"Alright, let's cut to the chase, shall we?" I said, trying to break the tension that had settled after the awkward, almost painfully long introduction.
It seemed like both of us were just waiting for the conversation to get to the point.
With a slight clearing of my throat, I shifted in my seat and turned toward the heart of the matter—what we were both really here to discuss. "Let's talk about remarriage."
I continued, offering a direct and focused approach. Although the subject felt weighty, it was obvious that we had to talk about it, so I put aside any residual uneasiness and jumped right into the conversation's main topic.
She ought to be aware of who I am and our purpose by now. Thus, Hoshizora nodded her head and did her best not to be bashful.
"Ah, well, mom said I'll be living here from now on... so..." Her voice trailed off as she spoke, her words hesitant, unsure of how to finish the sentence.
She instinctively averted her gaze, unable to meet the intensity of my golden eyes.
A warm blush spread across her cheeks, and with a nervous sigh, she reached up to twirl a strand of hair around her finger.
She is really adorable when she does that. But if she continues to be this hesitant, this is going to take forever to finish.
"I understand." I nodded and took a sip to clear my voice of any awkwardness. As I am naturally talkative, I know how to handle shy people like her.
Being confident and considerate is a must.
"At home, there is an empty room, but currently there is no furniture, and it is very dirty."
"So there are two options: one is to stay in my room temporarily, and the other is to stay in Dad's room. Which one do you choose?"
I explained the current situation to her honestly.
Because of this suddenness, I couldn't have prepared beforehand. If I had known about this… let's say a day ago, I could have cleaned the house to the point of perfection.
Dad, you are such an annoyance; why don't you let me know sooner?
"...Um," Hoshizora murmured, her gaze shifting to my face as she carefully weighed my words. Her eyes flickered with a mix of thoughtfulness and hesitation.
Slowly, she lifted a finger to her lips, pressing it gently against them in a quiet gesture of contemplation.
The room fell into a tense silence, each second stretching longer than the last.
As she looked at me, I looked back at her too.
And after a few seconds more, she finally had her answer and said:
"Ah, your…room?" She chose my room as a temporary place to sleep.
"Very well, then I'm going to sleep on the sofa." I nodded my head and reassured her.
To which, her eyes opened in surprise a bit, and she asked:
"Why so?"
"Hm, because you're a woman, and I'm a man." The way she asked me caught me by surprise. I wonder if her common sense is broken or not to say that out loud.
"Ah, but I don't mind, though. Aren't we siblings now?" She tilted her head cutely and questioned.
"....Hm." I put my hand under my chin and think about her motivation from that question.
Is she trying to test me? That is very possible. Or she maybe could be the type of person who didn't have good common sense.
Regardless of her motivation, I have to be careful around her and build this relationship slowly but steadily. I don't want it to crumble before the foundation is set.
"Okay then." I nodded my head and agreed with her. I wanted to prove to her that I'm a man with integrity and won't let lust consume me.
When she noticed my rather assured expression, she grinned a little, extended her hand to the cup, and took a sip.
Hmm, she is more hospitable than I thought; maybe she isn't that timid or socially anxious after all.
"Anyway, what about your luggage? Do you need my help?" Notice that our gap has closed up a bit, I asked.
"It will come here by tomorrow. But thank you for asking." She shook her head and explained.
"By the way, Tsugimoto, did you clean the house before I arrived?" she asked, her sharp eyes darting around the room as if searching for some hidden clue.
Her tone was casual, but her gaze felt almost investigative, making me wonder what she was really thinking.
"No, why do you ask?" I replied, my brows knitting together in mild confusion. The question caught me off guard. I hadn't put much effort into tidying up, so her inquiry felt odd.
She paused, letting her gaze linger on the neatly arranged cushions on the sofa and the faint shine of the wooden floor. A soft smile played on her lips, one that seemed both amused and satisfied.
"Oh, nothing," she said finally, the corners of her mouth curving into a wider grin. "I was just curious." Her voice was light, but her smile had a warmth that felt strangely contagious.
Before I could think of a response, she stood up with an air of quiet confidence and extended her hand toward me.
A handshake? My mind scrambled to keep up, but I quickly stood and reached out to meet her gesture.
Our hands touched, her grip firm yet gentle, and we shook hands. The contact was brief but strangely deliberate, as if the simple act held some unspoken meaning.
Her smile lingered as she released my hand, leaving me with a faint sense of mystery—and perhaps a question I couldn't quite put into words.
"You can call me by my name now." She offered that option to me, to which I complied and offered her the same.
"Shinji, you can call me that." I smiled at her and said with confidence, Excited for this positive turn of events.
"...Shinji…Um, I remember that now."
***
After that conversation, our relationship seemed more relaxed and comfortable than before. Hoshizora no longer felt intimidated by me or overly wary.
"Hoshizora, I'm cooking dinner; what do you want to eat?" I said in my usual voice and not as formal as before.
"Hm, I don't know. How about you show me your cooking skills?"
She answered me from inside the living room while texting her phone. Her mood seemed pretty good from her tone of voice.
'Good job, Shinji! Your time spent playing date simulator has paid off handsomely.'
I have to agree with myself right now. Even though my luck with girls is horrible, this time seems so good so far.
What a pity; she's my sister.
I had not yet forgotten that fact, and I had to remind myself of it all the time.
No matter how cute and beautiful she is, I cannot lay a finger on her. Doing that would creep her out and make her hate me. And I didn't want that to happen.
Also, incest is bad. I have enough common sense to be aware of that.
