Everyone had headed home, leaving only him, Ayame, and Karin.
Karin went back to her room, leaving just him and Ayame.
The sound of running water filled the kitchen.
Ayame was washing the dishes by herself.
Musashi walked over to help, but as soon as he got close, he realized something was wrong.
Ayame was scrubbing a bowl, but her movements were sluggish. A closer look revealed her eyes were red and swollen, with large teardrops falling into the sink.
"Big Sister!" Musashi asked anxiously. "Why are you crying?"
"I... I'm not." Ayame turned her head away in a panic.
"Don't lie to me!" Musashi cupped Ayame's face in his hands. On her beautiful face, her big eyes were practically swollen shut.
Musashi said, his heart aching a bit, "Look at you, crying like this."
"I'm not crying! I said I'm not crying, so I'm not!"
"Okay, okay, okay. You're not crying, not crying at all." Musashi didn't argue with her.
Ayame wiped her eyes with her sleeve and went back to washing the dishes, but before she could start, Musashi snatched the bowl away.
Watching Musashi skillfully handle the dishes, Ayame's expression was complicated. "Actually, Haku is quite nice."
Musashi: "Yeah, pretty nice."
Ayame: "...Besides, Haku is a ninja, and the age is right. Very suitable for you."
Musashi put down the washed dishes, dried his hands, turned around, and looked at Ayame with amusement.
"Suitable for what?"
Ayame looked at Musashi in front of her.
Unknowingly, that dirty little beggar from back then, that handsome little brat who used to bustle around the kitchen, was now much taller than her.
The child who always used to say "I like Big Sister best" had grown up.
"Suitable... to be your girlfriend."
As the words left her mouth, her tears burst forth again.
Musashi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He took a step forward, reached out, and gently wiped away her tears.
The Big Sister whose chest he used to bury his head in now only reached his chest.
Yet, the feeling of safety and security remained just as it was back then.
"You... let me go."
"No." Musashi said somewhat roguishly, inhaling her scent and the fragrance of her hair.
"Big Sister, has anyone ever told you that you're terrible at lying?"
"I... I'm not lying!"
"Haha~" Musashi chuckled.
"Big Sister, I thought you could tell."
Ayame: "Tell what?"
"Tell that... Haku is a guy."
"Tell that... I like you best, Big Sister."
Ayame: "(º言º)!!"
"What did you say???"
Musashi: "I said, I like you best, Big Sister."
"No, the sentence before that!"
"Haku is a guy."
Ayame: "..."
So I was jealous of a man all night?
After realizing this, Ayame felt like a mess.
It wasn't until his increasingly tight embrace brought her back to her senses.
"Musashi."
Musashi: "Hm?"
Ayame whispered, "You're holding me too tight."
Musashi: "No, I want to hold you tighter."
"Big Sister, you don't know how much I missed you while I was away."
"I thought about you day and night."
Hearing such cheesy words, Ayame's face turned bright red, and for a moment, she didn't know where to put her hands.
"Non... Nonsense. You were training during the day, how could you have time to think about me?"
Musashi said: "Really! Big Sister, you don't know how scary... the outside world is."
"If it weren't for completing the mission, I would have run back long ago."
"Okay, okay, I know." Ayame gently patted his back.
Musashi: "Then let me hold you a little longer!"
Ayame: "...Okay."
The faucet wasn't closed tightly; water droplets dripped plink, plink into the sink, but neither of them paid it any mind.
Time seemed to slow down.
Ayame: "Musashi, haven't we been hugging... a bit... too long?"
"Not at all." Musashi couldn't bear to let go. "It's barely been a moment. I want to hold you forever."
"Until we both grow old."
Ayame: "I..."
"Don't speak."
...