My Little Sister Is Too Cute So I Have To Protect Her - Chapter 73 A Kno
After I managed to clear my head in the shower, I decided to stay in my room for a little longer to ponder over everything that happened yesterday. Then, I slowly went down the stairs.
In the living room, which is attached to the kitchen, I saw Mio cooking some breakfast. It is quite rare for Mio to wake up so early like this. Although, for some reason, she is wearing clothes for going outside. It probably isn’t anything much anyway. Maybe she’s going outside soon?
Still having those idle thoughts in my mind, I sat down on my seat and stared off into the empty space in front of me. Charlotte is probably in her room right now, I guess…
…
Wait…
Charlotte?
To be honest… even though we live in the same house, I didn’t see her as much as I used to anymore. I wonder why…
Before I was able to figure out an answer to that question, Mio came up to me and served a plate full of omelette.
“Good morning, Nii-sama!”
“Good morning, Mio.”
She greeted me with her usual smile. For some unknown reasons, it seems that she quite happy today.
“Nee, Mio.”
“What is it, Nii-sama?”
“Come to think of it, we don’t really see Charlotte around the house so often, huh?”
It might just be my imagination, but her smile seemed to stiffen for a few seconds before she regained her composure and replied to me,
“O-Of course not, Nii-sama. I still saw her walking in the garden yesterday. Maybe you only came back when she is already in her room?”
Although it seemed a little suspicious, I decided not to pursue the matter any further, so I began to eat my breakfast.
After finishing my breakfast, I decided to call Hanako to tell her what happened yesterday and ask for her forgiveness, however…
“Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is not available”
No matter how many times I called her, all I got was an empty response from the telephone service provider.
Even though it is still quite early in the morning, I don’t believe that Hanako won’t pick up the phone. I mean, anyone would definitely be annoyed if their cellphone kept ringing for thirty minutes straight, right?
Trusting my instinct, I decided to rush over to Hanako’s dorm room. The door was locked, but since Hanako told me where she kept her spare key in the past, I was able to get into her room easily.
The room was unsettlingly quiet.
No lights were turned on at all.
“Hanako?”
There are no signs of life in the living room.
“Hanako!”
I ran towards her bedroom at full speed.
Once I burst through the door, the sight that awaited me was…
Hanako, with tears at the corner of her eyes, is standing on a chair, holding a rope which is attached to the ceiling. The rope was tied into a knot that is commonly seen in suicidal scenes in many movies.
Her head was already halfway through the knot when she saw me.
“Yuuji…?”
Cold sweat ran down my spine.
If I was only a little slower… what would have happened to her…?