- After a few minutes ----
- Me and Kirino, just like in the past, put the box in the middle and sat face to face.
- That was a forbidden box containing Kirino's secrets. After opening the cover, all kinds of things were piled in it.
- For example some kind of doujinshis, a 'Lovely❤Sister Angel' box (containing reports), an old iPod... and the album.
- "This.... what's in it?"
- I touched the cover of the album and asked.
- Photos ---- or, something else.
- "Who knows.... look for yourself?"
- "Right.... then I just open it and look."
- Rustle
- I turned over the cover.
- "This is...."
- What I saw was...
- "Old photos?"
- "Mhm, right."
- What was in that pretty thick album --- no, in this correct place, although unexpectedly, were the things that belonged in there, and not something else stuck in between, or put in other words, photos. Four photos on every page, photos from the past.
- The years progressed with every page. And the gradual growth of the protagonists ----- mainly me and Kirino ---- could be seen.
- At the same time ---- I had a strange kind of feeling.
- "Mhm.... heh?"
- "..... you noticed."
- "No....."
- ..... I thought that I remembered something, but -----
- If it was a detective from some mystery novel, he probably would have remembered in an instant. But unfortunately my mind is not as good.
- "I feel that something is wrong, only I can't put it in words. Please tell me."
- I asked her directly.
- "You, have seen our ---- dad's album?"
- "..... I have"
- That was during the first life-counseling session -----
- [----- Kirino's album? What's with it.]
- "Ah"
- [---- honestly, there is not a single photo with me in it.]
- "Ah, ah, ah...."
- Ha! I, having returned from the memories, stared at the album before me.
- "My, my photos!"
- Right, inside dad's album, there was not a single one of [my photos], but in this one were very, very many. I originally thought dad did not like me------
- "So they were all here!"
- I was so startled that I asked out loud.
- "Why are all my pictures here?"
- "That.... neh"
- Kirino whispered with a low voice, moved away her gaze and rolled her mouth.
- "Because I love onii-chan's pictures the most."
- "..... ku"
- It felt like a knife had been stuck in my chest. This feeling was just too powerful and clear.
- "Even though after I began to attend middle school, I have no longer put anything in."
- Because then... she started to hate her aniki.
- "I --------- see....."
- I accepted all of this with a dull voice.... and continued to browse through the album.
- Every picture that entered my eyes..... made me remember the time when those siblings had a very good relationship.
- Felt just like, I had been taken back the past.
- "Neh...."
- "Mhm?"
- "While you look at those, you can also listen to this .... here"
- What Kirino gave me with one hand, was one part of an earpiece.
- The other side was connected to the iPod.
- "Put it on."
- ".......... oh."
- Are we..... listening to that together.
- We each put on one half of the earpiece, sat next to each other and browsed through the pictures.
- Slowly.
- "As it is pretty old.... hopefully it's not broken."
- "What's inside? Old songs?"
- "................"
- Kirino didn't answer me on the spot. If you say its hesitation, it seemed more like embarrassment.
- "You, a long time ago... haven't you asked me? [Why all those imouto-type eroge?] or [Why do you like imoutos?] kind of questions.
- "..... ah, ah"
- The first questions I had, after I discovered my imouto's secret hobbies, were those.
- This.... indeed is -----
- [But, but..... why?]
- [Eh?]
- [So I ask you, why do you like imoutos? Although I'm not saying this is bad.... those games you collect, are normally things only men buy, right? .... furthermore, this, aren't those over-18? No matter how you put it, this is radically different from the image you leave on other people. Why have you come to like ---- these kind of things? Was there a trigger, or a..... reason?]
- [Mah, this.... this.... I, I don't know!]
- [You say you don't know, you... isn't it your matter?]
- [Bu, but! I can't help it.... I really don't know... I don't know when, but I just started to like them... perhaps the trigger was some clip I saw at the door of a store...]
- -------- we once had such a discussion.
- "Back then, even though I said [I don't know], but I didn't lie to you or something.... because, back then I still had something I couldn't tell you."
- Kirino glanced at the iPod.
- "The thing that couldn't be told, is just in there.... the last file."
- Then
- Before the siblings of old (us).... the recording began to play.
- [To the future me.]
- Is this a message from the past.
- A far younger, Kirino's voice.
- [That.... where should I begin.... .]
- [Mhm, even though I think because it is me, so I should know, but, I want to leave a message for myself, in order to never ever forget today's thoughts.]
- [If I forget today's thoughts, then I am no longer myself.]
- [If the me listening to this, is no longer myself ----- even though I don't think it's possible ---- please listen to my voice and recollect everything.]
- [This, feeling of absolutely not resigning.]
- [This, feeling of absolutely not losing to you.]
- [And, the matter of the onii-chan I love the most.]
- "Kirino... this..."
- "Shut up. Don't speak."
- [The future me, when listening to this, is already the me of what time?]
- [Is she already an adult? Or is she still only about a high schooler? What kind of job does she have? Has she turned out like onii-chan, able to run very, very fast?]
- [Has she become like onii-chan, a cool while gentle onee-san?]
- [Has she been able to surprise onii-chan, and caused him to say ----- very impressive, praising me like that?]
- [The current me is still absolutely not capable yet ---- if I can turn out like this, I would be very happy.]
- [Very, very, happy.]
- [From today on, I will work hard towards achieving this.]
- [Even though it may be very hard, but this dream has to be realized ---- that's what I have decided.]
- Kacha, Kirino stopped the recording.
- "Until here, it was probably elementary school ----- around the third grade, when I recorded that. Before going abroad .... I originally wanted you to listen up till this spot."
- "If back then I had listened to this .... and sen the album... what, what would you have done?"
- "Mhm ~ .... I would have felt super-neat, and then perhaps wouldn't have returned to Japan."
- "I see... then, then it was a the right decision to not listen... and not look at it."
- ".... after this.... it's the me from around sixth grade."
- That means, the Kirino shortly before the cold war had recorded this.... she's probably pointing to this.
- Listening to that, will I understand [the reason for Kirino's love for imouto-type eroge]?
- Kirino said
- "That's the last part."
- [To the future me.]
-[Listening to the message the past me has recorded, hah, I felt so embarrassed.]
- [You now, after listening to that recording, recalling the 'me' of that time, do you also feel so embarrassed? ---- sorry, but, please listen carefully.]
- [To the future me ---- have you married the man you love the most?]
- [Today another person told me, that this is impossible. Even though I had told nobody, I had been informed like this.]
- [I'm so pissed off.]
- [But, the things this person said were very true... what should I do, so confusing.]
- [Very irritating.]
- [I would like to get some council from somebody, but no matter dad, mom, or the most reliable person, it is impossible to consult them at all. ..... Although they surely will pretend like nothing has happend, but even in that case, I can't tell them.]
- [If it fails, then everything would have been wasted. Then it will turn out exactly like that person has said it will. I know it will surely turn out like this. So I'm very afraid.]
- [There is definitely only one chance.]
- [When the time comes, take out the courage.]
- [And, please think of something. Please always ponder about it. And look for inspiration.]
- [How should I do it, so that I avoid failure.]
- [How should I do it, so that my dream can come true.]
- [How should I do it, so that he will fall in love with me.]
- [How should I do it, so that we can stay together forever.]
- [The current me, still doesn't know.]
- [Therefore.]
- [I chose to consult the future me.]
- [The me who has already become very strong ---- umm,]
- [Asking the me who is listening to this.]
- [Neh --------- I, what should I do?]
Chapter 5 end