OniAi: Volume 3 Chapter 2

April 13th, 5:00 A.M.

Student Hostel – Caretaker’s Room

“Onii-chan—. It is morning already—. Please wake up—”

The members of the Himenokouji family wake up very early in the morning.

Our day begins at five in the morning, before the sun has even risen.

“Onii-chan—? Can you hear me—?”

“Mmm~? Mmmmmmm~…”

Despite hearing my sister’s voice coming from outside my room, I still remained in my room covered by my blankets, without moving an inch.

“Onii-chan—. Onii-chan, Onii-chan, Onii-chan. It is morning, it is morning, it is morning. It looks like the weather will be fine today too—?”

“Mmm… Mmmmmm…”

“Onii-chan—? Are you still asleep—? Please answer me if you are awake—. Oi—. Yahoo—. Oi—”

“…”

It’s a shame, but I, Himenokouji Akito, am someone who loves to stay in bed. Take today for example, which is a rest day. Adding on the fact that it’s right after the deadline for me to submit my draft, it would be very difficult for me to get out of bed willingly.

“Are you still sleeping? Are you still sleeping?”

“…”

“If so, then please pardon me.”

*Kra kra kra*

*Pisyari*

“Fufu. You are really sound asleep.”

Her voice sounded much closer than before. However, despite me knowing that, since it had no relation to my conscious mind, my mind was still in standby. I still remained asleep.

“Fufu. Onii-chan.”

“…”

“Kuku. Onii-chan ♪”

“…”

It seemed like that girl was whispering next to my ears.

Isn’t she a little too close? Despite me having that question somewhere deep within my consciousness, I was still <omitted>.

“Fufu. Onii-chan has always treated this cute younger sister of his with a cold attitude through and through, perhaps even to the point where it is a crime. Typically, I can not get this close to him… This is indeed a gift sent to me from the heavens. Only I, his younger sister, have the right to admire Onii-chan’s sleeping face at such a close distance. It will not do if I do not exercise this right to its full potential, right?”

“…”

“Thus, I will be having Onii-chan’s sleeping face all to myself for now. On behalf of the rest of the student council members who are sadly missing out on this scene, I shall stare at Onii-chan with all my might, until I am satisfied.”

“…”

“Ji—”

“…”

“Ji ji—”

“…”

“Ji ji ji—”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“… Mmm—”

“Halt.”

Upon sensing danger, I immediately opened my eyes, and saw my sister’s lips closing in on me, with her eyes closed.

“Akiko. What are you doing here?”

“… Ah!”

“I’ll ask again. What were you trying to do?”

“Urm, this, which is that…”

“You closed your eyes and pouted your lips, right?”

“Yes… yes I did, probably?”

“Were you planning on assaulting me while I was sleeping?”

“No, you are mistaken. That… yeah, I was just planning to whistle. Really, please believe me.”

“You’re lying to me, right?”

“… Yes. I’m sorry.”

I propped up half of my body off the bed, and shook my head exasperated.

“I’m in the wrong to be lazing in bed, but if I’m to be woken up in a manner like this, then I’ll have no choice but to consider something.”

“C-Consider something, what?”

“Well, if I were to get a dozen alarm clocks, even if it’s me, I’d probably jump out of bed in an instant. If I do that from now on, that’s what I’m considering.”

“Please wait, Onii-chan! I violently object! Waking up Onii-chan is a right that belongs only to me!”

“Hmm—. Even if you say that.”

“I am not good with waking up either, but I have tried my best to wake up for this event! This is all so that I can have a taste of that sweet moment in the early morning… If that reward was taken away from me, I would lose the drive to wake up early!”

Well indeed.

Originally, my sister was like me when it came to lazing in bed. The reason for her to forcefully overcome that weakness, to do the household chores early in the morning, is probably due to her so called ‘reward’.

“Or rather, Onii-chan, please change your train of thought.”

“Oh. Meaning?”

