Memories with the “Brat” – Part 4

The Brats Want to Prank Me

“Come on, Yuu-nii”

“Yuu-nii”

“Whoa”

The door flew open with a bang, and Mahiru came bursting in. Asaka was right behind her. I stopped reading and turned to face Mahiru.

“You guys. What’s with the sudden entrance?”

“Today we’re playing at Miya’s house”

“Let’s go play”

“Alright, alright, stop pulling on my clothes”

“What were you reading?”

Mahiru peered down at my hands.

“Whoa, it’s all words”

“So detailed”

“It’s a mystery novel”

“Is reading something with just words really that fun?”

“It’s because it’s just words that your imagination really expands”

“Comics are definitely more fun”

“Mahiru-chan――”

Asaka whispered something in Mahiru’s ear, but I couldn’t make it out.

“Listen, novels are all about your brain turning the words into images――”

“Who cares about that”

“Let’s hurry up and go”

“You’re the ones who asked”

Sheesh.

Today, unusually, the brats weren’t coming over to play, so I thought I could spend the time quietly reading. Mahiru, dressed boyishly in a long-sleeved shirt and shorts, clattered busily down the stairs.

“Hurry up, hurry up―”

“Please run”

“You’re awfully hyped up”

Or rather, it feels like you’re in some kind of rush…?

“Mahiru-chan, Asaka-chan, take some cola with you―”

“Thanks― Oba-san”

“Thank you very much”

“Yuu-nii, carry these”

“Yeah, yeah”

I took three plastic bottles of cola from my mom and headed out of the store.

And then we went next door to the Haruyama house.

Judging by the minivan not being in the parking spot, it seemed Mirai-san was out. Probably shopping at this time of day.

“Pardon the intrusion…!”

As soon as we stepped inside, an unbelievable sight met my eyes.

The blood drained from my entire body in an instant.

Right at the bottom of the stairs, Miya was lying face down. Part of her brown hair was stained red, and a vivid pool of blood was spreading across the floor.

“Huh? Hey, Miya?”

“Kyaa―”

“Kyaa―”

Mahiru and Asaka screamed at the same time. Reacting to their cries, I tossed the cola aside and rushed to Miya’s side.

“Miya, are you okay?”

There was no response.

Did she fall down the stairs?

In situations like this, it’s better not to move her carelessly.

First, the police… no, I need to call an ambulance. My hands were shaking, and I couldn’t operate my smartphone properly.

The worst-case scenarios flashed through my mind. Memories of Miya up until now played like a slideshow, appearing and disappearing.

The nervousness when I first held baby Miya. When she started to understand things, following me around everywhere, and then growing into a brat…

“Miya, you’ll be fine. I’ll call an ambulance right away…”

Almost at the same time as I muttered that,

“Pfft, pffft”

Miya’s body started trembling slightly.

“Huh? M-Miya?”

Miya sat up as if nothing had happened.

“You… is it okay to sit up like that?”

“I’m totally fine―”

Miya, with the left half of her face smeared bright red, spun around in place to show off. She didn’t look seriously injured at all.

“Wh-What? What’s going on?”

I couldn’t understand the situation at all.

I was relieved Miya was okay, but what on earth was this…

At that moment, someone tapped my shoulder.

I turned around, and there were Mahiru and Asaka grinning as they held up something. It was a cardboard sign, with letters made from cut-and-pasted origami paper.

‘Big Success’

“Huh?”

“Ta-daa!”

“Ta-daa!”

“Ta-daa!”

The three of them said in unison.

“Gotcha―”

Miya threw her arms up in victory.

“You’re still a rookie, Yuu-nii”

“Were you surprised, Yuu-nii?”

Th-These damn brats. They totally set me up.

“‘Were you surprised’ my ass. What the hell are you guys doing?”

“It’s a prank”

Mahiru waved the sign around.

“It was on TV yesterday”

“A prank?”

“That ‘Fooled People Grand Prix’ thing”

Oh yeah, there was a prank special on TV last night.

“Hey hey, were you surprised―? Did you really think I was dead―?”

“Miya, what’s that red stuff?”

