CHAPTER 3
Wait, am I stupid?
“That was a lot more fun than I thought it’d be.”
“Yeah, I had a really good time, too.”
Masachika ended up walking Alisa home after karaoke, which they wrapped up in about two hours. Although it was a rather small event to celebrate their live performance and to say good-bye to the band, they didn’t have much of a choice, since they still had school tomorrow.
They had originally planned to do this on their makeup day after the school festival, but they couldn’t find a time when everyone was going to be free. Plus, they couldn’t wait until next Saturday came around, since the following week was exam week, so it had to be today. Regardless, they agreed to spend time together again to make up for today (or at least, that was the excuse they were going with), so it wasn’t like this was the last time these six rock stars were all going to hang out.
“I never knew singing with friends would be so much fun.”
“Is this the first time you’ve done something like this?”
“I’ve sung with my family before, but that’s about it…”
“Oh, family karaoke?”
“It wasn’t karaoke… At the family dacha—the cottage—my grandfather used to play the guitar while everyone sang along with him.”
“Sounds very pastoral…”
Masachika and Alisa were their usual selves, engaged in their usual casual conversation, but there was still an underlying awkwardness.
Yeah… We obviously still haven’t gotten over what happened the night of the festival…
Masachika suddenly remembered Alisa’s devilish teasing, then quickly shook the thought out of his head.
Eh, things’ll eventually go back to normal. Yep.
Or so that was what he told himself while he tried to act as normal as possible…but the instant the conversation died, Alisa stopped in her tracks.
“…? Alya?”
Masachika turned around with a questioning look on his face and found Alisa staring down at the ground. However, after a few moments went by, she lifted her chin, and there was determination in her eyes.
“Masachika… Did something happen?”
“Huh?”
“You’re acting…funny.”
“…”
Masachika’s first instinct was to say, “What? No, you’re the one who’s acting funny,” but after thinking about it for a few seconds, he concluded that maybe she was right.
Am I acting funny…?
Perhaps he had been acting awkward without even realizing it, but he had a good idea why.
It’s because of Masha, isn’t it?
The interaction he’d had with Maria during lunch break. The flutter of excitement he felt toward her. For some reason, he was feeling guilty, as if he had done something to Alisa.
What is this? I feel like…I cheated on her? It’s not like we’re going out, so I definitely wasn’t cheating, but…
He remained quiet, with a troubled expression for a few moments, while Alisa’s gaze only grew more concerned.
“Something did happen, didn’t it?”
Even Alisa’s pure concern made him feel guilty. However, now that she seemed to have noticed something was wrong, he felt that dodging the issue and pretending everything was fine would only make things more awkward. So after a moment’s thought, Masachika decided to speak up.
“Yeah… There is something that has kind of been bothering me, I guess.”
“Something’s bothering you…?”
“It’s not a big deal, but…”
After gently clearing his throat, Masachika adjusted his expression, then shifted his gaze toward the night sky.
“…I was watching this anime a while back, and the last episode was so depressing that I was traumatized for a while.”
“…?”
“A few years have passed, and they finally announced a second season—a true sequel. But I wasn’t planning on watching it after how the first season just ruined me. My friend was like, ‘The second season is so good,’ but I was like, ‘Nah, I’m already too busy watching the most popular series this season,’ and he was like, ‘That’s cool, but maybe give the second season a chance after the season’s over,’ so I thought, ‘Why not?’
Masachika continued despite knowing that Alisa was only getting more and more confused.
“Anyway, I figured if my friend likes it so much, I should give the first season a rewatch, but this time, the last episode really blew me away. Marathoning the whole season made me realize how good of a show it was…and I ended up getting kind of addicted to the second season after that…
Masachika looked down and shook his head.
“But it’s hard to tell my friend that I got obsessed with the second season, especially after being, like, ‘I’m only planning on watching the most popular show this season.’ On the other hand, it’d be hard to not even bring up the show at all… Anyway, that’s where I’m at right now.”
“…That’s what’s bothering you?”
“Yep. What do you think?”
“Wouldn’t your problem be instantly solved if you were simply honest with your friend?”
“Hmm… Yeah, true…”
Masachika smirked, not at all surprised by her fed up glare.
It’d be easy if this really was about anime…but when it’s about a person… I guess it is my fault for not being straightforward with her, though.
Alisa tilted her head in confusion as she observed Masachika looking downcast and mocking himself inwardly.
“What’s the problem? You liked it, right? You can’t control what you like. Besides, not telling them how you feel and making things awkward wouldn’t really be nice of you if you really are their friend, right?”
The words, carefully chosen and pondered, unexpectedly struck a chord with Masachika. His eyes widened in surprise, and when he looked up, he met Alisa’s gaze.
