Chapter 25 Is the Younger Sister a Schemer?

Is the Younger Sister a Schemer?

Kanade and I locked eyes—an indescribable tension hung between us.

I had stumbled upon a secret I wasn’t supposed to know.

…That’s exactly how it felt.

In this situation, there was only one thing Kanade and I could do.

“Ahaha… Ariga-cchi, no way~. Don’t tell me you’ve got a hobby of looking at women’s underwear~? Pfft, I can’t believe I just saw such a terrible hobby!!”

“…Uh, yeah. If I did have a hobby like that, you’d better put that lingerie back to keep it out of my sight.”

“You’re right… This is bad, really bad… I need to put it back before something dangerous happens~!”

“Kanade, you’re such a klutz~.”

“Hahaha…”

The two of us went through this ridiculous little charade.

With her cheeks tinged red, Kanade hugged the lingerie close and quickly disappeared.

She slipped out of sight, probably finding somewhere to cool her flushed face.

…That’s right.

I didn’t see anything. Yeah, let’s go with that.

Kanade has always had a tendency to act tough, so this was the best way to handle it—for her sake.

As I mulled over these thoughts and nodded to myself, I felt a tap on my back.

“…It’s been a while, Nii-san.”

“It’s been a while, Hibiki-chan. Let’s see… since you graduated middle school?”

“…Yes. Approximately 85 days and 14 hours ago. Thank you for everything back then.”

“Haha! You’re as precise as ever. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

That monotone voice and unchanging tone… Even though it was just three months ago, it felt oddly nostalgic.

Her name is Amamiya Hibiki 雨宮響.

Kanade’s younger sister, a former cram school student who graduated last year, is now a first-year high school student.

She’s smaller and more petite than Kanade, but her large eyes are just like her sister’s.

Her undyed, sleek black hair is cut neatly to shoulder length.

Like Kanade, she has a strong will and can be quite stubborn.

But at her core, she’s a good kid—a little quirky but deeply caring toward her sister.

Thanks to Kanade, she started calling me “Nii-san” and became fond of me. If you only focus on the fact that she “is fond of me,” it might sound like a good thing.

However, she uses that title everywhere, causing various misunderstandings, and being her teacher was no easy task.

Still, despite the struggles, it’s a fond memory now.

“Hibiki-chan, what brings you here today? Isn’t it a school day?”

“…As a woman of the Amamiya family, ‘Assist your sister with all your might’ is our creed.”

“So, you’re skipping school?”

“…As a woman of the Amamiya family, ‘Never misjudge your priorities’ is also our creed—nyah!?!”

When I lightly chopped her head, Hibiki let out a noise like a startled cat.

She glared up at me with a dissatisfied look, her eyes sharp.

“…That hurt, Nii-san.”

“Honestly, you’re at it again. Didn’t I tell you to stop pulling these stunts?”

“…I’m against violence. Actually, violence is perverted.”

“Don’t just call people perverts out of nowhere!”

I sighed and shrugged.

Hibiki often acts on her own whims, and both sisters have a knack for pulling off unexpected antics.

Unlike Kanade, though, Hibiki would skip school for things like this, so I had to keep a close eye on her.

Judging by her attitude, she probably came along because she was worried about Kanade.

Kanade likely gave up trying to stop her.

She cares about her sister so much that she goes overboard… She’s not a bad kid, but…

It’s concerning, in so many ways…

“You know your mom’s going to find out and scold you, right?”

“…It’s fine. I’ve laid multiple precautionary measures. There’s no way she’ll find out. I’ve covered all the bases with covert operations.”

“Haaa… You haven’t changed, but anyway—”

—Ping

A notification sounded from Hibiki’s smartphone.

The moment she heard it, her face turned pale, and she started trembling as she checked the screen.

“…As a woman of the Amamiya family, ‘Always be prepared to write your will’.”

“See? I told you this would happen.”

“…I’m defeated.”

Naturally, the Amamiya family wouldn’t let this slide, and she always ended up getting scolded.

I thought I’d grown tired of seeing this over the past year, but seeing it again after a while was strangely endearing.

That said, repeating the same mistakes isn’t exactly commendable.

Hibiki furrowed her brows as she glared at her phone.

Then, with a defeated sigh, she slumped her shoulders.

“…I thought I’d get away with it this time. Why does this keep happening?”

“Maybe stop doing things that trouble your parents? You’ll never outsmart your mom.”

“…She’s usually so fluffy and carefree, acting like she doesn’t have a clue, but… oh.”

—Ping

Her phone pinged again.

She flinched and immediately stuffed it into her bag without a word.

Then, she bent over politely in front of me.

“…Nii-san. Please hide me. I’m being tracked through my devices.”

“You never learn, do you? This is your fault, so just accept it.”

“…Nii-san, here’s your chance to save a beautiful girl. How about it? You could earn some favor…”

“I’ll pass. Want me to call your mom right now?”

“…You’re cruel, Nii-san.”

Even without checking, I could guess what kind of message she got—it was probably about being scolded at home.

Still, I’d been asked to keep her out of trouble, so I couldn’t just let her off the hook.

Hibiki turned away from me.

Then, looking back with teary eyes, she gave me a pleading gaze.

I shook my head and said, “Nope.”

She might call me heartless, but I knew her too well to feel sorry or give in.

Because—

“…Oh well. Time to come up with Plan B.”

With a resigned sigh, Hibiki wiped away her tears.

A small bottle of what looked like eye drops peeked out from her pocket.

…Her sudden change in demeanor was almost comically transparent.

Honestly, she hasn’t changed at all. I couldn’t help but be impressed.

Watching her lack of growth in some ways, I let out a heavy sigh.