During the summer, I visited an island at the south side of the country.
In front of me was the wide beach and the vast sea. The beautiful blue waves sparkled in the sunlight. Under this light, all of my sunburns disappeared.
This is how a summer is supposed to be!
I turned around. Behind me was a mountain and a forest without any signs of human habitation. No hotel, no fastfood restaurants, no nothing. All of this had a wild nature which made people feel relaxed.
Yes – it was like we were in a fantasy land.
“How’s my island? Beautiful, right?”
A familiar voice spoke to me. I turned and saw a blonde girl with beautiful eyes in a very-dangerous-looking bikini.
“You, you…this…this is…!”
“Ehehehe ~~”
It was Yamada Elf – the famous novelist and my next door neighbor. She spread her hands wide and boasted:
“Your heart must be racing upon seeing my bikini – Izumi Masamune!”
“You really are too much!”
It’s not that I don’t like girl’s bikinis, I just had no interest in them.
But with this bikini….really, I don’t know where I should be looking.
Her pure snow-white skin glistened, and you could just catch a brief glimpse of some red underwear….how could she have such confidence? She’s almost flat!
But…ugh..even I don’t want to admit, but….she’s really cute.
Eromanga-sensei would praise her non-stop if she were here.
“I, I, my heart isn't racing at all.”
I turned away to try and hide the blush spreading across my face.
“Ahaha…Kufufufu…..I see…trying to be a tsundere….”
Elf said like she could read my mind, then she ran up to, and stopped right in front of me.
“Remember to thank me properly – it’s an honor to be allowed to visit the location of my novel.”
I averted my eyes away from Elf’s breasts and looked directly at her:
“Your novel’s…location?”
“Yes. My masterpiece The Expurgatory flame of Dark Elf’s setting is based on this island!”
“Ah…no wonder it felt so familiar.”
In her debut, she once made a description of an elf’s forest.
The weather, the air, the scene – if everything was taken from here, then the time I spent here could be called a Holy Land pilgrimage
Then ---
Why am I here, at the Elf’s forest, or should I say Elf’s island?
”Ehhhhhhh ~~~ you guys have never gone to Taiwan before? Ahahaha! That’s so lame ~! Unless you have attended an event for novelists at Taiwan, you’re only a second-rate writer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”
Everything began with those words from Elf. That was a few days ago.
After the world light novel tournament party ended, we gathered around and ate desert. Elf made a comment when I brought her shaved ice:
“The shaved ice that I ate in Taiwan was much better than this!”
Before I could ask if she wanted to start a fight or not, Shido-kun defused the atmosphere:
“Taiwan huh. I’ve heard that famous romance-genre novelist are often invited. I’ve never been there before. What about you, Muramasa-san?”
“Me neither…probably.” Muramasa-senpai whispered.
As a famous novelist, there is no way she didn’t get an invitation before. I bet she was invited but forgot about it. Or maybe she even forgot that she rejected them.
“Well, you didn’t even go to the signing event in Kanto, of course you wouldn’t go aboard.”
“You’re right, I won’t. It’s such a waste of time. I’d rather be writing.”
She only cared about writing, nothing else mattered.
“What about you, Masamune?”
“I’ve heard about it, but both Eromanga-sensei and I have never been there.”
Especially in the recent years, Japanese novelists and illustrators sometimes were invited to attend events in Taiwan. A few years ago, there was a light novel author who visited there, and met two beautiful girls who cosplayed as characters from his own work and he took a picture with both of them holding his hand. That certainly caused a lot of jealousy from others.
Everyone saw that picture,and the Internet exploded.
---- Is this for real? Not a photoshopped picture, is it?
---- Taiwan sugeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!
---- Me too me too! I want to go to Taiwan too!
From that moment forward, an invitation to Taiwan became a symbol of status among Japanese light novel writers. Rumors spread quickly among the amateur light novel writers.
Like Taiwan is filled to the brim with beautiful girls!
Like in Taiwan, everyone scrambled to kneel down and lick the feet Japanese light novel writers!
Like Taiwan is the place for light novel writers to have fun – etc…
Of course, all of them sounded too strange to be true.
“But I hope that someday I can go there together with Eromanga-sensei.”
Although I knew that there was a good chance that someone else would be there too – but this is a chance to go abroad with my little sister! What a wonderful idea!
“……..”
Hearing my dream, somehow Shido-kun looked as pale as a ghost.
…Not good. He totally thinks I’m gay. He must be thinking that I wanted to go aboard alone with Mr. Eromanga-sensei.
Well judging from the way Eromanga-Sensei and I spoke to each other during the party, a misunderstanding is unavoidable.
I can’t leave it like this. I must solve it somehow. Yet at the same time there’s no way I could explain everything to him.
When I was hesitating, after learning that Elf was the only one who had visited Taiwan, Elf said the previous line ---
“It can’t be helped then. I never thought that I’d be the only one who had visited Taiwan. Taiwan is really beautiful ~. The weather is warm, the watermelon juice is wonderful. There are really good dumplings and other tasty food. I learned a lot from them.”
“Based on what you said, you went there for no reason other than eating.”
「Yet after eating so much you are still flat chested. Poor girl. 」
Both Eromanga-Sensei and I (via the tablet) teased her. Elf roared:
“What the hell? I was thinking of making Taiwanese food for you guys!”
「Ah, in that case I want it. 」
Eromanga-sensei corrected her words.
“Hm! Just wait until my mood gets better! Ah, now that we’ve mentioned Taiwan, I want to go. Since we are having summer break, both Muramasa and Masamune have finished their manuscripts, everyone want to go?”
“No no, I don’t think that you should go. Elf-sensei, don’t you still have a lot of work to do?”
「Your novel is going to be made into an anime right? And made into games too. 」
Both Eromanga-Sensei and I voiced our concerns.
“It’s ~ fine ~ ♪ There is still a lot of time ♪ I can work whenever I want ~!”
She’s definitely the type who never gets anything done.
“What about you, Muramasa?”
“My time is better spent writing than coming with you. I’m not going.”
Directly to the point. Well, she’s always like that.
“……So are you saying that you are going to spend your entire life at home? What about you, Kuminitsu? You’re about twenty, it’d be great if you could be our guardian on this trip.”
“I’d come if everyone got together.”
Shido-kun calmly answered before looking at me.
Hearing everyone’s opinions, I waved my hands in rejection.
“No matter what anyone says, Taiwan is impossible. I don’t have a passport.”
“Ha? Are you for real?”
“Of course. I have never gone abroad in my life.”
"Ehhhh!? ~~~~ I can't believe it! No wonder you can only speak Japanese! You are an author, what would you do if your book is going to be sold abroad? Don’t you plan to translate it yourself?"
"No no no, I think that you are the only author that actually does that. Everyone else just asks a professional translator."
"But you still need to learn! Don’t you care about what foreign readers think about your story?"
Learn? Learn my ass. Look at you, you can’t even do basic math.
But she did translate her own story to a foreign language. She's amazing.
"Well, forget it. You can't go aboard at this rate. Let's go somewhere else. Three days and two nights, an island to the south of the country. How about that?"
"Yeah yeah, whatever. I'm not going."
"Eh? Why? You’re going to go with me! Don’t you feel that it’s an honor!?"
"Nope, I don’t."
" --- Ah, you mean you want the two of us to go alone? I understand your intentions, but…."
"No! Why is it that you sometimes refuse to understand human languages? I will not…leave my little sister at home alone. I’m not going to go, okay? End of story."
"…….Who would think that that was your reason. Any comments, Eromanga-sensei?"
「 .........I….I…have no comments….but I feel it’s gross… 」
Eromanga-sensei returned to her usual way of speaking. Although it hurt me a bit, I continued:
"I don’t care whether it's gross or not. I will die of loneliness if I'm unable to see my little sister for three days."
"You’re not worried about what will happen to your little sister, but instead care what will happen to you?"
"Yup."
I raised my head and chest, and answered.
"This siscon dares to say these things in such a courageous manner…But, are you really not going? A trip with beautiful girls to an island -- I think this is a chance to improve your writing skills."
"What do you mean?"
How can a trip improve my writing skills?
"You are going to write a novel with a lot of beautiful girls, aren't you? Then this trip will give you a lot of real life experience."
"!"
"You can't miss a chance to get more reference material! This is my advice for you as a romance-genre novelist!"
"Mwu…."
Although I knew that Elf had just made an excuse to ask me to go, but her reasoning sounded solid…
Hearing my groan, Elf opened her arms wide and continued her momentum:
"You can go immediately without a reservation. The beach, the weather, everything is a precious setting for light novel! You can even use that for an anime too!"
"But…what about work…"
"Let's call this 「a trip to co-operate and get reference material」! This is something absolutely necessary for your dream!"
"You are right…kuh…..but ….I don’t want to be separated from my little sister…."
Seeing that I was slowly being convinced, Elf pointed at Muramasa-senpai's chest and added:
"If you go, you could see Muramasa and myself in a bikini."
"Hey, you idiot over there! I never said that I will go."
Ignoring Muramasa-senpai's protest, Elf kept saying:
"I will definitely convince her, what are you still afraid of? Mwu -- still not totally convinced? Alright then, here is my trump card."
"Both of us will wear erotic bikinis for you!"
"Why, why, why did you include me too!"
Muramasa-senpai blushed. She clearly didn’t have a poker face.
"Is this true?" *2
"Wait, what is with your reaction? I'm not wearing them! I will definitely not wear them!"
Senpai hugged her chest and kept shaking her head.
"In order to make this trip happen, I will make something that you can wear!"
”Uuuuuuuuuuu~~~~~~~~~~”
Truthfully, I really wanted to see. Maybe not Elf's, but senpai's bikini is another matter. If I managed to get a picture, this would be the best of the best reference material for Eromanga-sensei.
But…but….!
I breathed out, calmed my breathing and answered:
"Thank you for your invitation, but maybe next time."
At the core, I'm truly afraid of being separated from my little sister. Not to mention that if I go, Eromanga-sensei will feel that she was abandoned.
I can only go on a trip when Sagiri can leave of her room. That much is fine.
"----------"
Hearing my answer, Elf's eyes widened:
"I got it…but give it another thought, okay? I'll be waiting for your answer until tomorrow."
That night, after everyone had gone home, inside the locked room --
"….Nii-san, you should go."
"What?"
"I can stay at home alone…I will take care of our home properly."
"But….."
"You want to go, don’t you? Everyone goes together, eating together, making friends, not to mention getting reference material, seeing bikinis -- an island in the south sounds good. You’re thinking that, aren't you?"
"Yes…I am."
It is. Sagiri truly understands me best.
"But I can't leave you alone just to go."
I'm very afraid. I'm scared….of loneliness…
"It's fine. Don’t worry."
Considering that I held up inside my editor department for several days. Even though I did return later, the fact remained that I went out for three days straight. So Sagiri herself should be fine.
"The problem lies with me."
Sagiri smiled slightly "I know."
Of course. I just said that “I will die of loneliness if I'm unable to see my little sister for three days".
"We’ve rarely seen each other for a year…yet…“
"But we are still living together."
Even if we couldn’t meet, we still lived under the same roof.
Even if no one greeted me with a "Welcome back", I could still say "I'm home" every time I returned.
I'm not totally alone.
"Ehe…alright alright, I will call you every night…you should go."
Hearing her gentle voice made me so embarrassed that I wanted to die.
"….Are you my mother…?"
This sounded like an adult comforting a child who is about to go away for the first time.
Although she said she would call me every nightwhich would help relieve me of my loneliness, but I felt embarrassed just thinking about it.In order to calm down, I changed the subject.
"…What about you?"
"?"
"…You…aren't you going to feel lonely too? You are going to be separated from me for three days."
"…Pfff."
She laughed. I rarely saw her like this.
"…I'm fine. But I'm worried about you, Nii-san."
"Ah, is that so?"
I turned away.
"Are you angry?"
"Nope."
I just don’t want her to see me blush.
"Its fine, you should go. You don’t have to worry that going will mean leaving me behind. I don’t feel that way."
"….Why are you thinking of me so much?"
I secretly glanced at her. She gave me a very charming smile:
"Because I'm now drawing illustrations for The cutest little sister in the world."
"Izumi-sensei has finished the story – now it is my turn."
I see…it's about time.
Eromanga-sensei looked at me seriously, said:
"Since Izumi-sensei held up in the editorial department, I wanted to focus on working too. I will do my best -- so Izumi-sensei should try to get as many reference materials as possible. I think we both should work hard on our dream."
"….Sagiri."
Not only did she realize that I wanted to go, she even encouraged me to go, for our dream.
In that case - I have nothing else to say.
"…Got it. I will go."
"Um."
My little sister happily waved at me:
"Good luck on your trip, Nii-san."
I bet that when I returned with a souvenir --
Eromanga-sensei would be waiting with her best illustration.
She continued:
"…Actually, Elf-chan just called me…as payment for lending them Nii-san, they will co-operate with me -- for art….Ahahahahahahaha….."
A perverted laugh rang out in the night.
Anyway, that was the reason ---
In the name of "a trip to co-operate and get reference material", I and Elf went on a three days two nights trip to an island in the south of our country.
I had noticed a bit of this before, but it seemed like Elf's family is insanely rich. Based on what she said, money was never a problem.
In other words, Elf's family was similar to mine. Of course I had no intention of asking her about such a private matter.
Anyway, when I and my neighbor arrived at the Haneda airport, we saw Shido-kun there, waiting for us.
"Good morning."
He waved his hands and greeted us.
"Good morning, Shido-kun."
"Morning."
By the way, today Elf only wore a simple miniskirt. But since she added a lot of frill, it doesn’t look much different from usual. On the other hand, I and Shido-kun wore a short shirt.
"Say, what do you guys think Muramasa will wear today?"
"I bet it's going to be a kimono again - there is a good chance she will."
Both Shido-kun and I agreed.
Aside from the light kimono for summer, we have never seen her in any other clothing. Yet she always looked comfortable in that, sometimes we wondered if she was an undead or not. That was why we felt that it's entirely possible that she would wear a kimono to a southern island.
"But Muramasa-senpai looked like she would not come no matter what, will she truly come?"
"I have taken care of that. After that party, Muramasa,Eromanga-sensei, and I met on skype and revealed our hands. I have spoken with Muramasa -- well, after this and that everything is fine."
Probably…Sagiri told Muramasa-senpai her true identify.
Recently, the number of people who know this secret kept increasing.
"Muramasa's condition requires your help, is that okay?"
"You should have told me sooner. I will do whatever I can."
"Don’t worry don’t worry, it's nothing big…."
I have a bad feeling.
Looks like…not only did Elf convince Muramasa-senpai, she also convinced Sagiri.
Although Sagiri agreed to let me go -- she still made some conditions.
…I couldn’t help but think back to her very pervert-expression.
As payment for lending them Nii-san, they will co-operate with me -- for art….
"So Eromanga-sensei made some conditions too?"
When I mentioned that, Elf looked like she recalled the details of those conditions and blushed.
"…You can say that. Although the conditions were a bit special, they were still within acceptable range."
I don’t know for certain, but I bet it's something perverted.
"No no, I don't care whether you like to run around naked or not. I meant that I couldn’t believe Muramasa-senpai accepted too."
"She didn’t."
"What?"
"When Eromanga-sensei made those conditions, every single perverted one was aimed at me instead of Muramasa. So I said 「I will agree only if Muramasa agrees too! 」."
"That's bad! That was a wrong move! You made a deal with the devil!"
Don’t underestimate Eromanga-sensei desire to see a perverted scene of her model! She will do anything to make you do your part of the deal.
"What should I do…how should I explain it to Muramasa-senpai…"
"Hm, it's all within my calculations."
Elf pointed at my face, and said:
"Didn’t you have a bet with her during the World light novel tournament? That the winner can order the loser to do anything, remember?"
"You wanted me to use that? You wanted me to tell Muramasa-senpai to follow Eromanga-sensei's orders? Especially pervert ones like 「Let me see your panties」or「make an erotic pose」?"
"Yes."
"What kind of expression do you want me to have when giving her an order like this? Besides, I already used it to tell her 「don’t hinder our dream 」."
"Is that so? But it doesn’t look like she is going to do anything.
"Eh? Really?"
"Yes. Even if you didn’t give that order, she will not hinder your dream again. I can tell that she is still looking forward to 「What kind of order will Masamune-kun give me 」. So cute, she trusted your personality so much -- now this is the right time to betray her! No need to hold back, gave her an order as perverted as possible!"
