Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 4
Novel Illustrations[edit]
Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 4 Illustrations Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 4 Chapter 1 Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 4 Chapter 2 Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 4 Chapter 3
Chapter 4[edit]
After the party, the relationship between my sister and me seems to have changed.
She sincerely apologized to me. Not only that, she gave me a present.
If this were a game, then after this event, my normally aggressive little sister would become shy and start to show me her feelings, especially if it were an imouto game.
In fact, in the eroge Atelier Kakuya, we should have started the hentai part. Now would be the best time to prepare to watch some CG…
I cannot believe I am thinking that...
The only difference is this is real life, and things are not that simple, like in eroge. Humans are not that simple. Moreover, unlike in eroge, just because I finished some event does not mean that my affection points will go up or my relationship will suddenly change….
After the party, of course, Kirino knocked the hand on her head off. On the way home, she did not say a single word. She still calls me “you” instead of “Onii-chan”…But to be honest, if she called me “Onii-chan”, I might have a heart attack.
Well…
At the party, after I accepted my sister’s gratitude, I thought we could have a better understanding of each other. In fact, our relationship has not changed much.
Of course, there are some changes, but the basics remain the same.
That is because although she honestly thanked me, I still hate Kirino. The reason is still the same, so I will not repeat it again.
No matter what I do, her affection points toward me will not go up. Because of that, I used to hate her for ignoring me. However, I am also the same, so I cannot blame her.
Her affection points are negative infinity now, so it does not matter if it increased one or two.
That is all that happened
Normally, we have a huge negative impression about each other, so this little change does not matter.
This is a matter of fact, is it not? Because of her, I have endured so many hardships, and considering how she treated me… Well, I think everyone gets the picture, right. …What? You said it is not just that.
Well….ah...maybe….Damn, of course, I knew that already.
Well…of course… my sister is a little cute….
Occasionally, when I help her with something…well…she indeed seems pleased…
…Hey! That is all! Is there any problems?
Hmp, for our current relationship to change, something big has to happen.
At least it should be like what happened 9 months ago….
A very big accident….
However, it is not as if such a thing will happen soon….
At the time, that is what I thought…
It is March now, and my second year in high school is ending in the next month.
It’s Sunday morning.
“Whew…ah….”
When I yawned while walking downstairs, I accidentally knocked Kirino’s shoulder.
“Ah….”
Although I tried to sidestep, I cannot avoid a slight touch at her shoulder. Normally, after that would be a series of sinister shouting. I clenched my teeth, prepared for the inevitable, but….
“Ah, good morning…”
I am very shocked when she calmly says hello to me.
“Oh, good morning…”
My eyes widen in shock, Kirino gave me a slight nod, and then she entered the living room.
---Hey, what just happened? She said ‘good morning’ to me….
Not only that, she nodded to me. Is some kind of calamity going to happen?
Maybe North Korea is going to launch another nuclear missile again.
My sister’s sudden change made me feel uncomfortable.
Because until yesterday, she still acted like normal! At the very least, she should leave right after saying hello …
Therefore, my doubt regarding my sister’s action grows stronger.
When we were going to have breakfast -----
“Come on! Mom, Dad.”
Kirino gave everyone his or her share. Mom and Dad took them, smiled and said:
“Thank you, Kirino”
“………”
Faced with that sudden change in behavior, I cannot help but wonder what is going on.
If this was Tamura’s house, then it is understandable. However, this is the first time this happened in my family.
My Dad, who usually has a stony face is now smiling, that made me feel uncomfortable.
While I am still shaking, suddenly a bowl of rice appears in front of me.
“What is wrong? This is your share.”
“What…? Ah…..”
With a shaking hand, I took the bowl.
…You did not put poison in that …did you.
First Kirino gave everyone his or her share; now, from the kitchen; I can smell a seductive fragrance.
“Thank you for yesterday, Mom, Dad.”
“Ah, this is nothing. We are happy too, right Dad?”
“Ah…right… It is worth my day off”
I do not understand what they are talking about, so I tried to ask.
My Mom gave me the answer:
“Ah, yesterday we visited Kirino’s job.”
“….What….Mom and Dad….Visited Kirino’s job?”
Wait, how could that be?
Because Dad is not, (at least it is he shows) interested in Kirino’s work as a model….so even if Mom asked, normally he will not agree.
However, my father – with his usual smile that made people uncomfortable – replied:
“Ah...Um...this is not bad Kyousuke…She looks very cute.”
“What are you saying, Dad! You sound like an old pervert!”
Being scolded by his own daughter, my father hastily replied:
“No…no, I don’t mean that….Well…in short, even I don’t fully understand, now I feel at ease, knowing that Kirino is trying her best at work”.
Even he tried to regain his dignity, my Mom smiled mischievously and said:
“Ha, did you know Kirino; your father was mistaken as a pervert when he tried to take your picture”.
“Oh? Really?”
“What are you saying…? Ah, if you helped me explain back then, things would have been much easier…”
“Oh? It is really embarrassing….’ No, no….this is my daughter…Hey…Honey… Where are you! Come here!’ “
“Don’t mimic me!”
--- What is going on? ---
Strange…everything is so strange….What happened in this house?
Am I still dreaming?
Is that why everyone is so….strange?
“What is wrong, Kyousuke?”
“Something wrong Kyousuke?”
Mom and Dad asked me at the same time. I swallowed, asked:
“Are you…really my Dad?”
My father raised his hand….
Paw! A star appeared in my head!
“It hurt….”
“What did you just said?”
With upset eyes, my father told me that.
Well, this is my normal father after all.
“No...I’m not dreaming…This is really my father…”
“Ah, are you okay Kyousuke? Do you need to go to hospital?”
“Oh…Mom, you mean something entirely different, aren’t you?”
Hearing our normal useless conversation….
“Phpp! Idiot!”
Kirino looks like she is having fun. However, unlike normal, her eyes don’t show any sign of contempt.
The only difference today is my sister and how my family treats her.
After breakfast, I went back to my room.
Knock!
I opened the door, only to see Kirino standing here. Her hands are holding her skirt, and she looks hesitant.
“…What’s up?”
“I have something to tell you… can you come to my room?”
Even the way she talks to me is different, much more gentle than usual.
To go into my sister’s room….how many times I have done that until now.
The first time …. The first life counseling …. This was June last year…
9 months have passed…
--- Is that her last life counseling?
Looking at Kirino’s back, I got a strange, mixed feeling.
There really was so much change…. Even we still live under the same roof, but….
9 months ago, at the same place…. I stood …but with different feelings, different reason…
I am now standing in front of Kirino’s room.
“Enter.”
“Okay.”
The same dialog, repeatedly. My sister’s room always had a nice smell, making me feel comfortable. In addition, maybe the pink furniture made the room much more enjoyable.
“Your room looks more beautiful than before.”
“Really?”
Kirino replied coldly, then pointing to a small cushion, said:
“Sit down.”
“Okay.”
I sat down at that cushion. Before, my sister would get mad if I did that, but maybe she is used to that now.
“So…what did you want to talk about? Is that your last “life counseling”?”
Kirino kept silent for a while, and then answered me.
“Yes, that’s one way to put that….”
“….?”
Okay, it is the same as “yes”
“Fine. Ask anyway.”
“Hmp….”
Maybe my uninterested voice made her angry, Kirino looked like she was about to say something, but changed her mind:
“This is nothing…this…”
Again, she stopped. What is wrong? Is that so hard to say?
Well, although she seems strange, at least it was acceptable. If this is something, I could do for her ….
“I want you to buy me an eroge!”
“Don’t make such ridiculous demand!”
I thought your last life counseling would be something big or special….but this? You are still the same Kirino!
Of course, this is much easier than if she asked me for advice, but I refuse anyway.
“Is that really your ‘last life counseling’? “
“Yeah, you can say that….”
