NOVEL WEB Chapter 21
“Ugh.”
Yuki woke up feeling a slight headache from a hangover.
And as soon as her consciousness returned, the sensation she felt in her hands was incredibly soft.
“Hmm?”
Not wanting to pull her hand away from the incredible addictiveness, Yuki lightly squeezed.
“Eek?”
Then a cute scream quietly echoed.
“Huh?”
Opening her eyes to the scream, Yuki saw Mina, who was sleeping in her arms, looking terrified.
“…Ah, right.”
Only then did Yuki remember everything that had happened yesterday.
Mina had said she liked her on a broadcast, so she drank more than usual out of joy.
That’s why, drunk, she had barged into Mina’s room in the early morning and made a scene.
She recalled it all.
“Sigh.”
Regret began to wash over Yuki.
No matter how awkward it felt to talk now, in Mina’s eyes from a very young age, Yuki had symbolized a cool woman.
Knowing that, Yuki had been even more reserved in front of Mina, which only served to distance them.
Yet, despite that, it hadn’t changed the fact that in Mina’s heart, Yuki still represented a cool woman, and Yuki was aware of that too.
In other words, she had shattered Mina’s illusion due to her own mistake.
“…Hmm?”
But guilt was short-lived.
Didn’t it matter? This thought began to bloom within Yuki.
Thinking about it, the reason she had distanced herself from Mina was due to actions she had taken to preserve that illusion.
Rather, reflecting on how those actions had made things awkward, perhaps it had been necessary for that illusion to break sooner rather than later, right?
And now that the illusion had broken, shouldn’t it be okay for them to stick a little closer together like before?
Yuki’s doubts quickly solidified into conviction.
“Well then, for now….”
With a quiet smile, Yuki hugged Mina a little tighter and closed her eyes….
“Gah?”
She relaxed a little and reopened her eyes.
★
When she opened her eyes again, her sister was already gone, and she was alone in bed.
“Umm.”
Stretching her body and shaking off the lethargy, she glanced over at the calendar.
August 21st. Only 10 days left until school starts.
Why is summer vacation only a month long? It would be nice if they gave a little more.
Isn’t it called “summer” break?
Shouldn’t it be from the end of June until September?
Or not.
“Hmm.”
Just in case, she lifted her pajamas slightly to smell them.
If they smelled like alcohol, she’d have to toss them in the wash.
Fortunately, that annoying scenario didn’t arise.
Housework isn’t hard; it’s just a pain….
“Yawn.”
Finally, she stretched one last time, but the grogginess didn’t leave.
There’s only ten more days left to feel like this.
“Are you awake?”
“…Yes.”
When she stepped into the living room, a delicious smell tickled her nose.
In the kitchen, her sister stood in front of the induction cooktop wearing an apron, and as she approached quietly, she saw that a buttered frying pan was cooking toast with eggs, bacon, and fried eggs.
“Is it French toast?”
“Yeah. I thought something light would be good for breakfast.”
Sure enough, I usually prefer a super simple breakfast too, and eggs are good for hangovers.
Her sister’s choice was very reasonable.
“Alright, let’s eat.”
“Yes.”
Soon, the cooking finished, and her sister lightly plated the food and placed it on the table.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Yeah.”
Taking a bite of the toast, the sweet butter fragrance melted from her mouth to her nose.
The crispy bacon and sweet strawberry jam added to the flavor, while the slightly greasy aftertaste was calmed by the fluffy fried egg.
And finishing it all off with a cool glass of milk…!
Mmm. This is bliss.
It’s not quite the apex of bliss like chicken and cola, but it’s excellent bliss nonetheless.
“Sigh.”
Setting down her cup, she casually glanced at her sister.
As usual, her expression was stoic.
Did she forget all about the drunken behavior from last night?
If it were me, I’d be so embarrassed that my face would be beet red.
Well. I can’t even imagine my sister acting like that.
She drank a lot in the early morning, but her usual self wouldn’t be like that.
“Mina.”
“Ah, yes?”
“Do you have a broadcast schedule today?”
“Um, I think it will be around 3 PM.”
Since she has to continue the Legend of Ragnarok, which she had cut off yesterday.
Who knew there was such a secret in that boss mechanic….
Now that I know, I’m invincible.
The Izutomo players will surely be shocked by my immense skill….
“Mom said she’d be home around 7, so remember that.”
I already knew that from a text I received, so I nodded quietly.
But what’s going on?
Maybe it’s because of last night’s events, but my sister’s cold atmosphere seems less intense than usual.
…Just a misunderstanding, right?
She seems to have no memory of it.
“Okay, I’m done eating.”
“Mina.”
“Yes?”
“Wait a second.”
Her sister stood up and quietly approached.
“Huh?”
“Hmm, I’m done.”
She hugged me tightly, relaxed, smiled in satisfaction, then nodded her head before heading back to her room.
What was that? Was that a dream?
I stood in the living room alone for a moment, pondering in silence.
★
[This Time It’s Truly Hell, Beginner─ #KainohIzumi#StarsFlow#TruthOfRagnarok]
“Why? Why? Whyyyy?!”
-Didn’t she seem really confident when it started?
-It’s already been 3 hours, Mei-chan…
-Yesterday, I spent about 2 hours here too, so in reality, it’s about 5 hours.
-So, totally super, super lame…♥
Didn’t they say that when the pattern goes back, you can roll in and hit to make them faint?!
