The Protagonist's Sister Loves Me, But She's Definitely a Yandere. - Chapter 08: Evening Conversations

Chapter 08: Evening Conversations

The Ichinose family’s whole setup felt like something straight out of an anime.

The cool, handsome older brother, Hinata. The cute, popular younger sister, Runa. And though I didn’t know the details, their parents often worked overseas, leaving the house empty for long stretches. In other words, the Ichinose siblings were practically living alone. Meanwhile, my parents were just your typical working couple.

For some reason, the Ichinose parents and my parents were super close.

They’d been friends since before I could remember, and that bond still held strong.

Naturally, that connection also had a huge impact on my life.

“How was it? Good?”

Runa asked me, half-turning around with a smile.

The sound of running water came from the sink. It was just past 8 PM.

I had gratefully enjoyed the delicious meal she’d prepared.

“Yeah, your cooking keeps getting better.”

“Really?! Yay! I’ve captured Shin-nii’s stomach!”

She giggled, happily scrubbing the dishes.

Not only had she cooked dinner, but she was also handling the cleanup. I’d offered to do it myself, but she refused. Apparently, she preferred doing it on her own.

Even though we were practically family, having her wash the utensils I’d used felt a little awkward.

…Hmm, there’s got to be something I can do for her.

“Man, I really do rely on you a lot, huh?”

“…Uh, where did that come from? You’re kinda scaring me.”

Runa chuckled, rolling up her sleeves.

“I mean, you cook for me and wash the dishes, too.”

“I want to do it, so it’s fine. Plus, Shin-mama asked me to help out.”

“Still. Hey, is there anything I can do?”

Even though we were practically family, Runa was just so genuinely kind. Sure, she had a mischievous side, but knowing she cared about me made it easy to let that slide.

So, since she was always helping me, I wanted to return the favor somehow.

I was a guy, after all —if there was any heavy lifting to do, I was ready to help.

Looking around the Ichinose family’s living room, I spotted two cardboard boxes stacked on top of each other. They looked freshly delivered and took up a decent amount of space.

“Want me to move those boxes somewhere? They seem kind of in the way.”

“Oh, right. They arrived just before you got here. Probably something that guy ordered.”

“Hmm, well… I’ll take them up to Hinata’s room. Leave it to me.”

I stood up and glanced at the delivery slip taped to the box.

It didn’t list the exact items, just the category: sports equipment.

When I tried lifting one, it was heavier than expected. Definitely not something Runa should be lugging around. And considering how much she disliked her brother, she probably wouldn’t want to touch his stuff anyway.

“Speaking of which, where’s Hinata? It’s getting pretty late.”

“Who knows? Probably out hanging with his friends.”

“Man, must be tough being Mr. Popular.”

Hinata was a magnet for people, regardless of gender, thanks to his looks and personality. He loved going out, so even on weekdays, he was often off doing something. He was the complete opposite of me, the homebody.

He did invite me out sometimes, but I usually said no.

The high-energy vibe of extroverts and his harem of admirers? Yeah, not my scene. People say we live in different worlds, and for a regular guy like me, that’s absolutely true.

Thinking about it, I realized I’d been hanging out with Hinata less and less.

But just because we’re childhood friends doesn’t mean things will always stay the same.

“Well, you’re already popular, too, Runa.”

“Maybe. But they probably just want the status of being my friend.”

“…Oof, can’t really deny that.”

The soft sound of the faucet being turned off echoed in the room. She’d finished washing the dishes.

After drying her hands with a towel, Runa stretched her back, making her black loungewear ride up just a bit.

“I’m not like him. I don’t care about shallow relationships. I dress up because I like it, not because I want attention from people I don’t care about.”

“…Ohh. So, you do want attention from people you care about?”

I picked up on the phrase “people I don’t care about” that she had said so meaningfully.

It had only been a month since high school started, but there was no way Runa hadn’t already gotten a few confessions from guys. She was popular even in middle school, and her more mature charm was only growing stronger.

Imagining Runa dating someone or going on a date sparked an indescribable loneliness in my chest. Was this what dads felt when giving their daughters away to boyfriends?

“Of course I want to date someone someday. And for a first date, I’d want to go to the aquarium or the zoo. Though an amusement park sounds good, too. Oh, but maybe a movie theater is the best!”

“…A movie, huh. I’d like to go, too.”

I was just as interested in romance as anyone else. Maybe even more than the average guy.

After all, being around someone like Hinata —a romance expert— had sharpened my instincts when it came to relationships.

“Then let’s go to the movies! You know, as practice for when we actually have someone to date.”

“…Come to think of it, we’ve never really gone out anywhere together, just the two of us.”

“Exactly! Shin-nii, you always make excuses about not wanting to stand out!”

Even though she felt like a little sister to me, going out with Runa could easily attract the wrong kind of attention. I’d avoided it to keep weird guys from bothering her.

Plus, there was the fact that Hinata always kept me busy. We hadn’t hung out as much recently, though.

…Hmm.

“It’s fine if people notice us. If anyone talks to us, just say we’re on a date. Honestly, I don’t get why people care about who’s hanging out with who.”

“Well, you’ve got a point… Alright, let’s go sometime soon.”

“Yay! You promised! Don’t forget, Shin-nii!”

For the record, I was not bold enough to confidently say, “We’re on a date!” in public.

I might be a homebody, but if someone invited me out, I’d go.

Sure, I hated standing out, but turning down Runa when she looked at me with such hopeful eyes felt impossible. Seeing her bounce with excitement made me feel warm inside.

If people from school found out… well, I’d deal with that when the time came.

Besides, this was just “date practice.” Going out with someone as fashionable as Runa would definitely give me some much-needed experience. When I actually got a girlfriend (someday), this would be useful.

I smiled, deciding to keep my weekend schedule free.

“Alright, it’s a promise. Now, let me move these boxes.”

“Oh, right! Thanks for helping!”

I nodded and lifted the cardboard box with a grunt. It was heavy.

Stumbling slightly, I made my way out of the living room. In the hallway, I noticed a trash bag full of garbage. Oh right, tomorrow was burnable trash collection day. I’d have to gather everything up later. My mom was on the night shift, and my dad would be home late. I was the only one who could take it out in the morning.

Using the light spilling out from the living room, I switched on the hallway light.

I trudged up the stairs and stopped in front of Hinata’s room.

I didn’t want to go inside, so I figured leaving the box here was good enough.

With that decided, I went back to the living room to grab the second box. Once again, I headed into the hallway. My eyes caught the trash bag again —and for a brief moment, something felt off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

But something about the faintly see-through trash bag bugged me.

(…What’s that?)

Then it clicked. Inside the bag, I saw something pink.

It was the same soft pink color as the lost love letter.

The trash bag was a little frosted, making it hard to see clearly, and rummaging through the garbage would just be rude. It was probably just a coincidence. Maybe I was still obsessing over the letter too much.

(Seriously, where did it go?)

But if it was lost, it was lost. That was on me for not keeping track of it.

Sighing, I continued up the stairs.