"So… what really happened, little Yu?!" Tsun exclaimed, hiding her embarrassment.
"…" Hongshang Yu thought, gathering his thoughts.
"Today, after the bell," he began.
"Mhm," Tsun nodded.
"Taoko went to the restroom."
"Mhm."
"We were in the lab building."
"Mhm."
"Someone was being bullied."
"Mhm! …What? Bullied? Who?" Tsun tensed.
"Don't know her."
"A stranger? A student? Boy or girl?"
The situation seemed graver than she thought, and Tsun grew alert.
"Student, girl," Hongshang Yu replied.
"A girl?!" Tsun leapt from the couch, checking him from head to toe.
"A girl! Yu, they didn't hurt you? Didn't do anything weird? Why'd you even approach if they were girls?! I told you not to get close to them!" her voice trembled with worry, turning to reproach, her gaze filled with complex emotions.
Hongshang Yu had never seen his sister so distressed and felt guilty. She really worries about me…
His usually calm heart stirred. Since that middle school incident that sealed his emotions, a crack had formed.
"…" They fell silent, staring at each other.
Tsun's face, full of anxiety and reproach, tensed; her teeth bit her lip as if holding back tears. One teardrop slid down her cheek.
Hongshang Yu recalled her crying in the hospital after that incident, blaming herself. Now, he'd made her cry again. Her tears pricked his heart, causing a slight itch and pain. His breathing grew heavy.
He took her hand with his small palms and squeezed it tightly.
"It's fine, sister," he said.
Emotionless words, but they made Tsun cry harder. She gripped his hands, lowering her head.
"I'm sorry… Yu… I…" she murmured.
"It's fine, sister."
"I'm sorry…"
"It's fine, sister."
"I'm sorry…"
They repeated this dialogue until Tsun's tears dried.
Wiping her eyes, Tsun didn't press further and returned to cooking. During dinner, they were silent, but she fed Hongshang Yu as usual. After eating, they took a bath, but Tsun didn't do her usual antics. The evening passed without talk, though she, as always, stayed close to her brother.
Sitting on the bed, she hugged him from behind, and he, like a child in a mother's embrace, didn't resist.
"Yu, can you tell sister what happened next?" she asked gently.
"Mhm," he nodded.
"The one being bullied was a girl?"
"Mhm."
"And who was bullying?"
"Girls."
"How many?"
"Three."
"Three girls against one?"
"Mhm."
"Did Yu do anything?"
"…Helped her."
"Hm… Yu wasn't scared? They were girls."
"I didn't get close."
"Really? How did you help?"
"Said I called a teacher."
"Wow… But they weren't scared, right?"
"They recognized me."
"What?"
"That I'm your brother."
"Oh, that's it!" Tsun understood how it went.
Her reputation in school likely played a role. But one question lingered.
"Did that girl do anything to you?" If she pulled something because he saved her, I'll finish her, she thought.
"No."
"Nothing at all?!" Tsun was surprised.
"She thanked me and ran off."
Pfft! Just a thank you and that's it? Not worth saving. But good she didn't touch Yu, Tsun thought, missing the "ran off" detail, which would later cause trouble.
Clarified, Tsun switched to lecturing mode, hugging Hongshang Yu, inhaling his scent, and grumbling:
"Anyway, Yu, don't meddle in others' business! Don't talk to that girl again, act like you don't know her. If it's dangerous, run and call sister…"
Her tirade, fueled by the recent emotional moment, made her chattier and clingier. Hongshang Yu barely moved in her embrace. Eventually, he fell asleep in her arms.
Seeing her sleeping brother, Tsun kissed his forehead, hugged him tightly, and closed her eyes.
Back home, Hyakusa Aoi ate with her family as if nothing had happened. After a bath, she lay in bed but couldn't calm down. Her thoughts returned to the day.
When she was beaten and humiliated, Hongshang Yu, like a manga hero, saved her. His method was simple, even comical, relying on fear of Tsun, but he still stood up for her in her moment of despair. Her heart raced.
He wasn't cool, but her pulse quickened. Then he picked up her underwear. Recalling the embarrassment, she blushed, rolling on the bed, covering her face.
Taking the underwear from the bed's edge—those he'd picked up, now washed and dried—she held them up.
His name is Hongshang Yu, I think? He gives off something strange… she thought.
Kinugita Taoko, dragging her heavy bag home, collapsed on the floor, barely alive. Unpacking the groceries, she decided not to eat—satiety persisted, and she feared yesterday's vomiting. After shopping, she sweated and took a shower.
Emerging, she turned on the TV.
"…"
Boring. Turning it off, she dried her wet hair, feeling odd. Why so melancholic?
Surveying the clean, empty room, she realized: she hadn't eaten, and free time emerged. Evenings usually went to eating, followed by a bath and sleep.
"What a glutton I am… Heh-heh," she chuckled.
A day and a half in this state, but her secret investigations yielded nothing. The issue was clearly tied to Hongshang Yu, but he stayed silent, and repeating the key action—removing his glasses—didn't help. The only option was to escalate, investigate fully, and take paid leave.
Pondering, she lay down, dried her hair, and, lying there, thought. Her eyes closed, and she fell asleep.
…
Pain!
Kinugita woke to a sharp pain, unsure of its source. What is this?!
The pain prevented her from opening her eyes. Struggling, she pried one open, seeing her room's ceiling.
What's happening?
The pain sobered her. Rising on her arms, she looked around. A clean, empty room. Her home, but…
Before she could finish the thought, she groaned:
"Aaa!" her hand clutched her stomach.
Stomach?
The pain, as if someone squeezed her insides or hit her with a meteor, turned her face white. Sweat drenched her forehead, and moans escaped her mouth.
But suddenly, the pain vanished. Instead, it brought…
Endless hunger.
Her mind exploded, filled with one thought. Hunger.
Unbearable, monstrous hunger. Her mouth opened, drool flowed. Her eyes widened.
Instinct took over. In an instant, Kinugita was at the fridge, flinging it open. Inside was yesterday's bento, meant for disposal. Grabbing it, she tore the box apart and began shoving the cold food into her mouth.
In seconds, the bento vanished into her stomach. But this only awakened the hunger, and her mind fully succumbed to it.