Reincarnated as the Sidekick in a Harem Game ～Chaos Unfolded When I Helped the Losing Heroines After the Protagonist Found His Happy Ending～ - Chapter 8: A Sleepover with My Stepsister

Chapter 8: A Sleepover with My Stepsister

After escorting my childhood friend Najimi home, I returned to my own house. For some reason, my stepsister Mai had come along as well.

Originally, I had planned to take her back to our parents’ home, but Mai stubbornly insisted on coming to my place. In the end, I gave in to her whims, and Mai stayed overnight at my house.

“Delicious! Your cooking is amazing, Onii-sama!”

Inside my 1K apartment, Mai was genuinely enjoying the meal I had prepared. As she chewed her food, her cheeks puffed out, making her look even younger and cuter than usual.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“I had no idea Onii-sama was such a good cook! This is the best meal I’ve ever had!”

Well, the character Charao in the game was quite inept at household chores. On the other hand, I had been single for a long time, which meant I had been living alone for quite a while. As a result, I had acquired a decent level of cooking skills. The lonely days of being unpopular had given me the opportunity to hone these skills, and I swallowed my tears as I watched Mai enjoy my home-cooked meal.

“It’s delicious! The best in the world!”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“Am I, though? I’ve honestly never had anything this delicious before.”

“Hmm? Is that so?”

It’s easy to forget, but this world is different from the one I originally came from—this is another world, after all. Naturally, the culture surrounding food is also different from modern-day Japan.

Now that I think about it, the food culture in the world of OreNaji was somewhat inferior to the one I was used to, and the flavors seemed a bit bland. Even if things look modern, I realize that this place operates under different rules, different from Earth.

“Onii-sama, if you open a restaurant, it’ll be an instant hit! You can make such amazing food, after all.”

“Thank you, but I don’t really plan on making a living through cooking.”

“In that case, what is your future dream?”

“A government job, perhaps.”

“What…!?”

I get why you’re surprised, little sister. A laid-back big brother who was saying ‘whatever’ just a moment ago suddenly talking about taking a stable path would be surprising indeed.

“My dream is to have a small, modest family. A detached house with a garden, a wife, a child, and a dog, living an ordinary day-to-day life…”

“That’s amazing! What a wonderful dream! Let’s definitely make it happen!”

I’m glad she agrees, but what does she mean by ‘let’s definitely make it happen’? Well, it probably doesn’t mean much.

Soon after,

“Thank you for the meal!”

After finishing our dinner, I started to clear the empty dishes.

“Little sister, which do you prefer, before or after bath?”

It’s possible that she might dislike using the bathwater after a man has been in it (this was actually mentioned in the main story).

“? What are you talking about?”

“I mean, would you prefer to take a bath before or after I do…”

“Uh, oh… Right. After you, then.”

“Okay. I’ll go ahead and take my bath first, then.”

What was that hesitation about? What would I do if she was about to say something like, “I’d rather die than share a bath with you, Onii-chan,” but held herself back? That would kill me. Well, unlike last year’s main storyline, my current relationship with my sister is quite good, so I don’t think she would say something like that. At least, I hope not… Right? (Wishful thinking).

Before long, the bathtub was filled. I slowly submerged myself in the bath and looked up.

“Phew… It’s been a hectic day.”

Starting from my sister’s unexpected onslaught, there were back-to-back events and discussions with Najimi. I definitely hope for a more peaceful day tomorrow.

“Minato… huh.”

After parting with Najimi, I sent a message to Minato saying I needed to talk. However, he left me on ‘read.’

Something’s off. In the main story, Minato and Charao were supposed to be best friends. So, being left on ‘read’ is more than just a little strange.

One possible explanation could be that Minato from the main story had been behaving differently at quite a frequent rate compared to the game. I have one particular suspicion.

That is, the possibility that Minato is also a reincarnator. It’s a hypothesis that feels very plausible. There’s plenty of evidence. I must meet Minato and get to the bottom of this, for the sake of my favorite character’s happiness.

“Onii-sama♡”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

A scream that could slice through silk. Surprisingly, it came from my mouth, not from a woman.

“Whoa, hold on… My lovely Pretty Mai? I’m in the submarine known as No-Pants, okay!?” (Translation: Wait a moment, Mai. I’m still in the bath, you know?)

I was so flustered that Charao-speak accidentally slipped out. Let’s count prime numbers. 1…2… Wait, is 1 a prime number?

“Ah, it’s the usual Onii-sama♡”

As much as I want her to stop finding comfort in Charao-speak, I say, covering my crotch,

“I’m still in the bath, you know?”

“? Is that a problem?”

“It’s more than just ‘that’!” (Translation: It’s a major problem!)

“Good♡”

Good!? Maybe, just maybe, my sister interpreted my Charao-speak as ‘No problem.’ I don’t get young people’s lingo. Scary.

“Mai, sharing the same bathtub as a young man and woman is ethically questionable. Please understand.”

“It’s not questionable♡ We’re family after all, Onii-sama. What’s so bad about family taking a bath together?”

Well, if I had to say, the issue would be that we’re not actually related by blood, but… Hold on. Saying that to Mai could make her sad. She considers me family, and it doesn’t feel right to point out that we’re not actually related.

“…OK, it’s settled then-yo.” (Translation: Fine, let’s get in together)

“Yes♡ Oh, a bath with Onii-sama…♡ It’s the best♡”

After that, Mai busily took care of things like washing my back and shampooing my hair.

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

★Mai’s Perspective

I got to spend the night at Onii-sama’s house. Ah… how wonderful.

The food Onii-sama cooked was so delicious that it felt like being transported to heaven.

An indescribable burst of stimulation and pleasure. Having tasted this, I feel like I won’t be able to eat anything other than the meals Onii-sama prepares for me.

To that extent, every dish that Onii-sama made was delicious. I want to monopolize it all… Especially, I would never want to share it with that ‘betch.’

Onii-sama is amazing. He’s not only cool and kind but also capable of doing household chores. That’s why it’s even more unbelievable that I ever fell for that pest named Minato.

In hindsight, Minato was good for nothing. He wasn’t good at academics or sports. He couldn’t cook. He was just a man whose only redeeming quality was being ‘kind.’

It’s strange, though. Last year, just having that quality made Minato seem incredibly attractive as a man. Now, I don’t find him appealing at all, not more than graffiti in a public restroom.

Onii-sama intends to help that ‘betch’ named Najimi, but personally, I don’t think there’s a need for that. After all, it was she herself who chose Minato over Onii-sama.

I’m sure Onii-sama is aware of this. Yet, he still chooses to act for the sake of someone in need. Truly, Onii-sama is the best man. Kind, cool, and amazing…♡

After Onii-sama had gone to bed, I added more hot water to the bath and took another dip. Wrapped in the bathwater that Onii-sama had been in, I comforted myself over and over again.

Ah… Onii-sama… Onii-sama…♡ I love you…♡ Love you, so much…♡