Nanodesu Ore No Imouto Ga Konna Ni Kawaii Wake Ga Nai Volume 1b

Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:
Volume 1
Written By: Tsukasa Fushimi
Illustrations By: Kanzaki Hiro
English Translation by NanoDesu Translations
v.1
Disclaimer: The work translated here is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It
is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic
interest in the work and improving personal language prociency. Should the work be licensed
for English translation or upon request by the original copyright holders, please stop distribution of this document at once.
Please send any and all comments to [email protected].
TOP RIGHT (Kuroneko): What were you thinking, dressing up like that?
TOP (Saori): To think you two could be this open with each other... hehe.
TOP LEFT (Kirino): What the hell? Look whos talking! How can you talk about other
people like that, when youre dressed like that?
BOTTOM (Kyousuke as narrator): As one part of our life advice session, I had to watch
over my sister from the shadows... hey, how the hell did an argument suddenly start? Hold
on, hold on! Calm down, you two!
[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1
Table of Contents
Contents
1 First Chapter
1.1 First Chapter
1.2 First Chapter
1.3 First Chapter
1.4 First Chapter
1.5 First Chapter
Part
Part
Part
Part
Part
2 Second Chapter
2.1 Second Chapter
2.2 Second Chapter
2.3 Second Chapter
2.4 Second Chapter
2.5 Second Chapter
2.6 Second Chapter
3 Third Chapter
3.1 Third Chapter
3.2 Third Chapter
3.3 Third Chapter
3.4 Third Chapter
3.5 Third Chapter
1
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69
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4 Fourth Chapter
4.1 Fourth Chapter
4.2 Fourth Chapter
4.3 Fourth Chapter
4.4 Fourth Chapter
4.5 Fourth Chapter
4.6 Fourth Chapter
4.7 Fourth Chapter
4.8 Fourth Chapter
4.9 Fourth Chapter
4.10 Fourth Chapter
4.11 Fourth Chapter
2
3
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27
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40
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5 Afterword
267
6 Translators Afterword
269
7 Translation Credits
269
Chapter 1
First Chapter
1.1
Chapter 1
First Chapter Part 1
When I returned home from school, my little sister was on her phone in the living room.
My sisters name is Kousaka Kirino. Fourteen years old. She is currently a student attending a local junior high school.
Her hair is dyed a light brown, and both ears are pierced. Her long ngernails are manicured to a glossy shine. Her face is attractive enough to turn heads just by itself, but she
always makes sure to carefully apply her makeup. She carries herself with an air of maturity
almost unseen in junior high school. Her frame is tall and slender, but her gure is undoubtedly lled out in all the right places.
If only she also had a knack for singing, she could have easily been a popular idol with the
female crowd.
Im not just saying this because Im her brother. My little sister is truly rened.
Its also not as if I want to portray her as the perfect sister. My male friends often tell
me theyre jealous of me for having such a sister, and while I can understand where theyre
coming from, I really wish they wouldnt joke around like that.
Honestly, I wonder if other people with little sisters might understand my position.
In reality, though, my sister isnt that great. Well, at least to me she isnt.
Take this as an example: in a typical junior high school class, there are usually a few
closely knit groups of friends.
Within those groups, one group stands out as the most outstanding. This is the group
with lots of remarkable characters - the popular student who gets along with everyone, the
genius whos also quite handsome, and the incredibly cute girl, among others.
Chapter 1
Even within that outstanding group, one girl still stands out as the most rened, and that
girl is my little sister.
Shes the kind of person who lives in a dierent world, who you always hesitate before
talking to (after all, she wont really be interested in what youre saying, right?). She is the
so-called highest level girl. You might think that this sounds like a good thing, but shes
the kind of girl who doesnt pair well with the average guy. And I am denitely an average
guy.
Now, imagine being related to that kind of girl. It shouldnt surprise you that we keep our
distance from each other.
So, can you see now? Having such a little sister isnt really that great, is it?
Im home.
I decided to go for a rather polite greeting, but not only did she not respond, she didnt
even glance in my direction.
Donning her sailor fuku1 uniform, Kirino was sunk into the sofa, her legs crossed under her
very short skirt. She was looking intently at her phone with an amused expression, chuckling
occasionally.
Certainly, her smile was cute, but such a smile would probably never be directed at me.
What? Seriously? Whyd he do that? Ahaha, what an idiot.
Ah, but the true idiot is me, for trying to talk to you.
Cursing mentally, I looked inside the refrigerator. I found a bottle of wheat tea, and pouring it into a glass, I downed it in a single gulp. Feeling refreshed, I left the room.
Many girl uniforms in Japanese schools are reminiscent of sailor uniforms.
Chapter 1
Uh-huh, uh-huh... alright. Let me change and Ill go right away.
Its already getting so late, but shes still going o somewhere?
Well, in any case, it doesnt concern me. My heart murmuring, I went up the stairs.
My name is Kousaka Kyousuke. Im seventeen and attend a local high school.
Its a bit strange talking about myself, but if I had to, I would call myself an extremely
normal high school student. I dont belong to any school clubs, and I have no hobbies or
special talents. Well, I do listen to mainstream music, and read some manga and novels, but
you cant exactly go so far as to call those hobbies.
After school, I generally hang around the town with my friends. At home, sometimes I
read manga and sometimes I watch TV.
Well, I guess I also study sometimes.
Doesnt that sound like a really normal high school student? You might think my life is
safe and boring, but being normal to me is quite an important thing.
Normal is matching pace with my surroundings, and keeping rmly attached to the
ground.
Safe means I dont involve myself in many dangerous situations.
Thankfully, my grades are decent. If my marks in school continued on like this, I could
probably get admission into a relatively good college. Before that, in terms of what I want to
do in the future... well, although Im looking forward to four years of college campus life, its
probably a good idea to give this stu some thought now.
One thing I know is that Im the kind of person who would want a job that doesnt rush
me too much. Chasing your dream sounds nice, but that wouldnt be something a normal
guy would do. That path is lled with dangers, and mistakes lead to costly consequences.
5
Chapter 1
Such a life is not t for me.
Well, I dont know if I ever had a childhood dream. But if you forced me to think of
something... Id imagine that I would want an absolutely ordinary, inconspicuous and laid
back life. That would probably have been my dream.
My home consists of a single house built with two stories. My family includes my sister
and me, along with both our parents for a total of four people.
Were a reasonably well o and wholly unremarkable household.
My room and my sisters room are both on the second oor. I changed out of my school
uniform, and after relaxing in my room for a few minutes went back downstairs. Before starting to study, I wanted to use the restroom. Incidentally, when I go down the stairs into the
entryway, on my left hand side there is a door to the living room.
And...
Oof.
Near the entrance, I bumped into my sister, who had also changed out of her uniform.
There had always been a blind spot here in our house, so it wasnt unusual to bump into
people here.
Don. My left shoulder lightly crashed into Kirinos chest. The impact itself was not very
impressive, but in that instant my sister let go of her bag and its contents spilled onto the
oor.
Ah...
Oh, sorry.
After my simple apology, I tried to reach down to the various cosmetic products that had
spilled onto the oor, but...
6
Chapter 1
Pashi. When she saw what I was doing, Kirino quickly swept my hand away with her open
palm.
Wha-
Looking back up, I was left speechless by the sharp glare I found waiting for me.
My sister began to speak.
...its okay. Dont touch it.
Only saying that much, she began to quietly gather her spilled belongings by herself.
Whoa... she gave me a bad feeling there... is it that bad if I touch the stu she was
holding?
Exactly how much did she hate me?
I looked silently down at my sister as she expressionlessly picked up her things.
................
An awkward tension lled the entryway.
My sister turned her back on me, and hurriedly put on her shoes.
..... Im o.
She muttered this like it was an annoying formality, and shut the front door with a bang.
Chapter 1
...there you have it. This is what my relationship with my sister has become.
Well, its not like I was oended or anything.
Its not as if I really saw us as older brother and younger sister.
Indeed, if a classmate acted the same way towards me, I would think ahh, this person is
this kind of person, isnt he and wouldnt try any further.
Laugh if you want at this good-for-nothing brother. Whatever, I dont care.
And, its not like I particularly cared about not being able to talk very much with my
little sister.
... Damn. Since when has it been like this?
I had the feeling that, even for her, there was once a time when it wasnt like this at all.
Well, whatever. Whatever. Its a bit irritating, but whatever. Lets go back to what we
were doing before.
After taking a piss and washing my hands, I dove straight into the sofa in our living room.
Picking up one of the weekly magazines scattered about, I lay on my back with my legs
crossed.
Ahh... wasnt I supposed to start studying?
Lying down like that, ipping through and staring intently at the pictures in some action
manga, my mood was lled with an extreme emptiness. This isnt the time to be doing
this! my brain was yelling at me, but my extreme sluggishness prevented me from listening
to reason.
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Ahh... dammit. I really dont want to study.
This type of emptiness is probably pretty common for us high school students.
Shaking my head like a dog that had its face splashed with water, I nally rose to my feet.
Leaving the living room and entering the hallway, I spotted a strange-looking thing.
Huh?
It was lying behind the shoebox in our entryway. I hadnt noticed it before, but now I
could see half of a white thin case in the gap between the shoebox and the wall.
Well honestly, my curiosity was just another way to procrastinate. As I dont want to
study, I dont want to study, repeats in my head, my brain is constantly trying to nd a
reason to keep me from studying.
Even if doing something like just picking up this strange object only really takes a few
seconds.
Its really all the fault of the lazy haze Im in right now.
I dragged out the object from behind the shoebox, and...
What the hell is this? I said, startled. It was denitely not something that I would
expect to nd in this house.
This is... well... what?
I held the case between my ngers and took a good look at it, but I still wasnt sure what
it was.
10
Chapter 1
It was denitely a DVD case. I knew that much. Ive seen these types of cases often at
video rental stores... well also, DVD was clearly written on the case. But, the contents of
that case I could make neither heads nor tails of.
Im sure my facial expression right then was one of puzzled suspicion.
On the DVD cover, there was an outrageous drawing of a girl with huge eyes.
A drawing of a cute girl who looked like she was in elementary school.
Her hair and eyes are pink... I muttered to myself calmly, continuing to inspect the case
like some detective examining evidence.
It wasnt just the character; the entire DVD package had plenty of white and pink.
Well, that much is ne. But the problem is...
Whats with this get up?
This small girl was wrapped in a costume that was quite revealing. Her outt was a
swimsuit... made of bandages... or something... it was a get up that made me want to yell
Dress properly please! From that strange bandage-like outt sprung what looked like rocket
boosters, and the girl was holding onto a trail of stars ( like this) and ying through the
air.
But also, she had a ridiculously big mechanical-like sta (or a spear, maybe?) that she
was lifting easily with one hand.
It was something that would put even Ryofu Housen2 to shame, and was obviously designed for ghting. Maybe she uses it to mow down enemies, or to smash through foes, or
maybe she uses it for something much worse.
Military general during the Chinese Han Dynasty.
11
Chapter 1
It looked like a truly dangerous thing.
Moving on...
In the upper half of the package, what was probably the title was written in a very round
font.
Star... dust, witch... meru, ru? First time... limited edition? Whats this?
I could go on and on picking out small details, but in short, this was obviously an anime.
I might have been initially confused because I hadnt seen something like this in a long time.
Then... why is something like this here?
You could almost see the question mark hovering over my head. I held this Stardust
Witch Meruru thing with both hands and stood still in the entryway. Suddenly, the front
door to the house swiftly opened right in front of me.
Im home... whats wrong Kyousuke? Why are you rolled up like that in the entryway?
Dont worry about it, mom. I just wanted a change of pace.
Too close! I thought my social life was going down the toilet!
But she wasnt mistaken. The instant the door opened, I fell to the oor and rolled up,
hiding what I was holding.
Phew... I made it just in time, didnt I?
Although I dont know the culprit, maybe this was a trap set for me. If someone witnessed
me holding something like this, I would be the laughingstock of the family3 .
3
He actually says I would be denounced in family court, but that sounds a bit strange in English.
12
Chapter 1
I could already imagine Kirinos disdainful stare, as if she was looking at a pile of garbage.
My mother, holding a few bags of groceries, looked down at me sympathetically.
You know, I heard from one of the neighbors. Mental counseling for students is pretty
popular nowadays.
W-wait. Dont be rash. Im not insane. Its just... today I studied a bit too much, I
guess.
What a lie. Theres no way you would stress yourself out so much over studying, is
there?
Ah, even my mother is saying such things to me. Have more condence in your own son,
will you?
Its not like that. My grades are plenty decent, you know?
But thats because of Manami-chan, right? Having such a talented childhood friend tutoring you, how exactly can you be patting yourself on the back like that? When have you
ever liked studying by yourself?
...
Damn, she hit the bulls-eye with that one, and I couldnt respond. After all, up to ve
minutes ago I was lounging around reading manga.
Crawling along the oor like a worm, I hid Stardust Witch Meruru underneath my shirt
and tried to escape from that place. Behind my retreating back, my mother called out.
Kyousuke? I dont mind that much, but in the future, please try not to read your H-books
in the entryway.
13
Chapter 1
Ahh, how depressing. Then again, its to be expected that my mother would guess such
things by how strangely I was acting. After all, she had once cleaned my room and accidentally unearthed my secret collection.
But this time, the thing I was hiding did not have such kind of meaning.
Carefully letting my mother walk past, I held the DVD to my chest like a rugby player
would hold a ball, and ran up the stairs. Flying into my room, I shut the door, and nally let
out a sigh.
Phew....
I slowly took the article out from underneath my shirt, and held it carefully in my right
hand. Using my left hand, I wiped the cold sweat o my face.
Mission complete. Really, though, Im used to doing things like this. I wont go into the
reasons, but I believe that any healthy junior high student would be able to sympathize.
... I ended bringing it up here, didnt I...?
Squinting at this Stardust Witch Meruru thing in my hands, I grumbled.
Well, it cant be helped. If, in the middle of my excuses for not studying, I had suddenly
gone Hey, heres this thing Ive also been hiding from you, then Im sure that would have
attracted unwanted interest.
My examination studying time having been cut short by such unavoidable circumstances,
I began my inspection of the thing in earnest.
My room is six tatami4 large. Theres a bed and a desk. Reference books and manga (and
etc.) are stored on my bookshelves. And I also have a closet.
4
One tatami is around 1 meter by 2 meters. So his room is around 120 square feet.
14
Chapter 1
My carpet was colored pea green, and my window curtains were blue. On my wall there
hung a Japanese-looking calendar my mother had gotten from the local neighborhood association, but otherwise my walls were devoid of posters and the like.
Other than that, aside from a small mini-computer, I had nothing - no personal computer,
no television, and no games.
Pretty uninteresting, right? I stand by my rule of living a perfectly normal life, and my
everyday habits show this quite clearly.
Also, I had already pretty much given up hiding my ero books, so they were being stored
in cardboard boxes under my bed. I had once begged my mother, kowtowing to her on the
oor, to never clean under my bed. But, I have no reason to believe that she would honor
such an agreement, and even if she were checking my collection every so often, I had no way
of knowing.
Ugh, I dont even want to think about it! My pride really wouldnt be able to handle that.
But at least my collection was not that risque, so that even if my parents discovered my
books this wouldnt lead to a family crisis. Thats the best defense plan as far as I can tell.
I wonder how people without their own private room try to hide things like this...
But, in any case, Ive never really thought of anything but leaving my door open. I guess
it would be pretty spoiled of me, to be troubled by not having a lock on my door.
For a few seconds, I mulled over these thoughts.
Then, I sat on the bed and crossed my legs. I took the DVD case in one hand, and rested
my chin in the other hand.
The more I look at it, the more out of place this thing seems...
15
Chapter 1
Bathed in the light of a uorescent lamp, the Stardust Witchs smile sparkled. Wielding
such an extremely destructive weapon while smiling - depending on how you looked at it, it
was almost terrifying.
Hm...
Well then... who exactly does this belong to?
In turn, I went through all the other people in the Kousaka household. As I thought, there
was nobody who I would expect to own such a thing as this Stardust Witch Meruru.
And, I dont remember ever seeing this DVD being played on the television in our living
room. (Of course, at this moment, I didnt realize that you could also view DVDs on your
PC).
So... what do I make of this? Why was something like this lying there?
While I continued my musings, I opened up the case with a click.
Wha-?!
I was more puzzled than ever. Much more intensely puzzled than when I had been just
looking at the cover.
In short, there was no Stardust Witch Meruru DVD inside the DVD case. In its place,
there was some other DVD.
... I guess this kind of stu happens a lot. For example, after listening to CDs on my
mini-computer, putting each CD back into their matching case is such a bother that I often
end up shuing them around.
But then, I soon have no idea what CD is in which case, and chaos ensues.
16
Chapter 1
This is probably what the owner of the Stardust Witch Meruru DVD did; the owner
probably put in the DVD, not really caring whether it was the right DVD or not.
Ahh, I understand now. This stu happens often, after all.
But... uhh...
Why is the title of this DVD Loving my Little Sister5 ? What the hell are you trying to
get someone to do?
And whats with this quaint little R-186 label?
... Calm down!
Beads of cold sweat gathered on my forehead, and my breathing became ragged.
This was bad. This was really bad. I thought about what could have happened in that
little scene back there with my mother if she had found this.
If I was discovered with this, I would probably have to kill myself. Is this really some sort
of trick someones trying to play on me?
I might not deal with this kind of thing often, but my instincts were letting o loud warning bells in my head. What was this dark aura emitting from this title...?! Even without the
R18 label, the title itself is plenty! The more I thought about it, the more I knew that this
was something I denitely could not continue to hold onto...
Kyousuke... are you studying properly?
5
6
Imouto to Koi Shiyou

A label reserved for 18+ explicit content.
17
Chapter 1
Ahhhhhhhhhh!7
Giving out an agonizing cry, I dove under my futon.
Peeking out towards the door, I saw my mom looking dumbfounded at my strange behavior.
... Sorry. Is this a bad time?
Dont worry about it mom. It was just speaking practice... But please, please, knock
next time.
Alright, sorry. Ill be sure to do that from now on.
With a forced smile and a knowing expression, my mother left and shut the door.
No good... its a good thing I managed to hide this thing at the last second, but my mother
denitely has the wrong idea now... dammit.
Today has been such a terrible day... and all the blame is on this thing.
Still under my futon covers, I stared at the puzzling DVD case.
Dammit...
At this rate, I have to nd the owner; I wont be able to live in peace until I do that.
I burned with angry determination to nd the culprit.
But... theres too much I dont know.

7
He actually goes Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! but that just sounds weird in English.
18
Chapter 1
That is, theres too much I dont know about the owner of this bizarre DVD. The owner of
this Stardust Witch Meruru case, in which there was this very suspiciously titled Loving
my Little Sister thing.
If I had to make a prediction, Id probably guess that whoever owned Stardust Witch
Meruru was the same person who owned Loving my Little Sister.
And, considering I discovered this article behind our familys shoebox, there was a high
probability that the owner was someone in my family - either me, my sister, my mother, or
my father.
Of course, its not as if outside people never went in and out of our house, so I cant
completely reject the possibility that someone outside our family is the owner.
But seriously... who would deliberately come to our house and drop Loving my Little
Sister in a Stardust Witch Meruru case behind our shoebox? I cant even imagine how
that would happen.
Er...
Well, for the time being, I feel it would be useless to consider the possibility of an outside
owner. For now, lets try to wring the identity of the culprit out from inside the family.
Me, my sister, my mother, and my father... out of these four people, one is supposedly the
culprit. Objectively speaking, which one is the most suspicious...? Stardust Witch Meruru
and Loving my Little Sister (18+), who would be the most likely owner of these things...?
Well, the answer would be me, and thats annoying.
No, no, no. Of course its not me8 . But certainly, I guess that I would be the most likely
suspect. Man, saying that about myself makes me kind of sad.
8
It pains me not to use proper English grammar here (I instead of me) but using I would sound too
stuy. Alright, this was a silly Translators Note. Shut up.
19
Chapter 1
But that thing obviously isnt mine. Because I really am not that interested in anime.
There are a few people in my class who would talk about anime, but I rarely talked with
them.
But, I mean, I could say the same for all the other members of my family...
Concluding that, I held my head under my arms, troubled.
Ok. Well, it cant be my mother, right? And I dont think my technophobe dad can even
use a DVD player. Plus, just to imagine seeing that hardheaded man merrily watching anime
gives me the chills. And my sister... well, she was the rst one I had excluded. About ve
years ago, she may have watched stu like anime, but lately shes only been into mainstream
dramas and music programs, right?
Such childish anime is denitely quite far from Kirinos hobbies and interests.
No matter what, I cant possibly imagine her going so far as buying this Stardust Witch
Meruru DVD and then watching it. And, as for Loving my Little Sister, even thinking she
would do that would be repulsive. So, could it possibly be Kirino? The modern-day Junior
high school girl? Just today even, theres no mistaking that she went out to hang out with
her friends...
I give up. Im beyond stumped.
My ship of reason had nally run aground. As I thought, the culprit couldnt be in my
family, but if I expand the sphere of suspicion to include people outside of the household,
there would be so many people to consider that I would surely make no progress.
This is useless. I guess I really am not cut out to be a detective.
Well then, what now? This is so annoying... maybe I should just give up?
No... as I thought, I cant erase this from my mind. I will denitely nd the person
20
Chapter 1
responsible.
It was strange, but I had become unusually determined. The usual me would have stopped
this investigation right now, and then would have taken a nap until dinner. And, if I had
done that, the peaceful life that I had before now would have continued.
But, that didnt happen. With purpose, I had decided not to give up the search. Of course,
at this point I didnt know why I felt this way, but for better or for worse, I was determined
now to be the decider of my own fate.
In this case, I decided to go and tread on a huge landmine.
1.2
In my house, dinner happened at seven oclock sharp. This was because my father always
came home from work around that time. If you werent at the dinner table at seven, then you
werent going to be eating dinner there at all that day.
It was six forty-ve. Scratching my head, I left my room and went down the stairs. But, I
suddenly stopped mid-descent. Right beneath my eyes, I saw the gure of Kirino around the
entryway.
Ahh, so she came back.
Now that I think about it, Kirinos curfew is 6PM. Setting aside whether that time was
too early or too late, it seemed that she honored her curfew today. Well, I guess that even
though she looks like a high school student, for the time being she denitely is still in junior
high.
Today, Kirino had on a black and white striped T-shirt, as well as a black something that
looked like a mix between shorts and a skirt. I dont really know, but it looked like something
of the Sesi brand. If she were called a fashion model, then everyone would probably believe
it.
21
Chapter 1
...pretty cute, isnt she?
But I didnt really want to approach her.
Because she seemed to dislike me, it was probably best that we keep our distance from
each other. But no matter how often I repeated that to myself, it wasnt like we could stop
being siblings.
I just have to deal with it, I guess.
So I waited there on the stairs for her to go to the dinner.
...Hm?
But this was quite weird. The living room door was right next to her, but she did not
head towards the living room, and instead just stood in the entryway looking dazed.
...What exactly is she doing?
Well, I didnt want to look like an idiot just standing there, so I descended the rest of the
stairs.
I stood in front of the living room door, my hand on the knob.
...
Suddenly, I turned my head.
...Hey. Something wrong?
...Huh?
22
Chapter 1
Whoa, what an intense stare.
...Damn. Knowing this type of thing would happen, why did I have to open my mouth?
Am I an idiot?
Tch. Its nothing.
Clicking my tongue, I turned the living room door knob forcefully.
On the dining room table was tonights dinner of curry and miso soup. This room where
we gathered to have our meals functioned as a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen, so
it had no dividers and was very spacious.
My sister and I sat down in empty seats, directly across from mother and father.
The newscaster on the television chattered away about overseas exports as well as other
current events.
My father sipped his miso soup silently. After taking a bath, he had changed into casual
clothes, so the stern atmosphere was amplied by his Yakuza-like appearance. But the truth
was quite the opposite; he was working as a police ocer.
On the other side, my mother was chewing some pickled vegetables. From appearances,
she really gave the impression of a housewife. Honestly, Kirino did not take after her at all.
My little sister was very silent. In this family, my sister was fundamentally unsociable.
Silently eating her meal like that, I thought she really looked like my father. Especially with
her sharp glare...
Incidentally, Ive been told that I take more after my mother.
23
Chapter 1
My familys dining room was also a typical, normal family table, and for that I was grateful.
Eating my curry silently, I looked for an opening to enact my plan.
It was, of course, a plan to identify the owner of the DVD.
...Although, it isnt as complicated as I make it sound. It was a simple plan with no twists
and turns.
In a word, because pure logic would not get me anywhere at that point, now that all the
suspects were gathered in one place, I could sh for the culprit a bit. And then, there was
the opportunity I was looking for.
Draining my clam miso soup, I spoke to no-one in particular.
Im going to the convenience store after dinner. Does anybody need anything?
Oh? Then please buy me some of the new Haagen Daaz ice cream. The seasonal one.
Alright.
After this conversation with my mother, I nonchalantly started talking again.
Oh right. One of my friends has recently gotten into some girls anime. Umm... I think
it was Stardust something, or something like that.
Whats this, so suddenly?
At my bait, the rst response I got came again from my mother. Could it really be that...
Well its nothing, just that he thought it was interesting and recommended it. I was
24
Chapter 1
wondering if I should give it a try...
No. That sounds like something an otaku would do, doesnt it? Come on, I learned about
this kind of thing on TV. It would be bad if you turned into something like that, wouldnt it?
Dont you think so, dear?9
The conversation had been turned to my father, and he answered very plainly without
changing his expression at all.
Do not go deliberately looking for bad inuences.
Hm, as I thought, thats what he thinks about this. Theres no reason to say bad things
about something you dont know much about, but honestly this stu generally doesnt leave
a good impression, does it? For me, I dont really care what hobbies other people choose to
take up. After all, it has nothing to do with me.
But, objecting to my parents words would be really annoying, so I just responded with
a noncommittal uh-huh. Well, I guess my mother is not the culprit after all. She never
faltered at all at my comments.
Im speaking, of course, about the owner of the DVD. And, from the beginning I had
already ruled out my father. He did not even know how to play the DVD, so he could not
possibly be the owner.
So then... by process of elimination... the only one left is...
I discretely glanced at Kirino out of my peripheral vision.
...
Kirino was intensely biting her lip. She had stiened with all her might, to the point where
9
An otaku in this context is someone who is into anime and manga. Also, Kyousukes mom actually refers
to his father as dad, which is pretty common in Japanese households when one parent is talking to the
other, but just sounds strange in English.
25
Chapter 1
the tips of the chopsticks she was holding were trembling. ...Wha-? ...Could this mean...
...Kirino?
My mother called softly to Kirino upon detecting her unease.
...Thanks for the meal.
Kirino, looking quite annoyed, rose from the table and briskly walked out of the room.
She closed the door with a loud bang! I heard the dan, dan, dan, dan, dan of her footsteps
going up the stairs.
The three of us left at the table were dumbfounded.
...Whats gotten into her today?
Wh... who knows... I appropriately answered to my obviously dumbfounded mother.

But honestly, I had no idea what had just happened either.
What did she get angry at? Something was said in the previous exchange between my
parents and me that really made her angry. Maybe she was the real culprit, and realized
exactly what I was doing, but that would be all the more stranger.
Normally, Kirino would never get so agitated and be so easily caught red-handed by me.
So, why did this happen? Kirino, I dont understand at all.
...Hmm...
But... Kirinos behavior was anything but usual... I also have to take into account that
she denitely reacted to my comments.
26
Chapter 1
Of course, this wasnt denitive proof that she was the culprit, but at the very least, this
heightened my suspicions that the DVD belonged to a family member...
But could it possibly be, that the Stardust Witch Meruru DVD I picked up in the entry
way belongs to...
...my little sister?
Dear, after dinner please call Kirino down.
My fathers grim voice echoed heavily around the room. Ahh, hes getting mad. Oh well,
whatever.
1.3
The DVDs owner was Kirino. Certainly, if I assumed that... a lot of things would make
sense.
The time she dropped the item was probably the time she bumped into me earlier in the
evening. At that time, when the contents of her bag spilled out, this thing may have fallen
into the crevice between the shoebox and the wall.
And then, she went out and realized that this item was missing.
And, this also explains why she seemed like she was looking for something in the entryway
right before dinner.
Continuing along these lines, if my theory about the mismatched DVDs was correct, then
Kirino meant to bring Stardust Witch Meruru with her and not Loving my Little Sister.
... But still. I cant even begin to imagine why she had to bring this with her when she
went out. I thought that she was just going to hang out with friends, and theres no reason
for a girl whos going to a mixer like that to bring an anime DVD, is there? I mean, she
27
Chapter 1
denitely was going to meet with her friends...
...Hm.
I just dont understand. For one, until this day I could not imagine Kirino ever having to
do with childrens anime. Was I wrong? Is the owner really Kirino? Thats impossible, isnt
it?
Its nice that I came up with this theory of Kirinos guilt, but so far in my heart I was still
less than half convinced.
Well, for now, lets see if we cant set a little trap.
Thanks for the meal.
Having nished my meal, I left the dining room table. I stopped by my room to grab my
wallet.
Stopping in front of my sisters room, in a forced tone, I spoke.
Alriiight. Time to go to the convenience store.
I have no acting ability, do I? Well, whatever. Its not like I thought this was going to
work. Instead of a trap, this was turning into some clownish sideshow.
With a dan, dan, dan, I went down the stairs. With a bang, I left the house and shut the
door.
Leaving the house, I walked towards the convenience store. Rounding the corner, however,
instead of going towards the convenience store, I walked along a dierent path that led me to
the back of the house.
What exactly was I planning to do? Well, I guess I was trying to think from the perspec28
Chapter 1
tive of the culprit. If Kirino was really the culprit, then she probably already knew that I had
her DVD.
So, then... if I were in Kirinos position, what would I do?
Well, she would denitely want to take the DVD when Im not looking, and then feign
innocence... thats the only thing she could do.
Kirino was obviously in a strange mood earlier. She lost her cool. And in that state...
when I left she may have nally reached the end of her patience and started looking for her
DVD in my room. I mean, the chances of this ploy working were pretty low, but I wanted to
try something rather simple.
Ahh, as I expected, its not good is it... or wait... could it be...
As I muttered to myself, I went in through the kitchen door at the back of the house, and
sneaked quietly up the stairs.
And then, I forcefully threw open the door to my room.
Oh!10
..........................Hey..................... What do you think youre doing?
......Ah!.........
Ehhhhh?! Really?! She was really here!
Okay, okay, calm down.
In the middle of the room, Kirino was crawling on all fours. At my entrance, she paled
10
He says Gi! Doesnt sound right in English.
29
Chapter 1
and swiftly turned her head in my direction.
She looked frightened. But, again, that stare as if she were looking at garbage pierced my
heart.
... I asked you, what are you doing?
... Its nothing. Dont worry about it, Kirino snarled, with her behind still facing me.
She seemed nervous, and her breathing was uneven.
... How is it ne? Freely walking into another persons room and looking around... What
would you think if the same thing happened to you?
And also, of all places, wasnt where she was sticking her hand where I kept all my Hbooks?
Instilling my words with a sense of inexpressible anger, I had spoken calmly.
.............
Without speaking, Kirino turned away. Maybe it was from anger, but she began to blush.
Then, without a word, she slowly stood up and walked this way.
Out of my way.
No. Answer my question what were you doing here?
Out of my way!
Dont play dumb. You were looking for this, werent you?
While she glared intensely at me at point blank range, with a racing heart, I slowly took
30
Chapter 1
out the Stardust Witch Meruru DVD case which I had hidden under my shirt. Kirinos
response was quite dramatic.
Thats...?!?!
Oo. Kirino threw an intensely threatening glare my way, and reached out for the case,
but I skillfully evaded her hand.
With an excessive look of triumph on my face, I beat my palm against the back of the
DVD case.
Hm. So this really was yours, wasnt it?
... No, theres no way that could be mine.
She spoke in a clearly displeased voice and obviously did not want to continue this conversation. Hey, hey, at least make an attempt to make your words and actions consistent, then.
It isnt yours? I picked this up in the entryway this evening. Isnt it something you
dropped when you bumped into me?
Denitely wrong.... Its not mine.... th... that kind of.... childish anime... theres no
reason Id watch something like that.
Shes completely set on denying it, isnt she? Were not going to get anywhere like this.
Well, if you werent looking for this, what exactly were you doing in my room?
Well, that is... that is...!!
Thats what? What is it?
31
Chapter 1
Upon my prodding, Kirino once again fell into silence.
...................
Her shoulders shaking pitiably, she bit her lip and cast her eyes downwards.
It was obvious that my questioning had left her incredibly embarrassed.
For example, imagine if someone you hated came up to you and said Hey, this H-book,
its yours, right? Hehe. That would be horrendous; it would be so embarrassing that youd
want to die.
..............tch.........
Her glare was cruel11 , and her cold hostility struck me.
... Dammit. Why does she have to glare at me so hatefully?
Crap... Im looking like more of an idiot by the second. Even though I really didnt care
that much about this at all. Why did I decide to start acting so unpleasantly towards her?
Ahh, I cant anymore. As if I could continue acting this way.
Hey.
I casually held out the DVD case to Kirino. My sister looked up at me with hatred gleaming in her eyes.
This is something important, isnt it? Ill return it, so please accept it.
11
They use an idiom here, oya no kataki de mo miru you which basically translates to with excessive
hatred.
32
Chapter 1
B-but, its not mi-
Then take it and throw it away.
Wha-?
Kirino looked up at me with a puzzled expression.
Whats with that look? It wasnt like there was any reason I should continue teasing her
like this. I was only curious who this DVD belonged to, and now I know that. Why would I
want to keep going back and forth like this with her? I didnt reveal these thoughts to Kirino,
but I chose my next words to ease the tension.
My bad. It was a misunderstanding. I know now that this doesnt belong to you. I
dont know who it belongs to, but it somehow found its way to me. Im apologizing, and then
please, wont you throw this away for me?
After I had made that attempt to calm the situation down, Kirino suddenly spoke.
... Uh... I- Its OK. Whatever.
With that, she took the DVD case from me. I stepped to the side, and Kirino opened my
door and walked out of my room. I advanced into the center of my room.
Phew...
Geez, that was so unexpected! How many years has it been since Ive spoken with my
sister like this?
Im so tiiired... falling into my bed with a thud, I stared up at the ceiling.
And then, my sisters voice appeared, even though I had thought she had left the room
33
Chapter 1
long ago.
... He-hey?
Huh?
Shes still here? How annoying, cant you just leave?
When I turned my eyes on her, I saw that she was shyly looking at me12 . She wore a
charming13 facial expression that I would have never expected her to normally have. Whwhat is this? ... Whats going on?
What? I asked, feeling a bit uneasy.
.............Do you......... Do you think its strange?
What is?
That is.... Okay, this is just hypothetical. ... Its like this. If I.... really owned that
DVD... Im asking you, is that strange?
.......tch.
Not really? Its not that strange, is it? I answered, clicking my tongue mentally.
I wanted to get her out of my room as quickly as possible, and if I didnt answer like that
she would just get angry again. ... Geez, why did she still want to ght over this? Didnt
I return the DVD to her to protect her pride and avoid conict? After all, her clumsiness is
what caused this problem in the rst place... She should be thanking me, why is she still so
resentful?
12
She was looking at him with a feeling like she was taking uttering peeks at someone.
He actually uses the adjective shushou, which means admirable... which I interpret to mean shy or
charming in this context.
13
34
Chapter 1
You... really think that? ......... Really?
Yeah. Whatever hobbies you might have, I denitely wouldnt make fun of you for it.
Because it really has nothing to do with me.
Really really?
Youre stubborn, arent you? Yes, really. Believe me please.
I chose my words a bit carelessly, but somehow or other Kirino seemed to be satised at
my response.
....... I see....... Alright.
Nodding her head repetitively, and holding Stardust Witch Meruru with almost religious
fervor, she ran out of the room. Why did this scene evoke such a sense of nostalgia in me? I
feel like something like this has happened in the past long ago... but Ive forgotten what.
... She could have at least shut the door.
Grumbling, I collapsed into my bed, facing skyward.
1.4
The next two days were extremely uneventful. Kirinos relationship with me returned to
normal; we didnt talk, our eyes never met, and we generally kept our distance from each
other as if we were strangers. I had caught a glimpse of an unexpected side of my sister, but
I didnt really plan to do anything in particular in regards to that, so I decided to just forget
about it.
35
Chapter 1
So, why am I still so interested in what my sister is doing?
But, even though thats true, Im not going to just go digging around for more secrets.
That would be really tedious.
But...
It was late at night.
I was sleeping peacefully, when with a smack, I felt a sharp pain on my cheek.
...Wha?!
What a terrible wakeup call. Something really knocked into my cheek hard.
W-what is it?! A burglar?! Terried, I hurriedly opened my eyes.
...
So bright. It seemed like the lights had been turned on. I felt a heaviness on my stomach,
but it didnt seem like my arms or legs were restricted. Pretty sloppy for a burglar, isnt it...
hey!
Y-You.
Ascertaining the identity of my attacker, I opened my eyes wide. Due to the unexpected
night attack, I could hear my heart beating.
Be quiet.
The attackers identity was revealed to be Kirino, who was in her pajamas. My upper half
36
Chapter 1
sprang up. She was right over me on all fours. Her face, which bore none of its usual makeup,
closed in on me.
... Wha... Its you? What exactly do you-
I told you to be quiet. How late do you think it is? Kirino said threateningly in response
to my accusatory question.
How late do you think it is? - shouldnt that be what I should be asking?
... But now, for me... its late in the night, Im on my own bed, my sister is sprawled over
me, and were staring at each other at point blank range. What in the world is this situation?
Taken out of context, it seemed like a scene straight out of a romantic comedy, but my heart
was bursting with an entirely dierent feeling.
F...... for now, get o my bed.... I said while trying to steady my breathing. With a
clearly indignant expression, Kirino obliged.
If this were another girl, I would have also been really bewildered (but probably for a different reason). But with my sister sprawled on top of me, the only thing that really bothered
me was her weight. No matter how I looked at her, it never really registered that Kirino was
part of the opposite sex.
Guys who have a younger sister should understand this feeling.
Sigh...
Rubbing my temples with my ngers, I sighed and then began talking.
So? What do you want with me?
... I have something I want to talk about, so come with me.
37
Chapter 1
38
Chapter 1
Geez, why do you look so angry? Im the one who should be angry, with you slapping me
on the cheek like that. But, Ill be a nice guy and entertain you right now.
You need to talk? At this time?
Yes.
Im reaaaaaaally sleepy though... Is this something that really cant wait until tomorrow?
I said this in an obviously annoyed tone, but Kirino did not nod her head.
Instead, she looked at me with an expression that said Are you an idiot?
Tomorrow is no good. It has to be now.
Why?
...Because.
Alright, alright. She didnt give me a reason. She also was obviously not giving up. Geez,
this girl is so spoiled.
Even though these remarks ew through my head, I honestly just really wanted to go back
to sleep.... But I had already woken up, so I guess Ill play along. This is really annoying, but
Ill respond.
Where do you want me to go?
...To my room.
39
Chapter 1
She said this while giving me an extremely erce glare14 , and began to pull on my sleeve.
Finally giving up resisting, I resigned myself to following her.
See, you should come... come with me.
Seriously, whats going on?
1.5
My sisters room was right next to mine. My dad had given her this room last spring,
when she entered into Junior high school. This room was once an old ragged Japanese-style
room, but it had been refurbished into a Western-style room. And, up to now, I had never
once entered it.
I had always thought that I would never see the insides of this room, but of all things, Im
being invited inside in the dead of night. If you had told me this morning that this would
happen, I would denitely have not believed you. Even now, I didnt really believe that this
was actually happening and wasnt some huge joke.
... Its okay. Come in.
... Alright.
At Kirinos word of approval, I took my rst step ever into my sisters room. I didnt really
feel it was that big of a deal though. A strange sugary smell permeated the air.
...Hm. Isnt this bigger than my room?
This room was probably around 8 tatami large15 . There was a bed, a closet, a desk, bookshelf, full length mirror, and a CD rack, among other things.
14
15
See footnote 11.

