LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 332
In a vast plain, the protagonist and the heroine lay down, holding hands and gazing at the night sky.
For a moment, the heroine, silent, raised her right hand and pointed at the clear night, whispering in the protagonist’s ear.
[That’s Deneb, Altair, and Vega. The famous summer triangle.]
Hearing a line straight out of an ancient legendary anime, I couldn’t help but giggle.
“Is it fun?”
“Yeah….”
At my sister’s question, I nodded slowly.
The movie we came to see together today was an animated film.
Honestly, just entering the cinema made me want to unleash my ultimate insider move, the ‘in-crowd killer technique,’ but once the movie started, that feeling disappeared in an instant.
Because the movie was genuinely fun.
What initially seemed like a typical ‘boy meets girl’ story suddenly transformed into a fantasy world.
The two experienced various events in that world, slowly growing closer, and in the end, with the heroine’s awakening, they returned to their original world.
Just hearing the explanation would lead one to think it’s a ridiculous story.
But it was enjoyable.
The story had coherence, and the characters were multi-dimensional.
Plus, the various parodies throughout injected my inner otaku with excitement.
It felt worthwhile to have come to the cinema with my sister today for such an entertaining film.
“Haah….”
After the movie finished, we headed over to the cafe next to the cinema.
And as I sat down, my sister smiled and said the first thing.
“Mina, actually, I’m the scriptwriter for the movie we just watched.”
“…Eh?”
It was a shocking fact I had completely no idea about while watching the film.
“Really?”
“Yup.”
My sister is a famous scriptwriter who uses the pen name ‘Yukie’ (雪絵).
From the series I absolutely adore called ‘Uncle,’ she has worked on scripts for many animations and games, and even Aunt Shia had told me she was well-renowned in the industry.
After realizing this, I had looked up all the works my sister had been involved in, but the one responsible for the script of the movie we just watched was clearly named Setsue (セツエ)….
“Ah.”
“You figured it out?”
“Yeah….”
It was a pun using the on’yomi of Setsu (雪 – セツ) and E (絵 – エ).
“Why did you do something like this…?”
“Um, since you always say my works are fun whenever you see them, I had this pointless suspicion, you know? Wondering if you’d be nice to me just because you knew it was my work. So I got curious whether you’d genuinely say it was fun without knowing it was mine.”
…Isn’t that such a silly reason to think about?
“My sister’s goal is to write works that Mina will always find fun.”
Yeah. How could I say something like that to her?
“I honestly think your works are always fun….”
That’s not a lie.
Being a proud otaku, I wouldn’t pay any mind if it didn’t align with my tastes.
Even if it were my sister’s, I would still feel that way.
Of course, I’d watch them, but I would honestly state, “This work wasn’t that good…”
“Mina saying that makes me so happy.”
“Hehe….”
My sister gently patted my head with a kind smile, and just that made me feel even happier, causing my lips to twitch.
While I was having a fun time chatting with my sister at the cafe.
“Hey, isn’t that Yukie-chan?!”
Suddenly, someone spoke to us.
“Ah. It’s been a while, Koharu.”
“Is this girl… perhaps your little sister?”
“Yeah.”
“…You mean Yukie-chan’s sister?!”
Bam!
“Hyaggh?!”
The woman called Koharu suddenly slammed her hands on the table upon hearing that I was my sister’s little sister.
“Can I sit for a moment, Yukie-chan? Is it okay? Huh?”
“…Yeah. But you can only sit here.”
“Eh~? I want to sit next to your little sister!”
“No way. That’s my seat.”
“Oh dear.”
My sister said that, stood up from her seat, lightly shoved Koharu aside, and sat back next to me.
Her attitude seemed steadfast, as if she were unwilling to give up her spot.
“Well, I guess it can’t be helped~.”
Koharu chuckled lightly and then sat across from us.
Bright pink hair styled in a long side ponytail.
With her bangs decorated with a red hairpin, her eye color seemed gray as if she wore colored lenses.
Her outfit was a short-sleeve button-up shirt, similar to my sister’s.
But instead of jeans, she wore a checkered skirt.
The first impression? A gal, maybe?
Yet, seeing her talk casually with my sister, they seemed to be about the same age, but calling her a gal…
But there wasn’t a bit of awkwardness.
On the contrary, she seemed to fit perfectly and was quite cute.
“You look great in that cosplay.”
“Yeah, I’ve been doing it as a hobby every day, so my skills have really improved. Well, I can’t beat the current model, Yukie-chan!”
“No, Koharu, you’re really beautiful too.”
“Thanks~!”
Oh, so she just enjoys dressing up as a hobby.
I can see that.
Anyway, my sister and Koharu started a conversation from there, and I realized something after a long time.
I had almost forgotten due to my sister’s usually expressionless demeanor.
“Everyone’s gone into a frenzy wanting to meet Yukie-chan~.”
“Yeah. I think this time, I can take a long break, so everyone wanted to meet up.”
My sister—far more sociable than Tateyama-chan…!
Koharu kept talking without a break, and watching my sister respond while introducing other topics was precisely what one might dub ‘the god of socialites.’
Though we share the same parents, how could there be so much difference between us sisters…?
“Ughhhhh….”
What an immense sense of despair…
“Alright, let’s get to the main point…! Let’s talk about Mina-chan!”
“Hyik?!”
No courtesy as she dives in headfirst.
I feel like I’m going to melt under the pressure of this social skill.
“Hey, Mina-chan? Do you know how famous you are among our classmates?”
“Eh? Uh…? Uh?”
What does that even mean?
