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 45: Suzune’s Schemes and Tactics.

“How are you feeling?”

As she said that, Suzune sat down on the floor.

“Not good, but I think I’ll be fine if I stay in bed.”

When Suzune noticed the small pot of rice porridge on the table, her expression looked a little lonely.

“I’ll take it back down.”

While I waited, I messaged Saitou.

“Thanks for the care package. But I seriously don’t need the erotic mag.”

A reply came right away.

“Huh? I thought you’d be happy. I even picked one with a girl who looks like Princess Suzune, you know?”

I threw my phone.

“That’s Saitou for you. There’s a reason all the girls call him creepy.”

Still… Suzune.

Is she in a bad mood?

About five minutes later, Suzune came back.

She was holding my loungewear and a hand towel.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better. I bought these.”

Suzune was smiling.

She reached into the bag she’d had slung over her shoulder.

“Thanks.”

“Let’s see—pudding, ice cream, jelly, and cooling gel sheets…”

It’s a pretty biased selection, but I’m not going to say anything.

“Excuse me a second.”

With that, Suzune lifted my bangs.

She stuck a cooling gel sheet on my forehead.

A cold sensation hit my skin, and my shoulders drew up on their own.

“You still have a fever. Yuuma, you’re taking tomorrow off from school.”

As she said that, Suzune opened her planner.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh? Checking if I can take tomorrow off too.”

“Why?”

“To take care of you, obviously.”

“No, Mom will be here tomorrow.”

“You might get some other weird bug on you again!”

Suzune pouted.

Yeah.

She’s definitely still in a bad mood.

Some part of me felt a little relieved.

“By the way, how did it go with Hotaru?”

“It was awkward at first, but the kittens were so cute we went back to normal right away.”

“Good.”

“It’s thanks to you… thank you.”

As she said that, Suzune lightly flicked her hair with her fingertips.

“Not at all. I’m happy too.”

“Yuuma… you’re an idiot, but I still like you.”

Suzune murmured.

“Huh? What did you say?”

Suzune raised her voice.

“I said I like you, but you’re still an idiot!”

Just switching the order of “idiot” and “like” changes the nuance a lot.

It almost hurts.

“I’m only about you, Suzune.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Even though the girl in that dirty book looked like me?”

…So she noticed.

“S-s-so, that’s—so I can think about you even when we can’t see each other. And besides, wouldn’t it be weirder if it was a totally different type of girl?”

“Well, I mean… that’s true, but…”

Suzune hid her face behind her bangs.

“Okay, sit up.”

As she said that, Suzune put her hand behind my neck.

“Huh? What?”

“You’re sweating, right? I’ll wipe you down.”

“No, it’s fine.”

I’ve been sweating a lot, and honestly, it feels bad making her do that.

“If you smell sweaty, you won’t be popular, you know. And if you stay in damp clothes, you won’t get better. Come on—take it off.”

Suzune pulled my shirt upward.

Surprisingly, she really seemed serious about wiping me down properly.

A damp towel, wrung tight, slid along the back of my neck.

We stayed silent, and it got a little awkward.

After about five minutes, she finished and even helped me change.

“Alright. Now you’ll get better fast. Do you want me to do your pants too? I don’t mind.”

“I mind. I’ll do that myself later.”

“Really? We’re siblings who grew up together. You worry too much, Yuuma.”

While saying something that sounded reasonable, Suzune put my shirt into a plastic bag.

“Hey. Why are you putting that in a plastic bag?”

Suzune hugged the bag like it was precious.

“N-not for any reason. It’s dangerous if it spreads, so I’m just isolating it.”

Why are you hugging the quarantined item?

I decided to make sure.

“Huh. Don’t sniff it or anything, okay? You’ll catch it.”

“I won’t! What kind of pervert do you think I am?”

“Maybe the kind of pervert who’s always digging through my clothes in the changing area.”

“That’s not true. Only sometimes. Normally I hold back.”

Suzune was desperately gesturing as she argued.

Somehow, she looked a little cute—like a vampire girl trying to resist bloodlust.

