Chapter 3 | “My Little Sister’s Request and Her Jealousy”
The day after I managed to come up with a solid answer thanks to Charlotte-san, a rare guest had come to my house.
No, calling her a guest might be a bit of a misnomer.
“—G-Good morning, Onii-chan.”
Standing nervously at the entrance in casual clothes was Karin.
It was her first time visiting, so she seemed unsettled.
“Good morning, Karin. I’m pretty sure I was supposed to pick you up at the station, though…”
“Even if I got on the wrong train or missed my stop, I wanted to make it on time… so I took an earlier one…”
In other words, she arrived at the station thirty minutes earlier than planned.
“So you came straight here. You didn’t get lost?”
“Nuh-uh, I worked hard to follow the navigation on my smartphone.”
The way she said “worked hard” about following navigation was pretty cute.
She probably wasn’t too used to it.
“Good job. I’ll walk you back later. Come on in.”
I led Karin into the room where Charlotte-san and the others were waiting.
“Good morning, Shinonome-san.”
As I opened the door, Charlotte-san, who was dealing with a fussy Emma-chan, greeted her first.
“G-Good morning, Charlotte-san… And, um, Emma-chan, good morning too…”
“…”
Maybe it was because her name was called.
Emma-chan, grumpy from just waking up, turned her gaze toward Karin.
“Ah, Neko-chan…!”
“Neko-chan?”
Hearing her call Karin “Neko-chan,” I tilted my head in confusion.
Then, Emma-chan picked up one of the two stuffed toys beside her.
It was the cat plushie Karin had given her.
“Neko-chan…!”
It seemed like she was calling Karin “Neko-chan” in the sense of “the person who gave me the cat plushie.”
“Looks like she really likes the cat plushie.”
Karin smiled at Emma-chan, who happily showed off the cat plushie.
She must’ve realized how much Emma-chan cherished it.
It looked like Emma-chan’s mood had improved, and she wasn’t shy around Karin either, which was a relief.
Since Karin had fixed her precious plushie and given her a new one, Emma-chan seemed to trust her.
“Neko-chan, wanna play too?”
Emma-chan toddled over and stopped at Karin’s feet.
She clearly wanted to play with her.
“…”
Even with such simple English, Karin seemed to understand—but she looked a little hesitant.
Since she’s not great with people being pushy, it couldn’t be helped, but she grabbed my sleeve tightly.
“She just wants to play, so how about playing with her?”
It was a rare chance, so I gently encouraged Karin with a soft tone.
“Nuh… But I don’t know what to play…”
“How about playing with the cat plushie? Look, there are two of them.”
There was the cat plushie I gave her and the one Karin gave her.
Playing with those would probably make Emma-chan happy.
“Okay…”
“Just sit wherever you like.”
I prompted Karin to sit, and I lowered myself to the floor too.
Then, Emma-chan stared at me intently.
I immediately knew what she was thinking.
“Emma-chan, come here.”
Sitting cross-legged, I spread my arms and called out to Emma-chan.
As expected, she plopped right onto my lap.
To this girl, sitting on my lap had truly become second nature.
“You’re so used to it…”
“Haha… It’s just how it always is. Shinonome-san, are you thirsty?”
Watching me and Emma-chan, Charlotte-san and Karin chatted, with Charlotte-san letting out a wry smile.
Well, I kinda got what she meant.
Since Charlotte-san was preparing tea for Karin, I waited a bit for her to come back.
When she returned, Emma-chan held the plushie I’d given her, while Karin held the one she’d given, and the two started playing together.
However—
“Nya! Nya-nya! Nyaa!”
“Funya? Nya~?”
Both of them were speaking in cat language, so I had no idea what they were saying.
Since Emma-chan started meowing first, Karin went along with it, but there’s no way their conversation was actually connecting.
Still, since they spoke different languages, maybe this was fine.
Emma-chan might’ve switched to cat language knowing her words wouldn’t get through otherwise.
—No, she’s probably just pretending to be a cat.
“Hehe, it’s a heartwarming sight, isn’t it?”
“Charlotte-san, you’re not joining in?”
I asked with a smile as Charlotte-san casually sat next to me, pressing her shoulder against mine.
Speaking of cat language, she’s the one who used it with cats before.
It was cute, and with only Karin and Emma-chan here now, I thought it’d be fine if she meowed too.
“I don’t have a plushie, so…”
“How about you mimic a cat instead, Charlotte-san?”
