Chapter 65 The Daisy & the two Wolves

(Haruto POV)

"Hmm... I feel like I'm missing something..."

Standing in front of a full body mirror, I thoroughly scan myself in cosplay.

A form-fitting, sleeveless white top with red trims connected to a long, open white coat with red accents. A pair of red short shorts, and white thigh-high boots.

"Ah! The wig!"

I turn to my bed and spot the pale chestnut wig splayed across it.

Putting it on properly, I return to the mirror to check the state of my cosplay.

"Yosh!" 

I cheer, both hands clenched into fist pumps.

"Asuno cosplay complete!" 

The swordsman character I've admired for a long time. The one who pulled me into the world of otaku culture.

Asuno Yuuki from Sword Art Online!

"And to top it all off..!"

I reach for the sheathed sword that had been leaning against my bedside drawer.

"The Asuno sword I found in the cosplay shop when I went out with Andy! I can't believe I found one this high-quality!"

Unsheathing the prop sword, the fake blade shines almost like real metal under my bedroom lights.

"Ahhh~! I have to take pictures now!"

With my body brimming with excitement, I reach for my phone that had been resting on my bed.

But I then realized one minor detail...

"How am I going to take pictures while holding the sword...?"

Granted I can just attach it to my waist. Sheath and all. 

But what about the poses with the sword drawn?

"Oh no... What should I do..?"

The idea of asking for Andy's help quickly popped up, but that would mean putting this off to tomorrow at least.

"And I want to take pictures now..."

I could prop my phone on top of my drawer, but I doubt the shots would be any good.

"But the only other option would be..."

To ask mom or Hitomi for help.

"Mom would be the least embarrassing, but the quality of the shots would be questionable... And asking my little sister to take pictures of me would be really embarrassing..!"

I agonized between the two options. Should I go for the least embarrassing one while sacrificing quality? Or should I go for the most embarrassing option but guaranteed quality output?

"Hmm..."

But before I could decide, two knocks echoed from my door.

"Nii-chan, let's go eat dinner. Mom is already at the table." 

The voice of Hitomi, my little sister, echoed from outside.

"Coming!"  I replied as quickly as I could.

Soon I heard the faint sound of footsteps getting further and further away before completely disappearing. 

I look back at the mirror and remember I'm still in cosplay.

"Oh no..! Changing will take a few minutes, but I don't want to make mom and Hitomi wait too long!"

"...."

"......"

"If I'm going to ask one of them for help anyway, shouldn't I just show it to them now..?"

.

.

"Did anything happen today, Hitomi?"  

Haruto & Hitomi's mother; Haruka, spoke up. Calmly asking her daughter the same question she asks everyday.

In response to the routine question, Hitomi shakes her head.

"No, mom. Nii-chan was in his room all day. Ever since he came back from an outing with his friend, he's been holing himself up in his room."

At her daughter's report, concern spread across Haruka's face.

"Do you think he's going back to how he was before?"

Hitomi shakes her head once more.

"He's not, mom. Nii-chan is still talking to me normally, so I don't think he's distancing himself from us again."

"Y-Yeah. You're right. If he started hating us again, he wouldn't be joining us for morning jogs anymore."

Haruka breathed a sigh of relief at the fact her beloved son is still interacting with them.

"But why do you think he's-"

"Mom? Hitomi?"

At the familiar voice, the two women turned to the source.

"Yes, Haru... to..?"

Haruka's eyes widened. 

Instead of the familiar look she was expecting, Haruto is dressed in a way she had never seen before.

'No- I think this is called... cosplaying, right?'

On the other hand, Hitomi is completely awestruck. Staring dumbly at her big brother's unfathomable appearance.

'N-Ni, Nii-chan is a cosplayer?!'  she screamed internally.

"Um, Hitomi... If it's alright with you, could you help me take pictures later?"  Haruto asked in a meek voice.

"Oh- uh, s-sure! I can take your pictures, nii-chan!"  Hitomi said with several nods. Her heart beating at the thought of a private photoshoot with her brother.

"Me too! Mom wants to take pictures of Haruto as well!"  Haruka spoke up, wanting to join in.