“Huh. Feels more like once a month, though.”

Clap.

Suzune clapped her hands.

“Oh, and—our Izu family trip. Looks like we’re going in December!”

Next month—pretty soon.

And wow, she force-changed the topic.

“Yeah, Mom mentioned it before.”

“And I have an idea.”

“What?”

“Probably, you and Mom will want time alone to talk about Mio.”

“Yeah, probably.”

“So, I don’t want to get in the way. I’m thinking I’ll get the room assignment changed so it’s me and you.”

“Huh? That won’t fly, will it?”

Dad would definitely veto that.

But Suzune wiggled her body in this smug way.

“Actually… I already got Dad to say yes.”

What?

“Seriously? How did you get him to approve that?”

I’m genuinely shocked.

What kind of magic did she use?

“I hugged Dad and told him Mom looked a little lonely, so sometimes he should get along with her like a couple.”

“Is Mom not doing well?”

Suzune stuck her tongue out.

“…She’s totally fine, though.”

Strategist Suzune is terrifying.

She used Dad’s soft spot for her against him.

That method is absolutely impossible for me.

“Next month, huh. I’m even more excited now.”

“Do you think we need that thing?”

“That thing?”

“You know. The thing that prevents a baby. C-c-c—”

I covered Suzune’s mouth.

“You don’t need to say it.”

“Huh? So we don’t need it?”

“It means it’s not going to be like that.”

“Tch. Yuuma, you’re mean. You just reduced 80% of my trip excitement.”

If a guy said that, it’d be an unbelievably trashy line.

“Your excitement dropped way too much.”

“Because I want to get even closer with you, Yuuma.”

And now she’s throwing out the classic playboy line.

“Suzune, you’re cute. So you need to treasure yourself more.”

I threw a classic line back.

“W-well… if you say so, Yuuma, then fine.”

Suzune rubbed her cheek.

Heh—so easy.

But it’s also my honest feeling.

“Oh! I’ll feed you ice cream!”

“No… I don’t really feel like it right now.”

Ignoring me, Suzune peeled off the lid of the ice cream.

“Here. Say ahh.”

I could feel some kind of silent pressure.

“A-ahh…”

When I reluctantly opened my mouth, the spoon hit my cheek.

“Hey. How bad is your aim? You got ice cream on my cheek.”

Lick.

Suzune licked the ice cream off my cheek.

“Hmph. It’s your fault for making me jealous by getting kissed by Sarasa-chan.”

How does she know that?

Did Sarasa-san tell her?

That woman is definitely enjoying teasing Suzune.

“Sorry.”

At my words, Suzune looked down.

“Even if I know you didn’t do anything wrong, I can’t stop being jealous. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

When she lifted her face, Suzune was smiling again.

Maybe it was thanks to Suzune taking care of me.

By the next morning, my fever was completely gone.

Also, a few days later—

Needless to say, Suzune came down with a fever.

Chapter 46: Suzune the Vampire Princess.

“Are you sure it’s them?”

With Mom accompanying us, Suzune and I were at the police station.

The police had contacted us saying the guys who assaulted Suzune and Hotaru at the park had been caught.

We were shown into a waiting room with a window at the back.

When Suzune stood in front of it, she took my hand.

Her fingertips were chilly.

The guys we saw through the glass looked about college age.

Even in front of the police, they were smirking like it didn’t concern them.

Suzune’s nails dug into my palm.

“Yes. It’s them.”

There’s no way I could forget those vulgar, grinning faces.

“Would you like to file a complaint?”

The officer asked to confirm.

“It looks like they did the same thing to other people too. Taking money too…”

Suzune’s shoulders trembled.

“Are you okay?”

Apparently, those men had other offenses too, and had repeatedly shown up around the park area, even extorting people.

When the identification was over, a female officer spoke to us.

“Some women were sexually victimized too. Even if forced indecency is only attempted, it’s still a serious crime. If it goes to prosecution, I don’t think they’ll avoid prison time.”

At those words, Suzune pressed a hand to her chest.

