As I got tossed around by my sisters in their various attempts, I prepared for tonight—battle lingerie, makeup that won't smudge, and hair removal, among other things.
I had been a little careless, thinking, No one's going to see it anyway, There's no one to show it to in the first place. But before I knew it, several of them had worked together, leaving me completely smooth and silky from head to toe—even in areas I hadn't even considered, like my underarms and VIO line.
"Here, drink this. It's safe to take even with birth control pills."
A pill was handed to me with a bright smile.
It was an ovulation-inducing drug.
Bracing myself, I swallowed it with water.
I was usually on low-dose birth control to suppress my period, so I started to worry if it would even take effect in time.
If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have taken the pill in the first place… I regretted it, though it was too late now.
I had started birth control just to avoid the hassle of hormonal fluctuations, the dullness, and the discomfort of period cramps. But now, with tonight's plans decided so suddenly, I felt a sense of disappointment.
If I had my way, I would've stopped taking the pill, calculated my cycle, and made sure today was the day. I would have been completely ready, prepared for anything—mentally and physically.
Such virginal fantasies swirled in my mind.
Wouldn't this just waste his seed?
Wouldn't that be rude?
Is there still time to swap with someone whose cycle aligns today?
Instinctively, I turned to my computer and opened the shared schedule management app used by my family and employees. Since we shared things like menstrual leave, it was easy to track cycles. (To prevent unfairness, even those on birth control got a few designated leave days per month, but that's a side note.)
Let's see… Today's ideal ovulation candidates are…
Sister Hachikuma and Sister Suzume?
Alright, then. I pulled up the messaging app to send them a message.
Message draft:
"I had promised a night visit tonight, but since my cycle is off… unfortunately, I have to decline…"
As I typed,
"Thud!!"
A sudden impact on the back of my head.
"What was that for?!"
"What are you doing?"
Turning around, I saw Sister Suzume with an indescribable expression on her face. Her outstretched fingers suggested it had been a chop to the head.
"Look, look, and look again. It would be disrespectful to waste what you just took, right?"
She pointed at the label on the pill bottle I had just taken and the usual one I was on. Realizing her point, I slumped my shoulders in defeat.
"Besides, Suzume, isn't today your day? Shouldn't it be your turn—"
I motioned to the schedule displayed on my screen.
"Tii!"
Thud! Another chop.
It didn't hurt—she was just playing around.
"Areyoustupid~~?"
She grabbed my shoulders and shook me in rhythm, her voice mimicking the comedic intonation of a saw-playing performer.
This wasn't painful at all. If anything, it felt like a shoulder massage, and it was kind of fun, so I let her do it.
"You were the one who invited him, and you were the one who got invited back!"
"You were the one who accepted, and you were the one who was granted permission!"
"You're the one who should go to him, and the one receiving is Hisui-san!"
"This is a promise between the two of you! We're not that involved!"
"Don't try to pass it off to me at the last minute! Even if everything lined up perfectly, the chances aren't that high anyway, so it doesn't matter!"
"When we were helping you get ready earlier, did we say we wanted your turn? No! We didn't! Even if we thought it, we wouldn't say it! Breaking this rule would lead to bloodshed!"
"We're just happy for our little sister and wanted to help her look her best!"
"If there are leftovers later, sure, we'd be happy! But the main character tonight is Misago!
"You were the one who first caught his interest, so you have the top priority! We just help you shine, hoping that if he likes you, he'll stay! And if he stays, maybe, just maybe, we'll get a chance too! And if things work out, we might even end up as sister-wives raising siblings together!"
Suzume's words gradually veered into the realm of blatant ulterior motives, but at least she had made it clear that I was tonight's main focus.
"And if he really likes you and stays, then you won't just get one chance—you'll have as many as you want! So stop worrying and go!"
She spoke with such overwhelming force that by the end, she was panting from exertion.
"Suzume… thank you."
The words of gratitude slipped out without me thinking.
Along with something from my eyes.
"Don't mind it! This is all self-serving on our part! Now stop rubbing them—you'll smudge your makeup!"
As I instinctively went to wipe my tears, she stopped me.
Suzume, despite her grumbling, fussed over me with care. If we weren't sisters—if we weren't blood-related—I might've fallen for her.
For the record, Suzume and I are almost the same age, our birthdays not even a year apart. But she has this distinct older sister aura that I've always relied on.
Among the many half-sisters in our family, the only ones I truly look up to as sisters are Suzume and Hachikuma. If I had to step aside for someone, it would only be them.
"It's still a little early… Should I wait?"
With time to spare, I busied myself with work—mostly PR duties. I updated the website and social media with today's events.
My head was too giddy, though, and everything I wrote turned into bizarre ramblings. Oh well, post, post.
"Is the idiot updating the website here?!"
Grandma Yata burst in, nearly kicking the door down.
"Enough already! Get your ass over there and get laid!"
With a kick to my back, I was shoved out of the room.
Now, I was standing in front of his door.
Knock, knock.
I knocked timidly.
He was probably still exhausted—Hisui-san was still asleep.
As I hesitantly touched the door, it opened effortlessly.
"Excuse me…"
I murmured so quietly that no one could hear, carefully closing the door behind me without making a sound.
Good thing there weren't any fancy chimes or creaky floorboards.
"Leaving the door unlocked? That's just asking to be attacked, you know?"
I whispered, scanning the familiar, dimly lit, empty room.
His scent lingered in the air, accompanied by the soft sounds of his breathing.
Wait, this really is a night visit…?
Realizing the situation, I took a deep breath, heart pounding.
I let my jacket slip off, undid my sash, and climbed onto his futon in my yukata, crawling forward on all fours.
Haa… haa…
The only sound in the room was my own heavy breathing.
Author's note :
The sisters get along reasonably well. Misago is from the main family, but tonight's ranking wasn't based on hierarchy—it was first come, first served.
This is a fantasy setting, so please keep that in mind!
This novel has been lovingly translated by https://www.patreon.com/Jenuinez_translation