When I Thought I Was Reborn, My Family Turned Out to Be a Huge Landmine - Chapter 07: Ren

Chapter 07: Ren

“Ren… who is Arika Yumeno?”

I was about to answer when I froze a little… After all, Nee-san’s eyes looked really scary.

Her face was smiling, but her eyes weren’t. That’s probably the right way to describe it.

“Um…”

I stammered under Nee-san’s gaze.

But when I thought about it, there was really no need to be afraid. After all, Yumeno is a classmate and a friend, so it’s not strange to have her contact information.

“She’s a classmate. Nee-san… I mean, I have female friends too.”

“That’s true… You would have female friends, yes.”

Ah, Nee-san’s mood seemed to return to normal.

But why do I feel like a boyfriend being suspected of cheating?

Sighing at Nee-san’s behavior, I stood up, went to the refrigerator, poured barley tea into two cups, and returned to my seat.

“Here.”

“Thank you.”

I handed a cup to Nee-san and we both drank the barley tea together… Ah, it’s refreshing.

“I’m home.”

Just then, a voice came from the entrance.

It seemed Nii-san had returned.

“Oh, he’s back.”

Nee-san spoke without any sign of happiness, rather sounding annoyed.

After a while, Nii-san appeared in the living room, surprised to see us sitting cozily on the sofa.

“It’s rare to see you two like this.”

“Fufun, Ren and I were just enjoying some lovely time together~♪”

Saying that, Nee-san cuddled up to me, rubbing her cheek against mine.

Nii-san shifted his gaze from Nee-san to me and chuckled, as if he understood something.

“I see, I understand. So it’s a one-sided thing for Asami.”

Nee-san, seemingly oblivious to Nii-san’s murmuring, clung to me in contentment.

After saying he was going to take a shower, Nii-san headed to the bathroom, and I stayed put until Nee-san seemed satisfied.

Later, while Nee-san took her turn in the bath, I was preparing dinner and watching TV when Nii-san spoke again.

“Asami really seems happy by your side, Ren. Having such a sister must make it tough to get a girlfriend, huh?”

“…It’s frustrating to admit, but there’s no sign of that happening.”

“Is that so? Isn’t there anyone in your class you’re interested in?”

The only one I’m really curious about, in many ways, is Yumeno… Hmm.

Maybe it was my silence, but Nii-san smiled slyly.

But this smile didn’t seem malicious; it was purely happy, as if he was glad I had someone I was interested in.

“Looks like there is someone? But knowing you, Ren, it’s probably just curiosity, not love.”

Nii-san knows me well. I decided to probe a bit and said,

“Even if there were, I wouldn’t tell you. I wouldn’t want you making a move on her.”

Now, what will he say to that? Nii-san’s eyes widened for a moment, but then he relaxed into a wry smile… Huh?

“As if I’d make a move on my little brother’s crush. Besides, high school girls are out of my league.”

“…Huh?”

“What’s with that face?”

…What does that mean?

There was no hint of a joke or a lie in Nii-san’s demeanor. Having lived as Ren Kamisato and spent so much time with Nii-san and Nee-san, I understand these things.

After Nee-san finished her bath, we had dinner together as a family, and then I returned to my room.

After getting ready for tomorrow, I lay in bed, gazing at the ceiling, and closed my eyes, trying to dig up old memories.

“It has to be Ryo Kamisato, Nii-san, who would take Yumeno away from Arisaka.”

I said the name out loud, feeling certain.

This memory couldn’t be wrong; I remember it too vividly, which is why Nii-san’s earlier words linger in my mind.

High school girls are off-limits, so why did Nii-san go after Yumeno? No matter how much I thought about it, the answer didn’t come.

“But then again, I never completely finished that game, now that I think about it.”

I just remembered that I hadn’t fully cleared that game.

There should be four recollection scenes and about six gallery items that I haven’t seen.

No matter how many times I replayed the game or what combination of choices I made, I couldn’t unlock them.

“I don’t like spoilers, so I never looked at walkthrough sites… I was curious about the stories I could see, but then I got busy with other things and stopped playing.”

That’s a common thing, isn’t it?

“Well, I remember the general flow of the story, but the details and settings are kind of fuzzy… I don’t remember much about the conversations outside of the event scenes.”

So, I don’t really remember much at all… I felt a bit disappointed and couldn’t help but smile wryly, thinking that memories from a past life are just like that.

“…But then again, maybe this world doesn’t follow the game’s script.”

I see glimpses of the same settings in Nii-san and Nee-san as in the game, but that’s about it.

They’re not supposed to have a brother like me, and above all, I can feel a kindness in them that wasn’t in the game.

Nee-san is as she is, and Nii-san even declared he has no interest in high school girls… Yeah, the game and the reality I’m in now might be different.

“…Haha, thinking like this does make me feel a bit more at ease.”

There was the incident where Nee-san learned Yumeno’s name, but that was it. If Nii-san is not to be worried about, it means no one will come between Yumeno and Arisaka in the future.

Of course, Yumeno is such a beauty that other guys might be interested in her even if Nii-san isn’t, but there’s no point worrying about that now.

“Ah, it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”

Of course, you never know what might happen, so I’ll keep an eye on Nii-san, but other than that, it’s Arisaka’s turn to show his feelings for Yumeno.

Convinced, I laughed to myself, reassured, and laughed again… I must look like a complete nutcase.

But in a way, no one else would understand how I feel.

A reborn person with memories of a past life, I doubt there’s anyone else like that.

“Yawn… Ah, I’m sleepy. Maybe it’s because I feel relieved. I should go to sleep now.”

Overwhelmed by sudden drowsiness, I reached for the remote to turn off the lights, but then my smartphone vibrated.

“? …Ah, it’s Yumeno.”

It seemed to be a message from Yumeno.

[Good evening. Sorry for messaging suddenly. I gave the game to my brother and he was really happy. It’s all thanks to you, Kamisato-kun. Thank you so much for today!]

“…She’s so conscientious. There’s no need for thanks, I already received it when we said goodbye.”

Struggling to stay awake, I somehow managed to reply.

A simple message saying, “You’re welcome, sorry but I’m sleepy, going to sleep now.”

I sent it and almost immediately got a reply from Yumeno, apologizing and wishing me good night.

“Good night… there.”

I added a stamp of a popular comedian in vogue… Alright, I’m at my limit.

Whether Yumeno replied after that, I don’t know. I didn’t have the chance to check as my consciousness quickly faded into darkness.

~ Discussion Board for the 18+ Eroge “Falling, Ever Deeper” ~

: Are the intimate scenes a bit overdone? The art and the voice actors’ performances are just too intense.

: Totally. It was really exciting.

: The event scenes were great too. Arika-chan is way too alluring.

: Well, she’s a heroine in an erotic game, of course, she’s seductive.

: I know that, but… man, she was an incredible character in so many ways.

: Given the company that produced it, I expected something special.

: Can I ask a question? Need some help from the idle hands here.

: Yeah?

: What’s up?

: No matter what I do, I can’t unlock all the gallery and memory scenes. What’s going on?

: Ah…

: That’s tough for first-timers… no, I mean, probably hard to notice.

: What, it’s that hard to notice? And who’s “Ren”? The name just popped up briefly.

: Well… how about trying to unlock everything first?

: Yeah. If you do that, it should show up.

: Huh, alright. I’ll try to figure it out on my own, I hate looking at guides!

: Good luck~!

: Come back here if you get stuck.

: Will do!