Vol 1 Chapter 20 – A Story About My Little Sister Being a Little Strange【Vol 1 — A Happy Childhood】

Night.
I had finished everything I needed to do.
Without games or the internet in this world, my bedtime naturally crept earlier compared to my previous life whether I liked it or not.
Still, daily habits are nothing to scoff at — I had trained myself to feel sleepy even during relatively early evening hours.

“Yawn…“

Beyond the door lay my own room, simply furnished with so little clutter it almost embarrassed me.
A natural yawn escaped me.

I laid my body down on the bed, slipped under the covers, and prepared for sleep as usual.

Or at least, that was the plan…

“Why are you here, Elena…?”
“Onii-chaaan… Ehehe, you finally came~”

Elena, in her sleepwear, tangled her arms and legs around my body.
Various soft sensations reached me through the thin fabric.

“Sigh…“
“Um, Elena, I’m asking why you’re here.”
“Your smell is so calming, Onii-chan…”
“Listen to me…”
“Awh“

I was already terrified at how unsurprised I was by this.
Surrounded by Aria, Sophia, and Elena — who’d grown up watching them — this sort of thing had become routine…

Wait, hold on.
What is this? From an outsider’s perspective, this is basically a harem, isn’t it?
But for some reason, I don’t really feel like it is.
Probably because I can’t relax.
When I overhear their conversations about me, I get nervous.
Well, I guess it’s partly my fault for being so vague about everything…

“Hey, Onii-chan.”

Elena, who had been groaning from the forehead flick I’d given her, gazed up at me from close range.
Those two-toned eyes — different colors on each side.

“Hm?”
“Can I… kiss you?”
“Pfft!“

I hadn’t expected such a straight ball out of nowhere — even I couldn’t hold back a spit-take.

“W-What are you suddenly saying, Elena?”

Elena dropped her solemn atmosphere and showed a smile that seemed to find my reaction amusing.

“Ehehe, come on, Onii-chan, I’m kidding~ I’d never say something like that when there’s no mood for it, right?”
“I’m glad to hear that…”
“But if Onii-chan wants to, Elena is totally fine with it, you know? Elena loves Onii-chan so much, and I feel like Onii-chan could do anything to me and it’d be okay. Plus, you and I are getting married really soon, right?”
“…”

Seeing Elena say that with such an innocent smile, I couldn’t help but look away.

“Onii-chan? What’s wrong?”

Still keeping her limbs wrapped around me, Elena peered into my face.

She had let down the chestnut-brown hair that she usually wore in twin tails during the day. Her face — a beautiful structure that took strongly after our mother — was filled with maximum innocence.
Elena looked puzzled.

“…Elena, can we talk for a moment?”

I separated myself from the clinging Elena and sat her up on the bed.
I sat down across from her.

“What’s wrong, Onii-chan? You’re acting weird?”
“Elena, do you really want to marry me?”

Elena’s face twisted sorrowfully.

“O-Onii-chan, do you… not want to? Do you… not want to be with Elena?”

Seeing tears start to well up in those eyes, I quickly added:

“N-No, that’s not what I mean, Elena. That’s not what I’m trying to say.”
“…Okay.”
“You’re only nine years old, right? You’re still so small.”
“…Yes, but… but! Even at nine, in just one year I’ll be able to get married! I can properly become Onii-chan’s bride, you know?”

Elena clung to my chest again, as if seeking salvation.
Pressing her face firmly against my chest, both arms wrapped powerfully around my back.
She looked exactly like a frightened child trying desperately to protect her only treasure…

“So, so, please, Onii-chan… Elena can do anything for you.”

Something feels… off.

True, Elena had made her love for me clear enough to declare it in front of our parents, and she was so physically affectionate that she never hesitated with body contact.

And yet, right now, Elena seemed somehow… desperate.
Was I just imagining it?

Well, anyway, it probably wasn’t a good idea to continue this conversation any further.

“Elena.”

When I called out to her, Elena flinched.
I gently embraced her.

“Onii-chan…?”
“I love you too, Elena, and I want to be with you. So don’t worry.”
“…Really? Really, really?”

Elena looked up at me with damp eyes.

“Really. Elena, haven’t you been acting strange today? Did something unpleasant happen?”
“…Nothing like that happened.”

There was a pause just now.
She also averted her eyes slightly — it seems something definitely had happened.

Good grief, she’s so easy to read.
So childlike.
Elena sometimes approaches things with such unexpected conviction for her age, so seeing this side of her is actually a relief.

“I see, I see.”
“Wh-what, Onii-chan… wah!”

When I tightened my embrace, Elena let out a surprised voice.

My little sister who follows me around every day saying “Onii-chan, Onii-chan,” who relies on me even when she feels lonely.

There’s no way she isn’t cute.

Come to think of it, ever since Elena dug up that promise about marriage, I may have been keeping some distance from her.

From Elena’s perspective, that must have been frightening.

“Elena.”
“Y-yes, Onii-chan?”
“Do you want to sleep with Onii-chan today?”
“Eh, really!? Yay~!”

Elena squealed with genuine delight and quickly dove into the depths of the futon, pulling me in with her.
Such an impatient girl.

Elena hugged me from the front.

For a while, solemn silence continued.
Elena didn’t seem to have closed her eyes yet.

“U-um… Onii-chan…”

In that fleeting moment.
In the dim darkness, Elena spoke anxiously.

“Could you… kiss me…?”

What I thought of then was Elena’s talk about the promise to marry me.

I’ll draw a clear conclusion here.

I’ll deal with later matters when they come.
But on the premise that we’re talking about one or two years from now, the idea of Elena and me getting married is simply impossible.

I’ll have a proper talk with her soon.

While making that resolution, I lightly pressed my lips to Elena’s forehead.

“…”
“Come on, Elena, if you’re going to sleep, then sleep already.”
“Okay, Onii-chan.”

Elena tightened her arms and legs wrapped around my body slightly.

“Good night…”