Ugly Sister, Beautiful Brother

Minami kept her gaze lowered, focused on the ice cream cone in her hands.

She could feel Kazuya watching her, his stare unwavering, searching—trying to pull the truth from her without force.

She couldn't let him.

She wouldn't let him.

If she told him now, in public, where people could overhear—what would he do?

He was her Onii-chan. He was always gentle with her. But she had seen his anger before—real anger. The kind that turned his golden eyes sharp, that made his voice drop into something cold and dangerous.

She didn't want to see that expression again.

So she forced a smile, lifting her head slightly. "I told you, Onii-chan… everything is fine."

Kazuya exhaled, leaning back against his seat. His fingers drummed against the table.

"Minami," he said, voice quieter this time.

She pretended not to hear.

He sighed. "You really won't tell me?"

"There's nothing to tell," she said lightly, taking another small bite of her ice cream.

Silence.

Then—

She felt it.

A warmth covering her hand.

Minami froze.

Kazuya had reached across the table, placing his free hand over hers.

His grip was soft, but firm—almost hesitant, like he was afraid she would pull away.

Minami slowly looked up at him.

Her breath caught.

He was staring at her—not with his usual teasing grin, not with that confident smirk he always wore.

But with something else.

Something raw.

His golden eyes were filled with sadness.

Worry.

Pain.

As if her silence was physically hurting him.

"…Please," he murmured.

Minami's heart twisted.

She had never seen him like this before.

Kazuya was always strong. Always playful, always teasing, always the one to protect her.

But right now…

He looked like he was about to cry.

Her throat tightened.

"…Onii-chan…"

She squeezed her eyes shut.

She couldn't hold it in anymore.

Not when he was looking at her like that.

"…Once we're home," she whispered. "I'll tell you everything."

She felt his fingers twitch against hers.

"…Promise?" he asked softly.

Minami hesitated—then nodded.

"…Promise."

Kazuya exhaled slowly, his grip lingering for a moment before he finally pulled away.

The teasing was gone.

The smiles were gone.

And as they finished their ice cream in silence…

She knew there was no escaping it now.

Tonight—she would have to tell him.

And she was terrified.

---

The sun was beginning to set as they walked home, the orange glow casting long shadows along the quiet streets.

Minami stayed a step ahead of Kazuya, her hands gripping the straps of her bag tightly.

She had promised to tell him once they were home.

The thought made her chest feel tight.

Would he get angry? Would he look at her differently once he knew?

She didn't want that.

She didn't want him to see how weak she really was.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, she felt it.

Warmth.

Kazuya had closed the distance between them.

Before she could react, his arm slid around her shoulders, pulling her close against his side.

Minami stiffened. "O-Onii-chan—"

He rested his chin lightly on her head, his grip tightening ever so slightly.

"Don't fight it," he murmured. "I just want you close."

Minami's breath hitched.

Her first instinct was to push him away—to scold him for being so affectionate in public.

But she didn't.

Because… she wanted this too.

She wanted to feel his warmth.

To remind herself that she wasn't alone.

So instead of protesting further, she simply sighed, cheeks burning, and muttered, "Baka…"

Kazuya chuckled, nudging her lightly. "If I'm a baka, then what does that make you?"

Minami pouted, but she didn't pull away.

They walked like that the entire way home.

---

In a dimly lit bedroom, three girls sat together, their phones in hand, scrolling through the images they had taken earlier. The atmosphere was filled with cruel amusement, their laughter sharp and merciless.

"God, did you see her face when we pinned her down?" one of the girls, Mayu, sneered, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder. "She was begging like some pathetic little puppy."

"Hah, yeah. And when I slapped her?" Rika grinned, flexing her fingers. "Her eyes went all teary—like she actually thought someone would come save her."

The third girl, Saki, smirked as she zoomed in on the photos. "Honestly, for such an ugly girl, her body's wasted on her." She tilted the phone for the others to see. "With the right angles, this will make a lot of money."

Rika snorted. "Yeah, but we have to cut out her head. No one wants to see that disgusting face."

"Obviously," Saki rolled her eyes. "No one's paying for that."

Their laughter filled the room, echoing off the walls.

