HS Chapter 60: The hopeless sister makes up with her little sis.

Saying unkind words to myself… And because of my attitude, I got a slap from Koma. Editor-san scolded me for that and then gave me some advice… I thought again about what I did wrong, and then reflected on it..

“I just got off the phone with sensei… Koma-san is in the cottage.”

After reflecting on the situation, Editor-san told me that and I hurry to the cottage. When I arrive at the cottage, I’m greeted by Aunty, who’s standing in front of mine and Koma’s bedroom with her arms folded.

“Ou, Mako and Shuu. You’re finally here… Sorry, Shuu, I left Mako to you.”

“No, no problem. I didn’t do much so don’t mind me.”

“Thanks for waiting for me, Aunty… Koma is?”

“Nh”

Aunty points her thumb behind her shoulder and tells me with a pointing finger ‘She’s inside the room.’

“Etto… How is Koma?”

“… Frankly said, she’s not really good. Angry at you— Rather, slapping Mako had a considerable effect on her. She doesn’t listen to anything I say. She’s been mumbling ‘Nee-sama… I hit Nee-sama… I hit… Nee-sama…’ since earlier and she’s extremely depressed.”

“… Is that so?”

This is the first time in her life that she has hit me. It’s not surprising that the kind-hearted Koma regrets it and she’s depressed…

Really, what am I doing. Miserable and how unworthy….

“She doesn’t want me or Editor-san in the room if she’d prefer… Just that… Mako is the one who’s special and can enter. She said ‘I have something to say.’”

“… I’m glad, I… She’ll let me in. Then—”

“Sorry. Wait, Mako.”

“… Aunty?”

As I’m about to knock on the door of the room, Aunty stops me.

“…. I’m sure Shuu has told you a lot about it, so I’ll just say one thing… Do you really understand? One casual word from you, one casual action from you…. Koma gets hurt like this…. That’s why, Mako, make no mistakes. Every word, every line, put your life on the line and face Koma seriously. Okay?”

“… Un. I won’t make mistakes anymore.”

“… In that case, I’m satisfied. Do your best, Onee-chan.”

I’m being advised by Aunty with a more serious expression on her face than ever before… It’s as she says. From here on out, I’ll have to be more careful and face Koma with more sincerity…

*Knock*, *Knock*, *Knock*.

“… Koma, it’s me. It’s Mako… Mind if I enter?”
“…..!”

After firing myself up, I first knock on the door of the room where Koma is. When I called out to her, I could feel the breathlessness of Koma coming from the room.

… I wait for a few seconds and there is no response from Koma.

“… Onee-chan enters.”

But… She didn’t respond ‘Don’t enter.’. I resolve myself to open the door quietly and enter the room.

 I walk into the room and closed the door, and what I saw was… Koma is sitting on the floor in the corner of the room, looking down.

She must have been sitting like that ever since she got back to the cottage. She is still dressed in her bathing suit, just like me, and most importantly, her beautiful dark hair and white skin are still wet from the water.

“… May I sit next to, you?”

“…. (*Nod*)”

At any rate, standing around in a daze won’t do anything. When I ask Koma that, she nods her head quietly… I’m glad. I was a little worried that she would ignore me, but it seems she would listen to me.

Now that Koma has given me permission, I’ll sit down next to her. Now, so far it’s OK. What do I talk about with Koma…

“”……””

Both of us are completely silent, and a few minutes pass without one of us being able to say the first word without feeling awkward… Now, I’m stuck… What should I talk about…

As Aunty said to me just moments ago, if I say or do one thing wrong… Koma will get hurt again. That’s why I can’t make the mistake of saying, ‘Oh no, I’m sorry about earlier!’ in a light-hearted way. I have to be careful, I have to be serious, and I have to think properly before I say anything…

I’m going to take what Editor-san and Aunty said to me and reflect upon it. With that in mind, what I should do now is—- Okay, I decided.

I take a deep breath. I calm my racing heartbeat and then call out in my mind for courage. I’m coming, Koma…! Go!

“”Ehm…! Ah…!””

… We’re in harmony. Hm, as expected of us, twin sisters. The timing of calling each other was perfectly synchronized♡ Because of this, the awkward atmosphere that flows between us in a different way than before is unbearably hard to bear.

“Ah, etto… That. Koma can go before me.”
“N-No… Nee-sama should…”

“No, ehm.  Koma wants to tell me something too, right? It’s fine going before me…”

“No, please don’t be reserved, Nee-sama… I’ll be after you…”

Thanks to this, we are going back and forth like this… Well, to begin with, Koma is reserved and I’m guilty about it. So it’s no wonder it’d become like this.

