Ugly Sister, Beautiful Brother

Minami struggled in their grip, her breath coming in panicked gasps.

"P-Please… don't…" Her voice trembled, her throat tight with fear.

The lead girl smirked, tilting Minami's chin up with her finger. "Oh, don't be so scared. We're just going to have a little fun…"

Her blood ran cold as she heard the next words.

"How about we take a picture? Just your body, of course. No one wants to see that hideous face."

Minami froze.

Her stomach twisted into a sickening knot.

"N-No… no, please…" she begged, her voice breaking.

Laughter.

Cold hands grabbed her wrists, pinning her against the stall.

"You don't get to say no."

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, drowning out the rest of their words.

"Onii-chan…"

She whispered the name in desperation.

The scene shifted.

Outside the bathroom stall, the only sounds were muffled pleads, quiet sobs, and the cruel giggles of her tormentors.

Then silence.

---

The stall was small. Suffocating.

Minami sat curled up against the cold tile, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Her shirt hung loosely from her shoulders, the buttons undone. Her bra straps had slipped, leaving her feeling exposed, vulnerable.

Her hands trembled as she tried to pull her clothes back together, fingers shaking too much to work the buttons properly. It didn't matter.

She felt dirty.

Her skin crawled with an invisible filth she couldn't wash away.

Her stomach churned.

They took pictures.

The thought echoed in her mind, over and over, sinking into her bones like poison.

She hugged her knees closer, burying her face against them.

She had no more tears left, yet her body still shook with silent sobs.

No one had come to help.

No one ever did.

Her heart ached as she whispered, voice so quiet it barely reached her own ears.

"…Onii-chan."

But Kazuya wasn't here.

He didn't know.

He couldn't save her.

And she was too ashamed to tell him.

The bell rang in the distance, signaling the end of lunch break.

Minami stayed where she was.

She didn't want to move.

She didn't want to exist.

---

By the time the final bell rang, she felt hollow. Like a ghost drifting through the hallways, unseen and insignificant.

Minami didn't move at first.

Her fingers clutched the strap of her school bag, nails digging into the fabric as she stared blankly at her desk. The classroom emptied around her, the voices of her classmates fading into meaningless noise.

Just walk out.

She had already washed her face, scrubbing away the tear stains as best she could in the restroom mirror. Her eyes were still slightly red, but maybe—just maybe—he wouldn't notice.

Her blazer.

She shifted her bag over her shoulder, adjusting the strap so it covered the torn fabric at the back. It's fine. He won't see it. If he asked about the missing button, she would just say it broke by accident.

She swallowed hard.

Her hands felt clammy. Her legs were stiff as she stood up.

The hallways felt too long. The doors, too far away. Each step was slow, heavy, like she was wading through thick, invisible mud.

And yet, eventually—

She saw him.

Kazuya.

He was waiting by the school gate, standing tall, effortlessly handsome as always.

The golden afternoon light cast a glow over him, making him seem almost unreal. His casual posture, his easy confidence—he was everything she wasn't.

When his eyes landed on her, they softened.

"Yo, Minami." His lips curled into a small smile. "How was school?"

She stopped in her tracks.

Her heart clenched.

For a brief second, the urge to tell him everything surged inside her, a scream threatening to claw its way up her throat.

But—

She crushed it down.

Her fingers curled around the hem of her skirt, gripping tightly.

She forced her lips to move.

"It was fine," she murmured.

Her voice sounded off. Strained. Even to her own ears.

Kazuya's expression shifted.

He tilted his head slightly, watching her with sharp, perceptive eyes.

"That so?" His voice was light, but there was something beneath it. Something searching.

Minami nodded quickly. Too quickly.

Kazuya frowned.

His gaze flickered over her—her uniform, the way she held her bag too tightly, the stiffness in her posture.

Something wasn't right.

Minami knew he could see it.

So before he could press further, she forced a smile.

"Let's go home, Onii-chan."

For a long moment, he didn't respond.

Then, finally, he sighed and reached out, placing a warm hand on top of her head.

