Kissing Amae Koromo / Just How Many Little Sisters Do You Have? ...

After a long while, Amae Koromo suddenly asked, "Will you regret it? After something like this..."

Kageyama Sora froze, then gave a helpless smile. "What kind of person do you take me for? Doing something and then saying I regret it—what's the difference between that and being scum? Since it's already happened, I absolutely, absolutely won't regret it."

Chapter 35: Kissing Amae Koromo

Amae Koromo buried her face deep in Kageyama Sora's warm chest, like a young animal reluctant to leave its nest.

Her golden hair brushed the hollow of his collarbone, raising a fine, tingling sensation, like willow fluff drifting across his neck on a spring day.

She suddenly laughed softly, but the end of her laugh sounded like petals crushed by the evening breeze, drifting away into the damp air with a misty sense of melancholy.

Outside the window, the night-blooming jasmine's fragrance rode the wind through the treetops, breaking the clear moonlight into tiny flecks of silver. The shimmering patches slipped through the gauze curtains and rippled across Amae Koromo's bare back, like schools of restless silver fish.

Maybe people became more vulnerable afterward. Her voice was so soft, as if afraid of shattering the moonlight filling the room. "You know? I've always liked talking to... animals. Or, well, insects."

Kageyama Sora's Adam's apple bobbed. His fingertips passed gently through her silky hair, tucking the loose strands from her shoulder behind her ear.

When his finger brushed her ear, the faint chill made his heart tremble, as if he had touched some fragile treasure.

He had naturally heard things about Amae Koromo, but right now, he only wanted to listen quietly to the most secret whispers in her soul.

"The day my parents had their accident, I was squatting by the entrance, chatting with a frog that had wandered by." Amae Koromo's voice was like silk dipped in ice water, so cold it held no warmth at all. "When the phone rang, I stared at the frog's puffed-out cheeks and suddenly realized I couldn't even cry. My parents gave up the chance to work at a top laboratory overseas so they could spend more time with me... Maybe if it weren't for me, they would've gone abroad long ago. Maybe they wouldn't have died."

Kageyama Sora's heart clenched. Without thinking, he tightened his arms around her and drew her closer.

He could feel the sharp bones of her shoulder blades pressing into his palm. Their fragile prominence filled him with heartache.

Rumors about Amae Koromo surged through his mind: a prodigy, an undefeated legend, the undisputed queen of the mahjong world.

But curled up in his arms now was clearly just a little girl who had grown up in an empty house, with only insects for company through countless lonely nights.

"We never know when an accident might happen. It wasn't your fault." Kageyama Sora's voice grew hoarse. "After all, they still allow people to own guns in Europe and America. As researchers, they might've been in even more danger..."

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. They sounded almost like a curse, and his pale words of comfort felt utterly useless.

Amae Koromo wasn't angry. Instead, Kageyama Sora's frantic attempts to explain himself, stumbling over his words, made her laugh.

The smile vanished in an instant, and she continued, "Later, Tohka started taking me to play mahjong. I started winning, and I kept winning." Her eyelashes cast shadows beneath her eyes, almost cold in their stillness. "And every time those people played against me, they looked as if they'd seen the end of the world. That only made me feel lonelier..."

She stopped abruptly, as if her own words had hurt her, and buried her face even deeper in Kageyama Sora's arms.

She suddenly pushed herself upright, and the moonlight gave her skin the sheen of mother-of-pearl.

Her beautiful blue eyes brimmed with tears. "Actually, I don't like mahjong... I just think it's fun to toy with those idiots through it..."

She said she didn't like mahjong, that she only toyed with people, yet she looked on the verge of tears.

Kageyama Sora raised a hand and wiped away the tear that had almost fallen from the corner of her eye. The heat of it stung his fingertip.

He suddenly remembered their first meeting, when the Great Demon King had planned to crush him mercilessly at the mahjong table.

"Maybe meeting some interesting people will make you like mahjong more." He drew her back into his arms, resting his chin on her head. "At the national mahjong tournament, you might meet people just like you."

"People like me..." Amae Koromo couldn't quite name what she was feeling. She simply buried her face in Kageyama Sora's arms.