“Mmm. If you can not wake up at the designated time, then as punishment, you will have to receive a kiss from me; Onii-chan will be able to wake up more successfully if you were to think of it that way, right?”

“Why must I happily worry about my sister assaulting me while welcoming a brand new day? I don’t want that sort of life.”

“Ultimately, it is all Onii-chan’s fault, you know?”

“Why?”

“The reason for this sort of thing happening is because Onii-chan is not loving me enough. I have been saying it for a while now, right? The morning kiss when we wake up; the farewell kiss when we leave the house; the welcoming kiss upon returning home; and the goodnight kiss before going to sleep; only by doing all of these, can you consider yourself to be a man who can hold his own. That is how it is.”

“A man who fulfills those requirements by utilizing his younger sister, in order to hold his own; I don’t think there’s such a ‘man’ out there in the whole world.”

“In any case.”

My younger sister banged on the floor.

“I yearn for Onii-chan’s love! We are actually living together again after being separated for six years and despite that you have never once petted my head nor hugged me; it can not be helped that my desires will accumulate! I seek for Onii-chan’s assistance to remove this sort of restless feeling!”

“Assistance. How should I go about doing that?”

“Firstly, please whisper gently to your cute younger sister, words that are so sweet they will cause me to be dazed upon hearing them!”

“Mmm. I love you, Akiko. More than anyone in this world; no, you are the only one whom I love in this world.”

“Eek?!”

As she let out a weird cry, my sister snatched my blanket away from me and hid herself within it.

“How’s that? Are you satisfied?”

“…… Awuuhh…”

“Oi—? Akiko—?”

“Why, why does Onii-chan…”

She popped her face out of the blanket. It was dyed deep red,

“…not know how to restrain himself or show mercy?!”

“Urm, isn’t this what you requested? Whispering sweet nothings to you.”

“Indeed I requested but it is a foul for you to say it with such a pure smile that comes from the bottom of your heart! It has exceeded what I can handle calmly!”

“You’re a girl who’s so hard to please… How about this, I’ll just say it directly with a slightly gentle feeling. Is that okay?”

“No, that will not do either! If you did so, it would feel like there wasn’t enough love injected into it!”

She’s really a girl who’s hard to please.

“Well, I understand. I’ll try my best… Well then? Can you be satisfied with this, princess-sama?”

“… Uh—”

My sister squirmed out of the blankets, and took about three deep breathes.

Her red face had returned to its original state. She cleared her voice,

“Aside from the fact that the stimulation is still a little too strong, it is a result that I am rather pleased with. To be honest, my mood has improved a great deal.”

“I see. That’s great.”

“Fufufu. Indeed, I am still the person whom Onii-chan treasures the most. The reason Onii-chan ignores my advances until now, it is probably the ‘tsundere’ thing that has been brought up frequently. If things were to continue developing like this, the day that I spend a passionate night with Onii-chan will not be too far off.”

“No, that day will never come within your lifetime.”

“Onii-chan there you go again. You always love to jest—”

“No, I’m speaking in a very serious manner.”

“I have been lying down and thinking about it the whole night.”

Ignoring my feeble protest, sparkles of light were given off from deep within my sister’s eyes.

“No matter how much I think about it, no matter how deeply I think about it, the bond between Onii-chan and I will always be strong, secure, and deep. No one will be able squeeze between us into that bond. That is right, not even god.”

“Well, is that so?”

“That is why, even if the student council members are to move into this hostel it would be a waste of their efforts to try to destroy our love. Since it is a wasted effort, then there is no need for me to be concerned about it, right?”

“Mmm, that’s right.”

“As such, from my point of view, I have come up with a conclusion, which is to welcome the new residents of this hostel.”

“Oh? Is that really it? You have changed the way you look at it, huh.”

“Yes. Just as Onii-chan said, I have thought about it positively.”

“Mhmm. You’re a really good girl, Akiko.”

“Ehehe. Please praise me more.”

