Driving back to her apartment, Yukino struggled a little as she carried five large shopping bags and unlocked the door.
The moment she opened it, a familiar voice greeted her.
"Yukino, you're finally back?"
"...Nee-san?" Yukino blinked in surprise. "Why are you here? You didn't even call."
Haruno rose from the sofa and walked to the entryway with a smile. "I got off work late today and only just arrived. I thought you'd be home already, but you only just got back. Hm? Did you go shopping for clothes? By yourself?"
"Not alone. I went with Onii-san and Utaha-senpai."
"Ahhh~~ so with little Ichin and Utaha."
Haruno nodded knowingly, then let out a mock sigh. "So you went shopping without me? Is the little sister really more favored than the big sister?"
Ignoring her sister's nonsense, Yukino changed into slippers, carried the bags inside, and greeted the cats one by one, a relieved smile spreading across her face.
Once she made sure they had eaten properly, she went to the kitchen for a glass of water.
When she came back out, she found Haruno rummaging through her shopping bags.
"Nice clothes," Haruno said with a grin, holding up a jacket. "You picked this out yourself?"
"I chose some, and Onii-san and Utaha-senpai gave their opinions too. I'm quite happy with everything I bought today."
"Mmm, very good choices. Let me guess—Ichin paid, didn't he?"
Yukino blinked in surprise. "How did you know?"
Putting the clothes back, Haruno said matter-of-factly, "Of course he did. Maybe before, no—but now? You're his little sister. If he takes you and Utaha shopping, of course he'll pay. You know his personality. He's always good to the people he considers family."
Yukino nodded in agreement. Even before, Ichin had always treated her and Eriri kindly as juniors—let alone now.
Putting the bags away, Yukino got ready for a shower. It was already late, and she had class tomorrow.
---
Tuesday Morning.
Ichin yawned, rubbed his back, and slid into the driver's seat.
Last night, he'd done well picking clothes for Utaha, and she had given him a very stimulating reward. As a result, his sleep was a bit short. Combined with his recent lack of exercise, he was feeling tired.
Yes—he definitely needed to start working out again.
In the passenger seat, Utaha looked equally sleepy as she buckled up. "Honestly, Eriri could've just gone to school on her own. Did she really have to hitch a ride? I could've slept an extra hour."
That morning, Eriri's parents had left early for work, before she was even awake.
The Sawamuras had never thought to arrange a chauffeur for her. Back in high school, if her parents couldn't drive her, she simply used public transport.
But today, she had called Ichin directly, asking for a ride.
Considering she had class first period and the timing, Ichin had agreed.
Taking a sip from his thermos of coffee, he started the car. "It's fine. It's not like this happens often. We'll just pick her up. Yukino's free too, but she's taking Haruno-nee somewhere this morning, so she couldn't help. Might as well, since we're passing the Sawamura place. Utaha, you can nap a little on the way."
"Aren't you tired, Ichin?"
"I'm fine. Coffee will do. Besides, I don't have class first period this afternoon—I can catch up on sleep later."
That was the good thing about university. With gaps in the schedule, you could use the time however you liked—even for a nap.
They drove to the Sawamura villa, where Eriri was already waiting.
She hopped into the backseat, smiling brightly. "Thanks for the ride! Dinner's on me tonight!"
Now that was considerate.
Since she offered, Utaha let go of her irritation about the morning call.
After all, getting a free meal out of Eriri was rare—it was worth the trouble.
After dropping her at campus, Ichin and Utaha headed for Todai.
Carrying her bag, Eriri checked the time and let out a sigh of relief. "Good thing I asked Ichin for help. Otherwise I'd have to make breakfast and wait for a bus—I'd never make it. Taxis aren't reliable either."
Relieved, she stepped onto campus—only to spot two classmates staring curiously at her from the gate.
"Eriri, who was that guy who dropped you off just now?"
"I saw him—total hottie! Is he your boyfriend?!"
Eriri waved her hands frantically. "No, no! He's just a senpai and a friend. My mom couldn't drive me today, and I overslept, so I asked him for help. Besides, it wasn't just me—his girlfriend was in the car too. Don't spread weird rumors. Anyway, let's hurry, class is about to start."
Hearing he wasn't her boyfriend—and that he already had a girlfriend—the two girls instantly lost interest and walked in with her.
Much like Yukino, Eriri quickly gained attention at Tokyo University of the Arts. Her looks and talent made her a well-known figure among the freshmen in the fine arts department.
But unlike Yukino, whose family was prominent in Chiba, Eriri's family was established right in Tokyo. Not long after enrollment, some upperclassmen who knew her background had quietly spread the word about her well-off household. That alone discouraged many boys who had been hoping to approach her.
And since Eriri always went straight home or to the company after class, suitors at school rarely even had a chance to see her.
In class, she pulled out her textbook for the first period: Art History.
It was one of her least favorite subjects. Too much memorization—her worst area.
Once everything was ready, she half-listened to the chatter of the other girls, mostly gossip about which senior boys were handsome or who was being confessed to.
With so many girls in the class, gossip was never in short supply.
Handsome guys, huh...
Eriri rested her chin on her hand, uninterested. Instead, her mind drifted to the work she hadn't finished yet.
Even though she'd delegated some tasks because of school, there were still key jobs that only she could handle.
*