Kotori explained to Irana and Viola how filthy and disgusting the toilet was. Meanwhile, I just sat quietly, saying nothing. I don't know why, but as I listened to Kotori's words, tears started falling again. Was this what they called trauma? I couldn't control the emotional outburst, no matter how hard I tried.
By the way, it seems our trio will now become a group of four with Kotori joining us. While waiting for the homeroom teacher to arrive, we talked about many things. Surprisingly, Kotori and I seemed to have a lot in common—or at least, that's how it felt to me.
Kotori has this tomboyish aura, yet she manages to maintain her pretty and feminine side. Unlike me, who leans so heavily into the masculine side that even Irana sometimes forgets I'm a girl. I mean, it's my own fault. In my previous life, I was a man. But… never mind. I'll probably get depressed again if I keep thinking about it.
Oh, right, I mentioned Kotori and I share some similarities, didn't I? One of them is that she also has a group of followers who call her "princess." Honestly, I'm a little jealous. While she's treated like royalty, the bratty kids around me are just a bunch of troublemakers. It's so unfair! Well, complaining won't change anything, so I'll drop it.
Changing the subject, our class was entirely made up of girls—not a single boy in sight. It turns out that the rumor Viola heard was true. The first class was just the homeroom teacher explaining the school's rules.
From her explanation, I learned that there are no janitors in this elite school. Instead, students are assigned cleaning duties as part of their discipline training. Completing these tasks earns credits, which can be exchanged for money. This system seems amazing for scholarship students or those from regular families, but I doubt it appeals much to students from wealthy backgrounds. Well, it doesn't matter to me either way.
There were no other classes after the first one. The homeroom teacher told us we could explore the school to familiarize ourselves with the environment or return to the dormitory, as long as we stayed within the school grounds.
I chose to head back to the dorm immediately, with Viola and Irana following me. When we got back to our dorm room, we discovered something surprising—Kotori's room was right next to ours on the right. What a coincidence! Or… maybe not? Could someone have arranged this? Probably not. Haha, that's just my imagination running wild.
As I unpacked, I remembered that I had an appointment with those bratty kids later in the evening.
"Irana, Viola… I'm going to meet those kids for a bit," I said, grabbing my things to leave.
Irana immediately frowned.
"Eh… Onee-chan, it's already getting dark outside. It's not safe for a girl to go out at this hour."
Her words caught me off guard, and I couldn't help but frown slightly.
"Irana…"
"Y-yes?" She tilted her head slightly, looking confused.
Ah, she's so adorable. But hold it together, Aria! You need to stay on track.
"What did you just say?" I asked with a smile that probably looked forced.
"Onee-chan?... Why do you look so angry?"
"Angry? Fufufu… What are you talking about, Irana? I'm not angry at all."
"But… but…"
"Just answer me, Irana. What did you say earlier?"
"I said it's already getting dark outside… and… and it's dangerous for a girl to go out alone."
So that's what she said. Hmm? Why is Irana trembling slightly? Is she cold? I turned off the AC, thinking that might help, and approached her.
"A-Aria, don't do that!!... Irana is your little sister!! Have mercy on her, Aria!!" Viola exclaimed, trying to stop me.
Viola's reaction confused me. Why would she stop me from getting closer to my own sister? Could it be…
"Viola, it seems you're misunderstanding me," I said calmly, brushing past her.
As I got closer, Irana trembled even more. Fufufu, it was kind of funny to watch. Finally, I hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek repeatedly.
"Ah, you're the best little sister ever!!" I exclaimed.
Irana seemed shocked but didn't pull away. Instead, she quietly muttered, "Onee-chan?"
I realized I might have gone overboard and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Irana… I hugged you so suddenly."
"…No… Onee-chan doesn't need to apologize. Instead, I… um… could you… uh… please… do that… again?"
I blinked. "What did you say, Irana?"
"Nothing… I was just talking to myself," she said, looking embarrassed.
Hmm… Did I mishear her? Did she want me to do it again? Honestly, I felt embarrassed myself. Maybe just patting her head would suffice next time.
"Well… I think that's enough for now. I'll be going now."
