OniAi: Volume 2 Chapter 6

April 13th, 2:00 P.M.

The school had a rest on the next day as well.

And I’ll be meeting someone from my work later during the day.

She was introduced to me via Ginbe’s network. I’d acted rather irresponsibly towards her for a brief moment of time. To be honest, I won’t be able to raise my head in front of her.

This person is in charge of me, and is someone who is really tolerant, so I do act slightly spoiled by her. However, I’ve dragged the deadline to its absolute limit this time around, so much I made her cry.

“Ah. Akito-san.”

We’ve agreed to meet at an economical tea house that’s located at the corner of a shopping street, a slight distance away from the train station.

She was sitting in the deepest corner as usual.

“Nice to see you, Jinno-san. Sorry to have made you wait.”

“It’s nothing. I got here not too long ago~”

Kaaruko Jinno, twenty five years old.

Her distinctive features are: her childish face despite her age, her gentle smile, and those slightly drooping eyes. She’s my editor.

“No, I’m really sorry. I pushed the deadline too far.”

“It’s nothing. Waiting is part of my job as well~”

“It’s great of you to think of it that way. Really.”

“But Akito-san, our president has high hopes for you. He thinks you have the potential to go far. Putting aside the point about the deadline for now, it’s difficult for me if you don’t repay those expectations, you know~”

“Ah, you’re totally right about that. … However, if possible, I’d like to get down to business…”

“Right. Lets get down to business.”

I ordered a cup of hot red tea, while Jinno chose hot cocoa with whipped cream. We then returned to our seats.

“In conclusion~…”

Jinno said while taking out a stack of papers from her bag,

“This draft is really wonderful. The new emotional entanglement between the characters felt extremely real. I became engrossed in the story, and before I knew it I had already finished with the whole thing…”

“Thanks for your praise.”

“However, some of the parts where you write about your feelings and emotions come off a little raw. So lets correct those areas one at a time. Firstly~”

…Well.

I guess you should have understood by now.

This is what allows me to maintain my livelihood. It’s something I’m trying to hide from the people around me; including my younger sister. I’m someone who lives by using a pen; in another words, I’m an author.

I’m not much of a writer either, since I’m mainly writing novels that are published on their own. I have no intention of boasting, but I guess I could call myself a novelist. Though the sales of my books and my popularity are still not on the level where I could proudly introduce myself as one.

“… Well, that’s it, roughly~ Do you have any thoughts on that, Akito-san?”

“Nope, none. All those things that you’ve pointed out are true. I do think that they need some slight improvements. I’ll rewrite the areas you mentioned.”

“I understand. Akito-san is really straightforward about things like these, so it that makes it much easier for me as well~”

“Ahh, I’m always pulling you down when it comes to the deadlines, so I’ll try to be as compliant as I can when it comes to things like this.”

“And it’s just like what you said~. Akito-san still drags his deadlines out like this. Despite being a newcomer. Typically speaking, that’s unthinkable, you know~?”

“Ahh, you’re right. I promise I’ll settle everything properly.”

It may sounds like she was preaching me, but the expression on Jinno’s face was really gentle. I wasn’t frightened by her even a little bit; instead, I was healed by her words.

She’s honest and serious. She may not be very efficient in her work, but she’s passionate. Jinno is someone who’s well loved by her fellow colleagues and superiors.

I don’t wish to create any troubles for her, if possible, and I did think of helping her get the recognition that she deserves by churning out some best-selling books. But with the way things are now, I’m still only a newcomer.

“Well, that’s our president for you.”

Jinno said with an expression akin to that of a napping dog with its belly exposed.

“I too, have high hopes for Akito-san’s talents as well. You managed to come up with a draft like this despite having only a few volumes under your belt. It’s really impressive considering your age. There’s an oppressive feeling to your work… and yet Akito-san is someone with a gentle and mature personality. How exactly do you manage to write novels like this…”

“Well, it’s because my private life has been slightly chaotic. It’s became hard for me to find time for the draft. In the end, I was forced finish everything in a single night. Something like that. It’s not something that desirable.”

