After breakfast, Kuzeha and Sakura walked to school in the pouring rain.
That was when the oversized umbrella Kuzeha always liked to carry finally proved its worth.
With both of them standing beneath it, not even the downpour could soak their upper bodies.
Bigger really was better.
Even though they walked carefully, they still couldn't avoid stepping in puddles and getting splashed on the legs.
Kuzeha glanced down and noticed Sakura's knee-high socks were already damp.
"Sakura, make sure to change your socks when we get to school."
"Mm…"
Sakura responded softly.
Kuzeha turned to look at her. On her usually gentle and carefree face, he rarely saw such a furrowed brow.
"Something on your mind?"
His voice made Sakura pause for a moment.
She hesitated, then replied quietly, "I ran into my former sister."
"She called out to me… but I ran away without responding."
Former sister…
A figure appeared in Kuzeha's mind—Tohsaka Rin.
No wonder she'd noticed Rin quietly observing him the past couple of days.
It seemed that after running into Sakura, Rin had done some digging.
Back then, Kuzeha had snatched Sakura away from the Matou family using Imaginary Space—without anyone realizing.
To the Matou family, their experimental subject had simply vanished.
To the Tohsaka family, it looked like the Matous had abducted their youngest daughter for some twisted experiment.
And now she was gone, with the Matous claiming she'd disappeared.
What a joke. As if Tohsaka Tokiomi would fall for that.
The incident even caused a serious clash between the two families.
In the end, the matter was buried only because of Tokiomi's untimely death.
Now, the long-lost little sister had suddenly reappeared.
For someone like Rin, with no one left to rely on, it must have shaken her deeply.
"Are you afraid of acknowledging her?" Kuzeha asked gently.
Sakura fell silent.
To her, that home from her childhood was now only a fading memory.
Her sister was just a symbol in her past.
She couldn't say there was any real emotion or longing.
After a while, Sakura gave a small nod.
Yes, she was afraid.
But not of Rin herself.
She was afraid Rin's appearance would disturb the peaceful life she had now.
Afraid she'd no longer be able to fit into the family she belonged to now.
A thousand thoughts swirled in her mind, and her face showed a rare tinge of worry.
"Sakura, you don't need to be afraid."
Kuzeha gently held her soft, slightly cold hand.
"Your own will is what matters most… Whatever you decide, I'll support you."
His calm words carried warmth that flowed into her heart through their joined hands.
She nodded softly but firmly.
As long as Kuzeha was behind her, she could face anything.
But… did he really mean it? He'd support any decision she made?
Sakura blinked, her gaze suddenly filled with a subtle, unreadable emotion as she looked at him.
Their fingers were interlocked. The distance between them was shrinking.
Looking at the school gates just ahead, Sakura sighed softly in her heart.
"If only school were a bit farther away…"
Their morning walk was the only time she got to be alone with Kuzeha.
"Kuzeha-nii, I'll head to class first!"
She released his hand, opened her own umbrella, and left.
Kuzeha had just turned toward the second-year building when—
A familiar voice filled with dry sarcasm spoke from behind him.
"Kuzeha-kun, freshmen girls just started school, and you're already making moves? You really are a scumbag…"
He paused and looked back—only to meet the calm, unreadable gaze of Megumi Kato.
"She's my little sister."
"Oh? So you're one of those guys who calls girls you like 'little sister'?"
Kuzeha glanced at her, then responded in a cool, even tone.
"Maybe you didn't know—we both grew up in an orphanage. It's not strange for me to have multiple little sisters."
That stunned Kato.
Especially the way Kuzeha said it—so casually, even coldly.
A pang of guilt and regret surged in her heart.
She knew that, nowadays, there were so many orphans that most orphanages could barely provide the most basic needs.
Torn clothes, empty stomachs—it all happened.
To grow up in such a harsh environment and still get into a top school like Sobu High… he must have worked far harder than the average person.
"…I'm sorry."
She folded up her umbrella, stepped under his, and apologized quietly.
"Kato-san, according to leading psychological studies, verbal apologies often lack sincerity."
"Then what should I do?"
Kato tilted her head.
"What do you think I like?"
In that instant, Yukino Yukinoshita's image popped into her head.
After a pause, she answered hesitantly, "Yukinoshita-san?"
Kuzeha shook his head. "Nope."
"Kujou-san?"
Another name.
Kuzeha sighed. "Too one-dimensional."
"I'll give you a hint…"
They chatted as they walked, eventually arriving at the shoe lockers.
While changing into his indoor shoes, Kuzeha pointed ahead with one hand.
"What do Yukinoshita Yukino, Kujou Alisa, and this have in common?"
Kato followed his finger.
It pointed at a full-length mirror.
Reflecting in it was a pure and sweet-looking girl—herself.
"Yukinoshita-san, Kujou-san… and me?"
She stood there, thinking. And then the realization struck her.
"…So, you like… girls?!"
Her delicate brows arched in surprise.
But the fact that Kuzeha had mentioned those two famously beautiful, well-liked girls in the same breath as her—
Something stirred in her heart.
She turned to say something—but he was already gone.
"Hmph. Still a scumbag."
Kato wrinkled her nose and gave a soft snort.
Yet the ever-calm expression on her face had quietly curled into a faint, unnoticeable smile.
...
That afternoon.
Kuzeha frowned at Saeko Busujima, who was wearing a standard school uniform.
"Busujima-senpai, a regular JK outfit doesn't count."
Saeko blinked innocently.
"But this ranked really high on the specialty shop site…"
Kuzeha sighed.
You can't trust those rankings—they're all fake.
Either it's bait for simps, or… stuff for the simps.
"Nope, I don't approve. Gotta change."
"But the old one's torn…"
Saeko tapped her chin.
"How about… Kuzeha-kun comes shopping with me?"
Her lips curved slightly, and Kuzeha immediately understood.
So that's how she wanted to play it?
No wonder she was such a perfect woman. She knew exactly what she was doing.
And yes—hand-picked outfits did feel way more immersive.
"Then we'd better get going right away!"
...
Saeko could usually carry herself with elegance and confidence, like a mature woman.
But when walking into that kind of store with Kuzeha under the stares of other customers, even she couldn't help but get flustered.
"Senpai, this was your idea. You can't back out now."
Kuzeha chuckled.
These specialty clothing shops weren't common.
Most people preferred to shop online instead.
But this one? The biggest in the area.
They had everything you could imagine.
For your average guy, just entering a place like this took guts.
To leave with your wallet intact took even more.
"No need to be shy, Senpai. Look—the shop staff's wearing a bunny suit."
"There's a bunny girl staff?"
Saeko looked around in confusion.
Kuzeha blinked. She… couldn't see?
He looked again at the tall woman in the bunny suit—just as she turned around.
Their eyes met.
Even in such a provocative outfit, her stunning face outshone everything.
"…That's… Sakurajima Mai!"
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