So for a while, we continued to go back and forth, saying, ‘Koma first,’ and ‘No, Nee-sama is first’…

“Then… I’ll go first, if you don’t mind…”

“Please do so…”

I guess she thought we were making no progress, so Koma broke the ice. She puts her hand on her chest and exhales,

“…. I’m very sorry, Nee-sama. I slapped you…”

Then, after bowing to me, Koma begins to speak.

“I know it sounds like an excuse, but… I had no intentions to slap you. I really did it unconsciously.”

“Unconsciously…”

Well, she did it unconsciously. In any case, she who hit me was the most surprised there.

“… I just got angry… when I noticed it, Nee-sama… my precious Nee-sama’s face… It’d been slapped by me… It was faster than what I wanted to say… my raised hand…”

She must be regretting it a lot. Every time she speaks to me… Koma clutches her right hand so tightly that her nails dig into it. I can’t stand watching it.

“… That. After all… it hurt… didn’t it?”

Koma asks me timidly while shaking frightened.

… Did it hurt…?

“… Un. It did hurt.”

“……….!”

I think about it for a moment and then honestly confess to Koma. Koma looks as if she is going to start crying any moment at my words…

No, it’s different, Koma. Onee-chan didn’t get hurt in the meaning Koma thinks Onee-chan got hurt.

“I-I’m really sorry… Really, I… How can I apologize to Nee-sama——-”
“That’s right… It hurt a lot. Once I realized how little I understood Koma’s feelings… My heart was in a lot of pain.”

“….. Eh……?”

Koma had a puzzled look on her face, as if she didn’t know what I was talking about. As I unclench Koma’s right hand, I continue talking.

“‘I’m sorry’, it’s me who needs to say that, Koma…. I really didn’t know… Although, I’m the one who asked Editor-san to be Koma’s bodyguard… If I thought about it a little, Koma is just like me—- No, I should have known that you cared about me more than I cared about me…”

“Ne-Nee-sama….? Ehm… Are you not mad at me…?”

“And yet, I ignored Koma’s grateful advice… I got involved with a pick-up artist and got myself in trouble. And not only that, but to Koma, who rushed over to me out of concern… I said cruel things… I’m the worst. It’s not unreasonable for Koma to get angry… I failed as a Onee-chan.”

Apparently, she didn’t expect me to apologize, and my apology was met with a blank stare.

“Wrong! No, Nee-sama…! It’s my faul…”

“No, it’s true… I’ve been shamefully neglecting the most important person of all… My words and actions… I hadn’t given any thought to what Koma would think. If I considered Koma’s feelings… It made me very sad and angry.”

If Koma does to me what I’ve done to her this time… As expected, I’ll get angry and sad. Worrying about her and then ignoring my advice… More importantly, the thought of Koma being treated badly by a pick-up artist right in front of me… I’m sure I’ll be pissed off about the pick-up artist and Koma.

“Even though I’m taking care of Koma dearly…In reality, I’ve hurt Koma more than anyone else, haven’t I… That’s why, ‘I’m sorry’ is my line.”
“aa…”

I put my apologies in a hug. I hug her tightly so that she can feel my current feelings as much as possible.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Koma. I’m sorry that I hurt Koma thoughtlessly.”

“… Nee, sama…”

“And then… Thank you for worrying about me so much, Koma.”

This is what I had to first… What I had to say to Koma when she was worried about me… I can’t say something as elementary as this, or something as simple as this until it finally comes to my mind after being scolded by Editor-san Aunty… I’m really hopeless, aren’t I…

“… And then, please stop… The one who’s the worst…. is me. I to Nee-sama… I don’t deserve to be apologized to… or thanked that much… I just irrationally used violence… I’m the worst… worst…”

The small Koma in my arms whispers… After all, she’s regretting it a lot that she slapped me for the first time. I have one thing to say to Koma.

“Un, it’s true that I didn’t understand what was going on with Koma when I got slapped by Koma… I was a bit surprised. But, you know, Koma.”

“…..?”

“I was happy I got slapped by Koma.”

“… You were, happy…?”

…. I’ll say this in advance just in case. I didn’t awaken to a super-M when Koma slapped me, okay?

“You know, Koma doesn’t often show her emotions towards others, including me?… That’s why,  getting slapped by Koma… Koma shared her true feelings with me… I was happy.”

“….”