Seeing how much Amae Koromo depended on him made Kageyama Sora's chest feel as if a feather had brushed it—tender and achingly soft.

He lowered his head and placed a kiss on her hair, light as a butterfly's wing. "Trust me. I've already met a few people like that."

Amae Koromo's shoulders trembled slightly. After a long moment, she lifted her head, the corners of her eyes red. Her glistening gaze fixed on him. "Really? Can I really make friends who understand me?"

"You can." Kageyama Sora gently rubbed his thumb over the corner of her reddened eye, brushing the damp tear track beneath it.

Perhaps he was afraid the atmosphere between them would grow even more awkward, so Kageyama Sora said nothing more.

Their breaths mingled in the quiet room, and they could hear each other's heartbeats with perfect clarity. His Adam's apple bobbed as his gaze fell unconsciously on her slightly parted lips, still flushed with color, as if silently inviting him.

Unable to hold back the feelings surging within him any longer, Kageyama Sora slowly leaned down, his nose brushing hers with tentative tenderness.

Amae Koromo's lashes trembled, but she didn't pull away. Her warm breath fell across his face, carrying a faint sweetness. At last, his lips gently met hers, as if he were afraid of breaking a rare treasure.

They'd already been more intimate than this. What was one kiss?

The kiss began soft and restrained, but grew more passionate when Amae Koromo wrapped her arms around his neck.

She deepened it herself, turning all her hurt, gratitude, and love into entwined tongues and lips pressed together.

Kageyama Sora cradled the back of her head with one hand and held her waist tightly with the other, wishing he could draw her into his very bones.

This time, Kageyama Sora didn't go any further. Amae Koromo's little body couldn't take it.

Holding a contented Amae Koromo in his arms, Kageyama Sora fell asleep.

Maybe they'd been too exhausted the night before. He actually slept right through the morning.

Meanwhile, something rather interesting was happening somewhere Kageyama Sora knew nothing about.

Here's what happened. That day, Kageyama Sora had been photographed by reporters when he went out with Haramura Nodoka. To keep from causing trouble for Haramura Nodoka, he'd said he was her cousin.

Kageyama Sora hadn't thought much of it.

But then the young lady Ryumonbuchi Toka saw the report—she'd gone to read it because she heard there was an interview with Haramura Nodoka, only to see an enlarged photo of her own cousin.

What made Ryumonbuchi Toka even angrier was that her cousin had called himself Haramura Nodoka's "brother" in the interview.

"This wretched Haramura Nodoka! She's even trying to steal my brother!" Ryumonbuchi Toka immediately found a way to vent her anger. "Damn you, Kageyama Sora! Just how many little sisters do you have?"

Chapter 36: Just How Many Little Sisters Do You Have?

Chapter 35: Just How Many Little Sisters Do You Have?

"Damn you, Kageyama Sora! Just how many little sisters do you have?"

Ryumonbuchi Toka slammed the newspaper onto the rosewood table. The black print gleamed harshly beneath the crystal chandelier.

In the front-page photo, Kageyama Sora stood beside Haramura Nodoka, a faint smile playing at his lips. The camera flash had outlined them in a way that looked ambiguously intimate.

She snatched up a diamond-studded hairbrush and jabbed it into her hair. In the mirror, her ahoge trembled from the force.

When the clock struck seven, morning light was filtering through the lapis-lazuli window frames, scattering flecks of light across the Persian carpet.

Ryumonbuchi Toka strode in ten-centimeter red-soled heels, jamming pearl earrings into her earlobes.

She didn't usually wear high heels. This time, she was purely going for presence. Presence!

Fuming, Ryumonbuchi Toka went to Kageyama Sora's room, only to find it empty. "Where did that wretched guy go? Did he go to see Haramura Nodoka?"

The butler waited by the doorway with a silver tray and offered a timely reminder. "The young master spent the night at Miss Amae Koromo's villa."

Of course, Ryumonbuchi Toka didn't mind. She was very fond of Amae Koromo herself, after all, and she thought it was only natural that Kageyama Sora would worry about Amae Koromo being scared and stay with her.

