Oneshot: I Realized That My Twin Brothers Were Something Different

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Translator: Soafp

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4745lb

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That day, I was in the living room with my brothers.

I hadn't done my prep for tomorrow's classes yet, but after dinner, I just wanted to relax and spend some time with the two of them.

“Oh, there's a message from Mom. Let's see… a trip?”

After finishing the dishes, I picked up my phone from the table in the living room. It was a message from Mom, who lived away from us.

“Kisa, what's up?”

“Mom's going on a trip?”

My twin brothers, sitting on the couch in their usual T-shirts and sweatpants, looked at me as I scrolled through my phone. Even dressed so casually, they were annoyingly handsome.

The blond one was Shiro—Shiro-nii—always cheerful and energetic, the sunny type.

The black-haired one was Rou—Rou-nii—quiet, low-energy, the complete opposite.

Still, being twins, their faces and builds were similar.

Unlike short little me, they were both taller than average, and with their striking looks, they seemed to be quite popular.

“She says she's going on a trip with Dad this weekend, so she won't be coming home.”

“Oh, nice. Still lovey-dovey as ever, huh?”

Shiro-nii smiled brightly at my words.

Our parents lived together in another city since Mom followed Dad when he was transferred for work, so they were usually not around.

They often came back to visit, though, so it didn't feel lonely.

I stayed behind here for high school because I was tired of moving so often every few years.

And since my brothers were here too, it wasn't so bad.

I carelessly put my phone down on the table and sat between the two of them on the couch.

“But I wanted to go too! Hot springs! So unfair.”

Lately, our parents had been going on trips together a lot, like they were enjoying their newfound freedom now that their kids were older.

Even though, well… we're all still in high school.

“Oh, I should tell them to buy souvenirs!”

“They'll bring some anyway. They always do. And they'll send us pictures of themselves and then ask for ours too.”

“They miss their cute kids, I guess! They could just come home if they miss us that much, but no—they want to travel too. What selfish middle-aged lovebirds.”

Rou-nii said that in his usual low tone, and Shiro-nii added with a grin.

True enough, I didn't even need to ask—they'd bring back plenty of souvenirs anyway.

So I retracted my hand from my phone and sighed.

“Ugh, I'm so tired today. We had endurance running in P.E.”

I flopped down, resting my head on Rou-nii's leg.

From the other side, Shiro-nii groaned.

“Why do you always snuggle up to Rou? Your big brother's getting jealous here.”

“Because you're noisy, Shiro-nii.”

“Ouch.”

If I tried to nap on Shiro-nii's lap, he'd never stop talking.

Feeling spoiled, I looked up at him and said,

“Shiro-nii, please. Get me some ice cream.”

“You're such a princess.”

He complained, but still went to fetch it for me.

It was the kind with a stick, so I could eat it while lying down.

“Don't eat ice cream—go take a bath first.”

“No way. You go first, Rou-nii.”

“Too much effort.”

While we were arguing about who should go first, Shiro-nii, pouting like a girl, shouted, “Don't leave me out!” and jumped at us.

“Gah—hey, careful! My ice cream!”

I barely managed to save it.

As I kept eating, Rou-nii glared at Shiro-nii, muttering, “You're heavy.”

Shiro-nii, sprawled across both of us, showed his phone and said,

“Hey, this weekend, let's watch this—‘The Family Table.' It's an old drama about a couple who adopts a child.”

“Eh, doesn't sound that fun…”

I answered without much interest.

We often watched movies or shows together on weekends, but our tastes were completely different.

You'd think high school boys would like flashy action or entertainment-heavy stuff, but my brothers preferred calm “slice-of-life” or “family” stories.

Sometimes romance, but realistic ones, not dramatic ones.

Those kinds of stories could be touching, sure—but I usually found them boring.

“I wanna watch Resentment! The new Japanese horror film! It's trending right now!”

“Not into horror.”

“They're all the same anyway.”

Shiro-nii and Rou-nii said in turn.

“Eh, whyyy! The last one was so scary! It's fun to scream together!”

“You're the only one who screams, Kisa.”

Shiro-nii snorted, sitting up.

It was true.

No matter how scary the movie, they'd just sit there calm as ever—like they were watching a peaceful family drama.

“Why are we so different as siblings?”

I murmured quietly.

Licking my ice cream, I rested my head on Rou-nii's leg again and stared up at the ceiling.

“…”

Now that I thought about it, we didn't even look alike.

I imagined our faces in my head, comparing them.

(No, seriously, we don't look alike at all.)

