I Promised to Make the Class Honor Student My 'Little Sister'. It Seems She Wants to Be Spoiled a Lot - Volume 1 Chapter 14.1

“Family” Bonding with Feelings and Emotions, Forever and Ever

Looking back calmly, the time my father spent in the hospital room was less than thirty minutes.

But the moment my father left the room… I felt an exhaustion as if we had been confronting each other for hours, suddenly overwhelming me.

And then, I flopped down onto the bed.

“…I did get the permission, right?”

While staring up at the pure white ceiling, I mumbled vaguely.

Desperately pleading… It never crossed my mind that my stubborn, inflexible father would nod in agreement.

My opinion making him cave in might just be a first.

“…Ha, that’s something.”

“Unyaa!!!.”

“Ouch!?”

Immersed in the aftermath of the linguistic duel with my father.

An annoyed Ao peered into my face and… started flicking my forehead.

“Idiot, idiot. Why do you have to be so reckless? Making all those deep bows… What if your fever went up? Flick, flick.”

“Ow ow, my forehead hurts. This is more likely to raise my fever, isn’t it?”

“…Ah, true.”

She promptly stopped her hands and,

While pouting, Ao sat down on the round chair next to the bed.

Then──after a brief pause, Ao asked.

“…Ryu-kun. Are you really okay with not going back to your parents’ place?”

“I don’t regret it. What’s important to me now is──the “family” connected by feelings. I truly believe that.”

“I see… Okay! I’m also happy to be with Ryu-kun. So, Ryu-kun, let’s continue being a “family,” okay!”

“Yeah. I want us to be a “family,” so, Ao──I want you to tell me what’s really on your mind.”

“…Ah?”

Taken aback by my sudden words,

Ao opened her mouth wide, tilting her head slightly.

That’s also endearing, but…

…It’s okay not to understand everything because it’s impossible to fully comprehend.

Instead of regretting what I didn’t notice, I should think about what to do next.

…Like Yukari said, rather than dwelling on regrets,

I want to properly catch Ao’s feelings this time that I failed to notice.

“Don’t force yourself to smile when you want to cry. If something hurts, don’t keep it to yourself. And… when you want to be spoiled, just do it as much as you want. I’ll never say I dislike it.”

“…I’m not really… like that…”

“Liar, you’re holding back so much. Even I, who’s terribly bad at sensing women’s feelings, can tell. If you keep holding back like that──you’ll crush yourself.”

I’ll never fully understand Ao’s feelings.

Because I am Ryuuki Takato, and Ao is Ao Kakogawa. We’re different beings.

But that’s exactly why.

…I want us to honestly collide our feelings.

Then surely, little by little,

We will come to understand each other better.

“──We’re “family,” aren’t we? Don’t hold back. Say anything. Even if you show me any side of Ao Kakogawa… I promise I won’t disappear.”

The moment I said that,

Ao suddenly stood up, knocking over the round chair.

And then she hugged me,

And Ao, with her glossy red lips,

────Gently pressed them onto mine.

“…!? A-Ao!?”

“…This is a kiss of affection. Don’t get any naughty misunderstandings… big brother.”

After parting her lips, she said that and

Bowed her head, as if hiding her flushed cheeks.

…Droplets spilled from Ao’s eyes, falling onto the bedspread.

“…Ao”

“…Thank you, Ryu-kun. For saying you’ll never disappear… I’m so happy.”

Ao’s voice cracked as she poured out her bottled-up emotions.

“Mom was always fine in the morning, but then I could never meet her again. Suddenly, people disappear… it scared me.”

“…Ah.”

“Dad… he started feeling dizzy and feverish a bit before he went into the hospital. If only I had taken him to the hospital then… maybe he wouldn’t have died. I still regret it. That’s why──”

Holding both my hands tightly,

Ao slowly raised her head.

Her face was smeared with tears, but… somehow, that made her even more dear to me.

“When you fell into the river, when you had a high fever in the middle of the night… I was truly… scared. I was scared that Ryu-kun might die too…”

I couldn’t help it; I hugged Ao tightly.

Her body felt so fragile, as if it might break if I squeezed too hard.

“…I should’ve gone to the hospital immediately.”

“…That scared me, thinking Dad might be there, made me hesitate.”

“…Jumping into the river was also scary. I’m grateful for the passcase… but it was too dangerous. If you don’t take care of yourself, I’ll hate it.”

“…Yeah, that was definitely risky. Sorry.”

“Being on the rooftop with Ayumura-kun is also a no. The fence is old, it’s dangerous.”

“…Eh. I don’t get close to the fence, so give me a break on that…”

“Wah! You said anything goes! I’m gonna cry, ugh!”

“Ugh, that crying voice… Ah, alright! I got it! I won’t go to the rooftop anymore!!”

Exchanging such words while wrapped in each other’s arms.

Connecting our feelings, even if just a little bit.

And then Ao──whispered.

“…Thank you for letting me be spoiled so much. Big brother, I love you.”

“Hey. If you still haven’t had enough, keep being spoiled.”

“Ehehe… Okay. I’ll spoil myself even more from now on, okay? Be prepared?”

“Roger. Since I’m the “big brother,” I’ll pamper my “little sister” until she’s satisfied, so don’t hold back.”

“And──don’t disappear, okay? Promise… Ryu-kun.”

“…Yeah. It’s a promise, Ao.”

Ao hugged me tightly again,

And in response, I hugged her back just as firmly.

…In my arms, Ao took a deep breath.

Then suddenly, her body jolted.

Huh…?

