manga artist Kirito

Generally speaking, a girl who can compare to Eriri wouldn't be unknown, after all, some guys even went so far as to create a "school beauty group", such as Yukino Yukinoshita and Utaha Kasumigaoka in the second year, Asuna Yukinoki in the first year, and that idiot Eriri, in addition to a few others whose names I forgot.

But the girl in front of us was clearly not there...

"Uh, who are you...?"

"Kato, Kato Megumi, the classmate sitting in front of you."

The girl's expression shifted very subtly, so subtly that Kirito couldn't discern what she was trying to express. A poker face? She seemed like a difficult person to deal with.

"Although I haven't spoken to Kirigaya-san yet, it's really quite something that he can't even remember what the student sitting in front of him looks like after all this time since the start of the semester..."

"Uh, sorry, classmate, my memory might not be very good." Kirito forced a smile, his lips twitching slightly. He had absolutely no recollection of her; I had no memory of her ever existing. But she was sitting in front of me, so even if I wasn't paying attention, I should still remember her, right?

However, that's not actually the case.

Kirito had some doubts about whether the girl's name was Akarin.

However, the other party's presence was like that of a super assassin. She had been following Kirito for quite a short distance, but Kirito hadn't noticed at all. After all, Kirito was trained and had great confidence in his environment and nerve reactions, but it was completely useless against this girl.

"Young man, I see you have extraordinary talent; you must be a once-in-a-millennium assassin prodigy. Would you be interested in learning to cook with me?"

"...I don't know what you're talking about, but the meaning behind your words doesn't seem very good." The girl tilted her head slightly, maintaining a calm expression. "Also, I was following Hiratsuka-sensei's instructions to call you to her office after class. I followed you and called for a while before you reacted. Although I know I'm not very noticeable, I just thought about it, were you doing it on purpose?"

"Do you want to hear the truth or lies?"

"?"

"Okay, let me tell you, don't take it to heart." Kirito leaned against the wall, looking the girl up and down. "At least a four out of ten for figure, a four out of ten for looks... well, that's about it. Originally, you'd easily be a nine out of ten, but that poker face of yours..."

"Of course, it's not like you can't get points, after all, girls with aloof personalities are actually quite likable... But, your presence, your presence is just too weak, so weak that I don't even remember you being a classmate. I suppose you inherited assassination skills?"

"Kirigaya-kun, even I would get angry if you said something like that to a girl out of nowhere."

Perhaps to express her displeasure, the girl slightly puffed out her cheeks. However, Kirito didn't see it as anger; instead, he thought she was just being cute… Well, actually, it was just that she was being too friendly and kind, so Kirito relaxed a little during their conversation. Furthermore, the fluctuations in her emotions and tone were very subtle. Although there were changes, they were only fleeting and minor, easily missed if one wasn't paying close attention.

"Ahem, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said those nonsense things, I'm really sorry!" Kirito was very sincere when he apologized, because he could really sense the girl's displeasure.

Well, she already had a low profile, and now she's being used as a thorn in other people's side. It's probably no different from poking at Eriri's sore spot of having a flat chest, right?

"It's ok."

If Kirito wasn't mistaken, the girl's tone was noticeably lighter when she said those words, probably because her inner unhappiness had subsided.

Haha! Although the emotional changes were very subtle, I have to say that it would be very reassuring to be with a girl like this.

"Tell him!" The girl tried to imitate Hiratsuka Shizuka's tone and posture, "Tell that brat Kiritani that if he dares to leave right after school, he can forget about living!"

It seems somewhat unsatisfactory.

"...I roughly understand!" Kirito nodded very seriously. Damn it, that woman Hiratsuka Shizuka, she clearly released a wave of killing intent when she said that! Going there now would definitely mean certain death!

Sure enough, I have to leave school right now!

"Oh right, what's your name again?"

"..."

Kato Megumi: Not pleasant!

024

[NO.23 This is the chapter title]

In faraway Azeroth, there lives a group of cheerful little green-skinned creatures. They are naturally optimistic and happy; their motto is "A real man never looks back at an explosion," and "Time is money" is a frequently mentioned phrase.

