I Lent 500 Yen To A Friend And He Gave Me His Sister As Collateral. What Should I Do? V1: Chapter 1 Part 2-The Story Of How My Friend Sent His Sister To Me For A 500 Yen Debt

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“Eh!?”

“…..? Senpai?”

What was that? A flashback of my past memories? Am I going to die? No, I’m not in any mortal danger right now.

That’s right. A high school girl came to my house and said something outrageous that blew my mind. The shock only lasted a few seconds, but still…

“Uhh…you.”

“Yes.”

“You’re Miyamae Akari, right? Subaru’s sister?”

“……Yes!”

With just a little space between us, the female student before me bowed her head as she pleasantly smiled──Akari-Chan.

That’s right, the close friend of mine that appeared in the revolving lantern earlier, or rather──a bad friend, this is the true younger sister of Subaru, Akari Miyamae.

“Uhm…Akari-Chan.”

“Yes. What is it, Senpai?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but did I just hear something…along the lines of paying off your debt?”

“You’re not wrong, Senpai. I came here as a form of payment for my brother’s debt.”

“Ah, yeah, heh, hmmm……?”

Despite my best efforts, I was unable to grasp what I had just heard at face value and ultimately held my head down in frustration.

The summery chirping of cicadas reverberated strangely in my head. Yes, it was already past noon; my eyes were still heavy from sleep, having indulged in the sleep of summer vacation.

I don’t have enough oxygen in my brain to process all of this──

“Do you wanna come in for now?”

“Ah…yes! Sorry for the intrusion!”

As a stopgap measure, I decided to take her up to the house.

Leaving her out in the hot summer sun forever is out of the question, and having a high school girl standing outside in front of my room will definitely create a huge misunderstanding for the neighbours.

Wait──what am I doing? No, no, no, no. Think about this rationally, how is inviting a high school girl into your room who says she is in debt a good idea!!

On the other hand, Akari bowed her head deeply, but she didn’t look displeased nor annoyed and deeply exhaled as if she was somewhat relieved, so it wasn’t hard to imagine that she must be having a hard time too.

“Um, is barley tea okay?”

“Oh, don’t mind if I do…”

“I don’t mind, your sweating like crazy.”

It must have been a pretty long way from the station to my apartment. Furthermore, it was scorching outside.

Her summer suit was a little transparent, perhaps due to the summer heat causing her to sweat.

There was, however, a camisole-like thing sandwiched in between, rather than underwear directly underneath, so it was helpful that I didn’t have to worry about where to place my eyes.

For the time being, I guided Akari-chan to sit on the cushion as I poured her a glass of barley tea that I had in the fridge. I wonder if I should put some ice in it.

“Um, Senpai.”

While sitting upright on the cushion, Akari-chan called out to me.

“It may be impertinent asking you this, but if you have any sugar, that would be great…….”

Akari turns her head down as she says this. Her face suddenly turns red.

As the word ‘impertinent’ suggests, Akari-Chan must have felt embarrassed asking for something from a guest’s standpoint.

Even so, the fact that she requested sugar for her barley tea was completely unexpected.

“Are…sugar sticks okay with you?”

“Ah, it’s totally fine! Thank you very much.”

I’m glad I bought it when I decided to try drinking coffee at home.

But, in the end, I hardly used it at all.

Akari-Chan’s expression softened the moment she took the sugar stick and poured it into the barley tea I served her.

“Ah….it might not dissolve very well if it’s cold.”

“I like it when there’s a little bit of sugar left.”

“~Mmm, it’s so sweet~.”

She happily smiled as she drank the sugared barley tea.

The very sight of this made me feel strangely nostalgic, probably because drinking barley tea with sugar was a bit of a craze when I was in elementary school.

As I recall, every house had barley tea, and I think it started as a trial and error among my friends to see if there was any interesting way to drink it.

Akari-Chan may have had a similar experience to me.

I don’t know when it happened, but I’ve long outgrown barley tea.

“Well, then again, it’s been a while.”

“Yes, it’s been a while, Senpai. I haven’t seen you since your graduation ceremony.”

She took the time to straighten her posture and become more dignified while I sat on the floor across a low table from her.

The graduation ceremony…. it’s only been five months, yet I’m already feeling so nostalgic.

“Do you still remember, Senpai? After the graduation ceremony, I had the pleasure of greeting you….”

“Of course I remember.”

