Dear Brother Chapter 3 Summary

I'm so glad that they didn't have the December issue of Petit Comic in Kinokuniya when my friend helped me check...because I just saw it online today, read it...and...well, honestly I don't know where the story is going.  It's a bit contrived, and while we do focus more on Sougo...I don't see a progressive setup of the story.  It's a lot of pointless arguing again, and while I see that there are difficulties in restoring a sibling relationship such as one they had in the past...well...we're not moving anywhere!  Hapi Mari was quick to set up the plot and only later on did it start to drag.  It was chop chop chop.  Hopefully the next chapter will redeem itself....but anyways, on to the summary!

Again, I'm working off Chinese scans because that's all they have.  There are some lines I don't completely understand because well...it's translated into four-character idioms that are a bit obscure to me.  Anyhow, if you want to follow the images, please click here.

This chapter opens with Momo arguing with Gin and Aoba whether to make their omelettes sweet or salty.  While both brothers prefer salty, Momo insists on sweet since it was what their mother used to make.  Sougo walks into the kitchen wondering what all the fuss is about, having apparently moved in with the rest of the siblings since that night.

Flashing back...

They all wake up sleepily, Momo and Sougo shocked to see Aoba and Gin with them.

Momo: Hey...my butt... (Gin was using her bottom as a pillow)

Momo/Sougo: What are you guys doing here!!

Aoba/Gin: That's what we want to say!

Momo: I...I want to apologize to Gin-niichan and Aoba for what happened that night...but that is that and this is this!!  How can you sleep on my butt?  It's my butt for crying out loud!!

Gin: Why are you so nice to Sougo but not to me?

Momo: And why do you care so much?  It's not like I tried to sneak into your covers like usual.

*Sougo is taken aback*

Sougo: Eh...sneak into covers...like usual...?

Gin:  Right!  She doesn't let me sleep with her like back then when we were kids.

Sougo: You're sexually harassing your own little sister!!

Gin:  Sexual harrassment?!  What are you talking about?  I just want to restore our lost brother-sister relationship.

Sougo: No one in society would approve of your excuse!

Aoba:  Gin-niichan, leave it be, since compared to Sougo-niichan, we know more about Momo than he does.  For example, her three sizes are 82-60-85.

Momo (shocked): Wait...when on earth did you...!!

Aoba: She has unexpectedly grown into a fine woman, though of course there was 15 years for her to work on that.  Also, the brand of her underwear is...

Momo: Stop it!  Stop it already!!

Sougo moves to pat Momo on her head before yelling: Momo...why are you so careless!!

Momo: Why are you yelling at me!!

Anyhow, Sougo decides to move in to keep an eye on Aoba and Gin to make sure they don't harass Momo again.  Here, we learn that Gin is a novelist who also has chef credentials, while Aoba is still a college student.

They sit down at the table for breakfast as they eat the salted omelette (Momo lost in a majority vote).

Aoba: Momo, I think Gin-niichan's omelettes are quite nice, don't you?

Momo (looks to Sougo):  I know, but that's not what I'm pointing at.  I thought Sougo-niichan would stand at my side.

Sougo (offhandedly):  How old are you now?  You still have the tastes of a child.

Gin: Hey now, everyone has individual preferences.

Sougo:  Gin-niichan, you're spoiling Momo too much, even including living with her.

Gin: But how can I leave her be when she's still so careless as a child!!

Momo: I suppose I am...since I was cheated by my fiance, asked by the company to take a break from work, and even believed in Sougo-niichan's lies about how to win rock-paper-scissors.

Sougo: Wait a moment, I've never lied about it.

Momo:  Is that so?  Then why do I keep losing?

Sougo: You just have a bad sense of direction, don't blame it on me.

Momo:  And you still sound so righteous yourself.  In fact it's Sougo-niich who has grown more irresponsible after all these years.

Sougo: Look at how un-cute you've become.  Completely different from the past.

Momo (shocked): It's been 15 years so of course I would change!!

Gin: Hey you two stop arguing.

Sougo: It's time for my work anyways!

Momo: Good riddance!

Aoba: And I thought that between all of us, you and Sougo-niichan had the best relationship.

Momo: I didn't pick a fight with him, it was all his fault!

Gin: Momo, you're crossing the line.

Momo: ...Fine I get it.  I didn't know Sougo-niichan was so unpleasant from the start.

Aoba: Honestly I don't remember.

Gin:  He hasn't really changed.