“Uh— mmm. That’s partially due to that, but…”

Jinno smirked and muttered,

“Hey Akito-san. I’m not saying this as your editor, but from my own, personal, position.”

“Haa. Yes?”

“I’m thinking… Akito-san, you’re a sis-con, aren’t you?”

“Huh?”

The unexpected question stunned me.

“Eh? Me? A sis-con?”

“Yes. You Akito-san are a sis-con.”

“No, no no no, what are you talking about? I’m not a sis-con.”

“Eh~? Is that so?”

Ahhhhh, damn.

So it isn’t only the members of the student council who misunderstood me, but Jinno as well.

“I admit I do dote on my younger sister a lot. She’s the only relative I have left, and after we were forced to live apart, I have to dote on her even more. You’re right to say that I care about my sister much more than anyone else in the world. But as her relative; her elder brother, that’s only natural, right?”

“Really? Is that how it is?”

“Well of course. Without a doubt.”

“But, but Akito-san—”

It’s rare of Jinno to continue talking on the matter.

“Akito-san will do some of these things, right? For example, making a notebook that’s named something along the lines of ‘Sister Dairy’ and updating it on a daily basis, right? What your sister has eaten that day, what she said, how many times she was angry, and how many times she laughed; things like that.”

“But of course? As her elder brother, it’s only natural for me to be concerned about the situation that my sister is in at all times. Not to mention, I’m currently taking on the role of her parents as well.”

“And, Akito-san will take lots of pictures of his sister and print them all out, before framing them up and storing them properly, right?”

“Yes, of course? There are many old photos who’s negatives I no longer possess. Even for those which I do possess, I’ll still print them all out and store them properly. Is there anything wrong with that?”

“… Uhh— mmm. If so, you can’t consider that as normal, can you? I don’t think there are any elder brothers in the world who would normally do those kind of things for their younger sisters…”

Oh my.

That had quite a bit of impact on me.

Lets not talk about that overly suspicious group of people from the student council. To think that the editor whom I trust, Jinno, is actually saying things like that as well. I didn’t anticipate this at all. I do think she’s a very capable editor, but perhaps being a little too subjective is a tiny flaw of hers.

“I might as well take this opportunity to clear things up. Jinno-san, that’s just your misunderstanding. You’re totally wrong, you couldn’t be more wrong than that.”

“Ehhhhh~? Is that so?”

“To begin with, you’re wrong for thinking that I’m just your typical elder brother. Our parents are no longer around, and we siblings were separated for a long time before we finally got back together again. I’m not just her elder brother, but I’ve also had to take on the role as her parents as well. Parents will always be concerned about the growth of their children, right? They’ll use cameras, video cams and such to record the appearance of their children, right? That’s exactly what it is. There’s absolutely nothing suspicious about it.”

“Urmmm~…”

“Also, Jinno-san is an only child, right? If so, it’s not very convincing when you say things like ‘you’re different from a typical elder brother’.”

“Uuuuhhhh… B-But?”

Jinno refused to give up.

“I do think that Akito-san’s works are really charming. It’s devoid of that so called, ‘fan service’ that’s typically found in many recent works. Instead, it gives off the intense feeling that says ‘Read my novels rather than those other things! How’s that?!’.”

“Thank you for your praise. I’m really happy to hear that from you.”

“But to be honest, the contents of your works are rather selective in it’s readers. That isn’t something particularly good for sales.”

“I have no excuse for that… Sorry to have troubled you.”

“However, even though Akito-san’s works only caters to a small group of readers, they’ll support your work for life if they fall in love with them; that’s how it is. That’s what your works are. Our president is rather optimistic about that part. So even though the profits are slightly… no, they’re quite low, but we’re still counting it as an investment in Akito-san’s talents.”

