Volume 2
Prologue
"I'm home~"
Whenever I come home, I make sure to say "I'm home" without fail. I want to let Mom know that I've safely returned, and on the flip side, when I'm at home and hear that "I'm home," I can instantly tell it's Mom. It’s a small thing, but it’s something I care about.
…Huh?
As I was taking off my shoes, a voice came from behind me. It was supposed to be the perfectly proper response to my "I'm home," but the tone of that voice—a man’s voice—startled me.
It’s been decades since men became scarce in this world. Now, Japan’s gender ratio is a heavily skewed 1:5. Because of that, there have been incidents of women attacking men, and even calls to introduce polygamy.
And our household? Well, it’s not exactly rare these days—a single-mother family. No brothers either, so there’s supposed to be no men in our house…
So why is there a man in my house? Shocked, I turned around.
"O-O-Onii-san?!?!"
"Yep. Welcome home, Yuka."
Greeting me with a warm smile was Katari Masato-san. The person I admire… and the one I love.
Wait, this isn’t the time to be saying that! Why is Masato-oniisan in my house?
And why is he waiting for my return like it’s the most natural thing in the world? Is this heaven?
"Good work today, Yuka."
"Huh? Uh, um, y-yes…"
My mind couldn’t keep up. What in the world is going on…?
"Yuka, what’ll it be? Dinner? A bath? Or maybe…"
Th-this is…! A conversation I’d only ever seen in fiction was unfolding right before my eyes. I swallowed hard, waiting for his next words.
Then, with a slightly shy smile, Onii-san said, "…how about me?"
"I choose Onii-san!" (Instant reply)
The words came out reflexively. In a flash, I kicked off my shoes and was about to leap into the arms of my adorable Onii-san—
Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep.
"…Yeah, figures…"
It was, in a way, the inevitable conclusion.
With a sigh, I gave a chop to the head of the blaring alarm clock announcing the morning.
Lately, I’ve been having these kinds of dreams all the time. Well, it’s no surprise—one of the reasons is obviously that I’m always thinking about Onii-san…
Stretching widely, my eyes fell on the basketball sitting in its case, visible from my bed. It’s just sitting there now, silent.
I recalled a time not too long ago when I was subjected to some pretty harsh "guidance" from my seniors. Honestly, I knew I was pretty good at basketball, even among my peers and seniors, and I was somewhat prepared for this kind of harassment since it wasn’t new at school.
But that day was especially bad… I seriously thought I might collapse. And at that moment—
"Having quite the lively practice, huh?"
Even now, just remembering it sends a rush of emotions through my body. The one who came to my rescue was my beloved Onii-san.
Like a prince from a story, he swooped in to save me.
I was so happy, and it reaffirmed just how much I love him. Forgetting all my embarrassment, I clung to him in that moment—a feeling I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. …But.
I opened my hands and stared at them.
My small, childish body.
I can’t help but feel that Onii-san wouldn’t see someone like me as a romantic partner. If only I were a little more grown-up…
Sigh…
Lately, I’ve been stuck thinking about this. I flopped back onto the bed. The sleepiness was long gone, and even if I tried, I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep.
"…What would happen if I told him I like him?"
For a while after that, I just lay there in bed, staring at a photo of Onii-san on my phone.
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