What the heck? What’s going on? She’d sucker-punched me, and I’d been completely caught off guard. Amaneko-chan was hugging my upper body tightly to hers.
Our chests were brushing up against each other, and I could feel her gentle mounds... A strange feeling was...
“U-Um, Amaneko-chan?” I stuttered. “What are you doing? Please, calm down...”
“I cannot-nodesu! Ever since I met you, my feelings have exploded-nodesu! I tried to keep them down, but it seems like they’ve begun to overflow-nodesu!”
I was taken aback. I could tell from her words, but even her tone of voice was tinged with a certain lewdness.
“Stop them from overflowing?” I asked. “Stop what, exactly?”
“Th-There are shree...” she said, slurring her words again, but she was beyond caring about that anymore, it seemed. She stuck out three fingers in my face. “The first is my feelings of rebellion against my grandfather. The second is my curiosity for Outer Japan,” she added, bending two of her fingers down.
And what’s the last one?
“The third is the feelings I have toward my long-lost brother,” she finished, her watery eyes visible behind her stiffly extended finger.
I gulped.
“I’m completely t-this right now-nodesu...” she said, lowering a finger to my chest. She traced the words:
♀♡←
“‘A maiden shot straight in the heart’...” I murmured.
“I knew you’d understand, Nii-sama...”
I was the one being written on, but it was the first time in a long time that I had played “write-on-the-body.”
“Then Nii-sama, what’s this?” she asked, tracing out another word.
＊
“...A bellybutton?” I asked.
“Close-nodesu. It’s not just any bellybutton, it’s ‘My sexy Nii-sama’s belly button,’” said Amaneko-chan, laughing a little. “I caught a glimpse of it when you were getting out of the bath-nodesu. It was music to my eyes-nodesu.”
“I-I see...”
“Hey, Nii-sama,” said Amaneko-chan in a sultry voice, getting ever closer to me.
“Wh-What?”
“There’s something that my grandfather’s old-fashioned ethics would never, ever accept-nodesu. I want to rebel against his sense of morals-nodesu. It would be the greatest revenge I could take on him for not allowing me to meet you-nodesu...”
Rebel against his morals... Does she mean...?
“Like... putting a plastic bottle into the burnable trash bin?” I asked.
“Yes, that is definitely a big no-no... Wait, are you cracking jokes like that on purpose to try and calm my nerves? You’re so kind...” she said, but then shook her head. “But that’s not it-nodesu.”
Then, what is she trying to tell me?
“Wh-What I want to do is... is...” Amaneko-chan paused for a second, building up her strength, closing her eyes tightly, and then said a single word, “...inshest.”
My mouth made a “Huh?” shape, and I froze.
I-I-Incest...?
In other words you want to... have those kind of... relations... with me...? Considering the situation we were in, her saying something like that meant...
“I won’t get another chance to stay together alone with you like this very easily, Nii-sama. So...” Amaneko-chan snuggled ever more closely to me, our lips almost touching.
“W-Wait, Amaneko-chan. W-We’re related by blood, remember?” I stammered.
“Yes, and so what? I see you as a man. Will you look at me as a woman?”
“Uh...”
I definitely can see you as a woman...
After all, even though she was my jitsumai, we hadn’t lived together. I didn’t have any sense of her as a part of my daily life or family. And Amaneko-chan hadn’t even existed before we had corrected history, so it was hard for me to accept her even as my jitsumai.
“In fact, I think it’s even better than we’re real brother and sister-nodesu,” she added huskily. “No matter how much we love each other, we can never get married. If something happens between us, people will start talking about us in whispers-nodesu. When I think about that, I get this strange tingly feeling around my back and hips that just won’t go away, and I love it-nodesu!”
Sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about!
“With you, Nii-sama, I can throw cold water all over those old-fashioned ethics of my grandfather-nodesu. Any other man won’t do-nodesu,” cried Amaneko-chan, her words getting more and more passionate.
Pour cold water all over his old ethics, huh?