This feels familiar… I’ve seen this before…

“Ao, are you by any chance… into smells?”

“Hyah!? W-What are you talking about!? I’m not! I definitely haven’t… inhaled Ryu-kun’s scent and melted… I’m not like that at all, Ryu-kun, you idiot!”

With an obviously flustered demeanor, Ao began hitting my back.

Her gestures were childlike and cute,

But she was hitting harder than usual… maybe I should stop teasing her.

…Just as I thought that,

Ao suddenly, chomped down.

On my neck, with a gentle bite.

“──Hyah!? Ao! What are you doing!?”

“…Ehehe~. That was revenge for the meanie big brother! Your voice just now was cute~ I want to hear more~♪”

Seriously. Even if there’s no one else in the hospital room, that’s too much spoiling.

Well… but.

Always being the responsible one, caring Ao,

At least when it’s just the two of us, spoil yourself as much as you like.

That’s possible because we are──”family,” after all.

▲　◇　▼　◆

About a week after my hospitalization for pneumonia, on Saturday,

I finally completed the discharge procedures and returned to our house… the Kakogawa home.

So today’s dinner is──a celebration party for my return, enjoyed by the four of us.

“Cough! Well then, let’s start the celebration party for the return of our “twin” Ryuuki☆ Everyone, grab your glasses… cheers!!”

Following Yukari’s overly enthusiastic greeting,

The four of us made a toast with our glasses.

“Ta-da! Since it’s a celebration for returning from the hospital… I made Ryu-kun’s favorite beef stew! How is it, Ryu-kun… haven’t gotten too used to hospital food, I hope?”

“Takato-senpai. Don’t say something tiresome like preferring hospital food, okay? If you make Ao-nee cry, I’ll be really mad.”

“Nah nah… I think anyone who prefers hospital food probably still needs to be hospitalized. And… it’s delicious, Ao’s beef stew. It’s been a while since I had something like this, so it’s seriously good.”

“Ehehe~ Is that so~?”

Ao’s face melted into delight, blushing with embarrassment.

Her natural behavior felt like coming back home, to be with our “family”.

I felt genuinely happy to have returned to the “family” home.

As we were enjoying our lively dinner…

“Attention, everyone, I know you’re all having fun but… please look this way!”

Suddenly, Yukari made such an announcement.

She presented a document that was folded in half to us.

It was our precious proof of being a “family”, which we had signed with a fountain pen.

Yes──the revised “Family Contract”.

“Up until now, this “Family Contract” only had our four signatures. But! Guess what!! It’s a special… special service!!”

“…What’s with that, selling-home-shopping-channel vibe?”

“A special service? Isn’t that a glitch in your Japanese?”

“Geez, Yukari-nee. Stop being so dramatic and just tell us already~”

Yukari, who got a lot of tongue-in-cheek comments, made a “boo” face.

But after clearing her throat and recomposing herself, she pointed out the bottom of the “Family Contract”.

Family Contract Participants: Yukari Kakogawa, Ao Kakogawa, Kizuna Kakogawa, Ryuuki Takato

Consenter: Takato Okina

“…Huh? Huh!? Wait, what is this!? A consenter… even my father’s signature!?”

“What’s this? Yukari-nee, forgery?”

“No way! It’s the genuine signature of Ryuuki’s dad. Having his consent doesn’t create any legal binding… but doesn’t this make our “Family Contract” feel more solid?”

Proudly pointing it out, Yukari had a smug expression on her face.

“…Yukari. How did you manage to sway my dad? He did say he’d permit it, but he’s not the type to sign something like this… My dad isn’t.”

“That・is・because… it was Yukari’s charm offensive~☆”

“Please stop with that, okay?”

“Ahahaha! Just kidding. Well, how I did it is… a corporate secret! Let’s leave it at that!”

“Yukari-nee is kinda scary in that regard. Definitely don’t want to make her an enemy.”

“But that’s what makes her so reliable! Yukari-nee!”

“Hahahah. Praise me more, my adorable “little sisters”~”

Yukari… always seems like a frank, easygoing teacher at school.

And at home, she’s always the self-indulgent “twin”.

But there’s something unfathomable about her… that I truly felt today.

“Ah, Takato-senpai. Give me that meat. Yukari’s stew didn’t have enough meat.”

“…You know, technically today’s party is supposed to be about me, right? Kizuna-chan, you do realize that, don’t you?”

“Don’t know, don’t care. I’m the “older sister”, and Takato-senpai is the “little brother”. That’s the contract, right? So… little brother must absolutely obey his big sister’s commands!”

What kind of hellish siblings are these?

Commands and obedience aren’t exactly common terms in normal sibling relationships… probably.

As I looked on in disbelief, my “older sister” Kizuna-chan, with her ash-grey long hair gently lifted,

Smiled innocently at me.

“Let’s continue to get along then, my “little brother”?”

────Thinking about it again, the “Family Contract” is such an eccentric notion.

Signing a contract with no binding power, with ink thicker than blood, and saying, “From today, we’re family”… it’s not much different from a game of pretend.

Yet somehow… it’s warm.

Not related by blood, but connected by feelings and emotions.

Gradually coming to understand each other step by step.

That’s why… I genuinely think,

I’m really glad we made the “Family Contract”.

“Hey, Ryu-kun!”

And… my adorable “little sister”.

Boldly intertwining her arm with mine as she sat next to me,

Not as the “little sister” at home, not as Ao at school, but with a beauty beyond both,

She said with a bright smile.

“From now on, and forever──you have to stay our “family,” okay? Promise me, Ryu-kun!”