Ore Ga Suki Nano Wa Imouto Dakedo Imouto Janai Volume 2 Chapter 4

I will say it clearly now! I love (my) little sister!

Part 1:

“Can’t sleep……”

I muttered as I looked up at the ceiling of the room. Sleeping next to my little sister in the same bed, I was thinking about a few things for about an hour. Trying not to be too wary of Suzuka next to me, that resulted in me suffering from not being able to sleep.

“Fuu…..Fuu……”

Suzuka’s sleeping sounds were entering my ears.

……Even though you’re sleeping right next to me, you really seem indifferent about this.

She probably was tired because of what happened this afternoon. That’s the same for me though.

“Ugh…..”

Can’t help it. No matter how hard I try to fall asleep, too many things flash before my eyes. The only thing I could do now is let my thoughts wander on their own.

“Even so, loving little sisters from the bottom of my heart…..huh”

While remembering our operation this afternoon, Mai’s response and Suzuka’s words, I was completely lost.

……Yup, not possible. No matter how often I think about it, there’s no way.

Well, since it was an emergency, I was prepared to act all flirty as I had to. But, for me to really feel like that from the bottom of my heart, that’s just ridiculous. This isn’t a light novel or eroge after all, so having these feelings towards my little sister is just—-

“Mhm…..Onii-chan….”

“Ugh?!”

At that moment, I heard a voice and I couldn’t help my body from twitching. Looking at the source, it seemed to be Suzuka, seemingly sleeping very comfortably and muttering that in her sleep.

……Sleep-talk, huh. I thought for a moment that I had woken her up….

Even so, just a few moments before, she was facing the other way but it seems like she turned around, facing me. Her turning around made me really nervous.

“T-This is bad. Have to calm down….”

I closed my eyes again and returned to my thoughts.

Uhm…..ah yeah, the problem was Mai alright.

Everything would be solved if she would’ve just believed me from the start, that I really am Towano Chikai. However, reality isn’t that nice. It even seems like her doubts grew from before (because of her unreasonable arguments). Even using seductive methods….just why is she trying so hard.

Really, no matter how much I try to think about it, the current Mai is acting really weird. If I don’t find out the reason for that, our lovey-dovey operation will never solve anything.

“Ehehe. That’s no good, Onii-chan….”

“……?!”

Again Suzuka with her sleep-talk. This time, it fit my thoughts even better which really made me panic for a second.

Still, you’re having such a happy smile on your face. What kind of dream are you having, really. I wonder if I managed to make her mad even in her dreams……No no no, I will never fall asleep if I keep thinking about her. Have to concentrate on my own thoughts….

So, where was I? I forgot. Well, whatever, is there something else…? Oh yeah the light novel contest. What should I do about the entry manuscript? With Mai’s problem and Suzuka’s research, I haven’t been able to progress at all. Well, I know that the main problems lies with me, having written nothing new as of now.

You can’t emphasize with the protagonist—-that was the statement from the evaluation sheet…..and Mai also said that.

……Basically, just as I feared, there’s some truth to that. But, what exactly should I do to change that? No matter how often I ask myself, the answer just won’t come flying.

…..Really, what should I do. At this rate, retreating from this contest isn’t all that far-fetch—-

“Mhm…..Onii-chan…”

“Again, huh…..wha-?!”

Even though I was really close to coming to terms with her sleep-talk, something hindered me from doing so.

“Wha-?! Wha-!”

Why? Because Suzuka was clinging to my while she was sleep-talking. And the part where she was clinging to wasn’t just my arm, she was practically pushing her body onto mine, resulting in me being really flustered. Really, really flustered.

“Y-You….! Suzuka?!”

“Ehe, ehehe……Onii-chan…..ehehehehehe”

Suzuka on her part was looking like she was still having fun in the world of her dreams.

…..T-This girl….is she always sleeping like this?! Are you always using a dakimakura or something?!

N-No, of course I wouldn’t know of her sleeping habits! And is this even the time to think about such things?!

“U-Uhm, Suzuka-san? I don’t mean to be rude but I would greatly appreciate it if you would be so kind to wake up…..”

“Mhm…..Onii-chan…ehehehe”

Shit….she really seems to be having a good dream….my wake-up calls aren’t going through at all!

However, while I was hesitating, the situation only grew worse by the second.

“Ah, wai-!”

Strengthening her grip onto me, she was gradually coming closer. Suddenly surmounting my arm, our bodies were slowly starting to stick to each other. Her head was slowly closing in on mine and when that happened a sweet aroma attacked me, making my head spin.

…..No no no no! What am I thinking about, me?! Sniffing my little sisters smell is already a big no-go but what perverted things am I thinking?! F-F-F-Forget about that now! This situation is really bad! Really really bad! No good! I feel like I’ll lose something very important if I don’t get away from her now!

“S-Suzuka….! Will you wake up already…!”

While trying to call out to her once more, I gripped her shoulders and started shaking her. I really wanted to resort to that but I had no other choice but to be a little more aggressive about it.

“Nya…..Onii-chan….You’re way too intense…..eheheheh”

“What are you saying?! That’s just a dream! Return to reality already!”

However, as if she was disagreeing with me, her strength only heightened from before.

“Haaa?!”

And it’s not just that, she’s also rubbing her head on my body!

Even though I let out a weird scream by accident, I was also praying that it entered her ears and made her wake up.

“Onii-chan….that’s not good, you know?”

“You’re not one to say that! And what kind of dream are you having exactly?! Hurry and wake up please!”

……But wait a second? What would happen if she were to wake up now? She might be a bit sleepy then but if she were to realize her own position, she might receive a huge shock from that.

It’s true that we’re in an emergency situation, forcing us to be all lovey-dovey with each other. However, her opinion of me isn’t all that good. She might even go “I can’t live with this shame! I will bite my tongue and kill myself!” or something like that….

…No no no! There’s no way that will happen……is not something I can say with confidence?! T-This girl is still pretty pure and it’s me we’re talking about after all!

“T-This is bad. L-Let’s not wake her up and think of something else—-hya?!” Even though I just said that, I let out another scream.

“Mhm….sniff sniff…..Ehehehehe, Onii-chan….you smell so good…ehe”

Suzuka was once more closing in on my neck, sniffing on my neck. Her breath was directly hitting my body and I wanted to break free. But, since she was still clinging to me, I didn’t manage to do that.

Ahhhhhh this is bad! The worst! Anymore and…..! It was pretty horrific until now but this going beyond my limits! Escape. That word flew into my mind. I don’t have any other choice.

“Onii-chan….mhm….”

Suzuka was still smiling next to me in her world of dreams. Being presented with this mission to escape safely from her grasp without destroying her smile, I wasn’t so sure if I would get out of this unharmed.

Part 2:

“I-I finally escaped.”

Approximately three minutes passed. After I slowly closed the door behind me, I sat down on the floor.

…..That was tiring. After trying not to wake Suzuka up during my escape, a feeling of exhaustion assaulted me.

At first, I was trying to slowly push away Suzuka’s arm but that soon ended in failure. After that, I realized that if I pat her on the head, the strength of her grip on me lessened and by using that, I gradually moved away from her. Mid-way, I kept whispering stuff like “S-Suzuka is a good girl after all” and “The best little sister there is” in a kind voice while still patting her, resulting in her lessening the strength of her grip even more. As I kept doing that, I managed to break free.

Just in case, I gave her a pillow as a substitution for me so her sleep won’t be interfered with for now. Phew…I can finally take a breath.

