Chapter 11: CH 11

(POV Chiharu)

We changed into our gym clothes and did warm-up exercises outside, running around the schoolyard. It seemed like we were doing physical education together with class 2.

“Why do we have to run on a day like this?”

“Ahh, Ch-Chifuyu also can’t, it’s too hard…”

Under the sun, we ran multiple laps around the schoolyard. Chinatsu and Chiuyu were not good at sports. Well, Chinatsu could only handle it when the sun wasn’t out… Both of them were panting as they ran around the schoolyard. Chinatsu’s twin tails swayed wildly, and Chifuyu’s sweat glistened slightly on her forehead, where she had tied her hair with a ribbon. They were already far behind me and the other students, who had been running for several laps.

“Wahaha! I’m in first place! Woohoo!”

Cheered Chiaki, running ahead at a noticeably faster speed. She was like a flash of light. She not only left Chinatsu and Chifuyu behind but also outpaced other classmates, showing off her excellent athletic ability.

Chiaki overtook Chinatsu and Chifuyu again, who were barely keeping up and running unsteadily. But just as I thought that, she actually changed her pace to match their speed…

“You’re so sloppy,” Chiaki commented.

“Huff, huff, if it were indoors, I wouldn’t lose to you! Ugh, I wish the world would just be plunged into darkness!” Chinatsu retorted.

“Ohhh…” Chiaki looked at Chinatsu with bright eyes.

“Don’t look at me like you’ve found a comrade! You and I are different!” Chinatsu added.

I watched Chiaki and Chinatsu talking a little behind me, and my cheeks relaxed slightly.

“Chifuyu, remember this,” Chiaki said.

“What… what is it? I don’t even have the energy to talk anymore…” Chifuyu replied out of breath.

“There’s no such thing as a younger sister being better than an older sister,” Chiaki said with a smirk.

“Do you really need to say that now? You just want to say it, right?” Chinatsu retorted.

“Heh, until we meet again.”

Chiaki sprinted forward again, her silver hair swaying wildly as she outpaced everyone else. After watching her for a moment, I approached the unsteady duo of Chinatsu and Chifuyu.

“Need some help pushing your backs?” I offered.

“I-I can run on my own,” Chinatsu stuttered.

“M-Me too,” Chifuyu added.

“Alright… just let me know if you need anything. I’ll be waiting back here,” I reassured them.

“I’ve already heard that four times…” Chifuyu grumbled.

“You’re too overprotective…” Chinatsu sighed.

This was the fourth time during our PE class that I had offered to help them. I tried to be subtle about it, but oh well…

I decided to stick close behind them, just in case they needed any assistance.

◆◆

(POV Kaito)

“Alright, I’m heading home now.”

“Going home at regular hours? That’s unusual,” Sasaki responds to my declaration. Until recently, I rarely left work on time. I often stayed late due to obligatory after-work drinking parties or overtime, and it would often be past 8 p.m.

“From now on, this will be the norm.”

“I see, because of the quadruplet,” Sasaki remarked.”

“Exactly.”

“…So, after this, you’ll be cooking dinner too? That sounds tough.”

“Not really. I’ve been cooking for myself since high school, so I’m used to it. Whether it’s dinner for one or dinner for five, the effort isn’t much different.”

“You’re unexpectedly high-spec… By the way, what did your parents say about taking care of the kids?”

“My parents have both passed away, so there’s no issue.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay. They’re always in my heart.”

“I see.

“Well then, take care.”

“Thanks, you too…”

I packed my things and said goodbye to Sasaki, my colleagues, and my seniors at the city hall before leaving. I hurriedly got into my car and drove home. Today was the first day of school for the quadruplets, so I needed to talk to their teacher about various things. That’s why I offered to pick them up, although there was supposed to be a bus available.

School usually ends around 3 p.m., and they should already be home using the bus. I’ve given Chiharu a spare key, so they should be able to get in. They might be hungry. I’ll try to get home as quickly as possible while obeying the speed limit…

I drove my car and arrived at home. As I opened the door, I could hear the sound of the TV coming from the living room.

“Kaito! I’m hungry!”

“Welcome home, Onii-san,”.

Only Chiharu and Chiaki were in the living room. Chiharu was sitting on the sofa with Chiaki on her lap. As expected, Chiaki, being the glutton that she was, was the first one to say she was hungry to the landlord, who had just returned home. I wonder if Chiatsu and Chihuyu are still stuck in their rooms…

I can’t leave it like this, but what should I do? Ah, I can’t think of anything…

“Kaito, hurry up with the hamburger!” Chiaki exclaimed.

“Well, about that, I made it just the other day, so maybe we could have beef stew instead…” I suggested.

“No way! I want hamburger!! I don’t want anything else!” Chiaki protested.

“Chiaki, you’re too cute… It makes Onee-chan’s heart race,” Chiharu said with a blush.

Chiaki squirmed on Chiharu’s lap. Damn, she’s too adorable. In the purest sense!!

But I also had a desire for Chiaki to learn about various other dishes and balance her meals. Despite my intentions, I found myself unable to refuse her this time and ended up agreeing to make hamburgers.

