My Little Sister Suddenly Confessed to Me, but What Am I Supposed to Do by Dating My Little Sister? - Chapter 99 & 100 & 101

Chapter 99: Launching Fireworks

“DOGGAAAAAAAAN!”

Hmm, written out like that, it lacks impact… I’ve never heard it myself, but it sounds like a literal bombing run… It hasn’t actually turned into a mecha series; we’re all just here to watch the fireworks.

When Asami invited me, I hesitated because I hate crowds. However, she told me about a secret viewing spot with very few people, so I decided to come along.

We passed the crowded riverbank where the city-sponsored festival was held and slipped into a grass baseball field. It really was a hidden gem; there were only a few people scattered around. We spread out a leisure sheet on the outfield grass—the five of us watching the sky.

“Wow! The fireworks are so big!”

My sister looked up in delight. Every time a firework burst, her pink peony-patterned yukata glowed in the darkness. She looked incredibly beautiful. A peony when she sits, a lily when she walks… That’s my sister for you!!

“We’re right on the edge of the restricted zone, after all~~”

Asami replied, wearing a blue iris-patterned yukata. Her neckline was a bit loose; every time a firework went off, I caught glimpses of something large and soft. As usual… they’re huge…

“Niichama, are you actually watching the fireworks? Look, a Saturn and a smiley face just went up! Did you see?”

Mitsuki, wearing a red cherry-blossom yukata handed down from Shiori, pointed at the sky. I’m looking, I’m looking! See, I even wrote “glimpses” right there. But man, that red yukata suits her perfectly. Mitsuki is ridiculously cute!!

“This rice ball is great! Salmon and roe! And the fried chicken is seasoned perfectly. Are you eating, Yuu?”

Michiru… let’s try to watch the fireworks, okay? Though the food is good… She wore a black narcissus-patterned yukata and was devouring the bento without a care for her disheveled hem. Every time a firework lit up, I saw Michiru’s underwear… black? Wait, she is wearing some, right? She didn’t mistake a yukata for a kimono… please reassure me~~ Ah, wait, Michiru has silver hair… okay, I’m relieved, she’s wearing them.

“OW!”

A sharp pain shot through my right arm. My sister, still looking up at the sky, was pinching me with all her might. Ow, ow, ow!

“Onii-chan, where exactly are you looking~~? We came to see the fireworks, right?”

“…………Yes.”

“Well, well, ‘bento over fireworks’ instead of ‘dumplings over flowers,’ right? Let’s all eat, it’s delicious!”

Michiru continued to munch away, ignoring the fireworks entirely. Didn’t she say she was trying hard to be more “girly”? She’s back to her old self… though I like her better this way.

While I was feeling nostalgic, Michiru kept eating… Hey, Asami made that by hand. Leave some for me! Asami is a great cook; even Shiori, who is decent at everything, said she wanted to learn from her. I’d had her cookies before, and they were better than store-bought.

“Hey, hey, Niichama. Can you properly introduce these two to me?”

Mitsuki whispered in my ear.

“Ah, right.”

Between the struggle of getting Mitsuki dressed and being late for the meeting time, I’d only introduced her as my cousin Mitsuki. I wanted to do it properly now, but the noise was deafening.

“DOGWAAAAAAAAN! CRACKLE! WHEEEEEEEE—DOGWAAAAAAAAN!”

“IT’S TOO LOUUUUUUUD! …I CAN’T!!”

When I shouted that into Mitsuki’s ear—

“Niichama! Gotcha~~”

Mitsuki moved to kiss me on the lips… and just before she did, something flew into my eye.

A bug? Thinking that, I instinctively jerked my face away. Mitsuki’s lips missed the mark, grazing my cheek just beside my mouth… What the hell are you doing?!

“…………”
“…………”
“…………”

The other three went bug-eyed. Ah… here we go again…

Michiru was the first to speak.

“Y-Y-You… now it’s your cousin! You laid a hand on your cousin!! What’s wrong with you? Is anyone with the same blood okay? You have no self-control!!!”

No, no, no, I didn’t lay a hand on anyone. Not Shiori, not Mitsuki.

“Mitsuki-chan is… an elementary schooler, right? Um, can you call 110… from a smartphone…?”

Asami pulled out her phone. No, no, you can, but please don’t!

“Onii-chaaaaaannn! Why is it always Mitsuki-chaaaaannn?!”

Crap… Shiori is going to ask to do the same thing now. Also, Mitsuki, how long are you going to stay stuck to me? Let go!

“Y-Y-You… if an elementary schooler is okay… then I should be fine too! I’m legal!!”

