Chapter 66: Little Kobeni's "Boyfriend-kun"
The sister's announcement jolted the entire household. As her family, they knew Kobeni's personality all too well; the idea of her bringing a man home was something they found almost impossible to believe.
"Stop it!..." Kobeni felt like crying. She was already shy enough, and now her sister was broadcasting the news using such a misleading phrasing.
Several sisters came running out from the living room and bedrooms, intensely curious about what was going on.
"Wow! She really did bring a boy home, and he's so handsome!"
"When did Little Kobeni suddenly get so bold? Not only did she get a secret boyfriend, but she brought him straight home?"
"Big Sis Kobeni is amazing! Hurry up and introduce us!"
"..."
The sisters were suddenly full of energy. Chiya found himself looking at seven of the sisters at once, including Kobeni; the other two were either busy or out of the house. It was an eye-opening experience; although he had long known the Higashiyama family had nine daughters, seeing it in person made it feel truly unbelievable.
"Don't... everyone, don't misunderstand! He's just my classmate, he's only here as a guest!" Kobeni frantically tried to clear up the confusion. She was mainly worried that Otonashi-kun would mind the misunderstanding. After all, she didn't consider herself particularly pretty and her family situation was terrible; she felt she was only capable of being a burden.
"Don't be so shy, Little Kobeni~"
"Regardless, I can't believe even Sis Kobeni dares to bring a boy home."
"She's at that age, isn't it normal to like handsome guys?~"
"..."
Clearly, the sisters weren't listening to her explanation. Kobeni felt both anxious and helpless. She couldn't explain it away, and only hoped that Otonashi-kun wouldn't grow to dislike her because of this...
"What's all the noise about?" At that moment, the Higashiyama parents emerged.
As soon as they appeared, the lively sisters immediately settled down, either shutting their mouths or pretending to whistle.
"Father... Mother... this is my classmate, Otonashi Chiya. He said he wanted to visit our home for a bit, so I brought him..." Kobeni said the lines she had rehearsed with Chiya. He had taught her exactly what to say.
"Oh." The father's attitude was indifferent, lacking any hospitality. He was just going through the motions, at least not kicking Chiya out immediately. "Come in and sit, then. We happen to be having tea."
The mother didn't say a word, her expression quite cold.
"..." Kobeni felt a sting of resentment at her parents' attitude but didn't dare speak up. Chiya, however, remained unfazed, maintaining his polite smile. "Nice to meet you. Please take care of me."
Just as Chiya was about to enter the living room, an older sister slightly older than Kobeni suddenly whispered to him, "Sorry about this, 'Boyfriend-kun~.' Our family situation is a bit complicated..."
"It's fine," Chiya replied, pretending to be oblivious and not taking offense at the nickname.
"Stop it, Sis! You're making Otonashi-kun uncomfortable!" Kobeni couldn't help but protest.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop calling him 'Boyfriend-kun,'" her sister teased with a giggle. "But he doesn't look uncomfortable to me. Aren't you just overthinking it, Little Kobeni?"
"That's only because Otonashi-kun is very gentle..." Kobeni blurted out in her anxiety. The moment she realized what she said, she clapped her hands over her mouth, but it was too late.
Her sister immediately caught the detail, her lips curling into a smirk. "Oh? Wasn't it 'Otonashi-kun' just now? When did he become 'Otonashi-kun'?"
During student years, classmates usually refer to each other as "Surname + San." This is especially true between boys and girls. Using the honorific "Kun" (in this context, implying a level of closeness) actually signified a relationship that was anything but ordinary to the listening sisters.
Kobeni's face turned even redder. She felt mortified by such a low-level slip of the tongue, feeling as though she had betrayed Otonashi-kun's trust. She hurried her pace to follow Chiya into the living room.
The other sisters didn't follow them inside but lingered just outside the living room to eavesdrop and gossip.
"I think we can basically confirm it. Even if he's not 'Boyfriend-kun' yet, he's close. I've never heard Little Kobeni call any other boy 'Otonashi-kun.'"
"Probably. With Sis Kobeni's personality, any boy she brings home must be special to her."
"I really didn't expect it. I thought Sis Kobeni wouldn't have any hope until she went to blind dates later in life."
Meanwhile, Chiya and Kobeni sat in the living room having tea. However, they had to wash the cups and pour the tea themselves. The Higashiyama parents were preoccupied with their own tasks, not taking their daughter's "classmate" seriously at all.
"Let me do it," Kobeni said hurriedly, trying to help Chiya. She couldn't let a guest do this kind of work.
Chiya remained unfazed throughout, appearing as though he had no temper at all. After sitting for a while, he stood up and said, "I'm going to use the restroom."
Kobeni wanted to show him the way, but her father called out to her. "Kobeni."
She had no choice but to sit back down. While Chiya was away, her father spoke up. "Kobeni, where is your pay for today?"
Her parents' attitude was noticeably worse than usual. They found hosting her classmate a nuisance and were annoyed that she had taken it upon herself to bring a guest home.
"I got today's pay..." Kobeni hesitated halfway. she was terrified of the rage that would follow. But remembering that she couldn't let Otonashi-kun down—and knowing he was there—she summoned her courage. "But I can't give it to you anymore. I have things I want to do myself!"
The Higashiyama couple's mood had brightened when they heard the money was in hand, but their expressions froze when she finished her sentence. Even the sisters eavesdropping outside were stunned. No one could believe Kobeni could speak with such backbone.
The father was the first to snap back to reality, barking angrily, "What could be more important than Shuta finishing university?"
The mother's expression turned frighteningly fierce, her voice shrill. "You've really lost it! You're only this old and you think your wings are strong enough to fly away?"
Neither of them noticed that Chiya had "accidentally" left his phone on the table—nor did they know it was currently recording everything.