The next day—
“O-Onii-chan, here’s your bento…” (Sophia)
—It seemed that yesterday hadn’t been a dream after all. As soon as I stepped into the living room, Sophia handed me a bento box while calling me “Onii-chan”.
She still seemed embarrassed as her face flushed bright red.
But more than that, what caught my attention was—
“…………” (Jessica)
Jessica-san, who had probably been making breakfast and the bento with Sophia, stood there in shock, still holding a pair of cooking chopsticks.
Apparently, Sophia calling me “Onii-chan” had been a huge surprise to her.
No, I totally get how she feels.
“W-What is it…?” (Sophia)
Noticing that her mother was staring at her intently, Sophia turned to Jessica-san with a defiant expression, her face still red.
The moment she did, Jessica-san’s lips curled into a wide grin as she leaned in to peer at Sophia’s face.
“Oh my, so you’ve decided to call Kento-kun ‘Onii-chan’ now?” (Jessica)
“~~~~~~! T-That has nothing to do with you, Mom!” (Sophia)
Realizing that her mother was teasing her, Sophia began to get angry, speaking in English.
“We’re family, so of course it concerns me. Oh my, so you’ve really decided to call him Onii-chan?” (Jessica)
Unlike me, Jessica-san, who was fluent in English, began to respond in English.
She was usually a kind older sister-like figure to me, but she could be strict and even a bit mean to her daughter. It was clear that she was teasing her on purpose.
I had been completely sidelined from the conversation, but I decided to stay out of it. The last thing I wanted was for Sophia to take out her frustration on me in English.
“We’re siblings, so this is normal…!” (Sophia)
“Mm-hmm, that’s right~” (Jessica)
Jessica-san nodded repeatedly with a warm, affectionate smile.
Her attitude was as if she were dealing with a small child, and I could tell that it made Sophia’s blood boil.
“Ugh, that smug smile… It feels like you’re making fun of me…!” (Sophia)
“That’s rude, Sophia. By the way, why did you decide to call him ‘Onii-chan’?” (Jessica)
“It’s got nothing to do with Mom…!” (Sophia)
I couldn’t quite catch everything they were saying, but from their expressions and body language, I could more or less guess what was going on.
Sophia probably didn’t want Jessica-san prying into the whole “Onii-chan” thing.
But Jessica-san seemed to be deliberately pushing that button.
Naturally, that would make Sophia flustered and defensive—though it also looked like she was getting more and more worked up.
“If you suddenly start calling him ‘Onii-chan,’ of course I’d be curious. I won’t tell anyone, so just let me know.” (Jessica)
“Even if you don’t tell anyone, you’ll still tease me…! I’m not saying anything, no way…!” (Sophia)
Sophia tried to argue back as best as she could, then quickly hid behind my back, hiding herself.
“Sophia…?” (Kento)
“Ken—Onii-chan, Mom is being mean, so get mad at her…!” (Sophia)
It seemed she had decided she couldn’t win on her own and was now trying to use me—someone Jessica-san wouldn’t go too hard on—as her shield.
Even though she was flustered, she was surprisingly capable of making a rational decision in situations like this.
Well, from my perspective, suddenly being dragged into this, all I could think was, Seriously…?
“Um, Jessica-san. It seems like Sophia doesn’t want to talk about this, so could you let it go…?” (Kento)
There was no way I could actually get mad at her, so I tried to ask her to stop in a roundabout way.
“Sorry, I thought it was kind of amu—cute, so I couldn’t help but ask.” (Jessica)
Jessica-san placed a hand on her cheek and apologized with an amused, slightly troubled smile.
However, I didn’t miss what she almost said.
Just now… she almost said amusing didn’t she…?
Jessica-san was totally just messing with her daughter.
“Muu…” (Sophia)
Thanks to that, Sophia was now pouting behind my back, her cheeks puffed out in frustration.
Sophia pouting like a little kid was cute, but if this bad mood carried over into the club activities, it’d be a problem, so it seemed like I needed to cheer her up on the way to school.
After finishing breakfast and getting ready, we grabbed our school bags and stepped outside—
“Mom is so mean…!” (Sophia)
Apparently, Sophia was still holding a grudge over being teased about how she called me.
“I didn’t expect Jessica-san to be the one to tease you…” (Kento)
I had let my guard down, thinking that the teasing would only start when we’re together at school. I didn’t expect that we would be ambushed before even reaching school.
Now that I think about it, Jessica-san had a surprisingly playful side. If her daughter suddenly started calling her stepbrother “Onii-chan”, it was only natural that she’d want to tease her about it.
After all, to anyone watching, it just looked like we had grown closer as siblings.
