Prologue
“I’m home~”
When I get home, that’s the one greeting I make sure never to skip. I want to let my mom know I’m back safe, and on the flip side, when I’m the one at home, hearing “I’m home” lets me know that it’s my mom. It’s a small thing, but it’s a rule I stick to.
“Welcome home.”
…Huh?
As I was taking off my shoes, the voice came from behind me. It should have been the perfectly normal response to my greeting, but I was shocked to hear it in a man’s voice.
It’s been decades since the number of men in the world started to dwindle. Now, the male-to-female ratio in Japan has skewed to a shocking one to five. Because of that, there have been more and more incidents of women attacking men lately, and there are even calls to legalize polygamy.
And my family, which isn’t unusual these days, is a single-mother household. I don’t have any brothers, of course, so there shouldn’t be a man in my house…
Why is there a man in my house? Startled, I spun around.
“O-Onii-sann?!”
“Yeah. Yuka, welcome home.”
The one who greeted me with a gentle smile was Katasato Masato-san. He’s the person I respect most… and the person I love.
Wait, this isn’t the time for that. Why is Masato-onii-san in my house?
And why is he waiting for me to come home like it’s the most natural thing in the world? Is this heaven?
“You must be tired after a long day, Yuka.”
“Hweh? Uh, I mean, yes…?”
My brain can’t keep up. What in the world is going on…?
“Yuka, would you like dinner? A bath? Or maybe…”
Th-This is…! This is the kind of exchange I’ve only ever seen in fiction, and it’s happening right in front of me. I swallowed hard, waiting for his next words.
Then, with a slightly embarrassed smile, he asked.
“…would you like your Onii-san?”
“I’ll take my Onii-san! (Instant reply)”
The words just flew out of my mouth reflexively. I kicked off my shoes at the speed of sound, ready to leap into the chest of this adorable Onii-santher—
BEEP BEEP BEEP, BEEP BEEP BEEP, BEEP BEEP BEEP.
“…Yeah, of course…”
In a way, it was an inevitable conclusion.
I sighed as I chopped the head of the alarm clock that was blaring noisily to announce the morning.
I’ve been having dreams like this a lot lately. …Well, I’m sure one of the reasons is that I can’t stop thinking about Onii-san…
I stretched my arms out wide, and my eyes fell on the basketball I keep where I can see it from my bed. It just sat there silently in its case.
I remembered what happened a little while ago, when my upperclassmen were giving me some rather harsh “guidance.” Honestly, I knew I was pretty good at basketball, even compared to the other girls in my grade… and even better than some of the upperclassmen. I was prepared for some bullying at school, too.
But that day was especially bad… Just when I thought I might actually collapse for real.
“You all seem to be having a pretty fun practice.”
Just thinking about it now makes that same emotion rush through my whole body. The one who came to save me was my beloved Onii-san.
Like a prince from a fairytale, he gallantly came to my rescue.
I was so happy, and it reaffirmed just how much I love him. I forgot all about being embarrassed and just hugged him. I’m sure I’ll never forget that feeling for the rest of my life.
…But.
I opened my hands and stared at them.
They were still so small. My body was still so childish.
I have a feeling that, looking like this, Onii-san will never see me as a potential lover. If only I were a little more grown-up…
“Haaaah…”
Lately, that’s all I ever think about. I flopped back down onto my bed. All the sleepiness was already gone, and I didn’t think I could fall back asleep even if I tried.
“…I wonder what would happen if I told him I love him.”
For a while after that.
Tangled in my sheets, I just stared at the picture of Onii-san on my phone.
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