Michiru started spiraling. What do you mean “legal”? Stop talking like I’m a criminal~~

“Hello? Police? There’s a high schooler here… putting his hands on… a little girl…”

Is she serious? Is she actually calling?!

“Niichama! Why did you dodge?!”

Mitsuki looked sullen after I forcibly pulled her away.

“Of course I’d dodge! What were you even doing?!”

“Ehhh? I wanted to have a kiss with Niichama after such a long time while watching the fireworks…”

“What do you mean ‘a long time’?!”

What is she talking about? She’s making it sound like I’ve kissed her before!

“S-S-See! You did do it! You’ve already laid hands on her!!”

“It’s not the police anymore… he’s going straight to prison~~ What’s the phone number… for a prison…?”

No, at least give me a trial! I’m innocent!

“Onii-chan…”

Shiori was backing away… It was the first time I’d ever seen her look repulsed. The shock was unexpected.

“M-Mitsuki, what are you saying?!”

“What do you mean?”

“The ‘long time’ part!”

“Yeah. A kiss with Niichama after a long time.”

“I told you—”

“Ehhh? Did you forget, Niichama? You kissed Mitsuki when she was three years old.”

“…………”
“…………”
“…………”
“…………”

All four of them went bug-eyed.

“CRACKLE-DOGKAAAAAAAAN-CRACKLE!”

A massive Star Mine went off, and cheers erupted from the surroundings.

“Um, Mitsuki-san?”

“H-How cruel, Niichama. Stealing Mitsuki’s first kiss and then forgetting all about it.”

No, no, no. Three years old? Six years ago? Did I? Wait, that wasn’t a “kiss,” was it?

“Th-three? Wild plants? Th-th-three times three is nine…”

“Calm down, Michiru.”

“Hello? Yes, I have the King of Lolicons right here…”

Wait, who are you calling? King? Why does “King” sound kind of cool—no, stop!

“Onii-chan, that’s really going too far…”

She’s pulling away even more. Shiori is genuinely repulsed now.

“Cruel. Niichama is too cruel. After you were so passionate about it…”

Passionate? What am I, an actor from a romance flick?

“What do you mean ‘passionate’?! I don’t remember, but I bet it was just you being cute and clingy, so I gave you a peck on the cheek or something!”

“Y-You really did do it! You…”

Now even Michiru is backing away. That hurts more than Shiori doing it.

“Yuu…”

Asami was so shocked her speech returned to normal. No small “u” or “e” at the ends of her words. I can’t even tell it’s her like this.

“Uwaaaaaa!”

Now my sister has started crying. Genuinely crying.

“Honestly, Niichama. If you forgot, I’ll just have to… make… you… remember.”

Mitsuki lunged at me again.

“What do you mean ‘make me remember,’ you elementary schooler!”

Ow! This time something flew into both my eyes, and I squeezed them shut.

“Ah! He closed his eyes!! He’s ready… Ow!”

Michiru closed her eyes too. And then, there was the smell of gunpowder…

“Whoa! Stuff is falling everywhere! Ow, ow!”

“It hurts! My eyes!”

“Eh? What is this? Tiny bits of paper?”

“Ah… this is because… we’re too close to the launch site… and the wind is bad… debris from the fireworks is falling on us~~”

Whoa! Quite large fragments were fluttering down.

“Niichama, something’s in my eye~~ take it out!”

“No way! You’re definitely aiming for something~~”

“Tch.”

She just clicked her tongue! Mitsuki clicked her tongue!

“I see… so that’s the play. Ow, Yuu, I have something in my eye too.”

No, no, no. I’m not doing it. Michiru, are you an idiot for thinking I’d fall for that?

“Onii-chan, I have some dust too.”

Not you too, sister… she becomes a total klutz the second it involves me…

“Yuuu… me tooo~~”

Even Asami… her shy way of saying it was cute, but this is a textbook “triple-play” setup…

“Geez, Niichama! I’m the priority! I’m your first kiss partner, after all!”

Listen, I was a middle schooler then! You were practically a baby! Don’t count that!

The fireworks erupted even more grandly, like a signal for the end of the first half—and the beginning of a harem development…

Chapter 100: Yuu, Shiori, and Mitsuki

The fireworks festival ended in an indescribable state—Mitsuki spent the entire time being aggressive toward the other three, effectively flaunting her relationship with me.

I had hoped that meeting them would soften her rejection of others and her “I don’t need friends” mindset, but the result was disastrous…

I sent apology emails to the two of them for the time being…

‘It’s fine, really. But keep the loli stuff in moderation and just make do with me,’ Michiru replied.

