Stealing Spree

Kirishima Chisato. Her mother is my father's cousin. So, in a sense, our relationship was quite distant compared to actual cousins.

Having been in that place only for a few months years ago, I wouldn't dare claim that I grasped the entire family tree of our clan.

The only thing I was sure of was... everyone related to the family three or four generations back had this gathering every few years in the ancestral state located in that particular prefecture that's under the control of the Onoda Family. Obviously, most of the members of the family lived close by. Only a few, like my father, who pretty much ran away from their influence, lived outside that province.

That's where I met Chisato-nee-san when my parents brought me there. Akane tagged along with us because we're already inseparable from each other.

It’s quite funny though.

For a simple glimpse of Chisato-nee-san to easily evoke the childhood memories buried in my head, it wouldn't be wrong to say that she was a significant part of those few months we stayed in that place.

And like I said, she often tried to take Akane from me, offering me candies as a bribe. And that's because we often play together or do things together no matter what.

I didn't fall for the bribe though. I was already quite clever back then that a few pieces of candies wouldn't be enough for me. Besides, having Akane at my side was my greatest comfort in that new environment.

Thus, instead of taking Akane away from me, Chisato-nee-san ended up playing with us -- even if she's pretty much sidelined by me.

Anyway, enough about that. Given that I was totally devoted to Akane before my desire manifested, other Chisato-nee-san, the other kids around that time were ignored by me. Or if not that, I probably shelved my memories about them too.

If I remember correctly, she should only be a few years older than us. I couldn't remember that well.

In any case, since the director treated her as her staff... It means she's working in this place. Or is she?

"Stop staring, you rogue. Come to your older sister. Give me a hug."

As over the top as she sounded, her actions pretty much mirrored what I remembered about her. She's still this frivolous.

Looking at her, although she's wearing a cap that covers her ash-black hair, her iconic round face reminiscent of an onion bulb hasn't changed at all. The shape of her pretty eyes still felt like she was always up to mischief. The bridge of her nose that has drawn a straight line now gives her a rather glamorous feature that could rival most celebrities. As for her lips... They're still rosy and thin that if she pouted, she'd look more like a chick than a duck.

From her neck below, I couldn't really judge it properly because she was wearing a loose shirt beneath her similarly loose vest and her pants weren't those that cling close to her hips and limbs.

In a way, she looked like a man at a glance.

But thinking about it... did she dress like this to help me assume her identity and slip away from those staking outside?

Possibly.

"I'm sorry, Onoda-kun. I recognized your name earlier. Because this child has always mentioned her long-lost cousin who she hadn't seen for years."

The director aptly apologized as she grabbed Chisato-nee-san's collar, preventing her from approaching me.

At this point, not only Yua but also the three girls inside the booth were already paying attention to us.

They stopped after the chorus and stepped out to hear us.

"Oh come on, director. Didn't he recognize me? Why are you holding me back?" Chisato-nee-san protested but looking at her smirk, this girl found all of this as her chance to be mischievous.

She never changed. I shook my head inwardly and stood up.

"Ah. Thanks for the help, director, I don't know someone as frivolous as her. Looks like she's not the Chisato-nee-san that I know." I playfully said, ignoring the fact that I already called her by her name.

"Is that so? Alright. I'll send her back."

Director Iwanami surprisingly played along with me. She dragged the woman behind her. Not long after that, Chisato-nee-san started struggling like a little puppy that got clipped on a cloth rack.

When she deemed it fruitless, the woman slipped her hand in her pocket, pulling out something from within.

"Huh? Oi. Wait. I'll behave. Ruki, don't be cruel to me. Look. I still have the candies from before. Take it! You like this, right?"

... That's the same candy as before alright. But why did she still have it? Rather than me... Isn't she the one who likes it a lot?"

Haa... I should stop playing with this frivolous girl.

"Chisato-nee-san. How many times should I reject your tamarind-flavored candies?"

Upon hearing that, the girl stopped acting like she was being held back by the director.

With her lips creeping upward, she opened one of the candies in her palm and popped it in her mouth.

For a short instance, her face soured for a bit before her frivolous smile returned.

"You remembered. Hehe. It's good, you know? Tell him, Akane-chan."

And there, she turned her head to the side, her eyes locking onto my golden-haired wife.

"Onee-chan..." Akane murmured the way she used to call the girl.

Yes. Despite Chisato-nee-san's attempts to take her away from me, Akane didn't think much of it before. Because in the end, it's the former who ended up staying alongside us.

"You've grown so beautiful, Akane-chan. And it seems, you two are still inseparable. But why is he dating Asahi and not you?"

Ah. As I expected. This was going to be brought up in one way or another.

Director Iwanami's eyebrows raised upon hearing that and so was Kaoru-san's.

A moment later, their gazes then alternated between the four of us.

However, Akane's answer to that question broke the silence that started to permeate.

"Hmm? Do we need to date in order to stay together, onee-

chan?"

Taken aback, my frivolous cousin's pearl-like eyes trembled as she appeared to have lost the words she prepared for retort according to the answer she was expecting from Akane.

Slowly, she turned her head to me, seeking clarification.

My response? A straight expression while shrugging my shoulders.

"Okay. That's enough, Chisato. Let's prepare. You two can talk later."

Cutting into the awkward silence, the director urged Chisato-

nee-san to sit down and then called Yue and the other two to join us.

--

Ten minutes later, after wearing the cap, shirt, pants, and vest that Chisato-nee-san was wearing, the director and I stepped out of the rehearsal room.

Of course, she didn't go nude in front of us. Like I previously guessed, she intentionally put those on top of her attire to give the illusion that she's a guy.

With our almost similar height, it'd be hard for anyone to figure out that I replaced her unless someone approached me.

I know I can still tide through this situation even without this but since they put in this effort, along with the bonus of reunion with my cousin, I decided to just not put it to waste.

As we started moving to the recording room, I immediately spotted those trying to fish for a scoop here. And luckily enough, none of them suspected my identity.

"Onoda-kun, you can rest assured. None of this trouble will be here later. I'll ensure you all can go out at ease." The director who was walking a step ahead of me said in a low voice before glancing back and showing a reassuring smile.