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EP.68 AneNatsu ~The Last Summer Vacation with My Sister~
"Ugh, seriously… This assignment bomb is insane."
It was an early summer evening, the blue sky slowly turning red.
Miyano Akari sprawled out on her cramped studio apartment bed with a sigh.
Her wavy, light brown hair was spread across the bed,
and her voluminous chest, visible beneath a thin T-shirt, rose and fell slowly.
Beads of sweat dotted her tanned, healthy skin-a sure sign that summer had arrived.
'What am I even doing with summer break right around the corner?'
She thought it would be way more productive to just watch a live concert video of her favorite band.
"Aah~ so annoying."
She'd thought going to university in the city would be a dream come true.
But between living expenses and assignments, there was never a break.
"I just want to quit everything~."
She wanted to throw away her assignments and just lounge around with a cold beer.
Just then, as if mocking her desperate wish, her phone rang loudly.
She glanced at the screen: [Dad] was calling.
What could he want at this hour?
"Hello? Dad?"
As she put the phone to her ear, a familiar voice came through.
[Oh, Akari? How are you doing?]
"Same as always. Dying from assignments. What's up? Why are you calling now?"
[Nothing special. When does your break start?]
"Huh? Not long now, but why?"
[Well, the thing is…]
Her dad, who usually got straight to the point, hesitated for a moment.
Akari felt a bad premonition.
[Actually… your mom and I are suddenly going on a trip.]
"A trip? Out of nowhere? Where to?"
[Yeah. It's our anniversary, and your mom's always wanted to go to this hot spring. We finally got a reservation, so… we'll be away for a few weeks.]
"That long? What about the shop?"
Akari's voice rose without her realizing it.
Even with "that kid" around… a few days was one thing, but a few weeks was a lot to leave the shop unattended.
[That's why I'm calling. Could you come down and look after the house? I don't want to leave Yuu alone to run the place for that long.]
"…With him?"
[Yeah. You're on break, so it's a good chance to visit home, refresh yourself, and catch up with your brother. Okay?]
Ah.
Akari sighed silently, realizing her bad feeling was spot on.
Spending most of her precious summer vacation in that boring countryside village.
And with that kid, no less?
Just thinking about it made her feel suffocated.
"Dad, I'm really sorry, but I have a ton of assignments and important plans…"
[Come on. You can do assignments at home. Yuu can handle most of the work; you just need to help out a bit. For your mom and dad's sake, can't you do it?]
"…Haa."
Her dad clearly had no intention of backing down, and Akari pressed her forehead.
She felt resentful that her parents would ask, knowing how awkward she felt around her brother.
[Please, honey? We'll pay you when we get back.]
The mention of payment made Akari's ears perk up.
If it was just free labor, she might refuse, but if there was a reward, it was a different story.
She still didn't like the idea of dealing with her brother, but thinking of it as a few weeks of part-time work made it bearable.
"…Fine. But you'd better pay me well."
[Thanks, sweetie. We'll talk more when we're back.]
After hanging up, Akari smiled wryly, picturing her dad's genuine happiness.
But thinking about seeing her brother again made her mind uneasy.
'…It's summer.'
"Oh, right!"
Lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, a sudden thought made Akari jump up.
She picked up her phone again and dialed a familiar number.
"Hey, Akari! What's up?"
Her boyfriend's cheerful voice answered after just a few rings, and Akari's face brightened.
"Daichan~! What are you doing?"
"Me? Just at a PC café with friends. Why?"
"So, I'm going back home for a while this summer break-do you want to come with me if you're free?"
"Huh? Your hometown?"
"Yeah! My parents are going on a long trip and asked me to watch the house."
"Hmmm."
Daiki sounded hesitant, so Akari quickly added,
"There's a big festival at the end of August in our village-fireworks and everything. It'd be awesome if you came…"
She didn't bother explaining the annoying chores or awkwardness with her brother.
The important thing was enjoying the festival with Daiki.
"A summer festival?"
Daiki sounded more interested.
"Well… if I don't have other plans, sure… Let's go!"
"Really? Yay! I'll get ready! Love you, Daichan~!"
"Love you too."
As soon as the call ended, Akari rolled around on her bed in excitement.
She'd been worried that things with her boyfriend had cooled off lately.
She hoped this summer break would rekindle their spark.
A few days later, summer break officially began.
Akari and Daiki took trains and buses to her hometown, Natsuki Village.
The closer they got, the more the smell of earth and grass tickled her nose-familiar, yet somehow stifling.
Daiki looked out at the rural scenery with curiosity, but also a hint of boredom.
"There's really nothing here."
Akari forced a cheerful reply.
"It's the countryside! But the air's nice, right?"
"I guess."
After walking under the blazing sun, they finally arrived at the Miyano family inn.
Akari spotted a familiar silhouette a few steps ahead.
