Chapter 43: Illusion
Empty...
It was so damn empty...
My furniture had gone, my plushies were all gone, and my trophies had disappeared from the shelves, but the shelves didn't even exist in my room and the expensive instruments I had worked so hard on since my reborn had been smoked out of this place.
Also, the high-end computers and the 'spider web' couldn't be found anywhere. My favorite curtain was also removed from my plain room.
Guh...My comfy and warm bed had also gone...Damn...
"Why is my room so empty?!!!"
After going home, I had already thought of throwing myself in my comfy bed. However, they had all gone. I could only stand dumbly inside an empty room with nothing left.
I had met a bad ending...It couldn't be helped...Today, I was kicked out of this family before the plot could start...
"Sui-chan!!!"
A familiar mint pheromone told me whose voice it was. I knew immediately and jumped into that person's embrace.
"Maria-onee-sama, when did you come?"
I hugged this person tightly. She loved me...I could feel her sincere feelings. I didn't expect the seeming-to-be-perfect sister to be jealous of me in the past. In fact, I should've been the inferior one. She was the one who led me to come out of my comfort zone. Therefore, she should take responsibility for what she has done. If she betrayed me like others in my past life, I...What could I do?...
I shook off those negative thoughts and concentrated on the present. Due to the different heights between us, my face had been buried inside her solid chest. My brain finally understood Rei's rude comment before. It wasn't soft...
At least, she helped me ease the feelings of being kicked out of this house.
"Hehe~, I came back on time to know that you're into Gyaru"
"..."
Maria-Onee-sama joked, making my face darken. The protagonist's sister...I didn't have her information in Vol 1 of the novel. Because the author paid more attention to the heroines and their backgrounds, they were mentioned vaguely in the introduction. The conversation between the male protagonist's family members in the dialogue was like 'Hinata, wake up, it's time to go to school', and it was over like that.
Honestly, I couldn't give up the point of view as a reader toward this world. After all, reincarnating into a novel was already a phenomenon. Despite knowing that real life would be different, my brain continued to compare it with the original plot to find the gap.
"No, I didn't even know her"
I replied while pouting my expressionless face and looking up from the middle of her twin hills.
If I were a boy back then, I would be called Ecchi or pervert. Luckily, this was the privilege of being a girl. Taking advantage of others without being noticed was so thrilling.
Back to the point, my answer was 100% true without lying. I didn't even know the sister of the male protagonist. Moreover, she had the appearance of a Gyaru...In my previous life, I didn't have a good impression of Gyaru either, and the memory of them was unpleasant. They treated me like a senior because they despised those virgins as if they were superior due to being in the adult field earlier than ordinary people.
My Onee-sama looked down and suddenly clutched her chest and hugged me tighter.
"Yahh~Sui-chan is so adorable!!!"
"Can you sleep with your Onee-chan today? Please~"
"..."
Maria-Onee-sama pleaded pitifully. Geez, it couldn't be helped. Sleeping with her was fine. It had been a long time since we slept together.
"Um"
I shamelessly rubbed my face against her chest. Her bras were quite stiff but it didn't matter.
3 years...
I had to give my family and the other two families an answer...My grandma said I could choose between the two or someone who wasn't inferior to those two...
If it were the latter, it would be Mio...no...Himeki. Without my family's support, the Minamoto family couldn't thrive like in the plot but be degraded to ash. If you asked me whether I felt guilty, I would say no. This matter didn't relate to me in the first place. Business Queen...But Mio wasn't an inventor or a scientist. It would be weird if she could produce a product with the main core tech from the Hoshiyuki's projects in the plot.
Why did I say Himeki would replace Mio's position? After all, Himeki still had a cheat from her grandfather from her mom's side.
Although the Shiratani family didn't appear on the list of rich families in Japan, her grandfather had a business overseas. When he heard that his children had gone and only his granddaughter was left alone. Then, he immediately came back to Japan and took her in. He also made those greedy 'relatives' from her father's side pay the price for bullying her.
Since when did love turn into picking up vegetables in the supermarket? Choosing? Was that the love I knew? I knew that love couldn't be picked up like that. Inside my heart, love couldn't be ugly like this.
I didn't know how to respond to someone's feelings. It was their feelings, not my feelings. If I accepted Charlotte, she would be happy, but would I be satisfied with that future? The partner position of Charlotte wasn't mine in the first place.
