(Chastity Reversed) The Legitimate Wife War: How I, a Harem-Hater, Ended Up Creating an Ultra-Eccentric Harem with a Villainess, a Sadistic Beauty Teacher, a Scheming Classmate... etc. - Chapter 4: Older Sister

“Huh?”

I froze, staring at the message.

“This has to be a joke… right?”  

Still clinging to a sliver of hope, I glanced at Kazari-san.  

“Ah, I see now!”  

“What exactly do you see?!”  

“Well, I’m actually pretty confused myself. But, you know, I am acting calm because I’m so cool.”  

Although she maintained a composed expression, her words and behavior betrayed her inner turmoil.  

She was clearly emotionally unstable right now.  

“Well, it’s just a message for now. We don’t have all the details yet—”  

Ding.

This time, my phone buzzed with a notification.  

The timing couldn’t have been worse.  

I already didn’t feel great about checking it. In fact, I felt downright bad.  

“…Can I just not look at it?”  

“You can avoid it, but I wouldn’t recommend that,” Kazari-san replied.  

“Yeah, I figured as much.”  

[From: Maiko Shiina  

Japan Low Birthrate Countermeasure Polygamy Law Promotion Committee, Third Division, Fiancee Bureau

Subject:

First of all, let me express our gratitude for your continued cooperation.  

This is Shiina from the Naz Agency.  

Thank you very much for attending the matchmaking event hosted by the Fiancee Bureau today despite your busy schedule.  

We believe that today’s meeting was a great success, with lively conversations and strengthened bonds among all participants.  

In light of this, we would like you to further deepen these newfound relationships. Therefore, we have arranged for all of you to reside together in the same household going forward.  

The residence and living arrangements have already been prepared.  

We kindly ask that you bring any necessary belongings and move in by the deadline, three days from now.  

The address can be found in the attached PDF document.  

On the day of the move, we will provide further details about the arrangements.  

Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.  

We look forward to your continued cooperation.  

Sincerely,  

Maiko Shiina  

Head of the Fiancee Bureau  

Japan Low Birthrate Countermeasure Polygamy Law Promotion Committee, Third Division]

“…Uh, did they go insane or something?”

How on earth could anyone look at that matchmaking meeting and conclude it went well?  

Was their understanding of basic communication completely broken?  

I mean, I was outright told by all three of them that they weren’t interested. And now I was supposed to live with them? This was way too sudden, don’t you think?  

I would’ve at least liked some time to bridge the gap—you know, like casually chatting with them first.  

“…Don’t worry about it?”  

When did Kazari-san start reading over my shoulder?  

“What do we do now?”  

“Well, for starters…”  

Did she actually have a plan?  

“How about we have a drink?”  

She pulled a can of beer from the fridge.  

“I’m underage!!”  

“I’ve already finished work for the day, so I’ll help myself! Ah, wonderful! Nothing beats washing away stress with alcohol~”  

The speed at which she got the beer and started drinking was terrifying. Meanwhile, I, the stressed one here, couldn’t ‘wash’ anything away.  

“Kyo-sama, I’ll make some snacks and a light night meal for you. Let’s eat, and then tomorrow we can figure out how to handle this cohabitation situation. Besides, tomorrow is that day, right? So let’s make sure you rest well and show your best, energetic face.”  

Kazari-san’s cheeks relaxed as she gazed dreamily at her beer.  

Even her usual poker face seemed to soften under the effects of alcohol.  

It must be nice to drink. In both this life and my previous one, I couldn’t drink for, well, biological reasons.  

“You’re right, I can’t have her worrying. I’ll just take the meal and thank you for it.”  

As always, the food she made was absolutely delicious—so homely and comforting.  

Once my stomach was full, sleepiness hit me like a brick.  

The moment I returned to my room, I fell into a deep slumber.  

Whatever happened tomorrow, tomorrow’s me could deal with it.  

****

The next day.

In the morning, I headed to visit my sister at the hospital.  

This was a monthly routine I could never skip.  

I wished I could visit her more often, but doing so would place too much of a burden on her, and she wouldn’t like that.  

She hated it when I neglected my own life for her sake.  

The facility stood atop a gently sloping hill, a place designed for long-term care. The weather today was beautiful, with a refreshing breeze sweeping across the grounds.  

As I walked toward the reception area, the receptionist smiled warmly at me, recognizing my face.

“It’s been a month, hasn’t it? Are you alone today?”  

“Yes, I am.”  

