She Was Actually My Stepsister - Chapter 1

It was shortly after the beginning of July.

That day, when my Dad and I were having a late supper, he said, “Oh, by the way,” as if remembering something.

“Today, a foreigner spoke to me at the station.”

I sighed inwardly, “Here we go again.”

Most of the things I talk about while having dinner with my father are not important.

However, it would be a pity to ignore him from the start, so I asked, “So what’s up?” So I listened to him for a little while. It was the least I could do for Dad.

“I couldn’t handle it, so I took her to the station attendant.”

“Well, that’s a good thing you did, Dad.”

“Do you think I should take an English class?”

“Probably not, it would be a waste of money.”

My Dad bought some fried chicken from the deli on his way home from work and I put it in my mouth. As the juices spread with each bite, my father’s unimportant talk melted away.

“It’s delicious, really.”

“Right? ─Then, you see, Dad wants to get married again, that’s okay, right?”

“Hee~, remarriage huh~…─*Cough, Cough!?”

I choked up and hurriedly brought a cup of barley tea to my mouth.

“─R-Remarriage!? Huuuuh!!?”

“Hahahaha, that’s a good reaction.”

“No, no, the flow, the flow! Think about the flow of the conversation, Dad!”

First of all, the use of the word “then” is wrong. Secondly, the word “remarriage” should not be used in the context of a conversation about foreigners at the station.

Normally, there should be something more template-like. For example, “Ryouta, I have something important to tell you, so please sit there.” or something like that.

I glared at my father, who was still laughing nonchalantly.

Sometimes I don’t understand my father.

That’s exactly what’s happening right now.

Today’s incident was just the beginning, but my dad always does something big at least once a year.

“Dad, explain it to me. What do you mean you’re getting married again? Are you serious?”

“Seriously, Dad is thinking of getting married again, what do you think Ryouta?”

“Eee~… ─Is it only your desire to get married again?”

“No, I already have a partner.”

“…It’s not even my birthday today, so what kind of surprise is this?”

“No, no, it’s not a surprise.”

“You know, have you ever read the fable of the boy wolf? If you keep on lying, no one will trust you in the end, right?”

That’s why that woman─ I almost choked up.

I know the reason for the divorce.

She was the one who was the wolf boy.

I’ve never talked about it with my Dad.

I’ve been avoiding the subject for a long time now, but I never expected that the subject of remarriage would come up here.

“Dad may have pulled a lot of surprises on you, but I’ve never lied to you, have I?”

“No, no, everything you do smells like a scandal to me, Dad. So let me ask you, who is this unfortunate woman who fell for my father’s scandalous ways?”

“I met her on the set of a photo shoot. Her name is Miyuki Tominaga-san. She is a freelance makeup artist. She’s a pretty hottie!”

My Dad seemed to want to brag about the looks of his second marriage partner. The smirk on his face was just annoying.

First of all, I was amazed at how he could remarry without learning his lesson.

“Hee~… Well, it’s fine, right? So, how long have you been dating this person?”

“It’s been almost two years now.”

“Two years!? No, that’s more surprising than you getting married again! You’ve been seeing this person for two years behind my back!?”

“Oh, come on, you’re so blunt.”

“I don’t like the way you say that… ─So, don’t you have a picture or something?”

“You’ll have to wait until the meeting to find out. Don’t mess with my wife just because she’s so beautiful.”

“I won’t…”

Dad laughed loudly and pointed to the calendar on his desk.

“The meeting is next Saturday.”

“That’s so soon again… I have to go get a haircut this week.”

“And I have one more piece of good news for you. Fufufu~!”

“…What is it? Why don’t you just tell me?”

Dad paused for a moment, then opened his mouth─

 

“You’re going to have a sibling!”

“A-A… sibling!?”

 

─Did you understand what I was saying?

Dad and I already had a gap in our perceptions at that time.

It was a homophonic misunderstanding that would not have happened if we had been writing.