I went silent. I realized that my confused mind had finally become clear. After all — I felt like I had just had cold water poured over my heart, too.
“Amaneko-chan, look...” I started, my voice a little cold. Amaneko-chan must have noticed, as I could tell she was a little hesitant. “In that case, it doesn’t have to be me, does it?”
“What are you saying-nodesu?” she protested. “I only have one brother in the world-nodesu.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter whether or not it’s me personally, Gin Imose,” I said coldly. “As long as I’m your ‘real brother,’ that’s good enough, right?”
“B-But...” Amaneko-chan’s doting eyes opened wide.
“So I’m just a tool for you to rebel against your grandfather, am I? And creating new words, is that also just you rebelling? You want to use my novels for that?” My words became sharp. “...It makes me sad...”
Amaneko-chan’s lips quivered, and I could see more and more tears welling up in her eyes.
“Th-That’s not it! I’m telling you, it’s not that-nodesu!”
“And yet...”
“Nii-sama!” cried Amaneko-chan, embracing me tightly. “Please believe me. The biggest reason I’ve fallen for you is your amazing genius-nodesu! When I read your novels, I felt the presence of God-nodesu!”
I said nothing.
“I would never fall in love with someone just because I wanted to rebel against Grandfather-nodesu. Please, believe me, Nii-sama!”
I said nothing.
“I won’t speak of it again!” she cried. “I won’t talk about his morals or ethics again, I promise! So just, please... please, don’t hate me...!” Big drops of tears were streaming down Amaneko-chan’s cheeks.
“I understand. For now, let’s just forget we had this conversation, okay?” I said, gently touching my hand to her face.
“Hokay...” nodded Amaneko-chan, wiping away her tears with the sleeve of her pajamas.
But.
“But... But... After all the trouble I went through, not coming away with anything is hard to take... So, at the very least — Nii-sama, what’s that over there?!” Amaneko-chan suddenly pointed off to the side.
I took the bait and looked to the side, but nothing was there. Just as I was thinking something was odd about this, I could feel the cold air against my stomach. And then, shortly after...
Smooch.
Uwa! Wh-Wh-What?! What is this soft feeling against my stomach?!
I looked down, and saw that Amaneko-chan had flipped up my pajamas and had kissed my bellybutton.
“W-What are doing?!”
“Hee hee hee... I got your bellybutton, Nii-sama. And I’ll get the rest sooner or later-nodesu,” she said, grinning.
“I’m only doing this because it’s you, Nii-sama. I hate being touched by any other guys-nodesu,” she added.
She sure doesn’t give up, I thought from the bottom of my heart.
The next morning, I was sitting on the couch in the living room, spacing out a bit. When I had left the bedroom earlier, I had seen Amaneko-chan soundly asleep, her pajamas slipping off a bit.
Hmm, what should I do? Oh, that’s right, I should check my phone.
I hadn’t realized that I had had it on silent ever since the day before, so someone might have tried to contact me.
I took out my cellphone, and... Huh? Something’s flashing. It look
s like someone is calling right now.
The display showed the name... It was Miru.
“Hello?” I asked.
“That you, Nii?” a voice snapped.
It was Miru, and she was clearly not in a good mood. Miru didn’t usually show this much emotion.
“Yeah...” I replied.
“Where are you?”
“Where? Um, TOKYO...”
“So you’re with the weirdo girl?”
“Yeah, we’re together.”
“I see. Listen carefully, Nii,” said Miru, her voice sounding more serious than usual. “—Nee’s dead.”
...Eh?
I nearly dropped my cellphone. Kuroha is... dead?! That can’t be true!
“She’s gone totally dead inside,” continued Miru.
“...?”
“She’s been moping around, not eating or doing anything since last night.”
O-Oh... So she’s okay, then. Phew... I breathed a sigh of relief. But wait, she isn’t eating? Why not?
“Nee wrote a note and I kind of ‘borrowed’ it,” Miru added.