“Mom has such a childish side to her…” (Sophia)
“Ahaha…” (Kento)
I let out a dry laugh without thinking.
Despite Sophia’s usual cool demeanor, she had a childish side too, so she probably inherited that from her mother.
Personally, even if Jessica-san was like that, she was approachable, so it didn’t bother me at all.
As for Sophia, well, she was just plain cute.
“Speaking of which, the club members probably won’t tease you about it, but you should watch out for the coach. That guy loves messing with people over stuff like this.” (Kento)
“Ahh… yeah, I can see that happening…” (Sophia)
It seemed like it wasn’t hard for Sophia to imagine it happening, as she nodded reluctantly.
“Well, that said, the coach is actually pretty considerate. If he knows that you don’t like that kind of thing, he probably won’t do it.” (Kento)
And he probably already understood.
Since the coach was in a position to organize the team, give directions, and assign members appropriately, he paid close attention to the club members and knew them well.
Sophia was the type whose dislike for such things was obvious, so chances were, the coach wouldn’t push it too far.
After all, if someone genuinely disliked it, it would turn into actual harassment.
That ability to recognize those boundaries was likely one of the reasons the coach was so well-respected by the club members.
In fact, I’d never seen the coach tease someone like Shuuto either.
“—And if they did something I disliked, Mom would get mad at them too.” (Sophia)
As I was lost in thought, I thought I heard Sophia mutter something under her breath.
It sounded like English, so it probably wasn’t directed at me.
I was curious, but since it seemed like she was just talking to herself, I decided to pretend I didn’t hear it.
“By the way, after you submitted your club application, you went to thank the coach, right? Did he say anything to you?” (Kento)
It had been about a week since then, but since Sophia had said she’d go alone, I didn’t know what kind of conversation took place.
Did she just say thank you and leave, or did they chat for a bit?
“…Nothing in particular. He just told me to do my best as part of the team, something like that.” (Sophia)
“…I see. Well, since you hadn’t really talked to him before, I guess that makes sense.” (Kento)
At that moment, I realized—Sophia had lied.
There had been a strange pause before she answered.
If nothing had really been said, she could have responded without hesitation.
The fact that she didn’t meant there was something on her mind—something she found difficult to tell me.
And knowing the coach’s personality, I couldn’t imagine them not making small talk.
If they were meeting someone for the first time or barely knew them, they would have tried to strike up a conversation to get to know the person better.
But I didn’t press Sophia on it. If she had decided not to talk about it, then asking would just be tactless.
Besides, I trusted that the coach wouldn’t say anything to hurt or pressure her. That trust meant I didn’t need to force the truth out of her.
If Sophia ever felt like talking about it, she would tell me when she was ready.
With that, we shifted to lighthearted chatter as we made our way to school.
And when we arrived—
“Then… see you later, O-Onii-chan…” (Sophia)
Since Sophia was heading to the girl managers’ room, she waved at me before leaving.
Her voice was tinged with embarrassment from calling me “Onii-chan”, and the surrounding club members, who had overheard it, turned to us, looking surprised.
“Ah, see you later.” (Kento)
Even though I could feel the stares around me, I forced myself to stay calm and waved back with a smile.
Then, acting as if nothing had happened, I started walking toward the clubroom—
“Hold on a minute!” (Club members)
My teammates, who had been watching my exchange with Sophia, pounced on me all at once.
Well, it was more like they grabbed at my arms and shoulders.
“Wh-What!?” (Kento)
“No, no, no! What the hell was that!?” (Club member)
“Why is she suddenly calling you Onii-chan!?” (Club member)
“What did you do with Shirakawa-san last night!?” (Club member)
As expected, everyone was curious about Sophia’s sudden change in how she addressed me.
I figured they’d tease me about it, but it seemed like they were too shocked to even get to that part yet.
“Nothing in particular…?” (Kento)
Since I hadn’t actually done anything to Sophia, I tilted my head and played dumb.
“There’s no way she’d start calling you ‘Onii-chan’ for no reason!” (Club member)
“Wait… don’t tell me… sibling play!?” (Club member)
“What the hell is ‘sibling play’? We really are siblings, you know?” (Kento)
I let out a dry chuckle at my teammates’ completely off-the-wall reactions.
Well, I kind of understood what they were trying to imply, though.
“What kind of dirt do you have on Shirakawa-san to make her call you Onii-chan…!?” (Club member)
“Oi, don’t say things that make me sound like a villain! Sophia just wanted to call me that, that’s all!” (Kento)
The sudden, baseless accusation made me snap back at them.
“No way! There’s no reason Shirakawa-san would want to call you that!” (Club member)
“Exactly! She’s the untouchable, solitary flower!” (Club member)
…Yeah, they were saying some pretty harsh stuff.