"You are so excited when it comes to this. Then I will be blunt: don’t you think it's a waste to use it on an order like that?"
Don’t you remember a girl who told me to "do whatever I want"? Looks like I need to tease you more.
"Since she said 「anything is fine」, what about order like 「increase the number of orders you have to obey」 or 「become my meat-slave for the rest of your life」?"
In Elf's novel Dark Elf there was something like that.
"Kuh…maybe I should try that?"
"She looked cold outside, but inside she liked it. It's going to be fine. Just go for it!"
"I see ~ she is going to like it huh."
"Yes, yes, she likes to be abused! Go, give that order!"
"By the way, how come senpai still hasn’t arrived? Should we go get her ----"
"………….I have been here for a while."
"!" * 2
The voice came from behind and startled both Elf and I.
We both froze and slowly turned our backs and saw Muramasa-senpai standing there, a dark aura visible around her.
"…………."
Oh damn oh damn…she looked like she was about to kill someone.
"Say…senpai…did you hear?"
"Yes…I like to be abused huh."
"I'm very sorry!"
I raised both of my hands and surrendered.
"We were just speaking nonsense! Please don’t try to stab me with your umbrella!"
By the way, today she had a white dress and was holding an umbrella. But her eyes were so scary. In fact, the contrast made her even scarier! What terrifying killing intent.
"Hmm..forget it."
She coughed and returned her blade to its sheath -- no, returned her umbrella.
"Cough cough…aside from that…Masamune-kun, is there anything you would like to say?"
"Eh? Ah….?"
What? Should I apologize for thinking about those orders just now? Based on the expression she had…
"Senpai, your clothes …."
"Yes. Yes."
"---- Did Eromanga-sensei pick it for you?"
Suddenly, Senpai almost tripped on her own feet, but she quickly stood up right:
"Yes! Yes, that's right! Due to Eromanga-sensei's conditions, I have to wear one of the outfits she chose….but…you! You!"
"I think it suits you quite nicely."
Although it was a bit late, I voiced my opinion.
Since I'm not used to praising girls, I was a bit slow when I try to do it.
"You look great. Very cute."
”~~~~~~~”
She blushed, half from anger and half from embarrassment.
"You, you, hate!"
She yelled something unintelligible at me before turning around and ignored me.
…Elf-sensei, we said something bad just now…
I tried to convey this thought through eye contact with Elf, but she glanced at me, coughed and asked:
"Masamune…is there anything you would like to tell me?"
"Nope. Hurry up and let’s go!"
"Wait…wait! There must be! Look, look, clothes…wait -- look carefully! Why are you so cold hearted towards me!"
Thus -- together with my friends, we boarded the plane, then a taxi, then a ship and finally arrived at the southern island.
If this were a novel of mine, then either something would happen on the way or someone would attack us. Of course reality wasn't like that, we arrived safety without trouble.
The sky was clear without any clouds. We were still in Japan, but the Kanto area wasn't as good as this.
We followed Elf and got off the ship. As soon as we left the harbor ---
"!"
A very eye-catching man was waving at us.
He had blonde hair, and blue eyes with a wide forehead, and a broad-looking body. Together with his simple, white shirt -- he looked like a tour guide - even more than a real one.
He looked like Legolas from 「Lord ** *** rings」- a perfect handsome looking man.
"That…this…."
Clothes aside, just the forest behind him made him look like an elf. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he pulled an arrow out of nowhere.
"…I can't believe it…an elf's forest really exists…."
"No no, Muramasa-senpai…..this is…."
Even when I corrected her, I was unable to look away from Legolas.
Elf took a step forward and happily waved her hands at him:
"Aniki!"
"Aniki!?"
I yelled in surprise.
But…yes! I can tell that they are blood-related just from looking, but….
That man who looked like an elf is truly Elf's older brother?
No no, what am I thinking…
"Aniki -- is that Elf's older brother?"
"Yes, let me introduce ---"
Elf pointed at Legolas and said:
"My editor, as well as my elder brother, Chris."
"Please to meet you, everyone. I'm an editor for Fulldrive publishing, Yamada Chris. Thank you for coming."
His voice was calm and easy to hear. It was the same voice I heard on the phone before. Now that we have meet, I could see that he truly was an adult. Unlike his little sister, his stern expression scared me a bit.
Shido-kun turned to me, whispered:
"Is Elf-sensei's brother an editor?"
"Yes."
"….Is this his real name?"
"Who knows?"
When we were muttering, Chris-Legolas said with his unchanged expression:
"I apologize that I had to take part in your trip to co-operate and get reference materials without notifying you. But I couldn’t leave my little sister alone. Thus, I will remain on this island for the time being. Please remember that."
"You don’t have to be here, you know…Aniki, can you please stop acting so serious? All of them are my friends - no, my loyal servants."
*Knock!*In a smooth and quick action move, he hit Elf's head.
“~~~~~~”
With teary eyes, Elf hugged her head. Chris-aniki continued:
"I can't do that. Including Yamada-sensei, everyone here are novelists while I am an editor. We can't afford to mix up private and public matters."
In other words, just now he didn’t hit his little sister but hit Yamada-sensei because of a public matter.
Fulldrive publishing is so scary.
He…wasn't he the one who lead those black-suit, sunglasses-wearing guys who took Elf away? I should be careful around him.
"Eh…actually, while it’s called a trip to co-operate we are mostly here as your little sister's friends…and since it's a private activity too, you don’t have to be so formal."
Everyone agreed? A quick look at Shido-kun and Muramasa-senpai showed that both were nodding.
"…In that case, let's go with that."
Chris-san's face became a bit gentler:
"I'm glad that my little sister could find friends her age with the same hobby. Thank you very much…although she has some problems, please take care of her."
He used the words "same hobby", and not "collaboration". I could guess what he meant by that.
"Aniki---what are you saying -- it's embarrassing."
Elf blushed and interrupted. We couldn’t help but smile at this scene.
"Don’t worry! Just leave it to us!" - I tried to laugh loudly.
"Really….Masamune…forget it, let's go."
In order to take care of our luggage, we followed Chris to Elf's mansion which was near the beach, on a clean field of sand.
From the mainland, this place looked like a forest in a fantasy setting. People could even forget that theywere still in Japan.
On the way there, we chatted:
"Hey Elf. Is your pen name Yamada Elf your real name too?" Muramasa-senpai asked.
"Nope. I borrowed my brother's last name and added a bit."
In other words, there is no Yamada in Elf's real name. Looked like her family's situation is more complicated than I thought.
Now that I think about it, during the party Muramasa-senpai mostly spoke with me. Yet she is close enough to call her Elf instead of Yamada-sensei right now.
Eromanga-sensei. We’re free anyway, want to play a game together?
I couldn’t help but think back to when Elf became Sagiri's friend. It looked like forcing people to become one's friends might work too. Just look at Muramasa-senpai.
Unlike super perfect class rep Megumi, Elf really seemed like she was good at "handling problem children"
When I wasn’t thinking, Muramasa-senpai asked Elf:
"So what is your real name?"
"Hmhnm, you want to know? Can't tell you that, it’s a woman's secret…If you really want to know…."
"I will tell you" Chris interrupted "My little sister's real name is ---"
"Wwahhhhhhhhhh!! Don’t say it! You’re going to ruin my image of a mysterious beautiful girl!"
Elf cut Chris off in panic before he could say anything.
Although I want to know too, but if she doesn’t want to let us know then we can't force it. Muramasa-senpai also gave up.
"Also…I don’t know your guy’s real names."
Since we are all novelists, we use pen name to address each other instead of our real names.
"My pen name is Shidou Kuminitsu. I only changed the writing from kanji, it’s my real name too."
"I see. Me too. What about you, Muramasa-senpai?"
I knew that Senjyu Muramasa is not her real name.
Hearing my question, Muramasa-senpai thought for a while and replied:
"…I don’t want to say it now. It's embarrassing."
"In that case it must be a cute name!"
At that time, we had arrived while chatting.
"This is my family's mansion! Everyone, make yourself at home!"
Although Elf said that, but -----
"……."
"……"
I and Shido-kun stared at the mansion in front of us, our eyes wide.
We had caught a glimpse of it when we were in the ship -- but now we can safety said that this mansion "belonged to someone who is super rich."
It was a big, white, open mansion. The front faced the beach and there were a row of seats. Some very interesting-looking cots stood near some trees.
Behind the mansion was a road which lead further into the forest.
Now is still early, the sun light shone brightly. This is the perfect weather to go swimming at sea.
"…Let's take a picture."
"Alright."
I put my luggage down and went around to take some pictures.
Shido-kun did that as well. Muramasa-senpai followed us without a camera or cellphone in her hand, she just followed our actions with a seriously gaze.
Sometime she squatted down and picked up some sand, touched a tree, played with sea shell –she looked like a child who was playing, who was trying to remember everything with all of her sense.
At that time, behind us, Elf laughed happily and put her hands on her mouth as a speaker and shouted:
"Muramasa ~ Masamune is looking at your panties~!"
"Ya!"
Senpai immediately covered her behind with her hands and turned to me:
"Did you see it?"
"No, I didn’t."
Actually, I did see a bit.
Really…this senpai was too careless.
We arrived at the mansion's entrance and put our luggage down and prepared to choose rooms.
Elf put her hands on her hips and acted like a leader:
"There are a lot of rooms, so we can each have our own -- but since we can't co-operate without living together, I decide that we will put two peoplein a room. I with Masamune, Shido with Muramasa, okay! Good, let's do it!"
"Like hell!"
Why don’t we split it based on male and female!
"This is my mansion! Do you have any problems with that?"
"Yes!"
Muramasa-senpai raised her voice. She picked up her umbrella and prepared to stab:
"Split seriously or death. Take your pick."
"….You look like you really are going to do that…Of course I was joking, how could I let girls and boys sleep together. You, and I, Musamune and Shido, is that okay?"
That’s okay. But…
"Eh? I'm going to live in the same room with Izumi-kun?"
Shido-kun's voiced sounded involuntary. I quickly asked:
"….Eh…Shido-kun…you don’t want to share a room with me?
At least I wanted to know the reason. He looked at me with an apologetic expression.
"………….Living with someone who’s gay is a bit….."
"I'm not gay!"
I knew it! He had a ridiculous misunderstanding!
"But…with Eromanga-sensei …."
"I don’t have that kind of relationship with Eromanga-sensei! Both he and I are not gay! Please believe me!"
Ughh….explaining this is hard….
After that, I tried my best to explain while still hiding my little sister's identity.
When our luggage was safely put in our room, we returned to the dining room and grabbed a quick meal, which was prepared by the mansion's staff and contained a lot of high class ingredients.
Nice rooms, good food…this was much better than I expected. I felt so embarrassed.
"I will personally prepare tonight's dinner, just wait for it!
Elf spoke while gave me a charming look.
I knew that her cooking was super. Although I was full, hearing that was enough to make me want to eat more.
If Elf ever had someone she liked, I bet she could immediately take control her boyfriend's family through their stomachs easily.
After we finished resting in the living room ---
"Let's go to the beach -- it's for reference material!"
Everyone decided to go swimming. We returned to our room to change.
"Izumi-kun, you go ahead. I will go after sending some work-related email."
"Got it."
I went to the beach alone --
"How does my island look?"
Which led to the scene at the beginning.
Now, on the sand beach, Elf stood in front of me in a revealing bikini.
Saying this might sound pathetic…but now my heard was in chaos. Normally, I treated my prideful neighboras a child who was asking to be indulged, but now….
Shido-kun, Muramasa-senpai, anyone is fine, please hurry!
"Er…where is Muramasa-senpai?"
"Hm? Hmmmm…..she…can't come here…for now.." Elf replied, a hint of anxiety in her tone.
"And shouldn’t Shido-kun be with you?"
"He said he needed to take care of some work-related email."
"I see - plot successful!"
"Yes?"
"It's nothing!"
Elf put her hands on her hips and grinned.
"Ehehe…in other words, we are totally alone right now."
"…Yes, we are."
…Why…why…Elf…right now…is it because she was wearing a revealing bikini? This atmosphere was a bit….
"It can't be help! Let's play before everyone arrives!"
"Yeah yeah…."
Elf happily pulled me to the sea.
The soft feeling I felt made my body froze…I felt like I had become a dog who was being given a bath by its owner.
"Hey, what are you embarrassed for? This is reference material for the romance genre, you need to be serious about it! Do you want your dream with your little sister to become true or not?"
"Ah, right, right, reference material…."
My mind seemed to clear a bit…let's see…a date on a beach…
"So that's why you were acting like my lover. You should have said so sooner, I was so surprised!"
"…Um."
Elf was stunned for a second, but she immediately smiled:
"Yes! I wanted to get reference material too, so act like my boyfriend!"
"Boyfriend?"
"You don’t want to?"
Elf grabbed my hand, she looked at me without blinking, her eyes begging.
"Kuh…."
Something wasn’t right. Right now Elf -- looked dangerous.
"It's not like…that…"
"I see! Time for our first reference material! A part of any date on the beach ---"
Elf pulled me to a big umbrella, put a nylon mat on the sand - and then lied down face up.
"Ha…huh…."
She even purposely took a deep breath before slowly opening her bikini's button.
"Okay Masamune! Go ahead and help put sunscreen on me!"
"Wahwahwahwah!"
No no no no no! It's very very dangerous! I almost saw everything!
I quickly covered my eyes and lectured her as best as I could:
"What the heck are you doing?! Stop it! Stop! Cover yourself! Quickly, you shameless stripper!"
"Don’t, don’t badmouth my chastity! I, I, I'm embarrassed too! I will not allow anyone else to do this, but it's for a reference material! We have to do it!"
"What kind of romance-genre novel has a heroine show her bare breast like that?"
"There is! I will write something like that!"
In other words your character will be like you and will show their bare breasts in a heartbeat.
"Stop stalling, hurry up and put it on me! I bet that sooner or later you will have to write a scene like this too!"
"I will definitely not! Please, at least lay down!"
At least if she lied face down I could do that -- no matter how embarrassed I was. Hopefully.
"Oh my -- Pathetic, Izumi Masamune."
Elf teased me, but she did turn to lie face down.
"Phew."
I'm saved…
No no, that must be her limit too. Look, her face was bright red.
"Alright…face down. Is good…okay."
Now that I think about it, if she asked me to do that from the beginning, I would, without any doubt, refuse. Thus she made that request in order to fool me into this situation. Still, it was too late to think about that now.
"….Bwu….."
I picked up the sunscreen bottle and put that sticky oil on my hand.
Then ---
My eyes met Elf's elder brother's eyes.
"…………………." <= me, both hands covered in a sticky substance, a twisted expression on my face.
"…………………" Chris-aniki looked at me with a stern, serious expression.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh why is my life so complicated! It's as bad as the time Eromanga-sensei almost stripped on live video….
Why…is he here….
"……….."
Chris-aniki's eyes lowered.
Below, his little sister lied face down, her bare breasts revealed.
"What's up? Hurry! Hurry and put that sunscreen withan aphrodisiac effect on me."
I'm done for! She picked right now to say something straight from an eroge….
Chris-aniki kept looking at us, his expression remained unchanged.
From my frozen hand, some drop of lotion fell on Elf's back.
"Ya ~~ ♥ Even if trash like you defiles my body, you will not take my heart ♥"
"You said that on purpose didn’t you?! You tried to tease me huh? Stop messing around!"
She clearly actively made this perverted atmosphere! There was nothing good about this! It felt like I was being tortured!
Now, my heart still felt like it was being crushed, but for a different reason than before.
"You, you promised? Ahh ~ ♥ If I can withstand this pleasure for an hour, you will not touch my brother's virginity?"
"What the heck are you saying!"
And right in front of her elder brother too. Now the misunderstanding that I'm gay has skyrocketed. Is there thing any worse than this?
Even in my chaotic state, I have to agree that she had a very good imagination. Just one line was enough to totally destroy my social standing.
"No! No, it's not like that, Chris-aniki! We are taking reference----"
I pulled my eyes away from Elf and tried to explain…
"Huh? Where is he?"
Chris-aniki had disappeared. Maybe he fled because he saw something too cruel.
Anyway, next time we meet, looks like I will need to explain a lot to him.
After putting sunscreen on Elf (just her back), she pulled me to the sea. I still can't see Shido-kun or Muramasa-senpai anywhere.
"What happened…."
