...
"Big brother and big sister, have lots of fun. Moon-chan and I will be good at home."
"I'm the big sister—Hanakami is the little sister. Hanakami should be the one behaving!"
"Mom will come home tonight to cook dinner, so it's okay if big sister comes back late~"
...
At the entrance, Hanakami and Tsukigami waved goodbye to Lucian and Ines Fujin.
Lucian waved back at them. "You two can't run around, okay? Stay safe at home. Call if anything happens."
With a "bang," the door closed.
Lucian and Ines Fujin exchanged a glance.
The atmosphere wasn't as awkward as imagined. There was no trace of shy embarrassment on Ines Fujin's face.
"Big Sis Ai... where to next?" Lucian spoke first. Today he was fully in obedience mode.
"You drove, right? Let's get in the car first."
"Okay."
...
Following Ines Fujin's navigation, Lucian eventually drove them to an amusement park on the city's edge with moderate foot traffic.
After getting out, Lucian looked around. "Didn't expect Big Sis Ai to pick a place like this."
"Because it's less crowded. Don't worry—the rides are all inspected and maintained every year. It's just too remote, operating at a loss. It might get demolished in a few years."
As Ines Fujin said, the facilities here were indeed quite new and not as packed as other places.
"Big Sis Ai knows it so well—did you come here often before?"
"I used to bring my little sisters here a lot. Now I'm bringing little brother."
"But little brother has taken big sister to similar places too, right?" Lucian was referring to the team-building trip to the amusement valley last time.
That place had been full of thrilling, intense rides, while this one was more relaxed and wholesome. Plus, it had a very large Ferris wheel.
"That's different." Ines Fujin shook her head. "Last time was with everyone. This time it's just the two of us."
"Fair enough. At the amusement valley, I didn't play much anyway. Later you all split up and did your own thing."
Ines Fujin smiled without speaking, giving Lucian a meaningful look before walking ahead first.
The somewhat slow-on-the-uptake Lucian instantly caught on—the key phrase had been "just the two of us."
"Wait for me." He quickly caught up to Ines Fujin's pace.
...
He'd thought it would just be a casual stroll with a few rides, but Ines Fujin led him through every single experienceable attraction.
From the carousel to roadside shooting games, to bumper cars...
Lucian watched the childlike smile bloom across Ines Fujin's face. He, too, was infected by it—shedding any so-called "grown-up" restraint and fully immersing himself.
Unbeknownst to them, orange-hued flowers had already bloomed along the horizon.
The two finally boarded the last ride: the Ferris wheel.
"So in the end, is it big sister taking little brother, or little brother taking big sister?" Still buzzing from the bumper cars, Lucian teased.
"Because... when I used to bring my little sisters here, I only watched. I never actually rode anything myself." Ines Fujin brushed aside the wind-tousled strands on her forehead, her voice very soft. "I always felt like I was grown up, an adult. Playing these things with my sisters felt so embarrassing."
Ines Fujin turned to look at Lucian again. The grand twilight backdrop framed her gentle silhouette.
But Lucian's gaze fell on the faint upward curve of her lips—like a flower quietly blooming in the evening.
Gently unfurling, not loud or showy, yet its petals still carried the weariness and anxiety left by the day's storm.
For the first time, Lucian clearly saw Ines Fujin's vulnerability—or rather, she had voluntarily let down the strong "big sister" facade in front of him.
For some reason, Lucian spoke those words again. "Big Sis Ai, you've worked hard."
"Yeah... so tired..." Ines Fujin tilted her head slowly toward Lucian's shoulder. "Please, let me lean on you for a bit."
The Ferris wheel slowly climbed, rising past tall buildings, then over towering peaks.
Ines Fujin closed her eyes, voice still soft. "Actually, watching my little sisters play, I really wanted to join too. But I had no money, and no big sister of my own."
"I just wanted someone to rely on too..."
"Trainer, thank you for treating me like a child from the very first time we met."
She clutched Lucian's sleeve, gathering courage. "I think... I might not want to let go of this feeling."
The slowly setting sun was like a warm yellow teardrop, carrying the confession hidden all day, falling into the embrace of the night.
Though this confession wasn't "I like you," how could Lucian possibly not understand?
He reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Then lean on me a little longer."
"What if I never want to let go?"
"Then keep leaning forever."
...
One rotation, two rotations...
The sky outside the window shifted from orange to deep purple. The city's outline blurred in the dusk, and the lights of ten thousand homes flickered on like scattered stars not far away.
On the final rotation, Ines Fujin opened her eyes—but then buried her face in Lucian's neck. "Did I scare you this afternoon?"
"Not really."
"Little brother... was that your first kiss?" Ines Fujin lifted her gaze, a hint of mischief in her eyes as she looked straight at him. "Think carefully before answering."
Lucian very much wanted to blurt out "yes," but under Ines Fujin's stare, he felt as if everything inside him was laid bare—no place to hide.
"No..."
"Mm, at least you're honest."
"Hm?" Hearing her confident tone, Lucian immediately sensed something off. "What do you mean, Big Sis Ai?"
Ines Fujin didn't keep him in suspense. "It all started from last time at the amusement valley..."
...
Under Ines Fujin's recounting, Lucian felt mortified—especially the part where he and Seiun Sky kissed, which Hanakami had witnessed.
"Anything to explain? Like maybe you were just having a zero-distance conversation? Or negative-distance conversation? Or 'lip' friendship?" Ines Fujin chased Lucian's evasive gaze, relentless.
Caught between explaining and not explaining, helpless Lucian chose silence. Better to say nothing than say the wrong thing.
"Hmph." Ines Fujin huffed lightly, then reached up and grabbed Lucian's collar, breathing warmly against his ear. "... Call me 'Onee-san' one more time."
Her gaze dropped again, once more landing on Lucian's lips.
It turned out the quiet of the first two rotations had only been gathering momentum for this final, surging one.
This time Ines Fujin gave him plenty of time—waiting until Lucian had fully said "sister" before forcefully prying open his lips and teeth.
...