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 29: My little sister and Saitou.

“Hey, Shinomiya. What kind of setup is this supposed to be…?”

Saitou’s complexion changed.

“For now, let’s talk outside the store.”

After we finished paying, we moved into a corridor between the mall’s tenants.

There weren’t many people passing through here.

Still…

How am I supposed to talk my way out of this?

People say God won’t give you a trial you can’t overcome.

Analyze the situation.

There has to be an escape route.

Right now, I’m with Suzune, wearing rings, arms linked, paying for matching shoes.

…Yeah.

Nope. Impossible. It’s over.

Then Suzune raised her hand.

“S-Saitou-kun! Th-this— I’m the one who seduced him, okay!? He didn’t do anything wrong!”

(Seduced? Please don’t make this more complicated!)

It looked like Suzune was trying to protect me.

But this was my problem to solve. Suzune didn’t need to sacrifice herself for me.

“No, it’s fine.”

I stopped Suzune and faced Saitou.

Saitou and I are best friends.

Surely he’ll understand.

“Saitou. The truth is… I want to marry Suzune.”

How’s that?

Suzune. I said it!

Saitou’s eyes darted around like he couldn’t process what he’d heard.

“Huh? Are you serious? That’s—no, no way. Absolutely no way. That’s just impossible. Gross…”

Yeah.

That’s the normal reaction.

Only now did it feel like reality had finally slammed into me.

Saitou thrust a hand out to stop me.

“Hold up. I can’t be in this space right now. Blergh— I’m gonna go to the bathroom…”

And with that, Saitou ran off somewhere.

Suzune and I were left behind.

Suzune went quiet and lowered her gaze.

He can’t even stay in the same space… is it really that bad?

Suzune looked like she was trying to force a smile, but she couldn’t make it work.

I scratched my nose.

“Sorry, Suzune. Deep down, I guess I was hoping Saitou would understand… and I made you feel awful too.”

Suzune smiled.

But the corners of her mouth quickly dropped again.

She didn’t have her usual energy.

“No. It’s fine. Saitou-kun’s reaction is normal.”

“Yeah. Normally I’d say, ‘If someone won’t understand, then forget them,’ but… he’s my benefactor. I’m going to try to get him to understand somehow.”

“Yeah.”

Suzune squeezed my hand.

“So you might end up going through some painful stuff because of me.”

Suzune shook her head.

“It’s okay. I’m prepared. Hotaru would probably react the same way too.”

Suzune sighed.

“Maybe.”

The behavior of gyaru is too much of an unknown; I can’t really predict it.

“Oh—by the way, Yuuma. You said you wanted to marry me earlier?”

“Ah, that was…”

It was momentum—or rather, I thought saying something dramatic might get through to him.

Suzune snuggled up against my shoulder.

“Hmmm. You’re impatient. We start with dating first, okay? More importantly, I’m a little uneasy, so please.”

Suzune sniffed around my neck.

But this isn’t the time.

“Are you done?”

“…Not enough. More.”

Then Suzune gently bit at my neck and started sucking.

It feels like I’m being drained by a vampire who’s run out of blood.

“Suzune… are you a vampire?”

Suzune grinned.

“Alright! Yuuma recharge complete! Let’s do our best in the second half!”

This girl’s fetishes are really reaching a new level.

As she said that, Suzune flashed a peace sign with both hands.

(Somehow… she seems pretty calm.)

But I’m not.

“How do you think we can make people understand? Lots of people are going to say the same things. I want them to really get it.”

Suzune put a finger to her lips.

The ring on her ring finger gleamed.

“Mmm… shouldn’t you tell him we’re step-siblings first?”

That’s true.

I panicked earlier and didn’t say the most important part.

When Saitou comes back, I’ll tell him that first.

We waited there about ten minutes, but Saitou didn’t return.

“Maybe he really got freaked out for real.”

When I said that, Suzune gave me a small smile.

“Maybe… yeah?”

Even if he’s like that, losing a friend still hurts.

“Sorry. I ate a bit too much and felt sick.”

Just as we were about to leave, Saitou came back.

I have to tell him we’re not blood-related.

But if I say it badly, he might think the whole “step-sister” thing is a lie. If that happens, I’m done for.

“Saitou, you thirsty?”

I bought three canned drinks from the vending machine and handed them to Suzune and Saitou.