“Still, who would’ve thought that Suzuka had a sleeping habit like that…..”

Leaving that new piece of information out for now, what to do now?

“For now….the bathroom.” I decided to wash my face for now. After all, this was Mai’s private villa so I couldn’t really sneak around in here. And going back to the room where the person in question is currently still sleeping is also not an option….

Can’t help it. Sleeping in the same bed with Suzuka now is pretty much impossible, so I’ll just borrow the couch in—–

It happened in that moment as I was about to arrive in front of the room in question.

“……!”

I swallowed my breath and stopped my feet. There was a shadow in front of the room Suzuka was sleeping in. It looked like it was inspecting the door….

…..A t-thief? Suzuka is alone in there…..!

“You over there! What are you doing!”

As I realized the situation, I started walking towards that human figure, calling out to it.

“Kya!”

I grabbed it by the arm and pushed it down but I soon realized my error.

…..Somehow this person is really slender….and had no strength at all. And didn’t he just say something like “Kya”?

Having a really bad feeling, I decided to check on the identity of the thief. Taking out a mini flashlight in my pocket, I turned it towards him and turned the light on.

“Wai-! T-Too bright!”

As I did, it turned out to be Mai with tears in her eyes.

“Y-You…what are you doing here…?”

“Eh? T-That’s….I wanted to take a short walk!”

Yeah sure. As if I would believe that.

“Did you have something to do in front of my room?”

“W-What are you talking about? It’s not like I wanted to sneak into your room while you were sleeping and find out what you’re hiding or anything!?”

“So you really where trying to do something like that?!”

Not bothering to retort her on her loose mouth, I was merely astonished because that evil plan of hers.

“A-And if even that would’ve turned out no good, I would’ve never tried to seduce you with some sexy underwear!?”

“I got it already….so please stop….”

Somehow I felt like crying. Without even asking for details, Mai spilled everything.

“For now, Suzuka is currently sleeping in that room, so please spare me the nocturnal assault…”

“S-Since you are my target, I wouldn’t do anything like that!”

That’s not something you should be saying with such an arrogant attitude…is what I retorted in my head while sighing.

“…..So, are long are you planning on doing this?”

“What do you mean…..?”

With these words, I finally remembered the situation we were in. After all, I was currently pushing Mai down on the floor.

“S-Sorry!”

“I-I’m fine as long as it’s Yuu. But, did I manage to bewitch you a little bit at least?”

“We should really do something about that shameless attitude of yours….”

“W-What do you mean!” Mai said with a red face but I didn’t feel like answering her.

In the end, both of us stopped talking and we were wrapped up in complete silence.

“H-Hey, what are you going to do now?” Mai asked.

“Well of course, I’m going back to my room and go to sleep?” I blatantly answered her.

“Ah, I’ll go with you then….” She muttered.

“You’re coming with me?!” I panicked.

“Isn’t it fine?! I had planned to do so from the start anyway!”

Confronted with her incompetent attitude, I didn’t have the strength to honestly retort to that.

“Ha…..anyways, this isn’t the situation where I would be able to fall asleep, alright.”

“Ah, then, how about we go to the living room?”

“Living room?”

“Yeah, I got a bit thirsty anyway so how about we take a break there.”

To her proposal, I merely muttered “Yeah, alright….”. After all that happened, my sleepiness was washed away completely and although my partner is Mai, it might be a good idea to change the location, mainly not to wake Suzuka up in case we got louder while talking. Like this, we started walking towards the living room. The moon was as bright as always, making it unnecessary to turn on the lights. While drinking a glass of water, I wondered: What should I do now….?

Of course, the problem I was pondering about was concerning the person next to me, namely Mai. It somehow ended up with only the two of us but she’ll probably make me spill the beans about Towano Chikai’s secret as always. She’ll probably ask me why I wanted to sleep on the couch instead of next to Suzuka on the bed.

“……..”

To my surprise, Mai didn’t mutter a single word. Keeping quiet that whole time, she was merely looking up at the moon as we were sitting on the veranda. Her beautiful looks being paired with the light of the moonlight, she had a mysterious vibe to her. As I kept looking at her, I felt my heartbeat accelerating.

……What am I thinking about. Maybe it’s because I was talking about that with Suzuka before, I grew weirdly conscious of her. Not good not good…

“Hey, Yuu. Why won’t you just spill the beans on that thing you’re hiding already?”

While I was taking back my prior thoughts, Mai suddenly started talking to me. I’ve heard that phrase a dozen times as of now so I merely spaced out without answering her.

No, I don’t really have the luxuriousness to do that, I thought.

“Like I said countless times already, I’m not hiding anything.”

“That’s a lie.”

She really doesn’t believe me. However, she merely muttered that one phrase which was pretty rare.

……Really looks like something is bothering her.

“Hey, why are you doubting me so much.”

“That’s to be expected because I am a super duper mega fan of yours after all.”

“Normally, I’d be satisfied with that but…..The current you is acting weird somehow.”

Like trying to seduce me or sleeping together with me.

“I-It’s not really like that.”

“After all, I showed you countless times that I am that little sister loving Towano Chikai, right?”

“I do know that you are that fiendish erotic devil with poisonous fangs that assaults his little sister at every chance that he gets, okay?”

“Well thank you very much for that!”

…..Not good, got to calm myself down before I start denying it again.

“But, you know, I still feel like you’re hiding something.”

“That’s what I meant. Where does that feeling of yours come from? If we’re talking about hiding something, should you really be the one judging me for that?”

“W-What do you mean…..”

Even though I merely said it out of a whim, Mai clearly seemed bothered by it. I stopped for a moment but then I continued. About that weird feeling of hers. Why she’s getting so aggressive in her attacks.

“….Hey, did something happen when you met up with the people of the editorial department?”

“…..?!” At my question, her body twitched.

So it really was like that…..? This was the only thing I could think off that might’ve triggered her change in between the signing session and the start of school. Since my question had some kind of effect on her, I decided wait for her answer on that.

“……..”

She grabbed her knees and rested her chin on them, looking straight at me. I was about to ask her once more but she finally said something again.

“No matter my circumstances, I still want to find out the secret of your novel.”

As if she was having a monologue with herself, she muttered that.

“Like I said, I’m asking for your reasoning—-”

“My parents, you know, have quite a lot of money, some sort of high society lineage you could call it.”

“…..What? What are you saying all of a sudden?”

I was surprised at the sudden change of topics but she continued before I even had the chance to ask about that.

“It’s like a prestige or renowned familiy. I don’t really care about it but it’s something like that. That’s why my parents are so strict. They’re not bad people or anything, though, but tradition and social standing is the most important thing for them. Again, not my cup of tea, you know?”

Being confronted with her serious expression, I couldn’t help but shut my mouth as she was talking.

“In the end, we’re still a family, so they forced me to learn a fair bunch about a lot of stuff. In the end, it came to a compromise of some sort. However, I couldn’t just let go of light novels.” She smiled but it seemed more lonely than happy. “I don’t even remember how often they told me that I shouldn’t read such vulgar stuff. I still loved them from the bottom of my heart, unwilling to give them up no matter what. They didn’t throw them out though so it didn’t get any worse than getting a lecture.”

But the situation changed—-Mai continued.

“They were strongly against the fact that I would be debuting after winning the grand-prize. To think that the daughter of the Himuro family would be writing something like that—and so on. It turned into a do-or-die resistance from me. I didn’t plan on just giving up on my dream, so I tried to persuade them somehow…..”

