Kirino was there in the living room. She was wearing casual clothes (a pink sleeveless shirt and teal short-shorts), lying down on the couch, and talking to someone on the phone. She was holding the phone delicately in front of her face, talking into it while wearing earbuds to hear it. She was also (I couldn't help but notice) propped up on her knees a bit, which caused her butt to stick up in the air. It was swaying around as she talked energetically, giving me an amazing view.
"What are you, stupid? How could you be so stupid?" She said into the phone. I guess she was angry. Or just arguing with a certain person.
She glanced in my direction. "Yeah, yeah. I gotta go, OK? That idiot just came home. I'll talk to you later." She hung up.
I was still reeling from Manami's words, and now I come home to get insulted like this. I was used to her talking to me like that, but it still ticked me off.
"So I'm just 'that idiot', huh?"
"Yes, you are." Then she spoke more gently: "And it's, you know. Awkward to talk about you to her."
"With who?"
"The black one."
Kuroneko. I should have guessed. That was the only person Kirino could have a friendly chat with while insulting her like that. And she did tell me that Kuroneko was one of the few close friends still talking to her these days. But I was a mess right now. I was fighting back tears, worried that my oldest and best friend might hate me. I was peeved that Kirino still treated me so coldly. I was disgusted with myself for feeling the way I did about her, but at the same time, I was extremely aware of her very shapely butt waving around in those tight blue shorts.
Kirino must have noticed where I was looking. "Oi! Just because Mom and Dad aren't here, don't take that as an opportunity to sexually harass me!" She sat up quickly, and sat very straight, crossing her arms in front of her.
I sat down next to her. I looked her in the eyes. "I have to ask you... what are we now? What's our relationship?"
"Eh? What do you mean? Geez, you really are an idiot today. We're siblings, that's all. We... ended that other relationship, remember?"
Pretty harsh. I guess she didn't even want to think about what had happened between us during the last few nights.
"I, uh, just spoke to Manami."
"Hmmph." Kirino instantly soured when she heard that name.
"She seemed to sense that... something was off. I didn't really tell her anything but I think she guessed the gist of it anyway. She usually does."
"...And?"
"And... she strongly implied that she doesn't want to be friends with me anymore."
"Hahahaha!" Kirino laughed. "Stupid frumpy glasses girl! Serves her right! Yeah, she's better off being alone!"
Now I was really getting angry at her. "What are you saying? You know she's been my close friend forever. You used to be friends with her too! This is really painful for me!"
She looked away. "Yeah but it's... you know. It's my win."
"So you were in a competition with her?"
"Yeah. well, sort of. Not like she had any chance."
"But we're just siblings right? That's what you said earlier. Our relationship hasn't changed at all?"
She flushed a little. "ye...yeah."
Ok, time out. I had a choice to make here, and it was a pretty important one. If this was an eroge, these would be my choices:
[ 1: Declare my eternal love for Kirino ]
[ 2: Agree that we are just siblings and nothing more. Leave to go make up with Manami ]
[ 3: Fondle her boobs ]
What do you think I chose? Well... please bear in mind that I really wasn't thinking straight. I was still pretty angry at Kirino for her harsh comments. But not quite angry enough to deny my feelings for her, and I knew I couldn't make up with Manami unless I did. And... I was still pretty turned on from remembering what we had been doing at night, and from seeing her body. The way she crossed her arms really pushed up her chest and made it more prominent. So... option 3.
And you know what? She let me do it! For several seconds she just sat there, not making a sound, as I blatantly groped her chest.
Then she slapped me. Of course. I mean, what else had I expected? I don't know. I guess I made the wrong choice. Or maybe I just needed to earn more affection points with her.
"You.. you idiot! Idiot hentai! Just go die!" She screamed at me, and ran up the stairs to her room. Ok, yeah, I definitely made the wrong choice. Where's the button to reload?
Of course in real life you can't reload, you can only move forward. Someone had given me similar advice once, although they had worded differently. "A curse cannot be undone. It can only be overwritten by another, more powerful curse." I only know one person who would say it in such a chuunibyou way. Despite her silly mannerisms, she was still a very intelligent and sensible person. I decided to call her for advice, since she had just been talking to my sister and might have some insight. But first, I went outside- I didn't want Kirino listening in on this.
*ring, ring*
"...Yes?" She answered, but I couldn't tell if she recognized me.
"...Uh, hi. Kuroneko." I still felt awkward calling her that, but her real name felt even more awkward. "This is Kyousuke. Kousaka. Uh, how are you?" Man, this was lame. I had dialed her without thinking too much, but now I felt awkward.
She laughed. "My soul remains cloaked in darkness."
