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“——Hey Onii-sama. Why don’t we have a quiz?” 

It was night that day, within the Kirishima family garden. While enjoying their after-meal tea, his little sister, Haruko, made a proposal.

“A quiz?” Kirishima Yuuki tilted his head, “Why all of a sudden?”

“Question number one!” His sister was forceful. While voicing out a jingling sound effect, she recited the first question, “What’s the number one thing that girls hate the most?”

“What am I supposed to say if you ask that?”

“Whaaaaat is it?”

She continued to force her will.

From the other side of the table, Haruko leaned her body forward as she repeated the question. Her expression was all smiles, but her eyes were definitely not.

“Ummm.” Yuuki wracked his brains. It would be better for him to abide his sister here. “Let’s see, maybe the odor of a middle-aged man?”

“Bubuu. That’s wrong.”

“Being in a crowded train with a bunch of middle-aged men?”

“Can you please stop relating your answers back to middle-aged men? It’s quite rude.”

“Even if you say that, I don’t know what I don’t know.”

“By the way, if you get it wrong one more time, you’ll be signing this marriage registration form ♥”

“No, wait. You’re still in elementary school, right? I’m in high school too.”

“Don’t sweat the details. Now then, the countdown will now start. Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

A heartless countdown.

Yuuki shook his head and raised both his hands.

“Hmmm, I can’t. I don’t know. I give up.”

“Alright, that’s unfortunate! Well then, let’s quickly get you to sign this marriage registration form.”

“Wait. At least give me the correct answer.”

“You really don’t know when to give up, Onii-sama. No matter how much you struggle, we’ll be going on a honeymoon trip together tomorrow. We’ll go to a country that allows marriage between siblings. Mufufu ♥”

“There’s no way a country like that exists! Come on, hurry up.” He stared at her to urge her on.

Haruko held her nose high before speaking, “Well then, let me tell you. The answer is—”

Bishi! She pointed at her brother with a serious expression.

“When you are spending precious time alone together, and your brother is completely inattentive of his little sister and he doesn’t spoil her at all! There’s nothing that is more frustrating than this!”

“…That’s not about girls in general, but about you personally, right?”

“Don’t use such a trivial problem as an example to prove your point please. In any case, if Onii-sama would at least spoil me in some sense, then everything would be settled very nicely. For example, you could pat me on the head, give me a lap pillow, or stamp your seal on this marriage registration form.”

“Aren’t you forcing this too much?”

“Come on now. Spoil me. Go on.”

“You’re quite reckless as usual.” Yuuki made a bitter smile. 

His bitter smile was also a type of laughter, as it returned to the soft harmonious atmosphere that they would normally have together. The servants were considerate of them and had left them alone, while their parents were never one to show their faces at a gathering like this in the first place.

“It’s tomorrow, right?” His sister muttered while lowering her gaze towards the cup of tea. “Your work begins tomorrow.”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Yuuki answered after bringing the cup in his hand to his lips. The fragrance of the Assam tea was pleasant.

“I’ve emphasized this a lot by this point, but,” Haruko continued, “I am your ally, Onii-sama. Since you were born and forever until death——Most likely it would still be the case after being reborn. That is a definite truth.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“From now on, I will continue to give you my full support. If there’s something you need, please don’t hold back and ask me.”

“Yeah. I will.”

“Despite me saying that, I have a somewhat normal standing and I’m a somewhat normal human being. As such, the things that I may help you with are probably limited. In the first place, I don’t believe you’ll tell me any of the details behind your ‘job’.”

“…”

Yuuki didn’t confirm or deny. All he did was keep quiet and sip tea, while avoiding the gaze of his frustrated sister.

“Anyways, please be careful.”

In the end, his sister gave him a smile. He could see through to the fact that it was made in order to prevent further seeds of worry due to the slight stiffness, however, it was a smile made with whole hearted effort.

†

The next day. Along the Soubu line, Kirishima Yuuki appeared in a certain place within one of the 24 wards of Tokyo.

“We’ve been waiting for you.”

In the corner of an old residential area. He was in front of a western style door, that seemed to be from the pre-war era.

“My name is Chiyo.” The maid that greeted him gave a bow and a smile. “I’m left in charge of taking care of this mansion. I’m pleased to meet you.”

“Kirishima Yuuki,” Yuuki casually lowered his head, “I believe that I might cause you some trouble, but nice to meet you.”

“There is no problem. That is our ‘job’ after all.”

The maid smiled once again. It was a standard businesslike smile. It was as if she possessed a hidden switch that allowed her to instantly act in a businesslike manner.

Still, it wasn’t unpleasant. Rather, Yuuki sees it as a positive when someone is able to handle work without excess or deficiency.

“Well then, this way please.”

After being invited into the mansion, he followed Chiyo’s lead.

It was a mansion with moderate taste, not overly luxurious, but neither was it simplistic. If it’s like this, he could see it every day and never get sick of it. A well thought out structure—many thanks to the considerations of the predecessor that lived here long ago.

They moved through to the back of the corridor, and continued passed the garden that could be seen through the glass windows, before arriving at an old oak door.

There, the maid gave another bow before retreating.

(—Now then.)

He adjusted his breath. After fixing his collar he then knocked once.

“Enter.”

An indifferent response was given. A clear voice that sounded like the ringing of a glass bell.

“Excuse me.”

He opened the door and took a step into the room.

There, he found a goddess. 

She had an almost transparent looking silver hair and pale skin. She was lounging on a deck chair, smoking a cigar while reading some sort of book.

“I am Kirishima Yuuki.”

The goddess acknowledged him after seeing Yuuki form a perfect bow, “I accept your appointment. Do your best to fulfill your role.”

“Thank you.”

While bowing, Yuuki turned his gaze towards the goddess.

He got it from the materials he read beforehand, but she really is a young and beautiful girl. Even if she’s an existence that are outside the bounds of human logic and reasoning, she really didn’t look like someone that has lived for more than a thousand years. If not for their current positions, he would undoubtedly have fallen in love with her at first sight.

“You are quite young.” While flipping through the pages of the book, the young girl spoke, “You probably haven’t lived very far past ten years it seems. It’s the first time I had a young brat like you in this role. You must be quite the promising individual, or maybe you just happen to have bad luck.”

“I wonder. I do believe I’m off the advancement path though.”

“Besides, the look in your eyes is terrible.”

“It’s something I’m born with. If it’s that unsightly, then I can wear sunglasses for you.”

“Do as you wish. What you look like poses no problem to me.”

“Thank you. Then, I’ll stay like this.”

“I’ll at least try to confirm with you. As the Tsukumo organization’s dog,” She lifted her gaze from her book. She had an empty look as she asked, “Are you my enemy? Or are you my ally?”

“Enemy.” Yuuki answered without hesitation. “Without regards to your cries or screams, I will make sure you do your ‘job’. It is my role to ensure that this world continues to live on. It isn’t wrong to call me your enemy. As such, don’t hold back, and continue to look at me with eyes of scorn. I am after all a representative of humankind, the race which confined you here.”

“Very well.” 

She smiled. It was a gruesome smile.

It was a smile that could only be made by someone who has continued to suffer for over a thousand years. It was an appearance that was worthy of being called a goblin.

“I welcome you. Do your best to not be like your predecessors, who were unable to meet a satisfying death.”

†

Now, let the romantic comedy begin once again. 

Between a goddess and a human—

Or between a hero and his lover—

Repeatedly being tied together, repeatedly being torn apart—

A romantic comedy that no one can complain about.

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