Shall I be honest?

Lately, I've developed a small complaint.

Well, it feels a bit strange for me to say this. Since I have memories of my previous life, I'm not exactly what you'd call "my age."

My mental age is probably much higher than even Koko's, who might have been born a few years before me.

But still.

You know how they say when a sibling suddenly appears, the firstborn gets jealous?

Yes, I know. It's incredibly embarrassing for me to admit. But what can I do? That's genuinely how I feel.

What's more, I'm the one who brought Koko here, and I'm the one who named her. Everyone around us already calls her Koko without hesitation. For me, a name I gave temporarily has somehow become what even her mother Kagami calls her.

So, me being jealous of Koko is... strange, I suppose.

"Woah!"

But still, watching someone who looks exactly like me playing on Kagami's lap makes me feel a bit odd.

Koko is honest. Honest in a way that makes people around her feel good. Plus, she shows interest in everything people do, to the point where you'd wonder if there's anything she dislikes.

She eats whatever food she's given without being picky, wears whatever clothes she's given. She's gradually learning how to bathe herself too.

So I understand why Kagami dotes on her like that. I'm at an age where sitting on Mom's lap is a bit... you know.

Well, technically Koko is that age too, but...

"..."

Still, I can't help feeling a twinge in my heart.

Dad made us a family of three, but strictly speaking, while he was our guardian, he never really gave the impression of being Kagami's husband or my biological father. Dad himself drew that line quite clearly.

Because he has his real family.

That's not to say we weren't close. Dad would sometimes pat my head lightly or pat Kagami's back, and we would occasionally slap his arm when he was being too harsh with Sota.

But me climbing onto Dad's lap to play was... a bit awkward.

So, the only family member who would always hug me tight and sleep next to me in the same room was Kagami. And conversely, for Kagami, it was only me.

Now, Koko is with us.

Koko doesn't seem to mind hugging people. She even hugged Dad sometimes, making him extremely flustered.

I don't hate her. She's not the type of child one could hate.

But still, I do feel a bit jealous.

"Kotone?"

Noticing that I was staring, Koko called out to me.

Then she suddenly got up from Mom's lap and ran over to me sitting at the table.

And she hugged me tightly, almost tackling me.

"Kotone!"

This is truly incomprehensible. Well, it's cute that it's incomprehensible.

We both fell to the floor with a thud. Koko hugged me tightly with her arms and exclaimed,

"Kotone, like!"

Koko has been overusing the word "like" since she learned it. It's fine when she uses it with Shii, but she once used it with Sota and received a glare from Shii. She seemed confused, as if wondering why people were upset when she was just expressing that she liked something.

Koko's ability to acquire vocabulary is impressive.

No, not just vocabulary. Koko hasn't had much trouble absorbing knowledge in general. I'm not sure why yet.

In this world, there's no [Tokyo Slayers] that I used to read, nor [Lovecraft]. There are similar cosmic horror elements, but none of the terms I knew back then like Cthulhu or Eldritch. Indeed, while there are similarities, the details are very different.

So, perhaps Lovecraftian monsters might appear directly in this world. Even if their names are a bit different.

If we're talking about slimes in the Cthulhu Mythos, there's one that immediately comes to mind. Shoggoth.

It's not cute like how it's often portrayed in RPGs; true to the Cthulhu Mythos, it's described as a horrifying creature. If I remember correctly, it was an intelligent being that could absorb someone and retain their memories.

If the author based Koko on that, it would explain why she's somewhat intelligent.

"Yes, yes."

Anyway.

Hearing Koko overuse that "like" word with me too, I got back up. Koko pressed her face against my chest, hugged me tightly once more, then let go.

Then she immediately turned her attention and shouted,

"Snacks like too!"

She stuffed the snacks on the table into her mouth with a crunch.

She's like a child eager to use a newly learned word.

Well, she's a child who lived a life where she barely knew the concept of "liking" something.

I wanted her to understand the word "happiness" someday.

...What am I being jealous for?

If anything, Koko had a much harder life than me. Isn't it a good thing that she's now living brightly?

But still.

I slowly walked over to Kagami.

As I stood in front of Kagami with a determined expression, she looked at me with wide eyes.

I took a deep breath, turned my back to Kagami, and...

Plop.

I sat on Kagami's lap.

"Kotone!?"

Kagami exclaimed in surprise.

But soon, Kagami hugged me tightly from behind as if she'd never let go. I felt a warm, soft sensation against my back.

Perhaps even more strongly than when Koko hugged me earlier, Kagami embraced me.

My heart feels a bit lighter.

Just because she has another daughter doesn't mean Kagami would treat her daughters differently.

Kagami is always Kagami. My mom.

I stayed in Kagami's embrace for quite a while.

To be honest, I didn't make any effort to break free.

*

At least the house has brightened up.

From a procedural standpoint, there are quite a few issues to resolve regarding Koko.

First of all, having another daughter who's relatively normal... well, I have some doubts about using that term completely, but anyway, having another daughter similar to me who doesn't attend school looks extremely suspicious.

Neither Kagami nor I intend to keep Koko confined to the house.

Both of us have been taking Koko out whenever we have time, showing her various sights and how society is structured. Koko seems to be gradually understanding to some extent.

Both of us carry a burden in our hearts, even if we don't express it directly.

Kagami bears the burden of having abandoned Koko. I bear the burden of being the cause of Koko's solitude.

Perhaps if Kagami had stayed there, would she have discovered Koko's true identity? If she had met Koko in that cocoon state like I did.

I know it's already in the past and there's not much point in discussing it, but it's a bit hard not to think about it.

"I've already taken care of the school matter to some extent."

But when Kagami gathered the two of us and Dad in the living room on the weekend and said that, I was a bit surprised.

"I've spoken with Miura-san."

Ah, I see.

We are, after all, under government protection to some extent.

I was a bit skeptical since the government was deceived into leading me to that place, but it's also true that we couldn't live properly without their help.

Especially when it comes to these institutional matters. If Koko, who until now was a non-existent person, suddenly appeared out of thin air at the same age as me, trying to register her as a resident and get her into school would probably be a massive headache.

I wonder if Yuka could have helped if we'd asked her.

...Though even Yuka herself ended up under the government's wing.

"Kotone."

"Yes?"

"Do you think you can take Koko to school? Not immediately tomorrow, but I'll prepare over time."

The second semester is coming to an end. Starting school at this point is a bit awkward.

Perhaps Kagami is planning for Koko to enter school in the second year.

"Yes, I can."

It's only natural.

I brought her here. I didn't bring her with no thought or intention to abandon her.

As sisters in this life, I intend to do my best for Koko.

...I don't plan to lose her like in my previous life.

"Then, big sis—"

"Ah, Mom."

Seeing me whine, Kagami gave a wry smile.

"Please take care of Koko. ...I should have been more helpful."

No matter what, a mother can't always escort a middle school student to school.

As I nodded inwardly, Koko looked at me, tilting her head in confusion.