Chapter 197: Cannons Roaring

“Onii-chan, what exactly is going on here!”

Akiko had indeed exploded.

“Living together! You actually lived with two… two girls behind your Imouto wife’s back!”

The proper education from the Arisugawa Family ultimately prevented the words “shameless seductive floozy” from escaping the little sister’s lips.

Of course, deep inside Akiko’s heart, she’d already stamped those murky, moldy words right onto Mashiro and Nanami’s foreheads.

Hmph! Anyone trying to “seduce” Big Brother was definitely a scheming seductive floozy!

“Don’t slip your weird titles in there like it’s nothing, huh!”

Although he was definitely the one in the wrong right now, Himekoji couldn’t help but retort —

Dammit, what the heck was an “Imouto wife”?

“Sister-wife” sounded much better than “Imouto wife”!

“Like it’s nothing? Does Onii-chan think I look like I’m treating this casually right now?!”

Akiko slammed the dining table with a loud “thump thump thump,” nearly flipping the entire thing over.

Hmm, definitely didn’t look like it…

By the way, right now, Himekoji, Mashiro, Nanami, and Akiko were gathered around the table for a “friendly talk” after finishing their meal…

…

“Don’t make it sound like it was that! We were just temporarily staying at Himekoji’s place! Nothing happened before, and nothing will happen later! And even if you wanted something to happen with your brother, I wouldn’t allow it! I live here to keep an eye on this pervert!”

Nanami finally snapped. Taking a sharp breath, she slammed the table and stood up, standing her ground against Akiko, needle point against wheat awn.

Just what exactly was ‘that’ meant by ‘that’?

Himekoji idly wondered amidst the tension of the raging battle.

“Unnecessary! I’ll supervise my Onii-chan personally!“

“So you can conveniently steal him yourself?“

“Steal? Onii-chan is mine already!“

“Are you joking?! Stuff like that isn’t allowed between siblings!“

“Blah blah blah blah!“

“Na na na na na!“

…

Nanami and Akiko were locked in fierce combat.

Meanwhile, Mashiro, sitting beside him like nothing was happening, completely unaffected by the “cannon fire,” calmly tugged on Himekoji’s sleeve.

“Akito, I want to bathe.”

“Then go.”

Distracted by the messy situation before him, Himekoji replied carelessly.

“Help me.”

“Huh?”

Oh crap!

He’d almost forgotten this idiot didn’t think before she spoke!

“Hmm?”

“Huh?”

The two fighters, Nanami and Akiko, still locked in fiery combat, simultaneously snapped their heads around to glare in their direction.

Hey! Why are top fighters like you getting distracted mid-duel?!

Stay focused until the end and keep going at it, swords clashing!

Why are you looking over here?!

Under the burning intensity of those two glares, Himekoji panicked. A loud ‘thump!’ echoed in his chest.

“Bathing? Help her? Onii-chan, I think you owe your dear Imouto an explanation!”

“Mashiro! How many times have I told you! Don’t ask Himekoji to bathe you!”

Nanami spoke like a disappointed parent, massaging her temples in frustration.

“How many times have you told her? Huh? Huh? So that means, between Onii-chan and her, you’ve already…”

Before Nanami could react, Akiko pounced on this shocking revelation, gasping in disbelief and covering her mouth with both hands.

“Onii-chan, your Imouto is so disappointed in you!”

“No! Akiko, listen to me, nothing happened between us!”

Himekoji scrambled to explain, but words felt utterly useless…

“Shiina! Please, you can’t just sit there spectating! Say something too!”

He desperately needed this troublemaker to help clear things up.

“Hmm, Akito and I haven’t had anything happen. We just bathed together, slept together, and then… mmph…”

Are you kidding me?!

Dammit, Himekoji was almost moved by his own stupidity!

The stupidest thing he’d done today was definitely telling Mashiro to “say something too”…

Halfway through, a dark curtain fell over Himekoji’s mind. Unable to endure any more, a vein throbbed on his forehead, and he hastily clamped a hand over Mashiro’s troublesome mouth.

“When did we ‘bathe together,’ huh? When did we ‘sleep together,’ huh? Shiina! I’m begging you, please speak properly!”

“Onii-chan! What’s wrong with you? You’re covering her mouth, but you still want her to talk properly?”

Akiko immediately jumped in, criticizing Himekoji.

Her words made him instinctively lower his hand.

“We bathed together yesterday. We slept together yesterday.”

So, freed, Mashiro promptly answered Himekoji’s question seriously and earnestly.

“That’s not what I meant asking you! I was refuting, denying what you said! So please don’t actually answer those kinds of questions, okay?!”

“Onii-chan! I heard her! She says you DID! You… you… you really did that behind your Imouto wife’s back… mmph…”

Akiko trailed off, suddenly putting on a tearful look directed straight at Himekoji.

She was forcing him to come clean!

“‘Bathed together’ my foot! I just handed you your clothes! Aoyama can vouch for me!”

Frantic, Himekoji shot a pleading look towards Nanami.

Nanami quickly shook her head, her face full of disgust as she distanced herself from him.

…

Seeing her brother struggling, his face red from fervent explanations and looking utterly sincere, Akiko reluctantly accepted it.

“So… how about sleeping together?”

“That’s even more ridiculous! I didn’t sleep at all last night!”

Just thinking about it aggravated him all over again.

“I slept.”

Yet Mashiro, like a well-behaved student answering a teacher’s question, raised her hand and stated seriously.

“Who cares whether you slept or not?”

“Akito slept with me.”

“I can’t take this, I can’t take this anymore. Are you deliberately trying to get at me, Shiina!?”

Himekoji felt like throwing his hands up in surrender.

“Onii-chan! You! You…”

“He DIDN’T sleep with me! I DIDN’T sleep with me! Your brother is still a VIRGIN!”

To get this sorted once and for all, Himekoji resorted to his ultimate trump card —

Full disclosure!

“A… a virgin? Re… really?”

Akiko’s small hands slapped together with a light sound, her eyes twinkling brightly.

“Who the hell would lie about something like that…”

Damn, he felt a pang of regret the moment it was out.

Seventeen years a virgin this life too… so freaking embarrassing!

Himekoji’s shoulders slumped, utterly defeated.

“It… it’s really true?”

“Absolutely!”

“Then Onii-chan is amazing! You’ve stayed pure for your Imouto wife all these seven years! Oh, and… Akiko… Akiko is, too!”

The usually bold and brash little sister suddenly became awkward. She fidgeted slightly, the tips of her toes gently tapping the floor in a light “tap tap tap,”

“So… as a reward for Onii-chan… tonight…”

“W-Wait a minute!”

Himekoji suddenly realized where Akiko was headed with this and hastily yelled to stop.

…