It was already early July.
Two weeks had passed since they'd officially moved into their new home.
Their experience so far could be summed up in two words: pure comfort.
Everyone in the family genuinely felt grateful to Senya for insisting they move.
Take weekday mornings, for example—gone were the chaotic scenes of everyone crowding into the same bathroom.
With the first and second floors functioning as independent spaces, their different schedules no longer clashed.
Senya could now practice sword swings in their own yard instead of having to use an empty lot outside, attracting stares from passersby.
Toka no longer needed to shove the coffee table and sofa out of the way whenever she wanted to stretch.
The living room was spacious enough that she could even do some light gymnastics and dance routines indoors.
At the same time—
There was less than a week left until the end of the spring term, and summer vacation was right around the corner.
Rikka had been especially excited, preparing a whole list of plans in advance:
Meeting Eiri at a doujinshi convention, trying out fishing, making butterfly specimens, learning to swim… and more.
Oh, and of course—finding ways to boost the followers of Senya's support account.
He had entered another small-scale kendo tournament this semester, and his followers had already grown to over eighty thousand.
If he crossed the 100k mark, the platform would grant him an official badge.
It wasn't anything material, but an official mark of recognition was still something Rikka really wanted.
That morning, the three of them sat at the dining table. Toka had already changed out of her pajamas into casual clothes decent enough to go out in.
It wasn't out of wariness—just embarrassment.
Facing Senya, who was growing more manly by the day, she could no longer treat him as just her foster younger brother the way she used to.
She had even secretly bought two of his figurines after hearing from Haruno that Senya's merch had started circulating in the market.
She didn't display them on her desk or shelf but hid them at the very back of a drawer.
She herself couldn't explain why she'd done it.
Finally, flushed and frustrated, she tried to convince herself: This is just supporting family. That's all… nothing more.
"How was Mom's checkup?" Senya asked.
Yesterday, as usual, Rikka had accompanied their mother to the hospital.
"All good. Everything's normal," Rikka replied.
"That's a relief."
"Due date's late October. Once the baby comes, the house is going to get lively."
"Dad's store is doing so well he's planning to open a new branch. If it gets too busy, maybe we should hire a professional nanny."
"Mom hired new staff for her shop, so it runs fine even when she's not there. She still wants to raise the baby herself."
"That's fine too. We'll help whenever we can."
"That's what I was thinking."
Their father and mother's businesses had been booming lately, to a surprising degree.
By chance, it had ended up just like that classic anime trope: "Busy parents, a house, and sisters."
The family hadn't even had dinner together for quite some time.
Although Senya didn't want his parents to overwork themselves, they insisted they were enjoying it.
One night after moving in, his father had even visited Senya's room for a heart-to-heart talk.
He had promised to repay the money Senya had fronted for the house and vowed to work even harder to give him and the family a better life.
Drunk, his father had turned into a chatterbox.
Senya had wanted to say, You've already done everything a father should. You don't need to force yourself so much.
But seeing the sincerity in his father's teary eyes, feeling his grip tight on his hand, Senya had reluctantly played along, blurting out words so sappy they still gave him goosebumps to remember.
If his father was so eager to improve, then fine—he could go ahead and build something incredible. Then Senya could live comfortably as a spoiled heir without ever lifting a finger.
…Yeah, just kidding.
"Hey sis, you're competing in a rhythmic gymnastics contest this summer, right?"
Rikka had joined the conversation, carefree as ever, unlike her more reserved sister.
She hadn't even changed—still in her spaghetti-strap nightdress.
Her shoulders were bare, her fair thighs half-exposed, cleavage faintly visible.
Toka sighed inwardly. She wanted to remind her little sister to be more mindful of Senya being around.
But saying so would only make her seem like the one with strange thoughts.
So she let it go.
"Yeah, there's a contest."
"When and where? Senya and I can bring everyone to cheer for you!" Rikka said, all fired up.
Toka shook her head. "No need."
Senya noticed how her eyes dimmed for just a second when she said that.
"What do you mean, no need?" Rikka asked, puzzled.
"Exactly that. It'll be hot, you don't need to waste your time. Besides, I might get distracted with you there. Just wait for the results at home."
