Chapter 5: 2.1

Jumping ahead, as soon as I got home, I was subjected to an interrogation. 

Suspect: Kokonoe Yukito. 

“Why’d you have to go and say something like that?”

There has always been an unsettling tension around the dining table, but her expression today was more terrifying than usual. Sitting across from the accused, that is, me, was my elder sister, Kokonoe Yuuri-san. She was in a really foul mood. I feel like I’m about to get summarily sentenced to prison, so can someone please help me out here? It’s too much for me!

“I have no idea what this is even about…”

Even as her blood-related brother, I have to acknowledge that my older sister is a beauty on par with our mother. She’s literally a goddess. Her beautiful black hair extends to her waist and her facial features are arranged so perfectly such that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her the epitome of beauty. Her stern eyes are also a good fit for the aura she exudes.

For the time being, I’ve decided to pray to her thrice every day. I’m certain I must have accumulated a lot of positive karma in my previous life to be lucky enough to pull an SSR tier sister. Well, the only thing I’m certain of is it’s not thanks to anything I’ve done in this life.

She’s one year older than me and is a second year at Shoyo High School. I’ve heard she’s apparently the favorite to be the next student council president, and that combined with her beauty has made her a local celebrity or something along those lines (I don’t know the details). For a failure of a younger brother like me, my sister is my pride and joy. However, the disparity between us is too great and it hurts my feelings when no one at school recognizes that we’re siblings. Wait, maybe that’s for the better?

It’s hard to imagine I belong to the same family as my mother and sister. A long time ago, in my innocent skepticism I proposed to my mother the “Kokonoe Yukito was found under a bridge” theory, but it made her burst into tears. Ever since then, I’ve internally blacklisted the topic as taboo.

“You made any friends yet?”

There was a dazzling divine halo surrounding her as she spoke to me, which, sadly enough, caused me to tense up as I searched for a response. When she stared straight at me with her big eyes, I found it difficult to match her gaze and instinctively looked away. There’s some kind of aura that makes it hard to look at her. Yeah, it’s like that divinity thing, y’know?

Well, it’s also because my sister’s usual attire at home was a casual pairing of an oversized low-cut T-shirt and hotpants, which made it hard to know where to look.

“…Friends… What is a… friend…?”

“Stop! The fact you even have to ask that question scares me!”

She seemed curious about whether her good-for-nothing little brother was living a decent high school lifestyle. My sister’s kindness is renowned across the entire universe, but if I have a poor reputation, it would affect hers as well. Crap, from now on I’ll need to tread carefully.

“That guy, Mihou or something, isn’t he a friend?”

“Yuuri-san, you know Mihou?”

I was startled by my sister dropping the name of that Mr. Cool and Handsome. Is that guy famous or something? He does have the looks and the personality for that. Could it be that my sister has a thing for younger men? Was love finally blooming in my sister’s heart?!

“Is he perhaps… your type…?”

“Huh?”

If eyes could kill, I’d be dead right now. Her stare was so frosty that I was afraid she was about to convict me at any moment. I secretly lifted my downcast eyes and peeked at her face only to find her glaring at me. It seemed like I’d stepped on a landmine.

YUURI used GLARE! YUKITO’s Defense fell!

“I d-d-didn’t say anything!”

Alarm bells were ringing in my head. My instincts were warning me that my life would be forfeit if I angered her.

“So? Can you explain why you introduced yourself like that?”

 “How did you even hear about this…?”

“Answer the question.”

“Okay.”

Sadly, the little brothers of this world are powerless against their elder sisters. That aside, considering what she just said, It looks like my sister knew what went down in my classroom. If I already have to suspect one of my classmates of being a spy, then what other difficulties does the future have in store for me?

“Is it because of Suzurikawa-san and Kamishiro-san?”

“… No comment.”

“Guilty. Death penalty.”

“I’m just kidding! No, actually, I’m not kidding, honest!”

The justice system pronounced an arbitrary and surprising verdict on me. There was no jury to save me here. 

“Hold up. Why does Yuuri-san know about the incident with Kamishiro―?”

“I obviously know at least that much.”

It-It’s obvious?! This was one of the biggest shocks of the century for me, and we’ve yet to even go through a quarter of it! At this rate, I can’t imagine what the future holds…

I really didn’t want to talk about it at all, but it looks like my sister already knew everything about my classmates.  Compared to someone like me who didn’t even know their names, my sister was far better informed. Wowie…  

Perhaps this is only to be expected of my intelligent sister. But still, I was surprised that she even knew about Kamishiro. Suzurikawa was a childhood friend, so my sister had also met her a few times, but she shouldn’t have had any contact with Kamishiro at all. I can’t deny that  I was a bit shaken by her bringing up those two names.