A young man sweeping in front of the shop. He looked even thinner and gloomier than six months ago, but Akari recognized her stepbrother, Miyano Yuu, at once.
"…You're here?"
Yuu also noticed Akari and Daiki, greeting them in a barely audible voice, eyes still fixed on the ground.
"Yeah. Long time no see."
Akari waved halfheartedly, her tone awkward.
"This is my boyfriend, Daiki. Say hi."
"I'm Daiki, Akari's boyfriend. Nice to meet you, little brother."
Daiki smiled and held out his hand for a handshake, his arm showing off some toned muscle.
"…Miyano Yuu."
Yuu glanced at Daiki at Akari's gesture, gave a short nod, and went back to sweeping.
Daiki scratched his head awkwardly, hand still out.
"Ahaha. Your brother's pretty shy, huh?"
"He's always like that. Don't mind him."
Akari replied curtly, glaring at Yuu's profile.
'Still the same.'
The memories of him trailing after her, calling "Sis, sis," were just childhood nostalgia.
Now, as an adult, he was just a gloomy person she couldn't figure out.
"Let's go, Daichan."
Akari pulled Daiki inside the inn.
They unpacked, greeted the villagers, and before long, it was dinnertime.
Surprisingly, Yuu had made dinner.
Maybe he'd gotten better at cooking helping their parents, because the table was set with simple but neat home-style dishes.
"Tastes good."
It was a compliment Akari barely managed to say, but Yuu just kept eating in silence.
As the atmosphere grew more awkward, Daiki spoke up.
"Yuu, do you live here all the time? Isn't running the inn hard?"
Yuu paused for a moment at Daiki's question, but soon just kept eating without a word.
Dinner ended in stifling silence.
While Yuu quietly cleaned up, Akari and Daiki went up to the guest room on the second floor.
It was tidy, probably cleaned in advance.
"Make yourself at home while you're here."
"Okay. Are you not close with your brother?"
Daiki asked bluntly as he unpacked.
Was he clueless, or just direct?
Either way, it was an awkward question for Akari.
"It's not that. He's just… like that. He wasn't always, though. Sigh."
Akari sighed, dodging the question, and Daiki soon lost interest and flopped onto the bed.
"Where are you sleeping, Akari?"
"Me? Downstairs, in my room…"
Before she could finish, Daiki patted the spot next to him.
"Your parents aren't here-why not stay here with me?"
His voice was low and gentle, but Akari hesitated.
Even if her parents weren't here, Yuu was downstairs.
But being alone together for the first time in a while, and Daiki's forwardness, quickly broke her hesitation.
'…Whatever. We're adults.'
She tried to act casual as she sat beside Daiki.
After a brief silence, Daiki put his arm around her shoulders, and their lips met.
The kiss deepened, the room heated up.
Clothes dropped to the floor, and they tumbled onto the bed, exploring each other's bodies.
After their passionate lovemaking, Akari felt a lingering emptiness.
Daiki seemed satisfied, eyes closed and breathing softly, but Akari couldn't sleep.
It was always like this lately.
Her body burned and she felt pleasure, but it wasn't as thrilling or satisfying as before.
She thought tonight would be different.
'Sigh.'
Unable to sleep, Akari quietly slipped out of bed and gathered her clothes.
She quickly fixed her messy hair and tiptoed out.
"Hm?"
She heard a creak and sensed someone heading for the front door downstairs.
There was only one person who'd be moving around at this hour.
'Where's he going at this time?'
Before she could check, Yuu quickly opened the door and went outside.
The sound of the door closing seemed to linger in the air.
'…He didn't hear, did he?'
A sense of unease washed over her, but Akari shook her head.
'Who cares if he saw?'
She tried to brush off the discomfort and went back to bed, but Yuu's silhouette kept flashing through her mind.
She forced herself to think about her future with Daiki instead.
Yuu's presence bothered her, but as long as she made good memories with Daiki, it would be a fun summer.
With a mix of anxiety and anticipation, Akari slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next morning.
Akari woke up late, her hair a mess.
Guess I slept too much-it's summer break.
Did Yuu open the shop…?
No, why am I even worrying about that guy?
Scratching her head, she wandered into the living room, out of old habit looking for Yuu.
"Hey, Yuu… breakfast…"
She stopped mid-sentence, frozen in place.
"…A kid?"
A child, maybe ten at most.
A baby-faced, small-framed kid in oversized clothes stared blankly into space with wide eyes.
"Who are you?"
Akari's trembling voice cut through the silence.
The child turned to look straight at her.
A long silence stretched between them.
'Who is this?'
A guest's child? But she was sure there were no guests now.
More than anything,
Akari's expression twisted as she felt a strange sense of déjà vu from the unfamiliar child.
No way, it can't be.
And that blurry image became clear as the child spoke.
"…Akari-neesan?"
With those words, the image sharpened.
In the child's deep brown eyes, instead of the innocence of youth, there was something cold and profound.
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