Chapter 2 – Confusion x Contact –
A deserted town that is three stations away from the nearest station to the school.
A corner of an old fashioned downtown that seems to have passed through the Heisei Era*.
[TN: from 8 Jan 1989 to 30 Apr 2019]
A room inside an old wooden two-story apartment is the Sato family’s Castle.
I went inside the apartment. On the second floor, the noise of a telephone bell was leaking from the room of the Sato family, and a good old lady who lives next door was staring at me.
I hurried up the steel staircase that was rotten and full of holes.
When I got to the second floor, the old lady frowned and said, “It has been ringing for the past 10 minutes.”
Seriously? The hell, why is that bastard making such a passionate love call?
I bow to the old lady and jump into the House.
Like a Sparrow, I grabbed the phone in the hallway and answered in a sulky tone without hiding my mood.
“Yes, yes, hello. Who is it?”
“Oh, finally you picked up! It’s me! your proud dad!”
“You~~, you son of a bitch!”
The owner of this passionate love call is my father, Naoyuki Sato.
The frustration that mixes with my words becomes even more intense.
“Come on old man, you know the soundproofing in this house is terrible. Then call again after a while if no one picks up. It would be a nuisance to the neighbors. Right?”
“Ha ha ha! I’m sorry. Suddenly, I wanted to hear your voice! “
“What are you talking about? It’s disgusting.”
“I don’t think it’s disgusting. As a parent, it is natural to care for their only beloved son. How is it? How are you? Is school fun?”
Oh, no!
This is it.
He’s behaving like a child who is hiding a bad report from his parents.
That’s what my experience tells me.
This old man, even though he’s over his mid-40s, he still has a childish personality.
I’m sure it’s because he’s still chasing after dinosaurs.
Anyway, I’ll hang up.
“Oh, I’m fine, and it’s fun. It’s great. Then we’re done here. Good night~~”
“Wait, wait! Wait a minute! Don’t end the call! I’ll call again even if you end it! I’ll call you until you take it! I wanted to hear your voice, but in fact, I have an important story for you today!”
Tch… I’ll just pretend I’m listening.
I don’t want to be stared at by the neighbours again.
Though I could always pull out the telephone line, but that would be overkill.
……..It can’t be helped.
“I’ll think about it, so what is it?”
“No~o… that’s … Umm”
“What is it? Is it so difficult to say?”
“It’s not that it’s hard to say, but I’m getting embarrassed think about it. It’s embarrassing.”
“Disgusting! I don’t want to hear the voice of a middle-aged man being embarrassed. Speak quickly. Anyway, I guess it’s not a very good thing to say, but you must apologize for using the money from my grandmother’s account. Again, Isn’t it?”
“Actually, your dad is getting remarried.”
“You see. I thought it would be like that anyway……..Huh? HaaaaaaaaAAAAAA!?!?”
To my great surprise, a scream broke out from my throat.
The thin wall separating the room from the next door is slammed behind my back.
I apologize to the complaints from my neighbors, and then check the old man on the phone.
“Rrr…remarried? Mmm.. marriage, you? When? I didn’t hear from you?”
“Ah! She, I met her at the excavation site.”
“Is it Fukuoka? It’s been about two months since you went there, right?”
“You may not know about it yet because you’re still in high school but ‘the flames of love can sometimes burn suddenly’.”
Seriously? If it burns up, will you get married in just two months?
Unbelievable. It’s scary. How much you can learn about another person in just two months?
I wonder if it’s different for adults.
“Then you called me to report that? It’s my father’s life, and I don’t care who he chooses.”
“Oh, I am glad to hear that….Of course, I have to report it, but that’s not the only thing I wanted to tell you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want to talk about, Tsukiko-san, my wife’s child.”
“She has a child?”
“It wouldn’t be unusual, Since I’ve got you, too.”
“Well, that’s right. Then I’m going to have a sibling. Right?”
“That’s….So, your sibling is a girl in the 2nd year of high school. Same as you. Younger sister..or.. older sister*? Hmm, you were born in April. That means Shigure-chan is your younger sister. And she will live in that house from today onwards.”
[TN: 義妹(gimai)- younger stepsister
義姉(gishi)- elder stepsister]
“Wait a minute………Tch…What?”
The wall bounces again with an impact.
I apologized again.
But I was too confused to notice myself.
“Hiromichi, your voice is very loud. It’s a nuisance to the neighbors.”
