Family (Continued)

Otake Ichiro lowered his voice and angrily rebuked, his fingers unconsciously reaching for his neck.

There were still traces of sweat left behind when Tanaka Yukishin's imposing presence suppressed his mind.

"You haven't seen young master Tanaka in person, so you have no idea how terrifying he is."

He recalled those eyes that seemed to pierce through his soul, and a cold sweat broke out on his back again.

That feeling of being completely seen through is like having your "thoughts" laid bare before someone else.

After handing over his work, Otake Ichiro turned and walked towards his usual izakaya, "Pine Leaf".

This is a place he frequents.

In the past, after his shift ended, he would come here to have a drink to relax before going home to rest.

It just so happened that he told Tanaka Yukishin about the "promise" this time.

The housekeeper gave him a week off.

Of course we should celebrate!

The wooden door creaked familiarly, and the proprietress looked up, saw him, and immediately greeted him with a smile.

"Mr. Otake, you've arrived earlier than usual today."

"Um."

Otake Ichiro sat down at the table, ordered some food, and also asked for a glass of shochu.

The amber liquid sloshed in the glass, reflecting his complex expression.

You seem preoccupied today.

The proprietress, wiping the wine glasses, keenly sensed something amiss.

Otake Ichiro shook his head and drank the sake in his cup in one gulp.

"But... I met an extraordinary person."

As night fell, sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting warm dappled patterns in the tidy room of the Tanaka family home.

The enticing aroma of oden and fresh miso soup wafted through the living room as Tanaka Fuko placed the last side dish on the table.

At that moment, the door to Tanaka Yukishin's bedroom on the second floor was quietly pushed open a crack.

A head popped in; it was Tanaka Tsukishin.

Her bright, lively eyes darted around mischievously, confirming that her dear older brother was still fast asleep, his breathing steady and long.

A mischievous grin curled at the corner of her lips as she crouched low like a cat pouncing on its prey, tiptoed, and silently slipped into the room.

The "murder weapon" clutched tightly in his hand—a brightly colored plastic inflatable hammer—stood out conspicuously in the morning light.

You wicked older brother, I told you not to take me out to play today!

Tanaka Tsukishin muttered to herself, finding herself a perfect reason to act.

Last night she pleaded and begged for ages, but her brother just brushed her off with "we'll see tomorrow."

This anger must be avenged!

Besides, she was ordered by her mother to wake her brother up for breakfast.

When asked later, she said she called him several times but he didn't wake up, so she "had no choice" but to take action.

Hehe, plan in action!

She held her breath, walked to the bedside, and looked at her brother's unguarded sleeping face.

Tanaka Yukishin appeared exceptionally serene in the morning light, her loose hair gently draped over her forehead. After several months apart, her features seemed even more defined and rugged.

But this in no way can shake Tanaka Tsukishin's determination to "sanction" him.

"Hey! Lazybones Onii-chan, take this!"

She screamed silently in her heart as the inflatable hammer in her hand fell like raindrops.

The dull thuds struck Tanaka Yukishin precisely in the chest, arm, and shoulder.

However, the Matoba the older brother waking up in a panic, as expected, did not occur.

Tanaka Yukishin only frowned slightly in her sleep, turned over, and even mumbled something indistinctly before falling back into a deep sleep.

Those slaps that would wake an ordinary person felt like a gentle breeze on his strengthened and resilient physique.

Moreover, subconsciously sensing the attacker's familiar yet harmless aura—the warm scent unique to her younger sister, Tanaka Tsukishin, with a hint of sweet orange shampoo—her body's defense mechanisms were too lazy to activate.

"Damn it! That lazybones Onii-chan!"

The "hammer torture" proved ineffective, Tanaka Tsukishin was somewhat exasperated.

She simply dropped the inflatable hammer, reached out and grabbed Tanaka Yukishin's shoulders, and shook her with all her might.

"Get up! The sun's already high in the sky! Mom's made breakfast!"

"Hmm..."

