I really don't want to be reborn.

"Sorry to bother you~~"

With three consecutive "Excuse me," the Kousaka family welcomed three little guests today, all of whom were Kirino's close classmates or colleagues—in other words, all of whom were good friends of Kousaka Kirino in the so-called "outer world."

As her best friend, Ayase Aragaki goes without saying, and following behind her is a petite girl with twin tails who looks like a sixth-grade elementary school student.

Kanako Kurusu, as the Kousaka siblings know her, is an arrogant and conceited cute girl who loves to play pranks, and has the loli-like attribute of twin tails.

(Her hair color is brown or dark brown in the anime, but the bonus features reveal that her hair color is actually black.)

"Yes, Ayase, Ran, let's go to my room—Kanako, stop looking around, here, here!"

Um, the last girl's name is Xiaolan.

Similar to the female protagonist handpicked by the old thief Aoyama, who has off-the-charts combat prowess, this girl named Xiaolan is soft and cute, gentle and polite, with pretty short black hair. Standing there, she looks like an adorable little white flower.

The four girls went upstairs, passing by Kyosuke's room.

"Is this the room next to Kirino's? Is this my older brother's room?"

Hearing Ayase use a familiar term of endearment, Kirino subconsciously frowned, then relaxed her brows: "Yes, it's my brother's. He's not home today."

Kanako exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? You know Ayase?"

The gossipy expression suggested that an ambitious politician had seen the ballot, while a diligent typewriter had seen the razor blade.

"Ah, I've seen him a few times."

The mischievous Kanako poked Aragaki Ayase's waist with a wicked grin: "How is it? How is it?"

"What else can we do..."

Thinking about the embarrassment she made on the train, Ayase couldn't help but blush.

The delicate, slightly shy blush on her best friend's face was strangely glaring to Kirino, whose gaze was dark and detached.

"Kirino."

"Huh...huh? What's wrong?"

Ayase stared at Kousaka Kyosuke's door: "Have you and your older brother lived like this since you were little? Just separated by a wall?"

Kirino nodded subconsciously: "Yeah, I've been sleeping alone since I was ten. Before I was ten—"

She suddenly stopped talking out of shame.

Before she was ten years old, she even slept with her brother... This is something that girls would consider a dark history, so it's no wonder she almost blurted it out.

Of course, besides shame, she also felt a sense of nostalgia.

That longing cannot be expressed in words.

The feeling of longing is like the moment when words lose their luster, a moment when the sun bakes out an overly rich floral fragrance, so strong that it blocks her thoughts, making it impossible for her to record.

"Oh my god, what happened before I was ten years old?"

The three girls burst out laughing. Ayase Aragaki looked at Kirino, who seemed a little flustered, and muttered softly, "I'm so envious..."

Her meaning was quite clear.

She envied Kyosuke Kousaka, who, as her older brother, could hold Kirino every night before she turned ten and sleep with her.

Because she also wanted to sleep while holding Kirino when she was little.

Unfortunately, Kirino heard those words and interpreted them differently—was Ayase envious of me? Envious that I had a brother like Kyosuke? Could it be that she really had feelings for Kyosuke…?

Kirino smiled enigmatically and led them into her boudoir for a tour.

Her room is pink, but not too pink; it has just the right amount of cuteness.

(The even cuter game discs are now cruelly locked in the closet, never to see the light of day.)

In addition, her room had a peculiar sweet smell.

It's actually quite normal for a girl's room to smell like that, but compared to that, Kirino Kousaka prefers the scent in the room next door, which is a diluted, musky fragrance.

Her room wasn't big, just the size of an eight-tatami mat room. Kirino sat on the chair at the desk, while Ayase and Ran sat politely on the cat-shaped cushions on the floor. The less polite one sat on the bed.

The incredibly rude Kanako Kurusu said casually, "I was just talking about Kirino, you actually have an older brother? I didn't even know that!"

Kirino stammered, "Um... I haven't said it yet."

Aragaki knew a little more. She knew that not long ago, the two siblings from the Kousaka family were still in a cold war, but after spring, their relationship became very good. She even felt that Kirino was a bit... yes, a brother complex.

The eldest brother of the Kousaka family used this term.

Why do you look so strange? Are you a terrible person?

"How is that possible!"

Yes, she thought her brother was the best in the world.

