Going Home

Time was tight, and the task was clear.

To get home in about ten minutes, Sasaki and Okino Rinka headed straight for the snack aisle as soon as they entered the convenience store.

Cola, chips, chocolate sticks, jelly… and, of course, the essential ice cream.

If he forgot that, Sister Yuuka would definitely give him a hard time when they got back.

After grabbing most of the snacks that needed restocking at home, Sasaki paid at the counter and then picked little Rinka over his shoulder, sprinting home.

Okino Rinka didn't know how fast Sasaki really was, but she only felt two quick jolts before being put back down.

Once she regained her balance and looked around, she realized they were back on a street she knew all too well.

Shifting her gaze from their front door, she looked up in surprise at Sasaki, who seemed completely unfazed and not even out of breath:

"Fuyumi-nii, you're amazing! It felt like we were flying."

"When can I run that fast too?"

"…"

'That question is like asking me how much food you need to eat to grow taller.'

It felt like she was hinting at something, but seeing her wide, hopeful eyes didn't seem like it.

Still, giving an honest answer felt a bit awkward so Sasaki hesitated for a moment before giving a vague reply:

"If you eat more, maybe you could."

"Then Fuyumi-nii, make sure to feed me well~"

'I knew something was off.'

Sasaki pinched her soft, slightly flushed cheek:

"Greedy little troublemaker. I never realized how much you like this sort of thing."

"That's because your, um, thing is really unusual. It doesn't have the strong smell like the biology books say, it's good for health, plus it's from someone I like, and it feels great during the act. It's only natural that I'd start liking it."

Seeing her count off these awkward "advantages" on her small, delicate fingers, Sasaki flicked her forehead:

"You're shamelessly talking about this like it's perfectly normal… and out here, no less. Tone it down a bit, will you?"

Noticing she was about to say something more, the boy flicked her again, cutting off whatever she was about to add.

She knows all too well that he doesn't have great self-control, yet she's bringing up such suggestive topics.

And on the street, no less… even if it's empty now, it won't stay empty forever.

If someone caught him in a compromising situation, how could he ever face people again?

Deciding to drop the topic, Sasaki moved on to another important reason he had brought Rinka out.

Holding the bag in his left hand and wrapping his right arm around her shoulders, he said:

"Rinka, you can tell that Yuuka-nee and the others have feelings for me, right?"

There was no need to lie to Fuyumi-nii, so Okino Rinka nodded, "Yeah, I can tell. They're… very affectionate towards you, more than what would be considered normal for siblings."

Sasaki's gaze shifted downward, meeting her eyes as she looked up at him, and he asked,

"Then, do you think Otome has noticed?"

Rinka hesitated for a moment before replying uncertainly, "She probably has."

"Even if she hasn't fully figured it out, I'm sure she's had thoughts like 'do they have feelings for Fuyumi' cross her mind."

Satisfied with her answer, Sasaki nodded slightly and said, "Fuyumi-nii wants to ask for your help. Can I count on you?"

Hearing him ask so seriously, Okino Rinka pouted and stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck to bring their faces closer, speaking in a slightly whiny tone:

"Rinka belongs entirely to Fuyumi-nii. Why would you even say something so distant?"

They were very close to home, so Sasaki refrained from doing anything too intimate,

He simply kissed her soft, amber-colored eyes and explained:

"I only said it like that because what I'm about to ask is really important."

"Everything Fuyumi-nii says is important," Rinka replied while kissing Sasaki's eyes back, her lips soft and tender like petals kissed by morning dew as she softly murmured.

"Okay~ I won't say it like that next time."

Sasaki chuckled lightly and made a promise.

As he gently stroked her hair and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, they continued walking at a leisurely pace while he got to the main point.

"Aunt Kyouka mentioned to me before…"

Sasaki then relayed Aunt Kyouka's wish for their family to merge with Aunt Reika's, explaining the situation to Rinka.

After listening, Rinka immediately asked,

"But then, what about Otome-nee?"

"She…"

Sasaki wanted to say,

"She was the first to be with me," but considering their circumstances, they were technically just in a relationship.

Aunt Kyouka, on the other hand, could easily turn him and Yuuka-nee into an engaged couple with just one word.

The two situations were hardly comparable.

So, the danger to Otome was much more serious than it appeared.

