ATHO Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – First Crush

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Second Life, Part 6

Novel Title: 嫌われ者の俺はやり直しの世界で義弟達にごまをする (As the Hated One, I Flatter My Stepbrothers in a World Where I Get a Second Chance)

Author：赤牙 (Akakiba)

Art：古澤エノ (Furusawa Eno)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: シャルル (Charles -MC), リエン (Lien -ML1) & ジェイド (Jade -ML2)

*Please read at freenovels.net, the original site of translation. TQ*

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“Alright, I will. But look, Lien, you need to button your shirt all the way up.”  

“Ugh, I don’t like buttoning it up to the top—it feels so tight!”  

“Lien, don’t say things that trouble Nii-san,” Jade said sternly, more so than usual, as Lien pouted.  

“Haha, it’s fine, Jade. Still, I think a buttoned-up shirt looks sharp if you’re wearing a tie.”  

“Really? Then, Charles Nii-sama, can you button it for me?”  

“Sure.”  

As I fastened the buttons, trying to appease him, I noticed a glimpse of a silver chain near his chest.  

―――That’s the pendant from back then…  

The sight of it stirred an awkward feeling in me, but before I could dwell on my memories, Lien called out, “Charles Nii-sama?” snapping me back to the present.  

“Ah, sorry, I guess I zoned out.”  

“You suddenly stopped moving, so I wondered what was wrong. Hey, Charles Nii-sama, can you tie my tie too?”  

“No problem.”  

“Yay!” Lien exclaimed, bouncing happily.  

Once we finished getting ready, we headed to the academy a bit early. Riding in the carriage, Lien sat beside me, gazing out the window and asking a myriad of questions.  

When we arrived, I gave him a tour, much like I did for Jade, guiding him until our time was up. Then, I took him to a secret spot in the garden. Lien’s face lit up with delight.  

“This is such a wonderful place!”  

“Isn’t it? Jade had the same reaction when he first came here, didn’t you?”  

“Yes, it feels nostalgic,” Jade said with a smile.  

The two of them looked so happy.  

Three years had passed since my second life began. I never imagined I’d become so close to my stepbrothers. If this continues, I likely won’t end up hated by them.  

Moreover, I was starting to feel a growing desire to cherish them.  

Sensing the subtle changes in my heart, I enjoyed my time with my stepbrothers.  

***

About a month after Lien’s first day of school, while walking back to my room, something shiny caught my eye.  

“This is…”  

It was a silver locket pendant with a broken chain. Inside, there was a photo of a man who bore a striking resemblance to Lien.  

“This must be Lien’s pendant.”  

Lien had always kept the photo of his father, who died when he was two, in the pendant as a way to remember him. It was also a memento from Flor, given to her by her late husband.  

In my first life, I found this pendant when Lien lost it. I kept it hidden, watching as Lien desperately searched for it with a tearful face. Eventually, I took him to a nearby lake and threw the pendant into the water right before his eyes.  

Lien tried to retrieve it, but Jade, who had followed us, stopped him desperately. The pendant sank to the bottom of the deep lake, never to be recovered. Lien, soaking wet, cried inconsolably, while Jade comforted him with a pained expression.  

Watching them, I laughed cruelly.  

Remembering my vile actions, I sighed deeply.  

“I need to return this quickly.”  

I headed to Lien’s room, but he wasn’t there. Searching the mansion, I found him wandering with a worried look.  

“Lien.”  

“Charles Nii-sama…”  

As soon as he saw me, his face crumpled, on the verge of tears.  

“You’re looking for this, right?”  

When I showed him the pendant, relief washed over his face. He took it, clutching it tightly.  

“Thank you, Nii-sama.”  

Lien smiled sweetly, holding the pendant close to his chest.  

“The chain’s broken. Should we get it fixed?”  

“It’s okay. I’ll just hold onto it like this.”  

“Alright. Be careful not to lose it again.”  