As explained before, one tatami is equal to around 20 square feet.
40
Chapter 1
The interior design of the room was pretty much the same as that of mine. The entire
room was also covered in a reddish coloring.
But she did have a personal computer on a desk, which I didnt have.
It wasnt a room with too much personality, but in its relative modernity, it matched the
image of Kirino I had always held.
... What exactly are you staring at?
Im not really looking at anything.
Seriously? Even though she invited me in, shes still saying stu like that?
Kirino sat quietly on her bed, and pointed at the oor.
Sit.
She said that so naturally too. Isnt this situation looking a bit too much like a judge with
a criminal?
Hey, at least give me a cushion to sit on, wont you?
......
Kirino scowled, obviously displeased, and threw a cat cushion to me.
Thankful, I sat on the cushion, cross-legged.
... Seriously, she looks really annoyed that Im touching something that belongs to her.
41
Chapter 1
Does she thinks I have cooties16 or something? Are all girls this age like this? Ahh, that
would be terrible.
So?
I casually rested my chin in my hands. Kirino frowned, and was obviously agitated about
something. Soon, she took a deep breath and murmured something.
...ave something to...
Come again?
Her voice was so low. I couldnt hear it at all. At my request for clarication, Kirinos
eyes hardened.
... Advice. I need advice.
Whoa, am I hearing this correctly? Thinking my ears were playing tricks on me, I asked
again.
What did you say?
...... I need some life advice.
...........
For what Im sure was a long time, I was silent, dumbfounded. In my silence, my eyes
were blinking rapidly.
Wait... what? Of all things, my sister, who hates me and sees me as some garbage bug, is
facing me and asking me what? For advice? However I think about it, this seems like a dream.
16
He says germs, but this is probably more appropriate.
42
Chapter 1
At this point, I wouldnt even be surprised if Godzilla started attacking the city outside our
window.
Somehow or other, I managed to speak out of my parched throat.
You need... life advice... from me?
Yes.
Kirino gave a denitive nod. Seriously, is this real?
... Is this about what you said before?
About what?
You know... uhh... that time when you asked me would it be weird if I owned something
like this. That talk.
Geez, Im so inarticulate. I sounded really awkward.
That time... could you mean, when you asked me to throw that thing away?
... Yeah.
Why are we talking about that here?
Ahh, yeah, I said that, I responded, confused. So what?
Umm... so you... really wouldnt make fun of me?
Geez... should I even answer that? I wanted to say.

43
Chapter 1
Kirino looked at me with a doubtful expression. I responded.
Stop repeating yourself so much. I already told you, I denitely wouldnt make fun of
you.
After all, your hobbies are your hobbies, and I really dont care. Did she really call me all
the way over here just to ask me that one more time?
You de-denitely wouldnt? Really really?
Denitely not. Really really really.
If youre lying... Ill never forgive you.
Whatever, do what you want.
Get to the point, wont you? What are you saying?
After my weary explanation, Kirino stood up, as if she made up her mind, and walked to
her book case.
Hmm? What is she trying to do?
Confused, I watched as Kirino went up and pulled one of her two bookcases o the wall.
It didnt look too heavy, but she walked over and spilled the cases contents onto the bed.
And now, one of the bookcases had disappeared from the walls, leaving just a large blank
space.
He... hey..... what... are you trying to do?
44
Chapter 1
Not answering my question, Kirino went up to the remaining bookshelf (having already
dumped half her books on the bed), and began pushing on its side with her shoulder. Facing
the empty gap on the wall, she started to apply pressure to the bookcase.
Little by little, the bulky bookcase began to slide. And then, behind the bookcase, a
Japanese-style sliding screen17 appeared. A secret hiding place.
Whoa...
Kirino let out a breath, and then began to speak.
... When I started going to junior high, and got my own room... this room was converted
from a Japanese-style room into a Western-style room, right? Im not too sure, but this is
one of the remains of the old room... I think. It was hidden by the bookcase, so even I didnt
know it was here until last year when I found it while cleaning the room.
Oh?...
Its just like dad to be so stingy. He probably thought that it would be OK since the
problem spot was being covered by a bookcase.
So... could it be that the advice you need is about whats behind that door?
Kirino nodded. She put a hand on the sliding door, but did not look like she was trying
to open it at all.
.....
Hesitating with an unsure expression on her face, Kirino stared at me intently.
From the ow of the conversation, I tried with my limited imagination to guess what could
17
The technical term for it is a fusama. Google image search it if you must.
45
Chapter 1
be behind the sliding door. Whatever was behind there, it was also probably the reason for
her hesitation.
... Needs life advice, huh? .... Why from me, of all people?
Well, certainly, I did tell her that I wouldnt make fun of her regardless of what hobbies
she might have...
Hm...
I tried to imagine what I would do in Kirinos place.
Well... if were talking about life advice, then there are really two main types, right?
First, it could be the most common case, where you consult with someone you can rely
on.
In this case, you have some problem but you cant gure out what to do, so you want to
think about a solution with someone else together.
And then, theres the case where you consult with a third party who doesnt know anything about the situation.
In this case, the third party cant give good advice from the onset, so he has to sit and
listen to the situation for a bit before giving an opinion.
But, for Kirino, I was certainly not someone she felt like she could depend on and conde
in. Denitely not.
... Right?
But if whats bothering Kirino is what I imagine it to be, I can understand that its something that would be dicult to talk about with other people.
46
Chapter 1
She must be afraid of tarnishing her own image. Its not a situation in which she can freely
choose who to conde in.
At this point, there really was only one person in the world that Kirino could go to for
honest advice.
I already had found out her secret, and I was impartial and didnt care. That one person
was me.
Huh. So its like that, is it? Now that I was fairly convinced I had gured the general
situation out, I wanted to just get it over with and go back to sleep. So, I spoke.
Dont worry. Whatever you bring out from there, I wont make fun of you, and if you
want me to keep it secret, I wont tell anybody... alright?
At my carefully chosen words, Kirino nodded once again.
... Its a secret, OK?
Murmuring that to reassure herself, Kirino opened the forbidden door.
Whoosh.18
Plop.
... Wha? Something... fell out?
Before I went for a detailed look at the contents of the hidden compartment, I moved
instinctively and picked up the fallen object.
18
The text reads gara, which is an onomatopoeia that doesnt translate well to English.
47
Chapter 1
It was another DVD case...

The title was Loving my Little Sister Little Sister Maker EX Vol.4.
COUGH COUGH COUGH
I almost choked over my surprise.
Th- this again?! Now that I think about it, she didnt only own that anime, but things
like this too!
I was dumbfounded. Also, what the hell is with this half naked girl looking embarrassed
and covering herself on the cover?! Such an indecent cover illustration is beyond my imagination! And, whats more, this is only part of an entire series?!
Wh.... What in the world... is this... ?
Ah. That originally came out for the PS2, but it was ported over to the PC and renamed.
Its really amazing, but its a bit old and the content is a bit dicult, so I wouldnt recommend
it for beginners.
That wasnt what I was asking! And also what do you mean by beginner? Are you a
pro or something? Seriously a pro?
Dammit, there are too many comments I wanted to make here, and with all my strength
I dont think I can keep them in.
Wh- what exactly am I trying to start?
What kind of strange business did I get myself caught in this time? Somebody tell me!
The revelation of this Loving my Little Sister hit me right in the gut, and I felt groggy.
48
Chapter 1
My sister didnt really notice though.
Ugh...
Breaking out into a cold sweat, I raised my head and took a peek into that forbidden abyss
that was thrown wide open.
At rst glance, the interior of the compartment looked like just any ordinary closet. It was
split up into an upper and lower compartment, and was poorly lit.
But, the inside of the compartment was stacked densely with a large number of goods.
My eyes rst landed on a tall stack of boxes in the upper compartment.
These... boxes are....?
These? These are PC game boxes.
Kirino responded with a hint of pride in her voice, and with a bit of eort took a few of
the boxes and placed them in front of me.
These boxes were mostly from the Little Sister Maker EX series, with titles including Super Sister-in-Law, Playing with My Sisters, Tengen Toppa 12 Sisters, Ultimate
Weapon Little Sister, and things of that type.
There was a lot I wanted to say, but I didnt want to choose the wrong words and land
myself in a terrifying situation. For now, let me start with a relatively safe question.
Why... are these boxes so big?
I dont know either. But thats how they are, Kirino said, as if this were one of the
worlds unsolved mysteries.
49
Chapter 1
I dont understand... I dont understand... I dont understand anything at all...
Gulp... Straining to keep in dangerous comments that were threatening to come out from
my mouth, I averted my gaze and turned towards the lower shelf in the compartment.
There, also, stood a line of huge boxes.
These boxes were even bigger than the PC game boxes, and there were a variety of them.
On many of them there were illustrations of girls, several which had a metallic shine to them.
These... this stu... what is it?
Anime DVD boxes. All the boxes here are deluxe editions.
DVD Boxes? Deluxe editions?
It was a bit shameful, but I parroted her words back to her.
Yes. These complete editions include extra story content, have bonus disks, special edition booklets, and other extras are included. ... Fufu, incredible, isnt it?
And, its the same with that... Stardust Witch... whatever?
Yeah.
For some reason, I felt Kirino getting excited.
Being able to reveal her prized collection like this made her this happy? Shes even smiling
at me, her hated brother. But, for some reason, I still didnt feel that satised about this.
For now, something was bothering me.

50
Chapter 1
All of this... wasnt it very expensive?
Hm? Well, relatively, I guess. Lets see... this was 41,790 yen19 , you see? And this one
was 55,000 yen, see? And then, umm, this one was...
So expensive!!! What do you mean, relatively?!?!?!
Really? ... I mean, it costs around the same as one or two sets of clothing.
Where in the world are you getting all that money?! Youre a junior high school student,
arent you?! Why is it that youre only fourteen, and you already have so little restraint in
spending money?!
I regretted this right after I said it.
... Crap. I might have stepped on a landmine. I really didnt want to hear how she was
going to respond...
Ignoring my obvious discomfort, Kirino quickly responded.
Where am I getting the money... isnt it obvious I have a job?
I... I see...
Hm... job... a job? I guess its OK if thats true...
...no, wait wait wait wait! Thats not good at all, is it?!
19
Around 550 USD at late 2011 exchange rates (of 77 yen per dollar). This is the last time I will convert a
yen amount into USD in this translation.
51
Chapter 1
Giving Kirino a penetrating stare, I continued my questioning.
J... Job, you said?
Yeah.
... What job? Where did you get it?
Ahh, right, I never explained that. Im modeling for a magazine.
Ma- magazine? Model? Like... a gravure idol20 or something?
... Completely o. Are your ears broken or something? I said I was a mo-de-l. For
magazine subscribers.
My chest hurt at her scornful expression. I never really had made a distinction between a
model and a gravure idol, but it seems that what I said was completely o the mark.
Whether or not she noticed my confusion, Kirino took a magazine out from her bookcase,
and tossed it to me.
It was some kind of teen magazine. On a white background, the title was ashily displayed
in shiny font. On the cover, there were also various statements predicting the latest trends.
.....
Flipping quickly through the book, here and there I caught glimpses of the familiar gure
of my sister. I dont really know much about this kind of stu, but it seemed like she was
posing while wearing the latest in fashion.
20
From Wiki: a Japanese female model who primarily models on magazines, especially mens magazines,
photobooks or DVDs. Gravure idols, in most cases, emphasize their sexual attractiveness and often model in
swimsuits or lingerie.
52
Chapter 1
Hmm. I had always said that she looked like a model, but she seriously was one.
I really shouldnt care what she does with her time, but why am I a little annoyed by this?
I dont really know why, but without thinking, I let loose a snide remark.
Doesnt posing like this make your back hurt?
Youre an idiot.
I thought I saw a hint of disappointment within her scornful stare. It must have been my
imagination.
At her suddenly downcast eyes, I felt the mood of the room darken. I tried to smooth
things over.
.... I mean... its... pretty c-cute, isnt it?
What am I saying? ... But it was also the truth.
... And I mean, this is a pretty popular magazine right? Even Ive heard of it. Youre
pretty amazing.
Hmph, not really. Its not that big of a deal, this magazine.
But at my words of praise, she seemed happy. She didnt appear to be as annoyed as she
put on.
Sensing that the tension had broken, I continued where I left o.
So... how much do you make?
53
Chapter 1
Umm... That would be...21
When I heard her answer, I dropped my shoulders, heartbroken.
... Hey hey.... However you look at it, thats a bit too much to be giving to a kid.
And I mean, every day I have to make sure to practice and keep up my appeal too - thats
also part of the job.
Keh... well said, I guess.
But man... Ill bet that the readers of this magazine would not believe that this cute,
stylish model whos posing for them uses her pay to buy things like Loving my Little Sister
or Playing with my Sisters.
Or, should I say, if her fans knew something like this, they would probably faint.
As I reected on the unfairness in the world, I tried to peek into the bottom of the hidden
compartment.
But, Kirino stood there with her legs straight and arms stretched out, standing in my way.
... Ah, I wont let you see any more than this today.
Why?
Well, its not like I wanted to see more. I just thought that she wouldnt let me go until
she had shown me everything.
After taking one glance at the hidden compartments bottom, I was met with a erce stare.
21
We never read how much Kirino makes, but it is understood that she does tell Kyousuke - its just not
written in the novel.
54
Chapter 1
Stop looking at me like Im garbage, wont you?
I... still dont trust you. We wont go any further today.
What?
What was this? What exactly was she saying? She made it sound like this was just the
tip of the iceberg, that there was a lot of stu worse than this. Ehh... seriously? Is that true?
Umm... theres some stu in here thats... a bit embarrassing... so.... yeah... not today.
.... I- I see...
Whaaa? My sister, who was almost proud to show me Loving my Little Sister, is hesitating and telling me that there are embarrassing things in there... what kind of unthinkable,
terrifying things were these? Suddenly shivering and quieting down, I fell forward onto all
fours.
H- How could that be?
Wh- what do you mean how ?
What in the world am I saying? If anybody knows, please tell me.
When I didnt respond, Kirino started a bit bashfully.
So... what are... your impressions? You saw. Thats... my hobby.
...Uhh... my... impressions? ..........Umm, Im surprised.
55
Chapter 1
Thats it?
... Even if you say thats it?... I cant help it can I? I really am very surprised... I dont
really have any other impressions about it.
At my intentionally conciliatory remarks, Kirino frowned and murmured wearily.
... As I thought. Having this kind of stu... is strange, isnt it?
... No, its really not...
Whether it was strange or not... that wasnt really the issue.
... So this was the life advice that Kirino wanted?
Leaving that aside, will she let me go back to my room soon? I want to sleep and just
forget about all this.
I really wanted to get away from this place as soon as possible, so I said what I felt my
sister wanted to hear.
I already told you. Whatever hobbies you might have, I denitely wont make fun of you.
Isnt that enough? Whatever hobbies you want to have, thats completely up to you. Its
not like youre causing problems for anyone, and nobody has a right to complain when youre
using your own money to pay for it.
... I know, right?!... Haha... sometimes you can say good things too!
Alrighty then, is she satised? So, please let me go back to my room now.
With that, I began to lift myself up, but I suddenly changed my mind and sat back down.
56
Chapter 1
The truth is, for quite a while Ive been being really patient and keeping in all the interjections22 I wanted to throw her way.
If I made a poor remark, she might answer in a horrifying way, and so if I could I wanted
to get through this without making any snide remarks. But I couldnt keep it in anymore.
It was like the world was hurling me instructions to Hurry up! Make a comment! Make
a comment! Of course, this was probably my imagination.
Uhh...
Alright... should I make a remark now? Should I really? Am I prepared? Am I ready to

deal with it, to not lose my cool if she responds in a horrible way?
Kirino, weve talked through all of it, but I still have one thing I would like to ask you.
Huh? Gross. What are you being so formal?
Bastard, why are you speaking like that to your brother who listened and rearmed your
choice of hobby?
At this point though, I got a feeling that things wouldnt turn as ugly as I thought.
Collecting my wits with a breath, I started speaking.
Your collection... Why do you only have little sister eroge?23
...............
22
The term he uses here (and frequently after) is tsukkomi, which is basically an interjection you make when
another party says something stupid. Its usually not meant as a mean-spirited thing, and often is meant to
be funny. For more information, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manzai. There is really no good way to
translate this perfectly into English, so Im trying my best. Bear with it.
23
Eroge is short for erotic game. Basically, a pornographic video game.
57
Chapter 1
Hey, hey... why is she being so quiet? ... Say something, wont you?
What... do you think?
Ahh... I wonder...
Wait wait wait. Why is she blushing?
Why is she crawling towards me on all fours?
Wait a second, wait a second... stop that, seriously! Its not like Im into stu like that...
Sensing danger, as if I wasnt able to stand, I began to scoot backwards.
... Why are you running away?
Im not running away.
Liar. Youre running away.
Thats because you... ah...
Crap. My back hit the wall, and I couldnt retreat any further.
Looking for a way to stand up and run from the room, I hurriedly looked around the room.
Doing this quite slowly, I became more and more cornered.
.....
58
Chapter 1
Kirino looked like she was thinking hard, and had made a decision.
With a serious look, she stared right into my eyes. I felt paralyzed, and could not move
at all. Neither of us looked away, and a tense atmosphere permeated the room.
Continuing to crawl on all fours, Kirino seemed like she was going to crawl on top of me...
And then she thrust the Loving my Little Sister package in front of my nose.
Wha-?
I was surprised at this unexpected development. Ignoring my puzzlement, Kirinos attitude did a complete 360. She began to speak as if slightly entranced.
Looking at this package... dont you think it looks good?
... Wh-what are you saying?
I dont understand what shes getting at. I cant even count how many times Ive said I
dont understand since setting foot in this room, but this time I was especially confused.
Come oonn!24
She seemed truly confused, as if she wanted to say Seriously, you dont get it?
... Its really cute, isnt it?
What is? Be more specic, wont you?25

24
She says Daakaraaa! which is a statement of exasperation. Come on! is the closest I could come to it
in English.
25
He actually thinks You omitted the subject in your sentence. Which just sounds really stuy in English.
59
Chapter 1
At this time, I probably looked pretty doubtful.
I didnt think that asking her anything at this point would get me a useful response, so I
tried to read between the lines of her words and guess what she meant in my mind.
............
There were two clues. First, there was the package she had thrust in front of my face. And
then, there was her abrupt description of this package as really cute.
If I thought about it normally, there was really only one answer... but, would that answer
be strange? Or not? ... Not being able to come to a denitive conclusion, I timidly asked.
So you mean... that is... uhh... I might be wrong but... you like little sisters ? A-and
so, you have a lot of those kinds of games?
Yeah.
C- correct answer... Shes vigorously nodding... But why does she look so proud of herself?
... Although, it would be nice if we could talk to each other like this usually.
These thoughts were ying through my head when Kirino began talking without prompt.
Its really cute, isnt it? Umm, Ill give you an example. Because the main character in
a galge26 is usually a guy, the little sister will call you things like oniichan, onii, aniki,
niikun,27 to show her aection for you, yeah? And these special nicknames all match her
type and personality. And thats... really adorable.
26
A type of game (usually pornographic) in which the objective is generally to woo and date a girl out of a
number of choices.
27
Various spins on the word older brother, of dierent levels of formality.
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Chapter 1
A- ahh... Thats great.
I responded the only way I could. ......Geez, she really seems excited about all this.
And also, the only things you call me are rude things like hey and you. Whats up
with that? Thats not adorable at all; rather, its pretty irritating.
Not noticing my silence in the slightest, Kirino continued to show me the Loving my
Little Sister package, and pointed at an illustration of one of the girls.
In this game... this girl is my favorite one.
The girl she was pointing to was short and seemed very timid. Her black hair was tied in
twin pigtails, and she had on a shy, bashful expression.
As I thought, twin pigtails and black hair are musts. These types of tidy, obedient girls,
you just really want to protect them, and you just really want to hug them tightly... hehe...
its great, isnt it?
But your hair is light brown. You wear an incredibly short skirt, cross your legs, and sit
with your ass in the air and talk on your phone. All that stu you said now, its impossible
for you to become that type of girl, isnt it?
Well, whatever. Thats another matter.
... I see.
My little sister likes little sisters. Thats why shes collecting these things.
I understood that much. But my curiosity was far from sated. Rather, my curiosity was
just getting bigger.
With a strained face, I asked my next question.

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Chapter 1
B-but... why?
Huh?
I mean, why do you like little sisters? Im not saying its wrong... but the games youre
playing, theyre usually meant for guys right? And, whats more, isnt it illegal for you to be
buying 18+ games? This just doesnt seem to match with your image at all. Why would you
like, I mean, like things like that? Is there a motive, or reason, or something, for this?
Thats... that is...
After hearing my question, Kirino was clearly dismayed. She blinked as if her face were
splashed with cold water, and her gaze darted confusedly around the room. It didnt feel
exactly like she was just struggling for words. Waiting for a while like that, I heard Kirino
speak.
I... I dont know!
Her eyes shut tightly, her face dyed a brilliant red, Kirino seemed just like a small child.
Huh? I responded. Kirino held her chest with both hands, and, embarrassed, began
speaking.
....Um, that is.... That is... I... I dont understand it... myself...
... Whoa. What is this, so suddenly... has she been possessed by a demon or something?
Where did the usual hateful Kirino go o to?
Looking so embarrassed is so unlike Kirino (in fact, it looks cute), and I was dumbfounded.
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Chapter 1
You dont know, you say... but its your own hobby, isnt it?
B-but! I cant help it.... I really dont understand it myself... at some point, I just...
started liking this stu...
That sentence ending28 ... hey hey, thats so out of character for you.
I... probably saw some anime in the window of a store or something... and that got me
into anime.
Kirino, just like the little sister characters she liked, was getting more timid.
She uneasily looked up at me.
.......... I also........ know that this isnt a normal hobby for a girl. So up to now I havent
told anybody...... I always kept it hidden. But... in the end... its really something that I
like... I think when I was on the Internet, I accidentally Googled29 this stu.... And then I
downloaded a trial version, and while I was playing that... ahhh... I got really into it and
knew I had to buy more.
In the end, it was like this, was it...?
I looked at the high pile of little sister games, scrutinizing them.
... Shes fallen into the devious game producers trap, hasnt she?
Th-this type of cute illustration... it almost drives me mad...
Thats the illustrators fault, isnt it?

28
Kirino ends her statement with da mon, which is sort of a cutesy shy way of ending sentences. This
does not translate at all into English, but this is what Kyousuke refers to in the next sentence.
29
Apparently there is actually a Japanese proper verb for to Google. Ahahahaha.
63
Chapter 1
And, anyways, why the hell am I sitting here in the dead of night, listening to my sister
explain how she became an otaku?
Is there any brother in the world who has done this before?
Kirino continued.
There were so many times I told myself that this couldnt go on, that I should stop...
but, no matter what I tried I couldnt stop... whenever I opened up an Internet browser, and
I go on news sites30 for all the latest news, they always try to make me buy stu, you know?
... oo, and also on cosplay and Akiba blogs...31
Well, I mean... I dont understand this well at all but... the news sites? Cant you just
not look at them?
...... If I could do that I wouldnt be having these problems in the rst place...
At my light interjection, Kirino looked very disheartened.
Hey hey... who is this person in front of me? This cute little sister in front of me is
denitely not the Kirino Ive come to know.
In front of me, Kirino clunked down and looked up at me with tear-lled eyes.
... So... So, what should I do?
..........
I could say Do whatever you want to do, but...

30
She cites Hatena Antenna, which is a Japanese site.

Akiba is shortened from Akihabara, a portion of Tokyo that is known for electronics and anime goods.
Cosplay is... ok, if you dont know what cosplay is, why the hell are you reading this light novel?
31
64
Chapter 1
Frankly, if I wanted to be honest, I would respond How would I know? but as expected
I couldnt say those words to my sister who was obviously depending on me. Whatever the
case may be, I couldnt say that.
I understand. She chose to come to me for advice, but its not because Im the kind of
brother who she can look up to and depend on. I had already decided that coming from me,
someone that Kirino did not care about, nothing I could say could actually harm her.
It was a rather frivolous and lighthearted way of thinking about things.
But... even then, Kirino came to me and spilled her worries to me. I mean, there wasnt
a shred of deep aection in it, but even then, just by relying on me a bit, isnt that at least
something? And now, the one person who can become her strength and support, that one
person is me, right?
... So, theres no use ghting it, then.
I closed my eyes and accepted the situation. Kirinos predicament was really something.
Maybe... I really should just tell mom and dad...
Isnt it obvious that wouldnt work?! Dont even think about it!! If that would have
worked, do you honestly think you would be in this awkward situation now?!
Whoa, I shouldnt act so surprised. Isnt that naturally the rst thing to try?
Alright... I wont then.
Do that. Especially not dad - you absolutely cannot tell this to dad.
Our father was a prime example of an old-fashioned conservative Japanese person, and he
was very strict.
65
Chapter 1
If our father found out about Kirinos secret hobby... well, he would probably do something unthinkable.
If I was found out... that would be bad, wouldnt it... ?
Yes, it would be bad. Honestly, I dont even want to think about that possibility. So
cooperate with me here. We need to make sure your hobbies stay secret... although Im not
sure what we should do...
... Really?
Kirino had a surprised expression on her face. It seemed that she couldnt believe that I
was oering her my help.
You... exactly what do you think of me? But I was too scared to ask.
As I was thinking these unhappy thoughts, I nodded.
Its OK. If anything happens, dont hesitate to tell me. I cant really give you great
advice, but Ill do what I can.
I regretted these words right after they left my mouth.
.... Re- Really? .... Then, lets do that, I guess...... Yeah, if you do that for me, it would
really help.... maybe...
Kirino did not speak a single word of thanks, but she was repeatedly nodding and seemed
happy.
Seeing my sister like this, honestly, I couldnt think of a bad thing to say about her.
66
Chapter 1
....Hmm. So, even my sister could get like this, huh...
As I was mulling over my surprise, I gazed at my sisters shy face.
How nostalgic... I dont know why, but it really felt nostalgic.
Geez... and for a moment there I thought that I had said something irresponsible.
Well, whatever, it somehow came to this. I guess that in the two days since I discovered
that item in the entryway, shes been agonizing and agonizing and agonizing over this, until
she nally came to me for advice.
So now, I have to help her on this. Although, its all still a bit annoying.
.... Well well. But in any case, this situation could have been much worse... so Im glad
for that.
So, in conclusion, you like little sister characters and you buy little sister eroges.... Theres
nothing youre not telling me, right?
Huh? If not that, what did you think it was?
I had asked that question for some more peace of mind. Confused, Kirino inclined her
neck.
And then, a few seconds later, she realized the worst outcome I was worried about, and
she scowled.
... Gross. Of course its not that.
Whoa, in a single second she returned to the usual Kirino. Such undisguised disgust. This
is denitely my sister.
67
Chapter 1
Crap, I probably should be unhappy about this change but I cant help but feel a bit
relieved. That charming side of Kirino was just strange.
Arent you the one whos gross...? The games you like are about a little sister loving an
older brother, right? Are you denying that?
... Are you an idiot? Dont mix two-dimensional things with three-dimensional things.
Games are games, real life is real life. Generally- in reality, are there really that many little
sisters who love their older brothers?
This girl... was that just a way to say I hate you in a really roundabout way? Isnt that
cruel? There are a lot of brothers and sisters in this world that get along, arent there? But
it seems that in my case, were eternal enemies!
I dont have any more use for you. Could you leave?
Dammit. As I thought, she really isnt cute at all.
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Second Chapter
69
2.1
Chapter 2
Second Chapter Part 1
A week had passed since that night when I stepped on that huge landmine. That night,
under the pretext of wanting life advice, my sister and I talked more than we had for years.
But, even so, our cold relationship did not really change.
Since that night, weve gone back to our usual silence and have not said a single word to
each other.
Well, thats life. Change doesnt come about that easily.
I had said that I would help my sister to the best of my ability, but up until now, I had
received not a single request for help. I guess from the start, there really wasnt anything I
could do for her. I was also not the kind of person who would take initiative and do something
on my own for her, and so any lingering questions or interest I had in the matter had entirely
melted. Its probably better this way.
I quickly forgot all about my sister and her strange hobby. Itd probably be best if we just
went on as usual.
Itd be better that way... right?
As I was becoming entwined in these gloomy feelings, the bell signaling the end of classes
rang, and the classroom stirred to life.
Ahh. What?
Stretching in my seat, I loosened my muscles which had stiened through the boring class.
As this was happening, my bespectacled childhood friend drew near, and soon stood in
front of me.
She leaned over and peered at my face.
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Kyou-chan, lately youve really seemed out of it. Feeling tired?
But Ive always seemed out of it like this.
Creaking my neck, I answered in a self-derisive way. Untidily sitting in my shallow seat, I

drowsily opened my eyes halfway. I was the spitting image of the lazy high school student.
My bespectacled childhood friend began to lightly laugh.
Ahaha, certainly. But Kyou-chan, when I said you looked out of it, I meant that you
looked even more out of it than usual.
Hmm... well if you say so, then I guess.
You look so slovenly.
Thats also no dierent from usual... are you going back?
Yeah.
Grabbing my backpack and standing up, I went out into the hall with my bespectacled
childhood friend.
Tamura Manami. In a word, we were inseparable childhood friends32 . And, lately, shes
also occasionally lled the role of a private tutor for me at home.
As expected from someone with glasses, she was an honors student.
32
When Kyousuke says inseparable, hes saying it slightly sardonically, as if theyre inseparable but this
inseparability is somewhat annoying.
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Outwardly, she appeared normal. She was actually relatively cute, but unfortunately,
rather plain and unrened.
Even if she took o her glasses, you couldnt say that she was really pretty.
Even if she took o her glasses, her face was rather plain and normal.
Her grades were just below the top of the class. She did not belong to any school clubs,
but her hobbies were cooking and sewing. She had many well mannered friends, but in terms
of close friends she would hang out with after school, those were almost nonexistent.
She was the supporting actress; titles like normal, common, and mediocre t her
more than anybody else. She was the polar opposite of Kirino.
Indeed, her appearance was not the best.
Whats wrong? Youve been staring at my face.
Nothing. Its nothing. I was just thinking how normal you are...
Really? Dont make me blush, ahaha...
It wasnt really a compliment.
Correction - she was normal but also just a bit airheaded.
But, being normal is a pretty good thing, isnt it? my airheaded plain bespectacled
friend said.
I responded with an I guess.
Banzai, mediocrity. Viva the normal life.

