Yamato Nadeshiko, Koibana no Gotoku Prologue

Humans are willing to do anything for the person they love. Love makes people blind and drives them mad.

They may even be willing to make an enemy of the world for their beloved one.

«Even if we are going against the world, I believe love is the only thing that can carry us through»

The girl muttered earnestly while looking at me.

«Going against, the world?»

«Yes, I believe there will be lots of hards.h.i.+ps waiting for us in the future. It’s sad, but I cannot imagine a future filled with understanding and blessings from other people»

Showing a bittersweet smile, the girl whispered.

Obstacles are a part of romances and the wall we would have to overcome is too high.

«Still, I can make an enemy of the world if it’s for the sake of love. I am prepared for that. Which is why I am asking of you… Will you join me together on this path? Will you love me too?»

The girl held out her hand gently. Her hand, her slim fingers touched me.

«I won’t regret it if I’m together with you»

I grasped the hand she held out tightly.

I really wanted to say that I was prepared for it.

I love her.

I loved her more than anyone else.

But I—

«Unfortunately I lack the courage to make an enemy of the world»

I denied her words while smiling bitterly.

… As I just said, I did not have the courage.

I did not have the same strong determination as the girl to step forward.

That’s why I cruelly tried to pa.s.s her honest feelings as a joke.

«… Is that so»

She looked down regrettably.

«Well, that is so like you Nii-san. Having said that, I won’t give up. I will work hard until the day you will reciprocate my feelings.

Always the optimistic one.

Seeing her like this… I fell even more in love with her.

«I will offer everything for love, even if turning the world against me—»

Will I someday manage to muster up the courage?

My name is Yamato Takeru, a splendid joking material.

It’s a name which always makes people laugh when meeting people for the first time. I really wish they would stop with the blank faces every single time I present myself.

Such names are only suited in the worlds of cartoons and movies.

I cannot possibly fathom the parent generation who thinks writing foreign words with kanji are cool or even cute.

I question whether the parents who give their child such flashy names are honestly thinking of how the child will be a.s.sociated with it for the rest of his or her life.

Such a child, me, is currently living the ordinary fulfilled rosy school life.

I have good friends and even a girl I am interested in.

The tranquil ordinary days without any dissatisfactions.

The following happened at the beginning of spring, when time beckons the start of a new semester.

Looking out of the windows, the pretty cherry blossoms were dancing in the wind scattering everywhere.

You could say it was a standard spectacle for this season.

Everyone would believe spring was here when seeing the cherry blossoms.

When the spring and its gently climate arrived, I entered the 2nd year of High School.

The 4th period came peacefully to an end with the maths.

I was about to leave my seat to eat lunch.

As many times in the past I went to the school cafeteria to eat lunch.

«… Ah»

A girl from one of the cla.s.ses below entered the cla.s.sroom alone.

From the way the long black hair was fluttering, I knew who the girl was.

«Who is that? She is such a beautiful girl! You think she’s a freshman?»

«You don’t know? She is Yamato-kun’s—»

Everyone glanced at me while I lightly raised my hand.

«—Takeru Nii-san!»

Spotting me, a florid smile appeared on her face.

Long jet-black hair in addition to her pretty features.

While slender, her chest was pretty big. Her figure can be said to be pretty good.

Giving off a clean and elegant impressions, she captured the attention of everyone.

Are you perhaps familiar with the word «Yamato Nades.h.i.+ko»?

If you look for the word in the dictionary, you will find that it’s a simile comparing a j.a.panese woman’s beauty with the Dianthus flower.

A graceful j.a.panese beauty. It’s even said that they are an endangered species in j.a.pan today.

However, that word feels even more familiar to me.

Yamato Nades.h.i.+ko, she is my little sister.

Her given name is Nades.h.i.+ko. When combined with her surname Yamato, it becomes Yamato Nades.h.i.+ko.
… this can also be considered a flashy name right?

What can I say… my parents’ naming senses are probably far-removed from the rest of the world.

They should at least have considered the awkward atmosphere every time every time the children introduced themselves.

I was still good though, but every time Nades.h.i.+ko writes down her name, it’s followed by «Eh?».

It’s no wonder everyone thinks it’s a joke at first whenever she writes down «Yamato Nades.h.i.+ko» in the name column.