"Don’t ~ worry ~ about it~. Next is the second piece of reference material."
"The second? What are you planning to do?"
"Lovers playing in water. You see, it’s like 「Ah ~ it's cold ♥ ~ really ~ you want to play huh ♥ 」."
"……………….You want us to do that?"
"Yes! Ehehe, do you feel honored? Even if it's only for a few minutes, you became my boyfriend."
"…….It's too embarrassing, please skip it."
"It's not! Come on, let's play!"
"Say, what exactly will this prove?"
"You can see your lover when she is having fun!"
I felt that whatever two lovers did together would be lovely-dovey, but everything she said turned out to be erotic.
"Ummm….."
"Still not convinced? It can't be helped then - let's go with number three "Teaching a beautiful girl how to swim". This reference material has a special aspect: even if the male does not have any strange thoughts, even if he totally focus on teaching, he still has to touch the girl's body and skin. He has to direct her hands, her legs while touching her, which makes love bloom.Love&Touch - see? Let's do it!"
Elf patted my shoulders and pulled me into the sea again.
I replied:
"I can't swim."
"What the hell!? My perfect plan!"
What part of it is perfect?
"So how about you teach me how to swim?"
"I can't swim either."
"So you have no right to lecture me."
"…..By the way, it seemed like Muramasa and Shido couldn’t swim either."
"…..So why did we come to a beach?"
"……………."
"……………."
We both fell silent.
………….Is our trip going to end here?
"Anyway, there are still a lot of fun to be had aside from swimming! Okay, Masamune! Fire yourself up - let's keep doing skin ship for our reference material!"
"I will not let you do whatever you want!"
A voice interrupted Elf.
"!?"
I turned to the source. Elf looked like she had already expected that.
"Hum, you are faster than I expected."
That was ---
"Yamada Elf…your evil plan end here!"
Muramasa-senpai stood there in a far more revealing bikini than Elf's.
No, no, maybe that bikini was the same as Elf's, but because her body was more developed it felt different. She looked like she had just taken a bath, there was water on her body.
…..Senpai, so that's how you looked after wearing that bikini.
"Senpai…that…."
"Wow…oa……"
Muramasa-senpai moaned like she was about to die.
I still didn’t understand anything.
"You totally rejected the idea of wearing this….who have thought that in the end you did wear this erotic bikini…."
Senpai, could it be that you are a pervert too?
I thought that you were different…so you are the same as Elf.
"No, no, it's not like that! Masamune-kun, listen to me! There is the reason for this!"
She squatted down on the spot. But my eyes were unable to move away from her pure white skin.
"…And that is?"
"She! She is the culprit!"
Still squatting down, senpai pointed at Elf.
"What did you do?"
"When Muramasa took a bath, I hid all of her luggage and left her only that bikini."
What a devil.
"You even took the towel….bikini like this…how could I go outside….*hic*……"
Looked like she is easily embarrassed as much as Sagiri. Just this was enough for her to panic.
Although it's regrettable, I turned away.
"I got it. But why did Elf do that?"
"She wanted to take advantages of the time when she is alone with Masamune-kun to …"
"With me?"
I asked, but no answered came. Elf cut Muramasa-senpai off with one single sentence:
"Ew? Muramasa-chan, is this okay to say it?"
"Wh..what?"
Senpai's whole body trembled. Elf grinned like a thief:
"The reason you took part in this trip - want me to say it out loud?"
"You…lowlife!"
Muramasa-senpai gritted her teeth in frustration.
But it looked like there was a reason for her, someone who normally doesn’t care about anything, to go on this trip. And she doesn’t want me to know that reason.
Muramasa's condition requires your help, is that okay?
Is there any connection with what Elf said earlier?
Anyway, I couldn’t leave her like that.
I went to the umbrella to get my coat and tried to give it to her without looking.
"Senpai…please use this."
"…Sorry."
After putting on the coat, Muramasa-senpai calmed down.
The first time they meet, she totally dominated Elf. But now Elf was the one who teased her.
AfterMuramasa-senpai and I decided to wait for Shido-kun to arrive and play - we pulled Elf (clearly involuntary) back to the mansion. We sat on the chair faced the sea and enjoyed our drinks.
…It's not a bad free day….
When I was feeling comfortable, senpai said, sounded afraid:
"…. Masamune-kun."
"?"
"The reason I went on this trip…."
Eh? I thought she didn’t want to tell me?
"You --- " She paused, then continued: "I wanted to see your novel."
"My novel?"
Hearing my question, Elf answered in Muramasa-senpai's place:
"Yes. There must be a lot of unfinished oneson your computer, right?"
"Of course."
All novelist had something similar. Like rejected manuscript, or a manuscript that for some reason that can't be published…Everyone got that. All of them were stored carefully.
We can't easily kill our children this way. Maybe someday we could even take another look at them.
I was the same. Even those web novels during my black history were stored carefully. Of course there is no way I could let anyone see them.
"I have a lot. Like the before-edit manuscript of Silver Wolf, my manuscript before I made my debut…."
"I want to read them!"
Suddenly she leaped forward, like a child who saw a toy in a present and wanted to play immediately. I took a few steps back. Elf added:
"Izumi Masamune's unpublished story - you can see for yourself. This is the condition she required to join this trip. Masamune, are you with me?"
"No problem. But I can't bring everything out." I answered.
"I can show you those story that for some reasons can't be published. But my rejected stories are another matter. My editor told me that 「It's bad, no one will buy it 」 before rejecting them."
"I want to read your story. Anything is fine."
"Kuh…"
No good. My face was so hot…
"No, no mean no! I'm embarrassed!"
"…I see…"
Senpai seemed down. That expression, combined with her revealing bikini, and the thin coat made me felt bad. That was the first time I felt this way with someone other than my little sister.
"….I can print my unpublished novel…and…." I added "Although I can't let you see my rejected manuscript…but if you like….I can…"
"!"
Her reaction was out of my expectation. Eyes widened, hands supporting her body, she leaned forward:
"Really?"
"Ah?"
Her eyes made my heart raced. I looked away, answered:
"Like the after story of Silver Wolf, I could write it quickly for you."
"Silver Wolf! After story? Of course I want that!"
Her eyes were sparking. She smiled brightly. That made me both happy and nostalgic.
Although we have never met face to face -- I had also felt that way when I spoke with that person
"Got it. Please give me a few days while I write it."
"Um."
Senpai smiled happily. Normally she was so cold, yet now she looked like a child. Instead of asking which was her real self, maybe they both were.
Life wasn’t like a story. Not many people can clearly separate different sides of themselves. It's normal to have different side like that.
"But is that okay? Although it sounded strange coming from me, but you are writing a novel too, right?"
"It's fine. You see, I'm writing a romance-genre novel. That is important, but if I don’t write fighting-genre novels for a long time, my writing skills will be reduced."
"That would be bad. Your fighting novels are my life force."
I rarely received praise like that, thus I felt really embarrassed.
"It's fine, don’t worry. As long as you’re happy."
To tell the truth, I still felt attached to those characters from Silver Wolf
Maybe it was strange to write more about a story right after it ended. But after listening to Muramasa-senpai's attempts to crush me, I changed my mind.
As an author, I could see my characters whenever I wanted, unlike my readers. They could only see them while reading.
And they will have to say goodbye when putting the book down.
But doing that means the lonely feelings will resurface. They will have to be separated right after meeting again.
Like in The Sacred Blacksmith[1] or Armed Librarians: The Book of Bantorra[2], readers need to read one every few months. Not only light novels, daily anime or Blu-ray is all the same. The better a story is, the worse you felt when it ended.
Although I couldn’t say it clearly…but to me, that was what an ending means.
So, despite that reality is unrealistic…but…sometimes…meeting with my fans and seeing my characters again…feel good. That was what I thought.
"Alright, then what should I write."
When I was thinking for an idea, Elf seemed like she thought of something funny and laughed:
"Hay Masamune, why are you looked so happy? This can't be printed, you can't let other readers read it. It's something you’d write for free."
"Haha, what are you saying, Elf? Don’t you remember what I did before my debut?"
"Ah, I see."
Elf looked like she understood.
"You are the type who writes because you want to. Working for free is fine with you."
"Yes! I love it! I love to do it for free!"
If my parents were alive, I planned to stop working as an author after entering high school - but I will continue to write.
Not to earn money, just because I wanted to - write a story and read it every day.
Of course, becoming a professional novelist with my own editor and illustrations is a good thing. But I prefer to be free without anyone restricting me. I like it so much that I felt sorry for people who never write anything.
"This time, I will only write it for one reader, Muramasa-senpai." I grinned and pointed at her "This is a rare chance, allow me to write a really good after story."
"………..Um."
Maybe because of sun light, Muramasa-senpai's face reddened.
After that, Shido-kun arrived (he looked like he exchanged some strange hand signals with Elf) and everyone began to play.
Based on what Elf said, this time we got lots of reference materials. From beach volleyball, water melon crushing[3], drinking fruit juice and shaved ice Elf made.
Although sometimes Muramasa-senpai focused on writing so much that she missed out on a lot, but time ended up flying. It was now sunset. On the way back, Elf happily said:
"Ah ~ I like it so much! My body is so sweaty! Let's take a bath! Ehehe ~ this is an open bath house! Let's go, Muramasa!"
"I'm going to take a bath in my room. I want to write something quickly."
"Eh? Bathing together is the time for girl talk! This is reference material too!"
"I refused…god knows what would happened if I take a bath with you."
"It's going to be fine! At worse I would only touch you a bit! Just a little bit! Okay? Please?"
"No, you sound suspicious…"
Elf put a hand on Muramasa-senpai's shoulder and tried to convince her.
An open bath house…I can see the sunset and the beach while letting myself enjoy the hot water…not to mention the erotic girl talk from nearby.
No no…I really, really want this.
"Ma, Masamune-kun! You’re thinking something pervert, aren't you?"
"Ah, Masamune! I will say it before hand, you won't be able to secretly look at us at the bath house! I had made anti-peeping preparation, the fence is separated on both sides and will make a noise whenever anyone touches it! Although the sound is small, you can't make it disappear."
So -- I returned to my room, made preparations and went to the open bath house. It would be a waste if the other side finished too soon.
Since Shido-kun said he had something to do, I went out first.
From the beach and here…it sounded like he was making excuse. Could it be that he doesn’t want to go with me?
"…Does he still think I’m gay?"
I really didn’t dare to ask.
I entered the bath house, past the changing area and entered the large bath room.
The wash bath room and the large bath room were separated. I needed to wash my body before entering that bath. I quickly did that and entered the bath room.
"Wah…"
The white stream was everywhere.
Although there was a fence separating this side and the woman's side, the water was from the same source. The scene was nice, with open air and sea.
The sun was going down, the light was beautiful. It looked like I could still enjoy the night after this.
Although I had lots of other thoughts in my mind, but now seeing that, I only wanted to enjoy this bath.
*Blub blub*
"Ah….it's so good."
My body became lighter. Now I truly felt good to be born Japanese.
This is the first time I went on a trip without my classmates. I'm so excited. It was so good. I was right to come here.
It would be better if Sagiri could come too.
Oh, wait, I'm not looking forward to taking a bath with her! Really…!
…Elf and Muramasa-senpai must be taking a bath right now too. But why can't I hear anything? I tried to draw closer to the fence.
At that time --
"…Huh? There is…someone else?"
Behind the stream was someone!
Eh, eh eh? Could it be, could it be that? Elf and Muramasa-senpai mistakenly came here instead?
---- Of course not. That was Chris-aniki. He is totally naked.
"…….!!!!"
Yamada Chris -- Elf's blood older brother and her editor.
His upper body was above the water, he nodded at me without saying anything.
His skin was as white as his little sister's. His body was thin, and yet seemed strong. His collar bone looked charming -- and why am I describing a naked man so carefully?
"Eh..ah…."
I panicked, didn’t know what to say. In the end, I said:
"Pleased to meet you…what a coincidence."
"Um."
"………….."
"……………"
What, what next!? This atmosphere is so uncomfortable!
Because Chris-aniki always had a stern-looking expression…not to mention what happened earlier today…I felt very troubled.
"….."
Right now, we were taking a bath, side by side.
Wait, side by side?
"*Glup*."
Since when did he appear next to me? Scary….
"…….."
I thought he would say something, but I was wrong. He just calmly looked at the sky while enjoying the bath.
His face without a hint of worry was quite rare. He could become a really good actor.
But what kind of film had a handsome blonde hair blue eyes man taking an open bath on a southern island?
However --- if I were him…
What would an elder brother do if he saw his little sister nearly nude and played with some sticky lotion (with a boy)?
If I were him, that boy would be reduced to a bloodly stain already.
…The truth is…
"Look like you get along --- with my little sister quite well."
"Eh…that…"
Now what? How should I answer?
Example ①
「I don't really get along with your little sister, you know?.」
「You don't get along well with her, yet you put lotion on her? Looks like you wanna become prey to my bow, huh? 」
Crap. He is gonna kill me for sure.
Example ②
「Err well, you see, I get along with your little sister very well.」
「That does not mean I can let you off the hook for putting lotion and doing shit with her. Looks like you wanna become prey to my bow, huh? 」
Crap….whatever I say, I will become his prey.
Because of his expressions, that was my impression of Chris-aniki.
"…Er, well, I think we get along just fine."
Without any other choices, I picked something in the middle.
Chris-aniki seriously looked at me, then he spoke in a very low tone:
"As long as you take responsible, it's fine."
"Eh?"
What? What did he just say?
"Eh…just now…what did you just say?"
“Izumi-sensei --- no, Izumi Masamune-kun ----“
For the first time since we meet, he put both of his hands on my shoulders.
“Eh…?”
Then he spoke in his usual low, charming tone:
“Marriage.”
A proposal rang in the open bath house.
"…………"
To tell the truth, I was so surprised that my whole body was stunned, unable to say anything.
At the same time, there was the *clang clang* sound of something hitting the floor.
I tried to turn my head around and saw Shido-kun with a towel around his hips, his face twisted in horror.
“I…I’m sorry!”
*Rush rush*Shido-kun fled immediately.
“……………..Crap.”
Crap. Now he saw a man propose to me. Now the misunderstandings that I’m gay is gonna get worse.
No no. Now is not the time for this!
Although Shido-kun’s misunderstanding is very serious, the gay elf in front of me is much, much worse!
“Eh…eh…”
I should have run away already, but I need to double-check something. Depending on his answer, I will decide to slam my head into his chin or not. Even if running away turned out to be impossible, I will defend my chastity till my last breath.
“….Just now…you said….”
Chris-aniki repeated, his tone still remained serious.
“Marriage – to my little sister.”
“To your little sister!?”
You should have said so sooner……Oh my god….I thought I was about to die….or some ultra secret was going to revealed….
“With my little sister. What else did you have in mind?”
“It’s nothing. And a ma, ma, marriage with Elf, you mean…?”
“Marriage to my little sister” – those words also carry a lot of weigh.
Chris-aniki pulled his hands back from my shoulders, and said:
“Of course I don’t mean that you should marry right now. Both you and my little sister are still too young for that. But my family’s situation is a bit complicated, so if you two have feelings for each other, maybe you should make an engagement…”
“Wait waitwaitwait a sec! It’s a misunderstanding! I don’t have that kind of relationship with her!”
Even if he killed me right now, I still have to make it clear.
“Mwu…you mean you aren’t going out with my little sister?”
“No! Why did you think that?”
“Because she wrote on her Twitter that she 「is going on a date with Izumi Masamune」.”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
That damn mouth of her! I knew that she did something dangerous!
“How should I put it, er, she was only joking. It’s not the truth.”
“….Is that so…hm…I also thought that something wasn’t right.”
Chris-aniki sighed in disappointment. Looked like he understood.
“But --- if that is the case…no, it is not right ….ah….I get it….”
He frowned, like he was thinking about something.
“Yes?”
What “I get it”? Please don’t surprise me again!
“If you aren't going out with her, then there are things that I can’t tell you yet. Sorry for my misunderstanding.”
“No no, it’s fine. It’s not your fault anyway.”
“Thank you. You are exactly like my little sister said.”
“Yes?”
“But what do you think about that?
Chris-aniki grinned evilly:
“Although it sounds biased coming from me, but I think that she is amazing.”
“Yes yes.”
What is he saying all of the sudden?
But he is totally right, so I can’t say that he made that partial comment because he is a siscon or anything.
“You’re right.”
