Date and Subjugate

Chapter 1

Being a member of the Swimming Club in Raizen High School wasn't something to be taken lightly, and Itsuka Shidou learned that the hard way today.

One would normally think that such a club only focuses on swimming and getting the body wet, but it was far from that.

The school year hasn't officially begun, and yet Shidou felt like he just went through a hectic school day.

"I'm homeeee..."

"Welcome home, Onii-chan!" a young girl with red hair tied into twin-tails by white ribbons appeared before him with a smile. "How was your- eh? Why do you look so worn out and tired...?"

Itsuka Kotori sent a look of concern towards her brother, who acknowledged her with a smile of his own.

"It was my turn to clean the pool today."

Members of the Swimming Club like him aren't expected to solely train and be better in the sport. It's not just about jumping into the pool and zooming through the water as fast as possible.

It was also their responsibility to clean the school's swimming pool after being used by the club to lessen the workload of the janitors working there.

Today was his unlucky day, because he was one of the students who's assigned to cleaning duty this time. While he was expecting this day to come one way or another, it didn't make things less-than-stellar.

"Seriously? That's pretty lame, Onii-chan. You can clean the house on your own just fine," she sweat-dropped.

"That wasn't the problem. The problem is dealing with a 75 x 25 swimming pool all on my own. Do you see where I'm coming from?"

Kotori considered his words in her mind for a moment, before nodding in understanding.

"Yeah, I get it now. That's tough luck for you, Onii-chan."

"Wanna know the actual worst part?" he asked rhetorically, stepping into the residence where he crashed at the couch. "Tonomachi was supposed to help me out, but the bastard bailed out on me before I could realize that he was gone."

"Honestly, my Onii-chan... you need friends in your life," Kotori sighed before palming her face out of sympathy for him.

"Why are you suddenly implying that I'm a complete loner who doesn't want to be bothered by other people?"

"I meant that you could use a lot more friends than the three guys I normally see you with. If you're complaining about the friends you have now, then just look for new ones."

"Hmm... nope," Shidou shook his head before donning a more serious expression. "I don't really need more friends. The guys can be a pain in the neck sometimes, but they're dependable when it matters."

Kotori shrugged in response, walking up to the couch where she stood behind him. At least she tried to help by offering her brother some advice, right?

"Well, suit yourself. I'm not really going to mess with Onii-chan's school life..."

"...and I don't need more friends because I'm already satisfied with having the best little sister in the world!"

"E-Ehh...?!"

The girl's eyes snapped wide open as she took a few steps back out of surprise. Her cheeks sported a light red hue from her growing embarrassment, which was a sight that made Shidou chuckle.

"J-Jeez, do you really have to say such embarrassing things, Onii-chan?" she grumbled.

Shidou turned his head and looked up at his sister, smiling as if nothing was wrong with what he said. And he's right, there's indeed nothing wrong about his statement.