Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 221: A Brother’s Warmth

Then again, there was a high possibility that he was simply being kept out of the loop.

In the past, whenever something dangerous was going on, everyone would often proceed without involving him.

However, Rocco was still a legitimate member of the Di Malvento family.

It was frustrating to be shielded from information like this and being excluded entirely.

For all he knew, everyone could still be secretly fighting against the mastermind behind the scenes.

If that was the case, then he was the only one left behind.

That wasn’t good—not when it came to keeping track of the original story’s events...

"Muuu... Muuu..."

Fluff, fluff.

Squish, squish.

Rocco spent his dull and uneventful afternoon by lazing around while hugging his Mr. Bunny tightly.

Even the bunny in his arms somehow looked bored.

But he couldn’t just sit around like this forever, so with a sluggish effort, he lifted himself off the sofa.

...Although even after getting up, he still couldn’t come up with anything fun to do.

Disheartened, he slumped his shoulders.

Normally, Laxus would show up early in the morning, drag him off somewhere, and they’d end up playing together.

But on days like this—when Rocco actually had nothing to do—Laxus just so happened to be busy.

Usually, even when Rocco resisted with all his might, Laxus would still half-forcefully drag him outside with an enthusiastic, "Let’s go play, Rocco!"

So why was it that the one time Rocco had free time, Laxus was suddenly get too busy?

"What do you mean you’re busy...? Is it more important than me...?"

Rocco curled up into a ball and hugging his Mr. Bunny tighter.

Perhaps it was the sheer boredom, but he ended up muttering something that sounded almost... clingy.

No, no, that wasn’t it!

It wasn’t like he was sulking or feeling lonely—absolutely not!

He was simply questioning why Laxus, who was usually so forceful, would suddenly leave him alone at a time like this.

That was all.

Just a logical complaint.

"—Do you hate playing with me?"

"Hyuehh!?"

Just as he was rolling around like a grumbling caterpillar, a voice suddenly called out from behind him.

With a startled yelp, he jumped up in shock.

Th-that scared him!!

Wait a minute—this was his room!

Would it kill the guy to knock at least once!?

With that thought, Rocco turned around with a sulky pout.

But the moment his gaze landed on the towering figure standing there, his defiance instantly fizzled out.

Sylas stood before him, arms crossed, with his usual sharp expression and slightly furrowed brows.

Ah.

Well.

If it was Sylas, then it couldn’t be helped.

No matter how many times Rocco had told him to knock, Sylas never listened.

It was a lost cause.

"Big brother! A-are you... are you here to play with me!?"

"...Of course. If that’s what you want, we can play tag, hide-and-seek, or even red light green light game—whatever you wish."

...Wait a second.

Could this be because of that book?

The other day, Rocco had accidentally wandered into Sylas’s room and spotted a book that was carefully hidden behind the shelves.

The title?

<<For the Ultimate Little Brother’s Happiness! A Guide to Children’s Games!>>

He might have peeked inside just a little, and if he remembered correctly, it had detailed explanations of various outdoor games that children would enjoyed.

There was no way Sylas would naturally know about things like hide-and-seek or red light green light game on his own.

Which meant... he had definitely studied that book for this exact reason.

Incidentally, the author of that book was the same person who had written <<For the Ultimate Child’s Happiness! 100 Must-Know Dad Moves!>>—a book Rocco had once found in their father’s study room.

Like father, like son, huh?

They sure had similar tastes in reading material.

"Hmm... That all sounds fun, but I’ll pass on everything."

"What!? Why? I have never once broken any rules in an outdoor game!"

Rocco knew Sylas had put in a lot of effort to learn these games just for him.

But honestly?

He had no motivation to play.

Because, no matter how many times they had played before, not once had he ever experienced a fair and balanced match.

Sylas was just too strong.

If he was "it" in tag, he’d catch Rocco in mere seconds.

If he was the one running away, Rocco—being far too slow—could never catch him.

In hide-and-seek, Sylas always won, no matter which role he played.

And when they tried red light green light game, the game was over in the blink of an eye.

There was just no point.

The real issue here was the overwhelming difference in skill!

Against Sylas, the slow and clumsy Rocco could never have a fair competition—ever!

"...I see. My apologies. I forgot how lacking your physical abilities are."

"Mm, yes... That’s exactly why competing against you is impossible, big brother..."

As Rocco slumped his shoulders in defeat, Sylas seemed to ponder something for a moment before murmuring thoughtfully—

"In that case... shall we just go out? I was planning to get you a new coat soon anyway. This is a good opportunity."

"Mm! My clothes?"

"Yes. Winter is coming soon. The weather has been getting colder."

Hearing that, Rocco instinctively turned his head toward the window.

Now that he thought about it, the flowers outside had been wilting from the cold lately, and the wind had turned much colder.

The seasonal shift had left him unaccustomed to the cold, and just last night, he had ended up sleeping curled up with Ragar and Georgio for warmth.

He hadn’t gotten any new winter clothes yet this year.

Sylas was right—going out was a great idea.

"Yes! Let’s go, big brother! Let’s buy something soft and fluffy!"

"...Alright."

In an instant, the sluggish mood from earlier vanished.

Rocco’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he exclaimed, "I’m going to put a coat on Mr. Bunny first!" before he dashing off.

Sylas’s usually expressionless face softened ever so slightly into a small smile.