“Haha, you think so too?”
“Yes.”
*Creakkkkkkkkk*A strange sound came from the female side of the bath.
“High income, a super cute appearance….”
*CreakkkkkkkkkCreakkkkkkkkkCreakkkkkkkkk *
“Good looking, very good cooking, she made me happy whenever we were together – I think that she would be a good wife in the future.”
*CreakkkkkkkkkCreakkkkkkkkkCreakkkkkkkkk *
“Is that so?”
Chris-aniki showed me a prideful look just like Elf.
“Although she doesn’t look like that, but I’m sure that when she meets someone she truly loves, she will be a faithful lover. She also has good living experience, a comely, friendly personality. Not to mention that she can play music, speak foreign languages and do a lot of things, she’s totally a skillful girl. As long as she practice to be a wife, I bet she will be very good – that was the way my family taught her after all.”
Wow. Elf is really, really amazing. She has so many good points.
Then he raised a finger and asked me:
“So I ask you? What part of my little sister is not okay?”
…Why does he sounded like he is lecturing me because I rejected Elf? Didn’t I said that this was a misunderstanding?
“Well…if I really need to say….”
“And?”
“Aside from above, everything else is not okay.”
“Haha, brat, say it clearer.”
Chris-aniki broke into laughter. Looked like he found this funny.
“Well said! My little sister has a lot of good points, but that doesn’t change the fact that she also has a lot of bad points. Always late when submitting manuscripts, unprofessional attitude, has no discipline, not to mention her chuunibyou. Frankly speaking, she’s an idiot.”
“She really is an idiot.”
*Creakkkkkkkkk *Again? What was that, it was so noisy!
Chris-aniki was badmouthing his own little sister while laughing, the cold persona had completed disappeared, replaced by a friendly, nice elder brother – which I liked.
“However!”
I still wanted to say something. I can’t let someone badmouth my friend that easily.
“For her, her bad points are also her good points…her idiocy is also her cute side. Maybe her chuunibyou causes headache to others, but I think that she’s cool. Although the way she works is unprofessional, but I think that she has got a point. When I began writing a new novel, she helped me a lot…how should I put it…well, I don’t think I could, but I think that Elf is a special girl, someone who can take care of her issues by herself, someone who is very charming, and a very dependable senpai. I’m only here thanks to her.”
“………”
Chris-aniki looked at me in surprise.
“If it wasn’t because I already have someone I like, I would have fallen for her at least five times already.”
Like back then, back then – and back then ---
In an instant, many chances reappeared in my mind. Not only was “cute”, she was “becoming much cuter”. Yamada Elf is someone so amazing that it make Izumi Masamune’s heart race.
“….Is that so? I understand.”
Chris-aniki took a deep breath and said.
“I understand completely.”
He repeated it once more.
After that, when we were getting out of the bath house, we meet Elf outside. She was wearing a yukata, steam still coming out of her body.
Girls sure looked so erotic after taking a bath – huh?
“You….”
“Wh, wh, what?”
“Your face is so red! Did you faint while bathing?”
“Sh, sh, sh, shut up! Hate!”
With a bright red face, she yelled at me before turned around and left.
….What is the meaning of that?
That night.
“After that, everyone ate the dinner that Elf made.”
「Was it good? 」
“Yup. Although I wasn’t able to make it as good as her, I will make some for you when I return.”
I was talking with Sagiri via Skype.
In front of me is the laptop screen, which showed her without a mask on. There was no one else here. Just me and Sagiri.
“Oh right, I was still unable to explain it clearly to Shido-kun. Even when Chris-aniki helped me…we ended up in two different rooms.”
「Um」
She smiled gently while listening to me.
…..How come speaking with her via skype creates a better atmosphere than speaking face to face?
「Did you get reference materials? 」
“How should I put it…now I know what a southern island is like. Everyone had a lot of fun – because of that I got lots of reference materials.”
「I see. This trip was a right choice then. 」
“…Yup, it was. Thank to you.”
Although I hesitated for a bit, but in the end I told her what I really thought.
Maybe it was the right choice. Her smile was getting bigger. I laughed too.
“Next time, let’s go to a hot spring together.”
「Don’t wanna. 」
“W, why?”
「Because, Nii-san…you must be thinking about something perverted…. 」
“I’m not ~~!”
Our conversation…just like every day between us siblings…
Maybe it was my most memorial memory today.
“How about you? Did you eat properly? Did you get sick? Just leave your clothes somewhere, I will take care of it later. Dirtied bow and dishes too, you don’t have to clean them. Also ---“
「…You worry too much. I’m fine. 」
“Even thought…I’m still worried. No matter how much I want to, I still need to wait a day after tomorrow for a ship.”
「Hoh…why does it feel like a setting for Kindachi manga? 」[4]
“You are right. Elf said that this place was also suitable for a mystery novel.”
「If something did happen, I bet the first victim would be Elf-chan. The murderer would be a psychopath.”
“You meant Muramasa-senpai didn’t you! It’s so rude!”
Although it’s also easy to understand.
Truly she made people think of her that way – putting a kimono on a corpse is a familiar modus operandi of murderers. Not to mention she was good at making strange names for bodies – like the “killer wax statue” case.
“Anyway, today ended like that.”
「Um, I see. 」Sagiri whispered 「Actually, Nii-san, there was…a lot on my side as well. 」
“Yes?”
「You see – take a look. 」
“This is –wow.”
Sagiri blushed and showed me the illustration of the main heroine of The Cutest Little Sister in the World
“Is that a cover page?”
「Yes…I don’t have anything better. This is all I could do today. 」
“It’s great! Wonderful!”
It was so good that I would need five seconds to answer which one is better: this one or my little sister.
「Ehehe…I will let you see the completed version when you get home. 」
「That’s why…you have to return. 」
“Of course.”
I will protect this promise even if that is the last thing I can do.
“Sagiri…do you want any souvenirs?”
「Um…actually. It’s kind of hard to say…」
She blushed and began to play with her hands.
“You can ask for anything! We are brother and sister! I will get you anything you want.”
「Elf-chan’s socking. 」
“Let’s have a family party when I get home!”
And so…
That was how our first night ended.
In the middle of the night, someone knocked on the door.
I stopped writing and stood up to open the door. Elf stood outside in blue-yellow summer clothes.
“Yo, Elf.”
“Um…Masamune…ah…um…are you free right now?”
I immediately noticed that she was acting strange. Normally, she had said that while looking directly at me, not stuttering like that.
“I’m free right now…do you need something?”
“Can you…go with me for walk?”
“Of course.”
Eh? Why does it smell perverted in here? It’s not like we were just taking a bath.
I ignored my bad feelings and followed Elf to the entrance.
“Well, actually, I have something I want to ask you.”
“Eh? Tell, tell, tell me? Wh, wh, what is that?”
Elf panicked clearly. Did my words have that much of an effect?
“Where do you normally buy your stockings?”
“………………….Die.”
She gave me an ice-cold glance.
“No no, I’m not going to buy it for me!”
“You’re still going to try and explain? That’s not what I meant! I mean, why do you pick this time too…forget it, thanks to you I have calmed down. I will forgive you this time.”
I followed her to the door, I still didn’t understand anything. Look like she planned to go outside.
“Where are you going?”
“Quiet, just follow me.”
The footsteps were getting further away. Looked like she was in a bad mood. I hurried to catch up to her.
We left the mansion, and made half a circle and walked on the road that lead into the forest.
“Elf, before is ---“
“The Elves’ Forest.”
She answered without looking back then kept going.
“You have read my debut novel haven’t you? The Elves’ Forest was based on the forest ahead.”
“Ah….”
The beautiful elves lived deep inside the forest. Both humans and monsters were kept away by the barrier created from the Sanctuary.There’s huge trees, full of life. There are sea of flowers beneath their shadows, and thereis a river made of a light spirit.
The Elves’ Forest that she described was based on a real forest. No wonder it felt very natural.
We followed the road in silence, trying not to disturb the quiet night.
We began to go into the forest. The road still kept going.
“This way.”
Elf stopped at the forest’s entrance, and turned to me for a moment:
“I guess I should tell you why I lead you here.”
“Actually, there is something I wanted to show you.”
Leaving two lines behind, she turned and walked into the forest.
…She truly looked like an elf, so I had a hallucination for a second….Shaking my head to clear this image, I followed her.
Finally ---
“ ------ “
The moment I stepped into the forest, I stopped.
In the night, some sparks of light appeared.
Slowly, slowly…those sparks of light slowly increased in number. Since Elf just mentioned her debut novel, my first thought were light spirits.
In reality, the light spirits were ---
“Fireflies.”
I turned to the source of the voice and saw Elf, with a magic-like light all around her.
“The deeper you go inside, the better the scene.”
“Alright…”
I slowly took a look around.
Those lights danced and invited us into the forest – that was a line from a certain someone’s light novel.
Muttering the original line, I followed Elf deeper inside.
Finally, the road ended. We stopped at an open space. Beneath us were smooth grass, in front of us was river of light.
“-----------“
Numerous spark of light flied in the air. All of them sparked on the lake’s surface.
Elf was born here. Some lost human would also find an elf right here. That was another world, a fantasy world.
The scene that she wrote and the scene I saw were exactly the same.
“This…is…”
I’m speechless. She turned around and half-danced, half-walked to me.
“How is it? What do you think about this Elves’ Forest?”
That was what her female protagonist said too.
“Beautiful.” I couldn’t say anything else. “So beautiful.”
“I see. It’s good to hear.”
Elf smiled gently. A noble, gentle and a very familiar smile.
“No pictures, okay. Be sure to look at it carefully and remember.”
“…Um”
What a pity. If I was better at drawing, I could draw this scene. Thus, I could only stand there, looking at everything.
“Thank you.” My mouth unconsciously said.
“You’re welcome.”
We stood side by side and enjoyed the view.
“This is where--- Father …I mean Papa proposed to the one he liked – my mother.”
“So romantic.”
“Yes. But he failed.”
“Eh? Really?”
I think that this is the best place to propose.
“My mother hates insects.”
~ Ah ~ ah.
“She said 「I can’t believe that you dare to propose in this situation」 and cruelly refused.”
I really wanted to say something to Elf’s father. He should have checked this before proposing.
“But since you’re here, that mean they still ended up married, right?”
“Gems, clothes, a yacht…My father spent years giving her presents, and he had to bet everything, to kneel down and propose until my mother finally accepted. Because there were a lot of people who wanted to marry my mother – I mean, Mama. They also spent a lot of money to undermine their competitor, to secretly hire lots of extras, to take part in a tiresome tennis tournament. Papa always boasted about how hard it was for him back then.”
Elf’s father is really tough…
I myself don’t think that this was something you should boast about, and definitely shouldn’t tell your daughter.
Still…
“I can understand your father’s feeling.”
“You can?”
“Your father did all that because he loved your mother. No one can give the one up the one they love for someone else.”
He was serious. Deadly serious. By revealing his trump card, he bet everything on a final move. I would do the same if I were him.
“Is that so?”
Elf smiled her usual prideful smile.
“I thought so too. Although the way Papa did it was overboard --- but it was the right choice.”
We both fall silent for a while.
“So…why did you tell me all of this?”
“Onii-sama…I meant, aniki…he said something strange to you, didn’t he?” Elf blushed and turned away.
“You don’t have to forcefully hide your high class lady way of talking.”
“I, I’m not! Anyway, answer my question.”
“Ah…strange huh…well…there is one…”
But it was hard to say.
“He told me something like 「marriage to my little sister 」.”
“Um….Um…can I explain? That…er…that…where should I begin…”
Elf panicked. She paused for several seconds and said:
“My father has passed away.”
I wondered if she tried to make it as casually as possible.
“…..I see.”
“Um. You see, before he died, he told Mama that --- it’s just as a precaution anyway – he said 「Please take care of the children, teach them to become good adults」and 「please let them be happy 」.”
“………”
…All parents are like that. In situations like this ---
“I still remember what Mama’s answer was – 「Alright, I will do like you said one last time」.”
--- You need to say it clearly.
“Originally, Mama was very strict with others. After that, she became stricter, especially toward us siblings. She kept saying 「Everything was for your happiness in the future 」. Aniki found that too troublesome and left the house as soon as possible, leaving me behind. That meant the amount of stuff I needed to learn increased a lot – because of this reason, he always felt that he owed me an apology.”
Although he still does not allow me to extend my deadline – Elf laughed in self-mocking tone.
“That’s basically it. Mother gave me a really hard time. But I don’t hate her. In fact, I’m thankful. I love my parents. In order for her to be happy, to fulfill my father’s wishes, I want to be happy, to succeed.”
“But who I’m going to marry is something I alone will decide.”
Here is the main topic.
“Mom has talked with me about marriage before. I normally always listened to her, but not this time. I have to be happy. My life-partner is someone I want to decide for myself.”
Now that I think about it, Elf is always living alone.
“And then – you run away?”
“No, not run away. I left after explaining everything. Otherwise how dare I came back to this mansion?”
That mean she convinced her mother. But that didn’t explain Elf’s situation.
Although she said she bought that house to make it easier for her to work in Tokyo…but let’s leave that aside for now.
Everything Elf said wasn’t the reason for her “to become a novelist”. They were just a prologue for what she is about to say.
“Can you say it…clearer?”
“Well, basically ….”
“Mother is an idiot! If I want to be happy in the future, then I need to be happy tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the day after that too! Look at me, look at the girl who spent all her time learning! I didn’t have a chance to do anything else! Mother, were you happy when you lived with Father?Were you? If I want to be happy – I have to learn from him too – I need to find a husband who will live with me for the rest of my life! Is there any problem with that?”
“……Like that.”
“…I see.”
I finally understood. In other words, she told me all this since I’m an older brother, I care a lot for my little sister too…right?
But I still don’t understand why did Chris-aniki’s suddenly approved of me.
“….That is my situation – do you get it?”
“I do.”
Elf just explained why did Chris-aniki said something so strange. Probably she did that so I wouldn’t have any strange misunderstandings.
But in that case, she could have said that at the mansion. Why did Elf bring me here, to this special place? To the Elves’ Forest where her father proposed to her mother?
“Thank you very much.”
Thank you. This trip was very useful.
Beside…I felt that I have become a lot closer to my neighbor.
“I’m very happy.”
“Eh? Don’t try to end the story so soon. I’m still not done yet.”
“There’s still more?”
“Yes…” Elf blushed “Okay…I’m only going to say it once, so listen carefully.”
“Um.”
What? What is with this atmosphere? I felt like someone was grabbing my heart.
This feeling…I had felt it before…it was….
Before I could think of anything, my eyes had already been glued to hers.
Elf said:
“You are a candidate for my groom.”
“Eh…wh, wh, wh, what…?”
“Don’t misunderstand! It’s not like I like you or anything! It’s just, just – I meant, I only think that if I married you, everyday would be very fun, very happy.”
Wh, what are you saying! So embarrassing!
“So, so, so that means…right now…you’re proposing to me?”
Elf’s face turned bright red, and she yelled:
“It’s not! It’s not a proposal! I, I, I only told you that you have a chance to become my groom! You are a candidate! Candidate! Got it?”
“Candidate?”
“Yes! Candidate! I’m not proposing to you, you are the one who will have to propose to me!”
She massaged her chest and pointed at me:
“I will only teach you how to succeed after you propose to me!”
“I will not propose to you…because I ---“
I have someone else I like.
“No, you will.”
Elf smiled confidently and put a hand over her chest.
“Because you will like me.”
She pouted, closed her eyes, her tone serious.
“In the near future….you will not like anyone else aside from me…”
Full of confidence, and stubbornness – a head strong girl was right in front of me.
“………”
It’s clear that no girl proposed to me.
It’s clear that Elf didn’t.
Yet my heart was racing, my head had become hotter.
My mind told me that wasn’t the case, but the heart told me that it was.
“You…you..say something.”
“ --- Ah, I –“
“No, forget it.”
She waved her hand, cut me off.
“Let’s go back! I will let you off the hook for today.”
We stood next to the sparking lake, the smell of earth, of trees, of glass and the sound of insects rang with my heart beat.
Elf took a few steps almost like she was running away, but she suddenly stopped and turned back:
“Masamune, I will give you a special award and tell you my real name.”
Although she acted like it was nothing, I could see her reddened face and harsh breathing.
“Emily. Make sure to use that name when you ask for my hand in marriage.”
She told me her name just like an Elf Princess.