The dimly lit room buzzed with cruel excitement as the three girls continued their conversation, their laughter laced with malice.

Rika, the self-proclaimed leader, leaned back against the bed, twirling her phone between her fingers. "Today was fun," she mused. "But I feel like we can do so much more."

Saki smirked, crossing her legs. "We should take things up a notch. What if next time, we strip her completely? No half-measures. Just take everything off and snap pics from every angle." She giggled. "It's not like anyone would recognize her ugly face anyway."

Mayu scoffed. "That's nothing. I say we shove her face into the toilet next time. Make her really understand her place." She smirked. "Maybe even make her drink it."

Rika let out a laugh, clearly enjoying the suggestions. "Not bad, not bad... But I have an even better idea."

The other two leaned in, intrigued.

"Picture this," Rika said, her eyes gleaming with sadistic delight. "We make her strip in front of everyone at school. Right in the middle of the courtyard, where no one can ignore it. Can you imagine the looks on their faces?"

Saki whistled. "Damn, that would ruin her. She wouldn't be able to show her face here ever again."

Mayu giggled. "Not that she should be showing it in the first place."

They all burst into laughter, their voices echoing through the room.

To them, Minami wasn't a person.

She was just a toy.

And they weren't done playing with her yet.

---

Kazuya sat on the couch, his hands resting on his knees as he waited for Minami to join him. His chest felt tight.

When Minami finally stepped into the living room, she hesitated near the doorway, looking tense. She was gripping the hem of her sleeves tightly, her fingers trembling slightly.

Kazuya patted the spot beside him. "Come here." His voice was warm, gentle.

Minami hesitated before slowly sitting down.

Kazuya reached for her hands, holding them in his. "Minami," he said softly. "Tell me what happened."

She looked away, her lips pressing into a thin line. "It's… nothing," she muttered.

"Minami." His voice was firmer this time.

She swallowed hard, her shoulders trembling.

"I…" Her voice wavered. "Onii-chan, at school… they…" She clenched her fists and took a shaky breath. "They bully me."

Kazuya's fingers tightened around hers. "Who?" His voice had lost its softness.

Minami hesitated before whispering, "Rika… Saki… and Mayu."

His jaw clenched. "What do they do to you?"

She looked down, her eyes stinging with fresh tears. "They always call me ugly… they laugh at me. They push me, trip me, say I don't deserve to be your sister." Her voice cracked. "They hate me because I have you."

Kazuya's hands clenched into fists.

Minami let out a bitter laugh, though it sounded more like a sob. "They say it's funny how someone like me—someone so disgusting—has an Onii-chan like you."

Kazuya inhaled sharply. His grip on her hands was shaking.

"And today…" Minami's voice dropped to a whisper. "Today was the worst."

She swallowed, her whole body trembling now.

"They took me to the bathroom…" Her breath hitched. "They slapped me… held me down…" She let out a choked sob. "They—they unbuttoned my shirt. They took pictures of me, Onii-chan. They laughed… said they would cut out my face since it was too hideous to show."

Tears streamed down her face.

Kazuya froze. His blood turned ice cold.

Minami let out a shaky breath. "I felt so disgusting, Onii-chan…" Her voice cracked. "I tried to fight, but they were too strong. I begged them to stop. But they just laughed at me."

She broke down completely. "Onii-chan…" she sobbed, her voice barely above a whisper.

And then she threw herself into his arms, clutching onto him tightly as if he were the only thing keeping her from falling apart. Her small hands gripped his shirt, her body pressed against his, shaking violently.

Kazuya slowly wrapped his arms around her, his fingers gripping the fabric of her shirt as he held her close.

His heart was pounding—not from sadness.

From rage.

Minami sobbed into his chest, her words barely understandable. "I didn't know what to do… I was so scared…"

Kazuya's hand gently cradled the back of her head. "Minami…" His voice was low, shaking—filled with an emotion she had never heard from him before.

Pure, unfiltered anger.

His fingers curled tightly into a fist behind her back.

Those girls had no idea what they had just done.

And they were going to regret ever laying a hand on his little sister.

---

END OF CHAPTER : 5 : I'LL TELL YOU...