"Kacchaaaaann! Let's play!"
It was the first day of our break after the Sports Festival. Having inhaled my breakfast, I was currently standing outside the Bakugo residence. The time was 8:00 AM—an uncharacteristically early visit for someone like me.
The blame lay entirely on the fact that I went to bed too early yesterday.
When I finally woke up in the infirmary, I was met with the cold, hard reality of the Mummy-teacher's judgment. Despite making it to the finals, he had officially withdrawn me from the tournament due to my "condition." It wasn't even a loss in battle; it was a forfeit. Naturally, I protested. I protested with everything I had.
I did a full bridge on the recovery bed to show my "vitality," I stared at Aizawa-sensei from below until he looked uncomfortable, I took Recovery Girl's snacks hostage, and I even offered up some "secret photos" of street-side idols I'd collected. I worked hard.
As a result, I secured a promise that my remedial study plan would be adjusted to account for my runner-up finish. My mission was accomplished.
Now I can finally play with Ochaco and the others! I had given a triumphant thumbs-up to Ochaco, who was there to look after me, but for some reason, she just looked at me with a really sad expression. I still don't know what that was about.
Anyway, after getting home, I dodged my mother's lecture and went straight to sleep to heal my weary body. My bedtime? A shocking 7:00 PM.
After twelve hours of deep sleep, I woke up at 7:00 AM feeling like a million bucks. The morning sun was so pleasant I couldn't stay inside. Of course, my mom—who was already up—delivered a sharp "You're too loud for this early!" kidney shot that sent me to another dimension. It hurt so much. I saw the light. Honestly, I think my mom is stronger than anyone I fought at the Sports Festival.
Bursting with early-morning energy, I scanned my mental list for someone who wouldn't kill me for showing up at their door at dawn. I settled on Kacchan, thinking my chances were good.
Shortly after I rang the bell, Kacchan's dad opened the door. "You're energetic this early," he noted with a smile. If he was the one answering, it meant Mitsuki was still asleep. Uh oh.
I lowered my voice immediately. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Nico. Katsuki is still asleep, though. Want me to go get him?"
"No, it's fine. I'll go launch a surprise raid. You just go back to flirting with Mitsuki."
"Haha, thanks for the thought. But I think I'll pass. Mitsuki is terrifying when she's just woken up."
Mitsuki Bakugo has famously low blood pressure; her morning mood is legendary for being absolute garbage. I still remember the trauma of seeing her wake up during our joint family camping trip years ago.
But wait... usually, she'd be up by now.
"Did she... have a few drinks last night?" I asked.
"You're sharp," Masaru chuckled. "Yesterday—well, technically this morning—she was up until three. She was so happy about Katsuki winning that she really let loose."
Oh, right. My victory. The one Kacchan snatched away from me. I was definitely going to have to punish him for that.
"Did you drink too, Dad?"
"A little. But I had to stay sober enough to take care of her when she got messy."
"Take care of her, huh... Is Kacchan getting a little brother or sister?"
I asked the question with a suggestive look I'd seen in romance dramas. Masaru just placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, looking incredibly kind.
"...Nico. I'll buy you a really nice cake next time."
"Yay!"
Man, those two are still so young at heart. I'll have to tell my "Poyo-poyo" mom about this.
I waved goodbye to Masaru and let myself into Kacchan's room. I'd already gotten the "key" (permission) from his dad, so I slipped in like a pro. Your security is lacking, Kacchan!
"Mmm?"
I peeked at the bed to find a sleeping Kacchan. This was a "Rare Kacchan"—the version without the permanent scowl. I took a quick photo. He actually looked kind of cute. Like a sleeping lion.
...Wait, no, that's not cute.
I poked his cheek, but he didn't budge. He's usually a light sleeper, so if he was out this cold, he must have been exhausted. He did give it his all yesterday, after all.
With nothing to do, I watched him sleep until I started getting jealous. He looked so comfortable. It was unfair. I poked his mattress and realized it was incredibly bouncy. High-quality springs.
Now I'm really jealous. Why does he get a better bed than me?! I had to sleep for twelve hours on my cheap mattress!
I decided right then: I was going to nap until he woke up. I rolled him over to the edge to make some room. I thought about kicking him onto the floor, but I decided to be merciful. My kindness truly is at max level.
