This is actually my second time meeting Aunt Shia.
According to Aunt Shia, she used to visit our home often when I was little, but I have no memory of that at all, so it feels like our first meeting to me.
Well, aside from that, we do chat often on LINE and talk quite a bit on Miss Code, so it’s not super awkward or anything. But it also means I can’t really say we’re incredibly close.
But that’s ultimately just my standard; it doesn’t really apply to her.
What does that even mean?
It means that Aunt Shia has a tremendous level of familiarity with me.
“Hehehe… It feels so great to be like this. Right, Mina?”
“…Yes.”
“When you were little, I used to sit like this with you too…”
Right now, I’m sitting between Aunt Shia’s legs on the sofa.
In other words, Aunt Shia is giving me a back hug.
In that position, Aunt Shia naturally starts bringing up stories from the past.
When we met two years ago, she seemed just as awkward as I did; how is it that we’ve closed the distance like this after only two meetings?
Of course, I have to consider that she has memories of when I was little, but even so, I think this is possible because Aunt Shia has crazy social skills…
At least I’m glad that being in Aunt Shia’s embrace isn’t uncomfortable.
If anything, it feels rather cozy.
Why is that?
When I think back to when Tsurusaki gave me a back hug, it was super uncomfortable.
It was more of a chilling feeling than a problem of good or bad feelings.
But with Aunt Shia’s back hug, I don’t feel any of that.
Maybe it’s just that my body remembers old memories even if I don’t?
“Mina’s about to be a senior, and yet she still comes and snuggles into her aunt’s embrace? Zia is way bigger than me.”
“Ugh…”
Suddenly, Aunt Shia pokes at a sensitive spot, and I grit my teeth.
My height is currently 151 cm.
Even for a girl, that’s way below average.
Having memories of living as a man in my previous life, I can’t help but be sensitive about height.
Especially since Mom, Yuyika, and even Dad are all relatively tall.
I expected to grow a little bit more when I became a high school student, but I felt completely despairing that there hasn’t been any change in my height over the past two years.
“Still, I think being this small suits you better, Mina!”
“Wuaah…”
Rage made my body tremble, but Aunt Shia showed no signs of being affected.
…Yeah. It’s fine. I need to calm down.
As Aunt Shia said, I’m a cute girl who suits being small, right?
What’s more, there’s Suzuha Koga in Star’s Flow who’s even smaller than me…!
[Hah?!]
I could almost hear Koga’s roar of rage in my head, but… nah. It must be an illusion.
“Since I’m tired from riding the plane today, let’s do this date we promised tomorrow.”
“Y-yes…”
“We talked about doing a drawing broadcast tonight, right?”
“Yes. I’ve hardly done any drawing broadcasts lately, so since you’re here…”
The truth is, since it’s a joint off-collab, I looked for various games we could do together, but after seeing the atmosphere in the Nator and various communities, the majority wanted a regular chatting broadcast instead.
Despite the fact that I often contact Aunt Shia, I haven’t exactly revealed any episodes with Toka Mama during the broadcasts, so that might be why.
So, the plan was a drawing broadcast.
A drawing broadcast can practically be seen as a chatting broadcast and would be nice to do with Aunt Shia too.
Well, I thought about games like Gartic Pen, but… if I do, it can wait until next time.
“By the way, how long are you staying?”
“In Japan?”
“Yes.”
“I’m flying back next Sunday. I came here for work, you know. I didn’t really need to come all the way to Japan, but… I wanted to see you after such a long time.”
“Wait, not Mom and Yuyika?”
At my playful question, Aunt Shia smiled and ruffled my hair.
“Of course, all three of you. Anyway, I’ll be staying here until Monday morning, then I have meetings with companies until Friday… and I plan to hang out with Zia on Friday evening before heading back on Sunday for lunch.”
“Sounds busy…”
“Exactly! Your aunt is very busy! But I came looking for you because I missed you!”
“Wha?!”
Suddenly, Aunt Shia tightly hugged me and started poking around my body.
“J-just wait, uh? Wuh?!”
I tried my best to resist, but the discrepancy in strength rendered my efforts useless.
Yeah. It was like the predator-prey dynamic.
“I’m sad! You drew me a beautiful avatar, but now you’re just using it to charm others!”
“U-Uh, Aunt?!”
“I didn’t raise Izumi to be a seductress!”
You didn’t actually raise her, did you?!
“Ugh?! Th-the tickles! It feels… ugh?!”
“…Because Mina is being naughty!”
“W-why?!”
Aunt’s tickling attack continued.
