Chapter 8 - My stepbrother became a hikikomori shut-in (1/2)

The day after I got carried away and sent flying by the earth golem. I headed to Keith’s room first thing in the morning to apologize, maybe he still hasn’t gotten up or something, there’s no reply no matter how many times I knock. Well, even if he is still sleeping, and I’m unreasonably trying to wake him up, I thought that surely he would come to breakfast.

Keith didn’t come to breakfast.

Since Keith had shut himself in and missed a meal, mother and father were also very worried.

Mother even suspiciously asked me “Katarina, did you do something to him when you visited him in the morning?” How rude! Man, I didn’t do anything!

But anyways, because I was worried as well, I headed to Keith’s room again as soon as I finished eating. Just like this morning, no matter how much I knocked or talked through the door there was no reply.

“Keith. It’s me. Katarina. Since you didn’t come for breakfast, are you in bad shape?”

Then from within the room, a feeble voice answered.

“……Nee-san.”

“Yes, it’s me. What’s wrong, Keith? Does your stomach hurt? Are you okay?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me. More importantly, are nee-san’s injuries okay?”

“Yep, I’m fine. It’s just a little bump on the head. Anyways, Keith, I have something to say. May I come in?”

I have to properly apologize to his face about the incident yesterday. However……

“I’m sorry. You can’t.”

I was flat out rejected by his answer.

“Wh, What?”

“I can’t stay by nee-san anymore.”

Keith wouldn’t say anything else after that. Really, I have no idea what’s going on. What’s this, I think Keith hates me now.

Anyways, since I can’t do anything like this, I tried getting into his room, but the door knob wouldn’t turn when I placed my hand on it. Apparently, it seems that it is locked. Even when asking Keith to open it, there is no reply. What should I do? At this rate, if Keith becomes a shut-in and starts hating me……

Keith becomes a shut-in → Keith becomes lonely → He enters school like this → Has an encounter with the heroine which heals his loneliness → Keith falls in love with the heroine → Katarina gets in the way → the nuisance Katarina gets exiled or gets finished off by magic.

Oh no! This is so terrible! This is heading straight towards a destruction flag!!

And as I was desperately trying to break the door open with all my might, I heard Anne’s voice.

“Ojou-sama, exactly what would you happen to be doing?”

“Well, Keith locked me out and I can’t get in.”

“Well, doesn’t that mean that he doesn’t want Ojou-sama to enter?”

Anne coolly sent me a look of compassion.

“Ugh, certainly, that might be so…… but, something seems strange about Keith.”

I’m also in quite the desperate situation.

“For the time being, if you want to get in that badly, there’s a spare key for each room in the servants’ room…… Ojou-sama.”

As soon as Anne told me, I dashed off to the servants’ room.

However…… Once there, it became clear that Keith was holed up with the duplicate key as well. How smart Keith is!

However, this has confirmed it. Keith has become a full-blown hikikomori. This is getting dangerous, so so dangerous~.

At this point, I have no choice but to use my last resort. And so, I went to a certain place.

I got the item I was looking for, and headed back towards Keith’s room.

“Ah, Ojou-sama. Did you find the spare key? Ojou-sama, what on earth!? What are you trying to do!?”

Anne who was still in front of Keith’s room noticed me and spoke up, but suddenly let out a surprised voice when she saw what was in my hand. Meanwhile, I responded to Anne with a rough snort.

“I’m gonna open this door. If Keith stays shut-in like this, it’ll turn into a big deal!”

“It couldn’t be that you’re going to open the door with that!? And if so, how are you going to open the door with that!? You’re not planning to break the door down, are you…… Anyways, please calm down, and put that thing in your hands down.”

Anne desperately tried coaxing me, but I paid her no mind at all. I mean, at this rate, the destruction end that I tried so hard to avoid at great length has turned into a straight path towards ruin.

“Keith. If you’re close to the door right now, get away from the door.”

I spoke towards inside Keith’s room.

And then - I slammed the ax that I brought from the garden shed into the door.

“Ojou-sama~~~!!”

The crackling sounds of the door breaking mixed in with Anne’s screams.

After breaking down the door, when entering the room I saw Keith on his bed with wide, round eyes. It looked like he had no idea what was going on. It seems as if Anne who was behind me went off to find someone to tattle on what the Ojou-sama did. Well, I’ll leave the matter of the door for the time being, and apologize later. Keith comes first.

“……Nee-san.”

I drew close to Keith who had wide round eyes and his mouth open agape. And then……

“I’m so sorry about yesterday!!”

I kneeled down on the floor and bowed my head until it hit his bed. A so-called prostration. After all, it would not count as a sincere apology unless it was to this degree.

“Unreasonably asking you to use magic you could not control yet, I’m really sorry!! Moreover, not listening to your warning and trying to touch the earth golem…… Sorry for making you worry!!”

I desperately bowed my head as I said so. Before I realized it, Keith was crouching next to me.

“……Why is nee-san apologizing…… It was all my fault……”

“What are you saying? It was my fault! Because I asked such an unreasonable request of Keith!”