It’s hard to forget what happened five months ago. It may have been because I was with Subaru at the time. Still, she came running to where I was, her face reddening as if her body temperature had risen…. catching her breath; she looked super nervous. Yet, she still gave me a congratulatory speech with a huge smile plastered on her face; it was rather impressive, to be honest.

If I recall, she was a student at the time, not supposed to be the star of the graduation ceremony. Yet, everywhere she went, she was attracting attention as if she was the one standing in the spotlight.

“I was really happy to be friends with Subaru at that point in time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s not every day you can get a congratulatory speech from a popular girl like Akari-Chan.”

She may be a year younger than me, yet she was so famous that she became the talk of our grade──or rather, the entire school.

Aside from her cute and adorable appearance, she also has a cheerful personality and even a touch of elegance……

『Is she really Subaru’s little sister?』

More than once, I’ve doubted this to be so.

“I-I’m not that popular…”

While saying that herself, Akari-chan, with a bright red face, turned her head down.

Well, it was only natural for her to have trouble reacting to being told in front of her face that she was popular.

“Well…umm…do you want another cup of barley tea?”

“Ah, yes. If you don’t mind….”

“Of course.”

Though it was a bit overbearing, I forcefully broke off the conversation, took the empty glass, and left the table.

Following that, I went to the kitchen to make her another cup of barley tea──it was then, I suddenly noticed traces of lip marks left on the rim of the cup.

Thinking back, there was no sign of Akari-Chan wearing any lipstick today, then…lip-balm maybe? It did leave a pretty clear mark…

（W-wait, hold your horses, why the hell am I even thinking about this! I’m dealing with my friend’s little sister, aren’t I!?)

Before the unusual emotions that sprang in me could take shape, I forcefully reprimanded myself and shoved them down.

No matter how agitated I am not to have a girlfriend, isn’t it too unscrupulous of me to have strange feelings towards Subaru’s little sister!?

(Come to think of it, isn’t this the first time a girl has come to my house since I started living alone like this……No, no, no, don’t think, don’t think!)

Covering the emotions that seemed to rise up endlessly as I thought about it, I prepared a new glass of barley tea, along with a stick of sugar and brought it in front of Akari-Chan.

“Here you go. Okay, so I may be repeating myself, but why are you really here, Akari-Chan?”

“As payment for my brother’s debt, of course.”

Her reply was the same as the first, which I could only assume was a joke.

However, the pleasant smile on Akari-Chan’s face makes it seem as if she has no intention of teasing me, but…

“Well, I have all sorts of questions I want to ask you, but first things first, you must know how much money I lent to your brother, Subaru, right?”

“Yes, it’s 500 yen, right?”

“So you’re aware of that.”

Being aware of the situation is usually a good thing, but not so good in this case.

Because now, Akari-Chan would be admitting that she herself was offered as a substitute for the 500 yen debt. That is, that her value is equivalent to 500 yen.

What’s with the Miyamae families sense of money?

Are they that concerned about something as small as a sen or a rin?

“In any case, even if it’s only 500 yen or a single coin, it still counts as lending and borrowing money. If you can’t pay back the money, you have to be prepared, even if it means giving up your body. That is the common sense of the world.”

“H-hey, don’t you think that’s going a little too far…”

“I’m not exaggerating! There is a saying, 『He who laughs at a penny will cry at a penny.』 Since one sen is 0.01 yen, that means 500 yen is 50,000 times that amount. In that case, if you neglect 500 yen, you will cry 50,000 times. If you cry so much, you will die of dehydration!”

I can’t tell whether or not she’s serious or she’s joking….but there’s one thing I can say for sure, Akari-Chan is clearly expressing her words with a relatively high amount of vigour.

Her eyes felt frighteningly powerful and dazzling, as if no half-hearted words I say can stop her.

“That’s why, Senpai!”

“Yes!?”

“If my brother collapses from dehydration, my parents will be devastated, if not me. I don’t want to cause my parents any grief, and I will gladly become Senpai’s property until my brother pays off his debts! That is a decision that has already been made and will not be overturned even if the heavens and earth are turned upside down!”

“Wait, don’t I have any right to decide──”

“No!!”

“Ah….”

I’m having a somewhat bad feeling about this. It’s pretty clear to me that Akari-Chan is trying to push through by using her momentum.

But for the time being, aren’t I a creditor? Yet, why can’t I have any say in this matter…

…It could have been the resignation and dismay that showed on my face, but the moment that happened, her momentum drained, and Akari-Chan anxiously turned her face downward.

