I stayed over at Ika’s place, one of my girlfriends.
I overslept, and by the time I headed back, it was late in the evening—well, past nightfall, really. We were in the living room of my house.
I sat seiza-style on the floor in front of the sofa.
Directly before me were Akari, looking grumpy, and her little sister Midoriko, who was grumpiness personified.
“Okarin, do you understand why we’re in this situation~?”
Akari asked, forcing a beaming smile on my face.
But a vein was throbbing on her forehead. S-she’s angry…
“B-Because I got home late?” “Half right, half wrong.”
Akari let out a long sigh. “Haa—…”
“…Brother, where were you?”
Midoriko had a vein popping out on her forehead even more prominently than Akari’s.
“…Tell me. I won’t get mad.”
“Hey, aren’t you already furious enough…?” ”…Say it.”
Just say it… That’s scary, my little sister.
Well, would anyone be angry if a family member came home at dawn? “Sakirin, probably that’s not the case.”
Perceptive Akari sighs as she says. “How so?”
“The impression Sakirin has and Midori-san’s feelings are different.”
”…Midori-san? Wait, you mean me?” “Yeah, it’s Midori-san. Is that okay?”
”…It’s fine, I guess. Whatever.”
M-my sister… my extremely shy sister is getting along with someone she just met?
T-this… this is quite something.
…I’m happy. My sister has a childhood friend, but I didn’t feel like she interacted much with anyone else.
“You guys are talking about complicated stuff and leaving me behind. Chobi~”
Nanako, sitting in a chair a bit away, is watching our exchange.
Chobi the dachshund, recovered from Mr. Jirota’s place, sat on her lap.
Nanako clutched Chobi tightly, holding him with a worried expression.
“Acari, why are you so angry? Did I do something wrong, teacher?”
Prompted by her sister, Acari pursed her lips and replied.
“I’m not mad at all… but… Akarin didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then, the teacher is pitiful, you know~. Sitting right down on the floor…” Nanako looked on the verge of tears. She really was a kind soul.
“In that case, Akarin will allow me to sit next to her ♡”
Tap-tap. Acari tapped the sofa beside her. “No… that spot is…”
It happened to be exactly between Acari and Midoriko.
In other words, sitting there would place them both on either side of her. “Is something bothering you? ♡” ”…Isn’t that bad?”
Acari said with a smile, while Midoriko spoke with blushes coloring her cheeks.
Perhaps this was what it meant to leave no room for refusal.
I wouldn’t mind crawling on the ground, but looking at Naeiko’s face made me hesitate.
I sat between Akari and Midoriko Lake.
Akari grabbed my left arm with evident delight.
With a squishy motion, her large breasts pressed against my inner arm.
Her terrifyingly perfect blue eyes were right in my face, and I instinctively tried to turn my head away.
I wondered if she was going to make another move like before.
But even as I tried to pull back, Midoriko Lake was sitting right next to me, leaving me nowhere to escape… And moreover.
“Midoriko, why are you grabbing my arm too?” Was it a case of copycatting Akari?
My sister squeezed my right arm tightly. “It’s nothing. Wrong?” “No… well, it’s fine.”
Midoriko Lake had a Chupa Chups in her mouth.
The candy stick moved up and down with a little bounce.
“Chobi-chan’s tail is just like that, isn’t it? ♡ I’m so happy my heart’s fluttering! ♯”
Nanako said with a smile, causing Midoriko’s face to turn beet red as she shook her head.
“N-no way! A-and I’m not happy about it or anything! It’s just normal sibling skinship, okay! Hey, Onii-san!”
“Hmm. Ah, sure. We’ve been doing that kind of skinship for ages… ow, ow, hurts.”
Midoriko pinched my bicep hard with a sharp squeeze. “Why are you even angry?”
”…Because it annoys me in its own way.” W-wait, what…?
“So let’s hold the Akari Tribunal~”
“T-trial? What is sensei supposed to have done?” Nanako asked timidly.
“The defendant, Akari, is under suspicion of going to her lover’s place~” ”…What!?”
Midoriko wore an expression of utter shock.
She kept looking back and forth between Akari and me, over and over again.
”…O-Onii-san!? Is this real!?” “Eh, ah…”
Admitting that I actually had four girlfriends would probably be a bad idea.
But I think it’s fine to be open about the fact that my older brother has a girlfriend.
”……No way! That’s impossible! I mean, we literally just broke up like, days ago!”
……And yet, why is Midoriko shaken to this extent?
“Oh my, oh my. The dear party remains completely oblivious, how utterly adorable.”
Akari let out a sigh, seemingly exasperated by the situation. What on earth was she talking about?
”……Hey! Bro, who’s the person? Who is it?”
He couldn’t exactly say it was one of the two women standing right there. “It’s Niegawa. A friend from college.”
”……Niegawa…? Ah, that guy, huh.”
Ika and Midoriko had clashed with him a few times in the past.
“I was staying at Niegawa’s place last night.”
“The lady who’s always around when we visit your house, right?”
Midoriko nodded, as if she had just figured it all out.
「Nah, Midoriko Lake. That ‘old lady’ comment… she’s the same age as me, y’know」
「Yeah, yeah. You mean that old lady?」 「Even Akari’s got the audacity to say that…」
I mentally reassured Ichika, who was looking sad in my thoughts: “You’re not an old lady at twenty-eight, so cut that tragic face out, will you?”