Going to Hiratsuka Shizuka's office in response to her summons is not just a waste of money, it's a real waste of life.

After saying goodbye to the unknown classmate, Kirito abandoned his plans to go to the manga club and turned around to walk towards the school gate. On the way, he happened to see Eriri coming out of the classroom, but before Kirito could tell Eriri that he wouldn't be participating in club activities today, he received a glare from her.

Clearly, the two of them are now on the same page: no club activities today.

Kirito chose to go home immediately because of Hiratsuka Shizuka, but Eriri obviously doesn't have this problem. I'm really curious why she chose to go home now... Uh, could it be because of a new game that was just released on a certain platform?

Although Kirito has been focusing on his manga these past few days, it doesn't mean he hasn't been paying attention to his favorite games. A certain platform that tempts people to spend money recently released a masochistic game; anyone without a masochistic streak will probably be turned off in no time. Besides, Eriri doesn't seem like a masochist at all... right?

Hmm, I'll just buy the game later. Anyway, I've already bought it, so why should I play it?

Thinking this, Kirito didn't bother to greet Eriri and headed straight for the door. But as soon as he changed into his outdoor shoes, he saw a tall figure that was all too familiar to him.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kirito took off running. That Hiratsuka Shizuka is going too far! All she did was speculate about why she hadn't gotten married yet, and she reacted like this? Seriously though, I'd better just find someone to marry her already, or I'm going to make my move. (laughs)

"Student, you can't run in the hallway!" a voice called out.

"Are you out of your mind? If you can't run in a corridor, why call it a corridor?" Kirito said without turning his head.

I wasn't actually running very fast, because I was sure Hiratsuka Shizuka hadn't caught up. After all, she was heading towards the teachers' office, and if nothing unexpected happened, she was probably thinking about what kind of punches to use to teach me a lesson, since I should be waiting for her in the office.

You didn't expect this, did you, Shizuka Hiratsuka? There's a strategy in this world where running away is the best option!

At this moment, most of the students leaving the school were in groups of three or five, chatting and laughing as they walked out of the school gate. Kirito, who exuded an otaku vibe, stood out as an eyesore among them. From now on, I should just leave the school gate with Asuna. Even if we go in different directions, we should still make sure these guys get sunburnt.

Well, the premise is that Asuna also needs to join a club, since she needs to participate in club activities regularly, and we can't just let Asuna wait like this.

Or maybe we could talk to Eriri and change the manga club's policy so that light novel writers like Asuna could join... Well, that still seems difficult. Besides, hurting a blonde loser like that is enough.

"The wind is quite noisy today!" Feeling the slightly hot breeze, Kirito looked up at the sky. "They say art comes from life, but now even the clouds in the sky are so filthy?"

With a slight shake of his head, Kirito headed home. Normally, he would see a pair of dead fish eyes walking home with him, but those dead fish eyes were actually the real guy. Apparently, he had joined that club next to the manga club, what was it called again, the Service Club? I heard he even hooked up with two girls... Tsk, if he gives me that "Explode, you social butterfly" look again, I'll have to beat him up.

Ah, never mind, I'll just go home and make some fried rice.

……

"I am back!"

Kirito didn't really understand why there was such a custom. Even though he knew no one was home, he still had to shout that phrase. Did every house have a ghost inside? Did he have to greet the ghost before coming in?

That's utter nonsense.

Kirito pushed open the door and went inside, smelling the long-lost aroma of food... Something seemed a little off. Didn't Asuna say at noon that she was going to find a place to hide today and finish her manuscript? Why did she still come here?

Well, that makes sense. If she hides here, that editor probably won't be able to find her. Besides, the study is a nice place, good for working on deadlines. As for being disturbed, forget about it. During work hours, Asuna is usually so engrossed in her role that any outside disturbance will only make her bristle like a lion...

A kitten with its fur standing on end is at most scary, but a lion with its fur standing on end... does it want to be eaten?

Of course, Kirito would be very happy if it were eating in that sense, but that's not the case.

Setting his shoes aside, Kirito went barefoot, feeling the coolness from the floor. A slight smile played on his lips. Sure enough, fried rice is never as good as Asuna's.

