"Hm?" Tsun frowned, noticing the bento was empty.
With Hongshang Yu's appetite, finishing such a large bento was impossible. Usually, Tsun forced him to eat more. Without that, he'd barely manage a third. Thanks to her persistence, he ate half, and she finished the rest. A completely empty bento for Hongshang Yu was unthinkable.
And only one person could have devoured it—Kinugita Taoko.
Though the eaten bento wasn't a big deal—better that than throwing it out—Tsun was still angry. She felt Kinugita had taken her place, and that infuriated her. Greatly infuriated her.
With an irritated expression, she hugged Hongshang Yu from behind.
"Little Yu! Why is the bento empty?" she asked, though she knew the answer, wanting to hear it from her brother.
Accustomed to her behavior, Hongshang Yu didn't resist.
"Wouldn't finish it, would've gone to waste," he replied.
"Hm… True… But… Did Taoko ask for it herself, or did you offer it?" Tsun continued.
"I…" he began.
Tsun already knew the answer. She understood that Kinugita, despite her love for food, wouldn't shamelessly ask—she had her pride.
"Hm… Don't give her any next time," Tsun grumbled.
"Why?" Hongshang Yu asked.
"Just can't, and that's it!" she snapped.
"Sister, you're greedy," he said.
"Aaa, I don't care!" Tsun shouted, hugging him tighter.
Hongshang Yu knew why she was being capricious and had a way to fix it.
"I won't bathe with sister," he declared.
Silence.
"AAAA! No, little Yu! Sister was wrong! Don't!" Tsun wailed, squeezing him even tighter.
Hongshang Yu began to regret his joke as the pressure on his body increased.
In Kinugita's mouth, the taste of cheese and the crunch of chicken lingered, but the food seemed flavorless. For the first time in her life, she felt full, and even the tastiest dishes didn't delight her. This feeling was foreign to her. She had never known what "satiety" was.
In childhood, a full meal was a rarity. Later, when her unusual nature was discovered, work allowed her to eat enough to sustain her needs. But now, looking at the steaming bento, she didn't want to eat for the first time.
Fear gripped her. It was as if a zombie had appeared in her familiar life, devouring her family, or aliens abducting her loved ones. An absurd, terrifying feeling disrupted her world.
With an empty mind, she didn't know how to cope with this.
An illusion, she thought, coming to her senses. Definitely an illusion.
Not believing it, she scooped a piece of chicken with rice and put it in her mouth.
Crunch!
The crispy chicken with cheesy flavor filled her mouth.
Mmm~ Tasty… Cheese…
Bleh!
She spat out the chewed mixture of chicken and rice. Nausea overwhelmed her.
What is this? What kind of filth?
Looking at what she'd spat out, Kinugita felt disgust toward her favorite food for the first time.
Why can't I eat?!
Stubbornly, she tried again.
Crunch! — Tasty…
Bleh! Bleh!
Spitting it out again, she gagged. Touching her stomach, Kinugita stopped deceiving herself.
"Is this what satiety feels like? Is this how others feel when they're full?" she murmured.
She set the bento aside. The cooled food had to be put in the fridge—due to her tough childhood, she couldn't throw food away.
Sitting on the bed, Kinugita pondered. This had never happened in years, and she couldn't explain it. Reviewing the last few days, she reached the same conclusion as yesterday: Hongshang Yu.
It all started after she removed his glasses. But what exactly in him caused this, she didn't know. Considering Tsun's protection and Hongshang Yu's fear of girls, Kinugita guessed he, like her, had an unusual nature. Tsun had mentioned his phobia later.
But how to test it? Tsun wouldn't say anything or let her near her brother. Hongshang Yu, due to his phobia, wouldn't let her get close either. Her only option was to pry during lunch breaks.
Sighing, Kinugita let the thoughts go. Satiety still scared her, but deep down, she understood: getting rid of her insatiable nature was a long-held dream.
Lying on the bed, she looked at a large bottle of cola. Her throat swallowed.
"…"
Kinugita poured a glass. Bubbles hissed.
Sip~ Sip~
"Aaa~ Bliss! Tasty! Thank God cola doesn't make me nauseous!" she exclaimed.
Her reflection in the glass showed a smile replacing her gloomy expression.
Kinugita, finishing classes early, arrived on the roof first. When Hongshang Yu and Tsun appeared, she couldn't take her eyes off him.
Tsun noticed immediately.
"Why are you staring at Yu?" she asked coldly.
"Hey! N-no… I wasn't staring at little bro!" Kinugita, feeling guilty, looked away.
Tsun gave her an icy stare and stepped closer.
"I'm leaving for work now. If you do anything weird to Yu, prepare for the worst," she hissed.
Kinugita trembled, nodding. Bidding farewell to Hongshang Yu, Tsun left.
Still shaking, Kinugita waved at her and rubbed her hands as if from cold.
Winter's still far off, and I'm freezing… Tsun is so scary… How am I digging my own grave… she thought.
Hongshang Yu began eating. Kinugita took out two bottles of milk. Recalling yesterday, she stared at him again.
Due to satiety, she couldn't eat since morning, so she brought milk—something she could drink. To avoid suspicion from Tsun and Hongshang Yu, she brought it along.
Feeling her gaze, Hongshang Yu felt pressure. He handed her chopsticks.
"Eat together," he said.
Kinugita blinked, processing.
"Oh… No need, little bro, I don't want to today… I'm full," she replied.
"…" Hongshang Yu, not insisting, continued eating.
Kinugita stared at him again.
Looking…
Looking…
"Little bro… Can I ask something?" she asked quietly, as if afraid someone might hear.
Hongshang Yu, not stopping his eating, stayed silent.
"…" Kinugita quieted.
After chewing and swallowing, he responded:
"Mhm."
Kinugita flinched at his voice but quickly composed herself.
"Um… Little bro… Do you… have some strange nature? Please tell me! I promise I won't tell anyone!" she said, slapping her chest.
She had asked this before.
Hongshang Yu fell silent.
"…" He continued eating.
Ignore…
Kinugita realized she wouldn't get anywhere like this. She couldn't grab his shoulders and shout: Speak!
Silence returned. Hongshang Yu ate as if he hadn't heard the question. Kinugita, giving up, lay down and took out her phone.
Time flew by. Hongshang Yu, finishing, put the box away.
"Can't speak," he suddenly said, answering the question from minutes ago.
Kinugita jumped up.
"Why? Afraid of trouble? Or something else? Tell me, I won't blab!" she insisted.
"…" Hongshang Yu fell silent again.
"Sister forbids it."