My Stepsister is My Ex-Girlfriend - Volume 5 - Chapter 1

The Ex-Girlfriend Hides Her Embarrassment

“What is wrong with me?!”

Mizuto Irido

Yume was silently kneeling in front of a large, white gravestone with her hands clasped. I was amazed at how calm she was—personally, cemeteries made me uncomfortable. There was an air of tranquility that elicited strange feelings. I almost felt forced to face the emptiness inside me. We’d come here to pay respects to my mother, but I’d never met her. I wouldn’t have even known what she looked like if it wasn’t for dad’s pictures of her. Naturally, I didn’t know what she sounded like or what kind of personality she had either.

Children who lose their parents are pigeonholed as charity cases despite not feeling that way. I had to face this fact every time I came here. No wonder I’d never been a big fan of visiting her.

Yume probably felt the same. Sure, Yuni-san had a reason to be here as dad’s second wife, but Yume was just her daughter. She shouldn’t have had any thoughts or feelings whatsoever towards my mother. Despite that, Yume wore a very serious expression, as if she were actually conversing with her.

Suddenly, I thought back to that night at the deserted shrine. Her face had been lit up by the fireworks and then... I was still trying to figure out what that determined look in her eyes had meant. Was she trying to revert our relationship to how it used to be? In our current situation? She’d have to be insane. Just because something’s legal doesn’t mean you should do it. What would happen if we broke up again? What would happen if our parents found out?

If she really wanted us to get back together, why hadn’t she just come out and said so? But what would I have done? How would I have responded? What would I have wanted to do? I couldn’t sort out these emotions swirling around inside me. Ugh, I feel sick.

“We’re going to say hi to the chief priest,” dad said.

“You two stay here, ’kay?” Yuni-san followed up.

At the end of our visit to the temple, we were instructed to wait by the entrance. There was about a meter or so separating Yume and me. I looked up at the bright summer sky and lamented how awkward things were between us. Neither of us could bring ourselves to say a single word.

Things had always been weird, whether it was when we’d met, when we’d dated, or when we’d started living together. Maybe I’d just chosen to ignore that all this time. Had she done the same? Right now she was on her phone as if everything were normal.

I slowly shifted my gaze towards her, and our eyes met. She didn’t look away. She stared right at me. It was like I was back in that moment—her face lit by the fireworks, looking resolute. She looked like she desperately wanted to say something but couldn’t bring herself to do it.

You want me to ask? Really? If I do, are you gonna be okay if I answer too? My body stiffened, my throat felt dry, and I stopped blinking. My brain was no longer working, but even so, I pushed through and opened my mouth.

The moment I tried to say something, Yume averted her gaze.

Uh...what? She’d gone back to ignoring me and stared at her phone as if she’d completely lost interest in me. Seriously, what is your deal?!

Yume Irido

“What is wrong with me?!”

After our visit to the shrine, we returned home, and I promptly went to my room, jumped into bed, and screamed into my pillow. Why couldn’t anything go the way I wanted it to? Was my body actively working against me, or was it just this defective?

We’d been alone. Our eyes had met, but then I didn’t know what to say. My head had started spinning, my throat had closed up, and then the cherry on top? I’d looked away from him in an attempt to diffuse the entire situation!

It’d been like this ever since we’d returned from the family trip. I couldn’t bring myself to talk to him. I couldn’t even look at him! It was impossible to relax even in my own home. I still tried to keep up appearances so that our parents wouldn’t feel like something was going on, but that didn’t change the fact that he most likely thought I was giving him the cold shoulder.

Please believe me! I’m not trying to act distant! I wasn’t lying when I’d internally declared that I’d steal his heart again. I wasn’t lying, but after calming down and thinking about it...when had I ever stolen anyone’s heart? Had I suddenly developed a silver tongue or something? Of course not! There was no way I could woo him with words alone. It was precisely because I couldn’t use my words that I had resorted to writing a love letter back in middle school.

What the heck was I even supposed to do if I really wanted to try and make him fall for me again? All this time, we’d done nothing but exchange unpleasantries. How was I supposed to do a complete one-eighty and act like some sort of cute girl all of a sudden? I wanted to scream at myself. What had I been doing these past four and a half months?!

The first thing I needed to do was make him understand that my feelings towards our relationship had changed. Ugh. Why didn’t I tell him that after I kissed him? Worst-case scenario, he could’ve said no, but that would’ve been fine. He’d already broken up with me once. Hearing him reject me again wouldn’t have been all that painful.