“This? It’s ketchup”

This idiot even got red stains on her clothes. Mirai-san’s gonna be furious when she gets back. Still, getting influenced by a prank show and actually trying it out―their boldness and recklessness are terrifying. It really drives home that these are brats.

I never thought I’d get pranked in my life. My heart’s still racing a bit.

“Miya, hurry up and wash that off in the bath. Mahiru and Asaka, help clean up. If we don’t get this done before Mirai-san comes back, she’s definitely gonna be mad”

“Okaay”

“Okaay”

“Okaay”

Miya headed to the bathroom.

“Jeez, that was bad for my heart”

I wiped up the pool of blood―or rather, ketchup―on the floor with a rag. Looking closely now, it was definitely ketchup. The viscosity, the overly bright color. Once I knew it was a prank, it didn’t look like blood at all.

I must have misjudged it because I was panicking. They went to unnecessary trouble.

“Yuu-nii, pass me a towel―”

Miya’s voice came from the bathroom.

“Hang on a sec”

I went to Miya’s room and grabbed a bath towel.

“Here you go. Huh?”

Miya wasn’t in the changing area. I thought she might be in the bath itself, but she wasn’t there either.

“Miya?”

At that moment,

“Waah”

“Whoa”

Miya jumped out from behind me. She’d been hiding behind the door. She hadn’t even dried off, still soaking wet.

“Ta-daa!”

“Ta-daa!”

And Mahiru and Asaka stood in the doorway, holding up that sign again.

“Ahahaha, were you surprised?”

“Just hurry up and dry off”

I draped the towel over Miya’s face.

“Hehe”

And so, the brats, riding high on their success, kept pranking me.

“Yuu-nii, want some gum?”

Asaka held out a stick of gum.

I had a pretty good idea what was coming, but I cautiously reached for it anyway.

As soon as I pulled it out, there was a sharp snap.

“Ow!”

My thumb got caught in a spring.

“Ta-daa!”

“Ta-daa!”

“Ta-daa!”

＊

“Yuu-nii, open this box”

Miya was holding a white box in both hands.

All three pairs of expectant eyes were on me.

“No way”

“Open it― It’s totally safe, I promise”

The fact that you’re saying it’s safe means it’s not.

“Come on, please. It’s the request of a lifetime”

“I’ve heard that ‘lifetime request’ from you over ten times. Fine, whatever”

Despite the bad feeling, I opened it.

――And then,

“Uwagh!!”

My knees buckled.

Inside was a shiny black demon lurking.

“Ta-daa!”

“Ta-daa!”

“Ta-daa!”

“By the way, this is a figurine”

Miya picked it up.

“Put it away already”

＊

“Yuu-nii, you can eat this”

Mahiru placed a cream puff on a plate.

“No way.”

“These cream puffs are delicious, you know.”

“Then I’ll give it to Mahiru. Go ahead and eat it.”

“Uh, n-no, I already ate, so…”

“They’re tasty, so just eat it.”

“They’re really good.”

Miya and Asaka flanked me from both sides. Miya was holding a sign behind her back, ready to go.

She couldn’t hide the excitement on her face. If you’re gonna pull this off, do it better! I can already see the wasabi spilling out!

“Ugh, damn it. Fine.”

I nibbled as carefully as I could on the outer edge of the pastry.

The moment I did, my mouth exploded.

“Guuaaaahhh!”

“Ta-daa!”

“Ta-daa!”

“Ta-daa!”

2

“Man, that was fun.”

“Yuu-nii, you’re so easy to trick.”

“Yuu-nii, did you have fun?”

Fun? As if, you little brats, getting all cocky like that.

…Wait a sec.

A spark of inspiration hit my brain.

“Let’s play something else now!”

Miya suggested.

“Let’s play a game, a game!” Mahiru chimed in.

“Heh heh heh. I’m gonna head back home for a bit.”

“Why?”

Mahiru asked.

“Forgot something.”

“Hurry up and go!”

Miya said while setting up the game.

“Got it.”

I dashed back home and rummaged through the closet for something specific. The toys from when I was a kid should be around here somewhere…

“Found it!”

