Just a little Note :

Aneki | Nee-chan | Ane - Elder sister

Aniki - Elder brother

Imouto - little sister

I wrote this side story originally in Japanese. While I was translating it, I found that it was hard to understand the context if I were to eliminate the honorific. So if you don't understand anything or had doubts about the using of chan,san, and sama. You can refer to the WIKIPEDIA LINK HERE

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This story happened a few days before I won the lottery for the Monolith Capsule. It was late in the afternoon that I got a call from my elder sister. They were calling me over for dinner. Needless to say, I knew what their intention was. It would be none other than the “counseling session” that would be held from dinner, become what you can call as supper.

I don’t hate my sisters. In fact I love my sisters. Well maybe a little, if they stopped complaining how I live my life, stop complaining about whatever that I do or maybe when they learned to not nag about every single thing that I do. Sometimes I even wondered if they are my sisters or my step mothers.

My sisters are… well, how should I put it. I have four Aneki and an Imouto.

And oh!  I am not a Siscon.

That evening, I took a warm bath, put on my best clothes and pull back my hair and made myself presentable. You may wonder why I put on such efforts when I was only going to meet my family. But I can assure you, this is all for my well being, mentally and physically.

Now then, where was I? Oh yeah…

I arrived at my sisters’ apartment, rang the intercom a few times and finally got myself invited in when my little sister came out and greeted me.

“Ah, Onii-chan… Come in.” My little sister is a good sister, Otsuka Eri-chansa, 17 years old. She’s still in her high school. Her growing rate is incredible, even though her chest wasn’t anything worth mentioning, her height almost matched me. I wonder if she was too tall or was it just me that’s too short.

“Where are the others?” I asked, inquiring about the presence of my elder sisters. “Mea Onee-chan is in her room.  Eruna-nee is out buying ingredients for tonight’s sukiyaki.”

“Irina nee-chan … did Irina nee-chan go together with Eruna-nee?”

“Mm…”

“Guhh… How about Eva nee-chan nee-chan?”

“She’s indulging herself over Korean dramas.”

I see. Korean Wave is on rage all over the world after all. With Japan being so close to Korea, it wasn’t surprising that my sister who used to flounder about “Hey Say Jump” found her new interest. I have to admit, those Korean guys with their tall stature and muscular body that I wasn’t born with, and those Korean ladies that have beautiful legs and smexy body which my sisters weren’t born with sure are able to sway the hearts of every people.

And you heard me right, it’s smexy which is an abbreviation of “smashing your head on the wall trying to contain yourself due to the sexiness aura that was emitted from the other gender.”

Mea nee-chan, Eruna-nee, Irina nee-chan, Eva nee-chan nee-chan and Eri-chan-chan. They are my sisters, I also have an aniki, but he’s married and living overseas with his family due to work. My parents stay with my aniki. As they are too reluctant to leave their grandchildren alone, they decided to ‘trouble’ my aniki for a little while.

I went into the living room and sat on the nearest sofa. Damn, the sofa here is so soft and comfy, different from what I have in a single room that I’m living in.

I picked up the remote and moved my finger freely, randomly looking for channels.  I found an interesting channel where it was rolling on “Gaki no Tsukai” re-caps, I put away the remote and later had a stomach ache due to over laughing. Honestly, Hamada-san and Matsumoto-san is the number one comedian in Japan for me.

It was not long when I was watching the show when Eva nee-chan slammed the door and told me to hold my pipe down. Well what can I say, funny shit is funny! But regardless, I only looked down on the floor and turned my volume down obediently.

After an hour passed Eruna-nee and Irina nee-chan finally came home.

“Chiro, you’re here already?” Irina nee-chan greeted me. On the other hand, Eruna-nee said nothing and headed straight to the kitchen. Yeah she said nothing, for now… She’s going to let her complains all out when we had finally put back the plate into the dish shelves. I had known her for 20 years and I can say this one for sure.

You might’ve realized this by now, but I did not call Eruna-nee as Eruna nee-chan. The reason for this is simple; she simply doesn’t have anything in her that I can call as –chan! Out of all my elder sisters, she is the only one that I’m scared of the most!

