They tried to draw a fortune slip, and it was excellent luck for Sandai and Shino. Especially romantic luck, it was a wonderful one for both.
On Sandai’s fortune slip was: If you are in a relationship, that person is a once-in-a-lifetime good match that will never appear again in your life, so don’t let them go.
On Shino’s fortune slip was: You will be together with the one you are in a relationship with currently for a lifetime without ever having a fight.
It was a very joyous one.
However, in contrast to those two, Miki had drawn very bad luck. Miki’s cheeks were twitching, and even her brows were slightly twitching as well.
“Why only Miki’s ‘very bad luck’? Moreover, money luck is just awful. You will lose fivefold if you are greedy so be careful, it says.”
Considering Miki’s behavior on the daily, very bad luck would even seem like a just-right caution, though… however, when seeing her making a face that could burst into crying at any moment now, it was somehow pitiful.
Since it couldn’t be helped, Sandai decided and said he would give Miki money, giving her another chance to draw one more time.
“Eh? You’re giving Miki money? Onii-chan, is it really okay?”
“I’m sure you’ll get excellent luck next.”
“Yaay! Thanks!”
When he handed the 500 yen, Miki went straight to the place selling the fortune slip.
Immediately after, “Haaah,” Shino sighed, having watched the whole thing. “I’ve said it before, but you don’t have to go that far for Miki~. She’s just gonna get carried away.”
“You say that but she’s just a kid.”
“You’re just too kind… geez.”
Nevertheless, Shino looked somewhat happy as well.
The truth was that she probably wanted to be strict with Miki, but it seemed the warm feeling from seeing her boyfriend’s kindness won instead.
Seeing Shino softly smiling, Sandai realized he hadn’t complimented Shino’s part of hard work today.
“…You seem different today and sure got a cuteness different from the usual. The ornamental hairpin is cute, too.”
“Oh, could it be you finally noticed?”
“I just wasn’t sure when to say it.”
“Thanks… Let’s hold hands.”
Getting into lovey-dovey mode one way or another, they firmly joined hands and nestled close together.
“It’s excellent luck!”
And Miki’s shout of joy could be heard, apparently getting excellent luck somehow.
Now then, the new year shrine visit would end with this, but… they decided to have a little fun and didn’t immediately go back. Perhaps expecting the waves of people visiting the shrine, not only were there food stalls in the area, but also places to have fun, such as a place where people could try their hands on calligraphy or taiko drumming, have karuta cards competition, and even something like have a competition on a huge sugoroku board game where real people actually the one advancing.
“Onee-chan! Onee-chan! Miki wants to participate in the sugoroku competition! It needs 2,000 yen, but Miki doesn’t bring that kinda money, so please!”
“Money money money… You had Sandai pay for the fortune slip earlier, and now me? Actually, isn’t 2,000 yen for one game too expensive? Just give up.”
“The fortune slip and sugoroku are different!”
“No matter what you say, I won’t—”
“—It’ll become a fond memory! Please please please! Think of it for Miki’s fond memory!”
Miki repeatedly bowed her head. Shino was making an awfully displeased face, but seeing the tears in the corners of Miki’s eyes, Shino eventually yielded.
“Haaah… good grief… this won’t be good for you,” or so Shino said, but she had the personality that would end up yielding when getting strongly begged.
And Miki probably grasped that. That was why she judged that she could take the offensive and dared to go through it with a sob story.
“All right, Miki’s gonna go now.”
Having gotten the money, Miki’s crying face instantly turned into a smiling face, and she lined up in the participants queue at the sugoroku venue.
“That Miki… what’s with that smiling face.”
“You got fooled, huh.”
“Damn it~ I’m not gonna get tricked next time!”
Shino made such a determination, but she would probably get used by Miki in various ways and get fooled again, for sure.
Leaving that aside, both Sandai and Shino didn’t participate in the sugoroku game, so they decided to take a seat at the prepared audience seating and watch Miki playing sugoroku.
“Well, it’s also for creating memories for Miki this time, so I guess it can’t be helped.”
“For saying all this and that to me, you yourself sure are pretty soft to Miki-chan. What a kind big sister.”
“You sound kinda thorny… ah, could it be that you’re jealous of Miki?”
It was just a bit of teasing and not at all words coming out of jealousy, but apparently it ended up looking that way to Shino.
As for correcting it… not even needed. Even if it was wrong, what to say at a time like this would be: that’s right.
“I guess I am. I love you so much that I don’t want Miki-chan to take you away from me.”
“You’re so hopeless. Here.”
Shino spread both her arms. Come here, she said. Sandai went to hug Shino and immediately put his lips on top of hers.
It would end up like this, so it would be fine not correcting it.
As sickly sweet mood was filling up the space, a person sitting on the next seat noticing that shouted, “I WANT A GIRLFRIEND TOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!” and ran away while holding his head.
They didn’t notice that, and after smooch-smooch enjoying their kisses, they continued their talk.
“Speaking of which, how was the reaction for the souvenirs at your part-time job? It didn’t feel so bad at mine, though…”
“So-so I guess… Actually, when I said I went on a trip with you, many were more interested in hearing about how the trip was rather than the souvenirs.”
At Shino’s part-time job, rather than the souvenirs itself, it seemed story souvenirs had been more popular.