I suggested it half-jokingly.
Then—
“…Nyan-nyan?”
Tilting her head adorably, she bent her right wrist twice in sync with her words, striking a cat pose with her hand.
Okay, that’s way too cute.
“—Ah, wanna use it…?”
While I was being healed by her cuteness, Karin noticed Charlotte-san mimicking a cat and offered the plushie she’d been using.
“N-No, no, it’s fine! I’d rather just watch.”
Not intending to take it from Karin, Charlotte-san shook her head in a slight panic.
Since Karin’s timid and quick to give things up, I should probably be careful with my words…
Well, Charlotte-san’s flustered reaction might partly be from embarrassment at being seen mimicking a cat.
“Oh…?”
“Yes, I think Emma wants to play with Shinonome-san too.”
That one line from Charlotte-san seemed to work, and Karin started playing with Emma-chan again.
Watching the two of them enjoy themselves made me feel oddly happy.
Karin seems to love plushies too, so she probably enjoys this kind of play.
She doesn’t often get to play with someone like this, so I’m glad she’s hitting it off with Emma-chan.
As I watched the two of them play—
“Onii-chan.”
Emma-chan tugged at my clothes with a little pull.
“What’s up?”
“Nuh, what’s she called?”
Emma-chan pointed at Karin and tilted her head.
…What’s she asking about?
“Onii-chan.”
When I tilted my head, Emma-chan pointed at me and called out.
Then she pointed at Karin again.
“What’s she called?”
Oh, I get it… That’s what she means.
It seems Emma-chan wanted to know how to call Karin in the same way she calls me.
In her mind, Karin had gone from “the person who gave and fixed my cat plushie” to someone close to her.
“‘Onee-chan.’”
I taught Emma-chan the Japanese word “Onee-chan” for her.
“Onee-chan?”
Maybe because she’s been practicing Japanese lately, she said “Onee-chan” much more smoothly than when she first called me “Onii-chan.”
It’s nice to see her growth.
“That’s right. And, you know, this girl’s my little sister.”
“Onii-chan’s!?”
Hearing she was my sister, Emma-chan’s excitement visibly spiked.
Then she looked at Karin as if she were someone special.
“To Emma, family is special, and since Akihito-kun is special to her, Akihito-kun’s family is special too—that’s probably how she feels.”
Charlotte-san, observing Emma-chan, explained it like that.
Being called family stings a little with guilt, but I’m happy she sees Karin as special.
Above all, seeing Karin blush slightly and smile happily after hearing Charlotte-san’s words felt good.
“Why doesn’t Onee-chan speak English?”
Maybe because she heard Karin was my sister?
Emma-chan asked Karin a tough question with pure, innocent eyes.
It seems she assumed my sister would speak English too.
Since Karin could understand this much English, she looked a bit shocked.
Then she glanced at me, troubled.
She’s asking for help, huh.
“Emma-chan, even family doesn’t always speak the same language. Charlotte-san can speak Japanese, but you’re still learning it, right?”
I explained it in a way she could relate to, making it easier for her to understand.
Once she got it, Emma-chan patted my knee in disappointment.
She doesn’t talk much with strangers, but she chats a lot with me and Charlotte-san.
She probably likes talking with people she’s close to.
“Once you can speak Japanese, you’ll be able to talk to her, okay?”
“Nuh.”
“If there’s anything you want to ask or say, I can pass it on for you.”
Even if they can’t talk directly, Charlotte-san or I could interpret.
When I suggested it, Emma-chan thought for a moment and tilted her head.
“Why don’t Onii-chan and Onee-chan live together?”
And then she asked a really hard question to answer.
Right, of course…
She’d naturally wonder about that…
“Uh… I’m living alone to learn about the world.”
Flustered, I ended up dodging the question.
It’s not exactly a lie, I think…
“…”
Emma-chan tilted her head curiously, swaying side to side while staring at me.
Maybe she didn’t quite get what “learning about the world” meant.
But—
“Nuh.”
She nodded to herself, as if deciding it was fine.
It felt like she thought, “I don’t really get it, but if Onii-chan says so, it must be true.”
This kid’s pretty laid-back, unlike Charlotte-san.
“Anything else you wanna ask?”
Since the topic was inconvenient, I steered her away before she could dig deeper.
“Why does Onee-chan hide her eyes?”
This time, she asked why Karin covers her eyes.
Kids really don’t hold back on topics normal people avoid.
