When We Found Out We're Not Blood-Related, My Little Sister Became Seriously Love-Brained ~When a Little Sister Stops Being a Little Sister, the Ultimate Heroine Emerges!~

Chapter 18: Little Sister Was Confessed To

Since that day I gave her the ring.

Suzune has been in a good mood.

Suzune’s room is next to mine. The wall separating our rooms is thin, so I often hear sounds.

Recently, I frequently hear “ehehehe” from the next room. She’s probably wearing the ring and feeling pleased with herself.

She says that ring is fine, but I feel a bit sorry.

There will be situations where a proper ring is needed, and since it’s not on the ring finger, I can’t expect a man-repelling effect.

No, rather there’s even a risk of giving the other guy confidence that “I can give her something better.”

So I’m thinking of giving her a ring as a present again.

I looked at the calendar.

If I’m going to do it, should I make it Suzune’s birthday present? Suzune’s birthday is late December, so I still have time to save money.

Should I get a part-time job?

※

Then one weekday break time.

Saitou’s evil eye Abyss Eye activated again.

Saitou is placing a marble on his desk.

Apparently it’s set as a crystal ball.

“Fwooo!! I can see, I can see. This abyssal Red Eye is projecting it. Princess Suzune, you’ll be confessed to by someone after school today!!”

Red…

The setting is really sloppy.

But this guy’s Abyss Eye has a 100% accuracy rate so far. I can’t underestimate it.

Wait, today!?

Isn’t that way too sudden?

Gulp.

I felt my mouth go dry.

※

“What do you mean? And who’s the other party?”

Saitou held his hand over the marble.

“Fwoooo!! The other party is Book, damn it. The red magic society. They’re interfering with my magic eye again. Damn it. Is this the limit?”

Huh?

Was the enemy’s name like that?

This is the second time the name Book has come from Abyss Eye.

Apparently the other party is Book. In other words, Honda.

It’s totally possible.

“Hey, Saitou. Forget about the magic eye, tell me where she’ll be confessed to!!”

I grabbed Saitou’s collar.

“Koff koff. Apparently at Cafe Marlet in front of the station after Princess Suzune’s club activities. She was talking with Princess Kei.”

Hey hey. “Was talking?” you say?

That’s just eavesdropping, isn’t it?

I’m not doubting Suzune.

But I hate this unsettled feeling in my heart.

I want to be reassured.

I know it’ll be okay.

But somehow I was scared to watch alone.

“Sorry. Saitou. Could you come with me after school today?”

“Roger wilco!!”

Saitou said that and patted around his bicep area.

Really, you.

What era are you from?

Saitou is gross, but he’s a good guy.

※

We decided to go to Cafe Marlet after school. We’d each go home once, change clothes, then meet in front of the shop.

When I looked at my watch, it was 5 PM.

It’s about time for Suzune’s club activities to end.

I entered the shop and looked around.

It’s casual but the lighting is dim, with low sofas lined up. There aren’t that many seats.

I see.

It’s a nice atmosphere.

…Where should we sit?

It would be bad if Suzune found us, but if we’re too far away we won’t hear the conversation.

As I was hesitating, Saitou poked my arm. By the way, Saitou is crossdressing. Apparently it’s camouflage, but honestly it’s gross.

“Hey. Shinomiya. Honda’s here. He really came.”

Saitou put his hand to his mouth and made an exaggeratedly surprised face.

Hey hey.

Don’t be so surprised when you’re the prophet himself. You’re making me anxious too.

※

But.

So the other party was Honda after all.

If Honda came, surely Suzune will come too.

Just imagining it makes me feel sad.

I wish Saitou’s prophecy had been wrong.

Honda is sitting in a booth by the window.

My feelings are very complicated, but it’s good that we located the seat. The booth seats face each other, and Honda is sitting on the aisle side.

Suzune will probably sit across from Honda.

We sat with one space between us, back-to-back with Honda. I want to get closer, but beyond this is dangerous.