From being the "main wife" to becoming a "concubine," her mentality would definitely crumble.

Sasaki could roughly guess what Rinka was thinking but hadn't said aloud.

So he spoke in a light-hearted tone, as if not taking it too seriously,

"It's okay. Aunt Kyouka isn't the pushy type; she won't make things hard for Otome."

"Given her personality, Aunt Kyouka won't be too concerned with this."

"What she wants is for the company to unite and grow under my connections."

"Who's in charge at home, who's bigger or smaller—she won't interfere with that."

"Koharu-nee probably won't care much about it either.

The biggest potential clash would be between Yuuka-nee and Otome."

"Given the situation… Aunt Kyouka won't interfere, and Sister Yuuka doesn't have a significant advantage, so it's about a 70-30 split in Otome's favour."

Feeling relieved that Sister Otome still held the upper hand, Okino Rinka let out a small sigh of relief.

Even though she had "snacked" on her "brother-in-law," her heart was still on Sister Otome's side.

Naturally, she didn't want to see her sister getting bullied just because the others outnumbered her.

Noticing her cute expression of relief, Sasaki grinned and teased:

"What's this? Worried that Otome might get the short end of the stick?"

"Of course! Otome-nee and I are like sisters. We're on the same side!"

"Stealing your good sister's man…"

Before Sasaki could finish his joke, Rinka, already guessing where he was headed, jumped up to cover his mouth, her face flushed with embarrassment:

"You—you're making false accusations!"

Leaning back to avoid her hand, Sasaki smiled playfully and said:

"Isn't your underwear still wet? Can you really call that being innocent?"

Hearing that, Rinka instinctively tugged at her skirt, her face turning bright red as she loudly retorted,

"It's mutual consent, not stealing! And besides, protecting your own feelings can't be called stealing either!"

Seeing his teasing expression still lingering, she pouted and mumbled a few more arguments, like "love requires taking the initiative" and "that's not backstabbing," which only made Sasaki laugh more.

"Ahem."

Clearing his throat to suppress his laughter, he gently stroked Rinka's hair, calming her flustered state, "Alright, alright, let's get back to the main topic."

"Even someone as sharp as you got worried when you heard about this."

"So, what do you think? If Otome finds out, she'll be even more anxious, right?"

"Of course she will." After taking a moment to collect herself, Rinka nodded.

It was easy to imagine.

Suddenly discovering that the person you love most has been arranged into an engagement by their family—who wouldn't be shaken?

Initially, Sakuragi Otome would probably instinctively wonder if her lover might abandon her.

But once she calmed down, she'd realize that Sasaki wasn't that kind of person.

They grew up together and know each other better than anyone.

Although Sasaki's personality changed quite a bit after being discharged from the hospital—becoming more flirtatious—the core of his nature hadn't changed.

After regaining her trust in him, her next concern would naturally be the "main wife" position in the his family that she held dear.

After all, she was Sasaki's first girlfriend, and they were each other's firsts.

It's only natural that this position belongs to her.

But since they were still just in a relationship, without an engagement, that position was far from secure.

Now that someone was coming to snatch it, of course, she would be nervous and worried.

But there was no need to worry since Sasaki had a plan for her.

After explaining his analysis of Otome to Rinka, he said:

"When you find an opportunity to tell Otome about this, her emotional journey will likely follow this pattern."

"Otome will be anxious and feel helpless, and that's when she'll need a strategist like you little puppy to guide her."

Unhappy with that title, Rinka bared her little tiger teeth and fiercely corrected him:

"I'm not a puppy~"

"But you can be~"

Thinking about the new accessory he recently bought online, Sasaki replied subconsciously.

Realizing what he had just said, he quickly redirected the conversation.

"That's not the point."

"This is when you'll need to give Otome some strategies."

Marking the word "puppy" in her mind, Okino Rinka tilted her head in confusion, waiting for his next words.

"Form distant alliances, attack nearby threats."

Without leaving her in suspense, Sasaki continued:

"The main reason why Otome is panicking is because she's afraid that Aunt Kyouka will get involved, but she might, in her panic, go directly to Aunt Kyouka and confess our relationship."

"That's when Otome will realize that Aunt Kyouka won't intervene in this matter at all."

"At that point, Otome will understand that her real challenges are Yuuka-nee, Koharu-nee, and someone she hasn't even met yet—Reina."