"…Alright."

They started walking.

Side by side.

She tried her best to act cheerful, to fill the silence with small, meaningless chatter—what she ate for lunch, a funny story she made up about class. Anything to keep him from asking questions.

And for a while, it almost worked.

Until—

Soft laughter.

Minami's body froze.

Three figures passed them on the sidewalk.

The girls.

Their giggles were quiet, but she heard them. She felt their mocking gazes as they walked by, as if they were whispering reminders of what had happened, of what they had taken from her.

Her fingers twitched around the strap of her bag.

Her breathing shallowed.

She wanted to disappear.

Beside her, Kazuya slowed his steps.

His eyes flickered toward the girls, then back to Minami.

He noticed.

But he didn't say anything.

Not yet.

As they continued walking, the warmth of his presence beside her was the only thing keeping her from collapsing right there on the street.

She didn't know how long she could keep pretending.

And Kazuya…

He didn't know how long he could keep waiting for her to tell him the truth.

---

The walk home should have felt like any other day.

But it didn't.

Something was off.

Kazuya noticed it immediately.

Usually, Minami would complain about his teasing, huffing and pouting, calling him an idiot before eventually laughing. But today—she barely reacted.

Even when he ruffled her hair, she only gave a weak smile.

Even when he made a joke about her "glamorous" figure, she didn't stomp her foot and scold him.

And when he flicked her forehead playfully—something he did all the time—she barely flinched.

His amusement faded.

Something was definitely wrong.

"…You're acting weird," he said, watching her closely.

Minami stiffened slightly. "I'm not."

His golden eyes narrowed.

"…Liar."

She gripped her bag tighter, staring at the ground.

Kazuya exhaled, glancing up at the sky.

The sun was still out. The air was warm.

Maybe… she just needed a little push.

He reached for her hand without warning, slipping his fingers between hers, intertwining them.

Minami's breath hitched. "O-Onii-chan?"

"Come on," he said, pulling her along. "We're getting ice cream."

She blinked, stumbling slightly as she was dragged forward. "Eh—? But—"

"No buts," he interrupted smoothly. "You're being too gloomy. Ice cream makes everything better."

Minami hesitated.

The warmth of his hand around hers, the firm yet gentle way he held on—it was the same as always.

Safe. Strong.

…She couldn't refuse.

"…Okay," she murmured.

Kazuya smiled, but inside, his concern only deepened.

She agreed too easily.

This wasn't like her.

---

The ice cream café was nearly empty, a peaceful little place with warm wooden décor and soft music playing in the background.

Minami sat at a small table while Kazuya ordered.

A few minutes later, he returned, placing a chocolate cone in front of her.

"Here," he said. "Your favorite."

Minami stared at it for a moment before taking it slowly. "…Thanks."

Kazuya sat across from her, holding his own vanilla cone.

She licked her ice cream absentmindedly, her thoughts distant.

He watched her closely.

Usually, she would have already started talking about something—how delicious it was, how unfair it was that he never got her extra toppings, how he should pay for her next snack, too.

But today—nothing.

Silence stretched between them.

Kazuya finally leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand.

"So?" he said. "You gonna tell me what's wrong?"

Minami tensed slightly. "…There's nothing wrong."

Kazuya exhaled dramatically. "You're a terrible liar."

She looked away.

His fingers tapped against the table. "Did something happen at school?"

"No."

"Did someone say something to you?"

"No."

"Did you fail a test?"

She shot him a glare. "I don't fail tests."

Kazuya smirked slightly. There she is.

But then—her expression dropped just as quickly.

She returned to quietly licking her ice cream, her eyes downcast.

Kazuya's smirk faded.

He leaned back in his seat, watching her.

His little sister wasn't the type to keep secrets.

So whatever she was hiding…

It had to be bad.

He tightened his grip on his cone.

Tell me, Minami.

Tell me who hurt you.

He wasn't going to let this go.

Not until she told him the truth.

END OF CHAPTER : 4 : CRUELTY!