“S-senpai. If you’re really that against it…even I will be hurt, you know….a-are you trying to say that even I am not worth as much as 500 yen…?”

“N-no, it’s not like I’m against it or anything…but you can’t be putting a price tag on yourself in the first place!”

“You may say that, but Senpai. The system of today’s society is to sell your time and body to get paid for your work. There is a saying that a smile costs zero yen, but that smile also earns you an hourly wage!”

“You’re being too blunt…”

“That’s what Ritchan said.”

“Who!?”

“A friend of mine who works part-time at a fast-food restaurant…..eh, wait… didn’t she quit already?”

“You shouldn’t be the one asking me that question!”

I don’t know who this Ritchan is, but I think what she’s trying to say is that this debt payment thing is almost similar to a part-time job. Like when a customer can’t afford to pay for a meal, he has to wash the dishes for you in order for someone to grant him forgiveness.

“S-so, Senpai. Y-you can use me in any way you want. I’m prepared to accept anything you say…Senpai…”

“H-hey, where does your grief-stricken resolve even come from….?”

“I don’t think it’s grief, but…”

Akari-Chan tilted her head to the side.

I think it takes quite a bit of grief and resolve to offer yourself to accept anything, but…….

Anyway, the very thought of being alone with my friend’s little sister is not the least good for my mentality at all. I just can’t bear the thought of letting her continue to go on about how she’s the answer to my debt, so I’ll just do as she says and get her to work to clear Subaru’s debt of 500 yen as quickly as possible.

“Alright, then, Akari-Chan.”

“Yes, yes!”

Akari-chan’s shoulder was bouncing up and down as she looked at me nervously. I wonder if she thinks I’m going to make a strange request. If so, I’m a little shocked.

But, now that I think about it, what should I even ask for…this whole situation came so suddenly that nothing comes to mind.

In fact, all of this may be a surprise set up by Subaru, and that guy may come into the room with a camera at some point, but I honestly don’t care what it is as long as it solves this situation that I don’t know how to accept.

It’s not that I don’t like Akari-chan so much that I find it hard to be with her. In fact, I like her even though I don’t know her. She’s a good girl who loves her brother.

However, it would never once occur to me that their brotherly-sisterly bonds would be so much of a catalyst for this 500 yen debt…..

No, anyway, the first thing I have to do is make some kind of request that will convince both parties that this is worth 500 yen’s worth of work and settle this matter. That would be the best for both parties.

“Okay, I’ve decided. Akari-chan, you said that you would do anything I say.”

“Yes…..! O-of course…..!!”

“Then… I’ll ask you to clean the room.”

“………………Yes?”

For some reason, there was a strange pause before she replied.

I know it’s a bit harsh of me to ask a high school girl to clean the room of a guy who lives alone, but I guess it’s a pretty standard request in this kind of situation.

However, Akari-chan neither rejected it nor accepted it, but rather reacted in a somewhat dumbfounded and disappointed manner.

“Um, Senpai. Did you say something about cleaning?”

“Um, yes.”

“Not you, but your room?”

“Me…? No…like I said, the room.”

“Hah~…”

She let out a blatantly loud sigh!?

“…..I understand. While it’s true that hasty action can lead to failure, I was not prepared for this, or so to speak.”

“Akari-chan? I’m sorry, did you hate cleaning after all? If that’s the case, I’ll give you another──”

“No, that’s not the case! Cleaning is one of the things I’m best at, and I think it’s important to earn points in these areas, so….I’ll do my best!”

Akari-chan enthusiastically nodded her head.

She may say earn points, but the debt is only 500 yen.

I have no idea what the hourly wage would be for doing this kind of job, but if I had to make an estimate, it would take her no more than an hour to pay off the debt that Subaru owes me.

One hour later──

“Phew…..I guess that’s about it.”

Akari-chan wiped off the sweat from her forehead with a satisfying smile on her face.

Although I didn’t think it was too dirty since I lived alone and didn’t have many belongings, the room was so clean that I could clearly see the difference.

Oddly enough, the whole room seemed to shine.

“What do you think, Senpai!”

Akari-chan smiled triumphantly as she placed her hands on her hips while puffing out her chest.

“Amazing…It’s even more cleaner from when I first moved in.”

“I’m glad.”

Akari-chan happily smiled as she placed the cleaning tools back into their respective cases and put them away in a backpack that she had brought with her.

Yes, Akari-chan was the one who brought all of the tools today. Even though they were compact and easy to carry, the fact remains that she still took the initiative to get them all here, which just goes to show how much she cares.

