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 65: Training, and Akane

“Yuuma Onii-sama… to protect me?”

Akane said that, and dropped the trash she’d been holding.

Her eyes look like wet gemstones.

Sparkling.

But… sorry.

There are a lot of reasons I’m doing karate, but Akane isn’t one of them.

Because I only met her again for the first time in years this morning.

Still, even in a situation like this, that upbeat positivity—being able to believe it’s for her sake—honestly makes me jealous.

“Ahem. Stop letting your guard down.”

Sarasa-san scolded me.

“Alright, throw a few light kicks.

Let’s get you back into your specialty first—jōdan geri.”

Sarasa-san raised the mitt.

“Here. Hit right here precisely.”

Sarasa-san pointed to one part of the mitt as she said it.

“Yes.”

I steadied my breathing.

I took a big breath in.

The fresh, green scent of tatami slid through my nose and sank into the bottom of my lungs.

“Shi.”

Hip rotation.

At the same time, shift my weight onto the big toe of my left foot.

Lift the kicking leg tight and compact.

Twist my upper body the opposite way.

Like slamming my torso and kicking leg in at the same time.

My left big toe sinks slightly with a tight press.

Pierce through.

Bof!

…Huh.

The sound is muffled.

It doesn’t feel like my kick at all.

“Your kicking line is wavering,” Sarasa-san said.

I understood it the hard way.

This is my current level.

During that spar the other day, Sarasa-san probably guided me so I could kick more easily.

While coaching, Sarasa-san gives advice each time.

“There’s shadow and sun even in strikes.

A muffled sound is a ‘shadow’ sound.

A clean, efficient attack makes a ‘sun’ sound.

Your real kick—Yuuma—has an incredibly clean snap.”

Shadow and sun?

It’s like kyūdō.

Kyūdō and karate are both budō.

Maybe there’s overlap.

“Haa… haa…”

After about thirty minutes, my breathing was completely blown.

“Let’s stop here for today.

Not power—speed and accuracy.

That’s the karate you should aim for.”

“But in boys’ karate, in close range for kumite, you can’t get pushed back.

Don’t you need power?”

“I’m not really into macho types… ahem.

That’s not it.

Even my punches and kicks are just as sharp as when I was active.

If you want to score points, that’s actually better.”

“Yes. I think I understand.”

“Your original karate is ‘karate that puts people down.’

If it were full-contact, you could even call your talent rare at a national level.

That accident too… no, there’s no point bringing that up now.”

Sarasa-san shook her head and continued.

“That’s exactly why you need precision control—to aim and miss on purpose.”

“Yes.”

“And Yuuma—have you got a plan to get back into the club?”

Most high school karate tournaments can’t be entered unless it’s through a school club.

“Saitou is talking to the advisor for me.”

Sarasa-san tilted her head.

“Shouta said you might be able to aim for a championship next time, too—he was happy.

Can an outsider become a coach at Saginotani?”

“I think so.

If the school certifies it, I think they can be an advisor too.”

Yamaguchi said something like that earlier with the photo club issue.

“I see.

Train properly at home too.

You already know this, but high school karate isn’t sweet.

Even you won’t survive without kicks.

A wall or pillar is fine—put a mark about face-height, and repeat your kicking form.

Yeah… do fifty reps, three sets, every day.”

As she said that, Sarasa-san threw a seiken punch.

Hyun.

The wind from the swing sliced past my ear.

That’s the sun sound.

A wall or pillar—if I fully swing through, I’ll break my foot.

So she definitely means to stop short—sundome—during training.

“I’ll send you the schedule for the dan promotion test too,” Sarasa-san said, waving.

“Thank you very much.”

I bowed and left the dōjō.

Outside, it was already pitch-black.

The wind slipping past my collar made my shoulders hunch.

(Three sets… that’s pretty brutal. My right foot’s gonna cramp just from that.)

“Haa.”

I let out a breath.