No, Michiru isn’t really a “loli,” just her chest… I obviously couldn’t send that back. And if we’re talking “legal lolis,” Shirai-sensei is… wait, I’m not a lolicon, I’m not a lolicon…

Then a reply came from Asami:
‘Mitsuki-chan is so cute; I can see why you’d kiss her, Yuu-kun. But keep it in check, or I’ll press 110 next time instead of 117~~’

Apparently, the person she “called” today was just the time-announcement service. Next time, I hope she just checks the weather forecast instead…

As I sat in the living room checking my mail, Shiori entered, having finished changing.

“Where’s Mitsuki?”

“In the bath.”

“I see…”

Shiori sat down next to me, facing forward and avoiding my gaze as she spoke.

“Listen, Onii-chan… you should probably have a proper talk with Mitsuki-chan.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. You really do understand me, Shiori.”

“I do. Though this time, I hate that I understand,” she replied with a smile.

Basically, whether I spend time with Mitsuki at home or go out, it’s a “date” in its own right, so it’s only natural Shiori would be unhappy about it…

“I think Mitsuki is carrying thoughts and feelings she can’t tell anyone. Just like you used to, Shiori. Back then, I was too pathetic to help you, but now that I’ve noticed it with Mitsuki, I want to save her.”

I had completely failed to notice Shiori’s suffering back then. Perhaps, like today’s fireworks, being too close can make it harder to see…

“No, Onii-chan, you did save me. Compared to those days, I feel like I’m in heaven now… So this time, let’s save Mitsuki-chan… our sister.”

“It feels a bit arrogant for someone like me to talk about ‘saving’ someone, but this is a good opportunity. I’ll talk with her thoroughly. I might end up relying on you in the end, so I’m counting on you then.”

I might not be able to save her alone, but if Shiori is with me…

“No, I can’t do it. Mitsuki-chan won’t open her heart to me. Only you can do it, Onii-chan… Probably not even Yayoi-san or her parents could do it. But if she opens her heart to you any more than this…”

Shiori gently took my hand. I placed my hand on her head and gave her a light pat. We didn’t need many words; we were communicating. Or at least, I’d like to think so…

“I’m taking Mitsuki to see the sights in Tokyo tomorrow… I’m sorry.”

“I know. But I’m so jealous! I want to go too! I want to date you more, Onii-chan! It’s n-o-t e-n-o-u-g-h!”

There are still a mountain of places I want to go with her. It’s okay; we have plenty of time.

“Yeah, I want to go too.”

Since Mitsuki arrived, we haven’t had much time for just the two of us, but I realized these fleeting moments are precious…

“Mitsuki~~ I’m coming in~~”

I knocked on Mitsuki’s temporary room and entered.

Mitsuki, wearing one of my oversized T-shirts, trotted over to the door. I couldn’t tell if she was wearing anything underneath. Her luggage from home should have arrived by now, yet she’s still using my shirt as sleepwear…

“How long are you going to wear that? Weren’t there pajamas in your bags?”

“There are. But I like this one of yours, Niichama.”

She pulled up the collar and hid half her face in it as if smelling it. The shirt hiked up, exposing her thighs… I’m still not entirely sure if she’s wearing anything…

“Ah… it’s been washed, so it shouldn’t have a scent…”

The way she looked and acted made my heart race… No, I’m not a lolicon, I’m not…

“Even if there’s no scent, I can feel you, Niichama. It feels like you’re hugging me, and it makes me feel safe…”

Crap… she’s ridiculously cute… Maybe I am… No, no! It’s just that Mitsuki is cute! You can’t compare her to a normal elementary schooler!

“Um, listen. Shiori has plans with her friends tomorrow, and I don’t have anything particular to do. You’ve hardly ever been to Tokyo, right? I’ll take you somewhere tomorrow.”

“!! R-Really?! A date!! With Niichama!!”

The moment she heard it, she started dancing with joy. I really can’t tell if this girl is a child or an adult. But just when I let my guard down, she pierces through to my true intentions. She reads between the lines and knows everything from 1 to 10.

People are terrified of being known… A “monster” who can read minds and do anything—that’s likely how people see Mitsuki.

I’m used to it because of my sister; Shiori reads my inner thoughts too, making me feel completely transparent. The difference between Mitsuki and Shiori… I felt like that was the key to saving her.

“Is there somewhere you want to go?”

“Tokyo Disne—”

“Stop right there! Anywhere but that. I told you, I hate crowds.”

“Ehhhhhhhh. Well, I guess so. Since it’s a rare chance to be alone with you, a place with fewer people would be better.”

“Exactly. It’s dangerous to go there for all sorts of reasons…”

“Then, hmm… Ah! I want to go to… [Haneda Airport].”

