My Plain-looking Fiance is Secretly Sweet with Me Volume 3 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6
Remembering childhood memories

“Yuu-niisan.”

“…What’s the matter, Isami?”

From behind me, “Kyaa, kyaa”, I could hear a cheery voice.

Well, something like this is what one would expect to happen if a handsome, tall man with an idol-level charm came to the cafe located outside the station. However, this kid—she’s undeniably a girl.

A form of beauty in a man's appearance, a person who looked very fitting in a black butler costume—she was Watanae Isami, my sister-in-law.

“By learning from what happened last night…, I want to talk to you in a place where Yuuka isn't around. How can I make Yuuka and I become sisters who get along...? Please teach me, Yuu-niisan!”

“Wait, first of all, why did you call me Yuu-niisan?”

“In order to be as close as possible to Yuuka's feelings, I took a reference from her calling you [Yuu-kun] and finally decided to call you like that! I also have another name I can use like [Yuu-kun-san].”

“Okay, you can just call me Yuu-niisan...”

Good grief, even if you ask me for teaching you with such clear eyes (wearing blue contact lenses)...,

“I think if you respect Yuuka with that kind of attitude, all your problems will be solved.”

“If only I could do that, I wouldn't be in this kind of trouble…!”

Muttering that in a frustrated tone, Isami bit her lip.

“This is ironic, right? …I wanted to be strong enough to protect Yuuka, but as a result I was shunned by her——”

“E-Excuse me…, this is our service parfait♪”

At a completely inappropriate timing, even though we hadn't ordered anything, a young female waitress offered Isami a parfait.

Seeing that, Isami smiled at the waitress.

“Hee~, the service at this cafe is pretty good too.”

“After all we want to make our customers happy♪ Please, enjoy the parfait.”

“No, I didn't mean this parfait.”

“Eh?”

“What I mean is that it's nice to receive service in the form of such a beautiful smile from a beautiful woman like you....”

“Kyaaah!!!”

God damn it, what's with that line?

Towards me who was speechless, Isami glanced at me and then took a deep breath.

“I hoped that Yuuka would be happy with my words that have become strong like this though…”

“You repeatedly say that you’ve become stronger, but Isami, haven't you just become like a womanizer?”

I don't know if she's joking or really in trouble..., as her brother-in-law, I can't really judge that.

“...Alright, let’s make it like this. Isami…, when was the time when Yuuka didn't want to go to school?”

“Hmm? It was around winter when she was in the second year of middle school…, from then on I’ve been  determined to become stronger.”

“Then before that incident! When Yuuka was in the first year of middle school or when she was in elementary school, how did you usually treat her?”

“When Yuuka was in elementary school…, both me and Yuuka, our personalities back then were very different from now.”

I expected it to be like that!

After all, everyone has their own history.

Even I also do have it.

When I was in my third year of middle school, I thought that I was a [popular otaku], so I was very excited about telling my friends about otaku topics regardless of their gender.

Then, with the confidence that my feelings would be accepted, I confessed my feelings to the person I loved at the time, Nonohana Raimu.

However, I was flatly rejected.

Moreover, the next day rumors about it spread throughout the class, and a storm of teasing hitting me.

And then, after a few days of not wanting to go to school—I changed.

When I met Yuuna-chan, a 2D goddess, I swore that I would never fall in love with a 3D girl again—and become a [Grim Reaper in Love].

What if…, Yuuka and Isami also have a [past] that makes the current selves different from their former selves?

I think..., that's what might be a solution in this case.

---

“Alright, I'll show you the Watanae family album.”

Opening her tote bag, Isami took out four thick albums from inside.

Seeing that, with a subtle look on her face, Yuuka asked Isami.

“Isami, did you intend to bring those albums with you from the start so you could show them to Yuu-kun?”

“Hmm? No, it's not like that. It's just that when I'm on a trip and I'm having a hard or sad time—I'll look at your cute pictures so I can heal again.”

“…Okay, let's put your tsukkomi aside. Now, Isami, you can see those albums whenever you want, so why don't we just keep them back?”

“But now is the time I want to see them.”

“Okay, I understand! Then why don't you see them alone somewhere where others can't see you?”

From Yuuka's words, I can clearly feel the [don't show those albums] aura.

But, since I can't let this album strategy fail...

“Aah, I also want to take a look at Yuuka's childhood pictures. I want to know what my fiancé was like when she was little after all!”

“I want to see them too. I'm sure little Yuuka-chan must be so cute!”

The supporting attack came from Nayu, who in fact just really wanted to see the album.

Hearing what Nayu and I said, Yuuka...,

“J-Just a few, okay?! Also, Isami, you don't have any weird pictures, do you? You've made sure to put out pictures like that, haven't you?”

“In that case you can trust me, Yuuka.”

With a clear expression, Isami answered like that, and Yuuka was somehow convinced.

Then, the pages of the thick album slowly opened.

“First of all, this. I thought this was a picture when Yuuka wasn't even one year old? This is the pictures of Yuuka bathing with our father, the nude photo of Yuu——”

“Isamiiiiii!!!”

With incredible speed, Yuuka picked up the album, and then mercilessly hit Isami's forehead with her elbow!

Receiving such a blow, even an Isami who was usually always cool and calm was frowning.

“Yu-Yuuka…, isn’t it too much to hit me using your elbow? Seriously, I think I would die...”