“…Yeah, I guess.”
“Right? At the very least, that’s how I feel.”
“Yeah…”
After nodding slowly to himself a few times, Masachika gave Alisa a weak smile.
“Thanks. I feel a little better now.”
“Really? Well, I’m glad I could help…”
Again, Masachika smiled gently at Alisa, who tilted her head in a puzzled manner. However, after they resumed walking, he raised his voice in a cheerful, playful tone and admitted:
“Whew… I never thought the day would come when I would be going to you for advice on how to fix my life.”
“Come on… You’re exaggerating…”
“No, I mean it. Everyone worries about different things, right? And everyone is affected in different ways.”
“Yeah… Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, you can come to me, okay? I mean…we are partners, after all,” Alisa insisted with a pout, which only made Masachika smile even more gently, realizing that she was trying to hide her embarrassment.
“I’m counting on you.”
“…!”
Alisa, who was walking by his side, suddenly jumped.
“…?”
“It’s nothing,” she said, brushing aside Masachika’s questioning gaze before briskly walking ahead. Nevertheless, she actually seemed to be in a rather good mood.
Well, uh… It looks like everything’s back to normal?
With a sigh of relief, Masachika picked up his pace to catch up and walk next to her, but as they approached her house, Alisa remarked, “Now that I think about it, exams are coming up…”
“Y-yeah.”
“What do you want to do? I’m fine with studying together if you want,” Alisa proposed cheerfully. Masachika then pondered for a few moments before shaking his head.
“Nah, I think I’ll be fine studying alone this time. I mean, it’d be pathetic if I started to condition myself to only be able to study when someone’s with me.”
“…Oh.”
Was Masachika imagining things, or did Alisa sound a little disappointed? Regardless, it wasn’t long after that until they arrived at the entrance of Alisa’s apartment building.
“Anyway, see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks for walking me home,” she replied, placing a foot on the first step to her apartment complex before spinning around, effortlessly slipping into Masachika’s personal space and pressing her cheek against his.
“<I’m counting on you, too.>”
After Alisa’s whisper tickled his ear, she swiftly spun back around and bolted into the apartment building, leaving Masachika dumbfounded. But once her figure completely vanished from view, an unexpected shiver traced its way down his spine.
She startled me…
He could feel warmth spreading from where Alisa’s cheek had touched his, causing him to shiver once more before he took off sprinting, unable to take it any longer.
He dashed through the night, the lingering summer heat still heavy in the air. By the time he reached his house, he was out of breath, his entire body flushed, and yet he felt an unprecedented surge of motivation swelling in his chest.
“I can do this,” he declared, firing himself up to the point that he felt like he could study all night.
All right, then… Starting today, no more messing around on the computer, and I’m going to keep TV and phone time to a minimum!
With each stride, he solidified his resolve, then paused before his front door and took in a deep breath.
“I’ve got this!” shouted Masachika, his voice brimming with determination as he opened the door.
“Oh, welcome home.”
The sight of his little sister, bouncing around with her ponytail bobbing, instantly made his motivation plummet.
“Would you like me for dinner? Or Ayano? Or…a threesome?”
“A ‘threesome’? What game are you playing that requires three people?”
“I’m not playing any games.”
Masachika elegantly ignored Yuki’s incredibly crude greeting and headed straight for the bathroom while casually announcing that he was home. After washing his hands and rinsing his mouth, he went into the living room where Yuki was waiting, her ponytail still bouncing as she fidgeted happily.
“Anyway, now that the school festival’s over, I think it’s time for us to get up to speed on our anime backlog before exams!”
Seeing his sister unintentionally trying to shatter his resolve with a brilliant, innocent smile actually made Masachika feel a tinge of guilt. However…
“I know I have no right to say this, since I just got back from hanging out with my friends…but I need to start studying for exams, or I’m going to be in trouble.”
“Don’t worry! You can hit the books starting tomorrow!” Yuki suggested, with a confident flick of her ponytail.
Masachika pursed his lips. Saying “you’ll start tomorrow” was something people only said when they weren’t going to work hard, but Yuki was an exception. She was probably planning to let loose today so she could truly buckle down tomorrow.
She looks like she’s been really looking forward to this, too, so I guess I could spend tonight hanging out with her… It’s not like I wasn’t out messing around all day already.
But he almost instantly shook the thought out of his mind.
What is wrong with me? What happened to all that determination from a second ago?
Chiding himself, Masachika shook his head once more, determined to resist the temptation.
“I’m really sorry, but I already promised myself that I’d start studying hard the moment I got home. Let’s catch up on anime after exams, okay?”
“Whaaat? You’re going to make me wait two more weeks? I’m already having enough trouble avoiding spoilers as it is now,” complained Yuki, her ponytail drooping listlessly.