Well, considering how Sophia usually carried herself, it was kind of inevitable.
Even if I told them that Sophia actually had a childish side, they probably wouldn’t believe me…
“Well, I’m not asking you to believe me…” (Kento)
I didn’t think I could explain it in a way that would make sense to people who didn’t know that side of her.
Especially since Sophia usually gave off the complete opposite impression, which made it even harder to convince them.
“Damn it, we’re not even allowed to talk to her…!” (Club member)
“Why is it always Kento…!?” (Club member)
“I want Shirakawa-san to call me ‘Onii-chan’ too…!” (Club member)
My teammates were so envious that they were practically shedding tears of frustration.
Even though she was known for her cold personality, it was easy to see how they’d still admire her because of that undeniable cuteness.
“Haha… Well, a lot of things happened…” (Kento)
Back when we first started living together, Sophia’s attitude was downright awful.
At the time, I couldn’t even imagine getting along with her—it was hard enough just to speak to her.
The reason she eventually opened up to me was because of all the difficult situations we been through and overcame together.
To be honest, if any of these guys were put in the same position, I bet most of them would have given up on getting close to her from the start.
Even I, if I lost my memories and had to start over, probably wouldn’t be able to break through her walls again.
I was just lucky things turned out the way they did.
If possible, I’d like to stay close to Sophia just like this—forever.
◆
<Sophia’s PoV>
“—Sophia-chan, do you have a moment?” (Nadeshiko)
During our after-school practice, Nadeshiko-senpai, who had been teaching me how to compile data in the manager’s room, spoke up with a serious expression.
The fact that she deliberately started the conversation this way, despite us having talked normally until now, made it clear that she wanted to discuss something important.
“What is it?” (Sophia)
Feeling a bit nervous, I asked about the matter.
“Why did you change the way you address Kento-kun?” (Nadeshiko)
I had somewhat expected this question at some point, and sure enough, I was finally asked.
Suddenly changing the way I addressed him—and calling a classmate “Onii-chan” on top of that—made it inevitable that someone would be curious.
In fact, even the other baseball team members seemed to be curious about it.
“We’re siblings, so… there’s nothing strange about it, right?” (Sophia)
I maintained a calm expression and answered with a smile.
Knowing her, she had probably seen right through my intentions.
If that’s the case, I wish she wouldn’t ask in the first place…
“I just decided to emphasize our sibling bond more so that people wouldn’t misunderstand. Calling him ‘Onii-chan’ seemed like the quickest way to do that.” (Sophia)
Yes—after hearing Nadeshiko-senpai’s words, I realized that if I could make everyone believe we were truly siblings, I could use that to camouflage my real feelings.
If we were siblings, there was nothing strange about being together. Nothing strange about being close.
Even if we spent time alone, all I had to say was, ‘We’re siblings,’ and that would be the end of it.
And since, even if we weren’t related by blood, Kento-kun and I were still family, I could prove it if necessary.
With this, I could stay by Kento-kun’s side without any worries.
“I don’t think you need to go that far.” (Nadeshiko)
However, Nadeshiko-senpai didn’t seem to approve, subtly suggesting that I stop.
She didn’t look displeased or irritated.
She simply seemed concerned about me.
I wasn’t sure why she was worried, but given the baseball club’s rules, the only way I could stay by Kento-kun’s side was by using my role as his sister.
I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that.
“Kento-kun is currently in the spotlight, both inside and outside the school. I want to eliminate any factors that could potentially drag him down.” (Sophia)
He wasn’t the first player to hit three home runs in a single game—others had done it before.
Still, it was such a rare achievement that many people were paying attention to him.
Even newspapers and online news had headlines like ‘A New Monster is Born in the Reiwa Era!!’, so there were bound to be plenty of people taking interest in him.
In such a situation, someone like me being around him would surely spark rumors.
Even if a passerby happened to see us together, they might mistake me for his girlfriend. But if I called him Onii-chan in those moments, they would assume I was his sister instead.
There was a high chance people would be suspicious due to our different appearances, but as long as the truth was that we were siblings, I figured there was nothing to worry about.
Even if someone posted on social media saying, “They don’t look alike, but she called him Onii-chan,” someone from our school might respond with, “Those two are actually real siblings with the same last name.”
In other words, the chances of people outright claiming that I was his girlfriend would be low.
“…Sophia-chan, you might be more naïve about the world than I thought…” (Nadeshiko)
“Huh?” (Sophia)
I didn’t quite catch what Nadeshiko-senpai muttered, so I tilted my head and looked at her.
