Ore Ga Suki Nano Wa Imouto Dakedo Imouto Janai Volume 11 Chapter 4

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Towano Chikai

The sound of the manuscript pages being flipped over and over filled the room. But once that was finally over, I came back from my trance and let out a sigh.

“…So you were serious.”

“Yes.”

Suzuka was the one who answered my sigh, which had originally been directed at nobody. Giving the manuscript one last glance, I returned it to Suzuka.

It was the day after our fulfilling date, which had ended in our first shared kiss. That being said, the gleeful atmosphere from yesterday had vanished, and we were now fighting yet another obstacle. The obstacle in question was the manuscript for the popular light novel “The story about a little sister who loves her big brother way too much to cope,” written by Towano Chikai. It’s a little sister novel with lovey-dovey siblings which contains all of Suzuka’s feelings for me. The quality this time around was as marvelous as always, which made a light novel fan like myself excited beyond belief. There was one big problem, however—

“…It really is the final volume, huh?”

The instant I finished reading it, I was assaulted by a huge feeling of loss. Just as Suzuka had announced yesterday, this very manuscript would set the foundation for the final volume of her series. It wasn’t a story that would keep going endlessly, and I’ve gotten used to seeing series end like this.

Every time something like this happened, especially when it was a series I truly adored, it felt like I fell into the abyss of despair and sadness, but nothing of this sort had ever happened before. It felt like I had lost the basis for my entire life—or rather, like I was losing the light to walk down a path I had previously dropped everything to walk down.

…Either way, though I can’t explain it in more literary terms, the gist of it was that it shocked me like nothing ever before. But before I could give in to this feeling of emptiness, there was something I had to check first and foremost.

“Why… did it suddenly end…?” I carefully asked Suzuka.

“My novel is a written form of my feelings for you, Onii-chan. That is the reason for this very last volume.”

“…Basically?”

“…The two of us have achieved mutual love. Since that’s the case, there’s no need to keep writing anymore…Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that I cannot write anymore.” Suzuka explained with a slightly saddened smile.

Hearing this explanation, I was at a loss for words. The only words I could think of were ‘I thought so’. Thinking back to all the things Suzuka had said up until now, her reasoning made perfect sense, and I have always kept this possibility in mind…That being said, hearing it from Suzuka’s mouth directly it still is a bit of a shock. Naturally, it’s not like I had any ground to try and tell her she shouldn’t.

“I see…”

After resting in silence for a second, I returned a rather aloof response. It was a shame, but considering the state of things and our feelings towards that matter, it would be unreasonable to ask her to rethink this decision.

“Are you fine with this? You won’t regret this, will you?”

“Of course not. When you think about the reason I started writing, this is the obvious result. Naturally, I do feel a bit sad knowing that it’s over, but… this was inevitable.”

“I see…” were the only words I could say in response.

Now that Suzuka herself has accepted it, I have nothing more to say.

“…Onii-chan.”

I kept quiet thinking about what she had said, but Suzuka suddenly directed an awfully serious gaze at me.

“What’s wrong?” Overwhelmed by this, I gulped.

“My novel—No, my career as a light novel author—ends here. I can’t write anymore.”

“That’s why—” she continued.

“…You don’t have to give up on your dream for my sake again, Onii-chan.”

“…What do you mean?”

“You turned down the light novel grand prize, which you had always dreamed of winning, for my sake, right? However, that reason is gone now.” Suzuka didn’t avert her eyes, and she spoke in a clear tone. “I should have said this the moment we ended up in mutual love…But, back then, my brain was just focused on…f-flirting with Onii-chan day in, day out, so I couldn’t say it…” Suzuka went beet red, fidgeting.

…N-Now that she mentions it, it completely slipped my mind with all the confession ruckus going on.

“…That being said, going on this date with you yesterday…a-and even…sharing a k-k-kiss…! When I realized that we had truly become lovers, this is what I thought to myself. I have to face this problem head-on now.”

Suzuka held one hand on her chest, slowly closing her eyes, only to open them up again, brimming with determination.

“As I told you before, my happiness is Onii-chan’s happiness. It’s your job to chase your own dream and grasp it with your own two hands. That’s why I want you to become a full-fledged light novel author.”

“Suzuka…”

“Since I will give up on being a light novel author, there is no need for you to stay as my stand-in anymore…E-Even without that, the two of us have become one. In short, every reason that could have stopped you from chasing your dream has vanished.” She spoke with confidence, but I could see a faint glimmer of anxiety in her eyes.

She must be worried that I’m going to try to find a reason yet again to throw away my dream. I understood the kindness behind her intentions in its fullest. But… that worry was unneeded, I guess.

To be honest, all Suzuka has said makes perfect sense about now, and there’s nothing I can say against it. Nor was I planning on doing so, because I had been thinking this as well.

The day Suzuka and I basically became a couple—the day she said that her happiness was my own happiness—I felt what seemed like a wall inside of me disappear, a wall which had forced me to prioritize Suzuka. With everything happening, I’ve kind of lost track of it, but now that I have a clear mind about it, it’s just as Suzuka said. I have no reason to give up on my dream anymore.

“…Yeah. I’m still aiming to become a light novel author.” I accepted this reality and nodded.

“O-Onii-chan…!” Suzuka said as tears started building in her eyes, a bright smile on her face.

“Thank you, Suzuka. If you had said that you were going to give up on being a light novel author for my sake, I might have not…”

“W-What are you saying? Just as I said, the reason I decided to stop being a light novel author is because I myself cannot write anymore!”

“I-I know that. I’m not doubting you.”

Knowing how kind and considerate Suzuka is, it wasn’t exactly unthinkable, but I know she wouldn’t be lying to me now, so that was one reason. The second reason, which had forced me to keep this novel I wrote, full of my feelings for Suzuka, locked away from the world, had vanished as well. Suzuka knows about my feelings about her, so there’s no need to hide anything.

…Basically, everything that had stopped me from going back to chasing my dream had vanished in front of my eyes.

“Hauuu…! Onii-chan’s determined expression is so cool after all…!”

“Eh?! D-Did I make that kind of face?!”

I felt happy when Suzuka told me that, but at the same time, it was awfully embarrassing.

“W-Well, you know. Deciding to chase my dream now feels like turning down the grand light novel prize sure was a waste.”

“Ah…I-I’m sorry…all for my sake…!”

“Ah, no, you’re wrong, okay?! I’m not blaming you or anything. I just thought about it!” I frantically tried to calm Suzuka down, who looked close to breaking out in tears.

Really, she’s so kind and honest, it’s killing me…in a good way, that is.

“It can’t be helped now that it’s in the past. In reality, I managed to win the grand light novel prize, so I’ll just try and debut with another publisher,” I said with a grin, trying to give Suzuka some relief.

