A morning with sparkling light streaming through the curtains.
The vivid prism reflected through the window glass disrupts the regular rhythm of my deep, slumbering breathing.
"Hmm... is it morning already...?"
Glancing at the side of the bed, I saw that I had woken up a few minutes before my alarm went off.
"Hehehe. That's pretty good considering I'm doing it..."
Normally I don't wake up this early. Everyone has their own cycle, and in my case, I wake up based on the belief that I should sleep until the very last possible moment. Well, basically, I'm a morning oversleeper.
"If I get up this early, he won't come either."
I said triumphantly to no one in particular.
And when I put my hands on it to try and get up...
Meow.
"Munyu?"
I tilted my head at the soft feeling of her hands rubbing against the sheets.
"A manju in a place like this..."
There's no way something like that exists. So why was the sheet beside me so bloated? I had a bad feeling and instinctively clenched my hands tighter.
"Kyaaaan!"
"Whoa!"
"It" jumped up and down with a jerk, and I couldn't help but scream out loud.
"Oh my brother... you're being too intense this morning..."
He clutches his chest and looks at me with an accusing gaze.
But it's me who wants to lodge the blame.
Other than white pants with a reddish-brown ribbon, she was wearing nothing. The owner of the chest that I had seen countless times since I was a child, and that hadn't grown at all...
"Sh-Shiri! Why are you here?!"
"She was completely naked," Shiori replied with a slight smile.
"Why? They're siblings, so it's normal for them to sleep together once or twice, what are you talking about, big brother?"
Shiori replied proudly, "I can see it, I can see it."
"H-There's no way that's normal! And why are you naked?!"
Her pure white skin was smooth and translucent, and I could clearly see her innocent, untainted naked body swaying slightly with her breathing.
"Why?... That's more exciting, isn't it?"
Tilts his head and says, "That's not what a woman would say."
"By the way, when did you actually get in..."
"I'm always by your side, big brother."
"Don't say horror-like things!!"
Taku, is this thing elusive, or a mysterious extraterrestrial life form?
I looked at my sister in front of me, trying not to look down.
Her short, trimmed, shiny bob hair is childish for a high school student, but the pointy nose beneath her large eyes adds to her adult look. Her face, complemented by her two plump lips, is perfectly balanced and I never get bored of looking at it, and despite being my little sister, her appearance is worthy of being called a beautiful girl.
This is a new signpost.
I'm Shindo Susumu's sister-in-law.
Ever since I was little, I've been asked so many times, "Are you really related by blood?"
Ah... a society of facial inequality...
I put my hand to my face and sighed.
"But, what happened to the key?! Where's the key!!"
I'm sure I locked the door before going to bed, so why is Shiori here?
To my question, Shiori answered in a very matter-of-fact manner.
"Oh, I picked it in ten seconds."
"already!"
I couldn't help but exclaim, "This guy will become a genius thief in the future."
He's been able to do anything since he was little, but is he using his talent in the wrong way?
I hung my head in front of my fearsome little sister.
"Brother, let me ask you the opposite question: why did you lock the door?"
Shiori asks, frowning her beautifully shaped eyebrows.
"Have you come to dislike me, Brother?"
"N-no. That's not it..."
"Is it a bother because you're not my real sister...?"
"Hey!"
"Uh, uh..."
A tear rolls down Shiori's cheek.
At times like this, I think women are unfair. A single tear is no match for a man, more so than tens of thousands of words. Men are pathetic.
"Hmm..."
I said bluntly while scratching my head.
"Hey, Shiori. Come here."
"What is it...there it is!"
He calls Shiori over and flicks him on the forehead.
Hyo complained, holding his forehead.
"What are you doing all of a sudden?!"
"Shut up, you're saying boring things."
"picture..."
"Am I that narrow-minded?"
I said, looking straight into his eyes.
"Do I look like the kind of guy who would hate his only sister?"
Shiori shook his head.
"No, no. You've always taken good care of me."
"Then why don't you trust him? He's your brother after all."
"Brother..."
"I'm not going to hate you or anything. So don't cry, Shiori."
As I said that, her face, which had looked like she was about to cry, suddenly brightened up.
"I love you, big brother!!"
"Hey, wait a minute!"
He jumps at me, but I can't catch him and I fall off the bed.
"But you like me! You love me!"
"Don't say that!!"
She didn't even listen to my plea and embraced me. Her two exposed breasts pressed against me, and as I was pushed down by the alluring sensation, I thought to myself.
Women are cowards after all!
"--Oh, you're early today."
When I went downstairs to the living room with Hyo, my mother looked at us and said,
On the table is a plate of bacon and eggs, salad, and buttered toast, and next to it is a glass of milk filled to the brim.
"Fufu, did something happen?"
