Chapter 22

That evening, in the small Akiyama household, the mother and her two daughters were busy packing up some personal belongings. 

Although the moving company offered a full packing and unpacking service, there were always certain things that were either too private to be seen by others or important enough to be carried by hand.

"Mom, what's in this big box? Do we need to take it ourselves?" An Akiyama, having finished her own tasks, asked curiously as she glanced toward her mother.

"Yes, it's your father's treasure. They need to be carefully preserved/" Mrs. Akiyama replied, a blush of nostalgia spreading across her face.

"Treasures? What kind of treasures?" An asked eagerly, moving closer to her mother, wanting to take a peek inside.

"You can't. It's a secret between your father and me, An-chan. You're not allowed to see." Mrs. Akiyama gently stopped her daughter.

An immediately puffed out her cheeks in frustration and turned to her older sister, Tsuki Akiyama. "Sister, look at Mom! She's trying to keep all of Dad's treasures to herself! Aren't you going to do something?"

Tsuki, who had been packing her underwear while thinking about buying a blue and white striped pair, was startled when she heard her name. She quickly pressed down on her skirt to make sure the writing on her thigh wasn't visible.

"What should I do about it? Have you finished your homework for today? I'll be checking it later." Tsuki Akiyama said sternly.

"What?!?" An's eyes widened in disbelief. "We've been busy moving all day! Do I still have to do homework?"

"Of course. You're my little sister, after all. We can't let your grades slip. Plus, I still have to go over today's English lesson from cram school with you tonight." Tsuki ignored her sister's dismayed expression and added even more to her plate.

The Akiyama family couldn't afford to send both daughters to cram school, so Tsuki attended and would later teach what she learned to An.

"But I don't want to be that amazing… Why do I have to work so hard?" An complained, her face scrunched up like a sour lemon as she muttered under her breath.

"If you don't want people to look down on you or push you around, you need to be better than everyone else. So good that they can only look up to you. That way, they won't dare to mess with you." Tsuki lectured while tugging on her younger sister's ear.

"There aren't that many bad people…" An grumble quietly, clearly unconvinced.

"Chiba is one of them." Tsuki murmured, her hand instinctively touching the spot on her leg where something had been written earlier. A slight blush crept across her face.

"But I think Chiba-kun is actually really nice." An whispered in protest.

"That's because you haven't seen his other side." Tsuki said, squeezing her legs together as she recalled the events from earlier that afternoon. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red.

That commanding tone, that cold expression, and the writing on her thigh—it was all too much to think about. Tsuki shuddered slightly, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling creeping over her.

"Tsuki?" An noticed that her sister seemed a little off.

"Ahem, our father was very impressive back in the day. We need to be just as excellent as him." Tsuki quickly composed herself, sitting up straight and trying to sound serious.

"Okay... I get it." An pouted, though she obediently listened.

Meanwhile, their mother had finally finished packing her things. Standing up, she addressed her two daughters, "I'm going to the ramen shop for one last check. You girls behave while I'm gone, alright? Wash up and go to bed early, we've got to move first thing in the morning."

"Got it!" The two sisters responded in unison.

As soon as they watched their mother leave, An's eyes lit up with mischief. "Sis, sis! Let's sneak a peek at Dad's treasure, okay?"

"Not interested," Tsuki replied flatly as she stood up, pressing down her skirt. "I'm going out for a bit. You stay here and review your homework."

"What? It's so late, where are you going?" An asked, confused.

"I've got something to take care of. Don't ask." Without further explanation, Tsuki left the house, leaving her little sister alone.

"First Mom, now you. You're all so secretive. Always keeping things from me." An grumbled, feeling left out.

An Akiyama stared at the closed door, pouting in frustration as she mumbled to herself. However, her attention soon shifted excitedly to the mysterious box. 

"Just a quick peek, and then I'll repack it—Mom probably won't even notice, right?" She muttered, looking at the cardboard box that hadn't yet been taped up. It seemed harmless enough.

But as soon as she opened it, she froze. Inside was a large metal box with a combination lock. There was no way to open it.

Her excitement deflated immediately. "Mom, seriously? What kind of treasure is this to be locked up so tightly?" She grumbled, now thoroughly disheartened.

With nothing else to do, An went to run her bath. By the time the tub was full, her sister had finally returned home.

"Oh, so you went shopping? What did you buy?" An asked curiously, peeking into the bag her sister was holding.

"Underwear. While I was packing, I noticed some of mine were worn out, so I went to buy new ones." Tsuki replied honestly. There wasn't much point in hiding it, considering they lived together and An would find out eventually.

"Did you get any for me? I think I need some new ones too. Wait, why are they all blue and white striped? Are you into that style now?" An asked, puzzled.

"They're all mine. If you need some, you'll have to buy your own. The reason they're all blue and white striped is because they were on sale." Tsuki replied, her eyes darting nervously as she lied.

"Oh, I see. Well, give me one to try. I've never worn that style before—it might be fun to see what it's like." An didn't notice her sister's discomfort and asked innocently.

"No!" Tsuki quickly clutched the bag shut. "I'll bear this burden alone."

"Wh-what do you mean 'bear it alone'? What burden?" An blinked in confusion, startled by her sister's intense reaction.

"Ahem, I mean, since they were on sale, I couldn't really choose the style, and blue and white stripes are kind of outdated, right? I'll wear them. You should buy something more stylish." Tsuki coughed awkwardly, trying to cover up her previous statement. Tsuki Akiyama's mind worked quickly, and she came up with a perfectly reasonable explanation.

"Sis..." An's eyes filled with tears of admiration. "It's okay. I'll wear the same kind, no problem. After all, it's underwear—no one will see it anyway."

Her sister's teary, grateful gaze made Tsuki feel strangely guilty. "Are you not listening to me anymore? Just do as I say."

"Alright..." An reluctantly gave up on her plan. She suddenly remembered the mysterious box. "Oh, Sis! Come help me with something. The box has a combination lock. What do you think the code is?"

Tsuki, eager to change the subject from blue and white stripes, decided to indulge her sister this time. She walked over to the box, giving it a quick glance.

"Easy. Try Dad's birthday, Mom's birthday, then ours. One of them should work."

"Oh, right!" An exclaimed, immediately starting to test the combinations. On the first try, the lock clicked open. "It's Dad's birthday!"

"Open it." Tsuki, now curious as well, urged her sister to lift the lid.

When An opened the box, they both stared in surprise. Inside was a strange assortment of small tools and gadgets. Tsuki's eyes widened in shock.

An, completely puzzled, asked, "What are these things for? Why would Dad's treasure be this stuff? Was Dad a police officer or maybe a cowboy before?" 

Tsuki could only stare, unsure of what to make of the bizarre contents.

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