"! O-Oh, okay. The more the merrier..."  Haruto nervously accepted his mother's request. Somehow turning it into a family event.

With that settled, Haruto sits down at the dinner table.

Running his hands down his rear as he descended in order to avoid crumpling his coat.

"Alright. Now that everyone's here."

Haruka raises her hands, and her two children follow after her.

"""Thank you for the meal."""

Together they clapped their hands together and bowed lightly.

With the pre-meal ritual over with, the family of three can now begin their meal.

Grabbing his pair of chopsticks, Haruto pulled the two pieces apart with a snap.

Using them, he picked up a cut of tonkatsu, dipped it in sauce, then bit into it. 

A satisfying crunch echoed in his mouth once he did.

The sweet sauce complimented the deep fried pork perfectly.

"Mmm~ Your cooking is amazing as always, mom!"  Haruto said with a wide smile.

Haruka blushed at her son's compliment. Her lips curling into a flustered smile

"It's nothing, really. As someone who cooks for a living, it's only natural for the food I make to be good."

"But still, your cooking is really good, mom."

"Fufu~ If you want, mom doesn't mind cooking for you for the rest of her life."  Haruka offered. Genuinely willing to cook for her son for as long as she can.

But instead of feeling happy, Haruto's smile dropped.

He looks down at the food on his place. 

He pursed his lips for a second then met his mother's gaze again.

"Mom, could you teach me how to cook..? I- want to return the favor... And so you can relax when you get home from work."

At her son's request, Haruka went wide eyed.

"A.. ah, sure. Anything for my baby boy."

Though caught off guard, Haruka was flattered. A warm feeling growing in her heart.

And a little in her belly, too.

Watching all this from the side, Hitomi frowned slightly.

She fixes a gaze at Haruka. Viewing her not as her mother, but as her rival.

With a fire lit beneath her, Hitomi puts on a smile and turns to her brother.

"Nii-chan, when did you start cosplaying? I didn't know you have such an amazing hobby."  She said, taking Haruto's attention away from her mother.

"Ah... I started a couple years ago. I got into anime which later led me to discovering cosplaying as a hobby."

A smile slowly formed on Haruto's lips.

"And... I really love them both."  he says with the purest smile Hitomi had ever seen.

'Anime... Cosplaying...'

Hitomi noted down the two terms in her mind. Determined to learn more about the two subjects.

All so she can have something in common with Haruto.

"Anime... Anime... Ah!"  

Meanwhile, Haruka was sifting through her memories.

"Mom knows plenty of anime! I watched them growing up! Like Astro Girl, Doraemon, Dragon Ball-"

The 40+ year old mother began listing down the anime she was familiar with. 

Though forgetting just one crucial detail.

"Mom, those shows were released before even nii-chan was born."

"Ugeh-!"

As if she was pierced by a comedically large arrow, Haruka doubled over. Forcefully reminded of how old she is.

The old lady named Haruka slowly turned her head to her young daughter.

"W-Well, at least they're still relevant, r-right?"

"... Mom, the creators of those three shows are all dead."

"Gack-"

A second arrow pierced Haruka.

"R-Rest in peace, Toriyama sensei..."  Haruka muttered weakly.

"Rest in peace."  Hitomi offered a brief prayer.

"Pfft- Ahahahah...!" 

Watching the mother and daughter's skit, Haruto couldn't help but laugh to himself. His shoulders trembling as he tried to hold it in.

Hearing, Haruka sheepishly scratched her head. Feeling embarrassed by the situation.

Eventually, having laughed enough, Haruto faced his mother as he put on a smile.

"If you want, mom, then we can watch some anime together on your next day off. Just tell me what genre you like and I'll pick some out."

"! Y-Yes! Mom will watch anything if it's with you, Haruto!"

"Me too! I wanna watch anime with you too, nii-chan!"

Not wanting to be left out, Hitomi quickly joined in.

In response, Haruto nodded in satisfaction.

"Of course we can-"

["Breaking News Report!"]

"Huh?"

Out of nowhere, the news channel that had been playing softly in the background was abruptly replaced without warning.

