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Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

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Sweet Mistletoe

By Miracles79

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Chapter 1: Hopes and Fears.

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Disclaimer: The property of Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai does not belong to me, I am merely a fan, the characters and property belong solely to the owner.

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It was late at night within the Chiba region of Japan. A cold and shuddering chill sweeping across any who left the safety of their homes, although, not many could be found wondering the streets at this time. Most residents were already neatly tucked away in velvet sheets their dreams untroubled by scheming sisters or even the cold outside. However, in the Kousaka household, it was the former that caused great concern for the elder sibling.

In the silence of the house soft footsteps could be heard echoing around the halls, as well as the sharp, eerie, sounds of a floorboard creaking under the slightest pressure. These footsteps masked the sounds of the clock ticking above the figures prone form, unaware of the intruder's appearance. Without further thought, and after shutting the door very slowly, the youngest member of the Kousaka household tiptoed towards her intended target.

Kirino, taking a moment to properly appraise her target, silently tiptoed towards her aniki. He was soundly asleep, the covers resting across his midriff as he breathed rhythmically. Kirino watched him for a time, her eyes glistening slightly as she watched his peaceful expression. She enjoyed these moments. It was the only time she could truly be herself around him, a time when she could simply watch and appreciate her aniki for all of his care and consideration. She really did love him, perhaps more so that she had any right to, but she had never found an adequate way to express this. So, rather than being open and honest, Kirino allowed herself to play the coward. Only ever revealing her true feelings during these quiet moments when she felt so alive and free.

She had always been a slave to convention. Going about her life, following all of the lofty expectations placed upon her, and she never once complained. And it was all because of him. Kousaka Kyousuke. The one person she truly valued in her life, above even her parents and friends, he was the one person that really mattered. His opinion, his actions, his interests they were all Kirino ever cared about besides her own. She became famous, intelligent and sociable so that her own brother would look in her direction. He was finely looking now, after many years of isolation. Kyousuke was finally looking her way. Expectation no longer mattered to her, the expectations of her family, friends, teachers, even her own company, they no longer mattered. Kyousuke mattered, he had always mattered even during his absence.

Taking a moment to forget the past Kyousuke knelt on top of the bed, feeling the give of the mattress conforming to minimal pressure, and crawled above her aniki. He was still asleep, blissfully unaware of the circumstances which threatened him. She smiled at this realisation, Kyousuke was rarely open about his emotions but in his sleep he could not cover hide from her. He was at peace, untroubled, a look she had rarely seen from her aniki. A look she wanted to see more and more from him while in her presence.

Crawling further up Kyousuke's torso, Kirino now hovered completely above her aniki, her hands covering each side of his head and her knees resting either side of his hips. She was splayed out in much the same way a cat would, her eyes never leaving her oblivious, unwitting prey. A sudden pleasant tingle rushed through her body and she couldn't help but flush; her skin heating as her bare legs made contact with Kyousuke's.

As she watched her aniki's sleeping features, and his calm neutral expression, Kirino felt contented. She smiled down gently, feelings of love overflowing, at the one man who could never be replaced… would never be replaced. Lifting her hand, shaking slightly, Kirino gently scraped her fingers across her aniki's jaw line. The finger she trailed ending at his clavicle which she circled with tender touches. Kyousuke shifted in his sleep, his expression one of confusion rather than the happiness she had been hoping for.

"Time to wake up… Aniki!" Kirino murmured her tone light as she raised her right hand.

(SLAP!)

Suddenly lurched from his sleep, Kyousuke awoke in a surprised gasp of confusion. His awareness heightened as he clutched his now throbbing cheek in his hand. The action had, indeed, been rather startling but he was not at a loss as to who had instigated this unprovoked attack. He knew of only one person that would wake him up in this fashion. It could only have been his sister, Kousaka Kirino. As to why she was waking him up in this manner? Kyousuke had absolutely no clue.

Without turning to face his sister, Kyousuke leaned over towards his clock and was understandably aggrieved by the time it displayed. According to his clock it was now two-thirty in the morning and on the twenty first of December no less. Sighing, Kyousuke leaned back and turned towards his sister who maintained that familiar smug yet distant expression. He had become increasingly used to it, so much so that it didn't really bother him anymore.

Meanwhile, Kirino rested her hand on Kyousuke's chest, a subconscious move on her part which had been instigated without her knowledge. He reject it however so there was no reason to bring light to it or even to remove it altogether. Surprisingly, to her at least, the slap, like always, felt oddly satisfying for reasons she had never quite figured out. Kyousuke looked most displeased by this method of rousing, and despite herself Kirino couldn't understand why he'd react in this manner.