Koma said she unintentionally slapped me. In other words, that is… I think it means that Koma’s true feelings, which are usually hidden, have come out.

I’m sorry to Koma, but… Her expressing her true feelings like that… I felt as if she saw me as an equal, and I was honestly happy.

“You know, Koma. As you know me… I’m acknowledged to be a thick-headed person. That’s why… I’d like to hear it from Koma, if possible. What did you think, why did you get angry”

“……”

“… Koma, there must be something you still want to tell me, but you’re keeping it to yourself, right? … That’s why, like at the time you slapped me… I hope you’ll throw your true feelings at me… Is that, too much?”

At my request, she was silent for a while… After a few minutes of silence, she began to talk in whispers.

“… As Nee-sama is aware of… Certainly there are a lot of things I haven’t forgiven… You didn’t listen to my advice… In the end, just like I feared you got involved with pick-up artists… You didn’t understand my feelings of worry towards you… (*Mumble*)… And then, allowing other people other than me to touch your body without resistance….”

“… Un.”

“But… What I’ve just said is not that I couldn’t forgive Nee-sama enough to hit her…. What I hated more than anything else is… Nee-sama looking down on herself…”

“… Looking down on myself…? I did…?”

What I was advised about by Editor-san just a moment ago, Koma tells me the same thing.

“Nee-sama is, kind… Kinder than anybody else in the world. … But… Nee-sama is too kind… For a long time now, Nee-sama only cared about me… Nee-sama never cared about herself…”

“… Does it look like… that?”

“… It looks like that.”

Koma says in the clearest tone she’s ever used. Is that so… Was that so… I hadn’t cared for myself…

If Koma, who has been by my side watching me all these years, and Editor-san who is skilled at observing people, say so, then it must be true. I wasn’t aware of it myself…

“Nee-sama said this before I slapped you. ‘I wouldn’t have a problem to whatever happened to me.’”

“Aaah, un… I have said something like that back then.”
“… When I heard those words, I thought…. Maybe for the rest of Nee-sama’s life, if someone else does something like that to you earlier, other than me… Nee-sama will think ‘I don’t care what happens to me.’”

“…. Ugu…”

…. I may not be able to deny that. Until Koma and Editor-san pointed it out, I never thought that I would be doing that with someone else. Just so that Koma won’t end up being attacked, even if someone did something strange to me, I would think, ‘I don’t care what anyone does to me, as long as they don’t get involved with Koma’.

As if to say that she has hit the nail on the head, Koma continues.

“… That, I… found it scary and made me anxious. Anytime or any day… I know that Nee-sama really cares about me… I’m happy about it. But… And just as equally, I want you to take better care of yourself. Because…”

Having said that much, Koma takes a breath and then…

“… Because, as much as Nee-sama cares for me… Nee-sama is very important to me…. You’re the only Nee-sama I’ll ever have, the only one I love and care about…”

“….”

“That’s why… If anything happens to you… I’m sure I won’t be able to stand it!”

The words with strong feelings emanating from Koma’s chest, literally touched my heart. I am touched to death when I hear that, and at the same time, I deeply and profoundly regret it.

Haven’t I known this since the past? Six years ago, Koma got a high fever and our parents left her behind… I’m still taken back from that even now…

And I was the only one in the family who she could trust, her older sister… That’s why, I’m the last person Koma wants to lose… Person that she can’t lose…

“… So, I slapped you reflexively. I wanted you to understand that. I wanted you to notice it.”

“…….. Yes.”

…. ‘I’m fine with whatever happens’ I said? …. Ah, honestly. I’m really… What a mess. I’m a complete idiot… That’s the only thing I mustn’t ever say to Koma… 

‘In Mako’s case, you’re too humble. You have to realize that being overly humble can hurt not only you, but others as well.’

… The words that Editor-san had advised me about just a few moments ago resurface in my mind… It’s as he said. They were light-hearted statements of humility, but… That had hurt Koma more than I’d ever imagined…

“Let me apologize again, Koma… I’m really sorry to you. There’s a limit to how inconsiderate I can be … I’m sorry for being an immature Onee-chan, Koma…”

“…. No. It is me who needs to apologize…. Originally, I should’ve done it properly at that time… I should have spoken out and told Nee-sama how I felt, like I’m doing now… And yet, I lost my temper and used violence before words… I was really immature… Please forgive me, Nee-sama…”

We apologize to each other…. Uumu. I’m 100% sure it was my fault this time, and I don’t think Koma was at fault at all… I’d really like to tell her ‘Don’t apologize.’