["We just received confirmation that the highly debated Incest Law has actually passed!"]

"The... Incest Law..?"

Haruto, Hitomi, Haruka; all three heads locked onto the TV. Listening closely to the reporter's every word.

["This new law permits two close relatives the freedom to marry each other. However, it is only permitted up to one generation. Second generation and onwards will not be legally recognized."]

'It... actually happened. Nii-chan and I... we can get married now.'

The corners of her lips slowly curl into a grin.

Though Hitomi quickly caught herself before Haruto could see.

'Calm down! I can't rush! If nii-chan starts hating me again, then I..!'

Hitomi raises her gaze, and glances at Haruto who is still staring at the TV.

'I need to be careful. Now that he knows the Incest Law has passed, nii-chan won't be able to look at me as just his little sister anymore. Once he becomes conscious of me as a woman, then I'll gradually escalate my advances!'

Hitomi's plan is reasonable. No, some would say it's the best course of action.

But not everyone thinks the same way.

"Haruto."

Haruka reached out, and placed both of her hands on top of Haruto's. The sudden contact causing him to be flustered.

"What do you think of me?"

"Mom, what're you doing?!"  Hitomi yelled. She pushed her chair back and stood up. Fixing a glare at her mother.

'This crazy old hag! Is she jumping on nii-chan already!?'

"M-Mom, what do you mean??" 

Haruto's gaze darts between his mother's eyes and her hands on his.

"Do you think you can see me as a woman?"

"W-What?!"

'Mom as a woman?! Doesn't that mean...!?'

Unable to just watch, or perhaps fearing the worst, Hitomi reached out to grab her mother's wrists to pry them off of her brother's.

"Mom, let go of nii-chan! You're scaring him-"

"Don't pretend you don't feel the same way, Hitomi."  Haruka cut her off. Her voice sharp.

From the side, she fixes a glare at her daughter.

Or rather, her rival.

At her mother's words, Hitomi froze in place. Hands hanging in the air.

"W-What are you talking about, mom..? Don't try to put me in the same boat as you. I-"

"Both of us know we have feelings for Haruto. Not as family, but as a man."

"What..?"  Haruto blurts out.

His gaze shifts to Hitomi.

"Hitomi, is what mom just said true..? That you two see me as a man?"  Haruto nervously asked.

Internally, he's hoping this is all just one big prank. Or a hallucination even.

Because if it's neither, then that means his life has taken a very, very complicated turn.

Hitomi slowly turns her head at a pace mimicking rusted gears.

"I, I...."

She meets her brother's eyes.

The one she sees as someone more than family.

".... I do."

The confession finally leaves her lips.

Her gaze on Haruto straightens. No longer shaking with panic.

"I love you as a man. Not just as my brother."

At Hitomi's confession, Haruto stared in disbelief.

His eyes wide as saucers. His jaw dropped.

In his head, Haruto is desperately trying to process the situation.

"Now that you know..."  Haruka spoke up. Giving his hands a light squeeze.

"Do you think you could see me- no, us as women, Haruto?"

Hitomi glances briefly at her mother. Quickly picking up her intentions.

"We know this is overwhelming, but please believe us, nii-chan. We really, really love you."

"... I-"  Haruto starts, but soon closes his mouth.

Yet, neither of the two women said anything. Both have decided to let Haruto think in silence.

But instead of saying anything...

*Shift~*

Haruto quietly pulled away. Retracting his hands from underneath Haruka's.

He stands up. Pushing the chair back.

"I'll... be in my room... I need to think this through... "

He glances at his mother and sister.

Emotions spreading on their faces.

Anxiety

Panic

And fear.

"....."

But Haruto still held on to his decision.

The young man turned away, and began heading for the stairs.

The two women didn't say anything. They remained in place, hanging their heads down.

Even after the sound of the door closing reached their ears, they remained frozen like statues.

.

.

In the quiet space, a single phone hums.

*Beep*

["Haruto? Is something up? You've never called this late before."]  

The voice of his only friend echoes from the phone.

The one person Haruto can truly trust in this moment.

"Andy... could we meet up tomorrow? I-"

"... I need your help."

"...... Please..."

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