Memories with the “Brat” – Part 1

Karaoke with the Brats   1   “Ugh, it’s freezing!”

As I pedal down the slope beside Sengen Shrine, a biting cold wind slams into me. The dry chill cuts through my sweater and blazer, making my body shiver. Today, we got off early since there was no sixth period, and homeroom ended at three.

On a day like this, nothing beats slipping into a kotatsu, sipping hot cocoa, and diving into a mystery novel. I’ve got a paperback paused right before the big reveal. But, well, the chances of my cozy plans coming true are pretty much zero.

When I get home, I spot three pairs of little girls’ shoes lined up at the entrance.

“I’m back!”

“Welcome home! Everyone’s here!”

Mom calls out from the shop side. By “everyone,” she definitely means those brats.

“Hey, Yuu-nii, let’s go to karaoke!”

The moment I step into my room upstairs, Miya pounces on me.

“Karaoke, huh?”

As usual, the brats have taken over my room, and the second I walk in, they hit me with that demand.

“I wanna do the scoring thing!”

Asaka clings to me too.

“What’s with the sudden idea… Oh, right, you guys were watching something last night, weren’t you?”

Last night, there was that karaoke special on TV, Celebrity Singing Showdown or whatever. They must’ve seen it and gotten all hyped to try it themselves. Typical. Kids always get sucked into whatever they see.

“Yuu-nii, you ever been to karaoke?”

Mahiru, sprawled on my bed reading manga, pipes up.

“Yeah, I have.”

“Sweet, then let’s go!”

Mahiru leaps off the bed.

“Let’s do it!”

“Let’s go!”

Miya and Asaka tug at my hands, while Mahiru pushes me from behind.

“Hold up, hold up! Have you guys even been to karaoke before?”

“Nope!”

“Never!”

“Not once!”

“Oh, got it.”

Trudging through this icy weather sounds like a hassle, but karaoke’s indoors, so it’s way better than them suggesting we play outside or something.

There are three karaoke places within walking distance from our house. The one west of the I◯n is the cheapest, but it’s kinda grimy, and I’m hesitant to take kids there.

The chain place across the bypass is too close to heavy traffic—too risky. That leaves the one down the shopping street as the best bet.

“C’mon, let’s go already!” Miya urges.

“Alright, alright.”

I wanted to change first, but it’s better not to dawdle and risk it getting dark. Leading the brats, I head out.

We arrive at Si◯x.

“Whoa, so this is a karaoke place!”

Miya plops down on a circular chair by the front desk, then starts circling it like it’s a playground. Mahiru’s gripping my hand, fidgeting with excitement, while Asaka stares curiously at the mirrored wall in the back.

The three of them are clearly thrilled to be in a karaoke place for the first time, even more restless than usual.

“Hey, come over here. I’m checking us in.”

“Four people, right?”

“Uh, yeah, free time slot, and add the drink bar. Oh, and a non-smoking room… Miya, Asaka, get over here!”

I really wanted to book the kids’ room, but it was already taken.

“Any preference for the machine?”

“Uh, D◯M, please.”

Check-in done.

“Alright, let’s go grab some drinks.”

We head to the drink bar.

“I want orange juice!”

“I’ll take cola!”

“Yuu-nii, do they have hot drinks?”

“Yeah, they do.”

“Then I want cocoa!”

“Got it, got it.”

Guess I’ll grab a hot coffee for myself.

Drinks in hand, we head to the room.

“Here we are.”

Dim lighting, a monitor blasting nonstop visuals, a table, and a sofa.

“So this is karaoke!”

Miya sits on the glossy black sofa, her eyes darting around the room.

“Oh, there’s a mic!”

Mahiru snatches a microphone from the stand.

“Yuu-nii, let’s sing already!”

“Hang on a sec. Gimme the mic.”

“Here!”

I take the mic from Mahiru.

“Testing, testing, testing.”

First, I adjust the mic volume, the BGM, and the echo.

“What’re you doing, Yuu-nii?”

“This makes a world of difference in how it feels to sing. Alright, done.”

For some reason, karaoke places always have the volume cranked way up, so if you belt it out, the sound can get overwhelming.

