Volume 4 Chapter 14 – Siblings

| Todou Kyousuke

After our group meeting with Kin-chan, I returned home. Since it was still light out, the two of them didn’t need me to walk them back. Kin-chan had even mentioned she’d like me to call her by her nickname—cute.

That dangerously revealing swimsuit was Kin-chan’s idea. Apparently, it was a sample an elderly hobbyist from a local model shop had made for an event. The paint was water-soluble and supposedly harmless. Since Ruri-chan joined in, they didn’t have enough material, so that dangerously revealing school swimsuit turned into an even more revealing bikini.

The house was quiet, almost as if the chaotic events from yesterday and this morning had all been a lie. Is this what they call the aftermath of a festival…?

“I’m back, Mihane.”

“Welcome home, Niisan.”

This morning, she’d called me all sorts of names, but now she was back to Niisan. Just a while ago, she’d been crying and calling me “Oni, Oni.” I wonder what she’ll call me next.

She’s even dressed properly… though I suppose that’s normal.

It looked like Yuma and Kyouko had already left.

“…Where are the two of them?”

“They went home. They said they couldn’t stay over for consecutive nights and told me to thank you, Niisan.”

“Oh, I-I see.”

They’d been so considerate; shouldn’t it be me thanking them? I’ll have to say something next time I see them. But what exactly?

Then again, it might be awkward to bring it up at school… they’d probably prefer I didn’t. Maybe next time they visit.

“Um, so… I tried making dinner.”

“Wasn’t it my turn today? Are you sure?”

“Yes, from now on, I want to train every day. I couldn’t compare to you, Niisan. I want to be able to make delicious meals for you, always.”

“O-Oh, training, huh? That sounds good.”

“So… um, could you teach me next time?”

“…Sure, let’s do it.”

I only know how to make magic-infused meals that end up tasting like Japanese cuisine, but… that’s probably okay.

My priorities are always: fill the stomach, make it tasty, and make it fast.

“So, um, if it turns out… delicious, I’d like… a reward.”

“…Sure, if it’s within reason.”

I didn’t ask what kind of reward she wanted. Better not open that door—who knows what I’d be letting out. Last time, it was like a storm of mini-skirted cat girls, crying and growling. All three of them.

Anyway…

Judging from Mihane’s attitude this morning, she probably won’t ask for anything too outrageous. She seemed pretty considerate. Still, I’m not making any assumptions this time—I’ve learned my lesson.

“Hehe, I’m so happy! It’s something simple. I’ll get dinner ready, so just sit and wait!”

…In another world, I learned that “simple” is often the hardest thing. I’m sure it’s the same here—simple doesn’t sound simple at all.

As she turned to head into the kitchen, I couldn’t help but picture her in that dangerously revealing swimsuit again.

After dinner, the two of us sat down for some tea. Tea is nice—it’s calming. We sat together on the couch, chatting about cooking and other trivial things.

But I could feel her gradually steering the conversation toward the “thanksgiving” event. There was a certain pressure in the air. I tried to change the subject, but most topics were off-limits now that we were back. This was not my area of expertise, and I wasn’t exactly a hero here.

Then, we finally reached the main topic.

“…So, Kyouko and Yuma were so happy they could participate in something like a thanksgiving event. They said they were really satisfied. They even asked if we could do it again.”

“R-Really? Once a year should be enough… It’s a festival, after all…”

So they plan to keep doing this…

Why were they so thankful in the first place? How did this “festival” become so big? And who, exactly, was the person being celebrated? I still didn’t understand any of it.

But I wasn’t about to dig into that mystery. Even a hero knows when to retreat. I’ve learned my lesson.

It seems Kyouko was the mastermind behind this festival.

“And, you know, this morning was such a blast! Everyone was so shocked—it was their first time, after all. Fufu. I had no idea Kyouko was aiming for first place. I didn’t notice at all. You know, she apologized later, saying she was just copying. Apparently, she hadn’t even thought of Yuma. Those two are close, but they see each other as rivals, too.”

“Oh, is that so…”

This morning! She’s bringing it up directly!

From dumping water to washing the bathtub, then the reverse encounter this morning… she’s recounting everything like some kind of hero.

When it’s one-on-one, or three against one, I think it’s better to choose topics carefully and balance the intensity a bit.

In a one-on-one setting, a bit of mystery can make things interesting. I wonder if she even cares about the thrill or excitement of secrecy. A little shyness wouldn’t hurt.

“And, you know, when we woke up around noon, all three of us were genuinely happy. Hehehe. So… we just… couldn’t get out of bed… and we ended up… talking about all sorts of things.”

“Really… uh-huh?”

It’s nice they were happy, but something feels off… With her head down, I can’t see her expression.

“Yuma… Kyouko… and even me… our legs gave out… our minds were blank… we were floating… couldn’t come back down… and it was everyone’s first time…”

“……… I-I see…”

Wait, are we really going into this?

Can’t we just… leave it alone?

Personally, I’d rather not hear these details… It makes me feel a bit out of character. And saying this to the person involved… with that kind of buildup…

“…So… a question came up. Why are you… so skilled? Hehe… Why, I wonder… Could you tell me… Ah! Niisan! Wait! Don’t go! It’s not scary, right? Please, wait! Hey, come on!”

I knew it!

This is terrifying! Nobody would believe me if I said, “I’m just an innocent hero who happens to be breaking boundaries!”

They’d think I was crazy!

Hero Kyousuke chose to flee.