"Both of you, apologize now!"
Shuichi Hayashi turned, glaring sternly at the big and small culprits. "This went way too far. This isn't just a prank anymore!"
"Eri, who ties someone up for a joke?"
"And you, Reiko! Aren't you a disciplinary committee member? How could you go along with this?"
"I tried to stop her at first, I swear, Onii-chan!" Reiko protested. "But Eri-neesan said Yukiko must have bad intentions for wanting to stay at the izakaya, so I…"
"No matter what, this was wrong!" Shuichi said firmly. "Apologize to Yukiko right now!"
"Sorry," Reiko said softly, not hesitating.
The younger one apologized, and Shuichi turned to the older one. "Your turn."
"…She tricked me with that uniform first," Eri Hii said, feeling a bit wronged. But seeing Shuichi's stern face, she reluctantly muttered, "Sorry."
The moment the apology left her lips, Eri caught Yukiko Fujimine not only stopping her sobs but also sticking out her tongue in a smug grimace.
"You!" Eri's face turned livid. "She's totally faking her crying!"
"I saw it too!" Reiko chimed in. "She made a face at us!"
"You two think you can fool me?" Shuichi said, annoyed. "Her eyes are all red from crying. How could that be fake?"
He turned to look at Yukiko. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes puffy and red. Fake crying? No way.
"Wah, see? They're still trying to frame me…" Yukiko wailed, raising a hand to wipe her tears.
Shuichi's nose twitched. After a deep look at her, he turned back to scold Eri and Reiko. "Both of you, stand straight…"
The moment he turned away, Yukiko's teary expression morphed into a triumphant smirk.
Eri and Reiko fumed, their teeth itching with frustration, but they were helpless against her lightning-fast face-switching.
Heh, serves you right for ganging up on me. Now you're getting scolded! Yukiko mouthed silently, continuing to taunt them. But in the next moment, sly grins spread across Eri and Reiko's faces.
Oh no!
Yukiko hurriedly raised her hand to wipe her eyes, but Shuichi grabbed her wrist.
"No wonder your crying looked so real. You came prepared, huh?" Shuichi said, holding up a slice of raw onion he'd taken from her hand. "When did you grab this?"
"When I went upstairs, I took it from the kitchen," Yukiko said with a nervous laugh. "I was going to play the pity card to win Eri over, but she and that little brat ganged up on me. When I saw you coming, I just… went with it."
"Well, let's keep going with it," Shuichi said, picking up the rope and tying her up again.
"Hey, Shuichi Hayashi, you just scolded them for this!" Yukiko said, panicking. "You're breaking your own rules, committing a crime knowingly—"
"Pen?" Shuichi held out his hand.
"Here, Onii-chan!" Reiko said with a sweet smile, handing him an oil-based marker.
"I'm sorry, okay?" Yukiko pleaded pitifully. "I shouldn't have tricked you, I shouldn't have—"
"Too late for apologies now!" Shuichi snorted, drawing a huge pig's head on her forehead. "I take back what I said. You totally deserved it!"
"It's only four-thirty. Come down for dinner by six," he said, returning the marker to Reiko and heading for the door.
"Hey, don't leave! You haven't untied me!" Yukiko shouted desperately. "I really know I was wrong…"
Shuichi's only response was the bang of the closing door.
"Heh heh!"
Eri and Reiko grinned wickedly, markers in hand, closing in on Yukiko.
"Hmph, I'm drawing a fox on your face today no matter what!" Eri declared.
"Big sister's so good at fake crying. How about I draw a crying turtle on you?" Reiko teased.
"Wah…"
With the onion slice confiscated, Yukiko was truly out of tears, left to the mercy of their markers.
Shuichi had barely stepped back into the izakaya when Kogoro Mouri rushed over. "What's going on up there?"
"If you wanted to know, why didn't you stay and look?" Shuichi said, exasperated. "You ditched me and ran!"
"Heh, you know how scary Eri gets when she's mad," Kogoro said with an awkward laugh. "So, what happened?"
"Relax, it's fine. The three of them are upstairs 'studying art,'" Shuichi said, waving a hand. "They'll come down when it's time to eat."
"Art? Since when is Eri into painting?" Kogoro said, itching to check but too scared to go alone. He sat there, scratching his head anxiously.
An hour and a half later, Eri and Reiko came downstairs, beaming with satisfaction.
Yukiko followed, pouting like a wronged little wife. She slumped onto the bar counter, looking utterly defeated.
"All cleaned up already?" Shuichi said, glancing at her. "I thought it'd last a few days."
"I checked the markers beforehand," Eri said with a laugh. "They're easy to wash off."
"Markers? You three were really painting?" Kogoro said, stunned. "I thought Shuichi was making it up!"
"We were experimenting with body art," Reiko said with a mischievous smile. "Kogoro-niisan, want to try it?"
"What's body art?" Kogoro, clueless about anything artistic, asked blankly.
"Kogoro-niisan, lean closer," Reiko said sweetly.
"For what?"
Kogoro naively leaned in, only to have Reiko whip out a marker and draw a quick X on his face.
"Now you know what body art is!" Eri burst out laughing.
"Got it," Kogoro said with a wry smile, rubbing his face. "This stuff washes off, right?"
"Alright, everyone, wash your hands and get ready for dinner," Shuichi said, clapping his hands. "We're having sukiyaki tonight to welcome the izakaya's new member. Kogoro, go help Aunt Mouri down."
"New member?" Yukiko, who'd been lying limp on the counter, perked up instantly. "Shuichi-kun!"
"You said it was my call," Eri said, frowning unhappily.
"You've all been at it all afternoon. Let her stay," Shuichi said with a smile. "Otherwise, all those turtles and foxes drawn on her face would've been for nothing, right?"
"Exactly!" Yukiko nodded eagerly.
"She's the one who played tricks first," Eri huffed.
"I had no choice! You were being so stingy!" Yukiko shot back.
"Who's stingy, curly-haired vixen?"
"Glasses girl!"
…
(End of Chapter)
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