The Shiba household rarely saw visitors, but today was an exception—and the guests were no strangers. They were family, close in both blood and age.
"Been a while, Fumiya, Ayako-chan," Tatsuya greeted.
"It's been too long, Tatsuya-nii-sama, Miyuki-nee-sama," Fumiya replied.
"Indeed, it's been quite some time, Tatsuya-san, Miyuki-onee-sama," Ayako added with a refined smile.
As second cousins, such formalities might seem excessive, but aside from Tatsuya, the three had been drilled in etiquette since childhood. Even simplified, their greetings carried a certain polish.
"So, what brings you here today?" Tatsuya asked, cutting to the point.
The Shiba and Kuroba families weren't especially close. While Fumiya and Ayako looked up to Tatsuya, their father, Mitsugu, the head of the Kuroba family, wasn't thrilled about their fondness for him. As a result, Tatsuya and his cousins didn't see each other often.
"You're overthinking it, Nii-sama," Fumiya said with a grin. "We're second cousins, after all."
"Exactly," Ayako chimed in. "Visiting our dear Tatsuya-san isn't an issue. It's just our fathers making a fuss over nothing."
"Absolutely, Onii-sama," Miyuki added, her tone firm. "You're close kin, no matter what anyone else thinks."
Outnumbered three to one, Tatsuya knew better than to argue. "Fine, make yourselves at home. No need to stress about it."
"Thank you," Fumiya said, then hesitated. "Actually, Nii-sama, we—well, Ayako-nee—has a request."
"Ayako-chan?" Tatsuya raised an eyebrow.
Though a year below him in school, Ayako and Fumiya were born the same year as Miyuki. The age gap was negligible, especially since Miyuki's early birth aligned her with Tatsuya's grade. Perhaps because of this, Ayako had always seemed keenly aware of Miyuki, though from Miyuki's perspective, there was no reason for rivalry—Fumiya, not Ayako, was the Kuroba heir.
"It's about our family's engineer," Ayako began, her voice measured. "They've been hospitalized long-term, and we need periodic maintenance on our CADs. The timing…"
"I see. They got sick before the adjustments could be done," Tatsuya deduced.
"Yes," Ayako confirmed. "And with family matters being what they are, we don't have anyone else to turn to."
"But is your father okay with this?" Tatsuya asked, skeptical. "I'm your cousin, sure, but letting me do a full check on a young lady's CAD…"
"You're overthinking again, Tatsuya-san," Ayako said with a playful lilt. "Don't you perform full checks for Miyuki-onee-sama regularly?"
Her gaze slid to Miyuki, who met it with equal intensity. To Tatsuya, it was just a glance, but Fumiya could practically see sparks flying between them.
"Alright, I'll do it," Tatsuya said. "Want me to check yours too, Fumiya?"
"N-No, I'm fine!" Fumiya stammered, waving his hands. "I don't want to trouble you more than necessary, Nii-sama."
"No trouble at all. We're cousins," Tatsuya said, giving Fumiya's head a light tap before leading Ayako to the basement workshop.
Left behind, Miyuki and Fumiya sipped tea in the living room, both curious about the basement but too proper to follow. They sat in polite silence, the air thick with unspoken thoughts.
Things had gone far smoother than Ayako expected, leaving her inwardly reeling. She'd come prepared to convince Tatsuya, but the path to her request had been nothing like she'd imagined.
"Tatsuya-san," she ventured softly.
"Something wrong?" he asked, not looking up from the CAD he was inspecting.
"No, it's just…"
Ayako had never seen Tatsuya at work before. His speed and precision as he examined her usual CAD were overwhelming, almost mesmerizing.
"Hmm," Tatsuya murmured, studying the device.
"Is something the matter?" Ayako asked, tilting her head.
"No, I was just curious about the Kuroba family's engineer," he said. "Given their reputation, I wondered about their skill. But this? I can match it, no problem."
Ayako flashed a mischievous smile. "You could do even better, I bet."
Her playful tone masked her nerves. Being alone with Tatsuya in the basement—hardly a confined space, but intimate enough—felt electrifying for a third-year middle school girl nursing a crush. And soon, he'd be seeing everything through her CAD's diagnostics.
"Let's get the measurements done first," Tatsuya said, unfazed. "Lie down over there."
"Yes…" Ayako replied, her voice barely a whisper.
For the scan, she shed her outer clothes, leaving her in her underwear, and lay on the machine. Both it and Tatsuya would read her completely. When the scan finished, Tatsuya's voice broke the silence. "All done. You can get dressed."
He dove into the adjustments with astonishing speed, showing no sign of being affected by seeing her half-exposed. Ayako, meanwhile, was a blushing mess, her movements stiff as she dressed.
"Tatsuya-san," she called again, her voice trembling.
"Problem?" he asked, still focused on his work.
Ayako's composure snapped. Overwhelmed, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him from behind, clinging to his back. "You're so unfair, Tatsuya-san. You know how nervous I am, but you act like you don't notice!"
"You know my situation, Ayako-chan," he said calmly. "I barely have any emotions left."
"But you still have some feelings, don't you? Romantic ones?" she pressed.
"They're faint compared to most people," he admitted.
"Then am I just not exciting enough?" she blurted, her voice rising. "Do I need a figure like Miyuki-onee-sama's?"
"Whoa, you're getting worked up," Tatsuya said, turning to face her. "Where's the usual composed Ayako-chan?"
"You always treat me like a kid," she huffed. "I'm a proper lady, you know!"
Tatsuya could've poked holes in her argument, but that would only complicate things. Instead, he chose a different approach to calm her down.
"You're impossible, Tatsuya-san—!" Ayako started, only to freeze as he silenced her with a sudden kiss.
"Wh-What was that?!" she stammered, her face aflame.
"A proper lady wouldn't be so loud," he teased, his voice steady. "And for the record, I do see you as a woman, Ayako."
Speechless, Ayako stood there, her heart racing as Tatsuya finished the adjustments. She spent the rest of the time quietly processing, her emotions a mix of embarrassment and elation.
"Tatsuya-san," she declared as he wrapped up, "from now on, I'm yours! I'll follow you forever!"
True to her word, the following week, Ayako moved into the Shiba household, sparking occasional clashes with Miyuki. Tatsuya, nursing a headache from the drama, couldn't help but feel a quiet happiness amid it all.
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