“Kaito, hamburgers, okay?” Chiaki asked with a hopeful expression.

“Let’s have hamburgers then,” I conceded.

“Yay!” Chiaki cheered.

I can’t believe it. I ended up going against my initial plan to refuse. I couldn’t resist the teary-eyed look Chiaki gave me.

Damn it! At this rate, I’ll end up being conquered by Chiaki as the doting papa of a Yuri heroine!!!

I guess I’ll make hamburgers. Since I said yes, there’s no turning back now. I took off my suit and changed into a casual outfit with my white shirt untucked from my pants.

I headed to the kitchen and rolled up my sleeves, washing my hands before taking out minced meat from the refrigerator…

I felt a gaze on me, and when I turned around, I saw Chiharu staring intently at me, with Chiaki on top of her also looking in my direction. Chiaki’s curiosity was understandable, but there seemed to be something different about Chiharu’s expression.

I wondered if something was wrong. Was she hungry? Did she want to say something?

Could it be that she didn’t like hamburgers? But that didn’t seem likely. Or maybe she had something else she wanted to eat? But that also didn’t feel quite right.

I couldn’t quite figure it out, but for now, I decided to just go ahead and make dinner. While the meat was thawing in the microwave for a brief moment, I started dicing the onions.

“Wow, Kaito, you’re amazing!” Chiaki exclaimed.

“…”

Chiaki exclaimed in admiration as Chiharu’s piercing gaze intensified. I continued to fry the onions and started cutting the cabbage for the side dish.

“Oh, cabbage… not my favorite,” Chiaki said with a disappointed tone.

I remembered that Chiaki didn’t like cabbage. Well, for the sake of a balanced meal, I had to include it anyway. The atmosphere between them seemed to shift slightly, with Chiaki looking a bit down and Chiharu appearing relieved.

Meanwhile, I continued to prepare the meat. I put the thawed meat in a bowl and added the seasonings, onions, bread crumbs, and eggs. Instead of using a spatula to mix it, I decided to save time and knead it with my hands.

“Ohh, bold and cool!” Chiaki exclaimed again.

“……”

I remained silent, focused on making the sauce with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce as the base. Soon, the hamburgers would be ready in no time. All that was left to do was to wait for them to cook through. I couldn’t help but think that I was quite skilled when it came to cooking.

With some leftover miso soup and carrot kinpira that I had made in advance, dinner could be ready in just about thirty minutes.

“Kaito! Can I taste the sauce?” Chiaki exclaimed.

“Sure,” I replied, scooping some sauce with a small spoon and handing it to Chiaki. As she licked it, her eyes sparkled with delight.

“Mmm, delicious! Kaito, I love your cooking!” Chiaki said with excitement.

I couldn’t help but feel thrilled by Chiaki’s happy expression, but at the same time, Chiharu was looking at me with an intense gaze.

Come to think of it, I had heard before that Chiharu kept track of how many times she was told “I love you” by her sisters. She loved all her sisters so much, but her overprotective and siscon nature had made it a bit awkward at times.

I wanted to do something clever here. I lowered my knees to the ground and locked eyes with Chiaki.

“This is out of the blue, but what do you think of Chiharu?” I asked.

“Why are you suddenly asking me that?” she replied.

“Well, I was just curious,” I said.

“Hmm, let me see… I really love Chiharu!” Chiaki said with a bright smile, without any hint of embarrassment.

Seeing her genuine and carefree smile, I could tell she wasn’t lying at all.

“I… I love you too, Chiaki,” Chiharu blurted out, her cheeks loosening into a gentle smile. I could see a picturesque meadow full of happiness blooming around her.

“Chinatsu and Chifuyu, and also Kaito, I love all of you too!” Chiaki added.

“Ugh, it’s dazzling…”

I couldn’t help but cover my face with my hands. Chiaki’s smile and words conjured up images of angelic graphics.

“What’s wrong, Kaito?” Chiaki asked.

“Oh, nothing. Just got blinded by the light,” I said.

“Haha, I’ll use that phrase next time!” she replied.

As we chatted, the hamburgers were ready, and I plated them on the dishes and tray. I handed them to Chiharu and some bottled water to Chiaki.

Chiaki smiled happily, while Chiharu couldn’t seem to forget the words “I love you” that Chiaki had said, and her cheeks relaxed into a familiar smile. Their laughing faces were so alike.

I brought my dinner to the table and started eating after flipping through the TV channels. While eating, I thought about the four sisters, especially Chika and Chiharu. We hadn’t talked much, or rather, hardly at all. They rarely came out of their rooms.

They were allowed to watch TV or take naps on the sofa. I thought so, but it was difficult to say it out loud.

But I couldn’t keep avoiding them. I’ll try talking to them later.

After finishing dinner, I boiled water for the bath. As usual, Chiharu and Chiaki returned the dishes, so I washed them while waiting for the water to heat up, and then I suggested that the four sisters take a bath first.

Chinatsu and Chifuyu hardly came downstairs except for bath time. I need to talk to them here.

“Onii-san, please take a bath first.”

