Hnnggh…

Warm…

Squirm squirm…

…

Something heavy is covering me… I can’t shake it off…

What is it?

I open my eyes to find out what is this.

…

An arm…

A muscular, strong and long arm is wrapping me around. I can hear a faint breathing close to my head. The warm, strong and well-built body is touching me. Even with my previous body, I would look lanky and thin beside him.

I unfurl the blanket that’s covering me and peek at the surrounding. The sun has already risen to the point that this is not morning anymore but around noon.

And the one cuddling me like a pillow is none other than my proclaimed step brother.

…

It was really weird for me to sleep with him. With all the facts and things laid out on him, he still treats me as the so-called little sister.

Weird and awkward is how I feel.

I am previously a man so it feels awkward cuddling with a guy. But my body just accepts it. Does it mean my mind is merging with this body’s outward appearance?

Yeah, I don’t hate it.

“Wake up. Wake up I said. Hey…”

Anyway, there are things needed to be done. Things needed to be discussed. I need to wake him up.

“Hey, I said… Wake up…”

“Zzz…”

“?”

I squirm to shake him with this tiny body of mine which he entraps into his arm. But instead of waking up, he grabs my head and brings it closer to his chest and curls his legs completely trapping me.

“H-hey… I told you to…wake up!”

“Zzz…”

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“You are totally faking it…”

As I told him that he is already caught faking sleep, he smiles and slowly opens his eyes while still holding me close to him.

“Good morning Asagao.”

“It’s already noon…”

“Is it? Well, I can’t tell. It’s been a long time since I was able to sleep this well.”

“Muhh… are trying to tell me that you can only sleep well with someone in your hands like this?”

“Something fluffy and cute? Who wouldn’t?”

“Muhh…”

“HNNG! Stop pouting like that! It’s dangerous for me.”

“You’re overreacting. Won’t you let me go now?”

“No. I want to stay like this longer.”

He teases my pouting and starts poking at my cheeks. I offer a little resistance by holding his hand away from my cheeks which he is poking.

Can you please not do that…

“You arms were heavy you know.”

“Oh? I’m sorry. I can’t resist embracing you like that.”

“Honestly, who do you think you are?”

“Oh? Getting cheeky huh? Take this!”

“Hyah! Don’t touch me there! Ahaha!”

“Tickle tickle!”

He starts to hold my waist and tickles my waists. I violently shake my whole body as the tickling sensation attacks me.  I desperately flail my arms to him to stop but he mercilessly attacks my waist. He locks my legs with his own so I won’t be able to get away from him.

“Hyah! Stop that! Hahaha!”

“Ahaha! I won’t stop! I need to punish this cheeky girl!”

“N-no! Seriously! Ahahaha! Kya! I… I might pee…Hahaha…”

“Ohohoh! Aren’t you someone grown up mentally? Why would you?~”

“P-please…stop it…Ahaha.. it’s just this...Hahaha…body can’t help it…”

“Hahaha. Okay.”

“Haa… haaa… that was terrible of you.”

He stops his hand from tickling me and hugs me closer to him again. I stay quiet as I catch my breath.

A faint of scent from his sweat and mine mingles the room. The warmness of our body transmits to one another as I lean my body closer to him. I can hear his heartbeat being close to his chest. He brushes my hair giving it an up and down stroke.

“Such smooth and beautiful skin… such cute and adorable face… this young and lovely scent you give off…”

“Hmm?”

“I may be a scum for saying this but, I think I wanted you because of this appearance of yours.”

“Right…this face…which is not mine…”

“But… I… I learned to accept you as a whole. I like the way you are now. I feel like you act more natural now. Not to mention, this is better.”

“W-what do you mean by that?!”

My face got hotter and I feel like my blood rushes to my head.

“Hahaha. You get cutely flustered like this. This is no act at all. I love it.”

“Geez… that’s something you shouldn’t say to your little sister you know.”

“We may have our difficult times, but all I can say, you are the little girl who is kind and gentle. Easily gets flustered. Well, not very shy anymore which I wonder what happened to your adventure. Also, there are a lot of things we are opposite.”

“Such as?”

“You are gullible, I am stubborn. You are gentle, I am brash. You trust everyone, I distrust everyone. You are pure and innocent, I am… morally detach…”

“…”

“I am a bit envious of your innocent and naïve thinking, it’s not bad. It is something you are blessed because you may be here to bring smile and happiness to everyone.”

“This flattery…”

“And you are changing into someone brave and courageous. You are turning into someone who wants to face your own destiny and fate because you feel like you need to. You want to confront danger because you are compelled by guilt. It is a young and lively attitude.”

“Yes, I want to… “

“I know, everyone knows. We know your desire. We know what you want to do. We respect that, so until now, we let you train.”

“Master and Milin, do you hold a grudge…against them?”

“I can’t say I don’t.”

“Milin is just doing what she is told! I don’t how master was able to persuade her, but I don’t think Milin really wanted to do it! I am going to know it from Milin herself!”

“…”

“And as for master, I am going to ask him myself too! I know he is doing this for a greater purpose! I know he just wants to help me further improve! They don’t really mean to kill me or something! Master isn’t really that bad!”

“I know what you want to say Asagao, but, I can’t ignore it… being bloody and treated like a rag doll like that… what do they think of your body…?”

I know. I know what he wants to do. But there are reasons for their actions!

How did master convince Milin to do this?

Whatever it is, I know it’s an understandable reason! I know they are aiming for something. I know that they want something for me.

And in that incident, I was able to learn more. I was able to experience something I don’t usually do. I was able to look at my own faults in my training. I want to know what they are aiming. I want to hear it from their mouths.

“Asagao, I… can’t say that I am not at fault for what happened to you in the past. And these scars in your body, especially in your chest, it’s painful for me. My own guilt attacks me.”

“…”

“And even if you have something like regeneration ability, abusing it like that, I can’t stand it. I can’t make any complaints because of what I did to you.”

“That’s…already in the past… and… you had your own fair share of troubles… and right now, I am still trying to redeem myself to you…for lying…”

As I weakly squeeze out my words to him, I remember everything I went through. All my faults and mistakes that I shouldn’t have done in the first place…

I always look at myself in the mirror every morning to feast my eyes on this ugly scar on my chest to remind me of everything and I am still not forgiven.

I keep reminding myself that.

As my mind declines to negative thoughts, I was suddenly hugged tightly.

It was so tight that I am being squeezed.

“Eh… wait…you…”

“I have not made myself clear? I told you that I am going to accept you fully, all of your faults. And we are going to have a fresh start as siblings, even not blood-related. I didn’t know that we are both blaming none other than our own selves.”

“That’s…”

“Asagao, I will ask you one last time.”

“W-what?”

As he hugs me tightly and holds my head closer to him to the point my face is already touching his neck, he said it to me seriously.

“Just let me protect you. Won’t you stop hurting yourself?”