It’s been a while since Emma-chan’s stumped me this much.
Still, this might be a chance to help Karin with her issue.
“Karin, Emma-chan wants to know why you hide your eyes. Can you talk about it?”
“Ah, uh…”
Karin had probably noticed from Emma-chan’s words and gestures that she was curious about her eyes.
But being asked outright, it wasn’t something she could easily talk about.
“Akihito-kun, digging into someone’s personal matters too much…”
“Yeah, I know. But I thought if there’s something I could do to help, I’d like to. At least, I’ve got a hunch about why Karin hides them.”
I pointed to my left eye while looking at Karin.
“—! How long have you known…?”
She must’ve realized I wasn’t bluffing.
Karin looked at me, slightly afraid.
“I caught a glimpse of it by chance at Charlotte-san’s welcome party. Of course, I’m not gonna make a big deal out of it.”
I haven’t even told Charlotte-san about Karin’s secret.
It’s not something to spread around, and it’s clearly important to Karin.
“…But I don’t want to talk about it.”
Since we started talking more, I think I’ve gotten closer to Karin.
She’s been willing to hang out with me, so she must trust me at least a little.
Even so, the eye thing seems too heavy for her to share.
“Well, if you ever feel like talking, just let me know. One thing I can say is that your eyes are really beautiful, Karin.”
Pressing her now wouldn’t be good, so I gently patted her head to reassure her.
“Onii-chan…”
“If something’s up, just make sure to talk to me, okay?”
“Nuh…”
Karin’s an honest girl, so she nodded properly.
Sensitive issues like this take time to work through.
Maybe someone else will help her get over it easily instead of me.
“Emma-chan, Karin’s eyes have a secret. That’s why she can’t show them easily.”
“A secret…!”
Being a kid, hearing “secret” seemed to excite her.
I’d need to watch her so she doesn’t lift Karin’s hair by force, but I doubt she’d do that.
After that, Emma-chan started asking normal questions, so I relaxed and interpreted for her.
◆◆◆
“—Well then, shall we get started?”
At noon, Charlotte-san smiled and spoke to Karin.
It seemed Karin would be cooking with us today.
“Karin, you don’t usually cook much, right?”
“Nuh… I’m not allowed to because it’s dangerous…”
“Well, cooking can be risky if you’re not used to it.”
“No, Mom always treats me like a kid…”
It looks like Karin’s holding some resentment.
But Charlotte-san and I could understand her mom’s perspective.
Karin’s appearance and personality are pretty childish for her age.
It’s hard not to treat her like a kid.
Even I sometimes feel like I’m dealing with a much younger kid when I’m with her.
Well, she probably thinks I’m just treating her like a little sister, so she doesn’t mind.
“Getting hurt isn’t okay, so please calmly follow my instructions, alright?”
“Nuh, please take care of me…”
Karin bowed her head politely.
Charlotte-san returned a smile and a bow, then winked at me as she looked up.
“I’ll make sure she doesn’t get hurt, don’t worry.”
That’s what her wink seemed to say.
“—Ah…”
But then, as if something occurred to her, Charlotte-san suddenly started thinking.
“What’s wrong?”
“No… I just realized this situation’s pretty amazing…”
“What do you mean?”
I wasn’t sure what Charlotte-san had noticed.
She just looked really happy.
“It’s not just teaching a friend to cook—it’s teaching my boyfriend’s little sister to cook. That’s not something you see every day.”
So, she’s excited because it feels like a manga scenario?
Or maybe she’s happy to teach her boyfriend’s sister?
I’m not sure, but seeing Charlotte-san so cheerful was nice.
—Or so I thought…
“Shinonome-san, would it be alright if I called you Karin-chan?”
Unusually, Charlotte-san took the initiative with someone besides me.
“Eh, i-it’s fine, but is that okay…?”
Karin didn’t mind, but she seemed to check if it was alright for Charlotte-san to call her that.
She’s probably not used to being called that and was a bit self-conscious.
“Yes, please…! And if you’d like, Karin-chan, you can call me Onee-chan.”
“Eh…”
But this twist made Karin freeze.
Honestly, it threw me off too.
Charlotte-san, what’s gotten into you all of a sudden?
“Th-That’s, um… it’s embarrassing…”
Karin resisted calling a classmate “Onee-chan.”
Though it’s not that she disliked it—more that it was just embarrassing, as she said.
She calls me Onii-chan so casually, though.
