It was already half past eight when Shirase Haruto and Kojima Kana returned home.
At the entrance, as they changed their shoes, Shirase noticed the faintly awkward look on Kana's face. He paused for half a second—then quickly understood.
"Kana-nee, you—"
Before he could finish, Kana—balancing on one foot with only one slipper on—spun around clumsily. Her tone was half-flustered, half-defensive. "Since you've already noticed, could you not say it out loud? That'd be embarrassing."
Shirase blinked, then nodded obediently. "Alright, I won't say anything."
Kana let out a quiet sigh of relief and bent down again to put on her other slipper—only for Shirase to add, almost casually, "But you do still mind it, don't you?"
She froze mid-motion, then looked up at him. After a heartbeat, she smiled gently. "Actually, it's fine. I told you before, I don't really mind these things anymore."
"But your face just now—"
"Well… even if I've decided not to, it still feels a little uncomfortable," she admitted softly. Then, straightening up with a faint laugh, she added, "Really, it's just a tiny bit."
Shirase didn't reply. Others might not notice such small cracks in her expression—but he'd known her long enough to see through every one of them. Kana had never been especially strong-willed. She overthought, fretted over details, and always tried to hide behind a smile.
Seeing his silence, Kana smiled again and reached out to ruffle his hair. "You've grown up, huh? Even worrying about me now."
Shirase gave her a lopsided look. "What kind of worry are we talking about here?"
"Huh? There's more than one kind?" Kana blinked.
"For example," Shirase said evenly, "that time in the bathroom when you insisted on washing my back and then asked for—"
"Hey! Don't bring that up again!" Kana yelped, her face instantly turning red.
Remembering that humiliating episode made her want to curl up and disappear.
So lame… seriously, what was I thinking?!
After mentally berating herself several times, she cleared her throat and changed the topic. "Anyway, about you and Nino… did you really play that 'spanking game'?"
"Not yet," Shirase said calmly.
"Not yet?" Kana's eyes widened. "Wait—you actually thought about it?"
"Is imagining something a crime?" he asked dryly.
"Well… no, but I just didn't expect you of all people to say that."
Her cheeks turned pink again. Half-teasing, half-muttering to herself, she added, "You really are a naughty kid. Such a pervert."
"I never denied it," Shirase replied, straight-faced.
Kana let out a breathy laugh. "You're so shameless. Lucky for you, your Kana-nee's got thick skin—otherwise I'd be the one embarrassed."
"Touch your conscience before you say that."
"I already did. It's fine. Want to check for yourself?"
"I—"
Before he could respond, Kana's quick grin flashed—and she darted off down the hall, red-faced.
Shirase sighed, chuckling helplessly. "Still all talk. As expected of Kana-nee—the queen of bluffing."
...
Later, in his room, Shirase opened his textbook and activated his routine [Fixed Hosting] vocabulary review. When that finished, he switched straight into [Immersive Hosting].
Tonight's goal was clear. He went straight to the study module and summoned Yukinoshita Yukino.
"My time is limited," her voice snapped the moment she appeared, sharp and cold. "So study properly. If you slack off or act arrogant again, I'll curse you until you bleed."
Yep. Definitely Yukinoshita Yukino.
Shirase couldn't help thinking that if she were dropped into a village famous for fierce quarrels, she'd become their undefeated champion within a week.
Still, there was a reason he chose her.
If he wanted to be the top student in school, he had to surpass the current number one—and that was Yukinoshita Yukino.
As his father once said, "Only magic can defeat magic."
And so, Shirase decided to beat the school's top genius by learning directly from her.
Under her merciless barrage of sarcastic remarks, he blazed through problem after problem, occasionally firing back with equally dry comebacks.
Though the interface only showed Yukino's profile image, the tension felt so real it was as if she were standing in front of him, trading barbs in person.
Midway through, he caught himself thinking idly: If we keep arguing like this, will I eventually start talking like her? And if I do—who wins?
"You're spacing out again!" Yukino's sharp voice cut through his thoughts. "How long are you going to stare at that ridiculous dog-pattern pen? Even if you love dogs, you can't drag your personal obsessions into studying. It's immature—and frankly, pathetic."
"I don't like dogs," Shirase said flatly. "I like lizards."
"Why such a repulsive creature?"
"Because I've been proudly loving lizards for two and a half years."
"…"
And thus, under Yukino's relentless "high-pressure" tutoring, Shirase somehow spent the night comfortably locked in their strange rhythm of mutual snark.
When he finally logged out of [Immersive Hosting], it was already past eleven-thirty.
He washed up and had barely lain down when soft footsteps stopped outside his door.
The faint glow of his phone illuminated Kana's face peeking hesitantly through the crack.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" he asked quietly.
Kana didn't answer. She slipped inside, closing the door behind her, and sat down at the edge of his bed.
"I couldn't sleep alone," she murmured.
Her voice was soft—too soft. In the dim light, her thin nightgown traced the gentle curve of her figure; her hair, still slightly damp from a shower, framed her flushed cheeks. The faint warmth of her perfume mixed with the scent of fresh sheets.
Shirase exhaled. "Kana-nee… you said earlier you didn't mind."
"Who's Kana-nee?" she said quickly. "I didn't say that."
"Right, right."
Ignoring his teasing, Kana lifted the blanket and slipped under it in one smooth motion, curling up beside him. Her arms circled his waist as she sighed contentedly. "There. Now I can relax."
Shirase chuckled quietly. She says she doesn't care, and yet…
"Kana-nee, if you keep doing this, people will think I'm the bad guy," he said wryly.
"Then I'll just be your biggest fan," Kana replied, her voice muffled but playful. "Or maybe… your backup plan."
"Hey, that line makes you sound like a total simp."
"Hehe… I don't care~" she sang softly.
Her laugh melted into the quiet hum of the room. The night settled around them, light and warm, like the faint trace of her perfume lingering in the air.