I hesitated, but Miru began to read the note to me over the phone.
Onii-chan has been taken from me.
I’m a fool.
I know exactly why this happened.
I should’ve realized it sooner myself.
I should’ve acted on it sooner myself.
I was too complacent.
Onii-chan has been taken from me!
In the back of my mind, the image of Kuroha crouched over holding her knees to her chest appeared. This imaginary Kuroha was muttering, “Onii-chan” to herself.
I had no idea that Kuroha worried this much about me.
What must she be feeling, I wonder? I didn’t understand what was in her heart. All I knew was...
I caused trouble for her again, didn’t I?
“I called you, but you ignored me,” Miru accused.
It seemed Miru had called numerous times the previous night, but because I had set my phone to silent mode, I hadn’t noticed.
“What did you do?” she demanded.
“I talked with Amaneko-chan about novels, we ate dinner, then we watched TV...”
“......You made Nee so worried and that’s all? The hell.”
“Huh?” I asked.
“I hate that weirdo girl, but you’re also really pissing me off,” said Miru with a quiet, seething anger. “I have an idea.”
“An idea?” I asked.
She didn’t respond to my question, and probably moved away from the phone as I heard her voice from a distance say, “...Geezer, get on the line.”
“Hey, Gin-kun, it’s me.”
“Odaira-sensei?!” I gasped. “You’re there together with Miru?”
“Yes. Miru actually invited me over for once. I completely cleared my schedule and ran right over.”
I was pretty sure this would have been the first time Miru had ever contacted Odaira-sensei. Did something happen...?
“I did a little work, you see,” explained Odaira-sensei. “And I have a message about that that Miru-chan told me to give you.”
“A message?” I asked.
“Ah, well, it’s nothing particularly important exactly...”
What is it? I wondered.
Odaira-sensei delivered his message as if it were something as insignificant as, “The main ingredient of the miso soup is panties.”
“I’ve prevented your book from being published, Gin-kun.”
...
...Eh?
I wasn’t able to grasp the situation.
“Perhaps I should repeat myself,” he said. “Your book is now non-publishable. I have used my influence to pressure the ‘Future Creation Company.’”
I was speechless. It would be trivial for someone with Odaira-sensei’s clout to prevent someone like me from debuting as an author. But there was no reason for him to do something like that...
“You might not believe me, but it’s true,” said Odaira-sensei. “Jitsumai-kun over there should be getting the word shortly.”
Even Amaneko-chan?
When I looked over to the bedroom where she had been sleeping before, she had just gotten up and was walking towards me.
“...Nii-sama...” Amaneko-chan had a cellphone dangling in her right hand, and her face was blank with astonishment. “I just got a call from President Takahashi at the Future Creation Company... The said they’re not going to put out your book... They said there was pressure on them...”
I recalled what Miru had just said a moment before: “I have an idea.”
...This was her idea?!
“...Sensei, I respect you from the bottom of my heart,” I fumbled. “But putting that aside for the moment, I can’t believe that you would pressure them just because Miru asked you to! That’s entirely too cruel!”
“Easy for you to say, but... you know I can’t say no to her, right? It’s like a reflex action for me. If she asks me for something, right then and there, that request is my life’s work,” said Odaira-sensei, with not even a hint of exaggeration.
“Sensei, Amaneko-chan looks like she’s about to cry. Don’t do it for me, do it for Amaneko-chan! Please, back off the pressure!” I pleaded.
“Jitsumai-kun is a second year in middle school, right?” he asked. “Sorry, but adult women are out of my range.”
This 70-year-old man is calling a second-year in middle school a grown woman! He is truly Gai Odaira, the pinnacle of literature!
...Wait, this is no time to be impressed!
“On the other hand, I have my own thoughts on the matter,” he added.
“Sensei, don’t you think this is going too far?” I begged, almost in tears.
“Gin-kun, stop such whining this instant,” he ordered.
“But...”
As reality continued to set in, Odaira-sensei’s tone got a little lighter.