I thought I misheard for a second. That’s not a sightseeing spot; it’s a place you go to get to a sightseeing spot…

“Eh? A place like that?”

“Is it no good?”

“No, it’s fine, but why?”

“There are tons of restaurants, the view is great, and I’ve always wanted to go there with you, Niichama.”

“…I see. Thinking about it that way, you might be right. We didn’t have time to look around properly the other day, and there are lots of shops, so it might be fun. Alright, let’s go tomorrow.”

“Yay! My first private date with Niichama!!”

I’m going on a date with an elementary schooler tomorrow…

Well, if we go there, I can probably pass it off as a “social studies field trip” if anyone asks…

Chapter 101: Yuu, Shiori, and Mitsuki

Okay, I take it back—this is a tourist destination…

The place Mitsuki wanted to visit with me was Haneda Airport’s International Terminal.

Huh? An airport? I thought, but Haneda Airport has shops comparable to a department store and a wide variety of restaurants.

The International Terminal, in particular, features “Edo Koji”—a recreation of Edo-period streets—a replica of Nihonbashi made entirely from hinoki cypress, various character goods shops, a planetarium cafe, an observation deck… It’s basically a mini theme park.

“Wow, they have something like this? Did you know about it, Mitsuki?”

“Yep! But I only saw pictures. It’s pretty amazing, huh?”

Mitsuki, dressed in her usual Gothic Lolita outfit, gripped the railing of the replica Nihonbashi bridge and looked down. Don’t fall~~

“Niichama, I want to go somewhere from here.”

Nihonbashi was the starting point of all roads—the origin. And here at Haneda Airport, you can go anywhere in Japan, or even the world via the international terminal.

The origin of everything, huh…

Though I’m terrified of flying…

After that, we wandered through all the shops until past noon.

“Mitsuki, want to eat something?”

“Mitsuki wants udon~~ There’s a famous udon shop here~~”

Ah, I think I saw it earlier in Edo Koji… but there was a pretty long line.

“It was really crowded earlier. Are you sure?”

“Yeah. If I’m chatting with Niichama, the wait will fly by.”

We chatted about trivial things while waiting in line for about thirty minutes before finally getting inside.

“Mitsuki wants this carbonara udon!”

Mitsuki pointed at the menu. Ugh… that’s fairly expensive…

But I can’t make Mitsuki pay…

“Th-then I’ll have the kitsune…”

I ordered the cheapest udon, and the server asked how much I wanted. Apparently, you can get up to three servings. Trying to recoup some of that cost, I ordered three servings.

“Niichama, were you that hungry?”

Honestly, not really, but I’d already ordered… and I regretted it…

“Whoa… why is this bowl so huge?”

Mitsuki’s bowl was the same size, but the contents were completely different… Mine had an “appropriate amount” relative to the bowl… Mitsuki’s looked barely filled…

“Niichama, can you finish that?”

Mitsuki looked at my udon with a worried expression…

“Yeah, it’s fine. It looks good. Let’s eat…”

It was delicious, really delicious, but I messed uppppppp!

“Niichama… are you okay?”

“Ah, yeah… somehow…”

Unable to move from overeating, I came out to the observation deck, hoping the breeze would help… How pathetic…

“Ahahaha! Niichama, you’re so cute. But maybe a little stingy?”

“Stingy? Hahaha. You caught me.”

“Yeah. You were trying to get your money’s worth, right? Mitsuki is being taken care of, so she should at least pay for herself…”

She really does understand everything, even that I was being considerate… But “being taken care of”…

We sat on a bench at the edge of the observation deck, watching planes that would likely fly overseas.

Today was relatively cool, which was a relief, but it was still a bit hot. The air smelled of summer and burning jet fuel.

Mitsuki was holding her frilly parasol over us.

“Niichama, about yesterday at the fireworks… I’m sorry…”

Mitsuki, sitting beside me and swinging her dangling legs, began talking about yesterday.

“You went out of your way to introduce me to them, and I… I’m sorry…”

Mitsuki looked at me. It wasn’t a look that said “mind your own business.” Her eyes seemed genuinely apologetic.

“Niichama is popular, so I wanted to be a little mean… But Michiru-chan and Asami-chan were both really nice people… They really love Niichama… so I got jealous.”

She looked up at the sky, closed her eyes, thought for a moment, then looked back at me.

“…Niichama, Yayoi-chama told you about me, didn’t she…?”

Her eyes were slightly moist as she stared at me.

