My life here has settled down to tranquility and quiet after the nerve-wrecking incident at the family meeting passed by.
Peace, I should say.
There's at least no chance of getting attacked by an armed assailant or having a shuriken thrown my way by a chakra-using killer ninja. None of those ridiculous plot twists for now.
However, I received a phone call from that place.
◇ ◆ ◇
Turn of events never comes knocking beforehand.
Just when Maria was away, a worker in the Swiss information agency, medical department, happened to make a call.
"Mr. Siyoung of Blackhazel. I've heard stories about you."
Her voice sounds cold and mechanical. I wouldn't be surprised if she was an office worker straightening her glasses on the other end of the phone.
"Ah, yes, what are you calling about?"
"Well, it's about Dorothy-san's medical checkup from a while ago."
"Medical checkup?"
Ahh, I guess it's about that not-really-important checkup she had from a while back.
"It's not a huge problem. But… we found some signs of lung adenocarcinoma, and we decided to notify you beforehand for precaution purposes."
"Lung adenocarcinom…a?"
I'm still a student, so I don't know any hard word like that.
But when I think about it, I doubt they would go through the trouble to make a phone call if this was something trivial like catching a flu or something like that.
"We believe it could be a tumor of some kind."
"W-wait a second… Tumor… you say?"
Wait a minute, what's with this nonsense.
"There is no need to worry. It's a biological phenomenon that occurs commonly to decayed cells, so as long as we take the proper precaution beforehand…"
"Um, excuse me, but what do you mean by decayed cells?"
That reminds me, they were talking about 'decayed blood' or something like that at the family meeting before.
Maybe they were referring to Dorothy?
"Could it be that you haven't been informed yet?"
A tone of surprise is felt on the other end of the line. No, what is she talking about. Is she trying to tell me that Dorothy is some kind of a transgender or something?
There's no way that's possible.
That's way too much of an unexpected development.
"Has Miss Maria not informed you yet?"
"Well, all this about a decaying something and all that, I'm not… Ah? Er, hang on a second."
While I was busy on the phone, I spotted Dorothy coming out of her room to do something. I gesture her over to the phone.
"Yo, Dorothy! There's a call from the Swedish hospital or something like th- Fueh?!"
"G-get off the phone, you idiot!"
She gets angry in an instant and knocks me aside to answer the phone in haste.
Oy, oy, if you really hate me that much, then just tell me. Don't just act it out. I was going to pass the phone over to you anyway.
"Um, is this Doctor Anna?"
I could sense a pitch of anxiety from the way her voice shook as she answered the phone.
But.
If there's nothing wrong with my ears, then I swear I heard something like 'tumor' from before. Could this be something really serious?
"That idiot doesn't know anything! It's something even Maria-onee-sama agreed with! So please don't go around mentioning 'that' so carelessly!"
If you're talking about the tumor, I already heard about it.
Could it be that she was afraid of saying goodbye to me, so she developed this cold attitude of hers to keep me away and hid how she really was… Nah, something as simple as that can't possibly be true.
"I'm fine with something like that! I know I'm the best at knowing what's wrong with my own body! But do you understand me!? You have to keep it in mind! I won't let anyone, not even you Doctor Anna, just go around about 'that'!"
And so, it was a moment when Dorothy's attraction points skyrocketed.
"Yes, yes, then please do so. I'm always in your debt. I'll take the treatment at a suitable time."
With her usual one-way conversation in tow, Dorothy puts the receiver down.
I break in tears, stuttering for words, overwhelmed by my pity for Dorothy
"Ahhh, my poor miserable little sister, second to none in this world!"
"Wh-what? What's with you?"
"Knowing that you didn't have much to live because of the tumor, you decided to voluntarily distance yourself from your Onii-san, in fear of getting too attached emotionally!"
As I told my tale of deepest misery to tear any eyes and pain any heart listening to it, I expected the antagonism I have built up with Dorothy to melt down in an instant like snow in spring. And at that exact moment-
"I told you to stop watching soap operas, you idiot!"
A fierce punch flew my way, and my fluttering heroin-like conscience was returned back to reality.
◇ ◆ ◇
And on that evening.
After the meal is finished, I return back to my room with a game console that was stocked in the house. From what I heard, it was given by a company working under a gaming software developer free of charge, to test out their newest product.
And it's not like there's anyone in this dignified mansion that would actually take the time to play on a video game console.
Somehow I can't imagine Maria moving her character here and there busily to get healing potions. Maybe I could Imagine Dorothy doing that easily enough, strangely.
Looking through the various game titles, I pick out a game that looks the most familiar to me, and insert it inside the console.