If anything, that should’ve pushed me to take the initiative and go for it. I wasn’t a great detective; I didn’t need all the evidence before shooting my shot. Thinking that I did was nothing more than an excuse stemming from my own cowardice.

It wasn’t too late. I could still salvage things. As long as I could tell him that I’d fallen in love with him again despite knowing full well that I could be rejected... As long as I could show him my feelings with my actions and words, I could chase away the ghost of my past self...or so I hoped.

Well...now isn’t the best time. Our parents are home. Plus, we just finished visiting his mom’s grave. Confessing right now would be kind of— Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

“You in there?”

I softly shrieked. M-Mizuto?!

“Can I come in?”

“Y-Yeah. Sure, but— Wait, no. Nope. Nuh-uh. You can’t!”

“Okay, I’m coming in.”

“Wai—” I jumped off my bed and tried running to the door in an attempt to keep it closed, but it opened before I could get to it.

Mizuto narrowed his eyes. “Your hair’s a mess. Were you taking a nap or something?”

“Huh?” I ran to my vanity and fixed my hair while quickly sneaking glances at Mizuto’s reflection in the mirror, taking my time in order to calm down.

His arms were folded, and his weight was shifted onto one leg as he stared at me.

“So, what do you want?” I’d tried to recalibrate my voice to a calm tone, but I completely overshot it and made it sound super serious. Agh, seriously?!

“I just thought it’d be good to set things straight,” Mizuto said, leaning against the now closed door. “I don’t have any intention of beating around the bush with you.”

“Huh?”

“Tell me what that kiss was about.”

I froze. H-Huh? What did he just ask? A kiss can only mean one thing!

Mizuto slowly approached me. “Was it because the mood was right? Or was there some other reason? Your eyes made it look like you were throwing down the gauntlet. None of it makes sense.”

Mizuto grabbed my shoulder and forcibly turned me around to face him. Our eyes met. I fixated first on his long eyelashes, and then his eyes, which were piercing my own as if he could see right through me.

“If you’ve got something to say, spit it out,” he said.

Like it’s that easy! If I were able to “spit it out,” I wouldn’t be in such an agonizing situation to begin with. Also, how dare he even consider that my once-in-a-lifetime bold kiss was nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment action! I hadn’t just been caught up in the moment! Also, can you stop moving your face closer to mine?! I can’t handle how hot you are! You’re going to make me want to kiss you again! Wait, do you want me to, or not?! 

I felt like my head was overheating as it tried to deal with the swell of embarrassment and desire. But finally, after a few agonizing moments, I could speak.

“I...”

“Yeah?”

“I lost my balance!!!” I screamed. What am I even saying?! “H-How could you misread the situation? Our lips barely even touched! It’s not the first time they’ve touched either. It shouldn’t even bother you! Also, can you not shift all the blame onto me?! I really hated that about you!” I panted, out of breath, my shoulders heaving from this explosion of words.

I tried taking deep breaths to regain my composure, and as I did, I realized how much I’d just messed up. Mizuto stood there in silence before letting go of me. Oh. W-Wait. No, that’s not what I meant.

“Got it,” he said, devoid of emotion. “Sorry for misinterpreting things.” He didn’t say another word as he left my room, leaving me completely alone in stunned silence.

I crashed on my bed, losing the strength in my body. Oops, I did it again.

Mizuto Irido

“Dammit...”

My chest was filled with a whirlwind of negative emotions. Cursing was the one way I felt I could relieve that pressure, if only a little. She claimed that she’d lost her balance. If that’s the reality she wanted, then whatever. Whether it was an accident or not, the fact that we were siblings wouldn’t change, nor would the fact that our relationship in middle school hadn’t worked out and we’d broken up. Yeah, I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine with all of this!

In the midst of my frustration, my phone started vibrating. It was Higashira.

“Hello?” I asked, answering the phone.

“Greetings. Please allow me to enter your abode.”

Oh, right. We have plans today. I went downstairs and opened the front door.

“Mizuto-kun!”

“Wha—”

As soon as I opened the door, Higashira flung her arms around my neck and hugged me. This caught me so off guard that I staggered back a little from her sudden attack. Then I gently patted her head, as a parent would a child’s.

“You’re like a dog that hasn’t seen their master in a while,” I remarked.

“It has been far too long! You’ve no idea how lonely I’ve been during your absence. I feared I might perish from loneliness.”