As if she was looking at something nostalgic, she narrowed her eyes.

“So, they finally gave up, telling me to do what I want and so on. Like that, I gladly debuted as a light novel author. That was the happiest moment in my entire life. I’ll aim for the top of the light novel world—is what I was thinking.”

But—-the next moment, the worst possible situation came.

“The novel I debuted with, namely [The Ice Witch that never laughs] didn’t sell at all. When I read the reviews online, I started crying. That was probably the most frustrated I had ever felt. However, it’s not like my love for light novels disappeared just like that though.”

“What about your parents…?”

“They told me to just let go and not bother with light novels anymore. Of course, another quarrel ensnared. In the end, I managed to stay as a light novel author. That lingering discomfort stayed though.”

In that moment, I remembered that Mai was actually living on her own in that big villa.

“Although they allowed me to continue, they said that this was the last chance. Being driven into a corner, I had no chance but to pull all registers and put my everything into my next novel. What resulted in that was….”

—–Sky Magic Guardian.

The novel that made Enryuu Homura famous, selling over 100.000 copies.

“I’m sure that you must’ve been very happy about that…..”

“Yeah, I really was. At first that is…..It did turn into a big hit after all but in the end, I didn’t manage to get rid of all the negative aspects of my very first novel.”

“Negative aspects?” I asked.

“The things that the editors that reviewed my novel were talking about. The protagonist is weak and one-dimensional, resulting in him becoming merely a puppet to advance the story.”

Eh? Wait a second? Aren’t these the same complains that I had gotten as well? …..You even read my manuscript and complained about exactly that, didn’t you?!

“I was aware of that as well. Thinking that I would somehow manage to chance that in my current series, I paid it no mind. But, my novel turned out to be such a big hit and they even planned on turning it into an anime. What irony….” She seemed to be laughing at herself. Normally, she’d be so self-confident about her own novel.

“I tried everything to change these aspects but I never succeeded in the end. Nevertheless, my novel was selling like crazy and everyone said it was really fun. That’s why I gradually started thinking that it would be fine like this. However, at that time, I encountered something.” She once more looked at me with a serious expression.

…..You don’t have to tell me. You met with it. H-e-r novel.

“It had an impact on me like nothing else before. I instantly realized that this was the sort of novel that I wanted to write. That’s just how amazing it was. Y-o-u-r novel.”

“……..”

“Even though it felt like you just wrote it for fun, it was incredibly interesting. The characters were firm and lively as well. The exact opposite to my own novel.”

“….I really do like your novel, you know?”

“I don’t want any flattery. I just want to write a novel like yours. That’s why I want to know everything about you. No….I have to know everything.”

…..I see. I understand the reason why she became a stalker. But, there’s still something missing.

“That’s not all, right?”

“Recently, my editor changed.” Her expression got more grim. “He’s pretty straight forward with his words, you know. Well, he is very honest with it exactly because he likes it so much but he also told me about the impending crisis.”

“Crisis?”

“With my current series, the anime is right around the corner but the popularity of it seems to be dropping.”

…..Eh? That’s a first for me though? I thought that it was as popular as ever.

“That’s why we held an emergency meeting and he clearly told me. [Enryuu-sensei’s characters, the protagonist in particular, are very weak]”

“So something like that happened….”

“Basically, the problem that I had payed no mind for quite some time now was finally coming to haunt me, you could say. If I didn’t manage to erase these faults of my novel, they might even have to drop the series in general, he said. Quite a cruel story, you know”

It felt like all the different puzzle pieces I had were finally coming together.

“If that were to happen, my parents wouldn’t give me another chance. They’d definitely force me to stop being a light novel author. But, that’s the one thing I can’t allow to happen! That’s why, I have to do everything to overcome this wall in front of me….!”

No matter how long she’d think about it, the answer never came. There’s no way that a miracle would haven just like that.

……That explains a lot.

“This is why I absolutely have to know the secret of the ideal light novel author Towano Chikai!”

Alright. I finally understood. Why she seemed so desperate.

It was to protect the [Light novels] that she didn’t want to give up.

…..Shit, I totally get that. As a person who also loves light novels from the bottom of his heart, I painfully understand….

“I beg of you, Yuu, please tell me what you’re hiding from me. I’m sure that it will lead to the answer that I’m searching for!”

Saying that, she came closer to me and grabbed my collar. With tears in her eyes and no strength at all. On the contrary, she seemed to be shivering.

“T-That’s—-”

I couldn’t answer.

…..I can’t after all. Telling her that I’m not the real author would result in me betraying Suzuka’s trust. But, I couldn’t just make up something on the spot just to momentarily please her. I once more painfully realized my position as a stand-in.

“W-Why won’t you say anything?! I know that I’m basically asking for the impossible here! Still, I’m begging you! I’ll let you do anything with me as you please!”

“I-Idiot! Girls aren’t supposed to say something like that so lightly!”

“I’m dead serious about that! And, since it’s Yuu…..”

“C-Calm down! You’re not making any sense!”

“That’s just how great my resolution is! I’m begging you!”

“No! Not possible! It’s really not possible! Please let me go!”

“W-Why! You are Towano Chikai right?! Or don’t tell me….Yuu really isn’t Towano Chikai after all?!”

“……….!”

You’re wrong!— Is what I was supposed to say here. But, the me at that time couldn’t do that. Because her current situation was so serious. And also because I felt exactly the same, receiving similar reviews on my novel as well, about the protagonist being too one-dimensional. That was why I was hesitating for a moment. Wondering if I really should be denying that right now.

However, that short moment of silence would prove to be fatal.

“…..Hey, Yuu? W-Why aren’t you saying anything? S-So it really was like that….?” Her eyes opened wide and her strength on my chest lessened.

“T-That’s impossible, right? Yuu is Towano Chikai, right? You saying that you liked my novel wasn’t a lie, right?”

“T-That’s….”

….Why can’t I just that simple phrase [That’s right], me!

Mai looked at me with eyes of dependence. However, I still kept quiet. Then, she said so with tears in her eyes while glaring at me:

“Whatever! …..You idiot!”

Leaving only these words behind, she dashed out of the living room as if she wanted to run away. In reaction to that, I couldn’t move a single muscle. Finally, I managed to let out a sigh while my head was hanging down.

“I really messed up now…”

In the end, I only managed to intensify her doubts. No, the fact that I made her cry was frustrating me even more.

….Shit, I couldn’t do anything for her in the end…..!

Truth is, I wanted to chase after her immediately but the current me couldn’t come up with any words to help her.

“What should I do from here on out…..”

No, there’s only one thing that I should be doing and that hasn’t changed at all. I have to make her believe me that I really am Towano Chikai. That’s all to it.

….That being said, I can’t continue to do it like before.

The fact that I only gave her more reason to doubt me is one thing but it was impossible for me, spilling the beans about the true identity of Towano Chikai. That would result in me betraying Suzuka’s trust.

…..But, you know. I heard about her situation after all. Because she told me the reason why she was so desperate, I couldn’t just ignore all of that and keep on with our operation. Ignoring her worries would be the same as if I’d ignore my one worries.

……As if I could do that….!

“Don’t panic….don’t panic, me! I have to calm down at a time like this….”

Thinking about it differently, I finally heard her reasoning for doubting me so much. The only thing left to do is solve her problem. For Mai’s sake….and also for my own sake….I felt like I definitely had to do that. But, what should I do? I can’t think of any methods.