—Wait, I see.
Is that why Charlotte-san wants Karin to call her Onee-chan…?
I might be reading too much into it for my own convenience.
But I couldn’t think of any other explanation for her reasoning.
“Is that a no…?”
“…”
When Charlotte-san looked at Karin sadly, Karin’s eyes wandered in distress.
“Um… If it’s when no one else is around…”
And being weak to pressure, Karin gave in easily.
She said “no one else,” but she’d probably call her that even with me around.
“Thank you…! Well then, shall we start cooking, Karin-chan?”
“Y-Yeah, Onee-chan…”
Led by a beaming Charlotte-san, a shy Karin headed into the kitchen.
“Lottie was in a good mood.”
Even Emma-chan, quietly watching, felt the same as me.
That’s how happy Charlotte-san must’ve been.
“They’re getting along well, huh?”
“Nuh, Emma’s getting along too.”
Emma-chan seemed satisfied too, so it’s all good.
Watching Charlotte-san and Karin start cooking together, I thought it’d be nice to live like this in the future.
A few dozen minutes later—
“I couldn’t make it well…”
The finished dishes—tamagoyaki, tofu steak, simmered hamburgers, and salad—were split between good-looking ones and messy ones.
The ones Karin made, being new to cooking, had lost their shape or were messed up during plating.
The salad had uneven cuts and odd edges too.
“Well then, itadakimasu.”
The four of us put our hands together for the meal greeting.
Emma-chan, who used to just mimic us without understanding at first, had gotten the hang of it.
As Charlotte-san said, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” she’d properly adapted to Japanese culture.
“Onii-chan, that…!”
“This one?”
“Nuh…!”
I picked up the misshapen tamagoyaki with chopsticks as Emma-chan pointed.
She must’ve known it was Karin’s creation.
I thought she’d only eat the nice-looking stuff, but maybe she’s being considerate in her own way.
“O-Onii-chan, that might not taste good, so…”
But Karin, lacking confidence in the flavor, grabbed my hand to stop me.
She might be okay with me eating it, but she’s scared of Emma-chan trying it.
“It’s fine. Right, Charlotte-san?”
“Yes, the shape’s a bit off since she’s not used to it, but the taste should be delicious.”
Charlotte-san tastes things while cooking.
She’d naturally tried Karin’s dishes too.
Plus, following Charlotte-san’s steps, there’s no way it wouldn’t taste good.
“Nuh, yummy…!”
The moment she ate Karin’s dish, Emma-chan broke into a cute smile.
She’s the type to bluntly say if it’s bad, so it must’ve really been good.
“She says it’s yummy. That’s great, huh?”
“R-Really…? Good…”
Karin sighed in relief, pressing her ample chest as she calmed down.
I almost got distracted by the jiggle, but I felt Charlotte-san’s gaze and quickly looked away.
“Emma-chan, what else do you want?”
“Nuh, that one…!”
From then on, Emma-chan kept picking the messy-looking dishes.
She can eat Charlotte-san’s cooking anytime, so she’s probably choosing Karin’s on purpose.
They all seemed tasty, and when she finished, she hugged me happily.
—Of course, I tried them afterward too, and everything Karin made was really delicious.
◆◆◆
“…”
“Emma-chan, you look sleepy…?”
After cleaning up the dishes, Karin approached Emma-chan, who was dozing on my lap, with curiosity.
“She gets sleepy right after eating.”
“Really…? But isn’t it bad for her to sleep right away…?”
“Yeah… But sleep’s important for little kids too. Lately, we’ve been making sure she waits about thirty minutes after eating before sleeping.”
Charlotte-san and I tend to spoil her, but if we don’t draw the line, Emma-chan’ll suffer.
So we prioritize her health and don’t let her sleep immediately—but it’s not that simple. Naps are important for kids, so we let her sleep after a proper gap.
At the preschool Emma-chan goes to, her class still naps, so matching that should be fine.
“Raising kids is tough, huh…”
“But it’s healing in its own way. Kids are cute, after all.”
Sure, raising Emma-chan has its challenges.
But she’s so cute it more than makes up for it.
Just being with her makes me happy, so looking after her feels like nothing.
Plus, I’ve got Charlotte-san with me, so it’s not a big burden.
“Having Akihito-kun here really helps.”
“That’s my line.”
“…You two won’t have trouble raising kids in the future, huh?”
As I smiled back at Charlotte-san, I heard Karin mutter something under her breath.
