97 How Annoying!
Come out and play!
The door creaked open, followed by a series of sneaky footsteps.
Soon enough, a tuft of pink fluff peeked into the bedroom, revealing a pair of big eyes observing the scene.
Noia broke away from her consciousness space, slowly opened her eyes, and turned to the doorway.
“Little Light? What are you doing there?”
Seeing her sister noticed her, Little Light stepped out from behind the door and waltzed in, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“Good morning, big sis! What are you up to?”
She conveniently ignored Noia’s question and took the lead as if she owned the place.
“Reading.”
Can’t very well tell you I’m having a history lesson with an ancient relic from tens of thousands of years ago, can I?
Little Light glanced at the desk, where a book was indeed lying there.
But the pages weren’t even turned; it was just sitting there, looking as untouched as a relic in a museum.
Moreover, from Little Light’s observations, this book had been resting on Noia’s desk for at least a week.
Given Noia’s reading speed, a book this thick would only take her three days, max.
So… reading was just a cover; she was up to something else.
Was it related to her big sis’s strange behavior from a while back?
She, Aurora, was still keeping tabs on that!
After pondering a bit, Little Light decided it was time to put her long-cherished ‘ghost-catching’ plan into action.
“Where’s Moon gone?” Noia asked.
“Oh, second sis is playing with Dad in the backyard.”
Noia nodded slightly, not probing further, and turned her attention to the book again.
Little Light wasn’t wrong; that book was just a decoy. Noia had finished it ages ago and just forgot to swap it out.
But what she didn’t realize was that Noia’s tiny slip-up was perfectly captured by Little Light.
While Noia was distracted staring at the book’s content, she heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor.
Turning her head, she saw Little Light pushing a chair taller than she was beside her and then climbing onto it using both hands and feet.
“What are you doing, Little Light?”
“I’m going to study with you! You said you found a bunch of stuff for next semester’s courses, so I’m just getting a head start!”
“Oh… okay.”
Noia didn’t think much of it, burying her head back into pretending to read.
Little Light obediently took out one of the prep books that Noia had prepared for her and started flipping through it.
But those clever pink eyes occasionally darted sideways to sneak peeks at Noia.
After a little while, Little Light felt the moment had come to spring her trap.
*Thud—*
The book in her hands suddenly tumbled to the ground.
Little Light herself flailed and toppled off the chair.
Seeing this, Noia rushed over to steady Little Light’s shoulders, worry etched on her face. “Are you okay, Little Light? Did you get hurt?”
But Little Light leaned against her big sis, frowning and clutching her temples, looking utterly tormented.
“Ugh! …So… uncomfortable… so painful!”
“Where does it hurt? Did you fall on your back?”
“No! No! Don’t let her out!”
Just as Noia was about to check on her, she suddenly heard those words.
Noia was left utterly confused.
What… don’t let her out?
“Little Light?”
“Big sis… uh! — You have to go! I can’t hold her back! My second personality! She’s coming out!”
“Huh?”
“She’s coming out! Out she comes!”
Little Light kicked her legs twice, her tail flailing around, then dramatically ‘fainted’ in Noia’s embrace.
Noia jumped in surprise and quickly shook Little Light. “Hey! Hey, Little Light, don’t scare me! I’m taking you to—”
“Hahahaha! —”
Before Noia could finish, the next moment, the seemingly ‘unconscious’ Little Light sprang up like a fish out of water.
There she stood, hands on her hips, a smug expression plastered across her face.
Noia was utterly puzzled.
What play was this?
Did she just lose a dare or something?
“Little… Light?” Noia tentatively called out her sister’s name.
“I’m not Little Light! Aurora has fallen asleep, and this body belongs to me now!”
“……”
That phrase sounded eerily familiar.
Is it possible, little sister, that you have some dragon hero rattling around in your head too?
“Don’t spout nonsense, Little Light.”
“Who’s spouting nonsense?”
Little Light struck a somewhat domineering pose, flexing nonexistent biceps, “I’m Aurora’s hidden personality. Unlike the weak little version of her, I am powerful! Full of power!”
Noia was not swayed by this odd proclamation.
She merely kept a straight face, reaching out to press her palm against Little Light’s forehead.
“No fever; why are you talking such nonsense?”
Little Light shook her head, brushing Noia’s hand away.
“I told you I’m Aurora’s hidden personality! Impressive, right?”
Noia crossed her arms, unbothered, “Oh, what’s your name then?”
Little Light froze, “What… what name?”
“You just said you’re different from the weak Aurora, right? So you should have your own name too?”
“Er… emmmm……”
“What? You don’t have one?”
“Who’s to say! Of course I have my own name! I’m called… I’m called—”
Little Light’s brain raced.