I don’t think there’s any reason for me to be famous among my sister’s friends…
“You know Yukie-chan? Every time we drink, she brags about you—saying you’re an angel sent from the sky! Because you’re so fragile, she says she has to protect you for life….”
“…Eh?”
Turning my head upon hearing that—
“Mm-mm.”
I saw my sister nodding with her eyes closed.
“She doesn’t just brag when she’s drinking. Even when she wanted to meet everyone after a long time, she insisted on seeing Mina-chan.”
“Uh, um….”
I knew my sister was into sis-con, but was it this bad…?
I felt like some fantasy was shattering.
“But seeing you in person makes it all clear! You’re so cute?!”
“Hyagg?!”
Koharu, who said that, promptly grabbed my hand without hesitation.
Startled, I tried to withdraw, but the chair had my back pinned.
“Wow… your eyes must be what people mean when they say they’re like jewels. They’re so pretty.”
“Um, um, um, please stop….”
I had indeed grown up.
I no longer shy away or hunch my body when talking to someone, and I rarely stutter while conversing.
But even with my growth, I had a natural enemy: those ‘超ハイパーウルトラインサ’ types, like Koharu, who instantly close the distance with people.
No matter how much I’ve grown, their heated enthusiasm is too much for my socially awkward self.
“It’s clear you’d brag about having a younger sister like this.”
“Yep. Mina is my treasure.”
Caught between them, my sister and Koharu continued the conversation.
Of course, Koharu still kept holding my hand.
“Ugh….”
“Hey, Mina-chan?”
“…Eh?”
“How about becoming my little sister? I can treat you better than Yukie-chan!”
Huh?
What does that even mean?
I’m my sister’s little sister, and she wants me to be Koharu’s little sister?
Isn’t something about that a bit weird?
“Yukie-chan doesn’t come home often, but I return home every day, you know? We could see each other more often.”
“Uh, well, um….”
In a moment, I tilted my head in confusion at Koharu’s incomprehensible statement.
…Ah, does she mean it literally?
“Uh, um….”
As I vaguely understood and prepared to answer Koharu—
“Hey, Koharu. Stop.”
“Ugh?!”
My sister snapped her wrist sharply, then embraced me tightly.
“I won’t allow this anymore. Mina is my little sister. I won’t give her to anyone.”
“Ah… just kidding! Just kidding, Yukie-chan?! I just got curious because you brag about her so much.”
“That kind of joke, I dislike.”
“Okay, I won’t do it again. I’m sorry.”
“…It’s fine.”
When I glanced up, it seemed my sister was genuinely angry, pouting her lips slightly.
So, so cool…
…Since my sister reassured me this much, I shouldn’t just stay quiet either.
“Um, Koharu….”
“Ah, yes?”
“I’m really, really sorry, but… I’m my sister’s little sister, so… I’ll have to decline your offer.”
“…Eh? …Pfft! Didn’t I just say, Mina-chan? It was a joke! You don’t have to respond so seriously!”
“Ah, is that so, hehe….”
Just like I feel with Onodera-san, the insider-style jokes are quite tricky.
Today, I learned one more thing.
★
“Hey, Mina-chan?”
“…Eh?”
“How about becoming my little sister? I can treat you better than Yukie-chan!”
Koharu’s words were truly a joke.
“Yukie-chan doesn’t come home often, but I come back every day, you know? We could see each other more often.”
“Uh, well, um….”
It was a prank to tease Yukie, who often prioritizes her little sister over friends.
“Uh, um….”
“How about it, Mina-chan?”
“Koharu. Stop.”
“Ugh?!”
But Koharu immediately regretted making that joke.
“I won’t forgive anymore. Mina is my little sister. I won’t give her to anyone.”
Saying that, Yukie looked genuinely angry, furrowing her brow.
I’d always known how much Yukie cared for her little sister, but to react like this—the sharp edge in Yukie’s demeanor was something I’d never seen before.
Realizing how much Yukie treasured her little sister was something Koharu never thought possible, leading her to be taken aback.
“Ah… just a joke! Just a joke, Yukie-chan?! I was just curious! You brag about her so much!”
“That kind of joke, I dislike.”
“Okay. I won’t do it again. Sorry.”
“…It’s fine.”
Considering Yukie’s reputation and popularity among classmates, Koharu didn’t want to jeopardize her relationship with her, so she reflected on that mischievous joke.
Koharu also received a lot of help from Yukie and genuinely liked her as a friend.
’I shouldn’t ever do such jokes again… I need to let everyone else know too.’
While Koharu thought this—
“Um, Koharu….”
“Ah, yes?”
“I’m really, really sorry, but… I’m my sister’s little sister, so… I’ll have to decline your offer.”
Mina said that.
“…Eh? …Pfft! Didn’t I just say, Mina-chan? It was a joke! You don’t have to respond so seriously!”
“Ah, is that so, hehe….”
In case she didn’t understand the situation, Koharu hastily retreated, smiling a little as she faced the two sisters in front of her.
“Uh-huh….”
“Hehe….”
Yukie and Mina exchanged smiles, their expressions suggesting they found joy simply by looking at each other.
It was easy to see their feelings were genuine.
And they continued to hold onto each other.
“But wouldn’t this sisterly bond be a bit dangerous? Isn’t it complete mutual sis-con…?”
Koharu pondered, sensing her fantasy of Yukie shatter slightly upon witnessing their dynamic.
However.
‘Well, it’s nice to see, so maybe it’s okay?’
Koharu thought this and smiled, quietly nodding her head.
It wasn’t for nothing that she decided to stop thinking like that.
Maybe—
★
[【Chit-Chat】Doing a broadcast with my sister after a long time! #KainohIzumi #Star’s Flow]