What did that mean?
“What is with you? You look so wimpy”
“Nothing… I just thought that compared to other life counseling, this one is too easy….”
“Isn’t it a good thing?”
“I said ‘too easy’”
While we were arguing, my awkward feeling slowly disappears.
“By the way, do you realize that I’m only 17?”
“So what?”
“So…..that means I can’t buy eroge. All of them are 18+ only.”
At that time, I suddenly remember something…
“By the way…..Kirino….how did you normally buy eroge?”
There is no way you can buy it at a game shop. Even if you bought it by the Internet, there are many limitations.
Kirino quickly replied:
“That’s a secret. Of course, I've got a lot of ways to get one, but you don’t need to know.”
“Well…it’s true that I’m not interested ….but why can’t you buy this game the same way as before?”
“There is a little circumstance…Here, take a look.”
Kirino pointed toward her laptop, which is showing the main site of a game company.
There is an announcement said that this game will be released at 12:00am, 6 days later in Akihabara.
“I’d never steal something like Onii-chan’s pantsu!”
“3D custom imouto”
Both are the main products of this company.
Of course, there are other games from other companies, too. Like from M-Soft: ‘The masochist devil’, ‘Lesbian’s story’…
‘All of this will be released in 12:00am! If you want to play it quick, be sure to go there! ‘
“…That’s why I want you to go help me buy ‘Onii-chan’s pantsu’ and ‘Custom Imouto’”
What's with those abbreviations?
I can guess that ‘3D custom imouto’ is about how you create an imouto, and then use her to play in game. However ‘I’d never steal something like Onii-chan’s pantsu ‘? I cannot imagine what kind of game is that.
Maybe you control the sister, and try to steal your brother’s pantsu without getting caught?
“Hey? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…nothing at all….”
I do not even want to imagine about it anymore….
“So?”
“Err…wait…. You said it will be released at 12:00 am?”
“Yes. At exactly 12:00am, they will start selling it.”
“---And you want me to wait in line? I won’t be able to buy it without orders beforehand, will I?”
“No, that’s fine. You can just make up an excuse”
“Then why do you need me to buy it? Can’t you wait for the next day and buy it yourself?”
“Because I want to play that game as soon as possible.”
The answer comes back almost instantly. Kirino continued:
“My plan is to sleep in the afternoon until you get it, and then play until morning, finishing at least one route.”
“You really are an otaku…..do you want to play that badly?”
“Of course I would! Naturally!”
Is that what they call ‘iron will’?
“But even if I agree to buy eroge for you… there are some problems…”
“Problems? Like what?”
“First is how to come back home.”
In my home, curfew started at 6:30pm, dinner at 7:00pm. If you do not show up at that time, then there will not be any food for you tonight. However, as a high school student, I can come home later than that time without any trouble as long as I call home beforehand. Therefore, that means getting out of the home is easy. The problem is….
“It will be released at 12:00am at Akihabara right? That means that when I get back, Dad will be very angry. And if he found out that I bought an eroge….”
I do not even want to imagine what will happen….
“I will take care of that. Before you come home, give me a call. Then I will check if Dad is sleeping. If he is not, I will find some way to get his attention.”
So that means we have to exchange phone numbers, huh?
…I have never imagined that someday, I will exchange phone numbers with my sister.
A year ago, I had never thought about it.
“So, I will sneak in when you got Dad’s attention? Can it be that easy?”
“That’d be fine….so, any other problems?”
I waved at her, sigh:
“You should know that I have never bought an eroge before. I can't just walk in and buy it, right?! I’m only 17!”
“I’m not sure about it…but….you should go there earlier”
Why must I risk myself like that?
That is why I cannot understand otakus.
“Please? This is the last time….”
Sigh…..at least compared to the other life counseling sessions, this one is indeed easier.
“Fine! I just need to go buy it, right?”
“Really? All right!”
"Real men don't go back on their words."
Sigh….I am so weak minded….
However, the sight of my sister clapping her hands, saying ‘please’ ….I think there is no brother in the world that can refuse her…
Kirino’s eyes flash, then she said confidently:
“I've got an important mission for you!”
Like a commanding officer, with one hand at her hip, she pointed towards me:
“Bring the package back from the enemy’s territories!”
“The package means eroge, right?”
I do not even want to know where she had that line.
Therefore, I nodded.
“All right all right. I got it”
However, I am still unable to shake the strange feeling…a last life counseling ….seems too easy.
Of course, easier is better, but….
Is that really the last life counseling?
Therefore, in the end, I told my parents that I would stay at my friend Akagi’s home in order to sneak to Akihabara
By the way, that Akagi Kouhei is a member of the football team, who is also a friend of mine.
When he is not busy with training, we often go to some games together. He is quite friendly with everyone.
“Sorry Akagi, can you testify that I'm staying at your house tonight?”
He agreed easily, and said “No problem, enjoy your time with Tamura” – which means he somehow got the wrong impression.
Although sometimes he is noisy and troublesome, he is a good man.
This is my first time in Akihabara at midnight, so I was totally surprised.
“So…so cold….”
When I turned at the corner, the cold wind blew at my face. I put my hands in the coat pocket, trying to get some warmth. All stores were already closed, which made me feel even colder.
This is too cold. In the dark sky, I can imagine the fog is slowly eating the heat.
In addition, I did not bring an umbrella.
“Well, as long as it doesn’t rain too hard, it would be fine.”
Following the road, I came to where they sold the game.
In fact, this place is pretty close to the station.
When I came to the right place, there were already many people here.
At least about 50.
To my surprise, there was a lot of girls in there.
What game are they going to buy?
Were they the same as Kirino? This is so unbelievable.
Still thinking, I took a place in line and waited.
The entire nearby store was closed, and in front of me was a small sign that said the game would be sold starting from 12:00am.
“….”
By the way, some of the people in front of me were wearing some weird clothes.
One of them was wearing a t-shirt with a big picture of a girl from eroge.
Were you riding on the train with that t-shirt? If that is true, then he really is a true man.
Of course, there is no way I could do the same thing.
Maybe he could do that here, because everyone nearby is just like him?
However, I wondered if this is necessary. After all, tomorrow you can go to any game store and buy a disk. In addition, if you are too busy, then you can just order one online.
In other words, everyone here is the same as Kirino.
That is why despite the cold weather, they all came to Akihabara.
They cannot wait to play this game even if it is just one second later.
Are all otakus like that? I cannot understand them.
If the game company knows about this, they must be very happy.
Because that means so many players have such high expectations for their product.
This is impressive.
Maybe that is because not long ago, I myself saw how a publisher company works.
I have waited for a while, but there is still quite some time until 12:00am.
If I knew about it, I would bring a manga or something to read. Because I did not, I looked around, and discovered an amazing bicycle.
At a first glance, this is quite a good bicycle, but ….
There is a picture of an eroge character on the wheel!
The wheel is a disk-type wheel, with the picture of a smiling girl.
The impact almost made me close my eyes. To make such a wheel, the owner must be a weirdo.
“…Too much for me!”
I swallowed hard. The owner must be in the line now, isn’t he?
Do not think about it. Just do not think about it anymore.
I shook my head and tried to concentrate on something else. Suddenly, the wind blew at me, making me put both of my hands into the pocket hastily.
"So cold…."
This is really so cold….
All the people in line must agree to that.
Not only the cold affected us, there were some people on the street looking at us with hard, cold eyes. Some office women pointed directly at us saying “What are they doing in that weather…!” “Midnight selling!” “So this is the legendary midnight selling”
And there were some foreigners with frightened expressions, whispering to each other.
I did not hear it very clearly, but it sounded like…
“W...W...WHAT?”
“Midnight selling….Eroge...”
"OOH... HOHOHO... OH... Crazy..."