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Those were my mottos, so painting Manami with this normalcy was a big comfort to me.
When I was next to her, I could relax... this was also in stark contrast with my sister.
We were lined up and walking through the hallway.
So, whats the matter?
Uh, what?
As I saaaid, Kyou-chan has been spacing out quite a bit recently. If you could, please tell
me the reason.
The reason Ive been spacing out, huh...?
I guess Manami noticed my strangeness more than I did. I didnt really notice anything
o, but if she says so, then it might be true that Ive been spending day after day spaced out.
And, really, there can only be one reason why this could be happening.
It has nothing to do with you. Dont worry about it.
I said this bluntly, and swung my school bag onto my shoulders. But, Manami wasnt the
type of girl that would just leave it at that.
Pursing her lips slightly, she looked up at me somewhat bitterly.
It does have to do with me. A lot.
Huh? Why?
Youre asking...? Well, if I was being bothered by something, would you just say It has
nothing to do with me and pretend nothing is wrong?
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Her eyes gently narrowed as a laugh surfaced. Dammit, that was an unfair way to put it.
With a scowl, I murmured unhappily about her meddling. Manami continued to laugh
loosely with an ehee. Why does she look so happy about this? With an amazed expression,
I let out a sigh.
You... youre seriously more like my mom than my actual mother.
Oh? Is that just your way of telling me that you love me?
I mean that you stink of a mother.
... heeeey...
At my words, the bag Manami was carrying seemed to grow ten times in weight. Downhearted, she stopped walking.
Walking ahead one step and then turning back, I saw Manamis eyes ll with tears.
So meaaaaaaaan...
Ah, I see, in the end what I said really seemed to have bothered her. Feeling guilty, I
decided to answer Manamis original question as far as I could. I couldnt go into details, but
I gave her a basic introduction and mentioned my sisters name. Manami inclined her neck
strangely.
Your sister?33
33
There are honorics here that are getting lost in translation. Manami refers to Kirino as imouto-san,
where the san shows a bit of respect. I will generally try to keep honorics in the text as much as possible,
but writing little sister-san sounds way too weird.
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Still facing front, I nodded and responded with a yeah.
Whats wrong with your sister?
That is... well... she came to me for some life advice.
As I tried to be as vague as possible, Manami blinked in surprise.
Life advice? From Kyou-chan?
... And whats with that surprised look?
Hey, dont look at me as if coming to me for advice is that strange. Sensing my scornful
expression, Manami became ustered and shook both her hands vigorously.
Ah, no, its not like I was thinking that she was being reckless or anything.
You... youre really terrible at lying, you know?
Smiling, I snatched her glasses. Playfully putting them on myself, I saw the world warp.
Gi- give me my glasses back.
Glasses, glasses, teasing her like a scene straight out of some manga, I suddenly returned to the issue at hand.
She called it advice, but in the end, all I did was listen to her talking.
Wah.
The frantic Manami took the glasses I returned to her and put them back on.
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Chapter 2
Seeing that I had walked ahead a bit, Manami lightly sprinted to catch up. Checking that
she was indeed walking by my side, I continued talking.
... But she seemed really bothered. I didnt really know what to do either, so I couldnt
really do anything except leave things as is.
H... Hmm...
The conversation having halted, for a little while we walked quietly down the hallway.
Manami had placed her index nger on her lips, and was looking upwards, but...
Suddenly, with an eheh, a slow laugh rose to the surface.
Youre pretty nice, arent you Kyou-chan.
... Why do you have to put it like that? Dont come near me, four-eyes.
I spoke cruelly, and turned away. Geez, it was be pretty amateurish of me to let my embarrassment show out openly.
You really couldnt do anything... but, you really wanted to do something for her.
Haah...
As if. I shrugged my shoulders and let out a sigh. But, Manami smiled with a knowing
expression, as if she could see right through me.
Hmph. How annoying. This is another reason why childhood friends are so...
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Chapter 2
Because I made no eort to respond, our conversation temporarily ceased.
Changing our shoes in the shoebox, we exited the school building. The distance between
the school and my house was approximately a kilometer.
Because Manami lived in the same neighborhood, we usually walked together until we
reached my house.
As we were leaving the school gate, Manami began to talk.
By the way, how have your studies been going?
It hasnt been.
It must be if you can answer so quickly. Geez. Well, shall we study together today?
That would be a big help. Somehow or other, whenever Im alone, Im so unmotivated...
And you end up reading manga and stu?
... Psychic, arent you?
She really did know me too well. And now shes laughing again...
Studying for exams. For a second year high school student, such a thing was quite normal.
Incidentally, I was aiming to attend the same local college as Manami.
It may have been just slightly girly34 of me, but the reason I want to go to that college
is because I want to go to the same school as Manami. Its not as if Ive fallen for her or
34
Whoa. Just a bit sexist, Kyousuke?
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Chapter 2
anything, but it was just that Im comfortable with our companionship and I wanted it to
continue as long as possible. And, besides, if I can be with Manami, Miss Ordinary herself,
then surely I can walk the path of normalcy that I have always aimed for. Thats my logic.
My lifes guideline, Manami, spoke.
Alright then. So, shall we meet at my house and then go to the library? ... Oh, right,
we also have some new types of monaka35 . Since youre coming over anyways, you should try
some.
O- ohh, could I? I dont want to impose.
Manamis family ran a Japanese confectionary, so they often fed me sweets.
Even though I almost make a hobby out of teasing my childhood friend, theres no denying
that her familys sweets are not bad. Maybe I think like this because, from hard candy to
bean buns36 , Ive been getting fed sweets from their store since I was a child.
This was not the taste of a mother, but of a childhood friend, I suppose.
Its ne. I dont think theres anything I can do for you to help with your sisters situation, so at the very least, I can make Kyou-chan a bit happy.
... Well, arent you good-natured.
At my sarcasm, Manami bashfully chuckled with an ehehe. Looking downwards with a

pleased face, Manami walked with her bag held in both hands in front of her, the bag making
a pata pata sound as it hit her skirt. This was a sign between childhood friends, and was
similar to a puppy wagging its tail. Praise me more, praise me more, it meant.
Youre going to be a good grandmother. Whoever ends up being your grandson is going
35
Monaka is a wafer cake lled with bean lling. Google image search it if you want a visual.
Manjuu. Im adding this footnote because manjuu is common enough that people recognize it, but its
not common enough so I translated it as bean bun.
36
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to be very happy.
... H-hey... dont you mean Youre going to be a good wife. Whoever ends up being your
husband is going to be happy ?
Nah, denitely a grandmother. For some reason, every time I talk to you, I always have
the same feeling as if Im drinking tea on my late grandmothers veranda.
... Thats not a compliment, is it? Thats not a compliment at all... hmph, you dont
think Im sexy at all, do you, Kyou-chan? Even though youre pretty plain looking37 yourself.
Youre the last person I want to hear that from!
If we really thought of each other as pretty plain... I guess we were rather similar, then.
As I was trying to change the subject, we came to the side of my house.
If we turned left at the T-junction up ahead, we would come to my house.
And, what good timing - or should I say bad timing - we encountered Kirino who was also
returning from school.
Gah.
At that moment, I stopped (right near to the lower portion of the T-junction).
From the left hand side of the T-junction, the uniformed teen magazine model was walking
towards us. It looked like she was with a few girls from her class. And every last girl that my
sister was talking to was pretty good looking. They werent my type, but they were denitely
a cut above the rest.
37
She actually says you look like a minor character.
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And I mean, there denitely are idol groups that are made up entirely of girls in their early
teens. Although, I dont think you would see them walking down the street like this talking
loudly.
.......
We stood there, silently.
In front of these two supporting players, a dazzling aura danced about, and we passed by
the group of junior high girls.
Haah...
With an envious stare, Manami watched those ashy young girls pass us by.
Those were some really cute girls, werent they? Being young is pretty wonderful.
Hey, grandma, have you forgotten that youre only in high school? Are you really that
old and forgetful?
Man, she acts so old now I can barely follow her. What a hopeless situation.
I know already, grandpa. But, even when I was in junior high, I wasnt that rened, right?
Junior high school students are still kids, right? ... But they seemed much more mature than
that. Im pretty jealous... I guess Ill just have to try harder.
... It really doesnt matter... youre ne the way you are.
If Manami became like Kirino, I honestly wouldnt have any more rest in my life.
Much more than the rened, modern ladies who passed us, I preferred being with my
normal, plain childhood friend.
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Chapter 2
Hmph. After all, for me and Manami, those girls lived in an entirely dierent world.
Dammit, I understood this all too well.
2.2
A few more days had passed. For a long time, I had avoided speaking to my sister.
It was Sunday. In the morning, I had gone out with Manami to the library. When evening
came, I walked with Manami to her house and returned home, whereupon I found Kirino
waiting in the entryway.
She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Her dangerous sidelong glance
pierced through my heart.
.... Uhhh... Did I do something to piss her o?
... Come with me.
W-Why?
I asked this nervously, as Kirino continued to glance at me from the corner of her eye.
Life advice. Part two.38
She muttered this thickly. I know what she wanted to say, but why does she have to say
it with such frank hostility?
Is that really the proper attitude of someone asking someone else for advice?
38
She says tsuduki, which means continues.
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Chapter 2
Part two, you say...
... Just come.
Without even letting me properly take o my shoes, Kirino began pulling at my sleeve. I
might be overreacting, but her inability to actually directly take my hand is a bit irritating.
... Geez, as always theres probably no point in arguing, is there...
Being friendly, I didnt try to ght against Kirinos threatening attitude, and limply went
up the stairs.
I was forcibly taken to my sisters room.
As always, the room emitted a sweet smell. Incidentally, whenever I went to Manamis
room, I could always smell nothing other than incense. Thats so like a grandmother, isnt it?
...Well, to each his own.
Kirino, who entered the room rst, pulled out a chair in front of her PC, and beckoned
me over with her index nger. What the hell is she trying to say? Was this not an advice
session?
Not knowing what my sister really wanted, I was bewildered.
Sit here.
A-alright.
Obediently, I did as my sister commanded. Kirino came to my side, and leaned one hand
on the table, putting her weight on it.
Kirino turned on her computer, and I soon found myself looking at the Windows startup
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Chapter 2
screen. Soon, that screen was gone, and replaced by the desktop screen.
A number of cat-eared girls relaxing in a living room adorned Kirinos desktop background.
In one corner of that cute desktop, there was an icon of a deformed cat peeking out from
behind a wastebasket. There was a calendar in the upper left. In the upper portion, there
was a messenger window open that was shaped like an oblong set of cat ears. Browser and
other icons were also lined up in an organized way.
... Youre really into this stu, arent you...
Sure. I changed the skin, and used a cute launcher to dress everything up. Its pretty
basic stu, isnt it?
She let out a proud laugh.
Using a launcher and skin to dress something up...? ... What the hell. Why is she using
all these technical terms? There wasnt a single thing she said that I understood, but I think
all she means is that she customized her desktop39 .
Really, this type of showing o was pretty consistent with both her sides, as an otaku and
as a girl in junior high.
Well? Whats the point of showing me this?
Im shocked. You still dont know?
As if I could know! From right beside me, Kirino gave me a scornful look. Taking the
computer mouse, she spoke.
... Its the game, the game.40 Were going to play it together.
39
40
Trust me, Kyousuke, none of us know what shes talking about either.
I lost the game. And so did you.
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Chapter 2
Wha-? The game... you mean, you and me? Together?
... Y-yeah.
She answered without looking at me. She probably became a bit self-conscious that she
was saying some pretty weird things, so this was hard for her to say.
Honestly, I dont know at all. Why do I, a guy who isnt even that friendly with my sister,
have to stand here and play a game with her? Whether this was a competitive game or not41 ,
I was getting an unpleasant feeling about it...
Maybe she realized how puzzled I was, but Kirino tried to smooth things over.
You said it yourself, didnt you? That you would help me as much as you could, or
something...
Well, I meant that I would help you keep this secret from our parents... I thought that
was the main point, why do I have to play this game so suddenly?
I-Its necessary! Its ok, so come on, hold this...
H-Hey...
I was forcibly given the mouse by Kirino. I would have thought that she would never want
to touch me, but she was covering my own hand with hers, manipulating the mouse. She
maneuvered it to the icon in the corner and double clicked.
Man, shes suddenly so tense...
Where was the usual cool attitude that she usually had? If I thought about it, maybe
41
He says whether this is battle or not. I interpreted that in context, battle was referring to the game.
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this was her real personality. She became so animated when she was doing this stu. I only
recently came to understand this though, and normally she blends into her surroundings and
feigns innocence.
Cooling down, she casually looked at me with a cynical glint, slightly deant.
Wearing the latest clothing, talking about the latest gossip, going out with her friends to
do karaoke or whatever...
She was embodiment of the trendy junior high school girl (do people say that anymore)?42
Whether that was a good lifestyle or not, I wasnt really in a position to judge.
But seriously, Kirino... regardless of all that, dont you want to play these games with
your friends?
... What are you staring at? Youre making me sick.
Nothing.
Oh well, I guess theres no helping it. Ill hang out with her for a bit, I guess.
Exuding the spirit of an elder brother, I watched as the game booted up and displayed on
the screen.
Ping! A lively title screen showed up, and I was greeted by the voices of young girls.
42
Kyousuke uses the phrase iketeru, which means trendy, which is what hes referring to when he
wonders do people say that anymore?
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Little Sister Maker EX! Voluuume Four! Welcome home, oniichan! Lets
love each other!43
What the hell are you trying to get me to do?!
I should get out of here. I should get out of here right away. I should have known when
she led me to into her room instead of into the living room to play. This damn girl, where
in the world is there a brother who would play games like this with his little sister? Am I a
pervert or something?! Huh?!
You probably already knooow, buuut... oniichan? All the little sisters who
appear in this game... theyre all eighteen or older, okaaaaaay?
Shut up, you also shut up a bit.
Rubbing my temples to dull my headache, I turned to Kirino.
Y-you...
What are you suddenly shouting for? Dont be so surprised.... hey, dont get so close.
Her words stabbed me like a poisoned knife. I wanted to say something, but seeing her
face darken, I stopped in my tracks.
Hey... whats wrong?
... As I thought, youre making fun of me.
Huh? What?
43
OK, there are cutesy embellishments here I cannot possibly translate into English. Also, Volume Four
is said in English with a heavy Japanese accent.
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I guess youre all talk. You think its a bad thing and you havent even tried it... you say
sweet things, but in your heart you think Im weird...
She glared at me, obviously annoyed.
Umm... no no... its not like that...
I gloomily played with the head of the mouse in my hand.
I-Im not making fun of you! Playing this kind of stu in front of you just makes me feel
awkward! You understand, dont you?! You know, this isnt exactly the same as two people
watching a kissing scene in a drama in the living room, right?!
What the hell does that mean? I have no idea what youre talking about.
Could it be... that she really has no idea what I mean? Or rather, did I say something
awkward?
No, but I denitely had a point. Pointing to the screen, I spoke.
I dont know the particulars, but in this game, you probably get close to a virtual little
sister, and then do this and that, right? And whats more, its a game for guys above 18,
right? So I mean, the natural conclusion is that during the storys climax, certain things
would happen...
While Kirino put on an angry expression, I started up again.
You... watching those kinds of scenes with me, you dont think anything of it?
Ah!
Having nally realized what I was insinuating, Kirinos face ushed a brilliant red.
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F-for me, I mean,... I didnt realize what you meant before... dont say pointless things.
And, the way you put it, you make me sound like some pervert.
Ah, I see, I know my mistake now. Shes not playing these games because theyre 18+, or
because they include those kinds of scenes. When she says that she loves little sister characters, she doesnt really mean anything perverted by that. Well, that should have been obvious,
considering shes a girl...
For now, that was my conclusion.
I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand.
Okay... I understand now, Kirino. I think I know where youre coming from now. Lets
talk now, okay? Its alright... that is,
Click the screen, but gently, wont you?
Shut up, dammit! Dont interrupt at bad times!
Geez, Im yelling at a computer screen. I must be going crazy.
This isnt good... I have to calm down...
... Hey, dont bully Shiori-chan.
You also, return to the real world. Its just a drawing.
Dont call her a drawing!
Crap, did I say something careless...? What are you shouting for?
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Ahh, dammit. What the hell. What should I do? Someone tell me. Man, this is getting
out of hand...
I exhaustedly collected myself, and tried to explain myself.
It was my bad. I spoke without really knowing the situation. Im not trying to say that
what youre doing is bad, or trying to make fun of you, not in the slightest. That is the
denite truth. Please believe me.
...
Pursing her lips, Kirino looked at me with tear-lled eyes.
But... I think this game is a bit too high of a hurdle for me right now. See, Im still only
seventeen. Im not trying to make fun of you, but playing this is impossible for me. ... I mean,
do you see what Im saying? I mean, this is probably a really interesting game, right? Its
a game you recommended to me, right? That I understand all too well. So, Im sticking my
neck out here and asking you to please let me go this time. I know youre reluctant to, but I
mean, playing this 18+ game not alone, but with my little sister next to me... unfortunately
I just dont have the courage for that.
... Coward.
My sister threw that scornful word at me.
You can get through this... you can get through this, Kyousuke...! If I stop now, things
will just get much more complicated...
Sigh...
Kirino gave a huge sigh. Hey, hey, Im the one who should be sighing here.
Kirino began talking as if nothing had happened.
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Well... lets make it homework then.
Homework?
Yes. After all, you dont want to play this next to me, right? So, lets call it homework.
Ill lend you my laptop along with everything, and you can play the game by next week.
......
If I refuse her now, shell get angry again and think Im making fun of her, wont she...?
Feeling my cheeks cramping, I knew that in the end, I couldnt resist the oppressive aggression of my sister.
Alright... so I should play this then? I should... play this...?
Yes, exactly.
Kirino moved the mouse with a triumphant look. When she clicked to exit the application,
the girl who was on the title screen (she must have been only two heads tall) appeared again,
and quickly bowed. Waving her hands energetically, she said a sorrowful goodbye.
Oniichan . Promise youll come back to play, okay? Bai-baiii.
Yeah, yeah... bai-bai...
Youre quite something, arent you?44

44
He is presumably referring to the girl in the game.
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2.3
Chapter 2
The next evening, wanting a cold drink, I went into the living room and saw Kirino there.
She was in her usual uniform with the damn short skirt. She sat there like a queen, her
legs crossed and reading a teen magazine. As always, she exuded an aura that said servant,
dont come near me.
She was a princess, through and through. And, for ordinary people like me, she was not
someone we could easily talk to.
Im not complaining. Standing here, Im just rearming that although I had the opportunity recently to speak with her for just a bit, we havent become any closer at all.
...
Staring at the distant form of Kirino, I poured a glass full of wheat tea and drank it dry.
Feeling energized, I tried to leave the living room. But, when I put a hand on the doorknob,
I heard a voice from behind me.
...Hey.
W-what is it?
Like a rusty robot, I awkwardly turned around.
Having momentarily taken her eyes o of her magazine, Kirino asked a terse question.
Did you do it?
......Umm. .......What do you mean?
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When I asked for clarication, Kirino tossed her magazine there, and stared at me like
some famous performer would stare at an underling. She muttered this.
You didnt play it?
......Um.......Er..........Huh?
Wha? How did she know that?
Whoaa... scary. Kirino-san is seriously scaaary. Come on, forgive me...
Seeing me inch, Kirino continued to apply pressure.
Why? Didnt I say it was homework? Why havent you done it yet?
Why? Why do I have to get preached at by my sister just because I havent played the
eroge she lent me?
Whats exactly become of my life? ...I mean, man! Its because Ive never really been able
to speak my mind without holding back! Whats sad is that even though I have a real little
sister, I have to play an 18+ little sister game. Ah, seriously, I dont have an ounce of mental
strength to resist this.
Can anybody understand my predicament...?
Well because... Im just a beginner, right? Even after reading the instruction booklet,
Im not too sure of how to play.
I told her my lame excuse with tearing eyes.
Looking furious, Kirino responded. If thats the case, tell me that earlier.
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And then, I saw a complete change, almost like a performer changing characters backstage.
Hmm... well, Im only at the beginning stages, so Ill explain it to you. Come to my
room.
She caught my sleeve, and urged me upstairs. We went out of the living room, but as we
were climbing the stairs, I decided to try objecting.
B-but... the entire point yesterday was that I dont want to play it next to you, wasnt
it?
Ah... right right. Geez, youre spoiled, arent you? ... But come for now.
Dammit, why did she have to say that about me? Isnt that what I should be saying?
Having gone up the stairs, she brought me once again to her room.
Kirino brought her computer back from standby, and said this.
... I guess I cant help it, so Ill get out the version for all ages.
If such a thing existed why didnt you get it out in the rst place?!
... You dont understand at all. The all ages version and the 18+ version have the same
title, but theyre dierent games.
Isnt it cool of me to be actually going along with this conversation? Somebody compliment me.
Huh... but the all ages version... isnt the only dierence that they take out all the ero
scenes?
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Chapter 2
If you say that, its an insult to both the writers and the fans. Dont say it again. ...
Often, when I see that an 18+ game I have has gotten an all ages remake, I try it out. And
then, Im often saying to myself this is pretty dierent. How do I put it? It just seems
unsatisfying... Im still a beginner so I cant really explain it but, there are things that you
only can do in an 18+ version, I think.
Huh.
I really have no idea at all.
But, look, they added a heroine, and shes fully voiced. Thats good, isnt it?
I said this, although I was still a bit troubled by the entire thing.
Ive said a lot, but I really just want to say that... the all ages version is also good, but
if its possible, I really want you to try the original version. Thats why I left the original
version for you as homework.
... Then, why are we using the all ages version now?
Ugh, because! You said that you didnt know how to play, remember? Be a bit more
grateful that Im showing you how to play.
Grateful, huh...
Dammit... I really have to do this, dont I?
Taking the mouse, I watched as the game screen changed and I was faced with the display.
The usual annoying little girl voice along with the Loving my Little Sister title appeared.
Underneath the title, the message Click the screen gently, okay? ashed.
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Kirino became unusually talkative, and from my side let y various instructions.
Alright, start. First you put in your name... wait, why are you going with the default
name? Put in your real name - your real name.
Real... name...? ..... Why? ...... Do I have to?
Huh? Isnt it obvious? Its the little sisters calling your own name that makes you feel
so good. Here, quickly... okay.
Dammit. Is it really alright to be doing this?... Is it really...
I was getting desperate. Playing my rst little sister game with my real name... this was
going to be tough, wasnt it...
2.4
So, then, I decided to listen to the explanation of the basic system of Loving my Little
Sister (All Ages Version). Of course, because I had just started playing, I was only listening
- there was nothing really for me to say.
If Im a bit slow, please forgive me.
Hmm... So in this game, the player (that would be me) primarily uses the left mouse
button to scroll through and read text that appears on the lower portion of the screen. Or,
as Kirino puts it,
Well, its just a normal adventure game. You dont really need an instruction booklet.
And so it seemed. When I had glanced at the instruction manual (I had picked it up
just before now), I read that there were three fundamental things that, when put together,
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Chapter 2
made up the game display: the text window, the background image, and the pictures of the
characters.
Furthermore, when special event scenes come up, the background display changes to an
event CG, a single drawing that helps liven up the game.
If I had to describe it honestly, I would call it a gloried, extravagant picture story show.
The games system was so simple, and how to operate the controls was also easy to gure
out.
Hm, well I guess even I can handle this much...
Putting in my name, and starting the game, I was presented with a blue sky background.
Then, the protagonists rst monologue began.
My name is Kousaka Kyousuke. If I had to describe myself, I would say I

was an extremely commonplace high school student.
... What a boring guy... Suddenly calling himself commonplace... hey hey (I thought with
a bitter smile).
After I went through so much eort putting in my own name, at least say something a bit
more tasteful.
Sensing my rst negative impressions, Kirino, with good timing, interrupted with an explanation.
Hey, just telling you, because they want the player to be able to easily empathize with
the main character, they usually make the main character a very ordinary, plain person. And,
so there is room for him to grow in the story, hes always a bit clumsy in the beginning.
Hmm.
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Even though I knew that they werent talking about me, why is there an aching in my
chest? Its probably because the character has my name, so its dicult to think that the
character is a dierent person.
Alright, lets see if we cant stop being boring then. Im counting on you, Kyousuke.
And also... Kirino gets quite talkative when were talking about this kind of stu, doesnt
she?
Listening as Kirino excitedly continued to explain the game, I pushed the mouse buttons
with a click, click, click, click...
When the ordinary, commonplace monologue ended, the screen blacked out. chirp chirp.
A sound, not unlike the call of a tree sparrow, played.
Kyousuke: Ahhhhh.... I slept a lot. Well, since I stayed up so late studying

yesterday, I guess I cant help it.
He said a few more words, but we can skip those.
Well, in any case, Ill explain the gist of things that are being described on the screen.
In this version of the game, the protagonist, Kyousuke, wakes up in his room, and for some
reason his sister, Shiori, is sleeping in the same futon. Thats the scene that starts o the
story.
Kyousuke: Whaa... Shi-shiori...?
Startled, I woke up fully, blinking rapidly.
Kyousuke: You surprised me... geez, Shiori, when in the world did you...
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Hm? Why is he being so calm about this?
Hey, hey, be more conscious of the danger of the situation, Kyousuke. Are you still half
asleep or something? Didnt you just wake up with your little sister sleeping next to you?
Shouldnt you be shouting in surprise at a time like this?
Shiori was the black-haired, timid looking small girl who had the twin pigtails.
This was the character that Kirino had said she really liked. Right now, though, her hair
was untied and straight.
Hey, hey, seeing her sleeping soundly and defenselessly like that, how is it? You were
surprised, werent you?
Well.... I mean. Its.... normal? I guess.
As Kirino went on the sing the praises of the Event CG, I gave that vague response.
When I tried to click and advance again, suddenly, a new window opened in the middle of
the display.
Oh?
This is a choice point. The player has to pick what the protagonist does at important
plot points. And, depending on what you pick, your relationships with the little sisters will
change, and afterwards the story will also change.
Hm? ... Then, which one should I pick? There are three choices...
Huh? If you dont pick it yourself, theres no point in the game, is there? Its alright, in
this game, all the choices are really simple.
Kirino said this lightly. I see. So its like that, is it?

