I Want to Fall in Love After Getting Reincarnated as the Heroine on the Verge of a Bad Ending, but My OP Older Brother Won’t Leave Me Alone!? - Chapter 60
Translated by: ShinigamiTori
Chapter 60 ? Destined Partner
“Rene is such a cruel woman. Always toying with me.”
“Ehh…”
Even after returning home and finishing dinner, Julius still looks sullen and twirls my hair around his fingertips. He seems to be very dissatisfied with my answer about the man closest to me being Yoshida.
If we’re genuinely talking about the man closest to me, it would be Julius. However, when it comes to the topic of love, my brother is automatically excluded. In that case, Yoshida becomes the next option.
That said, I can’t imagine anything other than nauseating scenarios when it comes to Yoshida and scorching passion.
“Be cautious, for there are futures where you meet an early demise.”
I don’t want to imagine or believe in a future where I die early in a world where more and more things are becoming more important to me every day.
Regardless, I’ll keep in mind what the old woman said about “Not stopping,” and “Cherish the people around you.”
“I knew it, did you hear something unpleasant at the fortune-teller’s?”
Apparently, my perceptive brother saw through my anxious feelings. I didn’t want to worry him, so I said, “It’s nothing,” but he scolded me, saying, “It’s okay to talk about these things.”
In the end, I couldn’t stand the pressure, and when I honestly told him everything that had been said, Julius gave me a look as if to say, ‘Is that what this is about?‘
“Don’t worry, I’m here for you, Rene.”
“…. Really?”
“Yeah. I’ll protect you.”
With his warm, large hand ruffling my hair, Julius smiled once more and reassured me, saying, “It’s okay.” Just that simple gesture made everything feel strangely okay.
“Rene still needs to marry me and live another 80 years.”
“Isn’t that too excessive?”
I couldn’t help but laugh, and Julius also smiled with delight. I pretended not to notice the small jolt in my heart as I expressed my gratitude.
???
The following day, the four of us traveled for about two hours in a carriage, arriving at Count Becker’s territory, which is next to Marquis Riddle’s.
Since we already thoroughly explored the town yesterday, today we decided to relax and enjoy nature in the richly endowed territory of the Count.
Upon reaching the expansive park, we found it not only filled with nature but also bustling with people. It seems that a festival is taking place in the park today, with stalls set up here and there.
“Rene, your hand?”
“It’s okay.”
“I’ll buy you some of your favorite sweets, okay?”
Julius’s mood has completely recovered, and he even looks like he’s in a good mood. Although we weren’t holding hands, we decided to head together towards a candy stall, indicating my favorite sweets.
“Kyaa—!”
I was accidentally swept away by the crowd and quickly got separated from the other three. I wished I had just held hands with Julius, but for the time being, I evacuated to a place where there were no people.
I made my way to the lake without much thought and came to a stop.
“Shiyuuchisone…?”[1]
“Ah. Miss, would you like to give it a try?”
As I was looking at a sign with the mysterious word “Shiyuuchisone” written in large letters, a man who seemed to be involved in the event casually approached me.
Apparently, it’s a traditional game in this region where participants pair up with strangers and race in small boats without seeing each other’s faces or hearing each other’s voices. It looks similar to a canoe race.
“No, I’m….”
“The first-place prize this time is popular among girls too.”
“Eh?”
While I could handle a leisurely ride, racing wasn’t my strongest suit. Despite considering refraining from participating, especially because the boat’s design is catastrophically tacky, I hesitated when I discovered the prize was a locally exclusive teddy bear plushie, a favorite of mine. Rene also seemed to like it, and there was one in my room that I liked.
Moreover, the next race, which is held every hour, seems to be the last one—the last chance.
“I-I’ll do it!”
I hadn’t been on a boat like this since I was in junior high school on a school trip, and I didn’t feel like I could win at all. Still, I didn’t want to just give up and watch, so I gave a determined nod.
It seemed the race would be over in a few minutes, so while apologizing internally to Julius and the others, I put on the helmet-like thing that was given to me and hopped onto the ridiculously tacky boat with blue wings. By wearing these helmets, the pair’s faces would not be visible, and their voices would not be heard.
Right behind me was a man wearing an equally tacky helmet. I nodded slightly, and he courteously nodded back. He seemed like a nice person.
“…. Wow.”
Soon, the race began, and when I rowed as hard as I had been instructed, the man rowing behind me was in perfect synch with me. It was as if we were in perfect harmony, a true example of a seamless collaboration.
Certainly, it’s tough for strangers to synchronize with others without calling out to the other person, and everyone around us is struggling to keep up. In contrast, our boat moved smoothly and we easily reached the goal.
“Eh, we won….?”
“Congratulations on winning first place! Here’s your prize.”
I get off the boat first, remove my helmet, and receive the plushie as the prize. I didn’t expect to win first place, but I’m genuinely thrilled. The regional limited-edition hats are also incredibly cute.
“Ah, thank you very mu—”
Remembering that after the race we could see each other’s faces, I turned to thank my partner. Eventually, when I saw the man’s face as he came ashore and took off his helmet, I gasped.
“Geh, my destined partner, Yoshida…!?”
“Why are you here… and who exactly is your destined partner?”
There, unmistakably, was the figure of Yoshida.
Translator Notes:
1. I didn’t find anything related to the meaning of the word, so I guessed that maybe it’s just a random name given by the author. If any of you have come across the word before, feel free to tell me! ?
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