“It’s cold,” Suzune said, burying her face in her scarf and squeezing my left hand through her gloves.

“It’s cold,” Akane pouted, grabbing my right hand.

Akane wasn’t wearing gloves, so her fingertips were chilly.

“My fingers are cold too,” Akane said, and shoved her fingers between mine.

Seeing that, Suzune took off her gloves.

“My fingers are cold too,” she said, and re-laced our hands.

Suzune’s fingers were warm, and it made me feel relieved.

“Cold, right?”

Suzune took off her scarf and wrapped it around Akane.

Akane pressed the scarf to her nose and smiled, looking happy.

“Ah… snow.”

I looked up at the sky.

Cotton-like flakes were drifting down in the navy-blue night.

“First snow,” Suzune snuggled closer.

“I love snow—yayo!”

Akane let go and stepped forward, spinning around.

Her Kanazawa dialect slipped out.

She probably didn’t even notice.

Maybe the snow was swallowing the sound.

It was so quiet.

Last year, I watched the first snow alone.

But this year, it’s the three of us.

It’s gotten a lot livelier.

And it makes me really happy.

Chapter 66: The Bath Incident

When I opened the front door to the house, I was greeted by my father and mother.

“Akane, welcome.”

My father, quite out of character, was wearing a sash that said “Welcome” and a triangular paper hat.

Akane let out a little shiver.

“Misaki Akane. I have arrived for my bridal training—aaaa!”

Only the lingering trail of Akane’s “aaaa” echoed through the hall.

Mother clapped her hands.

“Akane-chan. While you’re in high school, please treat this like your own home and relax.”

“I love you, Auntie Hatsune!”

Akane clung to Mother.

“I love Uncle too.”

She didn’t cling to Father, but gave him a little wiggle.

Despite being an ojou-sama, she’s certainly good at navigating people.

“Is it okay that we put Akane-chan’s luggage in Yuuma’s room? I organized the bags a bit. I put her clothes where Yuuma’s clothes used to be.”

Where they used to be?

“What about my clothes that were in there?”

“We can’t just leave a girl’s underwear out in the open, can we? I put your clothes on the floor.”

At this rate, I’m the one who looks like the houseguest.

“Got it.”

Suzune entered the corner of my vision.

Her clenched fists were trembling.

Suzune raised her voice.

“No! I love Yuuma too, you know!”

Mother was all smiles.

“Are you upset that your big brother is being taken? What a brocon.”

“N-no! I mean Yuuma as a boy… mgh!”

I covered Suzune’s mouth.

“Haha, I really don’t know what she’s talking about. Ahaha.”

I tried to play it off, but Father’s gaze was painful.

(Suzune-san. That was a false start!)

Clap.

Mother clapped her hands.

“Go take a bath quickly before dinner. Ah—what about the order? We can go later, so the three of you decide the order among yourselves.”

That’s when I realized.

Living together requires all sorts of rules.

I need to decide on them immediately.

For now, the bath.

Just as we were about to put our hands out for rock-paper-scissors, Father spoke up.

“I mean, obviously the sweatiest one, Yuuma, goes last.”

True enough.

And so, the two girls finished their baths, and it was my turn.

As I took off my shirt and tossed it into the washing machine, I noticed something sparkling hidden behind the vanity.

“What’s this?”

As I got closer, I saw it was a metal locket pendant. It had a cover and was the opening-and-closing type.

(This is the kind of thing where they put hair inside in movies, right?)

I tried to pick it up.

…Clatter.

“Ah, the cover came off.”

When I picked it up, the cover of the locket fell off. The hinge seemed bent, and it wouldn’t fix.

Something fell out along with the cover.

When I picked it up, it was a photo of me.

On the back of the photo, it said: “Love love. Let’s get married ♡”

…Whose property is this?

The ones who were in the bath before me were Suzune and Akane.

If it’s Suzune’s, I should just return it to her.

But what if I return it to Suzune and it’s actually Akane’s?