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Alright, time to pick what the protagonist is going to do. Alright... so, which one?
To the peacefully sleeping Shiori, I will...
1. Gently hug her close.
Lets not do that one...
Was I looking for trouble? Hugging my little sister whos sleeping was an insane idea.
2. Gently pull out the futon so as to not wake her.
Hm...
I guess that was the safe choice. But, come on, Kyousuke. If you dont teach her some
discipline now, then its going to come back to haunt you in the future. Its already too late
for my real little sister, but you wont go down the same path as I did... Alright, so I wont
pick this one either. Without faltering, I clicked on the third option.
3. Without any hesitation, kick her o the futon.
Bang! (The screen shook a bit.)
Kyousuke: Hey, dont go freely wandering into other peoples futons! Wake
up, idiot!
Alright. That was denitely the appropriate action. Good job, Kyousuke. Heh, this is a
pretty good game, isnt it? Alright, and next is...
What the hell are you doing to Shiori-chan?!
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Bang! A counterattack ew at me from my real little sister. The kick she let y overturned
the chair I was sitting on.
Hu-whaa?! What are you doing all of a sudden?!
I got up and issued this complaint, and was met with a erce glare. Kirino shouted.
Isnt that what I should be asking you?! Why the hell did you pick Without any hesitation, kick her o the futon ?! I seriously cant believe this, what the hell were you thinking?!
Well... that is... umm... rst I had to... umm... teach my little sister to not take me
lightly45 ... yeah?
What? Did you just say something?
Uhh... its nothing.
Pathetic! Im so pathetic... and geez, my sisters strong, isnt she... I did not see that
attack coming at all.
I guess Kirinos already grown up, so its already too late to do anything about her brutal
behavior.
Clutching the place on my side where Kirino had kicked me, I gave a huge internal sigh.
I sat back into my chair. Grabbing the mouse, I started the game again. Clicking and
scrolling through Kyousukes text, suddenly, the background music turned very sad.
Shiori: S-s-sorry... s-sorry Kyousuke Oniichan... umm... I-I.. last night... I

couldnt sleep alone.... So then... and then...
45
I was sorely tempted to translate this as RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH a la Cartman from South
Park. Hehe.
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Kyousuke: Huh? Are you saying something?
Shiori: A-... N-nothing. Its nothing.... e-ehehe! Good morning, oniichan.
Shiori clutched at the part of her side which had been kicked, but even then
she put on a courageous smile.
Hes a pretty terrible person, this protagonist.
Ugh, thats the result of your own choice isnt it?! And I mean, to think this kind of
scenario existed! Ive never ever picked that choice before, so this is the rst time Im seeing
this! ... Ah, dammit... she looks so pitiable, Shiori-chan does...
Kirino looked sympathetically at the heroine who was already subject to such harsh treatment so early in the game.
But, Kirino, you treated me in a similar way just now...
I wisely didnt point this out to her, and valiantly continued to play the game.
From the early morning, a gloomy atmosphere reigned in the Kousaka household46 . After
the decision point, the protagonist Kyousuke turned into a tyrant and chased Shiori out of his
room. Afterwards, he changed into his school uniform and headed towards the dining room.
There, six little sisters who all adored their big brother waited for the protagonist.
Hey, Kirino? There are a lot of places where these girls look completely dierent. No
matter how I look at it, they really dont look like blood relatives.
They cant help that. Dierent people draw each of the heroines.
46
Here he is referring to the virtual Kousaka household in the game.
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It was a silly question, but, wasnt that the most unhelpful answer she could have given?
Well, whatever, this isnt exactly the place to make a snide remark.
I left-clicked. The heroines having all gathered, the dining event started.
Ping! The image changed to a viewpoint overlooking the dining table. Icons resembling
each of the little sisteres were scattered about the screen, ashing and growing bigger and
smaller. In the upper half of the display, in circular font stood the message Oniichan, who
do you want to talk with?
Oh? The display changed again.
This is an event choice display. If you click the icon of the little sister you want to talk
with, a conversation event with that little sister will start. And then, there will be more
choices you have to make in the conversation, and according to what you choose, her aection
points for you can go up or down.
Hm. And what do you mean by aection points?
Its a number that tells us how much one of the little sisters likes her big brother. If you
dont get this number above a certain point, you wont be able to see certain events. There
are also dierent endings based on this. So, fundamentally, seeing lots of events with the little
sister you want to capture, and then raising her aection points is what you need to do in
this game. And, also, if you raise the aection points of a number of the little sisters by a lot,
then itll be easier to unlock special scenes, like a Valentines Day scene. So you shouldnt
spend all your time with one little sister.
For some time now, Kirino has been a bit too feverish to explain all of this. Yada yada
yada yada yada yada... is doing this that fun?
I-I see... By the way, how many aection points do you have for me?
... Do you really want to know?
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Nah, its ne.
With that expression, I dont have to hear her answer to know. I wonder; in the real world,
if my sisters aection points for me were not below a certain value, then would previously
unseen special events also spring forth?
So, thats generally how the game ows... understand?
Yeah.
Having nished her tutorial, Kirino then showed me how to save in the game, and turned
o the game. Afterwards, she looked at my face to gauge my impressions.
Any thoughts?
I dont have any yet... I just started, after all.
I-I see... Thats true, I guess...
If I were to be honest, I would say that I dont think this type of game suits me at all. It
wasnt a question of whether the game was interesting or not. Its just that, for people who
have real little sisters, the idea of enjoying the aections of a ctional little sister is hard to
imagine... No matter how many times Shiori and the others made a cute face, and said cute
things, and sought my attention, I wouldnt be able to stop myself from thinking that they
had ulterior motives.
How do I put it... little sister cynicism? For example, if Kirino were to play a game in
which you captured big brothers, do you think she would be able to sincerely enjoy that game?
Its impossible, wouldnt you say? Its just like that for me in this case.
But, I mean, I already said that I would try this game. I guess Ill play just this one to
the very end.
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Hmm, so, what should we do next, I wonder.
Looking like she was having fun, Kirino opened up a folder and meandered the cursor
around... C-could it be that, she wasnt satised with just one little sister game, and wanted
to make me play another one?
...
I was too afraid to ask, but this was probably the case. As I thought, she was serious
about this. But, honestly, whatever the point of all this is, I dont really feel obligated to do
so much...
However, somehow, I understood why Kirino was making me play these little sister games.
Hey... Kirino.
What? Why do you look so serious?
For you... at school, is there anybody you can play these games with, who you can talk
about these games with?
Upon hearing my question, Kirinos expression became vacant, and she looked slightly
downwards.
... That doesnt matter, does it?
I see.
I recalled the earlier scene of Kirino walking with her classmates. ... Amongst that lot,
not one of them probably watched child-oriented anime, or played little sister games.
And, I mean, that was the image I had of my little sister until a little while ago. If I were
in Kirinos position, I also probably wouldnt feel like looking for people with similar interests
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in order to come out in the open with my hobbies.
Well, it doesnt have to be a classmate... do you know anybody who has the same hobbies, who you can talk to openly about games and anime?
At this second question, Kirino did not nod.
... That doesnt matter.
I see.
And so she came to encourage me to take up the same hobby. She wanted to be able to
talk together about it. Hiding your hobby from everyone around you, and only enjoying it by
yourself... thats a pretty lonely existence.
Yesterday, Kirino had taken me to this room, and said that she wanted to continue the
life advice session.
But I think that was just a simple excuse... that it wasnt really for life advice.
What are you doing...? Are you making fun of me?
No, its not that.
It really wasnt. Somehow or other, she just wanted to do this. Youre lonely, arent you?
But you dont want to admit that. Thats true, isnt it - youre not being honest with yourself.
But, honestly, I cant really get into your hobby much more than this. If there was some
other person instead who could, that would be the best. It would denitely save me a lot of
trouble.
Kirino...
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I inclined my neck and looked at the ceiling. If I were over twenty, I could imagine myself
blowing cigarette smoke out into the air.
Do you... want to make friends?
H... huh?
Kirinos eyes widened in surprise. Her expression revealed her inner thoughts of What is
this idiot saying?
So far so good. With unusual determination, I stared right back at my sister.
I put on a bold smile, and turned the chair around. With the air of a life counselor, I
pointed towards the bed.
Hey, sit there please.
...
Kirino looked like she wanted to object, but in the end reluctantly did as I said.
Well, alright, I guess shes willing to listen to what I have to say.
You said it already, right? You asked me what should I do? And, at that time, I didnt
give you any good advice. So now, Ill give you an answer. Go make friends.
Fri...ends?
Yes. People who have the same hobbies, who, when you start talking about these things,
whether it be anime, or games, or 18+ things, they will be able to properly engage in the
conversation. Of course, those kinds of people would never look down on you or make fun of
you, because after all, youre all birds of a feather.
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... So you mean... I should make otaku friends?
I nodded.
...
Sitting on the bed, Kirino thought seriously about this while biting her lip and clutching
her knees. But...
At long last, she muttered this.
... I dont want to... make otaku friends. If were together, people will also think Im one
of them.
Again, isnt that ridiculous talk? ... Youre a huge otaku, arent you?
... N-no, thats-
No? Then, what are you? I mean, if you can, please answer that for me.
Having nally become a bit fed up with my sisters attitude, I tried to corner her with my
words. Kirino looked downwards in shame and was silent. Her shoulders shook.
I clicked my tongue.
The one whos all talk, the one whos making fun of otaku, thats you, isnt it? I said
it already, didnt I? Whatever hobby you might have, they wont make fun of you. So, what
do you think? People who have the same hobbies, who dont hide but are open about being
otaku, do you really think they could make fun of you?
...
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Kirino raised her head, and gave me a penetrating glare. ...Crap, shes really angry. Even
though I was cowering on the inside, I still put on a brave face.
That would be impossible, right? It would make no sense. It would be like someone
making fun of himself.47
Im doing pretty well here, if I do say so myself. This is pretty unlike me.
Kirino clicked her tongue loudly. I really didnt think of her as the kind of person who
would admit defeat here, so it was frightening.
Thats not the issue! Its a matter of public image!
Public image?
Yes, public image. Certainly, I like anime and I really like eroge. You could say I love
them.
You could say... to hear that from a junior high school girl, what should my reaction be?
Seeing me draw back, Kirino spoke arrogantly.
Of course. Being with my friends at school is also really fun. But, this stu is also fun.
I cant just pick one. So theres no helping it, is there? What I like is what I like.
Kirino looked as proud as she usually was.
But, I also know that the world tends to look coldly on otaku.... And Japan is the most
prejudiced in this way... dont you think so?
47
I know this should be himself or herself, but I did it this way to keep the dialogue more colloquial.
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A junior high school girl. As a student in junior high, she must understand this all too
well.
Umm... so what I want to say is... that is... I belong to both sides of this.
She told me her feelings, but couldnt nd the best words to express those feelings, so she
was stumbling on her words a bit.
What she was saying was jumbled and dicult to understand... but I think that I got the
gist of what she was trying to say.
She liked anime and loved eroge. But, she also really likes being with her friends at school,
so she cant choose one at the expense of the other. She had a normal school girl side, and an
otaku side. Both these sides were joined together in her person. This is probably what Kirino
wanted to say. Probably.
But... because of that, I dont want to tell the truth to my parents, and I denitely dont
want to tell the truth to my friends. If that happened, I really wouldnt be able to go to
school anymore.
Public image. For a student, it was an important thing, perhaps even more so than for
adults. Everyone understands that junior high school students are just the type to exclude
someone socially and relentlessly attack them as if they were some foreign object. I also knew
this. I knew this all too well.
I guess its pretty natural that anyone would care a lot about their public image.
Preserving your public image or embracing your hobbies... what a dilemma. Not being
able to talk to anyone about this, you tried your best to deal with it, didnt you, Kirino?
OK, I understand the problem now, Kirino.
So, in other words, as long as you dont have to tell your classmates, youre ne with
making some otaku friends?
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Chapter 2
Y-yeah... I guess... thatd be okay.
Then thats ne. Without ever exposing yourself to your classmates, then, you should go
nd otaku friends.
And thats how it was. Well, I had at least rearmed Kirinos feelings. And if she had a
mind to make friends, then somehow or other wed manage, I think.
What? Do you have a good plan or something?
Not really. Unfortunately, I cant think of anything.
Its pointless... how useless.
She declared this with a scornful expression. Hmph, well, dont say it like that. Hey, are
you also trying to say that Im a useless guy?
Well, just leave it to me.
Huh? Whats with that condence?
I faced Kirinos puzzled look with a bold smile.
Oh, sister, dont you know?
In this world, theres a thing called a grandmothers fountain of wisdom.
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2.5
Chapter 2
So, what about trying to participate in some ofukai?
This suggestion came from my bespectacled childhood friend over the phone. After leaving
my sisters room, I lay face-down on my bed, and was speaking to Manami over the phone.
Of course, I couldnt expose my little sisters secret to her, so I had skillfully left out the
particulars; I only asked Manami for advice on how to nd people with similar hobbies while
keeping it a secret from classmates.
Ofukai?
Yeah, ofukai. Umm... its where you take people youve become close with online and
hang out with them in real life... or something.
...
Hm, I guess by ofukai she means oine meetings.48
This grandma... pronouncing her Western words so stiy, thats just confusing.
Yeah right. You know how to use the Internet?
... I can do that much, you know... geez... Kyou-chan, youre making fun of me, arent
you?
Well, I mean, old people generally are pretty bad with technology, you know.
Im seventeen!! Im a spunky high school student!

48
She says ofukai, which is a combination of the words ofu which is just the American word o and
kai, which is the Japanese word for meeting. Hence, oine meeting.
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Masami pleaded with me. As always, her word choice was interesting49 .
I could almost imagine Manami scrunching up her face in annoyance with tears lling her
eyes on the other end of the telephone.
Geez, Kyou-chan. If you dont cut it out Im going to get angry! Punpun...
Who the hell says punpun ?
But in any case, hearing this girls voice after that meeting with Kirino really sets my
heart at ease.
Ah, Im sorry then... But you really have a PC?
Huh? Y-yeah, I have one. Its my brothers, though...
She said this last part in a hushed whisper. Shes really bad with secrets, isnt she?
So... you only know how to use it a little then.
Yeah... but I mean, I can use the Internet pretty well at least.
Uh-huh.
Hmph, I knew something was suspicious from your strange pronunciation. Youre a grandmother and you know youre not good at using Western words, so you really shouldnt rely
on them so much50 .
49
Kyousuke actually says that her use of gitaigo, or onomatopoeia, is interesting. She uses the word
pichipichi, which means lively or spunky, to describe herself. This is what Kyousuke is referring to.
50
Kyousuke is most likely referring to the ofukai incident mentioned earlier.
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So, have you participated in these oine meetings? Ah, I guess it wasnt you, but your
brother?
I think so. He said he just recently went to an ofukai for an R and B community of his...
umm, Kyou-chan, do you know about Social Networking Services.
Ah, SNS? Yeah, Ive heard about that. You register, make a prole page with your hobbies and whatnot, write a public blog, and make online friends, stu like that right?
Yeah. The famous one is Mixi51 . The one my brother uses has an age restriction though...
but if you want to nd friends outside of school who have the same hobbies, using something
like this would be a good idea, wouldnt it?
...Hm.
I see. This might be a good idea. It might be worth it to check this out right away.
Alright, this was useful. Thanks, Manami.
... Youre welcome. Ehehe... so, Ill see you tomorrow, at the same place as usual.
2.6
After cutting out the phone call, I stood up from the bed. Twirling the cell phone strap
with my ngers for a bit, I put the phone in my back pocket. Leaving the room, I naturally
headed for my sisters room.
Knock Knock Knock. I knocked three times. After waiting a bit, the door opened and my
sisters face peeked out.
51
I dont have much experience with it, but I think Mixi is basically the Facebook of Japan.
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Come in.
Okay.
My sister beckoned me into the room... you know, I just realized it now, but this is only
the fourth time Ive been in my sisters room. Life is quite mysterious, isnt it... lots of things
are mysterious.
Sorry for the wait. I think Ive hit on a good idea of how to make you otaku friends.
When I began to break it down for Kirino, for some reason she clicked her tongue as if
displeased and sneered with a hmph.
... Youre full of it. In any case, why did you go crying to that plain-looking girl?
Dont call her that!! That might be a very appropriate description of her, but I wont
tolerate anyone other than myself saying bad things about her.
... What are you getting so angry for? You look like an idiot.
She murmured this while staring at me with disdain.
But really, next time I really wont be able to hold myself back.52 So dont say it again.
Yeah yeah.
Dammit, say it more sincerely, wont you?53 Whats with that disgusting attitude even
though weve been working so hard just for your sake? Why do you look so annoyed all of a
sudden... just a while ago when I left the room though, you seemed normal...
52
53
He actually says he is going to smack Kirino next time... but this just sounds terribly harsh in English.
He says Its only one yeah.
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Chapter 2
...Hm? Hm, could it be...
...Just answer me one quick thing... do you hate Manami?
...Not really? I mean, I dont really know her.
That was true. She was my childhood friend, so its not like theyve never met, but Kirino
and Manami have rarely come into contact with each other. Every once a while, Manami
would pass by Kirino when she came by the side of my house, but that was really it.
To be honest, just a while ago when Kirino passed by me and Manami, I dont think
Manami realized who Kirino even was. Even though their relationship was like that, there
was no reason for Kirino to hate Manami, was there?
And, I mean, Manami is not the kind of person who incites hatred. Is she?
...You were just being so lovey-dovey, I couldnt stomach it.
Ah, I see. Was that it? ...I have no idea what shes talking about. I wasnt being loveydovey at all...
We were giving o sparks, but it seemed that now we had settled into a tense peace.
Hmph. I guess Ill be the mature one and give in. If I do say so myself, Im being pretty
generous here. Lovable guy, arent I?
Well, Kirino, does it really matter whose idea this is? For now, just hear me out.
... Fine. What is it?
Alright. So, do you know about SNS?
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When I told my sister Manamis idea, that she should try to nd some oine meetings to
participate in, my sister shut up with a strange expression.
... You dont like it?
... Its not... that...
She looked downwards and thought for a few seconds, but before long raised her head and
spoke.
... I understand. Lets try it.
Oh? That was a pretty straightforward answer. How unexpected.
You can access the sites on your phone too, I think.
I know already. Dont come any closer.
Kirino took out a cell phone from somewhere, and with a tatatatatatata, began tapping
away on the keys at incredible speed.
... Pretty amazing. I would denitely not be able to do that. I guess they do exist, these
girls who are damn fast with their phones.
As these thoughts ew through my head, Kirino clicked her tongue.
Tch. I registered but I need a referral letter from someone... this is pretty annoying...
You have a lot of friends at school, right? Just contact them through e-mail or whatever
right now, and get a referral letter from someone whos already a member.
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Idiot. Youre really an idiot. You cant mix my front and back sides, can you?54 If you
did that, it would leave a trace.
I-I see...
The two sides? ...Well, I guess the frontside would be the Kousaka Kirino who is a modern junior high school girl who models for teen magazines. And, the backside would be the
Kousaka Kirino who loves little sisters and likes anime, and who really loves eroge. What a
terrible gap between these two sides.
Hmmm... well, there are SNS sites that are only for anime and games, right? Try to look
for one that doesnt need a referral letter.
... yeah yeah.
As I gave my instructions, Kirino, seeming reluctant, fumbled around with her cell phone,
and registered on an SNS site meant for otaku. And then, rst she had to make her prole
page.
Its asking you to input a username55 . Pick one quickly.
Saying that to me... I cant just decide one that quickly, can I?
This is something you cant change later, right? You should pick a good one from the
start, a good one. You could use other screen names as a reference too for what you can pick.
See, look here, you have to enter in something @ something, here.
As I was urging her on while peeking at her cell phone screen from her side, Kirino turned
the cell phone away from my gaze, looking quite annoyed at my pushing. She entered in a
username, and showed it to me.
54
The understanding is that the front is Kirinos public identity, and the back is Kirinos otaku identity.
The Japanese word for this is handoru, or handle, but I gured Id go with the more American word
username or screenname.
55
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Alright, hows this?
... What exactly is this Kiririn@this guy next to me is being really annoying [1] thing?
My screen name. Cute, isnt it?
It didnt suit her at all... and also, was she trying to tick me o? Thats what she was
trying to do, right? Im going to seriously start crying with this treatment.
H-hey... wait... if you write 14 in the ages column, its risky to put little sister eroge as
a hobby, isnt it?
But its the truth. This is my hidden side, remember? If I had gotten a referral letter
from a classmate or a modeling friend, I wouldnt be making this kind of prole.
I guess. If I was reading a female classmates prole page, and saw her passion for eroge
spelled out on it, I would burst out laughing.
Then, when I saw her the next day, I really wouldnt be able to behave normally.
And thats why, like you, she should keep this separate identity to be safe. Thats a good
point.
But there was another thing that was bothering me...
Hey, why have you been looking so down for a while now?
........ Well...
As Kirino was carrying out my plan, she had seemed quite nervous.
Why was that? Straining my ears, I listened to my sisters explanation.

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I mean... its just that Im a bit scared of this type of social networking... I mean, in the
end, the people with the same hobbies are going to be guys I think... and not only that, but
older guys I think... this isnt a stupid reason, right? I mean, its not that I dont like this
idea... but, I mean... I guess... Im just a bit scared.
I see... thats... how it is...
It was a blind spot. This was quite a huge yet fundamental problem, wasnt it? This was
completely dierent than networking with classmates or her modeling friends. Forgetting that
theyre otaku and so on, it must be frightening for a junior high school girl to make friends
with older men. Even if its just online.
It would be all the more awkward to meet them in person... so really, in the end, she really
had to look for girls of the same age who shared the same hobbies...
... Are there people like that? Junior high school girls who share the same hobbies as
Kirino, are there really people like that?
I scratched my head in frustration. What should we do now?
... So... could you... look for female-only groups? Might as well give it a try...
... Ill try.
Kirino started typing on her cell phone, searching for the right community. From her side
as usual, I interjected.
... What about... this one?
Hm?... Um, this one?
... Yeah. Heh, so these types of groups actually exist... click on it and check it out.
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The community we found was titled Otaku Girls Unite! There were around twenty members. Whether that was a lot of a little, Im not sure, but it sort of had the feeling of a small
club. To join the community, you have to write in your age and gender and send in a message asking to join, and if the admin denied your request you could not join. And, whats
more, there was a topic called tea party invitation visible. Because we werent members, we
couldnt see the actual details, but it seemed like the kind of oine meeting we were looking
for.
... Hey Kirino. This one might be alright.
Even if there were guys posing as girls on this group, theres no way they would go to
an oine meeting for all girls. So that wouldnt be a problem. I thought this was a perfect
opportunity, but for some reason my sisters expression was not as agreeable.
Hm... uhh... yeah I see...
Whats wrong with you? Is there something else bothering you?
Not really, but...
Well, how about you send them a message to tell them you want to participate? Here,
with this button.
Oh...
Kirino stared at the message composition screen for a while, and then suddenly looked at
me and asked this.
... What exactly should I write?
Hmm. Well, you should just tell them your intentions, right? That you want girl friends
who share the same hobby.
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Kirino nodded, wrote the message, and sent it.
Your message has been sent.
Seeing that notice, I felt that my duty was half completed.
If Kirino could make friends with girls who could understand her hobby... then I would be
relieved from duty, so to speak.
This may be the last time I set foot in this room. After all, it was highly irregular of her
to have picked me to give her life advice in the rst place. I didnt think there would be any
reason for us to hang out past this incident.
I mean, this is probably good. If we do end up returning to our old, rather dry relationship,
theres no helping that. Hmm... well... if I had to tell the truth, it did make me feel a bit
lonely. Just slightly.
In these few days, weve talked more to each other than we have in ten years.
And, I also discovered a surprising side of my sister.
It wasnt just her strange hobby. I also caught a glimpse at the hidden part of my little
sister that got scared when she couldnt gure something out and gave up. It felt as if I was
able to slightly feel the inner heart I could not hope to look into. So it wasnt all for naught.
I mean, in the end... I guess I was a bit happy. Although I dont really understand any of it
either.
Alright then. So I only have to wait for a response...
Do your best, okay?
... Yeah.
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Kirino nodded. I raised the corners of my lips and smiled.
For my little sister... if she could nd friends better than me who she could have fun with,
who she could chatter with without any restraint, that would be great.
But for just the small amount of time until then, I would ll that void in their place.
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Third Chapter
124
3.1
Chapter 3
Third Chapter Part 1
The next day, the Otaku Girls Unite! admin sent us back a favorable reply.
When I returned home from school, I was dragged to Kirinos room in the usual manner,
and now, I was reading the response message from the community admin, whose user name
was Saori.
Nice to meet you, Kiririn-sama. My name is Saori, and I am acting as the

administrator for the Otaku Girls Unite! community. I will not waste any time,
so thank you very much for your message expressing your interest to join. Of
course I will gladly approve your request. Given your age and hobbies, I am sure
that we can become great friends. If you want... in a few days we are planning
a meeting, and would be pleased if you could join us for tea. There are lots of
things I want to talk about... please consider it. Until next time, thank you very
much.56
So her username is Saori, huh? ... Heh, this admin seems like a really polite person,
doesnt she?
From the contents of that letter, I felt the air of a well brought up young woman. How do
I say this... it exuded a smell of elegance. Was it just wishful thinking? No, my intuition told
me that there was no mistaking this for a beautiful young woman.57
When she became conscious of how I was acting, Kirino looked at me as if she were looking
at some unclean thing.
... Gross. What are you grinning for?
Im not grinning. I was just thinking that Im glad she seems like a good person.
Well... I guess. Seems sorta like a proper daughter from a high class family, doesnt she?
56
She is being rather formal in this letter. I tried to make it sound formal, but Japanese formality translates
pretty poorly to English, considering there are like 50 levels of formality in Japanese.
57
Bishoujo.
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Chapter 3
... I cant really imagine what thats like. Theres nobody like that in my class.
That was true. Her friends, like her, were all the ashy type. They may have the looks
and the renement, but theyre really hard to approach. They emit an air of not wanting to
associate with anyone unlike them. Its as if they had thorns, and getting to close to them
would leave you pricked.
So, youre going to go, of course, right?
... Yeah. Ill do it.
Kirino nodded, but for some reason she seemed sti. Geez, shes been acting like this for a
while... it seems like theres still something shes worried about but is hiding from me. Weve
already solved the issue of her being afraid to make friends with older guys... what is there
other than that? This bothered me, so I asked.
Hey, there really is something still bothering you, isnt there?
Not really.
This attitude again. It looks like she really just doesnt want to say. So whatever, I wont
do anything about it... although this is pretty annoying. Well, at the very least, I guess I can
just continue to encourage you.
I see. Well, do your best then.
Huh? Why do you say that as if its not your problem anymore?
Kirino skewered me with a look as if I were a pig. I threw her a piece of warm encouragement there, but why is it that all I got in return was cold disdain? That was denitely not a
fair trade.
As I creased my eyebrows, Kirino faced me and spoke.
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Chapter 3
The life advice session continues.
She muttered this quickly. She then spoke, as if she were giving me a perfectly natural
order.
Come with me to the meeting.
... What the hell is she saying, this girl...
... Uhh, how exactly do you want me, a guy, to participate in an all girl meetup?
What if you crossdress?
Denitely not! You say that so casually, but if Im discovered, wouldnt they make me
out to be some pervert who wanted to take such a huge risk just to go to an all girl meeting?!
Im prepared to take whatever risk, so itll be alright.
This isnt your problem! Its about me! I have absolutely no desire to carry the dishonour
of being labelled a pervert! Its not alright at all!
That about sums it up.
Also, if I were to dress like a girl, Id denitely be discovered in an instant.
... I see. I guess thats true...
It seemed like Kirino nally agreed with my reasoning. Nodding earnestly a few times,
she pursed her lips and grumbled.
... Why couldnt you have been born with better looks?
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Chapter 3
Dont make me smack you, asshole! Out of all the things youve said, that one was the
worst! Stop looking at me like youre pitying me or something!
At my complaint, Kirino turned her gaze, annoyed, and clicked her tongue.
I guess it cant be helped... Well, should we go for a more direct plan of attack then?
You make it sound like Im the one who really wants to go and am asking you for a favor
or something... well whatever, Ill listen for now so go on. What do you mean by more direct
plan ?
Well, what if I sent this Saori-san a message saying I know a person (hes 17 and a guy),
and for some reason he insisted that he wants to go to an all girl tea party. He looks really
lonely so would it be alright if I brought him along? Or something like that.
All that does is make me an open pervert instead of a sneaky one.
And I mean, they would probably reject such a proposal. It was an all girls meeting, so
bringing a guy would be very frowned upon.
I told this to Kirino, and her mood darkened. Biting her lower lip, she glared at me.
... So, what are we going to do?
As I said, going with you to this meeting would be impossible... come on, stop glaring at
me like that. Uhh... hold on... hmm...
I looked at the Otaku Girls Unite! community page.
Clicking on the topic about the oine meeting, the details of the meetup were displayed.
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Chapter 3
See, this place... its a cafe right? Its not like you need a reservation, right? So then, Ill
go with you and sit in a seat next to yours. Its not like I can talk to you from there, but at
least I can watch you.
I mean, this was my idea, but just sitting at a table next to her probably wasnt what she
wanted.
I was expecting her to respond with her usual scorn and disdain, but suddenly...
... I understand. Thats ne.
I dont know why, but Kirino was sincerely nodding her head. Surprised, my eyes widened.
I-I see.
Incidentally, Kirino never really made it clear why she wanted me to go with her, did she?
But its a bit too late to ask that now... but its alright if Im just there with her, even if I
cant participate...? I have no idea whats going on...
Well, anyways, thats how it was. Next Sunday, I would go with my sister to the Otaku
Girls Unite! community oine meeting, and would watch over her from the shadows.
3.2
In no time at all, the day for the oine meeting arrived.
We rode a train from the nearest station for around an hour and a half. Right now, we
were standing at the Akihabara Electric City exit on the JR line.58
58
JR refers to Japan Rail, the major operator of train and subways in Japan, and especially in Tokyo.
Akihabara is a subway stop, and also the electric district of Tokyo. It is also known for being the world capital
of anime goods.
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Chapter 3
It was just past noon on a holiday. I was expecting something consistent with the rumors,
that Akiba59 would be messy and congested, but it wasnt really like that. At least inside and
in front of the station, it gave o an impression of a well-maintained, orderly place.
Its a radio studio! And a gamers agship store! ... Ooo
Kirino tried to restrain her voice, but couldnt completely hide her excitement.
... She sure is having fun, isnt she? It seems like, just like me, this is her rst time in
Akihabara.
Up to now, her experience with Tokyo has been limited to Shibuya and Harajuku, I think60 .
She might have a lot of anime goods, but as an otaku she might be a relative beginner. I
checked the time on my cell phone.
Hey, Kirino. This isnt the time for that, alright? If you want to go to the shops, do that
after the meetup.
I know, I know. By the way, dont stick so close to me. I dont want people to think that
were on a date or something.
...
As she uttered those cruel words to me, Kirino seemed to be tensely preparing for her rst
oine meeting. Her shoulders were held high, and she was wearing clothes that made her
seem very mature. Underneath, she had on a miniskirt and boots. But she also wore a good
deal of expensive-looking accessories.
Even to someone like me, who did not really understand fashion, she looked quite stylish.
59
Shortened form of Akihabara.

Two districts in Tokyo, both very big on youth fashion. Shibuya is known for large fashion stores, while
Harajuku is known more for fashion subcultures like gothic lolita.
60
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Chapter 3
She looked more suited for somewhere like Shibuya or Odaiba61 .
She looked so mismatched from the guy in a plain shirt and jeans walking next to her.
But I mean... its already too late so I wont say anything, but... going to the meeting in
that getup... I mean, certainly its pretty cute, but... will you really be alright like that?
Alright. Then from here on lets split up a bit. You were supposed to meet up here,
right? Ill head o to the cafe rst and Ill be on standby there.
Huh? Ah... alright. I got it.
Dont look so disheartened. Ill denitely be watching out for you.
... I-I dont look like that at all. Dont be an idiot, shouldnt you be going?
Yeah, yeah. Well, see ya.
Lightly raising a hand as a goodbye, I turned my back on my sister.
Passing by the shop Kirino had called a gamers agship store, I went out into the main
street. Soon, I could see various games and cords and such lined up in the storefronts that
I passed by, although with such a brief glance I didnt really know what exactly they were
selling. I was reminded of a cheap sweets shop I used to pass by often as a kid. I didnt really
plan on buying anything, but I still felt a uttering of excitement.
... Its pretty lively around here, isnt it?
As expected, it was pretty busy here. At its most busiest times, Akihabaras main street
even had places where bands would play. Compared to that, I would say that todays atmosphere was somewhat more subdued, but...
61
Odaiba is an island accessible via bridge in Tokyo that holds a lot of attractions, including a bustling
shopping district, an amusement park, and the Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center.
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Chapter 3
... Its really like a festival around here, isnt it?
Thats really what I thought.
As I was admiring my surroundings, I took out a printout map from the bag hanging from
my shoulders and looked at it.
... Ah, this isnt the right street at all. Its in the opposite direction.
I turned around in order to retrace my steps, but I saw Kirino still standing there. Having
gallantly come this far, it just wouldnt do if I made a U-turn now. Without facing the main
street, with its row of electronics stores, I turned left. I made another left at the intersection,
and continued straight. I passed under a railway bridge and still continued, and soon I could
see a thin tall building on my right.
It was the Shosen Book Tower, according to my map. The inuence of otaku culture
seemed to lighten here, and the surroundings gave o an impression not unlike what you
would nd outside a very normal train station.
I crossed the pedestrian crosswalk, and came to a stop close to the entrance of the Book
Tower.
... Hmm, its this way, right?
Like that, I continued to follow the road. Following the map, after walking for a few
minutes, it looked like I had entered into what looked to be, judging from the houses around
me, a quiet residential neighborhood. If the map was correct, the cafe would be right around
here...
Ah, here it is.
I stopped, and looked up at a building that looked a bit like a lodge. The cafe was named
Pretty Garden, and its exterior gave o the impression of an elegant little cabin. After I
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Chapter 3
went up the very short staircase, I opened the wooden door and was greeted by the pleasant
sound of a bell.
Ring ring.
Welcome home, master!62
I was greeted simultaneously by the voices of many aproned maids.
Trying hard to pretend that nothing had happened, I shut the door again.
.... Wh... Wh-wh-what... is going on...?
Still holding onto the door with both hands, I muttered to myself. No, it was clear what
was going on. I knew what was going on... but... seriously, just wait a bit. My mind still
hasnt quite caught up to the situation yet.
Because the neighborhood outside had seemed so normal, I had completely forgotten that
I was still in Akiba...
So, the rumors were true... this was... what do they call it...
Was this a maid cafe?!
Finally having come to this realization, I took stock of my situation in my head.63
Inhaling and giving a huge sigh, I timidly opened the door a second time.
Ring ring.
62
Okaerinasaimase, goshujinsama! It is the standard greeting for all maid cafes.

He says something like In my head, I verbalized a response, which I interpreted to mean In my head,
I took stock of the situation.
63
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Chapter 3
Welcome home, master!
It was the same scene as before... Damn, it wasnt an illusion, was it?
To welcome me, a cute maid-san approached with a pitter patter.
She was wearing a uy white apron. Her skirt was excessively short, although her socks
were very long.
It was denitely an outt that was designed for cuteness.
I couldnt help feeling that I wanted to get out of here, but I had made a promise to come
here and be on standby. Whats more, turning back here would just not do at all. I braced
myself and took a step into the cafe.
Kousaka Kyousuke. Seventeen years old. My rst time at a maid cafe...
Is it just one guest, master?
Y-yeah...
Well, then, please come this way
I was lead by the maid-san to a table for one. The interior of the place had the look of
a normal coee shop. The slightly dim shop was illuminated by a number of orange lamps.
The furniture all somehow looked like antiques, and the atmosphere felt really Western. Also,
even though it was lunchtime, the place was relatively empty. Maybe the people who were
going to the oine meeting had reserved a lot of tables.
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Would this seat suit you?64
Yeah... uh, thanks.
The maid-san pulled the seat out for me, and I sat down. I felt quite self-conscious.
Every maid in the place certainly was quite cute.
Here is the menu, master. Could I take your order for how you want to be addressed?
Huh? Wh-what do you mean?
Well, please decide how you would like me to address you. On the menu, you can
see all sorts of options like master, danna, -kun, -chan, oniichan, oniisama, and
others.65
... Maid cafes are really terrifying. Hahaha... how is a mere high school student supposed
to get through this?
I couldnt help but laugh a bit more. Well, lets just let nature take its course. Putting on
a bold smile, I responded.
... Uh, it doesnt matter. Whichever is ne.
Is that so? Then, how about I call you oniichan? Oniichan
Well, now the maid-san was being a bit overly familiar with me. I guess it would be a bit
boorish for me to point out that at this point, she didnt seem like a maid at all anymore...
and whats more, it was obvious that she was over twenty years old...
64
There are going to be formal elements of the maids dialogue that dont translate well to English, but Ill
try my best.
65
Danna is just another word for master with slightly dierent connotations. Oniichan and oniisama are
words for big brother, although oniisama is more formal. -kun and -chan are both rather familiar honorics,
with -chan being a bit more formal.
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Did you say something, onii-chan?
No no!
How terrifying. Was she reading my mind or something? I wiped my forehead with the
back of my hand, and the maid brought over some water. As I gratefully sated my thirst, I
looked at the menu.
I had yet to eat lunch, so lets see what I could ll up on... and...
...
With a bewildered expression, I glanced roughly at the menu items. Why was I confused,
you ask?
Well... that is... for now, let me give you a few examples.
Lunch
The maids lovey dovey omelette rice (ketchup or otafuku) - 900 yen.66
Little sisters handmade curry (parupunte avor, begiragon avor, zaraki avor) - 1000 yen.67
The tsundere68 school presidents specially prepared ramen - 800 yen.
66
I had to look this up, but Otafuku is apparently a Japanese company that produces various sauces.
Alright... extensive google searching has told me that these three words are names of Dragon Quest
spells... Parupunte produces a random eect in battle, Begiragon is a high level re spell, and Zaraki is a
death spell. I guess that these descriptors indicate the level of spice in the curry.
68
Tsundere refers to a type of anime character that is outwardly very cold (tsun) but also has a very soft
side (dere).
67
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Chapter 3
Drinks
Spirit of Saiyan - 300 yen. Super holy water - 300 yen. Juice from the divine
essence tree - 300 yen.69
I have no idea whats going on. At least the lunch items sound similar to actual food
items, so whatever, but I cant even begin to imagine what any of those drinks are. What
should I do?
I guess I have no choice but to ask.
Excuse me... what exactly is this... spirit... of... saiyan?
That would be vegetable juice, oniichan
Then write vegetable juice, dammit... but of course I didnt say that. The menu was
what the menu was, I guess.
I also ascertained that Super holy water just meant cider and Juice from the divine
essence tree just meant mixed fruit juice.
Have you decided on your order? Oniichan.
Not yet... sorry.
In my confusion, I stupidly apologized...
By the way, I have a recommendation. You should try the little sisters handmade curry.
I made it with my own hands, oniichan .
A-alright, then Ill go with that.

