Volume 1 - CH 17

My Little Sister is…

A beautiful brown-haired girl is sitting on a swing, dangling her legs.

“Fuyu.”

“I just remembered one more thing, Onii-chan.”

“Eh?”

“I used to get scared when Onii-chan swung himself on this swing, because you would swing yourself up so high that I was worried that you might fall.”

“You were worried, huh?”

Haruta remembers it as well.

Haruta used to compete with his friends to see who could swing up the highest.

Haruta will never forget it because one of his friends actually broke their own arm, it was actually really dangerous, and because of that, this park was almost shut down.

“……”

Haruta sits down on the swing next to Fuyu.

“Ah, please don’t do anything dangerous again, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t do it. I’m not a kid anymore.”

“…that’s right, you’re not a kid anymore.”

“But I can’t even deicide where I want to be, and here we are, sneaking out from our home in the middle of the night.”

Haruta lightly swings himself.

“I’m going to live with mama—and Onii-chan is going to live with papa, right? —we can’t move in together, can we…?”

“Of course, we can’t. It’s the spring of my first high school year, I can’t just take a school transfer exam right after I got into high school.”

Haruta can’t imagine it at all.

There is no such thing as transferring to another school at the start of a new school year.

“It seems that mom has decided to change her job, I guess we don’t have a say in that. As long as mom and dad live apart, we can’t live together either.”

“Both mama and papa really care about us—but neither of them ever said anything about taking care both of us.”

Haruta feels a great pain within his chest, he wonders if Fuyu has also realized it.

Their parents said they will grant Fuyu’s and Haruta’s wishes as best they can.

His father said if Haruta doesn’t want to do housework, he will hire a housekeeper.

Fuyu’s mother said they will find the most comfortable house for her and Fuyu to live, and Fuyu will go into a middle school with a good reputation—

“We don’t get a say in their divorce, it’s their own matter, there’s nothing we can do about it…but it is not impossible…for me and Onii-chan to live together, right?”

“I don’t know much the law about it, but I don’t think it’s impossible to take in a child who has lived with them for such a long time, even if they are not blood related.”

“If that’s the case—”

Fuyu sniffs her nose, trying not to cry.

Then, with a trembling voice—

“Does that mean they are trying to separate me and Onii-chan…?”

“…I guess so.”

Even though Fuyu has bad grades at school, she is not stupid.

She seems to have realized her parents’ intentions.

Of course, Haruta has also realized it.

There’s no need to say much about it.

It seems that their parents are concerned about Haruta’s and Fuyu’s suspicious relationship.

“You were right Fuyu.”

“Eh?”

“Our parents care about us more than we think, they pay more attention to us than we think—mom and dad knew we have a suspicious relationship all along.”

“…I never thought they would know about it as well, but what’s wrong about it anyway, it’s not like we’re related by blood or anything.”

Fuyu said so while shaking her head lightly.

Their parents know that Haruta and Fuyu aren’t related by blood, and if they ever crossed the line, there would be no problem at all.

But still, they have grown up together as siblings.

Their relatives, neighbours, and friends recognize them as siblings.

If they became lovers, or even got married in the future—people around them can’t just take it for granted.

When Haruta looked at their situation objectively, he also thought that it’s not something they can tell people openly.

“Maybe mama and papa think—how did this happen even though they raised us as real siblings.”

“But if I were told earlier that we are not real siblings, I would have a great shock.”

“No one knows what the right answer is.”

Haruta actually wanted to complain to his parents for telling them so suddenly, but he thought none of it matter anymore. The truth has been told.

But, still—

“You know, I’m really glad that I grew up with Fuyu as my little sister.”

“Me too…yeah, me too. I’m really glad to be Onii-chan’s little sister…”

Fuyu nods her head again and again.

Yes, Haruta and Fuyu—were siblings.

They are really close to each other, but they never crossed the line.

And from now on, they will never can cross that line.

‘Fuyu is very cute and beautiful, but I never wanted to lay a hand on her, I never wanted to do anything inappropriate with her.’

Haruta thought to himself.

But then, a question crosses his mind.

‘Am I really sure about that—?’

Fuyu’s pure white skin, her ample b*****s covered with bra.

