HS Chapter 25: The hopeless sister reads.

The world seems so big and yet it’s so small.

“… I never would’ve imagined that Aunty wrote it…”

“… This may be late, but we never asked what books Aunt was writing, did we?”

After we finished eating and bathing, Koma came to my room to read a book with me as promised. We stare at the novel Koma brought and the novel I bought, and we both chuckle.

It’s hard to see what’s under your nose. What kind of joke is it to have a lover of the same book you like and the author of it living under the same roof.

“Not just that, but she used us as models for it as well. What did she write…?”
“The affinity should be strong. After all, she’d written about our daily lives.”

I’m reading Komei-sensei’s books— No, I’ve been flipping through the series of twin sister romance novels that my aunt wrote, and now I’m reading them afresh.

“Etto… For example… I found it. Look here, Koma. The story here is probably from last year…”

“It is, isn’t it? It’s a story about when the three of us went on a trip last year, however slightly it has been rearranged.”

It’s like this. As expected, it’s not written about us, but if I read it carefully I can see she has written things we’ve done ourselves.

※This story is nonfiction. All names of organizations, places, and characters are related to reality—- Honestly I was afraid of what she’d written in the afterword…

After the Editor-san left, I spoke to Aunty gently and asked her to explain to me what this was all about… When she was having trouble finding a subject for her new work, while having a drink to take my mind off things and she said ‘……. If I write about Mako and Koma, it would be interesting, wouldn’t it?’ and it seems that such an idea suddenly landed in Aunty’s brain.

So, she wrote a lot of stuff while drunk and submitted it to the Editor-san saying “I’ve got a new piece.” The Editor-san also gave it his OK saying “We can use this.”

After she sobered up, she knew it would be bad for me and the Koma, but she started to get popular and continued writing, and by the time she realized it, she got serialized. Hence she can’t stop writing anymore, this is the truth of the matter.

“…Good grief. She should’ve told us sooner.”

“That’s right… At least, if she had said anything, we would’ve supported her.”

… I understand this is Aunty’s work. We wouldn’t have been so angry with her if she properly got permission from us, and if we knew, then we wouldn’t need to buy her books. 

Because we can just read it directly from her. Truly, we’ve been wasting our time.

“Next time I want to get the new edition, I’ll get it from Aunty. Etto, what was it? I don’t know it well but, there is a thing that Aunty can give it for free, right?”

“Oh, you mean the author’s dedication? That’s right. It’s a bit unfair, but we’ll receive it.”

First of all, I had Aunty to increase my allowance by 1.5 times this month to pay for the modeling and to apologize for not telling me about it until now, and to stop drinking for a week to reflect on her actions. After that, we decided to make a settlement that if she wants to use me or Koma as models, she will check with us as well as the editor.

Truthfully speaking, she had written about Koma’s private life so I should be more angry but, regardless of the details, Koma and I like the novels she’s written so I’ll let it slide.

“Now, setting that aside. Hey, Koma…?”

“? Yes, what is it?”

“Isn’t it time… for the two of us… to read Aunty’s new edition…?”

I don’t really want to talk about Aunty right now, to be honest. The most important thing right now is—- Koma and I flirting while reading the book together.

“Ah, that’s correct. I’d been looking forward to it, too… Then, shall we start reading it?”

“Un, un! I’ve been super excited about it, too! Let’s start then! Right now!”

I’ve been waiting for just this moment. As I promised with Koma on our way back home, we’ll have time to read tonight.

We haven’t read a book together next to each other since elementary school. That’s why, my earthly desires are going wild (Mainly with hoping an lucky event will happen) and my heart is filled with anticipation!

“(After all, we read next to each other, and close enough to have our hands touch… If I’m lucky, my hand might slip and touch her chest or tush… Rather, there’s plenty of chance for that to happen…. Fuhehehe… Reading is the best!)”

“..Ehm… Nee-sama? Are you feeling ill? Your nose is bleeding like a river…”

 “…. Don’t worry about it. I just stayed in the bath more than I should’ve.”

My delusions explode uncontrollably. I’m in puberty, please forgive me, Koma.