69
These are all dragon ball references. Someone shoot me now...
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Chapter 3
Dammit. This damn girl, picking out the most expensive thing on the menu so casually...
although, it really was my fault for going along with it...
Your order has been entered in. Little sisters handmade curry. Zaraki avor
Zaraki avor, huh? That sounds pretty dangerous... Well, whatever.
But, still, what they bring out to me might be completely inedible...
Hah... well, whatever.
Having exhausted myself just by ordering, I took a breather.
Tilting my chair backwards, I stared at the ceiling.
Then, the door once again opened, and a group of people entered.
Ring ring.
Welcome home, master!
Ah, so they came. I took out a baseball cap from my bag, and wore it low over my eyes.
Nonchalantly, I turned my gaze towards the door.
In succession, a group of girls entered. I still couldnt see Kirino. Hm... as I thought, they
were relatively plain looking... at the risk of sounding a bit rude, most of them really didnt
seem very rened.
There were also a few girls here or there in cosplay... hm?

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Chapter 3
Whoa... whats up with that one?!
Although I didnt say this out loud, you could argue that I was being a bit too rude. But,
after seeing that, could you really say that? I turned my gaze to the girl (?) that stood at the
front of the group.
Well, lets see... rst things rst. She was huge. Really huge. Seriously big.
Just making a rough estimate, she had to be around 180 cm tall.70 Well, I mean, if that
was the only thing I was looking at, she may have looked like a supermodel... but what was
more startling was her getup. She looked extremely like an otaku.
Her head was wrapped in a bandana, and she wore a pair of twirly eyeglasses. Whats
more, she wore a checkered long-sleeve shirt, tucked into a pair of trousers. She also bore a
rough-looking backpack on her back.
To make matters worse, a number of rolled up posters poked out from her backpack.
... To sum it up... she was the image of the stereotypical otaku that I had seen on TV,
while having a gure like a supermodel...
Im not lying. I really didnt believe it myself, but there she was, right in front of me.
Heh, Tokyo is truly a frightening place, isnt it? Ive denitely learned that today.
Feeling myself getting agitated, I gulped down some water in an attempt to calm myself.
And in front of my eyes, that aforementioned huge girl began to talk to one of the maids.
70
Around 5 feet 11 inches.
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Chapter 3
I have a reservation for 1 PM, please.71
... Geez, she really has an incredibly strange way of speaking, this big one.
The maid didnt even inch, exuding an impressive air of professionalism.
Alright. Would you please give me your name?
Saori Bajeena.
Wha-?! I did a spit take, and held my throat, coughing violently.
Hack! Hack! Cough! Cough! Hack!
Ah! A-are you alright, oniichan?
The maid-san patted me on the back as I continued to cough in agony. Damn, that denitely went down the wrong pipe! Hack! Cough! Hack! Dammit, I feel like Im going to die...
But I cant die before making a comment here.
This was the person with the username Saori?! But, Bajeena... wasnt she Japanese?!
Ah, I know. It was just her alias in the online community.
I mean, even I could understand that people often had dierent identities online and in
real life. But no matter how you looked at it, her name was obviously fake.
71
Saori refers to herself as sessha, which is a really archaic formal way to refer to yourself. Also, its a
pronoun that is generally used by males. Saori also uses degozaru which is highly formal and very strange
in this setting. I really dont know how to translate these things into English.
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Chapter 3
And she also wasnt quite the prim and proper lady that I had imagined her to be...
She really fell very short of that expectation! This was perhaps the biggest surprise Ive
had in all my 17 years of life!
Well, this was a bit of a dreadful outcome right from the start, wasnt it? What the hell.
I havent even talked to her, and yet Im making such nasty comments already...
Cough. Cough. Cough. Thanks... sorry for being so noisy.
Oh no, its ne. Alright, Ill go get another water for you, kay? But oniichan? If you
do that again Ill get angry, okay? .
Blop. The maid tapped my head lightly with her st. Even in such unexpected situations,
she didnt panic and stayed in character. Shes really a seasoned pro, isnt she?
Yeah... I really am very sorry...
I blushed through teary eyes. And I realized that all the eyes in the place were now looking
at me.
I felt the jealous stares of the other guys here and there in the bar, as if they wanted to
say Well arent you pretty clever?
No no! It wasnt like it was on purpose! Ah, damn, I suddenly feel so uncomfortable here...
Ring ring. Turning my gaze once again to the entrance, I saw Kirino crossing her arms
and giving me a erce glare, as if to say why the hell are you being so conspicuous, idiot?!
Well, I couldnt help it, could I?! It was all Bajeenas fault!
I tried to explain it to her just with my eyes, but...
...Hmph.
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Chapter 3
Whether she understood what I was trying to say or not, Kirino quickly turned the other
way.
... But seriously... she really doesnt t in with that crowd...
Excluding the big one, the girls of the Otaku Girls Unite! group, whether they looked
plain or were wearing some kind of cosplay, all looked like quite docile girls. Also, there were
barely any who had dyed their hair.
Mixed into the middle of that group, there was a teen model (light brown hair) who had
obviously tried very hard to coordinate her clothes... she really stood out.
As the community members were standing near the entrance awaiting further instruction,
two maids went up to them and bowed.
We are very sorry about the wait. Please allow us to lead you to your seats.
At the maids directions, the group slowly entered into the middle of the cafe.
Kirino and the others were shown to the very middle of the cafe. A number of other tables
were attached to that one, and chairs were brought and placed appropriately.
The group split up into smaller groups of 10 or so, and picked their seats while chatting
away. From the bit of conversation I could overhear, it appeared that this was this groups
rst oine meeting. So, this was probably the rst time any of these girls were meeting in
person.
...
... Isnt Kirino a bit cut o from the rest of the group...?
In one corner, Kirino was sitting by herself. Her posture was strangely sti, and she was
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anxiously looking around. It was like in elementary school, when people separate into groups
of friends, but one person ends up being left out...
Man, this was a pretty miserable situation... I felt a pang in my chest as I clenched my
teeth.
Umm...
In that state, as soon as Kirino tried to timidly strike up a conversation, the same conversation would end after two or three words.
It seems like Kirino was wary of her companions, and they thought the same of her. Even
though this was a group that presumably shared a hobby, it didnt seem that way at all. It
was as if her words just werent getting heard... or if there was an invisible wall...
I clicked my tongue.
Well... its not like I wasnt vaguely expecting something like this to happen...
Kirino had always exuded a haughty aura that screamed Servant, dont come near me.
She seemed like the type who would push away anybody who wasnt similarly beautiful
and rened as she.
Of course, thats ne at school. There are people of all sorts at school, and it wasnt
dicult to form a group with similar people and hang out with them.
But Kirino, at school, was not only part of the most popular group, but was a leader of
sorts in that group. In that position, it was good that she could so carefully pick her clothes
and be so charming.
This aura of a cold princess that she exuded helped her charm and attract people with
similar sensibilities.
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But, here, the people were not that way at all. Here, the people that Kirino was trying to
make friends with were completely dierent than the people in the crowd she hung out with
at school. That was pretty obvious.
It was as if in the middle of a ock of sheep, the wolf who wanted to make friends with
the sheep had been left out.
No matter how desperately the wolf tried to speak, the sheep would get nervous, and would
think why is this wolf mixed in with our ock?
...
Irritated, I bit my lip. ... Ah, Kirino ran away from another conversation. She really cant
hold a conversation for longer than two or three words, can she? Whomever she was talking
to would nod idly for a bit, and then get drawn in to another groups conversation, and would
stop talking to Kirino.
... And anyways, from what I could overhear, I really had no idea what any of these people
were talking about.
It felt like I had gotten lost in a foreign country or something...
As I rubbed my forehead and let out a sigh, Kirino looked in my direction as if asking for
help.
... Dont look at me with such a miserable expression... Thats so not like you!
I began to clench my sts, and then...
Sorry to keep you waiting! Your little sisters hand-made curry is here, oniichan!
Ah, thanks.
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This damn maid... she really chose a great time to bring this to me, didnt she? Oh God,
my sister just heard this maid call me oniichan, didnt she?! Agh, how terrible!
Someone please kill me! As I trembled out of embarrassment, I looked at my sister. It

seemed that she hadnt been looking this way, but it was all the same to me. Clenching my
sts, I put all my energy into watching her table.
Hey, Kirino, I really cant do anything in this position. But, Ill denitely watch you from
here.
Do your best! Do your best, Kirino...! Do your best! Pointlessly, I continued to try to
send my words of encouragement to her.
Dammit...
What was that crap about hand-made? This taste, this curry obviously came from a
can, didnt it...?!
3.3
The oine meeting continued for around two hours, and ended with what looked to be a
gift exchange.
Of course, without being able to communicate eectively with anyone at all, Kirino had
not managed to make a single friend...
Whats more, the nal blow came when Kirino received her gift from the present exchange,
and it turned out to be some shabby toy magic hand.72
Wh... what the hell was this? No matter how you looked at it, that was just a bit...
72
One of those things where you pull a lever on one end and the claw at the other end opens and closes.
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It didnt have to be a perfect gift, but seriously, shouldnt you prepare a more serious
present?
Feeling all alone and looking downwards, my sister dejectedly opened and closed the magic
hand, and I couldnt help but pity her a bit.
... Dammit, I really might cry...
In all my seventeen years of life, has there ever been a scene that has been so depressing
as this?
I was now outside the cafe, standing only slightly removed from the gathered girls.
And then, the community leader and also the organizer of this oine meeting, Saori, began
to make her closing remarks.
Thank you all for your cooperation in making this rst memorable tea gathering pleasant
and seeing it through to a safe conclusion! From me, I oer you the most heartfelt thanks.
The crowd raised a delighted cheer. As expected from a community leader, her appearance
and manner of speech gave her a commanding air, not unlike a teacher talking to his students.
With that, this tea meeting has come to a close! We can now go on each of our ways,
but because the day is still young, please continue to congregate with friends you have made!
Also, as for the next ocial event, I will post up a topic on the community boards, and be
sure to attend that one as well! Alright then... dismissed!
With that, the crowd came to life. Farewells ew left and right, along with invitations,
with a hey, do you want to head to Toranoana73 now? here to a where do you want to go?
there to a hey, lets go and talk seriously about those Seed couplings74 somewhere else.
73
A rather big manga and doujinshi shop along the main avenue of Akihabara. Its quite nice - I blew way
too much money there.
74
I am going to guess that they are talking about Gundam SEED.
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But, in that energetic throng, my sister, Kirino, was nowhere to be found.
In groups of two or three, the larger group dispersed.
Also, Saori, after giving her farewell speech, made a mad dash out of there.
Did she have some urgent business to attend to?
Like that, the area slowly emptied of people, leaving a lone Kirino standing stock still
in the middle. She may have been hopeful that someone would invite her to go with them,
and would not allow herself to give up. Now, looking completely exhausted, she dropped her
shoulders. Her cute clothes, which she had so carefully picked for today, had been exposed
as being completely ineective... In fact, they may have had the opposite eect to what she
intended.
It was a scene of a desolate battleeld, with the wasted arrows and broken blades of the
losing army strewn about. And in her hand she still grasped that magic hand.
Slowly, I took o my baseball cap and approached my dejected-looking sister.
... Dont say anything... you denitely tried your best.
I tried to place a hand on her head in comfort, but it was quickly swept away.
... Yeah, yeah, I know you dont want to be pitied.
With her head turned downwards like that, I couldnt see her face, but...
You really have to face it and try to put on a brave face here. This time was a bit of
a misre, but you learn from your mistakes and get back on your feet. And however many
times, you should be up to take the challenge again. Right?
Alright, Kirino. Weve nally gotten to Akiba. Lets go look around for a bit.
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Lightly striking Kirino on the back, I nally got back the abuse I was expecting.
The hell... idiot... Also, why did you suddenly start choking on your water back then?
Well, I mean, I really couldnt help it.
As we were exchanging this nonsense talk, Kirino suddenly gave a huge sigh.
... I couldnt talk to them at all.
... Yeah, I saw. Well, this was your rst time after all. Dont worry about it.
... Its not that... Wh-why...? I... was just trying to act normally... why were they
avoiding me? Ooh... Im so annoyed... so annoyed. Annoyed annoyed annoyed...
Looking truly irritated, Kirino ground her teeth while stamping her feet.
...
Its not like I could blame her. Ive also been in situations like this. Sometimes, when I
was frustrated or depressed, I couldnt nd any way to distract myself other than changing
those feelings into anger...
But, I had pretty good knowledge of my sisters anger... especially since she started kicking
me out of anger just now. Im not a wall, you know? If you kick me, youll hurt me.
But I wont get angry! It hurts me when you do that, but I know youre hurting too, so
Ill be patient with you today.
Ow!!! This kid... stop using your heel so much! Dammit, can I really be patient with
this?! I really cant tolerate this much longer!
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In that way, I continued to frantically try to tolerate Kirinos outburst.
Suddenly, an unexpected gure appeared.
Ooi! Kiririn-shi! ... Phew, Im glad! Youre still here!
Ah... youre... Saori-san...?
Panting from having run all the way here, the community leader Saori stood before us.
Hey, hey, whats with that Saori-san ? Its as if Kiririn-shi doesnt know me or something! Its perfectly alright if you drop the san. Ahhh, but Im glad I caught you. I was just
about to try to reach you by cell phone, too.
Saori smiled widely. But man, shes really high strung, isnt she? With her strange style
of speaking75 , even though I could understand her from a distance, now that she was talking
with me here I really didnt know how to respond.
From her appearances, Kirino was equally stumped, and timidly tried her best to respond.
W-what did you want with me?
Ah.
Saori nodded and her mouth went like this: .76 For someone with such a build, she could
do cute things like this too. Her face was half hidden behind her swirly glasses, but up close I
could tell that her features were denitely not bad. Unlike a certain someone, if she took o
her glasses she may as well have been a beautiful woman.
75
Once again, and this is the absolute last time Im going to mention this, Saori has a really strange manner
of speaking in Japanese. She uses a lot of very stilted formal speech and lots of archaic male pronouns.
76
Yes, there is literally a picture of a curly shape in the novel.
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Leaving that aside, Saori held up one nger and said this.
Truth is, I wanted to invite you to another gathering.
Huh?
Kirino looked bewildered at the strange invitation. Right after she made this statement,
Saori turned her swirly eyeglasses to me.
Kiririn-shi, by the way, who is this fellow? If Im not mistaken, earlier he was in the shop
watching yo... ahhhh, I see...
Denitely not!
Kirino and I raised our objection at the same time. Of all things, what in the world are
you thinking?!
So, I was mistaken? I apologize then... its just that this fellow a little while ago was
intently staring at Kiririn-shi inside the shop, right? I was so certain that it was the gaze of
a lover...
Theres no way!! Stop that!! Just thinking about that grosses me out!!
Wow, my sister is pretty annoyed... isnt there some nicer way you could tell her shes
wrong, though?
While I was thinking these things, I added on my own thoughts.
Im Kousaka Kyousuke, and I want to clear up the fact that Im her brother. Please dont
make any bad assumptions.
Oh hoh, I see I see, youre Kiririn-shis... sibling, although you look nothing like her.
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Dammit, leave me alone.
Nodding in understanding, Saori faced me and gave me a light bow.
Alright, my mistake then. I think you already know this then, but my name is Saori
Bajeena. Please call me Saori. Nin.77
... Thanks. Thats very considerate...
And, nin? Geez, her manner of speaking is seriously otaku-ish, isnt it? And whats with
those weird rst-person pronouns?78
As I was making these remarks in my head, I returned her bow.
Well, well, Kyousuke-shi - you wont mind if I call you Kyousuke-shi - Would Kyousukeshi like to come with us?
Would I mind... you mean, to the meeting?
Of course! How about it?
Whoa, suddenly her face came really close to mine.
I took a step back in surprise, and in my place Kirino began to speak with a slightly uneasy
tone of voice.
77
Saori says nin! at the end of her sentence here, which is apparently some ninja stereotype, and Saori is
trying to impersonate this. Whatever, sappari wakaranai.
78
As mentioned before, Saori uses sessha which is really archaic. Here she also uses wagahai, which is
also very outdated and also was predominantly used by males. Saori should take pity on this poor translator
and stop speaking such weird Japanese.
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Um... this meeting... will there be a lot of other people?
In other words, she doesnt really want to go, does she? And I understand why. If she
goes and feels left out again, it would hardly be a good time.
And, in Kirinos case, because she was pretty spoiled in general, this was very hard for
her.
But, with a oh no no, Saori shook her head back and forth in a hugely exaggerated way.
She put up four ngers on one hand and spoke.
Including Kiririn-shi and Kyousuke-shi, there are only four people. Its a meeting for
people I had wanted to talk to, to make friends with, but didnt have a chance to. I guess
for a gathering, its a bit small. Lets go chat a bit at a McDonalds, and then go shopping
together. How about it?
U-uh...
After hearing the details, Kirino seemed a bit interested and began to think about it.
If its like this, then she wouldnt be left out of the group, so it should be ne, right?
Thats what Kirino was probably thinking.
After realizing this, because I felt I should encourage Kirino a bit, I faced Saori and spoke.
I dont mind, but it depends on what she says.
Hm, well how about it? Kiririn-shi?
U-uh...
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Showing us her thinking face, after acting like she was thinking hard about it, Kirino
blushed.
A-alright. If you put it like that... Ill go then... for your sake.
Her words sounded so childish that it was very dicult to restrain my laughter.
Kirino had always acted mature for her age, but every once in a while she showed her
younger side, and the cuteness made me smile.
Ahh, then thats good! Well, lets go! The last member of our gathering is already waiting at the McDonalds.
Removing one of her posters from her backpack as if unsheathing a lightsaber, Saori pointed
straight ahead.
Saori - the huge girl who dressed like an otaku. The community leader with weird speech
patterns.
Honestly, I cant think of any way to describe her other than weird... but... maybe...
If she werent really the way she was through and through, then its unlikely she could be
as respected as a leader of the otaku community.
3.4
With that, we set o to meet this last person.
We were now seated on the second oor at the McDonalds nearest the Pretty Garden
cafe79 , on a couch in one of the corners. Two tables were joined end to end, so four people
could sit down together.
79
The maid cafe they had been at previously.
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Kirino and I were sitting side by side, Saori was across from me, and the last person at the
meeting was sitting across from Kirino. There were drinks set in front of each seat. Kirino,
Saori, and I had just come up from the rst oor after buying drinks a few seconds ago, and
had just met this fourth person.
But since all four of us had gathered here, not one person had said anything.
... But, this last person... she was also really strange, although not in the same way as
Saori.
As soon as I saw her, my eyes widened.
Although, I couldnt really see her face... in the corner seat across from Kirino, she was
ddling with her cell phone.
Because she was motionlessly looking downwards, I couldnt see her face, but she denitely
had a beautiful head of black hair.
But... she was one of those cosplayers, wasnt she...
Her clothes were pitch black. Things that looked like rose blossoms were attached everywhere, giving her an excessively extravagant look. She really looked like she was going to a
ball or something.
Its been on my mind for a while, but... when I look at you closely... thats a really great
Suigintou,80 isnt it...
At least, those were Kirinos impressions. But, whatever you might think, Kirino, she
stands out in an entirely dierent way than you do...
I had no idea what she was cosplaying, but however I looked at it this just went way
80
Rozen Maiden character.
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overboard... She was taking cosplay a bit too seriously...
As soon as she saw that all of us had sat down, Saori began to introduce us two.
These two are Kiririn-shi and, as a special guest, her older brother Kyousuke-shi. And,
this is a member of my community-
... My username is Kuroneko.81
The nal person at the meeting raised her head and vacantly introduced herself.
What an emotionless, indierent manner of speaking.
Um... Im Kiririn. N-nice to meet you.
Kirino spoke nervously. It was a nervousness that didnt really suit her, but this was
probably how she felt during the oine meeting too.
Im Kousaka Kyousuke. Sorry for intruding on this meeting so suddenly.
Following this, having introduced myself like my sister, and a gloomy voice responded.
... I see. Well, for the time being, nice to meet you.
She spoke bluntly, but this black haired Gothic Lolita girl82 was really quite a beauty.
Although, her personality did not match Kirinos at all.
81
This translates roughly to black cat, but since this is the name that she is known by the community, I
will continue to refer to her as Kuroneko throughout this translation.
82
A fashion trend, with preference for darker colors. Google it if youre curious.
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Her bangs consisted of long black hair. Her skin, pure white. Her eyes, long and thin. She
had a beauty mark under her left eye.
Im not sure if this is the right way to say it, but she was a somewhat ghost-like Japanesestyle beauty.
The red contacts she had put in also probably were a part of the cosplay.
From the looks of it, she also seemed to have a dicult, gloomy personality... in this
atmosphere, I was half-expecting her to start using black magic. She was denitely pretty,
but she had none of the charm that Kirino had, and a foreboding aura rose up from her entire
body.83
... Everyone seems to be here, so Ill ask quickly... what exactly is your intention for
inviting me to a place like this, manager-san?
Ha ha ha. Didnt I tell you before? I wanted to invite you to a little afterparty. Ahh,
but that was a pretty close call! The minute I nished speaking, you started briskly walking
away, so I had to run after you! Geez, if I didnt do that, I wouldnt have been able to invite
you!
Saori repeatedly nudged the Goth Lolita girl, but she remained completely expressionless.
Since we rst saw her, she had not changed her facial expression in the slightest... it was
really eerie.
But I understand now, this is probably why Saori took o running earlier.
... I see. Gradually, Im starting to see what Saori is trying to do here... But, Kirino
and this Gothic Lolita girl... the reason she deliberately picked these two to bring here, I still
didnt really know...
Perhaps it was that this meeting was organized by the community manager Saori for the
sake of the attendees at the oine meeting who failed at making many friends.
83
Kyousuke says that black minus vectors are coming o of Kuroneko. This is a bit dicult to envision
in English though.
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Thats why there were no others here.
As Saori had said, it was a meeting for people I had wanted to talk to, to make friends
with, but didnt have a chance to, right?
Thats a nice way to put it. Hmm. You couldnt tell by looking at her, but she really
knew how to take care of people in a discreet way, didnt she?
And, also, she never asked exactly why I had been accompanying Kirino, and furthermore
received me as a special guest, so she probably had vaguely guessed what I was doing there.
So really... hah... just as her apperance would suggest, she was a pretty charitable person.
Slurp.
Still having not let her guard down, Kirino silently sipped at her soda.
It seemed like Kirino had not yet realized what was going on... but Kuroneko I think
had already gured it out.
That might have been why she suddenly looked so ill at ease after rst seeing us.
On the one hand, I would be grateful, but on the other hand, once I guessed Saoris intentions, no matter how I looked at it I felt like I was being pitied. It was an incredibly dicult
situation.
Kuronekos inner thoughts were probably pretty complicated. Honestly, my mood was also
a bit complicated right now.
If I were Saori, I wouldnt have taken the eort to call out to the people who werent tting
in at the rst meeting.
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The people who werent doing well at the rst meeting would probably not go to the next
meeting, right? As Saori, I really would have been ne with that.
Thats what I thought at least. So really, this big girl was a pretty good person, wasnt
she?
By the way, stop it with the manager-san and the reserved manners. Just feel free to call
me Saori please, Kuroneko-shi. We all went through the trouble of meeting here, so lets
drop the formality and have fun.
How could you dare to call yourself Saori with that body? How shameless.
The minute Saori gave out this invitation to drop formality, this Gothic Lolita had to say
such a thing.
Hey hey, thats the rst time someones said something like that to me.
But its true, isnt it? When youre online, you put on that pure princess act, and that
username suits you well84 ... but really, its like this, isnt it? However you look at it, youre a
fraud. Its unfortunately laughable. Im just trying to give you honest advice, so just change
your name to Andre85 after this, alright? In that case, there would be no problem... and
also, whats with that weird outt and weird way of talking? ... with the nin and all that...
You feel like some gross otaku from the past.
Like a timid cat, Kirino huddled in her seat and spoke bluntly what we all were thinking.
Y-you two! When she said you could drop the formalities, she didnt mean you could just
freely insult her!
84
So, Im slightly confused by this comment, but Saori in Japanese translates roughly to nely woven
cloth, so perhaps Kuroneko is making a comment here that the name Saori implies a bit more renement.
85
May be a reference to Andre the Giant, a pro wrestler.
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Even though I was thinking the same thing as Kirino... but actually saying it out loud
just isnt right!!
Even after she took the trouble to invite you two who didnt t in at the oine meeting...
why are you saying such cruel things to her, you ingrates!
Especially Kirino! If you want to act mature, should you be saying stu like that?! Get
on your knees and apologize!
Dont say such things while sitting there sipping cola through your teeth!
However, Saori, the person who had just been spoken so badly about, was completely
unphased.
Hey, hey, Kyousuke-shi, theres no need to get that angry. Im glad that you got so red
up for my sake, but... these types of insults feel like nothing harsher than a soft breeze to this
body. Rather, theyre almost pleasant. So, dont worry about it, Kyousuke-shi. I dont mind
if you insult me either!
I really think that youre a good person... so I have no idea what you mean by that last
thing there.
Geez, shes really resistant to verbal abuse, isnt she?
As I sent her a dumbfounded stare, Saori raised one nger and leaned forwards.
Well, at least we can be open with each other. So, how about we each introduce ourselves
again?
Im a bit skeptical that what just happened you could call being open...
It wasnt a bad idea, though. However, at Saoris words, the place fell deathly silent.
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.........
Come on, guys, say something. Even if it might be awkward.
Seeing no other way, I took the initiative and urged them on.
Come on, isnt this a good idea?
.........
As I thought, I got no response. It seems like both Kirino and Kuroneko were completely
bewildered and at a loss for words.
For one, no matter how I looked at her, Kuroneko didnt seem to be the type of person to
do this kind of thing... and Kirino was still dealing with the failure from before. Hmm... I
mean, even if you tell them so vaguely to introduce themselves, theyre still going to be shy.
As an outsider, I really shouldnt be butting in here... but it really cant be helped now.
So, I proposed an idea.
Well, how about for each person who is about to introduce themselves, we take turns
asking them questions? That way, it should be easier to talk. Ah, of course, you can pass on
asking a question if you want. And then, well gradually rotate through all of us.
Hm. Thats a nice idea, Kyousuke-shi. Then, lets start with Kuroneko-shi!
... Oh yeah, just feel free to pick me rst...
At Kuronekos erce glare, Saori, with a well, well,86 made exaggerated gestures in an
attempt to calm her down.
86
She says maa maa.
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Chapter 3
Kuroneko blew on her hot coee, and after slowly taking one sip, muttered with an uninterested expression.
Alright, ne.... Well, I believe I already gave you my name, so what should I talk about
after that?
Hmm, well rst. I have a question... yeah.
I was sure that she was going to start with the obvious question about her outt, but Saori
did nothing of the sort.
Hmm, well, could you tell us a story about an event recently that made you really nervous?
... That doesnt sound like a question appropriate for self-introductions. It sounds more
like something a guest would be asked on a talk show...
Geez, I felt the same way. I did not understand at all why this big girl would ask such a
question... but with a whatever, Kuroneko played along. Really? Shes pretty impressively
calm about this.
With that, the ow of conversation began to smoothen.
Hm, an event that made me really nervous, right... if I had to pick one...
Kuroneko pondered expressionlessly for a little while, but before long began to mutter in
an disinterested tone.
I was planning a submission to NicoNicoDouga87 , so I put on cat ears and a tail and was
dancing around, when my little sister saw me... Yeah, I guess that made me pretty nervous.
I didnt know what Niconico-whatever was, but I did understand that she had lost her
87
Video sharing site in Japan.
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Chapter 3
cool (quite contrary to her calm demeanor now). Still, I could only really understand half of
what she said, so I couldnt comment.
Hahaha, Kuroneko-shi is surprisingly mischievous, isnt she? And then your sister came
in?
Yeah. She was staring at me as if she was witnessing something inexplicable and her
mouth was half open.
I can believe it. I mean, thats pretty much how I felt just now, right? I can relate to her
sister all too well.
The conversation then turned onto Kuronekos little sister, but Kirino continued to be
silent the entire time. As always, shes just too nervous, isnt she?
And then, with good timing, Saori turned the conversation to Kirino.
Alright, its Kiririn-shis turn now! Please ask Kuroneko-shi a question!
Uh, me? ... Uh.... uhhh...
Realizing that she was suddenly being pointed at by Saori, Kirino blinked in surprise.
I-I... dont really have anything to ask... so... Ill pass.
... What an idiot. What the hell are you doing?! All this after Saori, being considerate,
didnt ask Kuroneko about her outt so you could have an easy question! Ask it, wont you?!
Ask about her clothes!!
......
But it didnt seem like my mental wishes went through, and Kirino curled up tightly on
her chair while casting her eyes downwards.
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Well... this might be something else. It might be that Kirino is still traumatized from
being excluded from the previous meeting... maybe...
What should I do...? Scratching my chin, I threw a suitable question at Kuroneko.
What kinds of food do you like?
Fish... is that a good enough answer?
Kuroneko begrudgingly answered me as if she was just fullling some sort of unwanted
obligation.
... Eh... it seems that this girl also doesnt have enough respect for her seniors, does she...?
Dammit.
Alright. Next, it is Kiririn-shis turn to introducer herself!
M-me...? Uh... uhh.... Im Kiririn.
Kirino had become quite sti, and continued to look downwards as she gave her name
again.
Sensing that the tension was not decreasing at all, Saori raised her voice with good timing.
Alright, then its time for a question for Kiririn-shi! Kuroneko-shi, if you would please!
Why exactly are you wearing such an out of place outt? I would understand if you were
meeting friends in Shibuya or something, but for going to an oine meeting in Akiba, that
kind of fashion is just unheard of.
Well, she doesnt mince words and goes right to the dicult questions, doesnt she? This
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Gothic Lolita!
This will just further traumatize her, so dont ask such a thing!
Certainly, I wanted to tell someone to ask about clothes, but that someone denitely was
not you!
Wha-
As expected, Kirino, seeming dejected, looked oended and tried to refute Kuronekos
statement.
Well, Im sorry... I cant help it, this is just the type of clothing that suits me. A-and, I
mean, you too...
Me too? Whats that? Please tell me.
Kuroneko whispered this with a sneer. Whoa... what an amazingly condescending atmosphere.
Ooo...
A blood vessel rose to the surface on Kirinos forehead. Whaaa, stay in control, please,
stay in control.
Kirino, normally having a quick temper, was showing an almost unheard of level of self
control, and was deeply breathing in and out.
She was probably on the verge of blowing up inside, but on the surface she still didnt
seem that angry.
But even the smallest thing could set her o now. Damn, Im worried...
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Hoping that she would be able to defuse this dangerous atmosphere, I looked at Saori,
but...
She was sitting there with her neck cutely inclined to the side, with an expression of feigned
ignorance that said Oh dear, how will this turn out?
It seemed like she was just going to sit back and watch... dammit, what is she trying to
accomplish?
As the smell of gunpowder hung in the air, Kirino and Kuronekos exchange continued.
I think Ill have to take back my pass from before. I have a question for you too. That
costume... what cosplay is it supposed to be? Suigintou... right?
Ah, this? Its not Suigintou. Thats completely wrong, where exactly are you looking...?
Mascheras Queen of Nightmare... could it be you havent heard of it?88
I had no idea. Even if she acted surprised that people hadnt heard of it, I had no idea.
Kirino also didnt seem to have heard of it.
Hm? I think Ive heard the name somewhere before... its an anime, right?
Yes. Maschera Lament of a Fallen Beast. Its an action anime, and the story and
artwork are both the best out of the current season. It airs in the evening every Thursday, so
watch it, alright?
Ah, that... isnt that competing with Meruru in the same timeslot? Its that Oshare Kei
anime with those brooding superpowered anime boys, right?89
88
Maschera is, I believe, an anime series created just for the purpose of this Light Novel.
Oh boy, lots to explain here. Oshare Kei is a subgenre of Visual Kei, generally characterized by lighter
and happier colors (I dunno, look it up on Urban Dictionary or something). Kirino also says jakigan,
which describes the third eye some characters have (hence superpowered), but also usually is related to a
personality type of a brooding teenager (think Sasuke from Naruto). When Kirino says brooding, she uses
the term chuunibyou, which is a derogatory term for 14-some year old emo boys.
89
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Ping. I could have sworn I saw a vision of a skull and crossbones switch being pushed.
You said something there... Meruru, could you possibly mean Stardust Witch Meruru ?
Hah, a battle mahou shoujo anime like that is hardly in fashion anymore. Other than idiot
kids, or adults who are satised as long as theres moe in it, I cant think of anyone who would
watch that rubbish. Also, if you take into account the ratings, its Meruru thats the inferior
one, isnt it?90 Please dont say stupid reckless things.
Ratings? What the hell? Huh? The programs I watch are omotegumi, and the ones
outside of that are uragumi, thats all.91 Thats just a common phrase, so dont get the
wrong idea. And also, by your remarks, you havent even seen Meruru, have you? If you
watched the last battle in the rst season, you denitely wouldnt be throwing around insults
like that! Ahhh, how pitiable! Someone who hasnt even seen Meruru! And together with
that ultra-moe insert song that will make you want to die, everything is just so silky smooth!
Dont you dare make fun of kids anime!
Its you that should be more respectful. What in the world do you mean by brooding? I
hate that word with all of my being. Just labeling it with a word like that, idiots criticize it
without even trying to see the show for what it is. Could it be that youre one of those pigs?
What the hell is happening? Why did an argument suddenly start?
Waait wait wait wait wait! You two, dont get up and stay in your seats! Calm down!
Its just anime, isnt it?
Its just anime?
Kuroneko and Kirino simultaneously turned to face me.
... H-how rude!

