This is the first time I have ever seen the shadow of death.

A long time ago, when I was in elementary school, I was at a park near Grandpa's house,

which I would always run straight to on my way home after school. I darted my eyes around

at the entrance, and I saw her sitting on a plastic dome with a few tunnels going through it.

"<Hey, _____!>"

When I called out her name and rushed over, she looked at me with stars in her eyes and

instantly cracked a smile as she waved.

"<Mashachika! >"

"<For the last time, my name is Ma-sa-chika!>"

I corrected her with a smirk like I always did, but she merrily laughed as if she didn't

care. Seeing her smile like that made me not care anymore, either.

"<Masaaachika, come up here with me!>"

"<Seriously? >"

"<Come on! Hurry!>"

"<Fine. >"

The plastic dome had a ladder bolted into itsside,so I placed my backpack on the ground

and climbed on top of the dome with my tiny arms and legs, struggling all the way.

"<Ta-daa! I'm here!>"

She welcomed me with a smile as her long, golden hair glittered in the evening sun. I

can still remember the look in her mirthfully creased blue eyes.

"<Look, look! The sunset is beautiful!>"

"<Yeah, it really is.>"

We sat and watched the sun set together while talking about nothing in particular. I

technically did most of the talking, though.

"<And this Seiren Academy is actually the school that my parents went to. It's apparently< p>

really, really hard to get into, but they said it'd be a breeze for someone with grades like

mine.>"

"<Wow, Masaaachika! You can do anything!>"

"<Heh. I wish.>"

She gave me genuine praise and even seemed like she enjoyed listening to my constant

bragging. I felt so happy and proud whenever she complimented me. I would have done

anything for her, no matter how difficult, whether it be studying, sports, or even music.

"<Ah, we should start heading home…>"

It was a rule between us that we'd say our good-byes once it got dark.

"<Good night, Masaaachika. See you tomorrow.>"

"<Yeah, see you tomorrow, _____.>"

She then gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I was too embarrassed to hug and

kiss her back, but it honestly made me really happy. After letting me go, she affectionately

smiled and—

"Wham!"

"Oof?!"

My upper body was suddenly crushed, forcing my brain to awaken.

"Cough! Hack! Hff!"

"GOOD MORNING, MY DEAR BROTHER!"

"Ngh… It was good until you showed up!"

After finally catching my breath, I glared up at Yuki, who was grinning down from on

top of me, raising an eyebrow as if she was confused.

"Hmm? What are ya mad about? Pretty sure it's every high school boy's dream to get

body-pressed by their cute little sister. You should be smiling, punk."

"Don't give me any of that it was just a prank, bro crap. Ever heard of DV?"

"Are you calling me your darling Venus?! Oh my gosh! You're such a siscon! ♡"

"Domestic violence! And I don't have a sister complex! You really had to do some

mental gymnastics for that one, huh?!"

"Hmm… What exactly is bothering you this morning, Masachika?"

"Everything."

Yuki pouted while furrowing her brow, seemingly in thought, then suddenly snapped

her fingers as if she had an epiphany.

"Now I get it! You didn't want me to wake you up with a body press. You wanted me

to slip under the covers with you so you could wake up to me by your side."

"It would actually be pretty terrifying if you did something like that for real."

"Wait. Does that mean…you'd rather me hide under the bed? You're such a freak."

"That'd be extremely terrifying!"

"Fine… I'll hide under the bed next time so the moment you step out of bed, I can grab

your ankles."

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"A little sister who scares her brother awake every morning… It's a pretty original

concept. Don't you think?"

"It's a little too original for my taste… Now get off me."

Yuki, who was still on top of me while kicking her legs up and down, smirked and

curiously tilted her head.

"Why? Is this making you feel something?"

"Go kill yourself."

I sent my sister a piercing subzero gaze at point-blank range for soiling my ears with

such filth this early in the morning, causing her to cackle as she got off me and left the room.

"Sigh…"

I was finally able to sit up in my own bed.

"…"

I'd had a dream that took me way back. It was a memory of my first love. It was a

memory of the most brilliant period of my life. I met her at that park. We used to play all

the time. I even started seriously learning Russian because I wanted to talk to her so badly.

