I really don't want to be reborn.

Kyosuke, that bastard, hasn't come back yet; I'm a little upset.

I've already had dinner, but that jerk still hasn't come back. I'm so upset.

What is that guy doing in Kasumigaoka?

Kirino felt a little sad and wanted to cry every time she thought about it. She immediately rubbed her eyes to wipe back the tears that were about to come out.

She stubbornly bit her lip.

Kirino is no longer a child. She believes she has grown up and should be a composed adult, just like her cunning and treacherous older brother.

No emotional outbursts, no secret longing, and no looking back.

Her head was spinning, and she had become sluggish from thinking too much, so she didn't notice that Kyosuke had returned and walked right past her.

The night outside the window was heavy and dark.

"Is Kirino asleep? I checked her window before I came in and the light wasn't on."

This was the first thing Kousaka Kyosuke said when he got home.

"No lights on? I wonder what that child is up to. Why don't you go upstairs and check on your sister after you finish eating?"

"Okay, Mom."

Yoshino's mother nudged her son's chest with her elbow and winked, "Did you go to Tokyo with Shiyu this afternoon?"

"correct."

Mom's interest grew even stronger: "How was it?"

He carried a bowl of reheated food: "My book is going well, and I expect it to be published soon. She also went to submit her manuscript, and it seems she had a great chat with the female editor there."

Jia Nai's mother looked displeased: "I didn't ask you any of that."

"Oh, it's tempura... Respected Mother, what is it you want to ask? Could you please wait until your son finishes eating before you ask?"

"No! I'm asking how your relationship is going."

As expected, Kyosuke Kosaka sighed helplessly, wondering if mothers were particularly curious about this kind of thing.

This is really juicy gossip!

"Let's just call you Gossip Monster."

"Hey, your dad and I are a little disappointed that you're back so early today. We thought you weren't coming back."

He swallowed a mouthful of food: "Dad will definitely not be disappointed. He is a believer in premarital chastity and often instills the right ideas in me and Kirino."

"Let's not talk about that old fogey... Kyosuke, what's going on between you two? Did you hold hands? Did you hug? Did you kiss?"

Kyosuke clicked his tongue in amazement, finding it hard to imagine that a gentle middle-aged woman would show such a lewd expression when gossiping about her son, just like Akagi Kohei.

He put down his chopsticks: "You really want to know?"

"Of course, of course!"

He grinned mischievously: "I'm not telling you."

His mother was so angry that she ran away. Kyosuke slowly finished his meal. He felt that the food he had eaten late was like money he had found. But then he felt bad for his mother for heating up his food for him.

After finishing his meal and taking a shower, he knocked on his sister's door: "Kirino, are you asleep?"

A gasp suddenly rang out in the bedroom, followed by a dull thud as something fell onto the cushions. The lights came on, the door opened, and he noticed that his sister's posture when opening the door was somewhat awkward.

What happened to your foot? Did you twist it?

"No, I'm just a little stiff from sitting for so long. By the way, have you eaten?"

Being cared for by his spoiled younger sister, he felt the room's light was as warm as a drop of melted butter: "I just finished eating... Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

Her younger sister stared intently at his face, her eyes searching like the faint stars in the dawn sky. Finding nothing like a kiss mark or lipstick stain, Kirino's deadpan expression slowly softened.

"So, tell me about today's gains. How was your trip? In places like that, newcomers usually encounter difficulties, right?"

"No, the editorial staff are all fine."

"Where's Kasumigaoka? I bet she didn't come with you to be your bodyguard, did she?"

"Her..."

Kyosuke frowned as soon as he opened his mouth. When did his sister become as gossipy as their mother? And even use this indirect approach? What was she trying to get out of him?

Kirino asked curiously, "How is she?"

He gave the guy a strange look: "What does it have to do with you what she does? You never mention her at all. Kirino, are you like Mom, wondering if your brother is in a relationship or not?"

Kirino blushed: "Then... then have you ever been in a relationship?"

These words were spoken haltingly and tremblingly, sounding like a shout coming from within, carrying intense emotion.

"Well... I'm not telling you."

Amused by her brother's words, the girl pouted in disdain: "Are you a child? What's so shameful about this?"

After showing her disdain, Kirino fell silent.

