"Huh? Rui isn't home?"
Natsuo looked at his stepmother, Tsukiko Fujii, with a dumbfounded expression as they had their dinner.
"Yes," Tsukiko nodded.
"Where is she?"
"She is..." Tsukiko was about to tell the truth, but she hesitated.
"Tsukiko-san?" Natsuo's father, Akihito Fujii, looked at his new wife with confusion till Tsuki said, "She is sleeping with her friend."
"Oh, that's great! She has made a great friend at school!"
Akihito was happy as he knew that Rui was quite unfriendly and cold, so when he heard that Rui had gone to a friend's place, he felt relieved somehow.
"Who?"
Yet, Natsuo was confused, as he had never heard that Rui had a close friend.
"She is someone from her old school. You don't have to worry. They should have fun, but she had told me before."
"Oh..."
Hearing those words, Natsuo nodded, but inwardly, he thought to call Rui, as he felt worried, or rather, he tried to send her an email directly, asking about where she was, and even thinking to call her later, but what he didn't know was that all of his actions were watched by Tsukiko.
She might not have thought too much before, but Hina, who had decided to leave, even though she had accepted it, considering how responsible Hina's boyfriend was, she hadn't met him, and more importantly, the reason why Hina decided to move out wasn't just because of Nifuji, as Nifuji was busy.
Instead, it was all Natsuo's doing, leaving Tsukiko feeling helpless.
Yet, what could she do?
After all, Natsuo had become her child, and her new husband, Akihito, wasn't a bad guy, and extremely kind, which was why she had decided to be with him, but what about his child?
Thinking of Hina's words made her uneasy. Natsuo was a child in her eyes, but even so, there was something one should do and something one shouldn't. Instead of waiting for a mistake to happen, it is better to prevent it.
When she thought about it, she felt that it was better for Rui to leave the house, as she had heard from Nifuji earlier that they had prepared a place.
Still, it was better not to tell Natsuo about it.
"What's wrong, Akiko-san?" Akihito asked with doubt.
"Well... It's nothing."
Letting out a helpless sigh, Tsukiko realized that having a new family wasn't as easy as it seemed to be, especially when she had to care about the child of her new husband, but even so, her child was still number one in her heart, since compared to Natsuo, who she had just met, she had taken care of Hina and Rui from a baby, so naturally, she would protect them, and care for them.
Yet, without a doubt, it was fortunate that Natsuo was about to go to the university, and she should talk to her husband about how it might be better for Natsuo to live on his own by using the word" independent.
Still, Natsuo, who planned to call Rui, couldn't call her.
"Why didn't she answer my call?"
He tried so many times, but unfortunately, nothing happened. "Did she really stay at her friend's place?" He wanted to doubt Tsukiko, but why would his stepmother lie?
Instead of Tsukiko, he felt that Rui must have been lying, and Rui should have met Hina, staying together, which made him annoyed and even angry.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
If Rui met Hina, why didn't Rui tell him?
After all, if she told him, wouldn't he be able to meet Hina?
Natsuo had longed for Hina and wished to see him. While it was possible to do it at school, as she was a teacher, it was impossible for him to get closer, especially when there were so many people around them, and he just didn't have the guts to get closer, especially when he didn't want anyone to know about the relationship between them.
After all, if everyone knew that he was the stepbrother, everyone would think of him strangely, if he harbored a feeling toward her stepsister, right?
Yet, as he was in his deep thoughts, thinking of many things that made him unable to sleep, Hina yawned, feeling sleepy, or rather, she decided to fall asleep directly.
"Hina-nee..."
Rui looked at Hina speechlessly, but at the same time, she was also embarrassed, thinking that she might have been a little too dirty-minded, especially when she saw that they did nothing.
Why did she think so?
It was because Hina had fallen asleep, and if the two planned to do something, Hina wouldn't fall asleep directly, right?
'What am I thinking?'
As she sighed helplessly at her dirty mind, Nifuji asked with doubt. "What's wrong?"
"Ah, no, nothing!"
"Is that so?"
"Y-Yes, Hirotaka-nii!"
It was impossible for Rui to say that she had dirty thoughts about Nifuji.
"Aren't you sleepy?" Nifuji asked. It was already late, so he wondered whether Rui was sleepy. They had been playing for a while, and because of that, it was perfectly normal for them to get tired.
As for Hina, who had gone to sleep, even though it made him helpless, he also understood her situation. They were no longer young, and they had walked around and played around, so of course, they were sleepy.
"What about you, Hirotaka-nii?" Rui asked.
"I am going to sleep, too."
"You are not going to rent another room, right?" Rui quickly explained. "If you are worried that I might be uncomfortable with you sleeping here, then you don't have to worry since I am fine for you to stay here."
Yes, she didn't mind him, even though it was just the first time that she got to know him.
As for yesterday, when they first talked, they had never talked, but Rui knew well, as they talked like this, and watching his act, she knew that she could trust him.
"Really?"
Yes, Nifuji really planned to rent another room, as he wanted to give a space for the two of them, or he would just simply go back to his place, but—
"Please stay, okay?"
Rui was afraid that Nifuji would spend too much money.
Yes, Nifuji might be wealthy, but Rui wasn't used to having someone spend such an amount of money on her!
"Well, I will wash my face first. You go and lie down. I will stay on the sofa—"
"Bed!" Rui quickly stopped him. "Please stay on the bed! It's huge enough for the three of us!"
"...." Nifuji.
He didn't give an immediate answer, but he glanced at Hina's figure, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, thinking that nothing would happen, right?
Yet, even so—
"Okay."
With that answer, a blooming, sweet smile formed on Rui's small, pink lips.