Even though my parents were always fighting and I was staying at my grandfather's place,

I wasn't lonely because she was there for me. Yeah… I'd been in love with her. And yet…

I still couldn't remember her name or what she looked like.

"…Tsk."

I really was my mother's son. I was a heartless person. I so easily forgot someone I

once claimed to love so much. Something cold began to fill my chest. The burning love and

motivation I felt back then was now buried so far down that it wasn't even visible anymore.

There was a reason I lost all my motivation to do anything. There wassomeone I could blame.

But no matter the excuse or who I blamed, the truth of the matter was that I was simply a

lazy sack of garbage. I romanticized notions of hard work yet loathed it. I was the kind of

human filth who was satisfied knowing that he was trash, since some never figured it out.

That's the kind of person I was.

"And someone like that isn't fit for the student council…"

Let alone being the vice president. And I already knew it wouldn't work because I had

half-heartedly taken Yuki up on her offer to become the vice president of the student council

in middle school. A position like that was not something anyone should do without passion

and resolution. When Yuki was elected president, I saw the other candidate weeping behind

the auditorium. Her eyes were swollen. She was sobbing to her friends that she had let her

parents down, and she had no idea how she was going to face them when she got home. We

worked together in the student council during our first year of middle school and really got

to know each other, so when I saw her like that, I was overcome with an incredible sense of

guilt and shock. This was how she really felt, despite acting courageous in front of the others

and wishing Yuki good luck earlier.

Yuki was no different. Her parents expected a lot from her. But me? The guy who only

became the vice president because of his love for his sister and a sense of obligation? Did I

have any right to kick that girl down like this? For the following year, I worked my ass off

so I could overcome that guilt, but it never went away. I never want to feel that way aga—

"Wham! Whaddaya think you're doin', goin' back to sleep?! …Oh, you're awake?"

"Can you stop kicking my door open like that? You've already put a dent in it after

kicking it so many times."

I knew I was wasting my breath, but there was a small dent in my door slightly under

the doorknob, which was strangely smoother than the surrounding wood. Yuki glanced at the

dent, then smiled with evident satisfaction for some bizarre reason.

"I bet I can turn it into a hole with a few more years."

"Stop training for karate matches using my door."

"There are countless heroines who have kicked doors off the hinges around the world,

but I'm going to be the first who slowly drills a hole through one over the years."

"I'm pretty sure there really aren't that many women who have kicked doors off their

hinges."

It wasn't like Yuki was actually kicking the door wide-open, either; she always turned

the doorknob a little first. Why she did this was a mystery.

"Anyway, hurry up and get out of bed. Your adorable little sister made you breakfast."

"Yeah, yeah."

When I walked into the living room, I actually was welcomed with breakfast, but…

"What is it, my dear brother?"

"…What's this?"

I pointed at the semisolid, mushy egg dish on the plate in the very middle, which was in

layers here and there. Yuki blinked a few times, then innocently replied:

"Huh? Those are scrambled eggs."

"Just admit you were trying to make a Japanese omelet, and then this happened."

"…I have no clue what you're talking about."

I buried my reproachful gaze in the back of her head as she looked away, making it

obvious I was right. To be honest, though, it actually wasn't that bad. Once you added a little

ketchup, it had a sort of East meets West taste to it…

After watching the movie as planned, Masachika and Yuki headed toward the exit along

with the crowd and left the theater, which was on the top floor of a large commercial complex,

then got on the escalator.

"Ngh…!"

Yuki stretched her arms and back.

"That was trash!" she declared with a sigh of relief.

"Could you be any blunter?"

"It was even worse than I thought it'd be. You really can't put these cutesy idols in darkfantasy worlds and expect it to work. It just looked like she was cosplaying the entire movie.

It didn't help that they spent the whole budget on the fight scenes and didn't put effort into

anything else. There's no way you could keep up if you didn't read the comics."

"Yeah. But at least the action scenes were pretty cool," replied Masachika with a bitter

smile as Yuki continued to diss the movie while cheerfully smiling. It was still a little early

for lunch, so they continued to walk around the shopping center while discussing the film.