"Uh, that's good." Was it? I wasn't sure. "Anyway, uh, it's been a while."
"Yes it has. And this crude tool is no means for our souls to reconnect. You must journey to my abode."
"...What?" I wasn't following her at all. I'd fallen out of practice at understanding her.
She sighed. "Come to my house. If you take the #237 bus, it should only take you about an hour."
I glanced at the clock. It was still only about noon. With Manami and Kirino both mad at me, it wasn't like I had anything else planned for the day. I still felt awkward seeing Kuroneko again, but I really did want to talk to her and get her advice.
"Fine. You still live at that place in XXX right?"
"Eh? Really? Um, yes I do." She seemed surprised that I'd actually agreed.
"OK. I'll be there in about an hour then. Should I bring anything?"
"Um... no. but please wait a bit. I shall require two hours to prepare the spirits of darkness here."
"Oh, sure." At least that part I understood. Kuroneko had a lot of responsibilities at home, including taking care of her two younger sisters. So after saying our goodbyes (hers was more chuuniibyou nonsense), since she had asked me to wait, I killed some time by playing eroge. I'm a very responsible person like that, always making the most of my time. This time, I played the alternative route of Rena, the one with the darker, goth-themed girl. I didn't get to any H-scenes, but I did enjoy how pretty her design was.
Anyway, after an hour of eroge and an hour on the bus, I arrived at Kuroneko's place. I had been there before, but only met her outside. I did feel a bit awkward. The last time I'd been here place, she had confessed her feelings to me, and tried to restart our relationship, but I turned her down.
The door opened and... there she was, looking just like I remembered. Long, dark hair, red colored contacts, and a black gothic lolita cosplay outfit. Except- was it just my imagination? She was a little bit taller and her chest a little larger than I remembered.
"You've done well to make it this far." She said. Her usual grandiose greeting.
"Uh... thanks. Yeah, it's a long bus ride here from Chiba."
"Indeed. Um, come in." She waved me inside.
I stopped in and took off my shoes. "Are your sisters here? I wanted to say hello to them too."
"No... they are temporarily absent from this realm."
"Your parents, too?" The last time I'd seen her parents was just after we'd broken up, and it was pretty awkward, but I still felt like I should at least say hello to them.
"They are also departed. Our souls will not be disturbed here."
She made it sound like they died, but they were probably just on a trip or something. Anyway... now I was feeling even more awkward. I never thought I'd be alone with Kuroneko at her house again.
"So um... I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner. Things got messed up with graduation, and college, and... other things."
"You mean, your relationship with your sister. Yes. I understand."
"Ah, yes. But, you know we broke up, right?"
"Yes." She smiled. "Our soul bond tells me all of these things."
"Well.. actually there are somethings I wanted to discuss with you, and get your opinion on."
"Sure. But first, come to my room. There are some artifacts I need to show you."
I followed her to her room. Unlike mine, this one was crammed full of interesting things. A sewing machine. Posters from her favorite anime and manga. A desk with a computer, two monitors, and a drawing tablet.
She gestured me over to the computer, and showed me some of the projects she was working on. A manga (I couldn't follow the story, but the illustrations of gothic-themed monsters were very cool), a novel (very long and crammed with obscure Kanji), and a new VN (still too buggy to play, but the opening scene of a dark fantasy world was amazing).
I couldn't help be be impressed once again by this girl. She was so productive and creative! And I knew she had to do all this while also taking care of her sisters, and working a part-time job... it was really incredible how much she accomplished, even if it was a bit (well, very) chuunibyou. I felt a little guilty for being so lazy in comparison.
Still, I had come here for a reason. There was something important that I needed to ask her about.
"Kuroneko... you said once, that you would even accept it if I, uh... did things... with my own sister."
She blushed. "Maybe I said something like that. I can't remember."
"Do you still feel that way?"
She looked at me sharply, straight in the eye. "Did you?"
"Um... no. But... I think we almost did. I know it's wrong, and it's a stupid, terrible idea but... part of me still wants to, you know?"
"I understand."
"You do?" How did she understand me? Was she a genius?
"Give me a minute to prepare my thoughts. I will show you another project that I've been working on. One that I believe will solve your dilemna.
She left the room. She came back about 10 minutes later, wearing... something incredible. It was the "Elven Garb" she'd worn for me once before when we were dating- a very tiny, black, two-piece bikini with bits of lace, and a cat tail. Except that she'd modified it to fit her growing body, so the skimpy material was even more revealing. To put it simply, it was incredibly erotic.
"Do you like it?" She asked shyly.
I nodded. I didn't trust myself to speak. I didn't know where to look, but my eyes wandered over her body.
