[Onii-Ai v3] Chapter 10: 14th April, AM2:00

And here's chapter 10. Hopefully, I can get the last chapter out by this weekend.

Looking forward to be entertained by the comments. Enjoy.
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Of course, things were not that simple.

"What do you mean by this!"

"Onii-chan you traitor! I am wrong about you!"

"We could finally be together again after much difficulties, and yet you are giving this up by yourself, how unbelievable! I totally cannot understand what Onii-chan is thinking!"

"Akiko is furious! I have never been this angry ever since I was born! My anger can cause Mt. Fuji to erupt already!"

"If so, I will never put on a nice expression in front of you for the rest of my life! And I will never make Onii-chan's favorite dishes, nor will I wash Onii-chan's underwear! In short, I will not do anything for Onii-chan anymore! Our relationship between us siblings ends here! Are you fine with that?"

"Ah, ah, sorry, that's all a lie, I've said too much. Those words are just rhetorical, I don't really mean it that way. I wish to get along well with Onii-chan forever. Yes, of course, it is definitely like that."

"...... Do we really have to live separately? It is still not too late for you to be regretting? You will definitely regret about ignoring your cute little sister later, you know?"

"Uwaaaaaaa! Onii-chan is an idiot! Meanie! That's enough, I don't care about you anymore! Uwaaaa!"

...... etc.

In general, my sister vehemently opposed to it.

In the end, she was there standing in the caretaker's room with the intention of resisting all the way, but I used something called the authority of an elder brother, and made her surrender.

And thus, it was two in the morning at the next day.

The surprise moving operation which all residents participated in, except for my younger sister, had just ended.

Kaichou, Nasuhara and Ginbe had all returned back to their rooms, while I was there by my lonesome in the deserted caretaker's room.

"...... Somehow, this apartment looks pretty spacious."

This apartment was designed such that the caretaker of the hostel can stay in here together with his whole family. It felt slightly cramped back when I lived here together with my sister, but right now, it seemed rather huge.

"Mmm. Things are going to get pretty lonely here. Mmm."

Ever since moving in here during the early summer, I am with my sister all the time for nearly 24/7. Something just feels not right, and the feeling was a hundred times worse then that of walking around with just a single shoe on. The feeling has been lingering around me since just now.

"Ahh, I see, this is the so called sense of emptiness."

Along with the term that I would not mention typically, I pushed out all of my feelings with a sigh.

My current feelings were comparable to that six years ago when I was forced to separate from my sister - though it had not quite reached that state yet, but the mental blow which I had received was probably something that is just a step away from that. Oh well, I can't quite retort if someone is to tell me 'that is just you exaggerating things'. No matter what, my sister is in a room just ten meters away from me.

"Alright, it's about time I sleep."

The rest day was already over, and lessons will start in about six hours time. I originally hoped to work a little on my novel if possible, but I was no longer in the mood to do so. All I could do now is to sleep.

Perhaps my feelings will change once I wake up.

"Since I have already decided, let's brush my teeth then......"

I walked to the sink with a yawn, and as I stretched out my arms to take my toothbrush,

"Eh?"

I saw it.

In the cup that was on the shelf, held two toothbrushes.

Obviously, they were not for my use only.

"If I put two toothbrushes into a single cup like this, it will feel like we are a pair of couples that have just started dating. Ehehe."

My sister said that as she placed the toothbrushes into the cup. Meaning to say, she had forgotten it there.

"It's because it was really chaotic while we are moving the things...... though I was expecting some things to be forgotten in the process."

But a toothbrush huh. It will not really matter if the things left behind are things that are not commonly used, or not too important, but I couldn't allow her to sleep without brushing her teeth. Can't help it, I'll just deliver it to my sister's room. Not to mention, I wish to check on how that lass is feeling right now.

I walked by the corridor in the middle of the night, towards my sister's room.

And gently knocked on the slightly old but still very sturdy door.

"Oi-. Akiko~"

No response.

Another knock.

"You have forgotten something, you know? Toothbrush. You need it."

No response.

...... Ugh, mmm.

Did I really make her furious this time around? Normally, even if she was sleeping soundly, or if she was a kilometer away from me, she would definitely reply me energetically with a wide smile when I called her-

As I thought of that, I subconsciously placed my hands on the door, and the door opened just like that.

Hmm, that Akiko.

I told her since young, to remember to shut the doors and windows tight. I will have to discipline her properly for this.

"Oi Akiko. The door's not locked, you know? What are you going to do should Kaichou strikes in the middle of the night-"

I could not continue my words.