Darn it, why was her big sister focusing on such absurd details?
But if she didn’t come up with a name now, her plan would go down the drain.
Little Light wracked her brain and finally stumbled out,
“My name is… ShiKaLi! Yes, ShiKaLi!”
“Oho, you do have a name after all,” Noia said casually.
“What about you?”
Noia shrugged, “What about me?”
“Stop acting! Since we both have mysterious second personalities, I naturally sense yours too, Noia K. Melkway. Let your other self come out and chat!”
Tsk.
If Little Light’s head hadn’t been knocked a bit silly, this behavior could be chalked up to… a case of the classic “chuunibyou.”
But isn’t she a bit too young for that yet?
Mom said only people like Dad can suffer from chronic chuunibyou at any age.
Could it be…
She inherited Dad’s incessant grind;
Moon inherited Dad’s talent;
And Little Light inherited Dad’s chuunibyou?
“I don’t have a second personality, Little Light, and stop messing around.”
She still thought this little fluffball was just putting on a show and didn’t take it seriously.
“I’m not messing around! Come on, let the other one out! I can’t wait to meet a new friend!”
Noia sighed, realizing.
Little Light wasn’t afflicted with chuunibyou, nor had her head gotten scrambled from the fall.
She was still thinking about that “ghost-busting” incident from a few days ago.
Noia should have known; her second sister was a natural airhead, but her little sister wasn’t that easy to fool.
But Noia couldn’t just lay all her cards on the table, or the ancestor in her consciousness space would lecture her again.
So…
Noia had a bright idea forming in her mind.
“Ah… since you caught me, I won’t hide it anymore,” Noia said seriously, looking all earnest.
Little Light’s eyes lit up.
Aha!
She took the bait!
Suppressing her excitement, Little Light maintained a calm tone and asked,
“Good, so what’s your other self’s name?”
“Noah.”
“Not what I asked. I meant the name of your second personality.”
“Hmm, Noah.”
“…… You’re not getting it. Not your name, but your, second, personality’s, name!”
Noia shrugged, “Believe it or not.”
I just told you the truth; if you don’t believe me, that’s on you.
Little Light was slightly losing her cool.
Just when she thought she had a breakthrough, Big Sis went off-script again!
Glancing at Noia’s icy expression, which was eerily reminiscent of Mom’s, Little Light sensed that this tactic might not work anymore.
Big Sis’s earlier act was probably just to humor her.
Little Light sighed internally; it seemed like this would end here.
“Ah, how the time flies when we meet; soon, I must say goodbye to this free world.”
Little Light pretended to be heartbroken, acting all melancholic.
Noia silently watched her sister turn into a dramatic performer.
“May the heavens not give birth to another ShiKaLi; may the second personality last like a long night! Farewell, world!”
With that, the pink fluff laid back dramatically on the floor.
A few seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes, tousled her messy hair, got up from the floor, and looked around, confused, before her gaze landed back on Noia.
“Big sis? What just happened to me?”
Noia grinned, “Oh, nothing much.”
“Oh… if that’s the case, I’ll go find second sis in the backyard then.”
With that, Little Light tried to make a quick exit.
But just as she was about to take a step, Noia called her back.
“Hey, hold on.”
“What is it, big sis?”
Noia’s eyes sparkled, and she continued, “Actually… you just awakened a second personality.”
Little Light blinked, feigning ignorance, “Huh? What’s that?”
“I really don’t know.”
Noia stepped forward, took her little sister’s hand, “But your second personality seemed scary; it might be some kind of condition. We should go find Mom; she might be able to cure you.”
Find Mom.
No way!
Absolutely not!
This was originally a tactic to draw out the snake, but she sure didn’t want to be the one in danger!
Little Light slammed on the brakes, her little tail wagging wildly behind her. “Don’t go find Mom, big sis!”
“But your second personality is really terrifying; if this goes on, I’m worried about your mental state.”
“Erm… it was actually just an act…”
Big Sis didn’t seem like she was joking, so Little Light had to come clean.
“An act? But you were so convincing, Little Light! I’m only doing this for your own good; let’s go.”
“No way, big sis! If Mom finds out, Little Light will end up being called a strange child!”
Seeing that Little Light was finally scared, Noia happily released her grip.
“So, do you dare to act crazy and scare me again in the future?”
Little Light shook her head furiously, “No more! I won’t do it again!”
“Hmph, go play.”
“Thanks for your mercy, big sis!”
Once released, Little Light zipped out of the room.
Noia chuckled to herself,
“Little rascal, you just crashed and burned, huh?”
Though she tricked Little Light this time, what kind of method would work next time?
