Stepping into the bathroom, Shuichi found a cup already filled with water and toothpaste neatly squeezed onto his toothbrush.
"When did that girl even get here?" he wondered, quickly finishing his morning routine.
Emerging from the bathroom, he spotted Reiko crouching in front of Wangcai, whispering something to the dog.
"That dumb dog really needs a lesson," Shuichi remarked aloud. "I clearly taught it not to lick people's faces, and it's only been a few days, but it's already forgotten."
"Don't worry, Onii-chan," Reiko said, glancing down at the big dog. "I'll give it a proper scolding when we get home."
"Woof…" Wangcai let out a pitiful whimper, only to be silenced by Reiko's sharp glare. Tail tucked, it scurried behind Shuichi.
"That dumb dog's still scared of you," Shuichi said with a sigh. "No matter how I try to intimidate it, it's never afraid of me."
"That's because you spoil it too much, Onii-chan," Reiko replied earnestly. "The dog training book says you have to make them understand who's in charge. That's the only way they'll listen."
"It's just a pet, not a military dog. Do we really need to be that strict?" Shuichi chuckled, half-exasperated. "Right, Wangcai?"
The dog glanced at him, then at Reiko's stern face. After a moment's hesitation, it shuffled back to Reiko, flashing a fawning grin.
"Good boy! I'll give you a meat bun as a reward later," Reiko said, patting its head and shooting her brother a triumphant smile.
"Traitor!" Shuichi grumbled, giving Wangcai's rear a light kick before sitting at the dining table.
Reiko had already laid out the convenience store meat buns on a plate, even pouring strawberry milk into a glass.
"Why go through all this trouble?" Shuichi said, picking up a bun with a helpless expression. "We could just eat them straight from the bag."
"Even if it's convenience store food, we're at home," Reiko replied. "It should feel like home."
As she spoke, she grabbed a paper box, tossed a meat bun into it for Wangcai's bowl, then carefully washed her hands before joining Shuichi at the table for breakfast.
"Don't you ever get tired of this every day?" Shuichi muttered.
"Mom says this is what good habits look like," Reiko said, her slender brows furrowing. "Onii-chan, you're way too lax at home…"
"Okay, okay, I get it! My bad!" Shuichi hurriedly stuffed a half-bitten meat bun into his sister's mouth to cut her off. "I swear I'll change my ways!"
If he let her keep going, she'd launch into a lecture—ten minutes at best, half an hour at worst.
When it came to lecturing, Reiko was the spitting image of her mother, Shuichi's aunt.
Reiko pulled the bun from her mouth, muttering, "Onii-chan, you already bit this one…"
"Uh, sorry," Shuichi said with an awkward grin. "Just give that one to Wangcai."
"No way!" Reiko shook her head firmly. "Mom says we can't waste food!"
With that, she squinted happily and took a small, delighted bite of the bun.
After breakfast, as Reiko tied on her apron to start cleaning, Shuichi quickly stopped her.
"Onii-chan, there are still some spots from yesterday that aren't clean," she protested, frowning.
"Enough," Shuichi said, ruffling her hair. "It's the weekend. Let's go to the amusement park."
She was still a kid, after all. At the mention of the amusement park, Reiko's face lit up with a smile.
But then, as if remembering something, she tugged at Shuichi's sleeve. "Onii-chan, are we inviting Kogoro-niisan like usual?"
"Nah," Shuichi waved a hand. "That guy's probably still sleeping in."
Reiko hesitated. "What about Eri-neesan?"
"Not this time," Shuichi explained. "Eri caught a cold yesterday. She needs to rest at home today."
"So…" Reiko blinked, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Just the two of us?"
Shuichi nodded, then quickly shook his head. "No, not just us."
"W-who else is coming?" Reiko's smile froze.
"Wangcai, of course," Shuichi said, nudging the dog sprawled at his feet. "We can't leave him behind when we're out having fun, right?"
"Right, Wangcai!" Reiko nodded enthusiastically. "I'll grab his leash!"
With Wangcai leashed, the siblings were about to head out when footsteps echoed from upstairs. To their surprise, Kogoro Mouri bounded down. "Oh, Reiko-chan's here?"
"Good morning, Kogoro-niisan," Reiko greeted, her face blank and her gaze icy.
Did I do something to her? Why does she look like she wants to kill me? Kogoro thought, stammering, "M-morning."
Compared to Shuichi, Kogoro had far more flaws, which often made him the target of Reiko's lectures. Every time he saw her, he couldn't help but recall his strict elementary school teacher.
Standing behind Reiko, oblivious to her expression, Shuichi raised an eyebrow. "You're up early for once?"
"No more sleeping in!" Kogoro declared, clenching a fist and waving it energetically. "Starting today, I'm getting in shape! Last night, Yukiko Fujimine turned down my offer to walk her home. She must think I'm not tough enough to protect her in a pinch!"
"When I get stronger, I'll be the one walking her home instead of you, Shuichi! Haha!" With an exaggerated laugh, Kogoro bolted downstairs like he was escaping.
"That guy's optimism is something else…" Shuichi shook his head with a smile, watching his friend's retreating figure. "Let's go."
The siblings descended the stairs, Reiko leading Wangcai. As they neared the first floor, she suddenly stopped. "Onii-chan?"
"What's up?" Shuichi glanced at Wangcai, who, for some reason, had tucked its tail and was trembling.
"Who's Yukiko Fujimine?" Reiko asked, her voice calm. "Do you walk her home a lot?"
"Oh, that's who Kogoro was talking about. She's my classmate in high school," Shuichi explained casually. "I've walked her home maybe twice. Once it was pouring, and she didn't have an umbrella. The other time was last night—she was helping out at the izakaya, and it was almost midnight when we closed, so I walked her home."
"Why do you ask?"
"No reason," Reiko said, turning to flash a radiant smile. "I just thought Onii-chan had already found a girlfriend right after starting high school…"
(End of Chapter)
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