“Yeah…”

I only gave her a brief answer. I wanted to let Mitsuki talk first. I wanted to hear what she had to say. But, as expected, she saw through my intentions immediately…

“I see… She told you… That’s why you invited me today… I made Shiori-neechama worry too, didn’t I?”

“Niichama… Mitsuki is fine. I’ll be going home soon, and I’ll try to go to school, so don’t worry…”

She smiled at me… and the moment I saw that smile, I understood. I finally saw Mitsuki’s “far side.”

It was frozen. Her heart had grown cold and numb, and she was hiding it.

Like the moon hiding its far side from the world, she kept it concealed.

And she only goes out in that mourning-like Gothic Lolita outfit, as if to reject the world around her…

Dammit! Fine, I’m a lolicon! Say whatever you want…

Without caring about my surroundings, I pulled Mitsuki into a tight embrace.

“Fueeeee?!”

Mitsuki made a strange sound. I didn’t care and hugged her even tighter.

She let go of the parasol, and it fell over us like a canopy.

“Mitsuki!! Don’t hold it in! If you don’t want to go, don’t go!! If you don’t want to go back, don’t go back!!! If you’re not okay, then tell me you’re not okay!!!”

Mitsuki trembled. She shook in my arms.

“Why are you trying so hard to be an adult? You can still be a kid! You can be selfish! You can let out your feelings, your emotions! Mitsuki, you’re only nine years old!”

Mitsuki looked up at me from within my arms. And from those large eyes, tears began to overflow…

“But… but everyone says I’m scary… When I say something, they ask how I knew what they were thinking… Even the teacher is afraid of me. They avoid asking me questions or calling on me. And when I do ask, they get mad and say it’s not something an elementary schooler should ask… They tell me not to do anything… because it ‘disrupts the class balance’…”

“Mitsuki, Mitsuki too… I said I don’t need friends, I don’t need them… but, but… I don’t want to be alone anymore! I’m lonely! Niichamaaaaa! Waaaaahhhhh!”

Mitsuki started crying harder than when she said goodbye at Azumino. She cried out that being alone was painful, that she was lonely…

“You don’t need to care what those people say! Mitsuki, you did nothing wrong! You don’t need to worry about that teacher! You don’t have to go to that school! If you’re lonely, I’ll be with you! Shiori and I think of you as our sister. We said so the other day. We’re family. So we’ll never tell you to go home. You just have to say ‘I’m home,’ and we’ll say ‘welcome back.'”

“WAAAAAAAHHHHH! NIICHAMAAAAA!”

Even though the parasol was hiding us, Mitsuki’s wailing might draw attention. But I didn’t care. I held her tight. Mitsuki wrapped her arms around my back and clung to me desperately, crying like a child.

“Mitsuki… you held on so well. It’s okay now…”

Once I understood, it was simple. Mitsuki didn’t want to lose—not to everyone, not to her teacher, not to Shiori, and not even to Yayoi-san. I was the only exception. I wasn’t a rival. Mitsuki called me a genius, but it’s the opposite. I’m not even worth competing with. I’m neither medicine nor poison. I’m not a competitor. That’s why she could confide in me… or so I’d like to think.

After crying for a while, Mitsuki calmed down slightly and looked at me with an anxious expression.

“Niichama, will you really be my big brother?”

“You’ve been calling me ‘Niichama’ for ages, haven’t you? You’ve been my little sister for a long time.”

Hearing that, Mitsuki beamed with a radiant smile. Her expression was so cute it made my heart race. Yes, yes, I’m a lolicon.

But then, Mitsuki grinned mischievously, her expression turning devilish… and then…

“Then, just like Shiori-neechama, you have to date Mitsuki too. Since you’re dating your sister, that means you’ll date me too, right? Niichama, I love you!!”

She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me on the cheek!! The parasol fell, and sunlight bathed us. In that light, Mitsuki looked like an angel… a confession from my second sister…

No, that’s not the point! How do you even know?!

“M-Mitsuki!! H-how do you know?! That I’m dating my sister—Shiori—how?!”

“I wonder~~ Are you scared of me now, Niichama??”

Mitsuki stared at me with a challenging gaze… I take it back. I still haven’t seen Mitsuki’s true “far side.” She’s not that simple.

She’s not an angel. Just like her black outfit suggests, Mitsuki is… a fallen angel?

“For now, I’ll settle for your cheek today. I’ll compete with Shiori-neechama for your lips. It’s a contest to see who gets them from you first. By the way, when I was three, I stole a kiss while you were sleeping~~ Ehehe.”

You had that kind of awareness at three?! Did you just say something outrageous?!

I felt just a tiny bit of sympathy for Mitsuki’s classmates and homeroom teacher…