Chapter 70: Afterstory & Prequel – 22: Still a Sticky Schemer in My Past Life

Maika’s wavering eyes gazed weakly at me.

What the hell is she saying…?

“I got confessed to by one of the guys in our class. It’s your fault, Kyugo. You ignored me for 41 days straight because of our fight. You took your eyes off me.”

“You…! You didn’t accept it, did you!?”

“Kya!” Maika let out a small shriek.

Before I realized it, I had pinned her soft, curvy body onto the bed.

My body, my head, felt like they were boiling. A feeling, similar to anger but distinctly different, coursed through my body and drove me. I mean, I already knew what it was.

Jealousy. Possessiveness. Just hearing Maika talk about another guy or seeing her approached by one made me lose my mind. Unforgivable. Don’t you get it? Every part of you has been mine and mine alone from the very beginning. Do I really have to say it out loud for you to understand?

“…What if I did accept it? What would you do?”

“…”

The roles were almost completely reversed from three days ago. Now it was Maika lying on her back, her arms pinned down, and me on all fours above her, staring down at her face.

Maika turned her flushed face to the side, avoiding my eyes. Yet she made no attempt to resist. Instead, in a fragile voice, she said:

“Hey… answer me. What if I did accept it?”

“…! I’d… I’d stop it before someone else could take you away…”

I barely stopped myself. I forced my boiling emotions under control.

“Before someone else could take me away…? What would you do?”

“There’s no way I could say…”

“Say it.”

“You…”

“Say it.”

“I’m not saying that.”

“Say it. I’ll forget it by tomorrow… just say it.”

Her teary eyes locked straight onto mine, as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment. But she didn’t look away. Damn it, that’s not fair. I can’t hold myself back like this. Her jasmine-like scent rose, beckoning me into her soft body.

Damn it…! I’m telling you now—don’t blame me if I regret this. Once I cross the line, once I give in, I won’t be able to stop myself anymore…!

“Maika—”

“Pfft. Haha…!”

“…Wha—what’s so funny?”

Just as I was about to lean down, Maika burst into laughter. Her face lit up as she let out hearty chuckles, “Haha… hahahaha!” She was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.

“Of course it was a joke.”

“…You didn’t get confessed to?”

“No, I did.”

“You what!?”

“I did, but I rejected him immediately and completely.”

“I’ve told you to report these things right away. What if they hold a grudge against you?”

“It’s fine. He didn’t seem like that kind of person.”

“Even so. I don’t want anyone to so much as touch you. From now on, call me right then and there. That’s an order.”

“…Okay. I’m sorry.”

“Good, as long as you understand.”

Satisfied, I gave her a pat on the head as a reward. She squirmed in pleasure under my hand. Stop making it weird. Sure, it’s a bit of a tender moment, but my body hasn’t calmed down at all yet, okay?

“But… hehe… just now, Kyugo, you looked so intense… Were you jealous? So cute.”

“Hey, stop that. Don’t pet me.”

Liar. I like being petted. But there’s a problem. Maika pulled me into a hug. Her arms wrapped around my head, and she started petting me with my face pressed into her chest. Her soft, voluptuous H-cup chest.

Now I’m really at my limit. I can’t calm down. She must’ve felt it pressing against her leg by now—it’s obvious.

But Maika didn’t say anything about it. Instead, she kept gently stroking my shaved head. Then, almost like a passing thought, she muttered:

“There’s no way I’d ever get a boyfriend. Not when I have you.”

“…! Y-you… does that mean…?”

She stopped me just before I lost control again, yet here she was, saying something that would push me over the edge—!

“H-Huh!? No, no! Don’t get the wrong idea, okay!?”

So I misunderstood. Yeah, figures. Damn it, just when I was enjoying her petting, she’s back to hitting me again. Well, that feels kinda good in its own way. Plus, I still get to enjoy her soft chest.

“It’s not like that. I don’t have time to get a boyfriend when I need to support you with your baseball.”

“Oh… I see.”

But at the same time…

“I plan to keep playing baseball for as long as I can, though…”

Because I want Riko to keep seeing my cool side!

“Hmm, okay.”

“Hmm, okay? Do you even get what I’m saying?”

