Things happened for a reason—whether because of people's choices or something we like to call fate.
As for the latter, I was never the type to believe some invisible force decided the course of my life.
If someone had told me years ago that I'd one day be having lunch with a pretty blonde girl, I would've laughed. That sort of thing wasn't in the cards for me. I didn't have many expectations…
But I was wrong, because the girl sitting across from me was living proof of it.
A beautiful girl with shining blonde hair, a few spiral curls brushing her shoulders, and those jade-green eyes—almost hypnotic. That alone was striking enough, yet she wore our school's classic uniform: a sleeveless yellow vest that hugged her figure, a crisp white blouse underneath, and of course, the short skirt that showed off her slender legs. In short, she was the most beautiful girl in school. And it wasn't just me saying that—it was practically unanimous among the guys, or at least that's what I heard.
In the end, maybe there really was some higher force pulling the strings of life. But since this was my second life, I couldn't help thinking it might actually be true.
A lot had to happen for things to end up like this—or, to put it simply, "character development," maybe?
Not mine—I was fine as I was—but hers, the girl named Yumiko.
Just last week, I didn't even know her name. I only thought of her as the girl from the hospital, the one I gave a can of my favorite drink to. Yeah, I'm that original with names.
So how was I supposed to believe this girl was basically a Japanese version of the Ugly Duckling story?
Maybe some higher being decided it would be too boring if I lived an ordinary, uneventful life. And what better way to stir things up than to throw me together with a bossy, arrogant girl like her?
Were we compatible? Not in the slightest.
The solution should've been simple—just keep my distance and clear things up. Except, apparently, I was the one to blame for this mess.
I could be a lot of things, but I was also responsible. So if I had any part in this girl's change, then I had no choice but to face the consequences of my actions.
And no, it had nothing to do with the fact that Yumiko happened to be a gorgeous blonde with dazzling jade eyes, a slender figure, two very obvious reasons standing out in her uniform, and legs just as distracting. Absolutely not the reasons I agreed to be her friend…
Putting aside my doubts about the universe's grand design, I still found it hard to believe I was having lunch with someone who looked like the main heroine of a romcom.
Though, come to think of it, I didn't remember reading about anyone quite like her… Maybe yes, maybe no. I'd have to look into that later.
Since my first meeting with this "new" Yumiko, several days had passed, and we'd been having lunch together. Well—correction: Yumiko came to my classroom, dragged me out by force, and made me eat with her. So I guess part of me had gotten used to it, while another part still felt like I was stuck in some kind of dream. If it was a dream, I wasn't sure I wanted to wake up…
Honestly, I still couldn't believe that the timid, insecure girl I once met could change so drastically. Or maybe she'd always been like this, and all she needed was a big push—and a lot of confidence.
People acted according to the experiences they gathered over time. So trying to connect Miura Yumiko with the girl I met in that hospital felt impossible. But the proof that I was wrong sat right in front of me.
"Raiden, do you have any siblings?" she asked, tilting her head, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
Yumiko's question snapped me out of my thoughts.
"I've got a younger sister. She's kind of peculiar in how she acts, but she's nice… I think?"
I emphasized the last part because Rumi had been influenced a bit by me. She wasn't super outgoing or sociable, but she wasn't a total introvert either. Somewhere in between was the best way to put it.
Yumiko leaned in, intrigued.
"Well, how should I put it, hmm…" I took a bite of my food. "She's kind of like you."
"What—! I'm not nice!?"
She looked at me a little annoyed, but after spending several days with her, I knew she only did it for fun. She was a good actress.
"You're indifferent to everyone who talks to you."
For example, whenever we went to lunch or stopped by the cafeteria, some guys from other classes tried to strike up a conversation with her, but all they got was complete indifference.
Maybe I was just good at dealing with people who acted like that?
Give me a break, please… The last thing I wanted was for this to become routine. Getting involved with eccentric girls and their quirks wasn't on my bucket list.
"She's actually really cool!" Yumiko declared proudly.
I couldn't deny it—my little sister really was cool.
"You could say so."
"I see, I'd love to meet her!" she said, pointing at me with her chopsticks.
It hadn't crossed my mind that the two of them might ever meet.
Actually… there was nothing wrong with it. Rumi was quite similar to Yumiko, though for now the difference was that Rumi had a big circle of friends.
Being the great older brother I was, I gave her tips on how to socialize and make friends. Of course, her answer had been:
'Then why don't you use them to make friends yourself?'
That one stung, but I managed to come up with an excuse…
"It depends on whether she gets home early," I replied, picking up more food with my chopsticks.
"Is she in some kind of club?" Yumiko raised an eyebrow while eating a piece of fried chicken.
In Japan, clubs went from elementary school all the way to university. They were everywhere, meant to teach teamwork and help students interact with others their age.
"Something like that, I guess…"
"What do you mean by that?" she pressed, curious.
"She has several friends, so they usually hang out at someone's house or play at a park near school. She usually comes back around sunset."
"That's something we don't have in common," she sighed.
"Who knows, maybe someday you'll find friends to have fun with too."
And maybe then I'd finally get a little more of this thing called… personal space.
"You think so? I find that pretty unlikely."
Because of her attitude, she didn't have any friends right now. I'd even heard she once threatened the class rep in front of everyone. Was she some kind of delinquent?
The rumors about her weren't exactly flattering, though it wasn't like I cared.
Now that I thought about it, there was also that rumor about the school principal—apparently he'd been yelled at by some student's parents so loudly people outside his office could hear. That same day, he gave us a lecture about being nicer to our classmates.
"The future is unpredictable—you never know when your past words will come back to slap you in the face."
