My new life under the same roof as Miho had begun, and as I stepped into the house, my eyes wandered with curiosity. Miho, my now older sister, guided me through the house.

When we finished the tour around the first floor, my stomach growled audibly, betraying my hunger. My face turned red, and I put my hands on my stomach, embarrassed by the untimely noise.

Miho looked at me with a warm smile. “Are you hungry, Kaede-chan?”

I nodded, feeling my cheeks grow warmer. "Y-yeah…. I guess I am."

Miho's smile widened, and she patted me on my head gently. "No worries. I'll whip up something delicious for us. Have a seat in the dining room, and I'll join you in a moment."

I followed her directions and entered the dining room. I took a seat at the table as I waited for Miho, my curiosity about her growing with each passing moment.

Now that I think of it, I just followed a stranger into their house. I’m sure Miho is a good person. She seems really genuine too. But I gotta be even more careful about who I interact with now that I look like a middle school girl. I’m at the bottom of the food chain, the easiest target for perverts and kidnappers.

Miho soon entered the room. She wore an apron that read "Cooking Queen" in bold letters, and her hair was tied in a ponytail.

As she started preparing the meal, she turned to me. "Kaede-chan, do you like cooking?"

I shook my head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I've never really tried it."

“Want me to teach you sometime?”

“Y-yeah, why not.”

I watched in fascination as Miho worked her culinary magic. Her confidence and skill in the kitchen were impressive. It was a side of her I hadn't expected to see.

As the tantalizing aroma of the food filled the room, Miho broke the silence. “Hey, Kaede-chan.”

“Hm?”

“Are you scared of me?”

I shook my head.

“Then, do you feel uncomfortable around me?”

Once again, I shook my head.

“You shouldn’t put so much trust in people. When a stranger asks you to come with them, your answer should always be ‘no’.”

“Should I not trust you?” I asked.

“I’m an exception!” She pouted.

After a brief silence, Miho continued. “When I came to your apartment, the door was unlocked. You’re lucky that it was me who found you. God knows what could’ve happened to you otherwise.”

"I understand. I’m sorry," I replied softly.

“You don’t have to apologize, just understanding is enough. The fault lies with your parents.”

“…”

I feel kinda bad for having her worry so much while it was just me being a bad drunk.

“I don’t know much about you yet, but I’m glad that it was you who found me, Miho.”

“Kaede-chan…” she said, her eyes watery.

Guilt: Gone!

“Oh, by the way, I have a question for you,” I said.

She raised an eyebrow. “Hm? Ask me anything!”

 “Why did you become an editor?”

Miho's expression turned thoughtful. "I actually used to want to be a writer when I was younger. I loved reading and imagined creating my own worlds. But as I grew older, I realized that while I enjoyed reading immensely, writing didn't bring me the same joy. That's when I decided to become an editor instead, helping authors bring their stories to life."

I nodded, intrigued by her revelation. It was fun to learn more about Miho and her reason for becoming an editor.

After a short silence, Miho spoke out.

“Dinner’s ready!”

Miho served the meal she had prepared. It looked and smelled delicious, and my hunger intensified as I took in the aroma. We started eating, and the taste was beyond my expectations. Miho's cooking truly lived up to her "Cooking Queen" apron. It was the first time in years that I had eaten something homemade.

“It’s delicious.”

After finishing our food, Miho eventually led me to the second floor, leading me down a corridor, passing by the rooms. One led to a toilet, another to a storage room, and then we reached the door at the end of the hallway, and Miho turned the handle with excitement. With a dramatic flair, she swung the door open.

"Ta-da! This is your room now, Kaede-chan!"

I stepped inside, my eyes widening in surprise. The room was decently-sized, and it looked like it had been used as a guest room. There was a futon neatly laid out, a desk with a chair, a TV on a stand, and a shelf against the wall.

Miho chuckled at my reaction. "Sorry, I know it's not much, but this should do for now, right?

I couldn't help but smile. "No, this is perfect, Miho!”

She nodded, her smile warm and reassuring. "I’m glad you like it."

Miho and I had started setting up my new room, transforming it into a cozy and inviting space. Unpacking my bags, I arranged my laptop, and Miho changed my futon’s sheets.

Then, as I busied myself connecting my gaming console to the TV, I could hear Miho moving around the room. It wasn't until I heard a gasp that I turned my attention to her.