During the summer, I visited an island at the south side of the country.
In front of me was the wide beach and the vast sea. The beautiful blue waves sparkled in the sunlight. Under this light, all of my sunburns disappeared.
This is how a summer is supposed to be!
I turned around. Behind me was a mountain and a forest without any signs of human habitation. No hotel, no fastfood restaurants, no nothing. All of this had a wild nature which made people feel relaxed.
Yes – it was like we were in a fantasy land.
“How’s my island? Beautiful, right?”
A familiar voice spoke to me. I turned and saw a blonde girl with beautiful eyes in a very-dangerous-looking bikini.
“You, you…this…this is…!”
“Ehehehe ~~”
It was Yamada Elf – the famous novelist and my next door neighbor. She spread her hands wide and boasted:
“Your heart must be racing upon seeing my bikini – Izumi Masamune!”
“You really are too much!”
It’s not that I don’t like girl’s bikinis, I just had no interest in them.
But with this bikini….really, I don’t know where I should be looking.
Her pure snow-white skin glistened, and you could just catch a brief glimpse of some red underwear….how could she have such confidence? She’s almost flat!
But…ugh..even I don’t want to admit, but….she’s really cute.
Eromanga-sensei would praise her non-stop if she were here.
“I, I, my heart isn't racing at all.”
I turned away to try and hide the blush spreading across my face.
“Ahaha…Kufufufu…..I see…trying to be a tsundere….”
Elf said like she could read my mind, then she ran up to, and stopped right in front of me.
“Remember to thank me properly – it’s an honor to be allowed to visit the location of my novel.”
I averted my eyes away from Elf’s breasts and looked directly at her:
“Your novel’s…location?”
“Yes. My masterpiece The Expurgatory flame of Dark Elf’s setting is based on this island!”
“Ah…no wonder it felt so familiar.”
In her debut, she once made a description of an elf’s forest.
The weather, the air, the scene – if everything was taken from here, then the time I spent here could be called a Holy Land pilgrimage
Then ---
Why am I here, at the Elf’s forest, or should I say Elf’s island?
”Ehhhhhhh ~~~ you guys have never gone to Taiwan before? Ahahaha! That’s so lame ~! Unless you have attended an event for novelists at Taiwan, you’re only a second-rate writer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”
Everything began with those words from Elf. That was a few days ago.
After the world light novel tournament party ended, we gathered around and ate desert. Elf made a comment when I brought her shaved ice:
“The shaved ice that I ate in Taiwan was much better than this!”
Before I could ask if she wanted to start a fight or not, Shido-kun defused the atmosphere:
“Taiwan huh. I’ve heard that famous romance-genre novelist are often invited. I’ve never been there before. What about you, Muramasa-san?”
“Me neither…probably.” Muramasa-senpai whispered.
As a famous novelist, there is no way she didn’t get an invitation before. I bet she was invited but forgot about it. Or maybe she even forgot that she rejected them.
“Well, you didn’t even go to the signing event in Kanto, of course you wouldn’t go aboard.”
“You’re right, I won’t. It’s such a waste of time. I’d rather be writing.”
She only cared about writing, nothing else mattered.
“What about you, Masamune?”
“I’ve heard about it, but both Eromanga-sensei and I have never been there.”
Especially in the recent years, Japanese novelists and illustrators sometimes were invited to attend events in Taiwan. A few years ago, there was a light novel author who visited there, and met two beautiful girls who cosplayed as characters from his own work and he took a picture with both of them holding his hand. That certainly caused a lot of jealousy from others.
Everyone saw that picture,and the Internet exploded.
---- Is this for real? Not a photoshopped picture, is it?
---- Taiwan sugeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!
---- Me too me too! I want to go to Taiwan too!
From that moment forward, an invitation to Taiwan became a symbol of status among Japanese light novel writers. Rumors spread quickly among the amateur light novel writers.
Like Taiwan is filled to the brim with beautiful girls!
Like in Taiwan, everyone scrambled to kneel down and lick the feet Japanese light novel writers!
Like Taiwan is the place for light novel writers to have fun – etc…
Of course, all of them sounded too strange to be true.
“But I hope that someday I can go there together with Eromanga-sensei.”
Although I knew that there was a good chance that someone else would be there too – but this is a chance to go abroad with my little sister! What a wonderful idea!
“……..”
Hearing my dream, somehow Shido-kun looked as pale as a ghost.
…Not good. He totally thinks I’m gay. He must be thinking that I wanted to go aboard alone with Mr. Eromanga-sensei.
Well judging from the way Eromanga-Sensei and I spoke to each other during the party, a misunderstanding is unavoidable.
I can’t leave it like this. I must solve it somehow. Yet at the same time there’s no way I could explain everything to him.
When I was hesitating, after learning that Elf was the only one who had visited Taiwan, Elf said the previous line ---
“It can’t be helped then. I never thought that I’d be the only one who had visited Taiwan. Taiwan is really beautiful ~. The weather is warm, the watermelon juice is wonderful. There are really good dumplings and other tasty food. I learned a lot from them.”
“Based on what you said, you went there for no reason other than eating.”
「Yet after eating so much you are still flat chested. Poor girl. 」
Both Eromanga-Sensei and I (via the tablet) teased her. Elf roared:
“What the hell? I was thinking of making Taiwanese food for you guys!”
「Ah, in that case I want it. 」
Eromanga-sensei corrected her words.
“Hm! Just wait until my mood gets better! Ah, now that we’ve mentioned Taiwan, I want to go. Since we are having summer break, both Muramasa and Masamune have finished their manuscripts, everyone want to go?”
“No no, I don’t think that you should go. Elf-sensei, don’t you still have a lot of work to do?”
「Your novel is going to be made into an anime right? And made into games too. 」
Both Eromanga-Sensei and I voiced our concerns.
“It’s ~ fine ~ ♪ There is still a lot of time ♪ I can work whenever I want ~!”
She’s definitely the type who never gets anything done.
“What about you, Muramasa?”
“My time is better spent writing than coming with you. I’m not going.”
Directly to the point. Well, she’s always like that.
“……So are you saying that you are going to spend your entire life at home? What about you, Kuminitsu? You’re about twenty, it’d be great if you could be our guardian on this trip.”
“I’d come if everyone got together.”
Shido-kun calmly answered before looking at me.
Hearing everyone’s opinions, I waved my hands in rejection.
“No matter what anyone says, Taiwan is impossible. I don’t have a passport.”
“Ha? Are you for real?”
“Of course. I have never gone abroad in my life.”
"Ehhhh!? ~~~~ I can't believe it! No wonder you can only speak Japanese! You are an author, what would you do if your book is going to be sold abroad? Don’t you plan to translate it yourself?"
"No no no, I think that you are the only author that actually does that. Everyone else just asks a professional translator."
"But you still need to learn! Don’t you care about what foreign readers think about your story?"
Learn? Learn my ass. Look at you, you can’t even do basic math.
But she did translate her own story to a foreign language. She's amazing.
"Well, forget it. You can't go aboard at this rate. Let's go somewhere else. Three days and two nights, an island to the south of the country. How about that?"
"Yeah yeah, whatever. I'm not going."
"Eh? Why? You’re going to go with me! Don’t you feel that it’s an honor!?"
"Nope, I don’t."
" --- Ah, you mean you want the two of us to go alone? I understand your intentions, but…."
"No! Why is it that you sometimes refuse to understand human languages? I will not…leave my little sister at home alone. I’m not going to go, okay? End of story."
"…….Who would think that that was your reason. Any comments, Eromanga-sensei?"
「 .........I….I…have no comments….but I feel it’s gross… 」
Eromanga-sensei returned to her usual way of speaking. Although it hurt me a bit, I continued:
"I don’t care whether it's gross or not. I will die of loneliness if I'm unable to see my little sister for three days."
"You’re not worried about what will happen to your little sister, but instead care what will happen to you?"
"Yup."
I raised my head and chest, and answered.
"This siscon dares to say these things in such a courageous manner…But, are you really not going? A trip with beautiful girls to an island -- I think this is a chance to improve your writing skills."
"What do you mean?"
How can a trip improve my writing skills?
"You are going to write a novel with a lot of beautiful girls, aren't you? Then this trip will give you a lot of real life experience."
"!"
"You can't miss a chance to get more reference material! This is my advice for you as a romance-genre novelist!"
"Mwu…."
Although I knew that Elf had just made an excuse to ask me to go, but her reasoning sounded solid…
Hearing my groan, Elf opened her arms wide and continued her momentum:
"You can go immediately without a reservation. The beach, the weather, everything is a precious setting for light novel! You can even use that for an anime too!"
"But…what about work…"
"Let's call this 「a trip to co-operate and get reference material」! This is something absolutely necessary for your dream!"
"You are right…kuh…..but ….I don’t want to be separated from my little sister…."
Seeing that I was slowly being convinced, Elf pointed at Muramasa-senpai's chest and added:
"If you go, you could see Muramasa and myself in a bikini."
"Hey, you idiot over there! I never said that I will go."
Ignoring Muramasa-senpai's protest, Elf kept saying:
"I will definitely convince her, what are you still afraid of? Mwu -- still not totally convinced? Alright then, here is my trump card."
"Both of us will wear erotic bikinis for you!"
"Why, why, why did you include me too!"
Muramasa-senpai blushed. She clearly didn’t have a poker face.
"Is this true?" *2
"Wait, what is with your reaction? I'm not wearing them! I will definitely not wear them!"
Senpai hugged her chest and kept shaking her head.
"In order to make this trip happen, I will make something that you can wear!"
”Uuuuuuuuuuu~~~~~~~~~~”
Truthfully, I really wanted to see. Maybe not Elf's, but senpai's bikini is another matter. If I managed to get a picture, this would be the best of the best reference material for Eromanga-sensei.
But…but….!
I breathed out, calmed my breathing and answered:
"Thank you for your invitation, but maybe next time."
At the core, I'm truly afraid of being separated from my little sister. Not to mention that if I go, Eromanga-sensei will feel that she was abandoned.
I can only go on a trip when Sagiri can leave of her room. That much is fine.
"----------"
Hearing my answer, Elf's eyes widened:
"I got it…but give it another thought, okay? I'll be waiting for your answer until tomorrow."
That night, after everyone had gone home, inside the locked room --
"….Nii-san, you should go."
"What?"
"I can stay at home alone…I will take care of our home properly."
"But….."
"You want to go, don’t you? Everyone goes together, eating together, making friends, not to mention getting reference material, seeing bikinis -- an island in the south sounds good. You’re thinking that, aren't you?"
"Yes…I am."
It is. Sagiri truly understands me best.
"But I can't leave you alone just to go."
I'm very afraid. I'm scared….of loneliness…
"It's fine. Don’t worry."
Considering that I held up inside my editor department for several days. Even though I did return later, the fact remained that I went out for three days straight. So Sagiri herself should be fine.
"The problem lies with me."
Sagiri smiled slightly "I know."
Of course. I just said that “I will die of loneliness if I'm unable to see my little sister for three days".
"We’ve rarely seen each other for a year…yet…“
"But we are still living together."
Even if we couldn’t meet, we still lived under the same roof.
Even if no one greeted me with a "Welcome back", I could still say "I'm home" every time I returned.
I'm not totally alone.
"Ehe…alright alright, I will call you every night…you should go."
Hearing her gentle voice made me so embarrassed that I wanted to die.
"….Are you my mother…?"
This sounded like an adult comforting a child who is about to go away for the first time.
Although she said she would call me every nightwhich would help relieve me of my loneliness, but I felt embarrassed just thinking about it.In order to calm down, I changed the subject.
"…What about you?"
"?"
"…You…aren't you going to feel lonely too? You are going to be separated from me for three days."
"…Pfff."
She laughed. I rarely saw her like this.
"…I'm fine. But I'm worried about you, Nii-san."
"Ah, is that so?"
I turned away.
"Are you angry?"
"Nope."
I just don’t want her to see me blush.
"Its fine, you should go. You don’t have to worry that going will mean leaving me behind. I don’t feel that way."
"….Why are you thinking of me so much?"
I secretly glanced at her. She gave me a very charming smile:
"Because I'm now drawing illustrations for The cutest little sister in the world."
"Izumi-sensei has finished the story – now it is my turn."
I see…it's about time.
Eromanga-sensei looked at me seriously, said:
"Since Izumi-sensei held up in the editorial department, I wanted to focus on working too. I will do my best -- so Izumi-sensei should try to get as many reference materials as possible. I think we both should work hard on our dream."
"….Sagiri."
Not only did she realize that I wanted to go, she even encouraged me to go, for our dream.
In that case - I have nothing else to say.
"…Got it. I will go."
"Um."
My little sister happily waved at me:
"Good luck on your trip, Nii-san."
I bet that when I returned with a souvenir --
Eromanga-sensei would be waiting with her best illustration.
She continued:
"…Actually, Elf-chan just called me…as payment for lending them Nii-san, they will co-operate with me -- for art….Ahahahahahahaha….."
A perverted laugh rang out in the night.
Anyway, that was the reason ---
In the name of "a trip to co-operate and get reference material", I and Elf went on a three days two nights trip to an island in the south of our country.
I had noticed a bit of this before, but it seemed like Elf's family is insanely rich. Based on what she said, money was never a problem.
In other words, Elf's family was similar to mine. Of course I had no intention of asking her about such a private matter.
Anyway, when I and my neighbor arrived at the Haneda airport, we saw Shido-kun there, waiting for us.
"Good morning."
He waved his hands and greeted us.
"Good morning, Shido-kun."
"Morning."
By the way, today Elf only wore a simple miniskirt. But since she added a lot of frill, it doesn’t look much different from usual. On the other hand, I and Shido-kun wore a short shirt.
"Say, what do you guys think Muramasa will wear today?"
"I bet it's going to be a kimono again - there is a good chance she will."
Both Shido-kun and I agreed.
Aside from the light kimono for summer, we have never seen her in any other clothing. Yet she always looked comfortable in that, sometimes we wondered if she was an undead or not. That was why we felt that it's entirely possible that she would wear a kimono to a southern island.
"But Muramasa-senpai looked like she would not come no matter what, will she truly come?"
"I have taken care of that. After that party, Muramasa,Eromanga-sensei, and I met on skype and revealed our hands. I have spoken with Muramasa -- well, after this and that everything is fine."
Probably…Sagiri told Muramasa-senpai her true identify.
Recently, the number of people who know this secret kept increasing.
"Muramasa's condition requires your help, is that okay?"
"You should have told me sooner. I will do whatever I can."
"Don’t worry don’t worry, it's nothing big…."
I have a bad feeling.
Looks like…not only did Elf convince Muramasa-senpai, she also convinced Sagiri.
Although Sagiri agreed to let me go -- she still made some conditions.
…I couldn’t help but think back to her very pervert-expression.
As payment for lending them Nii-san, they will co-operate with me -- for art….
"So Eromanga-sensei made some conditions too?"
When I mentioned that, Elf looked like she recalled the details of those conditions and blushed.
"…You can say that. Although the conditions were a bit special, they were still within acceptable range."
I don’t know for certain, but I bet it's something perverted.
"No no, I don't care whether you like to run around naked or not. I meant that I couldn’t believe Muramasa-senpai accepted too."
"She didn’t."
"What?"
"When Eromanga-sensei made those conditions, every single perverted one was aimed at me instead of Muramasa. So I said 「I will agree only if Muramasa agrees too! 」."
"That's bad! That was a wrong move! You made a deal with the devil!"
Don’t underestimate Eromanga-sensei desire to see a perverted scene of her model! She will do anything to make you do your part of the deal.
"What should I do…how should I explain it to Muramasa-senpai…"
"Hm, it's all within my calculations."
Elf pointed at my face, and said:
"Didn’t you have a bet with her during the World light novel tournament? That the winner can order the loser to do anything, remember?"
"You wanted me to use that? You wanted me to tell Muramasa-senpai to follow Eromanga-sensei's orders? Especially pervert ones like 「Let me see your panties」or「make an erotic pose」?"
"Yes."
"What kind of expression do you want me to have when giving her an order like this? Besides, I already used it to tell her 「don’t hinder our dream 」."
"Is that so? But it doesn’t look like she is going to do anything.
"Eh? Really?"
"Yes. Even if you didn’t give that order, she will not hinder your dream again. I can tell that she is still looking forward to 「What kind of order will Masamune-kun give me 」. So cute, she trusted your personality so much -- now this is the right time to betray her! No need to hold back, gave her an order as perverted as possible!"