“Mhmm. I think Akiko is really great.”

“Fufufu. Can you praise me even more?”

“Ahh— I’m shocked that Akiko is such a great younger sister. I’m really proud of you.”

“Nyuhu. If you can just praise me more I will be really happy.”

“Akiko is indeed the number one younger sister in the world. If there were events like ‘Miss Imouto’ or something, you’d definitely become the champion. That’s how impressive you are as a younger sister.”

“More, more. Please praise me more.”

“… Urm, I’m running out of ways to praise you.”

“No, you still have a long way to go. Please look for more ways to praise me from the huge dictionary of words available. The possibilities of the Japanese language are endless. As long as you are willing, there would be an unlimited amount of praise.”

Well, theoretically, she might not be wrong but my brain was already at its limits since it was still in the state of just waking up. Then again, I don’t think my sister had done anything that deserves my endless praise.

“Alright. Let’s stop wasting time and start making preparations for the morning.”

“Geez. It seems like Onii-chan is taking the important job of praising his cute younger sister much too lightly. I am a girl that thrives on praise, you know.”

“No no no, there needs to be a limit to everything. You see, even vegetables will die if they are given too much fertilizer, right? The same thing applies to praise as well.”

“Well, that makes sense too but…”

“Let’s stop talking about that. I’m hungry already. It’s about time for us to have our breakfast.”

“I see… I really do wish to start preparing breakfast but due to the rare imouto-praise time ending so soon, Akiko can not deny that her mood has dropped quite a bit. Because of that there is a possibility that my standard of cooking will drop as well… from the looks of it we may have to settle with some hastily cooked instant food…”

“Is that so. What a pity. Akiko’s dishes are delicious no matter when and where I eat them, I always enjoy them a lot.”

“Understood! It will be done in thirty minutes, so please wait a bit!”

Akiko gave a bright smile and dashed towards the kitchen.

Well, I do think she’s a little too innocent. However, if that allows her to work happily then I guess it doesn’t matter if I go just slightly overboard with things.

To see my sister’s pure and innocent smile at the closest distance every single day; for that, I give my all.

“Alright, I will be doing my best to come up with great dishes. Onii-chan, what do you want to eat today?”

“Hmm— Let’s see…”

Yesterday’s was a combination of unfermented bread with buttered egg rolls, plus homemade yogurt. Everything was delicious, but it should be Japanese for today, if we are to follow the schedule—

“Oi—. Are you awake?”

Just then.

Along with the knocks of the door, came a familiar voice.

“Ginbe-san huh? What’s up?”

“Yo, morning Akito-san. You’re up early, as usual.”

Opening the door, I saw my good friend waiting there with a smile on her face.

“… Isn’t that cooking attire?”

I was slightly shocked when I saw the clothes that Ginbe was wearing.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you wear that.”

“Yeah, I think this is the first time I’ve shown myself to you in such a manner. How is it, Akito-san? Does it suit me?”

“Yeah, it does.”

Ginbe is European with silver hair and emerald eyes, but at the same time, she’s a true Japanese on the inside. For someone like her to be wearing the traditional cooking attire of this country, it’s something that’s totally acceptable.

“Urm, then? What are you planning to do in that attire, this early in the morning?”

“Since ancient times, for the women of this country, this attire has always been worn while cooking. Not to mention, I’ve no interest in cosplay.”

“Haa. I guess you aren’t wrong.”

“I’ve made breakfast and I planned on sharing it with you siblings. You haven’t eaten anything right? Or are you busy with preparing breakfast?”

“Ah no, my stomach’s still empty, and Akiko hasn’t done anything yet either.”

“That’s great. I’ve made your portions as well, without asking. Even if it’s just so that the food won’t be wasted, it would be great if you’d just entertain me for a while. Incidentally, Kaichou and Fuku-Kaichou are already waiting in the dining room as well.”

***

Since she put it like that, there was no reason not to go.

