Shizuku Kurogane loved a certain boy. A boy who had been with her since childhood, and the only person who was ever able to smile sweetly at her despite all the stern-faced adults. It was her blood-related brother, Ikki Kurogane. Suddenly kissing him during their reunion was the ultimate proof of her love.

She hadn’t always seen her brother as a viable lover, however. Until four years ago, she loved him the way any normal sister would love her brother. Things had only changed after he ran away. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but that wasn’t quite the impetus for her love.

Four years ago, when Shizuku lost her brother, she finally understood the situation Ikki had been placed in. She watched as her parents, her eldest brother, and the rest of her family went about their lives as if nothing had happened, not even bothering to search for their lost son.

Even before he ran away, Ikki was treated as if he never existed. When finally faced with that truth, Shizuku became depressed by her ignorance of the pain her older brother felt as he smiled and embraced her.

Why had she never realized the truth until then? Why had it taken her brother’s disappearance for her to see that truth if she had always been by his side?! That lasting regret clawed at Shizuku’s heart until it morphed into rage toward her family. They had neglected such a kind person because of his lack of talent, forced him out of his own home, and tried to obstruct his future because they were afraid of a Rank F damaging their reputation even after he cut ties with them. Her hatred intensified the more she ruminated on it.

Thus, she came to a resolution: Shizuku Kurogane would hear nothing of “taboo”. She no longer cared if their mother, their father, or anyone else in the world would love him—she didn’t want anything from them, anyway. A father’s love, a mother’s love, a brother’s love, a sister’s love, a friend’s love, a lover’s love—Shizuku would provide all of that for her brother. She was willing to love him enough to make him feel like the most beloved person in the world.

But the one major problem she faced was a certain inferior being. That being, of course, was Stella Vermillion, her brother’s self-styled servant. There was no doubt that Stella was interested in Ikki romantically. It was clear from just looking at that woman that she loved the same boy as Shizuku. Using a bet as pretense, that spider seduced him into her web. She was an eyesore at best, and even had the gall to attack Shizuku when it was her feelings toward Ikki that were the problem.

Shizuku’s house arrest had finally ended, so she was going to use her newfound freedom as a pretense to ask him out to a movie, but then she butted in and said she wanted to go, too. Shizuku didn’t like her one bit.

To make matters worse, Ikki rolled over and obeyed when Vermillion said she wanted him to tour-guide her around, so Shizuku was forced to accept her as a third wheel. Of course, Shizuku wasn’t mad at Ikki; she was mad at Vermillion. How could she be mad at him when he was the best man in the world? It was all the more reason for her to hate the way Stella glued herself to Ikki’s hip.

“That stupid pig…”

“My, my. You’re as short-tempered as ever.” The one who spoke to Shizuku, smiling wryly in response to her bitter tone while drying and combing Shizuku’s hair, was her roommate, Nagi Alisuin. “Did something else happen with that princess?”

“…Yeah,” Shizuku muttered disconsolately as Alisuin continued combing.

She had tried to speak to Ikki and even Stella with a polite tone, but with Alisuin, she let her hair down. Her expression wasn’t prim and proper like before; instead, she puffed her cheeks in irritation.

“Haha. It must be hard to be such a loving maiden,” Alisuin smiled, looking at her childish pouting face through the mirror. She had already heard straight from the girl herself that Shizuku loved her brother.

Shizuku was a bit of a misanthrope. Whether they were a boy or a girl, as long as someone was human, she didn’t especially care for them; Ikki’s disappearance had caused her shyness to reform into distrust for others. If there truly were parents out there that didn’t love their children, then who could really be trusted?

Her roommate, however, was different. Shizuku had already told Alisuin everything about her most intimate secret—her love for her brother—even though they had only known each other for a week.

It’s kinda fun to talk to Alice.

Alisuin listened to whatever Shizuku had to say, answered any questions she had, found joy in her happiness, and best of all, never intruded on her privacy when a boundary was set. Shizuku only had older brothers, so she could only dream of having an older sister, but she believed someone like Alisuin would be ideal.

They often talked about silly things.

“Hey, Alice?”

“Yeees?”

“Do you think it’s weird for a girl to love her brother?”

She regretted how spoiled she sounded the moment she asked the question. Of course it was weird. There was hardly any point in asking. So why did she ask? There was one reason: she wanted Alisuin to guess her opinion and provide a different answer.

