Chapter 19: The Pink-Haired Girl in Reverse
The possibility that Ren might actually like her had Hitori utterly captivated.
After entering high school, not only had she made friends and joined a band where she could shine, but she even gained romantic attention she never dared to dream of—had Hitori's happy life finally arrived?
"Sis, you're still spacing out—what's going on?"
By ten o'clock that night, Futari, who wanted to sleep with her sister tonight, watched Hitori—who seemed to have lost her soul and occasionally giggled foolishly—with a troubled expression.
"Futari, your big sister might not need you to support her in the future." TQsWB
Hitori picked up Futari and nuzzled her cheek, already having decided on her future child's name.
"Eh? Really?"
Futari was surprised but also happy. She didn't really understand Hitori's previous talk about becoming a shut-in and relying on her for support, but she could tell Hitori was genuinely happy now.
"Of course! Even I'm being liked by someone now, hehehe~"
Hitori wore a smug, overjoyed smile. Though Futari didn't fully grasp the situation, she happily clapped her hands—if Hitori was happy, she was happy too.
Meanwhile, Hoshino Hinata was in a similar state.
Rewinding a few hours earlier: after school, Ren hadn't asked Hitori to hang out because she'd entered a trance-like state after PE class and became oblivious to her surroundings.
While returning home, Ren encountered a small group of elementary school girls led by Hinata.
"Ren onii-chan~ These are all my friends! I brought them over to play!"
Spotting Ren, Hinata waved cheerfully and introduced the girls accompanying her.
The golden-haired, blue-eyed one was Himesaka Noa, and the black-haired, blue-eyed one was Shirosaki Hana—both incredibly adorable.
"Hello, I'm Ren Watanabe."
Ren felt a surge of respect. Though fifth graders should technically be past the "loli" stage, these girls still looked like charming little lolis—a sight that lifted anyone's spirits.
"Hi there, handsome big brother! We're neighbors too, you know~"
Noa, with social skills even better than Hitori's, greeted Ren brightly and mentioned she lived next to Hinata's other side, making her practically Ren's neighbor as well.
"Ren onii-chan, come play at my house too! I asked Miyako-nee to make desserts today~"
After introductions, Hinata invited Ren along.
Ren initially intended to decline, but considering he'd be home alone anyway, heading to the Hoshino house meant free desserts and the chance to admire cute girls—so spending half an hour there sounded perfect. He accepted the invitation.
When they entered the Hoshino residence, Miyako was in the kitchen preparing sweets.
"Miyako-nee, I'm home!"
Hinata dashed to the kitchen and hugged Miyako the moment she changed her shoes.
Ren helped Noa and Hana with their slippers. He had visited the Hoshino household a few times, though not as frequently as Anon's place.
"Hinata, please don't suddenly jump out like that next time. It's dangerous," Miyako softly admonished before nervously glancing toward the entrance. She too suffered from social anxiety, even feeling intimidated by elementary schoolgirls.
Especially when she saw Ren, her heart seemed to stop beating. Not even the adorable Hana could snap her out of it.
Upon closer observation, Miyako shared some similarities with Hitori, both were socially anxious, wore similar-looking athletic wear, and most importantly, both had excellent figures. Their skin appeared fairer due to rarely going outdoors.
The main difference was that Miyako couldn't play guitar, but she knew how to cosplay.
Ren didn't bring up Miyako's embarrassing past, everyone had their peculiar hobbies. If Hinata and the others found out about his Apex Legends username, he'd probably feel just as mortified as Miyako.
"Hinata's sister seems quite different from what I imagined, don't you think, Hana-chan?" Noa commented, feeling somewhat disillusioned by Miyako. She had expected Hinata's older sister to be as cheerful and outgoing as Hinata herself.
"Mhm, but the desserts smell wonderful. I can already smell them," Hana replied, already drooling from the aroma wafting from the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Ren took out his phone to chat with the violinist who had applied for the position. The compensation he offered was quite generous for a high school girl. Within just a few days, they only needed one more electronic synthesizer to complete the setup. Soon he'd have a reliable income stream for any situation.
By the time Ren finished handling the recording matters, Miyako had finished preparing the snacks.
Ren noticed something he hadn't paid much attention to before, Miyako's hair also had a pinkish tint. That made five people with pink hair he'd encountered, suggesting he had quite an affinity for pink-haired individuals.
Ren didn't overstay his welcome, leaving for home after about half an hour.
Only after he left did Miyako finally relax. The pressure she felt from Ren far exceeded what she experienced around Noa and Hana.
At the same time, she felt somewhat regretful. She definitely knew Ren, after all, he was her neighbor and she was aware of his family situation. Truth be told, she had taken a liking to Ren.
Not in a romantic sense, but rather she wanted him to model for her. It would be even better if he could participate in some cosplay with her.
But she didn't dare voice this desire, paralyzed by fear.
Though Ren was gone, she still had the elementary schoolgirls, right? They should be easier to persuade than Ren, shouldn't they?
Lacking models and sharing similar insecurities, Miyako turned her attention to Hana and Noa.
On the other side, Ren glanced at Anon's room before entering her own home and noticed the curtains hadn't been drawn open, meaning Anon hadn't returned yet. Given her personality, she was probably busy socializing right now, wasn't she?
She was definitely not like Hitori—Anon would absolutely take the initiative.
The reality aligned closely with Ren's assumptions. On her very first day after transferring to Haneoka Girls' School, Anon had befriended the class mascot, Takamatsu Tomori, triggered a "Ikkyu-san" scenario, and was indeed occupied with social activities.
But unlike Hitori, whose life was saved, her own life was completely ruined just like that.
Yet, when she returned home in the evening, she came to Ren brimming with pride to boast—saying she'd made a new friend on the very first day, even invited them to form a band. Though the progress seemed rather ordinary, she had met many people, and a young lady named Nagasaki Soyo had gently agreed to her invitation.
Only someone like Anon could pull this off, right? Effortlessly laying the groundwork for a band.
"Impressive."
There was truly something to be said for that. Ren nodded in admiration, giving her props.
"Hehe, just you wait, Ren—I'll shine brightly on stage."
Anon's nose was practically tilted up to the sky with pride, her head held high so her nose tip stuck out further than her chest. She could already envision her carefree, joyful youth in the future.