Onee-chan no Midori-kun 4
Midori then asks Sui about her outburst earlier (see Chapter 3 - she had suddenly called Midori a dummy). Sui asks him what he's talking about.
Midori: You even called me a dummy! Midori-kun is hurt, you know–
Sui (pouting): Do you have a problem with it? You’re clearly a dummy, so I'm just calling it as I see it.
Midori (amused): Did you know? People who call others dummies are also dummies themselves.
Sui: What’s with that? Lecturing a younger person as if you know better because you’re older?
Midori (amused): Did you know? People who call others dummies are also dummies themselves.
Sui: What’s with that? Lecturing a younger person as if you know better because you’re older?
In her mind, Sui is relieved that Midori didn’t seem to notice her feelings.
The train station then announces that the train Sui needs to take is approaching, so Sui says that she needs to leave. However, Midori holds her by the shoulders to stop her.
When Sui asks him what’s wrong, Midori puts his own cardigan on Sui, saying, “Sorry, it’s a little wet, but I thought that it’d be better if you had this.”
Sui tries to turn him down, saying that she doesn’t need it, but Midori insists. Sui is reminded of Chapter 1 where Midori had insisted that she use his scarf.
Patting Sui’s head, Midori also gently reminds her to take a warm bath immediately after getting home to warm up her body. Sui blushes and thinks, ‘...This again…’.
As she leaves, she bursts out at Midori again, calling him a dummy, even making a face.
Midori: Hello~
Momo: Hey, it’s me. Are you free to talk now?
Midori: Yeah, what’s up?
Momo: I’m sorry, it seems like I have to work overtime again today, so I don’t think we can meet. (I need to hurry and prepare the things they need for the photoshoot tomorrow…)
Midori: Ah, really?
Momo (sighing): I’m really sorry. I keep bailing on you recently. Next week, I probably won’t be as busy.
Midori: It’s alright. It’s work, after all; it can’t be helped. Regardless, don’t push yourself too hard, okay–
Momo: Thank you, Midori.
Someone on Momo's side calls out to her (Midori can hear it over the phone), so Momo has to end the call. Midori wishes her good luck with her job.
After ending the call, Midori sighs a little, thinking, '‘Somehow I feel kinda lonely- (just kidding.)’
Midori recalls Sui's blushing expression and silently deliberates about it. He tells himself that he's overthinking it.
Meanwhile, on the train home, Sui thinks to herself, ‘I need to quickly forget. I have to hurry up and erase, delete these memories. All of it. These stupid, foolish feelings.’
She’s wearing Midori’s cardigan and thinks to herself with a light blush that it’s way too big for her.
On another day at school, Sui tells Ayame that she is urgently looking for a way to make absurd romantic feelings disappear. Ayame looks at Sui and answers, “...Ooh. I see. That explains why Sui has been listless recently.”
Sui is shocked by Ayame’s answer and goes, “Huh?! You're wrong! Didn’t I already tell you earlier? I’m asking for a friend!”
Ayame: ……)
Ayame tells Sui that it's obvious the issue is about her. After all, they've known each other for many years. He says that Sui is a bad liar, which makes Sui begrudgingly admit that he's perceptive.
Ayame asks Sui why she came to look for him instead of her other female friend, Satake, since Satake would be a better person to discuss such issues with. Sui answers that Satake recently found herself a boyfriend, so she didn't want to disturb her blissful period by talking about such negative issues. Ayame agrees.
Going back to the main topic, Sui asks, “Well? Since you have a wealth of experience playing your bishoujo games, are you able to give me some words of advice?”
Pondering for a moment, Ayame asks, “Isn’t there a route where you can snatch the lover away?”
Sui: What?! Of course there isn't. What kind of immoral route is that?
Ayame: I would choose the snatching route.
Sui: You’re just talking about a game! That option is absolutely impossible. I won’t even think about it. After all, developing such feelings of… liking… towards my sister’s boyfriend is absurd, illogical and disgusting…
Ayame looks at Sui and responds, “...You don’t have to beat yourself up so much about it. At least, I wouldn’t think that way about you.”
Sui then retorts that Ayame can say that only because he's not interested in 3D people.
Ignoring Sui's accusation, Ayame suggests for her to simply try to enjoy her school life more.
Sui: What?
Ayame: You worked so hard to get into this school, but till now, you haven’t even thought of enjoying your school life, have you? If you live an enriching school life, perhaps you’ll forget all about your troubles.
Ayame says wistfully, “I’m like that. When I begin a new love life with a new character, I will hide and stash away all of my feelings and memories for my old love, deep within my heart.”
Sui agrees with him. “I keep thinking about Midori-kun to the extent that I totally forgot about enjoying my vibrant high school days. This is such a huge blunder.”
Ayame agrees, saying that they're spunky high school freshmen after all.
Looking at each other, the two of them simultaneously declare, “Let’s call this ‘Operation Forget-It-All-With-An-Enriching-High-School-Life’.”
Sui gets pumped up and says that she will commence the operation after the weekend. Looking at her, Ayame feels relieved and thinks to himself that the usual Sui is back.
Sui also thinks to herself that for a long time, she had been struggling with this hell-like feeling, not knowing what to do. However, her heart now feels a little lighter.
Back at home, Sui puts the card case that Midori gifted her, back into its box and keeps it in her drawer. She tells herself that she will forget all about Midori and properly enjoy her high school life.
However, the following Monday, Sui has come down with a bad cold. She has a fever of 38.9 degrees Celsius.
After Miyuki leaves, Sui miserably thinks to herself that this is the worst. She blames her cold on the rain she was caught in (with Midori). She calls out to Mochi (their dog) to come to her, but it is fast asleep.
