26 The closer you are the more oblivious you are

Still, as Mizuto talked with Yume, walking out from the school entrance after changing into his loafer, he realized that they weren't alone, as he noticed a petite figure standing by their side. 

This figure also noticed his gaze and greeted him with a happy smile. "Did you finally notice me, Irido-kun?" While her words were polite, the meaning behind that question definitely showed her dissatisfaction as he had ignored her. 

Nevertheless, he was as calm as ever and looked at Yume, whose hand he held. 

"Ah, um, this is Akatsukii Minami. She is our classmate." 

"Hello, Irido-kun!" 

As if nothing had happened, Akatsuki greeted him cheerfully. Her smile was bright like a sunflower, and her ponytail swayed around as if expressing her current mood. 

"Nice to meet you too, Minami-san. Thank you for staying by Yume's side." 

"Geez, you don't need to thank me. We're friends, after all, and I also want to know Yume-chan better." 

"Yume?" Mizuto was surprised that they could talk on the given name basis. 

"After all, you two are step-siblings, right? Isn't it confusing to call you two by your family name? So we decided to call each other by our given names so I wouldn't mistake you two, and it would be more comfortable. Or do you want me to call you by your given name, too, Irido-kun?" 

"I don't mind, but someone might get jealous, so let's not do it." 

"Hahaha..." 

Who was going to be jealous?

Still, Yume didn't say anything, only sighed in relief since Mizuto didn't ask Akatsuki to call each other by their given names. While she could tell that he might not have much thought and didn't really care how someone called each other by their given name or not, she minded, okay?

"Still, you two are so close. You two are like lovers, or are you two lovers?" Akatsuki didn't hide around the bush and asked directly.

"Wh—" 

While Yume was panicking, Mizuto asked calmly, "What did Yume say before about our relationship?"

Akatsuki squinted her eyes with a cunning smile like a fox who smelled delicious prey and said, "She said that you two are a stepsibling." 

"Is that so?" 

Being looked at by Mizuto, Yume could only nod, but she didn't dare to look at his face. "Um." Still, she wondered whether it was okay for her to think that they were a couple, but he hadn't said anything, and he also hadn't confessed. While they might have kissed and comforted each other with parts of their bodies, they hadn't clearly defined their relationship except as stepsiblings.

"Well, we are a step-sibling." Mizuto didn't mind and expressed their relationship generously. However, he didn't lie since they weren't a couple. However, what they did was definitely something more than mere stepsiblings did. 

"Hmm..." Akatsuki stared at Mizuto with a smile for a while, but she didn't see any change in his expression, which made her give up since she could tell that he was a strong opponent, and she also understood how he could handle so many girls well in the class before. "Let's leave it like that then." 

"Thanks?" 

"But it's my first time to see the stepsibling relationship." 

"You don't have a sibling, Minami-san?" 

"No, I am a single child, and because of that, I am a little jealous of your relationship." 

While Yume was confused, Mizuto didn't need to guess that this girl was lonely.

Still, she should have parents, right? Why should she feel lonely?

If someone asked that, Mizuto would have already smashed their heads since they were too insensitive. Still, Akatsuki's situation wasn't uncommon in this country as there were many children who often stayed by themselves as their parents often stayed out, working all the time. 

They wake up early before their children wake up and then go home when their children have already fallen asleep. 

This was probably a common situation for the majority of adults in this country. 

Still, the children knew that, and they understood their parents' situation, but even so, it didn't mean that they didn't feel anything; even if they understood their parents' situation, they still felt lonely. 

"What are you planning to do after this, Minami-san?" Mizuto asked. 

"Well... I plan to go back. What's wrong?" Akatsuki asked, and somehow, a little expectation was born. 

"Do you want to go back with us? Let's have a little celebration party for our admission to this school!" 

"Huh? Are we going to have a party? That's the first time I've heard it!" Yume was startled, wondering when Mizuto said that he was going to have a celebration party. 

"I just made it on a whim a few moments ago." 

"..." Yume. 

If before, Mizuto was a ball of passiveness, this time, he was a ball of activeness, which made her helpless. 

"Anyway, Dad and Yuni-san won't go back until later in the night. And..." Mizuto moved closer to Yume's ear, causing her to feel itchy and shiver due to the hot air that blew from his mouth. "She is your first friend that you have made by yourselves, and she was the only one who stayed with you when you waited for me, after all."

"Well..." When Yume thought about it, he definitely had a good idea. 

"What do you think, Minami-san? If you are busy, I won't force you, though." 

"I-I don't mind, but..." Akatsuki glanced at Yume's direction. 

"If you are okay with it, please visit our house." Yume smiled when she saw Akatsuki's hesitation, thinking that she might be a little too cautious with every woman around her as she thought that they approached her with the intention of robbing her handsome beast. 

"Okay~! I will go with you two~!" Akatsuki was so happy!

The three of them walked together but didn't immediately go to the house as he wished to buy some groceries. 

"Are you two okay with spicy foods?" Mizuto asked. 

"I am okay with it." Akatsuki nodded. 

"What are you going to make?" Yume asked curiously. 

"Sichuan Hot Pot. There are three of us, and eating a hot pot will be fun, right?"

"Wow, what a random choice of menu!" 

"I have never tried it, but somehow, I feel excited." 

Anyway, as long as they did it together, it was fun, okay?

Still, as an internet generation, they checked what the Sichuan Hot Pot was on their smartphone. 

"The red color is so intense!" 

"It-It won't be too spicy, right?" 

"Trust me, okay? It will be delicious." 

When a handsome guy said something, somehow, it made people blindly trust him, so they decided to believe in him, especially when he saw how professional he was. 

Frankly, he could buy all the ingredients through the "Store" from his "Merchant" skill or just buy the ready ones, too, but he didn't want to expose the existence of the system, so he wouldn't do such a thing. Moreover, with the "Identify" skill, he could tell which was the best ingredient. 

"Get this one instead. It is fresher." 

"How did you tell that it is fresher?" 

"Look closely at the color..." 

Still, Akatsuki looked at Mizuto curiously and asked, "Can you cook, Irido-kun?" 

"If I am not, do you think I will propose the Sichuan Hot Pot?" 

"I thought that Yume-chan was going to cook." 

Yume blushed and looked away when she heard Akatsuki's statement. 

Mizuto rolled his eyes and said, "Don't ask this girl. She is clumsy." He couldn't help but remember when this girl mistook salt and sugar, which made him helpless, wondering how one could mistake the two condiments, especially when the shapes were different. 

Yume hit her arm against his arm lightly as she glared at him, thinking that he was going to destroy her good student-like image. 

Akatsuki chuckled and continued to talk with the two. 

Still, what Mizuto didn't realize was that the more they talked, the more Akatsuki moved even closer, and her eyes narrowed beautifully as she stared at him.