Before Irana could say anything else, I quickly ran out of the dorm. For some reason, as I left, I thought I faintly heard Viola mutter, "Me too…" But nah, that couldn't be right. Viola's not the type to want pampering. Or… is she?
***
Hello, Irana here... Is this introduction necessary? Well, let's continue. I'm an Esper, but not just that—I'm also a D-ranked member of the Esper Association, officially registered. As a member, I'm obligated to complete missions to seal dimensional rifts occurring in this city.
Of course, I'm not doing this alone; I'm just one of the operators. I only handle rifts I can manage and those near me. In essence, as members of the Esper Association, we protect society's peace—even though most people don't realize we exist. Sounds cool, doesn't it?
Yesterday, I completed my first mission. Missions like that, including daily ones, are mandatory for all Espers. Each rank has a different quota. For D-rank like me, it's one or two dimensional rifts per day. I'm not sure about quotas for ranks above mine.
But aside from the daily quota, I have another mission that's far more critical. If I fail, it could lead to chaos spreading across the world. That mission is to monitor Onee-chan.
What? Does that sound ridiculous? Well, Onee-chan is an Esper too, but her powers are so dangerous that it's better for her not to know about them. I'm not alone in this mission; my childhood friend Viola is helping me.
Viola's an Esper as well, but not the combat type. Her ability is extraordinary—teleportation. As long as she's marked a place, she can teleport there instantly. Honestly, I wish I had her power instead of cryokinesis.
The sun was nearly setting when Onee-chan suddenly spoke.
"Irana, Viola... I'm going to meet those brats for a bit."
"Eh... Onee-chan, it's already getting dark outside. It's not safe for a girl to go out at this hour."
As soon as I said that, the room grew cold. But wait, I shouldn't feel cold because of my powers. Don't tell me... is this Onee-chan's power manifesting? Could she be using it unconsciously?
"Irana..." Onee-chan called my name in a flat tone.
"Y-yes?" I tilted my head slightly, hoping to appear cute and calm her down.
"What did you just say?" she asked with an unsettling smile.
"Onee-chan? Why do you look so angry?"
"Angry? Fufufu... What are you talking about, Irana? I'm not angry at all."
Lies. Onee-chan's aura was clearly menacing. Even Viola, who rarely gets scared, was trembling.
"But, but..."
"Just answer me, Irana... What did you say earlier?"
"I said it's already getting dark... and... and it's dangerous for a girl to go out alone."
She moved closer with an even stronger intimidating aura. Was this really her power? Did she know about her abilities now?
"A-Aria, don't do this!! Irana is your little sister!! Have mercy on her!!" Viola shouted.
Viola… run! Save yourself! Don't get involved because of me!! I wanted to scream, but my voice wouldn't come out.
"Viola, it seems you're misunderstanding me," Onee-chan said calmly, brushing past her.
With a mischievous smile, she approached me. I couldn't help but tremble, but instead of the scolding or punishment I feared, she hugged me tightly and kissed my cheeks repeatedly.
"Ah, you're the best little sister ever!!"
"...Onee-chan?" I muttered in shock.
The warmth of her hug was overwhelming. Despite everything, it felt soothing, comforting even.
After a few moments, she pulled away and apologized.
"Sorry, Irana... I hugged you so suddenly."
"...No... Onee-chan doesn't need to apologize. Instead, I... um... could you... uh... please... do that... again?"
Ahhh! Why did I say that out loud?!
"What did you say, Irana?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Nothing... I was just talking to myself," I quickly replied, trying to hide my embarrassment.
"Well... I think that's enough for now. I'm going out now."
As she left the dorm room, I heard Viola mutter softly, "Me too... hug me and kiss me too."
Oh no. Viola just realized Onee-chan is a girl, didn't she? She always thought Onee-chan was a boy, and now she's clearly flustered.
"Hoo hoo... Looks like Viola's starting to bend. You're turning into a lily," I teased.
"...No, you're wrong!! Ugh... Stupid siscon!!" she retorted.
"Just admit it... stupid bookworm! And don't call me a siscon!!"
"Hmph!!..."
Wait!! Don't teleport away just because you're embarrassed!!