Then, Charlotte-san’s face went bright red with a boom.
Karin, what did you just say?
“K-Karin-chan, that’s jumping the gun! We’re not at that stage yet…!”
“Huh? But if things go well, it’ll happen, right…? I thought the Onee-chan thing was for that too…?”
“Th-That’s, um…!”
Charlotte-san was totally flustered.
Seeing her blush and panic, it wasn’t hard to guess it was something embarrassing.
Well, Karin’s comment gave me a rough idea.
“Muu…! Noisy…!”
And since Charlotte-san raised her voice, sleepy Emma-chan got mad.
She’s cranky when she’s tired.
“Sorry, Emma…”
The big sister shrank back after being scolded by the little one.
Their roles were completely reversed.
“Charlotte-san, I’ll grab a blanket, so can you watch Emma-chan?”
“Ah, I’ll get it.”
Thinking it was time to let her sleep, I was about to hand her over, but Charlotte-san left the room.
Well, it’s better to let her grab the blanket than leave her with a grumpy Emma-chan.
“Seriously, like a married couple…”
Seeing me and Charlotte-san, Karin let out an honest remark.
From the outside, we might look like a couple.
“You’re really close, huh…?”
“Charlotte-san’s a great person, after all.”
“You live together…?”
I’d told Karin before that we’re together a lot because our rooms are next door.
But anyone looking at us would naturally think we’re living together.
“It’s a secret from Mom and Dad, okay?”
I indirectly confirmed it, putting a finger to my nose.
Karin nodded eagerly, her cheeks slightly red.
She might’ve imagined a bit about us living together.
“Onii-chan’s all grown up now, huh…”
“Not really. I’m still a kid. I couldn’t live on my own strength.”
Right now, Charlotte-san handles the housework, and the Himeragi conglomerate covers the money.
If it were just me, I’d have died on the streets long ago.
“—I brought it.”
“Thanks, Charlotte-san.”
Charlotte-san brought the small blanket we use for Emma-chan’s naps, so I laid Emma-chan down on it.
Lately, we’ve been putting her to sleep properly with this.
Yup, she’s snoozing soundly today too—adorable as always.
“…”
“Karin?”
“Ah, um…”
She’d been staring at my face intently, so I called out to her, but for some reason, she started looking around restlessly.
Does she have something she wants to say?
“You can say whatever’s on your mind, no need to hold back, okay?”
“Really…?”
Karin asked me with an upward glance.
Karin asked me with an upward glance.
“Of course. I’m your Onii-chan, after all.”
Since she seemed hesitant, I tried to create an atmosphere where she could speak easily.
Maybe because of that, Karin opened her mouth with a happy look.
“Th-Then… I wanna sit on your lap…”
“…Huh?”
It wasn’t anything like the few scenarios I’d imagined, and I froze up without thinking.
“Uh, um… I wanted to sit on your lap, but… if it’s no good… it’s okay…”
Thinking I didn’t like the idea, Karin drooped and looked down.
I couldn’t just leave my little sister like this, looking so dejected.
But—letting her sit on my lap made me worry about Charlotte-san.
I snuck a quick glance at Charlotte-san’s expression.
It seemed she was looking at me too, and our eyes met perfectly.
And then—
“I-It’s fine, I think…? Since she’s your little sister, you should let her sit…”
She urged me with a smile, but her voice was trembling.
She’s definitely forcing herself to say it.
She’s even sweating oddly.
Still, Karin’s a timid girl, as you can see.
Even this request was probably her pushing herself to the limit.
If I turned her down here, she might never ask me for anything again.
Charlotte-san must’ve realized that too, which is why she’s letting it slide, I think.
“…Karin, it’s okay. Come here.”
I decided to make up for Charlotte-san’s support after Karin left and agreed to her request.
“I-Is it really okay…?”
“I’m your Onii-chan, so there’s no way I’d refuse my little sister’s request, right?”
Hiding how much I’d hesitated, I acted natural and took Karin’s hand.
Karin smiled shyly and sat on my lap.
Since she’s small, I thought she’d be lighter than Charlotte-san—but strangely, the weight didn’t feel that different.
If anything, Karin might be… heavier?
Even though Karin’s slim too, girls are mysterious.
“This is… kinda nerve-wracking…”
Since she’s not used to it, Karin showed her nervousness, just as she said.
Her face was slightly flushed too.