“I’m the one who’s suffering the most trouble in the world right now! What? You remarried before I knew it, and there is a girl of the same age as me, and from now on she’s going to live in this house. No, no, no, no, no! I can’t do it! I mean, I’m living in this apartment, but there’s no room!”
This apartment is 1DK.
There are many rooms for an old wooden apartment, but both are small.
Both my bedroom, dining/kitchen and my dad’s room, which is separated by a sliding doors, are already filled.
There is no space to accept new people.
“Then, please clean up your father’s room and use it. You can throw away everything there except for your mother’s belongings.”
“It’s too narrow to throw away. It’s a six-mat room for two parents and a child. If it’s a girl, she’ll have a lot of luggage.”
“What? Oh, you’re mistaken. Shigure-chan will be the only one who will live in that house from today. And Tsukiko-san is going to America with me.”
Ha! Eh? Haaaaaaa!?
“No, I was planning to go back there with Tsukiko-san and Shigure-chan, but the professor who helped me when I was in college told me to do it. I decided to help with the excavation in America. It’s almost time for the flight, so I wondered what to do if you didn’t answer the phone. Shigure-chan is already heading there. I’m glad I didn’t get it wrong. Hahaha!”
“Wait! Nothing is good! I’m really panicking! Eh? Do you mean I have to live with a girl of the same age? In this house? Impossible!”
Uwa, I feel uncomfortable with the handset covered in sweat!
“Why are you so upset, You’re not a virgin.”
“I’m a virgin !! Your son is still a shiny virgin! I’m your son you idiot.”
“Oh, oh. Oh yeah. Well. She’s your little sister, so you should be comfortable with her.”
“A younger sister I’ve never seen before is a complete stranger! No, it’s impossible. I can’t. Please forgive me. Tell her to go back to her old house at once.”
“Oh no. The boarding announcement has arrived. Well then, Dad has to go! I’ll be back there about a year later, so be friends with Shigure-chan until then! I love you! “
“Wai..! It isn’t over yet.”
“Gacha! Tn… tn…tn…” [TN: call ending sound]
“Ah, ah … that fucking old man”
“Tn….tn….”
I screamed and slammed the handset.
Of course, my neighbors returned it like I did but louder, but I don’t care anymore.
My head is so confused that I think my brain is spinning around in my skull.
I couldn’t stand it and fell on the spot.
…….No, it’s dangerous. This is dangerous.
No matter how much she became a younger sister on the family register, suddenly living with a girl of the same age!
What’s more, the adults won’t be back for a year.
I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, but I guess that old man really is crazy.
Doesn’t he have any morals?
Besides, it’s today, not tomorrow …?
…… I’m glad that my father remarried.
For some reason, he raised me alone ever since my mother died.
I want to congratulate him because he found a new partner.
But…….
“Isn’t it messy …?”
What’s this. Let’s celebrate more comfortably. Fucking old man.
I sigh.
It’s a bad joke.
And what’s worse, this joke is not over yet.
It seems that while I’m doing this, my sister, who has never seen my face, is approaching this house.
If so, I can’t stay depressed forever.
“Anyway, I have to clean up the room before she comes.”
I have to do something about my father’s room, also the living room that is my nest.
The futons are on the floor for many years, the clothes are scattered around, and there’s even some lewd magazines borrowed from Takeshi.
I can’t welcome a girl to such a devil’s cave.
It’s an act that violates the law.
That’s why I tried to get up—at that time.
The bell that announces the visitor rang.
“Tu…….”
Sh… she’s here?
Even the lewd magazines haven’t been cleared up yet!
No, maybe the aunt next door rushed in because it was noisy a while ago.
Or it could be NHK or a newspaper.
Anyway, I have to confirm.
Let’s decide the response depending on the opponent.
With that in mind, I looked through the peephole on the door and………
“!.…..Eh?”
I was Speechless.
Until now, my brain was swirling inside my skull in small volumes. But now, ‘Everything I have to do, and everything I need to think about is blown away and my thoughts become pure white’.
I feel the ground slipping under my feet.
The sight beyond the door freezes all my thoughts and emotions in a moment.
Because it can’t be helped.
Behind the door was,
It was my girlfriend Haruka Saikawa. We were together at the station a while ago.
Wh…Why?
Why is Haruka in front of my house?
Moreover, depending on the situation, now at this timing.
