"I never expected Sakurakoji-kun to be so good at singing too. You really startled me." As they walked out of the KTV, Kogisora Yukina sighed in admiration.
"It's nothing like that. From my perspective, you already sang very well. You wouldn't lose out even compared to professionals." Sakurakoji Talent shook his head and returned the compliment.
"Not at all, I'm only decent among amateurs. I'm still far behind compared to professionals!" Kogisora Yukina shook her head as she evaluated herself.
"You don't need to be so modest. At least in my opinion, you have no problem singing pop songs."
"Mo... hehe!" She had just been about to scold him for praising her too much when she could not help laughing instead. "I feel a little embarrassed with us complimenting each other like this."
"I suppose so." Sakurakoji Talent could not help smiling too. Then he glanced at the sky—though there was nothing to see. The city at night was always like that.
"It's getting late. Where do you live? I'll walk you home."
"Huh? I can get back by myself! That would be too much trouble for you!" Kogisora Yukina blinked, then politely declined.
"Forget it. I don't want you calling me 'a terrible man who lets girls walk alone at night' afterward." Sakurakoji Talent pinched his throat and imitated her tone, having already seen through everything.
"How did you know... Then, sorry for the trouble." Kogisora Yukina covered her mouth in surprise, then agreed bashfully.
"Leave it to me."
Without teasing her further, Sakurakoji Talent merely smiled and agreed.
However, Kogisora Yukina's home was not far from here. They did not even need to take the train and could arrive on foot.
It was obvious that she would not choose a part-time job far from home. If she wanted to avoid attention, she should be even less likely to choose somewhere near school—unless her home was nearby too.
The two walked together in silence, making their way through the residential streets beneath the streetlights in a pleasant atmosphere.
During the short ten-minute walk, they did not say much. Yet both were enveloped in a sense of peace, and neither inexplicably felt awkward. They both tacitly believed the other person felt the same way.
"...We're here. This is my home."
Stopping in front of a pale green two-story detached house, Kogisora Yukina pointed at the iron gate beside it and spoke to Sakurakoji Talent somewhat bashfully.
Sakurakoji Talent looked up and found that the building occupied quite a large area. Beside the pedestrian entrance was a garage with a separate vehicle entrance. The upper floor alone was definitely more than one hundred square meters, leaving him somewhat speechless.
A detached little villa of this size in Shinjuku, with a father's salary alone enough to cover the tuition and living expenses for two children attending private school—and this was what she called an ordinary middle-class family?
Go sit at the same table as that pink-haired girl next door!
"...It looks very cozy. It's a nice home." But he had no standing to comment on someone else's circumstances, so that was all he could say.
"Mm!" A faint smile filled Kogisora Yukina's eyes.
"Then I'll head home too. I had a lot of fun today. Bye." Since he had already escorted her to her destination, Sakurakoji Talent prepared to turn around and leave.
"Ah, wait!" Kogisora Yukina extended her right hand to stop him.
"?"
Image: "Daily Ending Image", Location: "Images/1756383575-100446961-113781231.jpg"
Author's note: The first song is called Akujo. It is a classic song by Miyuki Nakajima that Yukina covered in the anime. If you're interested, you can take a look at the lyrics. All I can say is... well, the production team really were geniuses! It was overflowing with malice!
The second song belongs to one of the heroines of White Album 1, Ogata Rina. I think it sounds great too, so give it a listen if you're interested!
The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: My Little Brother Can't Possibly Be a Pervert Who Takes Secret Photos
"Mo, you really are heartless, Sakurakoji-kun dewa." A trace of dissatisfaction appeared on her face as she puffed out her cheeks and looked at him. "Did you forget something?"
"Did I?" Sakurakoji Talent looked puzzled, not knowing what she meant.
Seeing him like this, Kogisora Yukina could only helplessly take out her pink phone and gesture with it. "Contact information. Contact information."
"We don't go to the same school, and we usually have no chance to meet. Do you want to pretend today never happened and never contact me again?"
"Shouldn't the boy be the one to bring something like this up first?"
"!!!" Sakurakoji Talent was startled, only then realizing that he had actually forgotten his most fundamental objective! If she had not reminded him, he would definitely have gone home empty-handed. That was close!
He had actually been careless enough to forget that. It seemed he had let his guard down too much, he reflected inwardly.
"Sorry, I forgot!"
"...You're the first boy who didn't want my contact information, Sakurakoji-kun." Hearing that, Kogisora Yukina paused, then said quietly, "But that does prove you really are that kind of person. I don't even know whether I should be happy or sad."
"Haha, sorry..." Sakurakoji Talent awkwardly took out his phone from his pocket and exchanged numbers and accounts with her.
"Mm! That's all right, then. Be careful on your way home!" Once she confirmed she had received them, her worry turned to joy. One hand was hidden behind her back while the other lightly waved goodbye to him.
"Then I'm really leaving this time. See you next time." Sakurakoji Talent also relaxed and waved as he left.