“…What are you two doing?”
“Ah, Yuyika.”
“Haa. Hah… Haaa…”
It only ended after I was exhausted, and Mom showed up.
★
“I know Mina hates it, yet you continued?”
“…Because Mina was being naughty!”
“Is that your idea of reflection?”
“I’m sorry… But what can I say? Seeing Mina curl up like that made me not want to stop? It’s no wonder I’m called the seductress on broadcasts, Yuyika…”
“You really…”
As Seona sighed, Shia chuckled while scratching her head.
Mina had entered the room to lie down on the bed out of exhaustion, leaving only Seona and Shia at the table.
“You never do that with Zia.”
“Of course not. If I did, I would lose, sis.”
While Zia’s main job is, of course, as a scenario writer, she doesn’t slack off in modeling at all.
Considering that Zia constantly exercises for her modeling career, Shia has no edge over her in physical abilities.
“Zia isn’t cute at all for a girl, you know? A girl should be cute like Mina.”
Seeing Shia express her theory, Seona couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You’re only a few years older than Zia.”
“Well, I’m still the older sister! Five years isn’t a small difference!”
“Right, right.”
“Oh, speaking of which, Zia was really sad that she couldn’t meet Mina on her birthday.”
“I contacted her a lot because of that.”
Zia’s birthday is March 9.
Originally, she planned to take a break and come home to celebrate it together, but…
Just the week before, Mina caught a cold and had to take a leave, so she couldn’t actually rest on her birthday.
Seona could still vividly recall the sound of Zia’s voice as she cried about having to work on a Saturday for her birthday.
“…Then, I should start preparing dinner.”
“Need help?”
“I’m fine. Just relax with Mina in your room.”
“Understood!”
“…And make sure you talk well with Mina.”
“Okay!”
★
“Mina!”
“Wah?!”
Aunt Shia entered the room with a loud voice.
I immediately got up from the bed and positioned myself against the wall, ready for whatever she might do, so I wouldn’t have to go through the same thing as earlier.
“If I just came into the room, I might be a little sad, you know?”
“Aunt Shia… um, do you know the term ‘karma’…?”
“There’s nothing I can say if you put it that way.”
At my words, Aunt Shia gave a helpless smile.
…It didn’t feel like we were in the mood for the same thing as before.
With that judgment, I slowly relaxed my guard.
Aunt Shia then moved next to me and plopped down on the bed.
“I’m sorry about earlier. I couldn’t help myself because Mina’s reaction was just too good.”
What does it even mean that my reaction was good? In that situation, I think most would react similarly.
That thought crossed my mind, but knowing Aunt Shia didn’t have any ill intentions, I nodded.
“Then let’s…!”
With that, she spread her arms wide and looked at me.
“What…?”
“I’d like to hug you like earlier, if that’s okay?”
At those words, I looked at Aunt Shia with a suspicious gaze, but her eyes showed no signs of wavering.
…Is it really okay?
I couldn’t help but have doubts for a moment.
But after taking a deep breath, I approached Aunt Shia.
Surely, she wouldn’t do that again. She must have gotten scolded by Mom…
As I stepped closer, Aunt Shia shifted positions on the bed, extended her legs, and I entered between them, turning my back to lean against her.
“Oh, so cute!”
When Aunt Shia hugged me tightly, I flinched for a moment, but thankfully, nothing happened like before.
“I thought you’d say no, but you’re not.”
“I-I believed you wouldn’t… And it felt warm when you hugged me…”
“Mina…”
“Yes?”
“Do you do this with other people too?”
“…Wha? What do you mean…?”
“Wait, never mind. At first, I thought it was just for the broadcast, but you really are a seductress…”
“Ugh, that’s slander…!”
“Should we go with that?”
Hearing Aunt say that made me feel aggrieved, as if I was about to suffocate.
They said before that for girls, if it’s just this level of physical contact, it’s nothing.
“And by the way, I’m curious about one thing…”
“Yes?”
“Mina is soon to be a senior, right? Have you decided on your future path?”
“Ah…”
That’s when it hit me. No, my intuition was speaking to me.
The reason Aunt Shia came all the way to Japan, I’m sure it’s for this.
Mom must have asked her to come since I’ve been constantly struggling with deciding my future.
The best person nearby I could look up to and learn from is undoubtedly Aunt Shia, who is currently an active illustrator.
“Well… um, I haven’t really decided yet…”
With that stammering response, Aunt Shia said:
“Is that so? Then that’s all for today!”
That was really an unexpectedly surprising response.
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