「…Right. Well, if it’s her, I guess… I can live with it」
Midoriko Lake bit down on a candy with a crunch, looking like she was swallowing her pride.
「…Big bro, sounds like good news. The new girl isn’t some weirdo」
Midoriko looked up at me, her voice quiet but her face lit up with a faint smile. 「…Congrats」 「Ah… yeah…」
It seemed my little sister was genuinely happy about my relationship with Ichika.
Since this person might eventually become part of the family, it’s a relief to be accepted by her…
But on the other hand… there’s a sense of guilt.
I’m not just dating Ichika, after all.
But I hesitate to bring that up, and more importantly, I’m not even sure they’d believe me if I did.
I should keep my mouth shut about this… but then.
“Oh, right, Midori-chan. In addition to Aka-chan, there are three other love interests.” “Oi!”
Aka openly reveals the information she had been hiding, with a completely innocent demeanor.
”………………………………?” Lake Midori’s expression changes.
Shock, confusion… and then, anger.
”…Onii-san. What does this mean!?”
Gripping my collar, Lake Midori demands an answer from me.
Though she is my sister, her expression is terrifying.
Precisely because her face is so beautiful, it makes her even scarier.
”…W-what? You’re dating four people! Who are they!?” And then… “It’s the Aka from here, you know~ ♡” “Whaaat?!”
Seeing Aka’s smile, Lake Midori raises her voice even more.
“By the way, the other two are my older sister and a friend of ours. They’re all high schoolers~ ♡”
“Ahh, Akari… Ichika-san doesn’t really seem like a high schooler…”
Akari beaming with a smile. Nako acting all flustered.
Looking at the two of their faces, Midoriko spoke in bewilderment. “Wha—are you serious about this…?” “Dead serious.” “Y-Yep…”
As Akari and the others nodded, my little sister slumped in defeat and mumbled in daze. ”…Four older brothers? That’s a lot.”
I mean, that was pretty much the natural reaction to expect.
“Midoriko. There’s a reason for this…”
Just as I reached out to touch her shoulder, Midoriko brushed my hand away. ”…”
Tears welling up in her eyes, she started sobbing… “What’s wrong? What happened?”
”…My brothers… My big dumb cheater bro~” Hey, calling me a cheating bastard is a bit much…
Knowing that I had suddenly become the worst kind of cheat, dating four girls at once, must have been a huge shock.
“Midoriko. Listen to me. Actually, regarding this relationship, everyone is on board with it.” ”…That’s impossible.”
“It’s the truth. Tell them, you two.”
Aki and Nao nodded in unison.
“It’s fine if Ogarin has other guys he sees, I don’t mind.”
“I’m actually sorry that you treat me like a lover too, though.” ”………” He wiped away her tears.
Midoriko lay passive in my grasp. After a while,
”…Buddy, why are you being so unprincipled?”
she asked, puffing up her cheeks indignantly.
“Well, it was just the flow of the moment. Before I knew it, things ended up like this.”
”…That’s not funny at all.”
She puffed her cheeks out again, looking displeased.
I expected her to curse me as an inconsiderate scumbag, but since her reaction was different, I was actually more confused.
”…Buddy, if someone said ‘I like you, please be my boyfriend,’ do you just hook up with them easily? Are you that flaky a person?”
“No… well. But whether it’s a relationship or not, I just want to know every girl deeply, each one individually.”
“Um… s-so then… that is. I, if… if it’s,”
Midoriko fell silent after saying just that much.
Seeing her like that, Akari let out a “phew” sigh and then…
“Hey, Okarin. Midoriko-chan likes you, you know? ♡”
…She suddenly dropped that bombshell on us.
“Eh!? W-what are you, what the hell are you saying, you?! Aaahhhhhhhhh!”
Midoriko shrieked, her face turning crimson.
Since my little sister used to shower me with “I love yous” when we were little, I don’t really get worked up over it.
So, Midoriko’s overly dramatic reaction was baffling to say the least.
“Midori-n, look. It’s clearly like he views you as a person, not in a romantic sense.” “Uga…” Midoriko scowled.
“For this guy, you have to spell it out or it won’t sink in. You love your big brother, as a man, right? ♡”
“Huh? I, is that really true…?”
Midoriko’s face, not to mention her arms and legs, had turned completely crimson.
“I, um, t-th-that’s… um, w-wait…”
Tears in her eyes, Midoriko trembled like a leaf. After a moment… “Mm-hmm.” She gave a weak nod.
Where had her usual fierce, cool younger sister gone?
She was cowering before me, shrinking away in a meek, timid manner.
“U-uwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Just as I thought otherwise, though, Midoriko screamed and bolted out of the living room.
Leaving behind Akari, Nanako, and myself.
As I moved to chase after her… “Oh Karin, stop.”
Akari grabbed my hand, speaking in a serious tone.
“Let’s wait until she calms down.” Well… I suppose that’s true. She must be thoroughly confused right now.
“Besides… it feels like the situation has shifted into one where everything is already forgiven ♡” “Huh?” Akari smiled with a slight squint of her eyes.
“Giving me Midori and having your way with Ichika? How convenient for you, you bastard♡”
“H-uhh…! A-Akari~. You look just like a Hannya mask~”
It was no wonder Nanaiko cowered; Akari was terrifying.
“For starters, how many times have you done it? …Speak.”
…Thus began the trial of the defendant, Mitsuhiko Okaya, presided over by Judge Akari.