"Oh, look at this outfit. It'sso cute. I've been wanting a new summer dress, but I planned

on splurging at the anime store after this…"

"Fifteen thousand yen?! Seriously?!"

"You should try to dress nicer, too, sometimes. It's not like you don't have any money."

"Yeah, I don't get anywhere near as much allowance as you."

"Sure, but you don't spend all your money buying nerdy things like me."

Yuki had a point. Unlike her, Masachika wasn't a collector of anime goods. He hardly

spent money on comics or light novels, either. Then again, he didn't really have to, because

Yuki hid all her nerd gear at Masachika's house so she could keep her hobby a secret.

Therefore, he could borrow and read whatever light novel or comic he was interested in,

instead of having to buy them himself. In fact, Yuki was even the one who converted him

into a nerd.

"You wore those clothes last year. It's time you buy something new."

"Says the girl wearing my old clothes."

Yuki was wearing a somewhat baggy, long-sleeved undershirt and jeans like a tomboy,

but those clothes were actually Masachika's hand-me-downs.

"Yeah, but I look good in this. Jeans get better with age."

"Uh-huh… By the way, my dear sister…"

"Yes, my brother?"

"Is it just my imagination, or do you also notice something silver flickering out of the

corner of your eye?"

"I don't think it's just your imagination, Brother."

"That's what I thought. I should have guessed when you let your hair down. You're in

gentlewoman mode, to boot."

Yuki had undone her ponytail, and while she spoke in her natural speaking voice, her

behavior was very elegant, as if she were at school.

"Heh! I noticed a long time ago, Brother."

"Seriously? When?"

"Almost immediately after getting off the escalator."

"That long ago? I'm impressed."

"Heh… I have a supernatural sense that allows me to immediately detect the gazes of

people I know."

"Wow. I'm surprised…that you're not even embarrassed for saying that."

"Heh… I'm extremely embarrassed."

"Then wipe that smug grin off your face."

The siblings could still feel someone staring hard at them from behind even as they did

their bit. The clear reflection of an all-too-familiar silver-haired girl could be seen in a shop's

window asshe tried to hide behind a column. And perhapsthis was Masachika'simagination,

but he could practically see a dark thundercloud hanging over her head.

What should I do?

Would it be best to talk to her? Or wait for her to come over and say something? Or

maybe running away would be the best option? As Masachika considered all his options…

"Oh my. Alya?" Yuki said casually as if she had just noticed Alisa after slowly turning

around.

Yukiiiiiiiii!!

Masachika inwardly screamed at her sudden, reckless decision to strike head-on, but

they were at the point of no return now. After mustering up the courage, he put on a look of

surprise and turned around as well.

"Oh, wow. It is Alya. What a coincidence."

Even Masachika himself wasn't really confident in his acting, but Alisa apparently had

too much on her mind to even notice. She messed around with the smartphone in her hands,

then approached them, her eyes wandering left and right.

"Yes, what a coincidence. I, uh… I saw you two together a few minutes ago, but I didn't

want to interrupt your conversation…," mumbled Alisa asifshe wasstillsomewhat flustered.

That was way more than a few minutes.

The siblings thought the exact same thing at the exact same moment, but they didn't

show any indication of that on their face. Masachika couldn't help but give Yuki a lukewarm

glare, but she was already in her proper-young-lady mode.

"Oh, okay," she innocently replied. "Anyway, what brings you here?"

"I'm shopping for new clothes…"

"Oh, really? Have you already had lunch?"

"Not yet."

"Then how about we have lunch together? It's—"

"Hold on," interrupted Masachika. He then grimaced at Yuki's composed expression

and asked:

"Don't tell me you plan on taking Alya to that restaurant?"

"Why not? You were really looking forward to it."

"We should go somewhere else if Alya's going to be eating with us."

"Why? Isthere some sort of problem?" inquired Alisa asthey seemed to ignore her while

arguing over who knows what.

"Alya, do you hate spicy food?"

"Spicy food? I mean, I don't really hate it…"

"The restaurant we were actually planning on going to is famous for spicy ramen, but

if you're fine with spicy food, then—"

"Stop downplaying it. Alya, I'm gonna be straight with you. Spicy is an understatement.