“Thank you for that. If not for the hopes our president has in me, it would’ve been impossible to acquire living expenses needed for my sister and I.”

“Also, from what you’ve said just now, Akito-san has denied the fact that you’re a sis-con, right?”

“Yeah, that’s how it is.”

“Then—”

Jinno took out a book from her bag.

And turned its cover towards me.

While hiding behind the book, she peeked at me and said timidly.

“What do you have to say about the fact that you’ve written a work like this, Shindou Koichirou-sensei?”

If you want to ask what sort of book that is, it’s nothing major, really.

<The Story of Forbidden Love>, that’s my debut work.

“I see your point.”

I think I understand.

But at the same time, I felt rather helpless as well.

“Jinno-san.”

“Yes.”

“You’re suspicious of me because of that?”

“That’s because—”

She said in a rather bewildered tone,

“This book here, it’s a novel with a theme on incestuous relationship, right?.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“The names of the main characters are Akio and Akina, right?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“… Ugh…”

Towards Jinno, who could no longer carry on with her words,

“I guess I understand what you’re trying to say.”

“Well, yes. In any case, what I want to say is…”

“It’s simple, Jinno-san. That misunderstanding of yours will be solved in an instant. All I need is one sentence and you’ll be able to accept it immediately.”

“One sentence? What’s that?”

“It won’t do to confuse fiction with reality.”

I shrugged and laughed.

“That won’t do, Jinno-san. Putting aside the typical readers for a second, I’m rather shocked to hear those words from you.”

“R-Right… U-Urm… but Akito-san—”

“Of course, in order to make it easier for me to inject in my feelings, I’d given the main characters names that are similar to us two. But fiction is just that; something that’s fabricated. There’s a line that goes: ‘All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.’, right?”

“Though that isn’t wrong… Urmmmm? Eh~?”

Jinno was moving her head about repeatedly.

“Is that so? It somehow feels like something is wrong…”

“That’s just your delusion. Get a grip. You’re my editor.”

“Y-Yes. I’ll do just that. …Uh, well then, basically those are my opinions for this draft. However, please don’t ever push the deadline so far again, since it will cause our schedule to be very tight; try to arrange it such that there’s more room for allowance… ok?”

“Understood. I can be considered as a professional as well. I’ll handle my work properly. That’s fine, right?”

“Mmm, then I’ll leave things in your care.”

“Well, let’s stop for the day. My sister will start ranting if I’m away from home for too long.”

“Is that so? So your sister rants at you~… Ah, Akito-san, do you want to go somewhere for lunch? As a sort of celebration, since your draft has been completed.”

“Ah— I’m sorry, but I think my sister has cooked something already and is waiting for me. Perhaps next time.”

“Ah, that’s how it is~. How regretful.”

“Well, that’s all for today then. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you. …Hmmm? Eh?”

… Even as we parted, Jinno was still tilting her head and saying, “It still feels a little weird.”

Am I that untrustworthy?

Whatever. It’s mainly my fault that she is not able to give me her full trust. I should be able to gain that trust back by continuing to work hard.

And that’s it. It’s better if I hide from Jinno the fact that my sister is a die hard fan of my work. It’ll probably become the reason for yet another misunderstanding if she came to know that.

***

Alright.

With that, the story has came to an end. For now.

“Due to some reasons, they were forced to be separated —omitted— compiled into a simple, boring story.”

— That was what I initially said, though it was derailed rather spectacularly yet again, as per usual. I’m already tired of apologizing repeatedly for going back on my words.

So, I’ll not go against the flow of whatever has happened until now. Instead, I’ll take a proactive position and record the chaotic days that are about to come.

Although, I’m not sure if this is something fortunate or troublesome; probably more of the latter; It’s as though fate is responding to what I’d written earlier. Another troublesome event is about to strike.

Therefore, to give a simple preview.

In the future, the truth about my sister and I not being blood related will be exposed.

… Well then, may we meet again.

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