If you never heard of Tekken series all your life, then I'd have no choice but to brand you as an alien spy from another planet. This sequel number in front of the game seems a bit foreign to me, though.
"Hey, Lily. You know how to play games?"
There's no way I could possibly have fun fighting against computers with their lacking AI. No matter what, fighting games were meant to be played against someone else.
Shake shake.
Lily shines her eyes in curiosity at the fighting game I held in my hand. I think this match-up is going to be pretty interesting.
You're looking at someone who used to dominate the arcades in the fighting game genre when he was young. There's no way someone of your caliber could ever have a chance against me.
We eventually ignite off somehow and choose a character for ourselves. And so, it's round one start.
"You do this and this, ah, hmm, then like that, ohhh! Yep, just like that!"
I nail down a brilliant combo, connecting it with a low-mid fake wall combo to hit it off.
"Uuu."
It's to be expected, but I leave Lily enraged, who was hit by defeat harder than a Greyhound bus traveling at full speed.
The fruit of victory is sweet, my friend.
So what if it was against a twelve-year-old girl or a three-year old toddler, a win is a win.
"You just can't compare this feeling of playing around with newbs in a game to anything else."
Following that was another victory for me, giving me two consecutive wins in the 'three win victor' rule system the match was set in.
"Hauu."
I can tell what she's feeling, it's easy with the childish way she thinks.
I swear I'll use the opportunity to get back at Lily for all the times she had me tricked and mocked before.
A principle of warriors; not fighting against unarmed civilians, comes to my mind briefly, but it's fine with me. In the end, a win is a win. Especially in a video game.
—.
And after my undisputed domination at the very beginning, a small ripple of change in the game took place at the third round, right after the timer started.
I say a small ripple, because all she's managed to do was simple learning to guard some of my attacks.
Aerial attacks are stopped by a mid guard. Mid guard is stopped by a low attack.
Middle attacks are stopped by low and mid guard. Aerial attacks go through low guard.
She's only learned the basic foundation of fighting games just now.
I hardly think it'll be enough to change the flow of this match but…
"Huh, it changed."
Aw crap, I forgot that this kid has a genius level of reflex at a professional level!
She doesn't know any combos, but she's guarding away all of my attacks to nab counters at me with basic attacks to slowly chip away at my HP.
"Fufu."
I start to sweat at the unexpected turn of events.
With just a few matches' worth of data she's beating me, who once managed to beat a local champion 30 times in a row. Consequently, he decided to try out real-life Tekken at me in frustration afterward. I'm losing this bad to a newbie of this level.
The pressure I'm feeling right now is no joke.
And so, the situation escalates into three wins under my belt and two under hers.
If I lose this round as well, then it'll become three for the both us, evening out the score.
But Lily's absorbing every bit of knowledge like a sponge, starting from the combos I used to all sorts of feint skills. She really isn't normal at this. Gaming reflex, I should say? In any case, her reflex transcends that of a normal person!
The match score was about to set even, with three wins for Lily.
It's time I brought out my ultimate card about now.
Yes.
That is-
"It's getting late. We should stop here for today."
I quickly sprint forward and click on the reset button.
"Hauu!"
Comrades, have you heard of Alt+F4? It's a word of profession to those that work on this side. In translation, it means to win and run way. In essence, since I ended the game right 'before' the score was about to progress from 3 to 2 into 3 to 3, it technically makes me the victor.
Yes.
It's even in the Art of Wars. Winning a war is better than winning a battle.
I suppose it a bit different in this situation, but it doesn't really matter.
"Uuu, you, cowar…"
I enjoy the victor's leisure at my convenience, while I ignore Lily glaring this way in vengeance, blazing with contempt.
◇ ◆ ◇
Though "it's getting late" was only a technicality I came up with, but really in reality, the grandfather clock in the mansion was already pointing away at one.
The mansion at night feels stifling with silence like a graveyard indeed, with not even a late-night halogen lamp lighting the way. It reminds me of a haunted house. No, a cheap amusement park-scale haunted house filled with disappointing antic can't compare to this. The mansion is hundred times scarier. That much I can say for certain.
"Ah, ahh…"
Flinch.
And just then, did I imagine the groaning sound that sounded like a ghost lamenting at a graveyard?
"Hahnn…"
Nope, I'm not imagining.
"W-wait a sec, what is this now!? You're kidding me!?"
You're actually trying to tell me there really is a ghost in the mansion?
Whatever the case, I've only lived for only 18 years. I'm not even that plump and I certainly don't look that appetizing at all. I'm not gonna pay for your medical bills if you get a stomachache eating me.