While consoling my sister, who was putting on a face of discontent, and muttering dissent such as “I actually want to have breakfast with Onii-chan by myself.”, I walked into the dining room. It seemed like the preparations for breakfast were nearly done.

Nikaido Arashi and Nasuhara Anastasia were indeed sitting at their respective seats, waiting.

“Good morning. The two of you are quite early.”

“I have to go practice every morning.”

As she placed her trusty blade next to her side, Kaichou laughed.

“My skills will deteriorate quickly if I don’t swing it for at least an hour or two daily. As someone bearing the name of the Nikaido family, that’s something which I must avoid at all cost.”

“Indeed. Then does Nasuhara-san have some sort of practice as well?”

“I don’t really have that sort of thing.”

The gold haired Fuku-Kaichou continued on with her wooden expression,

“Learning and reading, together with the work of the student council. There are many things which I need to do and no amount of time is enough. It’s no longer a matter of ‘the early bird gets the worm’, but rather the fact that I’ll not be able to survive if I don’t wake up this early.”

Well— yeah.

I don’t really know if it’s to be expected of them but it seems like the bad habit of sleeping late is mutually exclusive with capable people. Ginbe, whom I’ve known since long ago is the same as well, and Akiko wakes up early too. Though I am slightly less than their level, what I’m about to say isn’t a lie either: I’m a student who’s holding a part time job and, if possible, will have to limit my sleeping hours in order to complete my drafts.

Is that so, is that how it is?

There’s no need for us to accommodate to anyone; the living hours of all the inhabitants here are the same. Since we’re going to live together, that’s pretty important. I can’t think of a single good thing that would come out of a person active during the day having to stay with someone who’s active only at night.

“Everyone, are there any special preferences, likes, or dislikes that you may have?”

Ginbe asked as she peeked out from the kitchen.

“Generally, I’ve made these according to my preferences, so if there are any dishes that you dislike, just inform me without hesitation. I’ll try my best to accommodate you, within my means.”

With that said, my good friend was already done placing the dishes onto the table.

Rice with miso soup, cold tofu and grilled seaweed.

Cooked fish with eggs, and some pickled vegetables.

It was a very traditional and colorful menu.

“Here. Please enjoy it while it’s hot.”

“Then I won’t hold back. Itadakimasu.”

Let’s start with the pickled vegetables. There’re rolled cabbage pickled with the zest from ginseng. From the color, it seemed to be perfectly made.

Using my chopsticks, I put a small piece into my mouth.

… Delicious.

The saltiness and the amount of fermentation is just to my liking. The subtle taste had a hint of sourness, which totally brought out the taste of the ingredients. It’s a completely different style compared to Akiko’s… this was probably the so called Kyoto style. Due to me living in Kyoto up until recently, it was a rather nostalgic taste.

Next, I lifted up the bowl of miso soup.

I gave a whiff at the light fragrance and took a sip.

… This is delicious too.

The tofu in the white miso had been diced into fine cubes, resulting in them sliding down my throat without any resistance. The soup consisted mainly of seaweed and a small fish. The ingredients maintained a fine balance without coming off as overpowering. This is just like Ginbe’s style.

But what’s with the vegetables in the soup? From a brief look, they looked like cherry blossoms and Mizuna chopped finely together. However, there was an elegant taste when I put them into my mouth. It wasn’t your typical ingredient…

“It’s wasabi flower.”

My friend was smiling lightly while she said that. Could it be that she’d seen through my expression?

“Just like the name suggest, it’s the flower of the wasabi plant. It’s a seasonal ingredient.”

“Eh… there’s such an ingredient?”

“I got hold of it by chance, and since I did, I decided to use it in today’s breakfast. Well, these vegetables used here are kind of a replacement for the soba noodles that one gives when they move into a new place. I can’t spend a lot but I still wish to give something decent as a house-stay gift.”

“Is that so. However, these things aren’t something that you can obtain so easily in Tokyo, right? To think that you actually managed to get hold of it.”

