Chapter 10: "My" Family

"—Alright, see ya tomorrow!"

"Yeah, see ya."

After saying goodbye to Yūki, I slip through the iron fence of my house. It still feels surreal that Yūki's place is right next door—literally my neighbor.

"Phew—I’m home!"

"Welcome back! How was school?"

"You asked me that yesterday too, Mām."

The one who replied to me was Mām—no, rather, Edogawa Akane. A former actress whose youthful charm was still going strong, she had a keen eye for fashion and could easily pass for a college student.

Oh, and… she was stacked. I won’t specify where, but let’s just say her curves were legendary—leaving all the other moms in the dust. Would I ever grow up to be like that? …Nah, the thought terrified me.

"Pretty good, I’d say. Made some friends, too."

"Ooooh~?! My little Towa, who used to be so shy?! Was it a girl? Or—wait, wait—could it be a boy?! Oh no, you shouldn’t get too close to strange boys!"

"It’s a girl… Wait, why’s it bad if it’s a boy?"

"Well, back when I was your age… u-uh, never mind! ——————————————(mumble* Besides, if you get too friendly with other boys, it’d be like cheating!)"*

"? Did you say something?"

"N-Nope! Nothing at all! …Absolutely nothing~!"

And just like that, Mām faded out toward the balcony.What the hell was that about?

"Big sis!"

"Hm? Ohhh, Madoka~!"

Noticing I was home, Madoka came toddling over, her face lighting up like a sound effect had just gone "Nyaa~!" Seeing my adorable little sister beam like that made me smile without even thinking.

"Big sis! How was gakko (school)?"

"Gakko? It was fun~!"

"Aww, I wanna go to gakko too!"

"You’ve got another year, Madoka."

"Ehhh~?! But I wanna go with you! I wanna!"

"Just one more year~!"

"Will I be okay…?"

"You’ll be fiiine~! Big sis still has six more years of school left, so we’ll have five whole years together!"

"Buuuuuu~…"

I couldn’t resist hugging her as she puffed up her cheeks like a mochi, gently stroking her hair in slow, soothing motions.

"C’mon, don’t make that face. Big sis loves it when Madoka smiles~."

Holding her by the shoulders, I made sure to meet her eyes. Siblings have their own special closeness—maybe keeping that bond strong was all she needed to feel secure.

"...Really?"

"Yeah, really really."

"...Okay~!"

With that, she scampered off just as quickly as she came—only to suddenly spin around mid-step, dart back, and throw herself into my arms.

"Madoka… Madoka loves you sooo much, big sis!!!"

She looked up at me with a smile so radiant it could’ve scored a perfect 100.

"Ghk— (Ascending to heaven)"

Clutching my still-flat chest, I felt something warm trickle from the corners of my twisted, wobbly grin. Damn, I almost crossed over just now…

"Y-Yeah… Big sis loves you tons, Madoka."

"Really?! So we’re soulmates?!"

"Yeah!"

"...Ehehe~"

Satisfied at last, she finally retreated to her room.

"Soulmates… uhehe…"

The way my lips curled into an unsettling, wobbly smirk went unnoticed by Towa.

"Last night around midnight, a disturbance was reported at ×× Prison in ○○ City. The scene showed bent cell bars left behind, and—"

"Towa~, bath time~!"

"Kay~"

With a click, the TV turned off.

On my way from the living room to the bath, a brrrring! echoed through the hallway—the landline was ringing.

"Huh? This number…?"

I picked up the receiver with a clack. "Hellooo?"

"U-Um, I-I’m, uh, a friend of Towa-san’s, and, well—wait, no, I mean—I-I’ve got her! I’VE GOT HER!"

"Uh… this is Towa."

…Is she hyperventilating?

"EH?! W-Wait, seriously?! I mean—ahem—H-Hello, Towa-chan?! I just remembered something super important! Are you free right now?!"

"Hmm? I mean, I technically have time…?"

"Really? Well, actually—[muffled]* 'Yui~? Can you come here~?'* Ugh, Mom, I’m in the middle of something! 'Mom’s more important, hurry up~!' UGH! Fine, I’ll tell you at school tomorrow!"*"O-Okay—"

CLUNK. The call ended abruptly.

"What… was that?"

"I’m home~!"

"Oh, hey~"

"Towa! Tonight’s the hamburg steak I prepped yesterday!"

"For real?! LET’S GO!"

"Big sis! Let’s take a bath together!"

"Hah! Hell yeah~!"

Right, I was heading to the bath. With a grin, I trotted off to the bathroom with my beloved sibling in tow.