CH 4

8-10 minutes 18.04.2023

(POV Chiharu)

My name is Chiharu Hitsuji. I am the eldest of the four daughters in the Hitsuji family. We, the four sisters, are currently sitting on the floor in a room on the second floor that had been prepared for us by that Onii san. The room we were led to had about four futons neatly folded, and apart from that, there was nothing conspicuous, but we four sisters were enveloped in a sense of openness.

“Hmph, thanks to my acting skills, we were able to sneak into this house without any problems.”

“What are you talking about? You were hiding behind us all the time and acting scared.”

“Huh? I wasn’t scared at all! That was actually a move of a protagonist with real power!”

“Liar.”

As I watched my sisters, Chinatsu and Chiaki, suddenly start arguing, I couldn’t help but think. Why are my sisters so cute? Their cuteness is definitely among the top five in the whole world. I’ve been looking at them forever. But I don’t want them to make a fuss because that Onii san is downstairs.

“You two, no fighting, okay?”

“I’m not fighting, I’m just watching Chinatsu fighting alone.”

“Huh? Chiaki is the one fighting alone.”

The two of them brought their faces close together and pouted at each other. It was also cute, my sisters were so adorable… My sisters were constantly updating the highest value of cuteness with each passing second.

“Hey, hey, let’s not go that far. Natsu-nee and Aki-nee. We were fortunate enough to be able to live in a peaceful place.”Chifuyu interjected.

“Ugh, well, that’s true. I’ll hold back for now.”

“…You’re right. I’ll also moderate my behavior. We don’t want to be told to leave for being too noisy.”

“Exactly.”

Chifuyu , my fourth sister, was truly reliable. She had a strong core, even stronger than a professional tennis player’s. She was truly my proud little sister.

I think one of the few fortunate things in my life was having such wonderful sisters.

“But… leaving aside this nicehouse, is he really someone we can trust?”

“He gives off a vibe of an evil scientist or something!?”

“Never mind about the idiotic aki, what do you think, Fuyu?”

“Well, I can’t really say… But he doesn’t seem like a bad person to me.”

“Fuyu, you think so… But we must never let our guard down. We never know who might try to harm us and when.”

…That’s right. We can’t easily forget what happened. Chinatsu’s words darken the faces of both Chiaki and Chifuyu ever so slightly.

Especially Chifuyu’s…

As the atmosphere grew heavier, Chiaki suddenly raised her voice, trying to lighten the mood.

“I’m feeling hungry.”

“What!? You say that in this situation!?”

“But I am hungry.”

“Saying ‘but I am’ like a child!”

“Well, I am a child.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Unable to resist, Chinatsu interjected with a quick retort to Chiaki’s earlier unrelated and nonsensical comment. However, her comeback seemed to fall flat as Chiaki fired back with a retort of her own.

Chiaki had a habit of saying peculiar things without much forethought, or even intentionally, to diffuse tense situations and keep the atmosphere light. Without her, the laughter that filled the room might have been absent.

“Chifuyu is feeling hungry too. I came here without eating anything since morning…”

“Yeah, it’s already lunchtime. I’ll go ask Onii san if he can make something for us to eat.”

“In that case, I’ll go with you, then.”

“It’s alright, I can go alone. You three can rest here. After all, I’m the older sister, so I can manage on my own.”

“That’s true, but if you need anything, just call out and I’ll come running with the power of my evil eye in a matter of seconds.”

“Well, we’re in the same house, so I could just go without using your ‘evil eye’ in a few seconds. Besides, you don’t really have that power in the first place, do you?”

The three of them were still not used to this house, or to interacting with that Onii san. They must be tired from coming all the way here.

So I should let them rest.

“Alright then, I’ll go. Behave and wait here like good kids.”

Leaving the room, I descend the stairs, taking in the interior design of the house as I head towards that Onii san’s place. It’s predominantly white, with a few traces of dirt, but overall it was well-maintained and clean. It was clear that this Onii san was particular about cleanliness.

As I was about to open the door to the living room, my body hesitated for a moment. What if I ask for food and he gets upset? What if he thinks I’m a spoiled child? What if he kicks us out just like that?

I don’t think he’s that kind of person, but people could change their minds suddenly…

As I was lost in thought, that onii san came out of the living room. He had a tray in his hand with eight rice balls on it. There were also rolled omelettes and sausages on a plate, and even gummy candies as dessert.

“Oh, you’re hungry, right? I was just about to bring this to you. Have some.”

“Th-thank you very much.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Onii san casually returned to the living room after he handed me the tray. He was going above and beyond, and I could hardly remember being treated this well before. I knew he wasn’t a bad person, but he’s being too kind… Could it be, as the rumors say… a lolicon..a pedo .? No, but is it rude to even think such things?

Nevertheless, it’s highly unusual for someone to willingly take on the responsibility of raising four elementary school-aged sisters. I quickly pushed aside any unsettling thoughts about lolicons or pedophiles, and with a clear mind, I returned to the room where my three sisters were eagerly waiting for me.

“Wow, rice balls! And there’s rolled omelette and sausages, and gummy candies too!!”

Chiaki immediately got excited, with her eyes sparkling and drool dripping.

“…Isn’t this treatment too good to be true?”

“I thought the same, but let’s just accept it gratefully?”

“…Yeah.”

Chinatsu seems to have lingering suspicions about that Onii san’s generous treatment.

“It looks delicious. It’s really kind of him to treat us so well, but… maybe he’s a pedo… a lolicon… No, it’s nothing.”

Chinatsu starts to say something but then closes her mouth. We all reach out for the rice balls in silence.

“The rice dances in my mouth… It’s been so long since I’ve had such a delicious meal…”

“Well, it certainly is,”

“This rolled omelette is also delicious.”

I reached for a rice ball, savoring the neatly wrapped triangle of white rice. It had been a while since I had a meal made by someone else. As I took a bite, a sudden flashback from the past hit me.

No one had ever done anything for us. Our distant parents had kept us at arm’s length, leaving my younger sisters crying from loneliness. We were cold and hungry, yearning for even the simplest forms of comfort. I often wished for a normal life, despite knowing that I was far from being normal myself. I longed for regular meals and affection, something that seemed so simple yet so elusive.

I finally felt like I could reach for the ordinary, something I had wished for so long. Tears welled up in my eyes, but as the eldest, I couldn’t afford to cry. I quickly wiped them away and focused on the rice ball and side dish in front of me.

They say people become quiet when they’re enjoying delicious food, and I realized it was true. I too was silently savoring the meal, just like my younger sisters.

We divided the gummies among the four of us. The tangy sweetness of the lemon-flavored gummy was incredibly delicious. It had been a long time since I had felt affection from someone else. I had finally found a place to settle down, where we could be normal. My three sisters could grow up straight and strong here. Yes, I was sure of it. Although I was a little worried about the lolicon suspicion…

That’s why we absolutely cannot let anyone find out that we have superpowers.

*******

TN: It should be noted that the sisters names are directly connected to the four seasons, with the addition of ‘chi’:

Haru (Spring)

Natsu (Summer)

Aki (Autumn)

Fuyu (Winter)