Wasn't this what every man dreamed of? Being woken by their cute and equally attractive sisters? If eroge had taught Kirino anything it was that the straight approach was always the best. Aniki's never feel for the traditional, the routine kiss on the cheek or even the childish pronunciation of "Onii-Chan." No what the feel for was the unexpected, the dominant and most especially the alluring sight of a beautiful and innocent younger sister in control. Yes, you heard correctly, Kirino was basing all her beliefs on experiences she had found in the eroge world. But seriously who does that? Perhaps in a world only god knows…

Kyousuke, meanwhile, still felt rather groggy after receiving such a firm slap from his sister and it took a while before the room stopped turning on its axis. His grogginess quickly remained short lived however when he noticed the sight of his undeniably cute and deranged sister leaning over him. The proximity they shared screamed intimate and, despite himself, he couldn't say he didn't like it.

"Uh… um, K-Kirino?" Kyousuke mumbled, looking at his computer monitor rather than his less clad sister. Despite the knowledge that this was in fact his sister Kyousuke felt his heart beat race and his face flush. His sister, the recognised model, and the occupant of man a man's dream, was straddling his waist, her face inches away from his own as he took in those familiar ocean blue orbs. The unmistakeable feel of slim and soft legs pressed into her side could also not be forgotten not her hands which gripped his own and pinned them either side of his head.

And while these actions would have normally been enough to frustrate Kyousuke, considering he was being overpowered by his little sister, it was one particular action which forced all of his previous animosity to ebb away.

Even in his drowsy state Kyousuke had become immediately aware of Kirino's position over him and how her hips seem to angle towards his crotch. She had a curvaceous and shapely body, a body that no girl her age had any right to have. Perfect had been thrown around often in his time but Kyousuke couldn't help but feel like this word described Kirino's shape in its truest form. She was beautiful, shapely, intelligent, independent and just plain perfect… but she was also his sister and that made this realisation harder to swallow.

Uncomfortable silence prevailed for a time, the two sitting in a way that only couples and lover were permitted to. In an effort to lessen the tension Kyousuke spoke up, "Um, Kirino… Was there something you wanted?"

Upon hearing this question Kirino shifted closer, her face slowly inching towards his while her hair descended across her face, a strand becoming trapped in the corner of her lips. Her soft breathing fanned his lips, an intoxicating strawberry scent wafting around him. Kyousuke, however, quickly looked up upon feeling eyes boring into his and tentatively met her gaze. His attention, as always, became fixed on Kirino's uniquely beautiful eyes before words finally descended from her lips.

"Life Counselling… Now!"

And with no room for second guessing or even elaboration, Kirino gripped the front of Kyousuke's collar and dragged him to a place he greatly feared… Kirino's bedroom.

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Entering his sister's room Kyousuke was suddenly halted by a bright light emanating from within. The intensity of the light effectively blinded and disorientated him, so much that he raised a hand to his eyes to lessen its oppressive nature. Allowing his eyes to settle and the ache to recede Kyousuke noticed, as if he could miss it, the abundance of Christmas decorations littering her room. They covered every empty canvas across the walls; from ceiling to floor nothing was untouched.

He found the sight quite odd, the Kousaka family had never really celebrated Christmas before or at least not to such a crazy extent. The sudden change was, however, brought on by Kirino's recent trip to America. Ever since her return Kirino had grown an increasing fondness for the event, especially Christmas movies such as 'A Nightmare before Christmas' and even something called 'The Hogfather.' Unsurprisingly, her father greatly disliked the idea and initially refused to even involve the family in what he believed to be 'a pointless exercise in futility.'

His unwavering stand did not last long. Eventually Daisuke was forced to submit to the real power in the family. To a woman who could invoke fear like no one else could, which is saying a lot as he is a veteran cop. The woman in question was none other than his own wife, Yoshino, who played the part of the dutiful mother as well as the fulcrum of the family.

Taking a moment to soak in the… colourful… room, Kyousuke inspected some of the baubles hanging from the ceiling. How Kirino even got them up there was anyone's guess? And it was not the only weird sight to be found in her room. The humungous tree which was bigger than the ceiling was another strange sight, its tip bent and bending towards the ground to accommodate its size. To many it may sound like Kyousuke disliked the idea of Christmas but this was most certainly not the case. He actually quite enjoyed it. As much as the next person even. But in his mind the act of celebrating such an occasion had its limits and Kirino had not only reached it but exceeded it by quite some distance.

