Well turned out I did care about waking up my parents, that Super Kyousuke's adrenaline was after all just an illusionary boost in confidence. It didn't actually provide me the ultimate resolve to tackle every problem fearlessly and succeed. In the end, like Manami said, I'm still just a normal guy. I don't think in this world exist a "special" guy. Some things just don't have a solution to it.
Where there's will there's a way
Yeah right… try willing my parents to believe I wasn't a rapist… Last night thoughts plagued my mind while I finished unpacking in my dorm. Well it was about time I moved on campus in college. Can't stay with my parents forever, that was the future regardless of whether yesterday's events happened or not.
"Ahh…so you're my new roommate."
I glanced backwards, my eyes were emotionless, I didn't feel like talking… just wanted to think, keep thinking to myself.
"Um… hello?"
This guy, at first glance he looks like one of those pretty boys you see in fashion magazines, the extra feminine ones, apparently they are really "in" right now. I never understood the appeal of guys looking like that. Whatever the hell happened to masculinity? Anyway his hair appeared to be bleached and subsequently dyed to white; at least that's what I assumed for him to get such a natural white color. He wore red contacts like Kuroneko, but unlike Kuroneko, his eyes are more blood-like crimson compared to her vibrant exotic redness.
"I'm your new roommate, Suzuki Seiryuu." He greeted, extending his arm for a handshake.
Seriously does this guy not pick up on social hints?
In any case I took his hand. "Kousaka Kyousuke" I answered in a deadpan voice. Rude of me but at this point I'm in no mood to talk.
"Say… is this an eroge?" he looked at me innocently picking up the Sis X Sis game Kirino gave me.
What!? What kind of asshole is he? Even as a roommate, at least get to know the guy first before touching his stuff!
"Someone precious gave that to me."
"Oh… but isn't weird to have it around when you have a girlfriend?" motioning at my phone that was placed on top a dull brown desk.
Wow this guy… Who snoops around other people things when you don't even know them? He had the audacity to pick up my phone just to take a closer look at me and Kirino's photo booth picture.
"No offense, but this girl is waaaay out of your league, she's hot!"
He flipped my phone open revealing the photo of Kirino wearing a skimpy swimsuit.
WOW now he's not only nosey but butting in to another person's personal business and being rude at the same time? Now I've seen everything.
Snatching back my phone, I almost yelled at him.
"Mind your own business."
"Hmm, snarky attitude, why are you in such a bad mood?" he chuckled innocently.
Honestly, who wouldn't be in a bad mood with you! Even if I didn't get kicked out my house and my parents didn't hate me with all their being I still would be in a bad mood being your roommate!
He seemed to ignore my facial expressions. "Could it be… that you're not from here?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Well… you said someone precious gave you that eroge, and there's a picture of your girlfriend on your phone. And you seem extremely moody and upset. AND this is your first day being here! So you must have transferred here and thus separated with your girlfriend and now you're sad!"
T-this guy, where the hell did he come up with that conclusion!
"Actually no, I've been attending this university since the start."
"Oh?"
"I decided to move in campus though."
"Why? You're causing your own sadness by separating with your girlfriend?"
"ACK, it's none of your business damn it!"
"You know Kyousuke-kun, a girlfriend as cute as that isn't going to stay in a long distance relationship, she may be… hehehe whisked away."
This bastard! How dare he talk about my little sister like some tramp! Kirino may be bratty but she's an innocent flower!
"Shut up."
"Ahah! I finally got an emotion out of you."
"Do you want to get punched in the face?"
"Heheh… lighten up, your first time living on campus should be exciting. Besides your girlfriend seems to be a bit young for you anyway, she won't know how to fully satisfy a man."
I'm definitely going to kill this guy.
"Why you!"
"Come I'll introduce you around~ and get you a mature girlfriend for some real fun!"
Just as I was about to give him a piece of my mind, a bulky man walked in… he was a… he was a black man! This is the first time I've seen a black man in person! Now that I take a closer look he was tall and muscular just like the TV shows and manga depicted. Wait maybe I'm stereotyping like I did to otakus before I understood them on a personal level…
I didn't have much time to think about that before my arm got pulled by the overenthusiastic Seiryuu. The man walked inside our room… ahh so I had a second roommate.
"That guy's our roommate?"
"Oh why do you seem surprise? Colleges have international students you know…"
"I knew that!"
That wasn't even my question! This guy…geez!
"Say Kousaka, what is your field of study anyway?"
"I haven't decided."
"Really? You haven't yet? What are you doing in college?"