Then I bolted to the kitchen. Those little brats had their fun messing with me. Now it’s my turn to pull a prank.

“Phew, sorry for the wait!”

“You’re slow.”

“My bad, my bad.”

“Yuu-nii, here’s the controller.”

Asaka sat down next to me.

“Thanks.”

“Oh, by the way, I found something cool at home.”

I pulled the thing out of my pocket.

“Eek, a knife?!”

Asaka let out a timid squeak.

It was a toy knife. The blade retracted into the handle when you pressed it, perfect for fake stabbing games.

“Relax, Asaka, it’s just a toy. You think you can scare me with that? No way.”

Mahiru said, snorting with a smirk.

“Oh, you knew? Here.”

“Eek, wait? It doesn’t even stab!”

When I pressed it against Asaka’s arm, the blade slid smoothly back into the handle.

“See?”

“Lemme try!”

“Here ya go.”

The brats were instantly hooked on the new toy. Just as I expected, they started pointing the knife at me. Perfect, everything’s going according to plan.

“Take that! And that!”

“Miya-chan, let me try next!”

“Here!”

“Hahaha!”

Asaka was giggling as she poked the knife into my back. Good, good. Now just hit that spot.

Heh heh heh.

I’d hidden a small packet of fake blood under my right side. The moment the knife hit it, the blood would squirt out. I’d mixed ketchup and coffee to make it look disturbingly real.

Come on, stab it.

And scream when the fake blood sprays everywhere.

“Take that! And that!”

They’re not quite hitting the mark. Maybe I’ll shift my body a bit.

Just then—

“Asaka, don’t do it so hard, you’ll hurt Yuu-nii!”

Mahiru scolded her in a sharp tone. Asaka pouted a little at this.

“Mahiru-chan, you’re always smacking Yuu-nii yourself!”

“That’s different!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Hey, hey, you two, play nice—”

“Asaka’s the one being bad!”

“No, Mahiru-chan’s the one—”

I tried to calm them down, but they weren’t listening. Before I knew it, they were wrestling and brawling.

“Stop it, don’t fight!”

These two were usually as close as sisters, so seeing them fight like this was a first.

“Idiot!”

“The one who calls someone an idiot is the real idiot!”

“Oh, Asaka, you just said idiot too!”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Cut it out!”

Just as I stepped in to pull them apart—

“Enough already, geez!”

Miya stormed into view, trembling with anger, holding her sign.

“Pfft, Yuu-nii, you got tricked again.”

“Again? Wait—!”

No way.

Mahiru and Asaka, who’d been rolling on the floor, burst into giggles and then full-on laughter.

“Hahahaha!”

“Ehehehe!”

The two stood up and held hands like nothing had happened.

“Asaka, you okay? Did it hurt?”

“Nope, I’m fine!”

“You… you little brats set me up again…”

They must’ve planned this while I was back at the house.

“Ta-daa!”

“Ta-daa!”

“Ta-daa!”

Damn it, they got me good.

The Brats and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

When you think of autumn, what comes to mind?

The season for sports?

The season for reading?

The crisp, refreshing air of a clear autumn day makes exercise feel amazing, free from summer’s humidity and heat. Listening to the chirping of insects and diving into a book during the long autumn nights is great too.

The cooler temperatures make everything feel comfortable, and honestly, anything you do in this season is fun. Sports and reading are nice, but isn’t autumn really about satisfying your appetite?

I’ve heard there’s even scientific proof for it.

As summer ends and the days grow shorter, the brain produces less serotonin, a chemical triggered by sunlight. Eating is a quick way to boost serotonin levels, so when you’re running low, your appetite tends to spike.

Even without the science, autumn is overflowing with delicious things.

Sanma, matsutake mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, katsuobushi, chestnuts, autumn salmon, and… sweet potatoes…

Huh?

Looks like the little brats are ready to enjoy the foodie side of autumn too.

They’re hauling in a ton of sweet potatoes…

Autumn is definitely the season for reading.

I was cozied up in the kotatsu in the living room, engrossed in a mystery paperback.

Sipping warm coffee with extra milk and losing myself in a book in a toasty space—that’s the right way to spend an autumn day off. Well, with winter creeping closer, it’s already getting chilly outside.

