Volume 1 Chapter 9/10 – Bombshell/ Accidental Discharge 2

| Fujitou Mihane PoV

Outside the house, Aika was standing there.
“Good morning.”
“…Good morning.”
As always, her face was annoyingly cute.
“Um, where’s Kyo-chan?”
“After everything you did, what are you even asking?”
After everything she did, what does she think she’s saying? Last night, a video came around in the group chat showing Kyosuke getting beaten up. It was clearly a lynching.
“Everything I did?”
“Don’t play dumb.”
She immediately snapped back. Maybe she didn’t know about the video yet.
“Um, I wanted to apologize.”
“I don’t need it. I’ll let him know.”
“Mihane-chan will?”
“Yes. Last night’s video confirmed it.”
“Video?”
“Don’t act so clueless. This.”
The video came while Kyosuke was in the bath last night. I had downloaded it immediately.
“What is this…”
“Laughing while lynching someone is just the worst.”
The video was well-edited, making it look like she was laughing and watching the fight unfold.
“I wasn’t laughing! I didn’t do that!”
“Well, yeah, of course not.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t think you’d do something like that. It’s probably been edited to match the moments you were laughing with the ones you were hitting.”
“Mihane-chan…”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. What matters here is that, to everyone else, this video is the truth.”
“What…?”
This is what’s important. This is what can be used to sever her and Kyosuke’s connection. There’s no way I’m letting this chance slip away.
“It’s the same for Kyosuke.”
“…Ah.”
You’ve realized, haven’t you?
Even if you have, it’s already too late.
“I checked last night, and this video’s been circulating quite a bit. At least at school, this will be seen as the truth.”
“…I didn’t know.”
“No matter how much you deny it, if you approach him, people will stop you.”
“…Ah.”
And now for the finishing blow.
“Also, this.”
“…Wha—?”
Yesterday, I was too shocked to say a word. But soon enough, I realized this could be my trump card against her. Carefully undressing, I gathered the remains on my clothes, and after releasing a little, I took a bust-up selfie. I’m sure the atmosphere of post-climax was present too, influenced by the strong scent of a dominant male.
I showed her the photo.
“Yesterday, I asked for it, and he gave it to me. The amount, the smell, everything was amazing.”
“…That’s a lie.”
Of course, she doesn’t believe it yet. She trusts her brother’s love that much. Even though that love doesn’t exist anywhere anymore. It all ends today.
That’s why I’ll play my last card.
“I figured you’d say that. Here, this. The handkerchief I wiped it with.”
“It’s a lie!”
“Well, I figured you wouldn’t believe me. Hmm… you don’t want it?”
“It’s a lie…”
I take a deep breath in front of her.
Mmm… This is dangerous.
This is the handkerchief Kyosuke has been using for years, something she would know well. I had carefully preserved it and wiped it clean for this occasion. I don’t want to give it to her, but if it makes her believe, it’s worth it.
The smell must have caught her nose. Her gaze is glued to the handkerchief. Knowing her, she’ll recognize it as real by the scent alone.
Disgusting.
“I’ll give it to you, Aika. I can always get a fresh one. But for you, who’s no longer his girlfriend, that’s impossible, isn’t it?”
“…”
I hand her the handkerchief and begin to walk away.
As I pass her, I don’t forget to whisper one last thing.
“Use it to console yourself if you want. Oh, and Kyosuke’s already left for school. You’d better hurry too, Aika.”
“…Ah.”
I lie to her again, doing everything I can to keep them from meeting.
With that, it’s perfect. Watching her collapse to her knees, I confidently head off to school.

◆　◇　◆

I woke up after skipping school, and the clock read 11 AM.
Ugh… I feel sluggish.
Roll roll, roll roll.
For no particular reason, I rolled around in bed. Hmm, for some reason, I still feel restless.
There’s something smoldering inside of me. Maybe that’s why my sleep was shallow. Could it be because I didn’t finish off the Demon Lord? Or maybe it’s because I got stabbed?
Roll roll, roll roll.
Hmm… Okay, yeah. A bath it is. Yesterday’s ending was a disaster. Just when things were about to reach a climax, an accident happened. Maybe that’s why I don’t feel satisfied.
Well, I’m kind of satisfied, but still…
I immediately filled the tub with hot water.
“Filling the bath with water now.”
I synchronized with modern science. The last time I harmonized like this was during an attack spell combo! Oh wait, that was just yesterday, with Croix! I got betrayed…
My mood swings are all over the place, but it can’t be helped. I hurriedly prepared for my bath.
Mihane’s at school, and there’s no one else here.
“Phew.”
I must’ve been on edge. After five years, she feels like a complete stranger. I can’t even think of her as my stepsister anymore.
It feels like I’m trying to woo a younger sister character…
Living under the same roof with someone else… No wonder I was so uneasy. Sure, my life wasn’t in danger, but hers could’ve been. The constant worry was gnawing at me.
But for now, the bath. That’s what matters. Now where did I…
“There it is.”
Bath salts~. I never used them much since it felt like a waste to use them alone, and Mihane didn’t like them anyway. Yesterday, I didn’t even have the luxury to think of such things.
Hum hum, hum hum.
I mixed the bath salts into the water. It turned into a color that resembled a fairy’s spring. Nice. This is kind of fun. I can’t help but hum a little.
After so much trouble getting to the fairy’s spring, here it is, so easily… What a miracle. Though the effects are totally different, of course.
You can’t use it to strengthen weapons or armor.
Alright, time to relax!
“Kyosuke, heading in!”

