Ch. 136 - Hoshikawa Fuyuno’s “Operation”
Life In The Reverse WorldThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Notes
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This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Feel free to leave a review or vote on Novel Updates!
Thank You!
Harutaki and Miyabi took the Yamanote Line and got off at Meguro Station.
Harutaki originally planned to transfer to the Tozai or Nanboku Line, but Miyabi-senpai instead pulled him along and led him out of the station.
“The rest of the way isn’t far. Let’s walk.”
Since she suggested it, he had no reason to refuse. The two of them strolled leisurely along the quiet streets before nightfall.
From the open windows of nearby houses came the sounds of cooking, and occasionally, the uneven notes of a child practicing an instrument could be heard.
It was in such a setting that their earlier conversation took place.
From a distance, Harutaki caught sight of a street sign at a narrow intersection. The engraved characters—Shirokanedai—served as a constant reminder that the girl beside him was definitely not what she claimed to be: “just a slightly special ordinary girl” from an “ordinary family.”
At the very least, she was far wealthier than the Hoshikawa household.
The quiet of six in the evening didn’t last long before Miyabi spoke again, breaking the thin, cling-film-like silence between them.
She could see him, and he could see her.
But no matter what, they couldn’t quite reach each other.
She wanted to tell him that feeling—but the words felt impossible to say.
After all, she had just been teased for being “perverted.” Bringing up things like “touching” or “a thin film” right now would be unbearably embarrassing.
Better to continue their previous topic.
“Hoshikawa-kun, what about you? The ‘stopper’ you use to plug the hole in your bucket—what kind of dream is it?”
“Uh… wait, that’s not fair, is it?”
He opened his mouth, then suddenly realized something.
“You’re assuming my bucket has a hole in it from the start, senpai. That’s not very nice, you know? If you’re embarrassed because you think yours has a hole… it’s okay, I won’t mind. I can even help you plug it~”
Of course he turned it into a dirty joke again.
The worst.
Miyabi pressed her lips together slightly but didn’t dare refute him—if she gave him an opening, he’d definitely tease her again.
“…I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you.”
“And I’m making a dirty joke. Sorry!”
A good kid with a proper attitude.
He bowed slightly and apologized with exaggerated sincerity—but before she could relax, his voice came again:
“You avoided answering earlier because you were afraid of misunderstanding it like last time, right?”
She took it back.
This guy was even more mischievous than she thought—like having an actual younger brother.
She had heard that people with siblings often wished their younger ones would stay far away.
“Think whatever you want…”
Not being good at lying, she could only respond with a vague dodge.
“Then I’ll think of you as a perverted senpai.”
“…You’re the worst.”
She muttered softly, but she didn’t dislike this kind of exchange.
She knew he was teasing her, and he knew she wouldn’t mind.
Maybe the “film” between them was thinner than she had imagined.
“But…”
Harutaki suddenly dropped his playful tone and spoke seriously.
“I really don’t think I have any grand dreams.”
He hesitated, wondering whether to tell her honestly.
This wasn’t like their relaxed conversation during the lap pillow before. In this atmosphere, facing her earnest gaze, if he said his dream was simply to live together with everyone—
It would sound ridiculous. It might even belittle her dream. And it was far from realistic.
Though, most dreams were unrealistic by nature.
“You’re not about to say, ‘I don’t have a dream, so my dream is to protect yours,’ are you?”
“Huh? You actually guessed it.”
He chuckled, brushing it off with a joke before continuing.
“When I was a kid, my dream was really simple. I wanted to become an astronaut and ride a spaceship into deep space.”
“Because you admired the stars and the universe?”
Miyabi followed along, even though she knew he was avoiding the question.
She didn’t mind. She wanted to hear more about his past.
She wanted to understand him better.
“That was part of it. For example, I used to love standing on the balcony, staring at the moon—even through glass. Kind of like how I want to keep looking at you now, senpai.”
There he goes again…
She resisted the urge to complain, turning her head slightly to avoid his gaze and waiting for him to continue.
“But one night, I suddenly remembered something. The reason I stood there looking at the moon wasn’t just because I liked it—it was because I believed that bathing in moonlight would make me as strong as a superhero.”
“Plants and superheroes both grow stronger under sunlight, though?”
Miyabi found it amusing, but still couldn’t laugh.
“Maybe there are heroes who grow stronger under moonlight too.”
Moonlight probably didn’t grant strength—but it did bring a strange sense of calm.
Ever since he could remember, whenever he looked at the moon—whether a crescent or a full circle—he felt an indescribable peace.