Should I ask Suzuka? —- No that’s impossible. If I did, I’d have to tell her my own worries as well…..That’s not good. I have to overcome the problem myself. If I really want to catch up with her, I can’t allow that to happen.

“Still, what can I do all on my own?”

Dozens of thoughts were swirling around in my head.

Ah, for fuck’s sake. Better cool down my head….

Leaving the veranda, I put on my sandals and made my way towards the beach. Being confronted with the cool sea breeze and bright moonlight, I took a deep breath. I felt how I was calming down.

“Mai’s worries, huh….” I muttered while looking at the night sky.

Her problems. The protagonist is too weak. The exactly same worry that I have.

This problem, that even I was trying to overcome for a long time now. The current situation that slowly creeps up on me, namely that I still haven’t come up with an answer for my next entry novel for the contest. Paired up with Mai’s problem, it felt like a two-headed snake was strangling my neck. But, the root is basically the same, it has only one body. If only I managed to get rid of the main body, everything would turn out alright.

“…….”

But, I can’t find the method to that at all. I’m still at a loss.

“What should I do about a weak protagonist….”

Facing upwards to look at the sky once more, for some reason Suzuka’s voice reverberated in my head.

“How would I know about that? I merely wrote my novel while I was being possessed after all!” That’s what she would say probably.

How nice it must be. To be able to write such a novel because of that. Every character in her novel seems so real and the protagonist isn’t flat at all.

“…..Wait a second?”

Thinking about it calmly, isn’t there a prime example of a protagonist right next to me? Why don’t I just look at how the protagonist in Suzuka is written?

“….No, no, Suzuka doesn’t have any special skill with that. She was merely possessed…..”

Producing something of that quality is indeed terrific but it doesn’t help me if she doesn’t have any memory of it. Also, asking her about that would bring the risk of being seen through concerning my own troubles. She can be really perceptive after all.

In that moment, I stopped and reflected on my words just now.

“Being possessed…..what exactly does that mean?”

I didn’t really give it any thought before but….being possessed means that you stop being yourself, right? Yeah, that’s how it is. After all, Suzuka wouldn’t be able to write such a [I love my big brother] novel……So basically, you become something else while writing….? Now that I think about it, Suzuka said that she felt like SOMETHING possessed her…. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean something occult related but merely becoming the character you’re writing…?

“Become…..the character…?” I muttered, absent-minded.

That’s not necessarily a new concept or anything. Trying to become the character you want to write is something very basic.

But….wait? Think about it.

Did I ever really become the character from the bottom of my heart? At a level that I would stop being myself?

“………No”

I never did. Not once did I think about doing that. Until now I merely used the characters as pieces to drive the story forward it seems.

“Ah….”

I realized that my heart was beating like crazy. I felt my breathing get rougher by the second.

……C-Calm down. You have to calm down, me. Telling someone to become your own character…..that’s an advice even a kid from grade school could give you. That’s how fundamental it is.

Trying to calm myself down, I made fun of my own thoughts. However, these ridicules were washed away shortly after and only the truth remained.

“The ting Mai and I were lacking….”

Become the character. That simple yet efficient truth.

…..But, but wait! That’s still not enough! The main problem is—

“Can I really do something like that?”

Erasing myself and take the role of my character. Using words, it might seem pretty simple but is it really that easy to pull off? I can’t help but worry about that.

“N-No no no no…..!” I shook my head.

This isn’t the time to worry about that. I can’t stop now. For the embittered Mai’s sake, for Suzuka’s sake that had to put up with all these things during our operation and finally for my own sake. If there’s something I haven’t tried yet then I have to pull through with it.

“….Haa”

Taking a deep breath, I steeled my resolution.

Become the character. From the bottom of my heart…..But, which character?

Normally, it would be the protagonist that I wrote in my own novel—-but for some reason, the big brother Ryou from Suzuka’s novel flew into my mind. The big brother of his little sister Yuuka. The thickheaded idiot that doesn’t realize how his little sister loves him even though she shows it right in front of him. Still putting her on the top priority in any event and always treasuring her, the perfect [Onii-chan]. Reading Suzuka’s novel a dozen times more than my own, my attachment to her big brother figure was way bigger than to my own protagonist. And I completely understood that character from head to toe. There’s no other character that would fit me more.

“………” Closing my eyes, I traced Ryou’s everything.

An ordinary first-year high school student. But, as a big brother, he treasures his little sister more than anything else. I’m being toyed with my little sisters words and deeds, always failing to realize her true intentions, still acting like a gigolo with a sister complex.

The exact opposite of my own personality. But, that doesn’t matter right now.

….Suddenly, all the sound in the world vanishes. The sound of the waves completely disappeared.

Currently, I’m on a trip at the sea with my little sister. But that little sister is currently sleeping alone in her my room. I’m the reason for that. It’s my fault that my little sister was sulking.

In this situation, what would Ryou do?

“That’s as clear as day to me right now.”

I returned to the villa on fast feet, stripped off my sandals and headed up the stairs.

Part 3:

“Feh? Onii-chan…?”

As I opened my eyes, I realized that I was sleeping alone on the bed, hugging a pillow. Actually, I was the only person in the room which should not be the case.

…..Onii-chan isn’t here? As I realized that, I rapidly woke up.

“O-Onii-chan…where are you?!”

I checked the time as I slowly stood up. It has been 2 hours since we went to bed.

….Did he go to the toilet per chance? …..No, that’s probably not it. Onii-chan’s warmth has completely vanished from the bed. Judging from that, he should’ve been gone for about 30 minutes.

“D-Don’t tell me…”

A certain possibility entered my mind.

…..Did he possibly go to where Himuro-san is? A rendezvous?! Without laying is hands on me even though I was right next to him?!

“S-So Onii-chan really does like Himuro-san….!”

I won’t allow that!

The moment I was about to leave the room in order to search for Onii-chan—it happened.

“Suzuka!”

Opening the door in a rush, Onii-chan returned to the room.

“Oh, you were awake. Perfect.”

“O-Onii-chan? Where did you go!” I asked. As I did, Onii-chan answered “Well, I couldn’t sleep, you see….” , probably trying to evade the question. That’s suspicious!

“Rather than that, are you still mad, Suzuka?”

Huh? Is this about the conversation we had before we went to sleep? Well, of course I still am but right now, I am more irritated at Onii-chan’s suspicious behavior!

“….Yes, I still am. While I was sleeping, you went to see Himuro-san after all.”

“Huh? How do you know about that?”

So they really had a rendezvous!? Uwuuu…..what a shock. Of course, that won’t shake my love for Onii-chan but it seems like he really has feelings for Himuro-san….

Suffering from the shock, I returned to the bed, sat on top of it and faced the wall, putting the blanket over my head.

“…Are you sulking?”

“I-I am mad! Don’t treat me as a kid!”

I really am sulking actually. I want him to take a hint though. Naturally, I do realize that I’m acting dishonestly. However, I can’t do anything else because of the shock. Although I’m painfully aware that, in order not to lose to Himuro-san, I have to be more honest with my feelings, so why can’t I do that right now….? Just how weak am I really….

“……Eh?”

Thinking that, I realized that Onii-chan was sitting down next to me. Confronted with such a non-Onii-chan like behavior, I couldn’t help letting my voice out.

“W-What is it? I do think that you’re a little bit too close….”

“Suzuka, I’m sorry. I’m the one at fault.”

F-For some reason, Onii-chan is apologizing….? Don’t tell me, did he do something so horrific that he has to apologize right here and now?!

