Her voice trailed off.
As if a shallow cut had been made in her heart, Yuigahama's eyes dimmed. She gave a wry smile, tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Yukinon said the same thing as Sora-chan…"
In other words, only those who knew him well enough and were close to him could see Yuu's sad expression.
"And I've liked him for so long, but I can't even do something like that… I'm really pathetic."
(I can't even compare to Yukinon, who's always at odds with him. What have I been doing all this time?)
"…Hmph."
Noticing the change in her eyes, Sora frowned. She gradually shed her aggressive demeanor. With a hint of gloom, she hugged her slender legs and gently leaned her back against the sofa.
"It seems it really has nothing to do with you… If it's something truly important to him, he might not even tell me. In that case, I can only find a way to make him happy…"
Hearing her muttering, Yuigahama temporarily set aside her own despondent feelings. She faced her with a warm smile. "Sora-chan really cares about her brother! Yuu-chan would be so happy if he knew."
"Do you even need to say that?"
Glancing at her with disdain, Sora said flatly, "Caring for and supporting each other is only natural for us… Otherwise, how do you think we've lived together all these years?"
"Yeah. That's why you don't want to be apart." Yuigahama lowered her head and sighed softly. "Because you're such close siblings, you feel reluctant about outsiders interfering."
"…"
Sora froze slightly, as if her thoughts had been pierced precisely.
Then she turned, staring at her with an intensely serious gaze.
"What if it was you? You could be with him forever, but suddenly someone forcefully tries to barge into your world. They shamelessly want to take the most precious position from you. Would you open your home's door and welcome them?"
Though she looked young, her words were strikingly mature. There wasn't a hint of doubt or uncertainty, making it hard to argue back.
She stared at the pink-haired senior before her. The words from her small, cherry-like mouth carried weight.
"From the past to now, we've always walked side by side. That won't change in the future. No matter what outsiders like you say, as long as Yuu agrees, that's enough…"
"I can do everything you all can do. He doesn't need to look for a girlfriend outside at all!"
As if unafraid that her words would be overheard by Yuu in the kitchen, Sora made her bold declaration and still wasn't satisfied.
With an attitude as if she wanted to overwhelm everyone, she stood up from the sofa and stared at Yuigahama without hesitation.
"Remember, anyone who wants to take Yuu from me is my enemy!"
"…"
After a brief moment of stunned silence, facing this aggressive little monster, Yuigahama let out a soft sigh and shook her head calmly.
"Sora-chan, you don't need to be so hostile toward me."
"As you guessed, both in my third year of middle school and shortly after entering high school, my confessions were always rejected by Yuu-kun."
"No matter how much I like him, he always sees me as just a friend… Even though I've tried so hard to get closer to him, I can't even see what's in his heart."
"How could I take him away? I wish you could tell me, because I don't understand at all…"
Not a single tear fell. She only smiled, speaking these words with a resigned tone.
Then she extended her hand toward Sora.
"So, don't worry—I like him just like you do, but I'm not your enemy."
"Sora-chan, I'll never take your brother from you… I just hope I can stay by his side a little longer."
After looking at her hand, Sora studied her expression but couldn't bring herself to push it away.
(How many wounds must she have endured to say those words so casually, as if nothing happened?)
At the very least, Sora definitely couldn't do that.
She didn't know where she'd heard it, but someone once said: Unrequited love that lasts too long makes a person feel inferior. Too much humility makes a person grow accustomed to it.
So, this popular senior who seemed to have a perfect life wasn't feeling inferior when she said those words.
It's just that the strong her had grown used to it.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
After opening the kitchen door.
Yuu brought the tea tray to the sofa. He happened to see Sora lying listlessly in her original spot, as if something had defeated her.
"What's wrong? What were you two arguing about just now?"
After setting down the teacups, he sat beside Sora and patted her cute little head.
They seemed to be getting along. Even without his presence, they could resolve their emotional issues on their own—Yuu felt relieved.
After all, who doesn't like a shuraba scene that resolves itself?
"It's girl talk. Don't ask too much."
Speaking in a sulky tone, Sora hugged his arm. Her shy softness pressed against him. The deliberately exaggerated gesture was like a cat claiming its territory, making people smile.
"It's settled. Come on, let's play."
As she spoke, Yuu's fingers gently brushed her elastic thigh. It made her breathing briefly heavier and faster. Yet she kept hugging him as if nothing happened. Her pale, flushed face looked stunning, like a peach that could drip juice when bitten.
But in front of others, she dared to act so boldly…
Did Yuigahama say something to provoke Sora?
"Let me rest for a bit first. I just got back…"
Wordlessly pulling his arm back, Yuu grabbed the other game controller. After giving Yuigahama an apologetic glance, he shifted his gaze back to the screen.
"Alright, what do you want to play?"
"Overcooked." Sora pressed the A button. The TV screen changed, entering the game's loading screen.
Overcooked, or Chaos Kitchen, was a cooking game available on various platforms. In multiplayer mode, players had to work together to prepare dishes according to specific steps.
Since the game was somewhat difficult and prone to mistakes during cooperation, conflicts often arose within teams. With mutual blaming and dragging each other down, it frequently led to broken friendships or relationships.
Whether a couple would actually break up over a game was uncertain, but at least when Yuu and Sora played, the atmosphere was usually harmonious. They could clear levels quickly with remarkable synergy.
The two were one. The sibling combo was the strongest—though not yet at the [empty] level, a simple game like this was naturally easy for them.
However, since they didn't play it often, their progress was still midway, with many levels left to complete.
And now, Sora seemed eager to tackle the next part.
While controlling the little bus on the screen to head to the next level, she got up from the TV cabinet, grabbed a spare controller, and handed it to Yuigahama, who looked like a grandma, holding her tea and preparing to watch them play.
"Come play with us… Don't get the wrong idea, this is just hospitality."
After a moment of surprise, Yuu nodded with relief.
"Yeah. Come on, since you're here. The more people, the more fun the game is."