Chapter 5: Stepsister, Invasion

◆◆◆

Laughter and cheerful voices wafted from the neighboring room, separated by just a wall.

I opened my heavy eyelids and grabbed the smartphone by my pillow. It was 9 AM. I had worked late into the night again, but four hours of sleep should be enough. I yawned and sat up.

It had been three days since Ichika ran away. I felt bad troubling Nanase for so long… Was Ichika still not planning to go home?

After washing my face, I decided to check on them and headed next door. When I rang the intercom, a gyaru with flashy makeup answered.

“Oh, good morning!”

“…!?”

For a moment, I thought I had the wrong room. I mumbled an apology and was about to close the door when I realized—the gyaru in front of me was Nanase.

“…Nanase?”

Standing there was unmistakably Nanase.

Her makeup was always on point, but today it looked slightly different. Her lipstick was a vibrant red, her eyes were heavily lined, sparkles adorned underneath, and her lashes were more pronounced than usual.

“We were just doing gyaru makeup with Ichika-chan!”

“…Gyaru makeup?”

(TLN : WHERE’S GYARU NANASE ILLUSTRATION)

I see, makeup can change a person’s appearance quite a bit. She looked more assertive than usual, with an aura similar to Ichika’s. They could almost pass for sisters.

As I stared, Nanase, looking embarrassed, gave a soft, shy smile. That expression brought back the familiar glimpse of her bare-faced self. No matter the makeup, Nanase was still Nanase.

“Souhei-kun, what brings you here?”

Ichika interrupted with a curt tone. She sounded annoyed, as if saying I was in the way.

“Just checking in. You still not planning to go home?”

“…I’m not going back yet!”

Ichika turned away and resumed her makeup. The two were happily chatting about makeup tools spread out from a giant box.

“Haruko-san, your makeup box is amazing. It’s like a cosmetics counter.”

“If you see anything you like, feel free to use it! And Ichika-chan’s lip tint is so cute! I’ve been too scared to try bright red, but maybe I will now.”

“Yeah, Haruko-san, it suits you! These lipsticks and shadows are affordable but have great pigmentation.”

“I’ve been curious about those!”

Nanase and Ichika seemed to have gotten quite close. Perhaps it was their shared interest in makeup. While I was glad, I couldn’t help but feel slightly left out.

Nanase’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she talked.

“…For example, with eyebrow pencils and eyeliners, even affordable ones can be great. The metallic finish of XX shadows is adorable, and while department store cosmetics lift your spirits, the compact design of YY makes you happy just holding it. Also, the base from ZZ has amazing longevity and blendability, and the lip from WW is highly moisturizing and has great pigmentation…”

She spoke incredibly fast. Both Ichika and I were left speechless.

Realizing she had gotten carried away, Nanase blushed and coughed lightly, trying to cover it up with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, I just get excited talking about makeup…”

“No, it’s fun for me too. You really love makeup, Haruko-san.”

“…Yeah, I love it!”

Nanase’s cheeks flushed with enthusiasm at Ichika’s words.

I knew she liked makeup, but I didn’t realize she was such a passionate otaku about it. It made me feel a bit jealous, knowing there were still sides of her I didn’t know.

“…You two seem to be getting along.”

“Yeah! We had a pajama party last night. It was so fun!”

Nanase’s words made Ichika smile and nod. It was a smile I had never seen from her before—a genuine, bright smile. Nanase had quickly won her over.

“I love Haruko-san. I wish she were my sister.”

“I’d love to have a sister like Ichika-chan too.”

Ichika then brightened up and clapped her hands together.

“Souhei-kun, why don’t you marry Haruko-san? Then she’d be my sister!”

Ichika’s innocent bombshell made both me and Nanase exclaim, “Huh?” We exchanged glances and quickly looked away.

…Marriage, huh? It’s not something to say lightly. Given my troubled family history… could I really make Nanase happy? I still wasn’t sure.

Clenching my fists, I forced out a response.

“…I can’t think about that yet.”

“Huh…?”

“…Becoming family isn’t easy. I don’t think I’m suited for it.”

Right after I said that, I realized it might have been a mistake. Nanase looked pale and hurt. Hastily, I tried to cover up my words.

“Oh, no… It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just… I’m not ready to think about something that big right now.”

“It’s okay. I understand.”

Nanase forced a stiff smile. I wasn’t sure if she fully grasped my true intentions, but I didn’t know how to explain further.

Ichika frowned, glaring at me.

“Saying you’re not suited… isn’t that just running away?”

Her blunt words hit me hard. I had no retort.

“…Sorry. I’ll head back to my room.”

Unable to bear it, I fled the scene. Alone, I flopped onto the tatami mat in frustration.

…Did I hurt Nanase again?

I could still vividly recall the time I had pushed Nanase away. Her face, pale as paper and filled with tears, was something I couldn’t forget, no matter how many times I saw her smile.

Trying to shake off the bad memories, I ran my hands through my hair in exasperation.