Does the phrase "I won't tell you" imply an implicit agreement?

She didn't know if it was true or if her brother was really dating someone else, but she knew that the two of them had definitely taken a big step in that direction today.

So they are getting further and further away from themselves.

Her suspicions seemed to be confirmed, and she became increasingly aggrieved, which slowly turned into anger. Then, Kyosuke Kosaka discovered that his sister was glaring at him for no apparent reason.

Failed poets often become angry critics.

Just as bad wine can often be turned into good vinegar, the sour smell is overwhelming as soon as the lid is opened.

"Speaking of which, I haven't asked you yet, why didn't you turn on the lights last night? What kind of magical new play is this? Meruru's locked room imprisonment?"

His younger sister pounced on him, viciously grabbing his neck: "I won't tell you!"

…………

Strange, strange, really strange.

Kyosuke Kosaka found it really strange. Kirino had been sullen ever since she got home, and he thought she was angry with him again, but then she came into his room at night.

What the hell is she thinking?

Aren't you playing games tonight?

"I want to write a novel! I want to write things I like!"

"Please take your time writing. Don't talk so enthusiastically. This isn't the set of some action-packed anime."

Kyosuke sat down next to her. He hadn't turned on his computer to write tonight, intending to take a break: "Well, what do you like? Find a game you feel really resentful about and write fanfiction about it."

"Not reconciled?"

"You know, those games or anime that make you cry your eyes out, you should have some in your collection, right?"

Kirino froze, then stormed into her room, grabbed a bunch of game boxes, and placed them one by one in front of him.

"This is Hatsune Miku Island, um... this is the CD version."

This is the DVD version!

"This is White Season. I heard this version was released just before New Year's Eve!"

"And this is from last year's Summer Vacation..."

Kirino put her hands on her hips and waved them confidently: "Let's use this as the theme! What are you doing?"

Kyosuke Kosaka fiddled with a game box and asked with great interest, "Is this for adults only?"

"……no."

"Then I won't play."

------

The power outage has lasted until now.

Let me check how many recommendation votes I have. If I have too few, I'll update one less chapter.

Chapter Thirty-Three: What she really wanted to say was—"I am your 18+ game."

"Hatsune Island? Hatsune Island... Let me see this."

Kyosuke Kousaka stroked his chin, trying to recall something, and soon remembered: "Nanao...it's her. No wonder this art style looks so familiar."

Hearing her brother suddenly utter a woman's name, Kirino leaned closer again: "Who? Who are you talking about?"

"You don't know? When I saw the huge difference in art style between the male protagonist and the female protagonists in the game you're playing, I knew who the illustrator was."

Yes, I remember.

He still had some impression of this illustrator named Nanao Naru, not because she was the most outstanding imitator of "323 Ei", nor because she was one of the most well-known female illustrators at present.

Rather, it was because... he remembered that she seemed to be a beautiful young girl.

Hey, beautiful girl illustrator.

Kousaka asked her sister to search for information, and the first thing that came up was a game development trailer called "Eternal Wings", which was announced last month.

The new game illustrated by Nanao Naru is quite different from her previous visual novels. It doesn't encourage players to focus on appreciating the story rather than trying to complete the game.

The game's main storyline unfolds chronologically through flashbacks, and the player's choices determine whether to continue watching or end in a bad end, thus significantly differing from traditional visual novels.

Simply put, it's like half an anime. As Kirino browsed through it, she asked, "Hey, you seem really familiar with all this, even though you don't usually play games, right?"

She was always very concerned about her brother meeting other women, though she herself didn't realize it, and of course, neither did Kousaka Kyosuke. When he heard his sister's question, he casually replied, "I bought a game she illustrated two years ago. I don't know if you've played it, 'Mizuka.' Have you played it?"

"Um...no."

He nodded knowingly: "That's not a sister-themed game, and it also has a shrine maiden character. Let me tell you, games with shrine maiden characters are usually quite depressing."

Kirino sneered: "Yes, just like anything related to witches is depressing."

Still holding a grudge about "The Witch's House," she shouted, "Meruru is a magical girl, but what kind of witch did you give me to play with? Can magical girls and witches be the same? Can these concepts be the same?! You idiot!"

"..."

"Hmph, just like those Fallen Beasts, Meruru could crush them with a single finger!"