As a matter of fact, there is no other option but this. It’s a shame that I wasted such a big chance like that, but I don’t regret it at all. It’s just about me going back to my old days.

“…No, Onii-chan.”

“It’s fine. One day, I’ll definitely make it up there again. It couldn’t have only been luck that I won it last time…probably.”

Suzuka started shaking her head, so I tried to calm her down, but—

“You’re wrong, Onii-chan. That is not what I wanted to say.”

Not knowing what Suzuka was trying to say, I just tilted my head in confusion…Is she worried that I won’t be able to win another light novel grand prize?

“Since you’re you, Onii-chan, I have no doubts that you’ll be able to win again.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“It’s not like I have a problem or anything…I’m trying to say that there is another path that would allow you to become a light novel author.”

“Eh?!”

A-Another path for becoming a light novel author…? What is she talking about?

“It is a path that I would like you to take if possible.”

“W-What are you talking about? Is there another way to debut aside from winning a grand prize? And why would you prefer it…?” I was confused and didn’t know what Suzuka was referring to.

Suzuka’s next words inflicted an even greater shock on me.

“That is… for Onii-chan to become Towano Chikai in my stead.”

“…………Huh?”

Naturally, I had no idea what Suzuka was talking about, but the more these words repeated themselves in my head, the more clearer the meaning became.

“…W-What are you talking about…?!”

“Exactly what I said. I can’t write a novel as Towano Chikai anymore. And because of that, I want Onii-chan to keep writing novels as Towano Chikai in my stead.” Suzuka spoke as calmly as ever.

Giving me no indication that she was joking she fixed me with a serious gaze.

“D-Don’t be ridiculous! That’s just…! I’m supposed to inherit the name of Towano Chikai?! As if I could do that!” I said, unable to accept Suzuka’s idea.

“Why?”

“Why…?! Because you’re Towano Chikai, Suzuka. I’m just your stand-in. A fake, nothing more. Even if I have the pen name, I can’t just inherit a name as big as Towano Chikai.”

“I personally think you’re more than fit for this. Have you forgotten that both of us are Towano Chikai? Why would you not be able to inherit the name?”

“You say that, but our duties were way too different. I was just being Towano Chikai’s face on the outside, but I didn’t actually touch anything concerning the novel. And also…”

“And also?”

“…Towano Chikai is something like a genius author. The quality of every volume quite frankly is insane, and although I’m not as excited about it as Shinozaki-san, I’m sure that the name will go down in light novel history. Like a golden existence. And now you’re telling me to inherit that name… Nobody could hope to achieve the same!”

“No, Onii-chan should be able to do so. Rather, you’re the only person who’d be able to achieve this, Onii-chan.”

Suzuka immediately denied my statement.

“…H-How can you be so confident about that? You’re not just seeing things in a favorable light because it’s me, right?”

“Of course not. From an objective point of view, I’m confident that you’ll be able to inherit the name of Towano Chikai.” Suzuka said with no hesitation whatsoever, her gaze as confident as ever.

“How can you be so sure about that…?”

“From my position as Towano Chikai, that is obvious.”

“Your position as Towano Chikai?”

“Yes. Just as you know, my novel is basically a written version of my feelings for you. That is how the novel ‘The story of a little sister who loves her big brother way too much to cope’ was born.”

“…Th-Thinking about it, creating a novel with feelings like that is pretty amazing…”

“But the opposite is true, as well. All I had were my feelings for you. No talent whatsoever. If I don’t put any more feelings for Onii-chan in there, I cannot write. However—” Suzuka continued.

“The fact that I have succeeded in writing a novel like this with just my feelings shows that I can trust in you.”

“W-What do you mean?”

Before Suzuka gave me a clear answer, she took out a different manuscript than the one I had read before and showed it to me…Wait, this is…?!

“I-I have taken the liberty of reading the novel you won the grand prize with…”

Yes, this was the entry novel that won me the grand light novel prize, ‘The story of me and my little sister.’ When we came home yesterday evening, Suzuka asked for permission to read it. Since she already knew my feelings, there was no need to hide it anymore. Though having her read about all of my emotions was awfully embarrassing, the same was true for both of us, so I just handed it over quietly.

“I-I see… and how was it?”

I would have loved to avoid asking for her impressions, but my curiosity as an author got the better of me.

“I-It was a wonderful novel, and it shows lots of your emotions. I read this novel over and over again last night, and every time it was so clear how much you love your little sister. It was so amazing that my heart was about to burst. This makes it no surprise to me that you won the grand prize…!”

…Ugh, this is bad…! It’s so embarrassing…! But I’m also really happy…! Hearing it from Suzuka directly is oddly precious to me.

“W-Well, thanks for that… B-But you know… about your detailed impressions…it’s a bit too embarrassing, so maybe if you could…not…?”

That being said, this felt like some kind of torture, so I asked Suzuka to hold back a bit.

“What are you saying?! This is the little sister novel you wrote, Onii-chan! Your love towards little sisters—your love towards me—is overflowing from this! I couldn’t be happier that you did the exact same thing as me! This isn’t just a light novel, this is a treasure for all of humanity! Every single human on earth should be forced to read this for school!”

“You’re on the same level as Shinozaki-san now?!”

Suzuka however did the exact opposite of what I asked for, and instead started praising my novel even more, growing more and more enthusiastic.

“I-I get it already. I understood that you really like this novel…”

“Ahh, the two of us really share a single heart… To think that we would both put our emotions and feelings into a novel… We really are soulmates!”

“You’re not listening at all! Hey, come back already!”

Suzuka gazed at the ceiling in a daze, holding both her hands to her cheeks as she muttered to herself. That just showed how much she valued this novel.

“…Listen, Suzuka. About you stopping as an author, and me debuting with my own novel… Basically, Towano Chikai has to finish his current series and move on to his next one, but the editor has to give the okay for that.”

“W-Why? It’s a novel from Towano Chikai, so should that really matter?”

“It’s important because the novel is different. As you know, your series is insanely popular. If you publish a new volume, it will sell. It’s something that the publisher will spare no expense printing. If you finish it and move on to a new series, you might never know if it’ll also end up as a hit, so you can’t act rashly, okay?”

“T-That might be true, but… The fact that it’ll be written by Towano Chikai doesn’t change, does it? Won’t it have similar results?”

“No, that isn’t the case,” I shook my head. “This industry isn’t that simple. Though a lot of fans of the genre exist, there are only few fans who will follow an author personally, and a lot of these probably only really follow one series from said author. Just because it’s the same author doesn’t mean that a series will sell just as well. There’s been a lot of cases where a popular author releases their next work and it ends up a total flop.”

