"Nn—ngh!"
Mitsuha struggled to pull her leg free from between Haruto's legs but failed. Frustrated, she glared angrily at him.
Across the dinner table, Haruto continued eating calmly, seemingly unfazed by Mitsuha's "vicious" glare. It was as if nothing had happened.
Sitting beside Mitsuha, Yotsuha glanced at her sister for a moment, then at the composed Haruto. Choosing not to intervene, she quietly finished the last bite of rice in her bowl and set down her chopsticks.
"Yotsuha, that's all you're eating?"
"Yeah, I'm not like my big sister."
Throwing a casual jab at her sister, Yotsuha slipped off her chair, walked to the living room, turned on the TV, and began watching quietly on the sofa.
"I—ngh!"
Just as Mitsuha was about to respond, her eyes caught Haruto's calm gaze across the table. Her face flushed red, but then Haruto gave her a soft smile and finally released her leg. Mitsuha, who had nearly given up, blinked in surprise and, seeing him resume eating like nothing happened, didn't pursue the matter any further.
"Hmph... whatever."
From that point on, she made no more moves until the meal ended. Afterwards, the cleanup was left to Haruto and Mitsuha, while Sekai and Setsuna went to rest. The siblings worked together without much friction.
"You do the washing."
"Then bring the dishes over and wipe the table too."
"Got it."
Mitsuha gathered the dishes from the table and placed them in the sink. After letting them soak for a bit, Haruto began washing them. Once all the dishes were done, Mitsuha wiped down the table surface.
Meanwhile, on the sofa, Sekai turned to Yotsuha, curious about the dynamic between the siblings.
"Yotsuha, have Mitsuha and Haruto always been like that?"
Yotsuha glanced at them, then answered casually.
"They used to be a bit closer. But after Onii-chan moved to Tokyo, she started getting mad at him a lot. But... I don't think she hates him."
"So she's upset because he left for Tokyo?"
Yotsuha, who watched a lot of TV dramas, had picked up a superficial understanding of relationships. She shook her head decisively.
"No, she's just angry because she can't be with him."
"..."
Sekai paused, as though struck by the weight of that realization. She looked again at the two siblings—how naturally they moved together. One washed dishes, the other dried and put them away. The coordination was effortless. That wasn't how people who hated each other behaved.
Setsuna, who had long sensed something like this, simply listened in silence.
Once cleanup was finished, the five of them spent some time watching TV. They bathed in three groups—Mitsuha and Yotsuha, then Setsuna and Sekai, and finally Haruto.
After bathing, Haruto returned to the living room in his sleepwear. He sat beside Setsuna, and Mitsuha sat on his other side. The moment she saw him, her gaze paused on his face.
"Is there something on my face?"
"Your hair's still wet."
"Blow-drying isn't good for your hair. It'll dry on its own. Not like it's winter."
"But the water's dripping down."
Mitsuha stood up, left the room briefly, and came back with a towel. Without a word, she draped it over Haruto's head and started drying his hair.
"Didn't you say you were going to grow your hair out?"
"Still in school—can't really do that freely."
Haruto tried to reach up and dry it himself but was firmly swatted away by Mitsuha, though her touch grew gentler.
"Easy there. I'd rather not go bald this young."
"That was gentle."
Watching the pair's interaction from beside them, Setsuna felt a subtle, unfamiliar emotion rise in her chest. She had never wiped Haruto's hair before. Maybe she'd get a chance when they returned to Tokyo.
Sekai also noted Setsuna's expression and quietly filed it away.
"By the way, Yotsuha."
Haruto turned to the younger sister, who was hugging her knees while watching TV.
"What is it?"
"When I go back to Tokyo soon, do you want to come with me?"
"To-Tokyo? With Mom?"
"No, just you and Mitsuha. You'd stay at my place for a bit."
"Your apartment's way too small. And that bed—did you ever buy a new one?"
Hearing Tokyo brought up, Mitsuha recalled her time there and paused her hand. She looked at her brother.
"Nope."
"Seriously?"
"It's not that small. The two of you can sleep together just fine."
"You always do this..."
"What about Mom?"
"She's staying to take care of Grandma. Just the two of you this time."
"For how long?"
"About a week. I'll bring you both back after."
Yotsuha went quiet, clearly in a dilemma. She'd never been far from Itomori—Nagoya was the farthest she'd ever gone.
Now she was being asked to go to Tokyo, Japan's biggest city, the one Mitsuha had always dreamed of visiting. Yet rather than excitement, Yotsuha felt mostly anxiety and unease.
"I... don't know."
She was curious—but more than that, she was worried. She had always been taught to be cautious of the unfamiliar. Unlike Mitsuha, Yotsuha had no particular longing for the outside world. She preferred the safety of her small, known world.
Seeing her hesitate, Haruto didn't pressure her. He glanced at Mitsuha's subtly worried gaze, then back at Yotsuha who was staring at her knees.
"There's a girl in Tokyo named Yotsuha, too. She's my classmate. Want to meet her?"
"Yotsuha?"
"Yeah."
"Same name?"
"Hmm."
Yotsuha's eyes lit up with curiosity as she looked at Haruto. She was clearly intrigued by this "Tokyo Yotsuha" he'd just mentioned.