…..N-No way…I finally got him to be my stand-in, thinking that I might be able to make him fall in love with little sisters…..

“S-So you spilled the beans about being my stand-in and chose Himuro-san in the end?! You really had feelings for her, you liar!”

“What are you talking about? Are you having another misunderstanding? I don’t feel anything for Mai and I don’t plan on stopping being your stand-in either.”

I looked him in the eyes, only to turn away a few seconds after, continuing.

“Y-You’re lying. Even though you say that, you’re probably only thinking about Himuro-san.”

“Of course I’m worried about Mai, you know? But even more than that, I’m worried about you, Suzuka.”

“Fue?! W-What are you saying all of a sudden?”

“I really regret making my precious little sister so anxious.”

“Fua?!”

Hearing these words, I turned around to face Onii-chan in one quick motion.

…..W-W-W-What? W-What did Onii-chan just say….?

“P-P-Precious little sister….?!”

“Of course? Why are you so shocked about that?”

“N-Naturally I would be shocked! To think that Onii-chan would say something like that…..! I-Is this a dream or something?!”

“Nope, as far as I can tell, this is not a dream.”

“Ha?! I-I see! Y-You’re saying these things to distract me from the fact that you love Himuro-san, right?! I-I won’t be deceived?!”

“Like I said, it’s not like that. You are always my first priority.”

I-I am Onii-chan’s top priority?! Onii-chan does….love me….? That means…..I am his number one….Ehe, ehehehehehhehe.

“Ah?! N-No, something as lucky as that isn’t possible! You’re trying to make me relax with an ulterior motive in mind, am I right?!”

Ah, that was close…You won’t lull me in with these words!

“….That’s a problem. How can I make you believe me?”

“Hmpf! Talking big won’t convince me! You would have to show it with your actions!”

“Actions?”

“Y-Yes. If you really feel nothing at all for Himuro-san and cherish your little sister as you say, you should be able to be all lovey-dovey with me!” I said.

Judging from Onii-chan’s actions this far, he shouldn’t be able to do something like that.

“I see….So, what should I do?”

“Haha, you see now—–eh?”

What did Onii-chan just say?

“I’m asking you what I should do to make you satisfied.”

“Eh? Eh? A-Are you…serious?”

“Of course I am? If I can satisfy you with that, I will do anything.”

L-Like I told you, don’t say something like that please! My heart won’t take all the fantasies that will come flying into my head!

“W-What happened with you, Onii-chan….? But, if you ask me like that….how about you pat my head….?”

“Oh, if it’s like that.”

Putting his hand on my head, he started patting me.

“F-Fuwaaaaaaa?! W-W-What are you doing?! N-Normally, you would be more awkward at this?!”

W-Why is he doing it so smoothly now?! This is totally different from the time on the boat! It felt good that time too but this is on a whole other level! Haaa……..!

“Patting my little sister on the head is pretty normal, you know? I’d do something like this anytime you want. Here…pat pat pat”

“Fuwa?! Nya?!”

“How’s this? Will you finally forgive me?”

Onii-chan looks at me with a soft smile but I am too happy right now, rendering me unable to answer him.

Ha……Funya…….Onii-chan is acting weird….This is exactly like the situations that I wrote in my [Onii-chan notes]…..

“Oh, is it still no good? What else should I do then? Just tell me and I’ll do it for you.”

While I was still spacing out, Onii-chan went even more on the offensive.

T-This is really weird….O-Of course I am really happy right now and I never want this to end! But it’s still weird! I-Is it that? Some sort of operation to make me let my guard down?! I-It must be! If not, then this Onii-chan….ehehehe…..Ah, n-no good! Pull yourself together, me!

“If you say that…. Then, how about you hug me while patting my head? I-I’m sure that you won’t be able to do that so it’s alright for you to tell me what you’re planning and—-”

“OK, I got it.”

“Eh?”

Just as I thought that I finally had him cornered, he answered me as relaxed as before. In that moment of my carelessness, Onii-chan wrapped his arms around my back as if he was trying to calm down a child. With one hand, he continued to pat me on my head, saying….

“Is this fine? Suzuka really is a spoiled child, haha.”

“Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!” I shrieked without thinking.

“Nya?! W-Why?! This?! Onii-chan is?! Hau?!”

Ignoring my sudden outbursts, Onii-chan keeps on patting me.

“What happened, for you to become so flustered.”

“Ah, well, you know?! Something as blissful as this is happening in reality and not just in my fantasy?! Why is this?! Hauuuu……..!”

I realized that my face was getting hotter by the second and it felt like I was melting. On the contrary, Onii-chan was acting as if this doesn’t affect him at all.

“But Suzuka told me to do that right?”

“T-T-T-That might be true but still?!”

“A big brother can’t just turn down this precious little sisters request, right? There are limits of course but something like this is no big deal. It really seems like you’re a spoiled child, hehe.”

“Haaaauuu…..”

My hole body is filled with a sugary feeling and it feels as if my heart was about to burst. Still fearing that his might be just an act, I looked up at Onii-chan….

“I-Is it really true?”

“What is?”

“T-That I’m your most important person……that I am your number one….even more than Himuro-san…..”

“You’re still not believing me?”

“N-No…. T-Then, uhm, if you were to do one more thing, I might be able to believe you….”

In reality, I am so happy right now that I don’t care about all that though! B-But, since this is a good chance…I might give in to the temptation…..”

“T-T-T-Then, uhm, on my forehead…..”

“Mhm? On your forehead?”

“I-I-If you would kiss me on the forehead…….?!”

“Eh….?”

He had a shocked expression on his face…..Ah, ah, what am I saying!

“Auuu! P-Please act like you didn’t hear that! Forget about it!”

“No, it’s fine. I got it.”

“Eh?! No, uhm, like I said!?”

“Since we’re brother and sister, I can’t do the real thing but a kiss on the forehead is no problem at all, I think.”

“A-A-A-Are you serious?!”

“Yeah. It’s something like a good luck charm. Also…”

“A-Also?”

“I can’t turn down a request from my precious little sister, right?”

The moment I saw that smile of his, all the strength left my body.

…..I can’t think about anything anymore. Onii-chan, please do as you see fit with me…..

Onii-chan carefully pulled away my bangs. Then, as I realized that his face was coming closer, I felt a sweet, soft feeling on my forehead.

“Uhm, was that okay?”

He said so with his usual beaming smile. My reaction was……

“—————————————————————————————-?!?!”

With this, I completely broke, resulting in me letting out an inaudible scream.

Part 4:

“Ehe, ehehehehehehe, eheheheh, Onii-chan thinks of me…….ehehehehe”

“………”

Currently, I am sitting besides Suzuka on the bed, remembering my previous behavior, And I won’t be able to forget it either. I became the protagonist, Ryou, of Suzuka’s novel. A character that doesn’t realize his feelings for his little sister at all. Nonetheless, he treasures her from the bottom of his heart, resulting in a lot of situations getting more flirty and lovey-dovey every time. My actions from before were the exact same as Ryou’s, making me want do die every time I remember it.

Ah, not only patting her head but also hugging her and kissing her forehead….!!! C-Calm down. Just leave it like that for now! What’s important right now is the fact that I managed to become a character I wanted to be. The feeling, thoughts and the actions I took. Merely writing these things down would probably turn into a good novel alone.

