THE CURSED GAMER

Chapter 34: Game (3)

—

A few days later, on February 26th.

[“We are really sorry, dear. Even though today is your UA entrance exam, we aren't able to wish you good luck in person.”]

On the computer screen, Gara and Aiko apologised to Nejire, who just waved her hand.

“It’s fine, it’s fine~ Work comes first anyway.”

Her parents smiled at this as Nejire looked at her Mother with shining eyes. “But Mom, Mom!"

"Did you make the changes I wanted in my Costume?? Cus' I really need that after school starts!"

Gara giggled to soothe her mind.

This time, Aiko replied. ["It's ready, sweetheart. I personally helped her make the Costume more appealing to the eyes- ouch!"]

Gara smacked his head, causing Aiko to chuckle.

["Shh, spoilers."]

The talk continued for a while before Nejire cut the call.

She got up from the computer chair and walked downstairs. She was wearing a purple tracksuit that hugged her proportions tightly. She needed to be in easy clothes to move better for the exam.

She recently hit her growth spurt, so her proportions were bigger than the first time she wore her Hero Costume, so she hoped her mother had made the adjustments.

Walking down, the first thing she encountered was Neji playing games on the console with Kurai on his lap.

Neji had gone out last night, she noticed. She didn't know where, but she knew he was out until dawn. Now that she thought about it, her Otouto goes out for a few hours every now and then. Though Kimi does go with him most of the time, and he says he's just going out with friends – she, for some reason, felt he was lying.

Either way, the door was past Neji. She needs to go past him… she didn't like it at all, meeting him face to face is just... so awkward.

She breathed in and stilled her heart, walking towards the door without giving him a look. She has yet to come up with an idea to crush his weird ideas… it's just hard for her to think of something that'd hurt him. At one point, she considered playing boyfriend with some guy, but that idea was dismissed immediately, she for one could tell that if she did such a thing… Neji might stop his weird thoughts, but something else between them would change too. She didn't like the feeling of that. He, in the end, was a person she deeply cared about, even if he was weird.

Now, she was doing a cold-play. It's basically acting cold and indifferent at him. She read an article that if you act cold towards someone interested in you, that interest would fade very soon. She… didn't like this, as well. Acting like she didn't care about him while he showed deep concern for her on something just didn't feel right… her sisterly side couldn't bear with him just flashing her weak a smile after she ignored him.

'No… it's for his own good.'

With this, she took a breath-in and started walking to the door, but before she could exit the house,

"Hey, Sis. Are you going out?"

Neji called, to which she stilled.

"Isn't today your entrance exam? Good luck."

A frown crept on her face at this. What unsettled her was the fact that he was still playing with his console while talking to her. The ‘tik-tak’ sound annoyed her.

Why? Did she not even deserve a glance from him? Was his game more important?

With a sharp frown, she opened the door. Then without even replying, she walked out where Kimi was waiting in the car.

"Hmph, not like I care."

She mumbled and walked in, grumpily sitting down on the seat. Maybe this was at least proof that her cold-and-hard-front is working.

«—(★)—»

U.A is far from Chiba city, the city where Neji lives. So it took around an hour for Kimi to reach there.

Just a few minutes after she reached the school and Nejire entered the vicinity, Kimi called Neji.

"Oi, you smartass."

-

_

—

["Why didn't you greet her properly? She was grumpy the whole ride."]

Neji shrugged. "Hey, I was playing."

["Her entrance exam is more important than your game. You could have at least looked at her face and show a smile."]

[“You do know she’s been acting colder than before after she ‘accidentally’ heard our conversation, right?”]

"Eh, I didn’t notice. I am tired from last night's 'adventure'. I almost died, y’know."

["Excuses wouldn't work when she spreads her legs for another man."]

"..."

["Take this seriously if you really want her. I know you're not an amateur, or I wouldn't be who I am right now."]

Neji sighed, shaking his head. "Fine. My bad. I will do something to make her feel better."

["You better."]

The call was cut after this, causing Neji to stare at the mirror in the corner of the room with a deadpan look on his face.

"Haiyahh, nobody comforts me even though I almost died, lost one of my legs and got bitten by Piranhas…"

He was not joking. He healed after taking a Health Potion, leaving only 3x more, but that didn't change the pain and mental exhaustion.

This made him feel a little sad. But what could he do? It's not like he can tell others that he goes to dangerous dungeons almost regularly for them to take his words seriously.

