Yamato Nadeshiko, Koibana no Gotoku Chapter 5

【Side: Yamato Nades.h.i.+ko】

If I asked him, 『Big brother, what exactly do you think of me?』, I was sure to receive, “A cute sister,” as an answer.
On the other hand, if he asked me 『What exactly do you think of your brother?』, then I would surely answer:

「Big brother is the person I love the most in this world, and someone I want beside me for my entire life.」

「…. um, thank you.」

After dinner, he indifferently answered me as he held a cup of freshly brewed coffee in one hand.
His coffee was black, and neither sugar nor milk was added; such an adult-like taste was wonderful.

「It seems like you don’t believe me? Even though I really think that way?」

「I’m happy about Nades.h.i.+ko’s feelings towards me.」

The smiling face he showed me is the one I love the most.
Big brother always shows me a kind smile, and I’m always being spoiled by that smile.

「Are you really happy about it?」

「…… of course.」

「Then, can I have your signature on this marriage registration form I have prepared?」

「That’s way too sudden, no way. In the first place, siblings cannot get married, right?」

Big brother doesn’t respond to my love.
What are you thinking about, sweeping away the atmosphere without hesitation?
Even though your little sister is confessing her love to you so much.

「If it’s half-siblings, there are countries where they are allowed to get married.」

「…… although we’re not half-siblings.」

「Big brother, please respond to my love better! For example, even if we are siblings, I think it is something we can get over if there is love.」

He placed the cup of coffee on top of the table, and,

「I don’t think I can keep up with Nades.h.i.+ko’s love for me.」

「B-Big brother… have you grown to dislike me?!」

As if in response to his overly shocking statement, I thought I felt a vise gripping my chest, starting from the innermost depths of my heart.
While pressing down on the throbbing pain in my chest, I drew closer towards him.

「Big brother, did you plan on just playing around with your little sister’s pure love and then discard me after you were done? Like an empty drink can after you’ve finished drinking it, you’re going to throw me away? So mean! Inhumane! Sob.」

「That’s wrong, I didn’t have that meaning! Moreover, that kind of person would be an extremely unpleasant guy……」

Big brother showed a troubled expression on his face.

「I didn’t say that with any particularly weird intentions.」

「If that’s the case, what did you mean? Big brother, please properly explain it to me in a way that I can understand. Otherwise, I am.. I am prepared to mobilize all necessary measures towards you.」

「U-Use of force?! A sudden declaration of war? Calm down! I think siblings should try to get along happily.」

「In that case, please don’t say such a lonely thing. I’ll cry, you know?」

As I leaned on big brother’s shoulder, I clung to him.

「Have you already fallen in love with someone else? Am I to be treated as an unnecessary person now?」

「…… I don’t know what to think of you talking to me like I am a boyfriend who has just cheated on you. What I want to say, is that I can’t become someone like Nades.h.i.+ko. It’s also my personality, but I’m the type who always has the brakes on no matter what.」

He softly patted my head and stroked it as he talked to me with the air of speaking to a child,

「Occasionally, I also thought about being like Nades.h.i.+ko and wanted to try living while being honest with myself.」

「Big brother worries too much about appearances again!」

「….. No, normally you’d worry about appearances, right?」

If I had to say my big brother’s bad points, one would be that he is too serious.
Though that can also be said to be good, but diligent self-control can also become an hindrance to love.

「Why? Isn’t that good? Please consider it! Where else would you find siblings who still take baths together at this age? If you want to think about our relations.h.i.+p from a normal perspective or something, I would also be troubled. This kind of relations.h.i.+p can’t possibly be normal, right?!」

「You said so yourself?! …… so even Nades.h.i.+ko was aware of it.」

Of course, I am self-consciously aware that this is not normal.
Even so, the feelings of love I have towards my big brother cannot be stopped.

「―something like restraining my desire to make big brother my possession and mine alone, is completely impossible.」

I live honestly with myself because I only have one life.
Holding regrets is the one thing I don’t want no matter want.

「Even if we worry about appearances, it is unavoidable. Now, big brother, please be obedient. I know about it, you know?」

I whispered to big brother while clinging to his chest.

「W-What?」

「That is, I know about big brother’s black hair fetish. Last time, when I was cleaning big brother’s room, I found a photograph collection with a very unusual proclivity. Not only did they all have large b.r.e.a.s.t.s, but it was exclusively black-haired women. Since I have always had black hair, I am an existence closest to big brother’s taste. It makes me happy.」

「I-I, I’m really going to cry. Listen little sister, it’s fine if you don’t clean your older brother’s room. I’m begging you!」

I showed a smile to big brother who had received a large shock and was crestfallen with his head down.

「Please don’t forget when I say that I always know all of big brother’s secrets, ok?」

With a cramped face, he uttered, 「….yes,」 and gave a small nod.

「Big brother, something like escaping from my love is utterly impossible, so please give up quickly.」

As we had this heart-to-heart, the sound of the front door of the house opening could be heard.

「Who could it be?」

「It should be our older sister, right?」

In accordance with our expectations, the person who showed up to the living room was our big sister Yamato Miyabi.
A third year university student, with a five year age difference from us, she was twenty years old, disliked by no one, and had an agreeable personality.

「Welcome home, big sister Miyabi.」

「I’m home. I see you two are together as always and on good terms.」

After becoming an university student, she had left home and was now living by herself in a nearby apartment.
She occasionally returned to look after us in place of our parents who were frequently away from home.

「It’s not good if I don’t come back every now and then to see my younger siblings. There’s also the promise with our parents.」

「Older sister, you don’t have to purposely go out of your way to live alone, it’s fine if you stay in this house.」

「Living on my own was something I wanted to do. Though it was troublesome when I tried it, it was also unexpectedly fun.」

「Because we also are going through a similar experience, I understand your feelings. I can feel the happiness of living together as just the two of us. This is big brother’s and my love nest.」

Big sis said「Isn’t it bad to arbitrarily turn this into your love nest」while laughing.

「Nades.h.i.+ko really loves Takeru, huh. You guys should combine together already.」

「That shouldn’t be an older sister’s line, right?!」

In the middle stood my somewhat scandalized big brother.

「That’s because I am Nades.h.i.+ko’s ally. To support a younger sister’s love is an older sister’s role, right?」

She says so and smiles at me.
My big sister Miyabi understood my feelings.
More so than anyone else, in my family’s expectations of us, she was the one who understood the most.

「As expected of my big sister Miyabi. To understand the depths of my love, I am grateful.」

「Since there’s all sorts and types of love in this world, if you can become happy, then isn’t that also a good thing?」

「That’s right. So with that said, big brother. Please connect with me, and let’s make a happy family together.」

「No no, it’s not that simple of a problem. Older sister too, please be more careful with your remarks.」

The relations.h.i.+p between us sisters was very good.
I’m surrounded by the people precious to me, who give me happiness every day.
To hope for more happiness than this might be hoping for too much, but I want to become even happier, which is my one selfish side.

My life after falling in love with big brother has changed greatly.
This feeling of love not something that should be suppressed.
So I continue to hope that big brother will hurry and also become honest with his own feelings, and accept them.

【 To be continued 】