“AHHH!!!”
Under the lights, the twin-tailed girl wearing a blue and white sailor uniform shrieked.
When she realized the person on the sofa was Hoshino Gen, her expression shifted again, and she whined, “Brother, are you sitting here not sleeping in the middle of the night just to give me a scare!”
“If you were the older brother and had a younger sister cute enough to explode, and she didn’t come home late at night, would you be able to sleep?”
Hoshino Gen retorted.
“Before Mom and Dad left, they told me to take care of you. If something happened to you, how could I explain it to them?”
Hoshino Hikari’s head immediately drooped.
She tangled her fingers together, gently bit her lip, and said, “Brother, I’m sorry…”
Hoshino Gen pressed on, “Don’t think you can get away with it just by apologizing. Answer me honestly, Hikari, where on earth did you go that you didn’t come home until now?”
“Gurgle—”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Hoshino Hikari’s stomach loudly provided an answer for her.
The girl blinked her big, watery eyes and said pitifully, “Brother, I’m so hungry. Can I tell you after I finish eating?”
Hoshino Gen sighed, looking utterly helpless.
“Sigh, there’s no helping you. I’ll go reheat your food.”
After saying that, Hoshino Gen got up and went to the kitchen to heat up the meal.
Taking advantage of this time, Hoshino Hikari went into the bathroom.
“I’m going to take a shower.”
The younger sister had a habit of showering before meals to show her respect for the food.
Having lived together for so long, Hoshino Gen was long used to it; he just told her not to take too long as the food would be ready soon.
The sound of rushing water came from the bathroom, but Hoshino Gen, busy in the kitchen, seemed not to hear it.
Some anime character once said, “Just by listening to the sound of a beautiful girl showering outside the bathroom, I can eat three bowls of rice.”
Hoshino Gen was, of course, not sexually repressed to that extent; in his heart, Hikari was already his genuine younger sister.
Today was the first time Hikari had carried out a mission as a Magical Girl, and since she hadn’t managed her time well, she had come home late.
Even though Hoshino Gen knew the plot, he still asked her where she had been in the evening to maintain his persona as a caring older brother.
*
Steam gathered, leaving the bathroom’s glass door blurred; no one looking from the outside could see clearly.
Hoshino Hikari wiped the droplets off the bathroom mirror so she could see her body more clearly.
In the mirror, there was a ghastly red mark on her smooth, fair back that was shocking to the eye.
It was from earlier today when she was caught off guard by a surprise attack from a villain while fighting a magical beast.
The senior Magical Girl had told her that such an injury might be serious for an ordinary girl, but for a Magical Girl, it would recover after one night of sleep, without even leaving a tiny scar.
It was lucky she had been cautious and changed from her combat uniform back into her school uniform before coming home, otherwise, if her brother had bumped into her combat form, she wouldn’t have been able to gloss over it no matter how much she acted spoiled.
However, even now, the situation was not optimistic.
After dinner, her brother would keep asking where she had been.
How should she answer?
Her senior had also told her that after officially becoming a Magical Girl, there were many things waiting in line.
Because Magical Girl battles were frequent and they often disappeared suddenly, coping with the questioning of one’s family was no easy task.
Even if she managed to get past it this time, what about later?
Besides, her brother was a very smart person.
Could she really lie to him and get away with it?
Could it be…
That she really had to use that?
“Aren’t you done yet?”
While Hoshino Hikari was still agonizing, her brother’s voice came from outside.
“Coming.”
Hoshino Hikari wrapped herself in a bath towel, covering everything from her neck down.
Her wet hair gave off the scent of fresh shampoo.
Seeing his sister’s attire, Hoshino Gen immediately glared in anger.
“Why are you using my bath towel again?!”
A bath towel that large was obviously his.
“It’s all the same,” Hoshino Hikari said dismissively.
“Of course it’s not the same! I’ve told you so many times, there’s a difference between men and women, and a bath towel is such a private item—you shouldn’t use it even if it is your brother’s.”
Hikari turned a deaf ear to his words and focused on enjoying her food.
He didn’t know when it started, but his sister liked to sneak and use his bath towel when she showered.
At first, he hadn’t noticed, but after a long time had passed, he finally figured it out.
Was this some kind of puberty quirk?
Hoshino Gen said, “I’ll buy a new one tomorrow.”
“Even if you buy a new one, I’ll still keep using it,” Hikari replied calmly.
Hoshino Gen: ……
His authority as an older brother had failed; he would just have to wait for their parents to come home to deal with her.
“I’m full. I’m going back to my room to rest.”
Having finished her meal, Hikari tossed down her chopsticks and tiptoed away, but her path was blocked by Hoshino Gen’s ruthless grip.
“Stop right there.”
Hoshino Gen looked up at the clock hanging in the living room and continued, “You still haven’t told me where you went tonight to not come home until midnight.”
Hoshino Hikari hung her head, looking at her toes, and struggled with a mosquito-like voice, “I don’t want to say… is that okay?”
“No, it’s not,” Hoshino Gen’s expression was very serious and earnest.
“Mom and Dad aren’t home, and as your brother, I have a responsibility to ensure your safety.”
“Also, where is your schoolbag?”
Hoshino Gen continued, “You took your schoolbag to school; shouldn’t you have come back with your schoolbag?”
Oh no!
Hoshino Hikari thought to herself that things were bad.
Having just become a Magical Girl, her emotions were too agitated, and she had rushed to the battlefield straight after school, completely forgetting about her bag!
“Answer my question, Hoshino Hikari.”
The strongest Magical Girl of Light kept her head down, biting her lip, looking as if she had been driven to a dead end.
However, the younger sister’s next answer was beyond his expectations.
“I was actually sneaking out to pick out a gift for you, Brother.”
“A gift?”
Hoshino Gen frowned in confusion.
“It’s not my birthday this week.”
“Does a younger sister have to wait for a birthday to give her brother a gift?”
Hoshino Hikari retorted righteously.
As she spoke, she sat back on the sofa, waved her little hand at Hoshino Gen, and said mysteriously, “Brother, come sit over here. I’ll show you what the gift I prepared is.”
Hoshino Gen was curious as well.
He hadn’t really meant to press her; as long as his sister made up any reason, he would choose to believe it, and they would still be a good brother and sister.
But what kind of reason was picking a gift for himself?
Hoshino Gen sat back on the sofa, wanting to see what she was up to.
Hikari put her hands together in a prayer motion, and when she opened them again, a clear red gemstone appeared in her palm as if by magic.
Before Hoshino Gen could react, the clear red gemstone suddenly bloomed with a dazzling light!
“Brother, your sister didn’t actually come home late today.”
That was the last sentence Hoshino Gen heard as he lost consciousness.