… No, but, I’m sure Koma has feelings she must say. I should accept her apology with sincerity.

“… Then. How about we make up for both of our inexperience? We were both at fault in some way. Koma, what I did… Can you forgive me?”

“… I’ll forgive Nee-sama gladly if you forgive me…. Actually, I forgave my Nee-sama when she understood my feelings… I hope you’ll forgive me….?”

“… Un, I forgive you too. Rather, I’ve forgiven you since way back. Like I said before, when Koma had slapped me… I was happy instead of angry.”

I hug Koma once more as a sign of reconciliation. Unlike earlier, Koma hugs me back…… In my mind, I tell Koma one last thing. I’m sorry, Koma. And then, thank you. You were mad at me. You were thinking dearly of me…

I am relieved in my mind that Koma forgave me so easily, because I honestly thought she might not forgive me. I’m grateful to Koma’s generosity.

… Of course, I am not just being grateful and relieved, but I have to reflect on what I’ve done wrong as well… Koma, Aunty, Editor-san… I need to seriously think about what the three of them told me again,  before I let it seep deep into my mind… 

“……… Ah, now that’s all settled. Nee-sama, is your cheek okay…? I did it unconsciously… I think I slapped you without holding back… It hurt, didn’t it?”

As I was thinking in my mind, Koma looks into my face with concern…. This expression of Koma’s mixture of apologetic and anxious is cute too… Is what I thought.

My little sis is worried about me, but I’m still as inappropriate as ever… I’ll have to reflect upon this habit later…

“Don’t mind me, it doesn’t hurt at all. It didn’t hurt that much, and it wasn’t swollen, so I don’t think it was a big deal.”

“No… I know I’m the one who hit you, but I think it’s best to let your cheek cool down properly, just to be safe. It might swell up later, and if it leaves a scar, it’ll be terrible. Etto… A wet towel would be nice too…”

Then she looks around the room, trying to find something to cool my cheek. You’re really nice, Koma… I’m sure your gentleness will heal my wounds in an instant…

“Aah, no. It’s fine. Truth is, earlier I got some ice from Editor-san—-”

“… Ah. Is that so. Nee-sama, excuse me.”

“… Huh? Koma what are…”

When I was about to say, ‘I got some ice and chilled it, so I’m fine,’ Koma interrupted me and gently reached for my face.  And then…

“It wasn’t very effective. My hands right now are just perfectly chilly. I can help you if you’d allow me, Nee-sama.”

“~~~~~~~~~!?”

And then, Koma’s beautiful pearly hands… Carefully touch my cheek that had been slapped.

Koma’s chilly hand feels so good, cooling my feverish cheek.

…. It feels good, but.

“Ehm, Ko… ma… your… hand…”

“….? Nee-sama, what’s wron—– Ah….”

Koma tilted her head to the side when she saw me shaking, but she seemed to have realized something mid-way. What did she notice? That is… It’s that.

Holding each other’s hands at such close quarters… Putting her hand on my cheek… It looks as if she was about to kiss me…

B-But… I’ve been doing my best to apologize. Thinking about it, me and Koma… We’re hugging each other in our bathing suits… This is bad. It didn’t bother me at all earlier… I feel suddenly embarrassed…

“”……””

Both of us become aware of this fact, and we freeze and stare at each other in that state, me and Koma. Etto… What should I do. As expected I’d feel guilty telling her ‘Let go’ since she’s caring for me.

… But if this continues, I’d get weirdly conscious of this… If I’m not careful, I might get carried away and kiss her… I’m too big of a danger…! What do I do… Really, what should I do…!?

“…. (*Mumble*) This, maybe it’s a….Good chance to make my move.”

“Eh? Did you say something, Koma?”

“…. *Cough*. Nee-sama, I forgot to mention this… Actually, there was one more thing I couldn’t forgive.”

“U, un….?”

While I was in such agony, Koma suddenly begins to talk about something with a determined look on her face. Eh, it’s a lie, right…? One more thing she couldn’t forgive…? Don’t tell me I have done another thing that’s wrong…?

“Nee-sama… Do you remember what you said to me just before I slapped you?”

“Huh…? That is… Well, I remember it. Etto, certainly it was ‘‘I wouldn’t have a problem to whatever happened to me.’”

“No, that’s not it. There’s one more.”

“One more…?”

… What was it? Sorry, I have trouble remembering it…

“Nee-sama said this. ‘I didn’t think anyone would look favorably on hopeless sister like me’”

“Eetto…”

… Did I say that? Now that I remember, I feel like I did say that…

“I… Basically, I’m not going to deny what Nee-sama said…. However. Please take those words back!”

