Then, amid a flurry of panicked footsteps, Hidetomo dragged a fidgeting "girl" down the stairs.

The sight of this "girl" made me spit out my cola mid-sip, leaving me utterly dumbfounded.

*Pfft—*

The person Hidetomo was pulling along was none other than Nagisa. He wore a blue dress, fingers clutching the hem of his short skirt, his face flushed crimson with embarrassment.

His hair was tied up with cute ribbons. At that moment, no one would ever believe he was a boy.

Even more terrifying—this guy was *male*, yet his pale, slender legs were completely smooth, not a single hair in sight...

—What the hell kind of boy has legs like this?!

And on those legs, he wore over-the-knee student socks... and girls’ school shoes...

—What is even happening?!

The sheer overload of information left my brain frozen, completely short-circuited.

First off, Nagisa definitely wasn’t a girl—I knew that because my anti-girl aura didn’t affect him.

But how could a guy look like *this*?! It defied nature! Though... I did know one exception: my silly little brother. He was living proof.

But that was because Hidetomo and Ruri were twins. Nagisa was an only child! To look like this purely by genetics? Seriously?!

What did his father even look like?! I’d love to meet him!

Wait... this dress Nagisa was wearing—I’d never seen it before.

Ruri didn’t own anything like it either...

—Hold on! Something’s off here!

This dress couldn’t possibly be Nagisa’s. Since Hidetomo dragged him down... that meant only one thing: the dress belonged to *Hidetomo*!

But why would Hidetomo own girls’ clothes?! That didn’t make sense!

No—now wasn’t the time to wonder why Hidetomo had a dress.

The real question was: why did my idiot little brother force Nagisa into it? And why bring him to *me* specifically?!

Suddenly, I remembered Hidetomo’s cryptic words last night in my room:

*"...So Onii-chan likes cross-dressing, huh?..."*

—Oh no. He must’ve completely misunderstood my preferences!

A chaotic torrent of thoughts turned my mind to mush. I couldn’t think straight as I watched Nagisa—stiff and awkward in his dress—sit beside me.

His chest was flat, but the bare shoulders peeking from the dress straps, paired with his flustered, pitiful expression... they kept hammering against my pounding heart...

—Seriously! How can a *boy* look this cute?! It’s criminal!

*I’m not gay! I’m not gay! I am NOT gay!!*

I tore my gaze away from Nagisa, chanting the words in my head.

Just as Hidetomo beamed at his brother and Nagisa sitting together, Ruri finally emerged from her room.

At the top of the stairs, she spotted Nagisa beside me—and instantly, a killing intent colder than ice shot down from the steps.

But in a flash, it vanished. A smile spread across Ruri’s face.

When she sat beside Hidetomo, I noticed that smile.

—Holy beast! Ruri actually *smiled* at me?!

The sister who’d been stone-faced around me for years was smiling?! Was the world ending?!

Yet beneath that smile, a chill ran down my spine—as if a predator had locked onto its prey.

I grabbed a napkin and wiped the cold sweat from my brow. My nerves were frayed after all this.

"...Uh... let’s eat... the hot pot’s getting soggy..."

I stammered, sensing no one was actually thinking about food.

Maybe... I should explain Nagisa’s real gender to Ruri? This tension was unbearable...

"Ruri, this is... my classmate. He’s—" *Mmf!* "HOT! HOT!!"

As I tried to reveal Nagisa’s gender, Hidetomo shoved a chikuwa from the hot pot into my mouth.

"Onii-chan! We rarely have girls over as guests. Don’t be so rude!" Hidetomo scolded, glancing at Nagisa, who kept his head down, blushing.

—Hey! What did you just say?! Why isn’t Nagisa correcting him?!

I swallowed the chikuwa and chugged my cola, fuming internally.

Nagisa, hearing Hidetomo’s words, just nodded shyly, face burning.

I gaped. Since when did Nagisa betray the cause?! Why was he playing along?! What did Hidetomo *do* to him in that room?! Why pretend to be a girl?!

It’s fine if you cross-dress elsewhere—but doing it in front of *Ruri*? That’s a death wish!

I shot Hidetomo a glare. He just blinked his big, watery eyes at me, winking exaggeratedly.

—I’m losing my mind. Who can explain this?! How did a simple hot pot dinner turn into *this*?!

Was it just because I invited Nagisa home?!

I couldn’t take it anymore. Grabbing Nagisa’s hand, I yanked him into the bathroom and pinned him against the wall.

"What did Hidetomo *tell* you?! Why are you pretending to be a girl?!" I demanded, pressing him hard against the tiles.

"...H-he said... Kamidou-san has never been liked by a girl... so you’re turning into a pervert..." Nagisa stammered, face scarlet. He’d resisted at first, but Hidetomo’s pleading wore him down.

"...He wants me to visit your house often... dressed like this... to ‘cure’ your perverted tendencies..."

I finally understood Hidetomo’s scheme. That little brat! He tricked Nagisa into cross-dressing!

—But how is this supposed to *help*?! Getting a cute boy to wear dresses will only make me *more* of a pervert!

Or... is this exactly what my silly little brother *wanted* all along?!

Damn it. I let my guard down, and he played me perfectly. He’s such a handful...

"Nagisa... it’s not like that. Hidetomo’s completely wrong—"

*SLAM!*

The bathroom door flew open. Ruri stood in the doorway, face dark as storm clouds, catching me pinning Nagisa against the wall.

—No good!

This looked *terrible*!

"Ruri, let me explain—"

"I’ve heard *enough* explanations! You baka nii-san!! Divine punishment!!!"

A dark aura radiated from her. She was fully blackened.

My throat tightened. If she caught me now... I might not survive.

*The window!* I spotted the open bathroom window. As she lunged, I bolted—three strides, hands raised, and I leaped out the window.

I rolled across the yard, skidding to a stop on one knee. Glancing back, I saw Nagisa and Ruri at the window.

"Kamidou-san! Are you alright?!" Nagisa called.

"Fine! You two eat the hot pot! I’m... stepping out for a bit!"

I scrambled to my feet and sprinted out the gate. With Ruri like this, no explanation would work. I had to run.

After I vanished, Nagisa turned to Ruri—still radiating darkness—and shook his head. He clenched his fists, resolve hardening in his eyes.

"Poor Kamidou-san... hated so much by his own sister... No wonder he’s turning into a pervert..."

He murmured under his breath as he walked back to the living room.

"If I must descend into hell alone... then I’ll save Chiyo-kun."

Had I heard those words, I’d have begged him through tears.

But of course, I couldn’t know his thoughts. Even if I did, no explanation could shake his resolve now.

Truly... a joyous occasion! A joyous occasion indeed!

*(Kamidou Chiyo: JOYOUS MY ASS!!)*