7. A Little Sister's All I Need (4)

The next day…

"Rather than a story, it became a Q&A." I woke up on the mattress beside the bed. Sera fell asleep yesterday after the second chapter. I squinted at Sera's sleeping face.

She still wore her night dress. The scent of forest transformed into the smell of a cattle farm. When will Mom ask her to take a bath?

Even though, she… was so beautiful! I couldn't avert my eyes away from her sleeping face. My heart skipped a beat, and my throat thickened. I gulped and leaned to her with a flushed face.

I shouldn't be fantasizing about 3D Girls! It was true that I'm only interested in cosplayers that gave life to 2D girls, but… I couldn't deny that Sera looked like Shizu-sama even without makeup.

I fantasized about Shizu-sama doing things out of her character. That was the time when she whispered something in my mind that awakened my internal devil.

"Key unlocked! You're nearly accomplishing the conquest!"

This whole mess was a conquest. Mimirin's hiatus could have been solved by me, which was why Shizu-sama assisted me and dropped the key.

All for the sake of saving two careers, I will lie.

Sera opened her eyes and met my gaze. She jerked back and rushed her breathing.

"K—Kou!?"

"I—I'm shorry!" I bit my tongue, stood, and bowed. "Please don't squeal. I don't want to be hit by the magic pan again."

"W—What are you doing!?" Sera asked with a reddened face.

"Nothing. I just find your face adorable."

"I—Idiot! Disgusting human!" She squealed and paused. "Wait… W—What happened to Princess Veniara?"

"Who knows? It wasn't my fault that you fell asleep. Moreover, it's just a chapter. Why are you so weak?"

"Grrr," she growled. "Curse you, human!"

"If you want to know her story more, I have one condition."

"Not only you're a dirty creep, you're also a greedy pig."

It somewhat hurt! Being called a creep by an otherworlder was no joke! "I—It wasn't anything major. I just want you to play your flute for an hour after I get here."

"An hour? What is that?" She tilted her head.

"You don't know? You don't measure time in your world?"

"Time can be measured?"

I slapped my forehead. "Argh! It's just morning. I'm getting tired already. Just play all you want after I get here. I'll reward you with a chapter per day."

"Then… you're going to read it to me again?"

"I'll only repeat the second chapter. Who cares if you sleep over the story again? I don't."

"Hmph! Such a vulgar request from a weakling…"

"A weakling was some disrespectful elf who drools over my enthusiastic storytelling."

"B—But… Night stories were the calm of my storms. They help me sleep through my nightmares—" Her hand flew, covering her mouth.

"Nightmares?"

"Y—You haven't heard anything, human!"

I sighed and turned back. I gulped before I spoke. "By the way, Sera, I have some important matters to discuss with you. This may somewhat relate to you… and to the other elf transported in this world."

"Elf… Transported in this world!?" Her eyes bulged; her body stiffened; her fingers flew to her parting lips. She sucked massive air that waited long to come out. "Kou… What do you know about us?"

"W—Well…" I sweated and stammered my lips. I wanted to flee, but this was all my responsibility. I couldn't turn back now. "I found out about where the elves are staying."

Sera dragged my arm and rotated my body, facing her. I witnessed her flinching after touching me, but she ignored it. "WHERE ARE THEY!"

"C—Calm down, Sera!" I shouted and touched her shoulders to calm her, but her trembling resonated through me instead. "Don't rush yourself! It was just a rumor—"

"I don't care if it was a rumor! I want to go to my family! I'll go back home!"

"I know, but can you calm down!? I'll bring you to that place, I swear. I never back down on my words."

She sighed and leaned back. "Please let me go home…"

"You'll go home soon… but, this was a secret between us. If Mom found out about this, she'll kill me."

"And? What's this secret that I'll kill you if I found out?" A heavy-toned voice from the door asked. Sera and I immersed ourselves away from the reality that we didn't notice the door opening.

Holding a toilet plunger, Mom said, "Weren't you two close already to have a secret?"

We shouted in sync. "W—WE AREN'T!"

I still couldn't believe it. I lied, not mentioning, to a stranger. It would be the first time I'll use somebody for my benefit.

The CosCon in Akiba will be packed with elf cosplayers. If everything went according to my plan, Sera would be back to this 'fake' home I claimed. There's no way she could distinguish elves from humans other than their ears… or could she?

But I don't know what will happen next. I planned on utilizing her beauty by cosplaying Shizu-sama. She will substitute for Mimirin to perform on stage since I had her contestant's ticket.

I hope it will all go well.

***

After Kou left, Sera ate her breakfast and put the tray out of Kou's door. She played the flute for some time by now and stopped.

"I want to eat more delicious food."

Sera jumped on the bed when Maki knocked on the door. "Sera-chan? May I come in?"

