My Ex-Girlfriend’s Sister Ran Away to My Room, and We Can’t Stop Making Mistakes. - Chapter 38: Lingering Regrets.

Lingering Regrets.

“I knew it. As long as Onee-chan is in the picture, I never stood a chance against her.”

“Don’t talk like that.”

“It’s fine. You don’t have to force yourself to deny it. Deep down, you actually want to run away with her again, don’t you?”

“Not a chance.”

“You could do it. If you put your mind to it, Saki-nii.”

As if trying to cheer me up, she tapped me on the back over and over. She wasn’t crying anymore. She was back to the usual Mii.

I brought the cup to my lips. The coffee was empty.

“All finished?”

“Yeah. It’s freezing out here.”

“I have some left over. Here.”

“Take it,” she said, handing me the cup from her hands.

“Are you sure?”

“It’s fine. Don’t be polite.”

“You’re sweet, Mii.”

“Look who’s talking, Saki-nii.”

I took a sip of the slightly lukewarm liquid.

“So sweet… Just how much sugar did you dump into this?”

“Is it weird?”

“It’s way too sweet. You really are still a kid.”

I swallowed down the coffee, which tasted of nothing but sheer sugar. All the while, Mii watched me in silence. The sound of cars from the main street reached my ears in an irregular, rhythmic pulse.

The hand holding the cup felt cold. Mii opened her mouth to speak.

“If you met up with Onee-chan, what would you even want to say to her?”

“Who knows. I never really thought about it.”

“Try thinking about it.”

“Maybe ask how she’s been lately? I’d genuinely like to hear what kind of life she’s living right now.”

“And then?”

“I’d tell her congratulations on her marriage. I haven’t actually said it to her yet. And about her pregnancy, too. I want to properly congratulate her.”

“What else?”

“We’d probably talk about old times.”

“Is that all?”

Her gaze was testing me.

“Aren’t you going to ask her if she still loves you?”

“I wouldn’t. That’s pathetic.”

“Even though you’re a guy, you really are pathetic, Saki-nii.”

“True. You two are far stronger than I am. I’m well aware of that.”

While I’ve done nothing but look back at the past, she has been moving forward with her life. I’m sure she’s had plenty of painful moments of her own.

“I honestly think it’s incredible. And I love her… including all those parts of her.”

“Heh.”

“So it’s fine. Even if it’s just a one-sided love.”

“How unrewarding.”

“I wasn’t looking for a reward in the first place.”

“What if Onee-chan still loves you, Saki-nii? What would you do then?”

“I wouldn’t do anything.”

“For example…”

Shifting her posture, she wrapped her arms around my back. Even when I told her to hold on a second, Mii only pressed her body closer against mine.

“It’s fine, isn’t it? There’s nobody else here anyway. For example…”

She rested her chin on my shoulder. She rubbed her cheek against mine, snuggling close.

“What would you do if Onee-chan hugged you tight like this?”

My vision was obscured by her long hair. I could smell Mii’s scent. The fragrance of the dark night had thoroughly seeped into her.

“I love you, Saki-kun. Hold me. Hold me tight.”

She whispered right into my ear. Her grip tightened. Our coats rubbed together, making a soft, sliding sound.

“Will you run away with me again?”

I swallowed hard. The saliva felt like liquid lead, dropping heavily into the pit of my stomach.

“She would never say something like that.”

“It’s just an example.”

“I wouldn’t run.”

“Liar.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You are a liar. Your dick is getting hard.”

“That has nothing to do with this.”

I tried to push Mii’s clinging body away. And yet, for some reason, the strength wouldn’t enter my hands. My arms from the elbows down dropped limply toward the ground.

“Huh…?”

A strange sensation of floating washed over me. My vision began to lose its focus. The glow of the streetlight bloomed and blurred outward.

“It’s starting to kick in.”

I thought I saw Mii smile.

“What… is this…?”

“Sleeping pills.”

My mind was fading into white.

“I put a whole bunch in that coffee earlier, so you won’t be able to wake up until tomorrow afternoon.”

It felt as though a massive hand was stroking the inside of my brain. Every single nerve was going numb.

“Why…?”

I desperately squeezed the words out. At this point, the only way to keep myself from collapsing completely was to surrender my body to her.

“I’m sorry. I won’t let you meet Onee-chan.”

My vision tilted heavily. Unable to maintain my balance, I was pulled down into Mii’s embrace, my head landing directly on her lap like a pillow.

She looked down, peering into my eyes.

“Why…?”

A raspy voice escaped me.

“We were… talking so happily… just a second ago…”

I couldn’t comprehend it. There hadn’t been a single warning sign.

Mii stroked and toyed with my face.

“That has nothing to do with this,” she said in a quiet voice, her expression unchanging as she repeatedly tugged at my cheeks. “You’re clearly completely hung up on her. As your romantic rival, I have no choice but to get in the way, don’t I?”

Her voice drifted further and further away. It was supposed to be freezing, yet the warmth blooming inside my body felt bizarre.

Just before my consciousness completely cut out, I heard Mii speak one last time.

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave plenty of heat packs around you.”