“So then what do you think about her, Onii-chan?” Kuroha asked.
“What do I think? Well, she’s my blood-related little sister.”
“Did she make you feel, you know... excited at all?”
“...N-No.” I hesitated. I couldn’t help it.
“Sheesh. You’re like an open book, Onii-chan,” said Kuroha, looking at me angrily, but then she seemed to think of something, nodded to herself, and said in a whisper, “I knew it... I have to say it...”
“Huh?” I asked. “Anyway, I was happier about how we made up symbols together and talked about novels. That was a lot of fun.”
“You made symbols together? Don’t tell me you played write-on-the-body?”
“Well, she played it on me, I guess.”
Maybe it was something I’d said, but Kuroha seemed hung up on my words. “Listen, Onii-chan. She said that your prose would carve open the door to the future, right? I don’t reject the future, either.”
“I know.”
“Okay then... Come over here and face your back to me.”
“Huh?” I tilted my head in confusion.
Kuroha paused just a moment, and replied, “I’m going to play write-on-the-body with you.”
“S-Sure...”
I turned around, facing my back to her and sitting on the floor.
“I hope that your novels can create this,” she said as she drew this on my back.
＝＝＝
＝☆＝
＝＝＝
“...It’s something shining. Um... a ‘bright future,’ maybe?” I guessed.
“Bingo.” Kuroha laughed happily. “See, how about that? I can talk with you about symbols too, you know.”
Kuroha spoke like a little child trying to get their parents to praise them. I couldn’t help but want to go, “There there, that’s a good girl” and pat her on the head, but I realized I’d be in for a world of hurt if I tried that. Instead...
“Then, can I play write-on-the-body with you?” I asked. It’d been a while, but I was feeling the urge to write letters on Kuroha’s back. I was beginning to wonder what response she would give, when she replied...
“...Okay.” She didn’t seem against it, and nodded earnestly.
“Well, I guess writing directly on your skin is not in the cards, though...”
“H-Huh?!” she asked.
Of course I’d never expected her to say yes. I’d been half-expecting a whack from her dictionary. I’d been all prepared to get slugged, but...
“...I-If you insist...” she said.
“What?”
Kuroha averted her eyes, embarrassed. “I’m just letting you do this to me so you don’t cause any trouble doing it to other girls,” she said, then turned away from me and lifted up her pajama top.
I couldn’t believe what was happening.
“O-Onii-chan, hurry up and write something...” she said.
“F-Fine, I know...”
My heart nearly skipping a beat, I placed my finger on her back. Since she’d already taken a bath, there wasn’t anything in the way like a bra. Half her pure white back was exposed, shining brightly in my eyes...
“Nnn...”
Whoa there! Stop letting out that kind of moan, will you? I told myself.
I drew a single symbol.
♥
“...!”
“Do you know what it means?” I asked.
“Um... well...” Kuroha put her pajama top back down and turned to face me. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“Of course I’m not kidding you.”
Kuroha’s face had gone crazy red.
“Onii-chan, um... You see, I...”
“It means ‘thank you,’” I said.
“......?”
“I tried to express all my feelings of thanks into one symbol. Thank you so much for everything you always do for me, Kuroha.”
For a moment, Kuroha looked confused, but then she burst out in a laugh. “Sheesh... That’s so like you, Onii-chan.”
“Is it?”
We laughed together. We were a brother and sister that really got along. That was something I was completely sure about. I felt like we could continue on now without any more unfortunate misunderstandings.
And with that, the story of my meeting with Amaneko-chan was complete. There were sure to be more stories to come, however.
I should make sure to write down everything that’s happened in my personal experience diary.
I decided to go back to my room and start writing immediately. But then...
Life is a mystery, they say. It’s full full of surprises, they say. Just meeting Amaneko-chan had been a huge event in my life, after all. But things I could never have imagined kept continuing to occur.
Things were not finally settled. Rather, something even bigger was in store for me.
“Wait.”
Just as I was about to get up, I felt someone tugging on my clothes. I turned and saw that it was Kuroha who had grabbed them.
“Huh? What is it?” I asked.
“O-Onii-chan, c-can I ask you something?”
“Sure...”
Kuroha looked up at me, like she’d made up her mind about something.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.
“After all that happened this time, see, I finally understood.”
“Understood?” I asked.
“If you just stay quiet and don’t act decisively, one day, eventually, the things that are precious to you will slip out of your hands. If you only cherish them, they can be taken from you just like that.”
“Don’t act decisively?” I asked, confused. “Are you worried about something?”
“...Yeah,” she said. “But I have the answer. If it’s something you want, you have to take the initiative and grab it.”
“Something you want?” I asked. “Hurry and grab it? So like an in-shop exclusive that comes with an anime or video game? Each shop’s is different, so you almost start wanting to buy multiple copies just to get them all... I know...”
“You idiot.”
“Well, it’s true you should make sure to get the things you want,” I said. “That I agree with.”
“......Yeah,” said Kuroha, her voice dialed back. “...I never want to feel that way again...”
“Huh? Did you just say something?”
“A-Anyway! I’ve made made decision!” said Kuroha, almost yelling. She closed her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. “Miru, I’m sorry. Yuzu-san, I’m sorry.”
“Huh?” I asked.
