My Sister is Bronya

It seems that no matter how much I eat in my dreams, my stomach is still unsatisfied in reality.

"Huh? It smells so good, what is that scent?"

Kiana rubbed her eyes, her consciousness not yet fully awake, but as a foodie, she quickly noticed the aroma of food wafting through the air.

She jumped off the bed, following the source of the scent out of the bedroom, then into the kitchen. Immediately, she saw Ishiu busy at the kitchen counter.

"...Dad?"

Kiana stared blankly at the back of the figure. Once upon a time, that always mischievous, stinky old dad was like this too. He was a terrible cook, yet he learned to cook every day for her. Every time she woke up, she would see that figure busy in the kitchen.

At this moment, Ishiu's actions unintentionally evoked her longing for the past.

"Kiana, you're awake." Hearing the movement, Ishiu turned around and saw Kiana standing at the kitchen entrance. He greeted her with a smile and then said, "Go wash up first. The food will be ready soon."

"Oh..." Kiana didn't know why she obeyed Ishiu so obediently, but by the time she realized it, she had already washed up and tidied her hair.

When she returned to the living room, Ishiu had already served the prepared dishes on the table and had also helped her to a bowl of rice.

"These... you made all of them?" Kiana asked, looking at the steaming dishes on the table, incredulous.

"Nonsense, if not me, then who?" Ishiu also scooped a bowl of rice for himself. Although he had already eaten at Miss Mei's place, he couldn't let Kiana eat alone, right? Otherwise, she would suspect he had put something in the food. Anyway, he was still growing, so eating more was fine.

Kiana sat blankly on the chair. Suddenly, her eyes turned red, and large drops of tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Kiana? Wh-why are you crying? No way! I know my cooking is just average, but you don't have to cry before even tasting it, do you? It's not that serious." Ishiu was startled by Kiana's sudden tears, nearly dropping his chopsticks.

"It-it's not your fault." Kiana bit her lower lip and quickly wiped away her tears in a fluster.

She was too embarrassed to say that she was crying because she was touched by Ishiu.

Since embarking on the path of searching for Siegfried while simultaneously fighting Honkai and saving the world, Kiana had rarely eaten meals like this.

After more than a year of lonely life, even though she was a lively and cheerful girl, she would still feel a sense of loneliness in the quiet of the night, thinking, 'Ah, I'm the only one left in this world.'

And now, in this equally dark night, she was no longer alone.

Someone had prepared delicious food for her and served her rice. On this special day, Kiana was finally no longer lonely.

Although Ishiu didn't know why the white-haired girl was crying, he didn't press for an answer. Instead, he silently handed her a tissue.

After wiping away her tears, Kiana, like an ostrich, buried her head in her bowl and began to eat silently.

Her cheeks were flushed, as if she was still embarrassed about crying just now. Ishiu also didn't like to talk much during meals, so the entire dinner was quiet.

However, this quietness didn't feel awkward at all; instead, it exuded a faint sense of warmth.

As Kiana shoveled rice into her mouth, she would occasionally glance at Ishiu from the corner of her eye. But when Ishiu looked at her, she would quickly look away like a timid wild cat.

Finally, after dinner, the plates on the table were clean. Except for the oily soup, not even a single vegetable leaf was left; it all went into Kiana's stomach.

If Ishiu hadn't been there, she probably would have licked the plates clean. She basically wouldn't have needed any washing up.

"Thank you, your cooking is delicious." Kiana put down her chopsticks and finally spoke her first words.

"Mm, remember to split the meal cost," Ishiu nodded, tidying up the dishes as he spoke.

"I know, hmph, stingy!" Hearing this, Kiana's cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish. She glared at Ishiu with dissatisfaction. She wasn't going to freeload, so why would he say something like that at a time like this? It was completely ruining the mood!

"Hey, hey, stay put, I'll clean up." Seeing Ishiu start to clear the dishes, Kiana blinked and quickly snatched the work from his hands. "Hmph~ This young lady is not that kind of woman who eats without working. From now on, you cook, and I'll wash the dishes. That's fair for everyone."

"Alright... wait, what do you mean by that? Are you planning on having me cook all the time from now on?" Ishiu nodded, thinking the girl had some conscience, but as he heard the rest, he felt something was off.

"Yes." Kiana flashed him a big smile. Her already beautiful face was radiant with a brilliant smile, her sapphire eyes as clear and pure as the sky, making Ishiu momentarily lost in thought.

Damn, this feels like a heart attack!

Shaking his head, Ishiu quickly came back to his senses. Looking at the brilliant smile, for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

So, in the end, he nodded, "Then... alright, I'll take on the burden. But the meal cost will be split three-seven, you seven, me three."