He shrugged. "Well, it's my great Onee-sama. I can comfort her even in this situation."

At this, he couldn't help but hum. Now, this wasn't something he planned, but he can work around with it…. Nejire has been playing hard for a while, getting to talk to her alone was hard enough. But this time, his indifferent act causing her to feel down at least proved she was still in a state where she was expecting a 'Good luck' from him. Now, this could might as well be just her sisterly-side, but he can work around with even this. This would at least give him a chance to break the ice, most likely.

Deciding to himself, he got up and went to the kitchen. 'Time to cook her favourite.'

"Pa- Pops, want me to help?"

He blinked, Kurai was peeking at him from the couch he was sitting on until now. Smiling, he shook his head. "It's fine."

She was fucking annoying in the kitchen. Still, at least somebody wanted to help him.

«—{★}—»

Evening,

Nejire was happy. She didn't know how well she did, but at the very least made a friend.

She was supposed to take the Recommendation Letter her parents wanted to get her. But she changed her mind at the last moment – saying this is more fun.

And it was fun! She got a lot of points, from what she could count. But what counted the most was that she made a friend!

He was a little gloomy… but it's fine.

"We are here, Young Miss."

Hearing Kimi's words, she zapped out of her mind.

"Oh-ah. We are here!?" She smiled. "Good work, Kimi!"

She laughed and walked out, skipping to the door.

Kimi realised how happy Nejire was. She hoped Neji prepared something to make her feel better, or her good mood might get ruined.

Reaching the door, Nejire raised her hand to push it open but stopped…

Should she smile like this in front of Neji? Or should she act cold like usual…?

In the end, she shrugged. It didn't matter. He was her brother, he deserved to see her smile.

She pushed the door open and walked in. The first thing she saw was Neji on the dining table, serving food while wearing an apron.

Did he cook for her…? And that apron… Aww.

Seeing her, her younger brother smiled. "Oh, you're back. And I was getting worried that the food would get cold."

He came and locked his arms around her neck… causing her to freeze. "How did it go? I assume you aced it. Though, did anything special happen?"

She looked at his arms around her neck with unreadable eyes. Touching each other like this was pretty normal for them before all this shenanigans with Kimi happened.

Is it still okay for him to touch her like this even now?

'Not like he has any perverted thoughts…' Nejire shrugged and smiled, wrapping her own hands around him.

"Oh, something special did happen. There was this guy named Takari(?), wait, no! It was Tamaki... I think. Anyway, he was about to get heavily injured by a Point-0 Robot- wait, you don't know what Point-0 robots are, right? Let me explain."

"Ehm."

Neji kept nodding to her as Nejire explained things to him. Meanwhile, Kimi entered the room and smiled seeing the two siblings acting normal.

Soon, Nejire sat down at the table to eat her food while Neji sat on a chair opposite to her.

"Whoa!" She exclaimed with wide eyes with food in her mouth. "When did you learnn to cook such yummy Yakitori!?"

Nejire ate her favourite, Yakitori, made by her younger brother with shining eyes while Neji stared at her with his chin resting on his hand.

She ate her food triumphantly, sometimes glancing at Neji's dazed face as he stared at her with an idiotic smile on his face.

Midway eating, she frowned. "Stop staring at me like that. It's suuuper creepy."

Neji shrugged at it. "Let me enjoy the view, miss. It's not every day I see an angel enjoying my cooked food this much."

Nejire blushed slightly at this and pouted. "Stop with those sweet words! What's your goal?"

Her blush disappeared, she put down the bowl of food and stared at Neji with a serious look on her face.

"Neji, tell me for real, do you… like me?"

"..."

"Heh," Neji chuckled. "Do you even have to ask? What type of brother wouldn't like her older sister? More so, when she emits this much queen energy like you?"

She had to admit this felt good. But she wasn't to be fooled.

Today he needs to answer her. She was holding back from asking this – since it might mean that she eavesdropped on him, but she didn't care about that right now.

The air around her went serious as she decided to end all this at once.

"I didn't mean that… you know it." she glared. "Tell me the truth, do you like me as a woman? Do you like me romantically?"

"..."

-

–

—

Neji didn't expect this turn of events. Nejire has been acting shy and hideous for a while – so he forgot her actual personality. She has always been a straightforward person, after all.

What should he say?

He first checked her state with <Observe>.

[State: Dead Serious, Demanding, Judging.]

'Damn…' she really was serious.