“Ehm… what? Rather, aren’t you… too close to me…?”

“Nee-sama’s charming places, wonderful places… I know a lot about them. Your magnificent breasts, your fluffy hair, your huggable, petite and adorable body, your voice that cheers you up just by listening to it, and your eyes that sparkle like jewels… And your soft, gentle tongue and lips that bring my taste buds back…”

Instead of letting go, Koma kept talking, closing the distance between us more and more. We’re almost becoming forehead to forehead.

“… Naturally, it’s not just your body. You are good at cooking and other household chores, your innocence makes me feel pleasant, your smile is very cute, your heart that is deep and full of compassion, and she is dignified and cool when the time comes and then your cool and dignified side that you show when the situation arises. I, I know a lot more about… your charms than the people you just met who picked you up just recently.”

“Th-That so… That… Thank you for praising me…”

Her praise is so high that just by listening to it makes me embarrassed to listen to it. I’m ultra happy hearing that from the little sis I love most in the world. I’m happy, however… Why this timing…?

“Yes… Really, Nee-sama is an attractive lady…. That’s why, I’ll have you retract your words from earlier. There is no one who looks favorably on Nee-sama?… That’s not true at all. After all, right now there’s one… There is a person who has fallen in love with Nee-sama’s charms!”

“Ko-Koma? Koma-san? Why are you getting even closer to me…?”

One of her hands is still on my cheek, and then she slips her other hand around my waist as if to say, I’m not letting you go from here.

What is it… Am I not imagining things… Isn’t she really close to a point where it’s like 3 seconds before we kiss each other…!? 

“….. Mako-nee-sama. I… I have always….”

“Hauu…”

She mumbles something like a confession and slowly but surely tries to bring her lips to mine. Her cheeks are slightly cherry-red, her eyes are moist with eroticism, and the way she calls my name is so sweet and lustful.

… I close my eyes quietly, as if to accept Koma’s allure and—-

*Rumble*

‘Okay! Nice going, Koma…! Do it! Kiss her! Push Mako down!”

“”……….””

—– Just as we were about to do it, we heard such a strange voice coming from outside our consciousness.

“Wha…! Meiko-sensei, that’s risky!? You, what are you doing!?”

“I-Idiot! Shuu, let me go! They’re at a good point!”
“”….””

Koma and I both look at each other and then try to guide our eyes in the direction of the voices… If I look closely, I notice that the door is slightly open and I haven’t noticed it.

“Senpai is the one who’s getting in the way of the good atmosphere between Mako-san and Koma-san! Why are you peeking at them selfishly…!?”

“You’re wrong, I’m not peeping! … As their aunt, I need to make sure that the two of them have reconciled.”
“Even if I were to allow you to take a peep into their room to see if the two of them have made up, your notepad is completely unnecessary…! You’re ready to write their scenes down, aren’t you!? Right, I’ll have you leave quickly before we get in the way of them two, senpai!”

“L-Let me go, Shuu! This is my next—- That’s not it, it’s my duty to watch over them!”

Slamming and banging, I hear someone ruffling on the other side of the door. While they are raging, I sneak to the door without being noticed.

When I’ve reached the door, I try to open it aggressively.

“… What are you doing, Aunty.”

“”Aa…””

… And there she is. I see Aunty desperately trying to peek into the room with a notepad and pen in hand, while being restrained by Editor-san. Really, what is she doing…?

“Ehm… Mako-san, this is…”

“Thank you for worrying about us. Thanks to you, we’ve made up, Editor-san. Thank you very much… Ah, it’s fine. As I can see it’s not Editor-san at fault.”

“Is that so… That’s for the best…”

“…. So? Aunty, what the hell are you doing?”
“… Ah, un. No, that… I’m doing that, that you see.”

Which is? Just a few minutes ago, you were saying cool things to me, telling me off like an adult, and now you are…

Aunty looked momentarily flustered by my appearance. She clears her throat, straightens her appearance, and then says a few words to me.

“… Myy, sorry, Mako. I tried to stop him, but the editor wouldn’t listen to me, saying, ‘I’d like to see a lovey-dovey scene between them!’”

“Haaaaa!?”

It’s an amazing shift in responsibility. Aunty blames Editor-san while she’s pretending to know nothing. It’s almost refreshing.

Hahahaha! Good grief… How dare you interrupt us, Aunty. To begin with, I’ll have you getting away from here.