"Hmph! Brat, I'm giving you one last chance: pay up, or hand over half and have some fun with us. Choose, or don't blame us for getting rough!" the second guy growled threateningly.
"W-what… what do you want… If you keep this up, I'll scream…" Kinugita Taoko replied in a trembling voice.
"Hah? Scream all you want! Rip your throat out, no one's coming! I'll give you ten seconds, then don't cry about our brutality!" he smirked.
Both guys, the first and second, pulled out switchblades from their pockets. With malicious faces, they slowly advanced on Kinugita. Their movements betrayed experience—these weren't just ordinary bullies intimidating the weak. They were clearly seasoned street scum. Judging by their demeanor, they likely had numerous crimes to their name, perhaps even a couple of ruined lives.
"You… what are you planning… If you come closer, I'll call the police…" Kinugita backed away, clutching her hands to her chin.
But the guys didn't stop, continuing their approach.
"Heh-heh, didn't notice at first, but you're not bad, brat! Time to introduce you to the adult world," the second guy smirked with a lustful glint.
At that moment, Kinugita, who had been trembling with fear, suddenly froze. Her face dropped, her hair obscuring her expression, rendering it invisible.
The guys didn't notice this change. They didn't see how, in the darkness, her pupils seemed to flare with a reddish light, and a cold, chilling smile spread across her lips.
…
"Well, little Yu, ah~" Xuan scooped a spoonful of specially prepared milk porridge and brought it to his mouth.
Hong Shuangyu obediently opened his mouth and ate.
"Sister, it's inconvenient," he said.
"Hey~ But… little Yu is still mad at sister, right? Sister feels so guilty about yesterday… Even if you say you've forgiven me, deep down you probably haven't, have you? So sister won't let you go until you truly forgive me~" Xuan replied.
They sat at the dining table. Hong Shuangyu was on Xuan's lap, tightly embraced by her. From the outside, it looked like a mother feeding her child.
"I'm not mad at sister," Hong Shuangyu said. His tone was even, but a hint of helplessness lingered.
"No-no~" Xuan shook her head like a drum and hugged him even tighter.
At that moment, Hong Shuangyu showed an emotion for the first time in a month. His brows furrowed slightly, and he uttered words that shocked Xuan:
"Sister, you disgust me."
…
Boom!
Xuan's heart seemed to shatter like a lightning strike. Her hand with the spoon froze in midair. She stiffened as if turned to stone.
Feeling her grip loosen, Hong Shuangyu seized the moment and moved to the adjacent chair.
Two tear tracks appeared on Xuan's flawless face. She lowered her head.
"Little… Yu… said… I disgust him… Little Yu… I'm sorry… sister…" she murmured.
Hong Shuangyu had only meant to joke, but he didn't expect Xuan to take it so seriously.
Seems I can't joke with sister so carelessly, he thought.
But he already knew how to fix it, though he wasn't sure it would work. Hong Shuangyu knelt on the chair to be taller. This way, he could do what he planned.
Carefully, he hugged Xuan's head. Since he was kneeling, her face was at chest level. Xuan buried herself in him, embraced by her brother.
"Joke," he said.
"Little Yu?" Xuan lifted her head.
"Not disgusting, sister."
Then Hong Shuangyu released her and gently kissed her forehead. After that, he sat back in his place, watching her reaction.
"Little Yu…" she whispered.
Suddenly, she broke into a smile, wiping her tears.
"Aaaa! Little Yu, you naughty boy! You scared sister! Sister was so afraid you'd hate me! For that, sister has to punish you!" she exclaimed, laughing and crying at the same time, and lunged to hug Hong Shuangyu.
"Sister…" Hong Shuangyu already regretted his action.
…
Kinugita Taoko emerged from the alley.
"Phew~ Today really isn't my day~ Trouble from morning. Of course, I'm not scared of trouble, but dealing with it is such a hassle," she muttered to herself.
"Though, honestly, this is the first time someone tried to frame me like that. It was kinda thrilling, heh-heh," she added, awkwardly scratching her head.
Glancing at her phone, she gasped:
"What?! Already this late?! Aaa! All because of those third-rate thugs! Aaa! I'll be late! My attendance reward!"
Kinugita slung her backpack over her shoulder and dashed off.
In the dark alley, two guys lay on the ground, their eyes empty, devoid of any light.
…
"Phew~ Made it! Barely!" Kinugita, panting, flung open the classroom door.