That’s right.

I had mistakenly assumed that I would have a male sibling.

Growing up as an only child, I’ve always had a bit of a longing for siblings.

Because of this, I overreacted to the word “sibling”.

As a result, I was completely overjoyed, and then─

“Your new sibling is one year younger than you and in first grade, so you’ll be an Aniki~.”

“Yay! Nice remarriage, Dad!”

“Ah, is that so? So you’re okay with it? Am I really getting married again?”

“Of course! A sibling~… I’m looking forward to it!”

At that time, I didn’t realize that there was a serious oversight.

If only Dad had told me here that she was my sister… No, let’s not complain.

If only I had asked him if she was my brother or sister, I would have been more prepared…

Well, I was going to stay out of Dad’s remarriage, regardless of whether I had a “sibling” or not.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

As a side note, there is a certain number of perceptions that real sibling relationships are troublesome.

Especially when the siblings are close in age, the younger brother tends to grow up seeing his older brother as his equal and wants everything the older brother has.

In addition, the younger brother tends to be more particular about the order of the games and the competition because of the pressure of not wanting to lose to the older brother. This can lead to quarrels between brothers.

Historically, flesh-and-bone battles between brothers have sometimes resulted in wars involving the whole country.

This was the case with Minamoto no Yoritomo and Yoshitsune, and also with Emperor Taizong of Tang and his brother. Those dark histories must not be repeated.

If I were to aim for the ideal, it would be the Three Kingdoms’ Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

With these thoughts in mind, I was on my way to the restaurant where we were supposed to meet.

Dad had some urgent work to do, so he was going directly from work. Even though it was such an important day, he seemed to have a lot of work to do in film art.

I had no choice but to go to the designated place on time. However, my steps were heavy.

It would be awkward if I got there first and ended up with the other side’s family. Just thinking about it made me nervous.

“It’s at times like this when you should go with your parents…”

As I was walking along, I saw a figure at the end of the road, wandering back and forth with a smartphone in his hand.

The reason I couldn’t help but notice him was because of his distinctive attire.

Even though it was summer, the boy was wearing a loose-fitting hoodie and rather tight jeans with thin legs.

From his height, I guessed he was in middle school.

I walked past him without a second thought.

But then I heard a voice saying, “What should I do?”

I now had an excuse to be late.

“─What’s wrong?”

If I was helping people, I would have a good reason to be late for the meeting.

I called out to him with such a calculating thought.

The boy went, “Huh?” and turned around.

But the next moment, I gulped for breath─

He had long hair for a boy, maybe semi-short.

He had a beautiful, neutral face that peeked out from under his distracting bangs.

Long eyelashes and clear blue eyes.

And his lips look soft and blood-colored.

He was such a beautiful boy that even the same sex could not help but gaze at him.

As soon as I approached him, I felt awkward. This is what it means to be embarrassed.

“Um, what is it…?”

The boy looked at me with a puzzled look.

“A-Ahh…, no, it’s nothing.”

“I see. Well, if you’ll excuse me─”

“Oh, wait a minute!”

“Yes? What do you want from me?”

This time, he is a little farther away from me, as if he is on guard.

I hurriedly put on a smile. I’m sure it’s a bit smelly, but it’s still good.

“I was wondering if you were in some kind of trouble.”

“Yes, I am troubled, but…”

It’s none of your business, right? He looked like he wanted to say that.

When I looked at the boy’s hand, I saw the map app on his phone moving around.

“Are you lost, by any chance?”

“Well, yeah…”

“So, where are you going?”

“What does it matter to you where I’m going?”

“No, but I was wondering if maybe I could give you some directions.”

“Are you trying to pick me up?”

“…Huh?”

I was confused for a moment.

It’s true that in these days of increasingly gender-neutral society, it’s not unusual for a man to ask a man out.

However, I’m interested in girls, not picking up boys. Or rather, I don’t pick up girls, and I don’t have the guts to do so.

