About The Case When I Started Living With A Cool Goddess-Sama, But Because Of Being Too Spoiled, She Ended Up Becoming A Clumsy Useless Person. - Chapter 5.4: The Goddess-Sama Is One-Sixteenth Of My Sister. (Part 4)

The Goddess-Sama Is One-Sixteenth Of My Sister. (Part 4)

Mikoto-san said she wanted curry for dinner, but thinking about it, she was sick.

I couldn’t possibly make her eat a very hot Indian curry, but she still wanted curry rice, so I decided to make a much sweeter curry.

Mikoto-san took a bite of the curry and said, 

“Since it’s sweet, I still feel like I’m being treated like a child…”

“I made it because you told me to make it, even if it’s sweet. Was it not to your liking?”

I said with a laugh, and Mikoto hurriedly shook her head.

“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s delicious. Besides, I’m not very good with spicy food.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Mikoto-san insisted on doing the dishes, but in the end, I decided to do it myself.

Even though her fever had subsided, I shouldn’t make a recovering person do something tiring.

Reluctantly, Mikoto-san listened to me and quietly sat dangling her feet on the dining table.

Then, as if a sudden thought occurred to her, Mikoto-san asked me.

“Do you have any siblings, Akihara-kun?”

“No, I don’t. Well, Amane-nee san was like an older sister to me.”

I answered as I washed the dishes.

I used to wash dishes for Amane-nee san, who also lived in this house, but after that I have been washing dishes for only one person.

So, it is fair to say that things are back to normal now that Mikoto-san has come to the house.

“So, Mizukoto-san, do you have…”

I was about to ask, but stopped myself mid-sentence.

It seemed that Mikoto-san did not want to talk much about her family, and she had been evicted from the Tomi family’s mansion where she had originally lived.

I don’t know what happened, but I thought it would be better not to ask.

However, Mikoto-san said without hesitation,

“You don’t have to worry about it. I have several siblings, but the one who is the closest in age is my younger sister.”

“Really?”

“But she’s only half my age.”

“Only half?”

“We have the same father, but different mothers. That’s what you call a ‘half-sister.’ right.”

“Ahh, I see.”

So that’s how it is.

Somehow, I could guess why her surname is not “Tomi” even though she is the daughter of the Tomi family.

Mikoto-san’s last name is “Mikoto”, so I’m sure she’s using her mother’s last name.

I did not know why, and I had no intention of going into it.

Mikoto-san said quietly, 

“Akihara-kun, you got along well with Amane-san, don’t you?”

“I think so. I was always pushed around by Amane-nee san, though.”

She was five years older than me, so I couldn’t disobey her at all.

Instead, I think she took good care of me.

When she lost her parents, I was in the fifth grade of elementary school and she was in the first grade of high school.

She took care of me as if she wanted to make up for what she had lost.

She took me with her when she went fishing, to the library, and to the movies.

Now she is far away in a foreign country.

Mikoto-san said sadly.

“Amane-san is your cousin, so that means she’s only one-quarter your sister. But you get along so well. I envy you.”

One-quarter?

After thinking about it for a while, I figured it out.

Assuming that normal siblings to be 1, each cousin has one parent who is a sibling of our parent, 1/2 is squared, so 1/4 is cousins.

“My sister is only one-half sister, and she hates me very much.”

I was still unsure whether I should step in and ask her what was going on, but in the end, I didn’t ask her anything.

I didn’t have the courage to do so.

Instead, I said,

“By that calculation, that would mean that Mikoto-san, you are only one-sixteenth my sister.”

“What?”

“Because you and I are first cousins. One of my grandparents was your grandparent’s sibling, so one sixteenth.”

“I see. I guess that’s how it is.”

After mumbling this, Mikoto-san’s cheeks puffed out in dissatisfaction.

“Why am I your little sister?”

“No, it’s just a feeling.”

“I’m only one-sixteenth, I’m your elder sister.”

“Mikoto-san, when is your birthday?”

“It’s the 11th of January.”

“Mine is on September 9th.”

I won.

I couldn’t help but smile.

No, there’s no such thing as winning or losing.

Mikoto-san spoke with a shocked expression on her face.

“I’m your… younger sister?”

“Only one-sixteenth though.”

When I said it with a laugh, Mikoto-san looked at me with a frustrated look on her face, and after a while she started to giggle.

“I see. Akihara-kun, you are one sixteenth of a brother to me. Shall I call you ‘Onii-chan’ then?”

“That would be embarrassing, so let’s not do that.”

“Kinda like… H-Haruto-Onii-chan… like this?”

Mikoto-san sounded rather embarrassed and said in a muffled voice. 

If you’re embarrassed, you shouldn’t have said it.

I spoke, scratching my head and looking away.

“It doesn’t sound too bad though.”

“Akihara-kun, you look embarrassed.”

“You too.”

“I… I’ve always wanted a friendly brother.”

“I see.”

I thought about the meaning of Mikoto-san’s words.

She said that she could no longer stay at the mansion where she lived and that she and her sister were on bad terms.

I guessed that she and her sister did not have a harmonious family.

Mikoto-san asked what the relationship was between herself and me.

I don’t really know that either.

But maybe I should take the role of Mikoto’s family, just for this moment.

I had a feeling that she wanted me to do so.

I spoke up.

“…One more time… wanna try calling… me… that… again?”

Mikoto-san’s eyes widened and she looked happy.

“Akihara-kun, do you want me to call you big brother? That’s weird.”

“Mikoto-san, you started it.”

“I’ll call you Onii-chan one more time if that’s what you want, Akihara-kun.”

Mikoto-san looked at me and I looked at Mikoto-san.

It was somewhat embarrassing.

We remained silent for a while.

Finally, perhaps having made up her mind, Mikoto-san spoke up.

She smiled softly, her face reddening, and said,

“I’m looking forward to being with you tomorrow, too. Haruto Onii-chan.”