I haven’t told Haruka about my house yet.
I told her the nearest station, but she shouldn’t know the address because I never brought her here.
Did she follow me? No, it was Haruka who got on the train first. That’s the truth.
Then why is Haruka here right now …?
I think desperately in this confusion.
While I was thinking, I saw through the small hole, it seems like she’s having trouble.
She looks around her smartphone and the surroundings alternately, make gestures like pointing to the nameplate to check and move around restlessly.
The usual vigor disappears from my expressions, and my mind cleared.
That calmed me down.
……..should not.
What am I doing with my girlfriend looking like that?
Why did Haruka come here? Isn’t that something she should answer herself?
Anyway, I have to go right now.
When I returned home, I locked the door.
“I’m sorry, I’ll open it soon! Wa—?”
I open the door with an apology.
Door….
It’s open….
But,
So, in front of Haruka, I’m speechless. Again!
“Oh! You’re here. I’m glad. I was afraid that I might have mistaken the room.”
“…………..”
No.
I couldn’t see her clearly through the peephole, but now she’s in my plain sight.
The girl in front of me is smiling with relief, but she’s not Haruka.
Their hairstyle, looks, the high waist, everything is similar. They’re like two peas in a pod.
But,
Those eyes that look at me are different.
When Haruka looks at me, her eyes brighten.
This only fact made me realize that she was a different person from Haruka.
Once you know that, you can see a lot of things that were not visible because of the confusion.
If you look closely, her uniform is completely different from Haruka’s.
Underneath the brightly colored cardigan is the sailor suit, not the Seiun High School uniform we attend.
The shoes she’s wearing are loafers instead of the usual sneakers.
In addition, behind her is a large suitcase and a supermarket bag in one hand.
This is……,
No, I know that there is only one possibility, but I’m so stupid.
“What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”
“..….Maybe, you are Shigure-chan?”
“Yeeees! Nice to meet you. I’m Shigure Oeyama. Oh, it’s Shigure Sato now.
Tsukiko Sato’s daughter and from today onwards your little sister.*
Please treat me well. Onii-san”
[TN: 義妹(gimai)- younger stepsister]
That means,
Perhaps my sister and my girlfriend are lookalikes.
X X X
My father’s sudden remarriage.
Living alone with my step-sister.
I was still swayed and tossed around by the chaos brought about by my father’s phone call, but yeah, that was all just a devil’s sideshow.
The reality of the surprise came out at the last minute.
The reality is that my step-sister is a living copy of my girlfriend.
That’s…. no good.
It’s no good. It’s no good. Absolutely no. It’s useless.
Having a lover named Haruka, and living with a girl who looks just like Haruka.
It’s terrible.
I feel someone’s malice.
How do I face this reality….?
“You know, you heard that I was coming today, right?”
When my emotions were worn out and stunned by the repeated shocks, she, who looked just like Haruka, called out with anxiety.
“Oh, oh. Yeah. I’m listening, I heard…..just now.”
“Just now? That’s a short story, right? But I wish I could have heard it. Um, may I ask your name, Onii-san? I should have heard it from my mother, but I forgot.”
“Well, um…… I’m Hiromichi Sato.”
“Hiromichi-kun?”
“Uh. I’ll be glad if you stop calling me that way.”
The same voice as Haruka…. It’s too dangerous.
At my request, she looked strange and accepted, “Then, it’s Onii-san. It’ll be easier to call you this too.”
“Then, now that we’ve finished greeting each other, let’s go inside.”
“Oh no, wait”
“What? Why?”
It’s dangerous.
I opened the door thinking that it was Haruka, but the room hasn’t been cleaned up yet.
She can’t go inside right now.
That’s why I immediately moved to the front door and blocked the way inside.
“As I said earlier, the house was cluttered just before I was contacted. Why don’t you wait here for a moment?”
“Oh, that’s right. Don’t worry. We’re brothers and sisters who will live together from now on. I’ll help you clean up. Excuse me.”
“Oh, hey……… Wait a minute!”
She pushes her way through and went inside.
There was no way I could prevent this invasion because I couldn’t do that by touching the girl I met for the first time and pushing her back.
Of course, it was impossible to grab her delicate shoulder and pull back.
At least I can hide the lewd magazines before she finds out.
So I hurriedly chased, but it was already late. In the 1m corridor of my house, it was impossible to overtake when the initial action was delayed in the first place.