I guess she’s just as serious as her reputation suggests.

It makes me feel even more sorry for her.

“Then I’ll clean it every day from now on.”

“Every day!? N-no, I think I’ll pass on that….”

I’ll be honest here, the amount and quality of work that Akari-chan is putting in is definitely worth far more than the measly 500 yen that Subaru owes me; if she did this every day, I’d go into debt.

And even if you were to include the cost, it’s physically impossible to do this every day.

Akari-chan’s house is, of course, Subaru’s house, and it’s far enough away that they have to take a bullet train to get here. It’s the neighbouring town next to my parents after all…for this reason, just the impact of her being here is tremendous.

“Don’t be shy. After all, I’m Senpai’s property. You can use me as much as you want, kay?”

“Like I said…you’ve already done everything you needed to. Even I think what you did was worth more than 500 yen. So I guess you could say that you already paid off your debt?”

“What are you talking about, Senpai? It’s not a complete repayment at all.”

For some reason, Akari-chan let out a sigh of exasperation.

“Okay, Senpai. First of all, the rent for this room is, I believe, is 70,000 yen including the management fee.”

“How do you know that──oh wait, Subaru.”

“If you divide 70,000 yen by 30 days per month, that’s about 2,300 yen per day. Let’s say that one hour of cleaning costs 1,000 yen per hour. Even if that cancels out the rent, you’re still 1,000 yen short.”

“W-wait, but I’m the one paying the rent, so I don’t think that matters to you at all, Akari-chan…..”

“Senpai. Please don’t interrupt me. And if you divide 2300 yen by two, it’s still 1150 yen. So, it’s still not enough.”

I don’t know why Akari-chan is so angry, but I still don’t understand a single word she’s saying.

Suppose she has to pay the rent, but isn’t that only possible if she lives here too….?

“Well, Senpai. Now that you’ve heard all this, you would think that if I did another hour of work and earned 1000 yen, I would have already cleared the 500 yen debt off….or so you thought.”

“Sorry, you lost me on the rent part.”

“But even if I work eight hours a day, which is a typical working day, not just an extra hour──I won’t be able to pay off your debt at all!”

“Ah, go on.”

As if she didn’t hear my words, Akari-chan shouted at the top of her lungs.

If I had to describe what I’m hearing right now, it would be akin to a politician giving a speech on the street.

“Because even if I sweat it out and make 8000 yen, all of that will be lost on water bills, utility bills and all the other stuff in addition to rent!!!!”

“I’m sure it doesn’t cost that much!?”

“But, Senpai. I want to charge my phone every day…..”

“That’s a small price to pay!”

If we had to pay for infrastructure like that, no one would be left in this country.

Trying to live a life like that would be pretty much impossible…Eh, wait?

I have this weird feeling that I’m missing something important, like rent, or every day….?

“Well, regardless of the cost of rent or utilities, we all incur some kind of cost as long as we’re alive. In addition, from today onwards, I will be living in your house, Senpai, and in light of your mental burden, I would like to offer you some kind of consolation fee──”

“W-wait a minute!? D-did you just say that you’re moving in!? A-are you living here from today onwards!?”

“Yes, that’s right?”

Akari-chan tilted her head as if to say,

[Wasn’t it very obvious from the beginning?]

[How was that obvious!?]

“B-but that’s not what I heard, and what gave you that idea in the first place!?”

“Because I’m a debtor, I belong to Senpai, so I can’t do my duties without you by my side.”

“…..Even if you were to admit that you’re in debt, I thought for sure that you would definitely go to Subaru’s house..”

“That’s impossible. I heard my brother is going to trial today.”

“Trial!?”

Did he finally do something wrong?

That’s even worse than the 500 yen debt that he owes me.

“Ah, sorry. I got a little mixed up. I mean Saipan. Yeah, Saipan.”

“Saipan is….?”

“Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands.”

“That bonbon….! If he can go to Saipan, can’t he afford to pay me back the 500 yen that he owes me…!?”

You were worried about a trip to a hot spring, and now you’re taking a trip overseas!

“Anyway, that’s how it is. If Senpai kicks me out, I would have nowhere to go, and I will be left wandering the outside world. I’ve already told my parents that I’m going to my brother’s place to study while I go to the open campus.”

“But you’re going to Saipan, right?”

“Is that so?”

In other words, she lied to her parents. Is that the same case with the debt, I wonder?

“T-then is that no good, Senpai…?”

