When I Comforted My Sickly Stepsister, She Couldn’t Live Without Me - 03 - The First Meeting

Inside the room with the curtains closed.

The glossy silver hair reflected the indoor light, shimmering.

“Nom nom…”

Across the low table, Yukine sat, eating lunch with small bites.

“(S-So this is my little sister…)”

Whether it was captivating or enchanting, Yukine exuded an overwhelming presence.

Her face, as if she came out of the T.V, with pure white, translucent skin.

Though her face had a youthful appearance, her delicate expression undeniably captivated those who saw her.

One could say she was beautiful, or cute. Yukine possessed both qualities of beauty.

“(I-I’m quite surprised.)”

Frankly speaking, I had never seen someone so beautiful before.

Not even compared to models featured in famous magazines or popular actresses on TV.

And surely, in the future, I wouldn’t meet a girl with looks and aura surpassing Yukine’s.

“(B-But wait, this isn’t the time to get carried away. I didn’t come here just to be mesmerized by her.)”

My goal is to get my sister to open up to me.

And as her brother, to rescue her from whatever troubles she’s facing.

First, I’ll start by trying to talk to her.

“Speaking face-to-face like this is a first. I mean, I’ve talked to you, but it was mostly one-sided.”

“… … …”

Yukine continued eating, not stopping her hand holding the chopsticks, with an expressionless face.

Nevertheless, I courageously continued to engage in conversation.

“By the way, how were the sweets I made? If it’s not too much trouble, I’d be really happy if you could tell me which one you liked the most.”

“… … …”

“…Oh, the game. Remember the game I gave you? Was it fun?”

“… … …”

…A doll?

Was she just a doll eating the meal I made?

“(N-No, no way! She’s not a doll, she’s my little sister!)”

If by any chance she really was a doll, then this story would have to change genres to horror.

Winter’s suspenseful thriller would begin just like that.

But enough with jokes, I’m here to talk to Yukine, not to be distracted.

After all, I’ve been eagerly waiting for this moment for a month.

Now, I’ll wait for Yukine to finish her meal, as this is the perfect moment. Though it’s just after breakfast, it’s actually lunchtime.

“… … …”

“Nom nom…”

It feels a bit too lewd to silently watch Yukine eat her meal, so I decide to look around the room.

The room, with its predominant shades of light blue, was very girlish, adorned with many stuffed animals.

Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I’ve been in a girl’s room, and now that I’m aware of it, I suddenly feel nervous.

But Yukine is my little sister. I’m not some perverted older brother who gets aroused by seeing his sister’s room.

After Yukine finished her lunch, she returned the dishes to the tray, then finally looked at me.

“…Nii-san.”

“!!”

She…She called me Nii-san again!

Even though she said it earlier, getting called Nii-san a second time feels so special!

I didn’t expect to be this happy…It’s like understanding how parents feel when their child calls them Dad for the first time.

Seeing Yukine fidgeting as if she wants to say something, I suppress my excitement and wait for her to speak.

“S-So um…Thank-you, for everything.”

“!!!!!!”

No-Way! Yukine just said thank you to me!

The first proper words I’ve ever received from Yukine turned out to be thank you!

I never imagined that communicating with my sister would make me this happy… I can really understand now how parents feel when they talk to their child after they’ve moved away.

As I savored the joy, Yukine, looking a bit embarrassed, continued, averting her gaze.

“For the sweets and the game… Thank you, Nii-san.”

“Yeah! I’m glad you seem satisfied, Yukine!”

“Y-Yeah…”

I felt a bit anxious talking to Yukine for the first time.

But now, I feel completely relieved, and I even think it’s great that Yukine has become my little sister.

I’m sure I can be a good big brother to Yukine.

“And also… I’m sorry. For staying… in my room…”

“It’s okay, Yukine. You don’t have to apologize. I’m just happy to be able to see you, Yukine.”

“Ni-Nii-san…”

Yukine, with flushed cheeks, tightly grasps her pants.

Surely, Yukine must have struggled a lot to open this door.

As a result, she showed her face to me, who suddenly became her big brother.

My little sister went that far.

As a brother, I want to dispel Yukine’s anxieties and worries.

“Yukine, from now on, don’t hesitate to ask me anything. If there’s anything you want me to do, just tell me. Really, anything. It’s limited to what I can do… but still, I want to know more about Yukine and get along better with you. So, please rely on me, okay?”

“….I-Is it okay?”

“Of course, it is. Because I’m going to be Yukine’s big brother.”

As I said that, Yukine widened her eyes and nodded slightly, with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

“Got it. Thank you… Nii-san.”

Yukine smiled, showing her white teeth again.

Once again, my heart was set on fire with this opportunity I finally got.

“(Let’s start slowly from here. The relationship between me and Yukine, as brother and sister.)”

I made that determination.

—Contrary to my resolve, however…

At that moment, I didn’t know that the relationship between Yukine and me would unexpectedly take a turn in a direction I couldn’t anticipate.