"Chihaya-nii currently has no intention of being in a romantic relationship with anyone."
Because they had already talked about this topic beforehand, Anon was keenly aware of it.
And for that very reason, even though she now understood that the feelings she held for Tetsuya were by no means simple familial affection, she had no intention of confessing to him directly right now.
Her brother was an incredibly serious and responsible man. If she were to truly confess to him, he would definitely be caught in an impossible situation, torn between his responsibility as an older brother and his duty as a man.
Anon didn't want to make things difficult for her brother, nor did she want to become a burden to him. But at the same time, the desires and feelings in her heart, so suddenly liberated after being suppressed for who knows how long, now required a suitable outlet.
Fortunately, unlike Hoshino Ai, she had another card to play, an irreplaceable method that allowed her to both enjoy the treatment of a little sister and simultaneously preserve a cunning identity full of infinite possibilities—
Adopted sister.
As long as she remained Chihaya Tetsuya's adopted sister, she could continue to stay by his side, at the closest possible distance, with a clear conscience.
As long as she remained Chihaya Tetsuya's adopted sister, she could, at any time, extend this relationship into another kind of identity, one that could accompany him for the rest of his life.
As long as she remained Chihaya Tetsuya's adopted sister, then lap pillows, washing his back, or even sleeping in the same bed, were all permissible things.
In fact, if Tetsuya didn't mind, Anon would gladly accept it... even if they went to the final step.
Of course, something like that was impossible.
After all, Tetsuya had tried to refuse even a simple lap pillow, let alone something so major.
"In any case, I'll start by claiming the 'perks' right in front of me."
Gazing at the faint silhouette in the bathroom ahead, Anon already had a plan in mind—
...Ten minutes later...
"Chihaya-nii, are you ready?"
"Ah... mhm, probably."
"Why is your answer so ambiguous?"
"Even if you ask me..."
Tetsuya, the bath towel wrapped firmly around his waist, muttered with a conflicted expression.
"I'm just not used to it. After all, we haven't been in the bathroom together since you started junior high."
"Mmm... come to think of it, you were the one who told me to start bathing by myself back then."
Anon said as she sat down on the low stool behind Tetsuya.
"Aah~ So in the end, you've been the one pushing me away all this time, Chihaya-nii."
"Don't say it like I did something wrong."
Tetsuya couldn't help but retort.
"For a little sister who was about to enter puberty, it was a perfectly normal precautionary measure to avoid any impropriety!"
"..."
After hearing the words 'avoiding impropriety,' Anon's eyes widened slightly, then she spoke in a tone laced with hidden meaning:
"But usually in this kind of situation, it's the little sister who brings it up first, right? Why was it different for us? And... why did you want to avoid impropriety, Chihaya-nii? What exactly were you worried our relationship would turn into?"
"Anon...?"
Anon's string of questions left a look of utter astonishment on Tetsuya's face.
Up until now, Anon had always been very well-behaved in front of him. A continuous back-and-forth of questions like this was completely unprecedented.
Is she in a bad mood? But she was smiling the whole time she was giving me a lap pillow...
Or is there some other important point in this topic that I've failed to notice?
"Did I say something wrong just now?"
"It's nothing, don't overthink it, Chihaya-nii."
Anon said, picking up the back brush.
"Now then, I'm going to wash your back~"
"...Mhm."
Although his questions remained unanswered, Tetsuya straightened his back. The next second, as the brush made contact with his skin, his slightly puzzled expression immediately relaxed.
"The pressure is completely different from before."
The feeling, stronger and more comfortable than it had been four years ago, made him sigh with emotion.
"So many years have passed..."
"Seven years..."
On the other side, looking at his back—which, though still a bit lean, was no longer thin and frail—a hint of warmth appeared in Anon's eyes.
"If you don't count the time before I can remember, the time Chihaya-nii has occupied in my life is already far more than half."
"Haha, that's true."
Tetsuya said with a laugh.
"And that ratio will only continue to grow until you're an adult and have a family of your own, Anon."
"A family of my own?"
Hearing this phrase, Anon paused for a moment, then she chuckled and shook her head.
"Unfortunately, that day will probably never come for me."
"Eh?"
Tetsuya was taken aback.
"Why would you say that?"
"Because before I even had a chance to meet other boys... I already met someone so wonderful that I can't take my eyes off him."
At this, Anon couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
"Did you know, Chihaya-nii... I'm starting to understand Hoshino Ai more and more now. Meeting the person you can entrust your life to at too young an age... for a girl, it's something that's both easy and difficult."
It was easy because, from that point on, she would never need to look at anyone else; the happiness she sought was already right in front of her.
And it was difficult because... she was clearly not the only one who longed for that happiness. The number of girls gathering around him would only continue to grow.
"But, thankfully, I'm your little sister. No matter how many more girls who are crazy about you show up, this position will always be mine and mine alone..."
"Anon!?"
Feeling an embrace from behind, separated only by a layer of bath towel, Tetsuya couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
"What are you doing?! Let go!"
"Hm? What are you talking about? I'm just helping you wash."
With her arms wrapped around Tetsuya, Anon moved the back brush towards his chest.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Chihaya-nii. This is just a normal display of affection between family members~"
"You think I'd believe that!?"
Tetsuya quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"What you said just now clearly meant, it meant..."
At this, his voice suddenly trailed off.
Although he was certainly lacking in common sense when it came to the opposite sex, after going through the trial by fire of Hoshino Ai's advances, he was no longer as dense as he once was.
He knew exactly what the underlying meaning of Anon's words was. However, if he were to actually say it out loud here, the relationship between them would undergo an irreversible change...
No, it wasn't so much a change as an addition. After all, they weren't related by blood, so this new relationship would be more like an extension of their adopted-sibling bond.
But even so, once it was all out in the open, he would have to keep his distance from her to protect her reputation.
Therefore—
"I didn't say anything explicitly, Chihaya-nii."
Anon pressed herself against him and spoke close to his ear.
"It's all just your own reading comprehension. And... I'm not like Hoshino Ai, I don't actually want to go all the way with you."
At this, she suddenly released her embrace.
"After all, you have a lot of important things to do, so I won't be selfish like her and take up your time, nor do I want to put you in a difficult position because of me. I'll still be your good little sister, a safe harbor you can come to for comfort whenever you're tired. It's just that, on top of that... I might collect a little bit of payment that we can both agree on."
With that, Anon picked up the back brush again and continued to wash his back as if nothing had happened.
"I'm not like Togawa Sakiko; I can't help you make clothes or compose music. I'm not like Hoshino Ai, who can stand on such an amazing stage and capture everyone's attention. And I'm not like Soyo, who can give you support and help in your career. All I can do, as your little sister, is be here like this, when it's just the two of us, and give you a place where you can always relax..."
"So, you don't need to overthink it. All you have to do, Chihaya-nii, is accept it with a clear conscience and continue to enjoy the present situation."
As Tetsuya's expression grew more and more dazed, Anon said:
"After all, we're just doing things that other brothers and sisters might do too, aren't we?"
Stopping just before crossing that line, yet without any need for worry or burden.
This was the privilege unique to an adopted sister, a superiority that only she could enjoy.
A thin layer of steam rose up, fogging the glass door of the bathroom.
In the intimacy of skin against skin, separated only by a single bath towel, Anon had made her own feelings clear.