Days like this are made for staying indoors and staying warm. I took another sip of my milky coffee and turned the page. But, of course, my peaceful moment wasn’t going to last long—

“…!”

Thud, thud, thud. The sound of footsteps. Ugh, here come those brats.

“Yuu-nii!”

“Yuu-nii!”

“Yuu-nii!”

“What’s with you guys in such a rush—”

The moment I saw what Miya was holding, a chill ran down my spine.

“Nihihihi!”

“Oi, what’s that, Miya? What’re you here for?!”

Thicker than her arm, longer than her face. A menacing, reddish-purple devil. A sweet potato. The searing pain from that thing came rushing back.

No doubt about it. That’s the same sweet potato that stabbed me the other day.

“This? It’s just a sweet potato.”

“Eek! Stop pointing the tip at me!”

The memory of that crushing, forceful sensation came flooding back.

“It’s fine, I won’t trip again.”

She says that, but it looks heavy for her. I can’t even watch, it’s too nerve-wracking.

“Yuu-nii, we’re making roasted sweet potatoes today!”

Asaka came up beside me and tugged at my hand.

“Get out of the kotatsu!”

Mahiru flanked me from the other side.

These two weren’t holding sweet potatoes, so I felt a bit safer for now.

“Roasted sweet potatoes?”

“They’re done curing, so oba-san said we can eat them now.”

Mahiru explained. Apparently, sweet potatoes get sweeter if you let them sit for a bit after harvesting.

“Alright, alright, I get it.”

I stood up, facing Miya, and pressed my back against the wall.

“What’re you doing, Yuu-nii?”

“Yuu-nii, you look like a spy!”

“Just go ahead, you guys.”

I ushered the brats toward the stairs first. Keeping my back glued to the wall, I crept along behind them.

We stepped out onto the terrace.

“Brr, it’s chilly!”

The autumn breeze already carried the bite of winter, making my body shrink in on itself.

“Auntie, I brought Yuu-nii!”

Mom was at the far right of the terrace seats. What was she up to? Prepping a fire pit, of all things.

“Oh, Yuu, you’re here?”

“Ooh, that’s warm!”

Beneath the grill, the coals glowed red. Holding my hands over it, a gentle warmth seeped in.

On the table were sweet potatoes, aluminum foil, and a stack of newspapers. At our feet sat a bucket brimming with water.

“Auntie, how do we cook these?”

“Mahiru-chan, don’t just plop them in as is. Wrap them in newspaper first.”

“Like this?”

The three of them started wrapping the sweet potatoes in newspaper.

“Oh, this big boy’s for Yuu-nii, right?”

As if suddenly remembering, Miya handed me that massive sweet potato.

“I get the biggest one? You sure?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Lucky you, Yuu-nii!”

“Ugh, I’m so jealous!”

“?”

Holding it, the thing was heavy as heck and rock-hard. Curved like a banana, its surface all bumpy and rough. For a mere spud, it had an absurdly commanding presence. To think my butt survived having this monster jabbed at it.

“Auntie, we’re done!”

Miya called out.

“Alright, next, dunk them in that bucket of water with a splash.”

“Huh? We’re getting them wet?”

Mahiru let out a startled yelp.

“Aren’t we supposed to grill them?”

“Just do it, just do it.”

Mom dipped the newspaper-wrapped sweet potatoes into the water. Watching her, the little brats hesitantly followed suit, dropping their potatoes into the bucket. Then, they wrapped the now-soggy newspaper in aluminum foil.

“Now wrap them in foil—”

Got it. Wetting them first means the moisture steams inside as they cook, turning them into a perfect baked treat.

“All done?”

“Done!”

“Finished!”

“Ready.”

“Alright, time to grill ’em!”

Mom used tongs to arrange the sweet potatoes on the grill. The brats watched with sparkling, excited eyes.

“How long do we cook them?”

Miya asked.

“Hmm, about thirty minutes or so. I’m heading back to work, so, Yuu, you’re in charge from here, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Taking the tongs and oven mitt from Mom, I was officially dubbed the grill master.

