Fighting Over “Brother with -15 Likeability”

Why is Iori at Katama’s house… wait, how does she even know? Not to mention Katayama’s house, but me being there too…

“Onii-chan, let’s go home.”

“Wait a…”

Iori grabbed my right arm.

“I can’t just go home.”

“Why not?”

Iori’s tone was angry, seemingly annoyed about something.

I just met Iori now, and I don’t remember doing anything to make her upset…

“Why are you even here?”

“Well…”

“Did you follow me or something?”

“Why would I need to follow you? It just so happened… yeah, it just so happened that I heard you were coming to visit Katayama-senpai’s house.”

But it’s not easy to reach Katayana’s house, right?

As I was about to ask that, Iori’s expression grew even more stern. It seemed like she was looking behind me.

“Hey there, Iori-chan, not the prince, right? Hello.”

“…Goodbye. I’m taking him back.”

Iori tried to forcefully pull my arm again. As a guy, I have more strength, so I manage to resist.

“Aww, I was planning on getting some help studying from Shuugo-kun.”

“Senpai has a lot of charisma, so it doesn’t have to be onii-chan, right?”

“Hey, Iori. Your attitude is unusually cold today.”

Normally, she’s all smiles and gentlemanly manners.

“I’m not bothered at all~. Besides, Shuugo-kun said he’d teach me himself. Right, Shuugo-kun?”

“Uh, yeah…”

Indeed, it was my suggestion in the first place.

I felt Iori’s sharp gaze directed at me.

“Huh? What are you doing, onii-chan? Just because you’re usually not popular with girls, you suddenly want to be around them so badly? What, does it mean you’ll go for any girl?”

She’s as strict as ever. But there’s an unusual lack of composure in her tone compared to usual…

“Hehe, even the prince loses her cool when it comes to her onii-chan. You’re unexpectedly childish… Maybe I can even beat you as the third in line.”

“Huh? I’m totally fine, you know? Besides… onii-chan has a negative popularity of 15, so please don’t approach him recklessly.”

“Aww, that’s no fun.”

“Tch…”

Iori glared while Setsu smiled, both displaying mutual animosity.

These two, even though they know each other’s names, seem to be meeting for the first time… Why are they so hostile?

“Come on, onii-chan, let’s go home.”

“Why are you rushing me like this? Even if I want to go home, my bag is…”

“If that’s the case, it’s not a problem. Look at Senpai.”

“Huh?”

I looked at Setsu. My gaze shifts to her shoulder. She’s carrying my bag on her shoulder.

“The doorbell sound hinted at it, you know. I’ll give it back to you this time as a special favor.”

“What’s that? Acting like you’re the winner?”

“It’s not like that at all~ I just thought I’d wait and see how things go this time.”

The two of them exchanged another glare.

I still don’t understand what they’ve been talking about…?

“Hmm, hmm. Onii-chan, we’re leaving for real.”

“Huh? Ah… Katayama, are you sure you’re okay with studying!”

“Yeah. As I said, I have plenty of friends, so I’ll ask someone else. See you later, Shuugo-kun.”

“S-Sorry! Hey, Iori, don’t pull me like that…!”

“Tch… There’s a weird insect on onii-chan… A weird insect…”

Iori seemed to be muttering something, and it’s scary.

Suddenly, when I looked back, Katayama was waving with a smile.

It was a dazzling smile that could lighten the mood, but at that moment, there was something different about it.

◆◇

“Haa, what a shame, what a shame.”

After Shuugo-kun and Iori left, Setsu returned to the living room alone and looked at the cups on the table.

There were cups of blue, pink, and yellow.

The blue cup was the one Shuugo had been using.

Setsu took out the small bottle from her pocket. She dropped a drop into the blue cup.

Then… she drank it down in one gulp.

A few seconds later, it seemed to have taken effect.

“Haa~….♡.”

A voice filled with ecstasy. Cheeks flushed, eyes moist and glistening. There was no possibility of suddenly catching a cold…

Clearly, she was aroused—by an aphrodisiac.

“Wow, I’m really feeling it… Ah, my body feels so hot. Aphrodisiacs are amazing♪“

Aphrodisiacs.

Was Setsu going to use it to attack Shuugo? Or was she going to give it to Shuugo to let him attack her in the heat of the moment…?

The answer laid within her.

“Fufu, Shuugo-kun, come play at my place again sometime. And then… I’ll do something that friends can’t do.”

◆◇

“What on earth do you think you’re doing, onii-chan?”

As soon as we returned from Setsu’s house, I was cornered by Iori against the wall. With my back against it, there was no escape.

“Why were you at that girl’s place?”

“Well, like I said earlier, I went there to hang out.”

“I didn’t ask that. Why did you go to hang out? Are you the kind of guy who goes to a girl’s house just because she invites you?”

Her face drew closer. Our noses almost touched. She has a well-defined face, and she was advancing confidently, without hesitation.

“Stay away from girls, onii-chan. Don’t make more work for me.”

“Why would you be troubled if I interact with girls?”

“You don’t need to know anything about it. Just behave like the brother with a negative 15 likability.”

“Huh?”

I still don’t understand what she’s trying to say. It’s all about what Iori wants, without any consideration for my opinion. Well, that’s typical of her anyway…

Without paying any attention to my exasperation, Iori continued.

“Especially that girl is bad. Setsu Katayama is bad. That girl is harmful to you, onii-chan.”

If it was just about me, that would be one thing, but now she’s talking about Setsu too. About my friends…

“Don’t get close to Setsu Katayama next time. Okay, onii-chan? I’m telling you… huh?”

I grabbed Iori’s arm while she was wall-slamming me. Keeping hold of her, I pulled her waist closer to me and said,

“I don’t know if you hate me, but don’t speak ill of my friends.”

Then I let her go.

“I’m sorry, Iori…”

—I said it too harshly.

Before I could continue, Iori’s voice rose,

“I understand… I know there’s no chance for me as your little sister, I get it!”

“Huh? What do you mean by ‘chance’?”