NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6
Chapter 6. The Tyrant — Ao
The morning after an eventful Saturday, I am currently under attack by a tyrant.
“Hey~ Big brother, wake up!”
It’s my little sister, Ao. Despite it being a Sunday, she barges into my room without even knocking and starts shaking my futon, trying to wake me up.
When I stubbornly refuse to wake up, she eventually starts pounding on me.
“Ouch, ouch! What are you doing?!”
“Because you won’t wake up at all, big brother!”
That’s no excuse!
You’ve got it all wrong if you think everything goes your way!
Today, I solemnly swear not to get out of bed.
“Hey, hey, big brother, come shopping with me for clothes.”
“Denied. I went out yesterday; I’m not leaving the house today.”
“That’s not a reason! Come on, please, let’s go!”
“Go with your friends. Why drag me along?”
“Huh?! W-Well… that’s…”
She mumbles without giving a proper answer.
“That doesn’t matter! Just help me pick clothes, okay?”
No, it matters a lot to me…
Could it be she has a boy she likes? Is that why she wants a guy’s opinion?
“…Besides, it’s not such a bad deal for you either, brother.”
“What?”
Out of nowhere, Ao strikes a dramatic pose and spews this nonsense.
I can’t think of any reason this would be beneficial for me.
“See, for a lifelong virgin like you, there’s no other chance to be out with a beauty like me.”
“Are you mocking me?!”
“Haha, I’m kidding, kidding.”
“Don’t you know the boundary between good and bad jokes?!”
Seriously, what a handful. Surely every brother around the world must be wishing ill upon this tyrant.
Meanwhile, she’s whistling away as if nothing happened. I really want to punch her…
“Well, let’s leave that aside. I’ll treat you to lunch, so come with me.”
“No, that’s not something to just ‘leave aside’! That’s really important!… But you’re treating?”
I can’t believe it.
This gluttonous little devil always finds a way to make me pay for snacks.
Is she actually going to treat me?
I stare at Ao with suspicion, but she doesn’t seem to be lying.
She has a smug grin and a strangely confident aura. Probably our father, who spoiled her, gave her an extra allowance. By the way, our parents work overseas and rarely come home.
“Fine, fine. I’ll come with you.”
“Yay!”
I had planned to stay in bed all day, but I guess that’s out of the question.
Dragging my tired body, I prepare to go out.
With Ao pulling my hand, we arrive at a shopping mall two stations away.
“Apparently, a B-rank monster rampaged near the next station yesterday. Did you hear anything, big brother?”
“…N-No, this is the first I’ve heard of it.”
I dodge her question while breaking into a cold sweat.
If she knew I was involved, I’d definitely get pummeled.
Though she gives me a suspicious look, she heads inside the clothing store.
She tries on different clothes, stepping into the fitting room. While I think of how to kill time and reach for my phone,
“Big brother, come here.”
I approach the fitting room, and she suddenly opens the curtain.
“How does this look?”
She’s striking a pose like a magazine model, wearing a white top and a turquoise long skirt, radiating a pure and graceful air.
My little sister truly is beautiful, though I’ll never say it aloud.
“It looks good on you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, any normal guy would be captivated.”
Sure enough, people passing by outside the store keep glancing at her.
A few men linger, perhaps planning to approach her. Hey, get lost before I break you!
I glare at them until they scatter. No way I’d let my sister near guys like that.
“That’s not it! I’m asking about you, big brother!”
“Huh? I said it looks good on you.”
“Is that all?… Are you captivated too?”
Ao asks, a strange glint in her eyes.
Today she’s really off; it’s almost like she’s interested in me.
Or is this just how teenage girls act?
“Wouldn’t it be bad if I was?”
“Hmph.”
She pouts at my answer, as if it’s wrong. She closes the curtain and continues trying on clothes.
We don’t leave the store until about thirty minutes later.
Forced to give opinions on every outfit, I was mentally exhausted.
Describing each with different words strained my limited vocabulary.
But seeing Ao’s happy smile beside me eased some of my fatigue.
Once in a while, this isn’t so bad.
◇
“So, where are we eating?”
On the way back, I ask about the meal she promised to treat me to.
Ao freezes, her smile plastered on.
No way…
“You didn’t spend all your money, did you?”
“Tehe☆”
She sticks out her tongue and winks—what an idiot of a sister.
I take it back; going out with her brings nothing but frustration. My irritation meter is off the charts.
“So what was the point of me coming…”
“Sorry, I’ll make it up next time, okay?”
She clasps her hands in apology, looking up at me with teary eyes.
“Sorry, I just had too much fun.”
“…I’m not that mad.”
“Thank you!”
I’m soft, but I’ll let it go this time.
On the way back, Ao clings to my arm, and I feel a soft sensation that makes it hard to pull away.
…Thinking back on today, I guess this much is forgivable.
While I was in a good mood, I failed to notice the mischievous smile she wore.