“You’re not a rabbit, so that wouldn’t happen. Also, can you start using the intercom to let me know when you get here?”

“I refuse! I’m frightened of the possibility of anyone but you answering the door.”

“It’s scarier when a sixty-kilogram body tackles you out of nowhere,” I retorted.

“Are you referring to me?!”

“Don’t you remember proudly telling me how much your chest weighs? I figured you’d be around sixty total, taking that into account.”

“N-No matter the size of the chest, there is absolutely no effect on body weight!” Higashira turned her head away, pouting.

I patted her head again, her soft strands of hair passing between my fingers. As I did, I felt myself calm down. It was as if all the negative emotions inside me had been washed away.

“I’ll never doubt animal therapy again.” I didn’t really want a pet, but I could definitely see the benefits.

“I’m not sure what you mean, but I can’t help feeling that you’ve likened me to an animal.”

I led Higashira through the house so we could go up to my room, but just as we passed the living room...

“Mizuto? Is that Higashira-san?” dad asked.

“Yeah, we’ll be in my room.”

“Hi there, Higashira-san! I’ll bring up some snacks later,” Yuni-san chimed in.

“O-Oh, you don’t need to...” she said in such a soft voice that they probably didn’t hear.

Both dad and Yuni-san had completely approved of Higashira, but she was still uncomfortable around them. We went upstairs and walked into my room. As soon as we did, she acted as if it were her own and plopped down on my bed.

“Phew.”

“You’re acting like you’re coming home after a long trip.”

“I’m unable to sleep without your pillow.”

“Then how do you sleep at all?” I asked as I watched her roll around on my bed. As she did, I picked up a wrapped box from my desk and presented it to her. “Higashira. Here.”

“Hm?” She rolled over to face me after seeing the box in front of her. “What does this contain...? A bomb?”

“Why is terrorism your first thought? It’s just something I got you on my trip.”

“Oh, a souvenir!” she exclaimed, sitting up. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she took the box from me.

“I just bought a random snack from the station. Share it with your family.”

“This is the first souvenir I’ve ever received from a friend.”

“Thought as much. Enjoy those calories.”

“I will! I will spread this among my family members, inflicting them with weight gain as well!”

“That sounds like terrorism.”

I sat next to her as she swayed back and forth with happiness. I considered talking about my trip, but I couldn’t think of anything to say. I’d essentially been holed up in that study, reading the entire time.

“So...” Higashira started, breaking me out of my thoughts.

“Hm?”

She put the box down on her lap and inspected my bookshelf. “What did I help calm you down from? Have you encountered some sort of hardship?”

“Uh... Are you asking because you want to give me advice?”

“No, this is pure curiosity.”

“That makes sense.” I couldn’t imagine her coming up with constructive ways to overcome problems. “I’m not having any hardships. Just some problems with Yu—my little stepsister.” I’d almost used her first name but held back, because it still felt kind of weird to do so in front of others. “She ignores me and gets mad when I try to talk to her. It’s like she’s in her rebellious phase or something.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Yep. You’ve totally lost interest.”

“I feel terrible, since I was the one who brought up the subject in the first place.”

“You could at least pretend to care.”

“Oh, if only I could. Many of my problems would be solved,” Higashira lamented.

“How about you start by giving me your take on the situation.”

“My take? Hm... Perhaps she’s on her period?”

“Wow. You jumped straight to the worst possible answer.”

“Yume-san’s emotions are relatively unstable in general. During your trip, we spoke over the phone. She informed me of your first love.”

“My what? Oh, Madoka-san. So not only does she misunderstand things, she also spreads that misinformation to others?”

“Misinformation?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, what a shame. I was quite infatuated with the adorable image of a young Mizuto-kun falling head over heels for someone.”

“I can see the gears in your head turning. Whatever you’re imagining is just a delusion of your own design, got it?”

“Oh, the image of a young, flustered Mizuto-kun as he partakes in a bath with an older lady is quite...”

“All right, well, if I had bathed with Madoka-san, she would’ve been pretty young too. There’s not much of an age difference between us.”

“That is quite titillating in its own right!”

Higashira was obviously getting worked up based on the way she was panting heavily. “But emotionally unstable, huh? Yeah, you have a point,” I said, trying to steer the conversation back on course.

“I do, don’t I?!” she exclaimed proudly. “Her emotional state is almost like a roller-coaster.”