90
Theres a bit of a misunderstanding here between Kirino and Kuroneko. Urabangumi means program
that is in the same timeslot, but ura can also mean rear or back, and can be used as a derogatory
word. Kuroneko here thinks that Kirino is insulting Maschera by using the term urabangumi, although I
dont think Kirino meant anything of the sort.
91
Omote is the word for front.
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Crap, otaku are scary when they get serious. I looked to Saori for help, but she just went
on sipping her orange juice without concerning herself with me. I leaned over and whispered
into her ear.
... Do something, wont you?
Opening up to each other like this... hehe, dont you think theyre strangely suited for
each other?
Where the hell do you see that?!
Of course, without anything stopping them, the verbal argument continued.
Hmph... well, you just have a great personality, dont you? Thats why you couldnt
make any friends at the oine meeting. Were you self-conscious or something?
Look whos talking. I saw you, and all you did the entire meeting was ddle with your
phone by yourself. How gloomy! If you do that, nobodys going to talk to you, you know!
Shut up, you... I just suddenly wanted to check the funny pages in the morning newspaper...
The two girls stared each other down while holding imposing poses. They were both very
pretty but... this was quite a stupid argument.
But honestly, theyre both to blame, arent they? Geez... why do all the pretty ones have
such problematic personalities? Because of you two, my own prejudice against good-looking
girls is just getting stronger and stronger. As I thought, plain-looking girls are the best...
Suddenly, I really really wanted to see my childhood friends face again.
As I began to escape from reality, the battle of insults had come to a standstill, and Saori
interrupted.
Well, it seems that the discussion has completed the rst stage, so lets proceed to the
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next phase, shall we? Lets see... its my turn next.
With her boomingly clear voice, Saori attracted the attention of everyone in the place.
The corners of her lips upturned, she smiled.
Alright, so one more time. My name is Saori Bajeena. I act as the leader of the Otaku
Girls Unite! community. This is already written on my prole page, but Im a fteen year old
currently in her third year in junior high. I believe that I am the same age as Kuroneko-shi
here.
Saori had casually changed the subject to Kuroneko, but Kuroneko showed no reaction.
She was completely expressionless.
Hm. So these two were a year older than Kirino. I could guess that Kuroneko would be
somewhere around that age. But Saori... she was younger than I was...?
Not really believing it, I took a good look at Saori.
By the way, my measurements are, from the top, 88, 60,-
You dont have to tell us that.
But but, theyre the same as Fujiwara Norikas.92
Listen to what other people are saying! Stop speaking so boastfully!
Dammit. Why am I the only one who is reacting?
One way or another, I really didnt know how to handle this...
Alright, alright, someone quickly ask her a question.

92
Fujiwara Norika is a Japanese model and once was Miss Japan (in 1992).
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Exhausted, I pleaded for someone to help me, and surprisingly, Kuroneko was the one who
answered.
... Alright then, Ill ask the question everyone has on their mind, Saori-san. What the
hell is with that gross otaku outt and manner of speaking?
I really wanted to hear her answer to that one too! In my heart, I applauded Kuronekos
nerve, but what should I do when the question is answered honestly? I should take my sister
and get away from this weirdo, right?
Thankfully, my fears were misplaced. Saori responded.
Well, haha, Im a bit embarrassed. Truth is, this was the rst time I organized something
like an oine meeting... so I wanted to make a good impression on everyone and did my best
to make a character appropriate for a leader... I mean, normally Im a bit more reserved than
this.93
Uh, nano desu yo? Seriously? You cant just make a character out of an outt, but you
have to change how you speak too?
The remarks I wanted to make here were absolutely countless... for now, Ill just say that
I cant even begin to believe that shes a bit more reserved normally. She might think it, but
its probably not true.
Kuroneko blinked her red eyes in surprise.
If you did your best, how it became something like that, I cant even begin to understand.
But, at least, its a bit preferable to a certain someone who came armed to the teeth with
brand-name clothes, who tried so hard but just ended up being ignored.
93
Saori ends this sentence with nano desu yo, which is a bit of a cutesy way of ending sentences. This
explains Kyousukes next comment. For more information about the mysterious nano desu sentence ending,
please go youtube Hanyuu Nano Desu.
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What the hell? Annoying... you shouldnt be the one talking. What the hell is up with
that overdone Gothic Lolita outt?! Even in Akiba, I didnt think I would see an idiot wearing
such an outrageous thing at the meeting!
... What did you say?
Once again, Kirino and Kuroneko were glaring at each other. Whatever, Im just going to
leave them be. Dealing with each and every argument is just too tiring.
Also... I just realized something.
Kirino had picked some truly cute brand-name clothes for today.
Kuroneko had come in a full-blown serious cosplay.
Saori had wrapped her body in the clothes of a gross otaku.
Three people, three kinds. Yet, even though their appearances and personalities were so
dierent, these three had common ground. And that is... that all three of these people, wanting to do well at the oine meeting, had each very carefully and with great eort picked their
outts.
Hm...
As I listened to Kuroneko and Kirino sling insults at each other that I couldnt quite understand, I reected over these past few hours.
Today marked the rst time I had come into contact with otaku outside of my sister... but
honestly, they were completely dierent than what I had imagined them to be. When I say
otaku here, Im using the strict interpretation of otaku. That is, people who like games
or anime, who are really into what we call the subculture.
I think Im saying something obvious, but they are people who love their hobbies, and
thats it. Yes, thats all there is to it. Its not dierent from liking R and B, or basketball, or
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mystery novels, or calligraphy.
But, up to now, I didnt think that. An otaku was something that went beyond just
attachment to a hobby, that had some special extra quality to it. Even though I really didnt
know what that extra quality was.
Even now, at my side, Kirino and Kuroneko were still bickering feverishly, probably about
anime stu. Is there really a dierence between this situation and a bunch of girls in high
school talking dreamily in a karaoke box about their most beloved idols? Is this really any
dierent from members of high class society sitting in a corner of a stylish cafe, talking about
romance novels?
Well... there probably isnt any major dierence, I think. Am I wrong?
Kirino had said that because she had to worry about her public image, she couldnt pursue
her hobby in public.
I understand her reasoning. Thinking back on how I thought of otaku before today, it was
quite clear to me that society holds great prejudice against them. Especially amongst junior
high and high school students.
... But, not all of it is completely prejudice...
Like, werent these people a bit weird? At the very least, they werent normal. Yes, prejudiced as I am, I dare to say this. But, I underestimated them! They were weird beyond belief!
Well, I mean... these three are the only otaku I know, and it might be hasty to use them
as a basis for judgement. The typical otaku may be quite dierent from these three.
So, by this point, its pretty clear that any thoughts I express on otaku from here on out
will be aected greatly by the prejudices I harbor against them.
I think otaku denitely have their good points too. Although they still are a bit weird.
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I looked at the unmistakable otaku, with her round glasses and huge gure.
For instance, even though this person isnt really much older or younger than Kirino, she
is very considerate of others and good natured, isnt she? But also... shes weird in every
possible way! Yet it was admirable that she could play the role of a leader so well in order to
make sure everyone else was satised.
There were other good points as well.
Going over the days events again in my head, I understood this well.
For example, take the maid cafe where the oine meeting happened. Take the festival-like
main street in Akihabara.
And then, take this second meeting here. Apart from the sad scene of Kirino getting left
out of the conversation, I didnt think there was anything bad about these things. Rather,
they seemed like fun.
To have people who like the same thing gather, to hang out together, to play together...
If you cant participate in that, wouldnt you regret it too?
Are you worried about public image? Terried of prejudice? Dont worry, come join us.
Together, well have a huge party and have lots of fun! I could imagine them saying this with
arms outstretched to the ceiling. Whos them, you ask? Well, I dont really know...
Although, if I had to give an answer, Id say that them would be everyone. Although, I
might just be talking to myself.
So, these people are here to fulll that hope, arent they?
They came here to nd friends, just like Kirino did.
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I mean, just take a look at this heated verbal exchange between Kirino and Kuroneko here.
They had only met today, and they could already get so seriously into a deep argument
like this... thats amazing in its own way, isnt it? Right? And thats because, between these
two, there is something very important that they both strongly believe in.
Although, from the side, well, some people might still see them as quite strange.
But it still denitely wasnt a bad thing. Its not something to be looked down on, to
be brushed to the side as not having any redeeming qualities. No matter how strange they
happen to be.
... Ugh... the likes of you... to just keep going on and on as you like. Alright, lets take
this outside, bitch. Ill etch true fear into your body there. Ill make you regret this in the
next life.
Shut up! Do whatever the hell you want, you brooding94 nonsensical woman.
.... B-b-brooding.... N-n-n-n-nonsensical...? O...oooo... youve nally said something you

shouldnt have... Ahh, how pathetic, you dont know what youve done, do you... even if you
regret it, its too late. Even I wont be able to stop it...
Are you an idiot?! You, dont you want to stop being such an embarrassment? Wouldnt
it be better if you went o and died somewhere?
... Can I take back what I said before?
Otaku... are denitely not all good people.

94
Brooding was translated from jakigan
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Chapter 3
It was a little while after that. Having left the McDonalds, we followed Saoris plan and
went for some light shopping in Akihabara. This aair (if youll let me call it an aair) actually dragged on for longer than expected, and because I really dont want to recall all of it
Ill omit it. But, seriously! You dont know, do you?! You cant guess what its like touring
around Akihabara like this, can you?! Just try to imagine it!
... Have you tried? You tried, right? OK, take what you imagined, and add 150% of pain
on top of that, and youll probably be close to what it really was like.
Geez... Im pretty surprised that I didnt run away at some point. Im an impressive guy,
arent I?
Also, during that time, Kuroneko and Kirino never ceased their foul-mouthed arguments.
It was generally tangled in otaku subjects though. They started from anime, then went to
games, then to manga... this couple and that couple... the artwork is yadda yadda, the DVDs
price is blah blah... but through it all, I was amazed at their everlasting string of verbal abuse
and bitter insults.
It was evening, and the get-together had just disbanded. Even though they had already
said their formal farewells earlier, the battle between jakigan and mahou shoujo95 continued.
Hehehe, Kiririn-shi and Kuroneko-shi are really hitting it o, arent they.
Where exactly do you see that? Do you need thicker glasses or something?
Those words came out of my mouth, but... I sort of understand where shes coming from.
Watching as Kirino and Kuroneko threw verbal abuse at each other, I couldnt help but
turn up the edges of my lips a bit.
95
OK I basically gave up trying to translate jakigan every time it comes up. Mahou shoujo is magical girl,
the genre of anime that Kirino likes.
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Im glad, Kirino. Im glad that you found someone to talk to about your hobbies in such
a loud, unrestrained way. Although, youll denitely deny that this has happened...
But youve made a friend here, havent you?
... Well, then.
Trying not to get pulled into the otaku anime dispute, Saori and I stood a bit to the side.
We stood on a walkway at the side of Akihabaras Washington Hotel. Soon, there was a
crosswalk in front of us.
As Kirinos older brother, there were words that I denitely had to say to this person.
With as much sincerity as I could muster, I lowered my head to Saori.
Thank you.
... Huh? What exactly are you thanking me for?
A question mark oated above Saoris head and she inclined her neck while her mouth
became like this .
Although, Im pretty sure she understood. But, saying anything past what weve said
would be inappropriate.
But I said what I had to say. And I denitely believed that my feelings were transmitted
successfully. I smiled.
As I thought, youre a good person. Kirino and I were lucky, I think.
... I dont know what youre saying, but... hehe, Im not as good as you make me out to
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be. Ive always just only done what I want to do, and not anything more... but if you really
think like that, then probably, thats because Kyousuke-shi himself is a good person. Other
people are just mirrors of that, arent they?
Having said that, Saori took out a poster from her backpack and wielded it like a light
saber.
The poster gleamed under the light of the setting sun. Squinting at the shining point of
her makeshift sword, I shrugged my shoulders.
Hm, say whatever you want.
Exactly.
Saori smiled and turned her back to me. Surely, without any makeup on, her face would
be incredibly expressive. Her charming smile was enough to give me that impression.
In her swirly eyeglasses with her head wrapped in a badana. With her checkered shirt
tucked into her trousers.
It was a terrible, gross otaku fashion. I couldnt believe how out of fashion it was!
Saori, with a swish, swinged her sword to the side, and resheathed it into her backpack.
Well then, lets be sure to meet again sometimes. Nin.
The trac light turned green. Akihabara station was tinted with the glow of dusk.
Condently strolling away from me, not afraid of what others might think, she was an
impressive sight.
Not wanting to be outdone, I pued up my chest and walked to Kirinos side.
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Fourth Chapter
178
4.1
Chapter 4
Fourth Chapter Part 1
One night had passed since the oine meeting, and it was now after school on the day
after.
As usual, I was walking home, side by side with Manami.
Hey, lately Ive been sleeping with this bear-shaped body pillow. Its reaaally comfortable.
Mhm.
I continued to give half-hearted replies and generally ignoring the casual, old woman-ish
talk of my bespectacled childhood friend, and suddenly I heard a worried voice.
... Hey, Kyou-chan? Are you taking a break from studying today?
Nah, I was planning on going to the library with you as usual, but... why are you asking?
Did she realize that I wasnt really listening? But, thats how Ive always acted...
And also, if she really was angry, then it would be pretty obvious and she would have
blurted it out already.
So... was it because it was bothersome to help me study three or four times a week, even
though there wasnt a test anytime soon...? No, I dont think thats right either...
As I thought about these things suspiciously, Manami listlessly looked at the ground.
Because, Kyou-chan... youve really just seemed tired ever since morning...
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Ah, is it that?
Thats probably true. I mean, yesterday, my life was quite unexpectedly dicult, after all.
Im really mentally drained from that. Even after the meeting had disbanded, I was harshly
abused by Kirino on the train ride back.
That idiot was going on like That was the worst! Today was such a terrible failure! Tch...
and who exactly was it who came up with the idea to go to the oine meeting? and so on...
Although, its true that she was rst excluded by the others at the oine meeting, and then
got stuck in an endless argument with Kuroneko...
But in the end, wasnt it fun? What an insincere person, this girl.
You might be tempted to think that she was being pretty cute. But keep in mind that for
an hour and a half, from the seat next to me, all I was getting is rapid-re abuse. The only
thing left in my mind was hatred.
Sigh...
For the umpteenth time today, I gave a heavy sigh. Lifting my shoulders, dejected, I spoke.
Well... lots of things have happened. And youre right, Im not really in the mood for
studying today. Im really tired.
Ah, I see... thats too bad... But if thats the case, I guess it cant be helped...
Manami assumed the same posture as me, looking dejected. Manami had always done
this; when Im in a good mood, she would laugh with me, but when Im down, she would feel
down right alongside me.
Every single time, Manami goes through so much trouble for me. Shes so good natured
and has such a large amount of sympathy.
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I mean, its not like Im not grateful to her. But it would be strange to tell her that now.
Lets go all out and have fun today.
Huh...?
Looking quite shocked, Manami turned to face me. In the middle of her eyeglasses, I could
see her eyes blinking in surprise.
I said, lets go and have fun today. You dont want to?
N-no. I-Im not against it.
Manami shook her head. Hey, calm down, you seriously look like a puppy who is greeting
its master or something.
I see. Well, do you have somewhere you want to go? If you want, we can go as far as the
next town over... should we go see a movie or something?
U-uh...
Fidgeting with and readjusting her glasses, Manami was deep in thought. Yes, please think
about it carefully.
Although I was trying to recall how much I had in my wallet, for this outing I was willing
to spend it all. Also, it wasnt a bad idea to treat my always so helpful childhood friend to a
fun day out once in a while.
I dont want you to misunderstand, though, so Ill say that to the very end this trip is still
for my sake.
If I can chitchat loosely like this for a while, all my exhaustion will be more or less lifted,
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I think.
A-anywhere is ne?
Yeah. Anywhere.
Okay then, I wont hold back in that case.
With a loose smile, Manami proposed the following.
I want to go to the park in the center of town.96
... You didnt even hesitate for a second, and picked the absolutely plainest option, didnt
you? Did you really need to ask Anywhere is ne? before giving that answer?
I had really wanted to treat her to something, so I said something rather selsh...
H-huh? Why are you getting angry...? Didnt you say that we could go anywhere?
Manami continued on with a sour expression. Yeah, I guess I did say that, but... geez,
she couldnt be any more dierent from those three otaku from yesterday, could she? If I had
made the same oer to those three yesterday, they would have denitely emptied my pockets.
Well, ne. But at least let me treat you to a drink or something.
Ah, thanks... then, Id like some tea. Hot tea please.
Yeah yeah, the usual, right? Wow... spring is already over, but theyre still selling
that...?
96
She says chuuou park, which could mean park in the center or could be the actual name of a park.
Im taking the former interpretation.
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Seriously... she doesnt spend a lot of money, does she?
How could she possibly smile so happily at something that just costs 220 yen?97
4.2
So, after walking for a little over fteen minutes, we came to the central park in the town
next to ours.
It was a rather well-known park, at least according to the tourists map, and it was denitely very spacious.
It felt like a restful place, with its water fountains, benches, ponds, bridges, and rose gardens.
There was also the attraction of a charming museum in a Western-style house.
The grounds were surrounded by a tree-lined walking path, often used by families and the
elderly.
During spring, the sakura blossoms would go into full bloom, and this area became a
must-visit ower viewing spot.
It was a bit chilly today, so even drinking something out of season like hot green tea wasnt
that bad of an idea.
Here you go, as always.
Thanks. Itadakimasu.98
97
Around 2.50 USD.

Traditional Japanese polite thing to say at the beginning of meals. Translates roughly to I receive. I
chose not to translate this since I feel it is common enough.
98
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Rustle. I took out a bottle of hot green tea I had bought from the convenience store, and
handed it over after opening the cap. Sitting on a bench, Manami took the piping hot tea
and wrapped it in a handkerchief, holding it carefully. Draining half my tea, looking to my
side, I noticed that Manami had not budged.
Something wrong? Its not hot enough to burn you.
Huh? Ehehee... its nothing.
Manami hugged the tea to her chest, and for some reason began to smile.
I dont understand at all. Drinking another sip of my tea, I exhaled with a haaah.
The tea hit the spot. I could feel myself being warmed to the core.
Mmm... I mean... its nice, isnt it...? Being like this... itd be nice if things could stay
like this forever.
... However you look at it, youre thinking a bit too hard, arent you? You must have
been a bonsai in your past life.
That would still be ne, if I could still help Kyou-chan.
After that, for a little wile, we basked in the sun while making small talk.
Just by being by my side, Manami always made me feel like I was relaxing on the porch
of a quiet rural house.
Ahh... Im getting sleepy...
It did seem nice to take a midday nap here. Although, it would be nice if I had a pillow...
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and just as I thought that, I felt a poke on my shoulder.
K-Kyou-chan?
... Hm? What?
As I turned my sleepy eyes to Manami, for some reason she was swinging her hands from
left to right.
With a nervous expression and ushed cheeks, Manami whispered.
G-go ahead.
I had no idea what she wanted me to do, so I inclined my neck suspiciously.
And then, I caught sight of a certain something over Manamis shoulder.
Huh? Could that be... without thinking, I slid towards Manami and stared.
... Kyou-chan.
Ah, sorry. So, what was it?
When my gaze returned to Manami, I found her staring at me intently with upturned eyes.
W-what is this silent pressure coming from Manami...?
She seemed a bit angry, and her face all the way to her ears was red... and also...
... Are your glasses fogging over?
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Chapter 4
Ugh... Kyou-chan, you idiot...
She quickly turned the other way. I blinked in surprise.
... Why are you angry? Thats unusual for you.
Hmph. Kyou-chan is just thickheaded, is all.
As she hued in anger, she briskly wiped her glasses.
She put her glasses back on, and asked another questions.
... But also, what exactly were you looking at?
Ah, look, this here.
Manami turned in the direction I was pointing. There was a small plaza there, in which
kids often played soccer or grass-lot baseball. At the moment, there were two wagons stopped
there.
So...
Over there... what exactly are they doing there? A shoot for a TV drama or something?
Probably. But I dont think its a TV drama. See, thats not a video camera, right? That
was a ash, wasnt it... ah, theyre taking photos.
In the spirit of curiosity, we approached the wagons.
From the walkway, we looked at the grassy plaza. Several employees were working, adjusting what looked to be lighting equipment, talking with girls who were probably the models.
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A fashion magazine photo shoot... yeah?
Do you read those a lot?
Ahaha... not often. When Im buying clothes99 , I usually just ask the store employees
for advice.
As I thought. Well, in any case, I also agreed that it probably was a fashion magazine
photo shoot.
It seemed they were taking photos with an evening background. The stylish girls were
striking various poses, as they were bathed in the ashes from the cameras. It wasnt as
simple as smiling for the camera and doing a simple pose. An atmosphere of strictness oated
about the place.
I might be stating the obvious, but models dont have easy jobs at all.
There were only two who were having their photos taken, but there were also a number of
girls who were obviously models waiting on standby to the side.
Whoa... look look Kyou-chan. That girl is really cute
Ah, youre right. Shes cute.
Hm? That was a pretty unenergetic response.
Well, I mean... its not like were going out with each or something. But just in case, when
I am with another girl, I wont say something like Whoa, that girl is really cute!
99
She actually says Western clothes, but Western clothes is basically everything that is not traditional
Japanese wear (kimonos, yukata, etc.).
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Wouldnt that annoy even you, Manami...? Or maybe not. Youre not that aware of your
own self as a young girl, are you? Heh... my feelings about this are pretty complicated.
Hey, that brown-haired girl looks reaaaaally cool. Cute!
Shes really getting worked up about this... its not like theyre big celebrities or anything.
Shes really a fangirl at heart, isnt she?
I considered briey responding with Youre cuter.
What kind of face would she make if I did that? A devious smile appeared on my face.
And then, naturally, my gaze was attracted to the girl that Manami had been praising.
Hm. Certainly, that girl was really good looking.
She had long legs, was slender and tall, but that face...
Isnt that Kirino?!
Eehhh?!
Manami and I were taken aback with surprise. Manami, who knew nothing about Kirinos
side job, was especially shocked. Blinking rapidly, she turned to Kirino, she looked back and
forth from Kirino to me, as if comparing us.
U-umm... Kirino... chan... thats your sister, right? Kyou-chans...
... Ah, well, yeah... probably.
U-uhh... what do you mean probably?
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I mean, I was surprised too...
She had told me before... that she was working as a model or something...
I didnt have any reason to think she was lying, but I guess it never really hit home. That
is, until now, with her right in front of me.
... So she was telling the truth.
I took another long hard look at the brown haired model.
She was sitting in the chair, and seemed to be in a meeting with one of the sta members.
... Heh.
Shes mixing with the adults so easily, and is so focused on doing her job.
Somehow or other, I had to revise my opinion of her now.
Ive been underestimating her. Making light of her.
When she told me she was a model, I thought it was something like some junior high
school kids playing around. I had an image in my mind of them being attered by the photographer, getting excited, and having their pictures taken.
But...
The Kirino in front of me now was engrossed in deep conversation while staring at the
model getting her picture taken with the most serious expression Ive ever seen. At the same
time, someone was quickly straightening out the imperfections in her outt, and fussing about
her hair...
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Although, the atmosphere around the model who was being bathed in camera ashes was
much more lively.
Kirino was probably waiting for her turn, so the air around her was more tense.
... Heh.... Its pretty amazing, isnt it?
... Yeah, pretty amazing.
I had thought that the photo shoots would take place in a more showy location where they
would be playing around carelessly.
It wasnt like that at all. Although, with such a cursory glance, I really couldnt say
anything with condence. But certainly, they were earning not a small amount of money for
getting their pictures taken. So it couldnt have been as easy-going as I had imagined.
... Its really amazing... its as if they live in a completely dierent world...
Yeah.
Even if you didnt say that to me, I understood all too well. She was an extraordinary
person, living in a world completely separate from us normal people. Although, I had momentarily forgotten about this since we had just gone out together the other day.
Dammit, for some reason, Im a bit pissed o.
At any rate, she doesnt resemble me at all. From as far as I can remember, shes always
had those good looks.
You really shouldnt be that modest, you know. Havent you heard shes also really
smart?
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Huh? What the hell are you saying?
Damn. That came out a bit harsher than I wanted it to. I immediately regretted it... but
Manami smiled and seemed to take it in stride. It was as if she was trying to tell me dont
worry about it.
My brother is in the same grade as your sister. They go to dierent schools though. And
they recently had some kind of standardized test. And, he said that she was on the list for
the top scores in the prefecture.
Who?
I said already. Kyou-chans sister. Kirino-chan.
For a moment, I really hadnt processed what Manami had said. I took a few seconds to
digest her words in my head.
S-seriously?! Huh?! Not only schoolwide... but prefecture-wide? You said, prefecture,
didnt you, just now?
Yeah. In the prefecture, she was something like the fourth or fth best score. My memory
of the exact ranking is a bit fuzzy though... but it was something like that.
Her grades were that good?! I had absolutely no idea... although, until now I hadnt really
ever been interested in my sister, so we havent ever had the chance to talk about things...
Its pretty natural that I wouldnt know about this... but even then I was still surprised.
Hanging out with her kogal100 classmates. Working seriously as a model.
Being able to talk excitedly for hours on end about childrens anime. Intensely playing
eroge.
100
Kogal is a female fashion style in Japan, often reminiscent of Japanese school uniforms.
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And whats more, she studies hard too?
Hah... honestly, Im a bit frightened.
My little sister may just be much more outrageous101 than I had thought at rst.
More outrageous in a lot of dierent ways.
4.3
A few days passed. Coming home from the school, I went into the living room and saw
my mother, who seemed to have just come back from shopping. While putting things into the
refrigerator, she hummed happily to herself and seemed to be in a good mood.
Did something good happen? Holding a wheat tea in one hand, I asked her.
Mom, why are you so happy? Do you need to go see a doctor or something?
Oh, Kyousuke! Its not like Im drunk or anything, so dont worry. Ehehe, its just that,
just now, the lady next door gave me a compliment. That child of yours is really impressive,
she said.
Oh? My, Im blushing. So... in this idle chatter, what exploits of mine was she praising?
Of course it wasnt about you.
Hmph! Well I knew that! But adding that of course to the beginning just really made
me lose faith in her! Keh, shes just really looking for trouble down the line.
101
The adjective he uses is tondemonai, which means something like outrageous or unthinkable.
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A-ahh... so it was Kirino...
I murmured while my face twitched in irritation, and my mothers face burst into a huge
smile as if she were saying Im glad you asked! I didnt really ask anything, though.
Yeah, yeah, well excuse me for being your good-for-nothing son. Please, go on about your
pride and joy daughter.
Yesterday during club activities, somehow or other she did amazingly well, and it seems
shell be participating in a big tournament later. The lady next door heard from her daughter.
Oh? And what type of club is she in?
What? You dont know, even though youre her brother? She does track, you know,
track... geez, you two seriously dont have a good relationship, do you...
Shut up.
Hey hey, give me a break... she has good looks. She excels at schoolwork. And now shes
also a sports prodigy?
Dammit, enough already. This stu does exist in manga though, where there are characters that are just good at everything.
But because this was reality I was really bothered by this all...
Well, I guess they did exist. This type of freak-like being.
But, she has time to do club activities? Studying and playing with friends... doesnt she
have to do a lot of other things?
Well, of course, she has to keep up with schoolwork and other things too. Otherwise,
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her father really wouldnt approve, right? You might not know, but shes also working as a
magazine model.
Hm.
Well, yeah, sure.
It probably wasnt very easy to get that stubborn person to let her go o and do something
ashy like being a model.
Although, now that I think about it, she also dyes her hair and wears makeup even though
shes still a kid.
She made a promise with her father. Let her do whatever she wants, and shed be sure
to keep up with everything else.
Ahh...
I responded in a vague way.
My mother grinned broadly.
And now... shes really pretty famous in the neighborhood. Shes also so polite when she
goes outside, and greets everyone properly... and also like me she has such cute looks, doesnt
she?
Huh?
I raised my eyebrows in complete disbelief, but my mother continued on without paying

me any heed.
Well, certainly, they both know how to completely ignore other people when theyre talking.
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Shes also really popular with the elderly! She really makes me proud too! All the others
are so envious of her.
But isnt all that politeness just part of the agreement with father? Her motives arent
exactly pure, you know.
Not pure? That doesnt really matter. Even if she didnt talk it would be the same,
wouldnt it? Kirino would still be great - that wouldnt change.
Shes being so blunt about it. Will she really be alright, my mother? But well, she did
have her reasons.
Kirino put a lot of time and eort into doing this in order to keep her freedom, and she
managed to come out with great results.
That at least I had to recognize. Its not like wanting to do something is the same as being
able to properly do it.
At the very least, it would have been impossible for me.
Hmm...
Although lately, whenever people talk about Kirino its always been Shes so great! this
and Shes great! that. Do people not know any other words?102 Although its possible Im
just speaking from prejudice.
Well, whatever. Ive never really had an interest in my little sister, so there are a lot of
things about her I dont know. That is... at least for the most part.
Honestly, as an ordinary older sibling, its not that amusing to hear my sisters praises at
every turn. It makes me feel like my own shortcomings are being emphasized. This is sort of
102
Great is translated from sugoi.
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a shameful way of thinking about it, though.
As these complicated thoughts ew through my head, my mother said something unexpected.
Now that I think about it, lately that girls been more lively than usual. Although, its
probably a change that only Ive noticed.
Oh?
As I raised my eyebrow, my mother said something crazy.
Its... denitely a boy, isnt it?! Kyousuke, do you know anything about it?
A b-boy?
Yes, theres no mistaking it. She met a boy - thats why shes smiling so much now!
Thats not it. Do you really think there would be a boy that would go out with that? If
there was, Id give in and concede that she is a god.
But my mother clearly didnt agree, so she excitedly investigated103 .
So, you dont know? Even a vague idea would be ne.
Why would I know? I have a bad relationship with her, remember?
I answered as if it was obvious, and my mother stared with me with pursed lips.104
103
104
I translated excitedly from breathing erratically from her nose.