Please. We are all from Akihabara. At least be nice to us.
Damn. Why did even some Akihabara’s people look at us with weird eyes?
"Ah ah..."
Can't you start selling sooner…? I want to go home already.
A quick look at my cell phone told me that it is now 11:30 pm.
“Phew…”
I lazily leaned against the iron gate and exhaled.
At this time, I got an unexpected meeting.
“Pardon me…. Is the place for midnight selling here?”
“Yes, that’s right…..”
I turned towards the questioner….
“Wahl!”
Both he and I let out a surprised cry.
“How could that be…?”
My body is frozen, my eyes stared at him. He is about my height, with a little droopy eyes, double eyelids plus chestnut short hair. He is wearing a quite eye-catching orange color down jacket.
In front of me, is the one I just asked to help me on the phone.
“A...Akagi?”
In front of me is Akagi Kouhei.
“Ky...Kyousuke?”
I think both of us are having the same expression now.
Because we are now queuing….. Can’t you people guess what?
In other words, it is as if you meet a classmate in a DVD rental store, porn area. Ohhhhh…. What now?
By the way, this person is not supposed to be here!
“You….why…are you here?”
“That’s my line…”
Both Akagi and I already understood what happened, but we still refused to acknowledge it.
“Ahahaha….today is cold, Kyousuke.”
“..Yeah...that’s right, Akagi, ahahaha”
We tried to have a normal conversation.
“…….”
“……..”
A dead silence followed.
I swallowed hard...what is going on here…
I think I understood why this person is here, but…
Then suddenly, I remembered something, so I asked him:
“Hey Akagi! Didn’t I tell you to tell my parents that I was staying at your house? You agreed to it, and yet why are you here buying eroge?”
“Err…well ...Kyousuke, you know, I got my priorities list, so…”
“You….are you saying that an eroge is more important than your friend?”
“I… I've got my reasons! You… do not have to worry. If your parents call my home, my sister will help protect you! I have asked her to, so there is no need to worry! Anyway, Kyousuke, you are not in the position to blame me! I thought you lied to your parents so you could spend time with Tamura that is why I agreed to help you! But, here you are, at Akihabara and queuing to buy eroge! I’m so stupid!”
“I…I've got my reasons too!”
Because of our argument, many people turned and looked at us.
Yeah, it was awkward.
“Reason? What reason, Kyousuke?
“Ah…”
How could I say it? How could I say my sister told me to come here and buy “I’d never steal something like Onii-chan’s pantsu”… And it is an eroge… there is no way he will buy it.
But I still have to answer him.
“I...my reason is unimportant. What about you? Tell me then”
“Ah….”
With a sad expression, Akagi stayed silent, wiping the sweat on his forehead…
I think my face is the same.
“…….”
We both stared at each other, no one speaking a word.
“…Looks like we both have our reasons…”
“..Yeah…it certainly seems that way…”
“Hey, Kyousuke…I've got an idea…we've never met each other here, right?”
“That’s my friend, Akagi. Nice idea. We both didn’t go to Akihabara, and we didn’t come here buying anything.”
“Of course we didn’t buy eroges too!”
“Our friendship…”
“..Doesn't require any reason!”
We shook hands.
At that time, clack clack…. The iron door opened, and one employee stepped out.
“Now is the time, my friends!”
“Indeed it is!”
We shook hands again, listening to the clerk’s speech.
“I know that you all have waited long enough. Customers with pre-orders, please come line up here!”
Looks like you can buy sooner if you have a pre-order, but neither I (nor Kirino) have it.
“I've got a pre-order, what about you Kyousuke?”
“Nope, I don’t”
You've got a pre-order. I thought I understand Akagi pretty well, but seems like there is a lot to him that I do not know of.
Besides, what eroge is he going to buy?
Another little sister-themed eroge?
However, he has a real little sister…if he still is going to buy little sister-themed eroge…I feel sorry for this girl, having such a perverted brother.
Because we've got an unspoken understanding, I did not ask him “what eroge are you going to buy”. Instead, I kept silent.
At that time, one staff member shouts out:
"Customers with pre-orders for Homoge[1] club, please line up here!”
“Ah, here I come” (Akagi)
“…Ohhhhhhh!”
A cold wind blew up in my spine; I immediately let go of my “dear” friend.
Because the game’s poster included two muscle men hugging each other.
….My body was trembling in fear.
“A...Akagi… you you…. Are you…isn’t that a homoge?”
“K...Kousaka! You are definitely misunderstanding!”
“..No...No... I didn’t know that …you've got such a hobby…”
“Hey…wait… listen to me! We are friends, aren’t we? Look, Kyousuke. Just look into my eyes”
“Stay away from me!”
Gross! Disgusting! Now I understand Kirino’s feelings too well!
“Isn’t it a full on homoge? Do not come any closer! Sorry…I have never had such hobby like you…”
“Hey, Kyousuke, where did our friendship just now go to?
“I didn’t remember have a gay friend”
“I’m not a homo!”
“Then what about the pre-order for the Homoge club? What is with that poster? I can’t believe you are a homo!”
“It is true that I’m going to buy a homoge! I acknowledge that! But I've got my reasons for that!”
Looking like he's backed into a corner, Akagi finally spit it out.
“The truth is…”
“Hmp?”
“That homoge… My sister asked me to get it!”
“Your...your sister asked you to buy it? ------”
Then it is hopeless.
“----- How could that be! If you want to make up an excuse, then you need to find something better!”
I pointed toward Akagi:
“Your sister is still a middle school girl! No matter how you look at it, a middle school girl asking her brother to go buy an eroge is totally ----“
“--- possible, isn’t it?”
“Hey…. Why did you suddenly accept it?”
“No… I did not doubt you…. You are right…the world is full of things that defy all common sense…”
It is all I can say, simply because it is the same for me. I am here buying eroge because my sister asked me to do it too. Even if Akagi is lying, I cannot blame him.
I also do not want to believe that my friend is a homo. I definitely do not want to.
“Hey Akagi… Does your sister…. like to play homoge?”
“Yes, she loves it very much.”
Loves it very much….
Well, if there is a little sister who loves to play little sister eroge, then a little sister that loves to play homoge is very understandable. I turned around and took a look at all those girls in line at the homoge club.
Therefore, that is why even during midnight; there were so many girls here.
“Is...Is that what they call BL [2]?”
“No…how could I say it...there are many different types…”
“Okay, you don’t have to say it!”
I do not want to hear about it anymore. I already knew that it has many types that are more than enough! Stop talking!
“– In other words, my sister is what they call a fujoshi [3]”
“Wife?”
“No, you take it wrong. Not “fu” in “wife” but “fu” in “rotten”. She is what they call “rotten girl”. In fact, I am not very sure about her mental state – I only knew that she has a strange love for forbidden loves. You understand?”
With a serious expression, Akagi explains it to me.
I think what he just said is important, but I am still unable to wrap my mind around it.
Is there a person like him, who explains his little sister’s strange hobby to another?
Of course, his situation is a little different from me ---- but I understand his feelings, wanting to complain about his little sister’s crazy behavior. Therefore, I tried to listen.
“Sorry, I still don’t get it. By the way, why did they call her “rotten girl”?
“Because it is rotten”
Akagi immediately answer. His words have a strange convincing tone, making me believe it. Although it also has an attitude of someone, who has already given up.
Therefore, I cannot just ask him “you mean her brain is rotten?”
I can only say:
“So that’s why…”
“Yes, you understand?”
“Nope, I don’t “
Akagi almost tripped. After standing straight up again, he moved closer to me:
“In short, she loves homo! Homo is awesome! Homo is the best! Just like that!”
“Don’t say those things out loud!”
“Hey…Kousaka…Why are all those girls clapping? Am I that handsome?”
“Who knows?”
You idiot!
