The Next Day, Early Morning
Kotori had finished getting herself ready and was practically bouncing with energy as she left her room, skipping straight to Rin Yuki's door.
Right now, she was in her adorable white-ribbon mode, so she gently tapped on the door.
"Onii-chan! Are you up yet?"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she waited for a response from inside.
But a full minute passed, and still—nothing. No sound, no movement.
Her brows furrowed slightly, a puzzled pout forming on her lips.
"Huh? Is he still asleep...?"
The thought made her cheeks flush pink, her expression turning shy—yet her gaze lingered on the doorknob with unmistakable anticipation.
Gulp.
She swallowed hard, then slowly, slowly reached for the handle.
"I-I'm just being a good imouto! Making sure Onii-chan isn't late! That's all! No other reason!"
With that flimsy excuse in mind, she carefully twisted the knob.
Click.
To her surprise, the door wasn't locked.
Her breath hitched. Heart pounding, she pushed the door open inch by inch, peeking inside like a curious kitten.
But—disappointment.
The room was empty. No sign of Yuki at all.
"Huh?! Where'd Onii-chan go...?"
Confused, she stepped inside, scanning every corner. After a quick search, she confirmed it: he definitely wasn't here.
Giving up, she headed downstairs and into the massive 200-square-meter living room.
And there he was.
"Onii-chan! You're up already?!"
Realization dawned—he'd just woken up early.
"Heh, went to bed early last night, so I got a head start today," Yuki replied with a soft smile.
Lie. He hadn't slept a wink.
Mio had been way too clingy, robbing him of any chance to rest.
"Ohh!" Kotori nodded, accepting the answer easily.
"Meanwhile, you—pretty sure we had a deal to finish that game last night, but someone dozed off halfway through," Yuki teased, ruffling her hair lightly.
"Mmmph!"
Kotori puffed out her cheeks, flustered by Yuki's teasing.
"I-I was just... tired from school yesterday, that's all!"
Her eyes darted away as she mumbled the excuse. Yuki chuckled but didn't press further.
"Alright, sit down. Breakfast's almost ready."
"Okay!"
She plopped onto the seat beside him—then suddenly perked up, twisting to face him with a sugary grin.
"Onii-chan~~~"
Her voice dripped with sweetness, ruby-red eyes shimmering like morning dew as she stared at him.
Yuki knew exactly what she wanted. With a faint smile, he leaned down slightly, giving her easier access.
Kotori's face lit up like a firework.
"Good morning, Onii-chan~~~!"
She planted a quick, light kiss on his cheek before pulling back, giggling.
"Morning to you too, Kotori," he replied, ruffling her hair again before settling back.
Just then, Mio emerged from the kitchen, balancing plates with effortless grace.
Her gaze lingered on the two of them, her silver hair flowing like liquid midnight and a soft smile playing on her lips.
"Such heartwarming sibling love~ Even I'm getting a little jealous," she teased, setting down the food with deliberate slowness.
Kotori's face instantly burned crimson.
"Wha—! Reine-nee, y-you're the same to me! G-Good morning!" she stammered, scrambling to recover.
Mio merely smiled, her silence louder than words.
She'd emphasized "siblings" with a sly lilt—a not-so-subtle jab at Kotori's very non-sisterly feelings for Yuki.
But Kotori, blissfully oblivious, just blinked at her.
Mio barely held back a laugh.
Oh, this child...
A darker thought flickered through her mind: If only Kotori knew what her precious siblings were doing last night...
Her lips curled further, eyes narrowing like a satisfied cat's.
Breakfast was lavish—eggs, toast, fresh fruit, and milk laid out like a feast.
But Yuki took one sip of the milk and immediately set it aside, his appetite vanishing.
Probably he drunk too much 'milk' last night
"Here, Kotori—drink more milk if you want to grow taller!"
Yuki slid his glass toward her, especially since he'd already taken a sip.
Kotori's eyes sparkled—she pretended to hesitate for half a second (but was absolutely thrilled) before grabbing it.
"Onii-chan, you're not drinking any? Picking at food is bad, you know!" She even wagged a finger at him, playing the responsible little sister.
Yuki smirked. "I already had some."
(...Last night.)
He mentally added, marveling at how unique a Spirit's physique could be.
"So you finish it, Kotori."
"Wha—?! You drank milk without me?!" She puffed her cheeks. "Next time, I'm joining you!"
Yuki nearly choked on his porridge.
His gaze flicked to Mio, equal parts amused and wary. "You'll have to ask Rinne-nee about that."
"Ohhh! So it was Rinne-nee!" Kotori whirled toward Mio, clasping her hands. "Pleaaase let me have some too~~~!"
Mio's expression twitched—somewhere between fondness and oh-god-this-innocent-child—but she nodded gently. "Next time, maybe. You and... ahem... Yuki-chan can share."
"Yay~~~!" Kotori cheered, completely oblivious to the subtext.
....
After breakfast, Yuki walked Kotori to school before splitting off toward his own classroom.
The trip was brutal.
Girls swarmed him like moths to a flame, begging for his LINE ID or phone number. He dodged them with polite refusals, but by the time he reached his seat, he was exhausted.
Then his phone buzzed—a DM from a private social media account.
The message was blunt:
[PLEASE, Yuki-kun! Lend me 1 million yen again! (bow) (puppy eyes)]
Yuki stroked his chin, then typed back:
[I'll wire it. But what's it for this time?]
The reply came within a minute:
[The new Martin bass just dropped + XXX band's limited-edition album +…]
A massive shopping list followed. Yuki sighed.
The borrower? Yamada Ryou.
They'd met online gaming, and after realizing Yuki was loaded, Ryou had made "borrowing" a habit.
If Yuki hadn't recognized her from that anime, he'd never have agreed.
But knowing her, he'd played along—lending generously, rarely demanding repayment.
A test: Could he make her depend on him?
The answer was a resounding yes.
To date, Ryou owed him over 4 million yen.
"You'll never pay this back, Ryou-chan~"
Yuki's lips curled into a devilish grin—the kind a loan shark might wear.
Without another word, he transferred the money.