Chapter 217: Returning to Kyoto
The day before the fireworks festival.
Sakurai Saki went to Shirogane Miyuki's house, bringing a watermelon, ready to eat it together.
The main reason he dropped by Shirogane's house was because it had been too long since he last contacted Shirogane Kei.
The last time they met was during the Tanabata festival, and it had been over a month since then.
Although Shirogane Miyuki was always on guard against Sakurai Saki, afraid he might make a move on his younger sister, Sakurai really had no such intention. To him, Shirogane Kei was just a cute neighbor girl, and that was all.
He arrived at the Shirogane family's house in Setagaya Ward.
Sakurai Saki knocked on the door.
A moment later, a beautiful silver-haired girl in a cool outfit, with an ice cream bar in her mouth, came out.
"Saki-nii!! Why are you here?" Shirogane Kei said in surprise.
"Where's Shirogane? Is he home?"
"Aniki is lying at home reading manga. He's not working a part-time job today, so he's being lazy as hell." Kei-chan complained about her cheap older brother, "Did Saki-nii come to see him for something?"
Sakurai Saki shook his head, "No, I came to see you."
As he spoke, he held out the watermelon in his hand for her to see.
"Watermelon, let's eat it later. I've already chilled it beforehand."
"Awesome! I like you the best!"
٩(˵˃̶ω˂̶˵)◞*
Although Shirogane Kei was very polite and courteous to outsiders, with Sakurai Saki she was always very warm.
Shirogane Miyuki was always jealous of this, because his younger sister was always enthusiastic toward Sakurai, yet was cold toward her own blood brother.
He felt Kei-chan had entered her rebellious phase.
"Hm? Sakurai, why are you here?" Shirogane Miyuki, having heard his sister's excited voice, came out.
Then, seeing the watermelon in Sakurai's hand: "It's fine that you came, but why bring a watermelon?"
"This thing's pretty expensive, too."
Shirogane Miyuki took the watermelon from his hands. "Did you come to see me for something?"
Sakurai Saki followed Shirogane Miyuki inside, and Shirogane Kei closed the door.
Inside, although the air conditioner wasn't on, it was still fairly cool.
"I just came to see Kei-chan, it's been a while since I last saw her."
That sentence made Miyuki stop in his tracks.
'Came to see my sister?'
( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
He couldn't help but recall Sakurai Saki's scumbag-like words.
In his mind appeared the memory of how this guy had just gotten to know Hayasaka-san while also getting all touchy with Chika in the student council room.
"Hisss~" President Shirogane sucked in a breath of cold air.
"Sakurai, maybe you should stay away from my sister."
Shirogane: (≖_≖ )
Sakurai Saki's face was full of black lines, "Do I look like the kind of scum who would lay a hand on a friend's sister?"
Kei-chan also retorted: "Saki-nii already has a girlfriend, what are you talking about, aniki?"
Shirogane Miyuki sighed, holding the watermelon as he headed to the kitchen to cut it.
"Aniki has been acting weird lately." Kei-chan remarked.
"How so?" Sakurai Saki was a bit curious.
"Aniki's been working part-time all the time lately, even more diligently than last year. I don't even know why." Kei-chan touched her right index finger to her cheek, tilting her head as she spoke.
This pose was very cute, and Sakurai Saki couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.
Little sisters really were adorable creatures—Sakurai also wanted one for himself.
"He probably just has something he wants to buy." Sakurai Saki guessed.
A moment later.
Shirogane Miyuki brought out the watermelon, already cut, into the living room.
"All done." he said as he walked in.
"Oh right, Saki-nii, last time Chika-nee and I went shopping and bought a pretty outfit, do you want to see it?" Kei-chan suddenly asked.
Before Sakurai Saki could say anything, Shirogane Kei had already gone into her room.
"Hey, Sakurai, what exactly were you talking about with my sister?" Shirogane asked with a serious face.
Why was Kei-chan suddenly wanting to change clothes and show him?
"...?" Sakurai Saki's face was full of question marks.
∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ?
Huh? How should I know?
He vaguely replied: "We were talking about you just now."
"About me?" Shirogane could tell from his expression that he wasn't lying.
"You've been working part-time lately to save money. What for?"
Hearing that, Shirogane Miyuki glanced toward Kei-chan's room.
Then he leaned in close to Sakurai Saki's ear and whispered: "Isn't the trip to the beach coming up? I'm planning to buy Kei-chan a swimsuit."
"You're planning to buy Kei-chan a swimsuit!? Are you a pervert or something?" Sakurai Saki exclaimed.
( ˶°ㅁ°) !!
So loudly that he forgot to lower his voice.
"Aniki, what did you just say?!!"
