Halfway back to the villa, with Onii-sama still holding my hand, I finally managed to speak.
"Um!"
"Yes?"
"I—I can walk on my own. Please let go."
I was grateful he'd protected me, but… I still couldn't handle him. I had no idea what went through his head. He should have just run instead of needlessly provoking that man…
I pulled away and replayed his movements in my mind.
Onii-sama was tall for our age, but still just a middle-schooler. No one—least of all that adult—would expect him to fight like that. Yet he'd won. The soldier who'd underestimated him was left crouching in the dirt.
What was that technique? No magic, I was almost certain. He couldn't activate spells without me noticing, and anyway, he struggled with magic.
Lost in thought, we reached the villa. Honami-san greeted us at the door—and immediately rushed over, alarmed by my expression.
"Miyuki-san, what happened?!"
I hadn't meant to look that shaken.
"I… got tangled up with some men."
"Oh no…"
That was enough for Honami-san to piece it together. She subtly scanned me for disheveled clothing.
"I'm fine."
I forced a smile—natural enough, I hoped. Honami-san returned a relieved one. But mine didn't last.
Because before I could say Onii-sama saved me, he bowed and vanished inside. Expressionless as ever. As if he hadn't just made my heart race. As if he didn't even see me…
The smile I'd worked so hard to maintain nearly crumbled.
"…I'm going to shower off the sweat."
I hadn't sweated much—hardly walked enough to—but I fled to the bathroom anyway.
Hot water burst against my skin. I forgot to rinse off the water-repellent cream. I just stood there, letting the heat sink in, trying to stop the trembling.
"Why… why am I crying?"
I tilted my face into the spray. Scalding droplets mixed with the ones at the corners of my eyes. My voice sounded distant, like someone else's.
"Why do I have to cry?!"
I screamed hysterically. No answer. I was alone.
"Why… why…?"
Only the shower's roar replied.
Miyuki, lost in memories of three years ago, was yanked back to reality by Tatsuya's quiet murmur.
"Hm?"
"Onii-sama?"
"No, there's a presence outside… the Kuroba siblings."
He answered her questioning glance with faint surprise.
"Ayako-san and Fumiya-kun?"
Tatsuya kept his reaction mild, but Miyuki couldn't. Fumiya was one thing, but Ayako openly bristled with hostility toward her.
"They had business with Aunt Maya, but it seems they know we're here too. They're heading straight for this room."
"Here?"
Miyuki frowned slightly. She was about to face Maya, the current Yotsuba head. Running into Ayako now would throw her off—her expression would crack, and that would lead to unease.
"Excuse us."
While Miyuki fretted, the Kuroba siblings arrived. Fumiya spoke, but Ayako was unmistakably with him.
"Come in."
Tatsuya—lowest in rank—opened the door and ushered them inside. A precaution in case others were nearby. Miyuki, Ayako, and Fumiya all looked displeased by the gesture.
"Tatsuya-nii-sama, it's just us—please don't worry about formalities."
"Exactly, Tatsuya-san. We're second cousins, after all."
"Onii-sama, they're right. You're too considerate."
Cornered by all three, even Tatsuya raised his hands in surrender. He closed the door to avoid prying eyes—technically no outsiders in the Yotsuba estate, but still—and guided Fumiya and Ayako to the sofa.
"Been a while, Fumiya, Ayako-chan."
"Truly. Ayako-san, Fumiya-kun—so good to see you both unchanged."
Following Tatsuya's lead, Miyuki greeted them too. Though second cousins, she and Fumiya were rivals for the next headship—yet neither acknowledged it. If they did, they wouldn't go out of their way to meet like this.
"It's been too long. Miyuki-neesama, Tatsuya-nii-sama."
"Three years since Okinawa, right? You both look… well, not unchanged. You've grown so mature."
Her words included both, but Ayako's gaze locked on Tatsuya. She and Miyuki were a year apart in school, but same age—Miyuki an early birthday, Ayako in June. That wasn't the reason, but the siblings treated Miyuki and Tatsuya differently in private moments like this.
In public, protocol was unavoidable. But here, they spoke to Tatsuya with respect—and to Miyuki with… less.
Miyuki had no issue with it. Fumiya's affection was innocent. But Ayako's toward Tatsuya? That was not amusing.
Watching Tatsuya chat with the Kuroba siblings, Miyuki's mind drifted back to Ayako's earlier mention of Okinawa…
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