“It won’t do if you underestimate my contacts, you know? I requested it from an intermediary whom I know, to source it from various shops that I frequent.”

“Hoho— So thoroughly prepared; as expected of you.”

“Well, it’s true that I got lucky as well. I was lucky that the shop that sells such ingredients just so happens to be located nearby. It was also a coincidence for them to be stocking these when I’d contacted them earlier this morning. They are ingredients that can’t be stored for long and, as a result, they’ve appeared in your dishes, as I wanted to eat them immediately after purchasing them.”

My friend was speaking tirelessly, with an expression that fully displayed her innocence and happiness.

Nikaido-senpai exclaimed something along the lines of, “Eh, that’s really a treat.” And while Nasuhara remained expressionless, the chopsticks in her hands had slipped slightly in response. It seemed like Ginbe had totally achieved her motive in ‘replacing the soba noodles with wasabi flowers’.

“Ah, but I was really surprised. This dish is excellent.”

“Mmm. I’m very happy you like it.”

“Then again, I didn’t know that Ginbe-san was this good at cooking.”

“Well, I’ve been living alone for quite a while, and my personality is rather stubborn as well. I’m quite confident in regards to my cooking, you know.”

“I see.”

“Then again, due to you rarely coming over to my house to play, I never had many chances to show you my abilities either. If you were a loyal friend you should have already tasted my cooking quite a while ago, you know?”

“Hey, stop trying to ridicule me. You aside, it seemed like your family didn’t really welcome me. Honestly speaking, it was hard enough for me just to maintain this friendship with you.”

“Fufu, oh well. From today onward, we’re companions who are living under the same roof. There will be plenty of chances for you to taste my cooking.”

“Yeah, please take care of me… I say, Akiko.”

I spoke to my sister, who seemed like she hadn’t touched her meal much.

“How’s Ginbe-san’s cooking? You’re good at cooking as well, so I wish to hear your opinions.”

“Uhhhhh…”

As she gripped her chopsticks, Akiko stared at the dishes,

“They are very delicious. Simple and heartwarming, with no flashy things; it is just pure and unpretentious… and it is also rather similar to my cooking style, regarding the fact that the ingredients are inexpensive.”

“Indeed. It’s something that’s quite similar to Akiko’s cooking.”

“I have a question, Ginbe-san.”

“Mmm? Yes?”

“The rice is Ginbe-san’s personal mix, right?”

“Correct. Do you know what they consist of?”

“Just a little. It probably consists of hatsushimo and hitomebore but I don’t really know the rest… How much did the rice cost roughly?”

“Let’s see… around five hundred yen per kilogram?”

“Ugh. To achieve such a taste with that cost… truthfully speaking, that is way better than me… No, in fact, she is even better than the shopkeeper of the rice store I frequent?!”

“Well, I’ve been living a poor life for quite a while, yeah? I’m very adept at obtaining high quality with low cost.”

“Uhhhhh…”

After which, my sister asked several more questions about Ginbe’s cooking. However, she would give a moan each time she heard Ginbe’s answers. It seemed like, in regards to the path of cooking, Ginbe was a step or two ahead.

“Fuu—. Thanks for your hospitality.”

Nikaido-senpai had already cleared her breakfast in a flash and was throwing sideways glances at the depressed Akiko.

“Wow, this is really delicious, Ginbe-san. How should I put it? You could make a living just with those cooking skills of yours.”

“It’s really embarrassing for me to have served you with such plain dishes. It’s my honor to receive your praise.”

“Speaking of which, I just thought of a good idea. How about we leave the meals of this hostel to you? From today onward, you’ll cook for everyone here.”

“Eh?!”

The person who made such a reaction was Akiko.

“What do you mean?!”

“What, ‘what do you mean’, it’s exactly as you heard, Akiko-san. Sawatari Ginbe Haruomi-san shall be in charge of the meals of this hostel, and everyone is to eat the dishes that she makes. Of course, that includes you and your brother as well.”

