[Onii-Ai v3] Chapter 11: 14th April, AM6:00

So I got my TW translated Onii-ai vol 1. They are giving out posters of either Akiko, Anna or Nikaido as a promotion, but you have to be physically there at the event areas to claim it. God damn it hurts. Why can't they just bundle the shit up together? I was looking forward to seeing Anna in my room.

The whole volume's done. Thanks to Alice and Merc as usual. Enjoy.
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And so the next morning.

I am already living separately from my sister, but even then the people of Himenokouji family still wakes up early as usual. We had messed about till late night, and although I still want to sleep until I am satisfied, my body still woke up by itself.

"Ugh- mmm...... but I still feel like sleeping-"

I rose up from the bed with a yawn, and began preparing for the morning. There will be lessons on later, so even if I want to go back to sleep, I'll have only an hour left to do so. Akiko and Ginbe should be awake already in order to prepare breakfast, so it will not do if I am the only one lazing around.

Right, I'll work on my script while waiting for breakfast. If so, I can say without guilt that I have not wasted any time.

Thus, I washed up and changed quickly, and made a cup of tea for myself. Just as I was heading towards the table.

I saw someone in the courtyard via my bedroom windows.

Red ponytail and black eye-patch. That's Nikaido Arashi, the perverted students' council president whom everyone is familiar with.

"Heh. Her morning practice huh?"

She was holding on to a wooden sword instead of the usual Japanese sword. She was in a hakama, something that is rarely seen of her, and standing in position. [TLNote: Hakama (袴) are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. They were originally worn only by men, but today they are worn by both sexes. Wiki it if interested.]

I could not see her expressions from the place I was at...... but her back looked surprisingly slender, and her perfectly relaxed and yet serious posture reminds one of the calm before an incoming storm.

...... Mmm.

Change of plans.

Chances like this don't come every day, so let me take a look at Kaichou's skills.

I looked at her as I tried my hardest to avoid being detected by her, and waited for quite a while.

Kaichou started off her training slow.

The first strike went for the eyes, followed by the front, forearm, waist, and a thrust.

Then it started from the forearm, followed by the face, the sides of the face, and the sides of the waist.

Your standard practice that follows the basics down to the dot.

...... Hmm.

That's rather surprising.

As a whole, Nikaido Arashi is someone very uninhibited and open. She's the sort of person to ignore details, and deals with everything with a laugh. I originally thought her swordplay will be something similar to her personality, but it looks like I had guessed wrong.

Kaichou's swordplay is very exquisite and rational. There are absolutely no tricks, nor are there any unreasonable moves. Seems like those are your true battle techniques through and through.

Ah well, I may not sound convincing as a kendo novice, but even from the eyes of a novice, her steps and body movements were really impressive as well. As expected from the students' council president of St. Ririana Academy - even if she is sloppy with her fashion sense and demeanor, she's still solid on the inside.

(Then again...... to be honest, it is slightly boring.)

As her basics are excellent, I could easily catch a glimpse of her real strength just from her basics training. However, those are not really things worth spending time to look at. I can easily see practices of people swinging their swords at just about anywhere, so-

Just as I was thinking of that.

Unknowingly, and suddenly. Kaichou's aura changed.

A hallucination of her back suddenly increasing many times in size. She twisted her legs nimbly, turned her waist, and spun her body around with her foot acting as a fulcrum as though she wanted to drill out the soil beneath her.

With that, she slashed her wooden blade horizontally with a murderous intent.

Towards me.

"———!?"

I'm dead meat, I thought to myself.

I thought I was sliced into two.

Obviously that was just my hallucination. There were the walls of the hostel between us; even though it is a little old, but the thick window glass was there as well; and most importantly, she was physically more than ten meters away from me. She would not be able to slash me unless her sword can extend and retract like a drying pole, or she can use some sort of magic. Not to mention, Kaichou was just holding on to a wooden sword.

I do know all those things very well, but still. I really thought I was dead. That's how penetrative that slash was, and more importantly, how sharp that killing intent of hers was.

"Yo. Morning, my lover number 4."

While maintaining the pose of her slash, Kaichou looked at me and smiled.

"Your interest in peeking at fine ladies like me is really disturbing. I am fine with you watching me practice, but do you mind informing me first?"

"...... Sorry. That was not my intention."

"Since you are peeking, you might as well peek at me changing. But should you really do that, I'll go along with the mood and push you down. Then you will really become my lover number 4 who is worthy of the name."

"I see, but no thanks. I'll follow your advise, and will never get close to Kaichou's room from now on."

"Ka ka ka. You sure don't mince your words, as usual."

After a laugh, Kaichou finally relaxed her posture,

"So, how's it? My practice."

"Regarding that, it is very impressive, to be honest. You walking about with that huge sword is really not just for show."