(੭ •̀Д•́ )੭
Hearing that, Kei-chan immediately rushed out of her room.
Then, unable to believe it, she pointed at Shirogane Miyuki.
"I… it's not like that!" Shirogane Miyuki said in grievance, "When the time comes, I'll definitely just give you the money so you can buy it yourself!"
Kei-chan couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.
"You perverted Aniki!"
⁽⁽(੭ꐦ •̀Д•́ )੭*⁾⁾
Saki-nii is still here! What on earth are you talking about with him!?
"Come on~ Kei-chan, don't be mad, Shirogane only meant well." Sakurai Saki stepped in to mediate.
Shirogane Miyuki pointed at Sakurai Saki, unable to utter a single word.
Wasn't this topic something you brought up with me?
Why does it suddenly feel like I'm the one in the wrong here?
"Aniki, you should save your money to buy yourself some summer clothes! It's already summer break and you're still wearing your uniform." Kei-chan spoke in a slightly awkward tone of concern.
"I already have my own savings from pocket money, and I even bought my own swimsuit last time."
With that interruption, Kei-chan no longer felt like changing clothes to show Sakurai Saki.
She had only intended to ask for a male opinion on a few outfits, nothing more.
Her brother's sense of fashion was still stuck in high school, so Shirogane Kei didn't dare ask for his opinion.
After eating watermelon for a while—
Sakurai Saki spoke up: "Tomorrow's the fireworks festival, meeting point is at Shinanomachi Station, don't forget. I'll be going separately with my girlfriend, so I won't be going with you guys."
"Of course I won't forget." Shirogane said, then glanced at Kei-chan, "Kei-chan, are you going?"
Shirogane Kei shook her head, "I've already made plans with Moeha and the others, we'll be going to the fireworks festival at Hamamatsucho. Meiji Jingu's side is too crowded."
Both nodded in understanding.
They chatted a bit more about the fireworks festival.
Suddenly, Sakurai Saki's phone received a message.
It was from the student council group chat.
After reading it, his expression turned serious.
Shirogane Miyuki also saw it, "Shinomiya said she'll be going back to Kyoto, to the Shinomiya family's main house, so she probably won't make it to the fireworks festival tomorrow."
"She also said we should just have fun without her. What should we do?"
Sakurai Saki turned off his phone without saying a word.
"There's more than one fireworks festival. How about we wait for Shinomiya to come back and then find another time?" Shirogane Miyuki suggested.
After speaking, he sighed, "Last time during Tanabata, Shinomiya said she'd go to the fireworks festival with us, but who knew this would happen."
A round trip to Kyoto, even by shinkansen, would take at least ten hours. Even if you took a plane, which was faster, the travel time wouldn't be short.
Not to mention the exhaustion from traveling—by the time the fireworks started, she might not even be in the mood to enjoy them.
"But, you and Hayasaka-san probably won't be affected, you can still go together. As for Secretary Chika and Ishigami, I'm not sure."
"Umu." Sakurai Saki replied.
Go to the fireworks festival, huh?
Ai-chan would definitely be dragged to Kyoto by Shinomiya Kaguya too, since she was Kaguya's close maid!
'Kaguya, it's fine if you go back, but why drag my girlfriend along too? You coward.'
Sakurai Saki silently cursed Kaguya a few times, then opened an app on his phone to book tickets.
"Sakurai, what are you doing?"
"Going to Kyoto."
"Huh?!" Shirogane Miyuki was stunned, "Why are you going there?"
This guy… don't tell me he's not even going to spare Shinomiya?
"Don't think nonsense, I'm going to visit my mom. She said she misses me." Sakurai Saki explained.
This wasn't a lie—recently, Jinguuji Tamaki had been constantly asking him —[Baby, why haven't you come back yet? Mama misses you so much~]
Tamaki: (இ﹏இ`｡)
At that time, Sakurai Saki had been participating in a kendo tournament, so of course he couldn't go back.
Originally, he had planned to go back for a visit after the fireworks festival, but this time it was just convenient timing.
"I see."
Shirogane Miyuki also recalled Sakurai's mother, the woman with a beauty mark at the corner of her eye, whose beauty was so stunning she didn't seem like a mortal.
"You guys go ahead and keep eating, I'll head out first."
As Sakurai Saki spoke, he smiled at Kei-chan, "Sorry, Kei-chan, I could only stay for an hour today."
Shirogane Kei blushed and said, "It's fine."
Seeing this, Miyuki quickly pushed Sakurai Saki away, "Go on, and it'd be best if you don't come back. Stay away from my sister!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Sakurai Saki replied perfunctorily.
This sis-con… hopefully, when the day comes that Kei-chan gets a boyfriend, he won't start bawling.