I said that from experience. In my previous life, the idea of going to another world had been tempting, but impossible. And now, here I was, living the very situation I once thought unreachable. Ironic, wasn't it?
"If you say so." At first, she seemed to mock my words, but then she smiled. The thought of having friends must have cheered her up.
As things stood, I was the only person Yumiko spoke to at school. Even though she could easily make friends, she just refused the idea.
After that short chat, we went back to eating, since lunch was about to end and we had to return to class.
As more days passed, her company became less of a bother.
…
"Raiden, I want to meet your sister!"
"Why does that sound more like an order than a favor?"
Yumiko tilted her head slightly, as if puzzled.
Classes were over, and we were walking home together.
"We're friends, it's normal to talk like this," she said casually, as if every request she made wasn't actually a command.
In just a few days, she had gotten bolder with me.
Unfortunately, that was on me, since I usually gave in to her demands.
It wasn't like I was running errands for her or anything, but things like having lunch together or walking home. Since it wasn't a big deal, I didn't put up much resistance.
"Putting that aside, why do you want to meet my sister?"
During lunch, she'd seemed to lose interest when she found out Rumi had lots of friends, so I thought the subject was over.
"After lunch, I started imagining a younger, elementary school version of you—but as a girl. So I thought it would be funny."
I had a lot to say, but I let it slide—after all, the thought had crossed my mind too.
"Unfortunately, what you're imagining is very different from reality."
We might share dark hair, but our eyes were different, as were the features of our faces.
"That only makes me want to meet her even more."
"You won't stop insisting until I give in, will you?"
She puffed out her chest proudly, as if admitting she was stubborn.
"Fine, fine, but it'll depend on your luck."
"I consider myself very lucky."
I pulled out my phone and called my adorable little sister. I wasn't much of a texter.
If you're wondering what kind of parents give their youngest daughter a phone, they're the same parents who nearly had a heart attack the time Rumi got lost. To make sure nothing like that ever happened again, they bought her one. Naturally, I had to teach her the basics of how to use it properly.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Yumiko watching me expectantly. Did she really want to meet my little sister that badly? It wasn't like I was hiding her—if anything, I'd love to show her off to the whole world. She was that cute and sweet.
But if she ever brought a boyfriend home, that guy would probably end up sleeping with the fishes.
After a short while, Rumi picked up.
"It's unusual for you to call at this hour, Onii-chan."
I usually called her when she was running late or when I wanted to check if she was already home, so yeah—it was odd for me to call now.
"There's a first time for everything. By the way, are you at home or over at a friend's place?"
"Several of my friends caught colds, so I'll be heading straight home until they get better," she said in her usual calm tone. "Did something happen?"
As expected, my little sister was pretty perceptive.
"I want you to meet someone."
"…That's weird. Are you sick?"
"I'm in perfect health, but thanks for worrying about me."
Me bringing a friend home had literally never happened—unlike my sweet little sister, who often invited her friends over. Not that I was ever lucky enough to be around when she did. Or maybe that was exactly why she brought them.
"Are you sure you're not someone impersonating my brother's voice?"
"I doubt it. If they needed a fake, I wouldn't be their first pick."
Yesterday we'd watched a horror movie with that exact premise. Rumi ended up clinging to me.
"That makes sense."
…Wait, did I just imply I was so irrelevant no one would even consider me worth impersonating? Whatever.
"Now that you've confirmed I'm your one and only big brother, there's no problem with me introducing you to someone."
"Mom would definitely be proud of you," she said with mock pride.
"Don't say it like I'm some hopeless case."
"You've never shown interest in bringing friends home. In fact, you said it was unlikely you'd ever do that."
Those words I'd once said now came back to slap me in the face.
It wasn't like I could have predicted this.
And even if I could—would I have tried to change it, or just let things play out?
Not even I knew the answer…
"It's not like I actually want to. I'm being forced." I sighed.
A light tap hit my arm, and I turned to see Yumiko's fist pressed against me.
"Correction—I'm being coerced."
Another tap.
"Blackmailed?"
Another tap.
"Threatened?"
This time I dodged cleanly, since her eyes told me she was about to hit harder. Not that her punches would hurt—they were more like tickles at best.
But with her fist cutting through the air, Yumiko lost her balance and nearly fell, barely managing to catch herself.
No one ever said I had to take the hits.
After steadying herself, her face flushed red with embarrassment, she looked at me with a pout.
"Onii-chan, I can't picture you being forced, coerced, blackmailed, or threatened."
"Your big brother is just an ordinary student you could find anywhere," I said calmly.
"There are at least two lies in that sentence," she shot back without hesitation.
"Why do you say that?" Even though I knew the answer, I wanted to hear it from her.
"Weren't you the one who told me: 'Strike while the iron is hot'?"
"Uh… did I really say that?"
I remembered the time I had to go to Rumi's school because she'd been accused of punching a girl who was bullying her friend.
As a good older brother, I'd taught her some basics—nothing dangerous. How to throw a punch, how to take advantage of an opponent's weaknesses. Nothing major.
She was naturally calm, so she managed just fine. And apparently, she was something of a genius.
"You did say it!"
"Well, maybe I did back then." I looked away, even though she couldn't see me. "Anyway, back to the reason I called—you're okay with it, right?"
My little sister's will was also my own.
"Actually, now I'm kind of curious."
"Then we'll see you at home."
I hung up and slipped my phone back into my pocket.
"I'll assume there's no problem," Yumiko said, still annoyed about me dodging her punch and making her lose balance.
"No problem at all." I waved my hands lightly.
With everything settled, I led the way to my house.