The boy was good looking, so maybe he had been approached by a man before.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in you in the slightest, so don’t worry.”

“There’s something off about the way you say that…”

“That’s right. If you’re not in trouble, I’ll go ahead and─”

“Oh, wait a minute!”

When I was called out, I turned around and the boy was staring at me with his arms folded tightly in front of his chest.

“…What?”

“A-Are you really just giving me directions?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to do all along, though?”

“If that’s the case, I’ll let you talk to me…”

I thought he was a cocky guy. The way he said it and phrased it was not amusing or endearing.

However, he is still a junior high school student, both in face and height. His voice hasn’t even changed yet, so I’ll show him that I’m much older than him. It might be better for his future…

“So, where do you want to go?”

“Ermm… This restaurant called ‘Western-Style Dining Kanon’…”

I couldn’t help but widen my eyes.

“Whoa, what a coincidence.”

“Eh?”

“I was just on my way to that restaurant too.”

What a coincidence that our destinations coincided. Unfortunately, the other person was not a beautiful woman, and I just wanted to have an excuse to be late, but I guess I had no choice.

“…So you were trying to pick me up?”

“No, I’m not. It’s just that there’s something I have to do there.”

“Is that so…”

“You want me to go with you?”

“Are you trying to take me to some weird place?”

“If you’re worried, just walk away from me. I’ll go on my own. Bye─”

A few moments after I started walking, the sound of shoes came running up behind me.

In the reflection of the show window on the street, I can see a boy following right behind me.

He was silent the whole way to the store, probably because he was nervous.

I, on the other hand, was trying to hold back an involuntary grin as I walked in front of him.

There’s something cute about him.

So I walked to my destination, feeling the presence of the boy behind me.

＊　＊　＊

 

“We’ve arrived. It’s here.”

“It’s true. It says ‘Western-Style Dining Kanon.’”

The boy and I looked up at the sign in front of the restaurant.

This restaurant was opened about two years ago, and I sometimes come here with Dad and me.

It was actually run by one of my father’s old workmates, and he told me that all the nice lights and accessories in the store were given to him to commemorate the opening of the store, as they had been used in some movie.

“I’ll wait here for someone…”

“I see. Okay, I’ll go in first. ─See you.”

“Hey.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“I’m sorry for doubting you…”

The boy bowed his head honestly. I smile again.

“It’s thanks for bringing me here, right?”

“Oh… Thank you, very much…”

The embarrassed look on his face was kind of cute, and I rang the doorbell in a good mood.

I looked around the stylish restaurant and saw my father at a table in the back waving at me.

“I’m sorry to make you come alone.”

“No problem. You made it on time, though?”

“Yeah. It’s a big day and I’ve already rushed through the work.”

Dad’s nervousness was making me nervous as well.

It’s probably because of that as well.

I’m going to meet my mother-in-law and my stepbrother. I hadn’t even been shown a picture of them, so I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of people they were.

As I listened to my father’s words, I imagined my future brother. I imagined his hobbies, personality, appearance, what kind of things he likes, and what kind of life he has led.

As I waited for the Tominaga family, I saw a figure coming towards us from the entrance.

Dad stood up and lightly waved his hand. I followed his example and stood up from my seat.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Taichi-san.”

“No, no, we just got here too. Miyuki-san, did you get lost?”

“Yes. ─Oh, you’re Ryouta, right? I’m Miyuki. I’ve been going out with your Dad. It’s nice to meet you.”

Miyuki-san said lightly, and this time bowed deeply.

My first impression was that she was not only youthful, but also polite.

When I looked at her face again, she looked so beautiful that I thought time had stopped when she was about thirty. Perhaps it was her neat face that looked good with makeup and her brightly dyed hair that made her look that way.

Her gentle smile was full of motherly tenderness, and she gave me the impression of a beautiful mother who would be proud to show off her children.

On the other hand, I was troubled by what I saw.

