Osoraku Kanojo wa Ore no Aniki o Neratteru

For a cynical high school boy, trust is a currency he no longer possesses. Burned too many times by the duplicity of girls who feigned interest in him solely to get closer to his effortlessly handsome older brother, he has constructed a fortress around his heart, swearing off romance entirely. Every smile and kind gesture has proven to be a calculated step toward his sibling, a painful pattern that has left him wary and isolated in the bustling hallways of his school life. The fragile peace of his self-imposed solitude, however, is shattered with the persistent approach of a popular and pretty classmate. She begins to seek him out, striking up conversations and bridging the gap he has so carefully maintained. His defenses immediately snap into place, his mind screaming the familiar warning: she is just like the rest. Yet, her attention lingers, carrying a warmth that doesn't seem to seek his brother’s shadow. The question now burns within him with agonizing uncertainty: is this girl's interest just another sophisticated charade for his brother's affection, or could it be that, for the first time, she actually sees *him*?