It's a restaurant that specializes in burning-hot ramen. I've never been, either, but it's

probably not something you can enjoy if you don't like extremely spicy food. So—"

"Let's go," Alisa interjected, cutting Masachika off. Seeing her expression alone was

enough to know it was hopeless to convince her otherwise, and he fell silent for a few

moments.

"I really don't think this is a good idea. There are plenty of other restaurants around

here…"

"But you were really looking forward to it, right? So let's go. Besides, I'd feel guilty if

you changed your plans because of me."

"You don't have to come, you know?"

"Oh? Is there a problem if I tag along?"

"That's not what I meant, but I don't remember seeing you ever eat spicy food…"

"I don't dislike spicy food."

Masachika was skeptical, but he couldn't just flat out call her a liar. That said, he had a

feeling she was more into sweets than spicy food. He had never asked her directly about it,

but after all the time he'd spent with her, he had a good idea of what she liked. Spicy food,

though? He had no idea. He had never seen her eat anything spicy, and that was the only

information he had to go by.

Well, she says she wants to go, and they probably have some not-so-spicy food on the

menu as well, so…

With that mindset, Masachika decided to head to the restaurant, albeit with a bit of

anxiety.

"…Is this the place?"

"Yep."

Outside the shopping center, they walked a short while down a narrow path until they

arrived at a ramen shop. Alisa looked up at the sign and grimaced.

I don't blame her.

But while Masachika understood her reaction, Yuki was full of smiles.

"The sign says, The Cauldron of Hell. Are you sure they serve ramen here?"

"Of course I'm sure."

"But it says Hell on the sign…"

"Don't worry, Alya. This is the place. Here, it says the name of the restaurant on the

menu, too."

"…Oh."

Although it still didn't make her feel any better, Alisa nodded with a grimace, as if she

was paralyzed due to shock.

"You sure you don't want to go somewhere else?"

But Masachika's thoughtfulness suddenly triggered Alisa's determination, and he was

met with a piercing glare.

"Don't be ridiculous. I was only a little surprised by how unique this place turned out

to be."

"Uh-huh…"

He knew there was nothing he could say to convince her once her utter hatred for defeat

crept out, so he gave up and followed Yuki into the restaurant.

"Welcome!"

They were immediately welcomed by a man's well-projected voice as the pungent scent

of spicy food irritated their noses.

"Gmph?!"

Masachika suddenly heard a faint gag coming from behind.

"How many in your group?"

"Three."

"All right. This way, please."

The waiter walked them over to three seats at the counter. When Masachika glanced

over at Alisa to his right, she was holding her nose, with tears welling in her eyes. While

Masachika and Yuki were used to the smell due to constantly eating out at spicy restaurants,

Alisa seemed to be in pain.

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" replied Alisa in a hushed voice, making it clear that she was just

acting tough. She then tightly shut her eyes, did away with the tears, and tried to pretend like

nothing was wrong as she reached for the menu…but the moment she opened it, she froze.

"…Hey."

"Hmm?"

"I have no idea what I'm even looking at."

"Yeah…" Masachika awkwardly nodded. It made sense because with violent names like

Blood Pond Hell and Spike Pit Hell, it was hard to imagine this was even food. Yuki, her

hair tied in a low ponytail, then began explaining the menu as if she were a regular.

"The Blood Pond Hell is a ramen known for its bloodred soup base, just as the name

suggests, and is the mildest ramen on the menu. Spike Pit Hell, on the other hand, is a spicier

dish that makes it feel like your tongue is being pierced by a thousand needles, as the name

suggests."

"O-oh… Well, then…"

Alisa meekly lowered her gaze toward the very bottom of the menu as she grimaced.

"What about the Hell of Uninterrupted Suffering?" Alisa asked timidly. Yuki

immediately smiled proudly, as if she had been waiting for the question.

"It's apparently so spicy that you lose all feeling!"

"Are you sure that's not nerve damage?"

Alisa's expression fell with despair, as if she had finally realized how terrifying this

restaurant really was. Masachika, by her side, also looked over the menu one more time, only

to realize that even the least hot ramen was still really hot. He closed his eyes.

"I guess I'll go with the Blood Pond Hell, since the common rule is to go for the standard

dish when it's your first time."