However, it seems the person herself likes her name.

That is why, even though very puzzling, my little sister’s name is Yamato Nades.h.i.+ko.

«Nades.h.i.+ko, you didn’t have to go to my cla.s.sroom since I would be waiting for you in the cafeteria anyway»

«It’s alright, I couldn’t hold back my desire to meet you, Nii-san»

«…Is that so. You sure know what to say to make me happy»

I usually spent my lunch time with my little sister.

While it felt like siblings in the rest of the world was on bad terms with each other, we were different.

Whenever we did something in the past, we were always together.

The image of a sister yearning for her brother is splendidly done.

The common experience of fighting with my cheeky sister is some of the things I have never experienced.

Also, since my little sister is a pretty girl, people have been envious of me.

«Yamato Nades.h.i.+ko. Yamato’s rumoured little sister is as lovely as her name implies»

My best friend nearby, Satake Yos.h.i.+n.o.bu, praised her.

She returned with a «Thank you very much» and continued:

«However, the name has also given me a lot of difficulties.Though I have been made fun of due to the name, it was thanks to Nii-san that began liking my name»

«Me? Did you say something?»

«Yes, you did tell me this—»

She then followed with:

«Did you know this? That the Dianthus means pure or sweet love in the flower language? Both fits you perfectly. As the name reveals the person, you are indeed just like the very thing itself. I think it’s a name that suits you»

The same words I told her in the past.

… To be able to repeat what I said in the past is, in a way, quite amazing.

I still have some memories of it somehow. Though they are faint memories.

Did it happened when I was in 5th grade in elementary school or?

Oh yes, I was looking at an ill.u.s.trated encyclopedia of flowers in the library. When I discovered the meaning of her name, I just had to tell her.

… It makes me embarra.s.sed just reminiscing about it.

«Thanks to his words, I started liking my name»

The smiling Nades.h.i.+ko is very cute.

She has become a lovely girl worthy of that the name Yamato Nades.h.i.+ko, not losing to it at all.

«Wait a minute Yamato! Your little sister is talking a bit too much isn’t she?»

«Stop it alright Satake? I am aware of it. … Well, that one way of speaking of it, in way»

I smile bitterly while getting embarra.s.sed.

«Nii-san has truly been a fantastic person. For me, everything regarding my brother has been a very important memory to me no matter how trivial it might seem»

Satake then asked jokingly: «You guys have actually done it right?»

To that, Nades.h.i.+ko smiled at everybody’s reaction.

«—No. We still haven’t made a child yet you know? Even though I would have wanted one right now»

My cla.s.smates began mumbling to each other due to her bombsh.e.l.l announcement which was able to make people dumbfounded when dropped.

«Wha- What!?»

I couldn’t close my mouth.

No, «done it» was not meant in that kind of way you know!

Furthermore, what do you mean by «not yet»!?

Though I’m wondering whether she understood what I tried to tell her anyway.

«Come on Nii-san. Let’s hurry before the cafeteria gets crowded»

«A, ah, Let’s go, Nades.h.i.+ko… Y-you guys should hurry up too S-Satake!»

I stood up as to escape from the situation.

The awkward atmosphere still lingered in the cla.s.sroom.

«Hey hey! You don’t think they’ve actually done… it?»

«… Siblings who are that close to each other are pretty unusual. Ve-ry suspicous»

«They might be seeing each other in secret… It’s frighteningly possible»

I really want to pretend I did not hear what they were whispering to each other.

Being in the spotlight is a regular thing for us, now suspicious, siblings.

After leaving the cla.s.sroom I warned Nades.h.i.+ko.

«Say, Nades.h.i.+ko. Don’t say such things in the cla.s.srooms too often…»

«Fufu. You are talking about the weird misunderstandings?»

«Right, those. Since we are brother and sister after all. You don’t like being the target for weird rumors right?

«That’s fine isn’t it? Since it won’t change the fact that I love Nii-san after all»

She confessed while clinging to my arm.

«Fufu, you get too easily fl.u.s.tered Nii-san. I want you to hurry and and make me yours only»

Her glossy long hair, her seducing lips.

Yamato Nades.h.i.+ko, that is my beloved sister, a beautiful flower.

This marks the first act of Nades.h.i.+ko’s boisterous performances.