If his voice wasn't so cheerful I would think he was looking down on me than again maybe he is and that voice is just to cover it up…
"I'm here to decide."
I answered bluntly; seriously this guy knows exactly how to piss me off, he's worse than my little sister. He's far more annoying and I just met him!
"Well what are your hobbies? What are you good at?"
"Geez what are you my mother?"
"I'm trying to help you Kousaka, hahaha!"
He laughed it off like it was nothing...
"Well, I read manga."
Telling him about eroge will be the end of me, plus it's not like I want to play eroge, Kirino just forces them on me.
"That's not a hobby… anyways what are you good at then?"
"Nothing, I'm just a normal guy."
"Wow how dull. Hahah!"
Damn! Damn! Stop laughing everything off like a joke! Do you know how embarrassing it is to say that to a complete stranger!
"Yeah that's me the super normal super dull super plain Kousaka Kyousuke." I muttered.
"Everyone is special." His tone suddenly turned serious.
"No what are you my mom?"
"Ehh! I mean it, you just haven't found out what you're good at, it's late but you still have time."
"Stop making it sound so casual!"
Anyway, I already left my lazy normal self a while ago, I already decided to be a person that is willing to try hard and take on any challenge, that's why I even got into this University. Got an A on both the mock exam and the entrance exam. But that was that, even when I was a kid I was good at studying when I put my mind to it, but this is different, finding what's unique inside that separates me from the others… this isn't about trying my best this about finding what I'm good at when I wasted a good portion of my life doing nothing. Now I have to catch up by doing everything and finding what I like!?
It's something I can do, if I put my mind to it.
"Well enough about you Boring-kun, let's talk about me now!"
T-this guy! Who raised this guy!
"No thanks."
"Stop being so dull."
"I just have a lot on my mind." No idea why I told him the truth but maybe if I gave my real reasoning he'll leave me alone. Although it isn't smart… I do need to make friends especially in a new environment.
"Why is it about your girlfriend? Haha, it's like you're one of those old men having a promiscuous young wife and every day at work you worry that she ran off somewhere eloping with a man her age."
"Shut up! That's not even it."
I wanted to talk to someone about it but not this guy. I don't even know him and I can tell I'll never hear the end of it if I told him my situation.
Speaking of Kirino… I glanced down at my phone.
No new messages…
Sigh she still haven't responded to me yet…
"That's not it but you're checking your phone though?"
"Do you ever mind your own business?"
"Ah!?" my phone buzzed, a new text! Perfect.
Glancing down, it was Kuroneko who had replied.
Senpai, I do not know why you needed to confirm this with me, but no Kirino had not responded to my text yet.
A wave of relief washed over me, at least she wasn't ignoring me specifically out of anger, maybe her phone got confiscated…
"Your girlfriend texted back? Heheh."
"Shut up."
Bzzzt
Oh a text from Ayase? Weird she doesn't usually text me, rather she emails me or calls me…
Come meet me in your old high school. Room 2-1. Before school ends.
Ahh… room 2-1… I recall that was my homeroom when I was a first year, room numbers rarely ever change their purpose... So… Ayase wants me to go to a classroom for first year students as a legal adult! Before school ends no less! What craziness is this!
On my way to my old nostalgic high school my mind couldn't help but keep replaying that horrendous night's event.
"Get out!"
Rough burly fingers pried me off my little sister. Before my face was pulled to face my father I could only see her frightful turquoise orbs, as red and puffy as they were from her tears they still remained beautiful…
"You, I trusted you!"
My father shouted before punching me in the face, I felt a warm liquid running down my nose. Behind our father stood our mother, she didn't have that playful smug smirk she always wore when teasing me about my sibling relationship with Kirino. Instead she had a shock, disgusted look… I see so when our mother proposed to kick me out the first time she never did suspect a thing, her reaction compared to this was night and day.
"You. You have one hour to pack up everything and leave this house, I never want to see your face again!"
From the corner of my eyes I saw the mountain of Meruru figurines stockpiled on the expensive shelf Mikagami gave me. Why did I look at it? Well because my father saw it and no doubt it my mind that his hate for otakus would boil back up to the surface, he would blame this disgusting relationship between siblings on anime and eroge again. So… So I had to say it.
"Sorry father, mother and Kirino. I couldn't control my urges and force myself on Kirino, none of this is her fault!"
"I SAID GET OUT!"