We crouched down, huddling around the fire pit.

“Yuu-nii, are they ready yet?”

“Miya-chan, it’s only been five minutes.”

“It’s getting kinda cold.”

Mahiru hugged her elbows, shivering.

It was especially chilly today. Sure, the sky was clear, but the wind was sharp, and the air was dry. Even huddled around a fire, sitting out in the cold for too long was rough.

A strong gust swept through.

“Achoo! Yuu-nii, I’m leaving the rest to you.”

With that, Mahiru stood up.

“Huh?”

“Call us when they’re done.”

“Hold it right there!”

“Miya, Asaka, let’s go play a game.”

“Yeah!”

“Sure!”

And just like that, the brats scampered back inside.

“Those little punks…”

Weren’t you the ones whining about wanting baked sweet potatoes? And now you’re dumping the work on me while you cozy up inside, waiting for them to be done?

Talk about living the high life.

You’ll get what’s coming to you, mark my words.

“Tch.”

Left alone, I kept grilling the sweet potatoes. After about fifteen minutes, I flipped them to cook the other side. Every now and then, the fire crackled softly.

Man, it’s been a while since I had baked sweet potatoes.

Back when I was in Cub Scouts, we made some by the Fujikawa riverbank to cap off a hike.

Should be about done.

I moved the sweet potatoes to a plate on the table and put out the fire.

“Ow, hot, hot!”

Peeling off the foil, the outside was charred black. Worried I’d overcooked them, I realized it was just the newspaper that had burned.

Brushing off the blackened bits, I split one open.

“Whoa.”

The inside was a perfect blend of yellow and orange, with a sweet, comforting aroma rising with the steam.

“Looks delicious.”

Before calling those brats, maybe I’d sneak a bite first. After slaving away in this freezing cold, I deserved a little perk, right?

Just then, a familiar face passed by the shopfront.

“Oh? Aritsuki-kun?”

“What, Shimomura?”

It was Hikari. She wore a white sweater paired with a red-and-black checkered miniskirt—a combo that made you wonder if she was warm or freezing.

“Ooh, what’s that, what’s that?”

“Baked sweet potatoes. Can’t you tell?”

“Huh, neat.”

Hikari stared intently at my hands.

“Hmm.”

“…Want some?”

“For real!?”

“Your eyes were screaming ‘gimme.’”

“Hehe.”

I handed her half of the split sweet potato.

“Wow, it looks so good! Did you make these, Aritsuki-kun?”

“The brats roped me into it.”

“Still such a softie for the kids, huh?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Let’s dig in!”

Guess I’ll eat too.

Biting into the sweet potato, a warm, sweet flavor filled my mouth, warming me up from the inside.

“So good!”

“Not bad for my handiwork.”

“This one’s huge, too!”

Just then—

“Hey, Yuu-nii, if they’re done, call us!”

Mahiru stepped out onto the terrace.

“Miya, Asaka, they’re ready!”

The other two trailed behind her.

“Oh, it’s Hikari,” Mahiru said.

“Yo!”

Hikari raised a hand in greeting.

“I’m already digging in.”

“Wait, Hikari-chan, is that…?”

Miya’s face went pale.

“Did you… take Yuu-nii’s sweet potato?”

Asaka’s expression stiffened too.

“Huh? What? Did I mess up?”

Hikari popped the last piece into her mouth.

“But that’s…”

“?”

The three exchanged glances, and Miya hesitantly spoke up.

“That’s the one that went up Yuu-nii’s butt.”

“Pfft!”

Hikari spat out the sweet potato.

“Hold it, Miya, use your words right!”

It didn’t go up—you stabbed me with it! And my pants blocked it, so nothing went in!

“Aritsuki-kun?”

“No, it’s a misunderstanding! Miya tripped and—”

“What the heck did you do with a sweet potato…?”

“Just listen!”

“Let’s eat!”

“Time to dig in!”

“Chow time!”

“Oi, clear up this misunderstanding before you start stuffing your faces!”

“W-Well, see ya… haha.”

“It’s not like thaaat!”

After that, I explained everything, and the misunderstanding was cleared up.