It literally says that her lips are in the shape of the hiragana for he.
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Seriously, youre useless, arent you? You really should try harder. Your sister is doing
so well, so its obviously not a problem with the genes.
Keh. Unfortunately, I guess those genes came from your side... for an ordinary person
like me, Ill just have to go the straightforward way and keep studying.
At my sharp parting shot, I left the room. Putting my hand on the doorknob, I opened
the door with a clang!
... Kirino has been more lively than usual, huh...?
Well, I do have a guess as to the reason. Maybe... although it seems unbelievable.
Being shown her surprising hobby, being abused by her at every step, being made to play
an eroge, being taken along to the oine meeting, being dragged around Akiba... the life
advice that I was forced to give seems to have had a bit of an eect.
Haha, but I really might be reading too much into this105 . What am I saying? That would
be ridiculous.
4.4
A few days later, in the evening, I nally nished Loving my Little Sister.
Honestly, it was a troublesome, dicult ordeal to get through.
I mean, it wasnt as if it was boring.
It was just that this game had already driven me insane a countless number of times.
105
The phrase he uses is gara de mo nai, which translates roughly to there isnt a pattern.
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Already having a real little sister, I had to endure playing a little sister capture game like
this, and somehow or other survived up to this point. I did something pretty impressive, if I
say so myself. No... seriously, Im really, really happy...
Im seriously lled with emotion. Setting aside my impressions of the actual game, I feel
an extraordinary sense of accomplishment.
O....oogh....
Why am I getting so excited over this...?
A warm feeling broke forth from inside my chest...
Yes! I did it! Happy happy! Banzai! I want to shout my triumph out to the world!
Haha! I wont ever have to grovel to those little devils ever again!
I wont have to listen to their whispers of Oniichan, is it okay? and cry tears of blood
ever again!
Yaaaaaaaaahooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
I was showing an idiotic and rare amount of high energy. But even I couldnt stop this
excitement!
And then, suddenly...
On the computer I had borrowed from Kirino, the END credits began to roll.
Ahh...
Sitting at the desk I usually worked at, I stretched my back muscles with all my might
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and let out a breath.
Phew...
After that, the feeling of accomplishment slowly dwindled into nothingness... my chest
tightened. The high spirits of just a few moments before came quickly crashing down.
It was my rst time feeling the strange emptiness that lingered right after nishing a galge.
Nothing good can come of this. What was up with this feeling, as if a wise man had just
achieved enlightenment?
Hm... and why was I so worked up a few moments before...?
Well, lets go return the game then.
With a clear and serene determination, I stood up. I left my own room, and knocked on
the door to my sisters room.
Kshh. The door opened slightly, and my sister poked her head out.
As usual, she glared at me as if she was looking at garbage.
What? Do you want something?
... Uhh... Im here to... return the game...
Geez, this girl... in the end, reality and games are dierent, arent they? Here, I denitely
couldnt go through event sequences and generate good will that way. There seriously had to
be bugs in the diculty level of this game.106
106
In case it wasnt clear in the translation, Kyousuke is facetiously referring to his relationship with Kirino
as a video game.
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Kirino took the computer from me, and spoke with a doubtful tone.
You nished it?
I nished it.
Hmph... and?
Well...
Hey, sister... whats with that evil professor expression?
If I responded incorrectly, I felt as if I would be shot. Feeling very nervous, I answered

cautiously.
Well.... umm... it was really interesting?
Hmph, in what ways? Be more specic.
Kirino began her emotionless cross-examination.
Ah... I see... right now, I was stuck in one of those decision points like in the game...
But, the aection points the little sister in front of me had for me were already completely
in the negative.
So, if I made a poor choice, my life would end... and in this game of real life, there were
no saves and reloads... my fate would be decided by a single decision. Dead or alive.
Well, wasnt this great. I laughed fearlessly (at least, inside my heart).
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Ummmm... Shioris scenario? The latter half was... a good story, I think. That is, when
their parents didnt like their relationship... and Shiori ran away from home... and then the
main character chased after her... and the background changed to that setting sun... that
scene.
.......................
Upon hearing my response, Kirino shut her eyes and was silent.
Perhaps I had managed to give a correct response... or not. Anxious, I felt my heart beat
quickly.
... But honestly, I had just picked the scene I had played most recently.
Clicking furiously like that through such emotionally burdensome scenes, do you honestly
think I could remember all of them, idiot?! Someone please save my life here!
At long last, Kirino opened her eyes. With narrowed eyes as if she was looking down at
me, she spoke.
... W-well... I guess you sort of understand then.
Ooh... somehow, it seemed like I had given a correct response. Heh... having miraculously
extended my life, my heartbeat quieted down. And then I thought about this once again.
This is soooooooooooooooooo ridiculous!! This seriously isnt funny! Why do I have to

talk with my real little sister about little sister games?! I mean, I had already tried very hard
to help her make friends so I wouldnt have to talk about this stu in the rst place! First,
tell me what happened with those people, cant you?!
But, you still have room for improvement. That isnt the only good scene in the game.
For example...
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W-wait.
Interrupting Kirino when she started trying to speak, I tried to change the subject.
We can talk about that stu at length later... but rst tell me. Whats been happening
with those people we met at the oine meeting?
Huh? Ah... those people.
Kirino pursed her lips, and with a blunt tone, beckoned me into her room.
Come in.
It seemed that she didnt think it would be appropriate to continue this conversation in
the hallway.
...Okay.
I obediently followed her orders and entered. Kirino put the computer on the table and
sat on the bed.
Kirino cracked the joints on her neck, and spoke in an extremely uninterested tone.
In short, weve been keeping in touch, even now. Through mail and through messages.
Oh? Then youve become friends.
Friends, I wouldnt say... more like conversation partners? Really, we just talk with each
other. They tell me things that I wouldnt know, for example... well, its pretty useful at
least.
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Wait, that sounds exactly like friendship, doesnt it? Shes just dead set on not using that
word, it seems.
When youre hiding your true personality, you dont have trouble with calling people
friends, so why cant you be straight with the people you can be completely open and honest
with? Well, its not like this is unexpected...
So, you havent met with them in person again?
Yeah. That black one seems to live relatively close by, but that huge one is a bit far
from me. So theyre thinking of organizing another oine meeting... well, I guess it cant be
helped, right? Ill go for their sake... yeah.
Huh... I see...
It seems like I did a pretty good job.
Not only did I clear the game, but it seems that I succeeded in getting Kirino to make
friends she could talk openly with.
My mother had said that Kirino has been looking pretty happy lately... and it also seemed
that she had become more self-sucient and stopped relying on me. It seems that she intended to go to the next oine meeting by herself.
So, everything seemed to be going pretty well, and there was no more need for our life
advice sessions.
Geez...
So, I guess that my work is done. Feeling refreshed, I spoke.
Hey, Kirino. Dont go carelessly dropping your DVDs again, alright?
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Shut up, idiot. Do you really think I would repeat something stupid like that?
... Look whos talking. That time, just by shaking you a bit you were so ustered that
you were so easily caught in my obvious trap, and tried to cover up your carelessness with
your short temper.
As I reminisced with a grin on my face, Kirino blushed and threw a tissue box at me.
Ah.
Moving my neck, I nimbly dodged it. Then I proceeded to escape from the room.
Shutting the door behind me, I heard a bang! as something else collided into the door.
Shell always be like this, wont she...? Shes pretty frightening, isnt she?
Well, whatever. Kousaka Kyousukes life advice shop at this time was ocially closed.
And I would never do it again.
4.5
It was a Sunday evening, and when I returned home from the library, the house was
strangely silent.
There were no sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen, nor could I hear the television
or the sound of any talking.
It was unnatural. Taking o my shoes, I felt a tingling sensation and slapped the back of
my neck.
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A strangely tense atmosphere oated about. I could feel goosebumps rising on my skin.
Something was denitely strange. This was dierent than the home I was used to.
.....?
Raising my eyebrows, I walked through the hallway while trying to keep absolutely silent.
I stopped in front of the door to the living room. An ominous feeling washed over me as I
placed my hand on the knob, and I hesitated for a moment.
Gulp. Swallowing deeply, I opened the door.
... Im... home...?
When I entered the room, I saw Kirino and my father sitting across a table from each
other on the sofa having a meeting.
Both were silent. My father was always the silent type, and Kirino usually didnt talk to
other members of the family.
So, at rst glance, the scene didnt seem anything out of the ordinary.
But, the fact that neither of them seemed to notice me coming into the room was very
odd.
That wasnt the only thing. Nobody was watching the TV, or reading the newspaper or a
magazine; they were both just sitting silently, opposite from each other.
My fathers face was absolutely expressionless, so I couldnt tell what he was thinking, but
Kirino was frozen solid, and was hanging her head.
And then...
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Ah.
Everything became clear when I glanced at the table.
On top of the table, as my father might put it from his line of work, there were two pieces
of evidence.
First, there was the brand-name handbag that Kirino often carried with her.
Second, there was something that I had denitely not forgotten.
It was the Stardust Witch Meruru DVD case, with the copy of Loving my Little Sister
(18+) inside.
The DVD case was open. The evidence was more than enough. There was no use in
arguing about who was guilty.
.............................. Hm.
While blinking a number of times, I came to understand the situation. Let me give you
my impression.
IS SHE A HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE IDIOOOOOOOOT?!?!
Idiot! What a huge idiot! This situation was already so pitiable, I felt tears coming to my
eyes!
Didnt I say that the one thing we had to do was to not expose her secret to our father?!
And she was careless again and dropped her DVD... didnt I already warn her not to do
that?!
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She had repeated her blockheaded mistake once again!
Gah!! Shes done the same thing as when she exposed her secret to me...! Why, if shes
so talented everywhere else107 , does she have to fail at this one thing?! How can she be so
careless...
Ahh... what should I do? I have no idea... I dont...
It took all my strength just to keep from trembling.
Kyousuke, just a minute, Kyousuke...
As I was standing in the open doorway, frozen, I heard my mother softly calling to me.
When I turned around, I saw my mother tugging on my shirt sleeve.
Please go up to your room.
Ah-ahhh...
My mother pulled me into the hallway, and softly closed the living room door behind her.
... Uhh... did... something happen?
The question came out quite strained.
Well, that is...
The answer my mother gave me was roughly what I had already guessed.
107
Kyousuke refers to her as high spec.
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Kirino had accidentally dropped the DVD case in front of my father, and he managed to
see what was inside.
I wanted more details for what had happened, but it seemed like my mother also wasnt
there the minute it happened, so she didnt seem to know much more herself. The most likely
case would be that, as it happened with me, she bumped into father here in the entryway,
but it wasnt likely that the case would have opened by itself when it hit the ground.
Rather, it could have been that my father saw the anime DVD, and opened it up.
I cant begin to imagine what my fathers face looked like when he saw the 18+ label...
And as expected, my father was quite shaken by it. I was also shaken by it, and exhaled
deeply.
... Haaahhhh....
In the rst place, why exactly was she walking around with that thing in her bag...?
A number of questions welled up, but in either case, this was just a miraculous state of
aairs.
This really wasnt a problem you could explain away as a mere blunder or an unlucky
coincidence. This was fate, wasnt it? Yes, I seriously may believe even that.
Kyousuke... you dont seem very surprised about this.
Well, yeah. After all, I dont know much about her.
Those were my true feelings. I wasnt lying. But my mother didnt give up her line of
questioning.
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Could it be... that you already knew about this?
Huh? Knew about what?
... I mean... that... that is... that Kirino had... that kind of thing.
My mother strained to get her words out as she glanced at me out of the side of her eyes,
and I began to think.
How should I respond to that? If I wanted to protect myself, then it was clear that I
should play dumb.
Not being able to decide, I fell into silence.
... Geez. Even for me, that was a bit half-baked. A self-derisive smile appeared on my
face.
I really didnt have any interest in that girl. Even now, those feelings have not changed.
To the very end, I always desired a normal human life.
The same mundane characters, with the same laid-back, never-changing everyday scenery.
All this drama and all these unique characters were denitely not things I needed.
Kirino was in that second, more conspicuous group. So, seriously, I didnt care. I believed
that from the bottom of my heart.
However... she had taken my life advice, and I had put eort into helping her, so strangely
enough I was her partner in crime. And, I also caught a glimpse of her important hobby, in
Akihabara...
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Tch. I can pretend to be uninterested all I want, but I was already in too deep.
... Well yeah. I knew.
... I knew it... could it be... she was inuenced by you, wasnt she?
I knew she would say that. Just look at this lack of condence. Doesnt it make you want
to cry?
No, denitely not. Think before you speak, mom. In the rst place, I dont even have a
computer, and you know theres really no place in my room for me to hide anything.
If you put it like that, I guess... well, whatever. In any case that was denitely Kirinos
possession.
Crestfallen, my mother let out a long sigh.
It was a reaction at nding out such a stellar daughter would be carrying that sort of thing.
For example, if my father had discovered that I was playing eroge, my mother would probably just laugh her head o.
Its been a long time since Ive seen your father so angry. At this rate, this isnt going to
blow over any time soon. What should we do with this...
My mother pondered the situation for a little while, but with an ah, right, seemed to
have thought of something.
Kyousuke, Im going out for a bit, so please go back to your room.
... What? Youre going out?
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Its not like I can do anything from here. Im going to go buy some of the sake that your
father likes. He doesnt get drunk easily, but if he drinks enough, at least hell calm down.
It was like she was trying to appease a raging demon or an Earth deity or something.
But, I understood where she was coming from. In this household, there was nothing as
scary as my fathers thunder.
My mother left, and for ten minutes I stayed anxiously in front of the living room door. I
couldnt calm down, and prowled around while biting my nails... I strained my ears, but they
were speaking in such low voices that I couldnt make out what they were saying.
Having her secret hobby exposed to our parents, how was she trying to explain it away?
I couldnt even imagine what she would say... but to that man, I couldnt see any excuse
working. He was so convinced of his own beliefs that he would never concede to anyone else.
Also, he was surprisingly sharp. It wouldnt be wrong to say that he could see through
lies very well.
A long, long time ago, when I was still a kid... as a prank, I stuck packing tape into a
girls long hair. To get it o, she had to cut a bit of her hair o.
Back then, I really didnt think it was a big deal... but when my father found out, not
only did he give me a terrible beating, he made me cut my own hair.
Afterwards, we went so far as to go to the girls house to apologize...
That time, I knew that what I did was wrong... but I ended up wailing and was truly
miserable. But, no matter how I apologized to my father, no matter what excuses I made, he
didnt listen. And he never gave me a word of forgiveness.
He was a man who, for better or worse, stayed true to his word, and would denitely do
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anything he was set on doing.
... Ugh... whats going to happen...
What kind of conversation was taking place on the far side of this door?
For a good-for-nothing coward like me, it was impossible to tell.
It was ten more minutes before Kirino appeared in the doorway. Strongly kicking the door
open, Kirino ew out with a frighteningly devilish expression on her face.
Her face was bright red with anger, and her eyes were swollen and bloodshot.
... Wh-what happened...?
Ki-Kirino...?
... Get out of my way... Get out!
Kirino quickly walked towards me, and with a glare lled with hatred, pushed me out of
the way. Like this, it felt like there was very little I could do to calm her down. Taken by
surprise, I lost my balance.
Kirinos breathing became more and more audible as she headed towards the entranceway
and began to confusedly put on her boots.
H-hey, Kirino... where are you going?
Shut up! I can go where I want, right?!
W-wait a second.
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As my sister began to leave the house, I tried to chase after her, but...
Bang! Obviously aiming for me, Kirino slammed the door shut behind her.
Argh! My face crashed hard into the door. Agh... Ooh...?!
When I recovered from my disorientation, Kirino was nowhere to be found.
... Crap. Why am I acting so uncool today?!
Ah... I could feel tears starting to well up. Dammit, my face hurt...
In my pitiable state, as I endured the pain in my face, I stared in the direction that Kirino
had taken o in.
Dammit!
Shaking my head from side to side, I pulled myself together. I made a quick recovery, but
that was one of the only things I had going for me.
... Should I chase after her? No... before that...
I returned back inside. I wasnt sure, but I was considering asking my father to tell me the
details of what had happened. I had to do that if I wanted to know what had caused Kirino
to get so enraged.
Although I can vaguely imagine what went on.
Also, Kirino had said that today she was going to the oine meeting to meet with friends.
Even if I dont accompany her, meeting with her friends by herself... Im sure they had a
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fun time together. Arguing with Kuroneko, verbally abusing Saori who didnt care... I could
imagine it, one way or the other. I had already seen such things happen with her once before.
Lately, Kirino had seemed more lively... I remembered my mother saying that, even if she
wasnt being very serious.
That liveliness was probably because she had nally found companions who she could talk
to about her secret hobby, right?
And, everything was going along so well... she probably couldnt imagine meeting with
such a pitfall so soon.
Very cautiously, I entered the living room, and for some reason my father was handling a
vacuum cleaner. In the corner of the living room, a crystal ashtray sat overturned...
Could it be that my father lost his cool and threw that...?
What in the world could have unfolded here? Anxious, I gulped.
.........
My father silently operated the vacuum cleaner. In the dead silence, the echoing sound of
the vacuum stood out like a sore thumb.
A tense silence, the kind that persisted right after a familial conict, dominated the mood
of the room.
At long last, my father stopped vacuuming, and in a low, deep voice, mumbled this.
Kyousuke, please sit there for a bit.
A-alright...
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Doing as I was told, I drew near the table and sat down on the sofa.
He was probably planning to interrogate me about Kirinos situation. Or maybe he was

going to lecture me.
Kirino was really stubborn when it came to this, so my name probably didnt come up.
But, knowing my dad, he could probably guess even without rm evidence that I was involved.
It would be pointless to try and play dumb.
Well, it was what it was. I also didnt have any intention of confessing that I had given
life advice to Kirino. That was just common courtesy.
I turned my eyes to the top of the table. The damning evidence, the open DVD case, was
still placed on top. Next to it, I saw a single scrap of paper.
It seemed like the scrap was an advertisement for an anime and manga specialty shop.
There was a huge image of Stardust Witch Meruru, and right underneath was this description:
Stardust Witch Meruru 2 (First Limited Edition) has nally arrived! Customers who
bring the box from a previous edition to the shop counter will receive a signed postcard by
the popular voice actress Hoshino Kurara as a gift!
...Ah, I see. With this, a few of my questions have been answered...
The day I had found her Stardust Witch Meruru package, why was she carrying the package with her outside when she didnt have any otaku friends to call on?
And why did she have the package with her today? Well, she probably planned to bring
the package to the store counter, and get a signed postcard from this Hoshino Kurara-san
person.
It wasnt something that took much time to do, so she probably thought it would be good
to just do it quickly... but of all the times she could have done it, today... that was the most
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terrible timing.
For now, with this, I understood that when my father discovered all this, Kirino had come
back from the meeting. Thats probably what happened. Once she came back, she went to
her room, put Meruru into her bag, and when she thought well, lets go get that signed
postcard, she bumped into my father... I could imagine that ow of events. I dont really
know what happened after that, but, well, it was clear he had somehow or other seen the
contents of the DVD case. And then that was enough to hold a family council like that...
what a miserable story.
And then...
After having tidied the room with the vacuum, my father sat across from me.
As if by reex, I grew anxious and corrected my posture. The rst thing my father said
was something like this.
Kyousuke, did you know about this?
... Yeah.
I could not respond any other way. In the rst place, my fathers perception was sharpened
on long years of getting criminals to confess. And now he was using that keen perception on
his son. Dammit, what should I do if I piss my pants?
I see. I wont ask why you know about it already. Im not here to chat.
My fathers stare was not just frightening, but it seemed to pierce into the very center of
my soul.
.............
How far had he guessed about my involvement with this crime? I felt my spine shiver.
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I have never bought things like this for you two. Do you know why?
Picking up the DVD case with one hand, he spoke about both the anime drawing on the
cover and the contents of the case. The 18+ indication only applied to the contents of the
case, but my father did not make such a distinction.
Not being able to make any objection, I stayed silent. Trying to avoid my fathers gaze, I
looked downwards.
Every time Kirino or I have received a lecture from my father, its always become like this.
It is because things like this are bad inuences for you two. The news also often talks
about these things, how playing things like these games will rot your brain. They always nd
suspicious manga and games in the homes of criminals too... although of course, I dont mean
that you should just swallow every story the television tells you...
Well, in either case, they were worthless things, right? Thats what my fathers facial
expression was saying.
My fathers understanding of the subculture was outrageously low. He would apply his
so called common adult knowledge stereotypes to everything, and only through this lter
could he view Kirinos hobbies.
... Although, just a while ago, my own opinions about otaku were similar to those of my
father.
I could buy manga and CDs with my allowance, but my parents would denitely never
allow me to buy games.
My prejudice against the subculture was stronger than that of the average high school
student.
Games were good for nothing. People who played games were all idiots. So even though
I didnt have any games, I didnt regret it... that was my logic, at least. That was what
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happened when a child never got the chance to play games.
For this reason, the trouble Kirino was in was quite serious.
Well, thats how it is, more or less. People say that these things are bad inuences. And
also, people who only play those games all the time are... what? Theyre otaku, or something... and otaku are hated, right? So, nothing good can come of these things. So there is
no reason for you two to buy these things.
... But. That is...
Just as I was barely beginning to talk, my father broke me o.
I guess you want to tell me well, Kirino spent her own money. ... I already know that,
and Im not going to dwell on that issue. Whether it was makeup, or showy clothes, or handbags... from the start, I believed that I should set down rules to control the various things
that someone like her shouldnt have... but she teamed up with her mother and told me that
they were necessary to make friends, so I couldnt resist anymore. I gave up and let her do
what she wants.
So makeup and handbags are alright, but anime and games are not?
Obviously. That world is believed to be bad, so I cannot allow Kirino to have such things.
Especially since, if I do say so myself, Kirino is quite a talented daughter. If she becomes
addicted to a worthless hobby, I have to correct her and put her back on the right path before
she is completely lost.
As an otaku, Kirino would be completely lost. So, he would stop that from happening.
That was the gist of what my father was saying.
Honestly, by getting hooked on eroge, as a female junior high student my sister had already
gone bad, so I really couldnt say anything in response to my father.
And then...
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Seeming to have nished his lecture, my father stood up from his seat and began to leave
the living room.
A chill ran up my spine.
D-dad? Where are you going...?
Flustered, I chased after my father, and called out to him. He was trying to go up the
stairs.
Up there, there was nothing but my room and Kirinos room. Could it be...?!
My father said exactly what I had feared.
I am going to investigate Kirinos room. She might be hiding other things like this from
me.
W-wait! Wait just a second please!
Crap, Kirinos complete collection is...!
From the foot of the stairs, I looked up at my father and held him back with my loud
voice.
And if that sort of stu was there, mom would have already found it! She cleans that
room every day! Even the ero books I had hidden in my room, she found all of them, didnt
she? There isnt any reason she has anything hidden up there! The one you found in her
handbag is denitely the only one she has.
Kirino had probably also told him the same thing. If for some reason, my father discovered
all her other eroge, then I have no doubt that he would throw them all out. Even when faced
with the unpleasant task of confronting my father, Im positive that she would try to defend
her collection to her dying breath.
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... So, I am going to investigate. If I look for them, but dont nd them, then it will be
ne.
No, youre denitely going to nd them. After all, youre a professional at this.
If this continued, and my father entered Kirinos room, then her entire collection would
be discovered.
And then, denitely, if I have to say it, my father would come to hate my sisters hobby.
Im only trying to help you, so please stop! Its really better if you dont nd out! Its not
like she only has two or three of these eroge!
Just from what she showed me the last time, she had at least twenty or thirty!
Furthermore, Kirino had said there were things in there she was too embarrassed of to
show me, so those things were also in there, werent they? If my father discovers those things,
if were not careful, wont he completely blow up?
Not good... even putting it lightly, this was not good...
W-wait a second! Dad!
My father rapidly ascended the stairs. I chased after him hurriedly, getting in front of him
and blocking his path with both arms outstretched.
Move aside, Kyousuke.
I-I wont...
What the hell was I saying?! Was I insane?! If I go against my father now...
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Ahhhhhh!!!
My father lightly twisted my wrist, and repeated himself.
Move aside.
It seemed that until the very end, my father was going to try to get me to move of my
own will. If he wanted to, he could just easily throw me out of the way and bulldoze his way
through. As tears welled up from the pain in my wrist, I said this.
I w-wont... move...
Twist twist.
The pain in my wrist intensied. In terms of making people feel pain, my father was a
pro.
Ugh...
The pain!! Ugh... seriously, the pain! What the hell am I doing?!
I seriously dont have any idea myself!
... Whatever the situation, just going into someones room without their permission and
rummaging around is bad, isnt it...? I mean, even for parents, there are things you can do
and things it would be bad to do... so... I wont move.
I bore the pain and made my case.
It looked like I was going to try to defend my sisters collection.
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Although, I have no idea what became of that girl.
Also... if your daughter is in possession of suspicious things, then as a parent its your
duty to scold her and conscate the items.
My father was just trying to fulll his duty as a father, and even if Kirino cried and yelled
about it, it was her own fault in the end, wasnt it?
So, why in the world was I here enduring this pain, doing something that could not possibly do me personally any good?
Well... because! Somehow or other, she had taken my life advice... and furthermore I
remembered how she had shown o her collection to me with such a proud expression.
I remembered how she forced me to play an eroge, and constantly asked for my impressions, how someway or other I wanted to do something for her.
And then, I remembered the McDonalds at Akiba, how they had began to argue even
though it was their rst time meeting, and how much fun the group of otaku seemed to be
having. It really wasnt something to be thrown away, I think.
And thats why I was doing something crazy108 like this...
Dad... please leave this to me... let me talk to her. At least wait until then, please.
Throwing away her precious things when she isnt even here... thats a terrible thing to do,
isnt it? Please, I beg you...!
As my pleas became desperate, my father watched me with suspicious eyes.
You...
108
Literally, thats why there is no pattern here.
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I know exactly what you want to say, father. Why is it that Im protecting my sister so
desperately like this, when we dont seem to have a good relationship? Ahh, ahh, indeed...
its strange however you think about it, isnt it?
I personally know all too well how strange it seems!
.......
For a while, we glared at each other in silence. With a strict expression, my father seemed
to be thinking about something... at long last, he let go of my wrist.
Alright. I will wait. I wont go into her room.
My father was a man who would honor any promise he made. He would never go back on
his word.
In my place, Kousuke, you have the duty to make sure all of these things are thrown
away. All of them, without a single exception. Do you understand?
... I understand. Ill talk with Kirino... and Ill denitely do that.
I had no choice but to answer like that. From his order, I knew that even without going
into Kirinos room, my father was convinced that she had forbidden objects there.
It cant really be helped. By standing here and resisting my fathers attempts to get into
her room so strongly, I might as well be loudly shouting there are suspicious things behind
this door!
And, if I break this promise, my father might not forgive me. Its not even a complete
exaggeration if I say that it wouldnt be strange if he killed me. This was a promise between
two men after all.
Throw away every single thing in that collection without leaving anything behind... I had
to tell Kirino that.
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On top of the grave seriousness of this duty, the task would be terribly dicult and I would
gain little from it.
This really wasnt something I was suited for. Can I really do it?
... Dammit. Well, Kirino... at least I bought you some time...
Although... I shouldnt expect any gratitude from her. Heh...
4.6
Having managed to stop my father, I got my mother to hold down the fort when she
returned from shopping, and went out to look for Kirino. But, I had no idea where she could
have gone after rushing out of the house like that. I didnt even have a guess.
As the sun was setting, I ran o into the town without a particular destination in mind.
Dont you think I should call her cell phone? I cant! I dont know her number. My mom
already said it before, didnt she? As siblings, our relationship is pretty bad. Kirino hates me
as if I was some piece of garbage, and I care so little about her that I just completely ignore
her.
We dont talk, and we dont even look at each other... it was a cold relationship, almost
as if we didnt know each other.
Thats why I didnt know my sisters cell number, I didnt want to know, and I didnt need
to know.
Dammit... where the hell did that girl go...?
And yet, here I am running around frantically trying to nd that girl I supposedly dont
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care about.
The park, the shopping district, the arcade, the school, in front of the train station... I
could not see the conspicuously pretty form of my sister anywhere.
Shes not here either...! Shit! Where else should I look... dammit.
This irritation prickling at my chest was absolutely positively not because I was worried
about her!
I didnt know why I was getting so frustrated, but I was denitely doing something completely out of character. Isnt it painful? Isnt it annoying?
I have no idea why Im doing this... am I an idiot?
This is so unlike me... this is seriously so unlike me. Ahh, dammit... dammit dammit
dammit!
As if I knew...
Swallowing my confused feelings, I grit my teeth and ran.
Just like the protagonist in the game my sister lent me, Kousaka Kyousuke had own out
of his house looking for his sister, dashing into the sunset-lit town. Images of cute little sisters
ran through my mind.
The dierence between real life and the game, though, was that my real little sisters affection points for me swung completely into the negative.
Unlike that idiot with a sister complex109 , I absolutely hated little sisters.
109
Here he is referring to the protagonist of the game.
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Even though I was doing the same thing he had done!
In the game, Kousaka Kyousuke met his little sister again in the city dyed with the color
of dusk.
Out of breath, while looking up at the sunset, the protagonist saw his little sister appear
in front of him.
Well, that was just a game.
In reality, the scene in which I found my little sister was a far cry from such a romantic
scene lled with promises.
It was the evening, in the shopping district in front of the station. I was running by the
side of the arcade, when...
Ah.
A familiar head of light brown hair was attached to someone angrily and violently striking
her drumsticks against the drums in a taiko game110 . Completely ignoring rhythm, she continued with a Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!.
Do you want to break it or something?!
.... Ahhh...haaah...
Unconsciously, I murmured to myself.
This idiot. Even though Ive been so frantically looking for her... agh, my head began to
hurt.
110
The taiko drum is a traditional drum that is rather tall and wide. Kirino is playing a rhythm game
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Well, this was how it is. It wasnt that dramatic after all.
Die! Die! Die! Diie! Die like that!
How in the world is she whispering words like that?! Scary.
Strangely exhausted, I drew near to my highly praised sister who was in the middle of
throwing an angry t.
From behind, I lightly tapped the back of her head.
You, die!
Who?!
Bang! As Kirino turned around she swung the drumstick with her. I took it completely
in the face.
Guahh.....
.... What.... its just you...
Bastard... without even guring out who I was, you hit me?! What if I was a store employee coming to tell you to calm down?! Dammit, she really cant control her anger, can
she?!
However, it was hard to believe that the Kirino who had turned around and the Kirino
who was so angrily yelling for people to die were one and the same. Her tone of voice and her
facial expression were incredibly sorrowful.
... What did you come here for?
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What did I come here for... well, you ran out of the house... so I came to look for you.
... Gross... what the hell is that? Dont mix up games and reality...
Well, unlike in the game, I dont love you, I wanted to say, but I restrained myself. After
playing that little sister galge, I had rearmed my belief...
I really didnt need a three-dimensional little sister.
All you other brothers who have bratty conceited little sisters like this would denitely
agree with me.
Seriously, what exactly was I intending to do after I found her? I cant even remember.
In any case, she was pretty grumpy. She was even speaking through her nose.
Shut up, you. Shouldnt you be thanking me?
... Huh? Why do I have to do that?
Because after you left I went through a lot of trouble. Dad tried to go into your room,
you know...
... Wha-...
Kirino watched me with weepy eyes, and began to tighten her hands over the back of my
neck. Ahh! That hurts!
... And you stopped him, right?
Bastard, why do you say that as if its obvious? Im your brother, not your manservant.
Hey, you understand that, dont you?
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O-of course I stopped him... I risked my life for you.
Alright.
Good job, dog. That was the kind of alright that came out of her mouth. Well, to some
extent I was just getting what I deserved, but all traces of my dignity had been lost. Kirino
let go of me, and with a strained face crossed her arms.
... For now, lets go somewhere else. We stand out too much here.
4.7
We found a nearby Starbucks and moved there.
Even though it was early summer, it was slowly growing dark.
Dressed in plain clothes, Kirino and I sat across from each other in front of a small round
table, and drank coee.
The guests in this place were generally college students and oce workers who were coming back from work. Junior high students, perhaps coming back from club activities, were
nowhere to be seen.
We were in the middle of that. What did the people around us think of us, I wonder?
We had not said a single word to each other since before.
Wearing an angry aura, Kirino had been continually glaring at me with her bloodshot
eyes...
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If people thought we were a couple in an argument... or even worse, if we were in an

argument because I was cheating on her... that would be terrible.
Not being able to bear the silence any longer, I spoke without really thinking.
Hey... Kirino.
What?
What are you going to do? After this.
... I dont know.
As I thought. If she went back home, my father would be there. Im not surprised she
doesnt know what to do.
In fact, Kirino asked me just that. ... What do you think I should do? she asked.
This was the second time Ive heard those words coming out of my sisters mouth.
I really dont think Im that sort of dependable older brother. But here, she was in such
a rut and had no choice but to depend on me, and I felt cornered. It was the same as that
other time.
Thats why I couldnt respond with How should I know? here. Even if thats really what
I thought.
Throw away everything, without leaving a single one. I still havent told Kirino what was
said to me. In our house, my fathers word was absolute. What would she think when I told
her that he had resolved to destroy her entire prized collection?
It would be troublesome if she threw a t here. For now, I have to gure out what exactly
happened.
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Before we talk about anything else, Kirino, there are a few things I want to ask you. Is
that okay?
... What?
What exactly did dad say to you? You two really seemed to be deep in conversation.
From my fathers remarks, I dont think he had told her anything about throwing away
her collection.
I asked this question to clarify exactly what position Kirino had been put in.
... H-hey... Kirino...?
Unexpectedly, at that moment, Kirino panicked.
...!?!?
It was the moment I had asked my question. Kirinos face ushed bright red, and her
entire body began to shake.
Holding her chest with one hand, her other hand tightened into a st on top of the table.
Her cute face was jumbled up. I quickly looked away, but even so, I could feel the extent
of the violent emotions stirring inside her, to the point where it was quite unpleasant.
Anger. Regret. And, just a bit of resignation.
Frustration. Frustration. Frustration frustration frustration frustration frustration... and

sadness.
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Those kinds of unbearable feelings were keenly being transmitted to me.
What exactly happened in the living room back then? What did they talk about? I still
really dont know.
But, just by how Kirino was acting right now, I could guess that something must have
happened.
... hless...
My sister, with her head downcast, whispered darkly.
When I nervously asked W-what? Kirino violently beat her hand on the table.
Bang!
He called them worthless!! The anime I like! My games! The oine meeting I was
going to today! Everything everything everything!! ... E... even though... theyre... not like
that...and I... I couldnt...
After that, she degraded into mostly sobbing, and I couldnt really make out what she was
saying.
As she hit the table with her st, Kirino kept her head down and convulsed with sobs.
You couldnt say anything back... could you?
... Yeah...
Drip, drip. Her tears fell in drops onto the table.
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As the person she had come to for life advice, it took me not too long to understand what
was happening.
Today, Kirino had faced my fathers wrath. Her important things, which she had shown
me that time, were being trampled underfoot.
Thats why Kirino was now so angry. Thats why she was deathly frustrated, and why
tears were owing from her eyes.
They might seem relatively silly, but I too had things that were important to me.
If he had dismissed those things as worthless, even I would have blown up in anger.
Denitely. Even if it was with my father, I would strike out. If I didnt do that, I wouldnt
be able to calm down.
Kirino feels the same way, doesnt she?
I couldnt say anything back... and then... I took the crystal ashtray and tried to hit him
with it... but he caught my arm... ahh... this is so frustrating...
Finding a blunt weapon there so quickly... she s seriously pretty frightening. I couldnt
hear much of what was going on in there, but to think such a battle was unfolding...
I take back what I said about having the same feelings.
She wasnt trying to strike out at him... she was trying to kill him!
Here, Kirino, use this handkerchief.
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... Ugh... dammit... my makeup...
I gave her a handkerchief, and she wiped her face. She then excused herself from the table
for a little while.
She xed her makeup. And in the meantime, we both calmed down, and started over.
Huh...
Hey, assholes. What are you looking at? I glared at the people around me, and the inquisitive stares quickly turned away.
Im glad that were here at this time. At this time, neither Kirinos nor my classmates
should be around to see whats happening.
As I downed the rest of my iced coee, Kirino came back with all her makeup taken o.
Quietly, she sat down across from me.
... Its not like I would ever say this out loud, but shes pretty cute without makeup on,
isnt she?
Because I was thinking that...
... Hey?
H-hm? W-what?
I suddenly spoke up in a rather suspicious way.
The makeup-less Kirino then began to talk, in a very subdued tone of voice.
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... Do you think... Im weird? Liking that kind of stu... is it bad?
Kirino...
Looking at me with tear-lled eyes like that, what exactly am I supposed to respond with?
At the very least, thats what dad said. But its not like he was being especially strict.
Any normal parent would say something like that, I think thats obvious. You said it yourself,
right? You have a public image to maintain, so you cant expose your secret to anyone else.
But... I mean... already... its already been exposed...
Yeah. So, its too late for that. We cant change the fact that its been exposed.
I spoke with as much sincerity and goodwill as I could muster.
So, you have to choose.
After saying that, I fell silent. I focused intently on my sisters eyes.
You mean... whether or not to give this hobby up?
If you can do that, then this all will end peacefully. If you stop being an otaku, your problems will vanish. Dad will stop being angry, and the constantly ticking bomb thats always
ticking away next to your public image will also go away... lately, Ive heard a lot of rumors
about you, you know. That youre amazing. Youre great at sports, you excel at schoolwork,
you work as a model, youre also in an afterschool club... youre really managing to do some
very dicult things. I honestly believe that. And, without that one hobby, you would be
absolutely perfect, dont you think...? Do you understand what Im trying to say?
... I know. I know more than anybody that Im good at a lot of things. If I stop being
an otaku, just about everything would be perfect... Ive known that from the start.
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Kirino tapped lightly on the table with her st. Calmed down, she spoke.
But, I wont stop. I denitely, absolutely wont stop. Because... the things I like... I
really like them! For me to stop anyways... I dont want to do that. I cant do that...
I see. But as far as dads concerned, this has nothing to do with your feelings. You have
to correct yourself if youre doing something bad... hell say that to you until your ears fall
o, wont he? No matter how much you like these things, to dad theyll always be good for
nothing and worthless. And if he tries to force you to stop, we cant really do anything about
it, can we?
Even so!
Kirino shouted with a serious expression. It was an expression I would someday be impressed by.
I wont stop. I wont stop doing what I like to do. You said it yourself before, didnt
you? I am both sides of me... if I got rid of one of those sides... if I stopped doing one of
them, I wouldnt be myself anymore. I know that Im a child, so I have to listen to what my
father says. Thats obvious, so I cant resist what he says... but, even if my entire collection
is thrown away... even if that becomes no more, I would still be the same person... so, the
one thing I denitely wont do, is stop doing the things I like to do.
... Thats what she said.
Even if her entire collection were thrown out.
Even if her cell phone and computer were taken away, and she couldnt connect to the
internet anymore.
She wouldnt stop being an otaku. She would denitely not stop. Because thats what she
likes.
If I got rid of one of those sides, I wouldnt be myself anymore...