Her lips were nothing but a mass-destruction weapon. Her words were sharper than the thinnest blade. And her glare! Uhhhhh… please don’t let me start with her glare, the very thought of it had already thrown my mind into a state of chaos. But of course, she will only let this side of her when she’s ‘lecturing’ me.

It’s not like I am the only victim to her bizzare razor sharp lectures though. My other sisters will get her sharp and pointy words too whenever they do something that Eruna-nee deemed as ‘foolish’.

Not long after, the 6 of us siblings were circling the sukiyaki table. Eruna-nee put vegetable first and then the meat.

……

I don’t know how many minutes had passed but it was that time that the Sukiyaki War was about to began.

***

Nobody moved their chopsticks. What had escaped from their eyes was the bluish light of hunger. The wait for the meat to be cooked had already passed.

MEAT MEAT MEAT!

That was the single word that I felt from the aura that my sisters emitted. But nobody had meat on their chopsticks; instead, it was vegetables like shiitake and negi. My sisters were all raging for meat, but none of them dared to make the first move as Eruna-nee-nee had yet to touch the meat, as Eruna-nee only went for the vegetables and tofu.

The hierarchy can clearly be seen!

The reason was simple. Eruna-nee-nee is the ‘moneymaker’ in this family. Mea nee-chan is still with her online business that doesn’t seemed to be working well. While Irina nee-chan is working but she’s still trying to sort her life out. Eva nee-chan nee-chan and Eri-chan-chan is still studying so they are very dependant of Eruna-nee-nee. And there is me, the unproductive little brother who is still a ronin, literally a NEET, the lowest person in this hierarchy.

Eruna-nee –nee knocked her head slightly with her hand that formed like a cat’s paw and she said, “Ara- I forgot to bring the soy sauce.” She stood up and went into the kitchen.

It was then that Mea nee-chan moved her chopstick like a wind and put her hand position by an inch before the thinly sliced beef meat. Irina nee-chan who had foreseen that moved like a lightning flash and blocked Mea nee-chan chopsticks.

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“Shouldn’t we wait for Eruna-nee first Mea nee-chan?”

“W-what are you talking about? The meat is going to be overcooked if we leave it like this.” Mea nee-chan responded by pushing her chopstick even further towards the meat.

“No it won’t  Mea nee-chan.” Irina nee-chan said.

Both of their hands were trembling in attempt to overpower each other.

Eva nee-chan who saw the opening didn’t let go of the chance and slid her chopstick below Mea nee-chan nee-chan’s but her chopstick was stopped by Eri-chan.

“My my Eva nee-chan… Sliding your chopstick in while others are still trying to pick up the vegetable is a very bad manner you know.” Eri-chan smiled as she said those words.

It’s scary! So scary! There is no way my little sister can be this scary!

“What are you saying Eri-chan, I wasn’t trying to be rude. I was only trying to wash the tip of my chopstick into the water.”

“THAT IS EVEN WORST ISNT IT!” Eri-chan screamed.

From afar the voice of Eruna-nee could be heard, “Arguing in front of food is a bad manner you know?” she said. We could felt a cold shudder entering our bones.

“Irina-chan, as the eldest here I think I have the right to gain first blood, don’t you think so?!”

What do you mean by first blood, are you planning to kill someone here?

“No no no… Mea nee-chan, Eruna-nee is coming back now. Let us cease our struggle.” Irina said. Hearing the word ‘Eruna-nee is coming back’, all my sisters ceased all fighting and fix their position in a proper manner.

“Ah, I forgot my apron…” and Eruna-nee went back to the kitchen.

Looking at the tofu that was dancing inside the soup, I tried to move my chopstick but then I found four demons… I mean sisters staring right into my eyes.

“A-a-a-a-ahh… I wonder if the tofu is ready to be eaten.” I took the tofu.

I almost cried. I think I wet my pants.

And once again the Sukiyaki War began when Mea nee-chan made her move. Eruna-nee, as usual taking her time chatting about which one they should eat first, dearest sister make you decision fast! save me from this living hell!

***

Irina-chan slammed her chopstick on mine.

“Che!”

