When I Picked Up A Stunningly Gorgeous Downer-Type Beauty In Front Of The Entrance. - Chapter 44: The reason she call me 'sister-in-law.' Sajou Hitori’s POV

The reason she call me ‘sister-in-law.’

Sajou Hitori’s POV

Luckily, I didn’t spit out the iced tea.

But I did choke a little. It’s awkward to be worried about by the instigator, Rihito’s sister.

“Are you okay?”

I clear my throat several times to ease the tightness, trying to calm both my constricted throat and my racing heart.

“…N-no, it’s not like that.”

I manage to exhale and deny it somehow. I cover my mouth and reach for a tissue nearby.

I wipe my moist lips.

What’s with her sudden question?

I glare at her with a hint of reproach, but she just snorts in response, unfazed.

Instead, she leans on the table with both elbows, staring at me as if observing me intently.

It’s unsettling how her silver eyes seem to penetrate right through me.

Before I know it, I’m tilting my head down, trying to escape her gaze.

A heavy silence weighed upon us. Was I the only one feeling it?

Rihito’s sister kept staring at me as if waiting for something.

In the end, it was me who couldn’t bear it anymore.

I felt like I was being manipulated, unable to express the indescribable discomfort.

It seemed like she was deliberately trying to coax the obvious answer out of me. That’s what it felt like.

I decided to steer away from the topic Rihito’s sister brought up and asked about something that had been bothering me.

“…Why do you… call me Nee-san?”

“As you are my sister-in-law.”

“Bofhcfff!?”

This time, I couldn’t hold back my surprise.

I cleared my throat again, feeling the moisture at the corners of my eyes. My cheeks couldn’t get any hotter.

Should I cover my coughing mouth, or should I hide my undoubtedly reddening face?

Unable to decide, my hands remained on the carpet, unable to move.

Such a straightforward response.

Was the altered track easily reverted to its original route, with no possibility of changing the destination?

I covered the lower half of my face with my arm.

Rihito’s sister smiled brightly.

Feeling like I couldn’t escape anymore, as a last resort, I asked.

“Why ‘Sister-in-law’?”

“Because you like my brother, right?”

“…”

It was fatal. Critical.

Her words were like driving a wooden stake through a vampire’s heart.

The words Rihito’s sister uttered.

Even though I anticipated she would say something like that from the flow of conversation, the impact was powerful enough to leave me speechless.

To have one’s innermost thoughts laid bare by someone else, it was such a shocking experience.

On that day, I learned something for the first time in my life.

Naturally, my mind went blank.

With my mouth slightly open, I took shallow breaths.

My heart pounded fiercely, and even pressing my hand against my chest didn’t seem to calm it.

“I-I mean… like… is… that…”

Even I knew it was a stretch. Despite that, I tried to cobble together words to deceive somehow.

My demeanor practically screamed, “Yes, that’s right,” but I couldn’t bring myself to affirm it. That would be too embarrassing to bear.

It seemed like Rihito’s sister could see right through me.

Methodically, like setting a trap for prey, she closed off every avenue of escape.

“Besides, even if you were in trouble, a girl wouldn’t stay over at a boy’s house every day if she didn’t like him.”

“T-That’s…”

She was absolutely correct.

I attempted futile resistance.

“Even if there were extenuating circumstances… Maybe for a single day, but for consecutive nights? No way. It’s impossible.”

“…”

I had no choice but to remain silent in the face of such irrefutable logic.

Perhaps there could have been a clever excuse.

But at that moment, I couldn’t conjure up a single word in response to her.

I looked down and squeezed my hand on my thigh.

It felt like I was in a sauna.

My body burned so hotly that I couldn’t believe it.

“So, that’s why I call you Nee-san. Simple, right?”

It was so obvious. There were no words to return to Rihito’s sister, who spoke as if it were common sense.

I didn’t realize how embarrassing it could be for my suppressed feelings to be exposed.

Maybe because I hadn’t interacted with others before, my sense of shame only grew.

I lacked experience overwhelmingly. But I had no intention of earning any, so there was no sign of growth.

I earnestly wished it was as easy as gaining experience points just by defeating enemies in the games Rihito used to play (?). But in reality, growth wasn’t as simple as defeating enemies.

That’s why, now and then, I’m still struggling to find answers.

“Your face turns so red; it’s adorable, Sister-in-law.”

As she pointed it out, my cheeks burned even hotter. I had to lift my head enough to avoid looking down any further.

My neck tightened, as if strained.

I never expected Rihito’s sister to figure out my feelings before I even confessed them to Rihito himself.

Considering it was our first meeting today, how could she see through me so easily? I always thought I was the type who didn’t show much emotion outwardly, but maybe what I’m feeling is written all over my face.

If that’s the case, I might never be able to show my face outside again.

My feelings, my innermost thoughts, were laid bare. And the fact that it’s Rihito’s sister who knows makes things even more complicated.

Even though it’s my own room, I feel cramped. I grab my upper arms and rub them, feeling the discomfort.

Sweat forms on the glass, and I look down at the ice floating inside before glancing back at Rihito’s sister.

“Would it be a problem if someone like me liked your brother?”