Chapter Eighteen: Not Every Adolescent Delusion Is a Rikka Takanashi

“My older sister suffered a traumatic accident when she was young, leaving her permanently mute due to the shock. From then on, she never spoke another word, and even her hearing gradually diminished until she could no longer perceive any sound at all.”

“At first, our parents took her to numerous hospitals, but in the end, there was nothing they could do. Later, most of the family’s money was spent on her treatment, and we ended up in heavy debt, forcing our parents to leave home to work.”

“Afterwards, our financial situation slowly improved, and my sister was sent back to school. But because of her personality, she couldn’t make any friends there.”

“In the end, I don’t know how it happened, but she became obsessed with light novels, always imagining herself as a hero in those stories.”

“Since she couldn’t speak, she often liked to carry a drawing board, sketching strange pictures and pairing them with lines that sounded exceedingly dramatic, seeking people to share them with.”

“In the beginning, the students at school enjoyed playing along with her, but as time went on, and because she couldn’t hear or speak, they gradually grew tired of it.”

“At first, it was just some isolation and gossip behind her back, but soon, as she offered no resistance, things became worse.”

“They treated her seat as a trash bin, used her desk as a canvas for random doodles, and eventually locked her alone in the school storage room for two whole days. If the teacher hadn’t found her in time, who knows what might have happened…”

As Serizawa Yui spoke, her eyes reddened, and her voice grew choked with emotion.

Seeing this, Anwa quietly took out a pack of tissues from his pocket, opened it, and handed her one.

“Thank you,” the girl whispered, taking the tissue and wiping away her tears, before turning her gaze aside.

Following her gaze, Anwa saw, in the dim living room, Serizawa Reina kneeling on a cushion, holding a game controller in both hands, her eyes fixed intently on the television just a few meters away.

The game on the screen was familiar to Anwa, as he had just bought a copy for Amamiya Sawu yesterday—one of the hottest ‘Hero versus Dragon’ series games.

Having played countless AAA titles in the future, Anwa wasn’t particularly impressed by the pixelated figures on the screen, yet Serizawa Reina was utterly engrossed.

Even though she couldn’t hear, she would still leap up at certain moments on the screen, waving her hands excitedly or opening her mouth in silent cheers.

Standing beside Anwa, Yui could only sigh with resignation.

Perhaps because of her sister’s experiences, this fourteen-year-old middle school girl was far more mature than most of her peers.

“Mind if I go talk to her?” Anwa asked casually. In truth, he was already stepping toward Serizawa Reina as he spoke.

Yui did not stop him.

She had already learned the reason for his visit during their earlier conversation.

For the teacher, Ito, whom she had only met once, Yui held great admiration—after all, he was the first to make a special trip to visit them.

Thus, Yui felt no malice toward this big brother before her.

Taking a few steps to stand behind Reina, Anwa was about to tap her shoulder, when the long-absent narrator suddenly spoke up.

[Heh, this overly dramatic girl. Though you don’t truly understand why she pretends not to hear, it doesn’t matter. Now that you’re here, you surely have a way to expose her true colors. Conveniently, you still have the sleeping pills you got from Amamiya Sawu in your pocket. Just slip them into their water later, and both girls in this room will become yours…]

Anwa didn’t listen to the rest of the narrator’s words, for his attention was wholly caught by the phrase “pretends not to hear.”

What did that mean? Was Serizawa Reina actually able to hear?

He was surprised—her behavior had always matched that of someone both deaf and mute. The idea she was merely pretending was something Anwa had never considered.

Yet he trusted the narrator’s words, since its only real value lay in providing him reliable information.

With this in mind, Anwa looked at the girl’s back and softly called her name.

“Serizawa Reina?”

She seemed entirely unaware someone had approached, still absorbed in her game.

Anwa glanced at Yui, who was busy tidying up the entryway and not paying attention, then leaned closer to Reina’s ear and whispered, “Reina-chan, you can actually hear, can’t you?”

Reina’s body gave a sharp shudder. Though she quickly returned to normal, Anwa was certain: she could hear.

At the same time he spoke, Reina’s affection score toward him, which had been at 17, plummeted to -11 (dislike).

It was the first time Anwa had seen a negative affection score.

Interesting.

With a smile, he walked forward and sat down beside Reina.

She hesitated, but scooted over, giving up most of her cushion.

Anwa made himself comfortable, not shy about taking the space.

The cushion was small, so as soon as he sat, their bodies inevitably pressed together.

He felt a softness at his thigh and caught a whiff of lavender from the girl.

He shifted to a comfortable position and, instead of mentioning her hearing, picked up the spare game controller and waved it at Reina.

She understood immediately, smiled, and nodded. Then, bending down like a little cat, she crawled toward the TV to set things up.

As she moved, her oversized T-shirt slipped down, exposing her fair skin to Anwa’s gaze. Looking upward, he caught sight of two small, rounded mounds.

Wait—she’s not wearing a camisole!

Startled, Anwa quickly turned away.

Unlike Amamiya Sawu’s mature figure, seeing Reina made Anwa feel a strange sense of guilt.

Soon, there was movement beside him again.

He looked back to see Reina had returned to the cushion, and the game on the TV had switched to a fighting game called ‘King of Fighters.’

She wants to play ‘King of Fighters’ with me?

The absurd thought flashed through Anwa’s mind. He glanced at Reina’s eager face and then showed a pitying look.

After all, he’d been a gamer for twenty years in his previous life—what hadn’t he played? ‘King of Fighters’ was child’s play, and he could easily defeat most ordinary players with one hand.

Glancing at his own [Master-Level Fighting Game Skills], Anwa decided to go easy on her.

…

Half an hour later.

Watching Iori Yagami once again being flawlessly defeated by his own Orochi character, Reina pouted and yawned in boredom.

After a glance at the now-sullen Anwa beside her, Reina hesitated, then reached out and gently rubbed his head as if comforting a child, before preparing to get up and head to the bathroom.

However, just as she moved, a large hand grabbed her slender arm.

She turned to see Anwa, head bowed and body trembling slightly, muttering, “One last round—no using Orochi.”

…

After a moment’s silence, Reina sat back down and picked up the controller again.

Anwa’s eyes gleamed as he quickly restarted the game and instantly chose Orochi.

Half a minute later.

Seeing Mai Shiranui, controlled by Reina, about to defeat his Orochi, Anwa’s competitive spirit flared. He abruptly shoved the focused Reina off the cushion.

She, caught off guard, landed hard on her bottom, her body lurching and the controller slipping from her grasp.

Opportunity!

Anwa’s eyes sparkled as he frantically operated Orochi to attack Mai Shiranui.

Reina, after her initial confusion, realized what was happening. Seeing her Mai Shiranui on the verge of being annihilated, she reached for the controller, but Anwa’s foot pressed firmly against her chest, blocking her.

In the end, relying on his superior skills, Anwa managed a miraculous comeback, defeating Reina’s Mai Shiranui with barely any health left. Reina, furious at the outcome, immediately bit down on the foot still pressed against her chest.

The next moment, Anwa’s startled cry echoed through the entire room.

“Yamete!”