It is a space that is much smaller than the caretaker's room.

Though it is well constructed, there are still tiny problems all over the six-tatami sized room.

My sister was lying on the table, breathing steadily and quietly.

"...... You should sleep in your futon - I have reminded you countless times already, yeah?"

A sigh accompanied my wry laughter.

If it was during the normal times, I would definitely preach her, and would not forgive her until I am satisfied with bullying her. Forget it, I'll just pretend I never see it this time. I no longer had the mood to do so, after seeing the dried up tears at the corners of her eyes.

"Here. At the very least, put this on."

I put the woolen blanket onto her shoulders, and gently patted her head.

Despite my sister twitching her body to what was probably due to an itch, there was no signs of her waking up.

(A leopard will never change its spots - that's how it is said, right? There are no signs of improvement to this lass' brother-complex.)

I had said it plenty of times already, but the reason for me living separately from my sister, and the reason for allowing the members of the students' council to move in here, is because the most important thing right now is to cure my sister of her brother-complex.

Akiko has grown into a lady who will not embarrass herself in all sorts of situation, but should she reveals her true nature while living with me, then she will be opening an opportunity for the Takanomiya or the Arisugawa to strike. All her reputation and status which she had accumulated, will disappear in a flash as well. The most problematic thing is, it seems like she does not give a damn to her reputation and status which she had painstakingly accumulated. She will throw them away without any hesitation in an instant, should the situation requires her to do so.

Well, that sort of straightforwardness, or you can say foolishness, is indeed one of her plus points. If possible, I wish to respect her decision as much as possible.

(But it looks like the days where we live together in the same room will end right here.)

It is for the best for us to live separately for now. I do wish to live together, but we can't do that right now.

Ahh, that's right.

Ginbe, you are right.

The things you had pointed out and worried about back in the past, they are all absolutely true. As expected from my good friend whom I have been with for years.

Yes, it's exactly as you had said. But that is to be expected, naturally.

After being separated for six years and reuniting again once more, my sister has became so pretty she looks like a totally different person.

And she was openly displaying her affection towards me.

And I know that there is no blood-relation between us.

O— K—, I admit.

To be honest, I have zero confidence of maintaining my rationality should we continue on with our current situation.

Therefore, I have no choice but to keep a distance away from her.

This is a suggestion targeted towards my sister's brother-complex, which is proposed by the fellow members of the students' council - that is the other reason as well.

But the crux of everything is so as not to turn my promise I've made to my parents into nothing but empty words. 'No matter what happens, I will always protect Akiko' - I have no choice but to go all out and remove all factors that are of danger to her.

Even if that factor is me.

Or even if that is not what my sister has wished for.

(...... Oh boy. I am in a position that is filled with difficulties as well.)

The six years is really far too long.

Regardless for me or my sister, that period of time has allowed the platform where we see each other as members of the opposite sex to form completely. Indeed, I had viewed Himenokouji Akiko as a member of the opposite sex in the past, but that is just me looking at her as my younger sister, and nothing more.

Therefore, I have no intention of revealing the point of us not being blood-related to my younger sister.

Should she come to know of the truth, my younger sister will probably go ecstatic, and launch even more aggressive attacks on me. Since she still thinks of me as her blood-related brother, it will probably work as some sort of restriction on her, even if we are talking about the world champion bro-con here. Should that barrier be removed, I guess it will be obvious what the outcome will be.

Then again that lass has the bad habit of just being all talk (like what happened earlier on today while we were cleaning the bathroom), so perhaps in actual fact things may not get too chaotic. But if she tries to charm me even more aggressively then she is doing now, then I really do not have the confidence to...... no, sorry, really.

In any case, my policy will not change.

I'll continue to do the things that is needed from me as an elder brother, and I will do what I think is for the best. This is something that will never change.

— I once again engraved that determination into my heart, and gently patted her head yet again.

As she will definitely ask for more once I do that, I have never once did it to her no matter how much she begged...... But it is an exception when she is asleep.

I have made her cried a lot today, so such levels of service should be fine.

Pat pat.

Pat pat.

In order not to wake her up, I did so gently and diligently. I stroked her hair again and again, as if to affirm the touch of my sister's hair.

To put it cornily, her bright and lustrous black hair is just like silk. It's to the point where I think she can just feed herself for the rest of her life just by being the model for shampoos or conditioners in advertisements.

The skin on her face is spotlessly white, and smooth like a baby's.