I said as I retreated my hand from the hot pot. Irina-chan’s eyes showed no mercy at all, it was as deviant as a wolf that is looking at its prey that is sleeping peacefully like a lion leEri-channg at a sleeping rabbit. I had to make my move fast. The boiling sensation had raised my patience to its max. I move my hand a little bit to the left.

Eva-chan launch his left hand right to the center of the hot pot. “Guahhh!!! ITS MINE!”, she screamed. Irina-chan who seemed to have predicted this development moved her chopstick in a blink of an eye and snapped the deviant chopstick that was above the hot pot, putting Eva-chan’s hand on halt.

“What are you doing Eva-chan? It’s a bad manner to eat before saying your gratitude you know? Where is your ITADAKIMASU!” Irina-chan glared sharply at Eva-chan.

“Heh… I Don’t Know What Are You Talking About!” Eva-chan said. Her hand trembled as she was struggling her fight to the hot pot.

“Heh…” Irina-chan snickered wickedly.

This is no longer a grouping for a Hot Pot. This is a war between the beasts that hadn’t eaten for years. I cannot even reach the hot pot, moreover the meat.

“Then it’s decided then, I’ll leave the meat to you Icchan since I’m not really into meats…” I said to my little brother setting up the stage.  

***

There she goes; the flag for my death had been raised. Why don’t you just take the Meat?! Mea nee-chan! Wait— what about you Eri-chan!!!

“Uwah— It looks so delicious. Let me try so…” Eri-chan moves her hand over the hot pot.

Pak!

“Eh…” Eri-chan pulled back. I see, even Eri-chan, the Legendary Captain, cannot hold her feet against the giant Eva-chan and Irina-chan. Come on, save me ANGELS! It was then that I hear an angelic voice that came by like that moment when God called on Moses for the first time.

“You started eating already? I bought some extra meat.”

“Irina nee-sama.” I said as I was trying to cling on her beautifully fair legs. “You brought us some extra meat. When we have not even started to eat any in the hot pot, how gracious can you be…” I said.

Today I will call you Eruna nee-sama!

“Here, Mea nee-chan. Take it.” Chiharu handed over a bunked plastic.

***

“Meat!!!”

What is this angelic voice that I heard, Eruna-chan! NICE! I know you wouldn’t leave me alone fighting in this battle field. Now! Come! MY MEAT!

“Here, Mea nee-chan nee-chan. Take it.” She handed the meat to me. It was the most glorious moment that I had ever felt, the meat that I’m going to receive shine brighter than that of the [One Treasure] from the era of the pirates. The glorious light that it emits is even more precious than that of the seven balls with stars in it. Just from the look of it, I knew it tastes better than the [God] ingredient that the blue haired guys tried to reach their hand upon. NOW COME MY—

“ZAP…”

Guh! Who did that, where is my meat. Where is the glorious shine that I’m about to receive? Where is the meat that value higher that the [One Treasure]? Where is my MATSUTAKE MEAT!!

“Let me take care of it Eruna nee-sama.” You brat Eva-chan! How dare you take my MEAT! But it’s okay. Now that her position is settled as sukiyaki caretaker, all I have to go against now is Irina-chan. It’s settled. Those meats are mine.

“Aren’t you going to eat Mea nee-chan nee-san?” Eruna… I never thought that you cared for me that much.

“Yes… I’m going to eat n— .”

“Emm—this taste so good, the meat fluffiness, the juicy texture. As expected from a high quality meat. Yum yum…”

Eva-chan!!! Y—you fooled us. As expected from her, the symbol of gluttony itself.

“Here Icchan, eat some too.” Eruna-chan handed over a slice of meat to Icchan.

“Uh— Okay.” Icchan said. “Em— . It tastes great.” He added. Oh well, since it must have been long since Icchan had a feast like it, it’s okay I think.

Icchan!!! And here I thought you don’t have anything to hold on to your feet in this war. Icchan, a little brother to be feared!

***

By the end of our little Sukiyaki party, I was not lectured after all. Looks like my sisters aren’t bad after all. And yeah, I was trying to loan some money from my sister when I was on my way back but I got badly lectured instead.

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sorry for the double nee-nee... fixed it