Chapter 29

My younger sister has apparently started a diet recently.

She is said to be doing stretches in her room.

She doesn't look particularly overweight, though. If anything, isn't she a bit too thin?

When I told her not to overdo it, she smiled happily.

As always, she's so simple-minded.

Then, I finally understood the strange chants coming from her room.

I couldn't hear exactly what she was saying, but I had been worried about the odd sounds coming from her room.

"When your voice full of determination could be heard all the way outside the room," I said casually, and she was surprised, "Really? I have to be more careful."

Yeah, I could hear it. Not just the chants, but the groans too, which were quite scary.

Another of my sister's odd behaviors has been resolved.

Since I'm a student preparing for exams, it would be great if she could be quiet this year.

One day, my sister brought me some congee as a midnight snack.

I had just had dinner, and to be honest, I'm not hungry at all.

I don't plan to stay up all night studying; I intend to go to bed around 1 a.m.

So eating now would probably be bad for my health...

But my sister is looking at me with an expectant face, hoping I'll eat quickly.

I'm in a bind...

This pot is big enough for two servings.

Her eyes are sparkling.

There's no choice...

I steeled myself and opened the lid, revealing steaming congee with chopped green onions.

I served it in a bowl, scooped some with a spoon, and took a bite.

...It's salty.

You put too much salt, sister!

My tongue is tingling. I need water right now.

Crap, there's no water.

Only hot green tea. Hot food with hot drinks... Sister.

I hurriedly took out water from the mini-fridge in my room and drank it down.

Good thing I have a fridge in my room.

I bought it years ago to avoid encountering my sister's odd behaviors when getting drinks at night.

"How is it, brother?"

It's salty. You put too much salt. Didn't you taste it?

"...It's delicious."

With those big, innocent eyes, I can't tell the truth.

But I'm in a bind. A salty congee is harder to eat than tasteless chocolate.

I don't even have the confidence to finish the bowl I served.

But...

My sister believed my words and smiled happily.

There's no choice...

I have to at least try to finish this bowl.

I ate it without showing my struggle. The 500ml of water was gone in no time.

I immediately opened another bottle.

I couldn't finish what was left in the pot, so I apologized, saying I wasn't very hungry tonight.

My sister said, "Maybe I'll try some too," and took a spoonful.

"Hmm? It's a bit salty, isn't it?"

You noticed, sister!

But this isn't just a bit salty.

Still, she continued eating with a calm face.

My sister's taste is too rough.

And what about your diet? Carbs before bed are the worst.

In the end, my sister finished the leftovers.

If this continues, I might face another midnight snack attack. What should I do?

"Rika, thank you for making the midnight snack tonight. But eating it makes me sleepy, so you don't have to worry about it in the future. I don't plan to stay up late studying either."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Plus, eating before bed can make you gain weight."

"Oh, right!"

That comment seemed to hit home with my diet-conscious sister.

Good...

After sending my sister off with the pot, I held my waterlogged stomach and slumped down.

Drinking too much water makes me feel sick...

Maybe it would be easier to just throw up.

But it felt wrong to throw up something my sister worked hard to make, so that night I fought the urge to vomit and somehow digested it.

Every year, the tasteless chocolates for Valentine's Day are a problem. I consulted with Munatsuki, whom I went to the amusement park with last year.

"My sister's homemade chocolates taste bland. It feels wrong to tell her, but Munatsuki, could you casually teach her how to make them?"

She looked puzzled at "bland chocolates" but happily agreed and later came to my house to make chocolates together.

A few days later, the Valentine's Day chocolates from my sister tasted sweet.

What magic did Munatsuki use? Her chocolates are sweet.

When I asked her about it, she said,

"I'm not sure of the exact cause, but there were issues like over-boiling leading to separation. But it's okay. Rika seems to understand that she needs to change her method, so from next year, she should be able to make delicious chocolates."

I was relieved.

Maybe I should ask Munatsuki for help this time too.

But my sister admires her a lot. If she only shows her failures in front of her idol, she might get discouraged.

For her future, maybe I should subtly recommend a cooking class.

My sister acts like a perfect lady outside.

She truly fits the image of a well-bred daughter of the Kishouin family. My parents haven't noticed her true nature.

But in front of me, she's becoming more and more like her true self, a silly girl.

While it shows she trusts me, I wish she would stop doing such bizarre things that surprise me.

Sister, don't try to do pull-ups hanging from the closet. It's scary.

♦♢♦♢♦

My best friend, Kishouin Takahiro, is a well-rounded guy.

First, he rarely gets angry.

I've almost never seen him lose his temper, and he's always polite to everyone.

He's the captain of the archery club and is relied upon by his juniors.

His grades are always top-notch, but he doesn't show off.

He seems almost perfect, but in reality, he's quite manipulative, using his gentle smile to get people to do what he wants.

He appears to be kind and accepting of everyone, but he actually trusts very few people.

But he's a good guy at heart. He's caring and never betrays those he cares about. I like that about him.

Takahiro has a younger sister.

She's a cute girl who looks like a well-made Western doll.

She looks like a doll when she's quiet, but her dimples are adorable when she smiles.

When I bring her souvenirs, she looks genuinely happy.

Unlike her brother, she's straightforward.

Sometimes we talk as a group of three, and she enjoys the sweets I bring. She loves sweets.

When we went to the amusement park together, her eyes were everywhere, so I bought her some easy-to-eat snacks, and she was incredibly grateful.

When someone with watery eyes says, "Thank you, Imari-sama!" for a few hundred yen worth of food, you want to say, "Okay, I'll buy you anything, little girl."

It feels like I'm training a pet.

She always listens to stories about Takahiro with interest. She loves her brother.

I can feel her deep affection for her "beloved brother."

Takahiro dotes on this sister a lot.

He dislikes people who get too close, but it's different with his sister.

She's cute. She thinks Takahiro is a kind and wonderful brother.

Sometimes I notice he's playing with her reactions, but she doesn't realize she's being manipulated.

Takahiro doesn't think of himself as a siscon, but to me, he's definitely one.

He always makes her sit next to him on the sofa, never next to me.

He listens to her stories with a genuine smile, not his usual arched smile.

When he pets her head, she smiles happily.

This brother and sister are really close.

I only have a cheeky younger brother, so I sometimes envy Takahiro for having such a cute and affectionate sister.

One day, I heard Takahiro consulting with Ai about "homemade chocolates" at Pivoine's salon.

When I asked him about it, he said, "I asked her to teach my sister how to make Valentine's Day chocolates."

Valentine's Day, huh.

Takahiro apparently receives homemade chocolates from his sister every year.

When I said, "Maybe I'll get some from her this year," he looked puzzled and asked, "Why would my sister have to give you Valentine's Day chocolates?"

Siscon...

Once, to tease him about being a siscon, I said,

"If I marry your sister, you'll be my brother-in-law. What would you do if that really happened?"

He hit me in the gut with a heavy punch without a word.

...Sorry, I won't say it again.

That brother and sister are interesting.

No, Takahiro becomes instantly interesting when his sister is involved.

Today, I'm visiting the Kishouin house with some sweet treats.