Why Is My Sister Here?

The moment I settled into her arms, Mar-sister flinched hard and bolted out of the room.

I stood there dumbfounded, and she came back almost immediately, now dressed in her own outer clothes.

She dropped onto the sofa with her legs apart, and her underwear peeked out between her pale thighs.

I voiced the question that naturally arose at the sight.

"What, didn't you just wash your underwear? Is it dry already?"

"Ah. I swiped some spare underwear from Chloe."

"Ah... so that was your method."

I'd asked where she'd even gotten underwear from, and she revealed she'd pinched a spare set from Chloe.

...Come to think of it, Chloe. Mar-sister brought her along for sparring practice originally. I hadn't known they were on underwear-borrowing terms.

Still, why she'd stripped off a perfectly functional artifact and rushed to borrow underwear from Chloe just to change clothes remained a mystery.

I asked again.

"But why all of a sudden? I gave you the artifact, so you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could've just worn that and waited for your underwear to dry."

"W-Well, the thing is... I meant it as a joke at first, but... I didn't know you'd suddenly jump into my arms. And the clothes didn't feel like anything—nothing like they looked. So when your body touched the very edge of it...."

"Huh? What was that? Why are you mumbling?"

"N-No, it's nothing. I just got a little embarrassed. Happy?"

When I asked, she hung her head and began mumbling something before finally saying she was embarrassed.

Hearing that, I smiled inwardly.

'...Oh-ho? Mar-sister, she actually gets embarrassed about things like formal dress? Maybe I can tease her with this.'

Mar-sister always teased me every chance she got, so I'd resolved to return the favor big-time the moment I saw an opening. I never expected such a golden opportunity to arrive.

I latched onto her and started teasing her relentlessly.

'Alright, sister dear. I'll make you bitterly regret all those times you messed with me!'

"I really loved that outfit on you, sister. You looked so pretty, you know? I wish you'd dress like that every day."

...Through compliments, of course. Unlike how she teases me.

Pure, earnest compliments seemed far more embarrassing than mere provocation; her face flushed an even deeper red.

"L-Little brother?"

"Ahh. But sister says she's too embarrassed to wear it for me. Your little brother is so very sad~. Sob, sob."

"Stop, stop it... I was wrong, okay...."

"Aww, what could you possibly be wrong about? Looking so pretty that the outfit suits you isn't a crime, is it? Heehee."

"......."

After that, I teased her mercilessly while she shivered with embarrassment.

"Sister in that outfit is the prettiest in the whole world~ I wish you'd wear it every single day. I'd never get tired of it. The look was absolutely perfect on you."

"......Little brother, please, I'm begging you, stop."

"Hm? What was that? I can't quite hear...."

-Thwock!

"Ow!?"

...Until my sister, pushed past her limit, rapped me on the head.

"I-I told you to quit teasing! Don't tease your sister!"

"Huhh...?"

'...She did? A knock on the head? To me...?'

For a moment, the pain left me speechless, and I just stared at her blankly.

Once I registered the situation, tears began welling in my eyes.

"S-Sister hit meeeee...."

"Ah, ah!? Little brother, I'm sorry! It was a reflex! I'm just used to doing that to the knight order members!"

"Waaaaaah... Mommmmmmm...."

"I said I'm sorry! Stop crying!!"

* * * * * *

After a brief period that was not exactly in line with manly-man ideals.

"Little brother, you calm now?"

"Yeah...."

-Nom, nom.

"Thank goodness, Young Master."

I barely managed to calm myself.

It was thanks to the cookies Chloe brought when she rushed in after hearing me cry.

'Ah, sweet cookies. You alone soothe my soul....'

"...Thanks, Chloe."

"You're welcome, Mar. Looking after Young Master Yune is my role, after all."

Mar-sister and Chloe chatted amiably, leaving me to gnaw vengefully at my cookies.

Then my sister roughly ruffled my hair and spoke.

"Anyway. Little brother. You know the semester starts tomorrow, right?"

"...Yeah."

"So have you decided which lectures you'll register for?"

"...? Don't nobles only take mandatory subjects in their first year?"

"Huh. Didn't it come up at the entrance ceremony banquet?"

I tilted my head at the sudden talk of lectures.

My sister's reaction said she thought I'd obviously know, so I tried to recall if I'd heard anything like that during the entrance ceremony.

And soon.

'...Now that I think about it, didn't Her Majesty the Empress say something like that?'

I recalled a passage from Her Majesty's speech at the start of the entrance ceremony banquet: "Starting this year, the academy will undergo significant changes."

I hadn't been able to focus on the speech because of the Crown Princess's magical girl wand, but had there been that kind of content?

"I guess I missed it because I wasn't paying attention to the speech."

"Pfft. Her Majesty gave the speech herself again this time, you know. You were having other thoughts while Her Majesty was speaking? You little punk~. How irreverent~."

