The Final Sibling Quarrel - Part 1

――Turning 25.

Having graduated from university and become accustomed to work, things were stable in various aspects of my life.

 

Shiho and I finally decided to get married.

 

"You kept me waiting for so long? Honestly... we could have done it right after high school graduation."

 

Despite such a scolding, Shiho smiled happily.

After that, we proceeded with various procedures.

 

We informed Shiho's parents, then my aunt, stepfather, and, of course, my mother.

 

"I won't show up at the wedding. No reason to put on a face. But if anything happens, let me know... I can't do motherly things, but as a senior in the workforce, there might be something I can do. Stay well, Kotaro."

 

――Surprisingly, when I received those heartfelt words from my mother, I doubted if it was really her.

Well, that was a joke. She, too, is human, makes mistakes, and might realize them. Perhaps she regrets the way she raised me.

 

It's trivial now.

I owe a lot to my mother in terms of work. Thanks to her, I have a stable income, and even the unreliable Shiho was able to join a modeling agency, thanks to my mother's connections.

 

I've borrowed enough strength from my mother.

As a travel writer, there may be times when I have to rely on my mother, and if she handles those situations well, that's enough for me.

 

...Well, there was a considerable amount of blessings from people around us regarding the marriage.

However, it wasn't without its issues.

 

The problem was... that Azusa was incredibly "sulking”.

How long has it been since this child has been in such a bad mood?

 

After the second year of high school, she seemed very calm, but seeing the young Azusa again, I was honestly perplexed.

 

"Hey. Azusa, can I talk to you for a moment? I got some delicious sweets from work; let's eat them together."

 

Calling out from outside her door, though I did knock... there was no response.

 

"I'm in trouble..."

 

We reported the marriage about a week ago.

I proposed to Shiho, and right after that, I informed Azusa.

However, since then, she rarely left her room.

 

She seems to go to work, and there are signs of her leaving her room during bathroom or bath times. However, I've been too busy, and by the time I noticed, a week had passed without seeing her.

 

"For now, I'll leave them in front of the door... eat them if you feel like it."

 

Forcing my way in would probably be a bit much.

I was hoping that by initiating this conversation, she might open up to me. But maybe she's not in the mood this time.

 

Maybe she needs time.

 

"...Really, it's surprising."

 

Mother was surprisingly kind, more than I expected.

More than that, I couldn't have anticipated Azusa getting this upset.

 

"Eh? Azu-nyan is upset? Well, that's natural. She's your little sister, right? A genuine brother complex. Accepting her beloved big brother's marriage is not something she can easily do. Sisters are creatures like that."

 

I received such a strange advice from Shiho, but it didn't sit well with me.

 

(In fiction, that might be the case, but... I don't think Azusa is like that at all.)

 

Even when I try to talk to her, she's indifferent, says quite selfish things, and I rarely see her being considerate towards me.

If she had a brother complex, I'd expect her to do cute things to be liked. But Azusa didn't do any of that.

 

Rather, her way of interacting was more like how a teenage daughter would treat her father.

So, she probably thinks of me more objectively...

 

"Onii-chan is getting married? Huh, okay, do it."

 

I expected her to respond casually, with that level of warmth.

That's why I'm bewildered by her reaction.

 

"...Maybe this is the final sibling quarrel."

 

Even though we're both already adults.

When will we become proper adults... both Azusa and I are still immature...

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