Even though she had given birth to a child, her figure was still in good shape. She was also somewhat seductive and lewd, and had enough charm to make a man fall in love with her.

In short, she had an incredibly attractive body.

I knew I shouldn’t be looking at my future mother in that way. Even though I knew that, my eyes were naturally drawn to her, which is the nature of men.

Isn’t it too stimulating to live under the same roof with such a person?

As I was thinking about this, I saw a shadow of a person following behind Miyuki-san.

The figure was familiar to me.

“Huh? You’re the one from earlier.”

“Ah…”

It was that cocky and cautious boy that I had shown the way to.

No way, he was the one who was going to be my brother.

He wasn’t a middle schooler, but a freshman in high school, one year younger than me. He seems to be maturing slowly for that.

“Hmm? Do you two know each other?”

“Ah, yeah, well… We met out front.”

I smiled despite my self-consciousness.

“Once again, I’m Ryouta Majima. And you are─?”

And then I held out my right hand to my future brother. But─

 

“Um, first of all, I don’t want you guys to get too close to me.”

 

─The right hand that I held out was left out in the air in vain.

“Eh…?”

I couldn’t help but wince, my smile twitching.

“Also, Ojii-san, please take care of that too.”

And then a spark went off.

When I looked at my father’s face, I saw that he was choking on his words, “Eh, ah, uhh…”

Miyuki-san, looking flustered, corrected the boy.

“Akira! I’m sorry, my child can only talk like this… This is my child, Akira. ─Come on, Akira, you too!”

“Hello.”

He said bluntly, then took out his phone from his pocket and started playing with it.

“Ahahaha… it would be nice if you could gradually familiarize yourself with me and my son…”

Dad said, but he let it slide, saying, “Right.”

“A-Anyway, let’s sit down! Okay?”

There was something unsettling about this prospect of remarriage.

I don’t know if he’s a rebellious kid or just a guy with a will to rebel. Maybe he’s just shy, or maybe he’s just nervous.

I’m sure he was the kind of guy who could apologize and say “thank you” properly. Once you get to know him, or something like that…

I’ll be covering for Dad and Miyuki-san and see how this Akira-kun is doing.

Before that, I’d better retract this right hand that I’ve been holding out.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

Afterwards, we sat around the table, conversing in a casual way, but still mooring our words together in a desperate attempt to liven up the atmosphere.

I joined in the conversation with Dad and Miyuki-san, exchanging pleasantries.

Or rather, I had no choice but to do so.

For the past hour or so, the only words that came back to me and Dad when we talked to Akira went, “Yeah,” “What? “Yes,” “No,” “Then?” “That’s right”, “I guess so”, only.

I was so tired of talking to Akira, who was so blunt and unsociable, that I decided to be a puppet, just listening to the two adults and talking to them.

Every once in a while, Akira and I would make eye contact, but as soon as we did, he would avert his gaze, looking unhappy.

I wanted to get along with Akira since we were going to be siblings, but I don’t know what’s going on, and it seems that he doesn’t like me.

As we approached the end of the meeting, the atmosphere was finally becoming friendly (except for a certain person).

But then, Dad lost his mind and said, “Here,” presenting Akira with a menu.

“I think it’s time to order dessert, what would you like?”

It was a rare occasion when I saw my father smiling softly.

There was no bargaining, no attempt to win him over, just pure compassion and concern.

“I’m not in the mood today.”

He was shattered.

“Ugh…”

My father groaned, but if it had been me who offered him the menu, he might have thrown up.

“Hey Akira! ─Ah, Taichi-san! I want this shortcake…”

“Oh, I think I’ll have the same one as Miyuki-san, hahahaha…”

The adults started laughing at each other again. I was quite taken aback.

Akira, on the other hand, seemed to be oblivious to the situation and was sipping on a soft drink with a brusque attitude.

I don’t know if he can’t read the atmosphere or if he doesn’t dare to, but I know one thing.