And with Karin sitting sideways, something very soft was pressing against me.
Ignoring that would take some serious effort.
While my attention was on Karin’s chest—
“Muu…!”
Charlotte-san puffed out her cheeks and stared at me.
It wasn’t just sulking—she was mad.
It seems she’d completely caught on to what I was thinking.
…What do I do? I’m starting to sweat coldly.
“Onii-chan, you’re sweating… Am I heavy…?”
“It’s fine. This is a different kind of sweat.”
Since Karin misunderstood, I shook my head with a smile.
Yeah, it’s sweat for a totally different reason.
…Will she forgive me after Karin leaves…?
“Uh, um, Onii-chan… Could you, um, pat me too…?”
It seems Karin wanted the same thing I did for Emma-chan.
I couldn’t refuse my little sister’s plea, so I gently placed my hand on Karin’s head.
Her glossy, beautiful black hair was smooth and felt nice to touch.
I’d heard she was poor, but it seems she takes good care of her hair.
Her skin’s flawless too, and even if it’s a brother’s bias, her face is more than cute enough.
If she acted normal, Karin would probably be super popular.
“…”
While I was focused on Karin, Charlotte-san was silently putting pressure on me.
…No, she probably doesn’t realize she’s doing it.
It’s just that her intense stare feels like unintentional pressure.
I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for her, since she’s too kind to voice her complaints.
“I like this…”
Meanwhile, oblivious to Charlotte-san, Karin started rubbing her cheek against my chest.
She seems to love sitting on my lap while being patted.
…What’s this? My stomach’s starting to hurt.
“Does Karin… often do this kind of thing with your dad?”
“Nuh-uh… Dad’s busy… Ever since I was little, he’d come home late… Like, when I was already asleep… And when I woke up, he was usually gone…”
So she didn’t have much time to be spoiled, huh.
Even so, the fact that Karin grew up kind and still adores her dad probably means he made time for her in those rare spare moments.
“But lately, since the debt’s gone… he’s been home more…?”
“I see…”
Well, paying off a friend’s debt who ran off isn’t something just anyone can do.
He must’ve been a decent guy in others’ eyes.
“Akihito-kun…”
“Hm? What?”
“Um… Are you thirsty? I’ll get you something to drink.”
Charlotte-san stood up and called out to me as she headed to the kitchen.
She’s probably being considerate.
“Thanks, I’ll take it. How about you, Karin?”
“Ah, nuh…”
Karin nodded slightly, letting Charlotte-san know she wanted something too.
“We’ve got orange juice too, you know?”
Since I’d seen her drinking it at a café, I thought she might like it and bought some just in case.
I didn’t get an answer last time since she choked, though.
“Is that okay…?”
“Of course it is. Sorry, Charlotte-san. Make Karin’s orange juice.”
“Sure. Will you have orange too, Akihito-kun?”
“Nah, tea’s fine for me. You should have whatever you like too, Charlotte-san.”
“Thank you.”
Charlotte-san thought for a moment and chose orange juice like Karin.
By the way, Emma-chan drinks pretty much any juice without fussing.
If she were awake now, she’d probably go for the orange juice too.
After that, I ended up spoiling Karin as she clung to me while we drank juice, sweating buckets under Charlotte-san’s pressure.
◆◆◆
“—Well then, I’ll walk Karin back.”
Since she’s heading home before it gets dark, I’m about to take her to the station.
With Emma-chan asleep, Charlotte-san would stay at the house.
“Are you sure…? I can go back alone…?”
“Well, just in case. You’re a girl, after all, Karin.”
It might be overprotective, but I want to at least see her to the station.
Plus, there might be things she can only say when it’s just the two of us.
We left the apartment together.
“Walking alone with Onii-chan… might people get the wrong idea…?”
“Hm, maybe. But it’s probably fine.”
At school, Karin and I are just strangers.
Since I’ve got Charlotte-san as my girlfriend, being seen walking alone with another girl could cause misunderstandings.
So I wore a mask and hat to avoid being recognized right away.
“I see… Um, about my eyes… sorry…?”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. I get that you don’t want to talk about it. But—I think your odd eyes are really beautiful, Karin.”
“—!”
Karin has rare eyes—her right one’s black, and her left one’s white.
Hiding them probably means she’s had bad experiences because of it in the past.
She hides both the white and black eyes, maybe because covering just one would draw curiosity to what’s underneath.
Well, either way, hiding both still draws attention, but her timid nature keeps most people from approaching her.