I wasn't particularly pretty—just average.

I looked more like Mom, maybe a bit of Dad around the mouth.

But my brothers were ridiculously good-looking, like they'd been born from a different world.

How did those two sweet, plain-looking parents make them?

Even our food preferences were different.

Mom, Dad, and I liked similar things—but not them.

Come to think of it, maybe it's not me who's different, but them.

Why hadn't I ever thought about that before?

You'd think growing up with two beautiful brothers would make me insecure, comparing myself to them every day.

But until now, it had never even crossed my mind.

I had never once thought, we don't look alike.

(That's weird…)

Just as I was about to think deeper about it, Rou-nii spoke up.

“Hey, your ice cream's melting—on your clothes.”

“Huh? Oh no!”

I quickly sat up and licked at the melting ice cream.

And before I knew it, I'd forgotten what I'd been thinking about.

The next day, the feeling of wrongness grew stronger.

It was my usual job to wake up my brothers, who were terrible in the mornings.

But when I opened the door and saw them sleeping, I froze.

Shiro-nii and Rou-nii…

Why are they in my house?

“…Huh? Kisa? Morning. Why are you just standing there?”

Shiro-nii blinked awake, looking confused at me standing beside the bed.

“It's nothing. Morning.”

I said the same thing in Rou-nii's room, then went to the living room to take my temperature.

Maybe I had a fever—that would explain why I felt off.

But the thermometer showed normal, though I did feel a little chilly.

“What's wrong? You sick?”

“No, I'm fine.”

Rou-nii's messy bed hair made him look even more effortlessly cool, but today that charm couldn't hide the unease I felt.

When Shiro-nii came downstairs too, just seeing both of them in the living room made me uneasy.

It felt wrong.

Because if strangers were in your house, that would be scary, right?

(Strangers…?)

No, they're not strangers.

They're my brothers.

Right?

Inside my head, I argued with myself.

Trying to shake it off, I went on with my morning routine.

I didn't feel hungry, so I just opened the fridge for some yogurt.

(Come to think of it, my brothers never eat breakfast.)

That alone wasn't strange, but they didn't eat lunch either.

They never brought bento to school.

And somehow, no one seemed to think that was odd—not even me, until now.

(This is weird… they only eat meat or eggs at dinner…)

No vegetables, no rice, no bread.

Such an extreme diet—and I'd never questioned it before.

“Kisaaa?”

Feeling something was off, Shiro-nii hugged me from behind and peered at my face.

He was always touchy like that, so normally I wouldn't mind.

But today, my skin prickled with goosebumps.

He probably wouldn't notice through my long sleeves—but if he did, he'd be hurt.

“You sure you're okay? Not feeling sick?”

“If you're skipping school, we'll skip too.”

Rou-nii said gently.

They were both being kind, but it only felt… unnatural.

I shook my head.

“I'm fine. I'm going.”

I mean, who skips school just because their sister looks a little tired?

I wasn't a little kid anymore.

If something happened, I could just text them.

It wasn't normal—too protective, maybe.

But more than that, I just didn't want to stay home with them.

Just the three of us in that house—something about that terrified me.

So I went to school.

They walked me there, like usual, still worried about me.

But when I returned home that evening and stepped inside, the unease returned.

This house…

It felt wrong that the two of them were here.

(This house belongs to me and my parents…)

Why am I even thinking this way? They're my brothers too, yet here I am, having such cruel thoughts.

As I stood frozen in the entryway, still wearing my shoes, Shiro-nii called out from behind me.

“Hey, what's up? Oh yeah, wanna play a game together before bed again tonight? Come to my room.”

“…No, not tonight. I'm sleepy.”

When I quietly turned him down, Shiro-nii narrowed his eyes a bit and replied with a short “Hmm.” Then, as if nothing had happened, he started chatting with Rou-nii and went upstairs.

Normally, after changing out of my uniform, I'd go straight to the living room. But tonight, I stayed shut in my room for a while, only heading to the kitchen after sunset.

I was hungry, and besides, I had to cook some meat for my brothers too.

(My brothers are pretty hopeless with housework.)

It's not that they never do anything—but their cleaning is sloppy, and their cooking is awful, so I can't rely on them. Once, they even tried to eat half-cooked chicken.

When I went downstairs, they were in the living room, lounging on the sofa and scrolling through their phones.

From this distance, they looked like completely normal high school boys—or at least, that's what I would've thought yesterday. But today, even their good looks seemed frightening to me.

There was something inhuman about them, as if they were too perfect, like dolls. Their beauty made my skin crawl.

