Stealing Spree

Five minutes later, I was still waiting for Anzu-nee to finish preparing. I could clearly hear her activity upstairs like the rustling of her clothes, the opening of her drawers and cabinets, and her frenetic footsteps. She probably didn't close her doors.

I have no idea what’s taking her so long to prepare and I'm inclined to assume that she's dolling herself up for my eyes. That's the most plausible reason, right?

Alright… Scratch that. Let's not go there.

Anzu-nee isn't so desperate for a guy that she'll resort to seducing her cousin’s boyfriend. If anything, I might be the one thinking dirtily like this and she simply can't decide what to wear from her wardrobe.

Thinking back, she’s already wearing something decent earlier, albeit slightly revealing. It properly emphasized her huge assets as well as her curvy figure, after all. It won't be an exaggeration to say that a normal high school boy will have their neurons fried by simply catching a glance at her. If they're brave enough, they might flirt with her as well.

Preventing that from happening was well within my ability but it would be troublesome for both of us. Or maybe it won't be? I don't know. Announcing myself as her boyfriend to deter them will be the minimum.

Uh. Alright. I should clear my head and behave. I better busy myself with what my eyes could see at the moment.

I stopped standing like a statue, overlooking the stairs and the entirety of their living room, and made myself comfortable on the sofa.

While doing so, my head took in everything within the reach of my sight.

Their interior decorations were pretty simple but even though there was no visible trace of the Nikaido couple’s profession, the air inside the house was making my appetite excited.

It's like I'm inside a quiet restaurant, waiting for my meal to arrive. All around me, the fragrance of the fine dishes continued to invade my nose. It's enough to make me relax and feel at home.

Apart from that, I could perfectly see the traces of Eimi and Anzu-nee all around me. The small pillow that my girl often hugs whenever she's watching TV. The brush that is most likely often used by Anzu-nee. And their bags neatly tucked on one side.

At every second that passed, the urge to physically explore the place was numbing my senses.

Thankfully, my wait soon became over when the soft, unhurried footsteps began to echo from upstairs.

I craned my neck in the direction of the stairs, finding Anzu-nee who was pretty much wearing the same thing as earlier.

The only difference was instead of a fitting pair of shorts, she replaced it with a skirt that kept on fluttering. It's giving the experience of someone staking out from afar just to get a glimpse of a paradise. With the lack of light, it's almost impossible to see what's underneath it.

I don’t know if it’s just me but… I'm only beginning to realize that I’m alone here in this house with Anzu-nee.

If I run to her, will she stop me from catching her?

Wait… What am I saying? That's my self-proclaimed older sister right there! Why is my perverted side acting up?

Ah… I know.

It's because Anzu-nee at this moment has her charm tuned in to its maximum.

“Perverted brat, stop staring at me like you’re going to jump at me.” She said as soon as her feet landed on the last step of the stairs. “Let’s go. It’s getting late. I have lunch to cook too.”

“Ah. Yes. Wait a second, Anzu-nee-san.”

She was about to approach their front door, expecting me to follow her out. However, before that, I hurriedly sprang up to my feet and approached her from behind.

Anzu-nee glanced back and subjected me to her questioning eyes.

Acting a little embarrassed, I lightly scratched my cheek before saying,

“I thought I should say this first, Anzu-nee-san… You look wonderful.”

“Y-you! What are you saying?”

Clearly not expecting a compliment from me, Anzu-nee was sent into a frenzied reaction. Her shoulders jumped and her jaw almost dropped from astonishment. A moment later, she attempted to control her expression and kept a straight face, ignoring the slowly creeping crimson streak on her skin.

“Nothing. I’m just giving my honest compliment. You deserved it, after all. I remember you said your exes seldom appreciate you when you’re dressing up for them. Let me take that task up temporarily.”

“This brat… Who says I need compliments? Did Eimi-chan put an idea in your head?”

Although my words somehow produced a hint of elation in her expression, she immediately suppressed it and glared at me suspiciously.

And honestly, she’s not wrong to think about that when I acted like this out of nowhere. But I have my own reason. Like I said, this woman deserves to be appreciated. No matter how grumpy she acted around me, she was still someone who would take my side and protect me.

“Idea? Nope. She just said I should take care of you. Don’t worry. If someone flirts with you, just give me a sign whether to kick them away or not.” I shook my head and made a pose in front of her, not that exaggerated though.

“I don’t need that! Ugh… This little brother is being mischievous. Should I spank you, brat?”

Once again, Anzu-nee’s lips failed to contain her smile momentarily. She just hurriedly shook her head, preventing herself from giggling. Really, why can’t she be honest? Is she trying to protect her older sister image in front of me? Most likely.

“Anything but that.”

“Then behave. And let’s go…”

Upon saying that, Anzu-nee grabbed my wrist and pulled me with her outside. I didn’t resist it anymore and let her keep that act.

Eimi said Anzu-nee needed my advice about something, I should just wait for that and shop with her at the moment.

As we stepped out of the gate, I eventually matched her steps to walk alongside her. While she still looked grumpy on the outside, I could sense her satisfaction from the way her grip on my wrist gradually loosened.

However, before she could completely let go of it, my hand moved, catching her slender fingers. I gripped it tight, disallowing her to pull it away.

That made her alert as she looked at me with apprehension. From her eyes, I could read a few questions that must’ve been running through her head. ‘Why?’ ‘What is this idiot doing?’ ‘Is this fine?’

Disregarding all of that, I put on a smile in response.

“This is payback, Anzu-nee-san. I may be your little brother but I’m not a kid that you can lead around like that.”

“What a wily brat... Doesn’t this show you’re still a kid when you’re talking about payback? If someone sees us like this, they’ll think you’re the older one!”

Anzu-nee shook her head, acting a little disappointed. However, her words seemed to be out of touch.

Is it really going to be like that? Won’t they mistake us for a couple on a stroll?

“Ah. Great idea, Anzu-nee-san. Let’s check their reaction, shall we? Won’t it be boring if we just go to the supermarket normally? Don’t worry, I’ll help you in carrying your bags again.”

“Psh. I don’t need your help, brat. Why are you being disobedient?”

“Am I? I don’t think so. I’m just making sure you won’t be bored with me, Anzu-nee-san. Also, it’s my way to help you stop thinking about whatever problem is plaguing you.”

Right. She probably thought I would fail to notice. But she’s a bit gloomy. While I had no idea if it was connected to the advice that Eimi mentioned, I just couldn’t pretend I didn’t notice it.

“... Eimi-chan, that girl… She did tell you something, right?”

“Nope. Like I told you, she only asked me to take care of you and hear you out… Other than that, she said she missed me.”

That last part was naturally to lighten Anzu-nee's mood. And thankfully, it was successful.

Her chest heaved up and down before eventually releasing the tension in her body through a long sigh.

Her hand stopped struggling and little by little, her shoulders dropped.

I maintained my hold on her head and observed the changes in her. If need be, I’d catch her and sit her somewhere we could rest.

Fortunately, that’s not needed anymore as she recovered quickly after.

While forcing a huge grin on her lips, she said, “Hey, unruly little brother. Should I… You know? Accept an apology from my ex?”

Ah… I see. So that’s what’s bugging her. Her weak-willed ex who got stolen by another girl contacted her to apologize. No wonder she’s this gloomy.