Knowing Suzune and her jealousy… it’ll turn into a huge mess.

On the other hand, what if I return it to Akane and it’s actually Suzune’s?

Akane doesn’t know about the relationship between me and Suzune. She’d definitely be seriously grossed out.

Either way, it’ll surely make Akane feel uncomfortable.

Should I just leave it there?

But the one going in after me will surely be Father.

No, no, that’s bad.

Father finding it would be the worst-case scenario.

Therefore, I must deliver this to the owner without fail. A one-shot chance with no redos.

Think, me.

Wake up, brain cells.

—Logical deduction.

Normally thinking, it belongs to the person who went in before me. But since I went back to my room, I don’t know which of those two went in first.

Is it the guest, Akane?

No, there’s a possibility the older Suzune went first.

In short, it’s indeterminable.

—Handwriting analysis.

I scrutinize the writing on the back of the photo.

Hmm.

It looks like I’ve seen it before, but maybe I haven’t.

I don’t know.

The remaining method is…

—Scent identification.

Suzune and I use the same detergent.

If it’s Suzune’s, the scent of the detergent should remain.

In other words, an unknown scent = Akane.

If I’m doing this, I’ll prove I can judge it for sure!

I pinched the locket.

Sniff, sniff.

I don’t know.

It just smells like metal.

And then…

Bang!

The door to the dressing room flew open.

It was Suzune and Akane.

“Yuumaaa?” Suzune’s voice called.

“Wh-what’s going on?!”

“You, half-naked and sniffing Akane-chan’s locket—that is way too creepy!”

“No, this is, well…”

This locket—meaning that photo—belongs to Akane.

“Just hand it over!”

Suzune tried to snatch the locket from me.

The cover of this locket won’t stay closed.

It would be bad if Suzune saw that photo.

Damn it.

Even if I wanted to hide it somewhere, I’m only wearing my underwear.

No choice!

I hid the locket in my underwear and dove into the bathroom.

“Hey! Give it back! Akane-chan said that’s her treasure.”

The frosted glass folding door was pounded on.

“I’ll definitely return it later!” I shouted from inside the bath.

“Hah? I’m telling you to return it now!”

Oh no. Suzune’s anger level is rising.

Then, Akane’s voice spoke.

“Yuuma. Did you see the inside?”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m just a little bit embarrassed. Hey, Suzu-nee, thanks for everything too.”

With that, there was a pitter-patter of footsteps, and Akane left.

“Wait! Akane-chan. Is it really okay to leave that idiot alone?”

Suzune also chased after Akane and was gone.

“Saved…”

I looked at the photo again.

It was just a cutout of my face, but this was probably a photo from a karate match.

I put the pendant back in the dressing room and soaked in the tub.

“Phew… today was seriously intense.”

I thought idly.

About karate, about Akane, about the photo.

There are so many things I have to think about.

“…I feel bad for looking at the photo without permission. It seems like it’s something important. I’ll fix the pendant properly before I return it.”

Even so…

“Love love,” huh.

That violent Akane, of all people.

I felt myself grinning.

Chapter 67: Akane’s Welcome Party

When I came out of the bath, dinner was already prepared.

Actually.

The dinner party had already started.

Empty pizza boxes, a wooden sushi tub.

Deep-fried food and hamburger steaks accompanied by shredded cabbage.

The remains of a luxurious dinner greeted me.

Dad was in a great mood, having Akane pour him some alcohol.

Seriously, despite being a sheltered ojou-sama, Akane is incredibly tactful.

Even so, they look so happy without me.

Maybe I’m actually someone else’s kid…

Then, Suzune patted the floor cushion next to her.

When I sat down, Suzune leaned her body against mine.

“What was inside the locket? Akane-chan was kind of dodging the question.”

“N-no… I’m not really sure myself. It’s like, personal information.”

I can’t exactly say it had my photo inside.

“Hmm. Well, whatever. By the way, the alcohol Papa is drinking is a souvenir Akane-chan brought. Apparently, it’s sake from Kanazawa. For us, it’s sweets.”

