Poke~
Slap—
“…Hmph~”
Kotori Itsuka swatted away Kyoumi’s finger, turned her head with a light snort. Even though her cheeks were tingling from stuffing three different-flavored Chupa Chups in at once, a hint of triumph still danced in her eyes.
Stupid Onii-chan~ If I’m not allowed to eat them after dinner, then eating them before dinner is fine, right~? You’re still too green to outsmart me~
Poke~
Slap—
Poke~
“Nwo way awound my swocks!”
Mumbling through the candy, Kotori dodged Kyoumi’s finger, stood up on the sofa in a tokusatsu-giant defensive pose, then hopped backward. Her weight pressed the soft cushion down, and the highly elastic seat bounced back, making her wobble and lose balance for a split second.
“Wah…”
Flailing her arms, she steadied herself and glared fiercely at the culprit.
“Because Kotori is too cute, I just couldn’t help myself~”
Kyoumi explained her actions while her gaze followed the girl’s bouncing movements, locked on those puffed-up cheeks.
She really looks like a hamster… the kind with sunflower seeds stuffed in both cheeks~
People react differently when they see something cute. Some try to feed it, some imitate its cries and hope the creature will correct their pronunciation like a pro, and some even dress up as the same species to get closer.
But in the end, it’s all just an effort to pet it once.
Kyoumi had nothing to feed her with, and little hamster’s cheeks clearly couldn’t fit any more candy. As for acting all harmless and cute to lure her in—after a moment’s thought, Kyoumi gave up on that idea.
Not because she couldn’t pull it off, but because revealing that side too early would ruin future opportunities to take advantage.
In that case, the bargaining chip at hand…
“Here, a present for Kotori~”
While her mind wandered, Kyoumi raised the inexplicably red orca plushie with both hands.
This was a lie. The dolphin was originally reserved for Yoshino; she was only temporarily storing it at the Itsuka house while checking whether Shidou had sealed Kotori again. Saying it was a gift was just convenient.
In Kyoumi’s estimation, Shidou didn’t particularly love or hate plushies, but he would sincerely treasure any gift given by someone else.
This orca was the same—except it was something Kyoumi herself adored, not originally meant as a gift. The texture was, as expected, incredibly comfortable to hug, and its size and shape were perfect both as a body pillow and for gaining the aesthetic upper hand in a pillow fight.
She had planned to store it here anyway. Gifting it to Kotori in exchange for the chance to pet a cute creature wasn’t a loss at all—since it was staying in the house, she could take it back anytime.
“Mm?”
Kotori’s wariness vanished as quickly as it came. After staring at the little orca for three full seconds and confirming she couldn’t see through it to the other side, she let out a muffled sound, crouched down, and lightly sat back on the sofa so her feet touched the floor.
“…Thwank yew…”
She reached out with both arms to take the plushie. Her toes pressed lightly against the floor, ready to bolt around the sofa at the slightest suspicious movement.
But until the soft plushie was safely in her arms, Kyoumi made no further moves.
Huh? Was I overthinking it?
Kotori tilted her head, fingers brushing over the irresistibly fluffy fur. A look of cozy delight appeared on her face.
Of course. Kyoumi was extremely picky about plushies. Anything with loose stitching or rough fabric would never have been chosen.
The claw machine she’d emptied was still sitting perfectly intact a little underground, and the tunnel she’d dug had been neatly refilled and tamped down. When the shop owner eventually decided to lift that manhole cover she’d resealed, they’d probably win the jackpot—a completely full machine… though it was technically theirs to begin with~
Ah~ what a heartwarming reunion that’ll be~
Twirling a lock of hair with her silk-gloved fingertip, Kyoumi’s lips curved as she imagined the delightful scene. Her rose-colored eye reflected the girl’s now-relaxed expression.
“Dinner’s almost ready. Little Kotori, take the plushie back to your room and finish those lollipops quickly, before Shidou scolds you.”
She could hear the sound of Shidou stir-frying in the kitchen. Estimating the time, the girl spoke in a low voice.
Kyoumi wasn’t sure what Shidou and his sister had whispered about when she first entered the living room—probably related to her visit—but judging by how Kotori was desperately cramming candy, house-husband-mode Shidou had likely lectured her about something~
Facing away was fine, but if she crunched the candy, Shidou might notice. Besides, Kotori wasn’t completely turned away from the kitchen right now. If Shidou looked over, Kyoumi might get to witness a heartwarming domestic scene.
“I’ll keep watch for you~”
Kyoumi pointed toward the kitchen, where the boy had just picked up the bowl of diced ingredients.
“…Mm!”
Better at judging her brother’s cooking progress by sound alone, Kotori decided from the girl’s quiet words that Kyoumi was on her side in this. She nodded vigorously, hugged the plushie, stood up, and tiptoed away, looking back every three steps.
Giving a silent “all clear” gesture, Kyoumi encouraged her. Kotori no longer hesitated and dashed upstairs.
“So… Kotori’s room is on the second floor~”
Lowering her hand, Kyoumi stood and quietly followed the same path up the stairs.
Sure, Shidou or Kotori could give her a house tour later, but the more likely scenario was choosing a guest room first. The Itsuka house wasn’t small, and when picking a room, of course she’d want the closest one.
Her footsteps were light. If cat steps were silent, the same applied to Kyoumi.
She coated the soles of her feet with a thin layer of spiritual power to act as temporary cushions. Stepping on the thick carpet naturally produced almost no sound.
Reaching the hallway, she caught a flash of bright red twin tails disappearing around the corner. Kyoumi paused for two seconds, heard the crunch of candy being bitten, then slipped toward the girl’s room.
Kotori apparently didn’t have the habit of locking her door—or even closing it properly. To Kyoumi’s senses, the door was half-open.
“Excuse me~”
Knuckles tapped the door. Kyoumi peeked in through the gap.
The layout of the girl’s room came into view: a six-tatami space filled with a pink wardrobe and bed, every corner crammed with dreamy, cute knickknacks and plushies.
A person’s room often reveals their personality. This overwhelmingly adorable atmosphere only reinforced Kyoumi’s belief that the usual Kotori was the white-ribbon little-sister version.
“—!”
Kotori, in the middle of placing the orca plushie on her bed, jumped at the sound of the door.
“I did knock~?”
If knocking and immediately opening counts as knocking~