Ayase Aragaki added with a smile, "Big brother is a very gentle person, especially towards Kirino."

Of course, she knew perfectly well that she wasn't exactly gentle with herself.

Kirino Kousaka stubbornly refused to admit it, her tsundere attitude as obvious as her round head: "Ayase, your eyes are definitely broken! Go to the ophthalmology clinic on the left..."

Xiaolan remained silent, her gaze fixed intently on the sketch that was tucked inside the pile of books for some unknown reason.

The sketch shyly peeked out halfway, and she could see it clearly. It was a sketch of her good friend, Kirino Kousaka, the strokes conveying a sense of tranquility and warmth.

Looking at the slightly shy and proud expression on the tea-haired girl's face, Xiaolan smiled faintly and quietly put the sketch back into the book.

……

"express delivery!"

Kirino signed for a package. The sender's name was one she had never heard of before: Makishima Saori. The sender's address was Yokohama, and the recipient was her older brother, Kousaka Kyosuke.

"What kind of package is this...?"

She stared at the outer packaging box, her heart racing, clearly recognizing what it was.

The box of ENTERNA!

She recognized it very well; it was a brand of cosmetics from the magazine. A mixture of confusion and excitement crossed the girl's face: "This... Kyosuke bought it? He bought it for me?"

She didn't even own this cosmetic because it was extremely expensive.

It's ridiculously expensive!

Did Kyosuke order this? But what would he do with it? He's not a cute boy who would use it himself, and his mother doesn't really like branded cosmetics, so it must be a gift for himself!

After figuring this out, the girl's smile seemed to bloom like flowers, or like the summer sun shining into a forest; she was overjoyed.

"And... this is a brand new product this year! Hmph, seeing how well you've behaved, I'll make an exception and give you a massage when you get back—wait a minute!"

She suddenly thought of a possibility.

Will it be...

I bought it for Kasumigaoka Utaha...

Her smile froze, as if tons of salt had been poured into the sea to pickle her heart.

Kirino Kousaka's face turned pale and then flushed, cursing the woman in her heart as she looked at the cosmetics box in her arms, her eyes darting around.

I snatched it!

Why shouldn't we rob it?

Why is her brother so good to her?

He even wanted to get along peacefully with Kasumigaoka Utaha—impossible! Absolutely impossible!

With a subtle sense of triumph, she carried the box back to her room and placed it on the floor in the center of the room amidst the astonished gazes of her friends.

Kanako Kurusu was tearing off the sealing tape with great interest.

--------

Are there any rewards for listing this product?

Praying...

Chapter Thirty-Six: In Broad Daylight, Humble as Dust

Takasaka Kirino's face turned pale.

She wanted to say something, but found her tongue frozen.

Horror, fear, panic, terror... Dinosaur King...

Kirino Kousaka felt fear the moment the box was opened.

How to describe fear—

When she is home alone at night, she feels afraid of ghosts that don't exist.

It's creepy to see a cockroach crawling past your feet.

Watching horror movies makes you even more scared; you'll tremble and shake.

When walking down the street with friends, I feel scared when men try to pick me up. Even after angrily chasing them away, I still feel lingering fear.

Now, there is a sense of panic about being publicly executed, about being treated as an outcast and a victim, about being looked down upon by friends who were once very close.

Yes, she was terrified and panicked. When she saw the colorful and familiar cover peeking through the gaps in the box, a thunderbolt struck her mind, as if she had been awakened by a thunderstorm in the middle of the night when she was a child, and her bones felt like they were about to shatter.

Back then, my older brother, who slept with me, would pat my head and comfort me. Now, that bastard isn't home...

That guy is a bastard!

Where are the promised cosmetics?!

What the hell is this thing?

Oh, I see. My dear Onii-chan, you were going to give me a doujinshi! Ah, I see. Thank you so much, thank you so much, my lord! (Flips table)

"I'm going to be screwed over by that jerk today," thought Kirino Kousaka, her heart pounding in her chest. She was so tense she felt like a taut bowstring. Before the other three girls could react, she snatched the box away.

Kanako, bewildered after opening the package, asked Kirino, "What are you doing?"

"Ah, I remember this belongs to my brother. Look, his name is on the packaging. Isn't it inappropriate for us to open it like this?"

"But you just said that this cosmetic was a gift from your brother, right?"