Into the fold

Hit by that realization, Hanabi hurriedly turned to me. A pitiful look occupied her face as she tried to plead using her cuteness.

In my eyes, however, that only highlighted her goofiness. Within an instant, I pinched her puffed-up cheeks, turning that pitiful look to a frown as though I'd wronged her.

Nonetheless, her expression brought about a natural smile on my lips. She already distinguished herself enough from Matsuri despite their likeness and I’m sure, if not for my thinking that I shouldn’t be overly intimate with her yet, I would’ve sealed her lips to appease her.

In any case, it’s not like I couldn’t understand her woe. Maybe for her, she could only tolerate me calling her in a casual manner or through our silly endearment. Not others. That was where she was trying to draw the line.

Moreover, upon remembering that even Satsuki and Sena treated her as someone of the same age, her eyebrows which were always curved and slanted.