Hasegawa Family Affairs

Hasegawa Family Affairs (羽瀬川さんちの家庭の事情, Hasegawa-san chi no katei no jijō) is chapter seven of the Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai light novel series. It is chapter seven of volume one.

Summary
Kodaka then returned home from school, his younger sister, Kobato Hasegawa was relaxing in the living room. Kobato also attends St. Chronica's Academy but she is in the Middle school branch and due to the distance between the schools. Kodaka and Kobato almost never leave for school at the same time.

Appearance-wise, in sharp contrast to Kodaka who looks mainly like an average Japanese man (sans the hair color), Kobato looked more British with her white skin, light blond hair and blue eyes. Even Kodaka was rather happy to boast that Kobato is a very cute girl.

“……Ku ku ku…… Back finally…… My other half……I have waited too long for this……Make haste…… Present your sacrifices to me……”

As Kobato spoke, she raised her hand. Kodaka then thinks that the elegant Gothic Lolita clothing she wore is a chore to wash and he really wishes that she would stop wearing them. Kobato also has a stitch-upped stuffed rabbit toy and wore a red contact lens on her right eye. Kodaka then regretted that Kobato was his sister.

"I'm sorry for coming back late, you hungry, Kobato ?"

"Fu…Kobato is nothing but a false name……Thy real name is Leysis Vi Felicity Sumeragi ……Shinso of the mighty Blood Clan of the Night. I desire only for fresh blood……. Ku ku ku…… Great plague will descend upon you, if thee dost not make haste with the sacrifices……"

Kodaka then tells her that he'll cook now and goes to the kitchen. Kodaka got out the ingredients for the food and placed the rest in the fridge. Since Kodaka managed to buys some scallops (half-priced) he decided to make a seafood pasta and some simple salad with the other vegetables and meat.

15 minutes later, Kodaka placed the food on the table and beckons Kobato to eat. Kobato then poured some Tomato juice into a wine glass.

“Ku ku ku…… The blood of virgins is ever so tasteful…”

"That’s only tomato juice!"

Kodaka then stated that Kobato is very strange. Back in elementary school, she was only a normal girl who liked to snap disposable chopsticks with her bottom and ignite her farts (that’s not very normal already.) But, at the beginning of junior high, ever since she watched a fantasy anime called “Full Metal Necromancer”, she started engaging in this strange talk and fashion.

Kodaka is not sure, but I think there are magicians and vampires in that show. Due to the influence of that show, she is now playing her ‘self-designed super cool character.’ Kodak then thinks that Kobato will be bored of it eventually.

Kodaka also notes that Kobato hasn’t settled on the setting yet. His character has been shifting between ‘fragment of a soul’, ‘lover from past life’, and ‘lowly servant born from a dark stew’. Anything is fine with him.

As Kobato picked out the onions in her dish and put them aside, Kodaka gently reminded her to eat them. She stabbed her fork into them forcefully and put them into her mouth.

Kodaka also notes that when Kobato first started playing her character, she was particularly hysterical. Every meal she would leave most of her food intact. Finally, during dinner about a year ago, she yelled “…… Ku, kuu…… My, my magic power is going berserk !” and flipped her soup dish. Hayato, their father, angered by this, shouted “Don’t waste food !” and spanked her good. Since then she has been able to finish all her food, albeit she does so with a very detested face.

"By the way Kobato, I guess your magic doesn't go berserk anymore ?"

''' "A, An-chan !" '''

Immediately after Kodaka's comments, Kobato briefly reverted back to her normal personality, became flushed in the face and yelled. After a bit, however, she suddenly switched back to her usual expression.

“……That, I do not know what you are talking about…… Perhaps in ancient times, when I was young……”

“''In ancient times……. How old are you again ?''”

“I am Leysis Vi Felicity Sumeragi …… a Blood Clan of the Night born 10 thousand years ago……”

“''10 thousand years ago……So that was back in the Joumon era! What an impressive vampire.''”

“Fu fu fu…… My Blood Clan of the Night, back when you day dwellers were subsisting off the jungle, already had a magnificent advanced magic civilization…”

“''That’s amazing. I'm done.''”

