Outside

If this were a private moment, and little Rinka wanted to take things further, Sasaki might have let her play around.

After all, in private, it's fun for a couple to release stress together.

But where were they right now?

They were in the living room, with three others still in the nearby kitchen.

'Teasing me until I'm all fired up, yet not taking responsibility? What's your game here?'

Glancing at the two girls still talking to Koharu-nee, Sasaki turned to the devilishly grinning Rinka and said:

"Let go. Now's not the time for this; they'll finish washing the dishes soon."

"Huh?"

Rinka made a small sound of surprise.

Then, with a playful flick of her fingers, she laughed wickedly,

"But Brother Fuyumi seems to be enjoying it~"

That's something a guy can't control, even until the day he dies…

Instinctively pulling back his leg, Sasaki sighed and said,

"You're really forcing me here."

Not sure what he meant by that, but Okino Rinka didn't think too much and instead flirtatiously blinked at him with a sweet voice.

"Yes~ I'm forcing you~"

Hearing her teasing tone made the boy's heart skip a beat, and he briefly thought that maybe giving in wouldn't be so bad…

But if this kept going, when would he ever be able to stand up again?

Determined to scare this little devil away, Sasaki straightened up and loudly called toward the kitchen:

"Otome!"

Startled by him suddenly shouting the name, Okino Rinka quickly pulled her hand away and scooted to the other side of the sofa with her little bottom, looking flustered.

'You shameless jerk, how dare you set me up!'

Seeing Rinka's indignant expression, Sasaki almost burst out laughing.

Sakuragi Otome, who had been scolding a certain troublemaker with Koharu, paused mid-wipe and looked toward the sofa.

"What's wrong?"

"Can you grab me a drink?"

"Sure~"

Otome was about to put the dish down when she suddenly remembered that the last few cans of drinks had already been finished during dinner. So she told Sasaki:

"Fuyumi, we're out of drinks at home."

"Not even one left?"

"None."

"Oh, well then…"

Sasaki was about to say it was fine, but then he remembered how Rinka had just been teasing him and the mischief he'd been brewing based on Otome's behaviour earlier, his eyes gleamed as he changed his mind and said:

"Then I'll go buy some more outside. I'll grab some ice cream too—eating it during a bath is really nice."

Upon hearing about ice cream, Tachibana Koharu perked up her ears.

"Hey, I want chocolate flavour."

"Fuyumi~ Can you get me a milk-flavoured one?"

"Alright."

Placing the TV remote on the coffee table, Sasaki asked Otome:

"What about you, Otome?"

"Vanilla, please."

"Got it."

With that, the boy grabbed the jacket draped over the back of the sofa and stood up, seemingly ready to head out immediately.

Sitting on the other end of the sofa, Okino Rinka, noticing that he hadn't asked her, assumed he was upset and quickly spoke in a trembling, pitiful voice:

"Brother Fuyumi, what about mine?"

"Yours? You're coming with me. How could I carry all that stuff on my own?"

Turning back, Sasaki flashed the same mischievous grin that Rinka often gave him.

"…"

Suddenly, her heart fluttered with nervousness, but as long as he wasn't angry, that was all that mattered.

Thinking this, Okino Rinka slipped on her slippers over her black knee-high socks and quickly moved to Sasaki's side, linking her arm with his:

"Alright, let's go."

"Otome-nee, we're heading out~"

"Okay~"

"Hurry back, I'm waiting to have that ice cream during my bath."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

It was 8:50 PM, the time when most families had just finished dinner.

Mothers were washing dishes in the kitchen, children were either watching TV or playing on their phones, and fathers were sitting at the dining table reading newspapers.

The residential streets were quiet, lit only by the cool white glow of streetlights and the occasional meow of a cat, with hardly a soul in sight.

In such a setting, any couple would feel a bit more romantic.

Sasaki and little Rinka were no exception.

But since Rinka's house was just across the street, even if they were tempted to do something, this wouldn't be the place.

Gently holding the girl's soft, warm hand that still carried a trace of post-dinner heat, Sasaki led her toward the convenience store further away from home.

Okino Rinka had grown up here, so she knew which convenience stores were nearby and which one was the farthest.

Noticing that Brother Fuyumi was heading to the farthest store, she leaned softly against him, letting herself melt into his warmth as they walked together.

The little darling leaning against him was sending signals that she was open to anything he wanted.