“How dare you show a picture like this from the first…, how dare you show Yuu-kun my immoral pictures! I-I…, I haven't even shown my naked body to Yuu-kun yet?!”

“No, Yuuka-chan! I think bathing together in a school swimsuit is far more immoral than a picture of a baby bathing.”

“Bath in school swimsuit? What kind of cosplay situation is that?”

“Kyaa—! That's enough, it feels like I'm going to die—!”

Yuuka's embarrassment was already too high that she couldn't control herself anymore, but for now, I hit Nayu's head beside me with all my might.

 

——Take 2.

 

“Then, first of all, this…, this is a picture when I was born. The kid posing beside me is Yuuka when she was two years old.”

Beside baby Isami, Yuuka smiled brightly while showing a peace pose. Since in that picture she tied her hair into twintails, it made her look like Yuuna-chan, so I couldn't help but smile.

“Here’s the next one. This was taken before we entered elementary school while we were playing in the park near our house.”

“Isn't Yuuka-chan who holding a plastic stick while laughing looking scary?”

“I remember, back then…, instead of the magical girl's stick, Yuuka swinging it and hitting the benches around, and in the end I got hit too…”

“Isn't Yuuka-chan just like a brat? That’s hilarious.”

“Stop it!! I apologize for hitting you, so please stop talking about my black history!”

Yuuka shouted, but Isami calmly continued to flip the pages of the album.

“I think this picture was taken when Yuuka was in second grade. The kid holding the transformation compact toy is Yuuka.”

“Hee, so you also like something like this, Yuuka?”

“W-Well, yeah..., ehehehe.”

“By the way, that compact is my birthday present. A few minutes after I got it, Yuuka wanted to have it, and it ended up became like her personal item.”

“Seriously, Yuuka-chan just like a brat.”

“Stop?! I'll be looking for the toy in the online shop, so stop!”

Yuuka shouted again, but Isami still calmly flipped the pages of the album——

“…Wait a minute, Isami?

“Hm, what's wrong, Yuu-niisan? There's still a lot of cute pictures of Yuuka that I haven't shown you?”

This girl, she's forgotten the main reason we're doing this.

Through these albums, we’ll make Yuuka remember warm childhood memories and thereby improve the relationship between the two sisters—that is the main goal of this album strategy.

But, take a look at Yuuka now? Why is she holding her head and showing a desperate expression?

This can't go on like this, I’ve to do something.

“I've seen a lot of your pictures, but isn't your image different from the current yours? When you were little, what kind of child were you, Yuuka?”

“Eh…, erm, about that…”

At my sudden question, Yuuka showed a worried expression.

She then glanced at Isami, and after that she started to speak.

“Even though I look like this now, but... when I was little I was quite delinquent. I'm a child who thinks [I'm top priority!], and whenever I had something I wanted to do, I would insist on doing it so my family eventually gave up on me.”

“Even the one who controls the TV channels is also Yuuka.”

“......Sorry.”

“But, I was helped a lot by Yuuka who was like that. After all, when I was little, I was very shy.”

[Brother] Delinquent → innocent, quiet, and expressionless at school

[Sister] Shy → handsome male cosplayer

Good grief, the before-after these two sisters were intense...

“Iw was a passive person, but Yuuka keeps pulling me along with her, so I’ve got a lot of experience. We explored the neighborhood together, watched anime together…, and, oh right, you used to read books to me a lot too, right, Yuuka?”

“...Yeah. The me who loves books hasn't changed at all since I was little.”

Isami then returned to flipped the pages of the album.

Hm, is that a picture taken when Isami was in elementary school?

It was probably summer, because they were both wearing camisoles and shorts, lying in bed looking at a book.

Yuuka's eyes that seemed to be reading a book in that picture sparkled, and she opened her mouth wide.

In contrast, Isami was staring at the book with serious eyes.

“Oh! This is nostalgic, right, Isami!”

“Yeah. I love it when you read me a book back then.”

While looking at the pictures in the album, Yuuka and Isami were chatting happily.

“While you were reading, I remember very well the impression as if you were in a book world, Yuuka. Your voice at that time was very beautiful, and you were also very good at reading books with emotion.”

“…That's embarrassing, but thank you, Isami. Well..., since then I've often been praised for having a beautiful voice, especially from Isami. I think that's why I was motivated to become a voice actress.”

“You mean you became a voice actress because of me?”

“Don't get carried away like that. But well…, I think a little of it is because of you, Isami.”

Saying that, Yuuka smiled shyly.

Seeing Yuuka like that, Isami must be feeling happy.

But, even though it’s okay if she stops here..., but Isami flipped the album page again, and started talking excitedly.

“Speaking of motivation to be a voice actress, there's also a picture that was taken when you were in sixth grade, do you remember it, Yuuka?”

In the picture that Isami showed, Yuuka was wearing a cute one-piece dress decorated with frills.

But..., her face in the picture looks terrible.

Because, the makeup on her face looks very weird.

“I'll make up like an idol!, you say that, and then you use mom's makeup without permission. You put makeup on your cheeks all the way to your forehead, and the lipstick you're wearing strays all the way down your nose—and with that look, you're singing a famous idol song. Oh my, at that time your voice sounded as beautiful as it sounded from the TV…”

The expression on Yuuka's face slowly disappeared..., but Isami who was too busy talking didn't notice that at all.

And then, as if casting a curse—Yuuka muttered:

“…I hate you, Isami.”

 

After that, at night, needless to say——I had to listen to Isami's whimpers and cries.

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