“Kaito, you go ahead.”

“p-please go in first.”

“…you can go in first.”

Uh, I’m being extremely guarded against. Even though I’ve been spending quite some time here, they’re still wary of me. But if I don’t initiate a conversation, as an adult, nothing will change.

“Ah, Ch-Chifuyu. H-How’s school? What’s it like?”

“Uh!? W-Well… it feels like there’s a crack in the school building, I guess?”

“D-Do you have any worries or troubles?”

“N-No, nothing significant.”

She wouldn’t meet my eyes at all. She just kept staring at the patterns on the floor. For now, it’s important to keep talking, even if it feels awkward. Next is Chinatsu.

“C-Chinatsu, how about you? How’s school?”

“…It’s normal.”

“Are you facing any problems or concerns…?”

“…None.”

“I-I see…”

…That’s enough for today. It’s painful to feel the awkwardness growing. The air inside the room feels heavy and the gravity suddenly feels multiplied several times over. I start to worry that I might sink into the ground at this rate.

“Hey, Kaito! Guess what? I got first place in the marathon today! I was awesome! Praise me, praise me!”

Truly, a modern-day air purifier. A gravity killer. This must be what they mean by the saying “the voice of a crane.” The bad vibes in the room vanish in an instant, and the gravity feels lighter.

“That’s amazing.”

“The boys were left in the dust. And I haven’t even given it my all yet. I feel like I was just playing with the kids.”

“Wow, that’s impressive. You were unbeatable.”

“Yes, absolutely invincible.”

Thanks to her confident demeanor, everything went back to normal. The four sisters head to the bath, and I express my gratitude to Chiaki in my heart.

After the four sisters went back to their rooms on the second floor, I decided not to force myself to talk to them anymore. I’ll try again tomorrow.

Just as I was about to head to the bathroom, the living room door opened again.

“Onii-san, can I talk to you for a moment?”

“What’s up?”

It was Chiharu, wearing pink pajamas with lots of heart marks on them.

“I have something I want to talk to you about.”

“Go ahead.”

“Yes. Please listen. I’m grateful to you, Onii-san, for listening to us, taking care of us. A clean home, delicious meals. It’s completely different from our lives before. So, maybe we’ve become dependent on you to the point where we can’t live without you.”

“…Be careful with the way you phrase that, especially outside. Please don’t say that.”

“I’ll be careful. But, even though we’re indebted to you, Onii-san, I have a request. Will you listen?”

“Oh? Do you want some clothes or something?”

“No.”

“Do you have a menu request for dinner?”

“No.”

“…Then, what is it?”

“… “

Chiharu slowly opened her mouth, speaking in a demanding tone. I decided to hear her out on minor things. I wondered what it could be as I braced myself.

“…Please don’t lay a hand on Chiaki.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It has various meanings. I think someone of your age would understand.”

“…I won’t touch her. Is that your request?”

“Yes.”

I would never do such a thing! It’s like she’s insinuating that I’m a lolicon. Why is she worrying about such things!?

“Don’t worry, I won’t. Besides, Chiaki sees me as a reliable big brother or a cook with a paternal figure, so to speak.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Do you have any other requests?”

“No, I don’t.”

“…Is that all?”

This girl is really overprotective, or I should say, overly worried about everything.

“Alright then. Go to sleep. You have school tomorrow, right?”

“Yes. Thank you very much. Goodnight.”

Saying that, she left through the living room door, or so I thought, but she was still there.

“It’s a promise, okay?”

“Let’s make it a promise.”

“Thank you very much. Goodnight.”

“Yes, goodnight.”

She’s really persistent. Geez… But come to think of it, I feel like I’ve seen this kind of situation somewhere before. Ah! It’s just like the event in “Resounding Love”!

In the game, when the protagonist raises the affection level of one of the sisters to a certain point, Chiharu gives a stern warning to the protagonist not to make advances on them, just like in this situation.

No, there’s no way Chiaki has romantic feelings for me. Her level of friendliness and the atmosphere around her didn’t give off that kind of vibe at all.

I’m not sure if it’s a misunderstanding or if she’s just worrying too much, but it seems like a similar situation has come up… Well, regardless, I won’t make any advances on her.

If I did, I would be forever labeled as a Hikari Genji. I won’t do something like that.

Sigh With a deep breath, I headed towards the bathroom.

◆◆

(POV Chiharu)

I accidentally blurted out my selfish desires and wishes toward Onii-san and ended up piercing him with my words. Honestly, I hadn’t intended to express my selfishness or desires, but after seeing Onii-san’s personality and past actions, the words slipped out without thinking. It’s true that what Chiaki holds for Onii-san is not romantic affection.

“But that’s just the current situation, Onii-san.”

Still, someday, that could suddenly change. Maybe Chiaki hasn’t matured enough to understand or feel those emotions yet. Maybe she feels them but just doesn’t comprehend them.

I never let anyone lay a hand on Chiaki. I didn’t want to let anyone get close to her. After all, for me, my sisters were everything. I couldn’t afford to lose them.

Even if it was my benifactor or anyone else, I wouldn’t allow them to harm my sisters.