Sasaki looked around briefly before wrapping his arm around her soft shoulders and steering them toward a more secluded path.

Perhaps Rinka had already known that Yuuka-nee and the others would be back tonight, so she didn't attend her club activities.

Returning home early gave her time to change into fresh clothes, which was why she wasn't wearing her school uniform now.

Instead, she was dressed in a casual outfit with a black-and-white colour scheme.

She wore a black overalls dress over a white inner shirt, paired with thin, long black stockings that covered her slender legs, and her petite feet were slipped into the white high-top canvas shoes Sasaki had noticed earlier at the entrance.

Rinka's petite figure, paired with her cute and lively features, naturally drew attention.

Knowing she wasn't suited for mature styles, she always kept her hair in a cute twin-tailed style that framed her shoulders.

When hugging her from behind, her drooping twin tails looked just like the soft, long ears of a puppy, smooth and silky to the touch.

Gently caressing her now-warming, smooth cheek, Sasaki glanced around at the dimly lit surroundings and asked suddenly:

"Rinka, are you thirsty?"

Rinka's taste was a bit spicier compared to most people, similar to his own love for spicy foods.

While she hadn't felt it earlier, now that he mentioned it, she did notice a bit of dryness in her throat.

Clearing her throat a bit, Okino Rinka, who was still leaning on him, nodded softly:

"A bit~"

"Then let's grab a bottle of water first."

Sasaki pointed to a vending machine in a nearby alley, his face smiling.

"…"

The convenience store is just a few more steps away, and now he says to buy water?

Understanding what he was hinting at, Okino Rinka straightened up slightly, surveying the surroundings.

The streetlight here was broken, casting the road in deep shadows with poor visibility.

The only light in the alley was a faint glow from the vending machine.

There was no one around.

And considering Brother Fuyumi's sharp senses, he would definitely know if someone was approaching from a distance.

If he wanted to get a little naughty here, it was definitely possible.

Having already decided that she would go along with whatever he wanted to do, Okino Rinka, with a mix of nervousness and anticipation in her heart, stepped into the alley.

…

...

"Achoo!" Sitting cross-legged on the sofa, waiting for her foolish brother to bring back ice cream, Tachibana Yuuka sneezed suddenly.

Before she could even rub her nose, Sakuragi Otome, seated beside her, also sneezed.

"Achoo~"

The double sneezes caught Koharu-nee's attention as she looked over.

"Otome, Yuuka, did you catch a cold?"

"But we didn't even turn on the AC…"

"Probably not…"

Rubbing her nose but feeling fine, Sakuragi Otome shook her head.

While her physical abilities couldn't compare to Fuyumi's, she was still far superior to an average girl.

So, even if the AC had been on, she'd be the last one to catch a cold.

Tachibana Yuuka, who frequently exercises and has a habit of morning runs, also felt perfectly fine, so she didn't think much of the sneezes.

More importantly…

"Where's that fool? It's been nearly half an hour, hasn't it? How long does it take to get to the nearest convenience store?"

"It hasn't been half an hour."

Tachibana Koharu instinctively defended Sasaki, but after realizing he had indeed been gone for a while, her voice softened, "It's only been twenty-something minutes."

She didn't care exactly how long that fool had been gone; she just wanted him to hurry back.

Thinking this, Yuuka picked up her phone from the coffee table and called Sasaki.

Ring~

Ring~

After nearly a minute of ringing, no one picked up.

Assuming his phone was on silent, Yuuka then called Rinka.

This time, the call connected quickly.

"Yuuka-nee?"

"Hey, little Rinka, where are you guys? Why aren't you back yet?"

"Um, well~ Fuyumi-nii left the convenience store and suddenly remembered he didn't buy the manga he wanted, so now we're at the vending machine buying one~"

"Oh, I see~"

Yuuka knew her foolish brother had been into manga since middle school, so she didn't find it strange.

However she still wanted to know when they'd return, so she continued:

"Did he get it yet? When will you be back?"

"He's putting in the coins now. We'll be back soon, probably in about ten minutes or so."

"Alright, be careful on the way back."

"Got it~"

After hanging up, Yuuka placed her phone back on the table and told the two girls who were looking her way:

"They'll be back in about ten minutes."

"Okay."

Both girls responded in unison and went back to watching TV.

However, Sakuragi Otome's expression was a bit strange.

She hadn't detected anything unusual in Rinka's tone during the call.

But… she was the one who personally pushed Rinka toward Fuyumi.