I popped the tab—pssh—and chugged mine.

Whew…

“H-hey, so…”

Just as I was about to confess we’re step-siblings, Saitou thrust out his hand.

“Say no more. I understand.”

“Huh? Understand what?”

I haven’t said anything yet.

Saitou continued.

“I mean… you’re blood-related, but you went all the way anyway, right?”

Suzune flailed in panic.

“We didn’t! We’ve only done kissing so far!”

Saitou looked bored.

“Oh, that’s it? You guys had such serious faces—don’t confuse me.”

“But you said it was impossible earlier.”

When I said that, Saitou started talking with a sigh.

“Yeah, because it is impossible, normally. A guy like you—average at studying, average at sports, average face—there’s no way you match a princess like Suzune.”

(I think that too.)

“No, Saitou—you were staring at our rings.”

“Right. I thought you were getting played.”

Suzune glared at Saitou.

“I’m not doing that!”

“Eek. Princess Suzune is scary.”

Saitou shrugged.

Seriously.

When a beautiful girl is genuinely angry, it’s terrifying.

Saitou’s face went serious.

“Okay, so you’re seriously dating. Then what’s the problem?”

He accepted it without me even bringing up the blood-relation thing.

“No, normally people would be put off.”

“I wouldn’t. Because you wouldn’t make Princess Suzune cry, right? If that’s true, then even if she were your real sister, there’s only one option: bless you.”

Yeah.

That’s just who he is.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

—Two years ago.

A semifinal match at a national karate tournament.

Right in front of me, my opponent had collapsed, bleeding from his eyes and nose.

The referee rushed over and gestured not to move him. A tournament doctor examined him immediately, and the athlete was carried away on a stretcher.

Even after he was gone, the sensation of his skull cracking under the top of my right foot wouldn’t disappear.

He’d suffered severe injuries—an orbital floor fracture in his left eye and a detached retina. He survived, but I’d nearly killed someone.

Apparently, he’ll never be able to do karate again.

I went with my coach to apologize, but I couldn’t meet him. I can’t forget the looks from his parents—and his younger sister.

Because it was treated as an accident during a match, I wasn’t criminally charged. Still, I declined the junior national team (cadet) training spot that was announced afterward.

And I quit karate.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

The one who pulled me out of rock bottom was Saitou and his family—who ran a karate dojo.

“Saitou… you really are something.”

As I started to say that, Saitou patted my shoulder twice.

“Using your position as ‘big brother’ to snag a beauty like that—seriously unforgivable. So how far did you really go?”

“Could you listen for once? We’re not blood-related.”

Saitou spread his hand wide in shock.

“No way. That cuts my envy in half. Then there’s no problem at all. Congrats. But—Princess Suzune—are you sure you want a guy like this?”

Suzune puffed out her cheeks.

“Actually, I prefer a guy like this!”

Saitou looked me in the eye, dead serious.

“They say there’s no accounting for taste. But listen, Shinomiya—if you make Princess Suzune cry, I’ll break your nose.”

Then Saitou returned to a grin and kept going.

“Still, even if it’s ‘half,’ I’m genuinely jealous. Just being female is more than enough, right?”

Suzune made a disgusted face.

“Saitou-kun, the way you say that is seriously gross.”

“Sorry…”

Saitou drooped.

Looks like a chuunibyou has absolutely no resistance to genuine criticism from girls.

(He defended Suzune, and now he’s all dejected.)

Still, what is Saitou even saying?

I don’t get why Suzune got mad about “gender.”

“But you’ve got Sarasa-san.”

“Hah? I wanna become strangers with her as fast as possible. Also—oh crap. If I stay here, she’ll find m—”

Saitou’s phone started getting notification after notification.

“Aren’t you going to check them?”

When I asked, Saitou said without looking at the messages,

“Nah, it’s fine. I’m heading out soon.”

“Ah. There you are, boyfriend-chan.”

A voice behind us—Saionji-san.

Saitou flinched and tried to run, but someone grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

“S-sis…”

Saionji-san grabbed Saitou by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

“Hey. Shouta. Why the hell didn’t you bring the chicken? You ate it all, didn’t you? And you didn’t say anything unnecessary to these two, did you?”

(Seriously? Saitou’s a first-dan in karate. And she’s tossing him around that easily?)