“H-However, I really can’t write any more.”

“…That might be the case normally, but we shouldn’t rush things. Since the current series is ending, and we’re proposing a new one, we have to consult Shinozaki-san either way.”

“That… is true…”

Suzuka wanted to argue against my reasoning, but she found herself unable to do so. She had decided to stop her current series so that I could succeed her as Towano Chikai with a new one. However, those are just our own circumstances. Light novels are created by both the author and the publisher. I knew very well that it’ll all work out only if we work together. If you try to be pushy about these sorts of things, you might be excluded from the world of light novels right away.

That would end up betraying all of Towano Chikai’s current faithful readers. As a fellow fan myself, I can’t allow that to happen.

“What happened, Onii-chan?”

“…If we talk about this with Shinozaki-san, she might be willing to understand, but I think we have to do so in person, and not via email or a phone call.”

“Th-That’s right… I’ll join you when the time comes. Shinozaki-san and I tend to get along rather well, so I’m sure she will understand!”

…Yeah, she said something very Shinozaki-san-like just now…

“…Ah! I will send her an email right away! I’ll ask if we can meet up in person because I have something important to talk about!” Suzuka said and immediately dashed out of the room. I guess I could ask her over the phone later as well, but she’ll probably pick up on the fact that something is off.

…Or will she even understand us during this meeting? To the eyes of an outsider, this is just both of us being selfish. On top of that, we haven’t revealed that Suzuka isn’t actually the real Towano Chikai, so can we even convince her of it? And we can’t get her to agree to our proposal, what will happen?

Just thinking about it sent a shiver down my spine. Is this the kind of pressure that a professional light novel author has to deal with? Will I be able to live through this? …No, I guess since I’m the one who’s supposed to inherit the name ‘Towano Chikai’, I’ll have to…

“Onii-chan! I got an email back!”

“So fast?! Wait, there’s a call coming?!”

While I was lost in thought, Suzuka returned and my phone started vibrating, notifying me of an incoming call. Either way, now that I’ve decided to inherit the name of Towano Chikai, there was only one path to take. In order to grant Suzuka’s wish of me becoming Towano Chikai, and to grant my own dream.

“H-Hello…”

I steeled my resolve as Suzuka formed fists with her hands in anticipation. And then I answered the call.

*

“That sure surprised me. I never thought that Towano Chikai would ask for a direct meeting like this.”

The following day, Suzuka and I were sitting inside the main office of Sumeragi Publishing, inside the editorial department’s meeting room to be precise, with Shinozaki-san in front of us.

“…I’m sorry. It was pretty abrupt.”

“Well, I don’t mind. Today is the 28th, so this is the final day of the year, but I consider myself lucky to be able to meet with you like this,” Shinozaki-san said, putting down plastic cups with coffee in front of Suzuka and I.

“Apologies that I had to come, too,” Suzuka lowered her head.

“Don’t be. Sensei and Imouto-san are almost like one entity. I would never consider you a bother. I almost feel like thanking you for coming here as well,” She said with a kind smile. “Now then—”

The smile she had showed us quickly disappeared, and it was replaced by a serious expression. Normally, she seemed like a lax person who always bothered me with nonsensical calls at the worst times, but she had the gaze of a proper editor right now.

“So what do you want to talk about? You mentioned that it was hard to talk about in your email and during our call.”

“It is indeed something very important,” I answered with as much heaviness in my voice as I could.

Shinozaki-san narrowed her eyes to that. I took a deep breath and started saying what I had thought about yesterday.

“The thing is, I would like to end my series in the next volume.”

“What?” Shinozaki-san’s eyebrow twitched in disbelief, but I continued.

“I had a certain change of heart which won’t allow me to continue the series. It’s not that I don’t want to write it anymore, but more that I can’t. That being the case, I want to finish the series in the next volume.”

“…That sure is abrupt.”

Of course it was. I wouldn’t be surprised if Shinozaki-san was enraged to hear this. However, to my relief, she kept her gaze as sleepy and nonchalant as she always did.

“What exactly is that change of heart about? Could I hear the details?”

“…No, that’s something very personal, so I can’t disclose it. I just want you to believe me when I say that this decision wasn’t made lightly. It’s not like I started hating writing itself, either. Not in the slightest. I just became unable to write on the series anymore…. So please believe me…!”

Even I was aware that it was a half-hearted explanation. But I couldn’t tell her the truth. About how Suzuka and I had confessed to each other, and how Suzuka is the actual Towano Chikai. That I would inherit the name of Towano Chikai as well. They were all our secrets.

“I never said I didn’t believe you,” Shinozaki-san calmly responded. “I told you before. Light novels aren’t something made with a machine, they are born from direct contact with an author’s heart. So if the author says he can’t write anymore, there’s no use in forcing them to continue.”

…That’s probably the correct way to approach it. Forcing someone to write something would only produce something mediocre.

“I’m fairly certain that what you’re saying is the truth. Because of some unforeseen reason, you’ve become unable to work on your current series, and you’ve lost your passion for it. But you must understand that I can’t just say something complacent like ‘Is that so? I understand’, right?”

I just silently nodded. I was fully expecting this reaction.

“First, I want to know the reason. Why did you suddenly start feeling that way? You mentioned that you couldn’t go into much detail, but if possible tell me everything you can.”

“…Yes. If I had to say it in one phrase, then all I’m able to write in this series has already been done. The goal I had when I had started writing this series has now been taken care of. That would be the best way to describe it.”

This is exactly what Suzuka had said. She put her feelings for me into this novel. And now that her feelings have reached me, she can’t write this story any more.

“I see, I really can’t think of anything that would cause that to be the case, but that’s Sensei’s problem. The one thing I am a bit worried about is that Sensei will end up being unable to write little sister novels.”

“No, that’s definitely not true.” I immediately and confidently denied Shinozaki-san’s assumption.

My feelings and passion towards little sister novels—No, little sisters in general—have not vanished in the slightest. Rather, with recent events, they have only gotten stronger. However, therein lies the difference. These are my feelings, but not Towano Chikai’s, or in other words Suzuka’s. I’m sure Suzuka’s passion hasn’t disappeared, either, but she has at the very least lost the reason to write this in her novels.

“…Hmm, so you haven’t lost your burning passion for little sister novels, but you finished what you set out to do in this series, and you want to end it now,” Almost as if she had grasped my intentions, Shinozaki-san started muttering to herself.

However, she continued speaking with a clear tone.

“I understand what you want to say. So let me start with my side. In short, I really can’t approve of this. Your series is as popular as it has been after the first volume, and I can’t see any reason for it to end this early. Then again, this is all I can say. I can’t force you to continue writing,” Shinozaki-san said, taking a sip from her coffee.