“…..!”

Akari-chan, who seemed to have been very clear just a moment ago, was now looking at me with reserved, upturned eyes as if she was suddenly getting anxious.

There are so many things that don’t add up, but even so, I can’t just throw my friends little sister out there and pretend I don’t know her.

And even if I did throw her out, I would feel guilty and worried right away.

However, no matter how much of a friends sister she is, staying with someone of the opposite sex, no less a beautiful girl, if something were to go wrong──

Ah, I feel as if my head is spinning.

Wouldn’t it be better just to let this whole thing slide?

No, but it’s not a story that can be settled so easily.

While I was thinking about this back and forth, I suddenly heard a light chime sound in the room.

“Ah, there you are.”

Akari-chan reacted faster than I did and went for the door.

Eh!?

“Phew, it finally arrived.”

After the exchange at the door, Akari-chan came back with what seemed to be a large trunk case, the kind you take on vacation.

“Ah, Akari-chan, that’s──”

“Yes, a change of my clothes and other things needed for a sleepover. I can’t stay in my uniform all the time, you know?”

Apparently, she had shipped her luggage in advance using a courier service on the assumption that she would stay the night.

She’s thoroughly prepared for this, huh….eh, wait?

What is…the thing that is gradually filling up the outer moat?

“And….”

Akari-chan left her luggage in the room and came back to the door again. And when she came back, what she was carrying was──

“It’s a futon!”

“Futon!?”

“The idea of sleeping on the floor all the time bothered me, so I bought a futon.”

“You say that like it’s an obvious thing to do!”

“Oh, don’t worry. This bedding fee is a necessary expense and won’t affect your debt.”

“I’m not worried about that at all, but doesn’t that cost more than 500 yen!?”

“It’s from Nitori, so it’s okay….”

“That’s from Nitori!?”

“It’s overpriced, so it’s practically zero!”

When Akari-chan said those words with a smug look on her face, I couldn’t help but feel a little irritated.

Is this really the same Akari Miyamae, who has a famous reputation of being a firm person?

It’s not like they’re twins or anything, right?

However, it was an undeniable fact that the change of clothes, sleepover set, and the futon that Akari-chan had bought were all lying before me.

The outer moat of the luggage, which the raging waves had rapidly filled in, had been filled in so much that it had risen like a mountain, completely blocking my escape route.

“That’s why, Senpai.”

And Akari-chan, who had done everything brilliantly, turned to me with the biggest smile of the day on her face.

“I’ll be looking forward to working with you from this day forward!”

“…..How long are you planning on staying, by the way….?”

I could feel my will to resist waning, so I asked a question that was indicative of my surrender.

Even though it was just past noon, I was feeling very tired.

“Of course, until my brother’s debt problem is settled……or until my purpose is fulfilled.”

“Akari-chan’s purpose….?”

“The content itself is a secret. But, if I can fulfil it, I’ll let you know, or even if I didn’t tell you, you’d know Senpai…..hee-hee~.”

Akari-chan scratches her cheeks in embarrassment.

No, I don’t get it at all.

“Either way, I’m hoping to settle this by the end of summer break!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Students in high school have about a month of holidays during the summer.

It’s pretty long.

I wonder if I can keep my wits about me during the one month I’m living with her under the same roof.

I’m sure she’s assuming I won’t do anything of that sort, which is why she’s coming in here alone, but I’m still a man, even though I never had any experience with such things.

“We should really take this matter seriously….”

“Fufu~, you don’t have to be so hasty. Let’s take this slowly, Senpai.”

Akari-chan smiled, looking vividly excited about her future life.

Thanks to her cheerful personality and lack of shyness, there was no awkwardness between us, but still──

“All that talking has made me thirsty.”

She seems a little too free. Well, I’m used to that kind of freedom, thanks to her brother.

“Yes, yes, I’ll get you some more tea.”

“Thank you very much, Senpai.”

I managed to lift myself off the ground, which was much heavier than before, and went to the kitchen to fill the empty glasses with barley tea. This time, I’ll fill two glasses, including one for myself.

As per Akari-chan’s request, I added sugar in hers──and somehow, added some to my own as well.

“Mmhmm~. It’s sweet~.”

The taste was strangely nostalgic but much sweeter than it had been back then.

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Chapter 1 Part 1

ToC

Chapter 2 Part 1

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TL notes: Releasing new chapter on February(5/2/2022). Sorry if there have been no posts as of late, I need to catch up with the other novels I’m doing + school projects.

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