He’s against this remarriage from the beginning, isn’t he?

I held back a sigh that threatened to overflow from the bottom of my heart, and headed for the bathroom.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

When I came out of the bathroom after doing my business, I was greeted by a voice in front of the toilet.

It was Akira. He was waiting for me to come out. He was stroking his left elbow with his right hand.

“What?”

I couldn’t help but reply bluntly.

I hurriedly put on a smile, but today I kept on smiling and it made my face tighten.

“Earlier… or rather since we met, I’ve been giving you the cold shoulder, so─”

Akira hesitated and apologized again, “I’m sorry.”

“…You don’t have to worry about it. I can somehow understand you. You’re against our parents remarrying, aren’t you?”

“No, it’s not that─”

This time, his face flushed and he chained his words together in a panic.

“─I’m not opposed to my mother’s remarriage, I swear!”

I was surprised.

It seems that to him, remarriage is not a bad idea.

“But, what about our respective territories? I just want to make sure that we don’t infringe on each another’s territory…”

The word “infringe” caught me strangely.

I was curious about what he was trying to protect, but since we hadn’t established a proper relationship yet, I thought that I shouldn’t dig too deep for now.

“We’re going to be a family now, so we should just work it out as we go along, right?”

“That’s right. We’re going to live together, so we should…”

“No, becoming a family and living together are two completely different things.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Let’s see… What do you think a family is?”

“I think it’s the people you live with. Like a community where each person plays a role?”

“Well, that’s one way of looking at it, and it makes sense.”

“Do you have a different view?”

“Yeah, you see─…”

I put my hand on my chin.

I wasn’t sure if I should say it, but my answer to the question of family had been decided for a long time.

“─Mendel’s laws have nothing in common with blood, right?”

Akira frowned.

“Erm… So what does that mean?”

“If our parents remarry, they are still our parents, and their children are still their children and our siblings.”

“…I’m a little confused.”

“‘Blood ties’ and ‘blood relations’ are two very different things. To be a family is to have blood between people who live together.”

“Blood?”

“It’s not about blood, it’s about chain of hearts.”

“Hearts…”

“Simply put, I want to be a good family to you.”

When I said this with a smile, Akira’s face turned bright red.

“Aren’t you embarrassed when you say that?”

“Well, maybe a little. ─You don’t like it?”

“…It’s difficult, but─”

Then Akira thought about something, hesitated, and said,

“─Don’t call me ‘you’.”

Then his cheeks blushed.

“Then what should I call you?”

“…You can call me Akira.”

It was probably the best concession Akira could make.

But it was a big step forward for me.

“I see. Akira, it’s nice to meet you.”

I held out my right hand.

“Yeah.”

Akira followed my example and extended his right hand shyly.

That was the first time we shook hands.

His hand was cold, yet slippery and soft. It’s like a piece of glass that could be broken with just a little effort.

We both felt a little embarrassed and pulled our hands back together.

Our timing was so perfect that we looked at each other and laughed.

We must have gotten to know each other a little better.

 

＊　＊　＊

On the way home from the meeting, Dad and I were walking home, feeling the night breeze.

“─So Akira was a good person, just a little awkward.”

When I told him the whole story, from the moment I approached Akira when he was lost to the moment we shook hands, he exhaled with a relieved expression and tapped me lightly on the shoulder.

“Thank you, Ryouta.”

“What are you thanking me for? Stop it, you’re disgusting…”

As I turned away, embarrassed, I heard my father laugh.

“I heard from Miyuki-san that he doesn’t get along with people very well, so don’t worry.”

“Hmm~…”

Suddenly, I asked my father something that had been bothering me.

“Hey Dad, why does Akira like to keep his distance from people so much?”

“Distance?”

“I understand about strangers, but why can’t he be a little more friendly?”

It was strange to think about it.

