"I'm home!"

Dragging my exhausted body back, two consecutive battles had drained me completely—one a clash of wits, the other a physical brawl.

All in all, seriously brutal fights!

Back in my room, I set down my bag, grabbed fresh clothes, and headed to the bathroom door.

When I pushed it open, weary and worn out, I found my sister Ruri standing there naked except for a pair of cute panties...

"Huh? Hidetomo? Here to grab the laundry?"

Hearing the door, Ruri turned her head. Seeing it was her older brother, her face instantly darkened.

The air froze solid...

*Huh? Why’s she just finishing her bath so late?*

*No! No! I must’ve opened the door wrong!*

—*Right! Just reopen it—that’ll fix everything!*

With that thought, I whooshed the door shut again.

*Wait! Was that real?! Did I really open it wrong?!*

*What?! It was real?! I just saw Ruri naked—if Mom finds out, she’ll open a magic door and charge over to dismember me!*

A shiver shot down my spine.

...First, don’t panic! Stay calm!!

My priority: check my desk drawer for a time machine!

Shutting the door, my mind spiraled into chaos.

Before I could untangle my thoughts—*whoosh!*—the bathroom door flew open again. Before I could react, a pale, slender foot slammed into my cheek.

The force knocked me flat. I hit the floor and played dead.

Why play dead? Simple: my sister Ruri was captain of the school’s karate club—a girl whose combat stats were maxed out.

Why’d she get so strong? According to what I’d pried from Hidetomo...

*"To protect you and me, Brother! So we won’t be harassed by our perverted older brother!"*

That was Ruri’s exact quote. And from what I knew, our runaway mom had once told little Ruri:

*"Ruri! You must protect yourself and Hidetomo. As for your brother... let him fend for himself!"* Mom had smiled sweetly back then.

*What kind of messed-up family is this?! My life’s one big coffee table of tragedies!!*

Though screaming inwardly, I stayed facedown, playing dead...

"Hmph!"

Dressed now, Ruri’s face was flushed—whether from bathwater or anger, I couldn’t tell. She stormed back to her room.

Only after her footsteps faded and her door slammed shut did I stop playing dead. I sat up, picked my scattered clothes off the floor, and rubbed my aching cheek. Sighing, I shuffled into the bathroom, locked the door tight against surprise attacks from Hidetomo.

I stripped off my uniform and tossed it into the laundry bin. Then I spotted another bin—Ruri’s panties and bra tossed in separately.

...Wait, didn’t Hidetomo handle all the laundry? As the first to shower daily, I rarely saw Ruri’s underwear.

My hand moved on its own. I lifted her panties, stretching them overhead. Blue and white stripes again...

I shook my head, tossed them back, and stepped into the bath.

I wasn’t *that* degenerate—not about to do something unforgivable with my sister’s underwear.

Doing that would’ve crushed my conscience too.

Speaking of underwear... wasn’t there a black lace set in my bag?!

If I hadn’t just remembered, I’d have forgotten completely!

Lying in the tub, I frowned. That scorching-hot item in my bag...

*How do I deal with it?... Just toss it in the trash?*

No! Hidetomo sorted all our trash. If he found strange lingerie in the bin, he’d get suspicious.

I could ignore Hidetomo’s thoughts, but if this reached Ruri? I’d be Public Enemy No. 1!

Labeled a pervert? That stain would never wash off!!

But... if I can’t throw it away... what *do* I do with this cursed lingerie?...

—I can’t just keep it in my bag forever!

Imagine—a normal high school boy carrying women’s underwear daily. Readers would roast that trope alive!

Wait! Did I just say something weird again? Whatever. Details don’t matter. Only ㊈ care about details.

Focus: how to dispose of this hot potato...

Best plan: find a box in my room, seal the lingerie inside like a cursed artifact.

I finished washing fast, changed into loungewear, and left the bathroom.

Back in my room, I dug under my bed, pulled out a cluttered cardboard box, dumped its contents haphazardly, then unzipped my bag. I took out the black lace set.

Just as I was about to stuff it into the box—*BAM!*—my door burst open.

"*Onii-chan!*~~"

My foolish little brother Hidetomo stood there, grinning, having witnessed me holding women’s panties.

"......"

I looked up. My throat bobbed. I swallowed hard.

The air turned painfully awkward...

"*Ara~* So *Onii-chan*’s into cross-dressing!~"

Hidetomo’s smile didn’t fade. His affection meter hadn’t dropped—but his tone carried a strange, icy edge.

"It’s not what you think, Hidetomo!"

I jumped up to explain, but he’d already whooshed the door shut.

Staring at the soft fabric in my hands, I slumped into despair...

—*What even IS my life anymore?!*