When I entered the living room, she was looking down at the lewd magazines that I had left open………
“..…Huh?”
Gya……….
I laughed! I laughed! Like looking down on a lowly creature!
Aaaaaaaaaaaa…..I want to be a shellfish.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was in a family of women with my mother, and I completely forgot about this. That’s right. This is a man’s house, so there are things that women don’t want to see. There is. This was my carelessness. I’m sorry. It’s a shame.”
“… It would be helpful if you could understand, Un.”
Kindness hurts.
“Well, then I’ll leave the cleaning up to you. I’ll prepare dinner in the meantime. You haven’t ate dinner yet, right?”
“Oh, thank you”
“I’m good at cooking, so you can expect it.”
She took a frilled pink and white plaid apron out of her suitcase and put it on. Then she went inside the kitchen.
While cleaning up the room, I was looking at the kitchen. She was good at cooking, she’s very skilled.
The sound of cutting vegetables rhythmically.
The sound of the boiling pot.
A cute humming song that mixes occasionally.
It looks like Haruka is standing in the kitchen. I’m thrilled.
What’s that? I’m a fucking bastard.
What if both of them are same person?
This is a very dangerous delusion.
Haruka, his irreplaceable lover overlaps with his step-sister.
When’s the end of this delusion?
No matter what you think, there is nothing but ruin.
But they are very similar. It’s too much.
It’s said that three other people in the world have the same face as you, but how likely are they to be tied up in my narrow friend circle?
It was unnecessary. No, seriously.
So, when I was thinking about it. She talked to me while cooking.
“By the way, Onii-san, your father informed you just recently.”
“Yeah. Shigure-san will live here from today onwards. A few minutes ago.”
“Ahaha. That would have surprised me too. It’s suddenly today.”
“I’m not surprised at this point. That fucking father of mine. It must be hard for Shigure-san’s mother to choose. Absolutely.”
“… It’s their behavior. Well, Onii-san, she’s also my step-mother.”
At that moment, I felt an unexpected ‘change*’ in her voice.
[TN: 険]
She raised her eyebrow and looked down at me with a frowning look.
Eh.., are you mad?
“Not only my mother but also you. You’ve been calling me ‘Shigure-san’ for a while. Please stop that. Please call me Shigure. You’re my brother.”
“No, no … That is..”
“Do you think that you’re the only one who having a high hurdle to suddenly become a brother*? Onii-san!”
[TN: 兄妹(kyodai)- brother and sister]
“Eh”
“I’m also overwhelmed. Isn’t it crazy to do it by myself?”
“..…..…!”
….I see. That’s right.
Perhaps no one can accept the person they meet for the first time as a family member.
Moreover, she is a girl. The fear she feels is not the same as mine.
But she’s trying to figure it out.
She is moving forward with all her might.
But what about me?
From a while ago, I was only worried about my circumstances and anxieties….!
“Uooooooooo!”
“Ehhh? What? What’s the matter? Onii-san? All of a sudden, you slapped your cheeks, and it’s bright red! How hard did you hit yourself?”
“No, it’s all right now.”
“Nothing looks all right. Is it a seizure?”
“Anyway, it’s fine”
It’s enough to wake up myself.
It would be easy if I leave all the compromises to others and let them guide me.
But that’s not what a brother does.
No, I’ve never been an older brother. It’s just my selfishness. If I have to become one then I don’t want to be such a pathetic brother.
So,
“It was my fault. I’ll be careful from now on. Sh.. Shigure.”
“….! Yes!”
I was a little shy, but I could say it properly.
After all, I was nervous to call a girl by their given name.
But when I see Shigure’s smile, she looks happy. I feel relieved. It seems that it was worth the effort.
Well, She smiles just like Haruka that what makes me nervous.
This is my problem. I have no choice but to get used to it.
It’s a bad idea to reject Shigure for this reason.
It is extremely rude to Haruka and Shigure.
“Well, the dinner is ready, so can you put a table for two? Onii-san!”
“Leave it to me. Shigure”
“Oooooh. Once again~. Please Onii-san, spoil your cute little sister as much as possible.”
Shigure turns the smile that resembles Haruka into something devilish. Which Haruka can never think of.
Still, her smile was cheerful.
Obviously, she’s not Haruka.
I was relieved by the fact.
………Well, yeah, in the end, this relief was a terrible misunderstanding.
