Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Volume 3 The Feeding of the Little Girl

The Feeding of the Little Girl

The first day of summer break.

We all agreed to keep on meeting over the summer break, but now that I think about it we never picked out a time or anything, so I just went with the usual routine and headed for the clubroom around the time school would normally end.

It takes me, Kodaka Hasegawa, roughly 40 minutes to get to school by taking the train and then hopping on a bus.

For me, who had never been in a club up until now, going to school on a day off just for club activities had a rather refreshing feel to it.

I got off at the bus stop right in front of our school.

I cringed a bit as I got off the bus and was hit with a muggy wave of heat.

Today's a real scorcher, it's gotta be over 86 degrees.

Actually, I was planning on taking my little sister, Kobato, with me today, but she was drenched in sweat the second we got outside and said "Kh... Accursed sun... Kukuku... Just wait, one day soon us denizens of the night shall swallow this world in darkness..." or something like that, as she retreated back into the house.

I guess going outside in this sweltering heat wearing all black was too much for her. Not that that's surprising or anything.

By the way, I was wearing my uniform.

The campus and chapel are both open to the general public, so I probably would've been fine wearing my normal clothes, but I threw on my uniform just to be safe.

Anyway, I quickly walked my way over to the clubroom.

To lounge #4, located in Saint Chronica Academy's chapel.

That was the clubroom of our "Neighbors Club".

The Neighbors Club, a club with the goal of "making friends".

We play games, act, play more games, relax and do whatever as we drink coffee and tea, play even more games, practice telling jokes, etc.

Though if I had to say whether or not any of it worked, I'd have to answer in the negative.

In fact, far from any of it working, my classmates avoid me even more than they did before.

But I keep on coming here despite that since, well, I guess it's because this place has a good feel to it or something.

I opened the door to the clubroom while those thoughts ran through my mind.

The room had its air conditioning running, and welcomed me with nice, cool air.

"Ah, Aniki."

The first one to notice I'd entered the clubroom was Yukimura.

Yukimura Kusunoki, a freshman.

He's a guy, as you'd expect from his name, but is also the very image of a lovely young girl, and wears a maid uniform.

It's not that he enjoys cross-dressing (I think), but rather that he was tricked into believing that "A true man will always be oozing out manliness, even if he's wearing a maid uniform," and thus, started wearing it daily.

"Yo."

I returned his greeting and closed the door.

There were three other people in the room besides Yukimura.

The one sitting on the sofa reading a book with a sullen look on her face is our club president, Yozora Mikadzuki.

She's a young girl with long black hair, and the one responsible for making this club.

The one playing galge on the TV in the corner of the room is Sena Kashiwazaki.

She's like a model with her blond hair and blue eyes, and I've heard she's treated like a goddess or something by some of the guys in her class.

The one munching on potato chips one piece at a time is Maria Takayama.

She's a silver-haired little girl who wears a nun outfit, and is also the advisor for our club.

If you add Kobato and I, as well as the other person currently not here, you'd have all 7 of the Neighbors Club members.

By the way, Yozora and Sena were in their uniforms, which made things seem not all that different from how we normally meet.

As usual, Yozora was reading a book, Sena was absorbed in her galge, and Yukimura was spacing out while standing there as still as a statue.

"So you're finally here huh, Kodaka."

Yozora said to me with a voice that sounded like she was in a worse mood than usual as she closed her book.

"What do you mean 'finally'... this is when we always meet."

I'm actually a little early even.

If this were a normal school day it'd be about time for 6th period to end, after which I either have to clean up, bring stuff to our teacher, or stop by the library. Hence, I'm never in the clubroom around this time.

"Hmph, so you think it's okay to come here at the same time even over summer break?"

Yozora said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"How was I supposed to know... when did you guys get here anyway?"

I asked, to which Yozora replied

"Around one o'clock. Meat was already here playing games by the time I got here."

"Sena-anego's arrival was a short while before that of Yozora-anego's."

Said Yukimura in his soft voice.

"You all got here pretty early didn't you... What about you Yukimura?"

"I was here at eight o'clock this morning."

"Hu-wah?" I involuntarily let out a strange noise.

"Eight o'clock? That's way too early no matter how you think about it!"

That's even earlier than when classes would usually start.

After I said that, Yukimura calmly replied by saying

"It is due to the fact that I would have to commit seppuku if by some chance I were to arrive later than you, Aniki."

"You don't have to take this club that seriously!"

I yelled with all my might, though all Yukimura did was give me a blank stare and tilt his head.

Then, while looking ever so slightly embarrassed, he cheerfully pulled out a plastic bag from his own bag.