“Anyway, back to the topic…So because your sister loves homo, she asked you to come here and buy her a homoge?”
“Please don’t press on this topic Kousaka….”
Akagi slowly shook his head.
I slowly nodded.
“So that is it…”
I understand your situation very well. In fact, I am in the same boat.
“The truth is very simple, but even if I told you, you still won’t believe me.”
“Hmp...Why?”
I am still processing this revelation.
I cannot believe that there is another brother who is in the same situation with me. In addition, he is with me the whole time.
“Hey Kousaka. Everything I just said is what my sister taught me. I’m definitely not a homo”
“I know I know… the more you explain it, the more I feel suspicious. Anyway, don’t mind me – go take a place in line, your store is already selling.”
Maybe someday I will tell this person the truth.
“Okay, see you”
“Okay”
I raised one hand at him. Akagi smiled, and then turned around. He walked toward the homo group. All of the people gather there are girls, so he is a rare expectation.
I think all of them must be thinking that Akagi is a gay.
Poor guy…
When he gets to the last place in line, he turned at me, raised one hand and said:
“Kousaka! See you tomorrow at school!”
“Oh shit!”
Shit! They must be thinking that I am his boyfriend.
I can hear them whispering "Boy love”
Before I could explain, they already moved away.
A quick glance told me that it is now 11:50pm. There are many people behind me now, making the total count exceed 100.
I already believed this country is weird. Tonight, I am more certain about that. No matter “3D Custom Imouto” or “Homoge club”, why did they have such a big gamer community?
A distance away, I saw a cameraman take a picture.
--- Why did he want to take a picture of a group of otakus?
At this time, a small doubt appeared in my mind
By the way, I later found out that – after they censored my face, they posted that picture on some website under the title “Youngster lined up at night” or “Weird bicycle”
At this time, the shop manager started to broadcast:
“We will start selling right away, so please wait just a moment. And please remember that the last train from Akihabara departs at 12:30.”
They continued to give notice about the train schedule.
There are going to be many people unable to catch the train tonight, so they want to remind their customers about it.
“So customers who go by train, please pay attention –“
At this time, I still did not consider this.
“Hmp?”
Turning to the front, I can see the door was being opened.
Unlike the outside, inside the shop is quite bright.
That is why then the door fully opened, the sight gave a warm feeling
I can almost heard otakus “Wow” somewhere.
After my eyes got used to the light, I can see eroges packed up like a small mountain.
For otakus, this place could be called heaven.
After I had gone inside, I noticed that there was a mountain of eroge near the entrance, and the other products were lined up clockwise.
The manager made sure that customers can buy everything they need in one round.
The staff said:
“We will start selling now! Now then, first 10 people in line ---“
Therefore, that is how they avoid too many customers rushing in and making things uncontrollable.
It is true that by only allowing 10 customers inside at once, for them this is the most effective method. However,
“I have a bad feeling…”
The problem is that method is very time consuming
Can you guys hurry up please? I need to catch the last train.
If I knew about it, I'd had come sooner.
I remembered at the Summer Comiket, there were huge lines made by otakus. Next time I definitely will come sooner.
After a while, it is finally my turn.
I looked at my cell phone.
--- They said the last train is going to depart at 12:30 didn’t they?
“….Damn...I’m not sure if I can make it”
I need to hurry! I will buy this game as soon as possible and run back to the station!
“Let’s see… Underwear…underwear… here!”
I pushed forward, tried to get to “3D custom imouto” and “Onii-san’s underwear’s stand. Both of them have already sold a lot.
“Well…. At least I got this…”
However, my fear was quickly proven true. Although I ran as fast as I could, I still missed the last train.
“Ah…Damn!”
I dropped on the ground in front of Akihabara’s subway station.
“….What now?”
There was no way I could walk home. Taking a taxi is also out of the question.
However, I also cannot just wait here for the first train in the next morning. I would definitely freeze to death
However, I have no idea what to do now!
Took a break near a light, I looked at my cell phone.
Because I needed to tell my sister that, I cannot come home tonight.
I glanced at the paper box.
Regret filled my heart.
“Kirino…She was looking forward to this…”
However, there is nothing I can do now. I am so useless.
With mixed feelings, I pressed the call button.
“---Did you get it? Where are you now? Are you nearby?”
She picked up almost immediately.
Her voice told me how happy she was.
…This girl….
She was waiting for me…
This must be what parents feel when they break their promises with their child.
“…I’m sorry. I’m still at Akihabara’s subway station”
“…and…” Taking a deep breath, I said:
“--- The last train was already gone”
“Huh? What? What does that mean? When will you be back?”
“I already got the games you wanted, but when I got here, the last train had already left. Sorry, now I can only wait for the first train in the morning”
“..No way…this means… you can’t get home tonight?”
“Yes...sorry...but I got your games”
“…Ah…what…now...”
Kirino’s voice was filled with depression.
I could not believe this is the same girl who sounded so happy just now.
My heart hurts so much just from hearing that.
This girl always takes things seriously, even about a game.
No matter it is when she is happy, angry or sad, she always gives it everything she's got.
I cannot understand why, but I know how sad she is right now.
“…Is there...anyway...? Can you come home before morning?”
What a stubborn girl. Didn’t I just say the last train has already left?
Just wait a couple of hours. If you want to play it that much, why don’t you go get it yourself? Please do not ask me ----
There were no such ideas in my head.
Why? Normally, I would have said so.
This is only an eroge. Only a couple of hours.
However, no matter what, I could not say it.
I felt like I should – no, must not say it.
This is what I figure out later, when I recall this time.
However, at this moment, I can felt my sister’s uneasy voice. I can also understand why there was a reason for her to want me come home before morning.
I did not fully understand my actions or my feelings anymore.
If she did not want to give up, then I should not give up either.
“I will think of something ---“
“Huh? You mean - ?”
“Just stay awake! I will definitely come back before morning”
Then I hung up immediately.
“Next ----“
Now what? The truth is, I had no idea what to do. The only thing in my mind is to come home as fast as possible.
All I had to do is come home, and give my sister her favorite eroge before morning ---
Just like that.
Ha ha…. I cannot understand myself….
I stood up, trying to stay focused.
First, check the current situation. Now it is 12:48pm. I have no cash on me right now and no ATM card either. I also have no friend with a car.
All right, next, I was going to ask all my classmates to find out if anyone lives near my home. If he can call me a taxi, then everything is okay.
Alternatively, I could ask Akagi for help. He is in the same situation anyway. Now, time is the most important matter.
I left the subway station and returned to the main road.
There, I found out what I needed.
--- The Bicycle.
I saw this same bicycle near the eroge shop.
My first thought is ‘as long as I got this, I can go home’
However, there was a big problem.
Compared to taking a taxi, asking for help from a stranger may be better. However, in my case, it is the opposite.
However, I have no other choice. In order to bring that eroge back for my sister, I was willing to swallow my pride.
Just as Kuroneko said, I could do some crazy things for my sister.
I tried to calm down and then approach the owner, asking:
“Sorry! Please let me borrow your bicycle!”
“What?”
His reaction is understandable.
If some random stranger suddenly asked me to lend them my bicycle, I would react like that too. Not to mention that if he agreed to my request, then he would not be able to get home. Therefore, my chances were slim.
However – I did not give up!
Bowing down, I asked again:
“Please! I have an emergency! I will definitely return it to you!”
“Are…are you kidding me?”
A normal answer again. How could someone lend his bicycle to someone he never met before?
“I need to quickly go home and play this game, how could I lend you my bicycle!”
That is your reason, huh?
I looked up. The one I was talking to is a male. He had short black hair, was tall, thin, wearing glasses, and around 20 years old. I know this is impolite, but his image fit perfectly with how I normally imagine otaku.
His jacket was also printed with a girl from eroge.
