Hikigaya had just finished his call with Suyo.
There was no doubt about it—trying to distance himself from her now was completely impossible. Once you get stained by something, no matter how much you scrub, it doesn't come off.
Compared to his own bitter expression, however, Komachi was brimming with excitement.
"Onii-chan, who was that onee-san just now? Her voice sounded super pretty—she must be a gorgeous big sister, right?"
"..."
Hikigaya's mouth twitched. "Her voice? Pretty? Are you serious?"
"Isn't it?" Komachi asked, confused. "Don't most guys like that kind of voice?"
Admittedly, that kind of slightly nasally, cutesy tone some girls used did stir something in your average guy.
The problem was, he wasn't into that type at all. In fact, girls who talked like that came off as... well, kind of fake.
"No interest. Though if you tried it, Komachi, maybe I'd like it."
Hikigaya said offhandedly.
"Eh? You... you want me to do that to you, Onii-chan?"
Komachi blinked, then shot him a look of exaggerated disgust.
"Onii-chan, you're such a perv! Komachi is your actual sister, you know! Ugh, what a hopeless siscon!"
Hikigaya cleared his throat solemnly, unfazed and completely calm. After living with this overly cute creature for so long, he was practically desensitized.
Still—
Just as he was about to brush her off, Komachi suddenly piped up in a soft, saccharine tone:
"Ooohniiichan~ Do you like this kind of Komachi~?"
"...HUH?!"
It was a full-blown cutesy voice. Soft. Squeaky. The quintessential moe little sister act.
Hikigaya stared at her in shock.
"Hehe~ Onii-chan, you're blushing."
Komachi grinned with wicked delight.
"!!!"
Hikigaya quickly recovered, pretending to stay calm. "I am not."
"Oh please. You totally are~ Onii-chan, don't tell me you're getting weird ideas about Komachi now?"
She gave him an utterly shameless smile. "Komachi is your real-life imouto, you know."
"Absolutely not!"
"Really? Not even a little? Ooohniiichan~"
Komachi said again, doubling down on the voice.
"..."
Holy crap, she nailed it. As expected from his sister, she was a natural at flipping the script.
Sigh... If this adorable creature wasn't his sister, then maybe Hachi—Cough, cough!
Wait, what the hell am I thinking?! Am I insane!?
"I'm going to go work out. If you're free, wanna join me?"
Hikigaya changed the subject abruptly. Honestly, he preferred to train alone, but recalling how lonely Komachi had looked when he got home, he figured he might as well spend some time with her.
"Of course~ How could Onii-chan's workout ever be complete without Komachi?"
She nodded enthusiastically.
So after some warm-ups, Hikigaya began his proper training routine.
Komachi, as always, was sitting on his back during push-ups.
"Onii-chan, this Suyo onee-san... I get the feeling she has a pretty clear agenda with you."
Komachi swung her little legs thoughtfully as she spoke.
"I know."
"Eh? You actually know she likes you?!"
Komachi looked surprised, then grinned. "Well, that makes things easier. Since you're aware of her feelings, then... hehe~"
"Hah?"
Hikigaya groaned, sweat beading on his forehead. "You're reading too much into it. In reality, Suyo-san probably cares more about Toyokawa-san than she does about me."
"Shoko-nee?"
"Yeah, her. Suyo-san said they're close friends. Didn't you hear?"
Hikigaya replied.
"Ohhh, that's true. Suyo onee-san does seem really attentive when it comes to Shoko-nee…"
"Best friends can be like that. When they see their BFF getting close to some guy, they feel this strange discomfort. Maybe even jealousy. They start thinking someone else is taking away what's 'theirs.'"
Hikigaya said while doing push-ups.
"Ah, I see... That's just... wonderful!"
Komachi's eyes sparkled. "Onii-chan, why don't you just go big and win over both Shoko-nee and Suyo-nee? Then the three of you could be a happy little trio!"
"???"
Hikigaya froze.
Snagging both the best friends… okay, that was kinda spicy.
But what's that got to do with me!? Hachiman's already taken—he belongs to Yukinoshita! What kind of nonsense are you pulling here!?
—
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
At the very top floor of a luxury hotel, in the most upscale room of the entire building—
Sitting elegantly on a plush sofa was Suyo, gently stroking the hair of a woman resting on her lap.
The woman had silky black hair and an exceptional figure. She was dressed in high-end Japanese office attire and bore a striking resemblance to Suyo—eight, maybe even nine-tenths alike. Only, compared to Suyo's youthful charm, this woman had the allure of a mature and sultry beauty.
She was none other than Suyo's biological mother.
"You worked hard today, Mama~"
Just like always, Suyo stroked her mother's head gently, almost like a parent comforting a child.
Her mother was a powerhouse in the workplace, but once off the clock, she turned into the biggest cuddlebug imaginable.
"Hehe, Mama's not tired at all. Coming home and getting a lap pillow from my darling daughter? All my stress just melts away. Mmm~ this is heaven~"
Purring like a content kitten, Mrs. Nagasaki nuzzled against her daughter's lap.
Suyo smiled tenderly and continued petting her mother's head.
Since there were no men in their household—her mother had long since divorced her father—the two of them had always been exceptionally close.
"Say, this 'Hikigaya-kun'... who exactly is he? Mind telling Mama about him?"
Mrs. Nagasaki suddenly asked with a sly smile.
"Eh?!"
Suyo's expression stiffened. "Mama—you heard that?!"
"Hehe~ Did you think hiding in your room meant Mama couldn't hear?"
Mrs. Nagasaki sat up and met her daughter's eyes with an impish grin. "Is he… your boyfriend?"
"Wha—?!"
Suyo's cheeks turned red as she waved her hands furiously.
"M-Mama! N-no, he's not my boyfriend! You're reading too much into it!"
"Oh really? Then why is your face all shy and rosy~?"
Her mother teased.
"I-It's not what you think! I would never—I mean, I'm not planning on dating any guys right now, okay?"
Suyo said hurriedly, coughing mid-sentence to cover up her flustered tone.
But—
The more Suyo denied it, the more delighted Mrs. Nagasaki became. She chuckled warmly.
"Hikigaya-kun, hmm~? I wonder what kind of boy he is. You've gone to all-girls schools since you were little, so you've hardly been around any boys. If you're really dating someone, Mama has to check him out personally."
"Check him out?"
Suyo's heart skipped a beat. "W-Wait, Mama, what are you planning to do!?"