Chapter 8: Big Brother Exists to Help with Homework

After spending a night sleeping with Yoriko Arisu, Tetsurou Kuroo finally understood why Kenma Kotsume was so adamant about not sharing a bed with her.

You really would have nightmares.

The culprit was still at his side, looking at him with innocent, wide eyes.

“So, how do you feel?”

Tetsurou Kuroo pondered.

Tetsurou Kuroo tried to put it into words.

“It was a rare experience.”

Kenma Kotsume unceremoniously pressed his arm on top of Yoriko Arisu’s head.

“You definitely had nightmares, didn’t you? If you don’t say it straight, this idiot will never get it.”

Yoriko Arisu frowned.

“Did I toss and turn again? I thought I was controlling it… Maybe next time you should tie my hands?”

“No, no, no, that would look way too weird!”

Tetsurou Kuroo thought for a moment and immediately objected.

But the conversation had already moved on.

“Kenma, you’re squashing my head.”

“Yeah, I’m doing it on purpose.”

“Mean! You’re so mean!”

Watching the two of them bicker, Tetsurou Kuroo said enviously, “You two have such a good relationship.”

And then, both of them stared at him at the same time.

Yoriko Arisu was excited.

“Right! You think so too, don’t you!”

Kenma Kotsume looked annoyed.

“Don’t say creepy things like that.”

“Ah, Kenma, if you say that, I’ll be sad.”

Yoriko Arisu pouted in dissatisfaction.

“……”

“Don’t go quiet! I know, you’re just shy, aren’t you.”

“Idiot.”

“That’s definitely it!”

“Idiot! Idiot!”

Happy times always pass quickly.

As the three gradually became closer, the new school term was fast approaching.

Yoriko Arisu started to daydream.

“Kuroo is a transfer student. Wouldn’t it be great if you could transfer into our class? Then the three of us could play together.”

Kenma Kotsume reacted instantly.

“You can’t play volleyball at school.”

Not long ago, Kuroo had joined the volleyball club and stopped pestering them to play with him.

Still, the memories of playing over the summer must have left a strong impression—sometimes, he could even hear the thump-thump-thump of volleyballs in his dreams.

Yoriko Arisu picked up a potato chip and crunched on it.

“It’s just that lower grades don’t have club activities, right? I think… you can join clubs in third or fourth grade? But I’m not sure if there’s a volleyball club.”

Tetsurou Kuroo asked, “Which class are you two in?”

“Class Two.”

He fell into thought.

“I wonder if we can choose our own class.”

Kenma Kotsume replied, “Usually that’s up to the school, isn’t it?”

Tetsurou Kuroo still held onto a sliver of hope. “I’ll go ask my dad.”

The next day, Tetsurou Kuroo showed up with a gloomy, clouded expression.

Yoriko Arisu asked with concern, “Did you have a nightmare? Or is your stomach hurting?”

Tetsurou Kuroo announced gravely, “I’m in second grade, you two are in first grade, so we can’t be in the same class.”

Yoriko Arisu was shocked.

“You’re in second grade?!”

Kuroo… is actually the older brother.

Yoriko Arisu was deeply shaken.

The three of them had spent the whole summer together, but had never exchanged ages.

Seeing Yoriko Arisu’s thunderstruck expression, Tetsurou Kuroo scratched his head.

“Didn’t I mention it before?”

Kenma Kotsume reminded him, “You even called her ‘big sister’ before.”

Tetsurou Kuroo replied, “That’s because I actually have a big sister, so I didn’t think much of it.”

Kenma Kotsume asked suspiciously, “You have a big sister? How come we’ve never seen her?”

Tetsurou Kuroo mumbled, “Uh… she lives somewhere else with my mom.”

Noticing he didn’t want to say more, Kenma Kotsume changed the subject and said to Yoriko Arisu, “They always say age isn’t based on height. I’m older than you.”

Yoriko Arisu replied, “Mmm, mmm, mmm.”

Now it was Tetsurou Kuroo’s turn to be shocked.

“So Kenma is even older?”

Kenma Kotsume: “……”

“Are you two both idiots?”

He pulled a little sour cat face.

Yoriko Arisu took some time to digest this news, then couldn’t help but clutch her head.

“But Kenma, you don’t act like an older brother at all!”

That’s why she wanted Kuroo to be her little brother!

Tetsurou Kuroo asked curiously, “What’s your ideal big brother like, Arisu?”

Yoriko Arisu answered instantly, “Someone who likes me, takes care of me, and plays with me.”

Tetsurou Kuroo glanced at Kenma Kotsume, his expression a bit complicated.

Kenma really didn’t seem like the caring type.

Kenma Kotsume narrowed his eyes.

“Kuroo, are you badmouthing me in your head?”

“No way!” Tetsurou Kuroo quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, what’s your ideal little brother?”

Yoriko Arisu replied just as quickly, “Obedient, plays with me, and likes me best.”

Tetsurou Kuroo: “That doesn’t sound much different from a big brother.”

