Chapter 15
Holding Hands with My Stepsister
──It was the weekend, so as promised, Yuzuka and I went out into town together.
At her suggestion, we first stopped by a sweets shop. Once we sat down at a table, Yuzuka opened the menu, pointed at one item with her finger, and said:
“I think I’ll get this parfait. What about you, Onii-chan?”
“That’s fine, I’ll get that too.”
I wasn’t particularly picky about sweets, and parfaits always seemed tasty no matter when you ate them. That’s why I said that offhandedly──but Yuzuka clearly didn’t take it that way. She looked both shocked and delighted.
“Eh!? Onii-chan, you mean you want to eat the same thing as me!?”
She looked absolutely thrilled as she said that, but it was such a wild misinterpretation that I quickly shook my head.
“No, I just thought that would be fine for no particular reason.”
“But if you ‘just happen’ to pick the same thing as me, that’s fate! Don’t you see, Onii-chan? It proves we’re bound together by destiny!”
I couldn’t believe she could get so worked up over us ordering the same dessert. With a sigh, I looked back at the menu and said:
“Then I’ll pick something else.”
“Ohhh, so you realized it was fate and now you’re embarrassed? Onii-chan, you’re so cute when you act like that!”
“…”
At that point, I realized nothing I said would matter. Giving up, I signaled the waiter while Yuzuka kept happily muttering to herself, and ordered two of the same parfaits.
Soon enough, the waiter brought them to our table.
“See, Onii-chan, if we both want the same food without planning it, that means──”
“Yuzuka, stop muttering already. The parfaits are here. Let’s eat.”
“Oh, you’re right! Okay, let’s eat!”
So, we both started on our parfaits together.
“Mmm, this whipped cream is amazing! Parfaits are seriously the best~!”
“Yeah.”
“Come to think of it, isn’t this the first time we’ve ever eaten parfaits together?”
“Maybe so.”
While Yuzuka continued enjoying hers with high energy, I couldn’t keep up with her excitement, so I decided to just quietly savor my parfait.
Once we were finished, we left the sweets shop and began strolling through town──but then, suddenly, Yuzuka grabbed my hand.
“Yu–Yuzuka!? What are you doing!?”
Of course, I was shocked, but she just looked cheerful.
“Holding hands feels nice, doesn’t it? It’s like we’re one!”
“That’s not what I’m asking! Why are you holding my hand?”
When I asked her directly, she replied with her usual carefree attitude.
“Why? Is it really that big of a deal? Sure, since it’s the first time you might be flustered, but holding hands as siblings isn’t weird if you’re close, right?”
“I… don’t know if I’d call it normal, but at least for me──”
“Or is it that you see me not as your little sister but as a girl, and that’s why your heart races just from holding hands? If that’s the case, then I guess it can’t be helped! Geez, Onii-chan… if I were your real sister instead of just your stepsister──”
Between admitting I saw her as the opposite sex or just letting the hand-holding go, I figured the lesser damage was the second option. With a heavy sigh, I finally said:
“Fine… you can hold my hand. But remember, this is strictly as siblings. Keep that in mind.”
“Hehe, I’ll let you say that for now!”
So, Yuzuka grinned happily and we started walking again──but then I suddenly felt someone’s gaze on me. Turning around, I saw no one in particular watching us.
“Onii-chan?”
“…It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
Deciding it was just my imagination, I began walking with Yuzuka once more.
Meanwhile, somewhere nearby, a voice whispered:
“Ichito’s… holding hands with a girl? Could it be… his girlfriend…?”