I watched the video! So why isn’t it working?!
They said I only need to use dodges for the 3 jumps that come out!
But there are 5 jumps happening!!!
“Aaargh!”
Hitting the desk several times, the boiling anger inside me wouldn’t go away.
Isn’t the TS internet broadcast genre just a cliché of amazing skills that leave people in awe?
You’re supposed to read movements in 1 frame and dodge smoothly, taking everything down; that’s the universal rule!
So why can’t I…?
-Why is Mei-chan’s shotgun so sluggish now?
-Could it be that I can’t clear this?
-I can’t hate Mei-chan, the creator…
Honestly, I feel like my skills have improved somewhat.
If I seriously focused on just one game, I could probably reach the top 1% easily, right?
But I’m the type that dives shallow and wide.
I have to watch Natsune’s broadcasts, catch up on anime, draw, read light novels, read web novels, and browse communities….
There’s just too much to keep up with, so focusing solely on games would be impossible.
What I need is the talent to instantly adapt to a game and reach the top in no time.
“This game is such a pile of crap. I’m done.”
Reality is the gutter.
The goddess of the TS genre has abandoned me….
-First game to be abandoned by poop game junkie Mei-chan, the Truth of Ragnarok
-Running away is a form of embarrassment♥
-If the creator sees this, wouldn’t they feel proud?
“Let’s end today’s broadcast here. Everyone, bye. See you next time….”
Running away isn’t shameful, you know?
Even the blue-haired surplus goddess said so….
-Byeizumi!
-Byeizumi!
★
“Ugh.”
After finishing the broadcast and lightly stretching my stiff body, I came out of the room to find Mom sitting on the sofa watching TV.
“Welcome back. You’re home early.”
“Yeah. Work finished quicker than I thought, so I came back right away. I bought some Sataandagi and put it in the refrigerator, so eat it whenever you’d like.”
“Yes.”
I’ll eat while watching Natsune’s broadcast later.
Sinking next to Mom, I suddenly caught the sound of sizzling and a delicious smell that made my mouth water.
Turning my gaze, just like this morning, my sister was standing in front of the induction cooktop in an apron, cooking something.
“What are you making?”
“Sirloin steak. Mom really wanted to cook it for you and Mina today.”
Sirloin steak?
Wait, didn’t we talk about sirloin steak recently?
“Mom, Mina! It’s ready!”
At her call, Mom and I got up from the sofa and moved to the dining table.
At the table, a medium-well-cooked steak that was the perfect shade of brown was waiting for us.
“Thank you for the meal, Sis.”
“Mina.”
As I tried to sit next to Mom while expressing my thanks, my sister suddenly called out to me.
“Yes?”
“Not there, here.”
She pointed to the seat right next to her.
“Eh? O-okay.”
“Hurry up.”
Sister slammed her palm down on the chair, as if indicating there would be no room for negotiation.
Eventually, unable to withstand her stare, I had no choice but to sit next to her.
It’s not like it’s an issue, but it feels a bit intimidating….
Did I do something wrong to my sister?
No, last night’s hug proved she cares about me, right?
There’s no need to be scared. Getting nervous is a bad habit.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Enjoy it, Jiya.”
“Yeah.”
After finishing the pre-meal greeting, I quietly cut the steak with my fork and knife….
“Mina.”
“Yes?”
“Oh.”
Turning my gaze to the side, I saw my sister holding a deliciously bite-sized piece of steak on her fork, pointing it at me.
“U-um, Sis. What’s this…?”
“Ah.”
Once again, her pressure of not allowing any rebuttal crushed me.
But this time, I couldn’t just give in.
It’s embarrassing for someone with a mental age of 40 to act like this.
“Um, Sis, I can… eat by myself….”
“Ah~.”
If only the atmosphere were a bit softer, I might’ve been able to refuse, but her expression was as cold as usual.
Yet, why does she seem so cute while saying those words?
That imbalance feels extra terrifying.
“Hurry up, Ah~.”
“Ah, ah….”
In the end, I squinted my eyes and bit into the steak on her fork.
The taste of that steak, melting in my mouth, felt surprisingly resentful.
“N-now can I go?”
“Yeah.”
Sister nodded in satisfaction as if done.
Right. Maybe she just wanted to enjoy herself after a long time.
She must be pretty tired from work.
As I reassured myself, preparing to eat the steak I had cut moments ago,
“Mina.”
Again, my sister called me.
Trembling with fear, I turned my gaze and found her with her eyes closed, mouth wide open.
“Ah~.”
“U-um, Sis?”
“Ah~.”
“Ah, ah….”
Knowing that I couldn’t break this stubbornness, I quickly stuffed my steak piece into her mouth.
She opened her eyes, showing a bright smile in satisfaction.
“Thanks.”
This feels weird…. It’s like committing a crime….
“Hehe, it feels like I’m watching Mina and Jiya back when you were little.”
“Yes?”
“What do you mean, Mom?”
“Don’t you remember? When you were little, you used to say, ‘I’m going to become Jiya’s bride!’ every day. So much so that Dad was sad for not choosing you.”
“Yes. Mina is mine. Not giving her to anyone else.”
“Eh?”
As she said that, my sister pulled me into a tight hug.
Her embrace was incredibly soft, smelling so good that I almost nodded off.
Whew. I almost awakened the instincts of a man….