"Really? But wasn't that boring? I tried to tease you slightly after seeing you coming close to yawning just now."

"...... Please do not release your murderous intents jokingly."

It's slightly too stimulating as a cup of wake-up coffee.

Incidentally, Kaichou should have her back facing me. No, prior to that, when did she detect my presence? I was already carefully hiding my own presence back then.

"Ah, but you are really strong. I'll have to reconsider the way I look at Kaichou."

"Eh. That's something to be happy about."

"I am not licking your boots. You were really impressive. I thought I was nearly chopped apart by that horizontal slash of yours."

"I see, I see. That's great. Since you are redoing the way you look at me, why don't you do a confession along the way. I can have the extravagant joy of enjoying outdoor sex early in the morning as well."

"It should be about time you have some self-awareness, about how your ratings will drop each time you say things like that."

"Kakaka, can't be helped. What will be left of me, without my sexual drive."

As she said such sorrowful things without giving much of a damn, Kaichou walked towards me,

"Well, you don't really have to worry."

" ? About what?"

"About your sister."

Kaichou closed one of her eyes while wiping off the sweat on her forehead.

"We barged into what is supposed to be the hostel which should only be occupied by you both, and forced her to live apart from her elder brother. Well, originally, it would not be strange should she fall sick due to the shock she had received. That girl's brother-complex is not something to joke around with."

"Yeah, indeed."

"However, this is actually Himenokouji Akiko's biggest strength. Generally speaking, that girl is always very optimistic, and she will simply stand up again. Even if that lass meets a 'it never rains but it pours'-situation, such as her dropping her wallet, then having her empty house broken into by a thief, she will still emerge with a smile. Should I say she is surprisingly tenacious or...... in any case, she is very impressive."

"Yeah, I think the same too."

I absolutely agree.

That lass will never forget her smile no matter what she is facing. She is probably the girl who is most unsuited to put on a crying face in this world.

"You do know that girl is someone popular enough to gun for the first prize in the school's beauty contest, but that is not due to her being smart or looking gorgeous. The most important factor is the effects brought about by her personality. In a way, even an explosive situation will be alleviated just with her mere presence alone."

"Yeah. Akiko's smile is something that will render things like quarrels and wars pointless."

"Yup. That girl is probably born to be a mediator for United Nations or something. She will probably be able to accomplish her mission no matter which place she is sent to."

I did not know if it was due to her imagining the scene, but Kaichou gave a throaty "kukuku" laugh,

"That's the reason for me wanting her in the students' council. The students in our school are all outstanding, but some of them can have a very strong personality. A lubricant like Himenokouji Akiko is essential to gel all those people together. No, I really treat her as my precious."

...... Hmm.

I have never once doubted on how outstanding my sister is. However, I am really proud as her brother, to hear Kaichou acknowledging her.

Then again, I do not really have the chance to understand the sort of position Akiko is in at school...... though I should know soon enough. As her elder brother, and as her guardian, it will not do if I do not know about her situation.

"But Himenokouji Akiko is a really unique talent. That naive innocence of hers has reached a state where I do not know how to handle her. I am really envious about that."

"Eh? Kaichou thinks of it that way?"

"Surprised?"

"Mmm, yeah. A little."

"All humans will always be envious of the things that others have and they don't. I don't think there are a lot of areas where I lose to others, but my 'man-eater' techniques is something incomparable to Himenokouji Akiko's. That girl has the ability to get close to anyone unknowingly, no matter how cautious the person is. And because it is hundred-percent natural, it becomes something hard to deal with."

What a coincidence. Kaichou had used a familiar term.

Man-eater.

A term that is commonly used when describing my parents.

Perhaps that description of hers is really fitting.

Akiko is very similar to our parents. Since she is their real birth daughter, unlike me, that is something to be expected...... But even if it is natural for them to be similar in looks, she has also strangely inherited their personalities like how energetic they were, how they can get close to others, and how they can be very honest to people whom they trust.

"Your father and mother had some things in similar, right?"

She couldn't have realized what I was thinking. Kaichou shrugged and gave a faint wry smile,

"I've heard about it. The unfilial son of the Himenokouji - despite being in a position akin to the leader in what is named as <The Royal Ten>, a group of noble families, he had never once put in effort into ensuring the survival of his family line. There's only you siblings left who are qualified to use the surname 'Himenokouji', right?"

"Yes. Something like that."

Well, it's normal for her to know such levels of information.

The Nikaido family which Kaichou is from would probably has some sort of relations with The Royal Ten. It's nothing strange for her to hear many things about Himenokouji family.

Even so, this is a topic that I do not wish to touch on. Should thing go on deeper, I'll just brush it off with a laugh-

"Ah, it's fine, I have no intention of pursuing deeper."