“Her current house is in Yokohama, right?”

“Akane-chan was in Kanazawa when she was a kid, right? Because of that, she seems to have many opportunities to go to the main family’s house.”

“Ah, right. Akane’s family was a distinguished one in Kanazawa.”

“Yeah. It’s a huge mansion.”

“Suzune, you’ve been there before, right? Does that mean we’re from a celebrity lineage too?”

“Mama’s family home is apparently prestigious, but Mama isn’t on good terms with them. Besides, the money part—other than the honor—is something Akane-chan’s Papa built in a single generation. We are… the definition of commoners.”

Suzune broke into a smile.

…I’m glad she seems to be in a better mood.

“By the way, why is Mama on bad terms with her family?”

“In the Misaki family, the head of the house decides the daughter’s fiancé for generations. So, apparently, there was a person like that for Mama too. But Mama loved Papa. She went against the family’s wishes and ended up practically disowned.”

I see.

Normally, I wouldn’t be unrelated to the Misaki family.

But that awareness is thin because I have no point of contact with my mother’s family home.

From the Misaki family’s perspective, Dad is the man who caused their daughter to be disowned.

Furthermore, that man chose another woman (Mio-kaasan).

I am that son.

When we were kids, Suzune had gone with Mom to Kanazawa for a memorial service, but Dad and I stayed home.

…So that’s how it is.

It clicked into place.

“Yuuma? You have a sad look on your face.”

Suzune looked at me with concern.

This isn’t the kind of thing to go digging up at a celebratory table.

“I’m fine. Come on, let’s have some of this feast ourselves.”

Then, Suzune looked down.

“Sorry, Yuuma. I’m… already full.”

“I-I see.”

“So, I’ll feed you!”

Suzune picked up a cucumber roll with her chopsticks and brought it close to my mouth.

“Here. Say ‘Aahn.’”

When I looked to the side, I saw the burning glares of Dad and Akane.

“You won’t eat my ‘Aahn’?”

In front of me, Suzune had a lonely face.

…I feel like I’m going to get a stomachache.

Squeeze.

Suzune forcefully shoved the cucumber roll into my mouth.

“Yuuma, you…”

Dad’s burning gaze was starting to turn into a glare of anger. Maybe the alcohol was kicking in.

Squeeze.

This time, Mom shoved a piece of sushi into Dad’s mouth.

“Munch munch… Hatsune, I need to talk to Yuuma—”

As Dad said that, Mom picked up a second piece of sushi.

“Ryousuke. You won’t eat my ‘Aahn’?”

Mom put on a pampered face for Dad.

Immediately after, she looked at me and spoke.

“Yuuma’s group, dismissed. You have to decide on room arrangements and stuff, right? Putting down luggage is fine, but sleeping at night is a different matter. She’s a girl who’s not yet a bride, after all.”

Mom is way too hard to read in terms of where the joke ends.

But I’m grateful she’s letting us escape from this situation.

“Well then, we’re going to bed.”

We stood up and left the dining room.

Then, Dad chased after us.

“Akane-chan. Think of this place as your own home. Also, thanks for the sake.”

It was Dad’s own way of being thoughtful.

Akane turned around.

I could only see her back, but she was surely smiling.

“Yes! I love Ryousuke-otousan too. …Please take care of me from now on.”

Dad’s face turned into a doting mess.

Truly the face of a father who just gained a second daughter.

In this moment, Akane had pulled our Dad over to be her absolute ally.

Chapter 68: Dara

“That was intense.”

Suzune and Akane gathered in my room and finally let out a breath of relief.

“Hmm, so this is a boy’s room, huh.”

Akane started walking around, rummaging through things under the bed and looking into my desk drawers.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Akane put her hand over her mouth.

I could see her smirking through her fingers.

“There’s only one thing people look for in a boy’s room, right? Dirty novels and such. I want to know Onii-sama’s tastes so I can be prepared.”