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I see.
Youre an idiot. Seriously an idiot. I cant believe how much of an idiot you are.
Are anime and eroge really that important? You have to be stubborn and defend them
to your dying breath? I dont understand. Seriously, I dont understand at all. Its a hobby
that nobody would praise you for, so why do you think its so important? How can you be
having fun with these things, collecting them, raising a fuss about them?
Ahh... geez... its not like otaku are all like this.
Even so, its not like I expected her to say anything dierent.
Its not bad.
Huh?
I spoke with a brazen smile to my confused little sister.
I said its not bad. Thats my answer to the question you asked before.
What did I just do? Im acting strangely today... or rather, Ive been acting strangely
lately. The normal me... the me of only a month ago... would never even have dreamed of
trying to stop my father like that.
I would also never have guessed that I would come looking for the little sister I hated and
wanted nothing to do with.
And I would have never guessed that I would feel this way after hearing her pitiful speech.
Tch. Clicking my tongue once, with a strange feeling oozing its way through me, I slowly
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stood up.
Kirino.
Looking at Kirinos face, I pointed at my own face with my thumb.
Leave it to me.
In the seventeen years of my life, this was the most out-of-character thing I have ever said.
Its almost as if I was really Kirinos older brother.
4.8
What the hell did I say? Am I an idiot?
As I hurriedly returned home, I seethed with intense self-hatred.
Kirino was still at the Starbucks. I gave her clear instructions to wait there for an hour,
and then to head home afterwards. I was really the only one talking and I never heard a
response from her, so its unclear whether or not she actually heard was I saying.
In either case, until she actually felt determined enough to head back, she wouldnt return
home.
Before that, I intended to settle the matter with my father.
Heh...
I dont care if you laugh at me. I think Im an idiot for doing this too. Seriously an idiot.
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Why did I have to say Leave it to me? Agh, my cheeks are burning... I cant stand how
embarrassing that was.
It felt like re was spouting from my head. Why did I have to try and act so cool, even
though Im really not...?
After this, even if it seems impossible, Im going to confront my father.
And if Im hit and broken, I would let my head be shaved and live out the rest of my life
as a monk.
But, I mean, I cant help it!
Throw away everything in your room. Stop being an otaku.
Could I really say those things to her?! Not only did I understand her feelings, but anybody who says such things I cant forgive! Even if that person is my father!
... Of course, I hate that cheeky bastard of a sister.
I dont need such extraordinary characters in my life. She seems to hate me too, so it
would be best if we just continued to ignore each other.
From the very start, these opinions of mine have never changed.
I dont care about that girl. Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, I dont care.
Do you think thats strange? Do you think its a lie, that my actions contradict my words?
... Well, I wonder. Even I dont really understand myself today.
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Everything I was doing was sincere... but maybe, there was something that even I wasnt
aware of. I also didnt understand this strange feeling that was welling up from inside my
chest.
Right now, there was really only one thing that I understood.
Kirino would never call me this, not even once, but...
Im her big brother.
Whether or not I hate her, whether or not I dont care about her, whether or not shes an
annoying brat...
I have to help my little sister.
Thats how it is, right?
4.9
Thirty minutes later, I found myself standing outside the door to our living room.
In a bag I held in one hand, I had a little secret weapon. It was something that I, mustering
all the feeble mental powers I possessed, had thought of while running home.
With my mothers help, somehow or other I prepared everything as I had planned. Putting
the nishing touches on, I instructed my mother not to come into the room, and with that
the preparations were complete.
But... honestly, there really wasnt any guarantee that this would go well. To put it
bluntly, the possibility that this idea would crash and burn was pretty high.
Heh...
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Even so, I would brave it. It wasnt for my sister, but rather it was for my own sake.
Argh, dammit! Im just going to bite the bullet and do it!!
My ghting spirit renewed, I opened the door to the living room.
I was hit with the sweet fragrance of alcohol. Advancing into the lions den, I felt like
Minamoto no Yorimitsu111 .
My father was sitting on the sofa, drinking sake with a sake cup. Noticing me coming in,
he glanced at me and scowled.
Kyousuke, dont forget your manners.
I-Im home.112
Crap crap crap crap! This isnt funny! Whats with this extreme intensity...
Even in the best of times he wore an evil expression, but maybe because of his anger, he
looked even more evil now.
I had pumped myself up for this, but I felt the wind being immediately knocked out of my
sails.
I couldnt stop my skin from tingling with goosebumps. I gulped down a mouth full of
saliva, and carefully, carefully continued into the room. After all, I didnt want to go right in
front of him.
As I prayed that he wouldnt look my way, I came to a stop around three meters from him
111
112
A Heian period Japanese military leader.

Tadaima, the polite way to announce that you have returned home.
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on the side.
Do you think Im pitiful? But this is a place where beginners would fail... and honestly, if
you stood in my position, you would understand. Imagine being next to a hungry beast, who
at any second would start growling. Furthermore, I really didnt even want to take one step
closer to him... I mean, Ill confess that I already can feel tears welling up in my eyes.
D-dad... I have something I want to talk about.
Trying desperately to keep my voice from trembling, I began to talk.
Before responding, my father gulped down another cup of sake113 .
Did you nd Kirino?
... Yeah... I came to talk... to you.
And?
My father pressed me without paying me even a glance. Honestly, I was grateful. Eventually I would have to look him in the eye and make my case, but for now I really wanted to
avoid eye contact.
Because I was scared.
.....
The surrounding atmosphere became very heavy. It was strangely hot, and I had trouble
breathing. And yet, I couldnt stop myself from shaking.
Sweat began to pour down my face, spilling o the bottom of my jaw.

113
Sake cups are very small, so dont be alarmed.
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And?
My father pressed me once more with the same words. I opened my mouth, feeling like I
was jumping o a precipitous cli.
I would like you... to approve of Kirinos hobby.
It may be my imagination, but the moment I said that, the room fell gravely silent.
The only sounds I could hear were those of my own heartbeat and my ragged breaths.
Kyousuke.
Talking low and without expression, my father responded.
Earlier, I told you that it was your duty to throw away all those things. Every single
piece, without leaving a single one. And you responded I understand. Ill talk with Kirino,
and Ill denitely do that. Isnt that right?
Yeah.
Honor the promises that you make.
After his short statement, he once again fell into silence. ... I see. What hes saying is
correct. However you think about it, the person whos mistaken is me. I understand that.
But... I cant retreat now.
Thats what I wanted to talk about.
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Are you breaking a promise that you made? When did I teach you to do that?
Each one of my fathers words echoed heavily. Gritting my teeth, I raised my voice.
It has nothing to do with me. She wont let anyone stop her, and wont let anybody
throw away the things shes been hiding. She also wont listen to reason. Please listen to me,
dad. Listen to my reasons for doing what I did.
... Go ahead. Discipline will follow.
Waah. I said that pretty assertively, but I might seriously burst into tears.
I obviously couldnt see my own face, but if this pitiful face were exposed, before even
listening to me he would probably beat me. Thank the heavens Im not standing right in
front of him.
Are you watching, beginners? This is an experts strategy!
... Ugh. Lets keep my misery from growing too much, shall we? I wiped my face with my
T-shirt.
Certainly... Kirinos hobby is not something an average girl would have. So, in her usual
crowds there wasnt really anybody who shared her hobby.
Taking a single breath, I continued.
... So, she tried to nd friends who had the same hobby... and, she looked in a lot of
dierent places, and somehow or other found some good people... she even met them in real
life for the rst time.
....
My father continued drinking his sake at a deliberate pace, and silently listened to me.
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Right now, I was speaking without any regard to my personal well-being, so it wouldnt be
strange if my father already had decided in his mind on giving me the death penalty.
The pressure of silence was extremely frightening. If I think about it, today was pretty
unpleasant for my father as well.
To think that his beloved daughter whom hes raised all these years would come out and
say Actually, I love eroge.
And, when he tried to scold her and set her straight, she tried to beat him to death with
an ashtray.
On top of that, his untalented son then came in, uninvited, and begins to chatter about
defending his sisters outrageous hobby.
And hes also in the middle of drinking sake. My actions were really inexcusable. I believed
that from the bottom of my heart.
You probably want to beat me now, but please be patient with me for a little while longer.
... That was just recently. Today, she was coming back from meeting those friends in an
oine meeting... I mean, a meeting for people with the same hobby... you probably already
heard this, right?
... Uh-huh.
And then, you called her hobby worthless... dont make fun of her when shes tried so
hard! Even though you dont know that much about her hobby, youre making such quick
judgments about it!
Because my sister regrettably couldnt say anything, I was telling him what my sister felt
in her place.
Even though these werent supposed to be my feelings, even though this entire situation
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really wasnt my business, I was honestly getting angry.
At some point, this was no longer somebody elses problem.
With my own eyes, Ive seen her important things. Ive also met with people who love
the same things. Ahh, of course theres prejudice against them, and theres no helping that,
since they really are an odd bunch. How they speak, how they act, how they dress - at any
rate its all pretty odd. Honestly, I cant understand where theyre coming from at all. But!
I remembered. That scene in Akiba, and my own feelings.
Its really not a bad thing, I think. They really seem like they have fun when theyre
together. Even though it was their rst time meeting, they could argue so loudly, and raise
so much of a commotion. They really love what they love! Kirino, and those others, being
able to get seriously angry like that - its not something to be taken lightly! Kirino, and
those others, being able to get so entranced by the things they love... seeing it, I felt sort of
embarrassed, but at that time, they were already dear companions! Frankly speaking, they
were already friends!
Just a while ago, I would never have imagined that I could behave so heatedly. But, now
is now, and I was surprised by each word as it came out of my mouth.
To think that there was such a ferocious person inside of me. Ordinarily, commonly, the
everyday me had a creed to live a carefree, laid back life. Even now, that still hasnt changed.
But, the me of today, with certainty, is dierent than the me of a little while ago.
Giving her life advice, having to experience various annoying things, seeing lots of things
that I cant even begin to understand... all that has inuenced me. It wasnt Kirino; I was
the one who had changed.
I didnt want to admit that I had been inuenced by such weird people and such random
things I couldnt understand. But it was the truth, so I couldnt help it.
From those people, I got something, and changed. I became an idiot. I became an embar247
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rassing person.
Whether Im seconds away from crying or not.
To think that I could stand up against my frightening father like this.
Of course, I cant even begin to understand her hobby. I really cant! But! Is something
you can be entranced by like that, can that something really be that bad?! If you think about
it, shouldnt that be a pretty important thing?! Right?! Thats not something you can so
casually throw away, you know!
So, you want me to forgive her? For a worthless hobby that can have nothing but a bad
inuence.
My father stood up and faced me. He pierced my heart with a gaze that was a hundred
time scarier than anything Kirino could pull o.
Crap, Im really going to piss myself. In a moment, Im going to fall to the oor and beg.
You say that its nothing but a bad inuence, that its a worthless hobby...?
It was here. I decided to play my trump card. I quickly closed the distance between me
and my father, and dumped out everything in the bag onto the table. Bang! The rst thing
I threw at my father was Kirinos report card.
Just look at these unbelievable grades. Shes even one of the best in the entire prefecture.
And her great performance isnt limited to just the present. If theres anyone who knows how
well shes been doing in school, it should be you, dad.
So what? Kirino is just keeping the promise she made to me. Thats all it is. Thats why
I can forgive her for wearing such ashy outts, and can allow her to be a model.
Theres more...
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The next things I threw at him were numerous trophies and awards. The most recent one
was from a big track and eld tournament just last year.
Look at this. And this. And this and this...! Just look at it! Second place, outstanding,
excellent... theyre all like that! This one she got when she was still in elementary school!
This one is from kindergarten! ... How can she have so many, dammit?! I was so surprised
when I was collecting these! See?! Dad! Your daughter is so incredible, dont you see?!
I know. So what?
Dont say So what? ! Youre being really petty114 ! To be that good at sports and to
be that smart, and also to have so many other talents... shes so talented, so dierent from
me! Isnt that amazing?! So what if she has one, and only one, strange hobby?! Isnt it ne?!
Look at all her other talents! Your daughter, your pride and joy, has just one thing you cant
tolerate, and just because of that, you lecture her to death, you make her cry, you try to throw
away her important things... isnt that right?!
That was just a father disciplining his child.
Dammit. I had tried with all my might to appeal to my father, but he didnt seem the
least bit moved.
But, I still had more! Bang! I threw a very thick book at him.
... Its Kirinos album. So what?
My fathers tone of voice softened just a bit. In that beautiful thick album there were
large numbers of photographs of Kirino, from the time she was born until now.
Photos of a baby Kirino sleeping in her crib. Photos of my mother holding her.
Photos of her playing a leading role during her kindergartens sports festival. Photos of her
114
Literally, your asshole is small.
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shichigosan115 . Photos of her kindergarten graduation ceremony. Photos of her elementary

school entrance ceremony. Photos of her nishing rst at an athletic meet. Etc. etc.
Of course, all the photos were taken personally by my father, with a single lens ridiculously
high-end camera.
Just with this album, it was obvious what my father thought of Kirino.
But there was not even a single photograph of me.
Kyousuke... I asked you why you brought this out.
Dont rush me...
Bang! I threw another thinner book at him. My fathers expression suddenly changed.
...?!
... I asked mom and she lent this to me. This is dads treasured possession, isnt it?
The book I had shown my father was a scrapbook. In it were arranged cutouts from a
teen magazine. These cutouts were all of a familiar light brown haired model, wearing the
latest fashions and posing condently.
The photos went on and on, on and on. For dozens of pages.
Its likely that from Kirinos debut to the present, every precious photo of her was in here
for safekeeping.
Im not a father, so I cant understand my fathers feelings when it comes to his daughter.
115
A rite of passage for children in Japan where 3 and 7 year old girls and 3 and 5 year old boys visit shrines.
Shichigosan literally means seven ve three.
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However, I could at least make a rough guess.
You were happy, werent you? You keep on saying that youre unimpressed, that you
dont care, but you buy all her magazines, you cut out all her pictures, you collect them...
... Dont say stupid things. I had to keep track of what kind of things she was doing for
her job.
That remark... so it was just because she was his daughter...
And? You had to keep track... and what did you nd out? Was it the same kind of
showy, ashy job that you were prejudiced again?
I spoke while turning through the scrapbook page by page.
It was dierent, wasnt it. If it wasnt, you wouldnt have kept this scrapbook so carefully
all this time like some kind of treasure... thats true, isnt it?
I felt like I was walking on a tightrope. My eyes met those of my father. Scary. I didnt
inch, and I didnt look away.
My father let out a long exhale.
But, its not something she needs to hide. Even now, though, Im not sure what to think
about that.
Then, how about this?
From my chest pocket, I threw the last photo at him.
!
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It was a picture of Kirino, Kuroneko, and Saori.
This was a photo that Saori had just taken today with her cell phone camera.
While I was talking with Kirino at the Starbucks, I had looked through the photos on her
cell phone and printed this out... she denitely argued before letting me borrow this though.
Is this also something you need to hide?
.....
It was a photo of Kirino with her friends at the oine meeting.
The three people squeezed close together to t into the small frame of the shot.
One person was standing in front with her arms outstretched, leisurely setting up the cell
phone camera.
The other two were in the middle of the argument, but somehow still managed to look at
the camera.
Its a worthless hobby that can only have a bad inuence on her?
I could almost hear their loud chatter... and behind their scowls their true feelings were
hidden... it was that kind of pleasant photograph. At least, thats how I saw it.
You might not want to admit it, but this is something that she has!
And then...
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This album where shes with the family too... and these pictures of her modeling, and
these pictures of her wearing the latest fashions, and these pictures of her stylishly posing.
And even these photos of her with her otaku friends, raising a fuss with scowls on their faces...
all of these are Kirino! Only when all of these things are there is she Kirino! If even one is
missing, she wouldnt be herself anymore!
The words I was speaking right now were precisely the words Kirino had said to me some
time ago.
But, its not that I was trying to say these things in her place.
These words that I was throwing at my father welled up from deep inside me, and were
my own sincere feelings.
I gripped my fathers collar and continued my plea.
Dont you see...? Looking at this, if you still cant accept her hobby... if you still cant,
then Ill strike you down in her place! If you dont know anything about something, dont
judge it like that!
As my father gave me a grave stare, he responded.
... I understand what youre saying.
Blood vessels popped up on his evil-looking face, and his expression became terrifying.
Hes seriously a demon. I inched a bit while still holding onto his collar.
For now, I will take back what I said about her hobby being worthless. I agree that I do
not know anything. I acknowledge as well that I am prejudiced against these things. Alright,
then. I will defer to you and forgive her for having this hobby.
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... S-seriously?!
By this time, I had already given it all I had.
I was shouting, fueled solely by the momentum, without a shred of a logical argument. It
was honestly a jumbled up petition.
But even so, through my frantic eorts, it seems that I had gotten something through to
him.
I will forgive her for having this hobby... the moment these words were spoken, I had
won this battle.
But my father continued.
I wont repeat myself. But there is one more thing. I cannot possibly ignore the indecent
contents of that case. This is not a question of whether its good or bad. This isnt related to
whether or not I know about these things, or whether or not I have prejudice against these
things. This is about the fact that this was an 18+ product.
Ah, at last, this issue came up... I let go of my fathers collar, and with a pained expression
lapsed into silence.
There was no ignoring the logic behind my fathers words. If its an 18+ product, then it
would be bad if someone under 18 had it.
But, if my father went through with what he was saying... then we would have to throw
away the majority of Kirinos collection. That would be defeating the purpose.
But however I thought about it, my father was right. He was right, but... there was room
for argument. After all, I had predicted that eventually we would come to this point. And so,
just in case, I had thought of a few ways of dealing with this.
.....
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I had prepared for this... but honestly speaking, this was the one topic I didnt want to
discuss.
This was the rst time I felt such a storm of conict raging in my chest.
Is this seriously alright? For that little sister, am I really prepared to go this far?
But, today, I was acting strangely all around. I was completely, impossibly nuts.
Because of that... I had already made up my mind to decisively push forwards in this
direction.
I spoke.
... Ki-kirino doesnt have any age-restricted things...
Upon hearing my words, my father closed his eyes as if he was trying to restrain himself,
and his eyelids began to tremble. And then, suddenly, he opened his eyes.
Gah!
Grabbing the nape of my neck and strongly pulling me, he put the back of my head in a
lock, and forcibly made me face the DVD case. Ugghh, that really hurts!
The item in question was in the case. The 18+ label sparkled conspicuously.
You... at this point youre still trying to lie to me...?!
I-Im not!
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I had gotten something from those people, and I had changed. I had become an idiot. I
had become an embarrassing person.
For that reason, I could put such a ridiculous plan like this into action.
THIS IS MINE!
For me, this was the worst thing I have ever said in my life.
This is denitely not Kirinos! Im the one who owns it, its mine! So its alright if you
dont throw it away, isnt it?!
This was a scene that you will never see again, so be sure to pay close attention.
Blood vessels appeared on the demons forehead, and he responded expressionlessly.
... I dont understand these things that much, but this is something you play in a computer... and in this house, the only person with a computer... should be Kirino...
... Hes more well-informed than I thought... I had to come up with an excuse in the spur
of the moment.
Thats because... Kirino lent me her computer!
... I-I see... Y-y-you used your sisters computer, in her room, to play games in which
you do indecent things to little sisters?
It was really fun! You got a problem with that?
He struck my face. I took a huge tumble and collided with the wall.
Am I a dumbass?! At the very least, I should have said that I used a laptop to play it in
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my room!
.... O... ooh....
My eld of vision ickered. The taste of blood lled my mouth. My head pounded, and I
began to lose consciousness. Ah, dammit... Im going to die...
But, not just yet! As if I could bear to let it end here...!
In my collapsed state, I raised my head, and with tears in my eyes continued my plea.
Listen to me...! Listen to my saintly, virtuous explanation!
In any case, thats mine, I said! Im a high school student, so having 18+ ero116 books
is ok, right?! Even mom, when she found my collection under my bed, said it was ok!! And,
how is that game dierent from the books?! Is there really a dierence?! Is there?! There
isnt, is there?! So dont you dare throw them away! You better listen well, dad. Anime and
eroge... I. LOVE. THEM!! You could say I adore them! If you throw these away, I wont be
me anymore! Eroge are my heart and soul...!!
With all the power I had left, I let out a desperate, jumbled up scream.
UNDERSTAAAAAAAAAAAAND?!?!?!?!
Receiving the full brunt of my soulful cry, my father teetered around as if dizzy.
Y-you... you...
As if he had been dealt a severe blow to his head, my father grasped his temples.
116
Ero basically is a shortening of erotic. So it means pornographic. This is one of the words I will leave
in Japanese throughout this translation, so please take note if you did not know what this meant already.
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You idiot son!! Do whatever the hell you want!! I dont care!!
What a huge yell. I havent ever seen him ip out like this before.
But, it didnt seem like he was planning to kill me. Breathing deeply and moving his
shoulders up and down, he quickly turned around and with loud footsteps left the room.
Alright, this was my victory. While my nose bled and I held onto my face, a smile oated
to the surface.
Hmph... hows that, Kirino... your collection... I protected every piece, without leaving a
single one.
Heh heh heh... even though, as you could expect, I did it in a pretty sloppy way.
4.10
The loud turmoil of the Kousaka household had calmed down by the following morning.
When I arrived at the usual meeting place, my bespectacled childhood friend, as always,
was already waiting there for me. And, also as always, swinging her bag forwards and backwards in front of her skirt, she called to me with a smile.
Kyou-chan, good morning.
Ah, good morning, Manami.
It was an exceedingly normal, commonplace morning.
Ahh, this feels great. As I thought, this was how I wanted to spend everyday.
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My name is Kousaka Kyousuke. Im seventeen and attend a local high school.
It may be strange coming from me, but Im an exceedingly normal male high school student.
This morning, like all other mornings, found me walking to school at a leisurely, laid-back
pace with my normal childhood friend.
Well, are you a bit jealous? To be normal means to just keep pace with your surroundings,
to live with both feet on the ground. And security means not living dangerously.
Mediocrity, banzai! Viva the normal life.
But, I mean, living an extraordinary and dangerous life has its good points too.
Lately, Ive began to think that as well.
Its fun, noisy, and sometimes outrageously embarrassing.
Its a lifestyle where you live your own way, take your feet o the ground, and y through
the air.
I have experienced such things with this very body.
K-kyou-chan. Whats with that face?
Hm? Ahh, this?
Is my face so plain that its surprising? Well, that I wont deny, but Manami was probably
talking about the huge bandage on my face.117
117
He says congealing medicine, or something. Whatever. Its a bandage.
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Well... lots of things have happened.
Geez. Thats the honest truth - lots of things have happened... these few days have been
especially tense and eventful... so much so that I probably wont forget these happenings for
the rest of my life.
That bratty little sister who looks at me as if I was garbage. Her secret hobby, and our
life advice sessions.
In these past few days, Ive spoken to her enough to last for many decades. And, I feel as
if Ive learned just a smidgen more about her, about things that I did not know before.
But. Even then, theres no reason for our cold relationship to change.
As always, I hated my little sister, and didnt care what she did.
And she, just as shes always been, ignored me this morning as if I was some pebble by
the side of the road.
Well, thats how life worked. Nothing changes that easily.
Do you think its strange? Do you think that, to go through such an intense few days, to
have exerted so much eort to help her, it was all meaningless if my sisters aection points
for me didnt soar through the roof?
This isnt a joke! Dont bring back those unpleasant memories! This isnt like that rst
game I played; in real life, fundamentally, things dont always pay o. Especially in my life!
Whoops, I got a bit sidetracked there. Lets get back on topic. Uhhh... of course, theres
no denying that yesterday I helped my little sister. I persuaded my father to approve of her
hobby, after all.
However, its not like I did that because I wanted her gratitude. And its not like I did
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that because I wanted something in return. And Im speaking from the heart118 .
I just did what I wanted to do. By interfering, I was just doing as I pleased.
So, the compensation that I received from this aair, came from inside me. It was not
something that anybody else could give to me.
I see... lots of things happened...
Yup. Lots of things happened.
It wasnt something anybody else could give to me.
Good work, Kyouchan... you tried hard, didnt you?
My childhood friend paid me a loose, appreciative compliment, even though she didnt
know anything about what had happened.
Perhaps.
Indeed, I had been repaid aplenty.
4.11
It was after school on the same day. Coming home from school, I saw my sister in the
living room on her phone, just like she was on that one day some time ago.
Im home.
118
He says literally these arent the words of some other person somewhere.
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For now, I gave a greeting out of courtesy, but not only did I not get a response, she didnt
even look in my direction.
In her sailor uniform119 , she sat deep in the couch with her legs crossed in her extremely
short skirt. She was facing her cell phone and giggling about something or other.
Certainly, that smile was cute, but it would never be directed at me.
As I was thinking these thoughts...
Huh?! Did you really watch it?! The DVD edition?! Then how the hell did you come to
that conclusion?! I cant believe it, I guess thats what I get for asking for the opinion of a
jakigan girl... well, whatever... you should seriously get over being so emo. See ya.
What kind of conversation was that supposed to be...?
I watched in interest as Kirino nonchalantly cut o the conversation and tossed her cell
phone away from her.
Well, even shes changed a little from before, perhaps.
Even without me, she seems to be doing well... doesnt she?
At any rate, with this, all her problems have been resolved.
So, again, in terms of the unusual life advice sessions... my work was done.
While I continued to talk to myself in my head, I opened up the refrigerator. I took out a
pack of wheat tea, poured it in a glass, and gulped it down.
Sigh. Filled with many emotions, I let out a heavy breath.

119
Girl uniforms in Japan are often just sailor outts.
263
Chapter 4
Feelings of relief, of satisfaction, and of just a bit of loneliness passed through my head.
Shruging my shoulders, I tried to leave the room.
Hey.
... Hm?
I stopped with my hand on the doorknob, and turned my head.
As I turned, my sister, in her usual blunt way, said something unthinkable.
I still need life advice.
................................. seriously?
Falling deeply into despair, my eyes blurred with tears.
Grasping the doorknob more tightly, I stiened.
And... also, uh...
Kirino hesitated, and our eyes met.
It was only one word. With an awkward smile...
264
Chapter 4
265
Chapter 4
Thanks, aniki.120
She said that, her words clear.
Afterwards, she quickly turned the other way.
She might have been slightly blushing.
..................
With my mouth hanging open and eyes staring, I couldnt do anything except be dumbfounded.
I mean... this was impossible, wasnt it... ?
As I wondered if I was seeing or hearing things, a thought passed into my head.
My sister cant possibly be this cute.

120
Aniki is a term of endearment for older brothers. I decided not to translate it because brother just
sounds so much sti and formal in English.
266
Afterword
Afterword
Good afternoon, this is Fushimi Tsukasa. I see that this new series was able to reach you
safely.
Thank you very much for reading this book.
This book is a comedy about a brother and a sister who dont get along and are very
dierent, in both appearance and habits. This is this authors rst attempt at writing a long
comedy.
In order to make everyone laugh, I put all my eorts into writing this.
I tried to make this easy and fun to read, so if my work makes you laugh, there would be
no surpassing the joy I would feel.
My editors, Miki-san and Koba-san, have been so amazingly supportive through this process. To be honest, this books planning - and in particular in the creation of the idea of the
little sister, - were due to Miki-san. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say he was pulling
the strings in the shadows.
I must mention that this work was not merely the product of one writer, but would not
have been possible without the dozens of private meetings the three of us had.
After counting the number of times they read my manuscript and the number of times
they gave me advice, I feel it is impossible to properly thank them. Honestly, thank you very
much.
I apologize for complaining all the time. Next time, I know I will throw all my anxiety
and frustrations at these two, but please tolerate it and continue to support me.
267
Afterword
The illustrations were done by Kanzaki Hiro-san, who draws cute girls (especially nekomimi)121 .
Ive brought you the best nekomimi artist in the world! was what the editor in charge of
nding an artist told me, and after that he proudly showed me some of Kanzaki-sans cover
illustrations. Of course, I shared his feelings.
In the nal revision stages, the rough illustrations I was sent were the source of my inspiration. Thank you very much. I look forward to working with you next time as well.
Otherwise, thank you very much to everyone else involved in the publication process.
With Kanzaki Hiro-san, I am in the planning stages for a new work.
We should be able to say more about it by the end of the year, so please stay tuned.
- June 2008, Fushimi Tsukasa.

121
Cat ears.
268
Translators Afterword
Translators Afterword
Thank you for reading this translation of volume 1 of Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii
Wake ga Nai. It was a pleasure to translate it to allow English-speaking fans to enjoy this
great work by Fushimi-san (and of course, the art by Kanzaki-san). If you enjoyed this translation, please support this series by buying this novel when (if) it comes out in English, or
just go blow a lot of money on Oreimo merchandise (like I have, cough cough).
I also want to give major credit to my team of editors, who had to deal with the constant
stream of typographical errors and other random silliness strewn through this translation.
They are a major part of the reason this light novel reads as smoothly as it does, and I owe
them my deepest gratitude.
If you have any further comments, feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Thank you again for reading this translation. Ill see you in Volume 2! Kongo tomo
yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Bows.
Translation Credits
Translator/Evil Overlord
NanoDesu
Editors
Meh
Irrelevant
Cookies
269

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Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

First Chapter Part 1

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

What? Seriously? Whyd he do that? Ahaha, what an idiot.

Many girl uniforms in Japanese schools are reminiscent of sailor uniforms.

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

Uh-huh, uh-huh... alright. Let me change and Ill go right away.

Its already getting so late, but shes still going o somewhere?

My name is Kousaka Kyousuke. Im seventeen and attend a local high school.

Well, I guess I also study sometimes.

Safe means I dont involve myself in many dangerous situations.

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

Such a life is not t for me.

Were a reasonably well o and wholly unremarkable household.

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

My sister began to speak.

...its okay. Dont touch it.

Exactly how much did she hate me?

I looked silently down at my sister as she expressionlessly picked up her things.

An awkward tension lled the entryway.

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

Well, its not like I was oended or anything.

Its not as if I really saw us as older brother and younger sister.

Laugh if you want at this good-for-nothing brother. Whatever, I dont care.

... Damn. Since when has it been like this?

Ahh... wasnt I supposed to start studying?

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

Ahh... dammit. I really dont want to study.

I dragged out the object from behind the shoebox, and...

This is... well... what?

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

Im sure my facial expression right then was one of puzzled suspicion.

Well, that much is ne. But the problem is...

Whats with this get up?

Military general during the Chinese Han Dynasty.

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

It looked like a truly dangerous thing.

Then... why is something like this here?

Dont worry about it, mom. I just wanted a change of pace.

Phew... I made it just in time, didnt I?

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

My mother, holding a few bags of groceries, looked down at me sympathetically.

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

... I ended bringing it up here, didnt I...?

Squinting at this Stardust Witch Meruru thing in my hands, I grumbled.

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

For a few seconds, I mulled over these thoughts.

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

Well then... who exactly does this belong to?

While I continued my musings, I opened up the case with a click.

[NanoDesu] Oreimo Translation, Volume 1

Ahh, I understand now. This stu happens often, after all.

And whats with this quaint little R-186 label?

... Calm down!

Beads of cold sweat gathered on my forehead, and my breathing became ragged.

Kyousuke... are you studying properly?