I, Who Reincarnated as the Villain in a Romance Game, Somehow Became Doted on by the Heroine. And That Heroine Turned Out to Be a Yandere Stalker - Chapter 20: The Incident Where the Family Bonds Were Too Strong

Episode 20: The Incident Where the Family Bonds Were Too Strong

When I woke up, my sister was in bed with me.
Yayoi Todo, my step-sister, with whom I share no blood connection.

She’s been friendly with me since I became serious?, but she’s been sticking to me so much that it’s becoming a problem.
Sometimes, I feel like I hear electronic sounds, so I’ve been cautious too.

Yayoi, rubbing her sleepy eyes, wakes up.

“Good morning… Mitsuni, good morning.”
“Yeah, good morning. So, when did you get here?”

Last night, I watched anime alone and then slept alone.
Yayoi gives a mischievous smile.

“Hehe, I was lonely… so in the middle of the night…”

Despite her appearance, Yayoi has a sad past.
Her biological parents died in an accident, and her mother, who was their friend, took her in.

And her only older brother was a delinquent, who not only peeled oranges but also peeled apples for her when he got bored apparently.
I heard he would even ask her to remove watermelon seeds or only give him the meat when eating crab.

The epitome of wickedness, that was me—Mitsurugi Futo.

However, I’m not doing that kind of thing anymore.
Strictly speaking, there are times when I do, but it’s done out of goodwill.

Even now, I’m still peeling, peeling—hey, stop!

“Yayoi, stop it.”
“Huh? Isn’t it a morning greeting?”
“That’s not a vulgar greeting in this world.”

I gently tap Yayoi’s head to teach her.
No matter what, she likes me too much.
Wasn’t I the lowest of the low? I start to worry, but I’m happy that she’s reformed.

“Then, just a kiss on the cheek.”
“Since when do siblings kiss each other for a morning greeting?”
“In the Todo family.”
“Ugh… just a little.”

Softly, I kiss her cheek. Hmm, soft.

“Let’s go downstairs. Dad and Mom should be awake by now.”
“Okay~!”

Today is Sunday, a rare day off for the whole family to go out.
Recently, my parents have been busy with work, and I’ve been busy with high school.

Yayoi is still in middle school, but she always has early mornings for club activities.
Today, everyone is off, which is quite unusual.

Or rather, it’s my first outing with them.

We go downstairs and greet each other as usual.
Every time, this ritual makes me nervous.

“Good morning, Mom, Dad—”
“Mitsuchan!”
“Mitsu!”

Get used to it already. Where are the parents who are so happy just because their delinquent son greeted them?
Are they enjoying it? I thought, but tears welled up in their eyes.

Sigh, seriously, Mitsurugi Futo, what were you doing?

“Settle down… I’ve got some oranges for you.”
“Thanks, for peeling them.”
“Mitsu, there are apples too.”
“Thanks, for peeling them.”

By the way, we do this every day. It’s a hassle, but it’s become a tradition.

We toss fruit into our mouths, secretly already full.

The table is the usual four-seater, and Mom has laid out a variety of dishes.
It looks like it’ll be a good match against Hiyono-san.

“I’ll have some tamagoyaki♪”

Yayoi seems a bit more energetic than usual.
Probably trying to hide her pain.

“You can have my sausage too.”
“Yay!”

Today, I want to be a bit kinder to her. Well, I always am…

Dad talks about a lot of cheerful topics that he usually doesn’t bring up.
He talks about a certain family who got tattoos to strengthen their bonds during their overseas relocation, how delicious the food was, how fun the sightseeing was.

After finishing the meal, we quickly get ready and hop into the car.
Dad is driving, Mom is in the passenger seat, and Yayoi and I are in the back.
I fasten my seatbelt and check on everyone’s condition.
And also Yayoi’s.

“You okay?”
“…Yeah. I’m okay.”

I don’t want to remind her of the accident from the past.

And then we set off.

◇

“Hey, you’re a bit dirty. Mom, should I go get some water?”
“Oh, yes, please.”

We were visiting Yayoi’s parents’ grave.
It’s a bit remote, so we can’t come here without a car.
Her parents kindly left us alone.
Yayoi squats in front of the grave and begins to touch the tombstone as if stroking it gently.

Her delicate figure looks lonelier than usual.

Even though she’s in the lower grades of elementary school, she probably remembers vividly.
She went through tough times because of me even after coming to live here. I hope she’ll live happily from now on. That’s what I wish for.

“I’m doing fine, Mom, Dad.”

I gently support Yayoi’s back. At that moment, I suddenly think.
It’s memories from my past life.

Actually, they’re gradually fading away.
On the contrary, memories of Mitsurugi Futo’s past are becoming clearer.

I sense that I’m gradually trying to become Mitsurugi both physically and mentally.
Eventually, they’ll fade away completely, and everything will merge into one.

Strangely, there’s no fear. Compared to my past life, I have fun friends and a family.

The parents haven’t returned for a long time. Yayoi sheds a few tears while continuing to stroke the tombstone, but eventually, she stands up.
At the same time, she, along with our parents who have returned, removes all the dirt.

“Alright, shall we go back?”
“Yes, let’s go.”

I lightly pat Yayoi’s shoulder, and we return to the car.
However, Dad doesn’t immediately start the car and quietly says this.

“Yayoi, do you want to stay here a little longer?”
“…No, I’m okay. Thank you.”
“Don’t push yourself.”

I call out to her, and Mom quietly asks if we should go.

Finally, Yayoi murmurs, “I’m glad I could be a part of this family.”

And I also whisper inaudibly, “Yeah, I’m glad to be a part of this family too.”

The route to family dissolution will probably never come again.
Now, our bonds are stronger than ever. We’ll never be apart again.
It was a day when I was convinced of that.

“All right, I’ve decided, Dad! To deepen our bonds, let’s all get tattoos together!”
“That’s a good idea. Should we engrave each other’s names on our backs?”
“Let’s do it! I’ll have Mitsuni’s name and illustration on my back!”

“Huh? You’re joking, right? Why does everyone look so serious? Dad, what’s that death metal shop? Dad? Mom? Yayoi?”

A few days later, temporary family bond tattoos that last for a week were engraved on our backs.
By the way, it hurt like hell.