CH 6

8-10 minutes 19.04.2023

(POV Chiahru)

We got out of the bath and put on spare clothes that we had prepared. After feeling refreshed from the bath, we returned to the living room, where Onii-san was sitting on the sofa, arranging supermarket flyers and snacks. Chiaki was peeking from behind him, looking restless.

“Did you warm up?” Onii san asked.

“Yes, very much… Thank you,” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Onii san said, before offering us some snacks—citrus gummies and long potato snack crisps.

“Oh, um, since you said you wanted to eat them… Would you like some?” He said.

“Eh? Is it acceptable!? I am filled with joy!” Chiaki replied with delight.

“Thank you very much.”

Chiaki came out from behind and went for the snacks. Even though I couldn’t see her look from behind, I could easily imagine her eyes sparkling.

“Do you have anything you want to eat for dinner?” Onii-san asked.

“I’m fine with anything,” I replied.

“Hamburger!” Chiaki shouted from behind again. She rarely made eye contact with this Onii-san, yet she gradually started expressing her preferences. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. However, I didn’t have much worry about her being too demanding, becoming unhappy, and being kicked out of the house due to the other party losing his patience, like I used to.

Onii-san wouldn’t do such a thing. I had realized that in the short time we had spent together. Most likely, he was the kindest person I had ever met among all the adults I had encountered so far.

Chiaki had also come to understand that as she began to express her selfishness little by little. Among us sisters, Chiaki was the only one who would voice her selfishness, but that was toward us sisters. Toward others, she would keep her emotions hidden when outside, only expressing them in her heart. It made me happy to see her starting to open up more outwardly.

“I got it! Today’s dinner is hamburgers!” Onii-san said with a forced enthusiasm. It was likely that he was trying to raise his spirits so that we could feel more at ease in this house and enjoy a sense of freedom at home without any hesitation. That’s how he was.

The evidence was in his awkward smile. It was very awkward. But somehow, that awkwardness brought me a sense of reassurance.

Onii-san told us to relax in our rooms and spend time together as a family of four. Nevertheless, Chinatsu went upstairs, still looking somewhat skeptical. Chiaki happily held some snacks, while Chifuyu kept glancing at me, concerned if she was not burdening me too much.

I exchanged a reassuring glance with Chifuyu, silently telling her that everything would be okay. Our blue eyes met, and she looked away with a sigh of relief. I felt grateful for having such a thoughtful and caring sister. I made a mental note to be the best sister I could be, worthy of her consideration.

As our eyes met now, I realized once again how beautiful Chifuyu’s eyes were. They were clear, like the sea.

Chinatsu and Chiaki also had beautiful eyes….yes eyes… Come to think of it, when I first met Onii-san, I felt kindness and reassurance in those eyes.

But there was something else I sensed, although I didn’t tell the other three.

Those eyes of Onii-san at that time… I felt like I had seen them somewhere before; there was a sense of familiarity. Onii-san had dark eyes, but there was something emotionless and transparent, almost mechanical, about them… It felt like there was something more to them.

It might have just been my imagination, but who knows… I couldn’t figure it out even if I tried. It’s better to stop thinking about it. It’s meaningless. I should focus on the sisters right in front of me, that’s all I can do to the best of my ability.

As soon as we arrived in the room, Chiaki started eating snacks.

“These are so delicious, I can’t even.”

“Share some with me too.” Chinatsu said.

“I don’t want to.”

“Muu.”

The two of them started arguing over the snacks again.

“Chiaki, share some with everyone.”

“If Chiharu says so…”

“In the first place, these were meant for everyone to share.”

“It’s been a while since I had this snack.”

Chinatsu, Chiaki, and Chifuyu settled themselves on the floor, finding a spot amidst the cluttered room. A small table stood in the corner, and with delight, they placed their meager snacks on it and dug in. As they ate, their surroundings seemed to blur, merging with a memory from the past.

Back then, they feared themselves as monsters and lived in an old apartment that was left neglected. The toilet was grimy, and the bathroom was cramped. Their meals were meager, bought with what little money they had, and placed on a tiny individual table. They either waited for groceries to go on half-price sale at the supermarket or received leftover bread crusts from the bakery to eat.

Snacks were a luxury they rarely had. They were all too familiar with the desperation of making ends meet. They would watch with envy as other children received toys, cakes, and presents on their birthdays—things that were considered normal. They had wished for such simple joys countless times, yearning for the everyday happiness that seemed so out of reach.

But now, they could take a bath in a clean bathroom and enjoy snacks. The three of them looked happy. Watching that, I realized… we needed an Onii-san of our own.

It was absolutely necessary for the future happiness of the three of them.

“Come on, Chiharu, sit down too.”

“Yeah, I’m sitting now,” I replied with a faint smile, joining the circle of three.

Suddenly, I felt a gaze on me. Chifuyu was looking at my eyes with a worried expression.

“Haru-nee… Are you okay? You seem… troubled or something,” Chifuyu asked with concern.

“I’m fine. Thank you for worrying about me,” 

“If anything happens, please tell me right away,” Chifuyu said earnestly.

“Yeah, thank you,” 

Chifuyu was kind and had a broad perspective. She was truly a good child. Chifuyu didn’t possess any supernatural abilities, and sometimes she felt left out when the rest of us with powers were feared as monsters by our parents. Despite me being the eldest, she still worries about me.

As her Onee-chan… I have to do my best…

◆◆

(POV Kuro Kaito)

I took in four girls. I wanted them to have a comfortable life, different from their original one, and to experience joy. I hoped they would change their way of thinking, especially Chiharu Hitsuji… Her past was the most heart-wrenching of them all.

Chiharu Hitsuji was an absolute believer in sisterly love. As the eldest of the four sisters, she was responsible and overly protective.

Her love for her sisters was genuine, but at the same time, it was twisted.

She had experienced abuse from her parents since she was young. All the sisters had suffered abuse, but Chiharu suffered the most. She protected her sisters to the best of her ability, within the limits of her own safety. Despite the harshness of their lives, she managed to stay sane because she had her sisters by her side.

There was Chinatsu, who was a bit stubborn but kind; Chiaki, who made them laugh with her strange remarks; and Chifuyu, who always worried about them. Chiharu had sworn to protect her younger sisters with all her might, even at the tender age of just a first grader.

Even when her supernatural abilities manifested and she was confined, she continued to care for her other sisters and showered them with love like a mother figure.

Despite moving from one home to another, she always put her sisters first, standing at the forefront and protecting them unwaveringly. However, in the process, she came to realize the malice and fear in people. It was because she had borne the brunt of it all that she became aware of it.

In the midst of this “unreasonable world” realization, she still continued to care for her sisters. She worked hard in academics and sports when she entered middle school, striving to be a role model for the three of them. She taught them studies and sports, even enduring criticism from other household members.

There were times when she seriously considered selling her organs or even her own body to give her sisters an allowance. Her self-sacrificing nature and sisterly love were abnormal, as she was willing to go to extreme lengths for her sisters.

Realizing Chiharu’s self-sacrificing tendencies, Chifuyu stopped her from taking such drastic measures many times, but it was clear that something needed to change in their living situation. Chiharu deserved to live a happy and optimistic life, and I needed to think of various ways to make that happen.