A Sister in Need

Ryosuke had just finished the dishes. His hands were still wet as he wiped them on a dish towel before heading toward the stairs.

His daily routine called: he needed to get back to his studies. The bag of books sitting on his chair waited for him, filled with notebooks half-scribbled with formulas and theories, a universe he had been diving into for weeks.

But just before he stepped onto the first stair, Sayuri's voice echoed behind him.

"You're going to bury yourself in your books again today, aren't you?"

Ryosuke stopped and turned his head toward her. "Yeah, I still have a lot to read," he replied calmly, a slight smile on his lips.

He took a step toward the stairs, ready to disappear upstairs as usual, but something stopped him. He glanced at Sayuri, who was sitting on the couch, her legs crossed under her. Yuri was purring contentedly on her lap, enjoying every absentminded stroke from Sayuri's hand.

Ryosuke frowned slightly. Something about his little sister's attitude wasn't quite right. He knew her well enough to sense that something was bothering her, even though she tried to hide it behind an indifferent facade.

With light steps, Ryosuke approached the couch, and without warning, he gently ruffled her hair. Sayuri looked up at him, surprised, then frowned with a mock irritated expression.

"What? Miss your brother's teasing?" he teased, his lips curling into a mischievous grin.

Sayuri pretended to pull away from his grasp, slightly annoyed. "No, that's not true," she muttered, sitting up a bit straighter. "Go back to your room with your books; you're bothering me here."

Ryosuke was about to respond, but a playful gleam appeared in his eyes. He quickly looked around, his gaze landing on the pillow next to Sayuri on the couch. Before she could react, he grabbed it swiftly and, without hesitation, threw it directly at her.

The pillow hit her square in the face. Sayuri blinked, stunned, before giving her brother a look of both indignation and amusement.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, grabbing a pillow of her own. "You're going to regret that!"

Without waiting, she threw the pillow back at him, aiming for his face. But Ryosuke ducked, dodging the attack. The pillow flew over his head and crashed into the wall behind him. A victorious smile spread across his face.

"Too slow, Sayu!" he teased, laughing.

But Sayuri wasn't one to give up so easily. In one swift motion, she stood up and grabbed two more pillows from the couch. "Let's see if you're still laughing after this!" she said with a grin.

Pillows were flying everywhere. Sayuri struck with determination, while Ryosuke dodged most of her throws, laughing as he teased her for missing her mark. Every time he avoided a pillow, his laughter grew louder, which only made Sayuri more determined to land a hit.

The living room had turned into a full-blown battlefield. Pillows were landing on furniture, the floor, and even on Yuri, who decided that the sudden chaos wasn't worth watching. He gracefully jumped off the couch and curled up in a quiet corner, licking his paws with regal indifference, as if to signal that he didn't involve himself in mortal matters.

"You'll see!" Sayuri shouted, her voice full of amusement. She tried another attack, but Ryosuke, taking advantage of her distraction, darted behind the couch, using it as a shield. He popped up from the other side, brandishing a pillow above his head like a sword.

"Never!" he yelled, laughing.

Sayuri, exhausted but determined, launched one final pillow. This time, her aim was true, but Ryosuke barely managed to dodge it. She collapsed onto the couch afterward, breathless and out of energy.

"Okay… I give up," she declared, raising her hands in surrender.

Ryosuke leaned against the wall, looking at her for a moment, still holding the pillow in his hand before gently placing it back on the couch. The mischievous smile he'd worn throughout their battle hadn't left his face.

"See?" he said with a satisfied grin. "You missed our little fights a bit, didn't you?"

Sayuri shrugged, trying to hide her amusement. "Maybe… but that doesn't mean you're stronger than me."

Ryosuke burst out laughing. "True, I shouldn't brag." He walked over to her and, in a gesture of affection, patted her head. "Alright, I'm going to get some studying done. We'll continue this later."

Sayuri rolled her eyes, but the slight smile on her lips betrayed her enjoyment. "Yeah, yeah. Go study, Mr. Mad Scientist."

Ryosuke turned to her one last time, a smile on his face. For a moment, he realized just how precious these moments of bonding were.

Even though his life had taken a strange turn, these little skirmishes with Sayuri reminded him that there were still simple, joyful things in life—like the bond they had shared since they were kids.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Next Chapter: Excitement