Adjustments done, it’s time to get serious and start singing. I grab the D◯Mok and open the song search.

“Yuu-nii, don’t forget the scoring thing!”

Miya says, sipping her orange juice.

“Oh, right, got it.”

I switch on the scoring mode, and the music shifts as big, bold “SCORING” text flashes on the monitor.

“Alright, what song do you want?”

I hand the D◯Mok to the brats.

“Umm…”

Soon, the title of their chosen song pops up on the screen, and the intro starts playing.

Let’s go! Smi◯e PreC◯re!

The three of them start singing together, perfectly in sync.

They might be brats, but seeing them into stuff like this reminds me they’re proper girls, which is kinda reassuring.

Still, PreC◯re, huh? Talk about nostalgic. When Futari wa PreC◯re was airing, I was already in elementary school, so I was too embarrassed to watch girly anime back then.

In kindergarten, I was all about Cardcaptor Sa◯ura and Ojamajo Do◯emi, though.

They’re singing along smoothly, but the moment they hit the second verse, they start stumbling. Looks like they don’t know the lyrics. Already falling victim to the classic karaoke trap, huh?

Even with the hiccups, they manage to finish the song, scoring a whopping 53 points.

“What?! That’s so low!”

Miya’s visibly shocked.

“Well, you guys totally bombed the second verse.”

“But we only know the first verse!”

Asaka chimes in.

“If you wanna score high, you gotta pick a song you know all the way through.”

“Alright, then let’s do the school anthem!”

Mahiru shouts.

“Like that’s even an option.”

They move on to picking the next song. Soon, the title appears on the screen.

Mo◯no Ku◯san

“That’s playing it way too safe!”

And the score comes in.

“Yes! 80 points!”

Miya’s bouncing on the sofa.

“Woo!”

“We did it!”

“Success!”

“…Is that really something to celebrate?”

It’s a decent score, and compared to their pitiful first attempt, it’s a huge leap. Satisfied with their “high score,” the brats start picking songs freely.

Oshi◯kajiri Bug

Ya◯rushi ni Natte!

La♪ La♪ La♪ Swe◯t PreC◯re♪

Some songs tank in points, others trip them up halfway, but as long as they’re having fun, that’s what counts.

“Yuu-nii, you can sing too now!”

“Oh, can I?”

I take the D◯Mok and mic.

When I go to karaoke with friends, my go-to’s are Ba◯p, O◯ange Range, or San◯ma Star, but since I’m with the brats, I’ll lean into anime songs to match their vibe.

Butter-F◯y

Gotta start with this one—it’s practically a rule.

“Is this Digi◯on?”

Mahiru reacts to the anime visuals.

“Oh, you know it?”

“It’s not my Digi◯on!”

And then Mahiru picks Ne◯giba!

So this is what a generation gap feels like. I’ve got the full series recorded up to the finale at home—guess I’ll show it to them sometime.

Watching the brats brings back memories of my own childhood, so I decide to stick with songs from my kid days.

Ao◯ Kyousoukyoku

Kok◯ro

Kimi Dake o ◯itai

Katsushika Ra◯sody

Ki no Sei ◯na

◯yaku Gojuuichi

Ten◯ Kanzatsu

“Yuu-nii, I gotta go to the bathroom.”

Mahiru says.

“Me too.”

Miya stands up.

“Alright, hold on a sec. Let’s grab drink refills while we’re at it.”

Is it just me, or do karaoke drinks always make you need to pee faster?

I take the three of them to the bathroom first.

Waiting in the hallway with just Asaka feels a bit awkward, but luckily, no one passes by, so it’s fine. Once Miya and Mahiru come out, we head straight to the drink bar by the front desk.

“Miya, mix cola and Calpis—it’s crazy good.”

“Really? I’m trying it!”

“What if I mix cocoa and orange juice?”

These kids are already diving into the sacred art of drink bar mixology. If this keeps up, they’ll make me chug some unholy potion, so we’d better head back quick.

“Hey, hey, quit messing around and let’s go.”

