Believing She Has Been Reincarnated into a Baseball Game, My Little Sister Is Aiming for the Koshien, While I Give It My All to Keep Her from Finding out That It’s Actually an Ntr Game - Chapter 32

“After all, Chiikawa is just too cute. Shy and just pathetic enough to be irresistible, you know? Don’t you agree, Riko?”

“Let’s turn off the TV. Riko is of the opinion that a family gathering doesn’t need a TV. Well, although I say ‘family gathering,’ there should only be two of us. I smell something impure. It’s floating around the room. I want to ventilate for 24 hours.”

Even though we call it a family gathering, the atmosphere is more like a family meeting. Like when the eldest son’s cigarettes are found in his room—it’s that tense.

“Well, yeah, you’re right. As Riko says, maybe right now it’s just the two of you who are family. For now, I’m not part of the family. Right now, I’m not family. For now.”

Maika, sitting next to me, muttered that with a calm expression.

Well, Maika didn’t see Riko’s eyes yesterday… or rather, not just yesterday—fifteen years ago, and two years ago too. She never noticed any of it either.

Probably, even Riko herself wasn’t looking at Maika, but rather at me—her gaze, her feelings, everything contained within them.

“Onii-san, Maika-chan. I have something I want to ask. Please answer me honestly.”

Riko, sitting directly in front of us, spoke gravely. I swallowed nervously.

I know. There’s nowhere left to run. There’s no point in running.

Riko has noticed the progression of the relationship between Maika and me. For Riko, who loves me more than anything, what that means… I can’t pretend not to know any longer.

But just how much does she know?

Of course, what happened behind the bench yesterday must never be revealed. It could expose secrets of this world. No matter what, that must be kept hidden—taken to my grave.

But everything else… about Maika and me being engaged… we need to tell her one day, directly, honestly.

Riko herself might be scared of confronting the truth. She trembles slightly but then closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and fixes us with a determined stare.

“This… what is this? I found it in onii-san’s room.”

She pulls a rectangular box out of the pocket of her fluffy, fancy shorts and slides it in front of us.

“It’s a condom.”

Maika responded, her voice devoid of any emotion, the same tone she’d use to absentmindedly answer a dumb quiz on TV while folding laundry.

“A condom?”

“Yeah, Kyuugo’s condom.”

“Why would onii-san need a condom?”

“To prevent pregnancy.”

“Pregnancy prevention?”

“That’s right.”

“And ‘extra thick’?”

“It means it’s extremely thick.”

“Why does it need to be extremely thick?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.”

Please, just stop.

If only it had been an ultra-slim cigarette—how much better that would have been. Why did it need to be so slim?

“Then, onii-san, let me ask you.”

Please don’t ask me. I don’t want to answer anything—I just want to run away.

“We’ll put the word ‘extra thick’ aside for now.”

“That’s a huge relief.”

“So, onii-san, this condom—it says it originally had twelve pieces in it, but now there are only three left. Where did the other nine go?”

“A bad ghost came and ate them.”

“Onii-san, can you look me in the eyes and say that again?”

I’m sorry. Please forgive me.

“Hey, stop it, Riko. You’re putting Kyuugo in a tough spot. He’s acting like Chiikawa now.”

“Maika-chan, please be quiet. Right now, I’m talking with onii-san.”

“You want me to shut up? But… it’s not like this doesn’t involve me… Actually, I’m the one most involved here… When you say ‘bad ghost,’ are you talking about me? Haha…”

“Aahh!?”

Hey, stop it. “Are you talking about me?” Don’t make me laugh. Why are you scratching your flushed cheek like that? What’s with the hinting attitude? There’s nothing “like” about it. Those condoms were used to collect seed. Why does it have to sound like you ate them…?

…Wait, huh? No way. You didn’t… after collecting it, you…!!

“Riko. Calm down. If you stab Maika with that knife, nothing will be solved. She’s a real monster, so physical attacks probably won’t work.”

“Don’t stop me, onii-san!! I… I just… I wanted to protect your precious, precious innocence…!!”

“That’s not what happened, Riko! Seriously, Maika and I haven’t done anything like that! I’m still a virgin! Totally a virgin! And she’s totally a virgin too! A monster virgin! Virgin monster!”

“Then why!? Why are nine condoms missing!?”

“That’s… well…”

I try to come up with an excuse—but then I stop.

No, this is wrong. How much longer am I going to keep lying to my precious little sister?

True, I can’t tell her the real reason for the nine missing condoms. I can’t mention anything about NTR games or other perverted things—especially not to Riko, who loves baseball more than anyone and respects me so much. Even if it’s selfish, I can’t let that slip.

But my relationship with Maika is different.

It’s not right to continue deceiving both Riko and Maika forever.

I don’t want to be that kind of brother, or that kind of husband.

The fact that Maika and I haven’t crossed that line is true. Why add more lies on top of that? Wouldn’t it just make things worse in the end?

“Onii-san!”

“I get it, Riko. I’m sorry for staying quiet.”

I brace myself and, for the first time today, look Riko straight in the eye.

“I used them for practice. For the day Maika and I become intimate. I’m dating Maika.”

Riko’s large eyes widen in surprise.

I hear Maika gasp beside me.

“Kyuugo…”

“It’s okay, Maika. No, let me say this. Here and now, with my own words. I need to tell Riko properly. I need to show Riko, and you, that I’m serious.”

Maybe you could call it taking responsibility.

I turn to Riko again, gently placing my hand on her pale, smooth hand.

“Let me say it again, Riko. Maika and I are in a serious relationship. We haven’t been intimate yet, but we love each other as a man and woman. We’ve confirmed it with each other.”

“T-That… you’re talking about it as a game setting, right? Even I can understand that much. In terms of appearances, it would be easier to live that way for now, right? In that case, there’s no choice. Even a foolish sister like me can acknowledge that much.”

“No, Riko. It’s not a setting… I mean, at first, sure, we used that as an excuse. But now, it’s different.”

“…”

“After reincarnating into this world, no longer as siblings, Maika and I slowly started being honest about our feelings. It took a while to unravel everything, considering how messed up things had been since we were little. But finally, we could express our feelings.”

“…I don’t want to hear this, onii-san.”

“Please, listen. Riko. I love Maika.”

“——”

“I love Kyuugo too, Riko. More than anyone in this universe. Forever.”

“I know that. Maika-chan, be quiet. More than anyone in this universe. Forever.”

I grasp Riko’s hand firmly and continue, slowly and deliberately.

“So, Riko, Maika and I have gotten engaged. We’ve decided to marry here in this world. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. But you’re the most important to me. I haven’t told anyone else. What matters most to us is for you to accept us.”

“Onii… san… Y-You really… Ahaha, I see. Actually, I already knew how you felt, onii-san. But… but still…”

Riko’s voice trembles.

Ah, how sinful I am. Making my cute little sister cry, yet being unable to reciprocate her feelings.

“Riko.”

“Still! Riko can’t accept this! I don’t understand at all!!”

“I’m sorry, Riko. I’ve had some idea of your feelings. But, as I said fourteen years ago, we’re siblings. And above all, the only one I can love as a partner is Maika, the only one in this universe. I know it’s hard for you, especially since Maika and I were once siblings too. It’s natural to struggle with it. But, Riko, we want you to accept us. No matter how long it takes, we want you to bless us one day.”

“I don’t understand!!”

“Riko…”

“I still don’t understand why they need to be extra thick!!”

“Riko…!”

Riko lets go of my hand, slamming both hands down on the table.

Riko…