Just like now.
Looking at Miyabi-senpai, who resembled the moon itself, his restlessness quietly faded away.
“And then? Just liking the moon made you want to become an astronaut?”
“Well… I said my reason was simple, but it was simple in a different way…” He scratched his cheek awkwardly before continuing. “…I was just greedy for money. When I saw the word ‘Venus,’ I used to imagine going there to mine gold and become rich.”
“That really is simple.”
Miyabi-senpai nodded in agreement.
“I’m still simple now, you know~”
“…?”
“Simply perverted!”
“You’re hopeless.”
Looking at his smug expression, she wanted to laugh. She wanted to show him she was happy.
But she couldn’t.
Instead, a wave of sadness rose within her. Her eyes began to moisten.
She wanted to smile—yet tears came first.
“Miyabi-senpai, you—”
“Stop.”
She bit her lower lip and forced a response.
“This big sister almost got so amused by you that I couldn’t tell whether to laugh or cry.”
“Being one year older doesn’t really make you a ‘big sister,’ does it?”
Understanding her stubbornness, Harutaki carefully played along.
“But even a single year means missing countless other years. Doesn’t that make it ‘big’ enough?”
Miyabi-senpai stopped walking.
Without waiting for his reply, she added:
“We’re here. My house is just ahead. Thank you for walking me home.”
“Oh… right.”
Following her gaze, Harutaki saw a modern villa with a sleek design—and a black German luxury car parked in the yard.
So she really is rich…
He joked to himself, thinking his “soft rice” bowl was practically overflowing.
Just as he was about to say goodbye, he realized she hadn’t moved.
Instead, she turned around and stared straight at him with those moist violet eyes.
“Um… goodbye?”
“The simulation of a normal high school girl’s date… isn’t over yet, is it?”
Her sudden remark seemed completely unrelated, but he had a vague idea of what she meant—though it felt hard to believe.
“A… a hug is fine…”
She muttered softly, shuffling her polished loafers. Her knees, wrapped in black over-the-knee socks, tilted inward slightly.
Since she had invited him, he wasn’t about to refuse.
“This kind of extra service costs extra, you know.”
He gently pulled her into his arms. The faint herbal scent of her shampoo, along with the softness of her body, instantly filled his senses.
Click. Click.
Streetlights flickered on one by one.
In this affluent neighborhood, the lights were so bright they almost rivaled daylight, washing out even the last traces of sunset. Her deep purple bobbed hair shimmered like blackcurrant juice—sweet, with a hint of tartness, making one want another taste.
Rustle…
Feeling a slight movement in his arms, he lowered his head—just in time to meet her gaze as she looked up at him.
On her flawless face, he easily noticed the faint shimmer of tears at the corner of her eyes.
“When we were playing darts, you were secretly hoping to see me embarrass myself. I was angry.”
So she really was angry?
“…?”
“Later, when you teased me with those dirty jokes, I was angry too.”
What happened to the generous big sister?
“But… eating pancakes, going to karaoke for the first time, hearing your childhood stories… I was really happy. So happy that I wanted to smile at you…”
She pressed her lips together, then continued.
“I think… if I can’t express my emotions through my expressions, then words should be able to do it. Do you understand?”
Understand what?
He wasn’t sure.
Was she talking about being happy? Or about using words to replace expressions?
Unable to answer properly, he simply nodded.
“…Yeah.”
But instead of continuing, Miyabi closed her eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly.
“You really like passing the responsibility to me, senpai… what am I supposed to do here?”
Their toes touched, their bodies close enough to feel each other’s warmth and breath.
In this moment, in this atmosphere—
There was really only one answer.
“…Mm.”
He simply touched her lips.
No more, no less.
A clumsy, simple first kiss.
He thought—perhaps this was what would make it unforgettable. Something that, whenever remembered, would leave a faint sweetness lingering.
Not because of any lingering taste from sweets, but because innocence and awkwardness blended together into something else—
A feeling called first love.
Miyabii gently pushed against him and stepped out of his embrace.
Perhaps because her head had cooled, she turned away, her face flushed red, avoiding his gaze.
“Hoshikawa-kun… that wasn’t your first kiss too, was it?”
“It was our first kiss, senpai.”
That’s the power of words.
He said it shamelessly.
But this time, her mind was sharp. Her cold gaze pierced right through his act.
“The sweet talk of a scumbag… really is the worst…”
She wiped her slightly glossy lips with the back of her hand, a rare hint of complaint in her voice.
“Did you think about the consequences of stealing a girl’s first kiss?”