The police said they would investigate thoroughly, and the safety around that park will probably improve too.

Suzune looked down.

Seeing their faces must have brought back something unpleasant.

It worried me.

On the way home, Mom said:

“Why don’t we have lunch, the three of us, for once?”

I wondered if there was anything I wanted to eat.

While I hesitated, Suzune raised her hand.

“I want hamburg steak!”

Looks like she wasn’t depressed—she was just hungry.

“Huh, but… lately, if I eat ground meat, my stomach feels heavy…”

At my comment, Mom and Suzune exchanged a glance.

“Yuuma, are you really a high schooler? Hehe. You’re saying the same thing your dad says.”

Apparently, a high school boy is a creature that isn’t allowed to get heartburn from ground meat.

“Ah—then I want to go to that hamburger steak place that opened recently!”

At Suzune’s suggestion, we decided to go to a hamburger steak place nearby.

When we stepped inside, the sizzling sound of meat on the grill and the smell of pepper stirred my appetite.

A young couple ran the place.

It was small, but lively.

After you order, they shape the patty and grill it.

Caught up in the atmosphere, my brain suddenly turned into hamburger mode.

Come on already.

Then Mom said:

“Yuuma… it’s late to say it, but thank you for protecting Suzune at the park.”

“No, I was basically just a punching bag.”

“No. You saved her life. Just thinking about what could’ve happened if Suzune had been assaulted then… it’s terrifying.”

“Yeah. Thank you, really.”

Suzune added too.

“Back then, Suzune said something like, ‘I didn’t ask you to,’ though?”

“I just said it because I was embarrassed.”

Mom clapped her hands.

“Oh—about the trip. Your father suddenly said he wants to make the room assignment you and Suzune.”

“Huh. Really?”

I replied like it was the first I’d heard of it.

“Yuuma, you have to keep the line. Otherwise, I won’t be able to support you. Suzune can’t be trusted.”

“I can be trusted.”

Suzune pouted.

“No, you can’t.”

At my words, Suzune sulked.

About the room assignment for the trip—looks like Mom is okay with it too.

Maybe, for all his grumbling, Dad wants time alone with Mom too.

On the way home after eating, we passed the little shrine where we found the ring.

It looked just a bit cleaner than before.

“Want to stop and pray?”

At Suzune’s suggestion, we stopped by the shrine.

Clatter, clatter.

We rang the bell rope in front of the main hall and prayed as a group of three.

Then Suzune said:

“When we came here before, I heard a mysterious voice.”

Mom looked doubtful, but I didn’t.

—I heard it too.

When we got home, Suzune came to my room.

She looked like she was struggling to bring something up.

“Do you think… I might be seen as a pervert?”

Is she talking about when I had a fever?

“Yeah. Kinda.”

“Hm. I don’t like that.”

After doing whatever she wants all the time, she still doesn’t want to be called a pervert.

“No, you really are one.”

“So… I thought I’d change how I act.”

My sister just said something bizarre.

“How?”

Suzune spread her arms as if to hug me, wrapped her hands behind my back, and squeezed tight.

I could hear her heartbeat.

“Excuse me.”

Suzune opened her mouth wide.

Chomp.

Suzune put her teeth to the side of my neck and latched on.

Suuuck, suuuck.

After a moment, Suzune pulled her mouth away.

She licked her lips.

“Suzune… are you a vampire?”

Suzune grinned.

“If I sniff, you call me a pervert. So I sucked instead.”

I bent my arms and twisted my body with a squirm.

Honestly, it was embarrassing.

“But… is this fun for you, Suzune?”

“It’s fun… sweet. Yuuma tastes sweet.”

“Sweet” isn’t exactly something a person should be tasting like.

Or is it?

I don’t know.

Suzune kept going.

“Now I’ve graduated from being a pervert, right?”

“If anything, that’s even more perverted.”

“It’s love-filled vampirism, so it’s not perverted…”

As she said that, Suzune swayed her body from side to side.

Chapter 47: Suzune and the Study Session.

…Thump.

Suzune closed her textbook.