This room was an absolute atrocity. The Ceiling littered with baubles as far as the eye could see. Tinsel draped across even elevated surface; the edges of desks, cupboards, bookshelves, wardrobes and even her laptop screen. Not even the bed survived the tinsel onslaught. The tree obviously stuck out like a sore thumb as it hanged precariously over her bed; the thought of it falling on her during sleep brought a little smirk to his lips. A sea of Christmas lights covered very other available space, and even some places already occupied… overkill to the max. The effect of these lights, the tinsel, baubles and everything else inside caused a blinding light to emanate from the room. The source of the light could have easily made any outsider believe a spell had been cast. Expecto patronum or Lumos, anyone?

To summarise, this was too much Christmas spirit for one person to have. Before he could continue his constructive criticism, or even give voice to it, he watched his sister pass and move to her desk. Watching Kirino head towards her revolving chair, Kyousuke took this as an invitation to find a seat of his own. With the absence of chairs and such Kyousuke walked towards the edge of the bed and was about to sit down when…

"Noooo! W-What are you doing?"

Halted by the abrupt scream, which held a noticeable tone of fear, Kyousuke looked at his sister in confusion. She merely sat there, cross legged, her eyes burrowing into his own, a silent threat passing between the two. Straightening his posture, Kyousuke replied. "What am I doing? What I usually do… sitting."

Shifting her gaze away from the bed, Kirino mumbled. "Y-You can't sit on my bed… baka!"

"But I've always been asked to sit here? You've never complained once. So why is this a problem now?"

Kyousuke felt hesitant to speech more because, while he wanted to point out this obvious flaw, he didn't want to feel the brunt of Kirino's anger. She usually became incensed when she felt unsettled and Kyousuke didn't want this to revert to a shouting match; it was far too early for that. Unfortunately, and just like had always been the case, Kirino's patience disintegrated quickly.

"B-Baka! I-I don't need to explain myself to you! This is my room! So… So if I tell you to move away from my bed then you will move away from my bed." Noticing her aniki's eye brow rising in question, in her mind mocking her, Kirino became incensed. This was her room. Her rules. Why did he have to bring logic into this? So what if he had sat there before… He didn't always have to sit there. Especially so close to his Christma…

"If you don't move this instant I'll make you regret it. So I'm giving you one last chance. Move! Away! From! My! Bed! Now!"

The threatening tone in Kirino's voice quickly quelled any further questions from her aniki. He didn't want to enrage his younger sister any longer, so, as politely as he could, Kyousuke lifted himself from the bed. His hands raised in surrender, noticing a strange grimace from Kirino, Kyousuke walked away slowly.

It was as he moved, however, that he suddenly noticed a strange bulge in the covers which covered the entirety of her bed. What was it? It was as if something had been hidden there but why, or what it was, would undoubtedly be left for another time. And to be perfectly honest, he didn't actually care either way. So, acting the part of the honourable and respectable aniki, Kyousuke sat on the floor and faced his sister.

Kyousuke sat in silence, and an awkward silence at that, for several more moment as Kirino started to fiddle with her fingers before turning away from him altogether. Leaning to his side Kyousuke saw Kirino typing something into her laptop. And before apprehension could get the better of him, i.e. running away for dear life, Kirino turned swivelled in her chair and faced him.

"On the 24th December I, Kousaka Kirino, invite you to the Kousaka Christmas Party."

Silence reigned supreme once more as Kyousuke digested these words. His mouth remaining open and his eyes blinking rapidly at the information he had just received. "W-What? A Christmas Party? Why are you holding a Christmas with only three days left?" Then, suddenly remembering the name of the party, Kyousuke's eyes widened. "W-Why is it called the Kousaka Christmas Party? That makes it sound like we're co-hosting? I never said…"

Realising the tone he had taken with his temperamental sister Kyousuke feared the impending backlash. He expected an outraged or perhaps even violent reaction. What he didn't expect was a calm and rather detailed explanation which answered all of his questions.

"Alright, well, that was a lot to take in. So I'll answer those questions chronologically. Firstly, yes, we will be holding a Christmas Party. As for the name… does it really matter? I just named it something simple and the Kousaka Christmas sounded appropriate. It is taking place at our house, after all. I didn't want to call it something stupid like 'The Best Christmas Party ever!' so this will have to suffice." Kirino informed, her fingers rubbing against the cotton of her shorts. "And… as for us co-hosting the party? I was hoping you would co-host the Christmas Party with me. A-And you can't say no. This was already decided last week and I cannot change my plans now so… so take responsibility!"