Only after watching his back disappear from sight did Kogisora Yukina turn toward the gate. She unlocked it with her key and entered the yard, but the instant she looked toward the front door, she was startled.
"Takhiro! What are you doing here?!"
A somewhat handsome yet still childish face was sticking out beside the entrance hall door—it was her dear Little Brother.
At that moment, he looked at her with an amused expression and asked mischievously, "Sis, who was that beauty just now? Your new friend?"
"That has nothing to do with you, does it?" Kogisora Yukina turned away and crossed her arms, criticizing her troublesome little brother. "And you, when did you learn to eavesdrop on other people's conversations? I don't remember teaching you such a bad habit!"
"Ah, changing the subject!" Kogisora Takhiro saw through her strategy at once. "Besides, it's not my fault. You were too engrossed in looking at him. I stood there for ages and you never noticed me."
"Who was engrossed in looking at him... You stood there for ages? When exactly did you start watching?" Kogisora Yukina was startled, feeling as though a secret had been exposed.
"From when you wanted him to exchange phone numbers with you."
"Ugh!!!" Kogisora Yukina's body trembled. Didn't that mean he had seen almost everything?! Takhiro, that bastard!
"So? Was he one of your schoolmates?" Kogisora Takhiro continued questioning her. "There's actually such a super pretty beauty at Houjou? Sis, you were definitely lying when you said you became an Affiliated Miss last time, weren't you?"
"Come to think of it, Sis, you haven't brought a classmate home in ages. Though this time, you only brought him to the front door."
"Hey, hey, can you introduce me? I want to meet Sis's friend too!"
Kogisora Takhiro stared suspiciously at his sister. He had said it all along: after living together for more than ten years, he had never thought his sister was especially pretty. How could she possibly have such a high reputation outside? She had definitely been bragging in front of him.
"I didn't lie to you! We don't even go to the same school!" Kogisora Yukina corrected him with a serious expression, then her face turned complicated. "Also, stop comparing him to me all the time. That's very rude to him."
"Because Sakurakoji-kun is a boy."
"Huh?" Kogisora Takhiro's body and expression froze at the same time as he stiffly looked at her. "Sis, you're joking with me, right?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Kogisora Yukina looked at him with pity in her eyes.
"...But he has long hair." He still wanted to make one final stand.
"There's no rule saying boys can't have long hair, is there?"
"But he's so pretty..."
"There's no rule saying boys can't be that pretty either, right?" Kogisora Yukina casually closed her eyes and spread her hands, then looked at him teasingly. "Nani? Don't tell me you've fallen for him?"
"...Ugh!" Unable to bear her teasing, Takhiro blushed and turned to run toward the living room. "Mom! Sis came home with a boy!"
"!!" Kogisora Yukina's expression changed, and she hurried after him. "Hey! Takhiro! Stop right there! You little—!"
Five minutes later,
Thanks to a certain good-for-nothing little brother spreading the alarm, the Kogisora family gathered in the living room for an impromptu family meeting. Kogisora Yukina sat alone at the other side of the dining table with her head lowered, being jointly interrogated by her parents and younger brother.
"So? Yukina, can you tell us what exactly happened? Is what Takhiro said true?" Her mother spoke. She still looked young, practically like a youthful woman in her twenties.
"It wasn't anything. I just came back with a friend. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?" Kogisora Yukina retorted softly.
"But you haven't come home with a friend in a long time, and now it was suddenly a boy..." Her mother propped her cheek on one hand, looking worried.
"Takhiro said he isn't even a schoolmate. Where exactly did you meet him? Don't tell me it was at some unsavory place outside..."
"No! No!" Kogisora Yukina desperately waved her hands and shook her head, her expression agitated. "How could I possibly go to places like that?! Besides, I'm busy with my part-time job all the time. How would I have time?"
"Then where did you meet him?" Kogisora father, who had remained quiet while sitting upright with his arms crossed, spoke at last. His expression was steady and stern; if outsiders saw him, they might think he was difficult to get along with.
"It was... at my part-time job." Kogisora Yukina told the truth.
But thinking about it carefully, it really was a little difficult to explain.
"Does he work part-time at the same shop too?" Her mother continued asking.
"Not exactly. He has an acquaintance at Houjou, so he happened to get to know me. Today, he saw me working at the supermarket and found it strange, so he came over and spoke to me." She explained further.
"Are you all right? Didn't you not want people at school to know you work there? Should you stop for now?" Kogisora mother became even more worried upon hearing this. If he was a bad person who used that to threaten her daughter, then...
"It's fine, it's fine. Sakurakoji-kun isn't that kind of person. After talking with him today, I'm completely sure of that!" Kogisora Yukina defended Sakurakoji Talent.
"Even so, you exchanged contact information, didn't you? We can't rule out the possibility that he deliberately approached you." Kogisora father narrowed his eyes, his expression somewhat dangerous.
