WebNovels

Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Even Mother is Possible?!

The living room floor, once a place for casual lounging, had become a grueling training ground. Hikigaya Hachiman lay sprawled face-down, his body pressed against the cool hardwood like a defeated frog awaiting dissection. Each muscle fiber screamed in protest, burning with the unique agony of someone pushing far, far beyond their natural, sloth-like constitution.

"Ugh… So," he grunted, his voice muffled against the floorboards. He managed to twist his neck just enough to glare at the cheerful weight settled squarely on his lower back. "How much longer are you going to use my spine as your personal throne?"

Perched upon him, legs swinging idly, was his little sister, Komachi. She grinned, utterly unrepentant, and gave a little bounce that sent a fresh wave of pain shooting through his frame.

Hmm. A detached, analytical part of Hachiman's brain, the part that never switched off, noted: Very light. Much, much lighter than Yukinoshita.

But weight, of course, was hardly the main point. The main point was… the presence. He could feel it acutely. His gaze, against his better judgment, flickered upwards, taking in the silhouette of his sister, who was, undeniably, developing quite well.

Hmm. So drinking milk every day really does have an effect, huh?

Ahem! AHEM!

A mental alarm blared in his head. Calm down, Hachiman! You degenerate! This is your sister! Your blood-related, adorable-but-annoying little sister! What kind of monstrous thought is that?!

"Onii-chan, don't stop now! Keep doing those push-ups! Komachi is cheering you on from right here!" she chirped, her voice dripping with faux encouragement. She showed no intention of dismounting her personal exercise equipment.

"I can't… do it… anymore…" he wheezed, his arms trembling violently. "I've… reached… my limit…"

Hey, hey, hey! His internal monologue screamed. If you're going to sit there, sit still! Don't fidget! Don't shift your weight! Are you trying to fracture my lumbar vertebrae?!

"Tsk~" Komachi clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Normally, with the full support of a cute little sister like me, shouldn't Onii-chan be overflowing with 'imouto power' right now? Shouldn't you be unlocking some hidden potential? Maybe even a small cosmos?"

"Maybe in some alternate, shounen-manga universe," Hachiman gasped, finally letting his arms give way completely and collapsing into a pitiful heap. "But in this cruel reality… today… I am truly finished."

A deep sigh escaped him, this one genuine. Sigh. My body really is pathetically weak. No wonder Yukinoshita can so easily— No! Don't think about that now!

"So weak, Onii-chan," Komachi stated matter-of-factly, but a hint of concern flickered in her eyes as she took in his genuinely pained expression. With a reluctant sigh of her own, she finally, mercifully, pushed herself off his back.

The immediate relief was profound. Air flooded back into his lungs, and the crushing pressure on his spine vanished. Pushing himself up onto his knees, Hachiman instinctively reached a hand around to touch the small of his back, the spot where his sister had just been sitting.

Huh?

A strange, lingering sensation remained. It wasn't just the physical imprint; it was a vague, unsettling feeling of… impropriety? A taboo warmth that stubbornly refused to dissipate. But more confusing than that was the sudden, hollow feeling that followed. The moment Komachi got up, an inexplicable sense of loss and regret washed over him.

Eh? What is this feeling? A cold dread trickled down his spine. Have I… have I awakened some kind of forbidden attribute?! I actually… I actually want my cute little sister to keep sitting on my back?! What kind of horrible character development is this?!

"Ara, ara, Onii-chan… you…"

Komachi's surprised voice, laced with a strange tone he couldn't quite place, cut through his internal panic.

He looked up, scowling. "What's with that look? Like you've just seen a monster emerge from a portal in your living room?"

"Hmm…" Komachi leaned forward, peering at his face with an unnerving intensity. "Is it… Komachi's imagination?" She bent down at the waist, her round, curious eyes scanning every detail of his sweat-streaked face. Before he could protest, she reached out and gently brushed his damp, messy bangs away from his forehead.

Hachiman flinched back. "My head's all sweaty and gross, don't touch it!"

But Komachi didn't seem to hear him. Her eyes widened, a gasp catching in her throat. "Ara!?" she exclaimed, staring at him as if seeing him for the first time. "Why… why does Komachi feel like Onii-chan… you've… you've become handsome!?"

