Chapter 74: I'll Make You Get Used to It, Yu... Starting Tonight...
This time, Sasuko's bath lasted an unusually long time—so long that Yu began to worry and knocked on the bathroom door. "Sasuko? Are you alright?"
The knocking suddenly interrupted Sasuko's thoughts.
She jerked her head up, all those churning desires instantly dissipating as her eyes returned to clarity. "I... I'm fine!" She hastily changed the subject. "Um... I forgot to bring my clothes. Can you grab them for me, Yu?"
Her voice came through the door muffled, tinged with panic.
"Which ones?"
Sasuko looked around and realized she truly hadn't brought any change of clothes.
Face flushed, she said quietly, "The set on the far left of the closet... the white sleepwear."
After the footsteps faded away, Sasuko cupped her burning cheeks in both hands.
Those dangerous thoughts from earlier frightened even herself—how could she think about hiding Yu away?
But... if only she could leave a mark even deeper than the Flying Thunder God.
Rationality gradually returned, yet the throbbing in her chest remained clear.
What's wrong with me?
Yu quickly returned and gently placed the clothing in the basket by the door. "Left it here."
Through the frosted glass, Sasuko could see his blurred outline. She suddenly asked softly, "Yu... would you hate me if I was like this?"
A moment of silence outside the door, then came an answer filled with warmth. "No matter what Sasuko is like, you'll always be my most important little sister."
The shower hissed.
The water blurred her vision, and Sasuko couldn't tell if what welled up in her heart was relief or disappointment.
Just a little sister...
When she emerged from the bathroom wearing the thin white sleepwear, Yu was leaning against the doorframe reading. He naturally took the towel and helped dry her hair. "Remember to bring your clothes next time, okay?"
Sasuko obediently kept her head lowered, letting warm fingers run through her hair.
Those strange thoughts were temporarily hidden away properly as she reverted to the appearance of a well-behaved younger sister—at least on the surface.
As Yu gently dried Sasuko's long hair with the towel, he asked with concern, "Sasuko... what's wrong today?" He'd noticed all of his sister's unusual behavior tonight.
Sasuko shook her head, the faint scent of soap drifting from her hair, her tone flat. "Nothing. Just unhappy about losing to Naruko, that's all."
Not yet... wait a few more years...
Just endure a few more years...
Yu nodded in understanding. "It's normal to win and lose among friends. That's how you improve together." His fingers gently combed through her long hair. "Besides, you are already excellent."
Sasuko silently gripped the hem of her sleepwear tighter. What she wanted was never an evaluation of being "excellent," but rather a more special, more exclusive gaze.
But when she looked up and saw Yu's clear eyes, those dark thoughts quietly retreated back into her heart.
As the towel passed over her head, she suddenly asked softly, "Will you always stay with me like this?"
A question she'd asked countless times before.
"Of course." Yu smiled and pinched her flushed cheeks. "Even when you become an old lady, I'll still dry your hair for you."
This made Sasuko bury her face in the still-damp towel, her voice muffled. "Promise..."
The moon outside the window quietly observed this pair of siblings—one smiling with gentle helplessness, the other burying obsessive thoughts deep in her heart.
Yu simply thought it was the little girl's usual habit of acting spoiled, unaware that a certain seed had taken root and sprouted tonight, growing quietly in the darkness.
Through gaps in her hair, Sasuko gazed at Yu's focused profile.
It's okay... I can wait... until the day I'm strong enough...
Warm wind brushed her cheeks as she revealed an innocent smile. "By the way, Yu, can you sleep with me tonight? I worked so hard today!"
Yu paused his movements. "Sasuko, why do you always want me to sleep beside you?"
"Because I like it!" Sasuko smiled until her eyes curved like crescents. "We're each other's only family. Sleeping together is perfectly normal, isn't it? Just like parents."
Yu gently shook his head. "It's not the same. We're siblings."
Sasuko widened her clear eyes. "What's different about it? I heard from other clan members that you we're adopted, right?" She deliberately used the most innocent tone to bring up this sensitive topic.
Yu fell silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Sasuko, you're still young. You don't understand these things."
I do understand. You're the one who doesn't, Yu.
Sasuko thought this while putting on a hurt expression. "But you used to sleep with me before..."
"That was because you were still small."
"You say I'm too small one moment, then too big the next!" Sasuko grabbed his sleeve and gently shook it. "Do you not like me anymore? Even though I like you so much..." Her eyes reddened on cue, her acting perfectly natural.
Yu's tone softened as expected. "Of course I like Sasuko too, it's just..." He chose his words carefully. "When you grow up a bit more, you'll understand that certain boundaries must be maintained."
Seeing Yu wouldn't relent, Sasuko gazed up at him with round, clear eyes and pressed further. "Then do you think I'm big or small right now?"
Yu ruffled her hair. "Of course you're still a cute little girl."
"Then why won't Yu sleep with me?" Sasuko tilted her head, showing a completely innocent expression. "Could it be that Yu has other thoughts?"
This question made Yu suddenly fall silent. Looking at Sasuko's pure eyes, he momentarily didn't know how to answer. Denying would seem guilty; admitting would be absurd.
This... when did she learn to ask such tricky questions?
An awkward tension filled the air.
Sasuko maintained her pristine innocent expression, though a flash of cunning passed through her eyes.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" She deliberately leaned closer, warm breath brushing his lips. "You're not really thinking strange things, are you?"
Yu's brow furrowed slightly as he lightly tapped her head, his voice unusually serious. "Sasuko, don't joke like that."
Sasuko's eyes instantly reddened, her face full of grievance, moisture misting her gaze. "Mmph... I was just joking..." She sniffled and turned away. "Yu really doesn't like me anymore. You only like that little dummy now..."
Seeing his sister's tear-streaked face, Yu's heart clenched. "That's not true, Sasuko." He hurriedly wiped her tears. "I'll always like you the most."
"Liar..." Sasuko threw herself into his embrace, rubbing all her tears onto his shirt. "Then why won't you agree to even this small request..."
Their embracing figures intertwined into an intimate silhouette on the wall. Yu gently patted his sister's slightly trembling shoulders and ultimately compromised. "Don't say things like that, Sasuko... I agree."
Pressed against Yu's chest, Sasuko's crying gradually stopped, and from an angle Yu couldn't see, the corner of her mouth curved into a triumphant arc.
I'll make you get used to it, Yu... starting tonight...