"Y-yeah, the basics are important, after all."

"Oh? You two are going to order the same thing? I guess I'll order that as well, then."

Masachika offered what help he could, which Alisa thankfully accepted, and was

followed by Yuki. Thus, they all ended up ordering the same thing.

"At any rate, I was kind of surprised to see you dressed somewhat boyish today, Yuki."

"Giggle. I thought I'd switch things up a little, since it's the weekend."

"Really? Well, you almost look like a completely different person. You still look really

good, though."

"Thank you. You look really good today yourself. It's not often I see you in something

other than your school uniform. I thought you were a professional model for a second there."

"Really? Thanks."

Masachika felt both uncomfortable and happy to be in between two girls chatting it up,

but he began to break into a cold sweat as the surrounding men glared at him. The look the

male waiter, who seemed to be around the same age as him, was giving him was the worst.

They were the eyes a man would use only on his worst enemy, but Masachika really was

surrounded by two beautiful women, so he couldn't complain. Not only were they beautiful,

but they were also essentially without equal, so it was simply normal for an average-looking

guy like Masachika to be stared at. It was also perfectly natural for a nerd to get excited and

think, Wait. Am I the protagonist of a rom-com?! Is this my harem?!

They aren't fighting over me, though. Plus, I probably just look like their professional

bag carrier from the viewpoint of an onlooker.

And it was just how Masachika imagined it. Everyone's curious stares faded once they

realized the girls were ignoring him and chatting with each other. Even the waiter, who was

glaring at him with envy and hatred, softened his gaze and went back to work…and that was

when Yuki decided to drop a bomb.

"This shirt and these jeans actually used to be Masachika's."

Alisa's smile froze, and the temperature in the restaurant plummeted.

Yukiiiiiiiii!!

The curious looks in the restaurant began to refocus on him. Even the waiter was looking

back and forth between Yuki and Masachika as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"He gave you those?"

"Yes, my family wants me to dress 'ladylike'…but I've always wanted to dress more

boyish like this, so I asked Masachika for some of his old clothes."

"Oh…"

Alisa's smirk turned into an ominous faint smile as she hit Masachika with a penetrating

glare.

"I didn't realize being childhood friends made two people so close. I didn't know Kuze

liked dressing girls up in his old clothes, either. Interesting hobby."

"It's not a hobby."

"Yes, it isn't his hobby. It's his fetish."

"You shut up."

He glared at Yuki as if to tell her to not say another word, but she simply seemed

confused.

"Hmm? But I clearly remember you being thrilled when you first saw me wearing a

boyfriend shirt."

"That never happened!"

Yuki continued to drop bomb after bomb without even a hint of guilt, creating a stir in

the restaurant. Listeners took "That never happened!" to mean that he hadn't been "thrilled"

when she wore the shirt. Yuki did, however, wear his old shirts from time to time. She would

visit his house on a whim without a change of clothes sometimes, so she would wear his old

clothes as pajamas. However, she was the one who had jumped up and down in excitement

when she first put on his old clothes while shouting, "Boyfriend shirt, boyfriend shirt!"

Masachika, on the other hand, simply rolled his eyes, but no one would ever know the truth

except for them.

"…What's a boyfriend shirt?"

Thankfully Alisa didn't know what a "boyfriend shirt" was, since she wasn't into geek

culture. Yuki leaned toward her with the smile of an angel and the whisper of a devil to ask

if she wanted to know what it was, but Masachika promptly began to interrupt her. However,

before he could even do that, the waiter came over with their ramen, glaring at Masachika

as if Masachika had killed his parents.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Three orders of Blood Pond Hell."

One glance down at the ramen before her sent Alisa rearing back with a grunt as she

choked a bit. The eye-burning steam apparently didn't do the dark-red soup, which wasliving

up to its name, any favors. The spicy food–loving siblings, on the other hand, smiled and

grabbed their chopsticks.

"We should hurry before the noodles get soggy."

"Good idea."

"Y-yeah…"

Masachika and Yuki dug into their noodles without a moment's hesitation while Alisa

timidly slurped up her first bite.

"Mmmm! This is delicious!"

"Yeah, it really lives up to its reputation."