Processing this information, Kyousuke looked at his sister with utter and total disbelief. He had always known about his sister's tendency to be manipulative and controlling but this was an obvious breach of his freedom. A helpless feeling of being trapped washed over him. A feeling placed there not due to his mistakes or miscalculations but by the whims of his deranged and unsympathetic sister.

Composing himself, fighting off a torrent of insults and questions, Kyousuke replied. "So… So you expect me to co-host this Christmas Party when, for all you known, I might already have plans?"

"D-Do you… Do you have plans?" Kirino whispered, her expression souring at this unexpected utterance.

Then, just like that, in one moment of guilt, Kirino could make all of Kyousuke's anger fade away. Just the mere sight of his visibly troubled sister was enough to bring his protective instincts to the surface. He both loved and hated Kirino for it but right now love was overcoming all over feelings that claimed his body. Feeling an unreasonable need to reassure Kirino, Kyousuke admitted. "No, I don't have any plans for Christmas Eve."

He realised his mistake almost upon utterance and at the sight of his visibly brightening sister. Had he just agreed to go to the party? Could his answer be construed as affirmation? As he thought this Kirino quickly fell back into her Tsundere persona. She had been a little more open about her emotions then she would have normally liked and had to rectify the situation. Clearing her voice, and the hair which settled on the bridge of her nose, Kirino answered. "So, it's fine right? If you have no plans then you can come after all. I don't see the problem."

Kirino's blatant change of tone reminded Kyousuke of her deception, and the need to never go down without a fight propelled him onwards. "You don't see a problem? Do I even have to mention the fact that you failed to tell me all of your plans last week? And now you spring this on me with only three days to go?"

Panicked, Kirino replied. "It just slipped my mind until recently, okay? What makes you so god damned important! A-And, regardless, we still have time. Most of the preparations have been sorted, and if we work together we can take care of the smaller things. You have no plans after all; I'm doing this as a courtesy to you. So, you should be grateful."

Ignoring Kirino's obvious jab at his social life, Kyousuke considered her words. There were several faults in her plan and he quickly brought them up, anything to avoid this Christmas Party which would no doubt be no good for him. "Y-Your idea sounds agreeable," Kirino's expression brightened instantly and he quickly continued before he could be interrupted. "But our parents would never allow the house to be used as venue for this… party. They would be beside themselves if they heard about your plan. It's regrettable but I think we need to squash this idea before you get too hopeful."

Boy had that been close, Kyousuke thought; my parents were finally useful for something other than conceiving me. Kirino had clearly forgotten about this obvious oversight which meant things could go back to normality. Plain, usual and boring normality; just the way he liked it.

But before he could rejoice in his inevitable victory, Kirino suddenly brightened even further while clapping her hands together. Her Lilith body being hoisted up and down as she jumped on the balls of her feet, this had not been the react he was expecting. "Don't worry, that's already been taken care of. I recently bought… I mean… acquired two tickets for the Cirque Du Soleil when they perform in Tokyo and gave them to our parents as an early Christmas present. I knew our parents wouldn't allow us a Christmas Party. So, I decided to get rid of them. Even though it did cost a… ah! Never mind that. What's important is the house is free!"

Gulping audibly, Kyousuke switched tactics on the fly. He had to squash this Christmas Party before it could even begin. But, how? The wheels were working furiously in his head and yet he was grasping at straws. "I-I see. But, ah, I mean, who could we even invite? I'm sure many of our friends already have plans for Christmas Eve. You planned this with three days! It's too late to ask them to come now because they will most assuredly have plans of their own."

However, as Kyousuke was about to continue with his rambling speech, he saw Kirino's smile widen, revealing a beautiful white fang at the corner of her mouth. He inwardly sighed at Kirino's reaction. The possibility of this party was becoming more plausible by the second, and that was not a good thing.

"Don't worry! The guests have already been taken care of and have been all but confirmed as attending. You didn't think I'd miss something so obvious, did you?"

"W-who did you invite, exactly?"

Smiling, Kirino recited the names while numbering them off with her fingers. "Kuroneko, Saori, Ayase and Kanako. They will all be expecting to see you at the party and have even confirmed their availability. Everything is in order and not even the smallest thing has slipped my mind. You can't be complacent when organising the best party ever!"