“I’m sorry. I’m serious about cracking the top thirty in our grade this time.”
Although feeling a pang of guilt, Masachika replied firmly, and Yuki nodded back reluctantly, her ponytail seeming to droop even more.
“…All right, I’ll wait until exams are over.”
“I feel bad, since you came all this way…”
“It’s fine. I’ll just be in my room catching up on some reading so I don’t get in the way of your studies.”
“All right… By the way, I was actually planning on not saying anything at first, but…”
Unable to ignore it any longer, Masachika narrowed his eyes as he watched Ayano stealthily manipulating Yuki’s ponytail from behind.
“…What are you doing?”
“Heh! I’m glad you asked.”
“Couldn’t really help it.”
Yuki suddenly placed her right fingertips on her forehead, hiding her face as she smirked mischievously—all while Ayano was making her ponytail sway seductively. Masachika, however, narrowed his eyes further, starting to regret that he ever brought it up.
Yuki cast a melancholic gaze into the distance, as if she was completely oblivious to her brother’s growing irritation. His eyes went blank, with the kind of vacant look usually reserved for watching paint dry.
“Where should I begin…? Yes, it all started—”
“Fast-forward thirty seconds.”
“—ing? That’s her trademark—”
“Fast-forward a little more.”
“—tails should be like this.”
“Too far. Rewind ten seconds.”
“—ing down, her ponytail droops lifelessly, but when she’s happy, it bounces around cheerfully. I was shocked to my core when I first realized it, to say the least, and I came to the decision that all characters with ponytails should be like this.”
“You’re good. And Ayano, I’m sorry she made you do this.”
Yuki moved her head in an exaggerated manner with each word, quite literally swinging Ayano around. But despite Ayano struggling not to pull on her mistress’s hair, Yuki spread her arms out wide and spun around, as if she were hazing the poor maid, leaving Ayano to scramble around her waist.
“Come on, stop torturing her like this.”
“Dum, dum, dum! You know what I just realized?! A ponytail is more than just something to express if you’re happy or sad!”
“Which means?”
“If you’re going to put your hair in a ponytail, shouldn’t you express all your emotions with your hair?”
“I feel stupider now for asking. Thanks.”
“That’s because you kept fast-forwarding through the good parts. You Gen Z kids have the attention spans of goldfish.”
“Says the girl who’s also Gen Z.”
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t label me with a meaningless term that adults just arbitrarily came up with.”
“You’re the one who started it.”
“I think labeling everything and everyone like that really divides us as a society.”
“Interesting. It’s hard to believe that these are the words of a girl who just said, ‘All characters with ponytails should be like this.’”
The moment Masachika scowled at her, Yuki dramatically raised her hands up toward the ceiling as if she were performing onstage.
“Oh, indeed! Ponytails! Now that I know their potential, I began training to become a true ponytail character…and I’m starting to master the art of moving my ponytail in relation to how I feel!”
“Wouldn’t it be more productive if you practiced a special move instead?”
“There is one issue with that, though…”
“Uh-huh.”
“My hair got really frizzy, and I gave myself a cowlick.”
“Got yourself a new useless skill, huh?”
“Heh! The world still has no idea…that this useless skill has the potential to one day become the ultimate weapon.”
“Your cowlick?”
“You’re naive… Being able to give myself a cowlick means that I can control the hydrogen bonds in the keratin in my hair. In other words…! If I were to master this, it would allow me to manipulate the molecular bonds of any biomolecule at will.”
“I think you’re overestimating your new skill.”
“Useless skills are always underestimated at first.”
“People are going to start thinking it’s a joke if you overdo it, though.”
“The fact that it started with a cowlick is already going to make people think I’m stupid.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to one-up me with a legitimate, sound argument,” replied Masachika while he turned his gaze toward Ayano.
“Anyway, you can’t actually move your ponytail at will, so you’re getting Ayano to do it for you?”
“Precisely! By utilizing her stealth ability, I have completely mastered the—”
“Ayano, this is textbook workplace harassment. If you want to sue, then let me know, because this would be a layup.”
“Thank you very much for your concern, but I’m fine.”
“You’re too nice.”
“Pretty sure my maid here’s just a masochist.”
“And you’re a coward for making her do this shtick with you.”
“‘Coward’… Like ‘cow’… And ‘shtick’ rhymes with ‘lick’… In other words, you could call me ‘Cowlick’—a fitting title for a genius such as me.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…What?” Yuki asked, breaking the silence.
“That was a stretch, and a bad one at that. You have nobody but yourself to blame, too, so don’t look at us like we’re the problems.”
“It’s your fault for not playing along.”