He seemed to have already imagined a story in which a wild boar from outside had run into his yard to root up the cabbage he had painstakingly raised.
"Ah, that's not a problem, because Sis was the one who took the initiative to exchange contact information." Kogisora Takhiro, who was lying on the table in boredom nearby, interjected at this point.
"Takhiro!" Kogisora Yukina cried out with a red face, wanting to stop him from saying more.
What sin had she committed to have such a little brother who loved stabbing her in the back?!
"...What is this about? Yukina, be quiet for now. Takhiro, continue." The strict father gave his order, leaving Kogisora Yukina able only to give up resisting with a "Ugh~."
"Because he was clearly about to leave, but Sis got upset and said he actually hadn't taken the initiative to ask for her contact information. That was why he agreed to exchange it." Kogisora Takhiro continued stabbing his sister in the back. "If anything, Sis looked more like the one pestering him."
"I wasn't upset," Kogisora Yukina added quietly.
"Is that how it was, Yukina?" Both parents looked at their daughter in surprise. They had not expected her to be this sort of person.
She had clearly avoided getting close to friends before. Why had she changed like this now?
"Well, more or less." Kogisora Yukina awkwardly brushed her hair back and answered with a laugh.
"That's not so bad, then. At least it shows that child probably doesn't have any bad intentions." Kogisora mother relaxed a little.
"No, no, no! Isn't that exactly the problem?" Seeing his parents about to let the matter drop, Kogisora Takhiro protested from the side. "Have you ever seen Sis bring an unfamiliar boy home? And it was their first day meeting! No matter how you think about it, it's strange!"
"Ko—gi—so—ra—Ta—khi—ro—" Kogisora Yukina clenched her fists. Veins bulged on her usually gentle and beautiful face. If her parents had not been sitting nearby, she would have wanted to rush over and beat up this younger brother, three years her junior.
"The strangest one is obviously you! Getting turned on by a boy is simply unbelievable!"
Since things had reached this point, she no longer intended to save her little brother any face. She directly exposed his secret.
"Wha—" Takhiro's expression changed drastically, and then he shouted with a red face, "What are you talking about, Sis?! I never said that, did I?!"
"Hmph, you can fool other people, but not me! Do you think I haven't been your sister for enough years? I can tell exactly what you're thinking with one look!"
"Wait, what exactly are you two talking about?!"
"Takhiro! What is this thing Yukina said?!"
Hearing their daughter reveal another earth-shattering revelation, their parents could no longer hold back. They slammed the table and questioned them separately. Both felt dizzy; could the son they had raised for more than ten years actually be...
"Dad! Mom! Listen to my explanation!" Takhiro excitedly knocked over his chair as he stood up, desperately trying to explain.
"Hehe, you were just asking me to introduce him to you, and now you're pretending it never happened?" Having found an opportunity, Kogisora Yukina smiled slyly and continued piling it on.
"Takhiro!" X2
The suspicion and denial in his father's eyes, along with the worry and shock in his mother's eyes, pierced deeply into the heart of this second-year middle school boy like two thorns.
Seeing this scene, Kogisora Yukina felt utterly delighted. Her smile and optimism returned to her face. She had been criticized for so long; now it was finally someone else's turn.
"That's not it! That's not it!" Kogisora Takhiro looked miserable. "If you have to blame someone, blame Sis's friend for looking way too misleading! It's not my fault!"
"...What is this about now?" Kogisora parents fell into confusion again, nearly being driven dizzy by these two troublesome children.
"That's right, I took a photo!" An idea suddenly flashed through his mind. He excitedly pulled out his phone, as though he had found the crucial weapon that could prove his innocence.
"You actually did that too?! Taking secret photos is illegal!" Kogisora Yukina also slapped the table and stood up in surprise, angrily rebuking her brother.
"This is unbelievable. My little brother is actually a pervert who hides in the dark and secretly takes photos! Dad, you can't let him get away with this!"
"Takhiro! You're violating Sakurakoji-kun's right to privacy. I advise you not to take it out!"
Of course, part of her emotion might have been because she knew there would be no more entertainment to watch if this continued.
"Who cares about that at a time like this?!" With his blood boiling, Kogisora Takhiro could no longer endure his family's strange looks. He hurriedly opened his phone, found the pictures he had taken at the entrance earlier, and placed the phone in front of his parents.
Although they knew this behavior was wrong, the couple could not suppress their curiosity. They also wanted to know what kind of child could turn both of their children into this after only one day.
"Ah..." Kogisora Yukina wanted to stop her parents from doing something so unethical, but she also understood that she was powerless at a time like this. She could only lower her hand regretfully.
Because it was nighttime and the only light came from the streetlamps and the lamp by the door, the picture quality left something to be desired. Still, Kogisora Yukina's figure and appearance, along with that of the other person, could be seen fairly clearly.
In particular, aside from the full-shot photograph, Takhiro had deliberately taken an enlarged full-body shot of the other person and a close-up of his face.
Before you continue