My Ex-Girlfriend’s Sister Ran Away to My Room, and We Can’t Stop Making Mistakes. - Chapter 4: Onee-chan or Me.

Onee-chan or Me.

“I’m home.”

The first thing I saw when I stepped inside was a pile of garbage bags stacked by the door. The floor, which had been a minefield of empty cans that morning, was now spotless.

Mii was standing in front of the tiny kitchen, busily slicing a daikon radish.

“Welcome back. I cleaned up. I didn’t have anything else to do.”

“You really went to town on the place.”

“It’s not like there was anything I wasn’t supposed to see, right?”

She was wearing a grey hoodie and a pair of short pants—both mine. Since they were several sizes too big for her, they hung off her frame in a loose, baggy drape. Her long black hair was tied back into a simple ponytail with a rubber band.

“I borrowed some clothes, too.”

“I don’t mind. What are you making?”

“Curry. Hey, having only one burner is seriously inconvenient.”

“I don’t really cook.”

“What is this, a hot plate? It’s not gas or induction.”

“It’s an old apartment.”

“Huh,” she murmured, sounding intrigued as she switched it on. The ancient electric burner built into the kitchenette took forever to heat up.

“What do you usually eat? You don’t even have a rice cooker.”

“Convenience store food. Frozen meals.”

“That’s so bad for you. Probably expensive, too. Do you even eat vegetables?”

“I eat frozen broccoli.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Mii let out a heavy sigh.

“That’s not going to cut it. You’re already so thin as it is, Saki-nii.”

She broke the curry roux into pieces with her hands. The spicy, familiar aroma of curry began to drift through the cramped room.

“Go take a bath first. I bought some of those microwaveable rice packs.”

She told me she’d get a change of clothes ready for me. When I stepped into the bathroom, I saw that Mii’s personal belongings were already lined up. A small bottle of shampoo sat on the edge of the tub.

She was clearly planning on making herself at home.

It wasn’t that her presence was a nuisance, but I had no idea how I was supposed to act around her now. The last time I’d seen Mii, she hadn’t even started middle school yet. Back then, I’d doted on her like a little sister. Once things ended with her older sister, we’d stopped speaking entirely.

And now, here she was. The girl I’d remembered as a child had, quite naturally, grown up.

And even if I had been drunk, I’d slept with her the second she arrived.

What was the “right” way to handle this from here on out?

For that matter, why had she run away from home and—of all people—ended up at my door?

I brooded over it while I showered. By the time I finished, the curry was done.

“Perfect timing.”

Mii smiled with satisfaction as she set the dishes on the small folding table.

“I think it turned out really well.”

“I’ll say. It smells incredible.”

“Try it. Before it gets cold.”

Pork, onions, carrots, potatoes, and daikon. It was a hearty curry, packed with more ingredients than the pot seemed able to hold.

“This is impressive. Where did you get all these vegetables?”

“I bought them. Your fridge was nothing but booze and zero food. Since I emptied it all out yesterday, it worked out perfectly.”

“You were the one who emptied it. What about the money?”

“I used my own. I’d been saving up for when I ran away.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

“It’s fine. It wasn’t that much. More importantly…”

Mii sat down beside me, straightening her posture as she watched me.

“Eat, eat!”

She prodded my shoulder, rushing me. Without even taking the time to dry my hair, I picked up my spoon.

“Daikon in curry, huh?”

“It’s surprisingly good. A little bitter. I’ve been into it lately,” she said with total confidence.

I tentatively took a bite. The moment it hit my tongue, I tasted a subtle bitterness beneath the spice.

“This is actually great.”

“Right?”

“I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve had a real meal.”

Mii gave a happy little laugh, then stood up and pulled a can of beer from the fridge.

“You’re drinking again?”

“I have to. I can’t deal with things otherwise.”

“You sound like an old man.”

“Maybe I should have been born as one in another life.”

She popped the tab with a crisp pssh and let out a sigh.

“Eating yakitori from a convenience store, drinking cheap beer, and watching recorded sumo matches.”

“That’s a hell of a stereotype.”

“Is it?”

“Hey, putting that aside…”

“Beer is so bitter,” she murmured. “What is it?”

“Why did you run away?”

The question made Mii fall suddenly silent. She set her beer can down on the table.

She stared at the wall, her body perfectly still.

“Saki-nii.”

There was a jigsaw puzzle hanging on the wall. It was a photograph of the Grand Canyon—a gift I’d received from my childhood friend a long time ago.

“Who felt better? My sister, or me?”

As she spoke, Mii reached out and took my hand.