I Was Reincarnated As the Hated Scummy Best Friend in a Gal Game and the Protagonist Is Useless

77

33, Emi Sasaki is undecided at the pool

The casual conversation at the café came to an end, and one by one, Eien-chan, Tsugaru, Takeru, and Risa, who lived far away, started heading home.

That left me and Emi, whose homes were relatively close to the shop.

There, the two organizers discussed which pool to go to.

“Should we choose an indoor or outdoor pool?”

“Indoor might be better, regardless of the weather.”

We should consider the needs.

Assuming that women who don’t want to get tanned will gather, an indoor pool should be more popular than an outdoor one.

In other words, the only place to admire a fair-skinned beauty in a swimsuit is indoors—that’s the deduction.

“Indoors, huh? But don’t you picture pools as being outdoors?”

“Not at all. That’s something for kids’ gatherings at elementary schools. Adult pools are indoors.”

“Hideyori is saying something like what I would…”

Emi, who had been sitting silently next to me, is joined by Sakiya, who chimes in.

The master is busy closing up the shop.

“But we’re still middle schoolers, wouldn’t something more kid-friendly be better?”

“Emi is saying something like what I would…”

“No, no, no, if it’s indoors, it’s easier to find kids if they get lost, right? If it’s just kids going, it should be indoors.”

“Isn’t that contradictory to what you said earlier?”

Emi, indecisive as ever, and I pushed hard for the indoor pool.

Keeping the target of fair-skinned beauties in swimsuits under wraps, the stance was, after all, that it’s a place you can go even if it rains, right?

“But really, can kids even go to the pool alone? Don’t they need a guardian?”

“Don’t worry, Sakiya. Your father will be there, won’t he?”

“I’m getting dragged into this too!?”

The master, who had been silently mopping the floor, reacted loudly.

“Eh? You’re not coming?”

“I have the shop, so I can’t come. If you need someone to supervise, ask my sister.”

“But Master? You’re free on the regular closing day, Wednesday, right? During summer break, everyone’s schedules should align, right?”

“Sakiya… don’t stab me in the back…”

The master, unable to escape with his daughter’s assist, is always weak to her…

“Besides, Eien said, ‘I want to go to the pool with this group!’ And you’re included, Master.”

“There’s no way I’m included!”

“Ah, ahaha…”

Emi laughs as if sympathizing with the master’s hardworking demeanor.

I stayed silent, watching as Sakiya took it upon herself to persuade him.

“Besides, my car can’t fit that many people.”

“We’ll use the train individually.”

“I don’t have a swimsuit.”

“Should just buy it, right?”

“I don’t want to go to the pool.”

“I want to go to the pool with Master.”

“…………”

Master is being logically defeated by his daughter one after another.

He really is a pitiable person…

“Oh, what an interesting person… Master-san…”

“Yeah. After all, he’s Sakuya’s father. He’s quite amusing.”

“That’s true.”

“What are you agreeing to?”

Master lets out a sigh, “Haa…”

I took that as a sign of his surrender.

Continuing to mop, I began to wash my hands.

“So, you must be Mr. Sasaki.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Emi Sasaki.”

Emi bowed, her short twin tails swaying.

Master looked at Emi intently, as if appraising her.

“I always hear a lot about Master-san from Hideyoshi-kun.”

“I always tell him a lot about Master.”

“I can tell he’s not saying anything good…”

I tried to imitate Emi’s tone, but Master just said it wasn’t cute.

“He always talks about how fun you are, how you give advice, how our values align, and how you’re like a big brother to me.”

“You’re surprisingly serious, huh?”

“…Just that you’re a doting and eccentric parent.”

“There goes all the good stuff you just said.”

Turning off the faucet and drying his hands with a towel, his gesture carried a nuance of ‘mind your own business.’

“I’ve also heard a lot about you from Hideyoshi-kun.”

“Really? You have?”

“Yeah. To me, you’re the closest person, always cheerful, calming to be around, makes me feel happy, and you’re just incredibly cute.”

“No, no way. Hideyoshi-kun… to think you thought of me in such a way… That’s truly wonderful.”

“…also, she’s like a sister to me.”

“Huh?”

“Eh…?”

Emi’s voice turned sour in an instant.

Huh? I, as her master, couldn’t understand at all why Emi was angry about my assessment of her.

It was all true, and I meant it as a compliment.

“I get irritated by that aspect of you, Hideyoshi-kun.”

Moreover, Emi was glaring at me quite fiercely.

From noble mtl dot come

Why?

Why am I being scolded?

As I was thinking this, Sakiya, sitting next to Emi, also spoke up.

“Emi.”

“What is it, Sakiya?”

Oh, Sakiya’s coming to my rescue.

I silently cheer her on to tell Emi how I always praise her.

“I agree. That part of Hideyoshi makes me want to punch him.”

“Why!?”

It was really tough dealing with the two of them in a bad mood until we left the café.

Maybe being seen as a younger sister or junior is the problem.

I started to think that saying “I see you as an older sister” might elicit a better reaction from girls.