I really don't want to be reborn.

"..."

"Also, we're the same age, so don't call me that."

Aragaki was a little intimidated by this person his age, and awkwardly looked at Kyosuke: "Big brother, you've worked hard today. Kirino worked very diligently—how have you been with Kirino lately? Have things improved a bit?"

Her concern was genuine.

This shows that she really likes him quite a bit. The reason, of course, is that the troubles and fatigue he intentionally or unintentionally revealed at the cosplay competition a week ago made the girl's feelings for him soar.

In addition, he got a girlfriend, so the nickname "perverted siscon erotic maniac" that Ayase had saved was just "pervert," which means he won't compete with her for Kirino anymore!

After the fundamental conflict was resolved, Ms. Aragaki didn't mind showing her gentle and approachable side in front of him.

"Neither good nor bad, a fight is unlikely."

"By the way, big brother... about Kirino, her health is not very good right now."

Kyosuke's joking expression faded: "Why not?"

"She's working incredibly hard, taking everything very seriously. I'm really worried—"

"Did you try to persuade her?"

"But it didn't work."

"If even your best friend can't persuade me, then there's probably really no way."

Shina looked at her, then at him.

His gaze was fixed.

Intuitively, I felt that Kyosuke Kousaka was acting.

“I couldn’t do anything about it. She said that this minor cold wouldn’t affect her work at all and she would never let the photography session be canceled. Indeed, during the photoshoot, there was no indication that she was feeling unwell.”

Is she gritting her teeth and enduring it again? What a stubborn little sister.

So cute!

Like a string stretched to its limit, it is both sharp and melodious.

"She's really impressive, but it's obvious she's just putting on a brave face. I'm really worried."

Ayase Aragaki looked at him reproachfully: "Big brother... please keep an eye on her at home too."

"Thank you for your concern."

They all understood Kirino's stubbornness.

When that guy gets serious, he never slacks off. Even when playing games, he's completely focused and doesn't know how to be flexible.

These kinds of people are the most troublesome and the most vulnerable.

After Ayase left, Sinon nudged him: "That's not right."

Kyosuke Kousaka touched Sinon's hair in surprise: "What's wrong?"

"Your older sister said that you are actually very strict with your younger sister. If you use a strict approach to make her rest, she will listen to you."

Kyosuke sighed helplessly: "Has your sister ever said that sometimes smart people have to play dumb?"

Shina coldly replied, "I am not my sister."

"Shino, I'm going to Tokyo in a few days. Do you want to come with me?"

"Don't go."

"Then I'll ask Black Cat to come with me."

Poetry became even more displeased.

She made up her mind; she would never follow him again!

Even if he screams until his throat is hoarse, no one will jump out to help him, you bastard.

One day in mid-December, he returned home and found his sister asleep.

With her phone still in her hand, Kirino fell asleep on the living room table, surrounded by several empty bottles of energy drinks.

"You look really bad."

"Hmm... Brother? You're back?"

My sister is rubbing her eyes; her dark circles are almost like a panda's!

She forced a smile and said, "Would you like some tea? I'll get it for you now."

Kyosuke pinched her cheek tenderly: "How long are you going to keep up this act?"

Kirino remained silent, expressing her resistance through silence—resistance to his concern and help.

"I see. Good luck then."

Not wanting to see his sister like this anymore, Kyosuke took his schoolbag and went upstairs: "By the way, speaking of which, your book is going to be published next month, right? Could you give me a copy that you've signed?"

"Ah."

His eyes, as he turned to look back, appeared to his sister like a wound that had been swept past on a tram.

Listening to the slow, deliberate footsteps going upstairs, she dug her fingernails into her palm.

------

Chapter Seventeen: Snow Melts Silently, Tears Stream Down One's Face

One day in December.

Kirino Kousaka, who had been barely holding on, finally fell ill with a worsening cold and was bedridden at home, unable to move.

While Kyosuke was eating breakfast, his mother said to him with a frustrated look, "Kyosuke, that child still has a fever, but he won't listen to advice and keeps saying he wants to go to school."

Kyosuke paused for a moment, then nodded: "Oh, I understand."

His mother was so angry that she hit him: "You should at least care about your sister! You used to spoil her so much, but now that you have a girlfriend, you've forgotten about your sister. Are you going to forget about me too?"

Kyosuke gave a wry smile: "What are you talking about?"

"...That kid is throwing a tantrum again, saying he has club activities or work, and stuff like that."

"I understand, I'll go see her later."

That idiot who brought this on himself.

"If her fever doesn't break today, she'll have to go to the hospital tomorrow, and there's been a flu outbreak recently."

"After all, winter is coming."

After drinking a bowl of miso soup, Kousaka's eldest son said something that made his mother even angrier: "What we need to pay attention to now is... to take precautions, especially to avoid getting infected by Kirino."

"Hey, how can you be so heartless? You're her brother!"

"I'm saying the most correct thing. As for Kirino's situation, I'll talk to her about it."

After dinner, I paced back and forth in front of her room for a while, then knocked on the door.

But no one opened the door, and there was no response.

The door appeared to be locked from the inside.

Of course, this was no challenge for the battle-hardened Kousaka-kun. He pulled out a safety pin, tidied himself up, opened the door, and then he…

They looked at each other in bewilderment as her younger sister, dressed in pajamas, walked towards them.

He was still holding some rudimentary lock-picking tools in his hand.

"..."

"...I remember locking the door from the inside."

"Really? You must be mistaken."

Kirino stared at the awkward expression on his face for a moment, then lowered her head, trying to force a smile. But she was too sick to even smile, and sat heavily back on the bed, feeling dizzy.

"Did you take your medicine?"

"I just finished eating when my brother came in."

"I'll go get you something to eat—"

Kyosuke Kosaka turned around, but then turned back a moment later, and sure enough, he saw Kirino taking out her phone from under the covers: "You're so sick, and you're still writing your novel?"

The younger sister shook her head frantically: "That's not true, it's just..."

Kyosuke slowly sat down in front of her, his hand covering her forehead: "It's almost thirty-nine degrees Celsius. You're not allowed to go anywhere for the next few days. Just stay home and rest..."

Her delicate cheeks were flushed, making her look very beautiful.

But it wasn't because she was shy or angry; it was just that her face was flushed from a fever.

"I don't want to..."

She was refusing his request, or rather, his order.

Both siblings in the Kousaka family are very good at refusing others.

"I've already asked the school for leave for you."

Kirino bit her lip and glared at him angrily: "I still have..."

"Club activities? Have you considered what would happen if you infected someone else?"

A cold, indifferent voice.

He was just a little colder and made his attitude a little more assertive, but unexpectedly Kirino lowered her head in frustration.

She can't bring herself to be assertive.

Messed up.

Everything was messed up...

The physical discomfort and the psychological resilience were on the verge of collapse.

Only a last shred of pitiful self-esteem kept her calm, preventing her from bursting into tears and throwing herself into his arms to complain and whine, just like when she was a child.

She doesn't want to become the person she was when she was a child.