Giving up his subtle approach, as it was clearly not working, Kyousuke piped up and asked. "Is there any way out of this?"

"Y-Y-You Baka!" Kirino stuttered, enraged by her aniki's deceptive behaviour. The anger caused Kirino to sit up from her chair, knocking it over in the process, and glower up at him. "Sic-con, pervert, filthy molester! What do you mean 'Is there any way out of this?' You should feel honoured that I would invite someone so unworthy to the biggest party ever. You… Baka… Baka! Baka! BAKA!

"Alright, alright, Kirino please calm down. I'll come to your party but only if I can invite some of my friends too." Truthfully, Kyousuke already knew he was going before this conversation even started. It was only a question of whether he would go through by diplomatic means or be forced to go by his autocratic sister, Kirino. To Kirino, however, the reasons why he came didn't matter because at the end of the day they were just details.

Calming down Kirino slouched back into her seat, a relieved sigh passing her cherry coloured lips, no doubt tired from her previous outburst. She was so relieved. In the back of her mind she feared Kyousuke would decline her more adamantly but that had not been the case. This party was meant for Kyousuke, after all, at least in Kirino's mind. As a way to say thank you for all the work he had done to ensure her happiness. Of course she would never actually say this. So, instead, Kirino came up with this round about method which would benefit both him and herself equally.

"Alright, now that that's been sorted, I'll give you a rundown of what I have planned for the party. Firstly, food and drinks have been seen to and all food will be decorated with Christmas ornaments and icing," Before she could continue Kirino was, annoyingly, interrupted when Kyousuke raised his hand up like a silly school child. The act was indeed silly but secretly some part of Kirino felt rather elated by this 'cute' action.

"Kirino, what are Christmas related foods exactly? I've never really celebrated Christmas before so you'll have to be a little clearer."

Sighing, Kirino explained. "You really are clueless, aren't you? Right, I'll explain this to you once, so you'd better be listening, okay? Christmas related foods are things like mince pies; Chocolate Santa's, Shortbread biscuits and more sugary things then you've had hot dinners. Most of these we can buy at the convenience store but the more complex meals, such as the Christmas turkey, will be made by my Personal Chief."

"Alright, I've got it. Is that all? Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Of course I haven't finished… baka!" Kirino piped up, wetting her lips before she continued. "I have arranged many other games which we can play as well. The most popular being truth or dare and spin the bottle. Those were the games which my friends in America played the most while I was there."

"When did spin the bottle become a popular part of Christmas? I've never even heard of such a custom, are you sure your friends weren't pulling your leg?"

Exasperated by her aniki's lack of trust, Kirino rebuked his previous statement. "Of course I'm sure! They know more about Christmas than either one of us and they told me that spin the bottle and Christmas were practically inseparable. So we have to play it!"

"Right, that sounds like a lot of fun…" The sarcasm in his tone could not have been more noticeable but Kirino opted to ignore it. She didn't bring him into her room to start a fight and would get everything out that she needed too. In truth, Kirino knew she was fortunate that her aniki was coming at all. So it was best not to push him too far over the edge.

"We'll also being playing other games like how low can you go and a game called… Twister I think it was called. Ayase seemed particularly interested in that one, don't really know why."

Submitting to his fate Kyousuke nodded once in Kirino's direction and went to leave before being halted by his sister's panicked voice. "Hey! Where are you going? We're not finished yet!"

Why couldn't this nightmare be over? He just wanted some sleep, was that too much to ask?

Feeling even more frustrated than before Kyousuke sat down in a huff, crossing his arms and legs in a show of childish defiance. This act went, thankfully, unnoticed by Kirino who surveyed her room nervously, occasionally glancing in Kyousuke direction. The silence did not go unnoticed by her aniki however who looked at her with a raised eye brow, clearly confused by her suddenly anxious nature.

Noticing Kirino's frequent glances towards the wardrobe nearby, Kyousuke stood up and inspected the area when a sudden realisation hit him. Backing away from the wardrobe and staring back at his sister, Kyousuke thrust a finger towards her, defiance evident in his expression. "No Kirino! I am tired and have no time to play eroge's with you. So get…"

Before he could elaborate on his panicked sentence, Kirino quickly interrupted him with a nasty glare that could cut through bone. "Baka! It has nothing to do with that!"

Rising from her seat, and brushing past Kyousuke on purpose, and for more than one reason, Kirino arrived at the foot of the wardrobe. Reaching in, avoiding her aniki's questioning gaze, and fighting off an increasing blush, Kirino recovered a strange yet equally unpleasant costume.

