Tenderness

The sudden cold of the ice cream falling on her chest made the girl panic as she lay on the sofa, trying to lift her shirt to stop the melting chocolate from seeping into her clothes.

But Sasaki, having been pulled down with her, quickly shattered her hopes.

Rip~

The murky, dark chocolate melted and seeped through the fabric, coming into contact with the soft, smooth, milk-like white skin beneath.

The sudden contrast of cold and warmth made Tachibana Yuuka instinctively gasp.

Before she could push Sasaki away, the warm breath he exhaled onto her collar felt like the gentle breeze of a lazy spring day, leaving her feeling relaxed and weak.

Of course, the fact that it was someone she liked being so close also made her hesitate to push him away.

So Yuuka just froze in place, allowing the boy to lie on top of her.

Until… she felt something slippery, like jelly soaked in warm water, slide into her clothes.

Yuuka's eyes widened in shock.

Before she could react, Sasaki, having tasted the milk chocolate, sat up and pulled her upright as well, "Yuuka-nee, what are you doing?"

His question snapped the other two girls out of their daze as they rushed over to Yuuka's side.

"Are you okay, Yuuka? Does it hurt?"

Although Yuuka's soft chest wasn't as abundant as Koharu's, it was still far from small.

Among girls her age, being called "well-endowed" wouldn't be an exaggeration.

But the bigger the chest, the more sensitive it was, making bumps and bruises all the more painful.

Koharu, knowing this well from her own experience, was quick to ask if it hurt.

"Should we go to your room to…"

"No, no, it's fine."

Yuuka waved her hand, indicating she was okay.

She wasn't as concerned about the minor discomfort as she was about that fleeting slippery sensation.

Sitting up with her face flushed, she shot a glance at Sasaki, who was pretending to be innocent.

'He's putting on quite an act, but I know he couldn't resist…'

While most of her emotions were happy embarrassment, there was a bit of frustration toward him for not admitting what he'd done.

So her voice carried a mix of irritation and scolding as she replied,

"What do you mean 'what am I doing'? I told you earlier, Otome just went upstairs to take a bath, and she's probably changing clothes right now."

"You going up there with ice cream—are you trying to take advantage of her?"

"Idiot! Pervert! Creep!"

To be honest, he did have that thought, but between lovers, that doesn't really count as taking advantage.

Sasaki really wanted to explain it that way, but it wasn't the right time to come clean with Yuuka-nee yet.

Admitting it now would only speed things up, and since he hadn't resolved things with Chifuyu yet, revealing everything would only disrupt his plans.

So instead of responding to her accusations, he pointed at her outfit with a strange expression and suggested, "Um, Yuuka-nee, I think you should change your clothes first."

Yuuka's outfit today was as youthful and eye-catching as ever.

She wore a white short-sleeved T-shirt with two orange halves printed in the center, along with some English letters underneath.

However, because she had tucked the hem of the T-shirt into her loose-fitting shorts, her top looked snug, especially given her naturally generous figure.

This made the oranges on her shirt look squished, almost like orange pancakes, with only a hint of green leaves peeking out to remind you of what they were supposed to be.

At that moment, the tight-fitting white T-shirt was clinging to her skin, thanks to the sticky chocolate, perfectly outlining her curves.

After Sasaki pointed it out, Yuuka also noticed her own state.

However, since melted chocolate didn't have the same transparency as water, it still provided some cover, hiding more than it revealed.

So instead of panicking like a typical girl and covering herself, Yuuka deliberately straightened her posture, tilted her head, and shot Sasaki a sideways glance while lightly humming,

"Are you telling me what to do?"

"The reason I'm like this is because of you."

"You should…"

Before Yuuka could finish her sentence, Koharu interrupted her:

"Look at the time, mom will be back soon.

You've got ice cream all over the sofa and your clothes, and now you want to blame it on Fuyumi?

What do you think mom will say if she finds out?"

Koharu's gentle and calm voice was neither fast nor slow, with a tone that was both advising and subtly warning.

Clearly, she didn't appreciate her sister bullying Fuyumi like this.

And she knew exactly what her sister was most afraid of.

As expected, when Koharu mentioned the person who manages her allowance, Tachibana Yuka's confident expression quickly disappeared, replaced by an awkward, apologetic smile.

"Haha, I just meant to say that he should bring the cleaning supplies over so I can tidy up. What are you thinking, Koharu?" Yuka said, trying to play it off while subtly glancing at Sasaki, who was watching with amusement.

Her look was easy to understand.

She wanted him to back her up.

Sasaki thought to himself, *She's being unreasonable, expecting me to help her after she just bullied me.*

Though he wanted to see her get scolded by Aunt Kyouka and look all pitiful, he knew that after being scolded, it would be up to him to comfort her.

If he didn't, she'd keep pestering him until he apologized.

'It's easier to just help her now,' he reasoned.

Besides, Sister Yuka had tolerated his teasing earlier, so letting her boss him around a little wasn't a big deal.

"Actually, it's not entirely Sister Yuka's fault. We were just messing around, so we're both responsible," Sasaki said, sharing the blame as he smiled reassuringly at Sister Koharu.

