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"The lights are already on… Mom must be waiting in the living room. If she sees me wearing a guy's clothes, she'll definitely ask why. And if she catches me lying, I'm dead… Blake, what do I do?"
Anna Yanami tilted her pretty face up at him, eyes wide and pitiful.
Blake thought for a moment."What did you tell your mom on the phone earlier, in the restroom?"
"Nothing much, just that I was hanging out at your place…" She trailed off, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "Ah, I've got it!"
The ever-hungry girl grabbed his sleeve, her face full of excitement.
"If it's just me, no matter how I explain it, Mom will be suspicious. But if someone backs me up, it'll be fine. So…"
Blake felt a bad premonition. "So what?"
"So you come home with me!" Yanami's eyes sparkled as she spoke brightly. "And for the reason… we'll say we rescued a stray cat that fell into the river, and my clothes got soaked, so I had to wear yours."
Blake went silent. "You want me to lie for you?"
"It's a kind lie." She wagged her index finger. "There's no way I can tell Mom the truth, so this is the only option… Besides, if you had protected me properly, my clothes wouldn't have disappeared. So you have to take responsibility!"
If anyone should take responsibility, it's that fairy—not me! Don't go handing out random verdicts!
"…Fine, I'll help." Blake sighed. "It's been a while since I visited your house. I should at least bring a small gift—"
"No need for that! You used to come over all the time when we were kids. Mom will definitely be happy to see you!"
Yanami's eyes shone as she grabbed his wrist and dragged him home.
"I'm back, Mom!"
She pushed the door open with confidence, hands on her hips, voice bright and clear.
No matter what you do, you've got to look confident. If you act guilty or sneaky, people will only get suspicious. So now was not the time to look nervous.
"Why are you back so late…" In the living room, an elegant woman with the same blue hair sat on the sofa watching TV. She turned her head—and blinked. "Eh? Anna, why are you wearing a boy's clothes?"
"Hehe~"
Yanami giggled, then quickly stepped aside and pulled Blake out from behind her.
"Let Blake explain the clothes."
"Good evening, Auntie."
Blake gave a small bow.
"Oh my, it's been so long since I've seen little Blake." Mrs. Yanami stood up happily, a warm, surprised smile spreading across her refined face. "Come, come, sit down."
Blake sat on the sofa and started covering for her.
"Auntie, Anna is wearing my clothes because…"
"That's what happened," Yanami chimed in from the side. "That poor little kitten—there's no way we could just ignore it."
With her daughter returning home in such high spirits, plus Blake backing up the story, Mrs. Yanami didn't suspect a thing. She only looked at her daughter with mild helplessness.
"Go change your clothes first, then let Blake take his clothes back."
"Okay~!"
Yanami answered cheerfully. As she walked behind her mother, she secretly turned around and flashed Blake a peace sign, winking playfully. Her bright smile seemed to light up the whole room.
"Blake, sit for a bit. I'll get you some tea…"
Mrs. Yanami soon returned with a cup of black tea.
"Thank you, Auntie."
He accepted it with both hands.
"If you keep being so polite, I'll get upset," she said gently. "You used to come over all the time as a child. I even bathed you, you know."
Blake: "…"
Uh oh.
He did have a vague memory of that.
But that was back in kindergarten—he couldn't remember any of the details at all!
After that came some small talk.
As he sipped his tea, Blake chatted with Mrs. Yanami about school, daily life, taking care of his younger sister alone, and his aunt's current struggles. Unlike Yanami, who was lively and unpredictable, her mother was gentle as water. Maybe it was because she worked in a government office—she spoke slowly and calmly, giving off an oddly reassuring presence.
A while later, light footsteps sounded from upstairs.
"I've changed!"
Yanami came down quickly, having neatly folded Blake's clothes and packed them into a bag.
"Then I should get going…"
Blake stood to say his goodbyes. It was already past nine, and Yanami's father still wasn't home. With just mother and daughter in the house, it was only proper for him to leave soon.
"I'll walk you out." Yanami escorted him to the door, waving reluctantly. Then she leaned closer and whispered, "Text me when you get home."
"Got it."
"And also, also—don't forget tomorrow's cooking. Definitely don't forget."
That's what you really wanted to say, huh?
"I won't forget." Blake waved and stepped outside. "See you tomorrow."
"…"
Yanami watched his figure disappear before finally closing the door. When she turned around, her mother was already looking at her with a knowing smile.
"M-Mom, I'm going to my room to study."
Her cheeks flushed as she tried to make a quick escape.
"It's been a while, but Blake has really matured," Mrs. Yanami said leisurely, finishing her tea. "He's grown more handsome too. After going through such a major life change, he's still managing school, taking care of his sister, and even thinking about helping his aunt. And his grades haven't slipped at all. You could say he's becoming more and more outstanding. He'll definitely grow into someone remarkable."
"Mm-hmm!" Yanami's eyes sparkled. Hearing her mom praise Blake made her even happier than being praised herself. "He's always been amazing."
"But Anna, you're in danger."
"Huh? What are you talking about, Mom?"
Yanami tilted her head in confusion.
"Well…" her mother said softly, "whether in high school or university, outstanding boys are always popular with girls. If you just focus on eating, playing, and having fun instead of improving yourself… Blake might get snatched away by someone else."
"I don't just think about eating and playing!"
Yanami shot back, a little guilty, as she ran upstairs.
"I've got it all figured out, so you don't need to worry!"
Bang.
She rushed into her room, spread her arms, and flopped straight onto the bed—then suddenly went completely still.
After a moment, her long, fair legs started kicking wildly against the mattress, like a fish flopping on land. It took a while before she finally calmed down again.
"…Phew."
Letting out a long breath, Yanami hugged her pillow and stared out the window.
"I know Mom's trying to push me… but my head's full of food, nothing but food. I have no idea how I'm supposed to become better."
"....."