Futaba was aware that Sekai and Setsuna were sleeping in Haruto's room. She hadn't pursued the matter deeply, though—given that the guest room didn't have an air conditioner, it would've been unbearable in this heat. As long as everyone was comfortable, she let it slide.
Still, as their conversation wound down that evening, she gave Haruto a gentle but clear reminder: Be mindful.
—
Back in her own room, Mitsuha lay flat on the bed, staring up at the ceiling with a sulky look on her face. Yotsuha had returned with her, getting ready for a bath.
"Ugh, so boring," Mitsuha muttered. "Feels just like before he came back. Nothing interesting ever happens. Hey, Yotsuha—"
"Don't go all weird on me right now."
The youngest sibling glanced at her older sister and began gathering her clothes, heading toward the bathroom. She'd just gotten back from a trip to Hida, where she met their father, and after such a draining day, all she wanted was to relax and sleep early.
"Come on, how was it? Meeting father, I mean."
"What do you mean how was it? He's our father. What am I supposed to feel?"
"I dunno, he and Haruto are weirdly similar. I mean—how do they both manage to keep the same expression all day long? I could never do that."
Yotsuha could face their father, Miyamizu Toshiki, with some level of calm. Mitsuha, on the other hand, couldn't stand him. He was always lecturing, nitpicking over posture or manners. She'd learned to avoid him whenever possible.
"You're the same, you know," Yotsuha shot back.
"What, because they're both men, so they act alike?"
"You and Mom are both women, but you're nothing like her. She's always gentle."
"How dare you! You're my little sister—where's your respect? Don't push it, shrimp!"
"When I grow up, I'll be taller than you."
"We'll see. Right now you're just a tiny kid."
Mitsuha stood up and left the room in a huff, leaving Yotsuha behind to finish gathering her clothes. The younger sister quickly put their clothes behind her and left for the bathroom.
—
Mitsuha found herself standing outside Haruto's room.
She didn't even know why her steps had suddenly gone so quiet—she'd instinctively started tiptoeing. The door was slightly ajar. She peeked through the gap and saw two familiar silhouettes inside—but Haruto was nowhere to be seen.
A shadow loomed behind her. A hand reached out and gently poked her shoulder.
"Eeek!"
Startled, Mitsuha jolted like a frightened cat, spinning around. Her eyes met Haruto's calm, somewhat exasperated gaze.
"What're you doing?" he asked. "Creeping outside my room like that. Were you spying?"
"No—I was just passing by, and the door was open, so I got curious, that's all!"
"And you just happened to squat down and stare inside for who knows how long?"
"..."
He casually toweled off his damp hair, still dripping from his bath. Mitsuha didn't reply, her expression suddenly deflated. Without a word, he reached out and roughly ruffled her hair.
"Hey! What was that for?!"
His hand had tugged a bit too hard—it even hurt a little. Mitsuha glared at him, fuming.
"That gloomy face doesn't suit you at all," he said. "Come on, get inside."
"..."
Though she looked reluctant, Mitsuha let herself be tugged into the room by the arm. Sekai and Setsuna, who had clearly heard everything outside the door, weren't surprised when the two walked in.
"Mitsuha?"
"Haruto and Mitsuha?"
Mitsuha quickly looked away, unable to meet their eyes. Her guilt over spying still lingered.
"I ran into Mitsuha in the hall. She looked bored, so I brought her in. Figured we could all think about what to do tonight."
"Do what?" Mitsuha asked, confused.
"Nothing in particular. Just didn't want the evening to be wasted. Since we're all here, we might as well find something fun to do."
"Shouldn't we call Yotsuha too?"
"Then you go fetch her."
"She was just about to take a bath. It'll probably take a while."
Mitsuha recalled seeing Yotsuha grabbing clothes earlier—yeah, she'd be in the bathroom for a bit.
"Alright, we'll get her later. For now, let's think. We've got hours to kill before bed. Just chatting until we fall asleep sounds... kind of sad."
"Ghost stories?" Mitsuha suggested.
Silence fell.
Haruto didn't seem to mind, but Sekai looked visibly uneasy.
"Let's not," Sekai said. "It's just us four, and it doesn't feel like the right vibe."
"Haruto."
Setsuna didn't say anything more—but just the way she looked at him spoke volumes.
' I want to sleep with you tonight.'
But with Sekai still here, that was definitely not ideal. If it turned into a three-person situation again… things could get messy. Especially if Mitsuha started spying again like she just did.
"Do we have any playing cards?" Haruto asked, turning toward his sister.
"Cards… like Hanafuda?"
"Hanafuda... wow, I haven't played in forever. I barely remember the rules. What about you two?" he asked, looking at Sekai and Setsuna.
They both shook their heads.
"I've heard of it, but never played," said Sekai.
"Same here," Setsuna added.
They'd seen people playing Hanafuda back in elementary school, but by junior high, everyone had moved on to more trendy, modern interests. Anyone bringing up traditional games like Hanafuda was looked at like an antique.
"Anything else?"
"Why am I the only one thinking here?" Mitsuha grumbled. "Don't you have any ideas?"
"Not really."
Haruto hadn't thought that far ahead. During the trip back home, his focus had been elsewhere. Now that everything had settled down, he realized they had no plans.