“Now, Koma. Please continue with no reservation.”

“Yes. Then… Excuse me, Nee-sama.”

For the time being I stop my nosebleed and then I tap the cushion next to me with a pervy smile and invite Koma.

“… Huh? Koma? Where are you going?”

Then something happened to Koma. For some reason, she ignores the seat next to me and walks right behind me and sits there… Why behind me?

“Ehm, Koma? Why did you sit behind me—”

“E~eii!”

“Hyou!?”

While I’m surprised, Koma grabs my shoulders and pulls me close. I couldn’t respond at all to Koma’s unexpected movements, and I’m being sucked into her chest as if I were being sucked in by them.

“Eh… Eh!?”

“Now, let’s begin, Nee-sama.”

Once she makes sure I’m in place, Koma wraps her arms around me like it’s natural and opens Aunty’s new book.

This… Could this be that!?

“(…Behind hug…!?)”

※Behind hug: It’s the type of hug that you get hugged from behind. It’s a hug that is rumored to be one of the top hugging situations a girl would like to be in at least once in her life.

….Wait, Wait a moment. What is this… ? Hasn’t this gone far beyond what I have imagined!?

Aren’t we going to read it side by side together? Why are you making me so happy I want to die!? Er, certainly I wanted an accident to touch Koma— Rather, I wanted to have a skinship chance with her… I had some expectations, but this is not at that level!?

“Oh? Nee-sama, what’s wrong? Your earlobes are completely red.”

“Ehm, Koma-san? What is with this? Weren’t you going to read the book…?”

“Eh? I am going to read it… But, what’s strange?”

“No, but you see… I wondered if we weren’t going to read the book like in the past…”

“???”

Koma gives me a heartfelt look of wonder at my question.

“…Etto. Like this in the past, I was hugged by Nee-sama when you read books… Don’t you remember?”

I, hugged, Koma!?

“Nonono!? I don’t remember doing something this awesome!?”

“Yes. You have done.”

Koma gives a clear affirmation. Impossible! No matter how worthless my memory is, there’s no way I wouldn’t remember such a happy, embarrassing, and supreme act.

There’s no such memories recorded in my brain database and what elementary grade was Koma in…?

“When was that?”

“Etto… That was— That’s right, around kindergarten.”

“…Kindergarten?”

“Yes. Nee-sama always hugged me like this when we read picture books back then.”
“In the past… You meant the time when we were in kindergarten!?”

Now that she mentions it, I think back. If it’s me then I feel like I have done something like this in kindergarten. As expected, my memory is vague from that time… So I was reading a storybook together with Koma sitting on my lap, just like she’s doing now.

I see. I thought it was strange that we didn’t meet eye to eye but it seems that mine and Koma’s perceptions were different…. Or rather, the me from that time had been doing such high level stuff without hesitation… I’m so jealous of the kindergarten me.

“…Ehm. Have I maybe made an awful mistake, Nee-sama? Do you hate this…?”

“Eh!? No! That’s not it…”

“… Is that so? So that’s how it is. I’m sorry, Nee-sama, I’ve made an awful mistake… You hate being hugged by me, don’t you? I’ll move away right now…”

Koma notices that something is strange from my trembling and tries to move away from me depressingly.

Nooo… It was so sudden my brain couldn’t process it and it froze, get a grip, me. I wouldn’t miss this happy situation even if it kills me.

“No! Stop immediately, Koma! You haven’t made any mistakes Koma and it’s not strange at all, and I don’t hate it at all, it’s just that it’s too perfect! I was just thrown into chaos from being too happy!”

“Is that true? I am glad.”

I desperately try to hold Koma, who seems to move away from me.

“Then, Nee-sama. I’ll start reading immediately. I will match Nee-sama’s reading, so please let me know when you want to move to the next page.”

“Please be gentle… Just read it at your pace…”

I manage to suppress my feelings of excitement and nosebleeds, and while being held by Koma, we start our tripod reading now. We start with the table of contents.