“If you consider the opinion of the world at large, then sure, it’s strange. Most people wouldn’t be into the idea. But you already know that without me explaining it, don’t you? If you still love him despite that, then I say that’s true love.”

Alisuin did exactly what Shizuku wanted.

“Sorry, Alice. I didn’t mean to ask such a weird question.”

“Oh, please. You should be asking more. Lighthearted conversation puts the heart at ease and makes us happier people. Language is a really wonderful thing; words were made for us to communicate and support each other, not to hurl abuse. Besides, I believe your love is the real deal, and you shouldn’t be ashamed of it. It’s sweet that you think so much about someone else.”

“Thank you. I shouldn’t be ashamed of my emotions, but I’m worried my brother won’t accept me.”

“That’s a question of perseverance. He thinks of you only as a sister, so it’ll take some doing to make him see you as a woman. Meanwhile, that princess doesn’t have to deal with such a major obstacle, so she’s at an advantage.”

“Aww…” Alisuin’s objective analysis was disheartening for Shizuku.

In the end, though, her screws weren’t that loose. Though she wanted her brother to understand her feelings, she knew there would be obstacles in the way of her love. Perhaps Shizuku needed to just loosen the screws a tiny bit more before taking the plunge.

In any case, if she wanted to change his mind, Shizuku’s first course of action would be to overwhelm Ikki with a saturation attack. Her only chance was to take advantage of the time in which their reunion was still fresh; during that time, the distance between them as siblings would seem greater.

If he wasn’t attracted to her in the first place, though, she wouldn’t be able to do much other than irritate him. Were her actions just annoying him? Was she going to one day lose her chance to become more than just his sister? Questions like those tortured Shizuku day in and day out.

“Turn that frown upside-down. Remember, his social standing is a major obstacle that he has to face, too. But don’t worry; there isn’t a man out there who doesn’t like when a girl is aggressively affectionate. Especially when it’s a girl as cute as you, Shizuku.” Alisuin supported Shizuku, obviously noticing her despondence.

Is that really true? Shizuku wasn’t a man, so she couldn’t be sure. But if Alisuin, who should know quite a bit more about men than she did, said so, then maybe it was.

“Thanks, Alice. I feel a lot better now.”

“No problemo♪ But you know, kissing him right off the bat was a little much. I know you probably did it to make up your mind for good, but when someone gets such a big shock at the very start, it forces them to be on their guard.”

“I do regret that…”

“Good. To get a man to melt in your arms, you have to be slow and steady. Gentle, too, as if you’re sucking on a lollipop. Leave tomorrow’s date to me, by the way; I’ll have things so well coordinated you’d think it was your wedding day.”

“Okay. With you on my side, there’s no way I’ll lose to her.”

Shizuku wasn’t going to give up. If her rival was going to use a “servant for life” bet to her advantage, then she was just going to have to use her sibling bond to hers. She was the only one who could really understand her poor, lonely brother—her brother who was forced to abandon the home he was raised in because nobody else could understand him.

He couldn’t be left with Vermillion. Strangers couldn’t be trusted; all they cared about was themselves. Shizuku, on the other hand, would never betray her brother, never hurt him. She swore that her feelings for him were eternal. That was the whole reason she had come here, after all.

I swear, I won’t let her beat me.

Shizuku’s resolve had been weakened by Stella intruding on her date, but it had strengthened again. Alisuin’s words always gave Shizuku strength.

“I’ll do my best.”

“That’s the spirit! Okay, all done.”

Alisuin turned off the hair dryer, and Shizuku’s silver hair shook slightly as she turned her head. She was impressed by Alisuin’s skill; there was an incredible difference compared to when she used to do her own hair. Shizuku no longer did it herself; instead, she would ask Alisuin every time.

I should do something for her, too.

But what could she even do for her roommate? She finally hit upon one idea.

“Oh, I know. Do you want to go to the movies with us tomorrow, Alice?”

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your date.”

“I don’t mind. The date was ruined when she decided to tag along, anyway.”

“Haha, I suppose so. Then perhaps I will intrude. I ought to talk to your beloved brother at least once, after all.”

Good. I’m glad she’s happy, Shizuku thought. I’d better send Ikki an email to make sure he’s okay with her coming.

That said, he was bringing his own roommate, so he couldn’t reasonably refuse.

“I’m excited. If he’s handsome enough, maybe I’ll go after him too.”

“Oh? I’m sorry, I couldn’t quite hear you. Care to say that again?”

“It was just a joke, sorry! No need to point Yoishigure at people.”

