Episode 13: The Younger Brother from the Older Sister’s Perspective
After seeing off Ichinose Ayano and Kamijou Yuuto, his older sister, Yuna, peeked into the kitchen.
“Oh, where’s Yuuto?”
“At Ayano-chan’s. They have a lot of homework today, so they’re doing it together,” Mother replied while washing the dishes, her brow furrowing with worry.
“…Is that alright? Ayano-chan’s father isn’t home yet, so they’re alone, aren’t they? Maybe Older sister should go check on them with their homework?”
Yuna understood her Mother’s concern.
Yuuto and Ayano were childhood friends.
Moreover, due to her family circumstances, their relationship was deeper than typical childhood friends.
It was understandable that they had become lovers.
–That’s precisely why she worried they might easily cross the line due to momentary emotions or curiosity.
First-year high school students were no longer innocent children.
In today’s information society, where most students owned smartphones and PCs, the barrier to sex had lowered.
Not only were there video sites with age restrictions, but even on SNS, which anyone could view, some accounts, videos, and images of that nature were circulating.
Even if they didn’t say it, they must have seen it.
And if they had a lover by their side, they might get carried away by the atmosphere.
Moreover, first-year high school students were not adults.
They didn’t have the power to completely erase the mistakes they made in jest.
–Life came with great responsibility.
That was the perspective of a grown woman who had nurtured love and raised children.
However,
“Don’t worry so much. They just made up, so they probably just want to talk. They used to say, ‘We’re going to get married!’ when they were little.”
“I suppose… maybe you’re right. Yuuto seemed a bit down when he was in middle school.”
Mother still didn’t seem entirely convinced, but,
“But if it gets too late, it’ll be a bother, so tell him to come home if he’s not coming back.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll be watching him in that girl’s room to make sure Yuuto doesn’t get too excited.”
“Oh, stop it! Girls shouldn’t say things like that!”
Yuna laughed, teasing her Mother as she roughly drained the water from the washed dishes, then headed towards her younger brother’s room.
“…Come to think of it, I haven’t really been in here lately.”
If she remembered correctly, the last time she had been in here was around the time her younger brother was about to enter high school.
Back then, books and game software were scattered haphazardly, but now it was properly tidied up.
She casually peeked under the bed, but there was nothing there except for a bit of dust.
“…He’s changed his hiding place, my dear brother–“
Thinking deeply, Yuna lay down on his bed.
However, as his Older sister, it was complicated to think that her younger brother was in the room next door, through the window, with his girlfriend.
“There’s no way nothing’s going on with those two.”
She had told her Mother that it was too early for them to experience love between a man and a woman, but Yuna didn’t think that was the case.
They were already aware of each other as members of the opposite sex.
It was clear from their conversation through the window last night and the way they were during dinner earlier, and besides, Ayano had consulted Yuna about her feelings for Yuuto.
At that time, she had just entered middle school, but she was serious.
Her younger brother was also deeply regretful.
They would easily cross the line between man and woman as a reaction to the three years of estrangement during middle school.
–Right now, the two of them were feverish.
They probably didn’t even know if that impulse was love or lust.
Adults would say they should take a break before they made a mistake.
What if–they got pregnant as minors?
Whether they chose to give birth or have an abortion, either choice would mean they couldn’t live a typical life.
From a societal perspective, “the kind of relationship they have now” was not a good relationship.
“But, well…”
Kamijou Yuna could confidently say that this was not the case for Kamijou Yuuto and Ichinose Ayano.
Yuna didn’t have a boyfriend right now, but she had more life experience than most girls her age.
She had met various men.
She had been with some for a long time, and others she had broken up with quickly. Some seemed serious, others were just casual.
Some were kind, others were not. Good men, bad men.
Reliable people, unreliable people.
–And so on, etc.
Kamijou Yuna could no longer be called an innocent maiden, but that was precisely why she could say it.
Her younger brother was different from the men she had met.
She had no basis for it, but there was something in his eyes and words that made her think so.
–Even if they did something rash, it wouldn’t end with just regret.
“I’m relieved about that, but… it’s still a bit dangerous since they’re both inexperienced, huh? Once it starts, it won’t stop. I wonder if they’ve prepared what they need?”
Just in case, she picked up her smartphone to warn her younger brother.
“…Oh?”
At the same time, she received a message from her younger brother.