"Ah? Why?!"

"Are you still asking why? The entire rice cooker's worth of rice went into your stomach. Don't you have any self-awareness?" Ishiu complained fiercely. "If we split it fifty-fifty, I'd be losing money like crazy."

"Mmm... Fine, then." Kiana knew she was in the wrong and didn't dare to say anything more. She dejectedly carried the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen.

Hope the picture is okay (hands clasped).jpg

Opening a single chapter

Seeing that many friends are asking if there's a book club group, I actually don't plan on opening one. Because I created one before, and there were too few people, so it became a dead group, which was very awkward.

So I'm asking here, if you want to join the group, please type 1. If there are enough people, I'll create one. We can share pictures and stuff in the group, and you won't have to screenshot and save them (laughs).

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Happy Birthday, Kiana

When Kiana finished washing the dishes and came out of the kitchen, Ishiu was no longer in the living room.

She searched for a while and finally found Ishiu on the balcony.

"What are you doing here?" Kiana walked over curiously and followed Ishiu's gaze out to the balcony. She expected to see the stars in the night sky, but the tall building opposite blocked all her view.

Their house was only on the third floor, and there were tall buildings all around. It was quite difficult to see the night sky from the balcony.

"Nothing, just wanted some fresh air," Ishiu smiled at her and continued to look outside.

He was actually feeling a bit homesick.

After leaving the orphanage for a few months, though it had been less than a month for him, he couldn't help but miss his life there.

He remembered the well-behaved Seele, Bronya's borscht, Liliya and Rosaliya's clumsy and amusing stage plays, and... Mom.

This was the longest he had been away from the orphanage since his rebirth. He really wanted to see everyone again, pat Seele's head, and bicker with Bronya...

However, there was no way to go back right now, so he could only take things one step at a time.

"What are you thinking about?" Perhaps Ishiu's lonely atmosphere had infected Kiana, and her mood also became a little low as she asked softly.

"Nothing much, just..." Ishiu pursed his lips and said hesitantly, "Just thinking about the children in the orphanage. I wonder how they're doing now."

"I see..." Kiana fell silent for a moment. She took a few steps forward, crossed her arms, and leaned on the railing of the balcony, looking up at a sliver of silver light slanting down from the side of the tall building. Her voice was a little muffled, "Ishiu, do you know what day it is today?"

"What day?" Ishiu asked, confused.

"Today... is actually my birthday." Kiana hadn't intended to say it, but for some reason, she still blurted it out. Perhaps even she hadn't noticed that she was actually anticipating something.

"Birthday?" Ishiu was stunned. He really hadn't expected that. If he had known, he would have bought her a cake at the supermarket earlier.

"Yeah, but even though it's my birthday, there's not much to say about it."

A ray of silver moonlight slanted down, falling precisely on the girl. Her long, silver-white hair seemed to be coated with a faint glow under the moonlight, making her look like a fairy.

Kiana rested her chin on her hand, her voice filled with complex emotions.

"Ishiu, you know? In the past, on my birthday, my stupid dad would act like a completely different person. He wouldn't say a word all day, and I never received any birthday gifts, not even a single blessing.

It wasn't until I was eleven that he gave me the most important birthday gift, and after that, his attitude towards me improved day by day. I thought this happiness would last forever, but when I was twelve, he left me, on my birthday no less. And then I never saw him again."

"Every birthday after that, I spent it alone. No cake, no gifts, no words of blessing, and no one to talk to."

She paused here, her gaze slowly shifting from the sky to Ishiu's face. The corners of her mouth curved slightly upward. The silver moonlight illuminated her fair cheeks, and her sapphire-blue eyes seemed to reflect mountains and rivers, possessing an indescribable charm.

"So, Ishiu, thank you for the dinner you made. It was delicious."

"Well... why are you suddenly saying these things? Are you trying to flirt with me?" Ishiu scratched his cheek and quickly averted his gaze, his tone a little flustered.

Damn, why does Kiana suddenly seem so beautiful?

No, she was always beautiful, it's just that her usual personality offset it. Right now, when she's not acting silly and is being serious, she's really attractive.

"Hmph, you little brat, you're overthinking it. I like cute girls, preferably like Mei. I'm not interested in guys like you~" Kiana snorted, but inexplicably, she thought of Ishiu wearing women's clothes that afternoon.

Her pretty face suddenly flushed red, and she quickly slapped her cheeks hard with her hands, trying to use the pain to stop her wild thoughts.

Even though he looked really good in women's clothes, and he's the type I like, he's still a boy!

No, no, Kiana, you have to hold on! How can a boy be as fragrant as a girl!