“Anyone’s emotional state’s like a roller-coaster compared to yours.”

“Hm? I don’t perceive myself as that calm of a person.”

“It’s okay, Higashira. Nobody has an objective grasp of who they really are.”

“Is that so? Regardless, I believe I have quite severe emotional crashes.”

“You do? You brushed off getting rejected like it was nothing.”

“I was merely able to bounce back quickly. Similarly, I believe Yume-san too will regain her composure. Until then, allow me to help calm you.” Higashira poked my cheek.

This is getting annoying. Reflexively, I grabbed her cheeks with both my hands and began stretching them.

“S-Stop! You’re ruining my beautiful face!”

“That could never happen. You’re cute...in an octopus kinda way,” I said, making sure the last bit was under my breath.

“I heard that! It is clear that you are toying with my purity—my pure heart as an innocent maiden!”

“That’s a harsh way to put it. Sorry. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“I don’t think we can stay friends if you make statements like that!” Higashira angrily kicked her legs.

I continued to play with her as if she was a toy. I could feel my stress melting away.

Yume Irido

My mind was in tatters after hearing the snippets of conversation through my wall.

“...That could never happen. You’re cute...”

“...Trying to play with my purity, are you...?”

“...Sorry...”

“...I don’t think we can stay friends...”

Huh? That’s Higashira-san...right? Did Mizuto call her cute? He of all people was playing with her purity? Why couldn’t they stay friends?! No way... Suddenly my mind jumped to a certain conclusion in which Mizuto was gently holding a naked Higashira-san against his bed. Have they really crossed that line?!

Why? Why? Why?! Was it because they hadn’t seen each other for a while? Or was it because of my earlier screw-up? Maybe he’d given up on me and decided to go for Higashira-san instead?

No, wait. I need to calm down. Don’t do this. Don’t jump to conclusions. I needed to not blow things out of proportion, especially when I didn’t have any evidence to support my worst fears. I hadn’t heard their conversation clearly in the first place. I had to have misunderstood something. Wow, I’ve really grown. I wasn’t about to repeat the same mistakes of the past that’d made Mizuto and I fall out.

“Okay.” Ultimately, I decided to check things out for myself.

I needed more information to make an informed decision about what was going on. What was better than going straight to the source? Sure, I was a little nervous, but I shouldn’t have been. It was Mizuto and Higashira-san. They weren’t the type to engage in those kinds of activities. All my misunderstandings would be dispelled the minute I looked inside.

Let’s do this. I quietly left my room and tiptoed down the hall. All I have to do is open the door a little and peek inside. I’m not being a creeper. As his sister and her friend, it fell to me to check on things between them.

I gripped the doorknob. My heart was beating in my ears—I couldn’t hear anything else. I slowly turned the doorknob when suddenly, I heard a thud loud enough that I could feel it in my bones, enough to make me hesitate. But when I looked inside...

Through the small crack in the door, I saw Higashira-san on the ground, her eyes closed, and Mizuto over her with a tender expression on his face. Everything started to feel like it was getting fuzzy. I couldn’t see straight.

“Oh, my!” a voice rang out behind me, snapping me out of my daze.

Mizuto and Higashira looked towards the door and I looked behind me. Standing there was mom, holding a tray of snacks. She peeked inside the room and in the next moment, a grin spread across her face.

“I was about to bring some snacks, but I don’t want to interrupt. I’ll be back later. Have fun!”

“Wai— Yuni-san, wait!” Mizuto called out to stop her, but it was too late.

She’d already skipped away down the stairs, practically singing about what she’d seen. I, meanwhile, was left alone.

My eyes met Mizuto’s, and I only had one thing to say.

“Have fun...”

“Hey, wait!”

He tried to stop me, but I ran back to my room.

I sniffled. It seemed that I’d lost today. It’d been a short battle that hadn’t even lasted two days, but I hadn’t expected Higashira-san to be a combatant. I truly hadn’t thought that the two of them had any intention of doing those kinds of things with each other. But still, I hadn’t expected to be proven wrong so easily...

I thought I knew what kind of guy he was. I’d never expected him to take a girl to his room for that purpose, especially after just getting kissed by someone else two freaking days ago! How could he have been so insensitive?! He hadn’t ever been this forward when we were dating! How could he do it so easily with Higashira-san?! I hate you! You stupid closet perv! You horny beast! You big boob lover!