“Mmm—this is harder than I thought… maybe I need to try a bit more?”

Suzune sighed.

Late November.

A Friday night, two weeks before the trip.

At Saginotani Academy High School, where I go, it was right before exams.

And right now, I’m in Suzune’s room, having her teach me.

As her big brother, it’s nothing but pathetic.

But the top girl in the grade is literally in the room next door.

There’s no reason not to take advantage of that.

Spinning her pen, Suzune said:

“I thought if you asked me to tutor you, we could get closer, but… this might not be the time for that.”

“That’s because you’re too good. I’m trying too. And on the last test, I even scored higher than Saitou.”

Suzune let out a second sigh.

“Saitou-kun is last place in the class, isn’t he?”

“No, he’s good at sports, at least.”

“What about you, Yuuma?”

“…Average.”

“Jeez. Then you’re losing. Until the tests are over, we’re studying together every day!”

“Much obliged.”

For some reason, Suzune panicked.

“I-I’m being strict, but… my feelings for you are the same, okay? I don’t want you to think I’m scary.”

Saying that, she leaned against my shoulder.

“What’s with you all of a sudden?”

“Because… I had a scary face, and I don’t want you to hate me. I got anxious.”

Suzune is stoic.

Even when she’s teaching someone, she doesn’t go easy by default.

It seems like she’s stuck in a dilemma—wanting to be strict, but not being able to.

“By the way, Suzune, your club tournament is coming up soon, right? Can you compete?”

Suzune stroked her ankle.

She’d graduated from crutches, but she was still wearing a patch.

“I think my foot will be okay. It’s my last tournament, so… I’m glad I can probably make it.”

Saying that, Suzune smiled.

In our kyudo club, you retire in your second year.

The next high school selection tournament is Suzune’s last one.

“I’ll go cheer for you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’ll definitely go.”

I felt embarrassed and looked away.

On the shelf, three teddy bears—big, medium, and small—were lined up evenly spaced.

(Suzune likes bears that much?)

As always, her room was spotless.

And now and then, that nice smell of Suzune’s drifted over.

“You know… I want to cheer for your matches again too.”

“Why?”

Suzune stood her index finger upright on the table.

Her first knuckle bent back and went squish.

“I want you to go back to being a strong, cool Onii-chan. Ah—though maybe you already are again.”

She lightly clenched her left hand and pressed it to her chest.

I have a secret dream.

I want to smugly say to a girl, “You like me, don’t you?”

So I decided to try it.

“Suzune, you like me, right?”

Suzune rolled an eraser back and forth.

“I-It’s fine, isn’t it? I decided I’ll say what I think… I do like you.”

“How much?”

This is the sequel to my “lines I want to say” series.

“I told Hotaru that I like you.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

My voice cracked.

“When I tried to make up with her, Hotaru told me I should tell her my true feelings.”

That time…

When they went to the cat café?

“And then?”

“I said, ‘I love him. So I’m not giving him to you.’”

“And what did she say?”

“She laughed and said, ‘Yeah, I figured it was something like that.’ And she apologized for pushing other guys on me.”

“That sounds like Hotaru.”

“And also…”

“What?”

“You can look at this.”

Suzune held out her phone.

A diary app was open.

“You’re letting me read it?”

“It’s fine. If it’s you, Yuuma.”

Even if she said it’s fine, it feels wrong to read all of it.

“Then… tell me which entry you recommend.”

Suzune puffed out her cheeks.

“This isn’t a drama—there’s no ‘recommended’ entry… but, I guess this one.”

Suzune traced the screen with her finger.

“July [day]. Hotaru asked me, ‘Aren’t you actually not real siblings?’ and I ended up saying, ‘If we weren’t related by blood, it’d be a relief, wouldn’t it?’”

(That’s the one I overheard… and it shocked me.)

The diary continued.

“But I’ve been feeling unsettled the whole time. And the reason is because we’re siblings. If we were just classmates, I could confess normally and get close normally. But because we’re siblings, I can never become that. So I have to keep holding this feeling in forever.”