Under her sister's relentless physical attacks, Tanaka Yukishin finally let out a long nasal sound, her thick eyelashes trembling as she slowly opened her eyes.

What came into view was my younger sister's face, so close to mine, puffed up with a hint of smugness.

Last night, his parents talked with him until late, asking him about his life, studies, and friends at the Advanced Nurturing High School in great detail.

He was particularly curious and concerned about his "daughter-in-law" whom he had never met. The heavy affection she showed him warmed his heart but also made him feel overwhelmed, resulting in sleep deprivation.

"Yuexin..."

His voice was hoarse from just waking up and filled with deep helplessness, "Next time you call me, can you be a little more polite? Don't fiddle with that hammer. If you keep doing this, tomorrow, and the days after... I won't take you out to play anymore."

He sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes, and delivered his "threat" with precision.

"Hmph!" Tanaka Tsukishin hands on her hips, her skill in turning the tables on others masterful. "I was the one who called you from outside several times, 'Onii-chan, wake up!' My voice was almost hoarse, but you didn't react at all! You were like a hibernating bear! I had no choice but to come in and gently wake you up! And even after I hit you so many times, you still didn't react at all. In the end, I had to use my great shaking technique to wake you up! Onii-chan is the most invincible lazy pig in the universe! You've become a lazybones during summer vacation!"

Tanaka Tsukishin deliberately emphasized the word "gentle".

Her little face was tilted upwards, as if to say, "It's all your fault, I'm the one who did the hard work."

She swayed back and forth with her hands behind her back, slowly retreating towards the door.

Then, those cunning eyes darted around and quickly caught sight of her mother, Tanaka Fuko, carrying a steaming bowl of rice from the kitchen into the living room.

Tanaka Tsukishin like she had found a backer, and her voice instantly switched to a pitiful, complaining tone as she dragged out her words.

"Mother--! Look at Onii-chan! He's only been home for one day and he's already sleeping in! This is such a serious bad habit, we have to crack down on it! Otherwise, where will I put my face as the summer supervisor?"

Thinking back to how her mother had nagged her for so long just because she had slept in for an extra half hour a few days ago, Tanaka Tsukishin was now complaining with a clear conscience.

How could a loving brother and sister like them, and their mother's love, be enjoyed by her alone?

We must get my brother involved to share the burden!

This is her deep "love" for her older brother!

Tanaka Fuko looked over when she heard the sound, her gaze sweeping over her children with a knowing and gentle smile.

She knew her child's temperament better than anyone.

My son, Xuexin, possesses an inherently carefree and languid air, as if she could handle anything, giving off a reassuring sense of reliability. However, she seems "lacking in motivation" for many things.

The daughter, Yuexin, is like a clever and slightly mischievous little fox, full of tricks. She especially loves to tease her closest brother and can always put on an innocent expression that says, "I did nothing wrong, it's all the world's fault."

In the face of this situation, she could tell at a glance that Yuexin's words were at least 50% exaggerated, and the core issue was probably that Xuexin hadn't agreed to any of her requests.

So Yuexin is taking her revenge in her own way.

"That's settled, Yuexin,"

Tanaka Fuko gave her youngest daughter a reproachful look, her tone laced with indulgent laughter, "Go eat your breakfast. Don't you sleep until noon every day? You have the nerve to criticize your brother."

She walked to the table, naturally took Tanaka Tsukishin's empty porridge bowl, and turned around to refill it, her movements skillful and full of maternal tenderness.

Seeing her younger sister's smug look, Tanaka Yukishin slowly picked up her chopsticks in the living room, took a piece of golden fried egg, and with a mischievous smile, delivered a precise blow.

"Hmm, Yuexin, it's been months, you look so..."

He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over her face and body, before casually saying, "A little plumper? School food isn't as nourishing as home cooking, is it?"

For teenage girls, height, appearance, and weight are always the "nuclear weapons" that older brothers use to precisely attack their younger sisters.

Sure enough, Tanaka Tsukishin froze instantly as she picked up food, her narrowed eyes flashing with a murderous aura comparable to heat vision.