Well, from here we’re on the opposite side from the entrance so Suzune won’t pass by, and we should be able to hear the conversation.

Was he being considerate?

Saitou sat next to me instead of across from me.

But apparently us sitting side by side on a bench seat stands out in a different way.

After all, Saitou is crossdressing.

“Hey, why’d you come in that getup?”

When I complained, Saitou argued back.

“If I’m in disguise, I won’t stand out, right?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You stand out even more!!”

Then I made eye contact with a high school girl at the next seat.

She’s looking at us with blatantly half-lidded eyes.

The gaze hurts.

I decided to order a drink and wait for the time.

※

Honda is a good guy even from the same sex’s perspective.

He’s tall and handsome.

Excellent athletic ability, captain of the soccer team.

There’s always someone around him, and he treats men and women equally. Everyone calls him by his first name, Sou.

Probably only Saitou and I call Honda by his last name in class.

Plus he’s smart—a super excellent prospect.

He wouldn’t look bad next to Suzune.

Well, they’re a good match from anyone’s perspective.

※

I wonder if Honda was the one who called her out today?

If it was from Suzune, I might not recover.

Ah, somehow I can’t settle down.

I looked at my watch.

There’s still a bit of time.

Should I go to the bathroom?

“Hey, Shinomiya!”

Saitou stopped me as I tried to stand up.

“Huh?”

※

Clang.

The shop door opened.

It’s Suzune.

I averted my eyes.

Not because I’d be discovered. I was scared.

When Suzune found Honda, she waved.

I can’t.

I can’t watch.

Could it be it’s not a confession.

But they’re already dating?

Suspecting like this is rude to Suzune.

I shook my head sideways.

“Hey, Shinomiya. You okay?”

Saitou called out worriedly.

Apparently I’m visibly upset even from the outside.

“Haa, I-I’m fine.”

“Really? If you feel sick, don’t push yourself, okay?”

From Saitou’s perspective, we’re just siblings, and Suzune is just a little sister. There’s no way he’d understand why I’m upset.

I’m curious about what’s happening behind me, but I might make eye contact with Suzune. I concentrated my awareness on my ears.

“Sorry. Calling you out suddenly. Oh, this is in the way.”

Honda apparently moved his bag that was next to him to the side.

“I’d feel bad making you worry. I hurried.”

Suzune is breathing heavily.

“Sit here.”

If Suzune sits next to Honda, we can turn around too.

But.

I clenched my hands.

…The seat next to Suzune is my seat.

After a brief pause, Suzune answered.

“Sorry. I’m sweaty after club activities. I have a lot of luggage too, so I’ll sit here.”

When I glanced, Suzune wasn’t next to Honda.

Haa.

I exhaled deeply.

Suzune apparently sat in the seat across from him.

“So? What did you suddenly want to talk about?”

Suzune cut to the point after putting down her luggage.

“Mm. Ah, well. You and I.”

“Mm?”

“We’re often the subject of rumors, right?”

“True~”

Suzune’s voice is bright.

“That stuff annoys me.”

“Ah, I get it. It’s unpleasant, right?”

…I can imagine the flow after this.

My heart rate shot up all at once.

Honda continued speaking.

“So. How about we actually date for real?”

I suddenly became short of breath.

The air is thin.

Several seconds of silence arrived.

I hear the sound of one of them resettling in their chair.

My fingertips were trembling.

※

“Is that for real?”

It’s Suzune’s voice.

“Yeah. Seriously. Dead serious.”

Honda’s answering voice trembled.

Silence arrives again.

The shop noise that was noisy until just now doesn’t enter my ears now.

※

“Mm, I can’t. Sorry!”

It was Suzune who broke the silence.

“Huh? Why? It shouldn’t be a bad deal for you either.”

Honda lowered his voice tone.

“Mm, first, I hate being called ‘omae’ (you). Also, in what you just said, there was nothing at all about Honda-kun’s feelings, right?”

Huh?

Really?

…But I always say “omae.” to her.