A flicker of pride, fragile and immediate, sparked within Hachiman. He puffed out his chest (as much as his exhausted frame would allow). "Hmph! Hmph! I was a handsome guy to begin with, you know! You just have no taste!"

"No, no, no!" Komachi shook her head vigorously, her pigtails whipping back and forth. "The Onii-chan from before, just those lifeless, dead-fish eyes alone were enough to scare a bunch of kindergarteners into crying! Besides your ever-suffering little sister being willing to get close to you, any other girl would cross the street to avoid you!"

Oh, thank you for that glowing endorsement, my dearest, most lovely little sister. My self-esteem is thriving.

"But today," Komachi continued, her voice dropping to an awed whisper, "even Komachi has to admit that Onii-chan is a little bit handsome! Komachi even feels that Onii-chan is…"

She suddenly stopped mid-sentence. A faint blush tinged her cheeks, and her eyes widened slightly as if she'd just realized something shocking. In a flash, she straightened up and took several quick steps backward, putting a deliberate distance between them.

"? ? ?"

Hachiman was utterly bewildered. He had never seen Komachi react like this. A tiny, treacherous seed of hope began to sprout in the barren wasteland of his ego. Could it be…? Could it be that I've actually become handsome? Is it possible that intense, sister-assisted exercise has some kind of beautifying effect?

Komachi, now from a safer distance, carefully sized him up again. After a few seconds of intense scrutiny, she clapped her hands together, her expression shifting to one of pure, unadulterated excitement. "That's great! Komachi was so worried about Onii-chan's future before! But now that Onii-chan has become handsome, he'll definitely be able to attract all sorts of girls! Komachi's worries are finally over!"

Hachiman facepalmed, the gesture speaking volumes of his exhaustion and exasperation. "Komachi, how many times do I have to say it? I already have a girlfriend. It is absolutely, completely, 100% impossible for me to do anything that would betray Yukinoshita."

How many times must I proclaim my loyalty?! The heart of Hikigaya Hachiman belongs to Yukinoshita Yukino alone! There is no room for betrayal!

"Tch," Komachi scoffed, rolling her eyes. "That's so like Onii-chan, being all carefree. You don't have to worry about a thing, while poor Komachi has to carry the burden of securing the Hikigaya family line all by herself."

Hachiman could only respond with a deadpan stare. "…."

....

Meanwhile, in the Bathroom…

Steam curled in the air, carrying the scent of floral bath salts. Yukinoshita Yukino sat on the closed lid of the toilet, not for its intended purpose, but as a private alcove for a much more serious conversation. Her brow was furrowed, her expression a mixture of disbelief and dawning horror.

"So…" she whispered into the empty, tiled room, her voice tight. "Komachi-chan… can also be… captured?"

A cold, robotic text box, visible only to her, materialized in her mind's eye.

[Of course. Hikigaya Komachi is a high-priority potential target. Proximity and intimacy between Hikigaya Hachiman and her will generate system points.]

Yukinoshita's face paled. Y-you terrible system! You truly are the worst! This is… this is immoral! Even in Japan, certain lines cannot be crossed!

A wave of tragic melancholy washed over her. Alas… could it be that my Hikigaya-kun is fated to be close to any kind of girl? How… how profoundly sad!

She took a steadying breath. "But… why were the points so high?" she pressed, her analytical mind cutting through the initial shock. "Fifty points. That's as high as the points from… from more significant encounters. What in the world could have happened between those two siblings?"

She knew the rules. The system rewarded points based on the level of intimacy. Simple acts like holding hands or a brief hug yielded meager returns. But actions denoting a high level of closeness—whispers of kisses, implications of… of procreation—earned a king's ransom of points.

A terrifying, unimaginable thought burst into her mind. Could it be… that they… they ki—?!

No! No, no, no! Absolutely not! Yukinoshita shook her head violently, as if to physically dislodge the blasphemous idea. That's impossible! As Yukinoshita Yukino, who trusts Hikigaya-kun implicitly, I refuse to entertain such a terrible, taboo scenario!

"System," she demanded, her voice firm. "Explain. What exactly is going on?"