Since it was getting late, Ryumonbuchi Toka decided to head to Amae Koromo's place, catch Kageyama Sora, and ask him exactly how many little sisters he had.

As she walked through the wisteria-covered corridor, dew dampened the hem of her skirt.

Amae Koromo's villa was faintly visible in the morning mist, its white marble walls reflecting a cold gleam.

Ryumonbuchi Toka gripped the newspaper so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her nails left crescent-shaped marks on the smooth brass doorknob.

The carved wooden door stood ajar. A thread of warmth drifted out, carrying the faint scent of cedar—Kageyama Sora's scent.

She charged up the stairs. The carved wooden door was ajar, and she was about to push it open when she heard muffled breathing from inside, accompanied by a certain unmistakable atmosphere.

Ryumonbuchi Toka wasn't a child. She was a proper young lady, after all. She knew a thing or two about what was and wasn't decent.

Holding her breath, Ryumonbuchi Toka peered through the gap, no wider than a finger. The morning light was gently draped over the bed.

Amae Koromo's elegant neck was arched like a swan's. Her snow-white skin was dotted with kisses of varying shades, like cherry blossoms battered from the trees by a spring storm.

Kageyama Sora bent over her, his shirt collar wide open and his collarbone just visible. His lips were tracing their way down Amae Koromo's collarbone, and their overlapping figures cast an intimate silhouette on the wall.

"Kageyama Sora! You lecher!" The carved wooden door burst open under the force of her high heel. Her heels clicked crisply against the floor. "You actually went after your cousin! When you barged in while I was bathing the first time we met, I should've known what kind of person you were! I never should've changed my opinion of someone like you just because of your ability!"

The ahoge on top of Ryumonbuchi Toka's head swayed wildly. She was clearly furious.

Ryumonbuchi Toka charged into the room, but when she saw Amae Koromo curled up in the bedding, her face pale, her heart clenched painfully.

The varying shades of kiss marks on Amae Koromo's neck made Ryumonbuchi Toka's pupils contract. The newspaper slipped from her hand.

Faced with the scene, Kageyama Sora wanted to ask if Ryumonbuchi Toka had any manners at all. Who barged in while someone was in the middle of things?

But he realized that would only make matters worse, so he kept quiet and tried to explain.

"Tohka, it's not what you think!" Kageyama Sora hurriedly pulled the blanket over them, the tips of his ears red as ripe cherries. He reached to straighten his rumpled shirt, but accidentally knocked the glass lamp off the bedside table.

"Don't you dare try to deny it!" Amid the crisp sound of shattering glass, Ryumonbuchi Toka snatched up the celadon vase from the table. The bright roses inside scattered everywhere, their petals landing on the Persian carpet like drops of blood. "You're a lying flirt who goes around leading people on! Koromo, don't let him fool you!"

Amae Koromo's noncommittal attitude only made Ryumonbuchi Toka angrier.

"Yesterday you showed up in the news with Haramura Nodoka, and today you went after Koromo!" Her voice trembled with anger, and her ahoge whipped wildly with her every movement. "You barged into the bathroom the first time we met, then gave me all those explanations. I never should've changed my opinion of you just because of your ability!"

Memories surged back. In the steamy bathroom that day, Kageyama Sora had turned away in a panic, the tips of his ears red. Now it all seemed like the most ironic joke.

Amae Koromo suddenly threw off the blanket, revealing the lingering kiss marks on her shoulder. "I wanted it... Last night, we talked about the past, and the mood was right..."

Amae Koromo wanted to say that she'd been the one to take the initiative.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she clutched the blanket, but she still met Ryumonbuchi Toka's gaze directly.

But to Ryumonbuchi Toka, Amae Koromo wasn't the type to take the initiative in something like this. She immediately shouted, "Don't make excuses for him!"

Ryumonbuchi Toka was furious. This was the first time she had ever shouted at Amae Koromo.

"Be quiet!" Her voice trembled in a way she didn't even notice, but the vase, halfway through its swing, stopped. She couldn't bear to hurt Amae Koromo, not even a little.

