49

"…Kaya. Do you have a moment?"

"Hmm? What is it? …Oh, that. Sure."

As I was taking a break after finishing unpacking, my sister suddenly asked me something. It took me a moment to understand what she was talking about, but then I realized and gave her a nod, standing up. She approached me, lifted my chin, and kissed me on the lips.

"Mmm."

This had become almost a daily ritual since that day when we first kissed after returning to this life. Although, calling it a ritual might not do it justice, considering how often it happened. I had gotten used to breathing through my nose, and we could now kiss for quite a long time. After what felt like several minutes, we both pulled away.

"Honestly, Sis, you've really grown to love kissing, haven't you?"

"…Have you started to hate it, Kaya?"

Her voice sounded uncertain, which made me hastily deny it.

"N-no, not at all! It's just that, you didn't do it before, but now you do it so often that I got curious."

"…You were the one who said it first."

"Huh? What did you say?"

"You were the one who said you loved me first. So, I decided I would love you too. Of course, that's not the only reason, but it's the biggest one. Kissing you makes me feel that love."

"I didn't realize you had such a reason."

Come to think of it, I did say that when I kissed her for the first time. I thought she just became obsessed with kissing, but I guess there was more to it. Well, I'm happy too when I kiss her, so it's all good.

"Speaking of kissing, Sis, have you ever dated anyone before?"

"Of course not."

"Yeah, I can't really imagine you dating anyone."

The thought of my sister being in a relationship with someone else just didn't seem possible. She was so independent, able to do everything by herself, that anyone who dated her would probably have a hard time keeping up. As I was thinking this, my sister suddenly went quiet and then hugged me tightly, looking displeased. Maybe my words weren't the best choice.

"I'm sorry. That probably wasn't a nice thing to say."

"It's not that. It doesn't matter… I was just wondering if you've ever dated anyone. As far as I know, there were no signs of it, but have you ever been in a relationship? You said I was your first kiss, right?"

"Sis, you're hugging me too tight."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to."

She loosened her grip a little but still held me tightly. There was no need for her to worry so much.

"You don't need to worry. I've never dated anyone. As for hugging… ah."

"What? So, you did hug someone?"

"Stop, stop! Calm down, Sis."

She hugged me even tighter, and it felt like she was about to drag me to the bedroom, so I hurriedly stopped her.

"Confess quickly. Or maybe I should just lock you up again."

"How did it come to that? I've only ever hugged Mai-san, and it wasn't in a romantic way."

"Mai? …Oh, her. I suppose it makes sense if it was her."

Oh, right, my sister knew about Mai-san too. She should understand.

"See? So there's nothing to worry about."

"…Even so, you're so cute, Kaya, you need to be careful. Maybe it's best if I just keep you inside and pamper you myself."

"Enough already. If you really think you need to lock me up, then go ahead, but if I'm not convinced by your reason, I won't talk to you for three days, no, a week."

I wrapped my arms around her waist as I said that, trying to reassure her. My sister seemed to have become more prone to impulsive decisions lately, so I needed to keep a close eye on her. Although, to be honest, if she really did lock me up, I'd probably miss her so much that I wouldn't last a day without talking to her—but that's a secret.

"Ugh. Fine. But you really do need to be careful. No matter who it is, men or women, they're all just wild beasts in front of you."

"There you go again. For the record, I've never even been confessed to, so you're worrying too much."

"A confession! If that ever happens, you need to tell me right away."

"Okay, okay."

Time passed as I soothed my sister, who continued to mutter to herself. It was one of those days that made me feel like I wanted to work hard to keep enjoying these happy moments. Although, I think I'll avoid bringing up this topic again.