However, Kaichou shook her head with a hearty laugh.

"It's not something I am interested in, and more importantly, I'll be troubling you should I continue delving into the issue. Moreover, I am in approval of what your parents have done."

"Haa. Is that so?"

"Of course. Isn't it obvious, looking at my personality?"

"Mmm, indeed so. What Kaichou is interested in are only things related to the reproductive organs of humans."

"Right right. No matter what, my nickname is still 'Predator'. Regardless of night or day, whether I am sleeping or awake, the only things I think of is male-female related things — no wait, nothing like that. I have lots of interests other than that."

With that said, Kaichou did the tsukkomi action using her right hand with a *pishi*. [TLNote: according to the Chinese translator, that means she is slapping onto her sides with the back of her hand. No idea if it is true.]

As expected from the students' council president of the famous St. Ririana Academy. She is surprisingly cooperative at times like these.

"Forget it, the nobles toe the line for just about everything, so screw that. They have a lot of troublesome rules as well, and to be truthful I do not wish to entertain them any longer."

"Yeah. I feel the same as well."

"Ultimately speaking, groups like <The Royal Ten> have long turned into something that is nothing more than just an empty name. The powers and wealth they wield now are nothing compared to their heydays. It is at a point where they have barely managed to retain the shell of their former self. Those who hugs on to that empty shell tightly are just fossils who cannot keep up with things, so they'll probably disintegrate by themselves in the near future."

...... Hmm.

This Kaichou is indeed someone who fits the impression she gives to others.

According to my previous sources, Nikaido is a family with weak standings when it comes to Takanomiya or Arisugawa. I was worried that she may turn into an enemy against me and Akiko, depending on the situation. But now, it somehow feels like I am just worrying too much.

Ahh, thank god, really.

I have mentioned it many times before already. My current relationship with the Takanomiya and Arisugawa is  in a very delicate state. Putting aside the details, the fact is I had took Akiko away in a very forceful manner. For the two families who were deeply embarrassed by it, it is hard to imagine them just letting it go without doing anything.

Under such circumstances, I don't think I need to explain further what will happen should I make enemy with that person - someone who has ties with both sides of the family, is in the students' council, and is also a resident whom I am living together with under the same roof.

Mmm, how really thankful.

In a certain sense, Kaichou is the most elusive person in the students' council. Seems like I can establish a rather good relationship with her.

"Oh, we've been standing around and talking too much. It's about time they are done preparing breakfast, so the training shall stop here for now."

"Ah, you're right. Look at the time."

"I've sweated quite a lot, so I'll take a bath before heading to the canteen. I may be slightly late, so please inform Himenokouji Akiko and Gin-Gin about it."

"Understood. I'll do so."

"Or you can bath together with me?"

"There's no need for that."

"Really? What a pity. I am quite confident in all sorts of play, but my bathroom play is definitely one of my strongest suit. I can guarantee you: just five minutes, and you will definitely go to heaven."

"I am still attached to the human world, so I wish to go to neither heaven nor hell."

"Right, I understand. Then three minutes, no wait, just two is enough. As long as you give me that amount of time, I'll definitely come up with a way to do it. The restricted amount of time means I cannot carry out the whole deal, but no worries - you will definitely not be disappointed all the same."

"Forget about two minutes, even if I am to just hand my body over to you for a mere two seconds, I am confident that I will definitely come to regret my decision."

"Kakaka, as uncooperative as ever aye. Whatever, it can't be helped. Since you will be sweating out something else should you take a bath with me."

As she said those things nonchalantly, Kaichou turned her body away. She seemed to be in a good mood.

Oh boy, she's still the same as ever. She is in the heat for twenty-four seven, regardless of where she is at. How very difficult to deal with.

Forget it, since Kaichou is still being surprisingly respectful of others despite all that. Or rather, it seems like she has no intention of forcing others to do as she please. And despite ninety percent of me finding it irritating, the remaining ten percent is actually enjoying the conversations between us.

Mhmm.

She is sloppy, but I quite like this Kaichou of mine.

At then, I felt it is rather fortunate that the president of the students' council of St. Ririana Academy is my superior.

Hopefully, I can continue to get along well with Nikaido Arashi smoothly.

"Ahh right, right."

Kaichou turned back towards me, who was thinking of all those things.

"I've heard something by chance. Can I ask you something?"

" ? What?"

I am still very naive - though that is something I have only came to realize later. A disaster is something that will suddenly appear out of nowhere when it is left forgotten in a corner, or when one gets really careless.

Kaichou lifted the tip of her lips into a smile, and said something that came as a huge impact to my unsuspecting and vulnerable mind.

"It's the thing about you and your sister. You two are actually not blood related, right?"