“Yeah!”  

Lien, happily gazing at the pendant, muttered something unexpected.  

“I’m glad Father didn’t find it…”  

“Huh? Why?”  

Curious about Lien’s words, I asked.  

“Well, wouldn’t it be weird? Carrying around a picture of my previous father?”  

“…It’s not weird at all. Hey, Lien, you know the portrait hanging in my room?”  

“Yeah.”  

“That’s my mother.”  

“Really?”  

“And my father painted it.”  

“Whoa! Father is amazing!”  

“Right? After my mother passed away, I asked him if it was okay to hang her portrait in my room.”  

Then, the day after the portrait was hung, Father brought up the topic of remarriage, and I…  

“Charles Nii-sama?”  

“Oh, sorry. So, at the time, Father told me, ‘It’s wonderful to continue cherishing the memory of someone who has passed.’ That’s why, even if you carry a picture of your late father, I don’t think Father would be upset.”  

“I see… Hey, Charles Nii-sama, can I go see the portrait Father painted?”  

“Sure.”  

We went to my room and stood together in front of the portrait hanging on the wall. Lien stared at it intently.  

“Nii-sama, you look like your mother.”  

“Hm? You think so?”  

“Yeah! Your light blue eyes and beautiful face are just like hers! But your jet-black, silky hair comes from Father!”  

“Thanks, Lien. You look a lot like your father too. But when you smile, you look just like Flor.”  

“Hehe, thank you, Nii-sama.”  

As Lien smiled brightly, I patted his head and turned my gaze to my mother’s portrait.  

To not forget, to continue cherishing…  

In my first life, I had called Father a “traitor who forgot Mother,” but the one who truly forgot her was me.  

Consumed by hatred toward Flor and my stepbrothers, I never took the time to reminisce about Mother.  

―――Mother, I’m sorry. I haven’t forgotten you…  

Looking at her smiling face in the portrait, I apologized over and over in my heart. That night, I fell asleep recalling memories of her.  

***

A few days later, I headed to Lien’s room with a small, neatly wrapped box in my hand.  

“Lien, do you have a moment?”  

“What is it, Nii-sama?”  

“I have a gift for you.”  

“A gift?!”  

When I handed him the box, Lien excitedly opened it and whispered, “Wow…”  

Inside was a new locket pendant.  

“Brother, is it really okay?”  

“Of course. I thought you could put a chain on the old pendant and use them together. But having two might be a bit cumbersome, right?”  

“Nope! It’s not a bother at all! Wow, I’m so happy! Thank you, Nii-sama!”  

Lien beamed as he admired and touched the pendant.  

“Can this hold two pictures?”  

“Yes. You could put a family photo and, someday, a photo of someone special to you.”  

“Someone special…”  

Lien tilted his head at my words, looking puzzled.  

―――Maybe ‘someone special’ is a bit abstract for someone as young as Lien.  

“You mean someone you like, right?”  

“Well, something like that. Do you already have someone you like, Lien?”  

“Yeah, I do.”  

I was surprised by his answer, but at eight years old, it wouldn’t be strange for him to have his first crush.  

“It’s Charles Nii-sama…”  

“What is it?”  

“…Hehe, nothing.”  

“Hey, come on now!”  

I ruffled Lien’s hair playfully, and he burst into laughter, saying, “Stop it, Nii-sama!”  

I wondered what kind of photos Lien would put in the pendant I gave him. Who would be the person he cherishes and loves in the future?  

Thinking about these things, I imagined a bright future for Lien—one completely different from his first life.  

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*Translator’s Note: You are his first crush, Charles. As for the future, you’re going to be ‘eaten’. -K

*GLOSSARY: 

• Nii-san/Nii-sama/Onii-san = (Big/Elder) Brother

☝🏻I’ll be using these throughout my translation. Jade would call Charles ‘Nii-san’ while Lien would call him ‘Nii-sama’.

Next update: 2025.09.01

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