After saying goodbye to Tsukishima Rin, Natsume Chikage returned home.
The moment he pushed open the door and entered, the girls in the room immediately noticed him.
"Big brother/Chikage, welcome home!"
As usual, Natsume Ruri dashed across the wooden floor in her little white socks and happily threw herself into his arms.
Kaga Resaki stood beside her somewhat shyly.
Natsume Chikage smiled warmly and rubbed both their heads.
"I'm home."
"Natsume, welcome home."
Hearing the other girl's voice, Natsume Chikage looked up and found that it was his editor, Matsuo Yuka.
"Editor Matsuo, you're here."
"Mhm, we'd agreed to meet at this time, after all." Matsuo Yuka nodded, then asked curiously, "Your sister said you went out to buy her a birthday present. Why did you come back empty-handed?"
Natsume Chikage explained with a smile, "There's still some time before my sister's birthday. It wouldn't really be appropriate to bring it back already."
"I thought I'd have someone bring it back on her actual birthday. That way, it'll be more of a surprise."
Matsuo Yuka laughed. "That's true."
A delighted smile bloomed across Natsume Ruri's cute face.
"Ruri's already looking forward to seeing what Big Brother bought for Ruri."
Natsume Chikage gently tapped her lovely little nose.
"When you open the present, you'll definitely like it."
The group chatted as they sat around the small table.
Natsume Ruri muttered, "Big Brother, when you went out with Rin, did you really only buy a birthday present?"
Upon hearing that, Kaga Resaki couldn't help sneaking a glance at him as well.
She clearly wanted to know the answer very badly.
As for Matsuo Yuka, once she learned that he had gone out with a girl from the same school, she couldn't say how jealous she was.
But she hated it.
She only