Suzune was looking down.

Through her bangs, her collarbones looked pink.

And I could see a little cleavage.

“You’re kind of sexy, you know.”

“Seriously? I showed you my diary and your reaction is ‘sexy’? That’s unbelievable! I’m not showing you anymore!”

Suzune snatched her phone back.

“Sorry.”

“I’m not forgiving you! If you want forgiveness, let me hear it.”

“Hear what?”

Suzune planted both hands and shrugged her shoulders.

Her face was close.

My feelings are already decided.

Come to think of it, I really hadn’t said it properly this whole time.

But if I say it…

It feels like everything will start moving forward faster and faster.

Like I won’t be able to go back.

“The truth is… I—”

My heart raced.

“I… l-like you.”

It’s just three easy syllables, but the words stopped.

Silence fell.

Click.

The door opened.

“I brought a little snack since you’re studying… or am I interrupting?”

It was Mom.

“No, not really.”

I answered reflexively.

“Hm. Suzune really is unreliable, after all. Was it really okay to put you two in the same room on the trip?”

When I looked at Suzune, her eyes were half-lidded.

Because I hesitated.

I must’ve made her mad.

“It’s fine. More importantly, what’s that on the plate— is it from ‘Patisserie Sarasara’? Yay!”

When Suzune saw the cake, her eyes sparkled.

“Patisserie Sarasara” is a popular cake shop that opened near the station recently.

Suzune’s voice brightened.

Looks like she’s completely over it now.

We boosted ourselves with sugar and studied until we hit our limit.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Chirp, chirp.

Sunlight slipped in through the curtains.

“So cold…”

I woke up shivering.

Before I knew it, I’d fallen asleep with my face on the table.

The air conditioner must’ve turned off in the middle of the night.

Suzune was curled up asleep on the rug too.

“Hey. Wake up.”

I called her several times, but Suzune just kept sleeping happily, breathing softly.

“Can’t be helped.”

I slid my right hand behind Suzune’s knees, supported her waist, and lifted her up.

My first princess carry in my life.

…Suzune isn’t fat, but a limp body is heavier than you’d expect.

Even a few steps to the bed is tough.

“You ate too much.”

Crap—my true thoughts slipped out.

I quickly pursed my lips.

“….”

No change in Suzune.

Good.

Safe.

Wobbling, I lowered her onto the bed.

Then Suzune wrapped her arms around my neck.

I couldn’t pull my right hand out from behind her knees.

I couldn’t get away.

Holding a half-squat like this is brutal.

“You’re awake, aren’t you?”

I spoke to Suzune.

“…”

No answer.

“Hey. This position is killing me.”

Suzune’s lips moved.

“I’m fiiine… I’m fat anywayyy…”

She was imitating Hotaru.

She’s definitely awake.

“My leg is cramping.”

“…Zzz, zzz…”

A “sleeping sound” that felt like she was literally reading sound effects out loud.

In the end, she made me endure it for about five minutes.

Thud.

I went back to my room and threw myself onto my bed.

I patted my waist.

This is bad—my back’s going to start hurting.

But if I put on a patch, Suzune would laugh at me, and who knows what Mom would say.

Man…

I can’t go outside like this.

Thanks to that, I spent the whole weekend buried in studying.

—Exam day.

The teacher checked the clock.

“Time’s up. Put your writing tools down. Anyone who writes from here on…”

When I left the classroom, Suzune ran up to me.

“How was it? Did you do it?”

Even though she took the test too, she seemed worried about me.

I gave her a thumbs-up.

“Of course. I might’ve even beaten you, Suzune.”

Suzune walked a few steps ahead, then turned back.

“Hmph. If you really beat me, I’ll grant any request you want… but before that, pat my head.”

I patted Suzune’s head.

Her hair was silky.

Suzune rubbed her face against my hand and smiled.

“I love you.”

Chapter 48: Suzune Is Popular.

—Ding-dong.

Lunchtime on the day tests were handed back.

“Yuuma. How was it?”

Suzune ran up to me.