Miho had discovered the bag containing my manga, light novels, and figurines, my “reference material”. Her eyes widened as she peered inside, her curiosity getting the better of her. I could feel my heart racing as I watched her sift through the contents.

"K-Kaede-chan… what's all this?" Miho's voice held a mix of surprise and concern as she pulled out a manga and looked at its cover.

Wait, that manga…

I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I realized what Miho had laid her eyes on. I had hoped to explain this in a more controlled manner, but now that she had found my secret collection, I had to do something, fast.

"Miho, it's not what it looks like..." I began, my voice trembling.

Miho continued to examine the manga in her hand, and her expression shifted from surprise to disbelief. Her eyes widened even further as she turned a page and saw a naked girl.

It’s over… Miho will think I’m a pervert now.

"Miho, I can explain," I pleaded, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Miho's gaze remained fixed on the manga, and she slowly looked up at me, her expression a mixture of shock and disgust.

"Please do.”

What do I even say in this situation?

“M-Miho! What you’re holding, that’s… uhm… That’s the reference material I was talking about! For my novel, y’know!”

Miho's doubt lingered, and her eyes bounced from me to the manga and back. "Reference material?"

I nodded vigorously. "Yes, exactly!”

I swallowed hard, feeling a growing sense of panic.

She let out a long sigh, and she closed the manga. “Well, if that’s going to make your novels better, then it’s fine.

Relief washed over me as Miho decided to believe my explanation.

“But as long as it’s just reference material, you hear me?” she continued.

“Y-yeah… of course!”

Wait, why am I—a twenty-year-old man, making excuses? It’s perfectly normal for a man to have mangas like that!

Taking a deep breath, I slapped myself on both cheeks; the sting helping me gather my thoughts.

I am getting too invested in this whole little sister role I’m given. That’s it, After Miho leaves this room, I’m binge-reading all of my dirtiest mangas, and reclaiming my masculinity!

With that, we returned to organizing my room. Once we had finished arranging the essentials, Miho turned to me.

"There you go, Kaede-chan. Your room is all set up!"

As I looked around, I couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging. This room, once a guest room, was now mine.

“Thanks for helping me, Miho. I promise I’ll return the favor.”

“Then cook something for me next time!”

"Eh, what do you want me to cook for you?" I asked.

Miho raised an eyebrow. “Hmm. That's up to you!”

“O-okay. I'll see what I can do.”

Miho seemed amused by my response. "Hmm, really? Thanks!" she said, a playful glint in her eye.

That should do it for now.

"Now, it's getting late, and I have some work to do for college. So I’ll leave you for today. Goodnight, Kaede-chan.”

“Goodnight, Miho.”

With a final wave, she left my room, leaving me to settle into my new room.

After Miho's footsteps had descended the stairs and the sounds of her bustling about the house faded, I found myself alone in my new room. It was a quiet moment, one where I could finally catch my breath and reflect on the bizarre turn of events that had led me here.

I glanced over at my futon, desk, TV, and the shelf with my dirty mangas on. This room was now mine, and it felt like a fresh start for me, despite the unusual circumstances.

I approached the shelf, my hand brushing over my collection. The familiar covers and titles beckoned to me, tempting me to pick one up and dive into their explicit stories.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should indulge in reading them now.

But the desire got the better of me, and I selected a manga at random.

The manga was called 'Elf Love Party'. I inspected the cover closely.

The cover had a busty elf girl on it, and she was, well, quite generously endowed in the chest department. The illustration didn't leave much to the imagination, emphasizing her curvy figure in a rather suggestive manner.

After inspecting the manga's cover, a wave of discomfort washed over me. I couldn't help but feel awkward about reading something like this, especially now that I looked like a middle school girl. The contrast between the content of the manga and my appearance felt jarring and out of place.

I… I can’t read this.

My life had taken an unexpected turn, and it was essential to find a balance between my old habits and this new life as Kaede.

I couldn't help but reflect on the whirlwind of changes that had occurred just that morning. I had woken up as a girl, agreed to become Miho's little sister on a whim, and moved in with her all on the same day.

It was clear that I needed to figure out how to balance my old habits with my new life as Kaede as soon as possible. Thus, with a sigh, I decided to put the manga away for the time being.