Looking at the refrigerator station, I put my hand on my chin and closed one eye, wondering what to cook.
First of all, I don't know Hoshizora's taste; I don't know if she likes sweet or salty spicy food, fried or boiled food. So, I chose the most neutral and simple dish: omelet and salad... well, maybe it shouldn't be salad; I hate it.
So I changed it to miso soup. And because a dinner with only two dishes is quite bland, adding another meat dish would be better; how about fried meat? Not bad.
Nodding in satisfaction, I took out the ingredients and entered the kitchen, which was located right next to the living room and also served as the dining room, so it was quite convenient to move around.
Putting the ingredients on the table, I rolled up my sleeves and started processing.
When it comes to hobbies, I have many, and cooking is one of them. And because I'm alone, I can cook a lot of dishes without anyone complaining.
Some dishes are good, and some are bad, but in general, they are edible, and gradually my level increases. Up to now, I am quite confident about my cooking level.
I just hoped that it will be to her liking.
As I cooked, the rich, fragrant aroma of sizzling meat, eggs, and leather wafted from the kitchen, curling its way into the living room like an invisible invitation.
My stomach growled in response, the enticing scent making me acutely aware of how hungry I was after a long and exhausting day.
However, I couldn't ignore the possibility that Hoshizora might not appreciate the intense smell. She had always been sensitive to such things.
Quickly, I reached over to turn on the exhaust hood, hoping to diffuse the lingering fragrance as I continued cooking. Yet, despite my efforts, the scent had already made its way to her.
Curiosity—and perhaps hunger—seemed to get the better of her. From the corner of my eye, I noticed her delicate form hesitantly peeking around the edge of the door.
Her deep blue eyes glimmered, wide and catlike, a mix of shyness and intrigue swirling in their mysterious depths. There was something almost magical about her gaze—timid yet impossibly captivating.
Hoshizora's bashful demeanor only added to her charm. She looked so endearing that I couldn't help but smile, even as I felt the faint pangs of guilt for inadvertently tempting her with the aroma.
But with each moment of temptation, I felt a subtle unease creeping in, an unspoken weight pressing lightly against the simplicity of the scene. I shook it off with a laugh, refocusing on my task.
Thankfully, I had thought ahead. When I returned home, I immediately set the rice cooker to prepare a fresh batch, ensuring there would be plenty.
My habit of making extra rice for frying served me well now—I had just enough for two portions. As I plated the food, I couldn't help but feel a quiet satisfaction, knowing we'd both be able to share this meal together.
That is when we actually eat the meal.
"...Bon appetit." Holding chopsticks in her hand, still in her original shy voice, she wished me a good appetite.
Her mouth is practically drooling, but the way she said it is so hilarious. But I don't hate this side of her, though.
I thought that she would elegantly eat just like her apparent. But I was wrong.
But the image of a shy, professional Yuki Hoshizora quickly disappeared from my mind, replaced by a hungry demon.
She picked up piece after piece and began scraping away everything from rice to food. Although the eating behavior is still very elegant, it's really scary. Can a girl eat that fast? I do not believe it.
"Uh…Hoshizora? Just eat slowly..." With a confused look, I called out to that hungry demon with blue hair.
But in response, she handed me the rice she had just eaten and said, "Excuse me...please give me another bowl."
The gesture of asking is shy and gentle, but why the hell are you eating so fast, boss?
In my head, I was screaming because of this confusion. But I can't show my face; it would ruin my image. So, with a bitter smile, I served her a bowl.
And another bowl…and another bowl. I scooped up all the rice.
Oh man, I should have cooked more.
It was terrific; she ate the entire table.
But it seemed like she didn't pay much attention to her inelegant behavior. Only after eating did she begin to feel shy and confused.
Seeing that face, my impulse rose up and I decided to tease her a little for this act of gluttony.
"Am I a good cook?" I asked, my voice laced with curiosity.
"...Delicious... very delicious," she replied, her tone soft yet restrained. She quickly reached for a tissue from the table, covering her mouth as if to hide something.
Her cheeks flushed a faint pink, and though I couldn't see her expression clearly, the shy glance she shot me from behind the tissue gave her away.
It was adorable, though her compliment felt almost forced as if she was too embarrassed to express herself freely.
"Good," I said with a small smile, relieved by her words despite their awkward delivery. "I was worried it wouldn't taste right."
Standing up, I gathered the dishes and carried them over to the kitchen. With a sigh of gratitude, I reminded myself how lucky we were to have a dishwasher—I couldn't imagine scrubbing all of this by hand.
As I rinsed the plates and loaded them into the machine, I spoke again. "Ah, I've already adjusted the water heater, but if you want to take a bath, you'll have to wait a bit." My voice sounded cheerier than usual.
Just as I was about to finish tidying up the kitchen, I felt a delicate tug on my sleeves.
Startled, I turned to find her standing close, her elegant beauty fully restored. Hoshizora had wiped her mouth clean, and her composed demeanor now shone through like moonlight piercing through clouds.
Her gaze held mine, quiet but steady, and I couldn't help but notice the faint remnants of her earlier flustered state still lingering in her eyes.
"Thank you," she said softly, her voice tinged with warmth and sincerity. Bowing her head slightly, she clasped her hands together in front of her, a gentle smile gracing her lips.
"No problem; since I'm your bother now, cooking for you is only natural." I shook my head and continued cleaning.
"Yes…brother."
As she turned away, Hosizora said that in a quiet, almost disappointed voice.
Why though? I don't know.