Lately, Suzune hasn’t seemed to care much about what’s around us, and she talks to me just like she does at home.

She also calls me “Yuuma” a lot more often.

Well, as for that… people seem to think it’s less “brother complex” and more a power-balance, dominance-mounting issue between siblings.

I showed her my test.

“Hehe. It’s my best score ever.”

Suzune tried to hug me, but the moment her fingertips touched me, she pulled her hands away again.

“H-hmph. Not bad.”

But she was smiling.

People often say, “Their words are kind, but their eyes aren’t smiling,” but Suzune is the exact opposite.

“Well, I’m nowhere near you, Suzune. Man, I wanted to win and get a reward…”

I’m only a little above average, anyway.

A wish that won’t come true.

I might as well whine a little.

Then Suzune whispered in my ear.

Her hot breath brushed my cheek.

“Yuuma, you lost, but you worked hard, so… I guess I have no choice but to do what you say. I-it’s not like I want to, but… since it’s a promise, I have no choice. Even if it’s a dirty request…”

At this point, it’s not even tsundere anymore.

“No, I lost. I’ll give up this time.”

If I get a reward without winning, my motivation drops.

I’ll give up this time.

“Lose and lose and lose, then win at the end.”

Some great person somewhere said something like that.

I’ll slowly catch up, and in my third-year finale, I’ll beat Suzune.

Suzune twirled her ponytail around her finger and pouted.

“You won’t… ask for a dirty request?”

What the heck.

She’s unhappy that I won’t ask.

I feel like I’m the one being asked here.

Huh?

Feeling someone’s gaze, I turned around.

Honda was staring straight at us.

…Great.

“No, no. I lost, so… next time.”

Suzune’s puckered lips tightened.

“…Idiot!!”

Bang.

She slammed the book she was holding onto a desk and stormed off somewhere.

I made her mad again.

Something felt off, so I looked around.

Honda was leaning on a desk, watching me.

Around him were his little followers, pointing at me.

It’s like there’s a ranking sheet stuck to my face.

Suzune is friendly with everyone.

But she’s not the “clingy” type.

So to other guys, our back-and-forth probably looks extremely special.

“Haa…”

Having a popular little sister isn’t easy.

“Um…”

When I turned around, a boy was standing there.

His name was Kento Yamaguchi.

A classmate who calls himself the “President of the Suzune Fan Club.”

He’s a little shorter than me, and skinny.

“What is your relationship with Suzune-san?”

Yamaguchi pushed up his glasses.

“We’re siblings. Normally.”

As I answered, I twirled my mechanical pencil with the base of my thumb.

“And to such a noble stepbrother… I have a request.”

Clink.

At Yamaguchi’s words, I dropped my pencil.

And whatever this request is, it’s definitely not going to be anything good.

So—

“Yeah… no.”

I cut him off cleanly before he could even explain.

And besides, there’s no reason you should be calling me “noble stepbrother.”

Then I heard a girl’s voice.

“Hey. Give this to Shinomiya-san. And Shinomiya-kun—at least hear him out.”

It was Yamase-san.

She set down some papers on the desk, looked down at me, and crossed her arms.

Ever since that lingerie-shop misunderstanding, she’s been really cold to me.

Apparently she’d been listening from a short distance away.

Yamaguchi said:

“Suzune-san sometimes presses her ankle.”

Suzune is hard on herself.

So maybe she’s hiding her injury.

“Thanks.”

I thanked him and stood up.

I climbed the stairs quickly.

Tch.

We’re together all the time, yet I didn’t notice.

I know where Suzune is.

The rooftop.

Behind the rooftop access door—one step up, behind the little tower structure.

That’s our usual spot.

When I stepped out, Suzune was sitting there.

Her club bag was by her feet.

Whoosh.

Wind blowing up from the schoolyard stirred her hair.

“You’re late~.”

Suzune sounded dissatisfied.

“Sorry. It’s a shortened day, so I thought you might not be here.”

Even if we fight, even if school ends at noon—

Our promise stays the same.

“No way. Today’s rolled omelet came out better than usual, you know?”