Her facial features need no further praise from me. Even her eyelashes on her closed eyelids are long and thin, totally ignoring the need of mascara.

Ahh, damn.

If she is not my younger sister, I will definitely commit something wrong.

Of course, I cannot imagine Akiko as someone who is not my younger sister, and I think it is precisely because we are brought up as siblings, that such feelings exists in me today.

Ahh, what a shame.

Really, it's to the point where I am grinding my teeth in frustration.

......

............

........................

Forget it, there's no point in me staring into blank space at here. It would be bad if I stayed around for too long and she woke up. We have to know when to stop.

"Well then. I'll go back to sleep too."

With that said, I left my sister's side.

As I crept out of the room,

"Impossible—————————!"

My sister who was supposed to be asleep suddenly sprang up.

"Impossible impossible, totally impossible! To have made it this far and yet walk away doing nothing, it's as impossible as 1+1=0! Onii-chan, aren't you ashamed of yourself as a man!?"

"...... You, are awake......?"

"You had finally patted my head after six years! Yo— things will definitely proceed on with the mood this time round; kyaa— what should I do, I am not mentally prepared, but my body is raring to go anytime - I was waiting while thinking of all these things with my thumping heartbeats! But I never thought you will actually back out at the critical moment!"

My sister rattled on like a machine gun, while ignoring me, whose eyes were getting wide.

"It's food that is served right before you! Eat as you wish, do as you please!? Your cute little sister is actually sleeping there defenselessly, so why doesn't Onii-chan even give me a kiss! Is it because of your religion!?"

"Urm, I don't believe in any religion...... Look, Akiko. Are you trying to trick me by pretending to be asleep?"

"Yes!"

My sister nodded her head with force, without any sense of guilt.

"Due to the actions of my heartless Onii-chan, I've cried buckets of tears! Believing that Onii-chan will definitely come to console me, I was on standby all day! Lying on the table, just like that!"

"...... Can't you just shift those efforts of yours into something else instead?"

"All my efforts are so that I can gain Onii-chan's affection!"

"Typically speaking, that is not something that you can say without any hesitation."

"No, I can say so without any hesitation! Because everything in my life revolves around Onii-chan! And there is no need to care about what the normal situation is! Humans are at their happiest when they live the life they want to live!"

"Though what you are saying do make some sense, you have to look at the situation you are in before you speak......"

"Who cares about those things, anything is fine!"

My sister closed in on me aggressively.

"I was finally patted on the head. I was so happy I nearly got into a dance, but I still held on, and continued to pretend to be asleep after much difficulty! Me forgetting my toothbrush that is a deliberate ploy so that I can get Onii-chan into my room! Akiko violently objects to the way Onii-chan tramples on all my efforts!"

"So that toothbrush was deliberate huh......"

What a petty ploy it is.

Then again, I was in no position to speak, due to me being fooled by it totally.

"Well, just forget it, nothing bad has happened, right? You have your head patted by me due to your ploy working successfully. Not to mention, I have patted your head really thoroughly and for a long time, right?"

"No, can't do! That is not enough! Onii-chan has done a lot of horrible things to me today, so I will have to grab on to this chance and make Onii-chan apologize and pay for his crimes!"

"Tell me more specifically then. What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Do you even have to ask! Today, right now, you have to go against all odds and welcome our very first night together with me!"

"Ahaha, what an interesting joke. Do you want me to write a letter of recommendation to Kyoto Manzai Association?"

"I am absolutely serious! Look here - I am even done with laying out the futons!"

"Ahaha, good good. Saying those ridiculous claims in a very serious expression is a way to be funny as well."

"So I say, I am not trying to be funny!"

"Ahh- it's really funny. Since I am having such a good laugh before sleeping, it looks like I can sleep soundly tonight. Thank you, Akiko, and good night."

"Wait! Please wait! At least a good-night kiss!"

"No way."

"I won't ask for a kiss on the lips. Just the forehead will do!"

"I can't do things that cannot be done."

"W-Well then, just do it one more time! Please pat me on the head once more!"

"Didn't I just do enough of that. You'll go bald if I continue patting."

"Uhhhh~! I understand. Then at the very least, say something to your cute little sister before you leave the room!"

"Mmm. I love you the most in this world. Akiko, you are the only one I love."

"Uhiii! Why do you just love to give such services at moments like this! Didn't I say it many times already, I am weakest to sudden attacks like this!"

"Ahaha."

...... And so, with that.

It had nothing to do with blood-relations.

My younger sister and I were very energetic, and very blissful today - like that. We'll end here for now.