Hewwo. God, that does sound wrong, I should have never said it, sorry. Oh yeah, it's me Nelly. So good to finally see you again. I think this is the moment where dad would make a joke about our entire world being a book that he authored, so I'll play along and say proudly with confidence - Welcome to the last chapter! ...Of Issei's story, that is, since he's leaving tonight.
"Really didn't wanna say goodbye until the very end, huh?" Uncle Ed smirked, "You do realize we can't go home until we send you guys off, so I would have appreciated some haste."
"Aren't you glad you got to spend just a little more time with your dear little sister!?" Auntie Eleanor sobbed, "Bastard! Idiot! Heartless monster!"
"Homewrecker." Uncle retorted, "Mistress! Number two!"
"Gasp! How DARE you!?" She hissed, "I would have taken the other two in stride, but calling me 'Number two' definitely crossed the line!"
"Yeah, I get siblings like to tease each other, but that doesn't mean I can just sit here and listen to someone badmouthing my girlfriend." Issei stepped in between them.
"You wanna go?" Uncle looked like he was waiting for this to happen, "I've been meaning to dropkick you in the balls ever since I saw you three in bed together for the first time, so this is actually perfect!"
"...Eleanor, apologize to your brother for the hurtful names you called him."
"Oi! You can't just get cold feet now! What ever happened to chivalry!?" She pushed him closer to a scuffle-ready uncle, "Protect my pride!"
"Chivalry? That's old news, woman! Don't you know gender equality is the next big fad!?" Issei whimpered and yelped, "Ed, save me! She's gonna make us two best bros fight over her!"
"Now I'm the one saving you? What the hell kind of situation is that..." Uncle lowered his fisties with a chuckle, "Heh, that was fun."
"Yeah, I'm gonna miss bickering like this with my annoying older brother." Auntie backed off too before reminiscing.
"Eh? You two were just faking it!?" Issei got angry, "That's it, I'm not taking you with me anymore!"
"Huh!? Just wait a second! Issei!?"
"No means no, dear girlfriend of mine."
"But I was just joking, come on!"
"Mnn... Well, alright, I'll find it in my heart to let this one little flub slide." He then smirked before raising a finger at her, "Under one condition!"
"Ooh, he's got you now, auntie." I wowed, "Is it something dirty, perhaps?"
"Nah, I would do that." Issei then beckoned auntie over to him, "Alright, come closer so I can whisper it in your ear."
"If it's something you can't share with us, then it's gotta be dirty!" Uncle fumed.
Dahaha! I got it right~! But seriously, ever since auntie and this Issei guy started dating, she's been a lot more lax and happier. I'm glad she found someone willing to accept her, and that they're roughly around the same age is also a bonus. Wait, now that I think about it, she's two or three years younger than Issei, isn't she?
"Hey, auntie. Can I ask you something in the other room, please?" I whispered over to her as the two guys bickered amongst themselves.
"Hm? Sure, what is it?"
"No, we can't talk here." I shook my head and led her away by the hand, "It's kinda private."
Walking just to the other room of the living room, we found a sort of tucked away corner of the hallway where no one was at. According to Issei's plans, he wants to leave at exactly midnight, which is about an hour away now, so that he can truly make the most of his time here. Othelia thought to use her time wisely and go take a shower in the meantime, and dad and Meil are somewhere else doing their own things before they can come back and see them off. It's a bit of a scuffed preparation, but they'll make it in time... probably.
"So, what's troubling you, Nelly?" Auntie smiled a wide grin at me, "By the way, I'm very happy that you require advice from your auntie even in our final moments together."
"You're making it sound dark again, but never mind." I sighed, "Anyways, how did you and Issei meet?"
"Oh, that's what you wanted to know, huh? How oddly innocent of you."
"I'll dropkick you in the vag, hag."
"Yeah, that's more like it. There's that feisty attitude you picked up from bro." She giggled, "But if you're wondering, it was right around the time we met Aru and went to Mount Ivrys. He and Othelia were..."
"No, I don't care about that." I redid my query, "I meant how'd you manage to end up with someone older than you? Obviously, this knowledge would prove useful in beguiling Meil."
"Oh, there you two are." The guy I was just accidentally let slip I loved him showed up outta nowhere, "Where is Lune?"
"Wha-H-Hey Meil! Dad's not with you?" I jolted before tilting my head, "W-Wait, not that! Don't sneak up on us like that, and can't you see us girls having a private talk alone!?"
And auntie's giggling at this. It's no secret among the Saints and Grimhearts that I have a crush on Meil, but somehow Meil is still none the wiser, for better or for worse. That being said, if she so much as utters a single word to give me away, her vag is SO getting dropkicked.
"Your talk was private? I am sorry, I did not know, so I overheard the last part." Meil made my heart drop with this statement.
"Y-You heard?" I gulped, "So that means...?"
"Yes, and though I am not experienced in love affairs, I can definitely say that I cannot accept it." He shook his head in disapproval, "Nelly, you are forbidden from even humoring the idea. That is all I can say as your guardian."
"...Huh?" Auntie yelped.
"Yeah, what she said, huh!?"
...Did I just get rejected?
----------------------------------------
***
----------------------------------------
"Well then, I am going to go find Lune, so you can carry on with your conversation." Meil then waved and dipped.
I... got rejected? Wait, that's it? The end? It came by so fast, no build-up, no emotional tearjerker confession? He just overheard me talking about him to someone else and shot me down before running away. What the hell, I feel sick. I can barely even stand on my own two feet anymore...
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
"I'm such an idiot..." I dropped to my knees in the middle of the hallway, "Hic, he's never gonna look my way after this...!"
