The Girl Who Was My Little Sister

As an older brother, I want to protect her talent and her future.

That’s why I’ll talk to her tonight…

–that it will be better if I am not by her side anymore.

After the shoot was over, Sasaki-san drove us to the luxury apartment that had recently become our new home.

We then took the elevator and walked through the corridor until we reached our apartment.

Saki should have been exhausted, yet she kept talking to me, who was walking half a step further away from her than usual.

“Nii-san, what do you think about getting a pet? What about a white dog! I’m sure that’ll be fun!”

“Saki. We don’t really have the time to properly take care of a dog.”

“Ah, that’s true. Ehehe, we shouldn’t keep pets irresponsibly.”

Saki was forcing herself to smile, it was painful to watch, yet she still tried to talk with me happily.

I could only give a vague retort though.

After entering our apartment, Saki immediately started to prepare dinner.

I was considering getting a delivery since we came home late today, so I decided to speak up.

“Saki”

“Yes! I will prepare dinner right now, please wait just a little bit! I’ll make Nii-san’s beloved curry!”

“Let’s go with delivery today.”

“…Why?”

“I mean, it’s already late isn’t it? And you must be tired.”

“Please don’t mind me.”

“Saki, I want to talk to you about something, so it’s okay to not cook for today.”

“…”

I sat at the table seat.

I tried to encourage her to sit in front of me but Saki ended up sitting next to me, so I just started talking like that.

“You don’t seem to be feeling well recently.”

“That must be your imagination.”

“I’m the reason for it, aren’t I?”

“That must also be your imagination.”

“I’m not that insensitive. I’m not that stupid that I’m not even able to tell what is going on with my own little sister.”

“…”

Saki looked down, as if she had accepted something. Her hand was gripping her thigh tightly, it started to bleed.

“I’m aware that I’m responsible for this. But I can’t really do something right away.”

“…Nii-san isn’t responsible. I expected this to happen.”

“You expected it?”

“Yes. I’m aware that I more or less forced us to move together, so I expected Nii-san to start to distance himself from me for a bit.”

“…”

“…It’s just… It’s just that it hurt way more than I had imagined. I didn’t think that having Nii-san reject me just a teeny tiny bit would cause me this much pain.”

Saki’s body started to shiver while she was still looking down.

Even her voice started to tremble, her feelings of being crushed were seemingly overflowing.

“Nii-san… It hurts.”

Saki raised her head. Her eyes were tearing up, her nose and cheeks were red.

I was not able to look at her and averted my gaze.

But she grabbed my shoulder and tried to make me look back at her while crying.

“Nee! Look at me! Please stop! I’ll apologise, I’ll apologise so please forgive me!!”

“Saki… I’m sorry…”

“NO! I don’t need those words! Just hug me like back then! Just pat my head saying that it can’t be helped. Just say that you forgive me!”

“Sorry… Saki, I can’t.”

I reached the point where I couldn’t pat her head with a pure heart.

Affection. Yearning. Doubt. Disbelief.

My heart was dyed black by various emotions.

I cannot dirty my little sister with this, so I decided with all my heart to say goodbye.

“It hurts to see Saki suffer like this, that’s why I’ll stop being with Sak–”

Before I could finish my farewell, my mouth was shut.

Shut by her lips that is.

“—”

It felt as if time had stopped. Did a few seconds pass? It felt like an eternity. I shared this moment with my little sister.

And then this kiss ended and my sister spoke up.

“—…. I won’t let you say it. I won’t accept that.”

“Saki, you…”

“I just kissed you. With this, the relationship between Nii-san and me is over. We’re not siblings anymore.”

“What the– Saki, we’re siblings! We’re still siblings! So what are you–!”

“Nii-san…. No, Kousuke-san. It doesn’t matter what Kousuke-san is thinking now. Nothing matters anymore. Because I’ve made my decision already.”

Saying this, my little sister closed in with her lips once more but I pushed her away.

“STOP IT! What are you thinking!”

“…Kousuke-san made me do this. You tried to distance yourself from me.”

“I was doing it for your sake!”

“You made a promise with me, didn’t you? You swore you’ll always stay with me forever, that you won’t ever leave me.”

“The times have changed since then!”

“IT’S A PROMISE THAT DOES NOT CHANGE WHATEVER HAPPENS! BECAUSE YOU SWORE YOU’D KEEP IT!!!”

Saki shouted louder than ever before and her sadness echoed in her voice.

There was no turning back anymore.

As if to make that clear, she had shouted frantically.

“It’s too late. So please give up. This is my last request as your little sister.”

And so, the girl who was my little sister covered me and kissed me.

(TLN: Partial title drop)

A single tear drop hit my face.

I wonder what kind of feelings were contained in that one tear drop.

Thinking about that, I stroked that girl’s head.