"How did I fall asleep?"
At half past nine, Kojima Kana finally opened her sleepy eyes. When she noticed the thin blanket covering her, her initial confusion lasted just two seconds before turning into a pleased smile.
"So you do know how to care for your Nee-san. What a good boy."
Kana chuckled softly as she stood up, retrieved her pajamas and underwear from her bedroom, and walked out—only to notice the bathroom lights were on, along with the steady sound of running water.
She approached and called out softly, "Shirase-kun, is that you showering in there?"
"What is it?" Shirase's voice echoed through the door.
"Nothing, nothing—I was just asking." Kana put down her clothes. She also needed a shower before relaxing in bed. Even if she couldn't fall asleep right away, it was more comfortable than lying on the sofa.
The sound of water continued from inside. Kana stood outside the bathroom in a daze, her mind suddenly drifting to the image of Shirase training in the apartment alone.
Clearly defined muscles, a youthful, fit body, and a face so handsome…
Kana suddenly blushed deeply.
"Aaah, what am I even thinking?! Kojima Kana, you're an adult! You absolutely cannot entertain these weird thoughts!"
The beautiful onee-san quickly patted her flushed cheeks, worried that if she kept fantasizing, her face might turn as red as a cherry tomato.
"What are you mumbling about out there?" Shirase's voice suddenly interrupted again.
Kana panicked. "You heard that?!"
"I'm not deaf, you know. Of course I heard you—I just couldn't make out exactly what you were muttering."
"Ahahaha, it was nothing important. Don't worry about it."
Kana finally let out a relieved breath. If Shirase had actually overheard her earlier self-talk, how could she possibly maintain her usual dignified Nee-san image around him?
After a short while, the water stopped, and Shirase soon stepped out, bringing with him a rush of warm steam.
Kana instinctively glanced at his toned upper body. Her freshly calmed face instantly reddened again. "W-why aren't you wearing clothes?"
"Eh? But I'm wearing shorts, aren't I?" Shirase gestured casually at his athletic shorts, confused. "Kana-nee, were you thinking something inappropriate just now?"
"No, I wasn't!" Her response was immediate.
Shirase chuckled lightly. "I still remember that time when you were trying your best to act serious in front of me. Then the TV suddenly cut to the scene of the male and female leads kissing—and your expression looked exactly like it does now."
He then added softly, "But I must admit, Kana-nee, you look pretty cute when you're like this."
Thump!
Shirase received a quick karate chop to the forehead.
"How rude! I'm an adult, and you actually called me cute?" Kana stood proudly, hands on her hips, glaring at him with embarrassed anger.
Shirase smiled helplessly. "I was just saying it casually… Anyway, you're gonna shower now, right? Feel free—I'll watch TV for a bit, then head to bed."
As Shirase walked past, Kana didn't dare turn around. Blushing furiously, she quickly slipped into the bathroom.
"That boy is getting more and more cheeky by the day, calling me cute and whatnot…"
As she complained quietly, her gaze fell on the bathroom mirror, now fogged up from steam.
She raised a hand and gently wiped away the condensation, revealing her own flushed, charming face reflected clearly in the glass.
After a brief silence, she giggled softly—both pleased and girlishly proud.
"Well, being called cute isn't so bad. I am cute, after all."
Kana hummed happily as she locked the bathroom door behind her. She'd washed her hair that morning, and since she hadn't sweated at all today, she naturally wasn't going to wash it again tonight. After all, caring for that waterfall-like hair of hers was quite a hassle.
She gently pulled up her long hair, carefully securing it out of the way. Her slender fingers slowly and elegantly unbuttoned her white blouse, each graceful movement revealing a rarely seen lady-like charm. Her clothes gradually slipped away, unveiling smooth, snow-white skin beneath.
Though sometimes careless in everyday life—often making mistakes Shirase liked to teasingly call "foolish"—Kana paid close attention to her body. Her choice of lingerie and outfits were subtly reserved, yet never lacking in mature feminine allure.
As a woman not born into wealth or luxury, she had to take meticulous care of herself to achieve and maintain such a figure. Her curves were ample, seductive, and enchanting. Her skin glowed softly, like spring blossoms; her waist was slender yet never frail; and her legs held a graceful elegance, soft and beautifully proportioned.
After kicking off her slippers, she stood barefoot beside the bathtub, letting hot water run. At that moment, she suddenly felt as if she had forgotten something important.
Just then, a knock sounded on the bathroom door. Startled, she nervously called out, "Shirase-kun?"
"Your pajamas are still outside. I'm heading back to my room now—you can come get them yourself," Shirase informed her, his footsteps soon fading away.
"I knew I forgot something…"
Kana felt a wave of embarrassment. Despite constantly insisting she was a responsible adult, in reality, she was always the one being cared for by Shirase.
She wrapped a towel carefully around herself, cautiously opened the bathroom door just enough to peek out, and checked the quiet living room. Seeing the TV off and the room silent, she finally felt sure Shirase had returned to his bedroom.
Kana quickly grabbed her pajamas and locked the bathroom door again, finally breathing a sigh of relief.
"I really was overthinking it. Shirase-kun isn't that kind of person—there's no way he'd have any weird thoughts about his older sister figure…"
Kana chuckled to herself at the absurdity of her own imagination.
But soon, an unavoidable sense of self-pity crept up on her again.
She was already in her late twenties. Forget about having a boyfriend—even the male colleagues at school took detours to avoid her. In contrast, Kirisu-sensei, who also wore a cold face every day, didn't make their male coworkers nervous or intimidated at all.
"Have I been acting too seriously all this time…?"
Kana slipped into the bathtub, eyes blankly staring at the steam filling the bathroom. She couldn't help but wish she had a boyfriend she could hold onto while falling asleep at night.
The more she thought about it, the lonelier she felt. Feelings she usually kept suppressed started surfacing quietly within her.
...
Outside, rain had started falling again. Shirase closed his window and sat at his desk, immersing himself in math problems.
Compared to memorizing vocabulary, he much preferred solving problems.
In his previous life, he'd been an honor student after all. But since he'd reincarnated too abruptly and had long left school life behind, returning as a student had initially left him flustered and overwhelmed.
Fortunately, after nearly a month of intense grinding with the system, he'd finally achieved above-average scores on his entrance exams.
Solving problems is enjoyable. Solving more problems is even more enjoyable.
Every time he conquered a particularly difficult math problem, the sense of achievement and delight was beyond words.
Listening to the soft pattering rain outside, Shirase felt pleasantly contented.
After solving another math problem, he stood up to get some water. However, just as he stepped into the living room, he froze in place.
From Kojima Kana's bedroom came a faint, nearly imperceptible sound.
What the hell is that noise?
Even though the door muffled most of it, Shirase could still hear something. It was like a stray cat prowling stealthily through the night, softly calling out to other cats in its territory to chase away any newcomers who'd dared invade their space.