Her delicate body in the bathtub, the nape of her neck exposed when she ties back her hair.

‘Have I ever felt a desire for her, even just for a moment—?’

Haruta asks himself.

“…no way.”

“Eh?”

“Ah, no it’s nothing. Mom and dad will make sure we have comfortable lives, but…”

“Separating us from is each other is not negotiable…is it?”

Fuyu says so and turns her head to the side.

They have lived together in the same room for as long they can remember, they are closer than usual siblings, they aren’t embarrassed to change clothes in front of each other, and they really care about each other.

A question popped into Haruta’s head.

‘Do you love me more than a brother?’

Haruta thought so in his mind, but there is no way he can ask such question to Fuyu.

“For example, even if I want to stay here—I can’t ask papa who is not related with me to provide for me, can I?”

“But I can provide for myself—it will be difficult, but it is not impossible.”

“You can’t do that, Onii-chan. You want to go to university, right? It’s difficult to live on our own.”

“Yeah it is, but it is not impossible…”

It’s pitiful, but Haruta can’t just suddenly leave his parent’s house and live on his own.

Haruta is just a high school boy.

“Or…will you run away with me?”

“Fuyu…”

“…just kidding, but wouldn’t it nice?”

Fuyu giggles.

The expression on Haruta’s little sister face seems somewhat fake.

“We can’t run away together. It would ruin Oni-chan’s future. Even if you ask me to run away with you, I will refuse to do so.”

“That is not a very romantic development.”

“We’ve had enough drama.”

Fuyu shakes her head.

They definitely have enough drama today.

Not only they found out their parents are divorcing, but they also discovered the truth to their blood relation.

“But Onii-chan.”

“Hmm…?”

“May I ask one thing?”

“What is it?”

“If we’re going to be separated—before that.”

“……”

“Will you kiss me…?”

Fuyu suddenly turns around and look deep into Haruta’s eyes.

Neither her eyes or face is smiling.

Haruta stares at Fuyu’s lips for a moment—he almost stopped breathing.

Haruta’s heart starts throbbing.

Regardless of their blood relation, Fuyu is someone who has been by Haruta’s side ever since he can remember.

Haruta can at least tell Fuyu is joking or not.

They change clothes in the same room, go on dates on holidays, and even take baths together.

They are closer than siblings, but aren’t exactly a couple.

But they have never kissed each other’s lips.

So—

“No, I won’t.”

“…I knew it.”

Haruta refused Fuyu’s request.

Even though Haruta isn’t Fuyu’s real brother, He still considers himself as Fuyu’s older brother.

That’s why Haruta didn’t kiss her.

It’s just Haruta’s selfishness not to kiss Fuyu, but if Haruta kissed Fuyu, they would cross the line between siblings—

“……!?”

Fuyu suddenly opens her eyes wide and holds her breath.

Haruta closes his eyes, and gently kiss Fuyu’s soft lips.

It’s a little cold, but really soft as if it’s melting—

They kiss and won’t let go of each other’s lips for a few seconds.

Haruta sits back on his swing and looks at Fuyu.

“Eh, huh? Onii-chan, you said you won’t…”

“…I’ve changed my mind.”

Even though Haruta knew he was crossing the line, he couldn’t stop himself to kiss Fuyu’s lips.

Haruta can’t believe they kissed each other as soon as they found out they aren’t real siblings.

“Onii-chan…”

“……!?”

Hearing Fuyu’s voice, Haruta reflexively turns his head away from Fuyu.

Haruta’s little sister—the girl who was Haruta’s little sister, is crying.

“…you didn’t like it?”

“You usually dote on me…but you’re being a bit shy today…”

It is an undeniable fact that Fuyu is crying.

But Fuyu seems to be smiling when tears spill from her eyes.

Remaining silent, Fuyu continues to cry.

Haruta isn’t exactly sure why is she crying.

But Haruta knows one thing for sure, Fuyu doesn’t mind the kiss.

And—

Haruta also finds himself on the verge of tears.

Today, Haruta and Fuyu are no longer siblings.

The truth is just too cruel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s been almost a month since that night, summer is approaching.

The girl who was Haruta’s little sister, is now gone from Haruta’s life.