Back in the room, we restart the karaoke. We decide to take turns singing—brats, then me.

Yume o Kanaete Do◯emon

Me◯issa

Da◯go 3 Kyoudai

DAN DAN ◯ Hikareteku

◯ru Maru Mori Mori!

Ki◯ki

After singing for a while, Asaka suddenly said she needed to use the bathroom.

I want to go too, so I’ll come with you, okay?

Miya stood up as well.

Do you know where the bathroom is?

I memorized the way earlier, so we’re good. Let’s go, Asaka!

Okay!

The two of them left the room.

By the way, Yuu-nii, your scores aren’t exactly stellar either, huh?

Mahiru snorted with a teasing grin.

What’s that supposed to mean?

I mean, your best score’s only 84, right? Not much better than ours!

…This little brat.

Fine then.

I’ll show them up with that song—the one where I once scored a glorious 96!

2

Phew, that’s better!

Ready to head back, Miya-chan?

Yup!

Having finished their business, Miya and Asaka stepped out of the women’s bathroom into the hallway. They meant to return to their room, but…

Wait, where was it again?

Miya-chan, do you remember which room number it was?

…I don’t.

Me neither.

Doors lined both sides of the hallway, and no matter how far they walked, the scenery stayed frustratingly similar. For first-time karaoke-goers, finding the right room without knowing the number was no easy feat—especially for kids.

Um, I think we came from the drink bar area earlier, so…

Trying to retrace their steps, the two headed toward the front desk.

Nope, this isn’t it either.

Yuu-nii!

They peeked into rooms one by one, like searching for a needle in a haystack, but Yuu and the others’ room was nowhere to be found.

At a crossroads, they chose the path straight ahead—wrong choice. They should’ve turned right and entered the next corridor over.

As anxiety started to creep in, a familiar voice called out from behind.

Miya-chan? Asaka-chan?

Turning around, they saw a group of high school girls in uniforms, and among them was Shimomura Hikari. They were probably from the girls’ soft tennis club, here for karaoke. Judging by the empty glasses they held, they were on their way to refill at the drink bar.

Hikari-chan!

Hikari-chan!

Huh? What’re you two doing out here?

Like a ray of hope in a dark place, they explained to Hikari how they’d come to play with Yuu and gotten lost.

Oh, I see how it is.

Are they your little sisters, Hikari-senpai?

One of the high school girls asked.

Nah, Koharu-chan, not quite. They’re kids that a friend of mine plays with a lot, but they’re not his sisters either—

Ignoring Hikari’s somewhat convoluted explanation, the high school girl—Hanayama Koharu—crouched down to meet the kids’ eye level.

What grade are you two in?

Um, first year, Miya answered.

Oh, cool! My little sister’s in first year too!

With long chestnut hair and a sunny, radiant vibe, Koharu’s large chest seemed ready to pop the buttons off her uniform—a different kind of beauty from Hikari.

Alright, alright, us big sisters will help you find your room. So, what’s the room number?

But the little brats had forgotten the room number entirely.

We… don’t know…

Asaka mumbled, looking down, and Hikari placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

It’s all good, Asaka-chan. Let’s head to the front desk, okay?

Protected by the JK squad, Miya and Asaka followed Hikari’s lead to the front desk, where the staff told them Yuu’s room number.

Here it is.

Hikari stopped in front of the room number they’d gotten from the desk.

Yo, Yuu-kun!

Hikari opened the door.

Yuu-nii!

Yuu-nii!

As the two brats charged into the room, Koharu tilted her head in confusion.

Yuu… nii!?

And what greeted their eyes was a high school boy passionately belting out A Small Love ◯ta to a little girl.

Huh? Shi-Shimomura? What’re you guys doing here?

I thought it was just Miya and the others coming back, but for some reason, the girls’ soft tennis team was here too. And among them was Hanayama Koharu. Isn’t she supposed to be in the girls’ volleyball club? Since when did she have connections with the soft tennis team? Wait, that’s beside the point—why are they even in this room?

Yuu-nii!

Yuu-nii!

Miya and Asaka plopped down on the sofa, sandwiching me and clinging to my arms.

