I paused my game and turned toward Nee-chan. To my surprise, this floor chair even had a swivel function! ...Maybe I shouldn’t show her how convenient it was. If she actually took an interest in it, she might just steal it. Though I was the only one in the house who lived on the floor, so I might be safe.
"...And?"
"...What's with the sudden attitude?"
"No, no, this is my room."
I should be allowed to act big in my own castle. At the very least, let me be the most important person in this space. If I didn't have that, I’d lose every ounce of motivation.
"Geez, you’re scary..."
"You’re overreacting. Want me to kick you?"
"Don't kick me."
When I shot back at her, Nee-chan pouted slightly and fell silent. Perhaps because I was in the heart of my sanctuary, I found myself feeling uncharacteristically bold. It made me feel like I’d won a small victory, which was nice.
"...So, what brings you here? You usually just send a message if you need something."
"Well, that... thing from earlier."
"Earlier...?"
"That bit about having a sibling talk at school."
"...? Oh... that."
What Nee-chan brought up was the excuse I’d tossed out during dinner to cover for the awkwardness with Natsukawa. In reality, Natsukawa had asked me about our relationship as siblings and I’d been at a loss for words, so it wasn't entirely a lie. But over there, the conversation had been about me as a younger brother and whatnot... The stories about the sisters in the Natsukawa Family were nothing but tales of how well they got along, so I hadn't known how to respond.
"You... talk about that kind of thing at school?"
"Nah, it almost never happens, so don't worry about it."
"But you said we were different from other families."
"...?"
Was she actually worried about that...? This was rare for Nee-chan, who was the living embodiment of "our house is our house, and their house is their house." Her state of mind had been shifting remarkably lately. I suppose she’d had her own things going on back when she turned into a blonde delinquent, separate from me. A "we were young back then" kind of thing.
"Well, of course our house is a bit different, isn't it? If anything, we're on the side of getting along poorly."
"Huh? Even though we’re talking like this right now?"
"...Well, you wouldn't understand, Nee-chan."
"..."
If I had normal values, I didn't think I was wrong. The Sasaki Siblings were way too close. The Natsukawa Sisters were... well, I guess the older sister’s doting made it an ideal dynamic. The Ichinose Siblings were, if anything, maybe a little too close... Wait, was there no one around me with a reasonable sense of distance? Oh, how about Sasaki-san? There was a big age gap, and it was quite soothing.
But still, even if every family was different, we were the only ones who were constantly at each other’s throats.
"So? Uh, are you worried about that?"
"Huh? No, not really..."
"Hm? Then what is it?"
"It’s just..."
She was being vague. She had a look on her face like she couldn’t shake a sense of discomfort. If I had to guess, she probably didn’t quite understand it herself. I might have said this before, but it would actually feel weird if she tried to change her attitude now.
"...Hey."
"Yeah...?"
"Are we... on bad terms?"
"Eh...? Well, setting aside lately, if you look at our history as a whole, wouldn’t you say we’re siblings who get along poorly?"
"Lately...? Did I do something kind for you?"
"Isn't it me? I'm the one being kind."
"..."
It was the fruit of long-term acclimatization. The fact that Nee-chan was the queen of the Sajou Family hadn’t changed since we were born. It was just that there was a period where things were truly awful. Once that passed, she simply started heading toward adulthood. I felt I’d moved past the phase where even being talked to by my parents was embarrassing, and the sense of concession I’d cultivated over the years was no ordinary feat—if I do say so myself. Fuhahaha...! Compared to the past, the Nee-chan of late was soft.
"I see... and then?"
"Hm? What do you mean, 'and then'?"
"I mean... wh-what are other families like?"
"Huh?"
I’d been about to turn back to my game, but I faced Nee-chan again. She was looking at me with her arms crossed, looking grumpy.
Other families... even if she asked me that, I didn't have many other "older sister and younger brother" samples to use as a baseline. I didn't know how to explain... No, wait, wasn't this a chance for me? If she acted kind to me, it would just be creepy, but if I told her, "Big sisters in other houses don't say unreasonable things!" then maybe she’d stop using me as an errand boy.