At this moment, she reminded him of a dessert he once had—
A hard outer shell melting away, revealing the soft, sweet ice cream inside.
“Guess I have no choice but to marry you now, senpai.”
He teased her deliberately.
“Even bankers aren’t as greedy as you.”
She muttered quietly.
“Greedy? I’m just simply perverted.”
The key word is “simply,” he thought—not “perverted.”
“That makes you a perverted scumbag…”
Watching the boy’s uncontrollably crooked grin, Miyabi muttered to herself.
I’m such a shameless girl.
And he’s such a shameless, womanizing jerk.
…Somehow, we might actually be a good match?
“Anyway, tomorrow—ah, no… see you Monday.”
For some reason, even saying goodbye felt difficult. Perhaps sensing that, Harutaki took the initiative to speak first.
Tch. The kindness of a scumbag.
She clicked her tongue inwardly, yet recalling his earlier words, a faint warmth still lingered in her chest—
Even in early summer.
“Hey, Miyabi-senpai, you didn’t secretly absorb my genius IQ just now, did you?”
“…Goodbye.”
Yeah. She’d overthought it.
This guy just liked making his dumb jokes.
But just as she started walking away with her usual cold expression, his voice came from behind.
He took a deep breath and spoke earnestly, almost like an older brother lecturing a younger sister.
“Since you’ve made up your mind, you have to keep moving forward—even if you don’t know which direction to go. Taking a detour is fine too. It’s okay if you can’t smile—just say it out loud, or send emojis on LINE. If you’re angry, hit me with that paperback—hit harder the angrier you are. If you feel like crying, just cry in the arms of a scumbag like me. Once you’re done, stand back up and keep filling that hole… oh, and by ‘scumbag,’ I specifically mean Hoshikawa Harutaki. If the senpai I admire ends up in someone else’s arms, I’ll get so jealous I won’t be able to sleep—I’ll just end up biting my pillow all night.”
“Alright!”
If expressions and tone couldn’t convey emotions, then raising her voice should be enough.
“Still—I’m the older one here. It’s not your place to lecture me.”
She said to preserve the last shred of her dignity.
“Then can big sister teach me some… adult knowledge?”
Trying to lighten the mood, Harutaki joked, but Miyabi acted as if she hadn’t heard anything and continued walking ahead.
As the sky darkened, the crescent moon grew brighter, drifting away from the fading twilight and rising into the night sky, shining with a cool light borrowed from the sun.
—
[Nogami-sama: Busy, busy… well, being busy isn’t so bad… 💤] — Read
The next morning, in the group chat “Nogami Princess’s Harem,” their originally planned gathering had been postponed to tomorrow—Sunday, June 2nd—because Sae and Minako had unavoidable matters to attend to.
Although Harutaki, feeling guilty about what he did last night, offered to be on standby at any time, Nogami showed zero appreciation and didn’t hide her disdain at all.
[Nogami-sama: Oh? The stray dog that’s been running around outside finally came back home? 🤨] — Read
[Nogami-sama: Get lost, you stinky dog carrying another girl’s scent! 🐕] — Read
[Nogami-sama: Come back when the smell’s gone. And going out alone with you would be a date, wouldn’t it? What kind of delusion are you having, idiot dog?] — Read
In short, Nogami-sama might have been a little tempted—but out of pride, and still annoyed that she hadn’t managed to keep him yesterday, she vented everything out and kicked him out of the group.
Yeah. Literally.
Harutaki stared speechlessly at the group he had just been re-added to, unsure where to even begin complaining.
By the way, this “Harutaki getting bullied” situation—something the girls thoroughly enjoyed—was not missed by Sae or Sanada either.
[Ace Sae: A dog like this stinks~ Throw him into the washing machine, heavy-duty mode, then spin-dry at 1200 RPM! 😉] — Read
Are you washing a dog or killing one?!
Aren’t friends supposed to have each other’s backs?!
[No Heroes in Kanto: If the dog misbehaves, it just means the training isn’t enough. Izumi, want to try a new method? This time, throw a sock and have the dog fetch it. 🐻] — Read
Explain that “new method” in detail—no, wait—stop adding fuel to the fire, you blonde menace.
Also—
As Harutaki scrolled through the chat logs from when he was kicked out, he thought: weren’t you two supposed to be busy?!
Why do you have time to mess with someone else’s dog?!
…Wait, where’s Chouko?
Just as he was about to feel touched by her supposed understanding, her message popped up.