Momo thinks back to the night he comforted her and the warmth she had felt, but that had suddenly all evaporated.  Later that night, Sougo comes back home to see Momo up on a chair trying to change the light bulb.  He says he can see her underwear, which causes her to fall off.  At dinner, he criticizes her cooking, saying it's obvious that she hasn't inherited mom's skills, which erupts into another fight.  Momo locks herself in her room, and Sougo looks away somewhat guiltily.  She ponders whether Sougo is just acting like a brother because he's bound by blood to do so, and whether all her expectations of him were just hopeful wishing.

A day later, as Momo's cleaning the house and offers to also clean Aoba's room, Sougo again criticizes her for not doing a good job, and that Aoba is better off cleaning by himself.  Of course this provokes Momo.  The photo frame of their mother wobbles on the shelf, and Sougo pushes her away to protect her, though he says it's probably wobbling because their mother was frustrated by Momo's lack of cleaning skills.

Later that night, Gin and Aoba both have things to attend to outside the house and inform Momo that they will not be eating at home.  Momo is a bit feverish, and she hopes to only cook for herself (preferably pop something frozen into the microwave), but she worries whether she may also have to make Sougo's portion.  Luckily, Sougo calls back home to tell her that he also has work and so will not be returning home for dinner.  Momo's voice cracks a bit as she talks to him, which Sougo notices immediately.  He asks her if there's anything wrong, but she denies it.  After hanging up, she feels faint and crouches on the floor, but she doesn't want to bother Aoba or Gin with her problems.

Sougo makes a quick return home to check on Momo, who he finds lying on the floor.  Worried, he tries to help her up, but Momo will have none of it.  She tells him to go back to work but Sougo picks her up and drops her on her bed.  It seems that Momo is running a fever close to 40 degrees C (or 104 F).  He tells her to take it easy and to tell him if she needs anything.

Momo: Why did you notice?  I thought you didn't like me.

Sougo: What are you saying?  It's not a matter of like or dislike.

Momo: I've had enough!

Sougo: You don't know what you're saying, go to sleep.

Momo: The you right now is so different from before.  You act like you're nice to be on the outside, but honestly you don't even spare me a smile.  You're just acting like an older brother should act, right?  Then you can drop the act, because I'll only suffer more because of it.  My older brother was kind to me in the past.

Sougo (leans into Momo and presses his forehead to hers): I told you to sleep.  And calm down.  You're running such a high fever, it can be dangerous for your health.  This has happened too before when you fell into the river and had a fever.  Did you really want me to treat you like you were eight?  Of course I can do that easily, but you're an adult now.  I don't want to act like Gin and treat you like a little girl.  But I can't forget the past like Aoba did either.  Whenever I wanted to treat you like an adult, memories of you when you were little will shake my decisions.  However I look at you though, I know you're not a child anymore.  For example, I thought your head was really big, and when I carried you now, I thought you were really heavy.

Momo (offended): Can't you possibly change the way you're saying things...

Sougo: I'm just telling the truth, so keep listening.  I'm always hesitating inside, because you've grown so much already, to the point where you're at a marriageable age.  I thought I was the only one who was stopped by the memories from 15 years ago, unable to move forward.

Momo: So are you saying that you were just like me, unsure about how to proceed about this relationship thing?

Sougo (blushes and averts his eyes): ...let's drop this topic.  Hurry and go to sleep.

Momo laughs at her own silliness.

Momo: I didn't know you still remember the incident at the summer festival when I dropped into the river.

Sougo: Well we did call the ambulance after all, so that was memorable.

Momo: It was because Aoba flung his slipper off the hill and I slipped into the river when I tried to retreive it for him.  And then Sougo-niichan came rushing along.

Sougo: That was a horrible incident.  Afterwards, I also had a high fever that eventually became pneumonia after I contracted it from you.

Momo (flustered): Was it like that...

Sougo: And then mom and dad scolded me and Gin for not watching you better.  Aoba that brat escaped because he was too young, even though he was at fault for flinging the slipper.

Momo:  But didn't you say at that time that I can seek your help in anything because you're my brother?

Sougo: Ah, that was to prevent you from causing more trouble, since you always run into it.

Momo despairs at her beautiful memories being destroyed.

Sougo (smiles): I don't think I'm quite as generous as you made me out to me.

Momo rests at ease with his smile, hoping that this was not an illusion because of her fever.

She wakes up to see Gin peeling an apple for her.  Gin confirms that Sougo has always been the type to shy away from other people, and that his actions and words don't always match what he's really feeling, although Momo is probably the only one who he makes an exception for.

Phew, end of summary!  I hope you enjoyed reading it!!!