“That— I object!”

“Why?”

“Because, if so, I’ll not be able to cook for Onii-chan anymore; not just that, my personal time with Onii-chan during meals will be—”

“That’s what living together in a hostel is all about. Even if you’re not accustomed to it, since we’re living under the same roof, we need to eat the same dishes as well. Normally, doing that will allow one to understand the difference in the values that others hold and they can then gradually overcome such differences. Right?”

“I-It’s indeed like that.”

“Incidentally, there are only two kitchens in this hostel. One is in the caretaker’s room that you siblings are living in and the other is in this dining room. Do you know what that means?”

“Uhh.”

Well, after thinking about it, she got it right.

Akiko and I can cook whatever and whenever we wish, but that doesn’t apply to the rest of the residents. As such, instead of having everyone manage their own meals with the limited kitchen that we have, it would be much more efficient if someone was in charge of cooking meals for everyone.

However, my sister had no intention of giving up just yet.

“Of course, I do understand that there are a lot of advantages in doing so. B-but, Onii-chan eating the food that I make is something that’s very important for both us! I can’t simply let it go! I violently object!”

“No no no, it’s not like we’re going to do this for all the three meals of the day. It can just be for breakfast, or something that happens occasionally.”

“But, even so, it’s the truth that my precious time with Onii-chan will be reduced! The intimate time between siblings that we’ve worked so hard to obtain after being separated for six years! Isn’t it overboard for you to be doing that?!”

“Well, it’s not like I don’t understand what you’re trying to say…”

“Regardless of what you say to this person, it will be useless, Kaichou.”

Despite her just moving her chopsticks silently up until then, Nasuhara spoke.

“Because she’s an uncooperative person who doesn’t care if she’s causing troubles for others. Or rather, she’s someone who’ll laugh behind our backs and despise us in secret for not having a kitchen in our own rooms.”

“Wha— nothing of the sort! Please don’t slander me without evidence!”

“It’s true that you never had the intention to let go of your own position. You will never offer your helping hand, no matter how much we plead and regardless of how much we struggle in pain and hardship; am I right? For a cold hearted someone who models herself after the tyrant Nero, you must have viewed this as a good chance to banish us all to the deepest levels of hell. I really can’t foresee what sort of cruel and inhumane plans you have in store for us.”

“Hold on! Aren’t you exaggerating a bit with that!? I don’t think I’ve done anything that deserves to be spoken of that horribly by you!”

“Then please prove it with action. That you’re someone who’s cooperative, different from those who act alone and think only for themselves; prove it with your actions. Out of everyone here, if you’re the most supportive of us living together and cooperating with each other; then can you prove it right now, for all of us to see?”

“Uuhhhhhhhh…”

“Akiko-san, can you please coordinate with us?”

This time, it was Ginbe who interrupted,

“From the looks of things, you’re the only one who’s on par with my cooking abilities. It will be tough for me to handle the meals for five people by myself, so if possible I wish you could offer me your help. It would be a great help if you could take over half of the burden.”

“… Unyuu…”

“Also, I think this will be very beneficial for you as well.”

“Huh? Beneficial?”

“Just as you’ve already admitted, I’m quite confident of my cooking abilities as well. Especially techniques on how to make the most out of a very limited budget, to cook dishes that are really delicious. I’ve reached a state where it won’t be strange if I were to write a book about it. If you’re to cook with me, it will mean that you can learn some of my techniques as well, yeah?”

“Uhh…”

“Of course, I stand to gain from this too. I’ve always heard about your cooking skills from Akito-san, and I can learn something from you as well. In order words, if we can compete and learn from each other, our skills will improve and the dishes will become more delicious with each passing day. From your brother’s point of view I doubt it’s something bad.”

“Uh… Uuuhhhhhhhh…”

Akiko bit on her lips and let out a moan. Her expression was saying that she agrees with Ginbe but it would be maddening for her for her to simply accept it.