Wasn’t he the one in front of me when I was in line?
“Wait…You… You are the one behind me who caused the ruckus about homo.”
Seems like he noticed me too. Well, this is expected after being lined up together for so long.
However, the situation still did not get any better.
To show my sincerity, I kneel down; my head almost touching the ground.
“Hey hey…what are you doing?”
“Please help me! My sister is waiting for me at home! Please, let me borrow your bicycle! I will definitely return it! I will do anything you ask! So please ---“
“All right all right, please stand up. “
Before I could finish, he pulled me back up. I could not imagine that he had such strength. His expression was ‘here comes trouble....’
“Well…I’m not fully understanding what is going on, but this is important right? And this is related to your sister?”
“Yes! That’s right!”
“Then take it.”
“Ha?”
What did he just said?
“I told you, take it!”
He gently stroked his bicycle, and then said:
“I will let you borrow it. Go, take it”
“Can...Can I?”
I am still unable to believe what just happened.
Why did he trust a complete stranger like me?
Noticing my unspoken question, he said:
“Err…. Well…. I saw what you bought earlier.”
He said with a deep and sincere voice:
“To be honest, I also bought the same game. This is my favorite series; I have bought it since volume 1. Today, when I asked to have the day off, I fully expected to be fired. I wanted to buy this game as soon as possible, then immediately enjoy it. That is why… I believe whoever enjoys this game cannot be a bad person. I don’t understand your situation, but we are the same, right?”
“Go, partner! Didn’t you have something very important to do?”
“..What about you?”
“Don’t worry. I've got plan B”
He sat down at the nearby wall and then took out his laptop.
“I can play it here”
“Didn’t I say I’m going to play this game as soon as possible? Hey, this is my first time playing eroge outside, too”
Therefore, that is your plan B.
This person…really is an otaku among otakus. A true man among men.
I said with respect:
“Thank you very much! I will definitely return this kindness”
“Hmp, just go!”
He did not glance at me. His mind was already focusing on his laptop.
I bowed again, and then got on the bicycle.
I took a final look behind me. He was already playing, his eyes locked on the screen, his hand pressed the Enter key non-stop.
“All right…”
Taking a deep breath, I began to pedal.
Just 32km until I got home.
“Phew…phew…phew…phew….”
After two hours, I finally got home.
My body was covered in sweat. I rested for a few seconds.
“Phew…all right!”
I called my sister.
If my father is still awake, then I am finished.
“Why did you turn off your phone? How were you going to get home anyway?”
“I’m already at home”
“Ha?”
“I borrowed a bicycle from a friend to get home. Dad – is he still awake?”
“Wait a second.”
I could hear the sound of footsteps. It looked like she went to check on my parent: “..They are asleep. Wait for me to open the door”
The door in front of me was opened; my sister appeared in her pajamas.
“Hmp…”
“A…”
Kirino slightly nodded and then let me get in.
“You are sweating too much. Here, wipe it off”
“Ah, thanks”
I used the towel she handed me to wipe myself.
“I will get you some clothes. Go take a bath.”
“Ah, yeah, right…”
My parent believed that I am still at Akagi’s house this night, so I had to take a bath as quietly as possible, and quickly changed into a new set of clothes.
My parent’s bedroom is on the first floor. So after I finish changing, we sneaked back to the second floor in silence.
After she got to her room, Kirino placed one finger on her lip, and waved her hand.
Seems like she wanted me to get inside before giving her the game.
I nodded then entered her room. Kirino immediately closed the door behind me.
We let out a sigh of relief.
On the nearby table, her laptop was already on. However, I paid it no attention. Instead, I took out the two eroges that she required.
“Here, this is what you asked me to buy”
“Ah...Thank you. I’m sorry for making you do it”
“Ahaha, no problem – wait what about you? Is there something wrong?”
"--- Thank you – I am sorry ----"
I hardly believed that my sister could actually say it.
For nine months, although we have had numerous conversations, the number of times that she sounds sincere is less than five including right now. I wondered what happened to my sister today? Alternatively, this girl is actually a fake.
My little sister cannot be ---
“What are you saying? Are you an idiot?”
She scolded me again.
“What is with you today…? You are very different from usual …. Is there something wrong?”
“I said…”
Hands on her waist, Kirino is clearly angry now.
“What is with that attitude? Is...Is it that strange for me to thank you and say sorry?”
“Of course it is strange!”
It is like heaven and earth swapped positions! Look at your usual attitude!
After I said it, Kirino got even angrier.
“Right….” She turned to the side: “Right…you mean like this huh…”
She sat down, clearly upset.
Yes. This is my normal little sister.
“…..”
Kirino began to tear up the paper box. After she finished, the eroge disk appeared in front of us.
Upon seeing the game, she immediately revealed an innocent smile.
She is still a child after all. Taking the CD game and game manual out, she smiled happily:
“Oh…wonderful...I must install this right now.”
While humming a song, Kirino placed the game CD inside her laptop’s CD drive.
Installing an eroge right now is a bit risky, but whatever. As long as she is happy then it is ok. She looked like a child just getting a new toy.
I could not help but smile. All my efforts: going to Akihabara at midnight, lining up to buy eroge, then riding the bicycle 32km back home – all of them are worthwhile.
A quick glance at the clock told me that it now is 3:00am
I stood up and turned towards the door.
“I’m going to get some sleep. Don’t say up too late, you still have school tomorrow.”
“….”
She did not seem to hear me.
“Hey, Kirino? Are you listening to me?”
“Huh? Ah…Ah, yes, I’m listening”
You obviously did not. You only focused on that eroge and paid no attention to your surroundings.
However, I understand your feeling. I understand your excitement when you tear that paper box to get the game you longed for.
“Ok, then ---“
“Ah, please wait…”
“What?”
I turned around; my hand was already on the doorknob
Looks like she just finished install the eroge “Onii-Chan’s underwear”
“---Do you want to --- play together? We haven’t been able to play together for a while”
“…….”
How many times must I repeat myself? I could not play little sister eroge with my real little sister!
Besides, I was very tired. I just wanted to sleep.
In addition, I needed to get up early and get out of the house before my parents wake up in the next morning too. I should tell her that ---
“…Can we?”
“…Just a little, okay?”
Why did I say it?
Strange! So strange!
Not only Kirino, but also myself is also acting strange…
Therefore, I played eroge together with my sister again.
By the way, we sat side by side in front of the laptop.
I was wondering why she chose her laptop before. Now I knew.
Because we can only play together with her laptop.
In short, she wanted to play eroge with me from the beginning. However, there was a problem…
“Hey….move aside …”
“No way! I couldn’t see the screen if I moved anymore!”
Oooooo….
Why was I having to play little sister eroge in the night with my little sister?
…Can someone help me out of this?
This is no joking matter. Not only did we get embarrassed at some eroge scenes, but also the real problem was what if some important part of me showed a reaction while I was playing….then what should I do?
You idiot. Do you want me to say, “My jeans are folded “?
In addition, you too. Why are you laughing? This is a serious matter!
Ah…Damn….I can smell my little sister’s pleasant scent.
Did she use a perfume?
“Why is your face so red?”
“Because I just had a bath”
Take a breath…Breathe out…Ok...Calm down….
Now I knew what a protagonist feels when he has to hide his super powers.
Then…I think I will explain a bit about the R18 eroge - “I’d never steal something like Onii-Chan’s pantsu!”
In short, this is the sequel of another eroge that Kirino likes - “Make love with your little sister”.
However, unlike other eroge from the same company, in this game there is only one little sister for you to choose.
“Does…that mean…there is only one route?”
As usual, Kirino explained it for me with an innocent smile:
“No. There is only one hero, but there are many routes! At first, you cannot get to all of them. After you beat the game a few times, you gain access to more options, leading to different endings. Beside, although each route is short, they are all well made. Every time, you started a new game; you can carry something from the previous time you play. Like in the “Metal gear solid” game, you only knew about each route after you get to them….”