I just wasn't able to listen to the voice of my heart.
"Hehe, I know, I know"
"There is no way a loner like you will do something like that"
Maria-Onee-sama patted my head and said eloquently like it was a matter of fact.
"???"
Hurt...
Hey, I had a reason to suspect that you had insulted me somehow but I had no evidence...Didn't she say she loved me just a few days ago? How could a woman change her face so fast? I didn't understand women in my both lives. Even though I had also become one, I couldn't finish a book with the title 'Women' on its cover.
"Sui-chan, welcome back"
A middle-aged familiar voice greeted me. I immediately released Onee-sama and clung to the voice owner.
"Shiori-Okaa-sama"
I was greedy after all.
I loved to do skinship with my family members.
So comfy...After the refreshing mint of my sister, it was the sweet peach from Shiori-okaa-sama. So good~
"Guh...Can we cancel this arranged date? I don't want Sui-chan to leave the house, and then come to a wolf lair full of alphas"
Shiori-Okaa-sama began to perform her dramatic scene.
Ah, speaking of which, it seemed to be so...Sasaki-san, Charlotte-san, and even the half-alpha Sakura-san...All of them could make the weak gender pregnant, and I belonged to the weak gender...Hmm...I couldn't imagine my future self would dedicate wholeheartedly to someone.
Could I feel secure to depend on the main heroine of the novel? After her performance today, I still couldn't find the definition of love but a trace of instincts in our biological structures.
When the alpha demanded, the Omega had to compromise...It was hard to determine it. The boundary between love and lust was so thin and fragile. Somehow, I felt disappointed when recalling the main heroine's face. Did she love me? Did she love the person inside me, Minazuki Haruto, or the appearance of Hoshiyuki Suiri outside?
"Yes, I agree with both hands"
Maria-Onee-sama spoke as her face got excited for some reason.
"Yeah, Sui-chan has become clingy, hasn't she? Hehe"
Shiori-Okaa-sama patted me again and said.
"You two...What're you talking about?"
A solemn voice descended into the ears of the couple Alpha of the Hoshiyuki family, soaking them in their sweat despite the cold weather of the year's first season. A pair of blue eyes stuck their sight on the two and the owner's face frowned hard when seeing me, as if I was a vixen who stole her wife away. My pair of hands hugging tightly on the back of Shiori-Okaa-sama had to release to return her to this person. Damn...It was scary but Natasha-Okaa-sama...Could you stop being jealous of your daughter hugging your partner? I just borrowed her for a while.
Realizing I knew where to stop, her face eased a little, and she let out a gentle smile with the sentence 'Good job, you know your position' printed in those deep blue eyes. Her eye language was so omnipotent and I could understand it. Also, I couldn't believe that one day, I would be able to understand this kind of language. Being a loner for almost 15 years had granted me this ability.
Following my mother back were the two familiar figures. Yet, I couldn't look directly into Charlotte's eyes as I didn't know how to face her after that incident. She was the daughter of heaven...She should have stood side by side with Hinata like the illustration at the end of Vol 1 in the novel instead of clinging to the villainess like me.
Recalling the appearance of the male protagonist this afternoon, the mountain of guilt weighted down on my chest, as if I had stolen everything from him. It was like some villainess novels I had read in my free time. This blondie was the cheat of Hinata but she wasn't supposed to be there, in my house...
As for the new character Otonashi Sakura...I didn't know how to interact with her...She reminded me too much of my old student in my previous life. Her straightforwardness was the most prominent trait of her. However, her flirting strength and her etiquette and gestures were quite abnormal. Perhaps, she was a futanari...
Then, our eyes met...Sakura-san immediately revealed her mature smile despite us being the same age. It was like she was a mother looking at her child growing up...
Don't tell me...She had that kind of fetish!! She wanted to be my sugar mommy, didn't she!?
It was like idols in drama...There would be a big shot standing behind a star. In exchange for a smooth career path, I had to pay the price with my body! Hell no...Don't look at me with such an eye...
I panicked and quickly hid behind the tall alpha Shiori-Okaa-sama. This girl might not be a good person. It would be better to stay alert. Just blaming the protagonist's sister this afternoon, Sakura-san...
"дорогая, я дома"
(Darling, I'm home)
"..."
