My life changed a lot after the Shimizu family took me in.
For one thing, I stopped accidentally breaking things whenever I had a bad dream.
I guess Keraunos really is asleep. Even when I think about the past, he doesn’t do anything. Nothing happens. I can’t even sense the black lightning.
It’s like I’m the same weak girl I was before I met Keraunos. Powerless. Useless.
But the Shimizu family are all so nice to me anyway. They’re nothing like the doctors at the facility who treated me like a guinea pig. And they don’t treat me like an outcast like the other clan members, either.
“Jupiter. I recommend you try this ■■■■■■ ■■■. It should allow you to have ■■■ without feeling any stress. You have my word it will work, or my name isn’t ■■■■■. Now, let’s…”
Everyone is simply kind to me. Like Fumika.
“Good morning, Jupiter. Did you sleep well?”
Fumika often makes me food. It’s so warm and yummy. We always eat dinner together, and everyone talks about how grateful they are for the meal before eating.
No one ever had dinner with me where I used to live. They took care of me, but I didn’t really know who they were. James would show up sometimes, I guess.
“Why must you only ever eat ■■■■■■es? Anytime I take my eyes off you, you always ■■■■…”
But I was almost always alone. No one ever talked to me. Life was boring and empty.
And before that…it was even worse. Everything was awful. I’d rather be alone than go back to that.
So getting to eat dinner with everyone while watching TV is completely new to me.
No one is mean to me. No one is scared of me. I don’t have to hurt anyone anymore.
They told me that everyone wants me here.
I can’t believe how different everything is now that Keraunos is asleep… I know this sounds weird, but it feels like I’ve been given everything I’ve ever wanted.
And it’s all thanks to Kyouichirou and his friends. Especially my big sister, Albi. She’s the one who helped me get away from Keraunos. Even if her “treatment” won’t last forever.
“I’m Albion Shimizu. From today, please think of me as your elder sister. You may feel free to refer to me as Albi.”
Big Sister Albi is a very strange person. Her powers are mysterious, and she’s really pretty. She’s always lying around doing nothing. She doesn’t work. And she doesn’t study. She only eats and sleeps. But she’s not shy or anything. She’s actually very straightforward.
“Little Sister, let us play video games together. According to Master, this game involves hunting and the like.”
Soon after I came to stay here, she began referring to me as her little sister. According to the “official record,” that’s what we are, so I guess it makes sense. But it still feels really weird. I was surprised the first time she called me that. But I’ve already gotten used to it, even though I’ve only been here for a few days. Maybe it’s because she’s so blunt. She calls me “Little Sister” like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
…But just because she calls me that doesn’t mean we’re actually related. It’s just her way of referring to me.
“Oh? Despite my excellent mastery of the controls, my character seems to have been devoured by those creatures there. How perplexing. And irritating.”
“Well, that’s because you’re not avoiding any of the enemies’ attacks.”
“Is this character not my avatar? In that case, she should be forever impervious, just as I am. Am I supposed to believe that these four-legged beasts are capable of harming me? Even fantasy has its limits.”
“What do you mean ‘forever impervious’? That would be cheating. And it sounds scary.”
But even if it’s just the way she refers to me, it means something. It makes me feel all warm inside. That’s why I decided to return the favor and call her “Big Sister Albi.” I want to be as comfortable calling her my big sister as she is calling me her little sister.
Big Sister Albi is a very strange person. She’s really odd. But she’s not a bad person. She eats a lot, and she’s always lazing around. She kicks Kyouichirou sometimes, too.
But there’s something Kyouichirou doesn’t know about her. It’s my secret.
Big Sister Albi… She’s…
“Little Sister. Let us put an end to this video gaming session and take a trip to the pond.”
“What are we going to do at the pond?”
“We are going to fish for frogs. We should do some real hunting.”
“Frogs?”
“Little Sister, let us leave monsters behind. This is the age of the frog. Unlike the creatures in those games, frogs can provide us with tasty snacks.”
…really, really bad at video games.