“Kisa? Were you asleep?”

“You feeling better?”

They spoke as I stood frozen in the doorway of the living room. I managed a shaky “Y-yeah,” and reached for the dining room light switch—but by mistake, I hit the one for the living room instead.

The lights were already on, so when I flipped the switch, the room went dark. The sun had already set, but a faint red from the sunset still lingered in the western sky, seeping through the open curtains. That dim, bloody light mixed with the shadows, painting the room in a blackish-red gloom.

“Hey, don't turn it off.”

“S-sorry…”

Hearing Shiro-nii's voice, I instinctively looked toward him—and quietly gasped.

Both my brothers had sat up and were staring at me over the back of the sofa. Their eyes gleamed sharply in the dark.

No—actually, they were glowing.

Shiro-nii's right eye was yellow and his left was purple. Rou-nii's were the opposite—right purple, left yellow.

(This isn't right… They've always had dark brown eyes…)

I froze, staring at them, my body stiff with fear. Even so, my instincts told me to keep watching—to understand whatever this “thing” was.

And then it hit me.

(They look like… snakes…)

Their eyes looked like those of snakes. I'd never seen a snake's eyes up close before, but there was something about their sharpness, their eerie gleam. In the center of each strange-colored iris, I could see a thin, vertical pupil.

(What… what is this?)

A chill ran through me. My breathing turned shallow, as if something were tightening around my throat. Those weren't human eyes.

As I stepped back in fear, something strange flickered behind them.

For a split second, I thought I saw two giant serpents, coiling around each other and lifting their heads, staring straight at me.

“…!”

The sight made me want to scream, but I pressed my hand over my mouth and somehow held it in.

“What's wrong?”

Shiro-nii stood up and started walking toward me. He was smiling like usual, but the curve of his eyes now seemed terrifying.

Rou-nii had stood up too, and he was watching me in silence with those strange, gleaming eyes.

“U-um…”

I took another step back—and suddenly, the lights in the living room turned on.

When I looked toward the switch, Shiro-nii's long fingers were there. Their eyes were brown again.

“Kisa, you've been acting weird all day.”

“Y-yeah. Maybe I'm not feeling well after all. Sorry, but I think I'll go to bed early. You two can eat without me.”

Even though the lights were back on, the tension didn't fade. I hurried to my room and stayed there until morning.

By the next day, everything would surely be back to normal.

The problem was just me—my head wasn't right. I must've been tired or sick, hallucinating weird things. That had to be it.

Before opening my eyes, I told myself that—and then sat up.

But the moment I woke, I knew things were worse than before.

The unease had turned into certainty. Goosebumps wouldn't stop crawling up my arms. It wasn't that I'd lost my mind—if anything, I was finally regaining it.

“Morning.”

I ran into Shiro-nii in the washroom—he was up early for once. The towel in my hands trembled.

“Feeling better?”

He hugged me from behind. It was something he often did, a casual gesture of affection. But this time, it felt like a snake was coiling around me, and fear rippled through my chest.

“You're in the way,” Rou-nii said as he came in.

After glancing at me—still frozen in Shiro-nii's arms—he muttered quietly,

“…Something's off.”

That made my shoulders jump, and I quickly forced a shaky smile.

“W-what do you mean? Anyway, I have exams next week, so I'll be studying all weekend!”

I didn't know why, but some instinct told me that if they realized I had “woken up” to the truth, it would be dangerous. So I pretended nothing was wrong.

I really did have exams coming up, so I could use that as an excuse to stay shut in my room. Being near them made my skin crawl.

Once I was back in my room, I immediately tried calling Mom. She should've been on her trip by now, so maybe she was still traveling—she didn't pick up.

So I sent her a message instead: “Mom, I don't have any brothers, right?”

After a while, she replied.

“What are you talking about? Shiro and Rou are absolutely your brothers. I gave birth to all of you! You didn't have a fight, did you? How unusual.”

She even added a laughing sticker.

Mom was completely convinced those two were her real children. Dad probably was too.
The adults were no help.

Quietly, I left my room and snuck into my parents' bedroom. In the closet, there should've been my childhood photo albums.

“Found it.”

Nervously, I flipped through the pages—and sure enough, there was only me in those photos.

There weren't any separate albums for them either.

There was baby me, kindergarten me—always alone, or with friends, relatives, or my parents. The same for the second album.

But in the third album, they finally appeared.

There were pictures from a family trip we took when I graduated middle school, and ones from my high school entrance ceremony. From that point onward, those two were suddenly part of the family.

