From Brothers to Siblings: Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Scary Things

The next morning at 6 am, I unexpectedly woke up quickly.

I woke up quickly to confirm something.

……I had left a pencil lead in the door hinge. I read it in a manga.

Even if Oniichan were to invade, he couldn’t enter without breaking it.

The result was—

–It hadn’t broken.

「……」

I can’t let my guard down.

I gently extracted the core, put in a suitable mechanical pencil and wrote a character with it.

……the thickness and density are wrong.

「He did it again……!」

It’s necessary to confiscate that key after all!!

But I don’t even have the energy to yel. But if I don’t let this anger out the I won’t be able to relax.

I slowly walked toward Oniichan’s room and carefully turned the knob.

—It won’t open.

Apparently it’s locked from the other side.

(It can’t be helped……I’ve never done it before but, I’ll just have to try…)

I strengthened my resolve and returned to my room, I took a Mechanical pencil from my desk took out a big safety pin and went out of my room like before.

Then I inserted the rubber eraser end into the keyhole.

What I am about to do is – picking. It’s a crime.

(I don’t want to be a criminal, but that was the fifth time when I woke up and things were different than when I left them… As if I’d just let him continue doing things on his own……I feel bad for Oniichan but I think he needs to hurt a little.)

I moved the wire slowly so it wouldn’t break or make any noise, and twisted it around the lock, –and then.

—Gachari

(It opened!)

I held my breath and slowly opened the door after 10 seconds.

Within was Oniichan’s sleep breathing on the bed.

Because the curtains were closed it’s a gloomy room.

I threw open the curtains with full force.

The dazzling morning sun streams into the room.

「N……」

Oniichan groans lightly and turns over without waking up.

(Not waking up……It can’t be helped)

This time I shook him hard.

「……Oniichan it’s morning…… Oniichan I said」

「N……Tomoki…?」

Oniichan sat up. He still hadn’t fully woken up.

(Now–!)

With this timing, I hid the safety pin with my left hand with the needle facing Oniichan. I presented it to Oniichan. It was about 5cm away.

Seeing that Oniichan—-

「?……Uwa!!」

Oniichan let out a surprised expression and backed away. I pursued him as if pursuing an enemy – with the needle point facing Oniichan in my right hand.

「!?……To- Tomoki!? What do you intend to do!?」

「……Nothing much. It’s just that you invaded my room again last night didn’t you?」

「Wa-……There should have been a lead there…!」

「……The thickness and density were different」

「Se- seriously… Hey Tomoki, won’t you put that away……?

「I don’t wanna…… I’m leaving it like this as punishment for the next 30 minutes」

「….Please forgive me, I won’t do it any more…」

「N—what should I do?…Where’s the key?」

「Eh…?」

「The key to my room…… You have the duplicate don’t you?」

「That is…um…」

Oniichan hesitates and silently brings his hands towards his face.

「……! I got it!…..In the drawer of the desk……is the key, it’s not locked」

I move the safety pin from my left hand to my right, then back slowly towards the desk facing Oniichan. Then I opened the desk with my now empty left hand.

–Inside was a, brand new, familiar looking key.

I confirmed it with a glance, and put the key I had extracted into my pajama pocket.

「……Oniichan.」

「Wh- what is it……」

「Did you reflect on it?」

「……I did.」

Aa, he looked away just now.

「Look me in the eye when you say it….Put some respect into it」

「I’ve reflected……」

「……I got it. Well then」

I dashed out into the corridor and ran back into my own room.

(……I did it. It was a great success!!)

I was really happy.

In Oniichan it gave birth of the “feeling of fear”

–And that was the Needle.

Precisely the tip of the needle—Oniichan has a “current morbid fear”

Similar things such as thumbtacks, safety pins, nails, screws, –even cross and flat head screwdrivers are no good.

He probably overworked himself inserting the lead. Because he mistook the thickness and density.

Even if it’s just a flu shot, he can’t take his eyes off of it.

That is Oniichan’s one unique weak point.

(I did it. I can get scary angry when I can show proof)

As if I was pleased as a child, I put the spare key in my desk drawer and firmly closed it then locked it and pulled out the key and placed it in the pillow case—then I went to the restroom to wash my exalted face.