The teachers probably know, of course.
But I thought her eyes were so beautiful she didn’t need to hide them.
“Onii-chan wouldn’t get it… What it’s like to be different…”
“I do get it. I’ve been through a lot myself.”
“Ah—!”
Karin gasped and looked up at me.
The sudden movement, plus a gust of wind, shifted her bangs, revealing her stunning eyes.
“S-Sorry…!”
She knows a bit about my past.
That’s probably why she apologized right away.
“I’m not bothered, so don’t apologize. I’m the one who touched on a sensitive topic first.”
“But… I said that without knowing how you feel…”
“It’s fine. You can say anything you want. I’m your Onii-chan, right? There’s nothing you need to hold back on.”
Since I decided to be Karin’s brother, I don’t want to be one in name only.
I want to proudly say I’m her brother.
So I’ll listen to anything she has to say and let her vent whatever emotions she needs to.
“Why…? Why are you so nice, Onii-chan…?”
Karin asked me, her beautiful eyes trembling widely.
“Being nice to my little sister is only natural, isn’t it?”
“Is it…?”
She tilted her head, not quite convinced by my answer.
Well, I know not everyone’s nice to their siblings, of course.
“It is. At least, I think Karin’s important to me, so I can’t be cold to someone I care about, right?”
“I see…”
This time, unlike before, she nodded repeatedly, letting out a warm breath.
It seems she’s satisfied now.
“We’re already at the station. If there’s anything else you wanna talk about, just message or call me, okay?”
“Nuh… Thanks.”
Karin smiled happily and thanked me before heading into the station.
But then she suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
Maybe there’s something she forgot to say.
Thinking that, I called out to her back.
Turning around, Karin parted her bangs with her hand and looked at me with a serious expression.
She showed her eyes on purpose—maybe she’s okay with me seeing them, or perhaps it’s atonement for thinking she hurt me.
“I-I… um… I really want to be with Onii-chan… I want us to live together… I-If it’s not okay with Dad and Mom… then I could come to your place…”
“Karin.”
Understanding what she wanted to say, I called her name with a gentle smile and tone.
And then—
“That’s no good.”
I shook my head slowly, making it clear it couldn’t be helped.
“Onii-chan…”
“I’m happy you feel that way, and I know I’m kinda contradicting myself here, but… we’re living off our guardians’ money. We can’t just do whatever we want.”
I’d love to grant my little sister’s every wish, but I can’t make the impossible happen.
It’s not like it’s completely out of the question, though.
Her parents seem to feel guilty toward me, so if Karin and I asked, they might let us live together.
Now that the debt’s gone, they could probably cover Karin’s living expenses too.
But letting Karin live in that house would mean possibly dragging her into the Himeragi mess.
I wanted to avoid that at all costs.
“Plus, you like your parents, don’t you, Karin?”
“Y-Yeah…”
“Then there’s no need to leave them. We can see each other at school, and if you call me, I’ll come to you anytime. Can you settle for that?”
“…”
Karin fell silent and looked down.
I glanced around, confirmed no one was nearby, and slowly approached her.
“I’ve got something I need to do. That’s why we can’t live together—but once it’s done, it’s fine if you come stay over sometimes.”
I pulled Karin into a hug and gently patted her head.
For a moment, I thought about promising we could live together once my task was done or I started working.
But with Charlotte-san and the others in the picture, and not wanting to take Karin away from her parents, I dodged it instead.
“It’s a promise…?”
Unlike her usual “Is that okay?” she didn’t ask this time.
That’s how important this must be to her.
“Yeah, it’s a promise. Now go on, the train’s coming soon.”
The train only comes every thirty minutes, so missing it means a half-hour wait.
So I gently pushed her back.
After that, Karin kept looking back at me, so I waved until her figure disappeared from sight.
And when I got home—
“—Nya, nyaa?”
For some reason, Charlotte-san was waiting at the entrance in the cat costume she wore for Halloween.
Uh, yeah…
I might’ve made her too jealous…
“Um…”
Faced with this totally unexpected turn, I started thinking about what to do.
And then—
“Come here.”
I decided to just accept it quietly.
“Pardon the intrusion…”
Charlotte-san stopped mimicking a cat and happily sat on my lap.
With so much skin exposed, I was a bit at a loss for where to look…
“There, there.”
“Nuh…”
As usual, I patted her head, and Charlotte-san squirmed ticklishly.
