49 Connection - My Little Sister Is Only Ever Cold to Me, Yet Recently She’s Been Strangely Clingy

Chapter 49: Connection When I woke up in the morning, Ren's face was right in front of me. She leaned in and whispered to me, as I was still groggy from sleep. "Onee-chan, I love you." Her usual expressionless face and cold tone carried those words of affection. In an instant, the memory of yesterday came rushing back. That's right. I kissed Ren. My face flushed with warmth. ◇◇◇ Even at school, I couldn't shake off the blush. I'm not sure if my face is actually red, but my heart feels light and airy. The summer uniform, freshly allowed due to the seasonal change, is much cooler, but it's not enough to dispel the lingering heat within me. Yesterday, I kissed Ren. Just thinking about it made my heart whirl. Stealing the lips of my little sister, who I was supposed to protect, was unforgivable. I worried that I'd done something terrible. Yet, those feelings of anxiety were slowly washed away by the memory of our kiss. Kissing Ren was sweet and comforting. Without realizing, I found myself tracing my own lips with my fingers. And it wasn't just the kiss; recalling Ren's flushed cheeks, her softened eyes, and her words of love quickened my heartbeat and sent a sweet numbness through my mind. Throughout the day, the feelings of guilt and the pleasant memories played over and over again in my mind. Then came lunchtime. As I sat at my desk, lost in thought, Yuka-chan approached me. "You seem unusually out of it today, Ai. Are you okay? Your face looks a bit red, too." "I-I'm fine, really." "If you say so. But if something's up, you can always talk to me. I'm here to listen." Talk. Her words echoed in my mind. I realized that I hadn't consulted Yuka-chan about Ren in a long time. As I grew closer to Ren, the things I couldn't talk about with her multiplied. About sharing a bed, or feeling my heart race more often because of Ren. About kissing. There's no way I could tell Yuka-chan about these things. Thinking such thoughts, I became aware again that I was doing something I couldn't tell anyone about, and my face heated up all over again. "There it is, red again. Are you sure you're okay?" "I-I'm okay. Thanks for worrying about me." I mustered my usual smile and thanked her earnestly. Yuka-chan chuckled, amused. "If you say so. Final exams are coming up, so make sure to take care of yourself." "Yeah. You're so smart, Yuka-chan, so you must be feeling confident, but I'm a bit worried..." "I'm not confident at all. I always just cram the night before. Besides, even when you're worried, you're always at the top of the class in modern literature." "It's everything other than modern literature that's a problem!" While we exchanged such casual conversations, the classroom door opened. Ren peeked inside. As usual, the classroom buzzed. It was all because of Ren's striking appearance. Her tall, slender frame and an air of mature melancholy never ceased to capture the room's attention, even though she frequently came to see me. Moreover, with the seasonal change, Ren was wearing her summer uniform today. The cool, light blue shirt gave the mature Ren a refreshing impression befitting her age, adding to her allure. And thinking that I kissed Ren, who drew so much attention yesterday, made my head spin again. I hurriedly stood up, trying to shake off those feelings. "Sorry, Ren is here, so I'm going to greet her." "You two are such close sisters now. Have fun." Yuka-chan smiled warmly, waving her hand. The words "close sisters" stirred a quiet guilt within me as I rose quickly and headed towards Ren. "Shall we go to the rooftop again today?" "Yeah." Ren nodded calmly at my question, her demeanor the same as always. It was hard to believe she had been blushing and begging for a kiss just yesterday. I was starting to feel a little lonely, wondering if maybe I was the only one who was so preoccupied with what happened yesterday. "Let's go." Ren spoke shortly, taking my hand, intertwining her slender, long fingers with mine. It felt like we were on a date. I heard the commotion in the classroom grow louder. Leaving all that behind, Ren, holding my hand, led me out of the classroom. In the hallway, still hand in hand, people passing by all glanced our way. It was due to Ren's beauty and the fact that she was holding hands with someone as she walked. As she walked ahead, pulling me by the hand, I found myself thinking—almost absurdly at this point—that I no longer knew which of us was the older sister and which was the younger. The thought made me feel a pang of guilt, unbecoming of an elder sister, and yet… Ren’s hand was burning hot in mine. The warmth of her grasp, and the fact that she was the one reaching out for me, made me feel as though our hearts were somehow connected. Before I knew it, the loneliness I had felt just a moment ago had disappeared.