"As you know, I care for Kirino very much. So I understand how you do, too. But I also know that you are a shameless male." Here she looked me in the eye, and I felt guilt. "Do not be ashamed, that is simply your weak male human nature. It cannot be helped. Kirino does have a physical form that most males would find... enticing. So perhaps your feelings have been warped by her cursed body."
She stepped closer to me. She put her arms around my neck. "But my body is also rather well formed, is it not?"
"Yes." I couldn't help but agree. Her body wasn't quite as slim and toned as Kirino's, but her soft, pale skin was very attractive in its own way. And there was so much of it on display right now!
"You're very sexy." That was all I could think to say. It was the simple truth.
She blushed. "Then... do you want to...?"
"Do I want to what?"
She glanced purposefully at the bed, then back at me.
"I... what!" My brain was short circuiting. "No we can't..."
"Do not worry. I have been taking... precautions. I foresaw that this day would come."
"I mean... we shouldn't...me, you. Kirino." I was babbling, trying to look away but also still staring at her almost-naked body.
"Do you not find me attractive?" She sounded very worried.
I gulped. Without thinking, I blurted out how I was feeling. "Um, you're super sexy! I've always thought so, and right now you look incredible! I want to do it with you more than anything! But we shouldn't... do that... right?"
She grinned. With my declaration, her confidence was back. She dove onto the bed, landing on all fours. She wiggled her butt at me, almost bursting out of the tiny bikini, and the tail wiggled along with it. "I think we should. Are you sure you don't want to? ...Nii-san?"
OK, that was it. All rational thought had left me. I followed her to the bed. She was still in that provocative pose, shaking her rear end at me. I placed my hand on her back. She moaned. I pulled down her bikini. The tiny area it concealed was now visible. My body ached for her. I fumbled with my belt, and pulled down my pants in a rush.
I was no longer thinking about right and wrong, I simply wanted her so very badly. The last few days had turned my brain into a mush of horniness and frustration. Now I had Kuroneko's warm, sexy, female body right in front of me. My cock stood tall and proud, dominating my brain for control of my body. I reached for her waist, and pulled her towards me. My cock head poked into her right butt cheek, and I awkwardly moved it, searching for that magical place of hers- a place my body longed for, but had never felt before.
"Tadaima-! We're home!"
I wasn't thinking straight at all. I still yearned for her. Nothing else seemed important except the urge to push my body into hers. But she was thinking more clearly than me. She turned around, and placed a hand on my chest.
"Sshh- that's my sisters. Please, be quiet. I'm sorry, but we have to stop."
I was slowly regaining my senses. I understood the situation, and I certainly didn't want to get caught like this. But my body still wanted more.
"Um... what should I do?" I asked.
She shoved my clothes at me. "Take these, go into my closet, and get dressed. Hide in there until I signal you to come out."
"But... I..." I'm not sure what I was objecting to, exactly. But this all seemed very unfair.
"Go!" She hissed, and shoved me. I did as she asked. There was just barely enough room in her closet for me to squeeze in. Just as I got the door closed, I heard Kuroneko's bedroom door open and someone ran in.
"Nee-chan! Nee-chan!" That must be Hinata, the older of the two imoutos in this family,
I was standing there in Kuroneko's closet. It was dark, and filled with clothes, so there was barely enough room to stand. The fact that a certain part of my body was still sticking straight out didn't help, either. I fumbled around, trying to put my clothes on as quietly as I could. While I was doing that, I heard voices on the other side:
"Hey, hey, nee-chan, what are you doing?"
"Nothing. Get out."
"Hmm? Then why are you wearing that funny bikini?"
"It's um... needed for um... summoning the forces of darkness."
"The forces of darkness? Is that who those strange shoes by the front door belong to?"
"Get the hell out!"
"No! Where is he!? I want to see him too!"
I heard running on the other side. It sounded like a battle was being fought on the other side, with Kuroneko trying to force her sister out of the room, and Hinata (that was her sister's name) trying to evade capture.
Then, without any warning for me, the closet door opened. Luckily I had just finished getting my clothes back on, although they were a mess. There, standing in front of me was Hinata, Kuroneko's very rebellious and precocious little sister. I think she was about 10 years old, but seemed unusually sharp for her age, and unfortunately this was one of those times.
"Aha!" She said, gleefully. "Caught you! Hello, Kyousuke!"
"Uh... hi." I said, lamely. I looked towards Kuroneko, who was standing behind her. She had apparently just put the elven garment back on, since that was the only clothes nearby. She still looked very erotic, but now she also looked very scared and angry.
"So... what were you two doing? Playing hide-and-go-seek?" She asked. What a cheeky little brat!
"Uh, nevermind." I answered. "Hinata-chan, is the rest of your family here?"
