I really don't want to be reborn.

…………

April is the cruelest month.

Lilacs sprout from the dead March, a mixture of memories and desires, stirring dull roots with spring rain.

Kyosuke Kosaka was shrouded in a mist, not from rain, but from the spraying of water by roadside shops.

He walked on the long-missed streets, taking the moisture as a gentle, misty rain. Being enveloped in this hazy atmosphere allowed him to dispel all the noise and clamor of the world, a feeling that defies description.

He wasn't walking fast. Not knowing exactly where his father, Daisuke, was, Kousaka Kyosuke walked very slowly, and he had changed into clothes he didn't usually wear.

There are many shops in Akihabara, Tokyo. Instead of heading towards the main road lined with electronics stores, he turned left into a side street, then turned left again at the intersection and went straight ahead.

This is a shortcut that few people know about, and after walking under the iron bridge for a short while, you will see a slender building.

That's Kirino's destination.

He didn't know where his father would be lurking and spying, but he knew he would be in the vicinity soon. So he decided to wait patiently. As for what he would do after finding Mr. Daisuke...

Kyosuke sighed softly.

That's not a good idea...

According to the map, this should be "Booktower". When you get here, the otaku atmosphere is very weak, and it feels no different from the area near an ordinary subway station.

After crossing the pedestrian crossing and walking for a few minutes near the Booktower entrance, the surrounding streetscape transformed into a tranquil residential area before I arrived at my destination.

"Pretty garden? A small courtyard?"

This very large building is called by this name.

The exterior gives the impression of a simple white house. After climbing a few steps, you reach the wooden shop door. Pushing the door open, you hear a clear, crisp sound of a brass bell.

Ring, ring—

"Welcome back, my master!"

Maids in apron-style dresses greeted the guests in unison.

"A maid cafe? I'd like to confirm if this is a women's clothing cafe? Are you all boys?"

"It's a maid cafe!"

The maids wore white pleated aprons, rather short skirts, and long white stockings—adorable.

In short, that's what makes it adorable.

Kyosuke Kosaka exclaimed, "You guys are so cute!"

"Thank you for the compliment."

The girls smiled even more sweetly, and the one who was in charge of serving him was a cute maid with a round face.

The interior decoration here is no different from that of an ordinary coffee shop. Orange lights illuminate the slightly dim interior, and the furniture is also antique, full of Western atmosphere.

"Is this seat okay?"

"Yes, thank you."

He sat down a little nervously. To be honest, he hadn't been to a maid cafe many times before. What were the rules here, and how were the prices calculated?

"This is the menu, Master—would you like to specify your title?"

"Oh? I see... You can just call me brother, my sister is just as cute as you."

"Hi! Onii-chan!"

Calling her that, the maid's attitude suddenly became coquettish.

His smile remained unchanged, but he thought to himself, "Miss, you must be over twenty years old..."

Let's look at the menu first!

He glanced at the menu with a puzzled expression, and his perpetually smiling face crumbled uncontrollably.

"A maid's sweet and sour omelet rice (with ketchup or tofu sauce)? My sister's homemade curry rice... and the twin-tailed class monitor's special ramen?"

Kyosuke ordered a "curry rice made by his sister". He chose this not for any other reason, but simply because it was the most expensive, and the most expensive thing couldn't be too bad.

"That's all, thank you... Oh, speaking of which, I feel like I've seen the maid somewhere before?"

The maid tilted her head cutely in confusion, then suddenly realized, "Onii-chan, you're a fan of Meruru, right? My little sister voiced Meruru!"

His expression and tone were filled with pride, but unfortunately Kyosuke had no affection for Meruru: "No, I remember that person was a hostess at a bar in Shibuya 109..."

"That's my sister too!"

"How many twins are there in total?!"

…………

Her name is Hoshino Kirara—which roughly translates to mica, but it doesn't sound very nice, so everyone just calls her Kirara-chan or simply Hoshino.

This person is the older sister type. Her family background is not very clear, but it is probably similar to that of Ruri Gokou. Her parents' salaries are not very high, and she has many younger sisters, so Hoshino started working part-time from high school.

In high school, while others were worried about love, she was worried about what to eat for dinner. Young girls' feelings are always poetic, but Hoshino's poetry was about daily necessities, such as rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, and her younger sister's food and clothing.

Hoshino is very good at part-time jobs, working all over Tokyo. One consequence of this high-intensity work is that she has a huge appetite.

"Is it another lunchbox this big?"

"Can you finish this? How about I help you with some?"