"Back then, I usually just watched whatever was on TV, or read in my room. Studied until late, then went to bed."
Thinking back on his elementary and middle school days, he was honestly surprised that he'd never become nearsighted. With all that late-night reading, his vision had somehow stayed perfect. It still seemed miraculous.
"Then again," he mused aloud, "it doesn't have to be a game…"
Haruto shifted his gaze toward Mitsuha, who was still racking her brain for some kind of game they could all play. The intensity of his stare sent a chill down her spine. Sensing something ominous, Mitsuha tried to slip away—but before she could take a step, Haruto's firm hands were already resting on her shoulders.
"Mitsuha, aren't you planning to go to school in Tokyo soon? I don't think I've even asked how your grades are. Will you be able to keep up once you're there?"
"My grades are... obviously... well... cough, they're okay!"
"Let me take a look."
"No way!"
Pinned in place by Haruto's grip, Mitsuha tried to stomp on his foot in protest—but the height difference gave him the upper hand. He easily sidestepped her half-hearted assault, all while keeping that maddeningly smug smile on his face.
"You're not letting go, I'll call Mom!"
"If you can call her."
"Grrrr..."
But she knew full well—if she really screamed, the one who'd get scolded first would likely be her. She glared up at him, cheeks puffed in indignation.
"If you're serious about going to school in Tokyo, you should start prepping now. Bring your textbooks and homework. With the three of us helping, what's there to complain about?"
"Ugh."
Though clearly annoyed, Mitsuha knew he meant well. With a heavy sigh, she finally relented.
"Fine, whatever."
As Haruto released his grip, Mitsuha quietly returned to her room. Soon, she came back carrying her textbooks, notebooks, and pencil case, and sat herself down at his desk—resigned to her fate. Meanwhile, Haruto, Sekai, and Setsuna circled around her with oddly enthusiastic smiles.
"..."
Feeling like a frog surrounded by snakes, Mitsuha tried to suppress her growing dread as she opened her textbook.
—
Yotsuha, having finished her bath, came looking for her sister only to find her absent from their room. Curious, she wandered over to Haruto's room—and froze in the doorway.
What she saw was an inexplicably terrifying scene: the three older teens closing in on Mitsuha, who sat stiff and pale, being "tutored" under psychological stress. Eyes wide, Yotsuha remained rooted at the door for ten whole minutes, too stunned to even breathe.
Eventually, she tiptoed away without a sound, slipping back to her room like a shadow. Curling up under the covers, her small frame trembled as though she'd seen something dangerous.
—
Back in Haruto's room, Mitsuha was slumped over her workbook, eyes blurry with exhaustion. Her mind had long since stopped functioning.
"I'm so tired... I can't go on."
"Let's stop for tonight," Haruto said. "Review what you learned, and we'll pick up again tomorrow. We've got time, so use it wisely."
"..."
Mitsuha didn't even argue anymore. Her shoulders sagged in defeat as she stood up and left the room—leaving behind her books and even her pencil case. She just wanted to collapse somewhere that didn't smell like eraser shavings and despair.
Once she was gone, Haruto turned toward the two girls who looked equally drained.
"Let's get to bed early tonight."
With that, he lay down on his futon, his hair now dry, pulled up the blanket, and closed his eyes.
They'd spent the whole afternoon out and about, so everyone was worn out. Following his lead, Sekai and Setsuna also lay down and quietly drifted off.
—
Mitsuha returned to her room to find Yotsuha already asleep. She walked over to her own bed, pulled the blanket back, and sat down wearily. Her mind was still foggy and overworked.
"She's already asleep... Guess I should, too."
She glanced at the dim yellow light above but couldn't be bothered to turn it off. Instead, she let herself fall sideways into the covers—and immediately sank into slumber.
—
"Apologize."
"It was just an accident. He drank too much. No need to hold a grudge, little Haruto."
Mitsuha remembered hiding behind their grandmother, peeking out fearfully at the scene playing out under the shrine's lanterns. A drunken man was arguing with the adults, disrupting the sacred festival.
Tears welled in her young eyes.
"Big brother…"
Eventually, the commotion was subdued. The drunken man, guided by the adults, bowed apologetically to little Mitsuha and Yotsuha. Amidst the murmurs, Haruto stepped forward, gently patting Mitsuha on the head with a calm smile.
"Don't worry. I'm here."
That image of his quiet smile was etched into Mitsuha's heart.
"Brother… big brother..."
Yotsuha, now awake, looked over at her sister murmuring in her sleep. With a sigh, she pulled the covers tighter around herself and covered her ears.
"Here we go again… Always calling 'brother' in her sleep, acting like she hates him the rest of the time."
Unable to endure the soft torment of her sister's nighttime affection, Yotsuha got up, dressed quietly, and left the room.
—
When Mitsuha finally woke up, she noticed that her pillow felt strangely damp. Blinking blearily, she sat up, touched her cheek, then wiped her lips—
Her eyes shot open in horror.
She grabbed some tissues from her desk and hurriedly wiped her face. Then she stared down at the soaked pillow in disbelief.
"What kind of dream was I even having last night…?"
~~~~~~~~~~
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