The inflection gradually disappears from Suzune’s words. Conversely, Honda’s voice gets louder and louder.

“No, that’s like an obvious premise.”

“Ah, you don’t need to say it.”

Suzune immediately retorted.

“That’s why I’m serious about you.”

“I have a boyfriend. So sorry.”

This answer is faster than before.

The gaps are getting shorter and shorter.

※

BAM!!

“No, I asked Kei and she said you don’t have anyone like that!!”

Honda apparently put his hands on the table.

His voice suddenly got loud.

The surrounding customers’ gazes gather.

Honda.

Isn’t he acting like he’s intimidating her?

“Hey, stop it.”

When I tried to stand up, Saitou stopped me.

Silence arrives.

Is Suzune okay?

※

“For example, though.”

It was Suzune’s voice. Suzune started speaking in a calm tone unlike before.

“Mm?”

The tension disappeared from Honda’s voice too.

“Honda-kun, you have a little sister, right?”

“If that girl seriously confessed to you, could you accept it?”

“No, that’s impossible. Seriously gross.”

“Then, if that girl really likes you too much and ran away from home because meeting you is painful? If she’s that serious, could you accept her feelings?”

※

Honda didn’t answer anything.

“Sorry for the weird talk. It’s just hypothetical. But unless it’s a ‘like’ that can immediately overcome something like that, it’s impossible. At the least, your feelings doesn’t resonate with me.”

BAM!!

“That way of saying it is unfair!!”

Honda hit the table and strengthened his tone.

※

Making sounds like that and saying it’s unfair to a girl—you’re the unfair one.

Damn it.

Saitou pressed down on my thigh even stronger than before.

The conversation isn’t over yet.

I decided to endure by gritting my teeth.

※

Suzune’s voice tone dropped all at once.

Almost no inflection, already close to emotionless.

“Maybe so. I’m actually bad-natured. Right now I have a boyfriend so it’s impossible, but even if I didn’t, it’s still impossible. With Honda-kun, it won’t happen.”

Suzune’s voice is cold.

A voice that pushes the other person away.

I was always avoided by Suzune, but even when being cursed at the most, I never heard such a voice.

The ticking of the second hand echoes through the shop.

“Sorry, I got emotional. Today was my bad. I’ll leave first.”

It was Honda who backed down.

Honda said that, grabbed the receipt, and left.

I didn’t know Honda had such a rough side. But that probably means he was that confident in his confession.

※

Saitou patted my thighs.

“You. What were you gonna do going out there? Well, I was pissed too, you know?”

Saitou made a fist with his right hand and hit it against his left hand repeatedly.

“Shinomiya. You’re a dan holder, so it wouldn’t be a joke.”

I also lightly patted Saitou’s thigh.

“Thanks for stopping me. If I’d gone, I would’ve caused trouble for Suzune.”

Saitou put his hand to his mouth.

“Still though, Princess Suzune is scary. She cut him down in one stroke.”

“Really? She’s always like that to me.”

Huh.

Before I knew it, my fingers stopped trembling.

I guess I was relieved by Suzune’s answer.

Then Suzune started rustling to pack her luggage.

“It’s already this time. Yuuma will worry, so I need to hurry home.”

Suzune shouldered her large luggage and left.

When Suzune opened the shop door.

I saw the ring on her left pinky finger.

※

Well, our business is done too.

Should we head back?

Clang.

Then the entrance door opened again.

It was Yamase-san.

The girl I met at the underwear shop before.

When Yamase-san noticed me, she raised her hand.

“Shinomiya-kun. I just met Suzune-chan? Were you together?”

After the underwear shop incident, I was looked at with cold eyes for a while, but recently the misunderstanding finally cleared up and she’s started talking to me normally.

The road to here was long.

“Ah, no. Separately.”

“Hmm?”

Yamase-san stared at Saitou, then returned her gaze to me.

“Shinomiya-kun. Who’s this person?”

Oh, I see.

She doesn’t recognize him because Saitou is crossdressing.