“Mm, it’s nothing. If that’s how you see it, and Kento-kun doesn’t seem to mind, then if it works for you two, I suppose it’s fine.” (Nadeshiko)
However, Nadeshiko-senpai simply shook her head, as if dismissing her own words.
It seemed like she had understood my feelings and reasoning.
Just as I was feeling relieved—
“By the way, would it be okay if I stayed over at your place after practice next Saturday?” (Nadeshiko)
She said something outrageous with a smile.
“A sleepover!? Nadeshiko-senpai, at my house!?” (Sophia)
“Yep, that’s right.” (Nadeshiko)
Shocked by the sudden request, I asked again, only for Nadeshiko-senpai to nod with a bright, charming smile.
Lately, we had been spending a lot of time together, so aside from Kento-kun, she was probably the person I was closest to.
But I never expected her to close the distance between us this quickly.
Or rather… Could it be that she was just using me as an excuse to get closer to Kento-kun…!?
That thought even crossed my mind.
But—
“I really want to get to know you better, Sophia-chan, so I’ve been thinking for a while that it’d be fun to have a sleepover someday.” (Nadeshiko)
Seeing that smile, filled with nothing but pure goodwill, made it hard to believe she had any ulterior motives.
More than anything, Nadeshiko-senpai was a genuinely good person.
I had been exposed to plenty of people’s malice before. Even if someone appeared kind on the surface, I could always tell when they were hiding something underneath.
That was precisely why I trusted Nadeshiko-senpai. I knew she was a good person, which was why I felt comfortable spending time with her like this.
“I’ve never had anyone stay over before…” (Sophia)
Having been alone all my life, I had never invited anyone to stay the night—not senpai, not even a friend.
Actually, I had never even had a friend before.
So suddenly being asked if someone could stay over left me feeling lost.
“In that case, wouldn’t this be a good opportunity to gain some experience? Since you struggle with social interactions, Sophia-chan, this could be great practice for you.” (Nadeshiko)
She really seemed eager to stay over.
Did she really like me that much…?
“Nadeshiko-senpai, do you have sleepovers often?” (Sophia)
“Hmm… not really.” (Nadeshiko)
“…………” (Sophia)
I held back the urge to comment as I saw Nadeshiko-senpai smile and shake her head.
If she regularly had sleepovers, I could at least understand why she would want to have one with me.
But when she herself admitted that she didn’t do them often, I couldn’t help but wonder why.
That said, she probably already anticipated that I would think this way and still chose to answer honestly. I didn’t want to push too much and end up making her dislike me, so I kept my thoughts to myself.
“Besides, there are so many things I want to talk to you about, Sophia-chan… Is that a no? We can’t really talk properly during club activities, so I thought it’d be nice to chat while lying on the bed together.” (Nadeshiko)
Nadeshiko-senpai looked up at me with a pleading expression, as if gauging my reaction.
There was no way I could refuse when she looked at me with such a pleading expression.
But that didn’t mean I could just nod my head right away either—
“If you’re staying over at my house, that means my Onii-chan will be there too…” (Sophia)
I brought up Kento-kun and watched Nadeshiko-senpai’s reaction.
It was obvious that she had feelings for Kento-kun, and there was no way she wasn’t aware of it.
I wanted to judge her response before making my decision.
“I don’t think anything would happen with Sophia-chan around, and besides, Kento-kun doesn’t really hang out with you at home, right? So we won’t really interact that much.” (Nadeshiko)
“Well… that’s true…” (Sophia)
When Kento-kun gets home after club activities, he either does his own training or shuts himself in his room. I also stay in my room to study, so we barely spend time together at home.
Since we had already talked about this during lunch while eating together, Nadeshiko-senpai seemed to have factored it in.
She didn’t look flustered, and she probably expected me to bring up Kento-kun as well.
“Um… I don’t mind, but I should check with Onii-chan first, right…?” (Sophia)
I couldn’t refuse Nadeshiko-senpai’s request.
But since I couldn’t make the decision on my own, I had to confirm it with him first.
Well, knowing Kento-kun… he’d probably be surprised, but in the end, he would respect whatever decision Nadeshiko-senpai and I made…
Afterward, when I checked with Kento-kun, he gave me exactly the response I had expected.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Come on, parents are always the number one people who you should hide your embarrassing moment from. That’s cause they’re also the ones who would spread it to your relatives, so by the time you know it, everyone in your family tree knows everything about you.
So big news, Toxic Game Streamer is getting a third volume on March 25th. What this means is that I might stop translating this series for a while to complete that one instead. So yeh, just a heads up.
Edit: So, I did translate the rest of this chapter alr, but wordpress decided to die on me so I couldn’t upload them. Rn I have no access to my computer since I’m at army camp. I can only release the chapters on Fri after I come back sry.
Footnote:
- None