I couldn’t suppress my emotions. Before I realized it, I was calling someone. It was none other than the friend I’d talked to the most over the phone with since entering high school.

“Hello?! Yume-chan, are you back home? I missed you!!!”

“A-Akatsuki-sannn...” I wailed through sniffles.

“Huh? What? Who is this? A zombie?”

Mizuto Irido

“Well, they certainly misunderstood what occurred. Heh heh.”

“Stop looking so happy,” I snapped at Higashira.

I’d never heard her sound so happy. I was genuinely surprised she could sound like this.

“They are fully under the impression that we were in the midst of going all the way,” Higashira crowed, still lying down as she excitedly kicked her legs against my bed. “The next time they see us, they’re going to perceive us in a new, mature light.”

“Can you not get enjoyment out of someone else’s misery? Can’t you tell how shitty this situation is for me?! You get to leave, but I live here! Do you know what it’s like for your family members to walk on eggshells around you?!”

“It’ll be all right. There will be no problem so long as we explain the situation. For now, let’s fully indulge in this fake emotional high!”

“So you do know it’s fake.”

“Real, fake, it doesn’t matter to me either way.” Even though she was lying down, there was a very pronounced mound on her chest. Is her bra keeping her boobs in place and in that shape? Like, is gravity not affecting them?

Higashira looked at me as if she wanted to beg me for something. “Isn’t this pose erotic? I am lying here completely defenseless, you know.”

“Mm-hmm. Totally.”

“Hmph! It would behoove you to at least attempt to bolster the pride of a woman, even if it’s only once in a blue moon.”

Do you even have that kind of pride? Suddenly, my phone started buzzing. A phone call? From Minami-san?

“Hello?”

“You certainly seem to be having the time of your life!” Is this a new way to say hello? “How nice of you to dive right into things! Are you maybe taking a quick break? Or maybe are you about to start up again? Be honest. How bad do you want to hang up this call and get back to it? You must be itching to get back to Higashira-san’s huge tits! No wonder you didn’t immediately pounce on me when I tried seducing you!”

“Okay, let’s take a step back and calm down,” I said, not knowing what was going on.

“Mizuto-kun, what do you think about me being face down like this?” Higashira asked.

“You’re doing it from behind next?!” I heard Minami-san screech on the other side of the phone.

“Higashira! Zip it!” She was not helping calm down Minami-san, who’d gone into berserk mode. I needed to explain. Yume had probably called her for help and spread misinformation again.

“Do you know why I’m angry?” Minami-san asked.

“I’d rather you ask Kawanami that question.”

“I haven’t been able to see Yume-chan at all these past few days because of your family trip. I was wondering if I’d get a call from her since I knew you’d be back today. I was so anxious, and when I finally did get that call, I had to listen to her complain and complain about how well your friend was getting along with your family. Do you understand how I feel? Do you?!”

“I am so sorry.” I couldn’t believe the situation I’d landed into. How could she have spread the news this fast? She was spreading it faster than the flu!

“So what’s the deal? Did you do it with her?” Minami-san asked suspiciously.

Actually, it might have been best that a third party was involved. “Of course not. Higashira tripped on a book and I tried to stop her from falling.”

“Let me guess, you weren’t able to support her weight so you fell with her. That’s so cliché.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem. It’s cliché so it’s hard to believe.”

“True. Honestly, I totally do think that you’re making it up.”

“Figures.” I’d think the same if I were in her shoes.

“Let me talk to Higashira-san.”

“Fine. I’ll put you on speaker.” I pointed my phone towards Higashira.

She looked up from the book she was reading. “Oh, Minami-san. Greetings!”

“Yeah, it’s been a while. So about Irido-kun pushing you down and mounting you—”

“Heh heh heh. I’m so embarrassed...”

“Okay, yeah, I don’t believe you, Irido-kun.”

“Stop messing around, Higashira!” I snapped at her. Stop acting like you’ve climbed the stairway to adulthood.

She stopped squirming around in my bed and began telling the truth. “I am frightened of Mizuto-kun, so I will come clean. I have retained my purity. As usual, he has not laid a single finger on me.”

“Is he gay? If I were him, I’d probably already have two children with you.”

“Heh heh, there’d be so many mouths to feed. We’d be in bad financial straits.”

“Can you two please stick to the topic?” Why was my strong will to resist being criticized? “You understand now that this has all been one big misunderstanding, right? Could you tell her that, Minami-san?”

“What? Why me?”