As she unwrapped the bento cloth, Suzune smiled.

But she looked a little lonely too.

I brought the omelet to my mouth.

When I bit down, broth seeped out—juwah.

A faint sweetness—Kanto-style rolled omelet.

“Yeah. It’s good. But Suzune, you seem kind of down. What’s wrong?”

Our shoulders touched.

“…You don’t hate me, do you?”

“We’ve been together for seventeen years. There’s no way I’d hate you over something like that.”

“I see.”

Suzune’s smile brightened.

“More importantly—”

I set down my chopsticks and grabbed her ankle.

Suzune started panicking.

“H-hey. Even if there aren’t many people, this is… a bit much here. If you’re going to do it, do it properly in our room—”

What is she misunderstanding?

I chopped her lightly on the head, then pulled down her left sock.

A patch was visible.

She was supposed to have stopped using patches because she’d been improving.

But she’d put one back on again.

Suzune let out a small breath.

“What are you doing— ow!”

Her eyebrows knit together.

“You haven’t fully healed, have you? Did it flare up again?”

“…”

“If you don’t tell me, I won’t talk to you anymore.”

Then Suzune slipped her hand in and pulled my hand away from her ankle.

“Because I don’t have a choice. If I don’t compete, I’ll trouble everyone. It’s an important match.”

I knew it.

Before drawing a bow, Suzune takes one step open.

For a moment, she has to support all her weight on her left foot when she sets her stance.

Can she really do that with this left foot?

“I’m not going to tell you not to compete.”

“…Really?”

Thud.

I pulled her bag toward me.

“But don’t carry anything heavy. I’ll carry all your club gear, both going and coming back.”

Suzune fixed her bangs.

“Is that okay? If you do that, everyone will say all kinds of things.”

They’re already saying things.

“Worrying about gossip is nothing compared to you, Suzune.”

Suzune looked down.

The lips I could glimpse were a brighter cherry-blossom pink than usual.

“…Understood. I’ll do what you said.”

On the way home, Suzune’s clinginess wouldn’t stop.

Facing me, she walked backward while holding both my hands.

“Watch where you’re going. It’s dangerous.”

“No. I want to look at your face the whole time.”

Ah—this place.

Beyond the bamboo thicket, I could see a shrine.

“Hey. For your tournament to go well, want to stop and pray at the shrine?”

At my words, Suzune nodded.

It was that little shrine from before.

The place where we found the ring we lost as kids.

Clatter, clatter.

We pulled the bell rope and pressed our hands together.

Suzune noticed something and leaned over beside the offertory box.

“There are fortune slips here now. Omikuji.”

Looking around again, the ivy on the railing was gone, and the place looked a little cleaner.

“Maybe someone’s taking care of it.”

“Come on—let’s do it!”

We took turns shaking the omikuji box.

“What did you get, Suzune?”

Suzune unrolled the scroll-like paper and said:

“Middle blessing. It says your efforts will be rewarded. Hehe. What about you, Yuuma?”

I checked mine too.

“Small blessing. It says, ‘Beware trouble with women’…”

“Cheating?”

Suzune puffed up her cheeks.

“No way. The only girls I even know are you and Hotaru.”

“I see. True enough. Let’s go home soon?”

Suzune turned around and reached her hand back toward me.

December days are short.

We left the shrine and walked together.

Our shadows lined up on the stone path, stretched much longer now.

Right now, there are only two shadows.

“I wonder if they’ll become three someday.”

At my words, Suzune added:

“…Four or five would be fine too.”

Blushing and laughing, we walked home.

“I’m home.”

When I opened the front door, Mom was there.

Her face was serious.

“Welcome back. Actually…”

Mom said.

“What?”

I swallowed.

Did Dad start complaining about the inn room assignment?

“Akane-chan—do you remember her? She might be living with us for a while.”

—Misaki Akane.

My younger cousin, one year below me, who used to be really attached to me.

…I’ve got a very bad feeling about this.

Chapter 49: The Side Entrance Boomerang.