Blah blah….
I understand one thing very clearly now:
This girl likes this kind of game very much and she likes to explain it.
Although all of this is unimportant to me, I still listened.
Maybe…maybe that is because only when Kirino talking about otaku stuff, we could be a normal brother and sister. It is like a cease-fire, or a special time for both Kirino and me.
However, I still didn’t understand: why me?
If this was nine months ago, then it was understandable. At that time, she had no one to talk to about her hobby. Even her brother was no exception.
Now it is different. She has Kuroneko – and Saori too.
In addition, even with some difficulty… Ayase accepted her hobby too.
Kirino no longer needed to hide herself, she already has precious friends.
So naturally, if she wanted to talk about eroges, she could just go meet any of them.
I am no longer needed.
However, she still asked me for life consulting.
She asked me to buy her eroge.
Could this be …?
This is just a guess, but ----
Thank you, amici [1-Vol 1, chap 4]
I… a-also love you, amici… maybe [2 – Vol 2, chap 4]
---What do you expect me to say? Damn you siscon!
…Thank you very much.
Maybe my little sister did not hate me as much as I thought.
Maybe I am the only one who thought that we both hated each other.
Maybe our cold war is already over.
Time flew. By the time we finished the first route, the sky was already brightening up. By the way, those H-scenes really made me embarrassed, but I noticed that Kirino still focused on playing. Just as she said, she never paid any attention to them.
“Aw…..”
I am so sleepy…at this rate; I am not going to get any sleep tonight.
I glanced at my sister. She was now crying because of the story development.
“Hic…hic…what a tragic ending…”
“It is not like this is your first time with a tragic ending, is it?”
“I can’t believe it…Why are you not crying?”
With teary eyes, Kirino started lecture me.
What? Was the story truly that great?
Well…I am not really into this kind of game, so my view was probably incorrect.
“Hey, it is not like one of them is dead or anything. They can always just call each other, can’t they?”
“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! You don’t understand anything!”
“…What...are you doing? Don’t get angry…”
Because she kept yelling at me, so I could only endure it.
Kirino “Oooo…”and then said in a small voice:
“Three days ago, you still looked like a dead man. You even came to ask me ‘what do you want me to do’ “
“Ugh….”
I could not say anything back! What she said is the truth after all.
However, this did not change this games ending. A phone call can still solve any problem.
“All right, I got it. This is indeed a tragic ending. I take back everything I said, is that okay?”
“…Fine…”
Kirino said, clearly upset.
Now the situation is embarrassing again.
--- A few minutes later….
As a light was slowly entering the room through the window, I stood up:
“I’m gonna get some sleep now. At least I need some rest before Dad wakes up.”
“Wait…wait a second!”
Kirino’s panicked voice called me back:
“Is there anything you need?”
“I … Life consulting! I need a life consulting…!”
She said that after I just done her last life consulting.
It was the same as nine months ago, but…
I wanted to ask for a life consulting --- I sighed:
“Didn’t you say your last life consulting is about buying eroge?”
“But this is not over yet!”
“Okay…”
Inside my mind, I wanted to ask how many ‘last life consulting’ you have.
After that, will you ask for another ‘this is really that last life consulting’ too?
All right…. It is not as if I did not expect that.
We are siblings, after all. We live under the same roof. There is no way I can escape my little sister’s reach that easily.
I gave her a wry smile:
“So, what do you need?”
“Ah…”
Kirino slightly nodded then walked to her bookshelf.
There are only a handful of items in there. Maybe that makes it easier for her to get to her secret storage.
It has been a long time since the last time I saw this ---
Kirino moved the bookshelf to the side, revealed a paper door. Behind this is her secret otaku stash.
Looked like there are even more than before.
When I looked at her anime DVD and eroge disks, I noticed one thing:
“Is…is that…”
“Ah, yes. This is my present”
The present we were talking about is the special Meruru figure.
“I heard Ayase said that you helped her choose that present.”
“Yeah…”
“To be honest, I’m very happy”
Kirino smiled.
Why are you talking about them now?
I could only say: “That’s good to hear”
“Can you thank them for me?”
“You’d better do it yourself. Those two would probably feel happy, too.”
“Yes...you are right”
Returning the figure to its position, Kirino placed her hands on her chest, and took a deep breath.
I have seen her doing that before. This was right before she showed me her hobby. This was exactly what she did to prepare herself.
“It has been a long time since our first time…”
Suddenly, Kirino turned to me, her face showed a radiant smile.
“Did you remember that time?”
“Yes, I remembered it clearly. You asked me ‘Are you really not gonna look down on me’ and I replied ‘I will definitely not look down on you’”
“Yes…then do you remember the next line … I mean what I said later…”
“Hmp?”
What else did she say? Kirino noticed that I did not remember, she clenched her hand and said:
“That time I said ‘Today, I can only let you see that much’”
“Ah, right. You said ‘there are some embarrassing things inside’”
You also said ‘because I’m not fully able to trust you yet’
When I remembered that, I suddenly have a thought: what she said that time means there is something even worse. That thought terrified me, because I can’t even imagine what else could be more embarrassing than ‘let’s make love with your little sister’”
“About that…you protected my secret…you didn’t look down on me…and you helped me a lot…”
Hey hey…what were you saying…Were you going to say….
“Even if it is embarrassing…but I’ll let you see it anyway”
Whatever it is, I did not want to see it
---At least I stopped myself in time.
My little sister was going to show me some of her embarrassing things.
I did not know what those are, but the feeling of something unknown is going to happen…Can you imagine that.
However, I could not just turn around and leave. I could tell that this is the focus of her ‘life consulting’
“Does that mean you trust me now?”
Kirino slightly nodded.
“Yes…I think”
“Ah…”
Why did this look as if I wanted to know her secret?
I never wanted to know it in the first place.
“So...ah...I’m gonna open it now”
Kirino quickly said, then opened the box.
Clank…
“Hmp? What is…?”
I picked up the game box that just dropped out.
“Ah, that’s ….”
Kirino said in a panicked voice. However, that is too late. I already saw the picture in the game box.
This picture showed an adult little sister completed naked from below the waist….
The game was named “Scatolo Sister” [4] WH…WH...What?
I blinked. Then I rubbed my eyes, and looked at the game box. Finally, I asked:
“Did you….eat…poop?”
“What?”
SMACK!
She slapped me. Then Kirino yelled:
“You...you…you…What the heck are you talking about! Gross!”
“But…but…”
So why is this game here? “Scatolo Sister” is definitely a hard eroge! How could you still refuse to admit it is yours?
It really is a super embarrassing thing. I have never imagined that she hides such thing among her eroge disks.
“This is a misunderstanding!”
Kirino hastily explained:
“This…this…wait, listen to me! This is important! Just listen to me!”
She was trying her best to explain. She was blushing madly, even her ears were reddened.
“I didn’t know about this when I bought this game! Because …because I like the author, so I bought his game! I only found out about this after I opened the game box at home!”
“Okay…Okay! Stop right now, all right?”
“No! You do not understand anything! Hey, this is related to my dignity and image, so listen carefully!”
Your image could not possibly get any worse.
When you became a hardcore fan of imouto-eroge, your model image was already destroyed!
“I…I got it! You are not interested in that, are you? Okay, got it!”
“Did you really mean it? Or you just said it to comfort me?”
You are so hypocritical – but I understand. If it were I, I would say the same thing.
“I got it! You bought it because you liked the illustration. But when you opened it, you found out that this game is totally different from what you imagined, so you just left it there and didn’t play it, right?”
“I… I already finished this game…”
“So you played it?”
Why could you not just lie and said “Yes”! Everything would be over if you said so!