“Now you’re mad at me? Did you expect me to jump on the grenade when you were the one who stupidly decided to pull the pin?”
“What a terrible thing to say! I can’t believe you would leave me to blow up all by myself! I thought you were my brother!”
“Oh, shut up. Don’t try to drag others into your mess. If you’re going to die, then go die by yourself.”
“What kind of human waste are you?! You’re the kind of monster who kicks their friend to the curb when something scary happens, and they latch on to you!”
“Also known as ‘Exhibit A,’ a character whose sole purpose is to show the readers how vile humans can be before being killed off,” Masachika recited knowingly.
“Yeah, they usually get killed off in the next panel by something behind them.”
“And the characters who don’t betray their friends end up being saved by the protagonist and his party.”
“Exactly. So pick up the grenade.”
“And hope someone will come save us? The moment I pick it up, you’re going to race off, leaving me behind.”
“Tsk. You’re good,” Yuki said begrudgingly.
“You’re the trash character who everyone hates yet always ends up surviving somehow.”
“Heh! And right before you blow up, I’d mutter something like, ‘Big Brother…’ before disappearing into the fog.”
“That big brother is only going to die because of you, you know?!”
“Who cares? Don’t you have some studying to be doing?”
“You’re the one who started this, though?”
“Hey, Ayano. He’s asking you to pick up the grenade for him.”
“…?!”
“I told you to stop dragging others down with you… Haaah,” said Masachika, grunting with utter exhaustion while he gave Yuki’s head a few rough rubs.
“O-oh?”
After letting go of Yuki, who was still blinking in wonder, Masachika gently patted Ayano on the head to express his gratitude to her as well. Yuki then glared up at her brother, rubbing her head where she had been aggressively patted.
“Mmm… For your information, if you think you can make girls happy just by patting their head, then you need to stop watching so much anime, because you’d be wrong.”
“That’s not what I was trying to do.”
“It did make me happy, though. So go on. Rub my head some more,” admitted Yuki while leaning forward as she pushed her head against him petulantly.
“What is wrong with you…?”
Although visibly drained, Masachika ruffled Yuki’s hair just like he would do to Rir, their pet dog back at his grandparents’ place.
“Arf.”
With a forced, overly cheerful voice, Yuki lifted her shirt, revealing her belly like a dog. She even grinned, as if to say, “Hurry up and pet me,” but Masachika effortlessly ignored her and headed straight to his room.
“Tsk. What kind of monster ignores a perfectly flat stomach like this…? He’s not even trying to hide that he’s a boob guy.”
Pretending not to hear Yuki’s whining from the other side of the door, Masachika slipped into his pajamas and made a beeline for his desk, diving straight into a rigorous study session for the upcoming exams. Time ticked by unnoticed until Ayano quietly entered, placing a steaming cup of coffee beside him. He continued to study with an unusually high level of concentration. But once he finished his last sip and took a short breather, he glanced up at the clock, surprised to see that it was already creeping toward nine thirty at night.
“…”
Masachika briefly turned his attention to the world outside his room but heard nothing. It seemed that, true to her word, Yuki had shut herself in her room to avoid disturbing him, and while this was what Masachika had wanted, she was being a little too true to her word. It was anticlimactic. It made him feel a little bad as well, and he felt like something was missing…
What is wrong with me? Stop obsessing over your sister.
He knew full well that his usually playful, mischievous little sister was actually a serious person, overflowing with love and kindness, so if her older brother was dead set on studying, then she would be kind enough to respect his wishes.
But that was precisely why…
She could at least complain a little and beg for attention.
He couldn’t help but feel this way. At the very least, he wanted to pamper his little sister, who was far too used to bottling up her feelings and not doing what she wanted to do for the sake of others. But Yuki would never ignore Masachika’s feelings to assert her own will, and it was this unusually mature understanding of others that made Masachika feel both lonely and sad.
I guess I’ll just have to hang out with her for as long as she wants after exams are over.
After coming to that decision, Masachika stood up from his chair and stretched.
Mmm… Time for a bath…
He remembered hearing a few minutes ago that the bath was ready, so he figured he might as well hop in if Yuki and Ayano weren’t going to. After leaving his room, Masachika went over to Yuki’s and knocked on her door.
“Yes?” she answered without opening her door.
“Can I take the first bath?”
“Go ahead,” came another muffled reply.
After getting permission through the door, Masachika went to the bathroom with a change of clothes from his room, peeled off the cold compress he’d been wearing on his neck, then slid into the bath area. From there, he washed his hair and body, then submerged himself in the hot water. He felt the fatigue, which had built up from studying for so long, disappearing like a dream.