“…I’m sorry. I know that what I’m saying sounds selfish…”

“And?”

“Eh?”

“There’s something else you wanted to talk about, right? You had a reason to end the current series, because you finished what you set out to do. Is that all?”

As expected from her, she caught on to it. When I mentally prepared myself to bring up the main part of our conversation, I realized that Suzuka was looking at me, slightly worried. I gave her a comforting smile, telling her with a gaze that everything was going to be fine, and turned around towards Shinozaki-san again.

“…Yes. That’s the main reason why I wanted to talk with you. I want to finish the current series with my next volume, and after that I want to start working on a new series,” I said with as much of a serious gaze as I could muster.

“…Well, I guess this is how things would normally turn out,” she said. She closed her eyes, lost in thought. “Towano-sensei is our current star. If you were to end your current series, we would give the green light for a new one. Actually, it’s more like we should ask you to do so.”

“Th-Then, does this mean that you’ll consider our wish?” Suzuka, who had kept quiet this whole time, asked Shinozaki-san.

However, Shinozaki-san didn’t answer. Instead, she slowly opened her eyes to look at me.

“Is there really no way for you to reconsider your decision concerning your current series?”

“…I’m sorry…”

My—No, our—response had already been decided, so there was no need to rethink it now. Of course, I did feel bad for Shinozaki-san. We had deceived her from the very beginning, and now we’re bothering her even more.

“……I understand. Though it pains me to end it already, now that Sensei has made up his mind on this, I won’t push the matter any further. Hence, I will follow the procedure to end ‘The story of a little sister who loves her big brother way too much to cope’ in the next volume.”

““Thank you very much.””

Both Suzuka and I bowed to Shinozaki-san in gratitude. And even that probably wasn’t enough.

“It’s still too early to thank me, Sensei.”

However, Shinozaki-san’s words made us both raise our heads.

“I only agreed to end your current series. Half of your request is left unanswered.”

“Half of our request…”

“I’m talking about your new series, of course.”

After letting out a faint sigh, Shinozaki-san continued.

“As things stand, you would be ending your series rather abruptly. As a result, a lot of readers would probably think this ending was unnatural, am I right?”

Both Suzuka and I nodded.

“Basically, even if you write a new series, it would be obvious that you had finished your current series early to start that one. In order to overcome any possible conflicts or disappointments, your future series has to be even better than your current one, you understand?” She took another sip of her coffee.

As things stood, Shinozaki-san’s argument was perfectly reasonable. If the new series didn’t surpass the current series, it would be a total disaster. In both the eyes of the readers, as well as the publisher. That was exactly the reaction I was expecting. However—

“…Could you have a look at this?”

“…What is this?”

I took out a manuscript and handed it to Shinozaki-san. She narrowed her eyes at it.

“It is a manuscript I wrote to get a better feel for a possible new series. Naturally, it would be a little sister romcom… I brought this here to show you how determined I am about this new series.”

In other words, it was the manuscript for my own novel. The one that had won the light novel grand prize—a novel that showed my everything. I will follow in Towano Chikai’s footsteps. That means that I have to create a series even better than the current one. All of this starts by satisfying my editor like this. Hence my need for Shinozaki-san to see this manuscript.

“…I see. You sure are prepared,” She accepted the manuscript with a faint smile. “This will take a bit…maybe ten minutes, so feel free to take a quick break.”

“No, we can wait here until you’re finished. But will it really only take ten minutes?”

“Not nearly enough to fully taste the novel, but it should be enough to guess if the novel is something worth considering or not.” Shinozaki-san said as she started going through the pages, focusing entirely on reading.

All Suzuka and I could do was watch over her in silence, wondering what kind of judgement she would give. Just thinking about that left us unable to tear our eyes away.

“Phew…”

Time passed quickly, and Shinozaki-san finally put the manuscript down on the desk, letting out a long breath.

“H-How was it?” I asked, feeling the sweat beading up on my palms.

“To cut it short, this one’s no good,” Shinozaki-san said, as calmly as ever.

When I heard this, I felt all the strength leave my body.

“W-Why?!” I asked.

Suzuka also frantically spoke up. “Please give us a proper explanation!” she desperately pleaded.

“Even if you ask for an explanation… In terms of what I previously mentioned, this novel cannot surpass your current series.”

“T-This novel was not meant as a direct successor to the current series! It was just a test. For the actual novel, Onii-chan will make something even better, right, Onii-chan?!”

This time Suzuka leaned in towards me, asking for approval. It’s true that I wasn’t planning on making this novel the start of a new series. It was just to have Shinozaki-san see my skill. It already won the grand prize with another publisher, so I couldn’t just publish it under Sumeragi Publishing now, and I was never expecting her to be satisfied with this.

…But, from the way Shinozaki-san had put it, the problem wasn’t with the novel itself. Rather, a particular part of it wasn’t satisfying enough.

“We’re not talking about that, Imouto-san. What I found problematic with this is that the passion and charm—things that entice the readers—are very much lacking.”

“Th-That is ridiculous! After all, this novel—” Suzuka said, but swallowed her breath.

She probably wanted to say that this novel had won the grand prize with another publisher, but realized she couldn’t say that.

“A-Anyway, in my opinion, this novel is beautifully written! Not from a little sister’s point of view, but an objective view. I can confidently say that this novel is one of the better ones I’ve read! And now you’re saying that it’s not nearly enough?!” Suzuka was brimming with rage as she protested.

“Apologies, Imouto-san. It seems like you misunderstood what I said. What I wanted to say is that this can’t compare to Sensei’s current series.” Shinozaki-san’s expression didn’t change as she continued. “Just as you say, if you just look at this novel as it is, it’s really well written. If you were to send this in for a light novel contest here at our publisher, there’s a high chance it would at least make it into the final round.”

“Th-Then—”

Suzuka saw a glimmer of hope and started trying to argue again, but was quickly shot down by Shinozaki-san. “However, it’s still a problem, Imouto-san. We’re currently talking about a new series from Towano Chikai.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Let us say that this manuscript came from someone entirely unrelated to Towano Chikai. If that were the case, I would go look for an illustrator immediately and try to publish the novel. That is how wonderful this novel is. But the fact that this is from no one other but Towano Chikai changes everything. We have to keep the quality of his novels on a certain level.”

“N-No way…” Suzuka heard this and swallowed her breath.

“Listen, Imouto-san. You might not be too familiar with it, but Towano Chikai is something like a legendary figure in the business. He cannot be compared to any other author. Sensei’s novel had an unbelievable and unmatchable passion burned into it. This charmed countless readers, turning this series into such a great hit. And his next series has to overcome that.”