He then turned to Yuka, who looked relieved, and said, "Sister Yuka, you should go upstairs and change. It must be uncomfortable being all sticky. You can clean up after you've washed up."

Satisfied that he was covering for her, the girl tugged at her sticky shirt, ignoring the way Sasaki's gaze followed her movements. "Alright, I'll go wash up."

Before leaving, she took the ice cream Sasaki had intended for Otome and handed it to Rinka, who had been silently enjoying her own ice cream while watching the show.

"Rinka, could you please give this to Otome?" Yuka asked sweetly.

"Sure," Rinka replied, taking the ice cream with a smile.

Then, she stood up, her long, smooth legs moving gracefully as she walked up the stairs, effectively cutting off any potential interactions between Sasaki and Otome.

As Yuka passed by Sasaki, she considered patting his shoulder to remind him to bring her some clothes, but noticing Koharu's sharp gaze, she pouted slightly and obediently headed upstairs.

"Fuyumi, you really are kind," Koharu said with a gentle smile as she and Sasaki cleaned the floor and the couch after the girl left.

"Me? Kind?" Sasaki glanced over at the girl, who was kneeling between the sofa and the coffee table, and couldn't help but think about how different she was from her sister.

Unlike Sister Yuka, who pursued a trendy, flashy style and dressed like a gal, Sister Koharu was quiet and graceful, preferring a more conservative style.

Even at home, she didn't wear anything too revealing.

Her figure wasn't as athletic as Sister Yuka's, but it was certainly more voluptuous and soft.

She never wore tight or form-fitting clothes and always chose comfort, even if that meant wearing something loose.

So, even though her white floral-printed shirt was tucked into her skirt like Sister Yuka's, it didn't cling tightly to her body.

But even with her clothes being loose, they couldn't fully conceal the impressive curves that made it impossible not to stare.

'This must be what they mean by "chest as deep as a valley,"* Sasaki thought as his eyes inadvertently drifted to the neckline of her shirt.

She was leaning forward slightly in her kneeling position, her posture showing she was genuinely listening to him.

"Sister Koharu, you're the one who's really kind," Sasaki said, tearing his eyes away and smiling at her. "You've always been so good to me."

Noticing where his eyes had been, Koharu either didn't notice or well..didn't mind.

Instead, she remained in her forward-leaning position, her smile bright as she said, "That's because you're family, Fuyumi. I'm your sister, so it's only natural for me to take care of you."

Although Koharu was speaking with sincerity coupled with her pure and warm expression that could make anyone feel at ease, however, Sasaki was having a hard time focusing on what she was saying.

As his eyes were nearly glued to the neckline of her shirt.

It's not that he lacked self-control or willpower...well he did lack them a bit..but the main reason was that Sister Koharu's figure was too... captivating.

Sure, Sasaki had seen other women before—Natsuha and Momo, for example, but compared to this girl in front of him Koharu, they were on a slightly different level.

And it's not like they weren't impressive in their own right, but Sister Koharu's presence was overwhelming in the best way.

He did not want to compare their bodies as in that case, they were on par, or even better than her, however,

What really made a difference, though, was her attitude towards him.

When a man tries to put on an act in front of a woman to show his charm, it's typically because he wants to win her favour.

But what if that woman already has full affection for you?

Wouldn't it be a bit too much to keep pretending in that case?

So, since Sister Koharu treated him with such open warmth, without any hint of a barrier between them, Sasaki didn't even bother to hide his gaze.

If she wanted to treat him like a younger brother, then so be it—but she could at least maintain a bit more distance.

After all, how many sisters stand just inches away from their brother's face when they talk?

If she had even a slight sense of propriety between men and women, Sasaki wouldn't have been so blatant in looking at her neckline.

After a moment without receiving any response from him, Koharu puffed out her cheeks in an adorable display of mock irritation, furrowing her brows in a way that said, "My little brother isn't behaving."

"Fuyumi~ I'm talking to you," she said, her tone light and teasing.

Even though they were close enough to feel each other's breath, she still didn't seem to mind his gaze.

Sasaki had harbored some thoughts of taking advantage of the situation, but he was also testing the waters.

He knew Sister Koharu was very indulgent with him, but that was mostly a feeling and he hadn't really tried to push his luck like this before.

However, the way she remained so unconcerned about his proximity only confirmed what he had suspected: she truly didn't mind being close to him.

The only thing he didn't know was how she would react if he actually made a move.

Sasaki's greed continued to grow due to her indulgence.

She was different from Sister Yuka, who had a temper and a jealous streak.

If he tried something with her first, she might develop possessive tendencies, so it wasn't wise to start with her.

But Sister Koharu...

A full stomach makes one think of... other things.

Although Sasaki had experienced a bit of a taste with Rinka, that was more like a teaser.

Now, with a beauty like her sitting right in front of him, practically inviting him to break the unspoken boundaries between them, If Sasaki didn't have some ideas, then there would be a real problem.

Otome was busy taking a bath, Sister Yuka was changing her clothes, and as for Rinka... even if she saw something, it wouldn't matter much.

Now that the living room was empty, there wasn't enough time to do anything too bold, but there was enough time to build the atmosphere and express his feelings.

With this in mind, Sasaki leaned in slightly and softly called her name.

"Koharu~"