Saionji-san’s way of talking sounded like a different person.

Just who is she!?

“Saionji Sarasa—Saitou’s ‘big sis,’ and the strongest in the dojo.”

Chapter 30: Punch through with your right foot! Don’t stop—fly.

There was someone I admired.

Strong, smart, and cool.

Someone with a firm sense of justice, who wouldn’t bow to anyone.

They made a name for themself at the National Sports Festival, and people expected an Olympic medal too—then one day, the person who was “him” back then suddenly retired.

Rumors flew—illness, disappearance—but I just kept admiring that person, the one who first taught me how fun karate could be.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

—Sarasa Saionji.

Saitou’s “big sis,” and the strongest in the dojo.

A few hours after we ran into Sarasa-san and the others, we were here—at the Saitou family dojo.

I ended up doing sparring practice with Sarasa-san.

It had been a while since I’d been in a dojo. The tatami held just a faint smell of sweat.

Barefoot, I took one step, then another, checking the sound and feel of my footwork.

Each time, the sensation from two years ago returned to the top of my foot like a ghost.

“Rule check.”

Sarasa-san retied her black belt and stood facing me.

“Face strikes are light contact only. Grabbing is only for an instant. Takedowns are limited to foot sweeps and off-balancing by breaking the axis. If you get scared, don’t force it. Understood, Yuuma?”

“Ah—Sarasa-san. No full contact. Let’s keep it controlled—no finishing.”

“You’re kind.”

Sarasa-san smiled.

No, that’s not it.

I don’t have the leeway to hold back.

I nodded.

My breathing clung to my body—heavy.

My throat should have been dry, but I could feel my blood racing inside me.

Nostalgic.

I let out a small breath.

—Begin.

It was a breath-length instant. The moment I feinted a punch and slid my right foot in, Sarasa-san’s support leg vanished from where it was.

“Wha—?”

Sarasa-san lightly brushed my wrist aside, and the top of her lead foot smoothly “stroked” my ankle.

A foot sweep.

My view tilted, like I’d missed a step on the stairs.

But I didn’t fall.

A soft resistance caught my back—Sarasa-san’s forearm was supporting the back of my head.

“When you take someone down, don’t ‘drop’ them—place them, leaving a sheet of air’s worth of space. Hehe. You move better than I expected. Your arms haven’t dulled.”

She patted my shoulder.

My heartbeat slowed just a little.

That’s my line.

The moment I grabbed her sleeve, I understood.

Fourth dan… as expected.

This is nothing like my rusted black belt.

“Continue.”

At Saitou’s signal, I stood in front of Sarasa-san again.

I switched my stance.

I pictured lightly touching the outside of her lead foot—and the instant my foot made contact, she disappeared from my sight.

Body movement.

In half a step, she stole my blind spot.

“You’re looking down too much. Are you scared? That’s why you can’t see what’s good about you.”

Sarasa-san’s voice was right next to my ear.

The smooth feel of her hair brushed past.

The next moment, a soft weight pressed against my shoulder line.

—She’s coming to break my axis.

An off-balancing technique, like a body drop.
Sarasa-san’s specialty.

But she didn’t apply it.

“Back when you were hurting, I couldn’t be there beside you. I’m sorry.”

—Because I’m weak, I made Sarasa-san apologize.

I slammed my left foot into the ground and pulled my right foot off the tatami.

I tucked my knee and twisted my hips.

The sole of my supporting left foot bit into the mat—tight. The edge of my vision blurred.

(Now.)

I layered hip rotation over the snap of my knee and drew an arc with the top of my foot.

A right high roundhouse kick.

The air howled, and a single strand of Sarasa-san’s bangs lifted softly.

—Stop.

My leg froze in midair.

Two fingers’ width from her cheek.

My ankle’s path wobbled slightly, and somewhere in my brain, the memory of bones cracking rose again.

A right high roundhouse.

My best technique.

The cursed technique—the one that almost killed someone.

My breath jammed deep in my chest; my lungs burned hot.

Keeping the trajectory, I pulled back only my knee a fraction and stopped it short.

Sarasa-san’s eyes were close.

She didn’t flinch.

She was ready to take my kick.

“Don’t stop!”

Sarasa-san’s words were short—and powerful.

But I couldn’t.

Her fingertips gently touched my ankle, lowering it as if showing me where to land.