(Yeah… Even in my memory, they've only been here for about a year.)

Somewhere in the middle of my third year of middle school, they'd just… appeared.

They cheered me on during exams.

When I chose my high school, I hadn't planned to go to the same one as them—but now, somehow, they were already there, second-year students.

(What's their goal…?)

Were we cursed? Possessed?

Did they come to bring misfortune—or to feed on us?

Even if it wasn't something that sinister, I still didn't want to be around them.

Because of those eyes I saw yesterday.

It wasn't just the color—it was something else entirely.

The eyes of something not human, wearing a human's skin.

Even among people, sometimes you can tell—when someone's completely unhinged, you just know something's wrong with them.

It was like that, but worse.

We couldn't understand each other. We were fundamentally different. Not the same kind of being.

The instant I saw their real eyes, I knew it.

We couldn't be close. I had to get away. My instincts screamed it.

That day, I couldn't focus on studying at all. I spent it searching my phone for anything about snake spirits or monsters, but nothing matched them exactly.

I still didn't know what they were.

Maybe because I hadn't eaten much all day, by nighttime I started feeling dizzy.

I didn't feel hungry, but I knew I had to eat something.

So I waited until I was sure they weren't around, then headed to the kitchen.

I half expected them to come downstairs when they heard me cooking, but they didn't.

I managed to eat and wash the dishes in peace.

(That's odd…)

Shiro-nii usually found any excuse to bother me, and Rou-nii, though quieter, was always nearby too. They hardly ever stayed in their rooms for long.

Yet tonight, the house was quiet.

It should've been a relief—but instead, it made me uneasy.

(Maybe they're just asleep or studying…)

Well, I might as well use the chance to get ready for bed.

I decided to grab my pajamas and take a bath while things were calm.

Heading toward the stairs, I noticed the faint light spilling from the living room—the rest of the hallway was dim, but bright enough to climb without turning on the light.

But just as I put my foot on the first step, I looked up—and froze.

Standing in the pitch-dark hallway on the second floor was Rou-nii.

I let out a short, sharp gasp.

I couldn't see his face clearly, but his wide-open eyes gleamed—one purple, one yellow—shining eerily as he stared straight down at me.

The pupils were slitted again, sharp like blades.

“R-Rou-nii…?”

My voice trembled.

And just as I spoke, someone tapped my shoulder from behind.

This time, I couldn't hold it in—I screamed.

But the sound was swallowed by the darkness, fading almost instantly.

As I turned around, my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the stairs.

“……Hah, hah…”

“Why are you so scared?”

Looking down at me as I struggled to breathe, almost hyperventilating, was Shiro-nii, his eyes glowing the same way as Rou-nii's. He smiled with his eyes curved like crescent moons, showing sharp white fangs.

(Fangs…? Did he always have those…?)

And when did he come downstairs? I didn't even notice.

With slow, deliberate steps, Rou-nii came down the stairs behind him, the sound of his feet tapping softly on the wood.

“Um…”

I couldn't hide my fear anymore. My voice trembled as I tried to speak.

“What?”

Rou-nii asked as he came up behind me and helped me stand. Shiro-nii, just like he often did, wrapped his arms around me. But now, it didn't feel like an affectionate hug—it felt like I was being restrained, like prey being tightly held so it couldn't escape.

“What's wrong?”

Rou-nii's deep voice echoed right by my ear, and I nearly fainted. His eyes, his voice, his presence—everything about him terrified me.

“U…u…”

I couldn't bring myself to look at Rou-nii, nor could I avert my eyes from Shiro-nii standing right in front of me. The fear made my throat tighten, and I could barely breathe.

As he watched me tremble, Shiro-nii's smile gradually disappeared. His expression hardened. He grabbed my chin with one hand and said,

“—Your hypnosis wore off, didn't it?”

His voice was low and cold, just like Rou-nii's. It wasn't his usual bright, playful tone. Even his face—stripped of its usual smile—looked almost identical to Rou-nii's, expressionless and slightly irritated. In that moment, I realized how much they truly looked like twins.

“That's not…”

I tried to deny it, but Shiro-nii didn't listen. Instead, he turned to Rou-nii and asked,

“It hasn't even been that long since the last time we did it. Why did it wear off?”

“No idea.”

Rou-nii replied calmly, peering at me from behind with those wide, glowing eyes. I wanted to run, but my legs were frozen with fear, and Rou-nii's arms around me were far too strong.