...Eh? No way... Yukimura took out a piece of flavored bread and yankee manga from the bag.

"Here is today's meal, Aniki."

"Eh... Uh, I already ate at home before I came here..."

Yukimura's eyes went wide at my statement.

"To think that such a thing would happen..."

"You don't have to go and make me a lunch over summer break too 'ya know."

After hearing that, Yukimura made a face that looked like the world was about to end.

"So what you mean to say is... that I am being relieved of my duties?"

"How do you jump to that conclusion!? ...But, well, I didn't really need the lunches you brought me up until now either..."

"Wha... So I am an unnecessary existence to you, Aniki..."

Yukimura made a forlorn look on his face and looked like he was about to cry any minute now.

Gah, I'm not really sure why, but I feel really guilty about this!

"Ah, no, I need you! Of course I need you! I super need you!"

A fleeting smile rose onto Yukimura's face.

"Your sympathy is unnecessary... Now that it has come to this, I shall end it all by committing seppuku..."

"Argh, this is such a pain in the ass!"

I let what I was really thinking slip.

"Hey~ Hey~ Onii-chan, are you not gonna eat that!?"

Yelled Maria, who had been eating potato chips up until now, full of joy, utterly failing to grasp the current mood.

Her eyes were sparkling as she stared and drooled at the bread in Yukimura's hands.

"Eh? Ah, no...... Maria, have you not eaten lunch yet?"

I asked, to which Maria said,

"Yeah, because you didn't give me a lunch today Onii-chan..."

That lonely look on her face sent feelings of guilt running through me yet again.

Before summer break started, I told Maria I'd make her lunches since she didn't like the way the chapel's food tasted and was only eating candy every day.

However, I didn't even think about making lunch for her on days we didn't have school.

That's when it hit me.

"Hey, Yukimura. Why don't you give that bread to Maria? Actually, I'd be grateful if you could make Maria a lunch all summer break long."

I thought that'd work, but Yukimura's face clouded over.

"Serving two masters is most unbecoming for a warrior... I have but a single master."

G-god this guy is such a pain...

"Yukimura. Maria is, uhh... like my little sister. It's okay for a warrior to look after his master's little sister, right?"

"That is true. No, rather it is a great honor to me."

Looks like he's okay with it.

Also, Maria's face was all red for some reason and she was mumbling something.

"Onii-chan's... little sister... ehehe."

......?

Well, whatever.

"Lady Maria, as Aniki has instructed me, from this day forth I shall take it upon myself to have the pleasure of preparing a meal for you every day."

Said Yukimura, who then handed the bread he was holding to Maria.

"Yeah! Do a good job with it!"

Maria energetically grabbed the bread, and started looking all over it as if it were some kind of precious gem or something.

"Ohhhhh~~! So this is convenience store bread~~! Awesome! They can fit a piece of bread into this tiny bag! Ohh!? Hey hey Onii-chan! Look! Look at all the ingredients they put into this thing! Ahahaha!"

Maria showed me the bread along with a ridiculously happy smile.

"Ingredients? Hmm, let's see... uwa..."

I was left speechless.

There, on the wrapping of the "Extra Large Special Deep-Fried Yakisoba Hot Dog" was a huge list of additives that almost seemed to be picking a fight with the recent focus on healthy foods. Food coloring, preservatives, artificial flavoring, you name it and it was on there.

"This stuff'll give you a heart attack..."

I made a frown, but for some reason Yukimura wore a small look of pride on his face and said,

"I chose this specifically for you, Aniki. A true man does not fear something as insignificant as additives."

"That doesn't mean you have to go out of your way to pick out unhealthy food for me you know..."

I hadn't paid any attention to it before, but I wonder if Yukimura's been giving me this kind of bread for lunch the whole time.

I wasn't sure if it'd be okay to let a little kid eat something like this, but when I saw that happy look on Maria's face I couldn't bring myself to take it away from her.

...Well, it's not like its got poison in it, and it is just one piece, so it'll probably be fine.

"Yukimura, starting tomorrow make sure you pick out more healthy stuff for Maria, okay?"

"Understood, Aniki."

Said Yukimura, lightly nodding with a tiny smile on his face.

I was a little worried whether or not he really knew what I wanted him to do.

"...Hmph, you'll be in for a lot of trouble if you let your pet dog get too used to luxuries like that," mumbled Yozora.

Maria, who was hugging the bread as if it were her treasure while jumping and tumbling around the room going "Wafu~n Wafu~n ♪" certainly did look very much like a little dog.

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