“Ahhh…”
Breathing a sigh of satisfaction, Masachika completely relaxed in the tub, because at least for now, he could forget about his studies and just reset…when suddenly, he heard a door slide open just outside the bathing area.
Hmm? Does somebody need to wash their hands?
But before he could even gather his thoughts—
“Boom!”
“…?! What the…?!”
Yuki kicked the door to the bath area wide open, then stepped inside, fully naked.
“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?!” shouted Masachika, immediately sitting up.
“I decided that instead of bothering you while you’re studying, I would bother you while you’re bathing!” Yuki replied proudly with her chest puffed out.
“Y-you can’t be serious! You’re completely naked!”
“Duh? I’m about to take a bath. Don’t worry, though. The light and steam will take care of the censorship for us.”
“They’re not helping at all!”
“It’ll be fine. We’ll just have to do some editing later with some correction tape.”
“How about starting now?!” Masachika blurted out hysterically and faced the other direction. Much to his surprise, however, he heard Yuki close the door…before taking a seat on the bathroom stool, as if it were nothing.
“Huh?! Wait. Are you seriously going to get in the bath with me?”
“What? Of course. This is the only way I get to talk to you without interrupting your studies, right?”
“But this is insane.”
It was beyond bizarre for two siblings in high school to bathe together, no matter how anybody tried to justify it. In fact, most girls at that age wouldn’t even want to use the bath after their father or older brother had. Even having their laundry washed together would gross most girls out.
Well, Yuki isn’t going through any sort of rebellious phase, so she doesn’t really mind stuff like that…but shouldn’t this be a little more embarrassing for her, regardless?! We’re both going through puberty, for crying out loud!
Masachika, at least, actually felt embarrassed about his sister seeing him naked, and the fact that his sister was a girl only made it worse. However…
“Maybe there really is something wrong with me?”
He noticed a sense of seriousness in Yuki’s soft words, prompting him to glance in her direction, where he saw his sister washing her hair while staring fixedly at her lower abdomen.
“…”
Sensing something in her demeanor, Masachika turned away again and began to ponder. Objectively speaking, Yuki’s behavior was, without a doubt, strange. But if he were to consider only Yuki’s individual circumstances without generalizing…
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you at all.”
That was the only thing he could say. He knew why she was this way. The reason Yuki hadn’t shown any signs of ever going through a rebellious phase was because she had been forced to grow up before she’d even had a chance to experience adolescence.
Yuki, being the intelligent girl that she was, had realized that she couldn’t really be a child, because she was surrounded by an incompetent older brother and self-serving adults her whole life. She had given up her right to seek comfort from her parents and her right to rebel against them as well, skipping several stages of growth to become an adult, and she did it all for the sake of protecting her family.
Yuki’s far more of an adult than me. That’s for sure.
He believed that from the bottom of his heart. However…
There’s a part of her that’s still just a child…
There was no doubt that adolescence and puberty were crucial periods for a child’s growth into adulthood, so what would happen to someone mentally if they were forced to skip that stage? Even though they may have appeared to be an adult, wouldn’t this have distorted their growth?
“I’m sorry, Masachika… I’m staying here…in this house.”
It was maturity far beyond her years.
“I don’t care if you see me naked.”
And yet there was still this childlike side to her.
Maybe this childlike side of Yuki’s is…
Perhaps this was the part of her that was left on her bed in that sterile, hospital-like room. Yuki used to say that she wanted to play hide-and-seek in the yard. She used to say that she wanted to play video games. But somewhere along the way, she stopped making such simple requests. She became the heir to the Suou family, forcing her desires to remain as dreams, never to come true, and it was none other than Masachika who left her behind to do that.
Is she the girl I left behind…?
Back then, Yuki had to be careful even when taking a bath. She was prone to asthma attacks from things like steam and temperature changes, so long baths were strictly forbidden. Often, she would have to simply make do with a sponge bath in bed, so of course, she probably never got to experience the joys of playing in the tub, splashing around and whatnot. And if that was what she had been longing for all this time…
“Anyway, just do whatever makes you happy,” Masachika commented with a hint of sorrow, before submerging himself deeper in the bath. Yuki, her hair pulled back, stared at Masachika for a moment before grinning smugly.
“…Okay.” Masachika felt a sense of relief as the seriousness faded from her voice. “Don’t mind if I do.”
“Pfft?! Hey?!”
“Boom!” Yuki roared with a bright voice as she dived into the water, creating a huge wave that smacked Masachika right in the face, letting him know that the sound effect wasn’t just for show.
“Tsk! Seriously?” He sighed with a mix of exasperation and reproach while he vigorously shook the water from his hair. After having dive-bombed into the bath, Yuki grabbed the edge of the tub and pulled herself up to the surface.
“Whoa! The water’s really hot.”