“It’s kind of embarrassing when you read it with the awareness that we are the models. It makes me nervous…”

“Aa, un… I’m nervous, too…”

In my case, it’s not the book’s contents that is making me nervous… No, focus on reading, me. Is it alright like this?

“I’m good with the table of contents. Turn to the next page, Koma.”

“Yes.”

While I’m feeling uneasy, I start reading seriously from the next page she turns.

“… Ah. Is this story here maybe about when we went to pay our respects at New Year? That time, it was very difficult to pay our respects because there was a huge crowd at the shrine.”

“Un… It’s helluva difficult…”

This is seriously difficult… I’m so excited that if I get slightly distracted I could stain Koma and the novel with my nose bleeding… Do your best, me… Don’t give in…

Just in case, I shove a box full of tissues up my nostrils as a first aid measure and move on to the next page.

“Aah, I remembered. We made mochi on our way back home that day. The rice cakes were soft and delicious.”

“That’s right, very soft… So much that I want to eat them now…”

“Ah, is Nee-sama hungry? If you are, how about I bring you tea cakes later?”

“No, work… Persevere… Endure… Uuuu…”

Koma’s cakes that are hitting my back are helluva soft… Maybe there’s nothing as soft and comfortable as them in this world.

I gulp down my saliva from the feeling of them. If it’s possible right now, I want to eat Koma’s cakes after rolling up her clothes rather than rolling up the pages.

….And, like this, Koma rolls the pages as she says what she thinks, and I’d reply to her in a parrot-like way for about 10 minutes. In those 10 minutes, I couldn’t think about the contents of the novel at all and I came to a single conclusion.

“(… Reading with Koma… It’s too dangerous…)”

How do I say this, my head is already filled with impressions of Koma’s body… I can’t even read a single word. I realize it now. Being hugged by Koma while reading… It’s an absurdly thrilling act.

…. Un? What is dangerous you ask? That’s obvious.

“(… I want to push Koma down… I want to hug her… Smell her… I want to lick her… I want to do all of it—- Without holding myself!)”

I myself am the danger. As you’re aware, I’ve already said many times that I love Koma and honestly speaking… I want to do those things with Koma. But because I love her so much, and she is important to me so I can’t hurt her even if it kills me, I resolved myself to never touch her.

… That’s why this hellishly-like paradise time is a bit painful and dangerous…

Koma’s body heat is directly transmitted from behind, Koma’s breaths right next to my ear, the sweet scent of Koma and her shampoo after just getting out from the bath. And most importantly, the situation of being aggressively hugged by Koma. All of this is tempting me.

The temptation was different from the usual kissing, and the lusty desire meter in me warned loudly, ‘You’ve already crossed the critical point.’. If this continues, I’ll really do something to Koma…

“… Nee-sama, this is nostalgic, isn’t it?”

“Fue!? What is!?”

Just before my insignificant rational mind and my infinitely multiplying lust for Koma start to fight each other, Koma mutters to me.

Nostalgic? I couldn’t concentrate and didn’t read the novel at all, so I don’t know what she’s talking about. Which page are we on? I try to look at the page in a hurry, but…

“Right now, our rooms are separate… Nee-sama and I are both busy bodies. We can’t do things like this often, but in the past we used to read picture books like this together. I miss it.”

…..? What is wrong? The novel is already closed with a bookmark between it and Koma interrupts the reading. She’s not doing anything, she hugs me and looks at me with distant eyes as if she misses the past.

“U, un. That’s right. We used to read various picture books before going to bed at night.”

“Yes. Both of us read to each other while Nee-sama hugged me like this.”

I don’t know what Koma’s intentions are, but… I calm myself for the time being and listen to Koma seriously.

“… Nee-sama, do you remember? I used to be a crybaby and easily scared… Every time something happened I was so scared that I’d be unable to sleep…”

Crybaby…? Aah, I remember. Nowadays, she doesn’t show her tears to anybody and she’s cool and dignified, but I feel that she used to be a crybaby.

