Joking, I Could Never Be a Sister Complex! (Part 2)

"What if I were to insist on taking Umaru away from you right now?" Keiryu Doma's voice on the other end of the line was slightly cold.

However.

What awaited him was an even colder response. Sogo Doma's smile remained, though his tone had chilled: "Then I shall destroy the Doma Group. No, the entire Doma Family."

On the other end of the line.

Keiryu Doma felt a chill surge through him. If anyone else had said this, he would have laughed it off. After all, the Doma Family was involved in catering, construction, mineral development...

A conglomerate of this scale was something even the Four Great Zaibatsu would have to weigh carefully before attempting to suppress; at the very least, they would suffer greatly themselves if they tried to bring the Doma Family down.

However.

When it came to Sogo Doma's words, Keiryu Doma had no choice but to take them seriously.

My youngest son is a genius?

Five years ago, if anyone had dared to say that to the Doma family, he would have struck them with a cane, and people would have even helped him—he would have been in the right!

There was no helping it.

Who else could he have but a son who was the shame of the Doma Family, a blockhead, a fool, an idiot?

Fortunately, the gods were watching over him.

That son, who had been mentally deficient for eleven years, suddenly woke up.

Although.

The first thing he said upon waking was: "The first step, of course, is to escape Japan!"

Although.

At the time, a group of big shots was holding a meeting. Keiryu Doma, who had brought his child along, hadn't thought much of it—what could his own dim-witted child possibly do? Even that diplomat Sawamura had brought his own daughter along; that girl was far more mischievous than his own dull-witted son.

But...

Just as the head of the Shinomiya Family boasted, "As a man of the Heisei era, if one wants to succeed, what is the first step?"

Nobody knew why his own dim-witted son had blurted out: "The first step, of course, is to escape Japan!"

Awkward!

Incredibly awkward!

The first step is to escape Japan? What the hell kind of answer was that, especially in front of a group of political and business titans?

Seeing the gazes directed at him from all sides, Keiryu Doma felt incredibly embarrassed. Fortunately, everyone present knew the history of Sogo's mental deficiency.

It didn't cause any real trouble.

Still, someone had to take the blame, and that foolish son was destined to be the scapegoat for the "escape Japan" comment!

Even though that dim-witted Sogo ended up saddled with a few more reputations: traitor to Japan, incompetent coward...

For Keiryu Doma, a bad reputation didn't matter—after all, one doesn't worry about debt when it's already piled high. It was only after that awakening that Keiryu Doma realized his child, Sogo Doma, was a true genius... no, a monster was more like it.

Perhaps to make up for his previous ignorance, Sogo Doma could master any skill at the drop of a hat.

As long as he put in a little effort, he could reach a world-class level.

Piano, was one of them...

Originally, Keiryu Doma just wanted his foolish child to appreciate the beauty of music, but he had nearly groomed a god of music (a performance as sweet as Cthulhu handing out candy).

A boy who had only been learning for less than three months had reached the level of a world-class performer. Who would believe that?

Because of this.

Several piano instructors questioned their lives upon resigning. Were they truly suited for the path of the Piano?

Even Yoko Toma, when looking at her own son, wore an expression as if she were gazing at a priceless treasure.

"A miracle, is this a miracle sent down by the god of the Piano? How, how could there be such a treasure, one that seems divinely blessed..."

If only that child Sogo had stayed that way.

However.

The piano piece played halfway through a competition!

All sorts of drunken farces!

And

the Chiba Shinno Elementary School incident, and so on...

Only then did Keiryu Doma understand that Sogo Doma was not just a genius, but an uncontrollable monster.

Originally, Keiryu Doma had hoped to use Umaru's interest in gourmet food to keep this monster, Sogo, locked away at Totsuki, but it seemed...

Thinking back on Sogo Doma's abilities, there were several times when the Doma Group was on the verge of death, only to be saved by a single, pinpoint remark from that brat—

If he could save it, he could certainly dig a hole and bury it just as easily.