If you were to enter the story of your world as the protagonist, it would make it more real than ever. That being said, really being able to achieve that was an important experience. If I was to become the protagonist, he wouldn’t be ending up as merely a puppet for the story. Realizing that I managed to make sure of that, my body was softly trembling of excitement. It felt like I was able to climb up the wall in front of me a bit higher than before. Being filled with determination, I formed a fist with my hand.

……That being said, though…..

“Ehe, ehehehe”

I turned around to face Suzuka, who was going “Funya funya” for quite some time now. Doing all that stuff to her without explaining anything really left behind a bad feeling in my chest.

…Well, it makes sense. It’s not like Suzuka was a character that loved her Onii-chan after all. Even though it wasn’t an operation like before, I forced her to put up with all these lovey-dovey things I did. It would be nice if this doesn’t end up as a trauma for her…..

“Uhm Suzuka?” Thinking that I should apologize to her, I raised my voice.

“Ehehehe, what is it, funya?”

It seems like she’s still not up to it….will she really be fine?

“Ah, uhm, I’m really sorry about before. But, it would make sense that you wouldn’t forgive me like that. I had my reasons for it, so please let me explain.”

“Eheheh, is that so, nya.”

“…….I was always thinking about what it means to have a weak protagonist and just now, I came up with a sort-of answer. How about I just became that character, something like that.

“Eheheh, is that so, nya.”

“T-Then I thought of thinking like a character would. The character that came to my mind was the protagonist of your novel. With my viewpoint being the same as Ryou’s, I realized that I had made you mad before and my body started moving without thinking.”

“Ehehe, is that so, nya.”

“What I want to say is, these actions before were things I did in my pseudo-Ryou state. So it’s definitely not like I really love little sisters or anything, you can trust me on that. However, I realized that my train of thought was right and if I started thinking like them, I would be able to create a strong protagonist.”

“Ehehe, is that so, nya.”

“Also, if I was to teach Mai about that, I’m sure this would clear up the troubles she still has……But, to tell you the truth, I still have doubts. Mai is a professional writer after all. Would it really be okay to give her an advice like this?”

“Ehehe, is that so, nya.”

“…..Hey, are you really listening to me?”

“Ehehe, yes, I’m listening, nya?” She answered with a loose smile.

……I do really think that you didn’t listen at all though? And what’s up with that “nya” of hers…..?

“I don’t undestant why Onii-chan is still hesitating, nya.”

“Nya….what does that even mean….? And also, I’m wondering if someone like me does have the right to—-”

“Onii-chan isn’t [someone like me].” She was till going “Nya nya” all over the place but her voice was as clear as day.

“Onii-chan is my Onii-chan. And even more than that, nya, Onii-chan is Towano Chikai. I’ve been telling you countless times, didn’t I, nya?”

“But still…..”

“No buts, nya. Have some self-confidence. You showed me countless times how much you love little sisters but you didn’t manage to [Become] Towano Chikai yet.”

[Become] Towano Chikai—-at those words, I swallowed my breath.

…..I see. Becoming the protagonist of the novel and also becoming the author, doesn’t that mean the exact same thing when acting as a character…..!

Looking at it that way, I really didn’t become Towano Chikai yet. Even in all those operations, it doesn’t fit together at all. It’s because I don’t actually like little sisters—-is what I always thought in the depths of my heart, which resulted in my awkward behavior. That explains why Mai was never really satisfied.

“I see…..so it was like that…. So you realized that and told me that I didn’t mange to act as Towano Chikai yet, right?”

“Ehehe, eh? What is it, nya?”

“I understand it now, Suzuka….Because I was always so thickheaded, I put you in a lot of trouble….It’s fine now, though. The me right now will become Towano Chikai, I’m sure of it!”

“No no, you didn’t trouble me at all. On the contrary, I am extremely happy right nyaow.”

It seemed like she was mumbling something again with a smile on her face but I wasn’t listening anymore. I was focusing on becoming Towano Chikai right now.

…..I don’t feel any resistance anymore. There’s no doubt anymore that I am Towano Chikai. I felt like I really became the one and only Towano Chikai.

“Alright….Then, what should I be doing now?”

No need to think about that. Clear up Mai’s doubts. Clearing up Mai’s problems. Teaching the answer to the person that has the exact same troubles as I do.

…..Teach me the secret of Towano Chikai, you say? I’ll teach you anything you want alright!

“I’m going to Mai’s room for a bit.”

Standing up from the bed as I said so, I made my way towards the door.

“Ehehe…., eh? O-Onii-chan? Going to Himuro-san’s room, you say—-” She said as she looked like she would be trying to stop me.

….I know I know. You’re worried if I really was able to become Towano Chikai, right?

“No need to worry, Suzuka. The me right now is Towano Chikai. It’s fine.”

“No, uhm, it’s not about that but why are you going over to Himuro-sans’s room so late at night?”

“Oh, so you’re still anxious about that? ….Then, I’ll give you the proof right now.”

Facing Suzuka head-on, I looked straight into her eyes and opened my mouth.

“Right now, I can say that I love little sisters from the bottom of my heart!”

That’s a phrase only Towano Chikai would be able to say. Being able to get that out of my mouth without hesitating, I really felt like I became him.

“Fue? L-Love….., L-L-L-L-Love?! Onii-chan does?! M-Me?! Fueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!”

Letting out a scream after hearing my words, Suzuka looked at me with a red face.

……Mhm? That’s not the reaction I expected. I totally thought that she would be saying something like [Onii-chan is properly acting as Towano Chikai now!]…..Well whatever, with this, she should believe me.

“Alright then, this time I’ll get rid of Mai’s doubts for sure.”

Leaving Suzuka behind, who was only making inaudible noises, I left the room.

Part 5:

“Heeey, Mai! Are you still awake?!” I knocked on Mai’s door without holding back.

Although it has gotten pretty late into the night, I didn’t have the time to be bothered by that.

“Oi, don’t make such a noise!” Immediately after that, Mai came out.

She looked at me with an unpleasant expression. Doesn’t look like she was sleeping until now and the lights are on. Did she work on her manuscript possibly? Perfect timing.

“What’s your business, coming her this late?”

Being suddenly visited by the person you just had a fight with, Mai seemed to be baffled. Without answering her question, I entered her room with an “I’m coming in”.

“Ah, what, why are you coming in! Hey! What do you want?”

Mai was clearly confused because of my actions. Without sparing any thought to that though, I started stating my business.

“Right now, I will make an exception and tell you the secret of Towano Chikai’s, my novel.”

“…..Eh? Secret…? Ehhhhh?! W-What’s this all of a sudden?!”

“Why are you so shocked? Even though you said that you will definitely reveal my secret?”

“T-That might be so but still! No, not that! Yuu isn’t Towano Chikai, right?!”

“I am the one and only Towano Chikai.”

Closing in on her, I slammed my hand behind her on the wall. The so-called kabe-don.

“Eh? Eh? W-What is this?! Y-Yuu?!”

“Listen carefully now.”

Mai seemed to be really perplexed as her cheeks seemed a bit flushed but I still continued without paying any more attention to that.

“The secret of Towano Chikai that you wanted to know….Basically, the thing you’re lacking is….you have to become the character that you want to write!”

“W-What?! Just when I wandered what you were planning as you entered my room in the middle of the night and pulling a kabe-don on me….just what the hell are you talking about?! That’s such a basic thing to be doing when writing a novel! I-I even had my hopes up…..! Ah, only because you told me that you were telling me your secret okay?! Not because you did a kabe-don with me!? But never mind that, I am doing that all the time I’m writing, you know!”