◆　◇　◆

| Naruse Aika PoV

“It’s already 11…”
Since then, I’ve just been standing here in shock in front of Kyo-chan’s house. At some point, I instinctively sniffed the handkerchief.
It was an overwhelming, intense swirl of sensual information, enough to make my head go blank.
I knew I couldn’t finish here in public, so I somehow managed to stumble through the gate of Kyo-chan’s house, only to find myself leaning against the front door, lost in a haze.
Ah~ Kyo-chan’s scent… haha… ha…
Jealousy and lust are my undoing. But this time, my jealousy was directed at Mihane-chan. Maybe that’s why? Suddenly, I feel cold. Why did I do that? What was I thinking?
“Kyo-chan…”
What should I do about school? I’m skipping without permission. But does it even matter anymore? Kyo-chan probably doesn’t care about a horrible person like me anymore.
But, for him to be that close to Mihane-chan… It’s awful. No, until now, I hadn’t worried about something like that.
If anything had happened, Mihane-chan wouldn’t have spoken to me like she did today. Yesterday must have been a turning point for Kyo-chan.
He crossed a line with Mihane, finally giving up on me…
Sniffle.
Why do we only realize what we’ve lost after it’s gone?
Why did I do that?
“No… Kyo-chan, no…”
I don’t want to say goodbye. I had planned to confess on Kyo-chan’s birthday, then give him our marriage registration on my 16th birthday, and we’d have a fun high school life together…
“…?”
There’s a nice smell. It’s familiar… bath salts? Where from… Kyo-chan’s house… It’s coming from the bathroom. There’s even steam rising.
“Ah, ai, ah…”
“Huh…?”
It sounds like… Kyo-chan’s voice?
“!!”
I rushed back to the front door and opened it. It wasn’t locked. Mihane-chan said Kyo-chan had already left. But I swear I heard his voice from the bathroom. Maybe he never left after all.
Right! He took such a beating yesterday. He must have stayed home to rest, then gotten sweaty and decided to take a bath. That’s got to be it!
Besides, if I were Mihane-chan, I wouldn’t want Kyo-chan and me to meet alone. She probably lied about him already leaving! That’s got to be it!
And maybe the pain came back while he was in the bath. He could be drowning! No! Kyo-chan! I can’t let you die!

◆　◇　◆

“Aah, I’m dying~”
Ahh, this bath feels so good… Was it Kusatsu? Such a famous hot spring. I’ve never been there, though.
Ahh, I’m boiling.
Now that I think about it, in that other world, most baths were sauna-like. You’d go in, then get out once it got too hot, and repeat. That was nice in its own way.
Maybe I should soak in shifts like in a sauna. I already washed up yesterday… Speaking of which… I was too shocked to focus on this yesterday, but…
“Maybe I should test it out.”
I said it out loud as an excuse because I felt embarrassed. I stepped out of the tub and touched it.
Oh, whoa. Even at 15, the speed of recovery is insane. I’m back up in no time…
It’s kind of embarrassing, though. Even though I’m alone, it feels awkward. Maybe the ladies at the brothel found it endearing? They used to smile and say, “Oh, how wonderful!” when I started going there.
“Alright, then…”
Whoa! It really is different.
I’m the same guy who used to joke around about doing triple spins with mermaids in the other world.
The same guy who, along with other warriors, would rent out entire brothels for a night of debauchery.
And now here I am, making these ridiculous sounds.
“Ah, ai, ah…”
Aisha-san, I’m so sorry! You tried so many techniques to help me with my quick draw…
“Ah, ahhh, ahh…!”
Rias-san, forgive me! You said I got better than your husband, and trained me with all those techniques…
Ah, no, this is bad.
Ah, I’m about to—
“Kyo-chan, don’t die on me!”
“Guh!”
Suddenly, the bathroom door flew open! Huh!? Aika?! It’s been five years! Welcome back! And now… this again!?
“……”
“……”
Her pale, round cheeks, her small, pink heart-shaped lips, the red tie… all those memories are being painted over. The same goes for her school uniform. There’s no stopping it once it starts, like a rampaging basilisk. Haha.
By the way, I thought this yesterday too, but what’s with this amount!?
“……”
“……”
Aika had a look of utter disbelief. I probably looked the same. Reflexes, do your job!
And then, still in shock, Aika sniffed… and then… licked it.
You too!?
Unlike yesterday, since this was less of an accident, I had a bit more composure.
Though, thanks to the post-climax calm, I didn’t have the energy to react much.
This otherworldly JK is seriously dangerous.
Maybe I really am in some kind of reverse sexual roles world? Artlily used to fantasize about that…
Ah, wait, Aika might already be experienced. I mean, spilling it all over someone’s girlfriend is bad enough. But licking it up… that’s something else.
Honestly, what am I going to do now?