"Ah—well, it’s not that they’re 'close' exactly, it’s more like they have a better sense of distance? They don’t interfere with each other, but they talk properly when things are serious."
"...Is that 'getting along'?"
"Well, for high school siblings, this much is probably best. Maybe not when they're little, but..."
"When they're little..."
"Regardless of whether it's an older sister and younger brother, most siblings have done enough give-and-take by then to get along, so they don’t need to be conscious of their distance once they're in high school."
"........."
Well, in that sense, we were the same. Our past made us what we were now. Since snapping back at every little thing Nee-chan said was a waste of time and effort, it was best to just quietly obey as long as it wasn't an impossible demand. That was how I’d been kind to her. If things ever got truly dangerous, Mom wouldn't stay silent.
"What kind of things did they do?"
"Eh?"
"Until now... those people."
Wait... what was with this hint of animosity? My Nee-chan mood sensor, cultivated over many years, hit the yellow light. Caution, caution. Entering high alert. I couldn't let my guard down; if I did, I’d be reaped in an instant.
"Until now... uh. W-Well..."
"........."
I didn’t actually know that much. What did siblings in average households do? I mean, we were an average household too. Why was I acting like we were part of some deviant family? Siblings, siblings... going on errands together? No, that was for little kids. Uh...?
"—L-Like... ear cleaning...?"
—Ah.
"Like ear cleaning?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
What the hell was I saying? I’d blurted it out and then immediately questioned myself. At the very least, that would never happen with Nee-chan. That was more of a Brazilian wax level of intimacy. What if she actually felt like doing it...? Nee-chan was unpredictable today... No, surely not.
"...They do that? Siblings elsewhere."
"Well, I’ve heard they have..."
Don't ask "They do that?" in that tone. What was with the phrasing and the heavy atmosphere? It felt weirdly suggestive in a way that had nothing to do with ear cleaning. I was sure they weren't doing anything strange. My closest sample was the Natsukawa Sisters, and my imagination of them was purely wholesome.
"...Well, in that sense, I guess I’ve done it for you too, Nee-chan."
"Wh-What!? When...?"
"Eh? I mean, a few years ago when you were still blonde. You suddenly brought over some ear picks and put your head on my lap—"
"I don’t remember that! I don't remember!"
"Hey, wait—don't throw the pillow!"
Oh? Was she getting embarrassed about it now? Do you have any idea how I felt when you suddenly approached me like that? I was seriously about to scream. I could have wet myself with your head on my lap. Yes, that was during the era when you were still delivering straight kicks under the table.
I swatted the pillow away and tossed it back. What was she doing to my nightly companion?
"............Isn't that... usually the other way around?"
"You only just realized?"
Nee-chan, finally realizing she was an older sister. Fifteen long, arduous years. It had been a long road...
"Well, I guess even though we were supposed to be an older sister and a younger brother, we were actually more like an older brother and a younger sister."
"Huh? Don't get cocky."
"Then try and name something sisterly you've actually done for me."
"Urgh...!"
Hey, what was with that "left hand restraining the rampaging right hand" gag? It was my first time seeing someone do that in real life. What, was my life currently being saved by Nee-chan’s left hand? Her self-control was way too fragile for someone pretending it was ironclad. Scary.
"...Well, it’s a bit late for that."
"A bit late..."
"So, what? Why did you want to ask that anyway?"
"Why...? I-I told you, it's nothing!"
"Hofuh...!?"
When I pressed her for the rest of her business, a soft yet heavy blow landed on my face. This is the pillow. This thing might be today's biggest victim. How could she unleash such a precise throw just by grabbing it?
By the time the object that had stolen my vision plopped onto my lap, Nee-chan had vanished. I hadn't heard a sound... why did she move like a fantasy character every single time? I’d like her to teach her younger brother that technique.
Step one: dye your hair blonde.