Instead, she turned her anger on Kageyama Sora. "Yesterday you were all over Haramura Nodoka in the news, and today you went after your own cousin, Koromo. Just how many little sisters do you have?"

"What news?" Kageyama Sora asked, momentarily confused.

But to Ryumonbuchi Toka, Kageyama Sora was obviously playing dumb.

The young lady, now even angrier, lunged forward and grabbed Kageyama Sora by the collar. As they struggled, her knee accidentally struck his lower abdomen, but unexpectedly touched his morning hardness.

The air froze instantly. Kageyama Sora recoiled as if shocked, his back crashing hard against the vanity. Several things on it tumbled to the floor.

Ryumonbuchi Toka's face turned bright red. Her raised hand froze in midair, the warmth on her fingertips seeming to burn.

She felt as if her furious attack had suddenly put her at a disadvantage. How had such a misunderstanding happened? Ryumonbuchi Toka screamed inwardly.

A clear birdsong suddenly sounded outside, breaking the suffocating silence.

"What news?" Kageyama Sora asked, his voice faintly hoarse. He looked down as he straightened his crooked collar, but didn't dare meet her eyes.

Ryumonbuchi Toka sneered and flung the crumpled newspaper at his face. "Why are you pretending to be innocent? Isn't that you in the photo?"

The newspaper fluttered to the floor. The two figures in the front-page photo were smiling at each other, a sight that stung everyone present.

Amae Koromo suddenly got out of bed and stepped barefoot onto the icy floor. "Mm, is this Haramura Nodoka, the girl Tohka cares so much about? She's cute..."

Hearing Amae Koromo's unconcerned tone, and how highly she praised Haramura Nodoka, Ryumonbuchi Toka thought she was going to lose her mind. "Even if we put everything else aside, she's your love rival too, isn't she? Why are you looking at her like you admire her?"

Chapter 37: Tohka Could Try It Too

Morning light flowed across the newspaper's glossy paper like melted honey. Kageyama Sora's distinct fingers rested naturally on Haramura Nodoka's slender shoulder. The pink-haired girl's clear eyes reflected the rosy dawn, and the shoulder blades beneath her Kiyosumi High School uniform rose and fell gently with her breathing. Their silhouettes stood side by side, blurred by the morning mist, like lovers stepping out of a medieval painting.

Even though the article said Kageyama Sora was Haramura Nodoka's brother, the atmosphere between them didn't look sibling-like at all.

The way they smiled at each other in the accompanying photo held an intimacy that seemed to go beyond blood ties.

Or perhaps it was because they weren't siblings in the first place.

Ryumonbuchi Toka had originally come to ask Kageyama Sora why he'd called her destined rival his little sister. He was practically helping Haramura Nodoka take her place.

But after seeing the scene between Kageyama Sora and Amae Koromo, Ryumonbuchi Toka realized that everything had gone completely off course.

Even more absurdly, Amae Koromo, who should have been the one getting angry, looked as if she admired Haramura Nodoka. That made Ryumonbuchi Toka feel even more certain that something was wrong.

Her ahoge swayed wildly. She felt like the whole world had gone mad. "Even if we put everything else aside, she's your love rival too, isn't she? Why are you looking at her like you admire her?"

"She isn't my love rival, Tohka." Amae Koromo tilted her head, blinking her dewy almond-shaped eyes as she shook it with an innocent expression. "Sora's my cousin."

Ryumonbuchi Toka already knew Kageyama Sora was her cousin. They weren't closely related by blood, so marriage would be allowed if they wanted to.

But that was beside the point. Lately, she'd clearly only thought of him as an older brother... How had things suddenly gotten to this point? Ryumonbuchi Toka genuinely couldn't understand how it had all happened when she'd only looked away for a moment!

"Then why did you..." Ryumonbuchi Toka's question caught in her throat. She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"But Koromo gets lonely. Sometimes, I also need..." Amae Koromo recalled how she'd felt the previous night and realized she wouldn't regret it...

At least Kageyama Sora had truly entered her heart through that physical union. And aside from the pain at first, it had felt good afterward.

The sensation of her spine seeming to dance in the sky had felt wonderful. She didn't consider it something shameful.