“And then… Nee-sama hugged me like this and accompanied my selfishness by reading books with me until I fell asleep. Sometimes our mother would ask us, “How long are you two going to stay up?” and every time, my sister would defend me…”

“Eh? Is that how it was? I’m sorry, but I have a hard time remembering…”

“Fufu, yes, Nee-sama. It was ten years ago, after all… Anyway, Nee-sama has always been kind to me back then and now. That’s right, I’ve always been helped by Nee-sama.”

Heee… I don’t remember much about it, but it seems that I was already a siscon at that time, and I spoiled Koma to the fullest as her Onee-chan. Is this the child is father to the man? (TN: It’s an idiom)

“… I’m sorry for saying strange things suddenly. For some reason when me and Nee-sama read Aunty’s novel, I became nostalgic immediately.”

“Ah, no. You don’t have to apologize.”

“And, today is… No, it’s not just today. I know it’s not the right time to say this, but you’ve always helped me and you are always kind to me. I’m really grateful to Nee-sama.”

“…Ah…”

She hugged me a little tighter and expressed her feelings for me through her hug… I see what she meant now. I finally understood what Koma was trying to say till now.

I wondered why she suddenly started to talk about the past… This is how she wanted to express her gratitude for today and all I’ve done… 

“(… Am I an idiot…?)”

The moment I heard her words of gratitude, the impure thoughts that had been running rampant earlier quickly vanished. What was I thinking to do to Koma, when she adores me this much.

“Uun. That’s not true. I have always been helped by Koma, too. Koma, thank you for always. It’s thanks to Koma that I can work hard.”

“Is that… true?”

“Un, naturally! Let’s be together!”

“Yes, together…”

We say that and giggle together…. Un, it’s all okay. I must have switched from siscon mode to Onee-chan mode.

“Now, it has become a bit gloomy but shall we continue reading the rest of the novel?”

“Yes♪ Together!”

I safely contain my impure feelings. I can concentrate on the novel. We, the Tachibana sisters, resume reading, more relaxed than before.

“Ah, this story… It’s when the two of us wore kimono, wasn’t it? Koma was so beautiful then, just like Yamato Nadeshiko. We’re twins and yet so different from me.”

I know it’s a little late for that, but apparently this volume is a story about us, related to this year’s New Year’s events.

“Oh my? What are you saying? Nee-sama likewise was more glamorous and pretty than anybody else. I’m not even close to you.”

“Is that how it went? I think I was embarrassed because I felt like a child going to Shichigosan. Ah, now that I remember, that time—-” (TN: Shichigosan is festival (shrine visit) by children aged 7, 5 and 3)

The parts that are arranged for novels like this, I genuinely enjoy as a reader, while the parts that are about us, I read while reminiscing with Koma.

From time to time, we would pull out the albums that we kept in our room and enjoy reading together as we reminisced about that time, even after it becomes late—-

—-However.

“Also, this story is from that day…”

“That’s right. There was a lot of snow and we worked hard with the shovel.”

“That’s… correct. We worked hard… and hard…”

For a while, Koma and I had fun flirting and reading on our tripod reading… Oh? I wonder what’s wrong… After 30 minutes passed, I felt something strange happening to me. Something… suddenly, from my eyelids…

“Ah… ♪ Nee-sama, Nee-sama. This story is about when me and Nee-sama made a snow hut.”

“U,n… snow hut… Un…”

“That time… we kissed each other in the snow hut. There was something enchanting about it, and I was more nervous than usual.”

Strange… My tension should have dissipated and impure desires disappear… For some reason, even more so than earlier… I can’t concentrate on reading…

“Fua… Also… This…”

“That’s correct. This is the story of New Year’s food that Nee-sama made, isn’t it? It was very delicious this year too!”

“New Year’s food…? That’s right… I’m New Year’s Food”

Not good… I feel like I’m talking incoherently. What’s with “I’m New Year’s Food”? Rather… My consciousness… is becoming disconnected… am I becoming tired…? Maybe, I’m tired…?

“…Nee-sama, I’m going to turn the page—- Nee-sama?”

“…u…n…”

I hear Koma’s voice in the distance. I try my best to continue reading with Koma but my eyelids slowly close… And then—-