One of the reasons she did so was that Fuyumi's energy was a bit too overwhelming for her to handle alone.

She just couldn't help it.

Though she wasn't sure why Fuyumi didn't immediately make a move on Rinka at first, seeing how close they've become now, it's pretty clear that he has most likely already taken that step with her.

She didn't know exactly when it happened, but that wasn't the main issue right now.

The real concern was that a boy and a girl who've already been intimate have been out alone together for so long—it's hard not to let her imagination run wild.

She didn't think much of it earlier when she was chatting with Sister Yuuka and Koharu, but now that she's had time to reconsider, she couldn't help but think...

Would Fuyumi really hold back his desires and not take advantage of Rinka?

"…"

No way… there's no way he'd resist.

When it comes to this kind of thing, Otome's trust in Fuyumi was at rock bottom.

She'd sooner believe in the resurrection of Oda Nobunaga asking her to wire 500 yen to help him unify Japan than in Fuyumi's self-control in these matters.

If they didn't go all the way, that's fine—it would just mean they wasted some time with kissing, hugging, and fooling around.

But what if they *did* go all the way?

Outside, of all places…

If Fuyumi acts recklessly, it's one thing, but how could Rinka go along with it?

Or even worse, what if their first time was… outside?

That would be way too…

If they dared to do it outside for their first time… then what would they dare to do for the second or third time?

Otome didn't even want to imagine it.

She pushed her sister toward Fuyumi to help secure his heart together, not to have her sister fully show off and start competing for her position.

She was okay with Rinka playing some tricks, but she couldn't outshine her!

Otherwise, Otome might end up calling the girl "big sister" in the future....no that was absolutely unacceptable!

Her delicate hands twisted in frustration as Sakuragi Otome felt like she needed to do something.

But what could she do?

Doing it outside? No way.

Her theoretical prowess was far inferior to Rinka's when it came to these things.

So, she just sat there for a few minutes, unable to come up with a good plan.

Unaware that the sister sitting next to her was busy scheming ways to seduce her own brother, Tachibana Yuuka took a sip from her water cup and, noticing Otome's dazed expression, assumed she was tired from cooking, so, she said:

"If you're feeling tired, Otome, why don't you take a bath first? You're still in your uniform."

Uniform…

Otome's previously blank eyes suddenly lit up as she remembered the bunny outfit Fuyumi made her wear last week.

He was so excited that night, clearly showing that he liked costume play.

If it could be a bunny outfit, why not a sailor uniform, gym uniform, swimsuit, or even some professional attire?

While she didn't have professional outfits, Otome did have a sailor uniform, gym outfit, and swimsuit.

Having found her plan, she stood up and said to the girl, who was looking at her:

"Thank you, Yuuka-nee. I'll go home and grab some fresh clothes."

"Sure~"

…

...

In the dimly lit alley.

Okino Rinka tucked her phone into the small pocket near her chest.

With her other hand, she held an ice cream wrapper in her mouth while bending down to adjust her skirt.

Once everything was in order, she tilted her head back and slurped up the melted ice cream left in the wrapper.

Licking her pink lips with satisfaction, she tossed the empty wrapper into the trash can next to the vending machine and turned to Sasaki, who was also finishing up his own adjustments:

"Fuyumi-nii, do you think we can get home in ten minutes with everything we need?"

"No worries, if we run, we should make it in time."

Not paying much attention to such a small detail, Sasaki grabbed Rinka's outstretched hand and casually tidied her slightly messy hair as he asked:

"Do you want to tie it up again?"

"Is it really messy?"

"A little, but not too noticeable."

Not wanting to leave any hints for Otome-nee to notice, Rinka immediately undid her hair and began retying her twin tails as soon as Sasaki mentioned it being a little messy.

"Sorry, I guess I got a bit too rough earlier..."

The first time for anything in life is always exciting, and Sasaki found it hard to control himself.

Even though technically his first time was with Momo in that cramped closet, this time felt different, so he could still consider this the real first time.

"It's fine; it's just a little messy hair, and it didn't hurt~"

Rinka smiled nonchalantly as she finished retying her hair and gave it a playful shake:

"How does it look now? Is it better?"

Leaning back slightly to take a good look, Sasaki nodded with a smile:

"Looks good. You can't tell anymore."

"Your face is still a bit red, but it'll fade soon."

"And also, we should pick up an orange-scented air freshener later."

.

..

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