The siblings smiled with clear satisfaction after their first bite, but when Masachika

glanced at Alisa…

"…"

…her entire body was tense, and her eyes were opened wide as she continued to chew

without even blinking. Her left hand on the table was clenched ridiculously tight and

trembled.

"You okay, Alya?"

"…! Yeah, it's…delicious."

Only after she swallowed the food in her mouth was she finally able to blink again and

put on a calmer expression. Masachika felt both annoyance and admiration when he saw her

still trying to act tough, and he handed her a napkin.

"You should wipe your lips after every bite, or your lips are going to swell."

"…Thanks."

Masachika went straight back to his ramen after making sure she wiped her lips, and the

powerful punch from the cayenne pepper filled his mouth after every slurp. It was so hot that

he began to sweat, but the spiciness really brought out the other ingredients' flavors, making

him crave even more. He wanted to peek into the abyss of the red sea. (This is Masachika's

personal opinion alone and should be regarded as such.)

"Man, this is good." Masachika exhaled in satisfaction. But all of a sudden, he heard a

whisper tickle his ear.

"<It hurtsss.>"

It was a pitiful cry coming from the young woman at his side. When he glanced over, he

noticed Alisa's chopsticks were frozen in place. While she was maintaining her composure,

she apparently couldn't move her chopsticks another inch. That was when she realized

Masachika was looking at her, so she shoved her chopsticks into the bowl as if she had no

other choice.

"No, wait. Alya, you don't have to force yourself to eat that."

"I'm not. I already told you it's delicious."

And yet you said it hurts in Russian just a second ago.

"But… Yeah, okay. If you say so."

Masachika wondered if she'd be all right, but he knew he had to give up because nothing

he was going to say would stop her. After drinking some water and taking a short break,

Alisa brought her chopsticks toward the ramen once more when…

"<I can't take it anymore…>"

I can't concentrate like this!

The voice coming from his side was so feeble that it made him feel pity; he tried not to

care as he continued his meal when all of a sudden—

"<Mommy… >"

Once Alisa started clinging on to her imaginary mother, Masachika looked at her, unable

to stand idly by.

Yeah, this isn't going to work. Her pupils are dilated.

Surprisingly, Alisa's expression still hadn't changed at all…but the shadow of death was

on her face. It was hopeless. Masachika was planning on letting her have her fun until she

gave up on her own, but it was getting dangerous. The doctor had to get into the ring and

stop the fight.

"Al—"

Right as Masachika tried to stop her, Yuki spoke up as if to get the first word out and

cut him off.

"How is it, Alya?"

Alisa's wandering eyes suddenly focused at the sound of her future campaign rival's

voice. Her fighting spirit was summoned, bringing life back into her body as she even

managed to smile.

"It's delicious."

"Oh, that's wonderful. I am so happy to hear that you love spicy food, too."

Yuki innocently smiled back at Alisa's somewhat ghastly, fierce smirk. She then held

out a condiment to Alisa while still innocently smiling.

"This restaurant has something called Demon Tears, which can make the food even

spicier. Would you like to try it?"

Yuki was basically attacking a fleeing enemy. The corner of Alisa's lips twitched. By

the way, Demon Tears were a type of seasoning, and its official name was Even the Evilest

of Demons Get Tears in Their Eyes. It was an original blend created by this restaurant.

Stop torturing her! Alya doesn't even have any HP left!

Masachika was inwardly shouting when he came to a startling realization.

Oh! There was no way for Yuki to have noticed, since Alya was complaining in Russian.

Once he realized that oversight, he leaned in to whisper into Yuki's ear…when he

realized something else. While Yuki might have appeared to be smiling innocently, there

was a sadistic fire burning in the depths of her eyes.

She's doing this on purpose?!

As Masachika shuddered, a pale-white hand reached for the condiment.

"All you need are a few drops for it to taste amazing."

"Wait! Alya?! I really don't recommend doing that!"

But his warnings were in vain, for Alisa took the lid off the container, grabbed the tiny

spoon, and scooped some of the dark-red liquid, which she then sprinkled into her ramen.

And a few seconds later…

"…?!?!"

The restaurant was filled with Alisa's voiceless screams.