"Y—Yes!" Sera squealed.

Maki entered the door. Her nose sniffed loudly twice, and she covered it with her fingers. "Sera-chan… You're… No, never mind."

"Nn?" Sera tilted her head.

"Do you want to take a bath? The water was still hot in the bathtub."

"Bath?" Sera sniffed her wrist, her shoulders, and her underarms. She straightened her head with a burn on her cheeks. "… I'm sorry…"

Maki giggled. "Ara, Sera-chan… You looked like a kid…"

"I'm not a kid!" Sera pouted. "I'm already 16, you know?"

"Oh? I thought you were the same age as Kou-kun?"

"H—How old was he?"

"He's 17. Didn't you ask him? Aren't you close already?"

"I would never get close to that human."

"Since Kou-kun was older, why don't you call him Kou-nii instead?"

"Kou-nii? Why?"

"Since you're already my legal daughter and Kou-kun's sibling, it's only a norm in Japan. It wouldn't hurt you saying honorifics, would you?"

"Y—Yes… I will call him Kou-nii."

Maki cringed. "What a cute little daughter I have! I'm so lucky!"

"M—Mom?"

"YIPEE!" After noticing her absurdness, Maki coughed and returned to her kind Mom status. "Sera-chan, would you follow me? I'll show you how to use the bath."

Sera nodded, stood up from the bed, and left the flute on Kou's desk. She followed Maki downstairs and gazed around. "This place… I never noticed how lively this place was."

The Sugiyama residence was composed of electric appliances like other modern Japanese houses' interiors. These things were alien to Sera. She wondered how many of these were made of metal.

"Sera-chan? Come here," Maki said, standing before a door and gesturing to Sera. She opened the bathroom door and came in.

Sera followed, entering the small mellow room filled with steam. Lukewarm water filled the bathtub. Sera noticed it but didn't know what it was for.

Maki closed the door and giggled. "Now, Sera-chan, take your clothes off."

"But… Mom…"

"Don't be shy, Sera-chan. I'll take a bath with you, just this once."

Maki helped Sera take off her clothes. She slid her finger on Sera's abdomen after seeing her bare skin. Sera squealed for every touch Maki did.

Maki gazed all over Sera's naked body and exclaimed. "Ara, what a mature body you had! It was like mine when I was still young! Did you somewhat take out your genes from me? Oh God! It took me centuries to say it! But…"

When she knew that Sera didn't have panties, she groaned. "S—Sera-chan. Did Kou-kun do something weird to you?"

"Weird? Uhm…" Sera stared up at the orange light bulb. The scene of Kou staring at her while sleeping visited her memory. She cringed and bowed her head of embarrassment with her ears turning red.

Maki clicked her tongue. "Tsk! Kou-kun will have a beating later."

Maki advised Sera to sit in the water. Scared, Sera dipped her foot first to check the warmth. She submerged half of her body and leaned her back.

"Mom, it's warm."

"Of course, it would, my darling. I'm a devil if I poured ice on it. I'm also a girl, you know."

"Is this what bathing here feels like?"

"We aren't finished yet, Sera-chan. For now, just relax. "

"Mom, aren't you going in the bath too?"

"How would I? It will only fit for a person."

"But you said…" After seeing Maki's tongue out, Sera blushed and covered her body with her arms. "I—I'm… embarrassed…"

"Don't worry. Things like this were normal between a mother and a daughter." Maki rubbed Sera's hair down. "Are you calm now? You spent your days crying. I couldn't do anything to alleviate the pain inside you."

"Mom… you don't have to…"

"But Sera-chan… I'm sorry to force things on you. My selfish desires overtook me other than caring for what you felt. I really wanted to have a daughter. I might have found my happiness, but I left you hurting still. I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, Mom. I should be the one to apologize. I'm sorry for disturbing your peaceful life. I did nothing, yet you still took care of me."

Maki sighed out of relief. "What do you feel now?"

Sera smiled and exclaimed, "I'm better! Thank you, Mom."

"No," Maki shook her head and smiled. "It wasn't just me. After all, we're already a family. We should help each other out."

"I will try my best to become a part of your family."

"May I ask? Do you still hate Kou-kun?"

"I—" Sera stuttered with her parting lips. "I don't know… I just couldn't open myself to him."

"Kou-kun was a lovely child, though he was just shy about it. He is loyal to someone he treats as family. Even without our supervision, he won't do anything bad. He had been through pain so much that he shouldered every blame to himself, even if it wasn't his fault."

"Pain?"

"Oops! I might have said too much. I don't have his permission to step out of my line. I think his past would be better explained by him."

"I'm… sorry…"

"By the way, your hair could become our broom if not treated early. Which brand of conditioner would you like to use?"