“Why not you?”

“You should be the one to explain.” I heard a crunching noise from the other side of the phone. Was she eating a snack? “If anything, I’d have everything to gain from her continuing to misunderstand. You know why, right?”

“Yeah...”

Higashira tilted her head, not knowing the history with Minami-san and me, like how she’d wanted to marry me to become Yume’s sister-in-law and all. Higashira had no clue how fixated Minami-san was on Yume. From what I could tell, after everything that happened with Higashira and Kawanami, she’d ditched her original plan to marry me, but she was still very much into Yume. Of course, with Minami-san’s goal being Yume, there was no reason for her not to drive a wedge between the two of us.

“But, you know,” she said before there was another loud crunch, “You did make Yume-chan cry. I’m not especially forgiving of guys who leave it to others to cheer a girl up. Understand?”

“Huh...?” No, I didn’t understand. What was she talking about? “She was...crying?”

“Yep. It sounded like she was crying pretty hard. The first thing I heard when I picked up the phone was her bawling. Can you imagine how I fel—” I blocked out the rest of what she was saying because I wanted to think.

She’d been crying? And it was because she saw Higashira and me in that position? This made it seem as if she’d been in shock. But that didn’t make sense. She’s been ignoring me and verbally abusing me, but now she’s...sad? What’s going on?

I deeply exhaled and stood up. I handed my phone to Higashira as Minami-san continued to ramble on about her complaints.

“Higashira, sorry, but can you talk to her for a bit?”

“Are you going?”

“Yeah,” I said as I walked to the door. “I need to talk to her.”

Yume Irido

I let out a yawn. I wondered how I could have fallen asleep. All I remembered was complaining to Akatsuki-san about everything, feeling tired all of a sudden, and then... Well, either way, I felt a lot better after my nap. Or maybe it was thanks to my conversation with Akatsuki-san. I should thank her. How long had I slept?

And most importantly...was Higashira-san still in his room?

Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door, prompting me to cry out in surprise. The knock was familiar, though. After all, I’d already heard it once today.

“I’m coming in.”

“N-No! Nuh-uh! Absolutely not! Seriously, don’t!”

I sprang out of bed and just barely made it to the door in time to block Mizuto from coming in. Why the heck would you try to come in before I said you could?!

“Wh-What do you need?” I asked.

“I’ll tell you after you let me in.”

“N-Not now!”

“Why not?”

What do you mean “Why not”?! Maybe because I just finished crying my eyes out and messed my hair up after taking a nap?! I’m not ready to be perceived! “C-Can you just wait a minute? Seriously, just one minute!”

I ran to my vanity, fixed my hair, and used makeup to cover up any sign that I’d been crying. O-Okay, I think I’m fine now. As long as he wasn’t too close, there shouldn’t be any way for him to tell.

“You good now?”

“Y-Yeah, I am.”

The doorknob clicked as it turned. Hm? Wait. No, I’m not. I may have fixed my appearance, but I wasn’t in the right state of mind to see him. How was I supposed to look him in the eye after what he’d been doing with Higashira-san?! I’d realized this too late, however. He’d already stepped inside.

He looked as expressionless as always. How can you act so normally after you were just all over Higashira-san’s huge chest?! I leered at him from the edge of my bed, eliciting a heavy sigh from him.

“How many times do I have to come into your room today? I would’ve preferred to have kept it to one.”

“What’s your problem? You’re the one forcing your way in.”

“Because you keep making me.”

“Huh?”

How’s this my fault? I didn’t know why he’d come here, but I did know what he’d been doing in his room. But...he hadn’t done anything wrong. They both liked each other, so it was okay. If anything, I shouldn’t have been so bothered. It was bound to happen one day since our rooms were next to each other.

“Okay, stop. I can tell what you’re thinking, and it’s not even remotely correct,” Mizuto said, breaking me out of my thoughts.

“Huh?”

Mizuto sat down on my carpet and continued talking with a calm expression. “This has all been a misunderstanding. Higashira and I weren’t doing anything.”

“Huh?” My eye twitched. He’s trying to defend himself? Why? It was disrespectful to Higashira-san to try and pretend like their relationship was anything other than what it actually was. “What exactly am I misunderstanding? You pushed Higashira-san to the ground!”

“I lost my balance.”

“Huh?!” Not only was he lying to me, but he used the same excuse that I’d blurted out earlier?! “Who would believe such a flimsy excuse?! Can’t you come up with something a little more believable?”