“Hmph. In that case, work it out with the people involved,” he suggested.
“...Work it out?”
“Kuroha-kun and Miru-chan both have been your little sisters for over ten years,” he said. “Do you actually think being snatched away by some new girl who suddenly appeared had nothing to do with this?”
“Enough about my little sisters right now,” I said. “The problem here is getting my book published.”
“You might think that way, but that’s not the way your little sisters are thinking,” he told me. “The emotions of young girls are quite the tug of war, after all. I understand this very well when I look at my own little sisters...”
“But...”
“But nothing,” he said sternly. “First things first, let’s choose a location to have everyone meet face-to-face.”
“You mean Kuroha and Miru, too?” I asked.
“Yes.”
So Kuroha will also come? I’d been worried about her ever since Miru had said she was “dead inside.” Is she okay?
I decided to follow Odaira-sensei’s advice and have everyone meet up together.
I put the cellphone down and asked Amaneko-chan for her opinion. “Amaneko-chan, we’re going to meet together with Sensei and the others. Is there a place around here that would be good for that? I think someplace that’s easy to find and stands out would be good...”
“If you want a place that stands out, then that would be it-nodesu...” she said, pointing out the window.
She was pointing at the embodiment of Japanese culture through the ages that was thrusting up to the heavens, the “Tower of Culture.”
*
One day in the 23rd century. Kuroha’s room.
“Kuroha, Yuzu-san! On Odaira-sensei’s radio program today, Miru and Haruka Haruka-sensei are special guests!” I exclaimed.
“Oh, my... it seems like Miru-chan might become a regular guest,” said Yuzu-san.
“I hope she isn’t influenced too much by those two hentais,” added Kuroha.
Special Episode: Guy Odaira Hour: Original Broadcas
t July 22nd, 2202.
Guests: Haruka Haruka (Author), Miru Imose (Elementary Schoolers/Illustrator)
“Letters from the Listeners, Segment #2”
From Listener A: “I’m 17 years old, in my second year in high school, and hope to become an author one day. I have two younger sisters: the older one has long, black hair, and the younger one wears a beret with cat-ears. I actually am an acquaintance of Odaira-sensei’s. Can you please give me some advice?”
Miru: “Marry Miru.”
Odaira: “Miru-chan, get married to me.”
Haruka: “I don’t understand at all. The true final happiness of little sisters is not marriage, but within your own heart.”
Miru: “Who asked for your opinion?”
From Listener B: “I am able to read kanji. Don’t you think that the kanji for older sister, 姉, looks a lot like the kanji for persimmon, 柿?”
Odaira: “I guess they do look similar...”
Haruka: “Neither this question nor its answer interest me in the slightest.”
Miru: “Clearly.”
From Listener C: “In Japanese class the other day, we learned the classic vocabulary word ‘chippai.’ It seems that originally this meant ‘small breasts,’ but then the meaning seems to have shifted to ‘smaller things are better.’ What I don’t understand is why ‘small breasts’ ended up meaning ‘better’? Isn’t it normal for people to prefer big breasts?”
Odaira: “Oh my, what a vexing question this is! I suppose I must answer it seriously. As an example, Japanese technology has had a history of miniaturization and weight reduction. When it comes to electronic appliances, we Japanese have made everything as compact as possible, no? That is because for hundreds of years, we have valued from our very cores the small and economical.”
Haruka: “Japan’s land mass has never been large, you see. This small country is reflected within the minds of its citizens, yes? ‘Chippai’ is a word born from our climate.”
Odaira: “I want to lick chippai.”
Haruka: “And chivalry such as that is also a blessing of our climate.”
Miru: “Maybe climate change isn’t such a bad thing.”
Chapter 6 - Tower of Culture
The Tower of Culture was a free attraction, and people could enter it without paying. There was an open space at the top, which was where Odaira-sensei wanted us to meet. It seemed he was curious to check out the tower for sightseeing, as well.
My Little Sister Can Read Kanji: Volume 3 Page 10