"You are so excited when it comes to this. Then I will be blunt: don’t you think it's a waste to use it on an order like that?"
Don’t you remember a girl who told me to "do whatever I want"? Looks like I need to tease you more.
"Since she said 「anything is fine」, what about order like 「increase the number of orders you have to obey」 or 「become my meat-slave for the rest of your life」?"
In Elf's novel Dark Elf there was something like that.
"Kuh…maybe I should try that?"
"She looked cold outside, but inside she liked it. It's going to be fine. Just go for it!"
"I see ~ she is going to like it huh."
"Yes, yes, she likes to be abused! Go, give that order!"
"By the way, how come senpai still hasn’t arrived? Should we go get her ----"
"………….I have been here for a while."
"!" * 2
The voice came from behind and startled both Elf and I.
We both froze and slowly turned our backs and saw Muramasa-senpai standing there, a dark aura visible around her.
"…………."
Oh damn oh damn…she looked like she was about to kill someone.
"Say…senpai…did you hear?"
"Yes…I like to be abused huh."
"I'm very sorry!"
I raised both of my hands and surrendered.
"We were just speaking nonsense! Please don’t try to stab me with your umbrella!"
By the way, today she had a white dress and was holding an umbrella. But her eyes were so scary. In fact, the contrast made her even scarier! What terrifying killing intent.
"Hmm..forget it."
She coughed and returned her blade to its sheath -- no, returned her umbrella.
"Cough cough…aside from that…Masamune-kun, is there anything you would like to say?"
"Eh? Ah….?"
What? Should I apologize for thinking about those orders just now? Based on the expression she had…
"Senpai, your clothes …."
"Yes. Yes."
"---- Did Eromanga-sensei pick it for you?"
Suddenly, Senpai almost tripped on her own feet, but she quickly stood up right:
"Yes! Yes, that's right! Due to Eromanga-sensei's conditions, I have to wear one of the outfits she chose….but…you! You!"
"I think it suits you quite nicely."
Although it was a bit late, I voiced my opinion.
Since I'm not used to praising girls, I was a bit slow when I try to do it.
"You look great. Very cute."
”~~~~~~~”
She blushed, half from anger and half from embarrassment.
"You, you, hate!"
She yelled something unintelligible at me before turning around and ignored me.
…Elf-sensei, we said something bad just now…
I tried to convey this thought through eye contact with Elf, but she glanced at me, coughed and asked:
"Masamune…is there anything you would like to tell me?"
"Nope. Hurry up and let’s go!"
"Wait…wait! There must be! Look, look, clothes…wait -- look carefully! Why are you so cold hearted towards me!"
Thus -- together with my friends, we boarded the plane, then a taxi, then a ship and finally arrived at the southern island.
If this were a novel of mine, then either something would happen on the way or someone would attack us. Of course reality wasn't like that, we arrived safety without trouble.
The sky was clear without any clouds. We were still in Japan, but the Kanto area wasn't as good as this.
We followed Elf and got off the ship. As soon as we left the harbor ---
"!"
A very eye-catching man was waving at us.
He had blonde hair, and blue eyes with a wide forehead, and a broad-looking body. Together with his simple, white shirt -- he looked like a tour guide - even more than a real one.
He looked like Legolas from 「Lord ** *** rings」- a perfect handsome looking man.
"That…this…."
Clothes aside, just the forest behind him made him look like an elf. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he pulled an arrow out of nowhere.
"…I can't believe it…an elf's forest really exists…."
"No no, Muramasa-senpai…..this is…."
Even when I corrected her, I was unable to look away from Legolas.
Elf took a step forward and happily waved her hands at him:
"Aniki!"
"Aniki!?"
I yelled in surprise.
But…yes! I can tell that they are blood-related just from looking, but….
That man who looked like an elf is truly Elf's older brother?
No no, what am I thinking…
"Aniki -- is that Elf's older brother?"
"Yes, let me introduce ---"
Elf pointed at Legolas and said:
"My editor, as well as my elder brother, Chris."
"Please to meet you, everyone. I'm an editor for Fulldrive publishing, Yamada Chris. Thank you for coming."
His voice was calm and easy to hear. It was the same voice I heard on the phone before. Now that we have meet, I could see that he truly was an adult. Unlike his little sister, his stern expression scared me a bit.
Shido-kun turned to me, whispered:
"Is Elf-sensei's brother an editor?"
"Yes."
"….Is this his real name?"
"Who knows?"
When we were muttering, Chris-Legolas said with his unchanged expression:
"I apologize that I had to take part in your trip to co-operate and get reference materials without notifying you. But I couldn’t leave my little sister alone. Thus, I will remain on this island for the time being. Please remember that."
"You don’t have to be here, you know…Aniki, can you please stop acting so serious? All of them are my friends - no, my loyal servants."
*Knock!*In a smooth and quick action move, he hit Elf's head.
“~~~~~~”
With teary eyes, Elf hugged her head. Chris-aniki continued:
"I can't do that. Including Yamada-sensei, everyone here are novelists while I am an editor. We can't afford to mix up private and public matters."
In other words, just now he didn’t hit his little sister but hit Yamada-sensei because of a public matter.
Fulldrive publishing is so scary.
He…wasn't he the one who lead those black-suit, sunglasses-wearing guys who took Elf away? I should be careful around him.
"Eh…actually, while it’s called a trip to co-operate we are mostly here as your little sister's friends…and since it's a private activity too, you don’t have to be so formal."
Everyone agreed? A quick look at Shido-kun and Muramasa-senpai showed that both were nodding.
"…In that case, let's go with that."
Chris-san's face became a bit gentler:
"I'm glad that my little sister could find friends her age with the same hobby. Thank you very much…although she has some problems, please take care of her."
He used the words "same hobby", and not "collaboration". I could guess what he meant by that.
"Aniki---what are you saying -- it's embarrassing."
Elf blushed and interrupted. We couldn’t help but smile at this scene.
"Don’t worry! Just leave it to us!" - I tried to laugh loudly.
"Really….Masamune…forget it, let's go."
In order to take care of our luggage, we followed Chris to Elf's mansion which was near the beach, on a clean field of sand.
From the mainland, this place looked like a forest in a fantasy setting. People could even forget that theywere still in Japan.
On the way there, we chatted:
"Hey Elf. Is your pen name Yamada Elf your real name too?" Muramasa-senpai asked.
"Nope. I borrowed my brother's last name and added a bit."
In other words, there is no Yamada in Elf's real name. Looked like her family's situation is more complicated than I thought.
Now that I think about it, during the party Muramasa-senpai mostly spoke with me. Yet she is close enough to call her Elf instead of Yamada-sensei right now.
Eromanga-sensei. We’re free anyway, want to play a game together?
I couldn’t help but think back to when Elf became Sagiri's friend. It looked like forcing people to become one's friends might work too. Just look at Muramasa-senpai.
Unlike super perfect class rep Megumi, Elf really seemed like she was good at "handling problem children"
When I wasn’t thinking, Muramasa-senpai asked Elf:
"So what is your real name?"
"Hmhnm, you want to know? Can't tell you that, it’s a woman's secret…If you really want to know…."
"I will tell you" Chris interrupted "My little sister's real name is ---"
"Wwahhhhhhhhhh!! Don’t say it! You’re going to ruin my image of a mysterious beautiful girl!"
Elf cut Chris off in panic before he could say anything.
Although I want to know too, but if she doesn’t want to let us know then we can't force it. Muramasa-senpai also gave up.
"Also…I don’t know your guy’s real names."
Since we are all novelists, we use pen name to address each other instead of our real names.
"My pen name is Shidou Kuminitsu. I only changed the writing from kanji, it’s my real name too."
"I see. Me too. What about you, Muramasa-senpai?"
I knew that Senjyu Muramasa is not her real name.
Hearing my question, Muramasa-senpai thought for a while and replied:
"…I don’t want to say it now. It's embarrassing."
"In that case it must be a cute name!"
At that time, we had arrived while chatting.
"This is my family's mansion! Everyone, make yourself at home!"
Although Elf said that, but -----
"……."
"……"
I and Shido-kun stared at the mansion in front of us, our eyes wide.
We had caught a glimpse of it when we were in the ship -- but now we can safety said that this mansion "belonged to someone who is super rich."
It was a big, white, open mansion. The front faced the beach and there were a row of seats. Some very interesting-looking cots stood near some trees.
Behind the mansion was a road which lead further into the forest.
Now is still early, the sun light shone brightly. This is the perfect weather to go swimming at sea.
"…Let's take a picture."
"Alright."
I put my luggage down and went around to take some pictures.
Shido-kun did that as well. Muramasa-senpai followed us without a camera or cellphone in her hand, she just followed our actions with a seriously gaze.
Sometime she squatted down and picked up some sand, touched a tree, played with sea shell –she looked like a child who was playing, who was trying to remember everything with all of her sense.
At that time, behind us, Elf laughed happily and put her hands on her mouth as a speaker and shouted:
"Muramasa ~ Masamune is looking at your panties~!"
"Ya!"
Senpai immediately covered her behind with her hands and turned to me:
"Did you see it?"
"No, I didn’t."
Actually, I did see a bit.
Really…this senpai was too careless.
We arrived at the mansion's entrance and put our luggage down and prepared to choose rooms.
Elf put her hands on her hips and acted like a leader:
"There are a lot of rooms, so we can each have our own -- but since we can't co-operate without living together, I decide that we will put two peoplein a room. I with Masamune, Shido with Muramasa, okay! Good, let's do it!"
"Like hell!"
Why don’t we split it based on male and female!
"This is my mansion! Do you have any problems with that?"
"Yes!"
Muramasa-senpai raised her voice. She picked up her umbrella and prepared to stab:
"Split seriously or death. Take your pick."
"….You look like you really are going to do that…Of course I was joking, how could I let girls and boys sleep together. You, and I, Musamune and Shido, is that okay?"
That’s okay. But…
"Eh? I'm going to live in the same room with Izumi-kun?"
Shido-kun's voiced sounded involuntary. I quickly asked:
"….Eh…Shido-kun…you don’t want to share a room with me?
At least I wanted to know the reason. He looked at me with an apologetic expression.
"………….Living with someone who’s gay is a bit….."
"I'm not gay!"
I knew it! He had a ridiculous misunderstanding!
"But…with Eromanga-sensei …."
"I don’t have that kind of relationship with Eromanga-sensei! Both he and I are not gay! Please believe me!"
Ughh….explaining this is hard….
After that, I tried my best to explain while still hiding my little sister's identity.
When our luggage was safely put in our room, we returned to the dining room and grabbed a quick meal, which was prepared by the mansion's staff and contained a lot of high class ingredients.
Nice rooms, good food…this was much better than I expected. I felt so embarrassed.
"I will personally prepare tonight's dinner, just wait for it!
Elf spoke while gave me a charming look.
I knew that her cooking was super. Although I was full, hearing that was enough to make me want to eat more.
If Elf ever had someone she liked, I bet she could immediately take control her boyfriend's family through their stomachs easily.
After we finished resting in the living room ---
"Let's go to the beach -- it's for reference material!"
Everyone decided to go swimming. We returned to our room to change.
"Izumi-kun, you go ahead. I will go after sending some work-related email."
"Got it."
I went to the beach alone --
"How does my island look?"
Which led to the scene at the beginning.
Now, on the sand beach, Elf stood in front of me in a revealing bikini.
Saying this might sound pathetic…but now my heard was in chaos. Normally, I treated my prideful neighboras a child who was asking to be indulged, but now….
Shido-kun, Muramasa-senpai, anyone is fine, please hurry!
"Er…where is Muramasa-senpai?"
"Hm? Hmmmm…..she…can't come here…for now.." Elf replied, a hint of anxiety in her tone.
"And shouldn’t Shido-kun be with you?"
"He said he needed to take care of some work-related email."
"I see - plot successful!"
"Yes?"
"It's nothing!"
Elf put her hands on her hips and grinned.
"Ehehe…in other words, we are totally alone right now."
"…Yes, we are."
…Why…why…Elf…right now…is it because she was wearing a revealing bikini? This atmosphere was a bit….
"It can't be help! Let's play before everyone arrives!"
"Yeah yeah…."
Elf happily pulled me to the sea.
The soft feeling I felt made my body froze…I felt like I had become a dog who was being given a bath by its owner.
"Hey, what are you embarrassed for? This is reference material for the romance genre, you need to be serious about it! Do you want your dream with your little sister to become true or not?"
"Ah, right, right, reference material…."
My mind seemed to clear a bit…let's see…a date on a beach…
"So that's why you were acting like my lover. You should have said so sooner, I was so surprised!"
"…Um."
Elf was stunned for a second, but she immediately smiled:
"Yes! I wanted to get reference material too, so act like my boyfriend!"
"Boyfriend?"
"You don’t want to?"
Elf grabbed my hand, she looked at me without blinking, her eyes begging.
"Kuh…."
Something wasn’t right. Right now Elf -- looked dangerous.
"It's not like…that…"
"I see! Time for our first reference material! A part of any date on the beach ---"
Elf pulled me to a big umbrella, put a nylon mat on the sand - and then lied down face up.
"Ha…huh…."
She even purposely took a deep breath before slowly opening her bikini's button.
"Okay Masamune! Go ahead and help put sunscreen on me!"
"Wahwahwahwah!"
No no no no no! It's very very dangerous! I almost saw everything!
I quickly covered my eyes and lectured her as best as I could:
"What the heck are you doing?! Stop it! Stop! Cover yourself! Quickly, you shameless stripper!"
"Don’t, don’t badmouth my chastity! I, I, I'm embarrassed too! I will not allow anyone else to do this, but it's for a reference material! We have to do it!"
"What kind of romance-genre novel has a heroine show her bare breast like that?"
"There is! I will write something like that!"
In other words your character will be like you and will show their bare breasts in a heartbeat.
"Stop stalling, hurry up and put it on me! I bet that sooner or later you will have to write a scene like this too!"
"I will definitely not! Please, at least lay down!"
At least if she lied face down I could do that -- no matter how embarrassed I was. Hopefully.
"Oh my -- Pathetic, Izumi Masamune."
Elf teased me, but she did turn to lie face down.
"Phew."
I'm saved…
No no, that must be her limit too. Look, her face was bright red.
"Alright…face down. Is good…okay."
Now that I think about it, if she asked me to do that from the beginning, I would, without any doubt, refuse. Thus she made that request in order to fool me into this situation. Still, it was too late to think about that now.
"….Bwu….."
I picked up the sunscreen bottle and put that sticky oil on my hand.
Then ---
My eyes met Elf's elder brother's eyes.
"…………………." <= me, both hands covered in a sticky substance, a twisted expression on my face.
"…………………" Chris-aniki looked at me with a stern, serious expression.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh why is my life so complicated! It's as bad as the time Eromanga-sensei almost stripped on live video….
Why…is he here….
"……….."
Chris-aniki's eyes lowered.
Below, his little sister lied face down, her bare breasts revealed.
"What's up? Hurry! Hurry and put that sunscreen withan aphrodisiac effect on me."
I'm done for! She picked right now to say something straight from an eroge….
Chris-aniki kept looking at us, his expression remained unchanged.
From my frozen hand, some drop of lotion fell on Elf's back.
"Ya ~~ ♥ Even if trash like you defiles my body, you will not take my heart ♥"
"You said that on purpose didn’t you?! You tried to tease me huh? Stop messing around!"
She clearly actively made this perverted atmosphere! There was nothing good about this! It felt like I was being tortured!
Now, my heart still felt like it was being crushed, but for a different reason than before.
"You, you promised? Ahh ~ ♥ If I can withstand this pleasure for an hour, you will not touch my brother's virginity?"
"What the heck are you saying!"
And right in front of her elder brother too. Now the misunderstanding that I'm gay has skyrocketed. Is there thing any worse than this?
Even in my chaotic state, I have to agree that she had a very good imagination. Just one line was enough to totally destroy my social standing.
"No! No, it's not like that, Chris-aniki! We are taking reference----"
I pulled my eyes away from Elf and tried to explain…
"Huh? Where is he?"
Chris-aniki had disappeared. Maybe he fled because he saw something too cruel.
Anyway, next time we meet, looks like I will need to explain a lot to him.
After putting sunscreen on Elf (just her back), she pulled me to the sea. I still can't see Shido-kun or Muramasa-senpai anywhere.
"What happened…."