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“Excuse me, Yuuri-san, I have to study.”

I quickly cleared my used plates and made a run for it. I can’t afford to be sent to death row like this. The impulse against staying in this place won out inside me.

“Yukito, are you really alright? You―”

“I’m quite alright, thank you.”

I cut her off mid sentence. I was offended by the depth of my own insolence. In penance, I decided to make an offering to her later and booked it to my room. What was my sister trying to say, I wonder? Was it possible that she was actually concerned about me? No, that’s impossible!

Back in my dark room, I didn’t even turn on the lights before I collapsed on my bed.

 ―After all, my sister hates me.

“Of all the people it could happen to, why does stuff like this always happen to him…”

Argh, jeez! I was so irritated I was pulling my hair out. I thought his situation would improve once he got into high school, but it’s only getting worse. Someone must be behind that horrible class roster of his!

I bit my tongue, frustrated by my own powerlessness as I was unable to call out to my brother as he headed for his room. I might’ve pissed him off by tactlessly bringing up the topic he didn’t want to talk about. Why am I so awkward and insensitive? Everyone around me puts me on a pedestal, but in reality this is how powerless I am. I can’t even do anything for my little brother.

My brother, my mother and I live together in this apartment. We’re just a family of three, as our father and mother divorced a long time ago. Fortunately, we are quite well off and my mother also does well for herself so they battle over custody. But we’re facing a different kind of serious problem now.

I’d eagerly awaited the day he’d join my school, but as it stands nothing’s going to change! My smallest hopes were crushed and I’d only ended up with more things to worry about. 

I wished for my brother to have a fun and cheerful school life. But if this continues, that won’t come true. I couldn’t even put my worries to words, and there was no end to them. When I checked my brother’s class roster my expression darkened immediately. I can’t imagine a worse possible setup.

Suzurikawa Hinagi and Kamishiro Shiori. 

The dumb broad who betrayed and abandoned my brother even though she liked him, and the bitch who made all my brother’s effort come to nothing. I cannot forgive them at all. I don’t want them getting anywhere near my brother any more!

It’s so tragic that, of all things, my brother ended up in the same class as the two of them. I wondered if there was anything at all I could do for him, but until he finished the year and was moved to a different class it was hopeless. There is nothing I can do.

I couldn’t help but mock myself. At this stage, what even is the point of pretending to be an elder sister, being concerned about him? In the end, I hate those two because they remind me of myself. I despise myself. It’s only natural that I’d hate them, because we’re the same.

I thought back to how he looked as he was leaving. I ended up hurting him again. Nothing has changed since then. Every time he sees me, he gets terrified. From the fact that he never looks me in the eye, what Yukito thinks about me is clear as day. He reads my mood, and never speaks to me more than what is needed.

There’s no way that’s a healthy relationship for siblings. But I’m the reason we ended up like this. I’d hoped the passage of time would mitigate the bitterness, but forget healing, it’s only gotten worse. My plan’s failure only further emphasized the harshness of reality.

Since that day, my little brother has called me Yuuri-san. Not once has he called me “sis”.

At this point, there’s no way I can lecture him while pretending to be his sister.

 ―After all, my little brother hates me.

“I’m home.”

My mother, Kokonoe Ouka-san, came back home. It was past eight. It looks like she was very busy, as usual. She often comes back from work at this time, and whenever that happens I take charge of making dinner.

My sister was… not very good at doing household chores. Maybe God doesn’t bless one person that much after all. Rather, that sort of thing only made her even more charming; being beautiful has its privileges.

“Welcome back.”

“Oh, um. S-Sorry I couldn’t make dinner.”

“Nah, it’s fine.”

She was working, so I don’t think she should feel sorry about that, but at any rate, my mother essentially handles all the housework by herself. I think it’d be better if she delegated that more. Not to me, to my sister. She’s a total slob at home, so I think she needs to do more!

“Yukito… is everything alright at school?”
“Hmm, more or less.”

“I see. That’s good.”

A strange and awkward silence followed. My entire family is asking me about school because they’re all worried that I’m causing trouble there. And actually, I did end up causing trouble on the very first day. I could lament how little faith they have in me, but given the mess I made in middle school, I’m just reaping what I sowed.

“I’m not going to cause any trouble. Probably. I intend to have a quiet school life.”

“That’s not it, that’s not what I’m worried about―”

“Dinner’s already made, so please have it while it’s still warm. Well, I’ll head back to my room.”

“…oh…”

As I turned my back on her and headed for my room, I missed the lonely expression on my mother’s face as she followed me with her gaze.

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