Shiro-nii, wearing the same expression as Rou-nii, looked back at me and asked,

“Did you do some kind of exorcism or purification ritual or something?”

“…E-exorcism? No, I-I didn't. I didn't do anything like that.”

“Thought so.”

Shiro-nii still held my chin firmly.

“You're not carrying any charms, right?”

“Charms…? Y-you mean like from a shrine? No, I don't have any. Nothing.”

My voice shook, and tears streamed down my face on their own. I was terrified that if I gave the wrong answer, they'd kill me. Desperate to survive, I kept denying everything.

Shiro-nii stared at the tears running down my cheeks and wiped one away with his thumb—but not with any trace of kindness. His eyes were cold, completely devoid of warmth. I didn't believe for a second that they understood human emotions—or family love.

While I trembled, Rou-nii spoke in a quiet voice.

“Kisa's been around us constantly. Maybe she's starting to develop a resistance.”

“Really? Then what about the parents?”

“They've barely lived with us for half a year. Even when they did, they weren't nearly as close to us as Kisa is. They're fine.”

“So, that means we shouldn't stick too close to Kisa anymore?”

Shiro-nii asked, his tone slightly irritated. Rou-nii answered in a calm voice.

“Well, if we increase how often we hypnotize her, it should be fine.”

At that, Shiro-nii's bright tone returned, and he smiled cheerfully.

“Ah, good! I mean, we finally got the ‘warm, ordinary family' we always dreamed of, right? I don't want to give that up. Dad and Mom are nice, and Kisa's cute and affectionate. We picked this family at random, but I've grown to really like it.”

“Yeah. If we hadn't liked it, we could've just found another family. But this one's comfortable.”

“Lately, I've actually started to feel something like affection for her… Like, she's so cute that sometimes I almost want to eat her.”

Shiro-nii stuck out his tongue—split in two like a snake's—and smiled. I couldn't even scream. All I could do was gasp sharply for air.

Affection? There's no way that's what it was. It wasn't love or fondness—it was obsession, or hunger, or something far more monstrous.

Ignoring my terror, Shiro-nii tilted his head thoughtfully and said,

“Since we're redoing the hypnosis anyway… maybe this time I'll set it so we're lovers.”

And then, right when Shiro-nii looked at me with those terrifying eyes, my memory cut off—and when I came to, it was already the next morning.

“Huh? I…”

I felt like I'd forgotten something important, but for now, I just went about my usual morning routine and went to wake the two of them up like always.

“Shiro-nii, it's time to get up! It's Sunday, but you're sleeping too much!”

I call him “nii,” but Shiro-nii is actually my boyfriend. He's my childhood friend, and since I've always called him that, I just kept calling him the same even after we started dating.

As for why my boyfriend lives with me… Oh right—Shiro-nii's parents, like mine, work far away. Our parents decided it'd be safer for us kids to live together. It's easier to manage three people under one roof, they said.

A small voice in the back of my mind whispered, “That doesn't really make sense,” but that thought quickly faded away like mist.

“Rou-nii, it's almost noon!”

After waking Rou-nii in the other room, I started preparing breakfast—or maybe brunch. Since both Shiro-nii and Rou-nii only eat at night, I was only cooking for myself.

“Maybe I'll make French toast.”

I muttered to myself as I peeked into the fridge. Hungry, I quickly made it and was just moving the French toast onto a plate when Shiro-nii and Rou-nii came into the living room one after the other. They had already freshened up, but since it was Sunday, they weren't in their uniforms—just dressed casually.

Rou-nii turned on the TV while brushing his teeth, and Shiro-nii came over to me with the towel he'd used to wipe his face still hanging over his shoulder.

“Smells sweet.”

“Yeah, I made French toast.”

“Looks awful.”

“Eh?”

A little irritated, I turned around—only to find him standing much closer than I'd thought, so close I could only see his neck.

“More than that bread, you look tastier.”

I looked up at him in surprise. Shiro-nii was gazing down at me with narrowed eyes.

He's my beloved boyfriend, and yet—for some reason, this closeness, his eyes, his smile—they all scared me a little.

“Sh–Shiro-nii…”

I tried to back away, but the kitchen counter was right behind me, and before I could escape, Shiro-nii placed his hands on the counter, trapping me between his arms.

And before I could even resist, he kissed me.

Quietly, slowly—his tongue slithered into my mouth, like a snake crawling along the ground.

(Is this my first kiss…? Or have we done this before?)

I couldn't tell if this act was something normal between us or if it was my first time. Something so important as a first kiss—and yet my memory was fuzzy.