She maintained a perfect smile, her voice so sweet it could drip honey, yet every word revealed her little tiger teeth.

"Onii-chan~ What does 'round' mean? It means healthy and full-figured! It's youthful vitality! It's a symbol of life! If you don't understand the charm of an invincible young beauty, don't make random comments, you know!"

She deliberately straightened her back, showing off her slender, youthful figure.

"Yes, yes, yes, Yuexin is an invincible beauty."

Tanaka Yukishin nodded readily, took a sip of the fragrant multigrain porridge, but her tone remained sharp, "I just wonder, how much does our invincible beauty weigh now? I heard you have quite a few admirers at school?"

When he uttered the word "chase," a sharp glint flashed almost imperceptibly deep within his normally languid eyes.

My own younger sister, how old is she?

Fall in love?

Absolutely not!

We should wait until we're more mature in college before talking about it.

As for whether he had a girlfriend in high school and might even have a harem?

Those are completely different things!

He's an "old man" who's lived two lives.

Mature mind, experienced, and with a stable set of values!

It is sufficient to support complex emotional choices.

Unlike this naive and simple-minded fool in front of me, who is so easily deceived by sweet talk.

"As for the people who are pursuing me... hehe, there are definitely a few!"

When this was mentioned, Tanaka Tsukishin immediately lit up with the bright and smug look typical of a young girl, like a proud little peacock.

"After all, I'm naturally beautiful and incredibly charming! Those guys at school don't have bad taste!"

She slightly raised her chin, enjoying the questioning gazes from her brother and mother.

But then she changed the subject.

The smugness on her little face was quickly replaced by a seriousness beyond her years and a hint of pickiness.

"However... they're all not quite right. Either they're not handsome enough, their looks don't meet the standard, or they're too childish, all they do is laugh like an idiot or try to act cool, they have no depth at all, it's like kids playing house."

She put down her chopsticks, rested her chin on her hands, and gazed out the window at the courtyard illuminated by the morning light, her tone carrying a hint of hazy longing.

"Me... if I could, I'd still like to have a serious relationship with my first love, then walk hand in hand into the hall of marriage, and finally grow old together. So, I must be careful in my choice; I'd rather be single than settle for less!"

A young girl's heart is always filled with poetry; at this moment, her eyes sparkled with a pure longing for ideal love.

Tanaka Fuko gently placed the full bowl of porridge in front of her daughter, a look of relief and a touch of emotion on her gentle face.

"It's wonderful that you have such thoughts, Yuexin. Mom supports you in taking relationships seriously. However, finding someone who completely matches your heart and can accompany you for life is not easy. Getting to know someone, understanding someone, and determining if they are right for you all require a long time and patience. Sometimes fate is mysterious; you can't predict when or how many times you will meet the right person."

Her tone carried the gentle reminder of someone with experience.

Tanaka Tsukishin turned her head, looking at her mother with clear and firm eyes.

"I know it's difficult, Mom. But I'd rather wait, or not find anything at all, than settle. I don't want to end up like some people in TV dramas or around me, who make hasty choices because they're getting older, their families are pressuring them, or they act on impulse, only to end up making a mess of their lives and becoming tragic heroines."

Despite her young age, her words possess a clarity beyond her years.

Immediately afterwards, the deep, thoughtful expression on her face vanished.

She put on her usual fawning smile, leaned against her brother, and clung to his arm, shaking it affectionately.

"So! If I become an old maid who can't get married in the future, Mother and Onii-chan will definitely take good care of me, right? After all, in Japan society, it's really stressful for a girl to live alone! Onii-chan, you're already so amazing now, you'll definitely be even more amazing in the future. Taking care of your little sister for the rest of your life will be a piece of cake!"

She blinked her big eyes, trying her best to play the role of a pitiful little cutie who needed her brother's protection.

Tanaka Fuko couldn't help but chuckle and gently poked her daughter's forehead.

"Silly girl, Mom will get old. I can take care of you for a while, but can I take care of you for a lifetime? But your brother..."

She turned her smiling gaze to her son, her expression questioning.