"I'm home."
As Shinji opened the door, he said that, then shut it behind him and sat down in the entryway to change his shoes.
A full minute later, Shinji finally heard Sakura's footsteps approaching from behind him.
"W-Welcome home! Brother!"
Shinji stood up and looked at Sakura, who was wearing an apron and seemed slightly out of breath. Just as he was about to say something, Sakura continued somewhat embarrassedly.
"S-Sorry, Brother. I got back a little late today, so I've only just started making dinner..."
Shinji immediately thought of what he had asked Mitsuzuri to do today and understood that Sakura had probably returned late because Mitsuzuri had dragged her shopping after school.
"It's fine. I'm not hungry yet, and besides..." As he spoke, Shinji picked up the fish basket at his side. "There are some fresh fish I just caught in here. Let's use these for dinner."
Huh? Sakura froze, thinking, How did Brother know I hadn't had time to buy ingredients and was planning to use yesterday's leftovers?
At the dinner table.
Looking at Sakura, whose face was visibly a little brighter than it had ever been before, Shinji remained outwardly impassive. Still, he was genuinely pleased by this subtle change in her.
If this continued steadily, Sakura would probably gradually change from the type who seemed soft and weak on the surface yet had a Yandere side hidden underneath... into the type who appeared bright and cheerful on the outside but was secretly calculating.
It might not sound like much of a difference, but there truly was one. At the very least, the latter could gain real pleasure and satisfaction from being secretly calculating, just like Shinji.
As for the former, the torment in her heart would never find release. It would only pile