“I talked a bunch, but the one that got them most excited was when I talked about how you were being gentle with me on our first sex, I guess. And I bragged, too!”
For the creatures called girls, even love affairs would end up liven up the conversation, apparently.
Sandai could think of it only as an embarrassing topic to both hear or talk about, however, listening carefully, he understood that there was an appropriate reason for girls to like such a topic.
“Well, talking about something like this is curbing, though.”
“Curbing?”
“You know, girls are just really complicated about romance stuff. There are also the so-called girls with a hobby of snatching away someone else’s boyfriend, so like bragging and indirectly saying ‘I’m all over one another with my boyfriend so there’s no gap or anything for you to make a move’ is just right.”
It was something that would make you doubt and inadvertently think whether there really was such a girl, but when taking a look at reality, it was not at all weird.
For example, such a scenario where just about everyone should have witnessed once in their childhood: multiple girls fighting over one boy.
In a kindergarten, nursery school, it could be at any place, but anyhow, that scramble doesn’t start just because of: I like that boy.
There are also girls who participate with such a reason: a boy who is popular with everyone or who is liked by someone and such is starting to look attractive, and I don’t have interest in him as the opposite sex, but it’s making me want him.
It’s a kind of habit, but there are also a lot of people with such a habit who aren’t cured of it even after becoming an adult. The perfect example is the case where the woman was the first one to speak up in a celebrity adultery scandal that would make a headline in weekly magazines or news occasionally.
In short, disclosure of a love affair is one part of the countermeasure to eliminate any such openings—when thinking so, even Sandai could easily come to understand it.
In the meantime that they were having such a talk about girls’ circumstances, it seemed the sugoroku had been proceeding well, as Miki somehow had reached the finish line in first place before they realized it.
Apparently there was some kind of prize for first place as Miki brought back an exchange ticket. We were talking about Miki who would tend to be greedy, so she must be unbearably overjoyed… though, there was a cloud over her face for some reason.
“Miki-chan, you got first place but don’t look happy, huh? What’s wrong?”
“…This exchange ticket.”
Miki showed the exchange ticket. On the exchange ticket was written that it would be possible to exchange it for a heated steam microwave oven combo capable of two-level cooking.
It was a high-end home appliance in the six-digit yen, but… also understandably not something Miki had an interest in. She probably would rather be given the money instead of such a thing.
Though, it wasn’t that bad of a prize. There was also someone who would be pleased with something like this. So close by.
“Aren’t you amazing, Miki! This thing’s expensive~!”
As someone with a hobby of cooking and confectionery making, Shino was looking really happy.
“It’s not something Miki alone can claim anyway, that said not something Miki wants either so Miki’ll give to you, Onee-chan…”
“Thanks~ I love you so much!”
From Shino’s perspective, she had just given out 2,000 yen and it came back into something she wanted costing in the six-digit yen, so no doubt she felt like she had just won a lottery.
Now then, time passed and it was now evening. It happened on their way back; during the time Shino was headed to the toilet, Miki spoke to Sandai.
“What’s up?”
“Onii-chan, don’t you remember the promise with Miki?”
“Promise?”
“The Christmas present underwear, if Onee-chan’s happy with it, you promised to pay Miki extra. She really is happy with it, so the promised extra please.”
Now he remembered it.
He certainly had made such a promise.
It was also certain that breaking a promise with a kid wouldn’t be good in terms of their education, so Sandai decided to give her the extra reward that served as a New Year’s gift as well.
As to be expected, 10,000 yen would be too much and also a painful expense for Sandai, so just several 1,000 yen bills.
Before Shino returned, Sandai hurried to the nearby convenience store, bought a New Year’s gift paper envelope, put the bills inside, and gave it to Miki.
“Fuheh…”
When Miki checked the bills in the envelope, she flicked and counted it with her fingers and then grinned.
When thinking of education, Sandai felt like it would’ve been better to throw away the promise and not give it to Miki in her case, but… he had given it already. Nothing could be done at this point.
“Hmm? Miki, somehow you’re making a creepy smile, though?”
“It’s nothing~. It’s nothing to do with you, Onee-chan.”
“Is that so?”
Only Shino knew nothing. However, it should be better for Shino to not know. At the very least that was how Sandai felt.
TL notes:
1915 words
Aaaaaaaand they just went and made out in public. Not giving a peck, light kiss or anything, but making out.
To anyone reading other high school romance LN like otonari tenshi past v2, are the main characters this shameless? I’m curious. I swear I have never read a R15 high school romance LN where the main characters are just this shameless. Also from reading this series, I’m starting to feel like kissing in this series is not anything suuuuuuuuuupeer special like in any other series where it’s reserved for a special scene and whatnot, which is something I find refreshing, actually.
While writing this, I remember about Tsukasa. But that’s an adult light novel, so it doesn’t count :V
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I Can't Read Japanese TL 
This novel was way faster and went further than the other fluffy romances that I’ve read. Otonari for example is a slow burn.
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Actually I’m shocked at how fast they are progressing. TBH I have not kept up with any new LN series for a few years now and only just got back into them within the past 3 months. I thought maybe that’s just how authors are writing their couples these days but it seems like that’s not the case. I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up married or with a kid by volume 5.
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it definitely is unusual, but i won’t say it’s unheard of
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