If Hitomi hadn't had someone tail him, she wouldn't have known just how much of a lady magnet this guy really was.
She had only gone back to her family for a few days, and in that short time, Takashi had already gotten tangled up with Kashiwagi Nagisa, Shijo Maki, Shinomiya Kaguya, and even Ryuju Momo—women not even she could take lightly.
Even the last girl she bumped into—Katsura Kotonoha—she did a background check and found the girl's identity was far from simple.
"Tch… I knew I should've ditched the mercy act back then. Should've just had his legs broken and chained him to my side. Take him wherever I go."
Takashi had gone to his room to grab his fishing rod, so he didn't see the terrifying, shadowed look in Hitomi's eyes.
"That's impossible. I play with boys too. I even joined the kendo club today." Takashi slung his fishing rod over his shoulder and came out carrying a tackle box.
By now, his expression had returned to normal.
"You're going fishing?"
"Yeah. Wanna come along?" Takashi invited.
"I don't want to waste time with you."
Hitomi straightened up, stretched her arms upward, and leaned back slightly, elegantly stretching like a cat.
Her graceful figure was completely revealed in that moment of stretching.
"You won't catch anything anyway."
After saying that, Hitomi didn't even glance at Takashi's gradually reddening face. She twisted her waist and sauntered into his bedroom, slamming the door shut with a bang!.
"You've gone too far!"
Takashi's face turned beet red with rage, like a boiled duck.
The last time he was this furious was when he got a losing streak in Naruto, got head-patted after getting stomped, got rejected in a rematch, got matched with bots, and then got combo'd by those bots after a misplay.
Nothing had ever felt this humiliating.
"Just you wait! I'm definitely going to catch a ten-pound fish today and show you!" Takashi shouted, slamming the door as he stormed out.
Meanwhile, Hitomi had already collapsed onto Takashi's bed, hugging the blanket he used every day, drifting off to sleep with the scent of sunshine still clinging to it.
As for what Takashi said—she pretended not to hear it.
Given Takashi's terrible fishing skills, him catching a fish was about as likely as Japan winning the World Cup.
Climbing the rusty exterior stairwell back up to her floor, Kei could feel her underwear soaked with sweat, her whole body sticky.
She sniffed herself and frowned.
"Can people smell this?" she muttered.
Kei had reached the age where she cared about appearances.
Even though her family's financial situation didn't allow her to spend money on skincare or expensive cosmetics like other girls her age, she still wanted to maintain a basic sense of cleanliness and dignity in front of others.
To Kei, being poor was okay. Dressing plainly was okay. But being dirty and looking sloppy—absolutely not.
It wasn't about liking Takashi or anything.
She just didn't want anyone to smell anything weird on her.
"...Better take a quick shower," she decided inwardly.
Maybe it was a waste of water, but she had made up her mind—she would get clean and fresh before seeing Takashi-senpai.
As she pulled out her key and was about to unlock the door, she looked up and saw her brother staring straight at her.
"Ah!" she yelped, startled, dropping her key with a clink!
Once she realized what was happening, her expression turned visibly annoyed. She snapped, "You scared me!"
Despite his fierce eyes and a face that looked like he might commit domestic violence, Shirogane Miyuki was actually pretty soft-tempered.
"I just heard footsteps on the stairs and figured it might be you, so I came out to greet you,"
he explained, not understanding why his sister had become so moody since hitting puberty—but still trying to calm things down.
"I'm not a little kid anymore. You don't need to 'greet' me."
Deep down, she was happy that her brother cared so much.
But in the middle of her rebellious phase, there was no way she could say something embarrassing like "Thanks, Onii-chan!" Instead, she just put on a face of annoyance.
"In my heart, you'll always be a little girl," Shirogane Miyuki said, patting her head.
Kei's eyes flickered, but in the end, she swatted his hand away with a smack!, flicked her long hair, and strode into the house coolly.
She dropped her schoolbag, grabbed her change of clothes, and headed straight to the bathroom.
"Taking a shower this early? The water hasn't even been run yet."
"No need. I'm just rinsing off. I'm going out again soon."
With that, she slammed the bathroom door shut without waiting for his response.
Something was definitely off about his sister today.
Spacing out at the door, rushing into the bathroom right after coming home, and then going out again...
It all looked like she was specifically showering just to meet someone.
'Could Kei be in love?'
The moment that thought popped into his head, he shook it off.
There's no way Kei would be dating someone.
Probably just going out with some friends.
Besides, with such an outstanding older brother like him, it'd be hard for any regular guy to impress her.
Miyuki didn't think too much of it and went back to putting on his apron to start making dinner.
While he was stir-frying vegetables, Kei came out of the bathroom fully dressed, her hair even blow-dried.
She went straight into what was technically her room—a space separated by just a curtain.
When she emerged again, Miyuki noticed something shocking: Kei was wearing light makeup.
He couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Who are you going out with? Guy or girl? What time will you be back? Should I save you dinner?
Didn't I tell you before—if you're not coming back to eat, you need to let me know ahead of time…"
Listening to Miyuki go on and on with his endless questions, Kei finally snapped.
"Could you shut up already?!"
"You nag more than a grandma! Are you my mom or what?!"
"I've had enough of it! Don't treat me like a little kid all the time, okay?! I have my own will!"
Miyuki looked hurt, but still replied, "I can't help it, can I?"
"The truth is… there's no mom in this house."
"If I don't say it, no one else will."
He always treated her like a child.
And for someone as prideful as Kei, that was the most disgusting thing of all.
"That's the part I hate the most!"
With that, she threw out the words and slammed the door as she stormed out.
By the time Miyuki turned off the stove, took off his apron, and hurried to chase after her, he saw Kei straddling the back of a motorcycle, chatting with a delinquent-looking guy—buzz cut, earrings, cocky smile and all.
Not far away, their stern-faced father, just returning from work, also saw the scene—his expression full of shock.
Bleached hair, loud engine, schoolgirl, middle-aged dad.
Classic combo complete.
(Takashi: "Excuse me? It's silver hair, okay? Are you color blind?")
'So Kei took that shower just to meet this guy…' Miyuki thought, and in that moment, imagining his sweet, proud little sister—whom he'd protected all his life—falling for someone like that...
He suddenly regretted not bringing his kitchen knife with him.
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