After exam week, we got three days off from tests.

Suzune still had club activities during that time.

And every day, I went with her.

I carried the big bag for her uniform, walking the road from home with her.

Honestly, it’s really heavy.

Suzune had a sub-bag slung over her shoulder.

From the open top, I could see a pig-pattern pencil case, and every time she walked it made a clatter-clatter sound.

—So Suzune had been carrying this around all the time.

“Suzune, you worked hard for two years.”

Suzune crossed her arms.

“Hehe. Right? Praise me more.”

She tilted her head toward me like she wanted something, so with my free hand I patted her head.

After taking a few steps ahead, Suzune looked back, rose onto her tiptoes, and lifted her chin.

“Hey… if you kissed me every day, I think my injury would heal faster…”

She puckered her lips.

“Mmph.”

I pinched Suzune’s cheeks with my right hand.

“H-hey, what are you doing?”

Suzune looked dissatisfied.

“You should stop doing that in front of the clubroom every day.”

That’s right.

When I walk her to school, she begs for a kiss in front of the clubroom every day.

She definitely forgot about the “kiss limit.”

But even when I refuse, she looks a little happy.

It’s weird.

“Why? Normally it’s the other way around. Boys beg, and girls refuse, right? So you beg me, Yuuma!”

Suzune seemed really unhappy.

Today, the main gate was closed, so we entered through the side entrance.

Then I saw a boy in a soccer uniform pressing a girl in a school uniform against the wall and kissing her.

“Ugh. I can’t believe people do that at school.”

Suzune looked at me as she said that.

Honestly, I want to tell her, “You of all people shouldn’t be saying that.”

“Soccer guys really are popular, huh.”

At my words, Suzune puffed out her cheeks.

“Yuuma, you’re absolutely not allowed to join the soccer club!”

Then the boy who was kissing her lifted his face.

He turned toward us—it was Honda.

Honda looked at me, then slowly looked at Suzune.

He wiped his mouth, left the girl behind, and walked away.

“The worst. See? I knew it.”

Watching Honda’s back, Suzune said that.

“Knew what?”

“He confessed to me, but it was fake.”

She meant that weird “can you love your sister” test they pulled at the café during the confession fiasco.

Honestly, anyone who passes a test like that is the problem.

Suzune took my hand.

“Let’s say I were your real little sister.”

“Okay.”

“Would your feelings change?”

“…At this point, there’s no way I could change them. I’d probably still love you.”

“…Huh?”

Suzune covered her mouth.

“Huh? Ah—crap.”

I wasn’t planning to say that yet.

“Hmmm.”

Suzune was grinning.

“Um, I want you to forget what I just said.”

“Huh? So it was a lie?”

Suzune covered her eyes.

But her mouth was curling into a smile.

“No, it’s just… it’s not the right timing.”

It’s something I should say after graduation.

“Then come here.”

Suzune pulled my hand toward the shade of the tree where Honda had been earlier.

“Hey—”

Her sub-bag slipped off her shoulder.

“This is in the way.”

Suzune set her sub-bag down on the ground.

Thud.

She shoved me against the wall and hugged me.

Standing on tiptoes, she brought her face close.

“…I love you so much, Yuuma. Even if Akane comes, you won’t fall for her, right? I’m worried.”

Suzune’s eyes were wet.

Her breath was turning white.

“Huh? But Suzune, you didn’t seem like you cared at all.”

“Of course I care. She’s coming to our house for a reason, so it’d be sad if we didn’t welcome her. And I don’t want my stupid jealousy to make things uncomfortable for her.”

Suzune… she really is kind.

She wasn’t showing it, but it seems she really was thinking about my cousin.

“There’s no way. It’s only you, Suzune.”

I hugged Suzune.

Her collarbones lifted against my arms.

A nice citrus scent.

Maybe because the air is cold, it feels clearer than usual.

“Yeah. So even if you just misspoke, I was really, really happy.”

Misaki Akane.

Suzune’s cousin.

“She’s your cousin. There’s no way.”

At my words, Suzune puffed out her cheeks.