Okaeri Saotomoe-san Chapter 18

This week’s chapter

Saotome-san wants a younger sister

「Sorry to keep you waiting」

I came out to the corridor after 4 minutes and 30 seconds, there…

「………」

「………」

「It feels like neither of them has moved an inch」

I was greeted by a spectacle that seemed to be frozen in time from when I rushed inside my house. The only things that had moved were the clouds in the evening sky.

「A territory war between a shoe-billed stork and a sloth is it……?」

「Otsukaresama desu senpai」

「Murasaki, isn’t it too awkward to just stare for over 5 minutes at a person you met for the first time? At least have some small chat」

「Going forward I will make sure to do so. I was caught up in my observation」

This kid, isn’t she doing the same thing as at work?

「With that, Mio-san is……..」

「Ah, Matsutomo-san, just a bit, wait a little」

Mio-san who was a stork all this while, finally transformed back into a human, grabbed my hands and dragged me to the secluded place in the corridor.

「That child, Murasaki-san? Who is she?」

「She was my junior in the company I worked at before. I wonder why she suddenly turned up holding a bag…… We haven’t kept contact after I resigned」

「So it was like that….」

「I am sorry, she is not a bad person at heart, she just lacks a bit of common sense. Can you please forgive her on my behalf for her rudeness 「Matsutomo-san」」

I was interrupted.

I just realised. Mio-san wasn’t looking at me all this time. Her eyes are rooted at Murasaki and haven’t moved at all.

「I have been observing that child from a while back and…」

「I thought you were just staring back in silence, but it looks like you were also observing her in kind」

「And I understood something」

「Hoh」

What’s this, things that can be understood only through female camaraderie?

Is it something like figuring out the character from one’s makeup or identifying whether one loves someone else through her hairstyle?

「That child is cute」

「Aah, that’s right. I think she is cute, yes.」

Taken aback by her surprise attack that came out of nowhere, I ended up repeating her words. What the hell is this person saying?

「I have never talked about it, but I always wanted to have a younger brother or sister」

「That’s quite the big revelation」

「My craving for a younger brother abated a bit after meeting Matsutomo-san, but…..」

「Craving for a younger brother」

It seems I was not only sating her appetite for food, but also for this.

「Just like I thought, I really want a younger sister tooo…」

「And so?」

「That child is fine」

「What are you talking about Mio-san?」

「I want to make that child my younger sister」¹

「Please send that request to your parents or Santa Claus」

「I’m already 28-years old, she will be more of a daughter…」²

Mio-san, I think you are missing the point here.

I forgot, but women at this age ³ tend to be sensitive to this kind of topic.

「Aaa—….. Even if you say things like wanting to make her your younger sister all of a sudden. Moreover if it really comes to be then you would have to meet her quite often you know?」

If it is someone that she will be frequently meeting, she is scared that she will make some mistake and be hated for it. That’s why she consulted me beforehand.

With her being this type of a person, I never expected her to want to acknowledge someone as her younger sister. That’s why I am completely surprised too.

「I like children. If it’s going to be such a little child then it should be fine 」

「Mio-san, I am reminding you just in case, but Murasaki is 22 years old. She is an adult.」

「? I knew that too?」

「It should be fine if you know it」

It seems like Mio-san will be alright if she perceives someone as a kid, even if she has to meet that person frequently.

Certainly, Murasaki’s height doesn’t exceed 150cm. When someone in the company brought along his daughter, who was in 5th grade, she was desperate not to have their heights compared.

By the way even though she is one year junior to me in the office, her birthday hasn’t come yet so there is a 2 year age difference still.

「Anyways, looks like she has come to see you for something? Go talk to her now, go on now, go on.」

This time she pushed my back, returning me to where I was standing before. For the second time I am stuck between Mio-san and Murasaki.