“Oh, so losing one’s balance isn’t a good excuse?”

“Ugh.” My chickens were coming home to roost. But I’d been lying when I said it...

“I’m not making this up; I really did lose my balance. Higashira tripped over a book. I tried to catch her, but I wasn’t strong enough to support her weight. Also, why would I push her down on the hard floor when I have a perfectly good, soft bed?”

I groaned. Everything he said made sense. His bed was right there. It made no sense for him to go out of his way to push her to the floor instead. So maybe I had been jumping to conclusions.

“Despite how much you like mystery novels, your observation skills are awful.”

“Ugh.”

“You couldn’t even be Watson. I bet you’d suggest there was an elaborate trick behind every single crime.”

“Urgh.”

“If you were a character in the book, everyone would know that the crime was committed by some kind of gimmick as soon as you showed up. You know what, you’re as annoying as the advertisements for Yukito Ayatsuji’s Mansion Murder series. They’re always using clickbait to stir up interest. ‘You won’t believe how this one sentence changed their entire world.’ So stupid.”

Clickbait? Rude! Also, I’d actually like to read about that kind of character! “Wh-What’s your problem? Are you trying to imply that you felt nothing?!”

“Huh?”

“Even if you did lose your balance, she’s still really cute, and her boobs are huge! Plus, how can you not think about...things when a girl who’s openly in love with you is underneath you?!”

I had no right to say any of this. Even if he had felt something while he was on top of her, I had no right to comment on it at all. I knew that, but I couldn’t stop the word vomit. “I bet you were thinking about how lucky you were or how you might’ve been able to cop a feel in the confusion. Are you really telling me that there wasn’t even a small part of you that was thinking that?! Can you really say that with a straight fa—”

“I wasn’t thinking about any of that at all.” Mizuto was clear with his words. “Seriously, I wasn’t. If anything, I was worried that she might’ve hit her head.”

“You’re just trying to make yourself look good...”

“No, I’m trying to tell the truth.”

“Then prove it.” I knew I was asking for the impossible. I knew I was the world’s most annoying woman. “Prove to me that pushing a girl down like that doesn’t faze you at all. After that, I’ll believe—”

“Okay.” Mizuto stood up and approached me. Huh? “You want proof, right?”

“Wai—” But I didn’t have time to protest before he grabbed me by the arm and pushed me down against my soft bed.

Mizuto’s head blocked the bright light shining down on us. His slender hands pressed my arms against the sheets. His knees sandwiched my legs between them. I could feel his warm breath against my face, melting the words frozen inside my throat.

“You don’t...feel anything?” I asked.

“I don’t.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“You’re lying...”

“I’m not.”

No, you’re lying. I know you are. You’re definitely lying! My head felt like it was about to explode as memories of that night a few days ago resurfaced. My body yearned for the emotions and sensations of that moment.

“Are your arms tired?” I asked, looking straight into his eyes. “You’re not about to lose your balance, are you?” If Mizuto really didn’t feel anything in this situation, then his incident with Higashira-san must have truly been an accident—something beyond his control. He had no reason to apologize or act any differently.

“Hey...”

I couldn’t bring myself to respond to his soft voice. Instead, I gently touched his arms. If I pushed around the elbows, he’d definitely lose his balance. Things were okay as they were right now, but even so, I...

“Mizuto-kun? Yume-san?! I heard some yelling. Are you two—”

I heard the door open. Higashira-san had entered without even knocking. What followed was a mutual silence between the three of us, all frozen in place. It took about ten seconds before Higashira-san slowly backed up and began closing the door behind her.

“P-Please take your time...” she said politely.

“I lost my balance!”

“He lost his balance!”

The two of us desperately yelled before she could shut the door.

“Phew, that certainly caught me by surprise.”

I’d sent Mizuto back to his room while I desperately tried to correct this misunderstanding with Higashira-san. I needed him out of the room because I wasn’t confident I could keep calm with him around.

But also...was it really a misunderstanding? Well, it’d probably be best to leave it that way. Surprisingly, Higashira-san readily accepted my explanation.

“When I opened the door, everything suddenly made sense. I began to understand why I’d been rejected.”

“O-Oh. I see...” I looked away from her.

“Then I began pondering about how disingenuous of you it would have been if, despite having feelings for him, you had assisted me with my confession. Quite perplexing, you see.”

