My Beautiful Step-Sister, Who Is Too Much My Type, Keeps Pressuring Me to 'Get Married' Every Day and I'm Really Troubled ~She Takes Advantage of Being My Step-Sister to Tempt Me However She Wants!?~ - 18 - Mishizuku’s Feelings
Mishizuku’s Feelings
After walking with Mishizuku for about ten minutes, she stopped in front of a certain place.
“Mishizuku?”
“Let’s go in.”
With those brief words, Mishizuku entered the establishment.
…That place turned out to be a karaoke place. I was slightly taken aback, but on the other hand, it made sense that she chose a private space like a karaoke room to discuss whatever she had in mind.
…Thinking about it only increased my nervousness, but there was no use dwelling on it. I took a deep breath and followed Mishizuku into the karaoke room.
Inside, we were assigned a room, which, while spacious for two people, might feel cramped with four.
As Mishizuku and I settled onto adjacent sofas, I couldn’t help but wonder what she wanted to discuss.
“Wait, Mishizuku, we’re not singing right now, are we?”
“I’m okay with singing, but that will come after I’ve conveyed what I want to say.”
“I see… So, what is it that you want to convey?”
When I asked straightforwardly, Mishizuku began speaking with a serious expression.
“Before I convey what I want to say, there are a few things I want to ask you, is that okay?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“…Do you want to be in a romantic relationship with Yumi?”
“Huh…?”
In response to Mishizuku’s question, I felt a question mark hovering over my head.
Given my repeated assertions in our previous conversations that I didn’t want that kind of relationship with Yumi, Mishizuku should know that. So, perhaps she’s just confirming it. In that case, I’ll simply convey what I truly think without adding unnecessary details.
“I don’t. Yumi is an important little sister to me.”
As I conveyed this, Mishizuku looked at me sharply without missing a beat.
“Then why were you holding hands with Yumi-chan on Saturday?”
From Mishizuku’s demeanor, it was clear that this was the main point of the conversation, and it was a conversation I’d rather avoid. However, I did have some thoughts on the matter, so I decided to share them with Mishizuku.
“Well… At first, I wanted to refuse, but I didn’t want to give Yumi the impression that I see her as anything other than a little sister by rejecting her. So, I held her hand with the understanding that it was purely sibling-like.”
After I explained my thought process, Mishizuku looked at me like I said something unbelievable.
“That’s something Yumi-chan wouldn’t care about. Regardless, you were still holding hands with her… Besides, to an outsider, it looked like you were a couple.”
“Even if it looked like that to an outsider, we’re siblings.”
“The problem is that you’re allowing things that look like a couple’s behavior. Like when Yumi-chan hugged you at the aquarium. It’s not normal for siblings to hug each other outside the house.”
…For some reason, Mishizuku seemed a bit angry.
Whether it was because my words and actions seemed contradictory to her, or if there was some other reason… Either way, I felt that Mishizuku’s words were something we needed to address properly for the future. So, I faced it squarely and spoke up.
“I was about to argue with Yumi at that time, but someone bumped into us coincidentally, and it got brushed aside. I was going to protest against it.”
“Yeah, if I hadn’t bumped into you back then, I think you would have kept being hugged and continued to argue.”
“Was it you who bumped into me back then?”
“Yeah, at that moment, I was annoyed with you, and I bumped into you to change the situation for you.”
“Indeed, in the end, it did help me out… But why were you annoyed with me at that moment?”
As I asked, Mishizuku lowered her gaze, placing her hand on her chest before speaking.
“It was different from when you kept a secret from me before… I wasn’t that oblivious to my own feelings. I think this is……”