In a room, one that looks to be mine. A study desk with tidied paper stacks, colorful educational books on shelves, and the smell of ink. Before doing anything else, I take out the phone and try to unlock it once again. Using this very apartment's room passkey that Maria showed me earlier… it opened.
A wallpaper of Maria in casual clothes, putting up a peace sign with her hand. She's not smiling, though. It looked like she lost a bet to be in this picture. This guy must've really loved his little sister.
I begin checking.
Minutes pass, the phone dies. I spend another minute searching for a charger and plugging it in.
I am satisfied with what I found; it answered a lot of questions.
But first, I have to confirm something.
I crouch down, landing both my palms on the cold floor.
Then, stretch my arms under the bed and pull the books and CD cases out.
Damn, he really does have porn under his bed. Are you some kind of rom-com protagonist anime? If you really want to hide something, putting it under your bed is the worst choice ever.
Let's take a look at what you have, shall we?
'Sister fever', 'My little sister who really loves me so much,' 'I hypnotize my sisters,' and… on and on. Now I know what turns on this guy here.
Funnily enough, checking these porns cover makes my heartbeat run faster, sending a lot of blood down there.
I'm pretty sure I wasn't into this type of content in the past.
But then again, this reaction might not be my doing.
Some part of him is still here after all.
'You really have to fix it,' says the very being who broke us in the first place. But she was right. If I don't, we are just two people in a body, which spells disaster later on.
After checking it for educational purposes, I slide it back under the bed. At this point, there's no real need to hide it anymore since I just told the only other person living in this room where to find these things.
—Why not watch it?
You damn idiot, Maria said she'd come back soon. We don't want her to see his brother enjoying himself on porns about a little sister, right? There's a time for it, and it is not now.
I blow a sigh and walk out of my room. TV hanging on the wall, white couches, a glass table, and a cup, vases of plants resting in some corner of the room. The living room hugs me once again. It is warm but not enough.
I stand under the machine that controls the climate of this room, blowing out a cozy summerly air onto my face. I start sweating, so I turn it off. Then cold again. So I turn it on. Then hot. Off. Cold. On.
How much time has passed? I'm not sure. What I'm sure of is this thought. What do I do now?
Sleeping was the first choice on mind. But I can't bring myself to do it. What if I wake up, finding myself walking through the corridor again? Sohee's there in front of me? Just like the first time I got in here?
Not now, I can't sleep now.
Then what else? Watch the porn? We've talked about this.
There is really not much I can do. My purpose of being in here is for the girls. Now none of them are here. So the only thing left to do is… to survive until the next time I meet with the girls.
To survive is to eat. I am hungry and thirsty. So I walk into the kitchen.
The refrigerator coughs out cool clouds. The insides are full of colors. One catches my attention. Box of orange juice.
I wander around the room more while sliding the drink down my throat. Until my feet stop in front of Maria's room. Her panda's bag is resting on the wooden door. I was the one who put it there. I figure this is her room since there are only two in here.
The silver knob is almost begging for me to turn it around. But it wasn't right. I'm living with a girl who is supposedly to be my sister now. Even if I don't think she is, Maria still sees me as her brother. It would be weird.
And also, even if she's not my sibling, I would stop myself anyway. She is still in middle school, right? I don't think I'm that degenerate.
But then again, who am I, truly?
Beep.
The door is open.
Maria's back.
In the living room, I can see a girl behind her. A girl with white hair. Grey eyes. Same brown uniform. She looks very familiar.
Hold on, wasn't she the girl who stabbed me before?
This time, she has irises. And looked like an ordinary child.
She even bowed at meeting me.
"Why didn't you change?" Maria says, with her back turned to me, untying her black shoes.
"I forgot to," I answer.
"You seemed to have forgotten a lot lately."
She stands up, catching who I'm looking at. "What? Why are you acting like this is your first time meeting with Oya?"
Oya? Oh, is that this girl's name?
Maria crosses her arm, blocking my view of her friend. "Stop staring at her like that."
Was I doing it weird? "Sorry."
She wraps Oya's neck and shoves her into her bedroom as if shielding me from her. She kicks her bag in before closing the door.
Glares.
The same pair of almond eyes I saw in the mirror.
"What's up?"
"Don't be weird."
"I am actually trying not to."
"So what exactly happened? About that plan of yours? I'm guessing it didn't work. Is that why you were being so… not you, tonight?"
I am a completely different person.
Can't tell her that.
It'd only bring problems.
So I have to find another thing to talk about.
"I got in."
Maria chuckles and throws a punch to my left shoulder, "I guess you're not ready to talk. Then, we'll do it later."
She turns her back, trying to open the door.
"I'm serious, though, Maria."
Our eyes clash once again, sending signals to each other.
Her eyes opened wide when she realized I wasn't playing.
And then a huge smile broke on her face, "How? Your plan was stupid when I first heard of it. That can't be the way."
I wait for a moment, indulging her reaction. This is what the old user wanted to see, right? I'm doing him a little favor since I took over his body.
"Luck and charm," I answered her question.
"Hold on," there is no more smile on her face, "I thought you were absolutely going to get rejected, so I wasn't that much worried. Now I am. You're getting to tutor those girls… is this good or bad news? Those girls aren't easy to deal with, you know? We've heard of the rumours."
I didn't, not yet anyway. But I got what you're saying, I dealt with them firsthand. And die a lot.
Maria takes a breath, expanding her flat chest.
"If this is true, then you are… the first man ever to have his chance teaching them. You must be afraid, brother."
"Of four high school girls?"
She smiles, "Brave, are we?"
I shrug.
"Heh, the best tutor or not, you're still that idiotic brother of mine."
She turns back and opens her door, "Anyway, I'm not cooking tonight. Busy. So deal with your stomach, your own.
"And congrats."
Thud.
The door closed.
Conversations at the other side. But it was muffled. I can't hear.
I stand here, drinking the last bits of the orange box.
*
The door opens.
Maria, wrapped in a white towel.
"Wha… What are you still doing here?"
"Huh?"
What was I doing again? This is weird, I can't remember. Did I just stand in here blanking out until now?
"You okay?"
I nod.
"Do you actually want me to cook for you?"
"With that on?"
She sighs, "Never mind. Move, I'm going to take a bath."
I do as she told.
Maria. The little sister. I wonder what kind she would make if I were never stopped from jumping off the roof that I picked. Just like her brother, she really loves him. Just not to the extent of his brother, of course.
This body gets a little excited seeing her sister with just a white towel on.
Maria, your brother is a sis-con.