Since it was a large bed, there was plenty of space. To prevent any accidental midnight (or morning) wrestling, I lined up some dumbbells I found on the floor between us as a barricade. Then I borrowed his pillow and his blanket.
Whoa, these are so fluffy. This is definitely cheating.
...Zzz.
"WHO THE HELL IS 'ZZZ-ING' IN MY BED?!"
"WHOA—?!"
Like a table being flipped in a bar fight, I was launched out of the bed. I couldn't catch my balance and landed hard on my backside. The impact was legendary. I'm pretty sure my butt split into four pieces.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE SO EARLY, YOU BRAT?!"
Man, Kacchan is high-energy in the morning. Way too high.
"I was bored, so I came to play!"
"THEN AT LEAST WAKE ME UP!! Why did you just crawl into my bed like it's yours?! Huh?! And wait—my pillow?! My blanket?! Why were you using everything, you thief?!"
I guess I shouldn't have taken the bedding.
"Fine, look, I'm giving the pillow back."
"GIVE ME THE BLANKET TOO!!"
"Haha... no."
"WHY NOT?! YOU THINK YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO REFUSE—?!"
THUD.
A massive sound shook the house. Kacchan and I immediately knew what it was and clapped our hands over each other's mouths.
"It's too loud this early... if you want to scream, do it somewhere else...!"
A voice full of low-frequency, primal rage drifted through the walls. I gave a silent salute toward the master bedroom, grabbed Kacchan's hand, and bolted.
That was genuinely terrifying. Good luck, Masaru! We will never forget your sacrifice!
***
Kacchan was still in his t-shirt and shorts. Since we'd fled in a panic, he was also completely penniless. Useless, I thought to myself, though I kept that one private.
As we wandered through the streets, we ended up at a familiar shopping district—the place where Kacchan made his "hostage debut" with the sludge villain. It felt a bit nostalgic.
"Man, it's already been a year since then. Time flies."
"Hah? What kind of half-asleep crap are you talking about? You come here to shop all the time."
"I mean, yeah, but the vibe is different... and I'm not the one who's half-asleep. I'm wide awake! I've been up since seven."
"If you were that awake, you shouldn't have crawled into my bed. I'll blast you, I swear."
I mean, he wasn't wrong. But he looked so peaceful!
"Sigh... I don't know what you want to do, but I didn't bring my wallet."
"I know. Hmm... fine, I'll pay today. For once."
"Hah? Tsk. Fine, what a pain. Let's just go back and—wait, what?"
Kacchan's eyes went wide. He looked at me with a face full of pure suspicion. What was with that look?
"Who the hell are you... and what did you do with the real one?!"
"Excuse me?!" He actually went into a combat stance! What do you think I am, a doppelganger?!
After I spent five minutes convincing him I was the real Nico, he put a hand on my forehead. "No fever..."
Hey! Is it really that weird for me to offer to pay?!
"Of course it is! What are you planning?"
"How can you say that?!"
"Name one time—ONE TIME—that you've ever paid for me."
"Um... well..."
...Wait. I know there's at least one... right? I couldn't think of a single instance.
"Oh! In third grade, at the summer festival! I bought you that apple candy—"
"—No, YOU dropped yours and made ME buy you a replacement!"
Oh. Right.
"What about New Year's in fifth grade? I paid for the fortunes—"
"—No! You kept getting 'Bad Luck' so you blew all your own money, and then made ME pay for yours until you finally got a 'Great Blessing'!"
Was that how it went?
"Middle school! The field trip—"
"—You spent all your money on snacks and didn't have enough for souvenirs, so I had to lend you the cash! AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T PAID ME BACK! Pay up, you brat!"
...Hmm.
"I'm sure there's at least one!" I shouted.
"I'm telling you, looking back, there isn't a single one!!"
Nico-nyan made a mistake-y! Tee-hee!
Anyway, I promised to pay today, and I meant it!
***
Since we didn't have a plan, we ended up at an arcade. It was a weekday, so the place was empty and we had our pick of the machines. Of course, "free play" still costs money.
We found an old fighting game we used to play in elementary school. To ensure victory, I picked the top-tier "broken" character. Naturally, Kacchan had the same idea and picked the exact same one. He even used a hidden command to buff his stats.
It had been a while since I'd felt that level of competitive rage.
I tried my best with combos, but I got absolutely demolished. A straight-sets loss. I didn't even get a round. I delivered a "Real-Life Elbow" to Kacchan's ribs while he was smirking. It was well-deserved.