Then there was a plop sound.

When I dropped my gaze to the floor, Saitou’s wig had fallen.

※

“Is that Saitou-kun? Shinomiya-kun. As I thought, you’re that kind of person.”

Yamase-san was half-smiling.

“N-no. That’s wrong.”

Why am I being misunderstood because of Saitou’s crossdressing?

I made excuses but she wouldn’t listen at all.

“I really can’t with Shinomiya-kun after all. I’m going home today.”

Yamase-san said that and left.

This time I really seem to be hated.

※

“Tehe.”

Saitou stuck out his tongue.

“Not ‘tehe’! Haa. Well whatever. Saitou. Sorry for making you come along today. I’ll pay the bill.”

When I reached into my bag to check my wallet contents, my phone lit up.

A message from Suzune.

“Sorry, heading home now. A lot happened today, so I’ll talk when I get back. Also, dinner is special omelet rice!!”

Come to think of it, Mom isn’t home today.

Apparently tonight’s dinner is dark matter.

I parted with Saitou and hurried home.

I looked at Suzune’s message over and over. Each time I somehow felt relieved, feeling like all the hardened worry was completely melting away.

But I asked one thing.

“Do you dislike being called ‘omae’?”

A reply came immediately.

“Not at all. I love being called that by you, Yuuma ♡”

I saw the “♡” and grinned.

※

I could see the house.

The kitchen light is on.

—I want to see Suzune soon.

Chapter 19: Little Sister Is Clumsy and Too Precious

“I’m home.”

The sound of a knife chopping came, and Suzune in an apron came to greet me.

“Welcome home. Papa.”

Suzune smiled mischievously.

Papa?

“Hey you. I’ll imagine vivid things, so stop that kind of roleplay.”

I hid my embarrassment with modest resistance.

“Vivid things~? Then should I call you Papa inside the house starting tomorrow?”

Suzune grinned.

(If you do that, Dad will kill me. Absolutely don’t, okay?)

“Anyway, I’ll go change. I’m a bit tired.”

If there was a small child next to Suzune, that would confirm the peak of my life.

※

“Ah, wait a sec.”

When I tried to go upstairs, Suzune stopped me.

“What’s up?”

“Give me a hug.”

Suzune spread both arms.

“Got it.”

I embraced Suzune. Her delicate back bends to match my arms.

“More.”

I put strength in my arms.

Suzune stood on tiptoe and put her hands around my back.

Suzune’s body temperature transmits through our clothes.

“Thanks. Yuuma charge complete.”

“What’s that? Was I electricity?”

Then Suzune smiled bashfully.

“That’s right? You’re my electricity. Yuuma is Suzune’s driving force.”

Suzune made a peace sign.

※

I returned to my room and took off my jacket.

Suzune’s warmth still remains.

I don’t want to give Suzune to another guy.

If I marry Suzune, will I be able to avoid her being taken by other guys?

…I shook my head sideways.

I’m feeling like this because I did something like peeping.

That family imagination from earlier—is it my aspiration or obsession?

Which is it?

※

After changing, I decided to wait for dinner at the dining table.

Today our parents aren’t here.

Mom apparently asked Suzune to take care of me.

Matching Suzune’s busy movements, her tied-back hair sways.

Suzune is gathering her hair together in back using only her own hair without using a rubber band. How do you gather it with just your own hair?

Girls are dexterous.

While I was thinking such things, the food prep apparently finished.

“Sorry for the wait.”

Suzune placed a plate on the table.

Today’s dark matter is yellow like the moon.

And it has the appearance of omelet rice.

“Amazing! I can see the omelet rice!!”

When I said that, Suzune pulled back the omelet rice plate.

“I won’t give it to people who say such things.”

“Sorry, it seriously looks delicious.”

Suzune picked up the ketchup.

She writes letters while squeezing it out.

“Now, please enjoy.”

The omelet rice had this written on it:

“Where should we go tomorrow?”

※

…

I hear the sound of a pot lid rattling.