I told myself I had to respond since he was my boyfriend, but my body broke out in goosebumps, and tears welled up in my eyes.

And then I noticed it—

The tip of Shiro-nii's tongue was split in two.

Startled, I pulled back at the same moment he released my lips.

He didn't seem to notice my cold sweat; he just licked his own lips with that same tongue.

(Like a snake…)

While I stood there in shock, Rou-nii—who'd been in the living room—was now watching us. He spoke in a calm yet oddly curious tone.

“Having fun?”

“Yeah. But it really gets my blood pumping.”

Even though his tone was calm, when I glanced at his face, Shiro-nii's eyes were terrifying—filled with both excitement and murderous intent.

“Y-you're scaring me, Shiro-nii!”

Trying to break the tension—and hide how I'd flinched in fear—I forced a joking tone as I brushed his hand away and ran to Rou-nii's side.

When I clung to Rou-nii and grabbed the hem of his shirt, he gently wrapped an arm around my shoulder. Seeing that, Shiro-nii looked displeased, but at least he didn't follow me, which was a relief.

That day, I remained under hypnosis until around noon. But as evening approached, my mind started to clear again.

(Shiro-nii and I… lovers!? Impossible!)

I couldn't believe I'd been scared yet still accepted him. I remembered that we'd kissed three times that day and even fooled around on the sofa. The memory made me shudder.

The third time, even when I said “Stop,” he didn't. He was scarier than ever—but Rou-nii stopped him. If he hadn't… I don't want to think about what might have happened.

(I can't do this anymore… I can't keep pretending.)

Pretending to be siblings was one thing, but pretending to be lovers? I couldn't do it any longer. By the time night came and the hypnosis had fully lifted, I'd made up my mind.

Now, even as I sit in the living room with Shiro-nii and Rou-nii watching TV, I'm thinking about how to get back to my room. I'm pressed against Shiro-nii—not by choice, but because he's holding me close, his long arm wrapped around my waist. It's terrifying.

(If he tries to kiss me again, I might push him away. I won't be able to help it.)

If that happens, will he snap? Hypnotize me again? Now that I know hypnosis only lasts about a day, he might start doing it every day.

(I don't want that… I don't, I don't, I don't!)

Being controlled, acting against my will, pretending to be his girlfriend, living with them—everything about it was unbearable.

“I… I can't…”

I started to stand, intending to go to my room—but then a commercial came on TV, showing my favorite male idol. He was smiling brightly, advertising a soft drink.

Rou-nii glanced at the screen, his eyes dull.

“That the guy you like, Kisa?”

“Uh, he's… my favorite idol.”

“Hmm.”

It wasn't love. He was just cool—and he looked kind of like Shiro-nii and Rou-nii, which made him feel familiar, so I started supporting him.

But now that I compared them again, he was—well—normal. Human. His presence wasn't overwhelming; he didn't make my skin crawl. He was nothing like them.

“…”

Shiro-nii stayed quiet, his expression dark. Then, just as I tried again to stand up and leave, he suddenly spoke.

“Yeah, family's better after all!”

“…Huh?”

Rou-nii and I looked at him.

“Lovers are just strangers, you know? One day, Kisa could fall for someone else. Relationships are fragile. But family bonds—those never break. And redoing the hypnosis for all the people at school would be a pain, anyway.”

“…What?”

People at school… he hypnotized them too?

Our eyes met—and before I could even react, my consciousness cut out, like a TV shutting off.

When I came to, it was the next day. I went to school with my two brothers, came home together—everything was peaceful and normal.

But the day after that, the hypnosis wore off again.

So now, I had to keep pretending to be the affectionate little sister and hide the fact that I'd broken free. Even so, that was still better than being an empty puppet, doing whatever they wanted.

Still… fear is fear.

Every evening, their strangeness became more apparent—their eyes, their voices, their presence. Whenever they looked at me, I trembled. When they spoke to me, my shoulders jumped. My body reacted instinctively.

Luckily, they hadn't realized the hypnosis had worn off yet. So I had to take this chance.

(I have to do something about them.)

I wanted to protect our home—mine, Mom's, and Dad's. I didn't want to be their hypnotized “sister” anymore.

(But Mom and Dad are still under hypnosis… what can I do by myself?)

I kept thinking and thinking, even through class that day, but no good ideas came to mind.

Then suddenly, I remembered something Shiro-nii had said the first time the hypnosis broke.

[Did you… have some kind of exorcism done? You don't have a charm or anything, do you?]

That must have been something they didn't want me to do.

