Sweat glistened on Reiko's forehead, evidence of her frantic rush back after escorting the younger students home.
Hayashi Shuichi felt a pang of guilt. Faking sick today had helped Fujimine Yukiko, but it had upset Fei Yingli and left Reiko worrying about him all day.
"Sorry, it's my fault," Hayashi Shuichi said, pulling out a tissue to gently wipe the sweat from his little cousin's brow.
Reiko hadn't expected an apology, but she quickly sensed something off in his guilty expression. "Onii-chan, are you hiding something from me?"
"Well…" Hayashi Shuichi gave a nervous chuckle, hesitating.
"Onii-chan!" Reiko's face hardened. "What's going on?"
"…I wasn't actually sick," Hayashi Shuichi admitted awkwardly. "Yukiko had an audition today and was nervous about going alone, so she asked me to come with her…"
"So you faked being sick and lied to everyone?" Reiko's lips trembled, her small face a mix of anger and hurt.
"I did it so you wouldn't get mad," Hayashi Shuichi said, his tone smoother after his earlier experience coaxing Fei Yingli.
Reiko glared at him. "You didn't want me mad, so you made me worry instead? Onii-chan, you're such a disappointment!"
With that, his little cousin spun around, storming toward the Mouri family's building in a huff.
Hayashi Shuichi hurried after her, apologizing the whole way, but Reiko kept her face set, refusing to respond.
At the izakaya's entrance, she finally spoke. "This morning, I felt your forehead—it was burning, and your face was flushed. How do you explain that?"
"Cover your face with a blanket for a bit, and it'll flush," Hayashi Shuichi explained. "As for the forehead, rub your hands together to warm them, then press them to your head…"
Reiko's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "How do you know these tricks so well?"
Great, now my angry little sister's dropping the 'Onii-chan.'
"I heard about it at school," Hayashi Shuichi said honestly. "Some kids use these tricks to fake sick and skip class."
"They skip class, but you fake sick to ditch your sister and go off with another girl?" Reiko huffed, shoving past him and stomping upstairs, her schoolbag bouncing with each step.
Ugh, one problem after another…
Hayashi Shuichi pushed open the izakaya door. Fei Yingli was at the counter, nose in a book. He greeted her briefly before hurrying to the second floor.
Fei Yingli glanced at his retreating figure, a smirk of schadenfreude crossing her face. She'd always found Hayashi Shuichi's sister annoyingly clingy, but now she hoped Reiko would make an even bigger fuss. If Reiko could take down that curly-haired vixen, Fujimine Yukiko, all the better.
…
Hayashi Shuichi stepped into the second-floor apartment to find Reiko and Fujimine Yukiko locked in a tense standoff in the living room.
"What's going on?"
"This kid came in and started glaring at me," Fujimine Yukiko whined, seizing the chance to tattle. "I didn't even do anything to her, Shuichi~~"
"Vixen!"
Reiko scoffed, ignoring her brother and marching to her bedroom, slamming the door with a bang.
"You little brat, who're you calling a vixen?" Fujimine Yukiko snapped, pounding on the door.
Hayashi Shuichi's head throbbed. "Enough, Yukiko. Go prep the ingredients downstairs."
"Hmph, always taking her side," Fujimine Yukiko grumbled, storming off.
Once she was gone, Hayashi Shuichi tried Reiko's door—locked. "Reiko, stop sulking. Come down for dinner."
"Not hungry."
"You're not, but I am," Hayashi Shuichi raised his voice. "I'm heading down to eat. If you don't come, no one's eating today!"
He slammed the apartment door for effect but stayed, hiding by Reiko's bedroom.
Moments later, her door creaked open. "Choosing a vixen over your sister…" Reiko muttered, stepping out—only to spot Hayashi Shuichi lurking nearby.
She scrambled to shut the door, but he wedged his hand against it. "Go ahead, slam it. It'll just crush my hand, swell it up for days, and I won't even be able to eat…"
"You're bullying me!" Reiko stomped her foot, unwilling to hurt him. Fuming, she turned and threw herself onto her bed, pulling the blanket over her head.
"Come on, let's eat," Hayashi Shuichi said, sitting on the bed's edge. "Tell me what you want, and Onii-chan'll make it. Deal?"
"I want braised fat vixen!" Reiko's muffled voice came from under the blanket. "Go cook that!"
"I was just helping Yukiko out. Why're you so mad?" Hayashi Shuichi said helplessly. "She's a friend. I can't just abandon her, right?"
"Even if you're helping her, you didn't have to skip school!" Reiko shot back, furious. "If we were back home, Mom and Dad would've grounded you!"
The Kujo parents were strict. If they still lived at the Kujo house, Hayashi Shuichi wouldn't have dared fake sick to skip.
"I swear, Reiko, it was just this once. I'll never skip again!"
"That's not enough. You can't lie to me again either!"
"Deal. Onii-chan promises never to deceive Reiko again. Good enough?" Hayashi Shuichi raised his hand in a mock oath.
Reiko peeked out from the blanket, her face still taut. "I want milk pudding."
"Done. I'll make it soon!" Hayashi Shuichi grinned, ruffling her hair before standing.
"Wait."
Reiko sat up, clenching her little fists as if to pound him, but her punches landed softly, her heart too kind to hit hard. After venting, she flopped down, resting her head on his lap.
Hayashi Shuichi sighed. "How am I supposed to make pudding like this?"
"I don't care. I worried about you all day—you owe me!" Reiko pouted. "You spent time with Yukiko-nee, so you have to spend the same amount with me."
"Can we split it up? The izakaya can't stay closed all night."
"Then starting today, for the next week, you owe me one hour alone with you every day!"
"Fine, you win!" Hayashi Shuichi smiled, pinching her chubby cheeks.
With the siblings reconciled, Reiko blinked curiously. "Onii-chan, what role is Yukiko-nee playing? A seductive vixen? A homewrecking mistress?"
"Why say that?" Hayashi Shuichi chuckled, half-exasperated.
"It's perfect for her—she doesn't even need to act!" Reiko said snidely. "Yingli-nee was right. She's just a vixen!"
"Didn't you and Yingli used to butt heads?" Hayashi Shuichi teased. "Now you're agreeing with her?"
(End of Chapter)
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