Her large eyes and well-defined nose are eye-catching, and she has a slight smile on her plump, well-shaped lips. If she were a little younger, she would be so beautiful that people couldn't help but look at her.
He is wearing a white cut-and-sew top and a cotton jacket and suit.
When our father died when we were young, he took us in on his own and raised us to where we are today.
Even though she's a woman, she works at a company and it's not uncommon for her to be away from home all day.
That's why Shiori quickly became independent and grew into a superhuman who could do anything "except cooking."
"No, nothing special."
I sat down at the table and said while drinking my milk.
I don't want my mother to know about the commotion this morning.
He also gives Shiori a quick wink to tell her not to say anything unnecessary.
"That's right, mother."
Shiori, who had already taken his seat, nodded proudly and said with his chest puffed out.
"I was just deeply, deeply in love with my brother."
"Buha!"
It clogs his organs and the milk he was drinking spurts out of his nose.
"Oh, are you okay, Susumu?"
"What's wrong, brother?"
Without any understanding of other people's feelings, Shiori looked into my face with a worried expression.
"Cough cough, what are you talking about..."
While coughing, I protested to Shiori in my ear so that my mother wouldn't hear. Shiori also muttered something back to me.
"What? Didn't you make eye contact and say, 'Tell your mother about how much you love each other'?"
"There's no way I'd make eye contact like that!"
I shouted at the confused Shio.
You know everything about me, but you become insensitive at times like this.
Looking at us like that, my mother giggled and said,
"You two always get along so well. Just like me and my dad when we were young."
"Well. Was it as hot as me and my brother?"
"It's not hot. Not hot at all."
My mother continued talking, completely ignoring my comments.
"Yes. At the time, I was a new employee at the company, and Dad was the manager. Because he was highly regarded by the president, he was focused on his work and had no experience with women. But he was stubborn and very cute. I was the one who started asking him out on dates."
"Hmm, I see."
It would be foolish to listen seriously, so for the time being I just gave a blank reply. There is nothing more irritating than someone boasting, but Shiori leaned forward and listened intently.
"Did you force yourself on me?"
"--Yes. I was absolutely sure that he was the one. Otherwise she would not notice me, so I told her that I had managed to get hold of two tickets and invited her to the movies. I told her I'd kill myself if she didn't come with me!"
"I see... that's helpful."
"No, don't use it as a reference."
She whispers to Shiori, who is engrossed in listening to her mother's love story.
In fact, what are you going to do if you get any more forceful?
"It's been about three years since then. Susumu was born and grew up. You came to live with us when Susumu was five, right? Shiori-chan."
"...!"
At that moment, Shiori's face dropped slightly. It only lasted for a few seconds, but I saw him bite his lip tightly and his face twist in a gloomy expression.
"And then, at that time, my father--"
Mom doesn't seem to notice and continues bragging about her father.
"Oh, really? That's wonderful."
Shiori listened to the story while laughing, but it was obvious that he was forcing his laughter.
It's fine. It's true that Shiori and I aren't really "siblings."
But we've been living in this house together for over ten years, and at first I was simply happy to have a little sister. However, Shiori drew a line between us as complete strangers, and tried to act like a "good kid" so as not to cause any trouble.
--Because we're strangers? Because it's not related?
"Haa..."
Seriously, my little sister is such a pain... I said while munching on my bread.
"Mom, are you sure? If we don't get going soon, we'll be late for work."
I spoke louder to cool down my mother's passionate story of how they practically eloped.
"Eh? Ah, it's this late already? Yeah. I guess I should get going soon--"
She said, grabbing her bag and standing up.
"Well, I'm off then. Susumu, Shiori-chan. I'll be there late tonight, so just get it over with."
"Yes, Mom. Have a nice day."
With hurried footsteps, my mother left the dining room and headed for the front door.
After seeing that, Shiori turned to me with a look that seemed to be a mixture of tears and laughter.
"Brother. Thank you."
"N-nothing. I just found my mom's boasting stories annoying."
She said while looking down so that her embarrassment wouldn't be obvious.
Seeing this, Shio said with a laugh.
"That's always the case, Big Brother. You understand everything about me..."
"What kind of brother doesn't understand his sister?"
"--That's not honest at all."
The sign shrugged.
"I wonder if that's why you're not popular with girls other than me."
"I have my hands full just taking care of my troublesome little sister."
I answered while turning my back to the sign.
"Oh come on! Big Brother. But, you're right."
The sign muttered as he looked down.
"Let's leave it at that--"
Shiori gently puts her arms around my back and hugs me as she says this.
I can feel the fingers on her hips trembling slightly.
"Brother--"
"Sign--"
"If we don't hurry, we'll be late!"
Shiori says as he quickly moves away.
"Let's go, brother!"
That face was so mature that it took my breath away――
"Yeah, that's right," I say, laughing.
--He was like a child.
It was a hot, hot summer. It was the morning of our beginning.