Chapter 30: A New Assassin?

A New Assassin?

It had been a few days since my sister warned me about Yuna.

So far, nothing had changed. We only exchanged harmless conversations at school, and she hadn’t shown any signs of interfering beyond that.

A few more peaceful days passed, but after school, I was suddenly stopped by a certain junior.

“Are you Kisaragi Yuki-san?”

A girl wearing glasses with a loose braid on one side.

Based on the color of her tie, I could tell she was a junior.

“Uh… This is our first time meeting, right?”

“My apologies. My name is Kotaka Masumi. Yes, this is our first meeting.”

A faint sense of déjà vu crept over me. Was this girl the “assassin” Yuna had sent, just like my sister warned?

“So, what do you need from me?”

After a brief silence, Kotaka-san, as she introduced herself, seemed to gather her resolve. Her eyes sharpened with determination before she spoke.

“I’d like to talk about Takato Mizuho-san. Would you spare me a little of your time?”

The fact that she knew about my connection with Tendouji-san made me suspect she was indeed an acquaintance of Yuna.

But bringing up Takato Mizuho’s name so suddenly, in a way that put me on guard, made me doubt this was about romance.

“I see. Then, shall we move to another place?”

“Yes, there’s a café I frequent. How about there? It’s not very crowded.”

I briefly wondered if a place with so few customers was even staying in business, but since this wasn’t a conversation for a crowded area, I nodded in agreement.

I followed her lead, and we arrived at a café nestled within a residential neighborhood, a short walk from the school.

It looked like a renovated private house, where the first floor had been turned into a café—something my sister would probably like. The atmosphere wasn’t bad at all.

Inside, a few customers were relaxing at their own pace. The seating was sparse, with widely spaced tables, giving the impression that this was more of a personal passion project than a business.

“Since I invited you, it’s my treat. Please order whatever you like.”

Her way of speaking was a little off—maybe from nerves?

As I considered this, I felt bad about letting a junior pay for me.

“I’ll pay for my own order, so don’t worry about it.”

Instead of looking at the menu, I decided to go with the “Special Blend Coffee of the Day” written on the chalkboard.

“Oh, you picked today’s special? Nice choice! The owner roasts the beans himself—it’s amazing.”

It seemed my choice had won her approval.

Yet, she ordered a regular blend coffee for herself.

“Huh? You’re not getting the special?”

“Ah, well… It’s a bit pricey…”

She answered awkwardly, looking uncomfortable.

“In that case, do you want to switch with mine? I can’t really tell the difference in coffee flavors anyway.”

“No, no, that won’t do! If you can’t tell the difference, then you should all the more experience the master’s special blend!”

Since she insisted, I gave in. After a short wait, the owner himself brought over the special blend to our table.

“Ah, this is delicious.”

“Right~? My view on coffee completely changed thanks to this special blend. Though, it was my brother who introduced me to it…”

She smiled as she spoke, but there was something off about it. It didn’t quite feel like a genuine smile.

Watching her closely, I savored the aroma and flavor of the coffee, finishing about half of it before deciding to get to the main topic.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

“I’ll be direct. Thank you for avenging me in my place.”

Kotaka-san suddenly bowed deeply in front of me.

“…Sorry, but I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I saw it. I saw Kisaragi-senpai and the model, Takato Mizuho, plotting revenge on that guy…”

Apparently, she had happened to witness my meeting with Tendouji-san. But I had no idea how she got the impression it was about revenge.

“I did meet with Takato-san, but we weren’t planning any sort of revenge.”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to deny it. I heard you—clear as day—saying, ‘We’re in agreement on this payback.’ …Don’t worry, I’m not going to the police. Like I said, I’m grateful. You dealt with the guy who hurt my brother.”

Kotaka Masumi-san had clearly only overheard part of our conversation and had reached a grand misunderstanding.

I tried to explain that it was a mistake, but since I couldn’t go into details, my response came out vague, failing to clear things up.

“I understand that you want to thank me. In that case, just buy me a cup of this café’s regular blend, and we’ll call it even.”

Feeling too drained to explain further, I tried to end things with a simple suggestion.

“That won’t do! You’re my benefactor, the one who avenged my brother. I have to properly express my gratitude!”

“Avenged…? Your brother…?”

Kotaka-san lowered her gaze, looking somber at my question.

“Yes. My kind and cool older brother is no longer here.”

“I see… Don’t tell me your brother also had his girlfriend stolen by Kashiwagi-senpai?”

“Yes. Honestly, I was relieved that he was rid of that cheating woman, but… my brother was devastated and fell into despair.”

He must have been a sensitive person. Unlike me, he couldn’t simply move on.

“So… he took his own life?”

“Huh? No, my brother is still alive! What are you talking about?”

“Wait, but from how you were talking…”

“No, no! The kind and cool older brother I once knew is gone. Now, he’s completely changed—he shut himself away, saying, ‘I will never trust real women again,’ and devoted himself entirely to 2D girls.”

Calling it “vengeance” felt a little extreme, but to Kotaka-san, it was something she just couldn’t let go of.

“I see… You really love your brother, don’t you?”

“W-Wha—!? H-How did you figure that out?! I-I mean, I only love him as a brother! Sure, he was cool, kind, and now he’s a shut-in, relying on me to take care of him, which stirs my maternal instincts… but it’s purely sibling love!”

She suddenly started explaining things I never even asked about.

She seemed like the type to completely overthink things.

“I kind of understand. I love my Nee-san too.”

The moment I said that, her eyes sparkled, and she suddenly grabbed my hands.

“No way! Not only are you my benefactor, but you’re also a kindred spirit!”

Looks like she completely misunderstood me again.

“Uh, I think you’re mistaken—”

“I get it… You love her as a sister… Yes, yes, I understand. That unspoken feeling, the one you can’t openly express…”

No matter what I said, she was bound to misunderstand.

She was exhausting to deal with, but for some reason, I found myself curious about her. So, I decided to continue the conversation a little longer.