A Prince for a Little Brother, or a Tangerine for a Big Brother

As the title says, this should be a battle between brothers.

Here's a placeholder blurb for now. It might change later.

The heroine is emotionally detached and thinks she's just a background character. In reality, the brothers have been secretly competing since childhood. Keeping each other occupied means neither can get close to her, which is only fair.

The main story is in third person!!

Blurb:

I have two childhood friends. One is the brash, competitive little prince named Echizen Ryoma. The other is the free-spirited older brother with a thing for oranges, named Echizen Ryoga.

Though we grew up together, most of the time I seem to be the one quietly watching them from behind.

Like the most insignificant little character in a story.

I don't have the kind of brilliance to match theirs, so I can't get involved, and I don't want to get between them.

I just quietly watch them and accept everything, sometimes getting pulled in by one of them when necessary to serve as a pawn in their squabbles with the other, before the three of us make up again.

I thought we would always grow up together, but later, Ryoga left, leaving just Ryoma and me.

That day, Ryoma clung to me and cried so hard. I didn't feel especially sad or happy. I just thought, [He's gone.]

Just like when he stole Ryoma's and my first kiss without warning. He was unreasonable, doing whatever he wanted. That was so like him.

After that, I was the only one left with Ryoma. I seemed to have become his one and only.

But I knew I wasn't the only one. There was one person missing from the three of us, so I was the only one he had left to choose.

Later, we all grew up. Ryoma made new friends, and Ryoga came back.

Once they'd recognized each other, their relationship was as close as it had been when they were kids. But I seemed to be less than a background character now.

That was fine.

The price of growing up is continually letting things go. When you give something up, you gain something else. And I was the one they let go of in their lives.

I decided to leave the game the three of us had been playing and pursue my own life.

But just as I began to grow distant from them, they suddenly changed.

Theme: Keep going