“Well, then there’s no helping it. If that’s the case, that’s just how it’ll have to be if you’re going to keep playing baseball.”

“You’re… okay with that?”

If I keep playing baseball, Maika won’t get a boyfriend and will keep supporting me. That’s what she’s saying, fully aware of it.

“Okay or not, it’s not like I have much of a choice. I’ve grown to love watching you play baseball the most. So, you know, keep going. No matter what, don’t quit baseball.”

Well then, my answer’s obvious.

“Of course. I don’t need anyone to tell me that. Baseball’s all I’ve got.”

“Yeah. Promise me…”

“Hm? Yakusou? Medicinal herbs?”

“N-no, never mind.”

Maika shook her head quietly, a trace of resignation on her face.

“So, that’s how it is. If you want to keep playing baseball, you can’t mess up. Don’t let your emotions or desires take over and do something irreversible.”

“Maika…”

Maika, do you even realize that at this very moment, you’re making it impossible for me to calm down? You’ve got your legs wrapped tightly around me, holding me in place. Is this even conscious, or what? Thanks to the position of my head—right against your chest—I’ve managed to keep my sanity. Given I’m over 20 centimeters taller, and, well, even though I’m fully hard right now, I’m just barely avoiding any dangerous contact. Not that grazing your leg isn’t already pushing me to the brink…

What do I do? What the hell am I supposed to do here? It’s starting to feel like things have settled down, but my pent-up frustration and my… current condition haven’t gone anywhere!

“Exactly, Maika-chan, Onii-san♪”

“!!”

Both Maika and I reflexively jumped and looked up toward the voice. Her tight hold around me instantly released. And there, standing with her arms crossed and an unyielding presence, was none other than Riko. Soft and doughy… and terrifying.

“Riko… Could you please learn to knock?”

“I did. But Riko’s knock is a soft, doughy knock, so maybe it just didn’t make much noise.”

“Fair enough, then.”

Standing beside the bed, Riko looked down at us. Yes, she’d seen us. She’d absolutely seen us tangled up on the bed. And yet, despite the big smile on her face, her aura was brimming with oppressive… softness?

“No, no, Riko, you’ve got it wrong! It’s not like we were doing anything shady—”

“That’s right! Kyugo and I weren’t cuddling or making up or flirting or anything like that!”

Shut up, Maika.

“Fufu, why are you panicking, Onii-san, Maika-chan? Riko didn’t say anything, didn’t see anything, didn’t hear anything. What’s this about cuddling and flirting?”

“Ah… I-I see. I wasn’t panicking! Maika and I were just talking about our baseball training camp reflections, that’s all!”

“That’s right! Kyugo and I weren’t happily petting each other or flirting at all!”

Go to bed, Maika.

Cautiously, I glanced at Riko’s expression. She hadn’t seen the worst of it, but after hearing all those slip-ups, even Riko might…

“Hmm. I had my suspicions when Maika-chan tagged along for the camp, but so it’s come to this. I see. If anything, it seems to have backfired.”

Instead of getting angry or surprised, Riko simply muttered to herself, her hand covering her mouth. Backfired… what?

“What’s going on, Riko?”

“Nothing at all! After all, I’m just a disposable pawn! Soft and doughy, always calm and composed! Onii-san, don’t worry about anything. Let’s just stay soft and doughy together!”

“Uh, but—”

“Soft and doughy!”

“Soft and doughy!”

Riko threw herself into a hug, and I caught her. Together, we embraced in a warm, doughy way. Doughy! Yeah, if Riko says it’s fine, I don’t need to worry about a thing. Doughy!

“…I don’t even get it anymore.”

Maika looked at me and Riko with a deadpan glare. But come to think of it, we were saved by Riko’s interruption. It stopped my spiraling desires in their tracks.

We’re siblings, Maika and I. That fact will never change, no matter what. Even if some kind of miracle happens, we’ll never hit a home run with our relationship. Hell, I’ll never even step up to bat.

I love Maika. And I know she probably… feels the same way about me.

But we’ll never say it out loud. We’ll lock those feelings away forever, and no matter how painful it gets, we’ll stay together.

As I watched Maika and Riko wrestle in yet another scuffle, I couldn’t help but think that. Seriously, calm down already, me.