Chapter 3

Late at night. While playing an online game in my room, I couldn't concentrate properly, thinking about my sister, Risu. It's quite lonely when she treats me so coldly.

I want to get along well enough to live together without causing each other pain...

"What should I do?"

I muttered to myself while focusing on mining. I had been exploring a dungeon with a friend until a while ago, but I could tell my skills had declined a bit.

Playing the online game after a long break was fun, but the gap was noticeable to serious players.

I absentmindedly stared at the doll placed next to my desk. It was a cute, deformed version of Rinka, dressed in an idol outfit. Her large, sparkling eyes and cheerful smile exuded a bright, innocent aura. While it looked like Rinka, the character's vibe was more like Rin.

Before I left, Rinka had given me the doll, saying, "You might feel lonely being apart, so I'll give you my doll. Use it to endure the loneliness of not having a wife."

"Ah, it's from Rinka."

I answered the phone when it rang.

"Sorry for calling so late, Wato-kun."

"It's okay. Is something wrong?"

"…Isn't something wrong on your end, Wato-kun?"

"Huh?"

"Your voice doesn't sound very energetic."

Wow, Rinka is amazing. She picked up on it from this short exchange.

"Are you hugging the Rinka doll properly? I understand you might feel lonely without me, but please bear with it. I will... bear with it too."

I hadn't realized at all.

"It's not that, Rinka. Actually—"

"Not that? So you're not feeling lonely without me...? Could it be you're cheating?"

"I'm not! I'm completely devoted to Rinka! You know that, right?"

"Yes, I know, I fully understand. But I've heard that even men who are devoted to their wives... well, because they are so devoted, they might feel lonely without their wives and end up bringing other women home."

"Why would it come to that!? Please, just listen to me!"

Desperately pleading, I then explained the situation, including the fact that I have a sister, in a concise manner.

Rinka was silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"I'm sorry... I've understood that you're infatuated with me for a long time. But maybe because I've been tired lately... sometimes I can't help feeling anxious and can't bear it..."

"No, it's okay. Everyone has their moments."

"Wato-kun... you're so kind. I love that about you."

I was taken aback by the "I love you." And I guess I've gotten used to being called "deep-hearted."

"Still, you're quite a cautious girl. To be scared of someone like Wato..."

"What do you mean by 'someone like Wato'... I don't know what to do from here."

"What do you want, Wato-kun?"

"At least, I want to get to a point where you don't feel the need to be on guard. We'll be living in the same house, after all."

"Oh, you don't want to become close as a family?"

"That's a bit difficult... I think."

It's not realistic to suddenly act like a family just because we're family. But we can try to get closer. At the very least, we should be able to live comfortably together.

"I think we should just act normally."

"Normally, huh?"

"When we played the online game together, you weren't thinking about anything, right?"

"Yeah. It was fun, and I wanted Rin to enjoy it too. I just wanted to share the fun."

"Such childlike innocence, hehe."

Her small, soothing laugh was healing to hear.

Maybe I'm childlike, which is why Nona-chan gets close to me?

"I want to greet Risu-chan too. As Wato-kun's sister, she's part of my family, and my sister."

"......"

Riska and I are the real family, while Rinka is self-proclaimed.

"Sorry. Let's go to bed... I'm glad I could talk to you, even if it was just a little."

"Got it. Let's talk again tomorrow if we have time."

"Okay, thanks."

After ending the call, I leaned back in my chair and looked up at the ceiling.

How should I deal with this sudden sister...?