That day, Mia seemed to be in a bad mood.
She was quieter than usual, her expression dark. And for some reason, she kept glaring at me in silence.
Whenever our eyes met, she blatantly looked away.
"Hmph."
Had something unpleasant happened outside?
Even during dinner, Mia didn't say a single word.
Because of that, the atmosphere at the table wasn't great.
Both Mom and Mia were busy people.
Opportunities to eat together like this weren't common.
Even if she was upset, she could've at least held it in for now.
Mia kept picking at her food with a dissatisfied expression.
"Did you two fight?"
Mom, noticing Mia's attitude, asked curiously.
"No."
I shook my head.
Mia and I hadn't fought.
But it seemed Mia didn't think the same.
"Hmph!"
With that, Mia put down her spoon and retreated to her room.
She usually ate like a bird, but today, she barely touched her food.
At this rate, it really would look like we'd fought.
Even Mom, watching from the side, seemed to think so.
"Oh my. You really did fight, didn't you?"
"It's not… that we fought."
But it wasn't like there was no reason, either.
Lately, following my older sister's orders, I had been keeping my distance from Mia.
Especially before leaving for this competition, my sister had sternly reminded me...
She'd check whether I kept my promise while she was gone.
Because of that, I stopped initiating conversations with Mia.
Even when she spoke to me first, my replies were short and clipped.
If she tried to touch me, I made excuses and escaped.
From Mia's perspective, I must've seemed cold for no reason.
Maybe she was angry and ignoring me in return.
"Hehe. I don't know what's going on, but try to be the bigger person. There's hardly any time to relax, so when she's home, she probably wants to act spoiled."
Mom's words struck a chord in me.
Mia was an idol.
Idols had to keep smiling no matter how they felt.
Every little action had to be carefully calculated.
Because people were always watching.
The only time she could rest was when she came home.
And yet, even at home, I'd been distant.
No wonder she was stressed.
Even if it was my sister's doing, I was still at fault.
"Yeah… I'll talk to her."
Mom smiled warmly at me for some reason.
***
After dinner, I sat on the couch watching TV.
I wanted to watch the highlights of the competition my sister was in.
These days, it was easy to watch on a PC or smartphone, but it just wasn't the same as seeing it on the big screen.
I always preferred watching Mom's dramas or Mia's programs on TV too.
…And for a while now, Mia had been hovering around me.
Even after dinner, Mia was still in a bad mood.
But instead of locking herself in her room, she wandered around the living room with a pouty face.
On top of that, she kept shooting me sharp glares, I couldn't ignore it.
"Uh, Mia?"
Hesitantly, I tried speaking to her first.
"...What?"
Mia glared at me with eyes that didn't match her cute name.
"...No, never mind."
Suddenly at a loss for words, I brushed it off.
"Hmph."
Mia, looking even angrier, stomped toward her room...
Only to turn back and return to the living room.
Then, she plopped down right beside me on the couch.
"..."
"..."
…The silence was painful.
Only the sound from the TV filled the living room.
I should probably speak first, right?
But even as I thought that, the words wouldn't come.
Maybe it was because I hadn't had a proper conversation with Mia in days.
Even aside from my promise to my sister, I just felt awkward.
While I was stuck in indecision, Mia suddenly stood up.
Was she giving up and going back to her room?
I secretly sighed in relief, thinking I could finally relax.
But instead of leaving, Mia stepped closer...
And this time, she didn't sit on the couch.
She lowered herself onto my lap.
"Mi...?!"
The soft pressure of her thighs against mine.
The delicate weight of her body leaning against my chest.
The shimmer of her hair and the scent of her shampoo filling my vision.
And yet, Mia didn't say a word.
Her gaze stayed fixed forward, not even glancing at me.
What was going through her mind?
Stunned, I froze in place.
If Mom saw this, she might get the wrong idea.
With that thought, I decided to escape this situation somehow.
"Ah~ It's already so late? I should go take a bath before it gets any later~."
...I'd never make it as an actor like Mom.
After muttering something painfully obvious, I slipped my hand under her armpit and gently lifted her smile.
Mia twisted her body as if tickled, yet stubbornly refused to make a sound.
I lightly set Mia down from my lap and then dashed into the bathroom like I was running away.
I could almost feel Mia's gaze drilling into the back of my head.
"Phew…."
Having taken refuge in the bathroom, I began filling the large bathtub.
Normally, I'd just take a shower and be done with it, but today, I wanted to soak in the hot water and take my time.
If I left too early, I'd just run into Mia again.
It wasn't that I disliked Mia.
But I hated this awkward tension between us.
Maybe, just as my sister had said, we were too close.
Even if we thought nothing of it, others must have found it strange.
That's probably why my sister had said those things.
It would be better if we just naturally drifted apart, becoming as distant as ordinary siblings.
But Mia was spoiled.
And the problem was, I was the only one in the house who indulged her.
If our stepfather hadn't divorced and left, maybe things would've been different.
Not that he was ever particularly kind to me, but maybe my sister and Mia needed a father figure.
"Haah…"
After finishing my shower, I sank into the tub.
The fatigue in my body seemed to melt away in the hot water.
Had I been under a lot of stress lately?
Lately, my body felt exhausted far too easily.
Maybe I was fine now because I was still young, but perhaps I should start exercising more seriously, like my sister.
As I lay back in the tub, relaxing...
A shadow moved in the dressing room connected to the bathroom.