「Are you guys done talking?」

「Ah, Aah. Sorry to keep you waiting. So what’s the matter? I was surprised since you came over here so suddenly」

「I came here to deliver your things by the order of that Zurekakkou ⁴ section chief.」

Using his title along with this nickname. This feeling… now it really feels like I’m meeting with Murasaki again.

「Ah is that so. I wasn’t able to collect them, as it was all too sudden…. Zurekakkou?」

「We now call him Zurekakkou section chief」

「Tsuchiya called him a wig-head though」

「It has been revised」

Bald cuckoo ––> Wiggy cuckoo, has it started slipping now? That’s probably it…

「It’s becoming rather bad. Even if you are bringing in my things, isn’t it just a mug?」

「That and your spare tie that was in the locker」

Looks like the paper bag she is holding has all my things.

Receiving the paper bag that was thrust upon me with both hands, I was able to peek at the mug which I bought in the 100-yen shop and my 798 yen necktie.

「Yes, thanks. You helped me out」

「So senpai, this person is?」

「Ah, this is my neighbour…」

「I am Saotome. I am always under the care of Matsutomo-san」

The tone of an elder sister.

It’s different from her usual tone and also different from her work mode. Mio-san is adopting the tone of an elder sister.

「Nice to meet you. I am Murasaki」

「Umm, your given name is?」

「Uh」

Murasaki flinched at such a normal question.

「Did I do something?」

「Murasaki, it’s fine with this person」

「…….Ok」

「Yes?」

「It’s Murasaki Kiran」

Murasaki’s full name is Murasaki Kiran. Kiran in hiragana.

During my employment there, it became a huge topic as the generation of flashy names had reached our company as well. She herself doesn’t like it much and so she doesn’t want to use her given name.

「N, No, it’s not the Kiran from the onomatopoeia for “bright and shiny”. There’s a plant called kiransou ⁵ and it has bluish violet flowers which bloom during spring. My parents liked it and they grew it, that’s why this name….」

「Cuteee」

「…..Eh?」

「Isn’t your name really cute and fashionable?! Kiran-chan!」

「Everyone says so but, stuck with this name was troublesome and I don’t have any pleasant memories of it」

「You weren’t able to experience the excitement that comes up when you learn the kanji that makes up your name in the japanese class, right? I completely understand!」

「Ehhh…..」

「My name is also just “Mio” in katakana, so I understand」

「…!!」

After a few seconds of speechlessness, Murasaki slowly turned around to face me.

「Matsutomo-senpai」

「Yes?」

「Saotome-san is a good person」

「That’s right」

「I now understand why senpai said that it was fine」

「Even I didn’t think that it would be a one-hit K.O to this extent. You haven’t changed at all, Murasaki」

Even though she is cold and harsh, if she clicks off then it’s a one hit K.O. That’s the type of person she is.

「Then, Kiran-cha…..Murasaki-san what are your plans after this?」

「I don’t have anything in particular…」

「Why don’t you come in for a bit?」

To think that Mio-san will invite someone to her house by her own will….

「Ma, Matsutomo-senpai」

「I plan to drop by for a while too」

「Th, then I will have to trouble you」

Dragging me into this, Murasaki keeps looking at me intermittently.

Mio-san probably just wants to say 「It’s your elder sister! Elder sister!」.

And Murasaki probably wants to say 「She just invited me, what do I do?」

「……. Well, above everything else it’s important to get along」

Both Mio-san and Murasaki didn’t have any friends to have a girls’ talk with. And it’s mutually beneficial for them to have a person with whom they didn’t need to be on guard with.

「It was just cleaned up this morning. Now, now, come on in」

「Um… I don’t really know about things like tea….」

「That aside, Murasaki, do you play UNO?」

「Yes?」

「We will be playing UNO from now」

「UNO? That nation masterpiece of a card game?」

「Yes, that UNO」

This was a tough ordeal. At least for me.

Unexpectedly, this led to the start of the 『UNO』death march that swallowed up the weekend. The beginning of the 『the Great UNO Meet』later was something that no one anticipated.