CH 179

Azusa’s phone seemed to have received a message from Shiho.

It had been a long time since I had heard from her. I hadn’t heard from her since she got the flu.

I had contacted her right after she got sick, but my phone was immediately taken away from me, so I don’t know whether or not I received a reply in the end.

Azusa explained to her on the message app that my phone was taken away, so I think she understood what was going on.

Anyway, I wonder what kind of condition she is in now.

I was curious about that, so I walked up to Azusa.

“What is Shiho saying?”

“…………”

However, Azusa had stiffened up looking at the screen and didn’t reply right away.

“Eh… Onii-chan, I think this person is strange.”

Somehow, I was holding back.

I rolled my eyes and checked the message over and over again.

Apparently, there were some very strange things written in the messages.

“Funny thing… Oh, it’s true.”

I couldn’t wait and looked at the screen of the phone.

The words on the screen made my eyes widen as well.

It’s… insane?

I checked the unrelated one-liner over and over again.

But I knew that sentence was real.

“Onii-chan, could it be that…?”

“No, no, no. I don’t remember anything like…”

I shrugged at Azusa’s skeptical look and breathed a sigh of relief.

“W-What should I do? … Azusa is going to become an aunt! It’s too early.”

“Calm down. It’s probably just a misunderstanding on Shiho’s part.”

It’s kind of strange to get pregnant by mistake.

“Well, I’m not ready for this… Ugh, is it finally here? Is she going to be my Onee-chan now? That person is too much for Azusa to take on…”

Strangely enough, Azusa was more distraught than I was.

It was a spontaneous statement with no signs, foreshadowing, omens, or context, and it may have been too sudden and unexpected for her.

“It’s all right. It’s probably just Shiho talking in her sleep.”

I rubbed my stepsister’s back as if to soothe her.

Azusa was so confused because she was acting as a substitute for me and I was able to keep my composure.

At that time, a message arrived from Shiho again.

“… Oh, here it is again.”

“What about this time?”

“Yeah. Let’s see… ‘It was all in my head’!”

I see. I don’t know what happened, what I misunderstood, or what bothered her so much that she thought she was pregnant, but anyway, I’m glad that Azusa was relieved.

“I’m so glad… Onii-chan, please. You know, I just need you to wait a little longer for me… Azusa, you know, she’s not ready to make that person her Onee-chan yet.”

“I guess you need to be ready too.”

Laughing, I patted Azusa on the head.

Of course, I don’t intend to be hasty. I’m not an assertive person to begin with, so even if I did want to have a child, it would probably not be in the near future.

It’s better to take it slower.

Yes, there is no need to rush.

Shiho’s message was very unique and strange, but her … words reassured me.

She is “special” after all.

（I can’t wait to see her again.)

Then I felt strong.

I wanted to meet her face to face and talk to her.

I was in a bad shape right now, but I felt that if I could meet, talk, and touch Shiho …, I would be able to get back on track.

I only have two days left to finish my agreement with Kurumizawa-san.

Once I get through that, I will be able to return to my normal routine.

By then, Shiho would probably be back to normal.

So, I thought, I’ll hang in there until then, I’ll do my best.