Time ticks away while Sui tosses in bed. She thinks to herself that she hates it, and wonders why she feels uneasy when she has a cold - when she’s alone and it’s quiet, she feels like she will start thinking about all sorts of unnecessary things.
Just then, the doorbell rings. Sui gets up and says that it might be the toys that she ordered online for Mochi. She goes down the stairs, wobbly and delirious from her illness.
When she opens the door, it's Midori. She's shocked to see him.
Midori: Oh, you're having a cold?
Sui: Why are you here...
Midori: I have plans with Momo.
Sui: Oh. Onee-chan isn't home yet.
Midori: Oh, really?
Midori explains that Momo had told him she would end work early today, so they made plans to meet at this time. He says that he will text Momo to confirm it, and tells Sui to return to her bed to rest.
A delirious and stumbling Sui replies that it’s fine, because she shouldn’t leave a visitor alone. When Midori texts “I’m here~” to Momo, Sui stumbles and falls against Midori’s back, surprising him.
Sui realizes what she's done and apologizes while backing away. Midori asks her if she’s really alright, and Sui answers that she is, but she loses her balance and falls backwards.
A firm hand catches her waist. Midori then has Sui in a princess-carry, saying that she is clearly not alright.
Sui weakly tries to protest, saying that it's gross and she can walk by herself, but Midori goes, "Yes, yes, it's gross."
Gently, Midori tells Sui that when she's feeling unwell, she's allowed to act more spoiled.
Sui blushes, but she yells out, "Dummy!" in response. Totally unfazed, Midori asks if it's trendy now to call him a dummy.
Sui thinks to herself, 'There you go again. It’s all your fault for being such a dummy, treating me so kindly.'
In Sui's room, Midori (while patting Mochi, who is very glad to see him) asks if she has things to eat, such as jelly and Pocari Sweat. Sui answers that her mother bought them already.
While Sui miserably wonders to herself why all this is happening, Midori's phone chimes with a text response from Momo.
Momo's asked, "What?"
Midori is stunned, and Sui, who's watching him, asks what's wrong. However, his phone rings.
Midori: Hello?
Momo: I’m sorry, Midori…! I forgot that I made plans with you…!
Midori: Oh, you remember now?
Momo: I’m really, really sorry, but I still have a meeting after this… I was the one who made plans with you, yet I still asked you "What?". I’m such a mess, I’m sorry.
Midori looks solemn for a moment, but then replies with a smile, “Alright, you’re apologizing way too much–”
He continues, “It can’t be helped that your work is busy. I’m the same - when I’m immersed in my experiments at the laboratory, I also often forget about things I’ve mentioned before. Really, don't worry about it."
Momo is silent for a moment, then she says, “...Okay. Thank you, Midori.”
Gently going, "It's okay~", Midori asks her to call him at night if she's free, and they end the call.
Midori is silent as he stares at his phone. Sui breaks the silence by going, “Heh—”. She has sat up on her bed.
Midori immediately apologizes to Sui for talking on the phone in her room, but Sui interrupts him by going, “You’re still the same, always so kind and thoughtful.”
He asks Sui if she knows what happened, and Sui answers that she could somewhat figure it out, because she could hear Momo's exclamation at the start of his call.
While Sui mumbles to herself that she doesn't really care, Midori says, "...I’m not as kind and thoughtful as you think. Earlier, that was me just trying to act mature and cool.”
Sui looks at Midori for a moment, then blurts out, “Ridiculous. You don't need to pretend to be cool, Midori-kun. You're already cool."
Midori is completely stunned by Sui’s words and asks what's happened to her.
Sui groggily continues, “Geez. Always saying all these absurd… things. I can’t help but think- that you adults- are- so- troublesome…”, finally collapsing onto her pillow.
Midori is shocked and asks if she's okay, to which Sui feebly replies that she is. She tells him to leave if he doesn't have anything else to do.
Midori gazes at Sui, then teases, “Eh- If you say that, it makes me not wanna leave instead–”, to which Sui goes, “What?!”
Midori places a hand on Sui’s blanket and gently says that he will accompany her until she falls asleep.
“During such times, if you’re left alone, you’ll feel uneasy, won’t you?”
Sui feverishly gazes at Midori and thinks to herself, ‘...If only you remained as the Midori-kun who loves to tease and bully me, as someone whom I can’t get along with.’
Somehow feeling warm, Sui closes her eyes. Then, she mumbles, “It’s precisely because you’re always so kind to me, that I’m growing to like you.”
Midori’s eyes widen in response.
Sui continues mumbling, “Don’t treat me so kindly just because I’m your girlfriend’s younger sister. You should only treat onee-chan kindly, you fool…”. She then falls asleep.
Midori is speechless for a moment, then wonders aloud, “...No way, is this for real…?”
He thinks, ‘No, no. Even though I somewhat sensed it, but… what?’
Gazing at a sleeping Sui, Midori hangs his head down in despair, saying to himself, “Hah–... Doesn’t this make me a huge scumbag?”
Midori thinks, ‘...It’s true that it's because she’s Momo’s younger sister, but even without this connection, I'd still want to be kind to a good kid like Sui-chan.'
Midori is now anxious and troubled, wondering to himself what he should do about this.
Sui narrates: Even though right now, I still get affected by Midori’s actions and feel happy or get my heart racing, it’ll be fine. When I recover and live a vibrant, bustling school life, I’ll definitely be able to completely forget about these foolish feelings, won’t I?
Meanwhile, we see Momo at work, sighing to herself, thinking, ‘...I’m aware that you were being considerate of my feelings, but in such cases, wouldn’t it be better if you’d just gotten mad at me...?’
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