"One against three, the girl must be under a lot of pressure."

"At this time, you need to talk to Otome and 'recruit' your sister Chifuyu."

"Sister Chifuyu.."

"Yes, doesn't Otome know about the ambiguous relationship between me and Chifuyu?"

From Rinka's perspective, he had always regarded the stupid Chifuyu as his ambiguous object, so there was nothing wrong with what Sasaki said.

"When the time comes, if Otome opens up and brings Chifuyu into the fold, she'll likely accept the idea."

Even if Otome didn't accept it, Sasaki hadn't even mentioned Sakura yet.

For Otome, Sakura would be an even tougher opponent than Yuuka-nee and Koharu-nee.

After all, Sakura had a genuine ancestral engagement with Sasaki, which technically puts all the other girls behind her in line.

Of course, whether or not to bring Sakura into the picture depends on the situation.

For now, Sasaki was simply letting Rinka know his thoughts, so she'd be prepared.

"…"

After understanding Sasaki's plan, Okino Rinka glanced at him with a resentful look in her eyes.

Confused by her reaction, Sasaki furrowed his brows in doubt, "Isn't my plan any good?"

"Fuyumi-nii, you're such a scumbag."

"How can you be so calculating with your girlfriends?"

Before Sasaki could explain, Rinka shifted her gaze from her accusing glare to leaning on his arm as she said: "But you can't get tired of the old and love the new~"

With the girl holding his right hand and his left hand holding something, Sasaki couldn't touch her head to comfort her and could only give her reassurances with words.

"No, I will always like you."

"Um."

Seeing how he was trying to get even Chifuyu involved while maintaining everyone's place in his life, Rinka knew her beloved brother wasn't someone who'd easily discard those he cared about.

So, she believed his words.

As they approached the familiar front door, he asked just before they went inside: "Do you want me to tell her in the next few days?"

It wasn't the right time yet,

considering that Chifuyu and Takagi hadn't fully broken ties.

So Sasaki shook his head and said "No rush, wait a bit longer. I'll let you know when it's time."

"Okay."

Standing at the front door, they both checked each other's appearance.

Seeing nothing out of place, Rinka took out the keys and opened the door.

"We're back~"

Sitting on the sofa, visibly irritated, Tachibana Yuuka straightened up the moment she saw her foolish brother walk in and immediately scolded him:

"What took you so long? My ice cream is almost melted!"

The louder she scolds now, the louder Sasaki would make her call out later, so he didn't mind Sister Yuuka's harsh tone and simply smiled as he replied, "It's fine, the ice cream's still good."

Taking the chocolate and milk-flavored ice creams out of the bag and handing them to Sister Koharu, he glanced around the living room and kitchen but did not see Otome anywhere, so he asked, "Where's Otome?"

"She just went upstairs to the bath with her clothes."

Removing the plastic cover from the ice cream, Yuuka scooped a small bite of chocolate ice cream into her mouth, responding with a muffled hum.

After stashing away the popsicles, drinks, and other snacks in the fridge, Sasaki grabbed the ice cream Otome requested and headed upstairs, "I'll take this up to her."

Bathing… undressing… walking in… catching her naked…

Just as Yuuka was about to wave him off nonchalantly, her imagination suddenly conjured that very scene.

And she panicked, quickly standing up and reaching out to grab Sasaki as he walked past the sofa,

"No, you can't go. You… Ah!"

Trying to spring up from her cross-legged position while holding ice cream in hand was a recipe for disaster.

If Yuuka had managed to maintain her balance on the soft sofa and keep hold of her ice cream, Sasaki would've given her a thumbs-up and called her a genius.

So naturally, she lost her balance and fell onto the sofa.

With Sasaki's strength, he could easily have lifted Yuuka-nee with one hand without breaking a sweat.

But… seeing the chocolate ice cream spill onto her chest, he quickly decided against using his strength and instead let her tug him down, making him land on top of her.

The rich, creamy chocolate flavour, with its deep sweetness and cool sensation, was exquisite.

Since the ice cream fell onto the warmest part of her body, the small pieces of chocolate quickly melted into a sticky mess.

The cool sensation was soon replaced by warmth as the rich, chilled sweetness spread and revealed the underlying creamy aroma.

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