Therefore, Keiryu Doma was not at all surprised that Sogo Doma could destroy the Doma Group.

To Keiryu Doma, Sogo Doma "is not a genius, but a monster—an uncontrollable monster!"

Back to the point.

Listening to Sogo Doma's cold words, the deep voice on the other end of the phone spoke again: "To be honest, Sogo, what do you consider Umaru to be?"

"Umaru?" He glanced at his good-for-nothing sister again: "She is my light, the final ray that keeps me from sinking into the darkness."

Without a moment's hesitation.

"..." The phone fell silent for a while.

"Just because of the end of that Piano recital? That girl stood up for you?"

"Eh? What are you talking about?" He feigned ignorance out of habit.

Keiryu Doma: "You should know, that was just a child's fleeting remark!"

"A fleeting remark?" Sogo Doma smiled and closed his eyes.

In his mind, he recalled that final Piano performance once more.

He remembered the massive figures forcing him to play. Although nothing was explicitly said, countless gloomy gazes had been fixed upon him from the start. The heavy breathing and the oppressive atmosphere made him feel as if he were submerged in darkness.

In that darkness, Sogo Doma's eyes suddenly went vacant. Since they liked Cthulhu's candy so much, he would just take it. He was about to walk toward the Piano.

However.

A small figure suddenly blocked his path.

"You aren't allowed to bully Onii-chan..."

"If Onii-chan doesn't want to play, then he won't..."

"I will protect Onii-chan..."

"All of you, get lost!"

That foolish figure, trembling with fear yet still forcing herself to stand in front of him, even turned around to give him a thumbs-up.

"Onii-chan, it's okay. Umaru is super amazing, super cool. I will be the one to protect Onii-chan!"

Once the atmosphere was broken, it was no longer terrifying.

No one knew.

In the eyes of Sogo Doma at that time.

Young Hamster Umaru seemed to radiate endless light. He wanted to draw near, wanted to reach out.

But he was afraid that this light would vanish.

He hesitated.

In the end.

He embraced her; he, too, wanted to pursue the light!

"Eh, is Onii-chan crying? Shame, shame, shame!" Hamster Umaru, suddenly hugged, looked back and said with a smug, triumphant expression.

He was grateful that the light had not drifted away.

I once dwelled in darkness, and because of that, I crave the light all the more.

"Ba~ka, there was just too much dust in the venue. Onii-chan just got some sand in his eyes."

"Eh, is that so? Then did Onii-chan see how cool I looked just now?" Young Umaru.

"..."

"Yeah, I saw it. Super cool!"

"Ehehe." Young Umaru giggled foolishly: "But, compared to Onii-chan's crying face, I'd rather see Onii-chan's smile. After all, you always have such a gloomy look on your face."

"Is that so?"

Wiping his tears away with his sleeve, Sogo Doma looked up again, wearing a brilliant smile. He whispered softly: "Next time, let Onii-chan protect Umaru. For a lifetime..."

"Eh?" Young Umaru turned her head again: "Did Onii-chan say something just now?"

"Idiot!" Sogo Doma replied with a smile: "Nothing at all!"

Returning to reality.

Sogo Doma's tone remained unchanged: "Whether it was a fleeting remark or a vow, right now, I just want Umaru to have a life of her own!"

"One last question: have you fallen in love with Umaru? You know what kind of love I'm talking about..." The voice on the phone suddenly turned stern.

This question caught Sogo Doma off guard. He quickly glanced at his good-for-nothing sister; she was still in her blob-like state. Good, she hadn't moved: "Old man, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? Has your brain been sucked out by someone?"

How could he possibly fall for that good-for-nothing sister? He must be crazy!

Even if he were to jump off Tokyo Tower or starve to death in Aokigahara Forest, it would be impossible for him to fall in love with that Hamster Umaru!

Baka!