I Accidentally Sent a Love Letter to the School's Most Prestigious Young Lady Instead of My Childhood Friend, and Now She's Bowing to Me, Asking, "Please Date Me—On the Premise of Marriage!" - 18

“Yuu… Onii-chan!”

The moment she entered the club room, the gyaru kouhai, Airi Hobara, suddenly raised her voice. Without hesitation, she clung to me on the sofa. Haru, who was reading manga next to me, shot a displeased glance our way, but Airi paid no mind and continued.

“Onii-chan! Let’s get lovey-dovey together!”

Though we were pressed close, it was just a normal hug without any lewdness. Airi gazed at me from up close with a beaming smile.

“What’s with this ‘onii-chan’? And who even are you?”

“I’m your little sister-type gyaru, Airi-chan, Onii-chan. Kissing… is off-limits, so for now, let’s just stay close.”

Airi buried her face in my chest. The ticklish sensation made me shiver slightly.

“Do you do that kind of thing with your brother!?”

“Yep. Without being sleazy, I thought about how to attract Yuu-nii… I figured acting cute might work. I’ve always been the older sister, so I’ve always admired having an onii-chan.”

“Airi-san, please don’t go too overboard from the very first day of the new Literature Club’s establishment.”

Shion-san, who had been boiling tea in the kitchen corner, came over with a tray carrying four mugs.

“Here you go,” she said, handing cups to me and Haru.

The new Literature Club—. As I accepted the tea, I took another look around the room.

There was the club president Haru, Shion-san who had joined as vice president, the kouhai Airi, and I was the only guy.

I’d received a rough explanation of how things had come to this from Shion-san and Haru, but there were still many parts I didn’t understand, and I wasn’t entirely convinced.

But it was true that Shion-san had joined the club, and she had tidied up the room beautifully, bringing in a tea set among other things.

“Yuu-nii. Wanna read manga? Play games together? Or… me? ♡“

“I told you no lewd stuff! Break the rules and you’re out!”

“Okay, okay. I get it, Haru-buchou. But if Yuu-nii falls for me for real while we’re getting along, there’s nothing we can do about it, right?”

“There’s no way he’d fall for you! He has me, his official wife.”

“Men are programmed for cheating, it’s in their genes… or something? That’s what my dad said before we split up.”

“Your former father really doesn’t say anything decent, does he?”

“Muu…”

Airi’s expression clouded slightly at Haru’s words.

“…Sorry. I went too far.”

Haru apologized straightforwardly, and Shion-san smoothed things over.

“Now, now. Everyone, please get along. I’ve baked some cookies, so let’s have them with our tea.”

Shion-san took plates from the cupboard and arranged them elegantly on the table.

Simple butter cookies with chocolate chips. Some round, some square.

The colorful cookies were packed densely, a dazzling sight.

“Thank you for the meal!” we all said in unison, joking that it was break time.

A crisp, sweet, and light texture spread in my mouth, but considering the conflicts among the female members that would likely involve me soon, this moment felt like the calm before the storm—and I trembled quietly to myself.