"W-What the hell is that?"

Beyond speechless, Kyousuke stared at the massive costume. He knew what it was; obviously, the suit and beard were notorious with the fat jolly old man but why it was here… he did not know. And, more to the point, why was his sister holding it with an expectant look on her face? Before he could mount a defence the costume was thrown directly at him, the soft fabric colliding with his face with a dull thud.

"You have to wear this to the party. No complaints or I'll show oka-san where you hide your porn mags." Upon utterance Kirino immediately flushed crimson, a traumatising memory no doubt.

Why was she so shocked? Kyousuke wondered. He was a growing boy after all; he had certain fantasies and needs. Why couldn't he look? And why was he trying to defend himself in his own head. Surely Kirino had committed a worse crime. She had invaded his personal privacy. Who cared if he looked at swimsuit clad models? It wasn't illegal!

Returning his gaze to the Santa outfit, beard and all, Kyousuke contemplated how he had come to this point in his life. His thoughts were halted once more, however, when Kirino excitedly exclaimed. "You will be the gift bearer for our family. You will hand out presents to the other members of the party while dressed as Santa. You will also greet our guests at the door, in that costume, and welcome them in the traditional Christmas fashion."

"'Traditonal Christmas fashion?' You don't mean…"

"Exactly, HO! HO! HO! Just like Father Christmas does, understood?"

Conceding defeat, for what felt like the hundredth time in his life, Kyousuke held the costume firmly in his hands. "Is that it? Can I go, now?"

"Yes, now leave my room before you pollute it with the stench of sis-con."

Ignoring the bait, Kyousuke closed the door and shuffled towards his room in an exhausted manner. It was too early for all this! Too damn early!

But before he left he had seen something. As Kyousuke had closed the door he noticed the look of happiness on her face. It was something he had rarely seen before. That new found sparkle in her eyes, appearing at the prospect of celebrating Christmas with all of her closest friends and family. Perhaps this party wouldn't be so bad after all? If it made Kirino happy then maybe that was enough.

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Back in Kirino's room, Kirino turned away from the door and observed the wonderful decorations that adorned her room. Her smile had not dissipated since her aniki had closed the doors and, if it was even possible, it was growing wider with every passing second. Upon hearing the sound of Kyousuke's bedroom door closing Kirino walked towards her own and engaged the lock, closing her off to the world indefinitely.

Taking in the silence, and the persistent beating of her heart, Kirino made her way over to her bed. Her hand rested upon the top of a discernable bump in her covers and she smiled to herself at the gift that lay beyond it. She had finally found, after many days of searching, a gift suitable for an aniki who had meant do much to her. It was time she showed her appreciation and this time there would be no room for interpretation. She would prove to Kyousuke that she cared about him, that he was important in her life.

… It was time to be honest.

… No false tricks, no hiding and no illusions would be present.

Only honesty, pure and simple.

"It's almost time," Kirino whispered, her fingers caressing the package that lay beneath her duvet cover. "To give Aniki a Christmas he will never forget. I won't let him down. This is my gift to him and it's one that comes from the heart. I know he'll be confused but that's not surprising because my gift mirrors my feelings. But he'll accept it, I know he will!"

And with that… Kirino finally removed the duvet from the present…

End of Chapter One

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Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of this completely restructured story, it isn't completely re-written but the purpose of the story has changed completely. This will not be Kirino's quest for a kiss but something much more complex and different. More will make sense in time and I promise you will love the change because to be honest, and I am being completely honest here, the previous Sweet Mistletoe was contrived, unbelievable and poorly executed.

With this new story I am hoping to rectify that. However, I understand some viewers liked it so I am not sure what I will do with the original story. I want to delete it and keep this story as a standalone but if enough people ask for it to stay, for whatever reason, then I will figure something out. Previous chapters as you might have noticed have been deleted, all except the original first chapter because I would like to hear your opinions on each. Which one did you consider better; writing wise, content wise etc etc This obviously not mandatory so don't do it if you don't want to but I would be grateful to those who do because I want to see how much I've improved in the span of a year. I have a big opportunity coming up in a month or so, hopefully, and I would really like to hear your opinions; constructive criticism, praise or otherwise.

Thanks once again for your amazing support. I honestly cannot thank you guys enough but in time I will try

All the best and Empty Places is still on course to be updated on December 10th (Late December 9th in actuality but I will explain more in my next Author's Note in December.)