"But… is it okay? With Mom and Grandma staying here?"
"It's only for a week. We'll be back before you know it."
"Mm... okay."
Driven by curiosity, Yotsuha finally nodded and accepted Haruto's invitation. A subtle look of relief appeared on Mitsuha's face as she sat nearby. The idea of going alone with Haruto to Tokyo had made her feel awkward—though she couldn't quite explain why. But with her younger sister accompanying her, the unease melted away.
The five of them stayed up watching TV in the living room until late. As the youngest, Yotsuha couldn't stay up too long. She yawned and went back to her room around 9 PM. Mitsuha managed to stay awake until about 11 before giving in to sleep.
The remaining three—Haruto, Sekai, and Setsuna—who had rested earlier in the day, weren't sleepy yet. They sat close together in front of the TV, enjoying the late-night quiet.
Haruto lay back with his head resting on Setsuna's lap, while Sekai leaned against his side. The pose was clearly intimate—one that would raise questions under normal circumstances.
Just then, light footsteps echoed down the stairs.
Sekai jolted upright, suddenly tense.
Step. Step. Step…
It was Futaba, coming down to get a glass of water. She spotted the three still awake in front of the TV. Her eyes lingered momentarily on Sekai, then flicked toward Haruto, who seemed unfazed.
There was a clear sense of awkwardness in the air—but Futaba said nothing. She simply shook her head, took her glass of water, reminded Haruto to sleep soon, and went back upstairs.
"Phew... Do you think she noticed?" Sekai whispered after a moment, lowering her voice as if the silence might still carry sound.
"Your reaction was way too stiff," Haruto replied with a soft chuckle. "She definitely noticed—but it didn't seem like she cared that much."
Watching her with a complex expression, Haruto felt slightly conflicted. He'd expected his mother to give him a lecture or at least a pointed remark—but she had simply let it go.
"Is that okay?" Sekai asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Probably. Anyway, it's getting late. I'm heading to bed."
"Then I'll—"
"I'll come too," Setsuna added quickly.
Haruto stood up, and the three of them quietly left the living room and returned to their rooms.
The next day—Haruto's fourth day back home—he finally ran into someone he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Haruto-nii !" came a familiar voice.
Standing at the door was Sayaka, her eyes bright. She looked noticeably more grown-up than he remembered.
"It's been a while, Sayaka," Haruto greeted her with a smile. "You've really changed since I left Itomori—you look more energetic and full of life."
Sayaka's cheeks flushed pink at the compliment. "R-Really? I have?"
She glanced at Mitsuha, hoping for confirmation.
Haruto had known Sayaka well back in his hometown. She used to visit their house often after school, usually looking for Mitsuha. While he understood her feelings to some degree, he had always kept a respectful distance. She was Mitsuha's close friend, and he'd never shown any sign of romantic interest.
After he left Itomori, they'd lost contact. He heard from Mitsuha that Sayaka had also came to his home, but due to their conflicting schedules, the two hadn't seen each other.
"I don't think I've changed that much…" Sayaka said, a little flustered but clearly pleased.
"Oh, Sayaka," Mitsuha chimed in casually. "What brings you here?"
"Do I look more… mature now?" Sayaka asked eagerly.
"Huh? Mature?" Mitsuha glanced at her friend, then looked back at Haruto. After a short pause, she replied flatly, "Not really. You're the same as ever."
"Whaaat…?"
Sayaka's shoulders slumped. But then again—if Haruto had still said she looked great, maybe… just maybe… he did care about her, even just a little.
Her heart fluttered at the thought.
_ _ _ _ _
"Are you going out today?"
Haruto glanced at his sister, eyes resting briefly on Mitsuha's outfit. Though she was no longer in pajamas, her clothes were still pretty casual—a simple white T-shirt and denim shorts.
"What are you staring at? I'm not going anywhere," Mitsuha said with a sigh. "There's nowhere to go in this boring little town anyway."
Grumbling about how uneventful life in Itomori was, she sat down at the table. Sayaka joined her, settling into the seat beside Mitsuha. Haruto, being a decent host, poured Sayaka a cup of tea.
"What about mine?" Mitsuha asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Get it yourself," Haruto replied without missing a beat.
"You're so mean!"
"I'm heading back to my room. You'll have to entertain Sayaka on your own." he added, waving a hand as he walked off toward the hallway.
Mitsuha pouted, muttering under her breath as she watched her brother disappear. Her gaze drifted down to the table—bare, empty, dull. She sighed and slumped forward, resting her cheek on the surface.
"So boring… I don't even know what to do anymore."
Sayaka leaned in, her voice curious. "By the way, Haruto-nii's back… but where's that girlfriend of his? I haven't seen her."
"Hm? Probably in his room," Mitsuha said offhandedly.
"H-His room?!" Sayaka's voice shot up.
Her mind raced. Images she definitely shouldn't be thinking about started surfacing—fuzzy, censored visuals inspired by those adult magazines and videos she had once accidentally discovered while snooping in her parents' bedroom. Her cheeks turned a bright shade of red as her imagination ran wild.
~~~~~~~~~~
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