Devils - bright complex 4

Location: Shopping District

Tsumugi: I’ve gotta say, you’re a real savior. I’m so happy you’re helping me carry my baggage, Ritsu-kun.

Nowadays, our unit… Switch, is starting out for real, so there’s a need to buy a lot of necessary things.

It would be lot of work for just one person, so you’re really saving me here, Ritsu-kun. Despite looking so dainty, you’re surprisingly strong~ ♪

Ritsu: Hehe. I’m no mere mortal after all.

Besides, I have no more work to do today, so I wouldn’t know what to do with my time until dawn anyway.

If I can get on Aoba Onii-chan’s good side and become closer with him, I can use it to harass Anija again, too...♪

Tsumugi: You shouldn’t bully him too much~. Rei-kun was crying, you know. Well, they were probably crocodile tears, though.

Ritsu: Hmpf. He can cry, cry until his tears run out, dry up and turn into a mummy for all I care.

Tsumugi: If I remember correctly, Rei-kun’s character is supposed to be a vampire, not a mummy. I wonder why that person suddenly started speaking and behaving so strangely?

I tried asking him directly, but he just said a bunch of profound-sounding, ambiguous things… It felt like he was dodging the question, so I still don’t really know what he truly meant to say.

Ritsu: Don’t know, don’t care~. Don’t ask me about Anija, it’s a bother. And like, that vampire act of all things is such a self-deprecating joke, it’s pathetic.

Tsumugi: ……….?

Rei: ~……….♪

Tsumugi: Oh? Speak of the devil, right over there across the street I can see Rei-kun walking.

Along with Anzu-chan, and the Light Music Club’s… Which one of the Futago-chan’s* is it, I wonder? All three of them are walking together so happily~, they look like a family ♪

Ritsu: ………….

Tsumugi: Ritsu-kun, Ritsu-kun. It’s a good opportunity, so why don’t we call out to them?

They seem to be on some kind of errand as well, so depending on the case we might be able to go shopping together.

And then, you can apologize for your cruel behavior earlier, and the two of you can make up a-...

Uwah?

Ritsu: ………….

Tsumugi: Wawah, don’t pull me, Ritsu-kun! What’s wrong all of a sudden, do you want us to hide in that alley?

Rei: Hmhm. I see, I can use this for reference.

I thought the young lady could get along well with anyone, but she has a rather constrained relationship with her own younger brother?

Hinata: Sakuma-senpai, you’re saying that even though you can usually seduce anyone… And yet it seems like you’re being hated by your younger brother, so that’s kind of unexpected and fresh.

Rei: I’m not being hated.** Ritsu does love me, I think… Probably.

Rei: Well, once you reach high school, I guess it’s rare to see siblings who are still touchy-feely with each other.

Hinata: But I wanna be touchy-feely! All Onii-chans and Onee-chans do!

Rei: Yes! I want to hug him and go “There, there”, and grant him anything he desires...♪

Hinata: But to our younger brothers, that might just be troublesome~?

Rei: That’s puberty. It’s harsh for any family… They’re at that age where they want to grasp everything with their own power.

Even though I think they could be granted even better things from their older siblings without going through danger and hardships…

Well, this is probably just my egoism as the eldest.

Tsumugi: ...Hm~m, they’re a strange match of sorts. I suppose they’re helping Anzu-chan with her shopping or something?

Fufu. It’s like you siblings conspired beforehand to do the same thing… Ritsu-kun ♪

Ritsu: It’s just a coincidence. And like, Anija is making a know-it-all face and talking about little brothers and it’s pissing me off.

Tsumugi: Well, to me it’s an enviable thing.

My older brother has no interest in our family whatsoever, and ever since he was young he’d just repeat over and over again that he wants to leave the house already.

And once he reached university, he became entirely self-reliant and now only seldomly comes near our house.

Ritsu: Hmm? Aoba Onii-chan, you have an older Onii-chan?

Tsumugi: More or less. It’s more of a “Oh right, I had one” kind of feeling, and I even sometimes forget about his existence entirely.

That’s exactly why I want other siblings to get along.

But. This is merely me averting my eyes from my own problems, in other words, I’m just being selfish.

Ritsu: …………...

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*Futago = Twins

**Rei says this in a distinctive childish and pouty tone, but I couldn’t get it across in English.

Devils - bright complex 5

Location: Game Center

Hinata: And with that! We’re finally here, in the game center….☆

Rei: Yes, well, I’m not sure what you mean by “And with that”.

While we sent more than half of our shopping ahead by mail, it’s not as though we’re empty-handed…

Don’t you think we should return back to school without making any side trips?

Hinata: It’s fine, just for a little bit!

