Chapter 9 – This Wolf Has a Weak Mentality

“Come on, it’s fine already. Hakuto-chan, just hurry up and make a move on me already. If it’s something Hakuto-chan wants to do, I’ll go along with anything, you know?”

With a slightly serious look in her eyes, my beloved Aku-nee says this to me.

“……Really? Stuff like 【CENSORED】, 【CENSORED】, and 【CENSORED】 too?”

I ask with a serious face. ……Depending on the content, I might consider it.

“Eh…… no, um…… As expected, seriously off-putting acts like that are a bit…… But my adoration for Hakuto-chan is the real thing, okay?”

Although slightly put off by the madness I exuded, Aku-nee strongly clings to me.

“When I was mentally ill about my origins in the past, you always held me like this, right?”

“Yeah. As for me, I couldn’t bear to watch my stepsister falling apart.”

Memories from my middle school days resurface.

The first time I did this for her was probably a day after her shocking coming-out……

“I can’t stop thinking about this all day and it’s so painful…… Do something, Hakuto-chan.”

It was on a cold winter day when Aku-nee came to my room crying while saying such things, and I pulled her close and stayed with her until morning. Ever since then, once or twice a week, as we hold each other like this and I whisper (familial) love to her, feelings of affection and romantic love mixed together have welled up in me for Aku-nee as well, so it’s a bit troubling. That’s one of my current worries.

“How much of a salvation that was. It’s been ever since then. That I decided to devote my life to this girl.”

“It sounds weird when I say it like this, but it’s heavy.”

“Please, don’t abandon me like that……”

“Here we go again, this big sister has entered depression mode……”

“Someone like me…… someone like me…… is a child who shouldn’t have been born……”

She’s always had extreme mood swings, but recently the amplitude seems particularly extreme. The instability of puberty, her complex regarding her origins, and her romantic feelings for me are all mixed together, causing this stepsister to occasionally have periods where she becomes extremely mentally fragile. Right now is exactly one of those times.

Perhaps that means her dependence on me has grown that much.

I slowly hug her back and pat her head gently.

“There, there. Aku-nee is a very good girl. It’s okay for you to live. It’s just, how should I say it, Aku-nee could use a bit more self-esteem.”

“I’ll do my best even with 【CENSORED】! If I do that, you’ll love me, right? I’ll work hard!”

“……That talk was supposed to be a bad joke, though……”

I really want her to spare me. Probably, if in our current loose relationship state she went along with my fetishes, I’m confident we’d rush straight to a point of no return for real.

It’s certain that my fetishes spring from a desire for dominance. The feeling of ‘I want to protect this girl’ and ‘I want to mess her up and defile her to my heart’s content’ exist at the same time. Like having two hearts~. Even I think I’m a terrible guy. I’ll admit it. I have strong sexual desire and a strong desire for dominance.

“Don’t mind the purity of blood or anything. Aku-nee is already a child of the Kicchodani family.”

“……Yeah.”

For now, while calming her down and holding Aku-nee like this, a familiar face enters my view.

“……?”

It was the transfer student in question, Okunihama Kaguya.

When she notices us, she makes a slightly stern expression and calls out.

“Hakuto, impure heterosexual relationships are bad, you know.”

“Well, well, if it isn’t the transfer student. Sorry for showing you an unsightly sight.”

“I’d prefer you call me by my proper name, not ‘transfer student-dono.'”

“My apologies. Okunihama-san.”

“Very good.”

While I respond with a cool face, Aku-nee glares at Okunihama-san with clearly stronger wariness.

Chapter 10 – This Wolf Has a Weak Mentality

“……Hakuto-chan is mine. If you’re aiming for him, give up?”

“Oh my, it seems I’m quite hated, huh.”

Okunihama-san laughs with a “Hahaha.” But her eyes weren’t smiling.

“Um…… Okunihama-san. Do you need something?”

“No, it’s not that I have any particular business. I was exploring the school during lunch break and just happened to encounter you…… By the way, you two are siblings without any blood relation, right?”

“You only came today, but you’re quite knowledgeable.”

“Well, I’m confident in my information gathering skills.”

After murmuring meaningfully, Okunihama-san continued her words.

“I’ll ask straight to the point. Is it fine to recognize you two as lovers?”

“No…… well, more than stepsiblings, lover-li—”

“We’re lovers!”

Aku-nee declared it before I could speak.

“Aku-nee……?”

“We’ve already done this and that, and even 【CENSORED】 and 【CENSORED】 things!”

“Hey, Aku-san?”

Aku-nee declared something outrageous. Wait a second, we haven’t gone to that level yet!

Before I could yell that, Okunihama-san distorted her face like a demon.

“Hoh, hoh…… So you’ve been humiliating my husband-sama in such a way……”

Okunihama-san says in an irritated tone. Wait, didn’t she just say “my husband-sama” just now?

“So, if you’re targeting Hakuto-chan, give up. This white rabbit-chan has already been thoroughly eaten by the bad wolf!”

“Haha, you really went and did it…… Even though he and I have been connected since our previous life, to think you’ve beaten me to it……”

Previous life……?

She says strange things. Is this the chuunibyou that came late?

“Whether previous life or whatever, please go home.”

Aku-nee makes shooing gestures.

On the other hand, Okunihama-san glares at her through her glasses with eyes that have no highlights.

“Hakuto…… You’re being brainwashed by that one, aren’t you. It’s okay. Your wife from the previous life will save you soon.”

“You’re saying things that don’t make any sense.”

Ah, this girl is that, huh. A dangerous one? The type I shouldn’t get too involved with? Like the delusional type?

“……I see, it looks like you’ve lost the memories from your previous life…… It’s fine, I’ll remind you soon.”

“Sorry, sorry. I can’t follow the conversation at all……”

To my attitude, Okunihama-san makes a slightly disappointed face and turns her back.

“……Well, it’s fine for now. This story will take a while. Let’s talk slowly next time.”

“Take your time chatting!”

When I tease her in a monotone voice, she must have gotten irritated after all. She turns around with a unique expression that has a smile but definitely carries displeasure, and stares at me.

“Hakuto~. This is a pretty serious talk. Could you not make fun of it?”

“My apologies.”

Realizing her anger is quite real, I utter words of apology.

“Really now. Also, for the time being, Hakuto. Be careful of that silver flower.”

“Ah, yeah…… That’s pretty abrupt.”

The silver flower. Is it the mysterious poisonous flower they talked about on the news this morning? Even in this rooftop garden, I can see some dotted around.

“This is one hell of a flower.”

“Hmm…… Indeed, I think its reproductive power and toxicity are incredible.”

“The scary thing about it isn’t those aspects.”

So saying, she vigorously stomps on a silver flower blooming nearby.

“This is a demonic flower, you know.”

“Demonic flower?”

I mull over the unfamiliar phrase.

Just as I was about to ask for the details, the chime announcing the end of lunch break rang.

“I’ll tell you the details later! For now, flirt with your sis as much as you can while you still can. ……You sis-con!!”

Saying that with an atmosphere filled with anger and jealousy, Okunihama-san left.

“What on earth was that……”

Completely confused, I could only see off the departing her.

“……For now, that’s it. That woman has fallen for Hakuto-chan. Moreover, she seems to have the same yandere disposition as me and Auntie.”

“……”

“I absolutely won’t hand you over to those two. Hakuto-chan is mine.”

This sister is also baring her jealousy. Somehow, it seems I have a constitution that’s easily liked by yandere types.