Chapter 2 – Confusion x Contact –
A deserted town that is three stations away from the nearest station to the school.
A corner of an old fashioned downtown that seems to have passed through the Heisei Era*.
[TN: from 8 Jan 1989 to 30 Apr 2019]
A room inside an old wooden two-story apartment is the Sato family’s Castle.
I went inside the apartment. On the second floor, the noise of a telephone bell was leaking from the room of the Sato family, and a good old lady who lives next door was staring at me.
I hurried up the steel staircase that was rotten and full of holes.
When I got to the second floor, the old lady frowned and said, “It has been ringing for the past 10 minutes.”
Seriously? The hell, why is that bastard making such a passionate love call?
I bow to the old lady and jump into the House.
Like a Sparrow, I grabbed the phone in the hallway and answered in a sulky tone without hiding my mood.
“Yes, yes, hello. Who is it?”
“Oh, finally you picked up! It’s me! your proud dad!”
“You~~, you son of a bitch!”
The owner of this passionate love call is my father, Naoyuki Sato.
The frustration that mixes with my words becomes even more intense.
“Come on old man, you know the soundproofing in this house is terrible. Then call again after a while if no one picks up. It would be a nuisance to the neighbors. Right?”
“Ha ha ha! I’m sorry. Suddenly, I wanted to hear your voice! “
“What are you talking about? It’s disgusting.”
“I don’t think it’s disgusting. As a parent, it is natural to care for their only beloved son. How is it? How are you? Is school fun?”
Oh, no!
This is it.
He’s behaving like a child who is hiding a bad report from his parents.
That’s what my experience tells me.
This old man, even though he’s over his mid-40s, he still has a childish personality.
I’m sure it’s because he’s still chasing after dinosaurs.
Anyway, I’ll hang up.
“Oh, I’m fine, and it’s fun. It’s great. Then we’re done here. Good night~~”
“Wait, wait! Wait a minute! Don’t end the call! I’ll call again even if you end it! I’ll call you until you take it! I wanted to hear your voice, but in fact, I have an important story for you today!”
Tch… I’ll just pretend I’m listening.
I don’t want to be stared at by the neighbours again.
Though I could always pull out the telephone line, but that would be overkill.
……..It can’t be helped.
“I’ll think about it, so what is it?”
“No~o… that’s … Umm”
“What is it? Is it so difficult to say?”
“It’s not that it’s hard to say, but I’m getting embarrassed think about it. It’s embarrassing.”
“Disgusting! I don’t want to hear the voice of a middle-aged man being embarrassed. Speak quickly. Anyway, I guess it’s not a very good thing to say, but you must apologize for using the money from my grandmother’s account. Again, Isn’t it?”
“Actually, your dad is getting remarried.”
“You see. I thought it would be like that anyway……..Huh? HaaaaaaaaAAAAAA!?!?”
To my great surprise, a scream broke out from my throat.
The thin wall separating the room from the next door is slammed behind my back.
I apologize to the complaints from my neighbors, and then check the old man on the phone.
“Rrr…remarried? Mmm.. marriage, you? When? I didn’t hear from you?”
“Ah! She, I met her at the excavation site.”
“Is it Fukuoka? It’s been about two months since you went there, right?”
“You may not know about it yet because you’re still in high school but ‘the flames of love can sometimes burn suddenly’.”
Seriously? If it burns up, will you get married in just two months?
Unbelievable. It’s scary. How much you can learn about another person in just two months?
I wonder if it’s different for adults.
“Then you called me to report that? It’s my father’s life, and I don’t care who he chooses.”
“Oh, I am glad to hear that….Of course, I have to report it, but that’s not the only thing I wanted to tell you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want to talk about, Tsukiko-san, my wife’s child.”
“She has a child?”
“It wouldn’t be unusual, Since I’ve got you, too.”
“Well, that’s right. Then I’m going to have a sibling. Right?”
“That’s….So, your sibling is a girl in the 2nd year of high school. Same as you. Younger sister..or.. older sister*? Hmm, you were born in April. That means Shigure-chan is your younger sister. And she will live in that house from today onwards.”
[TN: 義妹(gimai)- younger stepsister
義姉(gishi)- elder stepsister]
“Wait a minute………Tch…What?”
The wall bounces again with an impact.
I apologized again.
But I was too confused to notice myself.
“Hiromichi, your voice is very loud. It’s a nuisance to the neighbors.”