What’s the deal? Why’re you with Shimomura and her crew?

Yuu-kun, so the rumors were true, huh?

Watanabe, the vice-captain of the girls’ tennis team, shot me a cold glare.

Huh? Rumors?

Coming to karaoke with kids and singing that kind of song to them…

What?

Wait, did they think I was singing this love song to Mahiru in some creepy way?

H-Hold on a sec! What kind of misunderstanding is this? I was just trying to get a high score—

Y-You lolicon!

I’m telling you, it’s not like that! Hang on!

With Hikari’s help, I managed to clear up the misunderstanding, but thanks to their interruption, my singing got cut off, and I ended up with a pathetic score of 22—the lowest ever.

3

Koharu, I heard you went to karaoke with the girls’ tennis team yesterday?

Yup!

Your social skills are as insane as ever.

And get this—I ran into that Yuu-senpai, the one who rejected Mitsuki-chan’s confession.

Huh? How’d that happen?

Mitsuki-chan made a slightly put-off face. With her black hair tied into pigtails and round glasses, this bookish girl, Kirishima Mitsuki, is my best friend.

Total coincidence, I swear.

I explained how I’d run into some lost elementary school kids.

I heard from Hikari-senpai that he doesn’t have a girlfriend. So why’d he turn down your confession, Mitsuki-chan?

It’s fine, it’s water under the bridge. If you get rejected, that’s that.

Mitsuki said it lazily, sipping her coffee.

Besides, I’m already working on a second-year senpai now.

You’ve already moved on to a new target…

Despite her quiet appearance, Mitsuki’s a total femme fatale, cycling through guys like it’s nothing. She’s got zero sense of personal space, loves physical contact, and knows exactly how to close the distance with guys. Plus, with a figure that rivals mine, she uses her assets to charm guys left and right.

Her popularity is unreal—rumor has it, back in middle school, some guys even got into fights over her. Or maybe they didn’t.

You should’ve just kept attacking like I do!

You’re the only one crazy enough to keep chasing after getting rejected. Normal people take a hint after one rejection.

Ehehe!

That’s not a compliment. But, like, you actually manage to win them over, so I guess it’s impressive.

Me and Haruki-senpai are tied by the red string of fate, you know!

…I feel bad for Kageyama-senpai.

Why’d you say that?!

I mean, you two are—

I spent the afternoon enjoying tea time with Mitsuki-chan.

The Little Brats Are All Fluffy

1

December. Winter had finally arrived.

Of course, the weather didn’t just flip to winter the moment December hit—temperatures had been gradually dropping since mid-autumn. By late November, Japan already felt fully wintery, but the word “December” carried a weight that made it feel like a whole different beast.

The last month of the year. A strange month filled with both the excitement of welcoming a new year and a quiet sadness for the one passing by… but enough with the sentimental stuff.

I was shivering, hugging my elbows. The biting cold wind felt like it was slicing my skin with a blade. Walking in this was bad enough—if I had to bike down the street in this freezing air, my body would probably turn to ice.

S-So cold…

Home felt so far away.

The cold made my steps smaller, and what should’ve been a twenty-minute walk dragged on forever.

My scarf around my neck and gloves on my hands were doing nothing to keep the cold at bay. It wasn’t just chilly—it hurt. That’s how cold it was today.

Mount Fuji was capped with white snow, and a silvery moon hung faintly in the clear blue sky. My teeth chattered, and my breath came out in white puffs as I finally made it home.

Oh, Yuu, welcome back!

I-I’m home…

I came in through the shop. A warm, cozy air enveloped me, seeping into my frozen body. Life returned to my numb hands, and my sluggish blood started flowing again.

Ahh, I’m alive again. Gimme some cocoa!

I plopped down at the counter and called out to Dad.

Is it really that cold out there?

You guys wouldn’t get it since you’re in the shop all day, Mom.

Here you go, Yuu.

Soon enough, a steaming cup of cocoa arrived. The rich brown liquid filled a white mug to the brim, and even the rising steam looked delicious.

Hoo, this hits the spot!

Nothing beats cocoa for warming up a chilled body. The warmth spread slowly from the inside out.