"Don’t ~ worry ~ about it~. Next is the second piece of reference material."
"The second? What are you planning to do?"
"Lovers playing in water. You see, it’s like 「Ah ~ it's cold ♥ ~ really ~ you want to play huh ♥ 」."
"……………….You want us to do that?"
"Yes! Ehehe, do you feel honored? Even if it's only for a few minutes, you became my boyfriend."
"…….It's too embarrassing, please skip it."
"It's not! Come on, let's play!"
"Say, what exactly will this prove?"
"You can see your lover when she is having fun!"
I felt that whatever two lovers did together would be lovely-dovey, but everything she said turned out to be erotic.
"Ummm….."
"Still not convinced? It can't be helped then - let's go with number three "Teaching a beautiful girl how to swim". This reference material has a special aspect: even if the male does not have any strange thoughts, even if he totally focus on teaching, he still has to touch the girl's body and skin. He has to direct her hands, her legs while touching her, which makes love bloom.Love&Touch - see? Let's do it!"
Elf patted my shoulders and pulled me into the sea again.
I replied:
"I can't swim."
"What the hell!? My perfect plan!"
What part of it is perfect?
"So how about you teach me how to swim?"
"I can't swim either."
"So you have no right to lecture me."
"…..By the way, it seemed like Muramasa and Shido couldn’t swim either."
"…..So why did we come to a beach?"
"……………."
"……………."
We both fell silent.
………….Is our trip going to end here?
"Anyway, there are still a lot of fun to be had aside from swimming! Okay, Masamune! Fire yourself up - let's keep doing skin ship for our reference material!"
"I will not let you do whatever you want!"
A voice interrupted Elf.
"!?"
I turned to the source. Elf looked like she had already expected that.
"Hum, you are faster than I expected."
That was ---
"Yamada Elf…your evil plan end here!"
Muramasa-senpai stood there in a far more revealing bikini than Elf's.
No, no, maybe that bikini was the same as Elf's, but because her body was more developed it felt different. She looked like she had just taken a bath, there was water on her body.
…..Senpai, so that's how you looked after wearing that bikini.
"Senpai…that…."
"Wow…oa……"
Muramasa-senpai moaned like she was about to die.
I still didn’t understand anything.
"You totally rejected the idea of wearing this….who have thought that in the end you did wear this erotic bikini…."
Senpai, could it be that you are a pervert too?
I thought that you were different…so you are the same as Elf.
"No, no, it's not like that! Masamune-kun, listen to me! There is the reason for this!"
She squatted down on the spot. But my eyes were unable to move away from her pure white skin.
"…And that is?"
"She! She is the culprit!"
Still squatting down, senpai pointed at Elf.
"What did you do?"
"When Muramasa took a bath, I hid all of her luggage and left her only that bikini."
What a devil.
"You even took the towel….bikini like this…how could I go outside….*hic*……"
Looked like she is easily embarrassed as much as Sagiri. Just this was enough for her to panic.
Although it's regrettable, I turned away.
"I got it. But why did Elf do that?"
"She wanted to take advantages of the time when she is alone with Masamune-kun to …"
"With me?"
I asked, but no answered came. Elf cut Muramasa-senpai off with one single sentence:
"Ew? Muramasa-chan, is this okay to say it?"
"Wh..what?"
Senpai's whole body trembled. Elf grinned like a thief:
"The reason you took part in this trip - want me to say it out loud?"
"You…lowlife!"
Muramasa-senpai gritted her teeth in frustration.
But it looked like there was a reason for her, someone who normally doesn’t care about anything, to go on this trip. And she doesn’t want me to know that reason.
Muramasa's condition requires your help, is that okay?
Is there any connection with what Elf said earlier?
Anyway, I couldn’t leave her like that.
I went to the umbrella to get my coat and tried to give it to her without looking.
"Senpai…please use this."
"…Sorry."
After putting on the coat, Muramasa-senpai calmed down.
The first time they meet, she totally dominated Elf. But now Elf was the one who teased her.
AfterMuramasa-senpai and I decided to wait for Shido-kun to arrive and play - we pulled Elf (clearly involuntary) back to the mansion. We sat on the chair faced the sea and enjoyed our drinks.
…It's not a bad free day….
When I was feeling comfortable, senpai said, sounded afraid:
"…. Masamune-kun."
"?"
"The reason I went on this trip…."
Eh? I thought she didn’t want to tell me?
"You --- " She paused, then continued: "I wanted to see your novel."
"My novel?"
Hearing my question, Elf answered in Muramasa-senpai's place:
"Yes. There must be a lot of unfinished oneson your computer, right?"
"Of course."
All novelist had something similar. Like rejected manuscript, or a manuscript that for some reason that can't be published…Everyone got that. All of them were stored carefully.
We can't easily kill our children this way. Maybe someday we could even take another look at them.
I was the same. Even those web novels during my black history were stored carefully. Of course there is no way I could let anyone see them.
"I have a lot. Like the before-edit manuscript of Silver Wolf, my manuscript before I made my debut…."
"I want to read them!"
Suddenly she leaped forward, like a child who saw a toy in a present and wanted to play immediately. I took a few steps back. Elf added:
"Izumi Masamune's unpublished story - you can see for yourself. This is the condition she required to join this trip. Masamune, are you with me?"
"No problem. But I can't bring everything out." I answered.
"I can show you those story that for some reasons can't be published. But my rejected stories are another matter. My editor told me that 「It's bad, no one will buy it 」 before rejecting them."
"I want to read your story. Anything is fine."
"Kuh…"
No good. My face was so hot…
"No, no mean no! I'm embarrassed!"
"…I see…"
Senpai seemed down. That expression, combined with her revealing bikini, and the thin coat made me felt bad. That was the first time I felt this way with someone other than my little sister.
"….I can print my unpublished novel…and…." I added "Although I can't let you see my rejected manuscript…but if you like….I can…"
"!"
Her reaction was out of my expectation. Eyes widened, hands supporting her body, she leaned forward:
"Really?"
"Ah?"
Her eyes made my heart raced. I looked away, answered:
"Like the after story of Silver Wolf, I could write it quickly for you."
"Silver Wolf! After story? Of course I want that!"
Her eyes were sparking. She smiled brightly. That made me both happy and nostalgic.
Although we have never met face to face -- I had also felt that way when I spoke with that person
"Got it. Please give me a few days while I write it."
"Um."
Senpai smiled happily. Normally she was so cold, yet now she looked like a child. Instead of asking which was her real self, maybe they both were.
Life wasn’t like a story. Not many people can clearly separate different sides of themselves. It's normal to have different side like that.
"But is that okay? Although it sounded strange coming from me, but you are writing a novel too, right?"
"It's fine. You see, I'm writing a romance-genre novel. That is important, but if I don’t write fighting-genre novels for a long time, my writing skills will be reduced."
"That would be bad. Your fighting novels are my life force."
I rarely received praise like that, thus I felt really embarrassed.
"It's fine, don’t worry. As long as you’re happy."
To tell the truth, I still felt attached to those characters from Silver Wolf
Maybe it was strange to write more about a story right after it ended. But after listening to Muramasa-senpai's attempts to crush me, I changed my mind.
As an author, I could see my characters whenever I wanted, unlike my readers. They could only see them while reading.
And they will have to say goodbye when putting the book down.
But doing that means the lonely feelings will resurface. They will have to be separated right after meeting again.
Like in The Sacred Blacksmith[1] or Armed Librarians: The Book of Bantorra[2], readers need to read one every few months. Not only light novels, daily anime or Blu-ray is all the same. The better a story is, the worse you felt when it ended.
Although I couldn’t say it clearly…but to me, that was what an ending means.
So, despite that reality is unrealistic…but…sometimes…meeting with my fans and seeing my characters again…feel good. That was what I thought.
"Alright, then what should I write."
When I was thinking for an idea, Elf seemed like she thought of something funny and laughed:
"Hay Masamune, why are you looked so happy? This can't be printed, you can't let other readers read it. It's something you’d write for free."
"Haha, what are you saying, Elf? Don’t you remember what I did before my debut?"
"Ah, I see."
Elf looked like she understood.
"You are the type who writes because you want to. Working for free is fine with you."
"Yes! I love it! I love to do it for free!"
If my parents were alive, I planned to stop working as an author after entering high school - but I will continue to write.
Not to earn money, just because I wanted to - write a story and read it every day.
Of course, becoming a professional novelist with my own editor and illustrations is a good thing. But I prefer to be free without anyone restricting me. I like it so much that I felt sorry for people who never write anything.
"This time, I will only write it for one reader, Muramasa-senpai." I grinned and pointed at her "This is a rare chance, allow me to write a really good after story."
"………..Um."
Maybe because of sun light, Muramasa-senpai's face reddened.
After that, Shido-kun arrived (he looked like he exchanged some strange hand signals with Elf) and everyone began to play.
Based on what Elf said, this time we got lots of reference materials. From beach volleyball, water melon crushing[3], drinking fruit juice and shaved ice Elf made.
Although sometimes Muramasa-senpai focused on writing so much that she missed out on a lot, but time ended up flying. It was now sunset. On the way back, Elf happily said:
"Ah ~ I like it so much! My body is so sweaty! Let's take a bath! Ehehe ~ this is an open bath house! Let's go, Muramasa!"
"I'm going to take a bath in my room. I want to write something quickly."
"Eh? Bathing together is the time for girl talk! This is reference material too!"
"I refused…god knows what would happened if I take a bath with you."
"It's going to be fine! At worse I would only touch you a bit! Just a little bit! Okay? Please?"
"No, you sound suspicious…"
Elf put a hand on Muramasa-senpai's shoulder and tried to convince her.
An open bath house…I can see the sunset and the beach while letting myself enjoy the hot water…not to mention the erotic girl talk from nearby.
No no…I really, really want this.
"Ma, Masamune-kun! You’re thinking something pervert, aren't you?"
"Ah, Masamune! I will say it before hand, you won't be able to secretly look at us at the bath house! I had made anti-peeping preparation, the fence is separated on both sides and will make a noise whenever anyone touches it! Although the sound is small, you can't make it disappear."
So -- I returned to my room, made preparations and went to the open bath house. It would be a waste if the other side finished too soon.
Since Shido-kun said he had something to do, I went out first.
From the beach and here…it sounded like he was making excuse. Could it be that he doesn’t want to go with me?
"…Does he still think I’m gay?"
I really didn’t dare to ask.
I entered the bath house, past the changing area and entered the large bath room.
The wash bath room and the large bath room were separated. I needed to wash my body before entering that bath. I quickly did that and entered the bath room.
"Wah…"
The white stream was everywhere.
Although there was a fence separating this side and the woman's side, the water was from the same source. The scene was nice, with open air and sea.
The sun was going down, the light was beautiful. It looked like I could still enjoy the night after this.
Although I had lots of other thoughts in my mind, but now seeing that, I only wanted to enjoy this bath.
*Blub blub*
"Ah….it's so good."
My body became lighter. Now I truly felt good to be born Japanese.
This is the first time I went on a trip without my classmates. I'm so excited. It was so good. I was right to come here.
It would be better if Sagiri could come too.
Oh, wait, I'm not looking forward to taking a bath with her! Really…!
…Elf and Muramasa-senpai must be taking a bath right now too. But why can't I hear anything? I tried to draw closer to the fence.
At that time --
"…Huh? There is…someone else?"
Behind the stream was someone!
Eh, eh eh? Could it be, could it be that? Elf and Muramasa-senpai mistakenly came here instead?
---- Of course not. That was Chris-aniki. He is totally naked.
"…….!!!!"
Yamada Chris -- Elf's blood older brother and her editor.
His upper body was above the water, he nodded at me without saying anything.
His skin was as white as his little sister's. His body was thin, and yet seemed strong. His collar bone looked charming -- and why am I describing a naked man so carefully?
"Eh..ah…."
I panicked, didn’t know what to say. In the end, I said:
"Pleased to meet you…what a coincidence."
"Um."
"………….."
"……………"
What, what next!? This atmosphere is so uncomfortable!
Because Chris-aniki always had a stern-looking expression…not to mention what happened earlier today…I felt very troubled.
"….."
Right now, we were taking a bath, side by side.
Wait, side by side?
"*Glup*."
Since when did he appear next to me? Scary….
"…….."
I thought he would say something, but I was wrong. He just calmly looked at the sky while enjoying the bath.
His face without a hint of worry was quite rare. He could become a really good actor.
But what kind of film had a handsome blonde hair blue eyes man taking an open bath on a southern island?
However --- if I were him…
What would an elder brother do if he saw his little sister nearly nude and played with some sticky lotion (with a boy)?
If I were him, that boy would be reduced to a bloodly stain already.
…The truth is…
"Look like you get along --- with my little sister quite well."
"Eh…that…"
Now what? How should I answer?
Example ①
「I don't really get along with your little sister, you know?.」
「You don't get along well with her, yet you put lotion on her? Looks like you wanna become prey to my bow, huh? 」
Crap. He is gonna kill me for sure.
Example ②
「Err well, you see, I get along with your little sister very well.」
「That does not mean I can let you off the hook for putting lotion and doing shit with her. Looks like you wanna become prey to my bow, huh? 」
Crap….whatever I say, I will become his prey.
Because of his expressions, that was my impression of Chris-aniki.
"…Er, well, I think we get along just fine."
Without any other choices, I picked something in the middle.
Chris-aniki seriously looked at me, then he spoke in a very low tone:
"As long as you take responsible, it's fine."
"Eh?"
What? What did he just say?
"Eh…just now…what did you just say?"
“Izumi-sensei --- no, Izumi Masamune-kun ----“
For the first time since we meet, he put both of his hands on my shoulders.
“Eh…?”
Then he spoke in his usual low, charming tone:
“Marriage.”
A proposal rang in the open bath house.
"…………"
To tell the truth, I was so surprised that my whole body was stunned, unable to say anything.
At the same time, there was the *clang clang* sound of something hitting the floor.
I tried to turn my head around and saw Shido-kun with a towel around his hips, his face twisted in horror.
“I…I’m sorry!”
*Rush rush*Shido-kun fled immediately.
“……………..Crap.”
Crap. Now he saw a man propose to me. Now the misunderstandings that I’m gay is gonna get worse.
No no. Now is not the time for this!
Although Shido-kun’s misunderstanding is very serious, the gay elf in front of me is much, much worse!
“Eh…eh…”
I should have run away already, but I need to double-check something. Depending on his answer, I will decide to slam my head into his chin or not. Even if running away turned out to be impossible, I will defend my chastity till my last breath.
“….Just now…you said….”
Chris-aniki repeated, his tone still remained serious.
“Marriage – to my little sister.”
“To your little sister!?”
You should have said so sooner……Oh my god….I thought I was about to die….or some ultra secret was going to revealed….
“With my little sister. What else did you have in mind?”
“It’s nothing. And a ma, ma, marriage with Elf, you mean…?”
“Marriage to my little sister” – those words also carry a lot of weigh.
Chris-aniki pulled his hands back from my shoulders, and said:
“Of course I don’t mean that you should marry right now. Both you and my little sister are still too young for that. But my family’s situation is a bit complicated, so if you two have feelings for each other, maybe you should make an engagement…”
“Wait waitwaitwait a sec! It’s a misunderstanding! I don’t have that kind of relationship with her!”
Even if he killed me right now, I still have to make it clear.
“Mwu…you mean you aren’t going out with my little sister?”
“No! Why did you think that?”
“Because she wrote on her Twitter that she 「is going on a date with Izumi Masamune」.”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
That damn mouth of her! I knew that she did something dangerous!
“How should I put it, er, she was only joking. It’s not the truth.”
“….Is that so…hm…I also thought that something wasn’t right.”
Chris-aniki sighed in disappointment. Looked like he understood.
“But --- if that is the case…no, it is not right ….ah….I get it….”
He frowned, like he was thinking about something.
“Yes?”
What “I get it”? Please don’t surprise me again!
“If you aren't going out with her, then there are things that I can’t tell you yet. Sorry for my misunderstanding.”
“No no, it’s fine. It’s not your fault anyway.”
“Thank you. You are exactly like my little sister said.”
“Yes?”
“But what do you think about that?
Chris-aniki grinned evilly:
“Although it sounds biased coming from me, but I think that she is amazing.”
“Yes yes.”
What is he saying all of the sudden?
But he is totally right, so I can’t say that he made that partial comment because he is a siscon or anything.
“You’re right.”