“I’m the one who’s suffering the most trouble in the world right now! What? You remarried before I knew it, and there is a girl of the same age as me, and from now on she’s going to live in this house. No, no, no, no, no! I can’t do it! I mean, I’m living in this apartment, but there’s no room!”
This apartment is 1DK.
There are many rooms for an old wooden apartment, but both are small.
Both my bedroom, dining/kitchen and my dad’s room, which is separated by a sliding doors, are already filled.
There is no space to accept new people.
“Then, please clean up your father’s room and use it. You can throw away everything there except for your mother’s belongings.”
“It’s too narrow to throw away. It’s a six-mat room for two parents and a child. If it’s a girl, she’ll have a lot of luggage.”
“What? Oh, you’re mistaken. Shigure-chan will be the only one who will live in that house from today. And Tsukiko-san is going to America with me.”
Ha! Eh? Haaaaaaa!?
“No, I was planning to go back there with Tsukiko-san and Shigure-chan, but the professor who helped me when I was in college told me to do it. I decided to help with the excavation in America. It’s almost time for the flight, so I wondered what to do if you didn’t answer the phone. Shigure-chan is already heading there. I’m glad I didn’t get it wrong. Hahaha!”
“Wait! Nothing is good! I’m really panicking! Eh? Do you mean I have to live with a girl of the same age? In this house? Impossible!”
Uwa, I feel uncomfortable with the handset covered in sweat!
“Why are you so upset, You’re not a virgin.”
“I’m a virgin !! Your son is still a shiny virgin! I’m your son you idiot.”
“Oh, oh. Oh yeah. Well. She’s your little sister, so you should be comfortable with her.”
“A younger sister I’ve never seen before is a complete stranger! No, it’s impossible. I can’t. Please forgive me. Tell her to go back to her old house at once.”
“Oh no. The boarding announcement has arrived. Well then, Dad has to go! I’ll be back there about a year later, so be friends with Shigure-chan until then! I love you! “
“Wai..! It isn’t over yet.”
“Gacha! Tn… tn…tn…” [TN: call ending sound]
“Ah, ah … that fucking old man”
“Tn….tn….”
I screamed and slammed the handset.
Of course, my neighbors returned it like I did but louder, but I don’t care anymore.
My head is so confused that I think my brain is spinning around in my skull.
I couldn’t stand it and fell on the spot.
…….No, it’s dangerous. This is dangerous.
No matter how much she became a younger sister on the family register, suddenly living with a girl of the same age!
What’s more, the adults won’t be back for a year.
I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, but I guess that old man really is crazy.
Doesn’t he have any morals?
Besides, it’s today, not tomorrow …?
…… I’m glad that my father remarried.
For some reason, he raised me alone ever since my mother died.
I want to congratulate him because he found a new partner.
But…….
“Isn’t it messy …?”
What’s this. Let’s celebrate more comfortably. Fucking old man.
I sigh.
It’s a bad joke.
And what’s worse, this joke is not over yet.
It seems that while I’m doing this, my sister, who has never seen my face, is approaching this house.
If so, I can’t stay depressed forever.
“Anyway, I have to clean up the room before she comes.”
I have to do something about my father’s room, also the living room that is my nest.
The futons are on the floor for many years, the clothes are scattered around, and there’s even some lewd magazines borrowed from Takeshi.
I can’t welcome a girl to such a devil’s cave.
It’s an act that violates the law.
That’s why I tried to get up—at that time.
The bell that announces the visitor rang.
“Tu…….”
Sh… she’s here?
Even the lewd magazines haven’t been cleared up yet!
No, maybe the aunt next door rushed in because it was noisy a while ago.
Or it could be NHK or a newspaper.
Anyway, I have to confirm.
Let’s decide the response depending on the opponent.
With that in mind, I looked through the peephole on the door and………
“!.…..Eh?”
I was Speechless.
Until now, my brain was swirling inside my skull in small volumes. But now, ‘Everything I have to do, and everything I need to think about is blown away and my thoughts become pure white’.
I feel the ground slipping under my feet.
The sight beyond the door freezes all my thoughts and emotions in a moment.
Because it can’t be helped.
Behind the door was,
It was my girlfriend Haruka Saikawa. We were together at the station a while ago.
Wh…Why?
Why is Haruka in front of my house?
Moreover, depending on the situation, now at this timing.