(If I had a charm, maybe they wouldn't be able to come near me…)

A week had passed since the hypnosis wore off when that thought finally occurred to me. So after school, I decided to go to a shrine. I didn't know anyone who could perform exorcisms or purification rites, and finding such a person would be difficult, so I decided to start with something simple — a charm.

“Sorry, I'm hanging out with a friend today, so go home ahead of me.”

After school, my brothers usually came to pick me up, so I told them that and sent them home. Then I took the train two stations away to a reasonably large shrine. The small local shrine might not even sell charms, and somehow a famous shrine's charm felt more effective.

When I arrived, I went straight to the booth where charms were sold.

(Traffic safety, good health, academic success…)

They all seemed so peaceful. Aren't there people troubled by evil spirits or monsters anymore?

I didn't know what to pick, but then I noticed some ofuda (paper talismans) displayed at the edge of the counter.

They looked like they'd have a stronger warding effect, and even the most expensive one was within what I could afford with my allowance, so I bought it and brought it home.

(But… they already went home ahead of me, didn't they?)

I had wanted to stick it somewhere in the house before they returned, but oh well. Maybe if I just kept it in my bag nearby, they wouldn't be able to approach me.

“I'm home…”

I said quietly and slipped inside the house. Why did I have to act so timid in my own home?

The living room light was on, and when I passed the hallway, I saw the two of them lying on the sofa, each fiddling with their phone.

Everything looked normal.

No—actually, tonight it would be better if something wasn't normal. If there was no reaction from them, that would mean the talisman had no effect.

“Kisa? Welcome back! You're early today.”

Shiro-nii sat up and called out. Rou-nii also noticed me and looked over.

“Y-yeah, I'm back.”

I had planned to go straight upstairs, but to observe them, I stopped and glanced into the living room.

“Where'd you go?”

“Uh, just helped a friend with some shopping.”

They seemed as relaxed as always. Feeling a little disappointed, I headed to my room.

(So… nothing happened after all.)

Maybe I should've gone to a bigger shrine or temple. Or maybe I should invite a priest home for a proper exorcism.

(This is going to cost money…)

Still, to drive those two out of the house, I was ready to spend whatever it took to find something that worked.

After that, I mostly stayed in my room, but I didn't avoid them completely. I left the talisman in my bag, but I thought maybe it would slowly start to work, so I came downstairs to eat dinner and check on them.

But the two of them never showed any strange reactions—nothing out of the ordinary at all.

Later, when I finished bathing and was drying my still-wet hair with a towel, I opened my bedroom door—

—and screamed when I saw four glowing eyes in the darkness.

I pulled my hand back from the light switch and took a trembling step back. The orange light from the hallway faintly illuminated the figures of Shiro-nii and Rou-nii standing inside my room.

Rou-nii was staring at me with his usual languid expression, while Shiro-nii smiled with a grin that didn't reach his eyes, holding something up as if to show me.

“Th-that's… why do you have that?”

What Shiro-nii was holding was the talisman I had bought at the shrine. They must have gone through my bag while I was in the bath.

“So the hypnosis really wasn't working, huh? You tried so hard to pretend, but you were trembling sometimes.”

I froze in terror, unable to say a word. The talisman he was holding had turned almost completely black—like it had been overwhelmed by some evil aura.

Shiro-nii chuckled and continued.

“But that was kind of cute, so I let it slide—but this? This is no good. Going out and buying a talisman?”

His tone suddenly dropped, his face going cold and serious, anger flickering in his voice.

The atmosphere instantly tightened. My throat felt like it was tearing just from breathing, and I couldn't even stand properly; I had to lean against the wall to keep from collapsing. Cold sweat drenched my body.

Rou-nii glanced at the talisman and said flatly,

“It's even one of the stronger ones, huh.”

“You really tried hard to get rid of us, didn't you? Too bad our power's stronger—so it didn't work at all.”

Shiro-nii spoke again in his usual teasing tone.

“We're the only three siblings in the world, after all.”

From Rou-nii's cold eyes, I could tell he was angry too.

(Am I… going to be killed?)

My foggy brain desperately tried to think of a way to avoid death. With tears naturally spilling down, I clung to them and said,

“I-I'm sorry…”

I took a deep breath and continued acting, willing myself to survive.

“Y-yeah… we're… siblings, right? We're not actually related by blood, but I think of you both like real older brothers… Being with you is… fun…”

I really wanted to scream, “You two aren't my family! Get out of this house!” But if I provoked them like that, they might actually kill me. A sister who doesn't obey them would probably be discarded while they look for the next “family.”