"Wow, strange, Taoko almost late today," a classmate near the door remarked.
"Heh-heh… Just a fluke, ran into some trouble on the way… heh-heh," Kinugita replied, awkwardly scratching her head.
"Trouble? What kind? Did someone hit on you?" the girl asked curiously.
"Heh-heh, actually, I'll tell you a secret: they tried to scam me!" Kinugita perked up, slipping into gossip mode.
"Ehh?! Seriously?! Spill, what happened!" the classmate leapt up.
"Hm-hm, so, I'm walking down the street, and then these two street punks…" Kinugita began recounting her morning adventure.
"Whoa! That's scary! How'd you get out of it?" the classmate asked, burning with curiosity.
"Eh? Well… that…" Kinugita faltered.
Oh no! she thought. In her excitement, she forgot she'd resolved it in an unconventional way.
"Well… uh…"
"Everyone to your seats, I'm starting roll call!" the homeroom teacher interrupted, entering the room.
Phew, saved! Kinugita sighed inwardly.
"Uh, I'll tell you later, time for class…" she muttered, hurrying to her seat.
Phew, almost caught! Gotta be careful next time…
Hong Shuangyu, after another round of "torment" from Xuan, mustered the strength to remind her of the time, and they didn't arrive late to school. Usually, they were among the last to enter class, but today, to everyone's surprise, they arrived on time.
Mornings typically saw Xuan rushing off to student council duties, but due to the morning delay, she decided to stay. No one would dare reprimand her—her reputation spoke for itself.
"Little Yu… Sister forgot her textbook… Heh-heh~ Let's share!" Xuan declared as class began, immediately scooting close to Hong Shuangyu.
She pressed against him so their shoulders touched. Hong Shuangyu glanced at her desk, where a neat stack of textbooks lay, and silently moved his closer to her.
Time shifted to lunch. Xuan led Hong Shuangyu to the administrative building's roof. Due to her brother's morning antics, she was unusually excited.
"Little Yu, come here, your sister will feed you!" she said, setting out the food in record time.
Boxes of meticulously prepared bentos were already open, emitting a delicious aroma. Xuan, beaming with delight, patted the spot next to her, urging Hong Shuangyu to sit closer.
I'll never do what I did this morning again, Hong Shuangyu silently vowed.
Obediently sitting beside her, he habitually opened his mouth.
"Hi~ I'm back again~" a voice rang out.
The door slammed open. Hong Shuangyu flinched, and the piece of food Xuan had brought to his mouth fell to the floor.
…
"Um… sorry… I interrupted… I have business, I'll go…" Kinugita Taoko began retreating, cautiously closing the door.
"Stop!" Xuan snapped.
"Yes!" Kinugita froze in a comical "attention" stance.
Xuan fixed her with an icy stare that screamed: Try leaving, and you're done for.
"S-sorry for intruding…" Kinugita stammered, trembling.
She timidly approached, carrying the same huge bag as yesterday. Sitting cautiously, she began unpacking food with shaky hands. As she opened the packages, she ate, trying to stay unnoticed.
Ignoring Kinugita, Xuan picked up another piece of food.
"Well, little Yu, ah~" she said, her icy expression instantly melting into a warm smile.
Lunch proceeded with Kinugita's trembling and Xuan's endless "ah~" sounds.
When they'd eaten about two-thirds, Xuan's phone, as yesterday, rang.
…
Bzz-bzz!
Xuan froze but instantly snatched the phone, pressed a button, and tucked it away, pretending nothing happened.
"Well, little Yu, ah~" she continued.
But a minute later, it buzzed again.
Bzz-bzz!
Xuan's face stiffened. She furiously grabbed the phone, turned it off, removed the battery, and hid it all back. Snatching her chopsticks, she brought food to Hong Shuangyu.
"Well, little Yu~ ah~" she said with a forced smile.
Ding-ding-ding!
At that moment, Kinugita's phone rang. Startled, she nearly dropped her food.
"Uwaa!" she yelped, hurriedly grabbing her phone.
"H-hello… hello… This is Kinugita Tao… Ouch!" She bit her tongue.
"Ouch! Nothing! Yes… Eh? Okay… Understood," she muttered, pocketing the phone and turning fearfully, avoiding Xuan's gaze.
"P-pre… President… that was your work call…" she barely managed.
Xuan shot her a murderous look, as if she'd foreseen it. With a guilty expression, she murmured something to Hong Shuangyu and stepped to the roof's edge to answer.