Ch. 26 - A Sister’s Comfort and Gratitude

Honestly… what’s so great about two lumps of fat anyway?

After changing into her pajamas, Ayaka stood before the full-length mirror. Her Pikachu-print top was puffed up several sizes bigger around her chest. Remembering what her idiot brother Harutaki had said during their family meeting earlier, she puffed her cheeks in frustration.

Squeezing them …

It felt no different from scrubbing herself in the bath. Nothing special at all!

Ayaka began to doubt—

Could it be that Harutaki was just teasing her this whole time, only wanting to see her embarrassed face?

No, no, that didn’t fit.

She shook her head. That kind of mischief was more like what the little devil Fuyuno would do. Harutaki must’ve simply been… wait, that doesn’t make sense either!

Ayaka pressed harder, but when it just hurt a little and nothing more, she sighed and gave up.

“Don’t tell me it only works if someone else does it…”

Muttering under her breath, she threw herself onto the soft bed, hugging the blanket like a plush toy. Her thoughts wandered back to the bullying thread that Fuyuno had shown her.

In the past, every night, sounds from her idiot brother’s room had made her cheeks burn and her ears ring, going on and on for ages. But now? He went to bed early, woke up early, and even went jogging in the mornings.

It was almost unbelievable.

She actually started worrying: could her stupid brother be bottling it all up until something snapped?

Yes, maybe that was why he couldn’t resist groping a girl at school…

Of course, she conveniently ignored the part where Harutaki had said he was forced. After all, in Ayaka’s pure maiden heart, there was no way such a ridiculous thing as girls forcing boys to molest them could exist.

If it really came down to it, maybe she should just let him… It didn’t even feel like anything, anyway.

Resolving to sacrifice herself so her idiot brother wouldn’t embarrass himself outside, Ayaka tiptoed to his room at 10:41 p.m., phone flashlight in hand.

But—

Light leaked from beneath his door. He was still awake?

She leaned closer, about to peek through, when—

“Mmhh~?”

Chiaki’s voice!

Ayaka froze, hand stiff mid-air.

“Harder, Harutaki-nii… I can take it.”

Ayaka: !!!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chiaki was in there?! Making those kinds of sounds?!

“I’m getting tired too. How about you get on top later and let me enjoy? I’ll teach you what to do.”

On top?!

Ayaka’s mind instantly flipped to the smutty “forbidden books” her classmates passed around secretly at St. Lilium Academy. The film reel in her head switched the faces of the male and female leads into Harutaki and Chiaki.

“Isn’t it selfish if it’s just you, Chiaki…?”

“…You’re right. Ayaka does so much for the family. Instead of helping her, we just keep giving her trouble.”

So you do realize how much trouble you cause!

Still, hearing her brother’s words warmed Ayaka’s chest, and all the resentment she’d carried toward him seemed to dissolve.

“Once I’m done with this project, I’ll help Ayaka relax her body too.”

Relax her body?

Ayaka’s brain immediately pictured unclogging a drainpipe like she’d done before, then substituted herself and Harutaki into that scenario. If she was the blocked pipe, then her brother would be…

Her legs buckled. She collapsed onto the floor, cheeks burning, sea-colored eyes shimmering with heat.

She hadn’t even been “unclogged” yet, so why was she already like this?!

“The last stage now, Chiaki. I’ll use more force—hang in there.”

The last… stage?!

No way! She had to stop this!

Summoning all her strength, Ayaka grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open.

…

BANG.

The door slammed against the stopper, startling Harutaki. He looked up mid-motion, only to see Ayaka panting in the doorway.

“You—you can’t do it inside! Without protection, what if she gets—”

“…Huh?”

Kneeling over Chiaki’s waist, his hands pressing her shoulders, Harutaki blinked in confusion.

The scene… really did look like he’d been caught in the act.

Quickly realizing Ayaka was furious, whether because Chiaki was sneaking around at night, or because of how close he and Chiaki seemed, he hopped off and raised both hands in surrender.

“Traditional Han-style massage. Ayaka, wanna try it too?”

“…Massage?”

Ayaka froze.

“Then why was Chiaki saying ‘harder’?”

“Most massage requires strong pressure. Girls usually can’t manage it.”

“And when you said she should get ‘on top’ while you ‘enjoy’…”

“Giving massages is tiring too. I’ve been at the computer all night, so if someone massaged my shoulders, it’d feel amazing.”

“And that ‘relax her body’ thing…”

“Clearing the meridians is the main point of Han-style massage. Want to try?”

Ayaka glanced at Chiaki, lying red-faced and panting on the bed, then at Harutaki’s hands gleaming with sweat.

Her imagination betrayed her, making her shiver as if those hands were already tracing her back and thighs.

“I—I already showered, so… next time.”

She slapped her own cheeks under their puzzled gazes. Why had she said that instead of yelling at them?

To cover up, she quickly asked, “Then why were you giving Chiaki a massage in the first place?”

“It was my way of thanking her after she comforted me.”

“…Comforted?”

“Of course, she let me rub—”

He cut himself off.

Harutaki, Ayaka, and Chiaki locked eyes.

Silence swallowed the room.

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