[Although Hikigaya Komachi is a high-quality girl whose proximity generates points, as Hikigaya Hachiman's biological sister, there is an additional… 'Familiar Bond' bonus multiplier applied to the point yield.]

"Eh? A bonus… for being a biological sister?" Yukinoshita's frown deepened. This was getting worse. No, this system of yours is too immoral! Are you actively encouraging… that?!

[The parameter is not limited to Hikigaya Hachiman. Any girl with blood ties or close familial relation to the host will also receive a point bonus when establishing proximity with Hikigaya Hachiman.]

The system continued, relentless in its horrifying revelations.

[For example, the host's elder sister, Yukinoshita Haruno. As a high-quality target, combined with the host's bloodline bonus, she would have yielded a higher point potential than even Kato Megumi. A truly missed opportunity when the host made her initial selection.]

Yukinoshita's mind went blank. "? ? ?"

Even… even girls with blood ties to… to me get a bonus?!

No! No! No!

My onee-sama is absolutely, positively, under no circumstances allowed! Even if the points are astronomical, it is still utterly, completely, unforgivably NOT OKAY!!

....

At the mere thought of Haruno, Yukinoshita's chest tightened. She had grown up under that woman's shadow, always losing, always one step behind. Haruno's charm and cunning were unmatched. If Hikigaya-kun ever got caught up in her pace, the consequences would be catastrophic.

And then she remembered her sister's offhand words from that very morning: "I'm lacking a boyfriend lately… Hikigaya-kun would do nicely, wouldn't he?"

Her hands trembled. I can't… I can't let Hikigaya-kun and Haruno-neesan spend too much time together. Absolutely not.

[Reminder: Yukinoshita Haruno would yield a large number of points even through basic acts, such as hugging Hikigaya Hachiman. The Host may wish to consider it.]

"H-Hugging?" Yukinoshita faltered. Her thoughts tripped over themselves. If it's just hugging… Haruno does that all the time without hesitation. She loves teasing Hikigaya-kun. Maybe…

Her face went crimson. "W-Wait, what am I thinking?! No, I mustn't fall for your evil tricks! We already agreed—no unnecessary contact between Haruno-neesan and Hikigaya-kun!"

She buried her face in her hands, groaning. My sister's been in a thirsty state lately… It's dangerous. Very dangerous. I have to keep Hikigaya-kun away from her as much as possible.

…Though, a small, treacherous thought wormed into her heart: If Haruno ever got a boyfriend of her own, maybe then… maybe I could allow it a little… since the points…

Yukinoshita shook her head violently. "No! No way! Don't tempt me!"

Still, the poisonous seed of the system's logic lingered. And before she knew it, another thought slipped into her mind—a thought she herself couldn't believe.

"…System," she asked cautiously, "earlier, you said girls with blood ties to me count too. Then… then what if it's… my mother?"

There was a long pause. Then the system answered without hesitation.

[The Host's mother is indeed a very high-quality woman. If Hikigaya Hachiman interacts with her, even basic physical contact would generate a substantial number of points.]

"Very good!" Yukinoshita's eyes lit up instinctively. Her mother liked Hikigaya-kun—she often praised him. If she encouraged a little more interaction… surely something innocent, like handshakes or light touches, could easily earn them points.

[As expected of this system's Host. You actually had the foresight to consider introducing your boyfriend to your mother.]

Yukinoshita preened a little, then froze as the system continued.

[However, this system must issue a warning.] [While casual contact yields high rewards, further intimacy—such as kissing—would generate an overwhelming number of points.] [Additionally, capture difficulty for the Host's mother is classified as Hell-level, even higher than Yukinoshita Haruno.] [Once fully captured, her possessiveness is extreme. There is a significant chance the Host would lose her boyfriend entirely. Exercise caution.]

"???" Yukinoshita's expression collapsed, joy draining from her face as though cold water had been dumped over her head. "Wh-What are you even saying?! My mother is my mother! Hugging is one thing, but kissing? Capture?! Are you insane?!"

She slapped the water with both palms, splashing angrily. "System, you've completely lost it! I just wanted Mother to casually pat Hikigaya-kun's shoulder or something, not… this! Not that!"

Her chest heaved, words spilling faster as her cheeks burned red. "Mother is absolutely not allowed! Not in this lifetime!"

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