Now my father always saw through my lies… just like when he figured out that the eroge was not mine but Kirino's, but he pretended to be ignorant of it anyway, now maybe… maybe he'll show the same grace as he did before. If not well I hope my acting skill was on an Oscar level… if not…
That night was also the very first night I wandered around without a roof over my head, until my college campus office opened up… Then I signed up for a room, despite late registration I was able to get one. Now? Well now I'm walking towards my old high school. Also the high school that Ayase and Kirino now attends.
"Kousaka Kyousuke."
"I see, just sign here."
"Geez, you already know me."
"Sorry school policy." The security laughed as he handed me the paper. I didn't tell him I intended to see a first year student, a girl, a model no less! That would cause a bit of a misunderstanding… So I just said I came to see an old teacher of mine to consult him about my difficulties in college. To be honest, I did plan to do that but not before seeing why Ayase made such a strange request first.
I walked in the hallway of this familiar school, it was almost nostalgic how it felt like yesterday when I walked down these same hallways… Well it wasn't that long ago…
Ahh room 2-1… just as expected a room full of first years… geez how do I even do this, walk in explain the truth? That I'm here to see Ayase? Wow that would be beyond embarrassing for both of us… I guess it can't be helped; I lost whatever face I had left when I publicly confess to Kirino Christmas night anyway.
As I mentally prepared my speech the teacher seemed to notice me standing like an idiot at the doorway.
"Oh? And you are?"
"Kousaka Kyousuke."
"Ahh, Kousaka… I see you came to pick up your sister?"
"S-sister? Wha—"
"Isn't that why you're here?" The teacher gave me a confused look.
At the corner of my eyes I noticed Kirino, sitting in the front row, her fist was shaking, looking at her menacing eyes I almost jumped back, she looked as if she was ready to pounce at any moment.
"Thank you. Excuse us." Kirino bowed before hurriedly walking towards me, she pulled me right out the classroom, her grip was tighter than usual. I winced.
"Hey what's going on?" I asked befuddled.
"S-stop acting so casual after what happened idiot!"
"S-sorry. So what happened? You know after I got kicked out."
Kirino stared at the ground; she would have looked like a sad kitten if she wasn't so brazenly scolding me.
"Father threatened to throw them away when he gets back from work… and he cut my curfew two hours early… that's why I told you to meet me in school…"
"But why use Ayase's phone?"
"Isn't it obvious? Father confiscated my phone…" she mumbled under her breath angrily.
"I-I see."
I didn't know what else to say, I mean what could I say? To comfort her with words and broken promises would be an insult.
"Which is why I'm moving out."
"W-wait WHAT!?"
"Are you deaf, idiot?"
"Y-you! What! Where do you plan to go!?"
"Well before that, where did you go yesterday? Don't tell me you became a homeless otaku." She gripped her stomach and laughed out loud like an idiot… even when people walked by her, geez and she always scolds me for embarrassing her.
Then she stopped laughing, her face turned serious, with a frown she muttered, "don't tell me you really didn't have a place to stay in the cold…"
Ahh… how cute she was worried about me… but she kept that strong front.
"I wandered around all night, thinking of what happened. Now I'm staying at a dorm."
"Tch. Just admit it if you slept on the street"
Gah never mind she's not cute! Not cute at all!
"A-ah anyway, let's move in together." She turned her face away, she was obviously blushing hard. When I tried to look at her she turned further away closing her eyes in the process. Ahah such a cute reaction from my little sister.
"What! Don't say something so crazy."
"Well not in the dorm, but we can rent our own apartment."
She…She sounded waaaaay too calm about this!
"That's still crazy! This isn't some eroge!"
She almost looked hurt after I said that, but she quickly recomposed herself.
"I-I know idiot, I'm the one who told you not to confuse 2D with 3D!"
"T-then why were you suggesting that! We can't just elope like in eroges!"
She frowned, a growl seeped out.
"Tch, you're afraid? What kind of man are you? You already moved out…in any case father will only allow one of us to stay… and…"
"And?"
"I can't live with those strict restrictions… I can't model or hang out with my friends anymore."
"I see, I'm sorry…"
I'm such a failure, what is an apology going to do for her? I ruined her life! This is exactly what she was trying to prevent when she whispered me her proposal, a proposal I accepted yet in the end it was I who failed. I was the one who approached her, I kept up a strong front that I moved on, but deep down I wanted to be with my little sister… She was the strong one; she was always the strong one… I don't know what she saw in me… this failure of an aniki.
"Ahh forget about it, I told my parents already I'm going abroad, they agreed with my decision since… well you know."
"But you aren't are you?"
"Idiot, didn't I say I was going to move in with you?" she responded with a bright smile. Sigh how could I deny her when she is this cute?