“However…” Shinozaki-san continued as she dropped her gaze towards the manuscript on the table.

“The passion I felt from this novel here is nearly not enough. At the level it is now, it can’t even surpass Sensei’s current series. This cannot be the successor.”

“That…! This novel has all of Onii-chan’s feelings packed inside of it! Can’t you feel them, Shinozaki-san?!”

“I can. It is full of love towards little sisters. But it didn’t have as much impact as I felt the first time I read Sensei’s novel.”

For the first time, Shinozaki-san’s expression changed, and she narrowed her eyes, almost as if she was feeling bitter.

“…To be honest, it really is a shame.”

“W-What is?”

“When I first met Sensei, I truly thought he was a genius. Naturally, I still do. But thinking that this is the best he could do for a new series does make me feel a bit sad. Maybe genius really is only a short-lived thing?” Shinozaki-san grit her teeth.

In response, Suzuka shook her head.

“I-I don’t understand what you mean to tell me.”

“We’ve had countless big hits in the past that completely went above and beyond everything else. They all stayed behind as legends in the light novel history. Of course, Sensei’s novel is one of them. The authors who had left behind these works were truly blessed with talent.”

“A-And what does that have to do with anything?”

“This isn’t something you can take for granted. Authors who have magnificent talent are able to write wonderful novels—that makes the job of being a light novel editor all the easier. If not, a lot of hard work awaits.”

“……?” Suzuka doesn’t seem to have grasped what Shinozaki-san was trying to say, and she tilted her head in confusion.

“To be frank, authors who have this talent should only produce great hits, if you follow this logic. However, that’s not possible in reality. Even an author who creates an amazing, one-in-a-million novel often suffers with a not-nearly-as-popular series after that. In other words, even if you try to create a big hit of a novel, it isn’t just 100% consistent with the author’s talent. It’s also heavily reliant and influenced by time and luck.”

“Th-That does make sense.”

“Doesn’t it?” Shinozaki-san nodded. “…However, I assumed that Sensei was different.” Shinozaki-san said this with a saddened smile as she looked towards me. “No, it might be more correct to say that I wanted to think that. The first time I read Sensei’s novel, I received a shock so strong that I thought my heart was going to stop beating. This love towards little sisters just grabs your heart and doesn’t let go. I thought that this person had to be a genius. At the very least when it came to little sister novels.”

“Th-Thank you…” Suzuka still seemed a bit dissatisfied, and she averted her gaze.

“At the same time, I thought that the genius and talent of this person was different, that it was special. That it wouldn’t just stop with a novel, and that it would be the exact same with every little sister novel that would follow. I thought that this person possessed genuine talent.” Shinozaki-san continued her monologue with a pained smile. “However, I guess that this was just a feeble fantasy of mine. But that’s just how reality works. I just idolized Sensei, and got hopes up all on my own. Now I feel like an idiot… My apologies.” Shinozaki-san lowered her head.

“Thinking back to it, I said some really inappropriate things, I apologize. I just don’t want you to think that I think other authors, or even Sensei, are idiots. I just hoped that there would be an author who appeared who was blessed by the gods with writing talent. And I thought that I had seen this chance in Sensei. But that wasn’t the case. Your first work just blinded my eyes so much that I wanted to believe.”

“Shinozaki-san…”

Suzuka looked a bit confused as to how to react. She just stared at Shinozaki-san’s defeated expression.

“Anyway, I just wanted to say that Sensei’s first novel had this much of an impact on me.” Shinozaki-san said and once again tightened her expression. “But that’s exactly why I’m saying that your new series has to overcome the current one. So much that I don’t even know how to achieve this. At the very least, not with the manuscript you showed me. That being said… Do you still wish to stop your current series?”

Shinozaki-san asked me once again to make sure. I had kept quiet for a bit, thinking it through, but I still nodded. Because Suzuka didn’t look like she had given up at all.

“…Really, what a troublesome talk on the final day of work for the year. What should I do about this…?” Shinozaki-san scratched her head.

I knew that this was just us being selfish, but that didn’t mean we’d give up this easily. Because this was the only method we could take.

“I-I won’t accept this!” Suzuka once again tried to revolt. “I can understand this talk of the following series needing to be even better than the current one, but aren’t you praising the current serious a bit too much?”

“That’s not the case. It’s true that a lot of it is my personal feelings, but taking the reviews and sales into consideration, I’m not alone on this.”

“T-Then isn’t the whole idea that this new series has to overcome the current one a bit ridiculous? You just said that even an author who writes an insanely popular series can’t produce something equal again, didn’t you, Shinozaki-san? You said that this novel is of enough high quality that you could publish it immediately, right? Isn’t this enough for Onii-chan’s new series?”

“You have a point there, but that isn’t as ambitious as I was hoping for. At the very least, an author should always strive to make his next work even more interesting than his current, or past, one. That’s completely unrelated to the author’s talent. But disregarding this premise, I guess it would be fine to focus only on the quality.”

“R-Right?”

“That being said, I’ve mentioned this many times now. That would only work with any other author besides Sensei. The impact from Sensei’s first novel was immense. This will result in the expectations for his next series being even higher. Disappointing the readers in such a way could prove fatal for an author. You don’t want this to happen to you, right?”

“H-However…”

“And also, the way the current series would have to end is the biggest problem. It would take a lot of effort for the series to end in a satisfying way, and just cutting it off right here would definitely end badly.”

“However, it can’t be helped if he can’t write anymore!”

“We have circumstances we need to think of from our side as well, and can’t betray the readers like that.”

“Th-Then, what else should we do? The ending of the current series has already been decided!”

“That being said, pushing out a new series right away is still probably not for the best.”

“That’s…!”

Suzuka and Shinozaki-san started exchanging harsh words. Suzuka was adamant that I should inherit the name of Towano Chikai, and was trying her hardest to get permission from Shinozaki-san for me to release a new series right away.

Shinozaki-san for her part was making logical counterarguments. And they weren’t weak arguments, either. They showed her knowledge and experience as an editor.

Meanwhile, I was just watching their exchange in silence. It was like I was just another spectator. Oddly enough, I haven’t spoken a word for a while now, so it can’t help it if someone walks past and thinks I’m not involved in the discussion.

However, I’ve been thinking this entire time. I was thinking about the conversation between Suzuka and Shinozaki-san. Their words kept repeating endlessly in my mind as I looked for what I could do in this situation.

…I can’t argue against Shinozaki-san. That the new series has to be better and even more popular than the current one. That wasn’t a rule, but more like a stance an author should hold towards his readers. And she’s saying that she can’t see that vision after reading my manuscript. That shows how highly she values Suzuka’s novel. And that has brought us to the reality of how difficult it is to write a new series.

