The Sister vs. Big Sister Showdown
The two beautiful girls clung to Kūjō Ryō's arms, one on each side, neither willing to let go, and walked like that straight into the cinema.
Since it was still morning, there were very few people inside. A quick glance showed fewer than ten audience members in total.
They took seats in a corner. The two girls sat left and right, with Ryō squeezed in the middle.
"Can you both let go now?" Ryō said. "The movie's about to start."
Even after sitting down, neither of them released his arms, making the three of them look oddly cramped.
"She lets go first.""No, you let go first."
Neither side was willing to give in, as if letting go for even a second meant losing millions.
Ryō felt a headache coming on.
Just dealing with two girls already felt this difficult. If he really built a large harem someday, how would he survive?
At that moment, the system's voice sounded in his mind.
[Host need not worry. After purchasing Tenfold Strength and Tenfold Stamina, the shop will refresh with abilities such as Mental Reversal and Universal Conditioning]
"…That strong?"
Ryō was instantly energized, confidence surging through him.
He stopped hesitating. Pulling his arms free from their grips, he spoke firmly.
"Enough. Watch the movie."
The two girls immediately quieted down, straightened their posture, and turned their attention to the big screen.
The movie itself was surprisingly interesting.
It opened with a childhood-friend type girl, cheerful and familiar. Only a few minutes later, an elegant older girl suddenly appeared in the male lead's life, leaving him flustered and red-faced.
Suō Yuki did not look happy at all. She grabbed a fry, bit down hard, then seemed to remember something and held one out to Ryō.
"People who ruin someone else's happiness are the worst, right, Onii-chan?"
Yoshino Ruru let out a soft laugh. She picked up a fry with her slender fingers and offered it to Ryō as well.
"You're not a fish, so how could you know its joy? Maybe before meeting the older girl, the male lead was suffering all along. Perhaps it was her kindness that gave him happiness."
After Ryō bit the fry, Ruru lightly brushed his cheek with her fingertip, as if by accident.
The faint touch made his heart skip.
She really knew how to play her cards.
But Ruru's confidence did not last long.
The plot soon twisted again.
Due to an unexpected mishap at home, the male lead ended up visiting the childhood friend's house. An awkward misunderstanding followed, leaving him shaken and lost in memories of their past together.
By the time he returned home, his thoughts were completely tangled, and the scales in his heart tilted once again toward the childhood friend.
Yuki took a satisfied sip of her drink.
"See? Only by comparing can you tell who's truly right for you. The one meant to stay with you for life."
Ruru snorted softly. "Don't celebrate too early. We're only halfway through."
Sure enough, as the story continued, the male lead's feelings wavered yet again.
Caught between the childhood friend and the older girl, he fell into confusion, questioning who he truly loved.
In the final scene, he picked up his phone, clearly determined to confess.
Then the movie ended.
Without revealing the answer.
"What kind of ending is this?""Give us our money back!"
Complaints echoed throughout the theater.
Yuki and Ruru were both dissatisfied. At the same time, they turned to Ryō.
"Ryō.""Onii-chan."
"If you were the male lead, who would you confess to?"
A deadly question.
Ryō shook his head. "I refuse to answer."
If it were him, he would not confess to either.
Choosing one meant declaring a winner and a loser. That was the fastest way to destroy harmony.
Yuki pressed on. "Then who did you like more?"
"Both," Ryō replied calmly.
"No," Yuki snapped. "That's illegal. You'd get in serious trouble."
That afternoon, tired from playing around, the three of them returned home to rest.
With winter break ending, the time Ruru could spend with Ryō was growing shorter. She wanted to widen her lead.
"Ryō, let's play cards," she suggested casually. "Loser does a forfeit."
Ryō's eyes drifted toward her for just a moment, then he looked away and cleared his throat.
Yuki immediately raised her hand. "I object."
She knew exactly what Ruru was trying to do. There was no way she would let her get her way.
The more the enemy wanted it, the more she had to oppose it.
Ruru tugged lightly at the hem of her clothes and smiled. "And what does Ryō think?"
Ryō wanted to agree, but he knew better than to say it directly. He had to soothe both sides.
"Yuki, earlier I supported your objection. For fairness, now I can only object to your objection."
"Waaah, Onii-chan, you big-sister lover!" Yuki complained, lightly pounding his chest with her fists.
The three of them ended up playing cards anyway.
But the outcome was not what Ryō expected.
Instead of him enjoying the situation, both girls ended up teaming up against him.
For the first time in their rivalry, the two lifelong enemies cooperated.
Before Ryō realized what was happening, he had already lost miserably.
"This isn't fun anymore," he said quickly. "I'm done."
What he thought would be a benefit scene turned into him being the target instead.
He wisely ended the game before it could go any further.
After dinner, Yuki and Ruru both picked up their bags and left at the same time.
Ryō was surprised.
Neither of them asked for a hug or said anything sentimental. They just left.
Standing in the overly quiet living room, Ryō felt an unexpected sense of loneliness.
A house this big really did feel better with more people in it.
Shaking off the feeling, he picked up his phone and started playing a mobile game.
[You calmly handled the showdown between cousin and older cousin. Reward: Points +3. Current Points: 5.]
About ten minutes later, the doorbell rang.
At this hour, who could it be? Manaka?
Ryō opened the door.
Standing there was Yoshino Ruru, who had only just left.
"Ryō, long time no see. Did you miss your big sister?"
Ryō sighed. "Did you forget something?"
She stepped inside, her gaze never leaving him. "Yes. I forgot something important. If I don't take it back, I won't be able to sleep tonight."
Ryō sat back down on the sofa. "Then go get it. The room's not locked."
Instead, she sat beside him.
Her shoulder leaned lightly against his as she asked casually, "Have you taken a shower yet?"
"Not yet," Ryō replied, eyes still on his game.
Ruru's eyes lit up, but before she could say more, the front door suddenly burst open.
"Onii-chan! I'm back!" Yuki's energetic voice rang out.
"What? You're still here?" Yuki rushed in and immediately pulled Ruru's hand away. "Take your hands off him!"
Seeing the two about to clash again, Ryō stood up at once and pushed them both toward the door.
"If you're going to fight, do it outside. I'm locking the door."
After shutting it, he added, "Go home early. School starts tomorrow."
Outside, the two girls glared at each other.
If not for the other interfering, each of them was sure she would have succeeded tonight.
This round ended in a draw.
Neither plan worked.
As Yuki walked away, she glanced at her phone calendar.
March 12. Friday.
Her birthday.
By then, she swore, she would not lose.