“Then get out.”
“You’re right! This is way too hot! I’m going back to my room… Not! Did you really think I’d say that? Well, too bad. I’d never give myself a death flag that obvious.”
“How is that a death flag? If anything, you’re in far more danger here in the tub.”
“Oh my… Don’t tell me you—”
“No! That’s not what I meant!”
“I heard it was easy to make murders look like suicides in the bathtub, but I never thought you would—”
“Yeah, that’s definitely not what I meant.”
“Situations like this make it easy to gauge how much of a perv you are.”
“Baseless slander. All we learned from this was that you’re still a creep.”
“Not as much of a creep as Elena.”
“I refuse to even entertain the comparison.”
“Tsk. You’re getting good at this.”
Yuki submerged herself up to her shoulders while leaning back against Masachika.
“Hey?!”
“Ha-ha-ha! We’re acting like some stupid couple that lives together.”
“Uh…?”
“Heh. It’s over now, bro. Now I can use the classic childhood friend phrase, ‘We used to take baths together all the time,’ and you can’t be like, ‘Yeah, when we were kids!’”
“…Haaah.”
He was on the verge of voicing his disapproval, but he hesitated, eventually letting out a sigh instead.
Well, I guess I can just pretend we’re kids again…
He stared off into the abyss, when—
“Pew!”
“Bfft?!”
Hot water splashed across his face, and once he could open his eyes again, he noticed Yuki cupping her hands in the water, creating a makeshift water gun.
“Have another!”
“Bfft!”
The instant she squeezed her hands together, a jet of hot water shot out from between her palms, splashing across Masachika’s face again and making him grimace.
“Seriously? You’re acting like you’re in elementary school, you know?”
“Heh. Sorry for being so innocent and pure that this is all it takes for me to have fun in the bathtub.”
“Quit shooting me in the face.”
After Masachika karate chopped his sister on the head to stop her painfully accurate machine-gun skills, he wiped his face off with his hand…bringing Yuki’s naked body into view, and though he knew it was wrong, he couldn’t help but stare.
“…”
Yuki had a very well-proportioned and beautiful body, but what really caught his attention was how slender she was.
While she had feminine curves, her overall frame was very thin and delicate. In fact, she was so delicate that she was probably not even half the size of someone like Touya, if that.
Is she eating enough…?
Masachika was starting to get genuinely worried, but when Yuki looked up at her brother’s concerned face, she grinned.
“Oh? About time you acknowledged how stunning this flat stomach is.”
“No, I’m not that much of a degenerate yet.”
“How can you not see how sexy this is? Look at how you can subtly see my abs. Haaah… It seems you still have much to learn…”
“What abs??”
“Right here. Touch them.”
“Nah, I’m good.”
Although she was his sister, and it was only her stomach, Masachika hesitated to touch her and instinctively declined. Nevertheless, Yuki narrowed her eyes smugly before she began to slowly rub her own stomach.
“Rub my stomach… It would make the baby happy…”
“I don’t see any babies.”
Yuki took Masachika’s hand, her expression oddly filled with tender affection as she gently urged him to do it. Sensing that she wouldn’t be satisfied unless he did it, Masachika sighed yet still hesitantly touched his sister’s tight stomach—
“Hyah-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
And immediately, shrill laughter erupted, startling him as he quickly pulled his hand away. However, Yuki’s expression instantly turned blank as she closed her mouth, so Masachika timidly reached out once more—
“Hyah-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
As he pulled his hand away, her expression instantly went blank, so he tried again.
“Hyah-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
“You’re seriously scaring me!” Masachika cried in despair, for every time he touched her, Yuki’s eyes would open wide as she burst into a shrill laugh. “Can you at least make it sound like you’re happy?! You sound like some sort of cursed doll screaming!”
“I’m actually starting to feel a little embarrassed.”
“I’m worried about your mental health if this is you acting embarrassed.”
“I can’t help it. Compassion makes up half of who I am.”
“What’s the other half?”
“Lewd passion.”
“That hardly makes any sense.”
“I’m lewd and compassionate… Hold up. Doesn’t this make me the perfect rom-com heroine?”
“Do heroines in rom-coms need to be lewd? If anything, people seem to prefer girls who are more naive and innocent.”
Yuki’s eyes went wide and then she glared up at her brother menacingly.
“Maybe if you’re a virgin-obsessed loser like my brother here!!”
“I like sluts, too?!”
“The only kinda sluts ya like are the older ones that take the virginity of nerds like you!!”
“What the…?! How the hell do you know so much about what your own brother’s into?!”
