Hello! Clannad

Chapter 11

For now, following Hana's advice, being a little nicer didn't seem to hurt. Once I was done thinking, I stared at Hayate and asked,

"Do you hate it when I do that, Hayate?"

When I asked that with a smile, Hayate closed his lips shut and raised his eyebrows.

'Seems like he's too proud to say he doesn't like it, understandable!'

"Well, I won't do it from now on."

I spoke kindly to Hayate.

As kind as possible, like the most affectionate person in the world, just like Hana.

But strangely, Hayate looked even sadder, more so than before.

'Hey, I tried my best. What's with the reaction?'

Unable to understand, I tilted my head, and so did Reika and Luca. Soon enough, Hayate opened his mouth with a pouty expression.

"Aren't you only seven years old?"

I immediately understood what he meant.

'You little boomer!'

"Uh-huh, that's right."

I had lived ten years more than him, but of course, I planned to maintain myself at their mental level.

"But why aren't you calling me big bro?"
Joshua asked with his blue eyes wide open.

It was so absurd.

Although he looked like the heavenly Toya, he acted just like a damn spoiled brat, unlike Toya.

'Try to be at least half like your uncle!'

Anyway, I use the word "bro" for Toya and sometimes Arata, that was only because we had such an age gap. Even so, when I really thought about it, that was technically an error too.

"Is that important to you, Hayate?" Luca, who had been listening to Hayate, asked in a confused voice.

As expected of the open-minded Arata's younger brother!

I nodded along with him and opened my mouth to speak.

"Luca and Reika are the same age as me."

"..."

"So, do Luca and Reika have to call you that too, Hayate?"

I feigned ignorance as I asked, and Hayate hesitated for a moment before nodding.

'Why is it only me who has to call you big bro?
Did I annoy you that much?'

His personality really was nothing like Toya's. In short, he was hopeless.

'You're even more messed up than me, you brat.'

"Okay, I'll call you that from now on."

'Whatever, I'll do what you want then.'

I retorted lightly, making Hayate's face loosen up even just the tiniest bit.

'Do you like it that much?'

I soon smiled brightly.

"That means you don't have any friends now, big bro, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"It's true. Luca and Reika are friends with me because we're all the same age, you're the only one who's a a few months older than us."

'If you want to be treated as a big bro, you'll have to give up being treated as a friend!'

After finishing my sentence, I raised the corners of my mouth even more as l beamed.

Don't try to act like you're a cool big bro or something. It doesn't suit you. Trying to act like you're older than me when you were only born a few months earlier... I'm not wrong when you think about it, right?'

I tilted my head once I stopped laughing.

'Shouldn't they consider international age here?'

"But when's your birthday, big bro?"

"I know! It's in April!"

"Thanks, Luca."

I smiled at him softly.

'So, Hayaye's birthday is in April. It's currently May, and according to what Hana said to Toya, my birthday was probably around July, so...'

"I only have to call you big bro for two months then, right?"

"That's ridiculous..!"

"Haha! So, I just have to call you that for two months? Two-month big bro!"

'How funny is that? A two-month big bro. You sure you'll be so proud of yourself during those two months, big brother?'

"That means you won't have friends for those two months, right? You'll be lonely!"

"K-Kana... that's true, but don't tease him too much..."

Reika whispered to me, cautiously glancing at Hayate, seemingly worried that he'd tell on me again.

'But really, it's so funny! The worst combination of Hayate's rude personality and a plot hole!'

"Urgh...!"

Joshua gave me a frustrated look, his face turning red. It almost looked as if he would collapse from high blood pressure.

Well, he's just a kid, so hell be fine, right?' More importantly, he was almost screaming, "Please make fun of me!"

That was why I couldn't stop teasing him.

"Don't call me big bro!" Hayate suddenly shouted out loud as I burst into laughter.

'Oh, such a childish reaction.'

I wiped away the tears that had welled up in my eyes with the tip of my finger and spoke while Luca rolled around in the grass in laughter, just like his brother would ve done.

"But you told me to call you big bro, big bro!"

"I told you not to!"

"Ahahaha..."

"Kana, calm down.."

Reika got anxious and clung to me as I bent over laughing. Then, in her soft, gentle voice, he whispered in my ear urgently.

"Hayate looks like he's about to cry..."

"Ahaha!"

Despite Reika's warning, I didn't stop laughing, and a tear soon rolled down from Hayate's eye. I looked at the teardrop running down Hayate's chubby cheek and laughed even harder.

Shortly after, he bit his lip and began to cry loudly.

'Hey, wait, don't cry so loud. That's not fair, you know...'

"What on earth happened? Again?"

Why was it that my uneasy premonitions were never wrong?

Hayaye, upon hearing Hayaye's loud wailing, immediately rushed out. Even Ichika followed behind her.

I didn't know whether it was a relief that Toya wasn't there. Either way, I hadn't meant to tease him like that.

'Hana said again. AGAIN. I wonder what she thinks of me...'

All I could do was shut my eyes tightly as I watched Julianne running toward us from a distance.

Sad thoughts, sad memories. A memory came to me. A memory I tried so hard to forget. I remember once when my stepsister crying. When my stepmother came here, she immediately claimed it's me fault and hit me. Even though I did nothing wrong...even though it's my sister's fault...

"....Sob."

Remembering those sad moments, I started crying myself. I kept silently shedding tears.