I woke up in the middle of the night, my throat dry.

My body felt heavy like lead, and I was annoyed. I thought I had recovered, but it seemed I still had a bit of a fever.

I slowly got out of bed and went down the stairs.

Walking down the hallway, I reached the living room. The lights were still on.

The TV glowed softly, and Ruka was sitting on the sofa, holding a steaming mug with both hands while watching the news.

“Ah, big brother. What’s wrong?”

“I’m just a little thirsty… oh.”

My body wobbled, and I put my hand on a nearby shelf.

“A-are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Ruka quickly ran over and looked worried.

She leaned in and stared at my face.

“Shall I check your temperature?”

Then, she gently pressed her forehead against mine.

So close. Skin against skin. My body froze for a moment.

“Huh? Wait…”

“You feel a little warm.”

After pulling away, she murmured that.

Even after she stepped back, I could still feel the warmth of her breath and see her long eyelashes near my cheeks.

“W-Why don’t you use a thermometer?”

“I thought checking with the forehead would be faster.”

“Still, it’s weird for siblings to do it like this.”

“Is it?”

Ruka smiled a little.

“Do you want me to use a thermometer instead?”

“No, it’s fine…”

If I measured my temperature now, it’d probably be high enough to call an ambulance.

I turned my face away, and Ruka chuckled softly.

“For now, drink some water.”

She went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and came back.

“Thank you.”

I grabbed the glass and drank it all at once. The cold water felt good going down my throat.

“By the way, Ruka… why were you awake?”

“Ah, um…”

She quickly looked away.

“I just couldn’t sleep.”

“You couldn’t sleep?”

“Yes. I’ve had a hard time sleeping these past few days…”

“Is something bothering you?”

“It’s not really like that…”

Ruka made a troubled expression.

“I just end up thinking about a lot of things.”

“Like what?”

“Things about school… and other stuff.”

She glanced at me for a moment, then quickly looked down.

“And about big brother.”

“Me?”

“I was thinking that big brother seems to have a lot on your plate at school. I wondered if there was anything I could do to help.”

Her kindness really hit me in the heart.

“Thank you. But you should focus on yourself, Ruka. Don’t worry about me.”

“I can’t not worry! I can’t stop thinking about my big brother.”

“What the…”

“Because I’m your little sister.”

A little sister.

Yeah, Ruka is my sister, but still...

The sound of the late-night news from the TV reached my ears.

The announcer was calmly reporting on recovery efforts around the world.

Three years had passed since the Adam Virus outbreak. The world was slowly changing into a new shape.

“Big brother.”

“Hm?”

Ruka glanced at the TV, then pressed her lips together slightly.

“Since this world came, has big brother been happy?”

Her sudden question left me speechless.

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“In this world, you’re really popular.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

Ruka looked a little sad.

“I’m glad that people notice big brother, but it feels kind of complicated.”

“Complicated?”

“Because everyone thinks big brother is special.”

Her voice grew soft.

“Big brother… actually, I…”

There was a pause. But Ruka looked away and closed her mouth.

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Ruka shook her head and looked flustered.

“Let’s go to bed. You can hold onto my shoulder or arm until we get to your room.”

“No, it’s fine. I can manage.”

“No, it’s not fine. It’d be bad if you tripped!”

Without waiting for me to protest, Ruka grabbed my arm and headed for the stairs.

The warmth of her hand ran through my arm.

When we reached my room, she looked back at me.

“If big brother still feels unwell tomorrow morning, make sure to stay home from school.”

“Got it.”

Ruka nodded with satisfaction.

“Well then, good night.”

“Good night, Ruka.”

I closed the door and lay down on my bed.

I wondered what she had wanted to say.

Before I knew it, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 7: "My Stepsister Pressed Her Forehead Against Mine to Check My Temperature"