And most importantly, I'm still a virgin.
Wait, hang on.
Logically speaking, something like ghosts doesn't exist. And I'm not one of those neo-science cultist idiots around nowadays either.
What's important is that this sound is coming from Dorothy's room.
Yes.
If it's coming from Dorothy's room- If we assume so.
"Maybe's she's feeling unwell?"
I think back on what the person from the Swedish medical something-or-the-other said to me over the phone. If my ears were working correct, it was certainly something about a tumor. Even someone uneducated like I am know that tumor isn't something you can just laugh through.
With that thought, I head to Dorothy's room with a rather foreboding mind.
"Ahhh, yes, Onee-sama…!"
And,
Shining through the gap on her door to my eyes,
"!"
Lies Dorothy with her white blouse torn half-open and her breasts exposed, posed in an erotic stance, teasing her nipples and crotch with her fingers.
Moan of lewd whispers could be heard from her half-clenched mouth.
"What. The."
Oh my lord.
My legs lose what strength they have left at this unexpected event before me. It's an awkward situation that I just can't make heads or tails out of.
'I like it there, Onee-sama… Maria-onee-sama…!"
And she's keeping calling out Maria's name, smiling.
Just what the hell's going on here?
The information is sufficient enough, for sure. But I just don't know how to process all of this inside my head.
It really is a needlessly awkward situation.
Could I just pretend that I haven't seen anything and just live the rest of my life normally? No, sitting here thinking about all this is one thing, but exactly why aren't I running away?
Ahhh, I don't know what to do.
What do you want me to do!?
Maybe this is a trial.
It's really driving me crazy. Really. What could possibly be the right thing to do at a time like this? What do I need to do to get through this correctly and live like nothing happened?
I'm anxious.
Like a wave of fire blazing along, my train of thought races through my brain racking for an idea.
Not like I expected my brain to suddenly throw me a perfect idea to do at times like this, but it was still something.
—*Swipe*
While I was buy busy still trailing my train of stupid thoughts, I accidently, and I really mean accidently, push back the door just by a smidgen of a millimeter with my elbow.
Holy shit!
Spitting out my exclamation of absolute horror, I know what is to come.
Maybe this is the time when I start preparing my will for the future generations.
I really wonder why the pause of time Dorothy takes to notice the door widening and my presence has to feel so long, geez.
I felt like if there was a hole somewhere, I'd surely have stuck my head inside and never come out until the end of time.
Of course, it's impossible for such convenient hole to be there, and if the door opens likes this, then I have to face Dorothy in the eyes, on the spot.
Just how will I manage through this awkwardness and uncomfortableness?
Every second, and every minutes are stretched out helplessly, like a strand of cheese being spread apart on Italian pizza.
◇ ◆ ◇
"Huee…e?"
When the plaster-stiffened arrows on the clock started to tick yet once more,
Our gazes meet in midair, and weave together to form a tangled wad of ribbons.
Perhaps it was because the situation was too unexpected for her, but Dorothy did nothing but stay still on the spot, frozen with confusion. Likewise, the same could be applied to what I was doing.
"Ah, no, t-this is!"
Like an excuse would do any good now.
Everything's in shambles now. Ohhhh Buddha. Please take pity on me to save my life somehow. I don't care if you have to give me a lecture about how Buddhism isn't about salvation, just whatever it takes for me to get out of this mess.
Well, actually in that case, maybe it would have been better to have prayed to God instead.
…Goddamn it.
Whatever comes, comes.
I'm dead meat anyway. I could pray to every god in existence but it won't change the predetermined karma fate has set in store for me.
It really is horrifying to watch Dorothy put her clothes back on, straighten herself, and approach my way. I don't think I ever saw her like this.
Oh my.
I feel like wetting my pants right now.
I can feel her killing aura, similar to raging waves crashing against a lone cliff in a storm, blowing my way.
How much time had passed, I don't know. I feel like if I opened my eyes even for a moment right now, I'd see angels draped in white with horns play fanfare around me.
Shouting something like 'Welcome to the heaven!" or something to that effect.
Ahhh, it's a future I don't want to imagine.
Think about the hundreds of possibilities of miserable future that I can choose from, I forcefully move my tongue to spit out a pitiful excuse as an explanation.
"Ahah!? So the guy Dorothy happens to like has the name Maria, it kinda sounds like a girl's name!? Ahah, ahahaha, hahaha… ha."
Just look at how pathetic I look, expecting an excuse as corny as this to possibly work at a time like this.
"Hic!"