“Haha, you think so too?”
“Yes.”
*Creakkkkkkkkk*A strange sound came from the female side of the bath.
“High income, a super cute appearance….”
*CreakkkkkkkkkCreakkkkkkkkkCreakkkkkkkkk *
“Good looking, very good cooking, she made me happy whenever we were together – I think that she would be a good wife in the future.”
*CreakkkkkkkkkCreakkkkkkkkkCreakkkkkkkkk *
“Is that so?”
Chris-aniki showed me a prideful look just like Elf.
“Although she doesn’t look like that, but I’m sure that when she meets someone she truly loves, she will be a faithful lover. She also has good living experience, a comely, friendly personality. Not to mention that she can play music, speak foreign languages and do a lot of things, she’s totally a skillful girl. As long as she practice to be a wife, I bet she will be very good – that was the way my family taught her after all.”
Wow. Elf is really, really amazing. She has so many good points.
Then he raised a finger and asked me:
“So I ask you? What part of my little sister is not okay?”
…Why does he sounded like he is lecturing me because I rejected Elf? Didn’t I said that this was a misunderstanding?
“Well…if I really need to say….”
“And?”
“Aside from above, everything else is not okay.”
“Haha, brat, say it clearer.”
Chris-aniki broke into laughter. Looked like he found this funny.
“Well said! My little sister has a lot of good points, but that doesn’t change the fact that she also has a lot of bad points. Always late when submitting manuscripts, unprofessional attitude, has no discipline, not to mention her chuunibyou. Frankly speaking, she’s an idiot.”
“She really is an idiot.”
*Creakkkkkkkkk *Again? What was that, it was so noisy!
Chris-aniki was badmouthing his own little sister while laughing, the cold persona had completed disappeared, replaced by a friendly, nice elder brother – which I liked.
“However!”
I still wanted to say something. I can’t let someone badmouth my friend that easily.
“For her, her bad points are also her good points…her idiocy is also her cute side. Maybe her chuunibyou causes headache to others, but I think that she’s cool. Although the way she works is unprofessional, but I think that she has got a point. When I began writing a new novel, she helped me a lot…how should I put it…well, I don’t think I could, but I think that Elf is a special girl, someone who can take care of her issues by herself, someone who is very charming, and a very dependable senpai. I’m only here thanks to her.”
“………”
Chris-aniki looked at me in surprise.
“If it wasn’t because I already have someone I like, I would have fallen for her at least five times already.”
Like back then, back then – and back then ---
In an instant, many chances reappeared in my mind. Not only was “cute”, she was “becoming much cuter”. Yamada Elf is someone so amazing that it make Izumi Masamune’s heart race.
“….Is that so? I understand.”
Chris-aniki took a deep breath and said.
“I understand completely.”
He repeated it once more.
After that, when we were getting out of the bath house, we meet Elf outside. She was wearing a yukata, steam still coming out of her body.
Girls sure looked so erotic after taking a bath – huh?
“You….”
“Wh, wh, what?”
“Your face is so red! Did you faint while bathing?”
“Sh, sh, sh, shut up! Hate!”
With a bright red face, she yelled at me before turned around and left.
….What is the meaning of that?
That night.
“After that, everyone ate the dinner that Elf made.”
「Was it good? 」
“Yup. Although I wasn’t able to make it as good as her, I will make some for you when I return.”
I was talking with Sagiri via Skype.
In front of me is the laptop screen, which showed her without a mask on. There was no one else here. Just me and Sagiri.
“Oh right, I was still unable to explain it clearly to Shido-kun. Even when Chris-aniki helped me…we ended up in two different rooms.”
「Um」
She smiled gently while listening to me.
…..How come speaking with her via skype creates a better atmosphere than speaking face to face?
「Did you get reference materials? 」
“How should I put it…now I know what a southern island is like. Everyone had a lot of fun – because of that I got lots of reference materials.”
「I see. This trip was a right choice then. 」
“…Yup, it was. Thank to you.”
Although I hesitated for a bit, but in the end I told her what I really thought.
Maybe it was the right choice. Her smile was getting bigger. I laughed too.
“Next time, let’s go to a hot spring together.”
「Don’t wanna. 」
“W, why?”
「Because, Nii-san…you must be thinking about something perverted…. 」
“I’m not ~~!”
Our conversation…just like every day between us siblings…
Maybe it was my most memorial memory today.
“How about you? Did you eat properly? Did you get sick? Just leave your clothes somewhere, I will take care of it later. Dirtied bow and dishes too, you don’t have to clean them. Also ---“
「…You worry too much. I’m fine. 」
“Even thought…I’m still worried. No matter how much I want to, I still need to wait a day after tomorrow for a ship.”
「Hoh…why does it feel like a setting for Kindachi manga? 」[4]
“You are right. Elf said that this place was also suitable for a mystery novel.”
「If something did happen, I bet the first victim would be Elf-chan. The murderer would be a psychopath.”
“You meant Muramasa-senpai didn’t you! It’s so rude!”
Although it’s also easy to understand.
Truly she made people think of her that way – putting a kimono on a corpse is a familiar modus operandi of murderers. Not to mention she was good at making strange names for bodies – like the “killer wax statue” case.
“Anyway, today ended like that.”
「Um, I see. 」Sagiri whispered 「Actually, Nii-san, there was…a lot on my side as well. 」
“Yes?”
「You see – take a look. 」
“This is –wow.”
Sagiri blushed and showed me the illustration of the main heroine of The Cutest Little Sister in the World
“Is that a cover page?”
「Yes…I don’t have anything better. This is all I could do today. 」
“It’s great! Wonderful!”
It was so good that I would need five seconds to answer which one is better: this one or my little sister.
「Ehehe…I will let you see the completed version when you get home. 」
「That’s why…you have to return. 」
“Of course.”
I will protect this promise even if that is the last thing I can do.
“Sagiri…do you want any souvenirs?”
「Um…actually. It’s kind of hard to say…」
She blushed and began to play with her hands.
“You can ask for anything! We are brother and sister! I will get you anything you want.”
「Elf-chan’s socking. 」
“Let’s have a family party when I get home!”
And so…
That was how our first night ended.
In the middle of the night, someone knocked on the door.
I stopped writing and stood up to open the door. Elf stood outside in blue-yellow summer clothes.
“Yo, Elf.”
“Um…Masamune…ah…um…are you free right now?”
I immediately noticed that she was acting strange. Normally, she had said that while looking directly at me, not stuttering like that.
“I’m free right now…do you need something?”
“Can you…go with me for walk?”
“Of course.”
Eh? Why does it smell perverted in here? It’s not like we were just taking a bath.
I ignored my bad feelings and followed Elf to the entrance.
“Well, actually, I have something I want to ask you.”
“Eh? Tell, tell, tell me? Wh, wh, what is that?”
Elf panicked clearly. Did my words have that much of an effect?
“Where do you normally buy your stockings?”
“………………….Die.”
She gave me an ice-cold glance.
“No no, I’m not going to buy it for me!”
“You’re still going to try and explain? That’s not what I meant! I mean, why do you pick this time too…forget it, thanks to you I have calmed down. I will forgive you this time.”
I followed her to the door, I still didn’t understand anything. Look like she planned to go outside.
“Where are you going?”
“Quiet, just follow me.”
The footsteps were getting further away. Looked like she was in a bad mood. I hurried to catch up to her.
We left the mansion, and made half a circle and walked on the road that lead into the forest.
“Elf, before is ---“
“The Elves’ Forest.”
She answered without looking back then kept going.
“You have read my debut novel haven’t you? The Elves’ Forest was based on the forest ahead.”
“Ah….”
The beautiful elves lived deep inside the forest. Both humans and monsters were kept away by the barrier created from the Sanctuary.There’s huge trees, full of life. There are sea of flowers beneath their shadows, and thereis a river made of a light spirit.
The Elves’ Forest that she described was based on a real forest. No wonder it felt very natural.
We followed the road in silence, trying not to disturb the quiet night.
We began to go into the forest. The road still kept going.
“This way.”
Elf stopped at the forest’s entrance, and turned to me for a moment:
“I guess I should tell you why I lead you here.”
“Actually, there is something I wanted to show you.”
Leaving two lines behind, she turned and walked into the forest.
…She truly looked like an elf, so I had a hallucination for a second….Shaking my head to clear this image, I followed her.
Finally ---
“ ------ “
The moment I stepped into the forest, I stopped.
In the night, some sparks of light appeared.
Slowly, slowly…those sparks of light slowly increased in number. Since Elf just mentioned her debut novel, my first thought were light spirits.
In reality, the light spirits were ---
“Fireflies.”
I turned to the source of the voice and saw Elf, with a magic-like light all around her.
“The deeper you go inside, the better the scene.”
“Alright…”
I slowly took a look around.
Those lights danced and invited us into the forest – that was a line from a certain someone’s light novel.
Muttering the original line, I followed Elf deeper inside.
Finally, the road ended. We stopped at an open space. Beneath us were smooth grass, in front of us was river of light.
“-----------“
Numerous spark of light flied in the air. All of them sparked on the lake’s surface.
Elf was born here. Some lost human would also find an elf right here. That was another world, a fantasy world.
The scene that she wrote and the scene I saw were exactly the same.
“This…is…”
I’m speechless. She turned around and half-danced, half-walked to me.
“How is it? What do you think about this Elves’ Forest?”
That was what her female protagonist said too.
“Beautiful.” I couldn’t say anything else. “So beautiful.”
“I see. It’s good to hear.”
Elf smiled gently. A noble, gentle and a very familiar smile.
“No pictures, okay. Be sure to look at it carefully and remember.”
“…Um”
What a pity. If I was better at drawing, I could draw this scene. Thus, I could only stand there, looking at everything.
“Thank you.” My mouth unconsciously said.
“You’re welcome.”
We stood side by side and enjoyed the view.
“This is where--- Father …I mean Papa proposed to the one he liked – my mother.”
“So romantic.”
“Yes. But he failed.”
“Eh? Really?”
I think that this is the best place to propose.
“My mother hates insects.”
~ Ah ~ ah.
“She said 「I can’t believe that you dare to propose in this situation」 and cruelly refused.”
I really wanted to say something to Elf’s father. He should have checked this before proposing.
“But since you’re here, that mean they still ended up married, right?”
“Gems, clothes, a yacht…My father spent years giving her presents, and he had to bet everything, to kneel down and propose until my mother finally accepted. Because there were a lot of people who wanted to marry my mother – I mean, Mama. They also spent a lot of money to undermine their competitor, to secretly hire lots of extras, to take part in a tiresome tennis tournament. Papa always boasted about how hard it was for him back then.”
Elf’s father is really tough…
I myself don’t think that this was something you should boast about, and definitely shouldn’t tell your daughter.
Still…
“I can understand your father’s feeling.”
“You can?”
“Your father did all that because he loved your mother. No one can give the one up the one they love for someone else.”
He was serious. Deadly serious. By revealing his trump card, he bet everything on a final move. I would do the same if I were him.
“Is that so?”
Elf smiled her usual prideful smile.
“I thought so too. Although the way Papa did it was overboard --- but it was the right choice.”
We both fall silent for a while.
“So…why did you tell me all of this?”
“Onii-sama…I meant, aniki…he said something strange to you, didn’t he?” Elf blushed and turned away.
“You don’t have to forcefully hide your high class lady way of talking.”
“I, I’m not! Anyway, answer my question.”
“Ah…strange huh…well…there is one…”
But it was hard to say.
“He told me something like 「marriage to my little sister 」.”
“Um….Um…can I explain? That…er…that…where should I begin…”
Elf panicked. She paused for several seconds and said:
“My father has passed away.”
I wondered if she tried to make it as casually as possible.
“…..I see.”
“Um. You see, before he died, he told Mama that --- it’s just as a precaution anyway – he said 「Please take care of the children, teach them to become good adults」and 「please let them be happy 」.”
“………”
…All parents are like that. In situations like this ---
“I still remember what Mama’s answer was – 「Alright, I will do like you said one last time」.”
--- You need to say it clearly.
“Originally, Mama was very strict with others. After that, she became stricter, especially toward us siblings. She kept saying 「Everything was for your happiness in the future 」. Aniki found that too troublesome and left the house as soon as possible, leaving me behind. That meant the amount of stuff I needed to learn increased a lot – because of this reason, he always felt that he owed me an apology.”
Although he still does not allow me to extend my deadline – Elf laughed in self-mocking tone.
“That’s basically it. Mother gave me a really hard time. But I don’t hate her. In fact, I’m thankful. I love my parents. In order for her to be happy, to fulfill my father’s wishes, I want to be happy, to succeed.”
“But who I’m going to marry is something I alone will decide.”
Here is the main topic.
“Mom has talked with me about marriage before. I normally always listened to her, but not this time. I have to be happy. My life-partner is someone I want to decide for myself.”
Now that I think about it, Elf is always living alone.
“And then – you run away?”
“No, not run away. I left after explaining everything. Otherwise how dare I came back to this mansion?”
That mean she convinced her mother. But that didn’t explain Elf’s situation.
Although she said she bought that house to make it easier for her to work in Tokyo…but let’s leave that aside for now.
Everything Elf said wasn’t the reason for her “to become a novelist”. They were just a prologue for what she is about to say.
“Can you say it…clearer?”
“Well, basically ….”
“Mother is an idiot! If I want to be happy in the future, then I need to be happy tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the day after that too! Look at me, look at the girl who spent all her time learning! I didn’t have a chance to do anything else! Mother, were you happy when you lived with Father?Were you? If I want to be happy – I have to learn from him too – I need to find a husband who will live with me for the rest of my life! Is there any problem with that?”
“……Like that.”
“…I see.”
I finally understood. In other words, she told me all this since I’m an older brother, I care a lot for my little sister too…right?
But I still don’t understand why did Chris-aniki’s suddenly approved of me.
“….That is my situation – do you get it?”
“I do.”
Elf just explained why did Chris-aniki said something so strange. Probably she did that so I wouldn’t have any strange misunderstandings.
But in that case, she could have said that at the mansion. Why did Elf bring me here, to this special place? To the Elves’ Forest where her father proposed to her mother?
“Thank you very much.”
Thank you. This trip was very useful.
Beside…I felt that I have become a lot closer to my neighbor.
“I’m very happy.”
“Eh? Don’t try to end the story so soon. I’m still not done yet.”
“There’s still more?”
“Yes…” Elf blushed “Okay…I’m only going to say it once, so listen carefully.”
“Um.”
What? What is with this atmosphere? I felt like someone was grabbing my heart.
This feeling…I had felt it before…it was….
Before I could think of anything, my eyes had already been glued to hers.
Elf said:
“You are a candidate for my groom.”
“Eh…wh, wh, wh, what…?”
“Don’t misunderstand! It’s not like I like you or anything! It’s just, just – I meant, I only think that if I married you, everyday would be very fun, very happy.”
Wh, what are you saying! So embarrassing!
“So, so, so that means…right now…you’re proposing to me?”
Elf’s face turned bright red, and she yelled:
“It’s not! It’s not a proposal! I, I, I only told you that you have a chance to become my groom! You are a candidate! Candidate! Got it?”
“Candidate?”
“Yes! Candidate! I’m not proposing to you, you are the one who will have to propose to me!”
She massaged her chest and pointed at me:
“I will only teach you how to succeed after you propose to me!”
“I will not propose to you…because I ---“
I have someone else I like.
“No, you will.”
Elf smiled confidently and put a hand over her chest.
“Because you will like me.”
She pouted, closed her eyes, her tone serious.
“In the near future….you will not like anyone else aside from me…”
Full of confidence, and stubbornness – a head strong girl was right in front of me.
“………”
It’s clear that no girl proposed to me.
It’s clear that Elf didn’t.
Yet my heart was racing, my head had become hotter.
My mind told me that wasn’t the case, but the heart told me that it was.
“You…you..say something.”
“ --- Ah, I –“
“No, forget it.”
She waved her hand, cut me off.
“Let’s go back! I will let you off the hook for today.”
We stood next to the sparking lake, the smell of earth, of trees, of glass and the sound of insects rang with my heart beat.
Elf took a few steps almost like she was running away, but she suddenly stopped and turned back:
“Masamune, I will give you a special award and tell you my real name.”
Although she acted like it was nothing, I could see her reddened face and harsh breathing.
“Emily. Make sure to use that name when you ask for my hand in marriage.”
She told me her name just like an Elf Princess.