“No, you’re not! Your efforts are still lacking!”

Cutting of her words, Mai became speechless.

“Listen here, becoming your character isn’t really that simple, alright? Even for me, it feels like I’ll lose it as soon as I relax for a second! The proof of that is that manuscript of mine that you read at school!”

“Eh? W-Was it really because of that….?”

“Exactly. As a lesson, I took that failure of a manuscript with me. Not forgetting the things you lack are an important trait of a professional writer after all. Also, I wanted you to realize that as well.”

“Eh? What do you mean….? Ha?! D-Don’t tell me, me seeing that manuscript was your plan all along?!

“Yeah, it went just as planned. The truth is, I knew that you were basically stalking me from the very beginning. Still, as a fellow professional light novel writer, I couldn’t just teach you everything without having you achieve it on your own. In the end, I brought my manuscript with me to make you see it and announced that I would be flirting with Suzuka.”

“S-So that date was also because of that….?”

“Of course. Even this training camp, it’s not because of my research but I planned it for you.”

“I-I didn’t realize at all….”

“You kept talking about my secret but it’s not that big of a deal. Only, when I write on my novel, I tend to become the character—particularly the protagonist.”

“B-But, it’s not that easy—”

“Yes, it’s not merely on the level of becoming the character. When I’m writing, I fuse together with the character and adapt his personality. Even if it’s a character than you can’t sympathize with, it’s your duty as a professional light novel writer to power through that.”

“The duty of a professional writer……” She muttered and I continued.

“I’m sure that you can do it as well. After all, you’re novels are plenty fun to read already. There’s no way that you can’t do it. That’s why, don’t give up! Have some self-confidence! You are Towano Chikai’s rival, aren’t you?!” With that, I closed my mouth. I said everything I wanted her to hear.

Mai doesn’t answer me. She just keeps silent. It felt like eternity until she opened her mouth.

“…..Why?”

“Why what?” I asked.

“Why is Yuu going so far….saying these things for me?” She looked at me with moist eyes.

“Why you ask…..I can’t really leave you alone when you’re on such a tight spot, right?”

“Why are you going so far for someone like me….? Coming to my room this late…..and also…..doing a kabe-don…..!” She seemed to be in total confusion.

“You’re a light novel writer with the same ambition as me. Also—”

You were facing the same wall that I had…..but, I can’t say that as Towano Chikai.

“Also…..?”

“Because I love your novel so much, I want to read the continuation!”

For some reason, those were the words that I said with the most force behind them.

…..These were my true feelings, probably.

“You love my novel….?”

“….Yeah. I said it before but I’m not lying.”

Mai once more kept quiet. After a short while though, she put both hands on my chest, and pushed me away softly. I stopped the kabe-don and looked at her. As I did, she suddenly looked up, tears were building up in the corners of her eyes and she daringly smiled at me with a red face.

“….I got it.”

“Eh?”

“I said that I got it! I’ll try! If Towano Chikai—no, Yuu is going so far, I can’t pull back now!” She said with a strong voice as she booted up her notebook PC on her desk. “Becoming the protagonist…..you say. No problem! I’ll do it, so just watch me! I’ll show that to my editor, making him regret using the word [one-dimensional] related to my characters!” She sat down on her chair and started typing on her keyboard.

“….Are you fine now?”

“Of course! I did receive a direct advice from you after all! I won’t let that go to waste! As your number one fan and as your rival!”

Taking away my eyes from the notebook PC screen, Mai said so self-confidently. Looking at her now, I let out a sigh.

I was about to leave the room as she once more started talking to me.

“Hey, Yuu.”

I turned around to face her while holding the doorknob in my hand.

“Y-You said before….that you like my novel, right?”

“Mhm? Ah, you’re still doubting me?”

“I-I trust you. After all that you said….you know. For the next volume, I’ll make it even more interesting than before….That’s why, look forward to it, okay!”

Without looking towards me, her cheeks seeming slightly flushed. Having a really pleasant feeling in my chest, I answered “Alright” and left the room.

“Thank you….for saying that you like my novel, Yuu.”

The moment I closed the door, I felt like I heard these words from Mai.

Part 6:

“…..Well, to think that you would be able to say these things.”

The moment I left Mai’s room, I heard a voice calling out to me, making me twitch in surprise. Looking for the source, I saw Suzuka calling out to me with an astonished expression.

“Y-You….don’t tell me you were listening?”

Saying these words, I felt that I turned back to [Nagami Yuu].

“Y-Your voice was so loud that it was audible from the outside. Going to a girls room this late into the night would be a big problem if something bad happened after all.” She said as she looked the other way.

“A-Ah, alright….”

Is she in a bad mood…?— I wondered as her expression loosened up for some reason.

“W-Well, it’s not like I was worried or anything…. You said that you like little sisters with that confession earlier…..ehe, ehehe…….” She was mumbling about some weird stuff again.

“Uhm……”

I didn’t bother with that though. The moment I came back to my own self, I remembered all the things that I said before and a horrible feeling assaulted me.

“Ahh, I said some unbelievable things, didn’t I….?”

“Regarding the incident of her seeing your Manuscript and even the date operation, you said that it was all for her sake, didn’t you. Without any hesitation….”

“Ugh….I’m sorry about that, I really am. That time I became Towano Chikai, so I didn’t realize what I was saying….”

“No, there is no need to apologize…..Also, Himuro-san was satisfied by your words, wasn’t she? It’s fine then. That is the definite proof that you managed to become Towano Chikai.” Hearing her say that, it raised my mood a little bit.

However—-there still is one thing that I must apologize about.

“Sorry, Suzuka!”

“Eh? No, there really is no need for that….”

“Nay, I do have something I have to apologize to you for. If I had managed to become Towano Chikai sooner, there wouldn’t have been any need to force you into these operations and troubling you….”

“That’s not something you have to apologize for…..Also, I was really happy, being able to be all lovey-dovey with Onii-chan….”

“Also….what?”

“It’s nothing! R-Rather than that, I didn’t think of it as trouble at all, so don’t be bothered by it.” She broke eye contact with me, her face getting more red by the second.

…..Really now, my little sisters is such a good girl. Normally, she doesn’t hold back at all but at times like these, she says such encouraging words….

Thinking like that, I felt my body was getting heavy. It’s probably because I was constantly on edge these past few days and that exhaustion is catching up with me. And also because all these problems are finally cleared up—-

“Huh? No, wait….?”

—–No, that’s right. I forgot one crucial thing. There’s still something missing that was plaguing me before coming to this training camp.

“Ah, Onii-chan? Where are you going?”

“I’m going back to the room.”

Just like I said, I returned to the room, booted up my notebook PC and opened up the writing software. That’s right, I didn’t make any progress with my own entry manuscript at all. The deadline is right around the corner after all. Besides the plot, my progress is zero. Although it might look like a lost cause, I wasn’t stressed out in the least. Since I managed to conquer my troubles, I’m sure that I can write it. That’s the confidence I had.

“You’re going to write on your manuscript at a time like this?” Suzuka asked, also following me back to the room.

“Well, I said all these big words to Mai after all. I would feel really bad if I didn’t go beyond my limits as well….Oh, yeah. Sorry. I’m sure that you want to sleep, right? I’ll just go to the living room then—”

“No, that’s not a problem.” She said while sitting down next to me.

Just when I thought what she was doing, she put down her own notebook PC next to mine.

