Gloomy Outside, Gal Inside ~Dealing with My Step-Sister Isn't Easy~ - Chapter 10: Sprouting?

Chapter 10: Sprouting?

Even when I return home, neither Dad nor Mom are there, and they won’t be back for a while. 

The silence, as expected, made me feel lonely.

However, my friends had told me to let them know if anything happened, and their concern made me realize how blessed I am to have such people around me. I felt grateful for this environment.

“… Ah~♪”

Taking a bath while thinking about such things is the best. 

Since I have already had dinner today, all that’s left is to relax and go to bed after getting out of the bath… Hmm, it’s truly a graceful end to the day.

“Nii~san? Is the water temperature okay?”

“It’s perfect!”

“I see.”

“Hey, Miu.”

“What is it?”

“The food today was amazing. You’ll make a great wife, Miu.”

“T-thank you.”

Well, truly, Miu will make a wonderful wife. I can guarantee that. I won’t tolerate anyone who takes her lightly, but if Miu chooses this person… It’s sad, but as her brother, I have no choice but to send her off with a genuine heart.

“… Tch.”

Uh-oh, my mood has soured a bit. 

Since the bathroom tends to amplify sounds, Miu, who is on the other side of the door, probably didn’t hear it, but still, the sound must have echoed a little.

“Hmm?”

Come to think of it, I just noticed something. Miu…?

The door between the dressing area and the bathroom is naturally fogged up, making it impossible to see through directly, but I can see her silhouette. The silhouette of Miu, reflected in my eyes, is moving as if she’s taking off her clothes.

“W-what are you doing!?”

“Huh? I thought maybe we could bathe together.”

“Hey, wait a m—”

I couldn’t help but stand up.

At that moment, Miu, wrapped in a towel, opened the door and appeared, looking at me with a beaming smile.

“So, let’s bathe together~♪ Since Mom and Dad aren’t here, we can do something like this. I mean, Nii-san, you wouldn’t refuse when your cute little sister wants to take a bath together, right?”

“…Well, that’s not…”

“It’s too late no matter what you say. By the way, is there any need to hide?”

“?!?!?!”

That’s right… I usually don’t bring a towel into the bathroom, so unlike Miu, I have nothing to cover myself with.

As opposed to Miu, who shows no signs of being flustered by seeing ‘it,’ I immediately cover my lower half with my hands, feeling an overwhelming sense of defeat… No, regardless of the situation, it’s entirely my fault for showing something dirty to a girl… I can’t accept it, but still!

“…?”

Miu, who started showering to wash her body, had a profile that seemed somewhat flushed. But maybe it’s because she’s bathing like that.

Wait, why am I analyzing things so calmly!

Because the towel she had wrapped around her body was getting in the way of washing, Miu discarded it and became completely naked, just like a newborn.

“Oh no…”

I quickly averted my gaze.

Miu, drenched in water from the shower, looked very comfortable, transmitting a sense of deep relaxation. Every time she shook her hair with her hands, in other words, with each movement of her body, her unrestrained and generously bouncing chest swayed.

“Oh, let me go first―”

I wanted to get out first!

As I thought about getting out of the bathtub, Miu held my shoulder down.

“No, you can’t. You’re not going to lose your temper, right?”

“…”

“You won’t, right?”

“…Yes.”

But… I feel like I might lose myself if it continues like this…

In the end, I couldn’t go against Miu and reluctantly sat back down.

“Hum hum hum~♪”

I desperately closed my eyes and started counting prime numbers in my head, like a saint, not looking at Miu as she sang and washed herself.

Well, some might think I should just ignore Miu’s words and leave. But that’s easy to say when you haven’t actually experienced a situation like this… Surprisingly, little sisters have quite a strong influence, you know?

“Alright! I’m getting in now.”

“…Yeah.”

Miu sat down next to me as she was.

The water overflowed slightly due to the weight of the two of us, but that was a trivial matter in this tense situation.

“Nii-san, you’re all tense, aren’t you?”

“…Well, of course I am.”

“…That tension, you know.”

I struggled to control my consciousness and blood flow, which seemed inclined towards my lower half, as I became aware of her softness directly touching my shoulder. The drops dripping from her hair looked oddly seductive, and the scent of soap and conditioner emanating from her excited me even more.

“Is it because of me?”

“…”

At that moment, I snapped… Well, it’s not exactly that I got angry.

It’s not like I was mad at her. And since there was no one around to hear even if I raised my voice, I decided to convey my feelings to her wholeheartedly.

“Miu, you need to realize how attractive you are!”

“Nii-san…?”

“As your brother, it’s only natural for me to have a biased view! Listen! You’re cute, beautiful, and your figure is outstandingly sexy! I’m a guy, and if I were to lose my rationality, there’s a chance I might pounce on you! So… so, don’t make fun of me too much!”

“…”

I felt relieved after saying it all at once.

However… it might have been creepy to directly tell my little sister that she’s sexy. But as a declaration of my determination, I needed to say it properly.

Well, Miu has accepted my fetishes or rather, my liking for erotic manga featuring little sister characters, so… Well, no, even so, this is embarrassing!

“But still…”

“Huh?”

There was one more thing I wanted to say.

“We’re spending time together like this, and taking a bath means we both get naked, right? It makes me really happy that you trust me enough for that. I… yeah, I really love you, Miu.”

This, too, was my honest feeling residing in my heart.

Miu seemed surprised, as water droplets splashed in the air, but she quickly put on a beaming smile and lunged at me.

“Nii-san!!”

“Oh, whoa?!”

A wet pie hit my face.

The damp softness was slightly suffocating, but if I discarded any sense of shame or embarrassment, it was truly a heavenly sensation.

Miu often pressed her body against me, but this direct approach was something we hadn’t done before… It’s really dangerous.

“…Ehehe♪”

“!?”

After clinging to me for a while, she let go and smiled.

Her smile was incredibly beautiful, causing my heart to pound even more than before… But I’m sure this excitement is partly due to the current situation.

“So, can I take it that you were happy, even though you were cautious?”

“…”

I wonder if it’ll be like this until Mom and Dad come back…?

I spent a few more minutes in the bath with Miu, but by the time we got out, the tension had faded away, and we had the most enjoyable conversation as siblings.

[Postscript]

This story is a medium-length work, so I hope it ends on a satisfying note.