“Yuzu-san... you even came here to the 23rd century... I’m so sorry. But I know you can find your own happiness, I just do.” She seemed to me making excuses to herself. “Dad... Mom... I’m sorry. I’m sorry this is the way it is.”
Sorry this, sorry that... What is this, the Sorry Olympics? What does she mean, “this is the way it is”? I shook my head in disbelieve, and Kuroha started muttering to herself...
“Yeah... I’m pretty sure telling Mom and Dad all of a sudden would be too big a shock. It’s probably best if they sort of realize, gradually. Yeah, gradually... First, after we’ve both gone off to college, we’ll live together. We’ll say it’s because we get along so well and won’t have to search for other roommates. Then after we graduate, we’ll keep living together... Slowly, slowly, they’ll start to think there’s something fishy about us. That’ll go on for a few years. Then... maybe when we’re in our early 30s... Yeah, that sounds about right. When we’re on a visit with the parents, we’ll just, you know, totally casually...”
“Totally casually...?” I asked.
Kuroha looked at me, and said, “And say, ‘Well, this is how it turned out. Surprised?’” She put her hand to her head in a comical, “oops” gesture.
“Uh. This is so unlike you, I don’t even know what to say. Hello? Kuroha?”
“D-Don’t say that... I’m pret
ty stressed here, okay...” Kuroha looked completely embarrassed.
“So, what was that all-too-realistic sounding story about?” I asked. “I kind of get the idea, but...” I decided to just say what I thought. “It sounded to me like a brother and sister engaging in a secret tryst without their parents noticing.” That was a plot line that was not uncommon in orthodox little sister literature.
Wait, orthodox little sister literature?
“Ahh.” I realized something incredible. I looked Kuroha squarely in the face. She got flustered, and averted her eyes, but I moved my body to face her again. “Kuroha, you... You actually...”
“O-Onii-chan...”
“You’ve actually awakened your inner author! So you’ve tired of just translating things! This calls for a celebration! I should give you some advice for reading material. First there’s Oniaka, of course. Then there are all of Odaira-sensei’s books. And then there are ones like DRINK PEEBATH OF LILSIS, or the book where little sisters pop up like mushrooms, LILSIS FUNGUS...”
“I have no intention of becoming a mushroom,” said Kuroha, dismissively. “Ha... I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. I have to say it clearly, so that even an idiot can understand...”
“It’s true,” I said, nodding. “Idiots have a hard time understanding other people. ...Wait, are you talking about me?”
Ouch.
As I pouted, Kuroha exhaled a deep breath, and looked straight into my eyes. She looked like a person who was ready to accept the consequences for what she was about to do.
Kathump!
My heart beat loudly as this abnormal tension spread.
“Onii-chan.”
“Wh-What?” I couldn’t help but get caught up in the tension and was suddenly unsure of myself.
To say it completely honestly, it was like Kuroha was trying to say something really, really decisively. I couldn’t help but stare at her lips. Those thin lips of hers were trying to open and say something.
It was at that moment that I had another realization. Something completely shocking.
Kuroha... Don’t tell me... You...
“I love you, Onii-chan.”
Afterword
How have you been? This is Kajii.
Can you believe it? This series is already on its third volume!
Yippee! Banzai!
...Well, it’s not really that many volumes yet, but it was my goal to have my debut work go at least three volumes, so I guess that’s one goal accomplished.
So, in order to celebrate the achievement, I figured I would write something interesting, and I tried to come up with something about the number “3.” Nope. All I could think of were jokes about three-year-old girls! I figured that three-year-old jokes would probably land me in trouble, so I gave up on that idea.
And if we’re talking about three-year-olds, the fact is I don’t remember much from when I was three. Too bad. So that story ended quickly, but I do remember clearly the time when I was five, so I figured I would write something about that time. I was a completely uncute, irredeemable brat!
When my parents would suggest giving me some present or maybe going on a vacation somewhere, I would always cut them off with the line, “Who cares about that? Please give me cash.” Lol. It seems like I thought that getting money was more practical back then. But looking back, just straight out asking for cash with no consideration is actually more childish, don’t you think? Hmm, maybe not.
...Uh, sorry for that story that had no direction and no punchline. I’ll move on to the thank-you section now.
To my editor, H-san, and to the illustrator Minamura-sensei, and to my friend Y-san, and to everyone else who had anything to do with this book, and to the readers... I give you my thanks.
Finally, let me give you just a little bit of a preview of the next volume. In volume 4, the nature of Gin and Kuroha’s relationship changes. But you’ll have to read it to find out exactly how.
And with that, it would be my pleasure if we meet again in the next volume.
January 2012 - Takashi Kajii
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Copyright
My Little Sister Can Read Kanji: Volume 3
by Takashi Kajii
Translated by Samuel Pinansky
Edited by Emily Sorensen
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 Takashi Kajii
Illustrations Copyright © 2012 Halki Minamura
Cover illustration by Halki Minamura
All rights reserved.
Original Japanese edition published in 2012 by Hobby Japan
This English edition is published by arrangement with Hobby Japan, Tokyo
English translation © 2017 J-Novel Club LLC
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property.
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The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
Ebook edition 1.0: May 2017
My Little Sister Can Read Kanji: Volume 3 Page 15