Tenkousei-san and Sakuma-senpai are always working hard for other people’s sakes, so you should take a breather every once in a while ♪

In order to relieve stress! Come on, come on, let’s play!

Rei: Hrm~m. If Hinata-kun says so, I’m willing to go along with it. But I just can’t grow accustomed to all these bleep-bloop thingamajigs.

I’ll be in charge of watching your belongings, so the two of you go play by yourselves.

Hinata: Eh~? Don’t say that! They’re fun once you try them ♪

Rei: Wawah, you’re so pushy… Hinata-kun, if I had to say it, you’re acting more like a younger brother than an older one.

Hinata: Hehe. Then for today, I’ll be Sakuma-senpai’s and Tenkousei-san’s little brother!

Forget about your real younger brothers who are going through their rebellious phase, and spoil me rotten toda~y ♪

Rei: What’s with that… Even if Hinata-kun is willing to play the substitute, that won’t make me happy.

Hinata: It’s just like back when you hugged me in the club room! During difficult times, it’s fine to be spoiled and consoled by someone.

It’s fine, it’s fine, just think of it as humoring me! I can’t have you making that gloomy face forever~ ♪

Rei: O- Okay… Then let’s hold hands, Hinata-kun.

When we were younger, Ritsu a~lways demanded my attention like this.

Holding my hand, hugging me, and sneaking into my futon when he couldn’t sleep...♪

That child is weaker to sunlight than I am. I would always wear a black cape like a vampire, and wrap him up in it.

Just like this…♪

Hinata: Wawah, I’m being eaten alive! Wh- this makes it hard to walk, Sakuma-senpai~?

Rei: Kukuku. You’re my little brother today, so don’t you think there’s a more fitting way to address me?

Hinata: Ah, you’re right! Geez, you’re making it hard to walk, Onii-chan….♪

Ritsu: …………

Hinata: …..Gah!? Sakuma-senpai’s little brother-san, since when were you standing behind us…?

Th-this isn’t what it looks like! Don’t misunderstand, this isn’t an affair… I was just trying to cheer up poor Sakuma-senpai?

Rei: Oh, Ritsu… Aoba-kun as well… I’ve felt someone’s presence for a while now, so that was you two shadowing us?

Tsumugi: Ahaha… I’m sorry, we were kind of curious…

Hinata: ...Aoba-senpai. Come over here for a moment, please.*

Tsumugi: Fuwah? What is it, errr, Futago-chan… Which one is it?

Hinata: Ahaha. So you don’t know. I’m the older brother~, please tell us apart by the color of our headphones.

Tsumugi: Aah, so you’re Hinata-kun.

I’m sorry, it seems like my glasses’ prescription is off… It’s gotten so bad that when viewed from a distance, I can’t tell apart even normal brothers who aren’t twins.

Hinata: Maybe you should buy new glasses…

Rei: What’s the matter, Hinata-kun? Don’t leave me behind~?

Ritsu: Hm. So you’re fine abandoning someone else, but don’t like it when it’s done to you?

Rei: Guuh, these words of my little brother cut deeper than usual! Stop it, you’re turning my heart into skewered dango!**

Hinata: Te-Tenkousei-san? I’ll leave Sakuma-senpai to you for a moment!

Come on, Aoba-senpai, over here ♪

Tsumugi: Haa… I’m sorry, we turned the mood sour....

Hinata: It’s not your fault, Aoba-senpai.

Alright, due to the music from the sound games it’s noisy over here… No matter what we talk about here, Sakuma-senpai and the others won’t hear.

Tsumugi: Err. If you don’t want Rei-kun and the others to hear, does that mean you want to talk in secret?

Hinata: Umm. Aoba-senpai, are you close with Sakuma-senpai?

It’s the first time I heard someone call that person in a familiar way like “Rei-kun”~?

Tsumugi: Fufu. We’re friends. I don’t feel as though I have the qualifications for it, but treating a friend as a stranger at this point would feel wrong, too.

It’s just for convenience…

No, the fact that Rei-kun remains friends with me is… As atonement for the things I’ve done to Rei-kun, it’s my torturous punishment.

Hinata: …….? I don’t really get it. So, are you well-informed about Sakuma-senpai?

At the very least, you should have a closer relationship to him than me, who only met him a few months ago.

Tsumugi: Well… With how Rei-kun is now, the parts of him I don’t understand have increased.

Due to some circumstances last year, I looked into his family background and such for a bit, so I suppose you could say I am more well-informed than most.

What do you want to know? I don't think it’s good to pry too much, though.

Being ignorant isn’t a sin. Everyone has parts of themselves they don’t want others to touch on.

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*Worth mentioning that Hinata is using his somewhat half-assed keigo when he talks to Tsumugi

**Skewered dango