Chapter 56: The Crazy Older Sister

"Hina, don't you think it's a bit too early for me to be meeting your family? We've only been dating for two months."  I say, holding Hina's hand as she's actively taking me to her house.

To my question, Hina shakes her head.

"I already met your mom way before we got together, so it's only fair you meet my family too."

'And I want to brag to mom and Akari~'  Hina thought to herself, her lips curling into a sneaky smirk.

"Well, if you say so..."

Hearing her reasoning, I reluctantly gave in.

'It's not that I don't want to meet Hina's family, but I'm afraid they'll be upset Hina isn't my only partner.'

When I did my research on the polygyny law, I also went and looked into how a man with multiple partners is viewed.

The results were generally divided between three categories.

The first being that the man was seen as greedy, selfish, and/or a manipulator. Though this one is the least common from what I've seen.

Second was that the the women were looked down on. With people thinking, "Ah, none of them had the ability to keep a man all to themselves."

And the third category was, well, people simply didn't care. A vast majority of people land in this category nowadays.

'I'm worried Hina's family will fall in the first category. And if we had been dating for over a year, they'll be less likely to do that if they were.'

"Ha..."

A small sigh escapes me.

'I'll just steel myself for whatever they throw at me.'

But no amount of mental prep could have prepared me for what would later happen.

.

.

"Mom! Akari! I brought a friend over!"

Hina yelled as she knocked on the door of her house. 

Her hand still firmly holding mine.

"Do you think your mom and little sis will like me?"  I ask, my head turned to Hina.

To my concern, Hina confidently smiled.

"Trust me. They already like you."

"Huh? What do you mean by that-"

In that instant, the door opened.

I snap to the door  and lightly bow my head.

"Nice to meet- you..."

My eyes widen in surprise.

And recognition.

"... It's nice to meet you too, Tsukishiro-kun."  The woman inside said. Her expression visibly tense.

I stood there stun-locked.

Not because she's drop-dead gorgeous, but because she's someone I didn't want to meet again.

Takamine-san, the police officer who stopped me being taken to a love hotel by the woman who drugged me.

And also the same woman I slept with while under the influence of that drug.

Beside me, Hina is all smiles. Unaware of the tension between me and Takamine-san.

"I don't think I need to introduce Andy to you, right, Akari?"

"Huh?"

I turn to look at Hina as she turns to me as well.

"Andy, meet my little sister Akari. She works as a police officer."

".... Huh..?"

My girlfriend and the woman I had a one-night stand with....

Are sisters..?

.

.

"Mom! I want you to meet someone!"  Hina yelled. Having changed into indoor slippers, she started walking further in.

"Mom isn't home."  Akari replied, her gaze lowered. Refusing to meet Hina's.

"Huh?"  Hina turns to her little sister.

"Where did she go? I told her I'm bringing someone over to meet her."

"She got called in for an emergency meeting at work, but she said she'll be back home by dinner."

Akari turns around and heads for the stairs.

"Probably."

She raises one foot, and steps onto the stairs. Her hand on the railing.

"... So it's just us three?" 

When I said that, Akari flinched. Stopping her ascent.

"Yep."  Hina replied. 

Approaching me, she opened her arms and wrapped them around me. Nuzzling her face into my neck as a display of affection.

"If only my dearest little sister got called into work too, then we'd have the house all to ourselves~"

💢

"I'm NOT going to work on my rest day!"  Akari said, visibly annoyed.

Her gaze drifts off. Meeting mine for one breath before she tore away.

"You two can flirt in the living room for all I care."  she says, continuing her climb up the stairs.

I watch as she ascends the stairs. My mind darts around, wondering what to do.

Then.

"Wait!"  I yelled. Causing Akari to stop.

Both sisters then turn to look at me.

I raise my head, and turn to face Hina.

Layering my hand on top of hers, I part my lips.

"Hina, we..."  I glance at Akari, causing her to flinch.

I turn back to Hina.

"Me and Akari have something to tell you."  I say, intending to reveal the detail I hid from her when I confessed what happened that day.

'I thought I could just pretend it never happened, but if Hina and Akari are sisters, then I'll keep seeing her face for the rest of my life if I marry Hina. It's best I tell her this now.'

"Huh?"

Confusion colored Hina's face after hearing what I said.

She glances at Akari, then back at me.

"What would you two have to tell me when you just met each other today?"

"....."

"......"

For a moment, neither I nor Akari said anything.

"I, I've met your little sister before, Hina."

"Oh, you two have met before?"  Hina tilted her head slightly, a smile still on her lips. "Where did you two meet? At the grocery store, konbini, or-"

"It's much deeper than that."  I cut her off. The corners of my lips hanging down in a somber expression.

Hina sees it, and realizes this isn't a light matter.

She looks at Akari again, staring for a number of beats before drifting back to me.

Her arms pull me closer, tightening her embrace.

"What... happened between you two?" 

I held her hand tighter..

"Let's talk sitting down."

I glance at the dining room table in the distance. Hina followed my gaze and quickly picked up my attention.

"Okay."  she glances at Akari. "Let's sit down and talk."