My right foot returned to the tatami.

A beat later, Sarasa-san’s straight punch stopped a paper-thin distance from my heart.

“Hah… hah… sorry. I said we’d stop short.”

When I said that, Sarasa-san smiled.

“It’s fine. It means your right foot still remembers the kick you repeated tens of thousands of times. If you seal it away like that, your right foot would feel sorry.”

“But I…”

“Yuuma, your support leg wobbled right before impact, didn’t it? What you need to do isn’t fear the kick.”

Sarasa-san rose onto her toes slightly and patted my head.

“Control your kick.”

Sarasa-san crouched, pressed a finger to the ball of my supporting big toe, and shifted it inward by just one centimeter.

“Here. You don’t stop because you’re scared. You miss because you can aim. Not sealing it away—choosing. That’s what strength is.”

“Yuuma—‘Power without justice is violence. Justice without power is helplessness.’ Do you remember that?”

She finished with those words and winked.

I nodded.

I remember. It was the first thing I was taught.

Yeah… of course.

This person…

Even if their form changed, nothing changed.

They were the person I’d admired all along.

Sarasa-san clapped her hands.

“Alright—let’s go eat as a reward for working hard.”

As she tightened her belt again, she added casually:

“Hey, Yuuma. If you get scared like today, come here again. You don’t have to stop everything all by yourself anymore.”

I exhaled and gave a small bow.

When I stepped away from the tatami, my soles felt a little lighter than before.

Sarasa-san smiled.

Her sharp gaze from earlier was gone—now she looked like a beautiful older sister.

“Suzune-chan, sorry to keep you waiting.”

After a brief beat, Suzune’s face brightened.

“Sarasa-chan… so cool… cute… um, it’s like a scene from a movie!”

Sarasa-san’s gaze traced, just for an instant, the ring on my left hand and Suzune’s ring.

Then, like it was a signal of some kind, she gave a small nod.

Suzune clung to my arm.

“Hey, Yuuma. Let’s go. The strongest big sister is going to treat us, right?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

Sarasa-san tied her hair up and headed toward the waiting room. My breathing was still ragged, but Sarasa-san’s breathing was already steady.

She really is cool.

And what Sarasa-san meant wasn’t only physical strength. She meant the strength to choose your life without looking away.

Inside me, I felt time that had stopped begin to move again.

“Oh—do you two have anything you want to eat?”

Sarasa-san turned back.

“Huh? Sis, I want yakiniku!”

When Saitou said that, Sarasa-san shooed him away with her foot.

“Shouta! I heard you said something stupid to Suzune-chan earlier. And you ate all my chicken too. I have no reason to treat you.”

Sarasa-san turned to me and smiled.

“Alright. Let’s leave this idiot here and go—just the three of us.”

Saitou was clinging to Sarasa-san’s leg.

—Sarasa Saionji.

Saitou’s “big sis,” and my hero.

…At our table in the yakiniku restaurant.

The moment Sarasa-san adjusted the tips of my chopsticks, Suzune’s fingers twitched to a stop beneath the table.

Chapter 31: The Earrings That Trembled with Suzune’s Jealousy

…A yakiniku restaurant.

The moment Sarasa-san straightened the tips of my chopsticks, Suzune’s fingers twitched to a stop beneath the table.

A tree-lined street at dusk.

Suzune and I confirm how we feel.

She’s straightforward. I’m embarrassed, but honest.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

After the dojo, Sarasa-san brought us out for yakiniku.

The place looked upscale with its brown-toned interior, but it was an all-you-can-eat restaurant you could order from casually.

Right in front of us, Sarasa-san was grilling meat.

Even while she complained, she still grilled meat for Saitou too. At base, she’s probably the type who takes good care of people.

“Come on, you two. Don’t hold back—eat.”

Clink. A metallic sound rang out.

Sarasa-san pinched the meat with tongs and held it out toward us.

“No—on top of treating us, you’re even grilling for us… I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

Sarasa-san flagged down a server.

“Um—one extra-large mug of draft beer, a mega cola, and… what do you two want to drink next?”

Saitou raised his hand.

“Hey, sis. I don’t need some giant cola. I already ate too much—blergh.”

“Huh? If you don’t drink it, it’ll look like I’m the only one chugging!”

