It’s been a year since we met.
It feels both short and long, but I’ve spent a lot of time with her.
Of course, we’re together at school, and almost all the time at home too… I can confidently say we’re closer than ordinary friends.
But if I had to properly describe my relationship with her, I could only call us “friends.”
Kotaro Nakayama and Shiho Shimotsuki are not “lovers”.
Unfortunately, we’re not dating yet.
“Uh, wow… Onii-chan, are you maybe a coward?”
Azusa was shocked when she learned this.
Seeing my stepsister with such an expression was rare.
“No, it’s not like that…”
How should I explain it?
I feel like we’ve confessed to each other multiple times.
But it never clearly turns into a conversation about “dating,” which is puzzling.
“Then it’s Shiho who is the coward.”
“Th-that’s not true! I’m not scared! It’s just that… if we started dating, this happy relationship might crumble… It’s not like I’m thinking that or anything!”
“Hmm?”
Azusa stared intently at Shiho as she said this. Shiho looked uncomfortable under her gaze, averting her eyes as if she was afraid of being criticized.
Our relationship had unintentionally become a bit complicated. I had avoided addressing it, but now Azusa was pointing it out, so I understood why Shiho had that expression.
“Um, Azusa? Shiho isn’t at fault… The problem lies with me—”
I hurriedly spoke up to protect her.
Shiho hadn’t done anything wrong. The issue was with me, so it was unfair for her to be blamed… or so I thought.
“I understand! I really, really get how Shiho feels!!”
…My worries were unfounded.
Azusa never intended to speak ill of Shiho from the beginning.
“…It’s scary, right? When things are going well as they are, it’s hard to take the next step.”
Azusa, who usually rejects Shiho, seemed to empathize deeply and was now holding Shiho’s hand tightly, nodding repeatedly.
“Eh? Ah, yeah… I guess I do feel that way.”
Shiho seemed flustered, probably because she didn’t expect Azusa to sympathize with her so much.
But Azusa didn’t stop and continued to offer comforting words to Shiho.
“If you’re happy with the relationship as it is, then that’s fine. So, it’s all Onii-chan’s fault. I don’t mean to say he has to act like a man in the traditional sense, but Shiho isn’t the type to be aggressive, so Onii-chan has to step up.”
…Maybe Azusa was projecting herself onto Shiho.
Because she once had unrequited feelings for Ryoma Ryuzaki, she could understand Shiho’s feelings.
(Of course, I need to step up…)
I agreed with Azusa.
If Ryuzaki had been considerate of Azusa back then—their relationship might have been something different now.
If I take more decisive action, my relationship with Shiho will surely change.
In the past, she wasn’t very positive.
She once told me, “Do you really understand my feelings when you don’t even like yourself, Kotaro?”
When my self-deprecation lessened, she said, “Don’t like me just because I want you to. I can’t be satisfied with such a shallow love.”
Since then, we’ve had similar conversations several times… but they always ended halfway.
There were positive responses, but our relationship didn’t progress, leading to the current situation.
