Peeping

"Onii-chan! Get up!" ヾ(≧∪≦*)ノ

Seeing Baicang still lazing under the covers at noon, Runo angrily climbed onto his bed, straddled his waist, and unleashed Crazy Scratching.

"Get up!"

Runo tickled Baicang straight out of his dreams. He shuddered and hurriedly caught her restless little hands.

"Ah! Okay, okay, I'll get up right now."

Baicang spoke to Runo in exasperation. What had happened last night had left him brooding for ages, and he hadn't even slept well.

He stretched, yawned, and got out of bed, looking at Runo, who was still sitting there sulking.

Baicang was momentarily puzzled.

Then, under Runo's astonished gaze, he scooped her up and slung her over his shoulder. "Come on, come on! Let's brush our teeth and wash our faces!" With that shout, he ran toward the bathroom.

"Huh!"

Runo let out an adorably confused sound. Then, feeling embarrassed, she started squirming on Baicang's shoulder. "No! I've already washed my face. Put me down!"

Baicang had no idea why Runo was sulking first thing in the morning. He was deliberately teasing her to cheer her up and make her forget her troubles, so of course he refused to put her down.

They started fooling around as Runo tried to climb off him, each trying to catch the other's hands.

"Mmm~" The strange sound Runo suddenly made shattered the cozy moment.

Baicang instantly turned to stone. I'm doomed! She's going to think her big brother's a pervert!

While Baicang stood frozen, Runo swiftly escaped his clutches and scrambled off him.

But her entire neck and face were alarmingly red, and she kept her head down without speaking to him.

The siblings stood facing each other, neither daring to look at the other.

Feeling the awkwardness, Baicang broke into a cold sweat and nervously tried to explain. "Um... Runo, I wasn't..."

"It's Sunday today. You promised to take me shopping for new furniture. Hurry up, okay..."

Runo rattled it all off with her head lowered, then fled back to her room.

Baicang was left standing there in a daze, his explanation unfinished.

Moriha Shopping Plaza.

Looking at Runo beside him, acting as if nothing had happened, Baicang finally relaxed.

Thank goodness sweet little Runo didn't hold it against her idiot big brother. She almost ended up hating me.

Then he remembered that he'd forgotten his promise to Runo and made such an embarrassing blunder on top of it. Baicang wanted to die.

"Look, big brother. What do you think of that TV?" Runo asked, pointing at the latest-model television displayed in the shop window.

"Oh, that one! Do you like it, Runo? If you like it, we'll buy it!" Snapped out of his thoughts, Baicang hurriedly looked where she was pointing.

"Mm-hmm." At her affirmative answer, Baicang walked toward a nearby sales assistant as though he'd received an order.

Time to show off my big-brother power. Whatever Runo likes, I'm buying it.

"What?! Eight hundred thousand yen? Why don't you just rob someone?!" Baicang exclaimed at the sales assistant who had quoted the price. Sweating profusely, the assistant began explaining that it was the latest model, packed with cutting-edge technology and so on.

Baicang still thought the shop was a rip-off, but for Runo's sake, he kept haggling with the assistant.

In the end, thanks to his Professional Hero license and handsome face, Baicang got the assistant to give him a twenty-percent discount.

Though Baicang felt his handsome face deserved most of the credit.

Watching Baicang bargain with the assistant, Runo recalled the little "incident" at noon and quietly lowered her head. Where no one could see, a faint blush spread across her fair, smooth cheeks, and her eyes brimmed with sweetness.

"All done, Runo. They'll send someone to deliver it to our new home in a few days."

Baicang returned triumphantly and told Runo, "Let's keep looking and see if there's anything else you like."

"Okay!" Runo looked up with a sweet smile.

After a few more circuits around the plaza, they had bought just about all the furniture they needed. Baicang took Runo to sit on a roadside bench, eating ice cream as they rested.

Despite noticing his balance plummeting in the text notifications on his phone, he was happy. He could always earn more money. Runo's happiness mattered most.

Watching Runo beside him taking adorable little bites of her ice cream, Baicang sighed at how wonderful life was.

Who's there?!

Suddenly, his scalp prickled, and Baicang felt as though someone was watching him.

Shock and anger surged through him. Someone was secretly following him, and he'd brought Runo out without taking any precautions.

What if it's an enemy, and a fight breaks out?!

No. Calm down.

Whenever Runo was involved, Baicang couldn't think clearly. She was the one line no one could cross.

Forcing himself to calm down, Baicang rapidly analyzed the unexpected situation.

I haven't met many people. My only friend is Saitama, and he wouldn't watch me in secret. If he saw me, he'd come straight over and say hello.

Enemies? I already had the bank robbers' leader locked up. The two who escaped were ordinary people, too. They wouldn't have the guts to take revenge. Kenta, Onibi Maru, and their biker gangs never saw my real face, so they have no reason either.

A monster? Probably not.

Could it be... Right. There's only one person I've offended: Tank-Top Tiger.

Scratching his head, Baicang smiled at Runo. "Sorry, Runo. A new assignment just came in. I need to head over and provide support right away, so go home first."

"Okay~ Stay safe."

Runo had had a wonderful time today. Once she learned it was work-related, she obediently said goodbye and headed home.

"Of course."

Baicang nodded in agreement. Watching Runo's retreating figure disappear, he immediately headed in the opposite direction.

Feeling that gaze remain fixed on him, Baicang breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, whoever it was had ignored Runo. It seemed they were after him.

Noticing the stream of people coming toward him, Baicang took the opportunity to slip into the crowd, using the pedestrians to block that hidden gaze.

Even after several evasive maneuvers, that gaze remained fixed firmly on him.

"What a pain," Baicang muttered.

Rather than keep squeezing through the crowd, he suddenly sprinted away, darting between different shops, streets, and corners.

Hopefully I can shake him off. A flicker of killing intent entered Baicang's eyes. If he still dares to follow...

The owner of that gaze seemed to move with him, relentlessly following Baicang.

Fine! You're asking for death!

Baicang ran even faster toward a secluded area. After sensing that the person behind him was still in hot pursuit, he made sure no one else was around, then darted around a dark corner and pressed himself against the wall, waiting for his pursuer.

Tap, tap, tap. The approaching person seemed to make no attempt to hide their presence, running straight toward the corner.

The instant a figure appeared, Baicang struck from his hiding place, his hand shooting toward their neck.

"Hm!"

The "neck" in his hand felt strange. Baicang was puzzled, yet the sensation was somehow familiar. Almost like...

No way. Twice in one day?!

Baicang stiffly raised his head to look at the person he had "grabbed."

She had beautiful long blond hair tied into a pineapple-like side ponytail, and an alluring tracksuit that perfectly showed off her tall, slender, athletic figure.

Because she was half a head taller than Baicang, the neck he should have grabbed had turned out to be her chest.

The girl still wore a adorably blank expression, but her cheeks gradually reddened, and her lips parted slightly, as though some kind of storm was brewing.

"Don't!"

Baicang was instantly terrified.