"Okay, calm down now." Auntie kneeled next to me, "He heard you confess (in a way), isn't that good news?"
"What the hell kind of condolence is that? I just got rejected."
"Rejection isn't the end all be all, though. I thought you knew already that in love, only the stubborn make it." She smiled a mischievous grin, "Hell, I had to confess to Issei nine times before he finally found a way to solve the issue of having me join their relationship."
"Nine times? Geez, they must've had it up to here with you, auntie..."
"Humu, maybe. But I'll let you in on a little secret." She got close to my ear and whispered, "He only accepted when we all accidentally got drunk and did it together. We drank on empty stomachs, and the alcohol that night was a bit more potent than we expected, so we ended up like that."
"You got them drunk!?" I raised my tone, but still whispered, "You're crazy!"
"What? No, what the hell do you think I am?" She backed off immediately, "It was a total accident, I promise. Besides, he was the one who brought us the drinks, so if anything blame him."
"Oh..."
"But, it does go to show you just how anything can make love work, even when all hope is lost." She giggled, "For me it was two glasses of Simpletonese wine, but for you it might be something else. Don't give up hope just yet, Nelly!"
Auntie, she's actually doing a pretty good job at consoling me all of a sudden! Maybe I underestimated her all this time? No, well, she did just basically tell me to try and win Meil over by using shady tactics, which might work, but I'm pretty sure that's morally questionable, not to mention borderline illegal depending on what I do to him. I'll hold off for now, but I guess if I really do reach a point of desperation, I might consider buying a few bottles of foreign wine...
"Oh, we've been talking for a while now. It's almost time." She checked the grandfather clock in the hallway, "Shall we go?"
"Yeah." I looked down, "Hey auntie."
"Yes?"
"I'm gonna miss you." I said, tears beginning to fall halfway through the sentence, "I'm really, seriously gonna miss you!"
"Sniffle, y-yeah..." She turned back around to give me a tight hug, "I'll really, seriously miss you too."
It's strange. It's like she's about to die in front of me, and I can't do anything but wave her off. I know they're not actually gonna die, they're going to live a completely different life in a world a thousand times safer and more advanced than ours, and yet... I'll never see her again. It's sad to say goodbye, even like this.
"Damn, took you long enough!" Uncle stood there panicking, "It's almost time, where the hell have you been?"
"Chill out, we were watching the time closely." Auntie rolled her Eyes, "At least send me off with a smile, dammit."
"I'm trying." He let his shoulders fall, his face melting more and more into a total mess before he began wailing finally, "S-Sis! What the hell? I'm trying to smile, but my face just won't listen to me!"
"Bro, it's alright..."
"Sis!" He ran to hug her, wiping the endless stream of tears on her shoulder, "Eleanor! My baby sister! Please don't go! I'm sorry for being a stupid older brother! I'll give you anything you want, just don't go!"
"B-Bro..." She held back tears as she patted him on the back, "I want to go."
"Sniff, I-I know. Sorry, wanted to get that off my chest." Uncle carefully let go of her before trying to wipe his tears away in pain, "Tch, dammit. Where the hell is Grim? Meil and Issei have been looking for him the entire time!"
"Papa!" I shouted, "Come on, we're waiting on you!"
"Ah, I give up." Issei turned the corner with a gloomy Meil in tow, "It's a shame, but if he can't make it, then I can't teleport him here."
"Could it be that he does not want to be there for the goodbye?" Meil wondered, "Ah, Nelly. I sure hope you have reflected on your words."
"Meil..." I glanced at auntie, who gave me a reassuring thumbs up, "Mn, I'm sorry for saying that."
"What were you...? Ah, never mind, tell me later." Uncle sighed, "Then Issei, tell me again how this is gonna work."
If I remember correctly, the Water Goddess forbade him from creating a permanent link between the two worlds due to the risk of permanently ruining both timelines or... something. I'm not that knowledgeable in God stuff just yet, but that's the gist, it seems. There were talks of finding a loophole in the wish system, but we ultimately gave up after realizing we were planning to scam the literal Gods of this world. In the end, Issei has to make a one-time wish to travel to his homeworld with his loved ones, which brings us back to here.
"Yeah, we decided on doing it like this." Issei explained, "I'll close my Eyes and wish for myself and everyone I'm touching to get sent back to Earth when I open my Eyes again. Sort of like a reverse Re:Zero situation."
"Re:Zero?" Othelia tilted her head.
"We'll binge it together, it's awesome." He smiled, "But yeah, when I close my Eyes and make the wish, I'll hold Eleanor and Othelia's hands and open my Eyes. That's the plan, so if anyone has any objections, feel free to speak up."
"No, all is clear." Meil had everyone but those three stand back, "Then, whenever you are ready."
"Right, then..." Issei closed his Eyes and spoke with an excited but uncertain tone, "I wish to go back to Japan with anyone I'm touching when I open my Eyes again."
Right, that's step one. Now all that has to be done is for Othelia and auntie to grab his hand. And then they'll poof out of existence in front of us, never to be seen again...
"Goodbye, everyone!" Issei smiled as he outstretched both hands, "Thank you for this amazing journey! I'll forever remember all of you in my heart!"
Mere milliseconds before the ladies grabbed his hand, the ceiling above us broke apart, on top of which my dad fell down. What was he doing there? Geez, he's late, and now he ruined the beautiful moment! Dammit, now these guys need to do the ritual all over ag-"
"Eh?" I looked at Othelia and auntie standing there alone after the dust settled, "Where are Issei and dad?