Normally, wouldn’t you look for gravure magazines or something?

Then, Suzune pointed at various spots in the room.

“They’re over there, and there, and inside that shelf…”

Hey, how do you know?

And she was 100% correct.

“Suzune, how do you even know that?”

“That’s because when Yuuma isn’t around, I’m often in this room, or…”

Suzune and Akane’s gazes crossed.

“Ahem. Yuuma’s room is so messy that I occasionally clean it for him.”

Saying that, Suzune crossed her arms.

“Ooh! As expected of Suzu-nee.”

Akane started clapping.

Suzune lowered her voice.

“But you know, it’ll probably be a shock, so it’s better if you don’t look at the actual things, okay?”

Hey!

Don’t go filling my cousin’s head with ideas like that.

“I don’t have anything weird like that!”

I protested.

“Anyway, let’s discuss the rules for this house.”

“Yeah.”

Suzune and Akane nodded.

We decided to start our discussion.

Knock, knock.

There was a knock at the door.

When I opened it, it was Mom.

“Where’s Dad?”

“He drank too much. He’s already asleep. So, were you able to have your discussion? No matter how much we’re related, minimum manners are necessary, and you have to at least decide on some rules.”

I raised my hand.

“For now, Akane will sleep in Suzune’s room. Lights out at 22:00. Among the three of us, I’ll be the last to take a bath. Also, what else was there?”

“Brushing teeth,” Suzune whispered.

“Right, right. We can’t fit everyone’s cups on the vanity, so I decided to put mine in a different spot.”

Mom nodded.

“I see, I see. That’s good. Yuuma, you’re so kind and thoughtful toward Akane-chan. Well then, I’ll move the pink girl’s toothbrush that was in your tooth-brushing cup, okay?”

“Was Suzune’s toothbrush pink?”

At my question, Suzune shook her head.

Which means…

The three of our gazes fell on Akane.

Akane stuck her tongue out a little.

Then, she said in a small voice:

“Well, I forgot my cup, you know? I thought it would be rational to share Yuuma’s. Also, for the room we sleep in, Father said it was okay for me to be with Yuuma…”

During the discussion earlier, Akane had resisted until the very end regarding the sleeping arrangements.

Mom spoke.

“I’ve prepared a cup for Akane-chan. So, I’ve put the pink toothbrush in Akane-chan’s cup. As for the room, I hesitated a bit since Dad and Akira-san (Akane’s father) requested it, but regardless of where the luggage goes, you’ll sleep separately. I just got Akira-san’s approval earlier.”

Akane pouted and muttered in a low voice.

“…Dara.”

(…Dara? What does that mean?)

Mom’s lip twitched at the sound of that word.

“Akane-chan? If you say things like that, I’ll ban you from Yuuma’s room, you know?”

“…I didn’t say anything.”

Akane’s voice became even smaller.

“You think your dialect will be overlooked here (in the Kanto region), don’t you? Unfortunately, Auntie Hatsune is also from Kanazawa.”

Mom reached her hand out toward Akane.

“Ouch!”

Akane’s nose was pinched by Mom.

Nostalgic.

That’s what used to happen to Suzune whenever she wouldn’t listen back in the day.

“Hey. What does ‘dara’ mean?”

I whispered to Suzune, and she told me, “It means ‘idiot.’” I see. No wonder her nose got pinched.

“I’m sorry…”

Akane slumped.

“Listen. I was entrusted with Akane-chan by your mother. I’m going to treat you as my own daughter.”

“What kind of person is Akane’s mother?”

At my question, Akane pouted.

“Ogre-hag…”

“Ogre… (pfft).”

“Ouch!”

Akane’s nose was pinched by Mom again.

I see.

Dad is a pushover, but Mom is a blood relative, so she can go at it without holding back.

It seems Akane won’t be able to do whatever she wants.

But somehow, that makes it feel.

More like a real family.