"......"

Akari descends the stairs and followed us into the dining room.

On the square table, Hina and I sat next to each other while Akari sat across from us.

'This looks like an interrogation...'

"So."  Hina starts, glancing between me and Akari. "What do you two have to tell me?"

Akari hangs her head, refusing to meet her sister's eyes.

And for a second, I was the same. Until I managed to muster the courage to speak up.

I turn my head to Hina, and part my lips. "Do you remember when I told you that I... ended up sleeping with the police officer who saved me?"

"Yeah-"  

In that instant, a flicker of realization crossed Hina's eyes.

"Akari was that police officer..."  I say. Now, I can only wait for Hina's reaction.

She didn't blame me when I confessed that I slept with a stranger due to the influence of a drug.

However, if that stranger turned out to be her sister, then I can't be certain she won't react differently.

Hina sat there in silence. Her gaze landing on the table, shifting to Akari across from her, then to me beside her.

Her mouth remained agape for several uncomfortable seconds.

And the one to break the silence...

"Nee-san..."

Was Akari.

"Nee-san, I'm sorry. I knew he was your boyfriend, but I, I failed to resist the temptation and slept with him even though he wasn't himself."  she says, her voice full of guilt.

Akari bows her head deeply. Her forehead an inch away from the table.

"What I did was wrong on multiple levels. And I accept that." 

"If you want, I'll move out and never show my face to you nor Andy again."

"Whoa- Whoa! Calm down, Akari! There's no need for that!"  Hina says, frantically waving her hands in front of her.

"Eh?"

"Huh?"

Akari raises her head, and joins me in staring at Hina.

"What I mean is, I'm not angry at you for what you did."

"What..."

'What are you saying, Hina?!'

"But I slept with your boyfriend, nee-san! How can you seriously not be the slightest bit upset about it?!"  Akari asked outloud.

And she's right to ask that. Even I'm wondering what's going on inside Hina's head for her to say that.

Hina casually raised her hand, and scratches her cheek.

"Actually, I was considering asking Andy to take you in as his fourth girlfriend."

""?!?!""

"F-Fourth?!"  Akari snapped to look at me. Staring at me with a complicated mix of emotions.

With a tense expression, she turns back to Hina.

"Why..."

One word, one question.

To that, Hina smiled.

"Because I want to share my greatest joy with my little sister."

Akari's jaw dropped. Hanging open for a couple seconds.

"But when I asked you to introduce me to Andy before, you said no. Why did you suddenly do a 180 now?"

Hina turns her head, and gazes fondly at me.

"Because I thought I could monopolize him back then. Then I found out there are others who love Andy just as much as I do, if not more."

She slowly turns back to Akari.

"Since I can't have him all to myself, I figured it would be better if I shared him with you, too." 

""......""

For a second, my mind went blank at Hina's words.

'Is... this normal..?'

No.

No, it isn't.

At least, I don't think it is.

'I'd looked into how people view a man with multiple partners under the polygyny law, but never the women who are in that sort of relationship themselves.'

Perhaps that's why Hina is acting this way.

As for Akari, she seems to be dumbfounded still by what Hina said.

"Ah."  Hina blurts out, eyes wide as if she just remembered something.

 She turns her head to me.

"I went and said all of that without asking, but what do you think, Andy? Are you fine with taking in my little sister?"

"The way you say it makes it sound like I'm taking in a puppy..."

Hina glances at Akari, then back at me.

"Well, she may as well be some wild animal."

"H-Hey!!"

"Pfft- Hahahah!"

Watching the two sisters' like this, the confusion I felt suddenly turned into laughter.

"Heh- Hahah!"

"Why are you two laughing?! Isn't this supposed to be a serious discussion??"  Akari yelled, looking back and forth between Hina and I.

Eventually the laughter died down and I can actually think again.

'That actually cleared my head.'

"So, what do you think my sister, Andy?"  Hina asked again. Her lips curved into a relaxed smile.

"I... I don't know. Besides that time I was drugged, this is the first time we've really met."  I respond honestly. The last time I communicated with Akari was when I told her to stop messaging me if it wasn't related to the case.

Hina then turns her head to Akari sitting across. "How about you, Akari? Do you want to be Andy's girlfriend with me?"

"! I- I..."

Her gaze shifts to me, then hangs down.

"..... No."

She shakes her head.

Looking up, Akari meets our collective gaze.

"I don't deserve to be Andy's girlfriend... And between us I want only you to be his girlfriend, nee-san. I'd rather just be an after thought."  

"Akari..."

"Please, nee-san..."

Hina's hand travels up. Clipping her chin, she thinks for a moment.

Then she looks up and meets Akari's gaze.

"So you don't want to have a threesome with me and Andy?"

""..... Huh..?""

Akari and I sat in our seats, absolutely dumbfounded by what Hina just casually said.

Then-

"Ow- Ow- Oww! Andy that hurts!"  Hina said, squirming around as I pinch and pull her ear.

"Crazy! You're absolutely crazy!! How could you propose a threesome with your boyfriend and little sister!? You damn otaku!!!"

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