If that were true, then all was well. Shizuku was willing to spill any blood she had to for her brother—even Alisuin’s.

◆◆◆

On the day of the movie date, Ikki and Stella waited at the school’s front gate for Shizuku and Alisuin. They weren’t in their usual school uniforms; Ikki was wearing a comfy t-shirt and jeans, while Stella wore a stylish white blouse and a brightly-colored cardigan.

“They’re late. I wonder what they’re doing.”

“If only we were all in the same dorm, we could have left together.”

Ikki and Stella were in the first dormitory, while Shizuku was in the second. Their buildings were on opposite sides of the school, so they decided to meet in the middle. But even after the planned meeting time had come and gone, Shizuku hadn’t shown up.

“I’m sure they’ll be here soon. But wow, Stella, I’m surprised you’re so interested in movies.” Shizuku had invited Ikki to the movies while they were passing the time with small talk, but Stella, practically foaming at the mouth, had jumped in with “I’ll go too! I have to, even if you don’t want me to!”

“It’s just too dangerous to leave you alone with Shizuku in such a dark place.”

“What? How is it dangerous?”

“The fact that you don’t see the danger in sitting next to a lion like her is dangerous in itself! Did you already forget what she did on the first day?”

“Uh…” No, of course Ikki remembered. He couldn’t forget if he tried. To be honest, that was his first kiss. “She apologized and said she was just too excited the day after that. She even said she regretted it. But either way, I’m just her older brother, so you’re wrong if you think she’ll just chow down on me. The first day was just a one-time thing. We’re fine.”

“Or maybe she was just keeping her distance for a while because she came on too strong.”

“Huh? What was that?”

“I said you’re a sister-lover.”

“I-I am not! Yes, I love my sister, but she’s just my sister! And we are a hundred percent blood-related. I’m not suddenly romantically interested in her just because we haven’t seen each other in a few years!”

“Really? You’re not going to ogle her anymore?”

“Of course not.”

There’s just no way I could see my sister as a viable partner. It would be weird as hell, for starters.

Ikki was sad that his first-day blunder had led to Stella continuing to doubt even that obvious fact. He sighed at his own lack of trustworthiness, when they finally showed up.

“Sorry for the wait, Big Brother.”

“Oh, Shizuku.”

“You’re late! What were you—” As Ikki and Stella turned to greet her, their expressions hardened.

“I’m so sorry. It just took some time to get dressed.” Shizuku lowered her head in apology, somehow even more beautiful than usual, maybe unnaturally so.

Her style was gothic Lolita; a perfect match for her silver hair and small figure. The outfit, which looked like it belonged on a porcelain doll, went well with Shizuku’s overall aesthetic, making her an order of magnitude more attractive. Such an upgrade was probably thanks in part to the difference between that outfit and her school uniform.

Shizuku had always liked getups like that, though, so Ikki was used to it. Normally, it would have just bolstered his image of her as a little sister because it brought to mind how she used to dress when he was still at home, but whatever magic was under her control had changed things.

S-So pretty…

Her figure, standing in the sunlight, attracted his gaze so powerfully that everything around her seemed to blur. What devilishness made it possible for her to be so eye-catching today? Ikki had just said he was no longer taken by his sister, but there he was, taken once again.

He soon discovered the source of that devilishness: makeup. Looking more closely, he could see that she had applied eyeshadow and lipstick. Her eyelashes were perfectly curled, and her trademark fine silver hair fluttered gently in the wind, reflecting silver light. It was as if Shizuku herself were a radiant source of light.

Of course, none of that stifled Shizuku’s own traits; the makeup acted as a sort of seasoning that perfectly emphasized her features, painting her as an attractive woman rather than a little sister or a child.

“Wh-What the heck? That’s cheating! Those are obviously not an amateur’s cheeks! Did you hire a personal makeup artist?!”

“I’m not a princess, so I don’t have the money for that. My roommate did this for me.”

“Your roommate?”

“Oh yeah, you said your roommate was coming, didn’t you?”

Ikki tried to remember the name Shizuku sent in the email. Apparently, whoever it was was like an older sister to Shizuku.

“Yes. Alisuin should have been right behind me.”

“Jeez, Shizuku, slow down! If you trip, all that makeup work will go to waste.”

Right on cue, Alisuin showed up just behind Shizuku.

“Huh?!”

Ikki and Stella’s expressions hardened like rocks again. Shizuku’s roommate, the one whose makeup skills put professionals to shame, was clearly male.