Shiori-Okaa-sama moved like a magnet and approached Natasha-Okaa-sama quickly, leaving no barrier to block the two. And then, I could only give each of them a stare.
Charlotte evaded my stare, making me chuckle inside. She was like a frightened rabbit without any might image of an alpha. After all, what she had done could be sentenced to the crime of sexual harassment, even though I was the one taking advantage of her.
"Okay, okay, let the adult do their job...Sui-chan, let's go to your new home. Otonashi-san and Charlotte have helped a lot while you were absent this afternoon"
Maria-Onee-sama suggested as I nodded my head to agree with her.
The two of them just scratched their heads and smiled stupidly for some reason.
Forget it.
I needed to observe my new home in the next three years of high school.
About my new home...
According to the information of my mom, the house was originally ordinary...I meant it was built for middle-class families. In short, that house wasn't as exaggerated as the Hoshiyuki mansion. The design and furniture were like the former house of my previous life. With a standard modern Japanese design and structure, it was enough for students to live safely for the next three years.
There was no need to buy another mansion, which cost too much for students' consumption.
Although the house didn't suit our status, I appreciated it instead.
Here we were...
My Onee-sama, Otonashi-san, Charlotte, and I stood in front of the house, enjoying seeing the appearance of a modern but elegant house. Honestly, I liked this kind of design...A simple and plain aesthetic house was just simply to my taste. I wasn't surprised because I had caught a glimpse of it when going out before. This house was next to the Hoshiyuki mansion about 3 buildings after all. However, I didn't know what was inside.
"Oujo-sama, let me lead you to the house"
An emotionless voice came out of nowhere, giving me a sudden heart jump. This wasn't the first time today.
"Hiii!"
I thought I was going to die again...
"Sasaki-san...You killed me twice!"
I said to the red-haired girl while the two looked at Sasaki-san with different expressions on their faces. Back to my senses, I saw a familiar figure behind her with silky purple hair.
"..."
Sasaki-san didn't say anything but smiled strangely.
"Nyahallo~, Suiri, and Mariri"
"And Shinonawa-junior, and Otonashi-san"
Miwako-senpai held my shoulder for a while and jumped directly into Maria-Onee-sama.
"Mi-chan"
"..."
"..."
"???"
Maria-Onee-sama called my senpai affectionately, causing my ears to be cramped. Both Otonashi-san and Charlotte were speechless, and so were I.
She acted cutely while wearing a formal coat. Her name was Tenonji Miwako but what were you doing there, senpai? I had a question mark on my face to express my confusion. Ignoring our existence, she and my sister had entered their own world and flirted in front of us to show off their so-called love.
I didn't know how far their progress had grown, but I knew Miwako-senpai loved Maria-Onee-sama deeply. This was the face of a maiden who had separated from her lover for a long time. And...This was also the face of Natasha-Okaa-sama showing when Shiori-Okaa-sama came home.
"..."
Was it good to be in love? I didn't understand the slightest point. I was clueless...
"Hoshiyuki-san"
A slender hand patted my shoulder. A unique voice woke me up from my thoughts. Then, I turned around to see the crimson-haired handsome girl suddenly holding my hand and leading me to the house.
"Let's go"
She smiled.
"No! It's my job!"
Charlotte screamed to stop Otonashi-san. My head began to be dizzy because I couldn't solve this complicated relationship. How was I supposed to get along well with them?
There was a price for this arranged marriage. You knew that there could be only one person I could choose and the loser would have to leave, which would even screw up this relationship.
"You should know your place, Sakura-san. I've known her longer than you"
Charlotte childishly spoke.
"I disagree. None of you has this qualification. As her attendant, I will naturally lead her"
Sasaki-san suddenly stated.
"Kohum...Sorry, as her future sister-in-law, the same gender as her, and senpai, it shouldn't be a problem for you guys, right?"
The situation was quickly solved because it was reasonable. Miwako-senpai took my hand under the trio's intense glare and led us into the house.
"..."
Maria-Onee-sama took out the key and opened it.
*Click*
The wooden door opened and exposed what was inside.
"Eh?"
I couldn't help but feel a deja vu...Wasn't this my old home? The familiar entrance and even the furniture were placed exactly the same as in my memory. My body shivered as the bad memories flew over my brain, shutting it down.
'You thief! You still have the nerve to go to this home'
'Don't call me mom'
'Disgusting brother'
"..."