“Huh? Th-that’s because…”
Yuki suddenly seemed embarrassed, her gaze darting around the room until eventually settling on the water in the tub, when she mumbled:
“That’s what I like, too…”
“Stop confessing your fetishes like you’re confessing your love for me. And what do you mean you like perverted, older women?”
“Lately, I’ve been really into this comic where this lewd, older woman seduces this girl who’s not into women… By the way, it’s yuri, if that part wasn’t obvious…”
“…Interesting.”
Masachika didn’t know if he should have felt relieved that it wasn’t anything twisted or if he should have felt worried that his sister was starting to get into GL as if BL wasn’t doing it for her anymore.
…I guess it’s 2D, and it’s fiction, so it doesn’t matter. It’s not like she’s confusing her fantasies with reality…
Right after he came to that conclusion, Yuki suddenly clenched her fist and admitted, “Anyway, I’ve been shipping Nonoa and Sayaka lately.”
“I take back what I just said in my head.”
“I mean, things are kind of fishy between them, right? I never heard any strange rumors about Sayaka, and Nonoa seems to have an unusually strong obsession with her.”
“Yeah… I guess…”
“Honestly, if someone told me that Nonoa was secretly disposing of every man that tried to approach Sayaka, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“…”
Even Masachika couldn’t deny the possibility of her half-joking hypothesis. One of the reasons he couldn’t wholeheartedly support Takeshi’s feelings for Sayaka was precisely that.
I should probably talk to her and double-check…
Masachika was lifting his head, his gaze on the ceiling as he pondered that. Just as he came to that decision, Yuki slid down even deeper into the tub, then looked up at her brother and uttered:
“By the way, my sweet brother…”
“What?”
He looked down to see his sister grinning at him as she reached out and gently rubbed his neck.
“Who bit you on the neck?”
A jolt of lightning shot through Masachika’s body.
Oh, crap. Whoops…
Masachika had completely forgotten that he had peeled off the cold compress on his neck…which was covering the mark Alisa left when she bit him.
“…”
He stared straight ahead, his expression never more grave, since there was no way that he could hide what had happened any longer.
“I got bit by a zombie.”
“Seriously? That’s rough. But you didn’t turn into a zombie…which means that you’re immune to the virus, huh?”
“Yeah, I can still think and function like a human, but I have superhuman strength.”
“And to save a girl who was bitten by a zombie, you’re going to inject her with your bodily fluids under the guise that you’re giving her the antibody, right?”
“Yeah, it starts off with some French kissing, which seems to kind of work at first, but it’s not enough, so—hold up! This is getting too X-rated!”
“What are you going to do if it’s a sweaty old man who gets bit?!”
“I’ll let him say a few final words, then put him out of his misery.”
“You didn’t even have to think about that one.”
“Anyway, I’m feeling nice and toasty now, so I think I’m going to head back to my room.”
“I’m not letting you go.”
“Pfft. Do you really think you can stop me?”
“Excuse me? Not so fast…!”
Right as Masachika tried to get out of the bathtub, Yuki pushed down on him with all her might, using both her hands and feet to pin him in place. But Masachika wasn’t weak. Far from it, in fact. Despite being trapped between the bathtub and Yuki’s back, he slowly managed to wriggle free despite being obviously flustered.
“You’ve left me with no other choice. I didn’t want to have to do this,” she muttered while letting him go. Masachika took this opportunity to swiftly stand up and get out of the tub before anything happened. However—
“Angel Mode Activate. ☆”
The moment he heard those words, it was already too late. She had grabbed his left hand, and a terrible premonition consumed his soul. He cautiously lowered his gaze, meeting Yuki’s bright, innocent eyes.
“Dear brother, you have to count to a hundred before getting out. It’s the rule.”
“Gah!”
His heart skipped a beat at the sight of those eyes, and Masachika started to stumble backward. But…
No, I can’t…! It’s a trick! Getting back in the tub would be exactly what Yuki wants!
He froze, wondering what he should do…when he noticed Yuki staring intently at him, making him crouch.
“Seriously?”
Masachika closed his legs and glared at Yuki with resentment. But she merely looked puzzled, comparing her nether region to Masachika’s while tilting her head.
“Big brother, why is there so much hai—?”
“All right! Let’s count to a hundred together!” Masachika suggested desperately, to which Yuki responded with a cheerful nod.
“Okay!”
However, as if a sudden idea had popped into her head, she then exclaimed in an innocent tone:
“I want a duck! A yellow rubber ducky!
“We don’t have one.”
“Then would you be the rubber ducky for me?”
“Are you asking me to float? Ah, the innocence of a child. Or should I say the cruel nature of a child?”
“You don’t have to float. I just want you to become a duck.”
“…? How?”
“Hey, did you know that rubber ducks are supposed to look like ducklings? That’s why they’re yellow. And they need someone to take care of their every need because they’re completely helpless.”