She's hiccupping all of a sudden. To be more specific, she's letting something out inside here using her hiccups as a starting point.
"Hic… Hic! Huaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-!!"
Ahhh, Romeo. Just what kind of explanation do you have towards this sudden reaction here?
Maybe a straightforward punch-out would have been better, Juliet.
"No, hey, Do-Dorothy…?"
"Hua, huaaaaaaaaah-! You're, hic! You're the b-bad… Hic! Bad one here! From start… Hic! Hic! Huaaaaaaaaah-!"
She's obviously half-crying, half-confessing to something here, but the problem is that I just can't understand what she's trying to say.
This really isn't good for me.
What should I even do with Dorothy here, crying away like a child in front of me?
If there was anything I could do to begin with, anyway.
It's not like I can just turn blind eye to this and retreat back to my room.
At that time, the best idea that came to my head was bow down in front of Dorothy and beg until my head was cracked to pieces.
"Sorry! It's all my fault! Everything is my fault! Sorry I was even born in to this world!"
Like a servant begging his king to spare his life, I beg away pitifully and humbly, again and again.
Maybe she's calmed down a bit. She's still sniffling, but she's stopped her crying outburst and beginning to say something.
"…Impossible."
*Sniffle sniffle* Tear-sodden Dorothy struggles to speak coherently, and continues on her sentence.
"What? What is it? Just go ahead and tell me!"
"Now that I've been seen like this, I can't remain by Onee-sama's side anymore!"
"Eh?"
"I'll kill myself and take you along with me, if it's come to this!"
And then, Dorothy takes a sharply edged fountain pen and proceeds to swing it my way!
"Uwaaah?!"
She was being serious about it?!
"S-someone help me!"
With the sound of gale grazing my ear, the sound of wind sounds deathly chill. This feeling of fear and pressure combining together everywhere in my body… I really don't like it.
"Die! Someone like you is better off dead!"
"So-sorry! I really didn't mean to do it! To explain, I-"
I should've just stayed back there and kept on getting destroyed by Lily. 100 to 3 if it needed to be.
If I think about it, all this happened just because I wanted some meaningless sense of victory to myself.
Ahh, somebody please save me.
"—An opening!"
While I was busy thinking about those things, Dorothy, who was waiting for a moment of opportunity, throws the pen right at my direction.
Leaving a thin gash on my chin, the pen travels on leaves behind a hole on the wall behind me.
"Why… Won't you just die!"
Take that stupid persistence to someone that actually wants to die!
Dorothy approaches my way, held within her a whirl rage and killing intent.
I stumble clumsily backward, until the wall behind me closes in and stops my escape.
Back to the wall.
So I really am going to die now.
I automatically flinch and close my eyes watching Dorothy jerk her hand back and prepare to swing it my way like a golf club. FuXX, getting hit by that is going to cost at least two ribs by default, with organ damage as a bonus option to boot, with plenty left to spare.
But.
The impact that follows is nothing more than a tap to my chest, nothing more than a gentle touch.
"Eh…?"
Confused, I cautiously open my eyes.
And there was Dorothy with her arm helplessly stretched and her head bowed down.
Dorothy continues on once more, fighting back her tears.
"Why are you trying to take Onee-sama away from me."
'Wh-what?"
"All I want is just to remain by Onee-sama's side, and even that isn't allowed for me?"
"I-I'm just…"
I hastily try to come up with a reply, but Dorothy swiftly cuts down on the rest of my sentence.
'I don't want to hear anything from you!"
Her emotions aren't just in a normal level of agitation.
I expect anything I could say to her would sound twisted to her ears right now, I imagine.
My conclusion is that I should forget about my side of the story for now and retreat.
The situation I'm in is one with no escape, an absolute checkmate.
"W-well for now, let's just calm down a bit, alright?"
"I don't even want to you look at your face, so just beat it!
I don't think I ever saw her this angry.
"Er, er…. Right. I'll return to my room for now then, alright? Calm down a bit, and we can talk this through tomorrow, okay?
"If you have time to babble in front of me then get out of my sight!"
"O-okay! I got it! I'll be off now!"
I walk backward to get out of Dorothy's sight, and breathe down a sigh of relief out of her earshot to calm my nerves.
I really could have been killed back there.
On that token, I should be just thankful that I got out of there still breathing.
…Was what I was thinking.
That was the train of stupid thought that was circulating inside my head.
Back then, I never would have thought in my dreams that this would turn to one of the top 3 worst mistakes in my life.
◇ ◆ ◇
"I can't find Dorothy anywhere."
That was Maria's first word on the next day morning.