Speaking of which, it seems like my sister is always on the losing end whenever she’s up against Ginbe. That’s because Ginbe is someone who can say things that are hard to refute, and she does so by tossing it out gradually with a clear train of thought. Even I’ve been rendered speechless by her on quite a few occasions.

“Uuhhh… O-Onii-chan?”

Even though my sister was looking at me with the expression of her trying to claw at the last straw that could save her.

“Well, why not? Looking at the current situation, I don’t think you can find a strong reason to oppose.”

“Ugh. Even so… My personal time with Onii-chan…”

“The time which we’re spending together hasn’t decreased, right? We’re just eating with everyone, so it’s still you and me together. Or rather, our meals have became more lively. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Uuuuuuhhhhhhh…”

“There’s also a rule that says, ‘All residents are to work together, and respect each other’. That’s written on the very first page of the document that Kaichou gave us.”

“Guh.”

“You decided to abide by it yesterday and for you to be regretting it after a single night. That’s no good.”

“Hauu…”

My crestfallen sister slumped her shoulders.

“Not only was my lovey dovey world with Onii-chan taken away from me but even my right to have my meals with Onii-chan alone… Ahhhhh, it is so saddening, it’s like I am having a nightmare about the world coming to an end. A world of despair where I am left with nowhere to go, when will my savior descend from heavens and offer me his helping hand?”

“You’re exaggerating too much, Akiko.”

“That is right. For me, my savior is no one else but the Onii-chan, who loves me deeply. If Onii-chan would have a passionate night with me then it would be possible for me to endure this painful adversity—”

“I think you already know I won’t do that?”

“At the very least, give me a passionate kiss.”

“Nope.”

“I am sorry, I am wrong for asking for a deep kiss. A normal kiss will be just fine. The heartwarming type that is most commonly seen, where the lips touch each other gently.”

“I won’t do it, no matter what sort of kiss it is.”

“Then the cheeks! Just the cheeks will do?”

“Not at all.”

“I understand. I will take a hundred steps back and beg Onii-chan.”

“Don’t beg me.”

“Forget it. At a time like this, it does not matter which body part of mine you kiss!”

“To me, it doesn’t matter which body part it is, they’re all out.”

“Disappointment…”

Amid the dumbfounded looks from the student council members, my sister, yet again, slumped her shoulders in dejection.

“… Though, how—ever!”

Just as I was thinking that, my sister raised her head all of a sudden.

“I would not be me if I got depressed by such things! That is because up until now, since I started living with Onii-chan again, Onii-chan has dodged all of my fierce attacks, and I have always held back my sadness until now! This is just a small setback. I will conquer it for all of you to see!”

“Well, I do wish to commend your perseverance; but only if the subject in question wasn’t me.”

“Even if I were to obtain Onii-chan’s kiss right now, it is ultimately just the first step towards our final destination! Until my dream of becoming Onii-chan’s bride becomes a reality, my battle will never end; once again, I shall declare this right here, right now!”

“… If possible, I’d be much happier if you had a more realistic dream that conforms to common sense.”

“Let’s go, Ginbe-san!”

My sister ignored my complaint.

“Hurry up and teach me your cooking techniques! I want to steal as many techniques from Ginbe-san as possible in order to win over Onii-chan’s heart!”

“… I do wish to learn a thing or two about your optimism as well. Let’s work on lunch together later. Just the two of us.”

“Right! Please take care of me!”

***

Thus, that’s what happened.

It was decided that Ginbe and Akiko will be in charge of our meals.

We’ll save more if we pool our expenses together so it’s definitely not a bad thing in regards to the living expenses of the Himenokouji family. Since this will improve Akiko’s cooking skills as well, there’s really nothing much for me to oppose.

Though my time with Akiko will probably decrease… but since the advantages of the student council members moving in surfaced in such a short time, I’ll just let it be.

Translator notes and references

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