"That's great, I'm not interested in you either," Ishiu pouted. He liked quiet and cute sister-type girls like Seele. Girls like Kiana who were boisterous and ate a lot were better suited to be friends.

"Oh, right." Ishiu patted his head as if he had remembered something and rummaged in his pocket for the toy ring he had won at the supermarket lottery. "Uh, didn't you say you never received birthday gifts? I don't have anything else to give you right now, only this. Do you want it?"

"... Are you... are you giving me a birthday present?" Kiana blinked, looking at the blue ring in Ishiu's hand with disbelief.

"Something like that. If you don't like it, then forget it. I'll buy you a new gift tomorrow." Ishiu felt that giving her a toy ring was a bit embarrassing, but besides this, he only had Wolf Fang on him. He couldn't exactly give her the pack of tissues, could he?

"No, I want this one." Hearing Ishiu's words, Kiana quickly shook her head vigorously and snatched the toy ring from Ishiu's hand. "Thank you, I like it very much."

She carefully held the toy ring up to examine it. To be honest, the toy ring was just a child's toy. It was made of plastic, and the craftsmanship was poor. It wasn't pretty at all.

But Kiana looked at it with great joy. A brilliant smile bloomed on her face. This was the first birthday gift she had truly received. Although Siegfried had given her a name, he hadn't given her any tangible items. Now, this regret had finally been filled.

She looked at the ring again and again, then held it up to the sky, examining it closely under the moonlight. She was extremely satisfied.

"Ishiu, thank you for your birthday gift!"

Ishiu was stunned for a moment, then a gentle smile appeared on his face. He said softly, "Happy birthday, Kiana."

ps: Recommending a book

"I Have Many Identities"

The top newcomer from the regular customers, I don't need to say more, right? (Sly smile)

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Cocolia's Actions

A month had passed in Ishiu's life in Changkong City without him even realizing it.

During this month, his life had been very peaceful. Every morning, he would go out to work at McDonald's with Kiana, then have lunch, wander around in the afternoon, or follow Kiana to find Honkai sources. In the evening, he would work at the convenience store. After work, it was time to chat with Miss Mei.

But the annoying thing was that, somehow, Kiana knew about his dates with Miss Mei. Every few days, she would show up there, shamelessly join them, and even fight him for the bento box personally made by Mei.

And during this month, his relationship with Kiana and Mei had become better and better. The three of them could be considered close friends who told each other everything.

The only thing that bothered Ishiu was that occasionally, when he was interacting with Miss Mei, he felt a sense of being watched.

Having practiced the Seven Nights Assassination Technique, his perception and agility were beyond ordinary, so he could sense that gaze.

However, even though he had tried to find the source of this feeling of being watched, he had found nothing. The other party's methods were extremely skillful, and even he couldn't find any clues.

Fortunately, the other party didn't seem to have any malicious intent, at least not that he could sense. Moreover, the target seemed to be Raiden Mei.

To ensure her safety, Ishiu had previously followed... no, he had secretly protected Raiden Mei for a period of time, but no incidents had occurred. Therefore, Ishiu was a bit confused about who was monitoring Raiden Mei and what their objective was.

However, for now, there seemed to be no issues. Ishiu gradually relaxed, though he remained vigilant. If he couldn't find anyone, there was truly nothing he could do.

Today was the weekend, and neither Ishiu nor Kiana went to work. This was because Raiden Mei had invited them camping a few days prior. Ishiu hadn't agreed at the time, but Kiana had immediately accepted.

So, early this morning, Ishiu woke up. He first went for a ten-kilometer morning run, then washed up, and also made breakfast.

After all that was done, Kiana still hadn't gotten out of bed.

Ishiu noticed she had a bad habit of oversleeping. When she wasn't working, she would basically sleep until the sun was high in the sky or until she was so hungry she couldn't stand it anymore.

But this time, they had plans with Miss Mei, and Ishiu didn't want to be late. So, he entered the bedroom and unceremoniously pulled off Kiana's blanket.

What? You're saying men and women should be kept separate?

Come on, does anyone really see Kiana as a different gender? No way, no way?

Besides, she wasn't sleeping naked; her pajamas were properly on.

"Kiana, hurry up and get up. It's almost eight o'clock. Get up quickly and eat."

"Mmm... You're so annoying. Don't take my blanket, it's so cold..."

It was already January, and the temperature on a winter morning was naturally quite cold. Kiana was only wearing pajamas, and with her blanket gone, she immediately started shivering from the cold.

"Stop oversleeping. Did you forget what we're doing today? If you want to keep sleeping, you can. I'll leave first. If Mei ends up disliking you for being late, it's none of my business," Ishiu said slowly, tossing the blanket back to her and crossing his arms as he stood by the bed.