"Hoshino, Hoshino, is there a black hole in your stomach? You can eat so much!"

"Are you sure this isn't for your younger sisters? I always feel like you're bankrupting your family..."

"You can eat so much? Are you even human?"

Hoshino puffed out her cheeks like a steamed bun: "Eat it yourself, you can finish it, you don't have a black hole in your stomach, you're a human being, ask again and you'll commit suicide!"

After turning twenty, Hoshino began to control her food intake and would no longer secretly eat half of the food while serving it to guests, even though she still had a big appetite.

Kyosuke Kosaka took a bite of the curry that his sister supposedly made, his eyebrows trembled slightly, and he tugged at her sleeve: "Miss Kirara."

"Yes~ What's wrong, Onii-chan?"

You can't get away with being cute!

"This so-called 'curry made by my sister' definitely tastes like it was made with a seasoning packet."

Hoshino broke out in a cold sweat. He had miscalculated; he hadn't expected this guy to have such a sharp tongue, able to detect it so quickly.

"What are your thoughts on this, as the 'younger sister'?"

"Haha, brother, really~~"

Hoshino leaned down, pouting, her overly developed chest almost pressed against his back: "Didn't we agree not to talk about this?"

Who made an appointment with you, you swindler!

Miss KIRARA seemed to dote on her little brother, gently tapping Kyosuke's forehead before leaving.

"She actually managed to fool me with her cuteness."

Kyosuke Kosaka smiled wryly, then suddenly felt two pairs of eyes piercing him. He looked up slightly and saw his sister and the black cat walking into the coffee shop with a dozen or so girls.

Your sister probably saw you being affectionate with the maid earlier.

Kirino's eyes were practically overflowing with disdain. Kyosuke gave her a friendly smile, raised the so-called "super divine water," and gestured with his chin towards his sister and the black cat.

The taste of this amazing water...

In Dragon Ball, the Super Divine Water can unleash one's potential and greatly increase one's fighting power. However, the Super Divine Water is highly poisonous. Anyone who drinks the Super Divine Water must first have a pure heart, otherwise they will be poisoned to death immediately.

"My heart is pure, so why does it taste so awful?"

He knew in his heart that the restaurant's cooking was actually quite average, and its greater value lay in the "maids" rather than the food. Kousaka Kyosuke did not feel angry at being deceived.

A mature person often finds that there are fewer and fewer people to blame, because everyone has their own difficulties.

The coffee shop is like that, and so is the boy who suddenly appears in your field of vision.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Wow, three thousand words is really impressive.

I'm very sincere, aren't I?

I'm actually eleventh on the new book chart—please vote with your monthly tickets! The new book chart is basically a recommendation spot, so I'll give it my best.

The following is a fanfic about toys; he's incredibly skilled at writing, and his creative essay is titled "The Wonderful Adventure of a Serious Milkman."

My name is Qin Hao, you can also call me Qin Ritian.

Her primary role is that of a healing-type superpowered individual, commonly known as a 'nanny'.

Believe me, I'm a legitimate shill. Claims like "the maddening doctor from the Administration Bureau," "an iron fist that can never kill," or "he doesn't kill, he only makes people wish they were dead" are completely slanderous and defamatory!

Mr. Qin, who claimed to be a legitimate milkman, shook off the unidentified red liquid in his hand. Behind him, a small mountain of people was being twisted into strange shapes by superhuman strength.

You agree, right?

Chapter 45. People who enjoy playing games with their younger sister are definitely not bad people!

The younger sister and the black cat were sitting not far away, having their offline meeting with other otaku girls. Kyosuke didn't see any familiar faces among them.

But the boy who suddenly walked in was someone he knew very well.

He's a senior I've known very well since my first year of high school...

He was extremely thin, with straight black hair, and wore outdated black-rimmed glasses; he appeared to be a man in his early twenties.

Although it's very rude, this appearance immediately brings to mind the poor-looking "skinny otaku".

What's even more outrageous is that—if you look closely, you'll find that his jacket has a cartoon image of a little girl printed on it.

What's most outrageous is that this person hadn't showered or washed clothes in who knows how long, and the odor emanating from him could be smelled from a great distance.

"Miura, here, here."

The man had two dark circles under his eyes and an old face. He looked to be in his early twenties but was actually a high school student because he had repeated a grade several times.

So it's not just that he looks older, he really is old...

Gennosuke Miura, the president of the game research club at Chiba Benten High School, is a super otaku who loves anime girls and parody games. He's so much of an otaku that he even dates anime characters. People who know him describe him as a "super weirdo".