Yuzuru looked so shocked that she seemed about to jump.
"H... here?" she stammered in disbelief.
"If not here, then you can go home."
"I'm not going back!"
Yuzuru's expression immediately darkened again.
A moment later, however, hesitation appeared on her face. She looked at Sato warily.
Noticing her gaze, Sato quickly understood and gave her a strange look.
"Do you think I'm going to do something to you?"
Yuzuru crossed her arms over her chest and took a step back, staring at him with her bright eyes as if to make her position perfectly clear.
"Relax, relax. I'm not interested in little girls who haven't even developed yet. Besides, your chest is as flat as mine, so I can't even tell what the difference between us is."
"And we're only one floor apart. If you call for Shouko, she'll hear you immediately. You don't have to worry about me doing anything."
He tried to reassure Yuzuru and put her at ease.
"You...!"
Yuzuru clenched her teeth and glared at him.
Was this guy seriously not mocking her?
After hesitating for quite a while, Shouko finally looked up at Sato.
"Then... Yuzuru will be in your care tonight."
"Sure. If you're still worried, Shouko, you can stay here with her too. Kanna can just sleep with me."
Sato smiled as he spoke.
"No!"
Before Shouko could answer, Yuzuru stepped forward.
She immediately moved in front of Shouko, shielding her behind herself, and looked at Sato with a cold sneer.
Hah!
Your true colors are finally showing!
She turned to Shouko behind her and said firmly, leaving no room for argument,
"Go home and sleep, Sis. I'll stay here by myself."
Shouko looked at her younger sister with a rather puzzled expression.
Sato, on the other hand, immediately understood what Yuzuru was thinking.
He couldn't help finding it both amusing and heartwarming.
Whatever else could be said about her, this little troublemaker genuinely cared about Shouko.
...
Shouko went back to her apartment to fetch Yuzuru's pajamas.
When she handed them over, she paused for a moment before looking at Yuzuru with a complicated expression.
"Yuzuru... don't make Mom angry anymore."
Yuzuru silently accepted the pajamas without saying a word.
Seeing that, Shouko let out a deep sigh.
She then looked past Yuzuru at Sato and silently conveyed her meaning with her eyes.
I'm counting on you.
Sato shook his head, indicating it was nothing.
Soon afterward, Shouko left.
The apartment suddenly became quiet.
The only sound was the television playing in the background.
Now, only Sato and Yuzuru remained...
Well, along with a blue-eyed little dragon who was staring intently at the TV.
"Kanna, it's time to take a bath and go to bed."
"Okay!"
Kanna obediently responded, switched off the television, and walked toward the bathroom.
Looking at Yuzuru, who was still sitting on the sofa, Sato asked,
"Yuzuru, are you going to take a bath?"
"What are you trying to do?"
Sato: "..."
Rubbing his forehead with a headache, he said,
"Why do you always assume I'm planning to do something?"
"Just go already."
He began cleaning up the snack wrappers scattered across the coffee table.
Yuzuru didn't move.
Still sitting on the sofa, she stared at him coldly.
"Why do I have to go first? Do you have some weird fetish or something?"
Sato paused and looked at her strangely.
What was she implying?
Bathwater from a little girl?
Keeping a straight face, he replied,
"Then how about I go first, and you go afterward?"
Yuzuru hesitated for a moment before standing up and walking toward the bathroom.
As she passed him, she muttered,
"Dirty."
Heh... don't test my patience.
Still, no matter how much they bickered, things had finally settled down.
...
Late at night.
The night had grown deep, with a bright moon and countless stars overhead.
Sato got up to use the bathroom.
As he passed the living room, he suddenly looked toward the large balcony beside it.
Under the moonlight stood a lone figure.
Hm?
He studied the silhouette for a moment before quietly walking over.
Just as he reached her, he deliberately gave a loud cough.
"Ahem!"
Yuzuru jumped in fright and hurriedly turned around.
The moment she saw it was Sato, her face darkened.
Without a second thought, she kicked at him.
Sato glanced at the incoming kick and casually caught her ankle.
"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"
"Let go!"
Yuzuru glared at him.
Sato released her leg and said,
"You're really like a tomboy."
Yuzuru simply continued glaring at him without answering.
By now, Sato was fully awake.
Walking onto the balcony, he looked up at the bright silver moon hanging in the night sky.
Clouds drifted lazily around it, and countless stars stretched across the heavens like grains of sand.
"So, tell me."
"Why did you skip school again?"
Leaning against the railing, Sato asked.
Yuzuru stood in front of him, seeming somewhat uncomfortable.
She was wearing white pajamas decorated with little animals, her right hand holding her left arm as she turned her face away, refusing to look at him.
Soft, silvery moonlight fell across her.
Sato quietly watched her for a long time.
To be honest, Shouko was also partly responsible for the kind of person Yuzuru had become.
When they were younger, Yuzuru had always acted tough to protect the sister she loved most.
She constantly presented a fierce front to the outside world.
Over time, she had naturally come to resemble a tomboy.
Because of that, she never quite fit in with her classmates, gradually becoming detached from both school and society.
"Have you ever thought about changing?"
Sato suddenly asked.
Yuzuru looked up at him in surprise.
Keeping his voice as gentle as possible, he continued,
"Next year you'll be graduating from middle school, won't you? You'll be entering a completely new environment. Why not try making some friends?"
"Not interested."
she replied quietly.
Sato looked at her in silence for a moment.
"You've always been working hard for Shouko. But now that she's fully recovered, you don't have to worry about her anymore."
"So why not start thinking about yourself for a change?"
Yuzuru looked as though she wanted to say something, but Sato suddenly interrupted her.
"I remember you like photography. Have you ever thought about studying photography at university?"
Without waiting for her answer, he continued, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Your grades are pretty bad, so when I have time, I'll tutor you. We'll work hard and get you into a decent high school."
"And you'll have to change your image too. Right now, you really do look like a boy."
"Try growing your hair out. Shouko is so pretty, so if you grow your hair long, I'm sure you'll be very pretty too."
"Who looks like a boy?!"
Yuzuru shouted back, her face bright red and her eyes filled with embarrassment and irritation.
Even so...
She didn't argue against any of his suggestions.
---
If you want to read up to 160 chapters ahead + Increase Daily chapters release , don't hesitate to visit
our patron: pat reon . com / Loverice929 (remove space)