“The visitation process is… well, no need to explain it again since you’re already familiar with it, right? I’ll escort you to the patient’s room since it’s been relocated recently.”  

“Oh, really? Thank you for letting me know.”

The receptionist, wearing a skirt that would have been considered extremely short by old-world standards, guided me toward the room.  

Maybe an increase in the number of women has led to more relaxed dress codes? Or perhaps the image of the “receptionist lady” from old video games somehow became reality…  

No, I shouldn’t think about these things. I didn’t have the luxury of pursuing romantic fantasies.  

Besides, thinking like this felt like the sad delusions of my old self back when I was a virgin.  

We passed through the courtyard and took the elevator to the top floor where the patient rooms were located.  

It’d been about a month since I last saw my sister.  

“This is the room.” The receptionist came to a stop in front of a door.  

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let us know. There’s a direct line from the phone in the room, so feel free to use it.”  

Haha, what VIP treatment…  

Or rather, I supposed that was exactly what this was. The power of the government truly was remarkable.  

“Please, go on in.”

The receptionist opened the door with a pleasant smile. Sunlight streamed into the room, warming the air and creating a gentle atmosphere befitting the top floor.  

Inside, sitting upright on a large bed and gazing out the window, was my sister. She slowly turned toward me.  

“Oh, Kyoya, it’s been a month. Have you been well?”  

Greeting me with a soft smile was my sister, Mio-nee-san.  

Her complexion seemed to have improved since the last time I saw her.  

“I’ve been fine. What about you, Nee-san? Is your health okay?”  

“Yes, they moved me to a better room, you see. Come here, Kyoya.”  

Mio-nee-san spread her arms wide.  

“It’s not like I’m a kid anymore—”  

I was about to protest, but…  

“—I said, come here. This is a request from me.”  

A request.  

When she put it that way…

“…Alright, fine.”  

I gently embraced her frail body, made thinner by her time in the hospital.  

“Fufu, you don’t need to hug me so gingerly. I’m not going to break, you know?”  

“I know that, but, well… you know.”  

I had seen her collapse right in front of me once before.  

I wanted to hold her tightly, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.  

“Thank you for being so considerate of my condition, Kyoya.”  

Her arms wrapped around me in return.  

Her embrace felt stronger than the last time I visited.  

She was really getting better, little by little. It was such a relief. Accepting that system had been worth it, after all.  

“I’m glad, Mio-nee.”  

“Yes, truly, thank you. I’m sorry for making you worry… no, I suppose I’m still making you worry, aren’t I?”  

I felt a surge of emotion.  

There had been a time when even speaking seemed painful for her.  

The simple fact that we could have this conversation now was enough to make me happy.  

Even though she was technically my step-sister, I never imagined I could feel so deeply for family like this in my previous life.  

“From now on, please stay healthy, okay?”  

“Of course, you’re absolutely right. That’s why we’ll be able to live together again soon, won’t we?”  

“…Ah.”  

Mio-nee-san smiled bashfully, clearly delighted.  

But unfortunately, I wasn’t in the same state of mind.  

“What’s wrong, Kyoya? You look like you’re hiding something bad…”  

Her intuition was sharp.  

Her smile remained, but there was an increasing pressure radiating from her.  

“W-Well, you see…”  

“You’re sweating a lot, you know? Oh my, my, my…”  

Since we were still hugging, I couldn’t escape.  

“Come on, tell me. I won’t get mad, I promise.”  

Throughout history, had anyone ever avoided getting scolded after being told this?  

Well, maybe Mio-nee-san truly wouldn’t…  

“Really?”  

“Yes, really.”  

Her smile was kind, gentle even.  

“In short…”  

“Yes?”  

“We can’t live together.”  

“…Huh?”  

The moment I said it, her face went completely blank, like a Noh mask.  

Terrifying.  

“Why not?”  

“Hey, why not? I was really looking forward to living with you, Kyoya…”  

Her voice stayed monotone, but the strength of her embrace increased.  

“…Well…”  

“Go on, tell me the reason, okay?”  

Her eyes seemed devoid of light. Surely, that was just my imagination, right?  

Explaining this situation was terrifying.  

After all, I had told her the treatment costs were covered by the inheritance.  

But hiding the fact that we couldn’t live together any longer wasn’t an option.  

“…I’m getting married soon.”  

Carefully, I glanced at Mio-nee-san’s face.  

Her Noh mask expression changed into a radiant smile.  

Then, she said one word.  

“…Huh?”  

Yeah. Absolutely terrifying.