I was frozen in place. Realizing my state, Miwako-senpai asked.
"What's wrong, Suiri?"
"..."
I shook my head slightly.
"Nothing"
I quickly hid my thoughts and a newly uncomfortable feeling, not letting others know what was in my head.
"#%^&%$&"
But...
Their disgusting voices played inside my head without a stop. Out of a sudden, I felt a huge amount of nauseousness accumulating in my throat.
I felt sick...
I was disgusted by the inside although I knew the house wasn't wrong in this parallel world. My hand squeezed Miwakosenpai's hand tighter. However, Miwako-senpai didn't say anything and even ignored my abnormal behavior. She must have noticed for sure...If Hyouri were still there, she would definitely take over the control of our body to help me rest in my inner space.
"..."
It wasn't much different from my memories...The house inside was 100% identical to the Minazuki's house.
How could I live here?
--Sakura's POV--
"Nothing"
Suiri shook her head and continued to move while holding Tenonji-senpai's hand.
However, I noticed her body twitching...shivering...Was inside this house cold? I didn't think so. My instinct told me she wasn't cold...With her dense sweater and long pants, I didn't believe she would catch a cold when a heater had been turned on inside already.
The house of the game was designed...or should I say cutting the Minazuki family house and pasting it into the game?
There was a theory inside my head that I didn't want to believe. Was Suiri my teacher? Since I was reborn, he should be too, right? First, this should have been the first time Suiri witnessed this structure. As an Oujo-sama living in a huge mansion in her childhood, she should show some reactions as a rich kid moving into a middle-class house. Unfortunately, her expressionless face didn't give me any clue. Second, according to the game's original plot, Suiri should have made at least some exclamation to comment on this house. Yet, she had kept silent from the moment we stepped into the house. It was so suspicious.
Until now, I hadn't even had a single chance to talk with her alone or have a face-to-face conversation...Her similarity to him was extremely high. However, she was designed after him so I couldn't act rashly and quickly come to a certain conclusion. Otherwise, they would think of me as a psychopath.
"Oh, Mi-chan, where is your luggage?"
Maria-san spoke to her fiancee.
It wasn't surprising. No one wanted their Omega daughter to live with a bunch of alphas so they had to balance the gender in this house. Tadaa, Miwako was here to look after Suiri. In my memory, she also appeared in the game and had a huge fan base online. The players were even willing to cuck Maria to claim Miwako as their wife.
"About 20 minutes, the transport company told me so..."
Tenonji-senpai pondered with her finger under her chin and said.
"Eh?"
Suiri let out a dumbfounded sound, which I found amusing. Unlike her version in the music field, her emotionless tone and face didn't match the flow of the conversation at all.
"Ah, Sui-chan, Mi-chan, I mean Miwako is there to live with you in the next three years. You can't live alone with those people who show their interest in you"
Maria-senpai explained.
"Ah, it makes sense"
"But Miwako-senpai is the second-year student...Won't she move to go to the university?"
Suiri asked back.
"Ahaha~, about that, I won't go to the university"
Miwako-senpai laughed and waved off her hand.
"Hmm?"
Suiri showed her confusion. I didn't know if I was in an illusion but I could see her face a little pale. Charlotte next to me also kept silent as we knew we didn't have a chance to jump into their conversation.
Meanwhile, Mizuno-san...This guard was indeed in love with Suiri. From the beginning, her eyes never took off Suiri's figure. It meant that she had her intentions toward Suiri already. It was quite dangerous. I thought Mizuno in the game just showed her platonic friendship. I didn't expect her to have a feeling for Suiri.
"I plan to follow you, Sui-chan...Becoming a great artist...You know that we've performed together and you greatly inspired me to choose this path"
"Moreover, my family has my brother and I've become the fiancee of the Hoshiyuki family. Not only that, I have my future sister being a big shot in the music field so...Hehehe~Please, take care of me, Sui-chan"
Miwako spread her hands and buried Suiri inside her chest.
"Um...I understood"
Suiri said so and I saw her 'rubbing'???
"..."
Did my eyes see wrong? The angelic, cold but warm inside and pure Omega girl could have such an act. Did she just rub her face against Miwako-senpai's chest?
I looked around to see others' expressions if they noticed her weird behavior.
It seemed that it was just my illusion.