Eek, it’s freezing!

Mom, skeptical, stepped outside but came scurrying back in seconds, shivering and heading straight for the heater.

Cold, cold, cold, cold, cold!

Told you so.

Ugh, that’s it—let’s have hotpot tonight!

Savoring the cocoa like it was a fine wine, I claimed my spot at the kotatsu upstairs. No way I’m moving now. On a day like this, nothing beats curling up in the kotatsu with a mystery novel.

2

Yuu-nii!

Nope.

I didn’t even say anything yet!

Miya puffed out her cheeks in a pout.

Just sit down already. Get in the kotatsu and eat a mikan or something.

“Yeah.”

Miya slips into the kotatsu as told. Looks like it’s just her today, huh.

Good, good.

Go ahead and bask in the kotatsu-sama’s embrace and warmth to your heart’s content. Suggesting we play outside on a freezing day like this? My body wouldn’t survive it.

After munching on a couple of mandarins, Miya turns to me.

“Let’s go outside.”

“No way.”

“Why not?”

“It’s cold, duh. Let’s just play some games at home.”

“Nuh-uh, I wanna go outside!”

This little brat…

“I said it’s freezing, didn’t I?”

“It’s not cold at all!”

With that, Miya stands up.

“Huh?”

“’Cause I’m all fluffy!”

“Fluffy?”

On closer inspection, Miya’s outfit does look warm. Her pink boa coat is all fuzzy, with a white scarf wrapped snugly around her neck. Yeah, that’s definitely fluffy.

“These pants are super warm too!”

Miya rolls up the hem of her jeans, revealing a boa-lined interior.

“It’s not cold at all, so let’s go!”

“Well, sure, you’re not cold.”

“Hurry up!”

“Ugh, seriously?”

“Let’s go already!”

“Ughhh.”

“Hurrrry!”

Miya’s face is all serious as she tugs at my hand.

“…Fine, whatever.”

“Yay!”

Damn it. I’ve gotta go out into that icy hell again, don’t I?

I throw on my coat, stuffing every pocket with hand warmers. Double socks, neck warmer for extra protection—every anti-cold measure I can manage. After chugging some hot cocoa, I step outside.

“It’s freakin’ cold!”

It’s slightly better than earlier, but cold is cold. Man, Shizuoka’s got scorching summers and freezing winters. Can’t wait to move to Tokyo.

“It’s not cold at all!”

Miya skips along with zero sense of rhythm, a Precure backpack bouncing on her back.

“So, where we going?”

“To the park to play!”

The nearby park is surprisingly lively. Kids are running around like maniacs despite the cold. There’s even one fearless boy in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, of all things.

“Hmmm.”

“What’s up?”

Miya’s got a slightly pouty look on her face.

“It’s kinda cramped…”

“?”

“I wanted to do this.”

Miya pulls a small disc—a frisbee—out of her backpack. It’s red, with a Precure illustration smack in the center.

“I got it yesterday!”

So that’s what she wanted to play with. The park’s decently big, but with so many kids around, there’s not quite enough space for frisbee.

Well, if there’s no space, nothing we can do about it.

“Alright, let’s head ba—”

“Let’s go somewhere else!”

“Ugh, seriously?”

And so, we set off in search of a wider space.

“Oh, Yuu-nii! Over there!”

“Huh?”

After walking a bit, an empty lot comes into view on our right.

This place has been abandoned for ages—no playground equipment, no benches, just a mess of weeds. Not many kids come here to play, and today, it’s completely deserted.

Well, it’s plenty spacious and basically ours for the taking, so it’s perfect for frisbee.

“Alright, let’s do this!”

Miya grabs the frisbee and tosses it.

“Hiyah!”

The red disc arcs through the air and lands diagonally in front of me.

“Aww, what?”

“Miya, you gotta throw it straight.”

A frisbee’s supposed to fly parallel to the ground.

“Here we go!”

My throw heads straight toward Miya…

“Huh?”

It veers sharply to the right from my perspective.

What the heck?

“Hehe, Yuu-nii can’t throw straight either!”

