Screech!
After the train braked, the wheels scraped against the rails with a sharp, piercing squeal before finally stopping at a rural station.
"Attention passengers, Asahigaoka has arrived!"
The driver sitting in the front picked up the microphone, his voice spreading through the broadcast system into the tiny two-car train.
"Kanna!"
"Yeah!"
Kanna stood up from her seat beside Sato and got off together with him.
Not long after, the train departed, leaving behind two figures standing on the empty countryside platform.
Sato carried a suitcase while Kanna followed beside him with anticipation filling her eyes. She looked up at him and asked, "Sato, can I see Ren-chan now?"
"Mm!"
He smiled and rubbed Kanna's head, then glanced around. All around them were mountains without a trace of human presence. If they waited for a bus, who knew how long it would take.
"Kanna, let's fly back."
"Mm!"
Sato cast an invisibility spell on both of them, and the next second they rose into the air together.
...
Spring break in Japan lasted around two or three weeks, more than half a month in total. It could be called the longest holiday, so Sato took the opportunity to return home as well.
The morning of his second day back.
The sun had only just risen over the eastern mountains when Sato, who was changing clothes, heard a somewhat familiar voice.
"Sato oniichan! Kanna-chan!"
Thunk thunk thunk!
Hurried footsteps came from the hallway, sounding as though someone was running downstairs. The footsteps grew farther and farther away until they reached the first floor.
Soon after, delighted greetings came from the entrance.
"Ren-chan!"
"Kanna-chan!"
Sato poked his head out the window toward the front of his house and immediately saw a huge crowd gathered there.
The Koshigaya sisters from the Koshigaya family, Koshigaya Komari and Koshigaya Natsumi, the Miyauchi sisters from the Miyauchi family, Miyauchi Renge and Miyauchi Hikage, his childhood friend Fujimiya Konomi, and Ichijou Hotaru, the junior who had only moved here not long ago.
"Hey! Sato oniichan! Stop sleeping already! Come out and play with us!"
Koshigaya Natsumi spotted Sato sticking his head out and waved while shouting loudly.
"I'm already up, give me a second!"
Not long later, Sato came outside as well. Looking at the group of girls in front of him with some surprise, he asked, "Why did everyone come over?"
"I heard from Konomi-oneesan that oniichan came back, so I called Komari and the others to come too."
Miyauchi Renge looked up at Sato and answered honestly.
Sato deliberately darkened his expression and stared at Miyauchi Renge as he questioned her, "Hm hm, I don't think Ren came to see me at all. You came to see Kanna-chan instead, didn't you?"
"Ugh..."
Miyauchi Renge hesitated speechlessly, seemingly embarrassed after having her thoughts exposed.
At that moment she was standing side by side with Kanna, their hands tightly clasped together. It was obvious the two of them were very close.
"Hey! Sato, don't start bullying my imouto the moment you come back!"
Miyauchi Hikage, wearing a side ponytail, raised an eyebrow at Sato, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
She glared at him with dissatisfaction and said, "Didn't you say during summer vacation that you'd come hang out with me whenever you had time? But I didn't see you even once the whole semester, and Tokyo and Chiba aren't even that far apart!"
After thinking about it, Sato realized he really had forgotten about that. Still, he merely shrugged indifferently.
"I've got things to do normally too. Besides, there's nothing that fun about me going all the way there to see you, right? How about you come find me next semester when you've got time?"
"Chiba definitely isn't as fun as Tokyo!"
"I'm not the bored one here. You are."
After hearing Sato's words, Miyauchi Hikage blinked and let out a faint sigh.
Even she had to admit he had a point. Living expenses in Tokyo were simply too high. Even though her family gave her plenty of money every month, she still had to work part-time to earn more.
"Speaking of which, Konomi goes to Chiba too!"
She suddenly turned toward Fujimiya Konomi.
Fujimiya Konomi covered her mouth with a smile and said, "Then Hikage, you could transfer schools too. If you transferred to Chiba, wouldn't everyone be together?"
"Oh please, forget it, forget it. That's way too troublesome!"
Miyauchi Hikage waved her hand dismissively.
There was no way she would really transfer schools over something like this. Honestly, the amount of time she actually felt bored wasn't even that much. Most of the time she was busy anyway.
After all, she had to study and work part-time and all that.
"Sigh... I want to go study in a big city too..."
Nearby, Koshigaya Komari listened to the older kids discussing these things, and a trace of longing appeared in her eyes. She clearly yearned for the so-called big cities.
Seeing this, Koshigaya Natsumi grinned from the side.
"Onee-chan's overthinking things again. No matter where you go, you'll never become a mature big sister. You'll always just be a country bumpkin l𝚘li, so give up already, onee-chan!"
"W-Who are you calling a country bumpkin l𝚘li?!"
Koshigaya Komari immediately turned red and glared angrily at her little sister.
"You're the country girl! And I'm already an adult now!"
Hearing that, Koshigaya Natsumi crossed her arms and curled her lips dismissively.
"So what if I'm a country girl? I never wanted to be a city person anyway."
"And besides... hehe!"
Koshigaya Natsumi suddenly started giggling. Under Koshigaya Komari's puzzled gaze, she raised her hand to the top of Komari's head, then slid it horizontally toward her own chest before suddenly bursting into laughter.
Pointing at Koshigaya Komari, she laughed so hard tears almost came out.
"Haha! Sis, you're only about 140 centimeters tall, right? Come to think of it, you haven't grown at all since elementary school! In a few more years even Ren will be taller than you. Aren't you still just a country l𝚘li?!"
"Ah! Damn it! Natsumi, you jerk!"
Koshigaya Komari flushed bright red and angrily kicked at Koshigaya Natsumi. She was genuinely furious at her lawless little sister who loved exposing people's weak points.
"Eh! I'll dodge over here!"
"You can't hit me, hehe!"
Unfortunately, Koshigaya Komari was simply too petite. Not only was she small, even her legs were short. None of her attacks landed on Koshigaya Natsumi at all, every one of them easily avoided.
Koshigaya Komari became so angry she was nearly in tears.
Seeing this, Ichijou Hotaru hurriedly wrapped her arms around Koshigaya Komari and said with deep sincerity, "Even if senpai is this tiny, I still love senpai!"
"Hotaru!"
Koshigaya Komari looked at Ichijou Hotaru with immense emotion.
No, no, no!
You like Komari precisely because she's this tiny, don't you?!
Sato, Fujimiya Konomi, and Miyauchi Hikage silently watched from the side as Ichijou Hotaru revealed a perverted grin from being able to hug her senpai.