This feels familiar…

I guess siblings are the same everywhere.

“Don’t put your chopsticks there.”

Sarasa-san lined my chopsticks up neatly.

And Suzune’s hand stopped.

Suzune’s stare hurt.

“You’re totally grinning like an idiot.”

“I-I’m not!”

“Hmph. Then tell me—if it’s only two choices, do you like Sarasa-san or dislike her?”

I forgot.

Suzune is the jealous type.

“Uh… if those are the only two options, then ‘like.’”

With a question framed like that, there’s no escape.

What kind of trap is this?

As expected, Suzune glared at me.

Thump.

Sarasa-san’s beer mug bounced on the table.

“See? If the person is right in front of you, you can’t exactly say you ‘dislike’ them, can you?”

Sarasa-san cut in and saved the conversation.

“Ugh…”

Suzune fell silent.

A droplet slid down Sarasa-san’s mug.

“Besides, I can’t do it unless it’s a ‘grown man.’”

I never had any intention of that, but it still irritated me—like I’d been dumped for no reason.

“T-then what about when Yuuma becomes an adult?”

In response to Suzune’s question, Sarasa-san downed the rest of her beer in one go.

“By then, Yuuma-kun will be Suzune-chan’s husband, right? And in that case, I can’t do married men. Isn’t that so?”

“I mean, yes, but…”

Under the table, Suzune placed a hand on my knee.

The ring on her ring finger glittered.

Sarasa-san snapped her fingers.

“Good. Looks like my wedding dress won’t go to waste after all.”

“…Sorry for saying something weird.”

Suzune apologized.

Saitou lifted his head.

“Princess Suzune, are you all grinning with jealousy?”

Suzune’s eyes darted.

“I-I’m not! It’s not like that. Also, Saitou-kun—what a gross way to put it!”

When she brushed her bangs back, the earring on her left ear swayed.

“…That’s all.”

Saitou apparently didn’t catch what she muttered and started to say something, but Sarasa-san cut him off.

“Hehe. Right? He’s annoyingly gross. Suzune-chan, you’ve got sauce on your mouth.”

Sarasa-san wiped Suzune’s lips with a paper napkin. Suzune turned red and looked down.

“Sarasa-chan… you really are cool… and cute… munch munch.”

With her cheeks full of meat, Suzune said it anyway.

(Hey—don’t go falling for her, Suzune… please.)

The grill crackled as fat popped from the meat.

The sweet smell of fat and sauce mixed together, and my stomach practically squirmed.

Sarasa-san served me some meat too.

“I like you both about the same.”

“Please don’t say that while you’re drinking beer.”

When I shot back, Sarasa-san laughed.

“I like to think I understand what truly matters… you know?”

Sarasa-san glanced at me.

“Saitou, doesn’t Sarasa-san seem cooler than before?”

Saitou kept stuffing his face with meat.

“Y-yeah. Ever since sis started acting as assistant instructor, we’ve had a ton more students join.”

Suzune leaned forward.

“S-speaking of that—those photos for the movie theater’s couple discount… that was you two, right?”

While poking at the meat, Sarasa-san answered.

“Yeah. Sometimes we stop by the theater on the way back from my shop. And every now and then I make Shouta come with me.”

I see.

For all his complaining, their sibling relationship seems pretty good.

“Then what about the two of you hugging at the shrine?”

“Oh, that. So the ones watching from the entrance were you two.”
Sarasa-san didn’t even finish before Saitou cut in.

“That was because our shop was helping out with the shopping district festival stalls, and I accidentally called sis by her old name. She beat me up for it.”

“You weren’t hugging?”

When I asked, Saitou sighed.

“I felt someone nearby. Sis was just covering it up.”

“With a fourth-dan karateka as your opponent, people like us are basically amateurs.”

“Come on, don’t stop eating. Yuuma, you were second-dan in youth karate, weren’t you? Are you not transferring your rank over?”

“Mm… I don’t know. I haven’t fully gotten over it, or… processed it.”

Chugging cola, Saitou added,

“Yeah, well… with you, there was all that stuff with the coach. You looked like you were sick of karate itself.”

Clap.

Sarasa-san clapped her hands.

“Well, talk to me when you feel motivated again. For today, let’s just enjoy our meal.”

After that, we ate tons of great meat, shared old stories, and had an incredibly fun time.