I haven’t told Haruka about my house yet.
I told her the nearest station, but she shouldn’t know the address because I never brought her here.
Did she follow me? No, it was Haruka who got on the train first. That’s the truth.
Then why is Haruka here right now …?
I think desperately in this confusion.
While I was thinking, I saw through the small hole, it seems like she’s having trouble.
She looks around her smartphone and the surroundings alternately, make gestures like pointing to the nameplate to check and move around restlessly.
The usual vigor disappears from my expressions, and my mind cleared.
That calmed me down.
……..should not.
What am I doing with my girlfriend looking like that?
Why did Haruka come here? Isn’t that something she should answer herself?
Anyway, I have to go right now.
When I returned home, I locked the door.
“I’m sorry, I’ll open it soon! Wa—?”
I open the door with an apology.
Door….
It’s open….
But,
So, in front of Haruka, I’m speechless. Again!
“Oh! You’re here. I’m glad. I was afraid that I might have mistaken the room.”
“…………..”
No.
I couldn’t see her clearly through the peephole, but now she’s in my plain sight.
The girl in front of me is smiling with relief, but she’s not Haruka.
Their hairstyle, looks, the high waist, everything is similar. They’re like two peas in a pod.
But,
Those eyes that look at me are different.
When Haruka looks at me, her eyes brighten.
This only fact made me realize that she was a different person from Haruka.
Once you know that, you can see a lot of things that were not visible because of the confusion.
If you look closely, her uniform is completely different from Haruka’s.
Underneath the brightly colored cardigan is the sailor suit, not the Seiun High School uniform we attend.
The shoes she’s wearing are loafers instead of the usual sneakers.
In addition, behind her is a large suitcase and a supermarket bag in one hand.
This is……,
No, I know that there is only one possibility, but I’m so stupid.
“What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”
“..….Maybe, you are Shigure-chan?”
“Yeeees! Nice to meet you. I’m Shigure Oeyama. Oh, it’s Shigure Sato now.
Tsukiko Sato’s daughter and from today onwards your little sister.*
Please treat me well. Onii-san”
[TN: 義妹(gimai)- younger stepsister]
That means,
Perhaps my sister and my girlfriend are lookalikes.
X X X
My father’s sudden remarriage.
Living alone with my step-sister.
I was still swayed and tossed around by the chaos brought about by my father’s phone call, but yeah, that was all just a devil’s sideshow.
The reality of the surprise came out at the last minute.
The reality is that my step-sister is a living copy of my girlfriend.
That’s…. no good.
It’s no good. It’s no good. Absolutely no. It’s useless.
Having a lover named Haruka, and living with a girl who looks just like Haruka.
It’s terrible.
I feel someone’s malice.
How do I face this reality….?
“You know, you heard that I was coming today, right?”
When my emotions were worn out and stunned by the repeated shocks, she, who looked just like Haruka, called out with anxiety.
“Oh, oh. Yeah. I’m listening, I heard…..just now.”
“Just now? That’s a short story, right? But I wish I could have heard it. Um, may I ask your name, Onii-san? I should have heard it from my mother, but I forgot.”
“Well, um…… I’m Hiromichi Sato.”
“Hiromichi-kun?”
“Uh. I’ll be glad if you stop calling me that way.”
The same voice as Haruka…. It’s too dangerous.
At my request, she looked strange and accepted, “Then, it’s Onii-san. It’ll be easier to call you this too.”
“Then, now that we’ve finished greeting each other, let’s go inside.”
“Oh no, wait”
“What? Why?”
It’s dangerous.
I opened the door thinking that it was Haruka, but the room hasn’t been cleaned up yet.
She can’t go inside right now.
That’s why I immediately moved to the front door and blocked the way inside.
“As I said earlier, the house was cluttered just before I was contacted. Why don’t you wait here for a moment?”
“Oh, that’s right. Don’t worry. We’re brothers and sisters who will live together from now on. I’ll help you clean up. Excuse me.”
“Oh, hey……… Wait a minute!”
She pushes her way through and went inside.
There was no way I could prevent this invasion because I couldn’t do that by touching the girl I met for the first time and pushing her back.
Of course, it was impossible to grab her delicate shoulder and pull back.
At least I can hide the lewd magazines before she finds out.
So I hurriedly chased, but it was already late. In the 1m corridor of my house, it was impossible to overtake when the initial action was delayed in the first place.