Why couldn’t you lie?
“Because I already spent money on that, so leaving it alone is such a waste! Besides, the only reason I still kept it is that I am a fan of this artist. I did not want to throw it away or give it back to the game store. That’s why I kept it here…”
“Okay...Got it, I understand…”
“Really?”
“Yes. I completely understand now. But…you are amazing.”
Even if it were my hobby, I would not ever dream of playing a poop-eroge, much less clear it. My sister really is something else.
“So…um…Should I continue?”
“Ah...right…yes, please”
I replied automatically, trying to get out of this dangerous situation as quickly as possible.
“Continue…huh?” That means she is going to show me her next secret embarrassing thing….
“Ah…I originally intended to show you that…”
What does that mean? Are you saying “Scatolo Sister” is just a normal item among them?
…Which means…?
I swallowed hard, noticing that Kirino had pulled out another paper box – a very BIG paper box, in fact.
“..Let me asked this beforehand, what is inside?”
“Ah…many things….”
Kirino did not realize my terror; she began to open her box. I can feel my heart beating faster and faster with every passing second.
The result – the truth is, at the first glance, there was nothing worth mentioning. There were a pack of doujins, some anime illustrations, paper bags and eroge boxes….But a particular notebook and an IPod caught my attention.
“This is more normal than I thought…”
Could this be?
No, of course this is not. My little sister could not possibly keep such normal things.
All right, listen up Kyousuke. You had better mentally prepare yourself. I Imagined that Kirino is about to show you something very unbelievable. Done? Good.
Here is my prediction:
Kirino will bring out something even more terrifying.
I have been her brother for 14 years – I would probably be right about this.
So…for example, is that game’s illustration showing two people – naked? I do not have the courage to confirm it ….
In addition, that pack of photos over there…what could they be? I have seen homosexuality and poop – what else could await me?
For a normal high school student, I cannot think of any good idea.
Because of that, all I can do is make some observations:
“Hey, about that…”
“Hmp…What?”
“Kirino, can I ask what is stored inside that IPod?”
I secretly hoped that her answer is ‘music’.
“Oh? Ah, this?”
However, Kirino froze, unable to say anything.
You brought this out, but judging from your reaction….
Something dangerous must be hidden inside!
“Do...do you want to know?”
“No…no…There is no need to tell me.”
“Oh…I see…”
…She sighs in relief? Therefore, this really is….
I am even more terrified. Does this mean everything inside is much worse than “Scatolo Sister?”
I cannot handle this. Definitely not! This is beyond my ability!
Kirino started to reach deep inside the paper box ----
“Ah, wait….First I want to show you this notebook…”
Wawa….
“Wait a second!”
Isn’t it the most dangerous item here? Please spare me!
“I understand everything perfectly clear! There is no need for you to explain anymore! Can we please stop here tonight? Yes, we can just look at this together later! I really want to go sleep now!”
I desperately begged Kirino. I got a feeling that if I saw that notebook; something will forever remain in my mind.
“….Ah…ok…”
Kirino nodded weakly, but she quickly regained her normal cheerful attitude.
Then she pulled out another eroge box and handed it to me:
“At least take a look at this!”
“What is …this?”
“Lovely Sister Angel”? What do you want to do?
My face must have shown a puzzled expression.
“All right…”
Although I don’t know why she wanted me to look at this, but since she asked me, there is no reason for me to not do that.
After Kirino heard that…
“Okay…”
She slightly nodded, but somehow she looked sad.
I opened the “Lovely Sister Angel” box.
There is no eroge disk or manual inside. Instead, inside are just some illustrations.
“Hmm? Isn’t it an eroge box?”
“Nope, I use this as a treasure box. I kept every decoration I got inside here. Didn’t you just see the EX Meruru figure nearby?
Did I? I am not so sure myself.
“So? What do you want to show me?”
“Yes…this…here I go”
Clank! Kirino suddenly opened the box, so I immediately back off.
However, inside is not like what I expected.
There are only a handful of items inside, and the first things she picked up are…
“…Is that…a family contact note?”<report card>
“Yes, this is from when I was in elementary school”
Why this? I send her an ‘I don’t understand’ glance, but she just urged me to look inside, so I can only follow.
“There is the reason I started practicing track and field”
“…………”
I listened to my sister’s story while look through her contact note.
However, I soon noticed something is off. From her first grade to her third grade, Kirino’s gymnastics score was just “needs more practice “and her others scores were average. I expected all of her scores to be “excellent”, so I am very surprised.
“The truth is I’m not very good at track and field. But…something made me very unhappy happened, so I started practicing track and field.”
Kirino glanced at me.
It is possible that she was slow back then and someone made fun of her, or this gave her some unpleasant memories….
I turned to her fourth grade.
It is still “needs more practice”
However, from this point, her fifth grade is “good” and her sixth grade is “excellent”. Her results started climbing up.
This must be the result of her training.
Not only that, her other scores also slowly rose.
“Here are some medals I won from some tournaments.”
Kirino showed me six medals.
Sixth placed, sixth placed, fifth placed, fourth placed, third placed, and second placed – sure enough, it slowly increased.
“This doesn't match with my current image, besides it is so embarrassing – that’s why I have never mentioned it to anyone. When I feel tired or depressed, I often look at this and feel ‘do not look down on me, idiots’ – then I regain my spirit….”
Therefore, not only did she not forget her fundamentals, she also used her first failure as a lesson.
Do not look down on me, idiots ----
I knew that practicing track and field is not an easy task. In addition, for Kousaka Kirino – who started later than the other members did, it must be even harder for her.
“You are really great”
“Oh?”
Hearing me murmur, Kirino suddenly looked up.
Both she and I look directly at each other.
I do not know what to say. I honestly feel that she is great, but I cannot bring myself to praise her. After a few seconds, I said…
“If we both enter a race now, I probably wouldn't be able to win”
Even I felt that line was so boring.
Hearing that, Kirino’s eyes widened and then she stared while laughing happily:
“Of course! Who do you think I am?”
She puffed out her chest in confidence.
No matter what her first motivation was, now after six years of training, she gained confidence with her own effort.
Because I’m just a normal guy, I feel this is so amazing. Ah, just as she said, she really did have the right to say ‘who do you think I am’.
For me, I only wanted to enjoy a normal life.
I have never even considered giving up on this lifestyle.
However, right now, I knew that a part of this is a lie. That part is also using my gentle, plain childhood friend as a reason for laziness.
Kirino is the one who showed me that. Indeed, I should thank her for this.
Of course, as for ‘how should I thank her’ is a current problem.
I still do not know why did my sister show me all this.
Kirino carefully put her medals and notes in the box again, and then sealed it.
“Well…you see…" She opened her arms across her secret collection and spoke in a very sincere voice:
“This…and that…everything …all of them are very important to me.”
“I know”
There is no need to repeat it again.
Why do you think I argued with Dad to save them?
Because I cared for your feelings, I was able to have a showdown with Ayase!
Kirino seems troubled, as if she does not know what to say.
“You said …you will help me protect my important collections, right?”
“Yes”
“Please keep doing that in the future.”
“Of course I will, idiot”
Didn’t I already say that long ago? I also have endured so much for this, how could I just give up on them?
I felt a little annoyed! Now her last life consulting is over, she still wanted me to provide after services.
I fully expected there would be some more ‘last life consulting ‘from her.
“This can’t be helped. I’m your brother, after all.”
“Yeah… you are right.”
“Of course, why do you seems so troubled?”
I smiled:
“Hey, about that ‘last life consulting’ – is that over?”
“Yes.”
Something is off. First, she asked me to go buy eroges for her, then she wanted me to play it with her, then she showed me some of her embarrassing things ---
Our last life consulting is similar to our first life consulting, but there is no development.
