradually corralled into a corner?”

“Don’t say that! You’ll give me the heebie-jeebies…”

Felt, who’s been coldly dismissing Reinhardt’s passionate advances, seems to be gradually losing her defenses due to the mere effect of proximity.

At this rate, I could see it being only a matter of time before her walls came crashing down; I felt the countdown was already ticking down.

“Recently, Felt has been coming over to my house, and my grandma is delighted to get to prepare snacks since your feedback is straightforward and honest.”

“I tell her if something tastes bad. The reason I only said it was good is that what she makes is actually good. …Honestly, if you weren’t there, I’d be around your house all the time.”

“That’s a rather difficult reaction to receive.”

Felt muttered nostalgically, but even Reinhardt couldn’t help but chuckle upon hearing that.

From my perspective, it’s quite the statement. Still, Reinhardt doesn’t seem to react, remaining steel-hearted. In Reinhardt’s case, it’s strange for him not to be used to rejection.

“Any response I receive from Felt makes me genuinely happy. I didn’t know I could feel this way about myself, so it’s also surprising to me.”

“Well, love is blind. It’s only natural that you would miss the path you’ve walked and realize it feels different while closing your eyes.”

“—I see. What an interesting perspective. I’ll adopt that.”

Even though it’s something I just said cavalierly, it’s a bit strange to see it resonate with Reinhardt.

“In any case! I’m here for Romy—there’s no misunderstanding about that. And don’t spread it around at school!”

“I get it, I get it. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“I’ll also remind you emails or LINE are the same!”

“Tch, you’re onto me.”

As Felt urged me to keep it confidential, I begrudgingly pulled out the phone I had hidden behind my back. I had intended to share it with everyone but I’ll have to let that go for the time being.

“Then, I’ll see you later at school.”

“Don’t spread it around!”

Waving goodbye to Reinhardt and doubting Felt, we parted ways.

Considering their attitude, it doesn’t seem far-fetched that Reinhardt’s efforts may soon bear fruit.

“Why do I feel a tinge of sadness about that…?”

“Is it like having a friend taken away by a girl?”

“Or maybe it’s because Subaru-kun will lose the gamble on how long Felt-san can keep avoiding Reinhardt-san’s advances.”

“Five points for Rem.”

“I got it! I’ll jot it down.”

“What? What’s this? That’s cheating!”

As I watched Rem eagerly jot something down in her notepad, Emilia panicked to know what was happening, but it was just a slip of the tongue with no significant meaning.

Even if she tallied it up, nothing would come of it, and I didn’t recall having let her stack anything before.

“With that, Subaru-kun’s total points have now surpassed two hundred thousand. What an accomplishment.”

“Since when have I been racking up points that much!?”

“Wow, that’s quite an old notepad… so what happens when it gets full?”

“I don’t know. But someday, I’m waiting for that amazing surprise tied to the points you accumulated, and my heart beats with hope.”

“That’s screwing with my head! I wish you had said it when it was a hundred points or something!”

It’s a tall order to have accumulated two hundred thousand points by whims of five points; I would need to rack up forty thousand times to reach that amount. Just how long have they been tracking my points?

And what could I possibly do to make it up to reach the two hundred thousand mark?

“How about this: a head pat for ten points?”

“Then you’ll get to pat me two thousand times.”

“That’d cause me to lose my head!”

I decided to promise Rem I’d create a points chart next time since I couldn’t say anything too reckless. However, since it was based on my standard, it became really hard to determine what actions would yield a higher score.

“As an example, Emilia-chan, what would you want me to do for you?”

“For me? Let’s see… Oh! If we can walk together like today, I’d be really happy. That sounds like so much fun! It wouldn’t even feel hard to wake up early in the morning.”

“E.M.T…”

“Huh? Why did you suddenly say that?”

“I don’t know. Suddenly something warm started pouring from my lips.”

I suspect I wanted to blurt out something angelic about Emilia-chan.

However, while it was hardly a reference for anything, hearing her say that made me incredibly happy, as an adolescent boy.

“By the way, how would you feel about morning walks, Rem?”

“Oh, that makes me very happy. But observing Subaru-kun’s sleeping face in the morning is a privilege given to me as a childhood friend, so it’s really hard to tilt the scales either way.”

“That privilege of childhood friends, who granted it to you? God?”

“God.”

“Is that so…?”

 

---