The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the living room. Asahi sat comfortably on Aiko's lap, his cheeks slightly flushed from the attention he was receiving. Aiko, ever the affectionate one, was determined to hear those three special words from him.
"A-Chan," she cooed, gently ruffling his hair, "do you love me?"
Asahi looked up, his expression thoughtful. "I love Onii-chan," he replied earnestly.
Aiko pouted, her lower lip trembling dramatically. "But what about me? I'm soft and cuddly!"
Asahi giggled, "You're soft, Ama-Chan, but Onii-chan is the best!"
Yuki, observing the scene, couldn't help but chuckle. "Classic tsundere behavior," he remarked, referencing the trope of characters who hide their true feelings behind a tough exterior.
"Don't spoil the brat too much," she warned.
Shin, sipping his tea, chuckled. "Looks like Aiko's got some competition."
Determined, Aiko decided to up her game. She pulled out a pair of cat ears and placed them on her head. "Meow~ A-Chan, do you love me now?"
Asahi burst into laughter. "Ama-Chan, you're funny!"
Not one to give up, Aiko tried various tactics: performing a dance reminiscent of the "Hare Hare Yukai" from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya," mimicking scenes from "Gintama," and even attempting a magical girl transformation pose. Each attempt was met with giggles from Asahi but no declaration of love.
Yuki leaned over to Shin, whispering, "She's pulling out all the stops."
Shin nodded, amused. "She's determined."
Ai, watching the antics, shook her head with a smile. "At this rate, she'll exhaust herself before he says anything."
Finally, Aiko sat down, feigning defeat. "I guess A-Chan doesn't love me," she sighed dramatically.
Asahi looked up, concerned. "I do love you, Ama-Chan."
Aiko's eyes sparkled. "Really?"
Asahi nodded. "Yes, but Onii-chan is still my favorite."
Aiko froze for a beat, her eyes widening like twin saucers before shimmering with stars. Asahi's sweet, innocent voice echoed in her head on repeat:
"I do love you, Ama-Chan."
"A-Chan...!" Aiko practically squealed, throwing her arms around the tiny boy and dragging him right back onto her lap before he could even breathe. "Say it again! Say it again! One more time!!"
Asahi blinked. "I love you, Ama-Chan," he repeated shyly, but he was giggling now, face scrunching up with that adorable grin that made him look like a doll.
Aiko's heart nearly burst.
"KYAAAAH! A-Chan loves me!!! He said he loves me!! I-I... I can't! This is too much! My heart's doing backflips!!"
With zero hesitation, she pulled him closer until his face was buried against her chest again.
"These are yours now, A-Chan!" she declared with a teary dramatic sniffle, arms locking tightly around him like he was the last stuffed animal in existence. "Your personal love pillows!"
"Ama-Chan," Asahi giggled against her, his muffled voice full of pure joy, "it's squishy!"
"That's because it's filled with love, you adorable fluff muffin!!" Aiko nuzzled her cheek against his, raining kisses along his temple, forehead, and every bit of skin she could reach. "I love you soooo much! You're the cutest, sweetest, dearest little brother friend person ever created by the gods of kawaii!!"
Yuki, still perched at the edge of the couch, flinched from secondhand embarrassment. "Someone help the poor boy, he's going to drown in affection."
Ai crossed her arms with an amused smirk. "Don't spoil the brat into uselessness, Haa-Onee-Chan. We still need him to clean up after snack time."
Asahi peeked out from the cleavage cocoon Aiko had tucked him into. "I can't move."
"You don't need to move!" Aiko sniffled dramatically. "You just need to exist!"
Shin, leaning casually against the wall, raised an eyebrow and subtly pointed toward Aiko's chest.
"Oi. That's mine, remember? Don't go handing it out like it's free dessert samples."
Aiko stuck her tongue out at him. "Just lending it to the most precious creature on earth! I'll return it to you later, promise~"
"You better," Shin teased, sipping from his mug. "I got a subscription to those love pillows. Exclusive membership."
Yuki nearly choked on a rice cracker. "Gross!"
Ai just shook her head, though the corner of her mouth twitched. "It's way too early in the morning for subscription boob jokes."
Meanwhile, Aiko continued her cuddling rampage.
"A-Chan, did I tell you your eyes are like tiny galaxies of baby animal cuteness? Because they are! I could stare into them forever and still want to kiss your cheeks after every blink!"
Asahi was laughing uncontrollably now, caught in a storm of affection, tiny feet kicking as Aiko smooshed him to her.
"Ama-Chan, you're so silly!"
"And you're so perfect! I bet even kittens are jealous of you. You're so squishy, you make mochi cry in shame!"
Shin smirked. "She's really going off today."
"You think?" Ai muttered. "It's like watching a rom-com and a Saturday morning cartoon crash into each other."
"More like a shoujo anime with a caffeine problem," Yuki added with a twitching smile.
Asahi looked up between giggles. "Ama-Chan, you're funny and warm. But I still wanna marry Onii-chan."
Aiko gasped. "Traitor! I poured all this love into you, and you're giving your heart away?!"
"Can I marry both?" Asahi asked innocently.
Shin leaned forward. "Buddy, that's a dangerous path. I already have my hands full with Ama-Chan and Yuki, and don't get me started on Ai."
Yuki squeaked. "Why are you dragging me into this? I'm not the one squeezing him to death!"
Shin gave Yuki a sly look. "You belong to me too, remember? So don't get too smug."
Yuki turned beet red and looked away. "Y-you don't have to say it so casually, idiot!"
Ai rolled her eyes but had a small smirk as she popped a snack into her mouth.
"This whole house is a circus."
"A loving circus!" Aiko sang, spinning Asahi lightly in her lap as he clung to her. "Full of love and snuggles and drama and fluff!"
"More like a drama CD that never ends," Yuki muttered, cheeks still burning.
Aiko squished Asahi's cheeks between her palms and kissed his nose. "Say you love me one more time!"
"I love you, Ama-Chan!" he giggled.
She threw her head back like she'd been blessed by the heavens. "YESSS! Triple combo win!!" She pressed him back into her chest. "Your giggles are like music, A-Chan!"
"My lungs!" he wheezed playfully, though he looked blissfully happy.
And as Shin laughed softly, setting his mug down, Ai leaned on his shoulder, and Yuki curled up beside them on the couch, the room settled into a warm, chaotic calm. Aiko's dramatic lovefest finally started to slow, Asahi resting his head on her chest with a content sigh.
"Heh... soft," he mumbled.
Aiko beamed, pressing a final kiss to his hair. "Best day ever."
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END OF CHAPTER : 150 : OPERATION: WIN A-CHAN'S HEART!
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