The breaths escaping her mouth were warm… and so alluring I almost felt like she was tempting me.
I mean, coming to me in this outfit to be spoiled—surely I couldn’t complain if I got teased, right…?
Even so, knowing she’s doing this out of jealousy from the cat cosplay, I couldn’t do anything reckless.
Above all, I didn’t want to interrupt her, happily clinging to me like this.
After spoiling Charlotte-san until she was satisfied with cheek rubs—
“Akihito-kun, you were staring at Shinonome-san’s chest a lot, weren’t you?”
She hit me with a super direct complaint.
Still on my lap, her face close to mine, her sulky glare stung.
“I don’t think I was staring that much…?”
“I think you were looking every few seconds.”
“What if you mistook me looking at Karin’s face…?”
“After looking at Karin-chan’s face, your eyes flicked to her chest.”
Was that really how it was…?
I was conscious of Charlotte-san’s gaze, so I tried not to look at Karin’s chest…
“You don’t look at mine at all…”
“Huh…?”
Charlotte-san muttered something under her breath, too quiet to catch.
She probably did it on purpose, but the timing made me curious.
“What’d you say?”
“Akihito-kun likes them big, huh.”
“—!? N-No, that’s not it…! I don’t care about size…!”
“That’s a lie. Books say boys love big ones.”
“What kind of books are you reading!?”
Size preferences vary from person to person.
And I don’t particularly care about size.
I mean, Charlotte-san’s pretty big for her age group anyway.
It’s just that Karin’s abnormally large.
“It’s written in all sorts of books.”
“Uh, um…? Preferences differ, you know…?”
“True, some people do seem to like smaller ones…”
Is this knowledge from books too…?
Come to think of it, she sometimes gets packages from specialty stores…
Maybe that’s why Charlotte-san’s surprisingly knowledgeable about naughty stuff.
“Anyway, I don’t judge people by chest size, so isn’t it fine not to worry about it?”
“…”
Charlotte-san stared into my eyes intently.
Her gaze was full of doubt, so she must really be hung up on the Karin chest thing.
“If you want to look, you can look at mine…”
“—!?”
“I’m here for you, Akihito-kun… If you’re going to look, look at me… I don’t like you looking at other girls…”
Saying that, Charlotte-san pressed her face into my chest, still sulking.
As my girlfriend, she probably hates her boyfriend eyeing other girls.
This cosplay outfit is her effort to catch my attention too… She’s as endearing as ever.
…Still, I didn’t expect her to say something this bold. Then again, she does get daring sometimes.
“Sorry, did I make you anxious?”
“It’s not anxiety, but…”
So it’s just plain jealousy, huh.
“I like Charlotte-san the most, and I won’t stray to other girls. I’ll try not to cause misunderstandings, okay?”
Jealous Charlotte-san is cute, but I don’t want to upset her.
We’ve agreed I’ll spoil her if I make her jealous, but it’s better not to let it happen.
At least, I should avoid misunderstandings.
“…What kind of cosplay do you like, Akihito-kun…?”
“What’s with the sudden question?”
“I need to make an effort so you don’t look elsewhere… If there’s a cosplay you like, I’ll do it…?”
She looked up at me with those eyes.
With her already in this outfit, I’m struggling with where to look—her expression’s making me want to push her down.
“You don’t need to dress up—you’re already super charming, Charlotte-san. Plus, cosplay’s something the person wearing it should enjoy, right? So do the cosplay you want. I think anything would suit you.”
I’m happy she’d try to match my tastes, but I fell for the real Charlotte-san.
There’s no need for her to change for me.
If it’s something she enjoys, I’ll happily watch, and I want to fully support whatever she wants to do.
“Then… would anime characters be okay…?”
“Of course.”
Honestly, compared to this skin-heavy cat cosplay, it’d be easier on my eyes.
I’m seriously proud of myself for keeping my cool right now.
“I see… Then I’ll think about it some more…”
It seems she’s satisfied.
She’s said she likes cosplay before, and if she’s into anime, manga, and doujin culture, taking her to Japan’s biggest doujin event next month might make her happy.
It’s happening next month, after all.
I swore to myself to resolve the Himeragi conglomerate issue by then, at the latest.
—After that, once Charlotte-san calmed down, we spent some fun time with a bit of teasing while I spoiled her.
Though, because Emma-chan napped too long, she wouldn’t sleep at night, which became a bit of a problem.
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