[Freedom Shining Chouko: Why not cover him with our scent to overwrite that bad woman’s smell~ 🐱] — Read
[Nogami-sama: 🤨] — Read
[Freedom Shining Chouko: After exercising, step on him as punishment! 🐱✨] — Read
What kind of “painful yet enjoyable” punishment is that?!
Harutaki considered himself a normal person without weird fetishes. There was no way he could accept that.
So he decisively sent his first message after returning to the group—
[Peerless Loyalty Hoshikawa-chan: A fungal lung infection can be fatal! 🐱💦]
…Huh?
When did his nickname become this?
Before he could think of changing it, Nogami replied immediately—
[Nogami-sama: The perverted dog still dares to speak? 🤨] — Read
[Peerless Loyalty Hoshikawa-chan: Meow~]
[Nogami-sama: Dogs don’t meow, idiot Hoshikawa.] — Read
“…Phew.”
Seeing that, Harutaki finally let out a sigh of relief.
She probably wouldn’t pursue the matter of him leaving with Miyabi-senpai anymore.
And he could finally relax a bit.
He flopped back onto his soft bed, staring at the circular LED ceiling light that resembled a full moon.
He had conveyed some of his feelings to Miyabi-senpai… and touched a part of her hidden heart.
He had, for now, avoided being interrogated by Nogami and Chouko.
As for compensation… that was a problem for future him.
Right now, he just wanted to rest and enjoy a carefree weekend.
At times like this, his “bucket” was very easy to fill—just lying in his room, drifting into a pleasant dream, was enough for happiness to come knocking.
Knock, knock, knock.
See? Right on time.
…Wait, what came?
Before he could react, the unlocked bedroom door was suddenly flung open with a loud bang.
“Haruuuu—taaaaki!!!”
“…I can hear you. No need to shout…”
He sat up helplessly, grumbling as he looked toward the door.
His little sister, Fuyuno, stood there with her arms crossed, looking fierce—though her small, cute frame made it hard to take seriously.
Still, she had a bit of presence… if you ignored that.
Of course, she was nowhere near as terrifying as Ayaka when angry.
“So, what is it? Can’t you let me rest for a bit…?”
“Zako-nii, why are you sleeping in broad daylight? Don’t tell me you stayed up all night ‘taking care of yourself’? Even if it feels good, you shouldn’t overdo it~”
Fuyuno grinned mischievously, deliberately provoking him.
Yesterday, he came home smelling like another girl. What a scumbag.
And he even tried to brush her off with that “crowded train” excuse.
If she didn’t know her brother’s stamina—and if she hadn’t noticed anything suspicious—she might’ve thought he went straight to a love hotel after school.
“Say one more weird thing and I’ll call Ayaka.”
“…Guh…”
At the mention of their sister, Fuyuno’s smug expression immediately collapsed.
Really—invoking Ayaka was always effective.
“You useless guy living off your sisters! And… don’t you know what today is?!”
She shivered at the thought of “Ayaka’s love education,” but quickly regained her courage and kicked him.
“What is it… Mom and Dad’s anniversary?”
“Those two are off enjoying themselves overseas—why bring them up?!”
Then what is it?
Still half-asleep, Harutaki couldn’t figure it out.
“…Did you get good midterm results? Congrats.”
“T-the results wouldn’t come out that fast…”
Fuyuno looked away, flustered.
“…Your first period day anniversary?”
“What kind of anniversary is that, idiot?! Making dirty jokes to your cute little sister—disgusting!”
“…Guh…”
Her pink eyes were full of disdain, leaving him speechless.
Wait—Ayaka saying that would make sense, but this is Fuyuno?!
“You’ve got the nerve to say that?”
“Bleh~ What are you gonna do about it, zako Harutaki~?”
“Fine. I’m going back to sleep.”
He lay back down, planning to deal with her later.
But she stomped her foot, climbed onto the bed, and planted her foot right on his head.
“Let me help you remember what today is.”
Her soft, mochi-like foot pressed against his face.
Grabbing her ankle and escaping, he thought for a moment—
“…Marine Day, right?”
“Die, idiot brother!”
“Wait, wait—June 1st… you mean Children’s Day, right…?”
“You knew and still didn’t say it?! Were you trying to bully me? Or do you like being stepped on?! You’re disgusting—your lolicon vibes are leaking out!”
“…So…”
He sighed.
“…you want to celebrate Children’s Day?”
“Isn’t that obvious?!”
Fuyuno stood proudly, hands on her hips.
This was the perfect chance for her plan.
With determination, she declared:
“Idiot big brother—take me out to play.”