Epilogue

“Man, Yuu-nii, you finally figured it out. What a dense idiot.”

Mahiru, sitting on my bed, says with a dramatic sigh. She’s in a breezy polo shirt with all the buttons undone. Her slender left wrist sports the usual black wristband.

“Seriously, these past two months, you have no idea how embarrassed I was.”

Miya leans her upper body on the table, sighing.

“Shut up! You and Mom were treating her like a stranger, so how was I supposed to figure it out?”

It’s the day after I realized the mystery beauty was Miya. Miya and Mahiru showed up at my place together. It’s a familiar pairing, but now that I know the truth, seeing them feels fresh… no, nostalgic.

“I’ll admit I was kinda in the wrong,” Mahiru says.

“I’m sorry for dragging everyone into it,” Miya adds.

“But I didn’t expect you to not notice for so long,” Mahiru continues.

“I guess assuming you’d turned into a gal or delinquent was my mistake. Mahiru’s barely changed since she was a brat, so I recognized her right away. Yup, yup.”

I analyze calmly.

“That makes me feel kinda weird. But yeah, Miya’s got that pure, innocent look,” Mahiru says.

Miya frowns.

“Just the look?”

“Yeah, it’s ‘cause your personality’s still the same bratty one that I figured it out,” I say.

“Hey, even you, Yuu-nii?”

“If I could tell it was you by how you wipe your tears, you should’ve noticed sooner,” Mahiru teases.

“Looking back, there were tons of hints. Oh, Miya, wearing a kid’s hairpin as a high schooler is kinda cringe.”

“Don’t bring that up!”

Laughter echoes through the room, loud and lively.

God, it’s so nostalgic.

It brings back memories of ten years ago.

The chaotic daily life with those three brats.

They’ve both changed in some ways, but the important parts are still the same.

“Is Asaka coming back for summer break?”

“She usually comes back for long holidays. She’s in Kanagawa, so sometimes she pops back for a day trip. Unlike someone who didn’t come back for ten years,” Mahiru says, giving me a sly look.

“Ugh, that stings.”

“But she didn’t come back for Golden Week this year,” Miya says, concerned.

“Yeah, that’s unusual. Maybe she was busy? But she’ll probably be back for summer.”

Mahiru stretches big, her polo shirt pulling up to reveal her pale, slim stomach.

“Hey, Mahiru! Why aren’t you wearing an undershirt?” Miya hurriedly covers Mahiru’s stomach.

“What’s the big deal?”

“Hahaha.”

“Yuu-nii, don’t look! If she leans back, you’ll see up her skirt—”

Still as restless as ever.

But this chaos feels comforting.

Two-thirds of the gang.

One more to go.

Now we just wait for Asaka.

Glossy black hair down to her back, soft pale skin. Jewel-like eyes peeking from behind glasses. A striking, full chest and slender, toned legs.

Her beauty draws eyes from both men and women, sometimes to the point of envy.

She returns to her dorm room and sinks onto the bed.

On the bedside table, a photo frame holds a picture of a teenage boy and three young girls.

A moment from a time she can never return to.

“Yuu-nii.”

Dreaming of those memories, she—Gendoji Asaka—falls asleep tonight, as always.

Afterword

Thank you to everyone who has read the first volume of The Brat I Reunited With After 10 Years Has Grown Into a Pure High School Girl.

What did you think?

This story alternates between the present and the bratty days of ten years ago, weaving the narrative through two eras.

Ten years is a very long time.

More than enough time for a child to grow into an adult—an almost excessively long time.

The question of what happens when a sassy brat grows up is the origin of this story.

The theme of the first volume is “gap.”

Miya, once a cheeky, crybaby, and impulsive child, has grown into a pure high school beauty over the course of ten years. However, the stark contrast with her childhood self prevents Yuu from recognizing her.

In Mahiru’s case, her growth fell within the scope of Yuu’s imagination, so he recognized her easily. This contrast—Mahiru being recognized and Miya not—forms the core of the story.

By the way, there’s one girl who hasn’t appeared yet, isn’t there?

The last of the trio of brats, Asaka, makes a brief appearance at the end. As they say, the star arrives late. How has Asaka grown over these ten years? Does she have a gap like Miya, or has she matured steadily like Mahiru?

Lastly, this work was able to be published as a book thanks to the support of many people. My heartfelt thanks go to my editor, Y-san, for their guidance; to Higeneko-san, for the wonderful illustrations; to the readers who have supported me since the web novel days; and to everyone who picked up this book.

August 2022
Kanzai Yuki