Chapter 69: A Sweet Voice

“Mama, there are so many things we need to catch up on, and I want to spend time with the three of us just like when we were kids. Akane-chan must be anxious since she just arrived, so please… just for tonight. Please!”

Thanks to Suzune’s help, the situation took a sudden turn. On the condition of “as long as it’s the three of us,” Mom gave her OK for tonight only.

That’s how we ended up sleeping in my room. I’m in the bed, but Akane and Suzune have laid out futons on the floor one level below.

Right next to me is Suzune’s futon.

Suzune got a call from Hotaru, so she went back to her own room for a moment just now.

Apparently, it’s a full moon tonight. Through the gap in the curtains, I can see the pale blue moon.

“Akane, are you awake?”

“Yeah.”

“About that locket pendant—the cover came off. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. The part where the cover attaches was already wobbly. It was opened too many times.”

I wonder how many times she opened it.

“I tried to fix it, but I couldn’t do it well. Where did you buy it?”

“A shop near Yamashita-cho in Yokohama. I’ll go fix it the next time I return home.”

“Ah, in that case, can I go with you?”

Suddenly, I heard the sound of her shifting under the blankets. A faint, lovely scent wafted over.

A fresh scent, like freshly picked flowers.

It’s different from Suzune’s. Even though they use the same shampoo, it’s mysterious.

“A date?” Akane asked, her voice sounding a little husky.

“No, for the repair.”

“Dara.”

I already know what that means now. I was just called an idiot.

“If you tell me the shop, I can go by myself, though.”

There was a sound of her thrashing around restlessly inside her futon.

“Even if it’s for a repair, I want to leave Suzu-nee at home and go just the two of us. I want to be alone with Yuuma, too…” Akane’s voice sounded sweet and pampered.

“You even wrote my name on the back of the cover. Since you can’t show anyone what’s inside the locket, I guess it’s natural it would end up that way.”

“Yuuma, you’re always worrying about Suzu-nee.”

Was Akane always the type to say such sentimental things?

“No, the worry level for you is way higher. Seriously. I feel like if someone gave you a piece of candy, you’d follow some random middle-aged man away.”

“Am I really that much of a child? My chest isn’t as big as Suzu-nee’s, but I want you to see me as a girl.”

No, the reason I don’t see her that way isn’t a chest issue; it’s because of the “Rock-throwing Trauma.”

“It’s more of a rock issue.”

“I don’t know anyone like that.”

“But really, why me?”

I find it a bit mysterious myself why she’s so attached to me.

“I saw Yuuma getting bullied in the park, and I thought I had to protect you.”

(So it was just a protective instinct?!)

“That park… it was the one in front of the station, right…?”

“Yeah. That’s the one.”

That park again. Suzune, Hotaru… everyone is connected to that park.

“But isn’t wanting to live in my room being a bit too defenseless? I am a teenage boy, after all.”

“…” Akane didn’t answer.

Did she fall asleep in this split second? It would be just like Akane.

But then, Akane began to speak. “You know, in the Misaki family, it’s tradition for the parents to decide the fiancé. My father and mother were the same. Grandmother decided their partners.”

“And?” Suzune had said it was the same for Mom, too.

“So, my marriage partner will eventually be decided without my consent, too. Right now, Father likes Yuuma, so it’s fine. But I don’t know what will happen in the future.”

I felt like I finally understood the reason behind Akane’s boldness.

I rested the back of my right hand on my forehead.

“True. It’s a mystery even now why Uncle Akira likes me so much.”

—It wouldn’t be strange for his mind to change at any moment.

“So, at the very least… I want to be with the person I love.”

Grip. Inside the blankets, my fingertips were grabbed by Akane.

Cold fingertips.

It seems Akane had crawled into Suzune’s futon without me noticing.

Surely, Akane isn’t asking for much. Just a brief moment in her life… just during high school, she wants a fleeting memory of being able to spend time with the person she loves.