While he can't transform into a character from a certain anime who shrinks in size when he gets home, it's true that he becomes lazy and lethargic when he gets home. He walks to the sofa, throws his backpack down, and sprawls on the sofa like a dead fish, striking a pose as if his body has been hollowed out.

The kitchen was filled with the sounds of tools being used and a light, cheerful tune. Looks like Asuna's in a really good mood today… What a load of rubbish! Asuna never hums these weird tunes; she usually just talks to me directly outside…

So, who is in the kitchen right now?

It's a female voice! It's definitely a woman's voice inside!

And they were cooking, and they weren't surprised when I came back, so they must be someone from out of town!

Although I had some suspicion that the person who could get in wouldn't be an outsider, I only gave the key to Asuna. But the outer door lock wasn't broken, and...

—What are you guessing for! Just turn around and look. I'm a swordsmanship genius, what's there to be afraid of!

Kirito grabbed something from the table, straightened up, and looked into the kitchen—it was a very familiar place, the kind of place you couldn't be more familiar with!

Kirito: I'm shocked!!

025

[NO.24 Okay, it is indeed the younger sister]

In the rented house after moving out

I saw my younger sister cooking.

—Kirigaya Kazuto: Namu San

Let me make this clear from the start: I actually really like my sister.

This brings me to my painful past, but it's okay to leave those things unsaid. Ever since that brush with death, I've realized that there's no one better in this world than my sister. Gentle, considerate, and incredibly caring, she always notices when you're in trouble. Without her, the world might as well be destroyed. Back then, that's how firmly I held my sister in high regard.

Of course, my little sister is absolutely the best among all the sisters, without a doubt. Compared to other people's sisters, my sister is definitely the cutest in the world! I am very confident about this.

But as I grew older and pieced together the fragments of my memory, I discovered that Chiba Prefecture was actually a terrifying place. There was a custom here that anyone who had a younger sister would be sent to a German orthopedic clinic... cough, I mean, fall in love with their younger sister.

It's weird, isn't it? A long time ago, I saw on Twitter that a famous author of siscon (sister complex) fiction was becoming increasingly... well, you know, his sister hadn't spoken to him for a long time. The reason was that this author was becoming increasingly strange... his fantasy was different from reality! Liking his sister for no reason was really weird.

Furthermore, I later saw some strange news online, such as a guy who wanted to harm his sister having his leg broken by his father... I don't know which leg it was, but it still felt very dangerous.

Besides, I'm not emotionally clueless; at least I can sense the special bond my sister has for me. However, certain limitations are clearly not easy to overcome, even though I once drew doujinshi about my sister, so a certain degree of avoidance is necessary.

As someone once said, time heals all wounds. Besides, I've moved out of my parents' house for high school, so not seeing each other every day isn't so bad, is it? Although, when I think about my sister possibly ending up with someone else, I always feel like taking my Lake Toya for a walk.

Ahem, let me reiterate once again, I, Kirito, am not a Chiba person in the traditional sense. A Chiba person in the traditional sense is someone who is hopelessly infatuated with their younger sister, even to the point of smilingly pushing her into someone else's arms for her happiness…

Yes! I'm not that kind of person!

Although I do have a girlfriend, as her older brother, I have no intention of pushing her onto someone else. As for my specific thoughts, I haven't thought about them yet. Well, how about we chat privately?

Wait, now is not the time to talk about this, is it?

Ever since I insisted on moving out of the house, my sister's mindset has changed a lot. She started to recall the nonsense I used to tell her, like the law of the jungle, the survival of the fittest, and that only the victor has the right to speak...

Of course, my sister doesn't show these things in daily life, but when she's with me, she always responds with the things I taught her before. I guess you could say I've brought this upon myself.

I can pretty much imagine what will happen next... Oh right, little sister, shouldn't you be participating in the National Junior Kendo Tournament right now?

……

Seeing that all-too-familiar figure in the kitchen, Kirito's brows twitched violently—clearly a bad omen. In that instant, Kirito formulated his next plan of action. Without much hesitation, he crouched down and headed for the door.

However, in that instant of looking down, Kirito saw the energetic girl wearing an apron and with her shoulder-length hair tied in a ponytail staring at him. When Kirito's image, like a mouse seeing a cat, came into her view, she gave him a cute smile, but at that moment, it sent chills down Kirito's spine.