Kodaka finished his meal (although he feels that he haven't had enough yet) and decided that he might as well cook up something later. Kobato too, feels the same way as Kodaka explained that he had club activities so he cannot come home like this and cook every time.

“Servant, which is more important, club activities or I……”

Kodaka was about to say club activities but he then thought that the activities were not really important before saying that club activities are still more important. Kobato cutely puffed up her cheeks in disapproval. Kodaka the laughed in resignation and aked her to cook for herself then.

“……Ku ku ku…… What a nonsense joke…… You ask me to do the chores of lowly women ?”

“Apologize to all the men and women in this country who cook every day!”

After that, Kodaka washed the dishes and went to his room. Kodaka finished his homework, cleaned the bathroom and prepared the bath water. Kodaka then tells Kobato to have a bath. Kobato then said that she want s more blood (Tomato juice) as Kodaka said that he forgot to tell her that he forgot to buy Tomato juice so she might as well drink the coca-cola in the fridge.

“……I am in the Pepsi faction !”

“Cola was 30 Yen cheaper in the supermarket.”

“……Fu, so be it…… Although I would choose tomato juice if we had it……”

While Kobato was bathing, Kodaka washed some clothes and he can finally relax. Kodaka then lies in his bed and began thinking about his past...

When Kodaka was born, Hayato worked diligently to save up enough money to buy this house. However, due to his job, for the past ten years, the Hasegawa family had to move from place to place and hence, Kobato and he did not return (Hayato would come back once in a while to clean the house.)

When Hayato had to work in the US, Kodaka and Kobato do not want to move to another country so Hayato decided to let them stay in the house it is now for the past ten years. Because of how frequent Kodaka had to move, he barely had any recognition of the place hence, he never really felt nostalgic at all.

Due to the chairman of St.Chronica is Hayato's best friend, Kodaka and Kobato are also able to attend there without much problems. Since then, the Hasegawa siblings have been living like this.

Even back when it was the three of them together, Kodaka would still do the chores so his role did not really change much and in fact, since Kodaka does not have to cook or his father, things are actually easier. However, ever since Kodaka joined the Neighbors' Club, things are a bit different.

Kodaka then thought about his mother, Airi. Soon after Airi gave birth to Kobato, she was in an accident and passed away. Airi too, was a good friend of the chairman of St. Chronica and in fact, when Airi was in (then the girl's only) St. Chronica, it was through the current chairman that she knew Hayato. (Kodaka heard that his parents first met in a ball held by the school)

Although most will sympathize and say "That’s terrible !" But to Kodaka, who has lived like this for the past 10 years and he is used to it; he doesn’t think this is all that bad. Now, whenever someone says that to him, Kodaka would subconsciously become angry and defend his family vigorously. Because of that, other people tend to keep their distance from him. This puts Kodaka in a difficult spot.

As Kodaka rolled around thinking...

'''"Fueeeeeen, An-chaaaaaaaaan !" '''

Kobato, naked, ran to Kodaka's room and said that the bath water is cold. Kodaka then rushed to the bathroom and tested the should-be warm water is indeed cold. Then, Kodaka turned on the shower head but no water came out. Kodaka then tries the gas stove but they did turn on.

“''In other words, it’s a boiler problem. I will get a repairman now…..''”

“……Almost had my bath in cold water, this might well be a scheme by a conspirator who knows the weaknesses of the Blood Clan of the Night…… Ku ku ku…… Normal vampire aside, it shall take more than this to defeat a Shinso such as me !”

Kobato then returns back to her Leysis personality (still naked), chuckled and said. Kodaka then tells Kobato to dry herself up before she catches a cold.

“Ku ku ku…… A Shinso such as me can never catch a cold…… ah-chu”

Kodaka sighed and gave Kobato a bath towel as he worries for his sister. After Kodaka hung up, although it’s past normal repair time, it didn’t take long for the heater repairman to come to the house. As he suspected, the boiler broke down. Thankfully, after repair hot water started coming out again.

The heater is an ancient model from 17 years ago. Due to its age, it might be wise to exchange it for a new one. Kodaka will have to contact dad for the money.

Having only two people living together is more troublesome than he imagined.