I know that he’s a bit awkward. It doesn’t matter if he likes the person or not, he wants to put up a wall around him. Teenagers prefer non-interference, especially when it comes to strangers.

『Um, first of all, I don’t want you guys to get close to me.』

But he wasn’t opposed to remarriage.

『But, what about our respective territories? I just want to make sure that we don’t infringe on each another’s territory…』

I think he was trying to say that his parents’ remarriage had nothing to do with the way he was.

『You can call me Akira…』

Was that an attempt to close the distance a bit?

I looked up at the starry sky and thought about Akira.

And I was kind of worried.

Maybe I was out of line, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be good for him if I continued like that.

Rather than regret and apologize for being so cold, I think I need to do something about his clumsiness. As a person who will become a family member.

I don’t have the right to tell him how to shorten the distance between people, and I don’t think I’m good enough to tell people that, but still…

“Why is Akira so clumsy in interpersonal relationships?”

“Well, I don’t know if this is the answer, but I think I’ll tell Ryouta… You’re an adult now, and we’re going to be a family─”

Dad had a complicated expression on his face.

“Actually, Miyuki-san’s ex-husband was a difficult man to deal with.”

“What do you mean by difficult?”

“Well, he drank, smoked and gambled a lot, but he also left the house for days at a time, and when he came back he didn’t work for a while, so he was very lazy.”

I see. So that guy was a bastard…”

“‘Well, he was a man who chased his dreams,’ Miyuki-san said with a laugh. Maybe because she grew up with a father like that, Akira distrusts men…”

I’ve heard of women distrusting men. But if that’s the case with people of the same sex…

I was wondering if Akira had any friends of the same sex?

I was somewhat curious about that.

“Distrust of men… So that’s how he prodded us…”

“I don’t think he’s a bad kid.”

“That’s what I think too, Akira is a good person.”

If Dad’s argument is correct, it’s not just because it’s us.

If it was a man, he would probably behave like that to anyone.

Then, there’s only one thing I can do─

 

“Then we’re just going to have to be a good enough family to paint over Akira’s past!”

 

─I knew it, it’s about becoming a family.

“Ryouta…”

“Right? Dad.”

No matter what happened in the past, we’re going to be a family from now on.

So the only thing I can do is to approach Akira myself.

“Mendel’s law has no blood in it, right?”

Not only for Akira’s sake, but also for my father’s, Miyuki-san’s and my own.

“…You’re right. That’s exactly right, Ryouta.”

“So just leave it to me, Dad.”

Even if he thinks I’m annoying, I’ll get involved as much as I can.

So that Akira can spend time with everyone with a smile on his face.

When Akira grows up, I want him to think that he has met the best family…

“By the way, Ryouta, how do you plan to deal with Akira?”

“Well, at first I think we’ll be more like friends than siblings.”

“…Do you even have any friends…?”

“I-I do! I have a friend or two!”

“You only have one or two…?”

“Stop looking at me with those pitiful eyes. It’s quality over quantity that counts.”

I was just trying to be strong, but friends huh… What is a friend actually?

“At any rate, I don’t mind the cocky younger guy, and he’s got a cute little side to him. I’m going to dote on Akira as the Aniki.”

“…Are you sure about that? Don’t go too far…”

“I know!”

“Well, then, take care of Akira for me… I’m kind of nervous…”

 

─I thought about it now.

Why didn’t you tell me at the time, Dad?

Akira is not my stepbrother, but actually my stepsister…

Well, it’s my fault that I misunderstood Akira as a man because of her name, appearance, personality and the way she talks.

 

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Translator’s Afterword: Errr sorry for the delays of these chapters, there’s also a 0.5 chapter every chapter. It’s the diary of Akira. I provided the raw pic and ofc the translations below it. I’ve been delaying them for quite awhile and idk why, just feeling lazy I guess because of my continuous releases from the past weeks. Oh, I forgot to mention that “Ojii-san” means uncle btw in case you guys don’t know but I do hope that you guys already knew.