I couldn’t argue against any of her comments. I just felt myself pushed back by the weight of them. The strongest one that remained in my mind was her confession. She was hoping for someone to appear who could create something interesting unrelated to time and luck. She had found Towano Chikai’s novel and believed that the author possessed this genuine talent. That was just how great Suzuka’s novel seemed to her.

However, once she read my manuscript, she realized that this was just a pipe dream. That she was just telling herself lies, and she smiled in a sad way.

…I don’t know if I really possess such genuine talent. But, at the very least, this means that Shinozaki-san saw something in Suzuka’s novel that she didn’t see in mine. Or in other words, that I don’t have the right to succeed the name of Towano Chikai.

“…! ……?!”

“……? …… “

While I was focused on my own thoughts, the debate between Suzuka and Shinozaki-san continued. Suzuka believed that I had the skill to follow in her footsteps as Towano Chikai. That’s why she’s so desperately fighting against Shinozaki-san’s judgment, fighting so that I can have my dream granted.

I should be the one to do that. Work towards my dream myself, not letting anybody else take hits for me… But here I was, not moving an inch. Instead, I became painfully aware of a certain fact.

The difference of genius.

The wall between me and Suzuka. Something that I might not be able to overcome. In order to fulfill my dream, as well as Suzuka’s wish, I have to become Towano Chikai, but that might actually be impossible. The reality I had tried to avoid, that I had averted my eyes from all this time, was now coming back to haunt me. Maybe I really can’t become Towano Chikai after all…?

—I am not a genius.

“…!”

At that moment, Suzuka’s words came back to mind.

—All I had were my feelings for you. No talent whatsoever. If I don’t put any more feelings for Onii-chan in there, I can’t write.

These words she said to me when she told me her wish. Thinking back to it, she said from the very start that she didn’t have any talent. Then why was she able to write such a fantastic novel? She had also explained that countless times.

—The novel is written with my feelings for Onii-chan.

Yeah, that was what Suzuka said. She said that she was able to write it not because of her talent, but because of her feelings. Her feelings towards me had created this novel. Suzuka had been saying that the entire time.

Then that means…?

Shinozaki-san said that my novel was no good like this. That she didn’t feel the same passion as she felt from Suzuka’s. And this passion basically consisted of Suzuka’s feelings for me.

I put all my feelings for Suzuka into this little sister novel. But that still wasn’t enough for her to feel any impact from my novel. Isn’t she basically saying…

That, compared to Suzuka’s feelings for me, my feelings for Suzuka are significantly weaker…?

“……”

The instant I arrived at this conclusion, I felt my head go completely blank. This feeling of weakness and being lost vanished, and my ability to think calmly returned. All that was left in my brain was something burning strong, hiding in the shadows. At first, I was at a loss as to what it could be, but it grew firm and finally became visible as clear as day.

—Don’t joke with me.

It wasn’t anger. It was the desire not to lose.

Don’t joke with me. I won’t accept that. As if I would ever accept that. Thoughts like these took turns spinning around inside of my head, dancing like a storm.

…My feelings are weaker than Suzuka’s…?

…She can’t feel the same passion from what is essentially my feelings put into novel form…?

…The two of us are a couple, one existence, consisting of the two of us. And yet I’m supposed to be the loser in this…?

Are you joking?! As if I would accept that?!

“…Stop joking…!” I told myself, my hands forming fists in anger.

…I love Suzuka. From the bottom of my heart. I can’t live without her.

…I have confidence that these feelings can’t lose against anyone else’s. No matter the situation, I can declare that proudly.

…Even if that person is Suzuka herself, with her feelings towards me. No matter how much she loves me, I love her even more than that. I treasure her more than my own life.

And yet…! And yet…!

Shinozaki-san said that my feelings were lacking. That they were too weak, that I lacked passion. That I wouldn’t be qualified to inherit Suzuka’s feelings.

…I see, I see. Well, when it comes to raw talent and genius, I really can’t say anything back at that. If that’s all it took, I would have no right to inherit the name of Towano Chikai. But we’re not talking about talent, nor are we talking about genius. We are talking about feelings and emotions. And Shinozaki-san has the wrong idea about this.

She doesn’t know what kind of genius Towano Chikai is. Not with light novels, nor with specific little sister novels. It is a genius produced by how much you love someone. It’s a genius that turns the feelings you have for them into a story. It gives them shape. It’s the genius of unprecedented feelings.

Naturally, I don’t mean to lose when it comes to my feelings. Not even against my own beloved little sister, Suzuka. That’s why I can’t retreat from here, no matter the cost!

“Shinozaki-san, would you hear me out?”

After taking a deep breath, I broke the silence that I had stayed in.

“Hm…?”

“O-Onii-chan?”

Because I suddenly spoke up, Suzuka and Shinozaki-san both looked over at me with surprise. That being said, my head was as clear as a sunny summer sky.

“…What you are saying is probably perfectly reasonable, Shinozaki-san. And if you feel anxious about the new series after reading this manuscript I brought you, then I will understand.”

“Onii-chan?! What are you—”

Suzuka must have been worried about wat I was saying, but I just waved my hand at her dismissively and turned towards Shinozaki-san.

“However, my decision to create a new series is still set in stone. Even if you yourself weren’t waiting for it, I will create a new work that is worthy of the name Towano Chikai.” My gaze didn’t waver at all. I stared straight at Shinozaki-san.

She didn’t show any signs of wavering, either.

“…I like that enthusiasm, Sensei. However, words don’t count much in this industry. This alone isn’t enough to give me a peace of mind.”

Of course, I wasn’t expecting this to be enough to change her mind. I’m sure there are many things in this world that can’t be changed even after showing such strong conviction.

But—Even so, I will not step down.

“…Shinozaki-san, you really praised Towano Chikai’s novel, didn’t you? You called it a monumental work. Unprecedented, even.”

“…Yes, and I don’t believe that such expressions are an exaggeration. I don’t think another novel like this will appear anytime soon. That’s just how magnificent your work is.” Shinozaki-san answered with no hesitation.

“…Thank you very much. I’m happy that you think about it in such high regard, but to be honest, this novel was my work, but it wasn’t mine alone.”

“O-Onii-chan?” Suzuka panicked even further.

She must have been at a loss as to what I was saying, but I didn’t have the time to explain it to her.

“…What exactly do you mean by that?”

“…If I had to put it in words, then I guess I was spoiled by my little sister’s love.”

“Your little sister’s love?”

“Yes. I wrote this novel like I was in a daze, like I had lost myself. I wrote this novel with the feelings I had bottled inside of me, putting it in the form of what you read… But I wasn’t thinking anything in particular during that time. I was just satisfied that I was able to put my feelings into words.”