As she grew older and saw more of Senya's talent firsthand, Toka had come to understand the true weight of the word "genius."
Things others struggled for their whole lives, he could accomplish with ease.
She felt no resentment toward him—but after years of persistence, she could clearly see the limits of her own potential in gymnastics.
Rikka, rejected, simply nodded and encouraged her sister anyway.
Toka smiled, hiding it well, gently thanking her.
But Senya still caught the unnatural flicker in her expression.
After breakfast, it was Rikka's turn to do the dishes.
Senya went upstairs and, after knocking, entered Toka's room.
"What is it?" she asked, folding her clothes at the bed. She had already hidden her underwear under the blanket before letting him in.
Though they'd lived together long enough that her wardrobe habits were no secret—he'd even picked up on patterns: lighter colors during school days, darker ones during holidays, bolder choices when she was in a good mood…
Still, she tried to hide what she could, to avoid embarrassment.
It wasn't Senya's first time in her room. Sitting casually at her desk chair, arms resting on the back, he looked at her.
"You're asking me what's wrong? Shouldn't I be asking you that instead?"
"…" Toka averted her eyes, silent for a moment before saying softly, "I don't know what you mean."
Senya smirked. "You probably don't realize, but when you're nervous, it really shows. Not just your expressions or movements—your earlobes get bright red."
She instinctively reached to touch them but froze when she saw his grin. She'd fallen right into his trap.
Flustered, she glared at him before going back to folding clothes in silence, refusing to engage.
"You always try to carry everything alone. But if you do that, what are the rest of us here for?"
Senya moved closer, sitting beside her, voice still gentle.
"I worry about you. If something's bothering you, I want to hear it. Maybe I can help."
"…"
Her hands stopped. Hearing his words of genuine concern, she couldn't deny she was moved.
But not this time. Not about this.
Toka forced a smile. "If I need help, I'll ask. I'm fine, really."
Senya studied her, then stood. "Alright. I'll be going out for a bit. Want me to bring anything back this afternoon?"
"No, it's fine. I'll be heading to school later anyway. I'll prep dinner early for you and Rikka—you can just reheat it."
"No need. Leave dinner to me. You've got your contest coming up—it's my turn to support you."
"Thanks. That'd be a huge help."
Senya smiled and left.
Once the door closed, Toka's smile faded.
She couldn't say it—that her brother's brilliance made her painfully aware of her own mediocrity. That it drained her fighting spirit for the contest. That she feared disappointing everyone by failing.
How could she possibly say that aloud?
Outside the room, Senya had seen her every shift in expression as if from a god's-eye view.
She'd been fine in the garden earlier.
But the moment Rikka brought up her contest, her mood collapsed.
There was no way she was "fine."
Yet since she wouldn't say it directly, he would have to find another way.
Around two in the afternoon, Senya changed and left to meet Kasumigaoka Utaha. She'd said she had something important to ask him for help with.
Normally, Utaha's request would be his top concern. But after noticing Toka's strange mood, it no longer felt like the highest priority.
Still, it wasn't urgent enough to cancel outright.
On the way, Senya pulled out his phone and called Yukinoshita Haruno.
"Good afternoon, Haruno-nee."
"Well, well. Senya calling me on his own? That's rare. If you're being so polite, you must want something from me."
She nailed it immediately.
Senya had known her as long as he'd known Yukino. Their relationship was close enough that he didn't need to beat around the bush.
He told her everything he'd noticed about Toka's unusual state.
At first, Haruno listened with her usual cheerful tone.
But as she picked up on the deep concern in his words for his "sister," her smile gradually faded, her gaze sharpening.
"…So, what you want is for me to figure out what's bothering her. Since some things are easier said between girls. Right?"
"Yeah."
"You two really are as close as ever, huh?" she said, her tone hovering between teasing and probing.
Senya thought nothing of it.
"Well, we're family."
"…I see. Alright, I'll keep an eye on her. But I can't promise I'll dig up anything useful."
"That's enough. Thanks, Haruno-nee."
After hanging up, Haruno placed her phone on the table, arms folded as she gazed out the window, eyes glinting.
Family, huh…
It had better stay that way.
Otherwise…
Things could spiral into a very, very bad place.