Volume 1 - CH 14

My Little Sister Can’t Accept the Reality

Mom and dad decided to get a divorce.

Their father told them so in the living room without any preamble.

Casually as if they were talking tomorrow’s weather.

“We have signed the divorce papers last night. All we have to do is file them.”

“I’m sorry Haruta, Fuyu. For telling you both so suddenly, but it has been decided, so we thought we should tell you both as soon as possible.”

Their mother and father bow deeply.

This may be the first time their parents have bowed to them.

Then their father and mother raise their heads to look at each other—

“We have to tell you our reasons, do we? Your father and I…have been busy with each other’s work, we can’t seem to be with each other anymore and—”

Their mother told them lots of reasons for their divorce, and sometimes their father also adds his reasons as well, but Haruta hardly listen to any of them.

Fuyu who is sitting by Haruta’s side on the sofa, also remains silent and stunned.

They are prepared for their mother’s career change, but this is a completely different matter.

Haruta and Fuyu’s expectations are easily shattered.

“I also have decided to change my job. However, my new workplace—”

And so, the discussion of their mother’s career change began—

But after they told Haruta and Fuyu that they are divorcing, their mother’s change of job doesn’t matter anymore.

The new job that their mother told them isn’t exactly close.

Even if their mother wants to, it’s impossible to commute from their home to her workplace every day—

That means their mother is moving far away.

“……”

Haruta suddenly realizes.

Their parents have stopped talking.

Because Haruta was in a daze unable to process all of this, he didn’t notice that his parents have stopped talking.

Wait, calm down, Haruta tells himself.

He looks down and sees his little sister’s white thighs stretching out from her mini-skirt.

Fuyu’s knees are trembling.

Fuyu also remain silent.

No, I need to calm down for my sister who is on the edge of losing it, Haruta thought.

That’s right, because I’m your Onii-chan—Haruta quickly regains his composure.

Haruta can’t just sit back and say nothing to such an important matter.

“Mom, Dad, I understand, but it’s kind of you know…it’s just too sudden.”

“I’m sorry, but there are a lot of things that needed to be sorted out when it comes to divorce. We finally got the chance to sort it all out during Golden Week.”

“……”

So that’s the reason why Haruta’s parents were so busy during Golden Week.

But Haruta can’t be convinced by such an abrupt divorce discussion.

“And one more thing. This may be the main issue.”

“What is it? What could be more important than your divorce?”

Haruta calmly asked back.

Fuyu’s knees are shaking and she can’t seem to say anything, so Haruta thinks he should at least say something—His sense of duty as an older brother motivates him.

“Your father and I were remarried.”

“Re…married…?”

“I remarried your mother when you were three and Fuyu was two. You both probably don’t even remember—”

Their father takes a deep breath as if he is ready.

“Haruta, Fuyu, you both are not real siblings.”

If it were a drama, a dramatic background music would be played, but on the contrary, there’s just silence in the room.

Unfortunately, this is the reality.

There is no background music playing, just their father’s words running through Haruta’s head.

Haruta gulps and—

“…do you mean…Fuyu and I are step siblings?”

“That’s right, in terms of blood relation, you are my son. Fuyu is your mother’s daughter. Your mother and I divorced right after our children were born—”

Once again, their father begins to explain.

The reason of their father and mother’s first divorce is kept vague—but that doesn’t matter to Haruta.

There is just too much information for Haruta to process.

Haruta just want to shut them up and take Fuyu out of the living room.

Haruta just want to go to school as if nothing happened.

But he truly understands that such thing won’t come true.

“We have decided that we would tell you both when Fuyu turns 18, but now that we think about it, we probably should have told you both sooner. We are so sorry.”

“Mom, Dad, give me a minute.”

Even though Haruta hardly listen to their explanation, he stopped them.

There is just too much information to process.

No, is it actually quite simple, but every each of information is just too heavy.

If this was a drama, Haruta would’ve storm out of the room, but it seems that people just tend to do nothing when they are too surprised.

Haruta is even surprised that he remains calm on the surface.

“I’m sorry to interrupt you both, but I want to ask about something first.”

“What is it?”

Their father answers calmly.

He has a look on his face as if he knows what Haruta wants to ask.

Of course, his father would’ve at least thought about what kind of questions Haruta will ask when he tells them about his divorce and their true blood relationship.

Haruta doesn’t even need to ask his question to know the answer.

It’s the only one thing Haruta never wanted.

Haruta glances at his sister beside him and—

“So you’re saying that you’re going to get a divorce…I will live with Dad—and Fuyu will live with Mom?”

“……”

Fuyu who had been frozen next to Haruta for the whole time, suddenly looks up.

But Fuyu still doesn’t say anything.

None of them say anything about Haruta’s question.

However, Haruta can tell the answer to his question by their parents’ face and the atmosphere.

Haruta glances at his sister again, tears are running down Fuyu’s cheeks.

The divorce of their parents alone is enough to hurt a middle school girl.

On top of that, something that they had believed since they were born has crumbled before their eyes.

Something important inside them has broken.

“Fuyu is not…Onii-chan’s little sister…?”

Fuyu mumbled so with a downcast look on her face.

Fuyu seems to understand it all now.

Haruta suddenly remembered.

He remembered that he used to call Fuyu by ‘Fuyu-chan’ when he was a child.

Even Haruta’s childhood memory seem different now because of the truths being told.

‘Fuyu is going to marry Onii-chan in the future.’

That is a common thing for a child to say.

But Haruta had forgotten about it until now—Haruta thought he was told so by someone else, not Fuyu.

Not only their relationship as siblings—but even their precious memories have been destroyed.

Haruta can feel something hot rising up from his chest, he feels as if he is about to choke.

“Fuyu-chan…and Onii-chan are…”

Fuyu mumbled so again—

Their parents only remain silent, none of them open their mouth.

Just a few minutes ago, Haruta was talking normally to his little sister as usual.

This is just way too sudden.

He’s no longer thinking about Akiho or the exam.

Haruta just wants to hold his little sister’s hand—but he can’t.

Before he came to this living room, he could hold Fuyu’s hand as if it was matter of course.

That’s right—

That beautiful girl sitting next to Haruta is not his sister.

Haruta doesn’t even care about his parents’ divorce anymore.

He is just devastated by the cruel truth.