When I honestly admitted I hadn't listened and didn't know, my sister's hand ruffled my hair with a bit more force.

Of course, maybe because of the big incident earlier, it wasn't remotely hard enough to hurt, more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like just playing around.

Then my sister explained the part of the speech I'd missed: the academy's new curriculum starting this year.

Originally, noble-track new students at the academy were stuck with a fixed set of courses for the entire first year.

But apparently, someone had decided that forcing students to take only subjects they had zero interest in for a whole year was too harsh, so they'd eased it a bit from this year on.

Of course, things like Etiquette Studies and Imperial History were still mandatory, but now you could choose one or two lectures you actually wanted.

"What would you have done if I hadn't told you? Honestly, my little brother—I really have to look out for you."

'I could've been in serious trouble....'

It was information I'd have badly regretted missing, so I decided to forgive my sister for rapping me on the head earlier.

"Yeah. Thanks. I'll let the hitting thing go for this!"

I smiled brightly, having dispelled the grudge that had nearly taken root.

Seeing my smile, my sister let out a little laugh.

"Pfft. Little brother, what's the point of forgiving me just for this? There's still more left."

"Huh?"

Then my sister smiled smugly and pulled a rolled-up piece of parchment from her outer coat pocket, handing it to me.

"Sister, what's this?"

"Open it up first. You'll be pleasantly surprised."

"...? Okay."

I obediently took it and spread it out on the table in front of me.

On the softly unfurled parchment...

Names of countless lectures, the professors in charge, and annotations my sister had added were densely written in her handwriting.

"This is... a course list and reviews?"

"Bingo! I've been going around asking graduate students and professors lately so my little brother can pick some decent lectures. Well? No one but your sister would do this, right? Hoo-hoo."

"There's so much here. Sister, don't tell me... the reason you haven't been sleeping was this...?"

"Hm? Ah... I guess it ended up that way?"

The annotations densely packed onto that parchment.

Detailed notes like 'This subject will be boring for my little brother. Because...', 'I recommend this lecture for early graduation since the professor grades generously, but the assignments...' left me speechless.

How much time and effort must my sister, who'd only been at the academy for a few days, have poured into writing this, asking everyone around her?

She was so busy with her uncharacteristic graduate student role that she could barely exercise, yet in what little free time she had, she wrote this. What feelings did she pour into it?

She was always a sister who teased me, but that dense sheet of paper radiated boundless affection for me.

'...Honestly, this is why I can never hate her.'

Without a word, I began massaging her shoulders. To repay her, even just a little.

"Hm? Huh? Little brother?"

"...."

-Press, kneeeead.

"...This kid, honestly."

Perhaps sensing something from my hands kneading her shoulders, my sister—who normally would have teased me about it being ticklish or something—also accepted my massage in silence.

'Thank you, sister.'

I kept massaging her like that for a good while ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠longer. To express my gratitude for her affection.

* * * * * *

Some time later, my sister gently pushed me away, as if that was enough.

"That's enough now. Thanks, little brother."

"...Okay!"

"So, shall we decide what lectures you'll take? That's what I actually came to help with, but the topic kept veering off. I'll give you recommendations, so let's pick them quickly."

"Ah, right."

My sister promptly urged me to hurry up and choose my lectures.

...I'd been swept up in emotion and rashly started the massage, but her original purpose wasn't this. Right.

When I made an "oops" expression, she flashed a playful smile and beckoned me over.

"Once you've decided, I'll register them for you right away today."

"Huh? You will, sister?"

"What's the point of having a graduate-student sister? I can at least secure you a spot in the lectures you want faster than other people."

"Wow, my sister is amazing!"

"Yeah. So hurry up. I have to get back before sunset."

Then my sister glanced out the window and murmured that "there isn't much time left."

To avoid keeping my busy sister any longer, I promptly stuck right to her side.

Then we began amiably discussing which lectures would be good for me to take.

"For starters, my recommendations are this and this."

"Mm... they're all swordsmanship-related. I don't like swinging a sword. My arms hurt."

"I figured you'd say that. Then how about this? Practical Combat 1."

"Practical Combat...?"

"Yeah. It's the course I'm a teaching assistant for. You can do sparring and various hands-on exercises there. Mage students like you can participate too."

"Ooh... sounds fun. Then I'll go with this!"

"Okay. Good choice."

Thanks to my sister's recommendation, I naturally picked one lecture.

"Mm... I think you can probably register for one more. What do you want to do?"

"Yeah? Then I'll take one magic-related course too."

"Magic, huh...."

We then stared intently at the parchment, starting the hunt for a good lecture.

And in the middle of that.

[Fire Element Theory - ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Basics. Professor: Flare]
[※New professor. Course reviews are good, but personal reviews of the professor are poor.]

Among them, I discovered a lecture bearing the name of someone so achingly familiar—the person I'd dreamed about hundreds of times.

My eyes flew wide in shock.

"...Huh?"

'Why is my sister in my syllabus?'