I felt a pang of sadness tighten in my chest. Somewhere in my heart, there was a part of me that wanted to grant her that.

I shook my head.

Then, Akane continued. Her voice was slightly lower.

“If I create an irreversible fait accompli in the meantime… fufufu.”

Hey. She’s being totally calculating. Give me my sadness back.

Besides, I have Suzune. Should I tell her that at this stage?

“Hey, Akane. Actually, I…”

“I know someone is already in Yuuma’s heart. But that’s fine. If I can become Cinderella, that’s enough for me.”

When Akane turned around, she was crying. Her tears sparkled in the moonlight.

Her plump lips. —This girl, she was this beautiful?

I swallowed hard.

Chapter 70: The Youngest’s Dominance and Cold Toes.

Patter-patter.

Footsteps sounded from the hallway, and Akane’s fingers let go.

Click.

Bam.

The sound of the door opening.

Akane and I pulled the blankets over our heads.

Silence fell.

The lingering tension of being scrutinized by the visitor to see if we were actually asleep.

To maintain the disguise, I needed some follow-up acting.

“Zzz… zzz…”

I let out a rhythmic sleeping breath.

“…My, aren’t you two getting along quite well,” Suzune said, as if talking to herself.

Wait. Why “getting along”?

We aren’t even holding hands anymore.

Then, I felt a press against my thigh. It seemed that Akane, without me realizing it, had slipped her feet into my blanket.

Peeking through slit eyes, I saw Akane had wrapped her legs in the blanket and skillfully slid them onto the bed. My bed is low, but this was still a fairly acrobatic posture.

Plus, her toes were pointlessly cold.

Akane moved her feet inside the blanket. Every time her toes touched me, it felt like being pressed with ice. My body jumped in surprise every time.

(Akane is definitely enjoying this.)

At this rate, I’m going to go into heat shock under the covers.

If we get caught, the damage would be:

Me >> Akane.

—I just have to ride this out.

Suddenly, an icy sensation hit the back of my thigh.

“Uwah!”

Crap. I let out a sound.

A sensation of hair softly falling over my face.

When I opened my eyes slightly, I locked gazes with Suzune’s dead-eyed stare.

“Good morning, Ni-san ♡”

I’ve never been called “Ni-san” before. Terrifying.

“M-morning…”

“You were making such pleasant sleeping sounds, weren’t you?”

It seems that I…

Am being backed into a corner because of my extra acting.

“I was waiting for Suzu-nee to come back!” Akane said, popping her face out from the futon.

“Honestly, Akane, you’re such a pampered child. Come here.”

Suzune called Akane over and hugged her.

It seems that brat (Akane) has obtained forgiveness from Suzune. What a tactful girl.

Ah, that’s right.

Akane is the youngest child.

The terrifying power of the youngest. No wonder Dad was so easily captivated.

“So, Yuuma. What… exactly is the meaning of this?”

Apparently, I haven’t been forgiven at all.

Then, Akane said while clinging to Suzune, “Suzu-nee. Was the phone call okay?”

Suzune clapped her hands.

“Ah, that’s right. Hotaru said she has something to talk to Yuuma about. Seems to be about those photos. You can use my room, so get in touch with her. You know, I told Hotaru this too, but as for me, if Hotaru is willing to accept it, I want to be of help.”

“G-got it.”

As I hurried to leave the room, Akane waved and said:

“Gokigenyou, Onii-sama.”

She helped me out of a major pinch, and yet I feel irritated. Catching a glimpse of her in the moonlight, Akane was sticking her tongue out.

Well then…

I sat down on Suzune’s bed and picked up my phone. It’s been a while since I talked to Hotaru on the phone. I’m a bit nervous.

“Phew.”

A brief moment of silence.

And then…

“Incoming call!!”

The sudden ringtone nearly made my heart stop. Startled, I dropped the phone.

“Ahaha! Yuu-kun, that was a huge ‘thud’! You dropped your phone, didn’t you?”