“Sh-shut up!”

That’s weird. Back in elementary school, I was a pro at frisbee tag, nailing kids in the back as they ran away, earning the title ‘Hunter Yuu’—the legendary Aritsuki Yuu!

“Hiyah!”

“Here we go!”

“Hiyah!”

“Take that!”

“Hiyah—”

We kept tossing it back and forth, but neither of us could get it to fly straight. The frisbee carved huge arcs, zigzagging between us.

＊

About fifteen minutes into playing frisbee.

It’s not exactly intense exercise, but moving around nonstop has me feeling nice and toasty. A light sweat forms, and the cold I was dreading now feels like a refreshing breeze against my warmed-up body.

That’s when it happened.

“Oh, crap!”

My throw curves harder than ever, the frisbee disappearing into the depths of the weed-filled thicket.

“Where’d you throw it, Yuu-nii?!”

“My bad, my bad.”

But this lot’s surrounded by concrete walls—it’s not like it’s gone forever. We head toward the thicket. That’s when I notice something.

“Miya, hold up!”

“Huh?”

“I’ll go get it—”

“I know where it is, it’s fine!”

“That’s not what I mean!”

Ignoring my warning, Miya dives into the thicket.

“Oh, man.”

“Found it!”

Miya comes back, covered in a ton of burrs.

Yup, the weeds here are none other than kosendangusa, a type of burr plant. Their spiky, star-shaped seeds cling to clothes like nobody’s business, and they’re the absolute worst for the fuzzy, fluffy fabric of Miya’s outfit today.

“Miya, take a look at yourself.”

“Huh? Oh nooo!”

Her precious boa coat is plastered with burrs.

“That’s why I told you to wait.”

Miya’s eyes start to water.

“Waaah, Yuu-nii, get them off!”

Wiping tears with her hands, she shuffles closer.

“Alright, alright. Turn around first.”

I crouch down and start picking the burrs off Miya’s clothes. Gotta be careful not to stretch the fabric.

“Are they gone?”

“Not yet.”

“My neck’s all prickly too.”

“They’re stuck to your scarf too.”

I take the scarf off Miya.

“Alright, that’s done. Now for the coat.”

Somehow, burrs are even stuck to the inside of it.

“Don’t move. Ugh, Miya, take off the coat for a sec—it’s hard to get these off.”

I peel the coat off her and focus on de-burring. The sleeves are especially bad.

“It’s… cold… achoo.”

“Huh? Here, wear this.”

I take off my coat and wrap it around Miya.

“Yuu-nii, aren’t you cold?”

“Nah, I’m burning up. Might’ve overdone it with the hand warmers.”

Thanks to the exercise and an overload of hand warmers, my body’s practically on fire. After about ten minutes, I finally manage to get all the burrs off.

“Phew, finally done.”

My once-toasty body’s cooled off after standing still for so long.

“Let’s head home for today.”

“Yeah. I’m kinda cold too.”

“Wanna grab some cocoa at home?”

“Yeah, and play games!”

“You got it.”

It’s not even four-thirty yet, but the western sky’s already glowing with sunset hues.

As we turn to leave the lot, an unbelievable sight stops us in our tracks.

“Huh?”

“Hey, kid, got a minute?”

A police car is parked near the entrance, and a police officer is standing right in front of us.

＊

—Later, eyewitness Miyama Saeko (28) would recount the following.

I was just passing by when I saw them—a young guy and a little girl, maybe early elementary age, over in the corner of the lot by the weeds. At first, I thought they were siblings or something, but something felt… off.

I looked closer, and the guy was taking the girl’s clothes off, leaning in real close to her.

Yeah, he was breathing heavily, and his body seemed to be trembling—probably from excitement.

The girl looked terrified, like she was on the verge of tears.

From a distance, I could tell what was going on. That guy was sniffing the little girl’s clothes.

I was floored. A total creep, right? Lolicons are just disgusting. After that, it was like instinct—I grabbed my phone and called the police right away.

Turns out it was a misunderstanding, but better safe than sorry, you know?

Miyama-san’s face was lit up with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, as if she’d just done a great deed.