“Hey, shouldn’t you write something different on stuff like this? Like ‘I love you’ or something.”

Suzune came next to me and bent down.

Is she going to add a message maybe?

But that wasn’t it.

Suzune whispered in my ear.

“Yuuma, I love you.”

“Huh?”

I turned around.

I can see Suzune’s nape.

Is it because she usually wears her hair down? Her pure white nape is transparent with blood color, tinged with red.

“Important things, I have to convey myself ♪”

Suzune said that and returned to the kitchen while humming.

Suzune is doing the dishes.

“But seriously. This omelet rice is amazing. Really.”

Really amazing.

Suzune, you worked hard.

“Hehe. Mom taught me.”

“Could it be, for me?”

“Rather, I’d like to ask who else there is.”

Suzune said that while puffing out her chest.

※

“Now, eat.”

“Huh? What about your portion?”

“I’m fine. You know, actually, only one succeeded.”

Suzune stuck out her tongue.

In the kitchen direction, I could see what appeared to be dark matter remains.

“Let’s split it in half.”

When I said that, Suzune shook her head sideways.

Probably, if I were in the opposite position.

I’d be happier if Suzune ate it all.

Because it was made for the other person.

※

“Got it. Thanks. I’ll have some.”

“Yeah, enjoy.”

Suzune smiled.

When I started eating.

Suzune finished the dishes and sat next to me.

“Since it’s just the two of us today, shouldn’t you sit across from me?”

“It’s fine. This is my reserved seat.”

Suzune rested her head on my shoulder.

“How’s… the taste?”

“Yeah. It’s really delicious. Really, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Really, I’m glad Suzune is my little sister.”

Suzune looked up at me.

In those eyes, only I am reflected.

“You have rice on your mouth. I also really love this time I can spend with you like this.”

※

From somewhere a waft of wind drifted over.

It smelled sweet like chocolate.

I wonder what smell that is.

“Ah, can I talk for a bit?”

Suzune started speaking.

“What’s up?”

Suzune hugged her left elbow with her right hand and looked down.

“You know. Today.”

“Mm?”

Is it about earlier?

My heart suddenly pulsed.

It felt like I was watching that scene again.

Suzune continued speaking.

“Today. Actually I was confessed to.”

“By who?”

Suzune tightly grabbed my sleeve.

“Hon…”

“Ah, never mind.”

I remembered Honda’s trembling lips at that time. I didn’t feel like making someone’s romance a topic for amusement.

Suzune nodded.

“Yeah. The other person was a classmate, so for their sake too. But if you want to know, Yuuma, I’ll tell you, okay? So. I was confessed to but.”

“Yeah.”

“I said I have someone important, and rejected them.”

Suzune put strength into the hand gripping my sleeve.

“…sniff.”

“Are you crying?”

“I’m not crying.”

Saying that and rubbing her eyes, Suzune’s long eyelashes got wet and stuck to her upper eyelid.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m a terrible person. When I rejected them, I said it in a terrible way.”

I patted Suzune’s head.

“Suzune is a good person. I know that. You said it that way for the other person’s sake, right?”

“Because even though I said I have a boyfriend, they wouldn’t give up. I felt like you were being made fun of, Yuuma, and I got pissed.”

(So it wasn’t for the other person’s sake!!)

Suzune continued.

“But it’s true that when you hit someone, your own hand hurts. Even if it’s with words, my chest still hurts even now. But you know.”

“Mm?”

“I can’t think of anyone but you. It’s not okay to give someone hope when there’s absolutely no possibility, right? The pain of waiting forever when it’s absolutely impossible. …I understand that well.”

“That’s true.”

So that’s why she rejected him that way.

Not an ambiguous rejection, but delivering the final blow.

※

“Suzune, you worked hard.”

That was surely Suzune’s own story.

Because Suzune was always just a little sister.

The answer to why Suzune ran away from home.

I felt like I finally got to hear it now.

Suzune nodded slightly.

“Yeah. I worked hard.”

Suzune is kind.