“I will work on my own manuscript as well, so there’s no need for you to change location.”

“Eh? But it’s already pretty late….and I will take the all-nighter course, you know? Also, you should’ve been finished with your manuscript, right?”

“I still have to put all that data from our training camp into my novel after all. Isn’t that obvious?” She said as if it was completely natural.

“That might be true but still…why next to me?”

Just like one would suspect, we were really close to each other. If I was to move only a little bit, our shoulders would touch.

“Because I want to be at Onii-chan’s side.”

“……Eh?”

I was bewildered after hearing that unexpected answer. Still being red-faced, Suzuka once more moved her lips.

“R-Right now, I am writing a novel where the little sister loves her Onii-chan so much she can’t cope with it, right? T-To become that little sister, being next to my Onii-chan is a given, don’t you think?”

A-Ahh, I see, that’s what she meant.

“….Mhm? But, weren’t you possessed when you wrote on your novel?”

“D-Don’t mind the small stuff. Rather than that, please start working.”

“O-Oh yeah….”

It’s just as Suzuka said. I won’t be able to make it until the deadline if I don’t start now. Once I started focusing on my manuscript, so did Suzuka. For a short, only the sound of keyboard could be heard.

“…….”

However, something was stopping me from really concentrating. The Suzuka right next to me was always on my mind. I didn’t even have to think about it. I forgot the most important thing.

“Hey, Suzuka.” I called out to her in a quiet voice. No answer. She’s probably too concentrated on her manuscript right now. But, that didn’t matter. I continued.

“Well…..thank you.”

What came out were words of thankfulness. That’s right, I did apologize to Suzuka but I never thanked her for all she had done for me. I just had to tell her that. Although it felt pretty awkward because there were so many things I was thankful for.

…..Not that it matters, I guess. The me right now isn’t anything like the siscon big brother in her novel nor the little sister loving Towano Chikai. These are the words of no one else than her ordinary big brother Nagami Yuu.

I returned to my manuscript while Suzuka still hasn’t said anything. Did she hear me? Well, there’s no way for me to check anyway.

This time for sure, I focused on my manuscript. In that moment I felt like I heard a soft laughter from right next to me.

Part 7:

The only sound remaining in the room was the tapping of keyboards. While I was working on my manuscript, I remembered back to the incident a few hours prior.

Maybe Onii-chan really loves Himuro-san after all—-these thoughts were a misunderstanding on my part. He denied that straight up with his actions and words.

…..At first, I didn’t really trust him, remaining anxious that whole time. But right now, these doubts are completely gone. Right now, as his little sister….no as Onii-chan’s beloved little sister, I have plenty confidence in that.

B-Because, Onii-chan told me that rather than Himuro-san, he loves little sisters, basically me, much more!

—–I really love little sisters!

Are there any words more beautiful than these, I wonder? No, there aren’t. For a while now, these words are constantly reverberating in my head. I don’t need any other words than that from him. That’s what I’m thinking.

“Ehehe”

Oh, no good. If I let my guard down just a bit, I’ll start grinning endlessly. Right next to me is Onii-chan, so I have to pull myself together. This isn’t the time to be submerged in that happiness. In fact, I am Onii-chan’s bride, specifically his wife, so there’s no need to be rushing.

…..That’s right, just a few hours before. I became his wife. We married and became a couple! Of course, this time it is not only my imagination though? He properly proposed to me after all! It feels like the fantasy that I wrote about in my [Onii-chan notes] finally came to life…..

My light novel is the novelized version of these notes. And his proposal was exactly like that one scene. But that lovey-dovey scene from before wasn’t fiction at all!

“Onii-chan loves me…..ehehehehe…..”

…..That being said, I didn’t expect our relationship to advance this much during our training camp. I wonder how our newlywed-life will turn out from her on out? Living a lovey-dovey lifestyle with Onii-chan is just like I wanted it to be but if the stimulus is too great, I probably won’t be able to survive.

….Suzuka, I love you. Your personality, your body….everything—–

He would probably say things like that right?! W-What should I do!? Ha…..! Just imagining it made me shiver all over. O-Of course, I still wouldn’t say no to that at all! It is the duty of the wife to fully accept the love of her husband! Ahh….but if he really was to say these words, I would certainly faint! N-Not good, me! I have to carve these words into my heart and remember them for the rest of my life!

Haaahaaa…..not good. Somehow, it feels like my head is burning up. To make sure that we will spend a vigorous newlywed-life together, I have to hold myself back now, as discipline!

“Haaauuu…”

Trying to calm myself down, I took a glance over at Onii-chan who was still sitting next to me. With a serious expression, he was still working at his manuscript.

…..Ahhh, you really are too gallant…Onii-chan is always plenty cool but at times like these, it’s really unfair how cool he looks! The sight of him, having conquered his worries and earnestly writing his manuscript without faltering.

….This is bad, just looking at him makes my thoughts go rampant. Ah, for crying out loud, how much is he trying to lead me astray until he is satisfied…This must be a crime. Randomly patting me on the head, hugging me, followed up by a kiss on the forehead….. Somehow, I feel like it wouldn’t be too bad if he was to keep leading me astray….Ah, I have to stop! I was trying to calm myself down so why am I already thinking about that again!

….Fuuu, in the end, it’s Onii-chan’s fault for being too cool. I wanted to avert my eyes from him but I couldn’t….He really is a bad person. Making such an pleasant expression….it makes me want to kiss you on the cheek, doesn’t it!?

…..No no, like I said, stop thinking about that, me. I was really about to do that but I can’t be bothering him now. He’s finally immersed in his manuscript. That being said, I really am glad that he is finally back on his feet. Well, since we’re talking about my Onii-chan, I always believed that he would be able to do it.

It’s true that he can be unreliable from time to time but that’s another cute aspect of him. Still, if it’s something that even involves the troubles of other people, he will surely pull through it. Just like this time. He helped Himuro-san by becoming his character—exactly what I always do.

Although I do not know if that is the right technique, it is something that he came up with, being Towano Chikai, so it is without fault be the right way. When I’m writing on my manuscript or my [Onii-chan notes], I’m always being troubled by how much I love Onii-chan after all.

….Well, it would be nice if I was able to sincerely show that though….Oh but this isn’t the time to be in low spirits. We finally became a married couple after all so let’s leave the improvement of myself for later. For now, I should be happy with the fact that Onii-chan arrived at the answer that overlapped with my own thoughts. It means that both our hearts are connected with each other.

Just what I would expect from my soulmate! The only thing that we still lack is to have a marriage that is accepted by society and connect physically with our bodies—–what am I thinking about?! It’s still to early for that!

Haaa…..I have to stop. It always ends up lie this. The moment I get excited about that, my thoughts drift off in all sorts of places.

“……..”

Without knowing about them, he’s still devoted to his writing. In front of my eyes right now are the strong-willed shoulders of Onii-chan.

…..He probably won’t realize if it’s just a bit…..— Thinking that, I softly leaned against his shoulders with my head.

Hauu….this position really is the best. Feeling his warmth, it seemed like my consciousness was about to drift far way.

Now that I think about it, just now, Onii-chan was thanking me, right?

…..Even though I should be the one to say that. For always giving your best for the never honest me. I am well aware of the fact that all the fault lies with me for making you my stand-in but you never said anything to me about that….. That’s why I will say it. I have to say it.

Before I drowned in happiness, I mustered all the courage I had and thanked my beloved Onii-chan

“Onii-chan, I’m so thankful for everything you do for me…..”