"No, it's just me. My parents are still out with Tamaki. But we can play together!"
Usually I liked Hinata, but right now I was in no mood for her shenanigans. I grabbed her arm and, with some assistance from Kuroneko, hauled her out of the room. We the door behind her.
We stared at each other. An awkward silence, except for Hinata pounding on the door. We sat down on the floor.
"So..." I began.
"Um, yes. I apologize for the disruption. Apparently there was a curse on my preparations for today."
"It's fine. I understand. I didn't give you much notice, calling you up suddenly and coming over like this."
"...True. Next time, please give me more time to prepare. But, this wasn't a complete surprise."
"It wasn't?" Did she have a tracking device put on me?
"Kirino... tells me some things. Others, I can guess. Remember that your soul still belongs to me, thanks to our 'Soul Bond'."
"So... you know that we broke up some time ago. Back in March, actually."
"Yes, of course. She told me that when our group met in Akiba this summer. And you did seem more like your old selves, then."
"I guess that was the last time I saw you. When was that, June? It's September now. Three months ago."
"Yes. to be honest, our group is not as close as it once was. It's hard to go back to our normal Otaku ways after the drama that happened with you two."
Now I felt guilty. "Did you all go to summer Komiket this year?"
"I went by myself. Saori was doing something with her sister, and I didn't want to go with just Kirino."
Even more guilt. The pounding on the door finally stopped, although I kind of wanted a distraction right now.
"I'm sorry. I caused you a lot of trouble. Uh, I could have gone together with you and Kirino, if you needed someone else there, you know?"
She glanced at me sharply. "Are you trying to cause even more trouble between us? What do you think it is that we fight about the most?"
"Anime?"
"Well... that too. But also.. something else."
"Something else? Is it something that I can help solve?"
"Yes. You can solve it right here and now."
"Eh? Ok! Just leave it to me!" That was one of my life mottos- I liked being able to help other people.
"Make love to me."
I nearly choked, I was so surprised. How could she say something like that, with such a straight face?
"You... you still... want to.. do that... with me?" That was all I could manage in response. As a normal guy, of course I still noticed her sexy body in that tiny cosplay bikini, but the interruption from Hinata and the discussion of Kirino and past events had killed the mood for me."
She stared at me very intensely. "I have given this matter much consideration. After performing various rituals and consultation with other dark spirits, I have determined that this is the only way to resolve the matter between the three of us, and to save the two of you from your horrible curse. Your soul belongs to me, but that evil girl has been corrupting it by trying to steal your body. The only way to secure our soul bond is to perform this... ritual... with our bodies."
My face flushed as I mentally translated what she was saying. She wanted to have sex with me, in order to make us a couple again and take me from Kirino? And somehow she knew that me and Kirino had done some H stuff recently?
"Didn't you once say that you were Kirino's truest friend, and that you would even help her... do that with me?"
"I am her truest friend. But I was wrong to say that. Because I am her truest friend, I need to protect her from herself. If I allow her to continue down that cursed path... it will not end well. For either of you. And I think you are also aware of that, somewhere deep in your soul. Are you not?"
I didn't answer. "So are you just forcing yourself to do this, to make me and Kirino break up? To uh... protect us from ourselves?"
She shook her head. "No. That is only part of it. I also... have my own dark desires. For myself. Please... complete the soul bound. Give me your body."
She reached out and lightly touched my shoulders, moving her face very close. I think she was trying to kiss me, but I moved away.
"Um, I'm sorry. I got carried away earlier. I shouldn't have done that. I have already decided to go out with Kirino again. Please don't tempt me like that again."
"Then... why did you come here..? You useless idiot."
"I just wanted advice on how to talk to Kirino, that's all. I didn't think anything like this would happen!"
"Advice!? Fine. Here's some advice. Don't come here again. Don't talk to me again. Prepare for a lifetime of pain and humiliation. Because that girl will never stop insulting you, and no one else will want to be around the two of you, either. I thought I could still be friends with the two of you but... I can't."
"You can't? Why?"
"Because seeing you together with her, as lovers, is far too painful. Even for me, who enjoys pain, there are limits. I thought you were just an extremely shameless male who would do anything to satisfy his base desires, so I was going to help you. Satisfy yourself with my body, then I think you will no longer feel any desire for Kirino."
I still felt a lot of temptation from her words, and from her body. But this time I held strong.
"No. I'm sorry, Kuroneko. I still like you a lot, and you are very sexy. But my love for Kirino remains. I messed up today, but I will be true to her."
"Then go!" She yelled. "Never speak to me again! And.. do better. Don't fucking cheat on her, if you're going to be with her!"
I left, feeling overwhelmed in shame, lust, and confusion.