“Buying the talisman… I-I guess that was a mistake. But even if you two aren't human… I still… like you. So from now on, I might still get a little scared sometimes, but I'll get used to it, so p-please forgive me.”

Tears flowed naturally because I was scared—and because I was saying things I didn't truly feel. For now, I had no choice but to play the part of a cute, obedient little sister who clings to them, while figuring out a way to escape.

If I could find a real medium, maybe they could exorcise these two. Even if they aren't human, there has to be some way. I would absolutely drive these two out of my house and reclaim the true form of my family.

Unaware of my determination, Shiro-nii smiled in relief and hugged me.

“Yeah, it's okay, I forgive you. Even trembling in fear while I touch you, Kisa… that fragility makes you irresistibly adorable.”

He forgave me surprisingly easily.

Once satisfied, he let me go, lowered his brows in concern, and said,

“But you don't want to be scared all the time, right? Should I put you under hypnosis again?”

“Eh…”

It would be bad if I really became obedient to them under hypnosis. I wouldn't be able to call a medium like that. But…

“If you say so, I guess that's fine.”

Since I knew the hypnosis would wear off quickly anyway, I thought it would be okay. I decided to obediently go along for now to keep them off guard.

“Alright, then I'll do it. Good girl, so obedient and cute.”

Shiro-nii smiled happily and patted my head, then turned to Rou-nii standing right behind me and said,

“Okay, your turn.”

“Yeah.”

Rou-nii's eyes glowed purple and yellow as he stepped forward, the air around him heavy and ominous.

“W-why…? Usually, Shiro-nii does the hypnosis…”

“From now on, I'll do it.”

Rou-nii said to my confused self, while Shiro-nii casually added,

“Well, that's better. I'm bad at hypnosis anyway, so I was just practicing, but Rou's way better.”

Better at hypnosis than Shiro-nii?

A sense of dread washed over me, and I panicked, trying to stop Rou-nii.

“W-wait a minute!”

“When I do it, it sometimes hits too hard and turns people into dolls. I'd rather not do it to you, Kisa… your real personality gets lost.”

“It's fine. Who cares about her real personality? Just make her our little sister who loves us both, okay?”

“Th-that's…!”

Shiro-nii teased as he circled behind me, hugging me tightly so I couldn't escape.

Feeling desperate, I looked at Rou-nii in front of me. He seemed like he might understand human feelings better than Shiro-nii.

“Rou-nii, please, I really don't want this! Wait…!”

“Let's make a cute little sister who loves us, okay?”

I pleaded desperately to wait, while Shiro-nii smiled and urged hypnosis. After hearing both, Rou-nii nodded at Shiro-nii without hesitation.

“Alright then.”

Apparently, my feelings were worth no more to them than a pebble on the roadside.

With his consent, Rou-nii grabbed my face with both hands and forced my eyes open by lifting my eyelids with his thumbs.

“Stop! No! Don't!”

I screamed at the top of my lungs—and then it hit me.

—Why am I so terrified? Why am I crying?

“…Huh? Me…”

I muttered in confusion. Rou-nii let go and patted my head. For some reason, Shiro-nii was smiling cheerfully.

“Why am I crying…? How embarrassing.”

“Maybe you've been stressed? You suddenly started crying, so I was surprised. Well, get some sleep now.”

As I wiped my tears with my sleeve, I noticed Shiro-nii holding some mysterious black talisman-like thing as he and Rou-nii headed out of the room.

“Wait.”

I hurried over and grabbed the sleeves of both of them.

“I'm not sleepy yet. I want to stay with you guys. Hey, let's play a game downstairs first, and then we can go to bed together!”

I nestled between them, linking arms with both, and said, I loved my brothers. They are cool, kind, and my pride. At home, I always wanted to stay close to them.

“Games? Sure.”

Shiro-nii said with a cheerful smile, and Rou-nii nodded in agreement.

As the three of us left the room, I sighed and muttered,

“I could never handle it if you guys got girlfriends. Neither of you should get one, okay!”

“Hey, it's cramped and dangerous.”

As I hugged both of their arms tightly while going down the stairs, Rou-nii warned me—but he didn't look unhappy about it. Shiro-nii, on the other hand, wore a satisfied smile.

“Our little sister is so cute!”

“Don't worry, we're not interested in girlfriends. Family is the most important.”

Then, both of them turned to peer at my face, smiling faintly in a strangely eerie way, and said together,

“We'll always be family, forever.”