“What are you getting at?!”
“I want you to be my little duckling.”
“You’re not really an angel, are you?”
“Tsk!”
“All right, I’m getting out of the tub for real this time,” Masachika declared, stepping out of the bathtub, where he began showering to rinse his body off while Yuki watched him with a sly grin. But behind that smile, she secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Heh. He seems fine. Guess I didn’t need to worry about him, after all.
Yuki was relieved to see him being his usual self, since he had seemed somewhat depressed ever since he’d played piano at the school festival. She knew that if she had left him alone, he would have spiraled into an endless pit of despair at the slightest trigger, and that was why she was a bit concerned and decided to check up on him. But…
Did somebody say something to make him feel better?
Yuki knew there were countless others who would be there for her brother if he needed them, whether it was someone from the student council, a band member, or perhaps someone else entirely, and although it filled her with a mix of pride and joy, she couldn’t wash away the tinge of loneliness it made her feel.
That bite mark on his neck… I wonder whose teeth those were? I mean, it was most likely Alya, but…
Although curious, she knew her brother wouldn’t tell her anything, even if she pressed him for answers.
“…”
A dark, unpleasant sensation welled up inside her chest, prompting her to abruptly stand in an attempt to shake it off.
——And her vision instantly went black.
“Umf…?”
She could feel the blood draining from her body. A dizziness that was several times worse than any dizzy spell she had ever experienced swallowed her as her sense of balance faded. Leaning forward, Yuki grabbed on to the edge of the bathtub, but her sudden fall caused her to slip, slamming her lower leg into the tub. The pain was oddly dull, but she could feel a throbbing sensation throughout her body.
“Yuki?!”
When she raised her head in response to the urgent call, she saw her brother right away, but the look in his eyes made it seem like the world was going to end. A mix of happiness, amusement, and guilt swept through her when she saw the serious look on his face…and she couldn’t help but weakly smile.
“I’m fine… I just stayed in the tub for too long…”
So there was no need to worry, she claimed, waving her hand dismissively as she remained curled up in the bathtub…until out of nowhere, she felt herself being lifted into the air.
“Huh…?”
Before she even knew what was happening, she was being carried out of the bathroom like a princess.
M-my big brother is sooo strong. ♪
Yuki had some unique thoughts about the first time in her life she’d been carried like a princess while she was gently laid onto a towel spread out on the floor.
“Ayano, come quick!”
“It’s not a big dea—”
“Did you call— Lady Yuki?! What happened?!”
“Nothing. I just stayed in the tub too long, so—”
“Ayano, call for an ambulance!”
“…! Roger!”
“Guys, relax.” Yuki managed to avoid having an ambulance called after desperately explaining that she simply got dizzy from staying in the hot bath for too long. However… “…Come on, you don’t need to wait on me hand and foot. I’m fine. Besides, I have Ayano if I need anything.”
“You’re not well. Just let me take care of you.”
“I’m fine, though…”
Yuki was treated like a full-blown heatstroke patient as she was laid on her bed. With a cold compress on Yuki’s forehead, Ayano fanned her face vigorously, while Masachika handed her a sports drink, which she sipped through a straw.
“I already feel better, for the most part… I feel bad, since I know this is my fault for making you worry, but this is kind of embarrassing… You’re overreacting…”
“Then consider this punishment for making me worry.”
“Oh, come on.”
Masachika shoved the sports drink straw into her mouth, effectively silencing any further protest. Sip, sip. Although it tasted good, she was getting tired of it.
“At least let me go dry my hair… And didn’t you have exams you needed to study for anyway?”
“That’s not important right now.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“…”
“I don’t need any more fluids!”
She shook her head vigorously to refuse the straw that was being thrust toward her every time she spoke, but the moment she let out a sigh of relief, being freed from the straw—
“You hit your right leg on the tub, right? Does anywhere else hurt?”
“Huh? No, I’m fine.”
“All right, we’ll have a doctor check out your leg later, then.”
“Stop making this a bigger deal than it is!”
“Ayano, can you get us a taxi?”
“Very well.”
“I don’t need a taxi!”
“…”
“I said I don’t want any more of that sports drink!”
Yuki suddenly hopped out of bed, feeling smothered by their overprotectiveness, which felt eerily similar to bullying, but her right leg, which had slammed into the bathtub, instantly began to throb in pain, causing her to stumble.
Ah!
It was already too late.
“Ayano! Call an ambulance! For real!”
“Roger!”
“Please stop! I beg you!”
Yuki desperately tried to stop her brother and maid from calling for an ambulance…and before she knew it, that dark, unpleasant feeling that she had felt in the bathtub seemed to have vanished completely.
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