"Haha," Hayashi Shuichi laughed, patting Hagiwara Kenji's head with a fond smile. "With a mouth as smooth as yours, you're definitely going to be a hit with the girls when you grow up."
"I don't care about other girls, as long as Nee-san likes me," Kenji chirped, looking up at his sister with a grin that revealed two adorable little canines.
"Hmph. No matter how much of a sweet-talker you are, I'm still telling Dad what happened earlier," Chihaya huffed, shooting her brother a stern look that couldn't quite mask the warm affection dancing in her eyes.
"No, don't, Nee-san!" Kenji immediately shifted into a state of pathetic desperation. He grabbed his sister's arm, swinging it back and forth as he pleaded. "If Dad finds out, he'll definitely tan my hide! And think of Jinpei—Uncle Matsuda won't let him off easy either!"
"For the sake of our poor behinds, keep today a secret, okay? Please?"
...
Nearby, Reiko sat under the dense shade of a tree, her face set in a stony, displeased mask. She watched the teenager she called her brother chatting and laughing with the newly met girl, her heart simmering with a mixture of betrayal and annoyance.
He promised! He promised he'd spend the entire day with me!
And yet, here he was, being incredibly helpful and charming toward a complete stranger. Could Onii-chan have fallen in love with her at first sight?
The more the little girl thought about it, the more suspicious she became, and the angrier she felt. She began absentmindedly yanking clumps of grass from the ground, muttering a rhythmic "he likes her, he likes her not" under her breath.
Matsuda Jinpei, who had followed her to the shade to escape the sun, watched the grass-less patch widening around Reiko with a sense of mounting dread. He clicked his tongue in silent awe and quietly scooted a few inches away, terrified of becoming the target of her unexplained wrath.
...
Half an hour later, once Shuichi and Kenji's clothes were thoroughly dry, the group resumed their walk through the garden.
Before long, a massive pond came into view, featuring a prominent island known as "Penglai Island." The island was a riot of color, carpeted in irises that were currently in full, glorious bloom. Vibrant reds, yellows, and deep purples interlaced in a competitive display of natural beauty, and the sweet, floral scent drifting on the breeze was enough to soothe even the most restless soul.
"Shuichi-niisan, why is it called Penglai Island?" Kenji asked curiously. Beside him, Chihaya leaned in, her eyes also fixed on Shuichi with genuine interest.
After their brief time together, the Hagiwara siblings had warmed up to him significantly. Their way of addressing him had shifted from formal titles to the much more intimate "Shuichi-niisan."
"'Penglai' is a legendary island from ancient Chinese mythology," Shuichi explained. "It was said to be the home of the immortals, where one could find the elixir of eternal life. Many ancient emperors were obsessed with the idea of living forever and sent fleets out to sea specifically to find it."
"Living forever, huh?" Jinpei muttered, kicking a stray weed with a look of pure skepticism. "Penglai is supposed to be a mountain for gods, but this island isn't even bigger than my backyard. The name doesn't fit at all."
"It's just a name, Jinpei. It doesn't have to be a perfect copy," Kenji countered, having fully recovered his energy and ready to bicker with his friend again.
As the two boys fell into their usual competitive banter, Chihaya shook her head helplessly and knelt down by the water's edge to admire the irises. Shuichi watched the boys with a smile, about to intervene, when he caught a glimpse of his sister trailing behind.
Reiko's lower lip was jutted out so far she looked like she could hang a lantern on it.
Amused, Shuichi walked over and gave the little girl's cheek a gentle squeeze. "What's wrong? Why the long face?"
"I'm not unhappy at all, Shuichi-niisan," Reiko said tonelessly, her eyes flat as she looked at him.
The moment he heard that formal address, Shuichi knew exactly where the problem lay.
He quickly reached out and ruffled her hair. "It's my fault. I got so caught up in drying the clothes that I forgot to look after my favorite little sister."
"Were you busy drying clothes, or busy talking to the pretty girl?" Reiko scoffed, her eyes darting sideways toward Chihaya. "They only just met you, and they're already calling you 'Niisan' this and 'Niisan' that. How shameless."
"Now, now. I'm the one who told them they didn't need to be so formal," Shuichi laughed, taking her hand. "Don't be so jealous over something like that."
The little girl gave a sharp huff. Noticing Chihaya looking over at them, Reiko immediately grabbed Shuichi's arm, hugging it tightly and shooting Chihaya a defiant, territorial glare, as if staking a permanent claim.
Chihaya, however, was clearly not on the same wavelength. Though she was puzzled as to why Reiko seemed upset with her, she simply offered a friendly, polite smile in return.
To Reiko, that smile was the final straw. It looked like a calculated, saintly performance put on just for Shuichi's benefit. It only served to make her even more incensed.
"I don't want to walk anymore," Reiko said, looking up at him with cold determination. "I want to go find Mom and Dad right now. Onii-chan, are you coming with me, or are you staying here with her?"
"...Is that even a question? Of course I'm going with you," Shuichi replied. Though he felt a bit bad for cutting the outing short, he had no choice but to bid farewell to the Hagiwara siblings and Jinpei.
As the two of them walked away, Chihaya's shoulders slumped with a clear sense of disappointment. She stood in place, her gaze lingering on their retreating backs until they disappeared around a bend in the path.
Nearby on the grass, Jinpei nudged Kenji. "That Reiko has a terrible personality. She gets angry over nothing. Shuichi-niisan is such a nice guy—how did he end up with a sister like that?"
"That wasn't anger, that was jealousy," Kenji said, shaking his head with the weary wisdom of a miniature sage. "You're so dense."
"Jealousy?" Jinpei blinked, clearly not following.
"Didn't you notice? Ever since Shuichi-niisan showed up, Nee-san has been unusually quiet. She's not acting like herself at all," Kenji whispered. "If you ask me, Nee-san definitely has a crush on him."
"And that Reiko girl likes her brother, too. She saw it happening, and that's why she got mad."
"...Oh," Jinpei said, a flicker of understanding finally dawning on him.
"I wonder if Shuichi-niisan likes her back," Kenji mused, resting his chin in his palm. "It would be pretty cool if he became my brother-in-law."
Jinpei was about to nod in habitual agreement when he processed the words. He jumped up, shouting in protest, "No way! I liked Chihaya-nee first! Chihaya-nee should marry me!"
Kenji looked at his friend with a look of utter pity. You get bullied by her every single day, and you actually think you're going to marry her?
Jinpei's outburst caught Chihaya's attention. She turned and shot the two boys a fierce, impatient look.
"What are you two shouting about?! Do you want a beating or something? Get up, right now. I'm tired of being here."
And just like that, Nee-san is back to her old self... Kenji thought, shaking his head in mock lament.
Jinpei, visibly intimidated by Chihaya's sudden return to form, scrambled to his feet with an awkward, nervous laugh.
Seeing the genuine irritation on Chihaya's face, Kenji blinked, then suddenly looked past her with a bright smile. "Oh! Hey, Shuichi-niisan is looking back! He's actually walking back toward us!"
-------------------------------
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