“O-Oh, yeah. That’d be crazy.” I still couldn’t make eye contact with her.

“But then I felt like, if you two were together in that sort of manner, I’d be okay with it.”

“Huh?”

“But it was all my misunderstanding! It simply caught me off guard.”

Wait, no. This isn’t over. You said something I can’t accept. “Wh-What do you mean you’d be okay with it? I thought you liked Mizuto.”

“Huh? I believe I’ve previously stated I wouldn’t mind if Mizuto-kun got a girlfriend.”

“Yeah, I remember that, but...”

“However, I suppose it depends on who his partner is. If he began relations with some wanton woman, I don’t think I’d approve.”

“True...”

“In that regard, I’d be perfectly okay if it was you, Yume-san. Dating a stepsibling no doubt brings a lot of difficulties, but that wouldn’t concern me.” Higashira-san giggled.

“But wouldn’t it bother you that I’d helped with your confession despite being in a relationship with him?”

“That would depend on the situation. For example, perhaps you knew that dating your stepsibling was not feasible, so you wished for him to have a girlfriend he could openly date.” How is she so perceptive?! Can you share some of that with me?! “However, this is all hypothetical because this has all been a misunderstanding, right?”

“Y-Yeah. Exactly. Mizuto and I aren’t romantically involved. Not in the slightest.”

“I understand. Romance between stepsiblings isn’t very common.”

True, it wasn’t common. But...I was surprised that Higashira-san wouldn’t mind if we dated. She’d be supportive.

“Higashira-san...”

“Hm? Y-Yume-san?”

I hugged Higashira-san. “I really want you to find happiness.”

“I’m already plenty happy.” She giggled. “If my life were a novel, I would have achieved my happy ending already.”

I need to be more like you. How can I do that? Would I simply need to tell Mizuto how I felt, have him accept my feelings, and return to being a couple? Would that be enough? Would I be able to surpass my past self like that?

Mizuto Irido

Higashira walked back into my room after talking with Yume. She let out a very satisfied snort.

“I’ve completed flirting with Yume-san.”

“Good for you.”

“Thank you!”

She always seemed to be enjoying herself. How nice would it have been if I could live even a little like her without constantly being dragged down by my own baggage. But then I thought back to Yume and what she’d wanted in that moment in her room. Did she want me to lose my balance? Should I have?

It might have been okay legally, and maybe even with Higashira too. Nothing was holding me back—except my own feelings.

I rubbed Higashira’s soft hair around her ears, being sure not to mess it up.

“Do you need something?” she asked, turning to look at me.

“Therapy.”

“Oh, then by all means.”

I felt the warmth of her skin as I ran my hands through her hair.

“Higashira,” I called out to my best friend.

“Yes?”

“I might come to you for really important advice one day.”

Higashira blinked at me. “Oh, what an honor! I will do my best,” she said in her usual carefree tone.

“Oh, it’s already gotten this late? I should take my leave.”

“I’ll walk you partway.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind every so often. It’s been a while since we’ve hung out too.”

“O-Okay then!” Higashira giggled.

I walked down the stairs with the ecstatic Higashira. As I did, I couldn’t shake off the feeling I was forgetting something. We walked past the living room. The door was open.

“Oh, Higashira-san, are you going home?” Yuni-san ran up to us, a broad smile across her face.

Dad glanced at us from behind her.

“Did you rest up enough? Can you get home okay? Do you want to eat dinner before you go? You could even stay over if you’d li—” Yuni-san continued interrogating, closing in on Higashira.

“I-It’s quite all right. I will be leaving.”

“Oh, okay. If you say so.”

Hm? Why is she so concerned?

Yuni-san glanced at me and then leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Mizuto-kun. Let us know in advance when she’s coming over, okay?”

“Huh?”

“We’ll make sure to leave the house empty for you two. We’ll even bring Yume along with us, okay?”

Why would she have to do all that— Oh. A cold sweat ran down my body. I’d completely forgotten that she’d seen me and Higashira on the ground too.

Yuni-san gripped Higashira’s hand and smiled from the bottom of her heart. “Congratulations! Please keep taking care of Mizuto-kun!”

“Y-Yes, of course. Thank...you?”

I was facing a big problem other than my own feelings. My parents had been under the impression that Higashira was my ex, but that had probably changed as of today. In their minds, she’d become my girlfriend. I only found out that this information had spread like wildfire across our entire family in the past few hours thanks to a message Madoka-san sent to Yume.