“From the sounds of it, you think differently now.”

“Yes, thinking back to it, I wasn’t sure what those feelings of mine really were. I hadn’t paid any attention to it.”

Suzuka had been listening for a while now, looking at me in a daze. Her expression was saying that she had no idea what was happening, and I couldn’t blame her for that. After all, Suzuka was the one who wrote the novel, not me, so talking about her feelings should be impossible for me.

…Even so, I have to keep going. The two of us are one author, and as the one who will inherit Towano Chikai’s name, I had to put it into words like what the real Towano Chikai would say.

“…And what kind of feelings are we talking about here?”

Shinozaki-san didn’t seem perturbed at all by this sudden topic change, and she was listening to me with a serious gaze. That’s why I answered as seriously as I could.

“Just as I said, I realized that I have been spoiled by my little sister’s love. My little sister loved me, which then turned into this story.”

“O-Onii-cha—” Suzuka’s face went beet red, but I continued.

“I accepted this love, and I wrote a light novel. Thanks to some good luck, it turned into a big hit, and I became the legendary light novel author Towano Chikai.”

“What a wonderful story. I have to be thankful that you have such a little sister.”

“You can say that again. But that’s not what I’m talking about right now.”

“What are you talking about, then?”

“…I guess you could say that I didn’t write this novel with my own strength, but rather by borrowing my little sister’s.”

Shinozaki-san raised one eyebrow. She probably didn’t follow.

“In short, I was able to write this novel thanks to the love given by my little sister. All I did was put that into novel form. Hence, this novel is my own, but also not my own. That being said—” I continued, this time speaking with the true words of Towano Chikai.

“…From now on, this won’t do.”

“…What exactly do you mean?”

“Until now, I was able to write light novels thanks to this love. I never once doubted that… But I realized that this was insufficient, which is why I want to start a new series.”

“What is insufficient about it?”

“I’ve written enough about love from a little sister to an older brother. But what if we were to write the opposite, and mention the love from an older brother to a little sister?”

Shinozaki-san narrowed her eyes slightly.

“I assumed this was what you were showing in your current novel?”

“I’m happy that you feel that way, but I for one disagree. The novel weighed heavily to the little sister’s side. But I started thinking that this was not enough.”

Now I put my honest feelings directly into words. These words were what made me Towano Chikai.

“…From now on, it can’t just focus on the little sister’s love. I want to write the older brother’s—My own—love as well. That’s why I have to write a new series no matter what…!”

I pull all my energy into my following words.

“…With that in mind, I wrote this manuscript. You thought this one was not enough, and I don’t intend to disregard this judgement. It probably was because I hadn’t put enough passion in it…”

However.

“It might not be enough right now, but one day, I will definitely create something that can surpass the current series!”

“…What basis do you have that I can trust in your words?”

I couldn’t stop anymore.

“I…! My feelings towards little sisters will not lose against anyone! I can proudly announce that I love little sisters the most in the entire world!”

…That’s right, I love Suzuka the most in the entire world. If I was asked if I could write the greatest light novel there is, then that answer would be no. I don’t have any confidence in that, and neither do I possess the talent for it.

But, if someone asked if I loved little sisters, if I loved Suzuka the most out of everybody, then I could give an immediate response. That’s why I could say this. If we talk purely about feelings in novelized form, then I definitely will not lose. I will catch up no matter what.

“I will write a series that will overcome my current series! I will write the greatest little sister novel that the world has ever seen!!”

I announced it loudly, with no restraint. Following that, the room fell into silence, and the only thing that could be heard was me as I gasped for air. I turned my head towards Shinozaki-san and bowed.

“…So I beg you, Shinozaki-san…! Please help me fulfill my wish…!” I asked her from the bottom of my heart.

For a while, I just kept my eyes closed and my head lowered. I didn’t know how much time passed like that. It might have been a moment, or it might have been quite a long period of time. But, eventually, I heard something like a sigh that sounded like it came from Shinozaki-san.

“Raise your head already, Sensei.”

This time, I heard her clearly, so I slowly lifted my head.

“…Haah, for crying out loud. Why does this have to happen the final day before holidays?” Shinozaki-san said, shrugging her shoulders.

“That’s… I really feel bad for bothering you like this…”

“That’s not it, Sensei.”

“Eh?”

I tried to apologize again, but Shinozaki-san stopped me.

“I told you before that you were the first author I was responsible for, didn’t I? And, in this year and a half so far, there was always one thing I thought.”

“W-What might that be?”

“…That you are an easy fellow.”

“…Huh? Easy?”

I was at a loss as to what Shinozaki-san had been talking about. But she just continued without paying my confusion any mind.

“Being an editor for an author is normally a lot of work. You have to check the manuscript, point out the bad parts, and send it back. While you read through the bad parts, you have to consider options about how you could improve it and keep the flow going. Though there’s times when things improve after that, a lot of the times this process repeats itself over and over. Besides that, you also have to oversee the illustrations, plan of the schedule, and other things. You have to do this with rather complicated authors, so it can take a lot of time depending on the person.”

“O-Okay.”

It’s not like I didn’t understand how hard the life of an editor could be, but why is she bringing that up now?

“That’s how I can say that Sensei was a fairly easy person to deal with. The first draft of the manuscript was almost perfect the first time almost always, and there were no real things to complain about. There were just small nitpicks here and there. You basically always finished the manuscript before the deadline, so there’s really no schedule to have to worry about. It’s true that you missed the first deadline in the very beginning, but you sent in the manuscript the very next day. That was the amount of trouble we had, and nothing really bad ever happened. You were almost like an honor student.”

“Th-Thanks…?”

“This was my first time as an editor. I’ve had others after you, and I’ve had a lot of trouble with them. Some of them really wear me out. In a certain sense, you were troublesome because you didn’t allow me to hone my skills in the slightest.” Shinozaki-san snickered to herself.

“U-Um, and what does this have to do with anything…?” I asked.

“…But, sadly things can’t stay like that forever. Not to mention this is the final day of the year, so it might have been overdue.”

“Eh?”

“Basically, this might be the first time I actually have to do work as Towano Chikai’s editor—No, the first time I can work.”

Shinozaki-san seemed relieved for some reason. However, I felt a glimmer of hope in her words.

“S-So that means…!” I leaned forward towards Shinozaki-san.

“…Normally, a novel is something created with both the author and editor working in cooperation. That was never necessary until now. However, it seems like the time has come.”

“T-Thank you very much…!” When I heard this, I lowered my head.

This time, it wasn’t a gesture of apology, but rather of gratitude. She had just said that she would help me with my new series. That might be a natural thing for an editor to do, but considering how much bother we put her through, I can’t help but feel thankful.

