Chapter 70c: Attraction

There are moments when you agree to things you really should not agree to. Not as a responsible brother, not as a doting sibling, not even as a brother that just likes to light up that little face with a wide, genuine smile of happiness.

Because doing so is a mistake.

Sure, inwardly, there exist a dozen, no, a thousand, no, even a billion reasons of why you should just give in to that pathetic little whine and batting of eyelashes while those pink nails grab at the hem of your shirt. Like when I made sad tears cloud those bright eyes, or when I made that tender smile turn into an angry grimace for angering her.

The fact is that I just want to make it up to her. To appease and move on.

But this... this was a mistake. An egregious one at that.

"Nii-san, introduce us, please?"

Setsuka isn't letting me off, either. She _knows_. Just look at that radiant little smile filled with fully played-out childish innocence.

But she pushes it anyway. Innocent? My foot!

I approach with a sigh, but I can feel some of those gazes. The starry smiles that light up in the pupils of this single-minded flock that she's staring down with no sense of self-preservation... or sibling-preservation.

Or is she maybe relying on Jenny's protection who stands just a bit behind her? There was a time when she relied on me for that. She didn't even have to consider the situation: it was Nii-san this, Nii-san that.

I miss those days... but she is growing up.

"Ah. Okay."

I'll go along with it. I'll show her she can still rely on me.

But with this scary group... it will have to be an act. An act. That's right. It is a challenge, and that group are all my audience whose approval I don't give a damn about. I just need to fool them.

I bring a smile to my lips, but I feel appalled by the fakeness of it. I don't even have to see it to know it is a sham, a disaster that would have Miss Meadows yelling at me for while rapping her nails on her desk.

"Your eyes are like a graveyard! Have you never heard a smile comes from your eyes? Come on, show me!"

But I can't do it. Not in front of such life-ruining idiots that waste the very oxygen they breath on utter stupidity. I step between the two, placing my hand on Setsuka's back in familiarity.

"Everyone, please meet my sister Setsuka. She's eleven years old and has been asking me for the better part of a year whether she could come watch me rehearse some time."

"I've been wanting to see you act!" she interjects, seeming a bit miffed at my choice of wording.

"Right right. I'm sorry, but you know as well as I do that they have plenty of reasons for being unable to help you make it here."

I ruffle her hair a bit, but her smile does not return. "Excuses. Not reasons. Excuses. Don't you defend them, Nii-san! You are just like them!"

A soft sigh escapes me. She's still out to find fault with me. God..!

Mother, can't you give me an idea on how to appease this little sister of mine from up above? Please?

"Anyway." I clear my throat and look back towards the gaggle of girls. They are considerably less ruffled now. "Oh, and this here is the reason she should be here today, her good sister Jenny. Our family situation is a bit... complicated."

Hopefully, my wording is enough of a deterrent to keep them from digging. They'll anyway dig because they are little golddiggers in the making, but I'm counting on them respecting me just enough to not outright interrogate Setsuka. And even if they try, there's Jenny to help deflect them.

As such, I peer at the gaggle in as stern a way I can muster, but they just smile and nod agreeably, exchanging hushed gossip as comes natural to them.

"Setsuka, Jenny, please meet Betsy, Cara, Leah, Cathleen, Rose Z., Anna, Maria, Nicolette, Rose F., Thomas, Bailey, Tina, Priscilla and.. Daphne, was it?"

The girl in question lights up, nodding happily along with most others in the crowd as they introduce themselves to Setsuka and Jenny.

Hmm, is the mood a bit better now? I could have sworn they were going to be pulling eachothers hairs out a minute ago despite those happy, welcoming smiles they were giving off. But now it feels more genuine.

Then again, Setsuka is giving me an annoyed stare. She seems a bit more upset with me.

Good grief. I don't get it at all. Is it for nearly forgetting Daphne's name? I don't think I've even spoken to her before!

... Well, whatever.

"I'm going to get ready, Setsuka. You two just take a place on the sides, and try to be quiet, okay?"

Jenny offers a wink and thumbs-up before pulling Setsuka off in the proper direction while the latter just grins at me, motioning a zipper closing her lips. Geez, I am so glad that girl came as her minder. There's no way Setsuka will stay silent for more than five minutes when she's got that expression in her eyes. She's obviously got pranks and gossip on her mind.

I can't imagine how bad this would be if I had to keep entertaining her myself. This is a veritable ocean of girls imitating a Mexican stand-off for no good reason whatsoever, and knowing her, Setsuka would clap her hands just to see who was the jumpiest of them all.

Ugh. Why did I ever give in to her pleading after saying no for over a year?

A casual glance in their direction allows me to witness her dragging Jenny towards a big, white stage horse instead.

Oh God.