Kenma Kotsume: “So even with me and Kuroo, it’s still not enough. Arisu, you’re too greedy.”

Yoriko Arisu: “Friends and family are different! Friends can fall out or move away, but family, even if they fight, always make up in the end. That’s what all the manga says!”

Tetsurou Kuroo: “What kind of manga are you reading…”

Kenma Kotsume: “You should throw those out. They’ll rot your brain.”

Tetsurou Kuroo smiled and patted Yoriko Arisu on the head.

“Don’t worry. Even if we’re not related by blood, I’ll take good care of you.”

Yoriko Arisu looked at him and murmured, “Kuroo suddenly said something really cool.”

Tetsurou Kuroo’s eyes lit up. “Eh? Really?”

Yoriko Arisu: “From now on, Kuroo is my big brother!”

“Oh? Oh!”

Tetsurou Kuroo was a little flattered.

“It’s the first time I’ve been called that. It feels kind of…”

He pondered his feelings.

“Kind of nice.”

“Big brother!”

Yoriko Arisu called.

Tetsurou Kuroo replied in high spirits, “Hm? What is it?”

“Please help me with my homework!”

Tetsurou Kuroo’s eyes widened in shock.

“Is that what big brothers are for?!”

Kenma Kotsume looked on with a face full of disdain.

“Are you two putting on a play?”

He even made a show of rubbing his arms.

Yoriko Arisu and Tetsurou Kuroo exchanged glances.

Yoriko Arisu: “Kenma, you’re not going to call me that?”

Tetsurou Kuroo showed a mischievous grin.

“Don’t be shy.”

Kenma Kotsume: “……”

“No way.”

He puffed out his cheeks.

After some daily teasing of Kenma, the topic returned to normal.

Yoriko Arisu said regretfully, “I was hoping we could all be in the same class, so we could play together.”

Tetsurou Kuroo’s lips curled up at Yoriko Arisu’s expectation, but then he quickly smoothed them out and put on a woeful face.

“I wish I could be in your class, too.”

Thinking about being in a new class where he didn’t know anyone—how scary!

Yoriko Arisu patted his shoulder.

“You can do it, Kuroo!”

Tetsurou Kuroo: “Now you’re not calling me ‘big brother’?”

“Then, big brother, help me with my homework?”

Yoriko Arisu pulled out her summer vacation diary and blinked innocently.

Tetsurou Kuroo: “……”

He took it with a heavy heart, flipped through it, and shouted, “You only wrote two pages!”

Yoriko Arisu put her hands together.

“Please! I’ll buy you ice cream!”

“We spent almost the whole summer together anyway. Just write whatever you want.”

“Geez, there’s no helping you…”

Tetsurou Kuroo sighed and picked up a crayon.

The weight of being called ‘big brother’ was heavier than expected.

Kenma Kotsume had already gone off to play games.

Tetsurou Kuroo scribbled in the workbook.

“Kenma, don’t you have homework to do?”

“My homework’s been done for ages.”

There was a barely perceptible note of pride in his tone.

Yoriko Arisu was sorting through her free research data and asked as she worked, “Kenma, what was your free research topic?”

“Pokémon Compatibility Study.”

Tetsurou Kuroo: “…What’s that?”

Yoriko Arisu’s eyes lit up.

“Ah, is that the thing we talked about before?”

Kenma Kotsume: “Yeah.”

Tetsurou Kuroo asked curiously, “What about yours, Arisu?”

Yoriko Arisu said seriously, “I kept a record of my daily sleep schedule. The conclusion is: I’m very healthy!”

Tetsurou Kuroo: “So you two just swapped each other’s ideas…”

Childhood friends, indeed.

After three days of cramming, and with dark circles forming under their eyes, the homework was finally complete!

Tetsurou Kuroo held his ice cream and sighed, “This is a truly memorable ice cream.”

He lifted it high and gazed at it deeply.

“I’ll remember this moment forever.”

Yoriko Arisu, who had already finished hers, reminded him, “Kuroo, hurry up and eat, or it’ll melt.”

Kenma Kotsume: “It’s already starting to melt.”

Tetsurou Kuroo: “Uwahhh!!!”

***

A new term, new early mornings.

Yoriko Arisu yawned as she opened the door, and her childhood friends from next door were already waiting outside.

“Morning, Arisu!”

That was the energetic Tetsurou Kuroo.

“Morning.”

That was the calm Kenma Kotsume.

Looking at the scene before her, Yoriko Arisu paused for a moment.

All the gloom of waking up early for school vanished.

She broke into a huge smile, threw her arms around both of them, and the three of them huddled close together.

“Good morning!”

Tetsurou Kuroo was a little puzzled.

“Why are you so excited all of a sudden?”

Yoriko Arisu declared loudly, “I’m just really happy!”

Kenma Kotsume retorted, “What’s so great about going to school?”

“I’m just happy!”

Being with childhood friends, no matter what you do, it’s always fun!