“Really, thank you so much…! We’re bothering you with the current series already, and you even give in to my selfishness…!”

Shinozaki-san gave a bitter smile. “Stop it already. How could I not help after hearing all of that? On top of that, after seeing Imouto-san like this, I would have cursed myself if I sent you home with nothing.”

“Like what?” I turned my head and looked over at Suzuka. “Wah?! Suzuka?!”

“…He…fu…nyaa…hauuu…”

Not just her face, but her entire body seemed to have turned red, and her eyes were spinning in their sockets.

“…L-Love…! O-Onii-chan…loves…m-me…! T-The most…in the entire world…! Ehe, ehehe, ehehehehe…!”

“Hey?!”

Suzuka collapsed onto my shoulder, grabbing my clothes and rubbing her head against my chest.

“P-Pull yourself together! What happened to you?!”

“I mean, after that declaration…No, it would be more accurate to call it a confession, I guess? Anybody would end up like that,” Shinozaki-san said with a grin.

When I heard this, I thought back to all the things I had said, and I started blushing as well. I got a bit carried away, didn’t I?!

“But that is a weight off my back.”

“Eh? W-What do you mean?”

“After seeing how Sensei and Imouto-san are acting, I want to believe your declaration just now. If I saw such a scene in a light novel, I’d definitely want to read more…You two really are the best siblings out there.” Shinozaki-san said, smiling gleefully.

I felt the embarrassment washing away, and I joined in with a smile of my own.

“…Now, then.”

Shinozaki-san’s smile quickly vanished, and she let out a sigh. “After saying something like that, I’ll make sure you write a series that can beat the current one, Sensei.”

“Yes,” I said, nodding confidently.

I can’t betray Suzuka’s feelings.

“Either way, I’ll have you start working immediately. Focus on the plot, and send it to me as quickly as possible. I’ll have a look at it over New Year’s.”

“Please do. And thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Things are just getting interesting. I’ll have you working overtime as well—or so I’d like to say, but…” Shinozaki-san grinned. “For today, go and flirt to your heart’s content with that little sister of yours. It’ll surely come in handy for your work ahead.”

With that, this ridiculous editor finally started acting as usual again.

*

“Phew… my face is still burning up…”

We were on the way home from Sumeragi Publishing. Suzuka was fanning her face with her hands, and although she looked a lot better than she did before, I could still tell that her face was flushed. Suzuka is the cutest when she’s like this.

“U-Um… I’m glad that Shinozaki-san agreed in the end.”

“Yeah. We sure bothered her a lot with our demands. But she still agreed to it in the end… I Guess we were lucky.”

“N-No, I’m sure that Onii-chan’s words moved her heart… A-And, about that…”

Suzuka started fidgeting, putting her index fingers together as she looked up at me.

“A-About that… c-confession…!”

“Ugh…”

Confession. That word alone caused me to blush furiously. I had blurted out so many embarrassing things during our meeting.

“W-What was that confession about? Th-That you couldn’t be spoiled by your little sister’s love anymore… I was really surprised when you said that, you know.”

“W… W-Well, you know… you can probably tell even without having me to spell it out…”

“I-I want to hear it directly from Onii-chan’s mouth!” Suzuka approached me with a sulking expression.

How could I ever say no if my adorable little sister asked like this?

“…Th-The thing is, when I was told that my novel, which I put all my feelings and emotions into, is inferior to yours, which was written the same way, I just became so angry… A-All I wanted to do was say that my feelings for you are even stronger!” I found myself yelling as if it would cause this hell to end sooner.

Of course, it was as plain as day that I was just trying to hide my embarrassment.

“Wha… What’s that supposed to mean?!” Suzuka’s face blushed red yet again as she flew into a rage.

“Y-You’re saying that my feelings for Onii-chan are weaker than your feelings for me? Is that what the confession was about?!”

“Y-Yeah. After all, I love you much more, anyway.”

“I-I won’t stand for that! I desire an amendment! My feelings for you are much stronger! I know it!”

“No no no, the moment I became a living creature, I already treasured you the most.”

“W-Well, I was born this way! No, I loved Onii-chan even before I was born, so it’s my win!”

“The heck is with that?! That doesn’t even make sense!”

“I-It’s the truth, so it can’t be helped. And since that’s how it is, Onii-chan will not be able to beat my current series with your new series!”

“I thought you were supporting me?!”

“This and that are different!”

An awfully embarrassing conversation went up into the winter sky. The two of us kept going on like that for a while afterwards, completely forgetting about the cold. Eventually, we grew quiet.

“…Haha, we’re doing the same thing from before again.”

“…Fufu, yes we are.”

We looked at each other, laughing at our stupidity. Yeah, the two of us really are idiots. In a lot of ways. We ended up as idiots because we love each other so much.

“…Hey, Suzuka.”

After laughing for a while, I spoke up, feeling refreshed.

“What is it, Onii-chan?”

“Will you help me with my new series?”

Suzuka heard my question and laughed.

“Well, there’s no way that your feelings would beat mine.”

“Ugh… you’re still going on that?”

“But I want to see just how far your feelings go, Onii-chan, so I’ll help you gladly,” she said as she clung to my arm. “When you think about it, was there really a need to ask?”

“What do you mean?”

“The two of us are Towano Chikai. Two people, one author. Why would I not help you with your new novel?”

“…Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

It’s just as Suzuka said. Towano Chikai is two people in one. It would make sense that two people would work together to create one novel.

“…Thanks, Suzuka. I do have to write a novel that can live up to Shinozaki-san’s expectations, after all.”

“Indeed. W-With you inheriting Towano Chikai’s name, let’s show everyone in the world how lovey-dovey we can be!”

“N-Now that you mention it, you became an author with that intention in mind, didn’t you?”

“W-What about it? Is that not allowed?!” Suzuka pouted with a red face, and I just shook my head with a smile.

“No, of course not. It’s just as you said. We have to show off to the entire world.”

“How lovey-dovey and flirty we are, yes.” Suzuka added. She smiled happily.

And then, she muttered something, almost sounded like she was saying it to herself.

“…I never expected to have such happiness…”

I agreed with her. But this isn’t where it ends. We’ll be even happier in the future. As long as we are Towano Chikai, we won’t stop.

“…Onii-chan, we definitely have to make this new series a wonderful novel.”

“Yeah, I promise I’ll give it my all, so look forward to it.”

“You are Towano Chikai, after all.” Suzuka said. She clung to my arm even more tightly, smiling happily. “But my feelings for you are still stronger, okay?”

“You sure don’t know when to stop.”

With these words, we arrived at our home. While exchanging thoughts about the new road ahead of us.