Hungry for revenge, I challenged him to a racing game. I lost. No hidden commands, no tricks—he was just better.
He gave me a smug "Doya" look, so I delivered a "Real-Life Kick." Again, justified.
We tried a few more games, but the results were disastrous. I let him win the championship yesterday; the least he could do was let me win a game of air hockey!
Kacchan is a jerk.
There was no point in staying at the arcade with a guy who clearly doesn't understand a maiden's heart, so we headed out for food. I originally thought about a family restaurant, but I had a craving for sushi, so we went to a revolving sushi place. The 100-yen-per-plate kind, obviously. My wallet has limits.
Even for lunch, it was quiet because it was a weekday. We got a table almost immediately. I started scanning the belt with the eyes of a hawk.
"You want tea?" Kacchan asked.
"Please and thank you."
He prepared the tea with practiced ease. I gave him a small thanks and went back to the belt. But everything coming around was a nightmare. Cucumber rolls, cucumber salad, cucumber wraps... everything had cucumber in it.
This day is cursed.
"This place is crazy," I muttered.
"Your brain is what's crazy. If you don't see anything you like, just order off the screen, idiot."
Believe it or not, Kacchan loves cucumbers. He started grabbing plates and eating them with zero hesitation. That distinct, grassy smell started wafting over the table. Confirming that cucumbers are not fit for human consumption, I offered a silent prayer for Kacchan's misfortune. I hope he stubs his toe on a cabinet tonight.
As for ordering... Hah! How shallow.
Sure, I could get what I wanted instantly, but that would be an admission of defeat. A true Revolving Sushi Master waits for the belt to provide based on the whims of fate. I refuse to be that uncouth.
Finally, the chefs seemed to move past the cucumber phase and started putting out real fish. I glanced at Kacchan; he already had a mountain of plates.
Hey, have some restraint! Who do you think is paying for this?! Keep it to two plates! Don't underestimate how small my allowance is!
I had a lot to say, but I went back to my hunt. Finally, a survivor appeared. A plate of salmon had made it past the other customers.
Salmon... I can work with that.
I reached out for my prize, only to have a hand snatch it right in front of me. Kacchan.
"...Huh?"
"Step outside, Explosion-Boy! Let's settle this!!"
The First Great Sushi War of Orudera had officially begun.
"Sigh... shut up and sit down, you moron."
"What?! You steal my salmon and then give me that attitude?! I won't forgive you! I'm going to stuff your mouth with so much ginger you'll turn into a pickle!!"
As I prepared to weaponize the ginger container, Kacchan held the salmon out toward me. Hmph! That's more like it! ...Wait, Kacchan.
"You can just give me the whole plate, you know."
"Just open your mouth already."
For some reason, he was holding the sushi with his chopsticks in an "Aahn" position. Even I have limits to my shamelessness; this was embarrassing.
"Tsk! You think you can make me give up with these psychological tactics?!"
"Stop talking and just eat. You can't even pick up a plate with those hands."
Kacchan's eyes drifted to my hands. Because I overdid it against Peppermint, my hands were currently sporting some nasty burns. The bandages looked a bit dramatic, but they didn't actually hurt that much. I only wore them because the burn marks were an eyesore.
"They don't hurt. Really. The bandages just make them a bit stiff..."
"Open up."
He wasn't listening. Knowing it was useless to argue, I opened my mouth.
The first sushi of the day... the fish was still slightly frozen, but whatever. But wait...
"Not enough wasabi."
"Hah?! You picky brat... Tsk, fine!!"
He started grumbling but actually took the time to add extra wasabi to the next piece. Honestly, this kid could work as a maid.
As I munched on the sushi, I realized his gaze was still fixed on my hands. Actually, he'd been looking at them all day.
"I told you... I'm fine. It really doesn't hurt."
"They're gonna scar..." he muttered.
"Recovery Girl said she'd fix them no matter what."
"Whatever."
He turned back to the conveyor belt. Even though the belt was still 80% cucumber, he just stared at it.
"---Listen. Don't overdo it. I'll fight you for real once your hands are healed. Today's match is void."
"...Yeah. Okay. Let's go with that."
For the rest of the meal, I let myself be pampered by this unusually attentive Kacchan, accepting pieces of sushi like a baby bird. It was pretty relaxing, actually.
...Then the bill came, and I cried a little.
***
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