Neji went through a series of outcomes in his head while Nejire got impatient.

In the end, he went for the best possible answer.

"I… do." He stared at her eyes with equal seriousness. "Nejire, I am in love with you, romantically."

"..."

Seeing her blush, he almost thought he succeeded before sighing as her face went red in anger.

She curled her fist and glared at him. His face was so punchable right now… but she has to bear with it, he was still her lovely younger brother.

She heaved a sigh. "Neji," she stared at his eyes softly. "I love you too... But, only as your sister."

"..."

She shook her head. "Please stop this. You're mixing up your emotions. You're a good kid, even with your slightly perverted side. I am sure a guy as handsome and responsible as you, talking from the fact that cooked for me, you'd find someone who would like you back – not for your dick, but for who you are."

"..."

Neji stared as Nejire got up with the bowl of food. "I will be taking this, if you don't mind. It's real tasty."

She then turned around and walked away.

"...Wow."

Neji leaned back on the chair and stared at her bouncing ass while she climbed the stairs.

That's why he liked this girl. "Straightforward as fuck."

She wasn't arrogant, she was confident. She was a Queen.

From the corner of the room, Kimi rubbed her temple while sighing. This would only make him try harder to get her. Though not like she minded it… incest was so hot.

«—[★]—»

Days later,

Nejire and her parents were eating lunch while Neji was on the couch far from here. He had already eaten so he didn't sit with them.

While eating rice, Nejire narrowed her eyes on Neji.

A small smile was on his face as he typed on his phone. He sometimes giggled to himself and sent selfies. He looked like those classmates of hers…

'He got a girlfriend?'

What a development…

She didn't consider Kimi or the Teacher he said he fucked to be anything even close to his girlfriend – the most they were, at least in her eyes, were sex friends.

She pouted with rice in her mouth.

'Hmph, good that he listened to me.'

Now he was acting naturally around her again. He didn't stare at her in a daze and compliment her every now and then anymore.

Maybe he got over it?

'...Good.'

She felt a little strange at this. But it's whatever. This feeling of strangeness would surely vanish soon, right…?

She went back to eating her food, while her parents exchanged glances with a worried look on their faces.

It was then,

"Mom!" Neji got up. "I am going to a friend's house tonight. I will sleep there!"

This caused both Nejire and Gara to immediately turn towards him with wide eyes, though both for different reasons.

«—(★)—»

Evening,

"Hmhmhmhm~"

Nejire walked inside the room while hearing the humming coming from the bathroom.

This was Neji's room. He was showering. Meaning… his phone was alone.

Being as quiet as possible, Nejire looked around the room. Her eyes caught the sight of his phone on the table as she walked closer and picked it up.

It wasn't locked!

'Lucky!' She smiled softly and started searching for 'Line', the most used messenger app in Japan.

After finding the app, as she went inside, she was baffled seeing Momo's chat on the top.

'He was talking to Momo…?'

Maybe it wasn't what she was thinking? She's known Momo for a year now, and she knows Momo only sees Neji as a handsome friend, nothing more.

Either way, she clicked the chat… while her eyes went terribly wide.

"This kid…"

[Neji: Yaomomo, I was thinking…]

[Momo: Hmm? Just say it, dumbo.]

[N: What do you think of me coming to your house for a sleepover?]

[M: What!? You finally want to come to my home!?]

[N: Yeah… Well, you see, I have been recently heartbroken, so I was thinking of spending some time with my close friends.]

This caused Nejire to feel something strange in her heart but she continued reading.

[M: Fr? I can't imagine someone having enough courage to break your heart. I would just assume you're joking for now. Anyway, just come here! Doesn't matter if you're heartbroken or happy, I would always be there to keep you sane, hehe.]

[N: Hehe, fine. I have many plans for tonight, we're gonna have a lot of 'fun'. ]

[M: Why the quotation mark? Anyway, come soon, I will be waiting!]

[N: I am gonna come in a few hours. First, I gotta shower. See ya~]

[M: Bye~]

"..."

Why the quotation mark? Nejire had a clear idea of why.

'Is he planning to…?'

No. It doesn't matter. She doesn't have the permission to mess with her brother's love life.

"...Hmph."

She put the phone down and walked away by the door, slowly.

Just as she went out – from the bathroom, Neji's silver head peeked with a small smirk on his face.

"Lalala~"

Neji wondered why his sister – who said she wasn't interested in him at all – was so eager to check his message history?

'Just as planned.'

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