With her eyes narrowed into crescent shapes and her pink lips slightly upturned, the girl greeted him with a beaming smile, "Big brother~ This is Yezi~ I just finished the kendo tournament and haven't even gone home yet, but I've already come to help you cook~ Hmm, there's miso soup in dinner~"

"..."

Look, this is my little sister, Kirigaya Suguha! The world's cutest and most perfect little sister! By the way, I'm really not a siscon in the traditional sense, especially since she just finished the National Kendo Tournament in Tokyo and came here right away. She must have just gotten off the train not long ago! How can I put it? My little sister really makes me feel the beauty of the world!

But before that, my dear sister, could you please not strike a pose like you're preparing for battle?

I wish the world could stop at this moment, because I want to escape!

Without the slightest hesitation, Kirito turned and ran the moment his sister Suguha looked over. What's so scary about Hiratsuka Shizuka compared to his sister… I mean, she's cute! My sister is the strongest creature in the world! Ever since I tried to teach my sister what it means to be the eldest brother's father and ended up in the hospital, I've completely understood what the strongest truly means!

Actually, if I could, I'd rather stay here and wait for the girl to throw herself into my arms, but I know I can't handle that! So, running away is the best option!

By the way, I've never regretted it so much. Why did I lock the door when I got home? Wouldn't it have been better to just close the door?

"Oh dear~ Brother, you're really making me so sad..." Suguha squinted at Kirito, who was turning the doorknob, her tone slightly displeased.

Then, the girl tilted her head, took two steps back, and then lunged forward, leaping into the air and kicking out with her fair foot. Just then, Kirito opened the door; the girl's kick was simply helping him leave faster… or so it seemed.

But in reality, Kirito crashed into the door opposite him and was frozen in place. The girl seized the opportunity and leaped into the air again, stretching her body out in mid-air. As she leveled her body, she raised her elbow and struck Kirito.

A dull thud sounded, Kirito stiffened like a dead fish for a moment, and then nothing more.

Just as Suguha stood up, the elevator doors opened, and a girl stepped out. Upon seeing the situation, she was stunned for a moment before reacting and quickly took out her phone to call the police!

Okay, okay, you guessed right! Now let's guess again!

026

[NO.25 Unexpected Development]

"...Although I don't know what happened, I've already called the police!"

Looking at the open door and Kirito lying on the ground, she roughly deduced the motive of a certain suspect.

So, the girl, who had just come out of the elevator, pressed the emergency call button and retreated back into the elevator, which was still open. The signal might be weaker once inside, but the girl knew very well that even though she was proficient in Aikido, the result was still very obvious: she was no match for the person who had knocked someone unconscious with a single elbow strike.

Suguha narrowed her eyes slightly, carefully scrutinizing the woman from head to toe. Judging from her school uniform, this woman clearly went to the same school as her brother. Could it be...?

"It's not Asuna... Has he already been dumped by my brother? So you're his new love? I thought she was some kind of special woman, but I didn't expect my brother's taste to be so poor..."

After saying that, Suguha puffed out her chest, and the girl facing Suguha suffered a severe psychological trauma.

"Brother...?" The girl raised her eyebrows slightly. Although what the other person said was harsh, judging from his words, it didn't seem to be as she had initially thought...

Yes, Kiritani was barefoot, obviously having already gone home before coming out, while this foul-mouthed girl was wearing an apron and indoor shoes… well. The girl canceled the call and slowly walked out of the elevator.

Although it looks like Kirito was knocked unconscious by a girl who was about to break into his home, upon closer inspection, Kirito does resemble the girl in the apron who claims to be her sister.

"...You, who makes me shudder with your smile like a murderer at a crime scene, are you Kiritani's sister? It's hard to imagine that Kiritani would have such a violent sister... It must have been very difficult for Kiritani to survive until now."

"As for what you call a vixen..." The girl looked as if she had encountered something extremely disgusting, "Excuse me for being blunt, but this is not your fantasy world. A girl falling in love with her brother is utterly disgusting."

The last sentence can actually be interpreted as—you're probably living in a dream.