When I entered the living room, she was looking down at the lewd magazines that I had left open………
“..…Huh?”
Gya……….
I laughed! I laughed! Like looking down on a lowly creature!
Aaaaaaaaaaaa…..I want to be a shellfish.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was in a family of women with my mother, and I completely forgot about this. That’s right. This is a man’s house, so there are things that women don’t want to see. There is. This was my carelessness. I’m sorry. It’s a shame.”
“… It would be helpful if you could understand, Un.”
Kindness hurts.
“Well, then I’ll leave the cleaning up to you. I’ll prepare dinner in the meantime. You haven’t ate dinner yet, right?”
“Oh, thank you”
“I’m good at cooking, so you can expect it.”
She took a frilled pink and white plaid apron out of her suitcase and put it on. Then she went inside the kitchen.
While cleaning up the room, I was looking at the kitchen. She was good at cooking, she’s very skilled.
The sound of cutting vegetables rhythmically.
The sound of the boiling pot.
A cute humming song that mixes occasionally.
It looks like Haruka is standing in the kitchen. I’m thrilled.
What’s that? I’m a fucking bastard.
What if both of them are same person?
This is a very dangerous delusion.
Haruka, his irreplaceable lover overlaps with his step-sister.
When’s the end of this delusion?
No matter what you think, there is nothing but ruin.
But they are very similar. It’s too much.
It’s said that three other people in the world have the same face as you, but how likely are they to be tied up in my narrow friend circle?
It was unnecessary. No, seriously.
So, when I was thinking about it. She talked to me while cooking.
“By the way, Onii-san, your father informed you just recently.”
“Yeah. Shigure-san will live here from today onwards. A few minutes ago.”
“Ahaha. That would have surprised me too. It’s suddenly today.”
“I’m not surprised at this point. That fucking father of mine. It must be hard for Shigure-san’s mother to choose. Absolutely.”
“… It’s their behavior. Well, Onii-san, she’s also my step-mother.”
At that moment, I felt an unexpected ‘change*’ in her voice.
[TN: 険]
She raised her eyebrow and looked down at me with a frowning look.
Eh.., are you mad?
“Not only my mother but also you. You’ve been calling me ‘Shigure-san’ for a while. Please stop that. Please call me Shigure. You’re my brother.”
“No, no … That is..”
“Do you think that you’re the only one who having a high hurdle to suddenly become a brother*? Onii-san!”
[TN: 兄妹(kyodai)- brother and sister]
“Eh”
“I’m also overwhelmed. Isn’t it crazy to do it by myself?”
“..…..…!”
….I see. That’s right.
Perhaps no one can accept the person they meet for the first time as a family member.
Moreover, she is a girl. The fear she feels is not the same as mine.
But she’s trying to figure it out.
She is moving forward with all her might.
But what about me?
From a while ago, I was only worried about my circumstances and anxieties….!
“Uooooooooo!”
“Ehhh? What? What’s the matter? Onii-san? All of a sudden, you slapped your cheeks, and it’s bright red! How hard did you hit yourself?”
“No, it’s all right now.”
“Nothing looks all right. Is it a seizure?”
“Anyway, it’s fine”
It’s enough to wake up myself.
It would be easy if I leave all the compromises to others and let them guide me.
But that’s not what a brother does.
No, I’ve never been an older brother. It’s just my selfishness. If I have to become one then I don’t want to be such a pathetic brother.
So,
“It was my fault. I’ll be careful from now on. Sh.. Shigure.”
“….! Yes!”
I was a little shy, but I could say it properly.
After all, I was nervous to call a girl by their given name.
But when I see Shigure’s smile, she looks happy. I feel relieved. It seems that it was worth the effort.
Well, She smiles just like Haruka that what makes me nervous.
This is my problem. I have no choice but to get used to it.
It’s a bad idea to reject Shigure for this reason.
It is extremely rude to Haruka and Shigure.
“Well, the dinner is ready, so can you put a table for two? Onii-san!”
“Leave it to me. Shigure”
“Oooooh. Once again~. Please Onii-san, spoil your cute little sister as much as possible.”
Shigure turns the smile that resembles Haruka into something devilish. Which Haruka can never think of.
Still, her smile was cheerful.
Obviously, she’s not Haruka.
I was relieved by the fact.
………Well, yeah, in the end, this relief was a terrible misunderstanding.