The first time Kirino asked me for life consulting, from her attitude I can tell that this is about ‘I have no one to share my hobby’ and ‘I want to have friends with the same hobby’. However, today, I cannot figure out why she wanted that life consulting.
That is why I got an uneasy feeling.
It is as if…I chose the wrong choice…
….I should have agreed to look at her photo album earlier; there is probably nothing too strange there anyway.
“But I haven’t done anything for you, is that okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine”
However, she looks very satisfied.
She only had that look when I succeed in protecting her hobby from Dad, or when Ayase made up with her again. However, today I have not done anything.
I do not get it. Is this possible for me to help her without realizing it?
Still nodding, my sister smiled: “I feel like I can finally put down a boulder from my chest”
That smile – it brought back memories.
Yes…when she was small, she used to smile like that.
“Really?”
I turned around, raised one hand and stepped out of her room.
“Good night, Kirino”
“Right---“
Before the door closed, behind me, I can hear her saying:
“Good night, Aniki [5]”
The next morning, my little sister disappears.
The next morning, right after I came back from school, I went straight to my room to prepare for exams ----
“Phew…..”
All right, I admit that I did not study.
Recently I did not get much sleep, so I ended up falling asleep at my table.
Of course, I only sleep for a few minutes at best.
I woke up with an “Ah!”, then “Ah...Ah…” Even I do not know why I said that.
“Ah…ha…ha…”
It is as if I was in a dream --- a dream from so long ago….
When I woke up, only a few remnants of that dream remains, so I cannot remember it.
“Right…”
However, I remember one thing…
A warm feeling in my chest.
I felt thirsty, so I went downstairs. Here, I meet my mother who just came back from shopping.
“I’m home...? Kyousuke? Are you here to greet me?”
“I am just coincidently passing by. Let me help you”
I took the bag from her and brought them to the kitchen.
Here, I casually asked:
“By the way, where is Kirino? She hasn’t come home yet, did she have club activities or work?"
However, my mother replied…
“What? What are you talking about?”
Yes, she said that.
I wanted to asked “what are you talking about”, but managed to hold back. This is just a trivial matter, after all.
However, later at night, Kirino still has not come home.
She always follows the rule to the letter, so she should have contacted our parents.
She is not the kind of girl who hangs out and causes problems, so it must be she is late due to club activities. Of course, I am not worried about her.
At dinner, I asked again:
“Where is Kirino?”
“You…what are you saying?”
My father’s face showed a surprised expression.
“What do you mean?”
“Ah…so that’s it…Kirino said she would tell you personally.”
“What do you mean, anyway?”
“Kirino is gone”
“What?”
“She went to America today. In order to receive professional training, she will remain there until she finishes high school”
“What…what is going on?”
My father ‘Hmp’ continued:
“In a cross-training session not long ago, a foreign coach was interested in her. He said she has potential. I remembered that he also said that if she has experience in a foreign competition that would be huge help for her future. However, I still couldn’t accept it…Don’t you think this is too exaggerated?”
“……….”
“In my opinion, I think that she should wait until she finishes high school. I also spoke with the current track team coach about a scholarship. However, they said that even if we wait a single year, this could be a big difference. They said now is the best time for Kirino.”
My father said that with an upset voice.
I still tried to suppress my anger, so I remained silence.
“Kirino said that she wants to test her limits. Of course, because she had no scholarship now, it costs a lot. I told her that I would not give her that much money, which is the truth. No matter what she said, I cannot allow a 14 year old girl to go alone to a foreign country. If something happened, we wouldn’t be able to come to her immediately….And not to mention that her language….”
Dad…you are depressed too…
“But…In the end, didn’t you still allow her to do that?”
“Hmp, she is very stubborn. I told her that I will not give her money, and then she showed me the necessary funds. She told me that she was saving her money from her model work and book royalties. What else could I say?”
Right. If she decided something, she would never listen to other’s opinions.
“So…”
Kirino is gone.
I felt like I already had a premonition of it…
“Yes, that is right”
My father started eating dinner in silence. His daughter is gone, he should feel very lonely.
I did not say anything more.
Besides, she is gone. No matter whom I asked, I will not be able to understand her reasoning.
Everything happened right in front of me, but I did not notice.
That is why Kirino started writing – to get royalties.
Her recent changed attitude and ---- her last life counseling’s purpose.
At that time, I already got a feeling of indigestion. But why did she give me such a satisfied smile?
Why did she leave without telling me a word?
She made a wayward decision then follows it on her own.
That has happened a few times before. I knew her personality very well, but….
I am neither angry nor surprised. Perhaps somewhere deep down in my heart, I had expected this day.
After dinner ended, I returned to my room.
For some reason, I stopped midway and opened my sister’s room.
The door is not locked. Without light, the room is quite dark.
There is no change from the last time I was there. Everything is still clean.
There are only a few books on the bookshelf.
No one on the bed.
The PC still on the table.
There will not be anyone suddenly calling me to their room and forcing me to play eroge.
“Well, maybe this is better”
I said that to the empty room.
I returned to my room and dropped on my bed.
Instead of lying face up, I turned around.
My eyes look at the wall. This wall is thin, so normally I can hear every sound above average from the other side.
However, this will not happen again. There will not be any strange music or loud conversation on the other side. No one will come to my room at midnight then sit on top of me. No one will bring her troublesome friends to this house anymore.
I should feel happy. Because now, my normal lifestyle could continue again.
The last life counseling was a success!
However – what should I do next?
This time, I truly have been released from my little sister. However, can I just return to my lifestyle of nine months ago?
I felt that is impossible. I do not want to go back on my own words, but this is what I honestly feel.
Because my sister entrusted me not only her secret hidden behind the bookshelf, but also something else – something that cannot be seen.
Like the otaku’s knowledge that she told me.
Like many of our memories together.
Like some new friends that I met thanks to her.
Even if Kirino is gone, those things are not.
They are still here with me.
All of them have fused together with my life, became a part of mine – an inseparable part of mine. That is why Kirino could happily nod.
She said “Ah…yes”
In short ---
That is how our last life counseling ends.
Everything next just happened.
Really…in the end, this girl is not a cute little sister at all.
Take care of yourself, idiot.
My name is Kousaka Kyousuke, second year in high school. I am 18 years old.
It is a bit embarrassing, but I am a normal high school student. I do not participate in any club. I do not have any special talent. Of course, I know about current eroge, or what my friends normally talk about, but I have no interested in them.
After school, I usually spend time with my friends, walk home with my childhood friend, or go straight home.
Sometimes….I participates in some activities.
Is that how a high school student is supposed to act? Sorry, but the truth is we all feel very ‘normal’, and we reject everything ‘abnormal’
In addition, about ‘normal’, that means we act like others, following their way of life.
As long as we can do that, no matter how much we changed, we still can be called ‘normal’.
It is spring now, on the road to school, two rows of cherry-blossoms are now in full bloom.
I am a third year student now.
In front of me, girls in new uniforms continue to our school, their faces full of hope. I remember when I was like that too.
Maybe Kirino is the same too.
“What’s wrong, Kyou-chan?”
“Ah, nothing”
I answered my childhood friend while pulling my bag to the side.
“I hope we can continue in the same class this year”
“Yes, I hope so too”
Manami nodded slightly, but then she “oh”
“What’s up?”
“Hey, Kyou-chan, recently you have changed, haven't you?”
“How?”
“Ah… I mean… you are gentler now.”
“Ha….”
I poke her forehead.
“What do you think?”
“Oh….Oh…Do you want me to call you Onii-chan?”
“Please. Please don't! “
At that time, I saw her back.
In front of me, wearing a new uniform.
Her back seems so familiar.
I hurried to catch up with the new student, completely ignored what should I do if this is the wrong person and looked at her face…
Standing there ----
"Good morning, senpai."
References[edit]
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