"Ayase."
Catching his sister as she happily threw herself into his arms, Miyahito asked in complete confusion, "What are you doing here?"
Watching Miyahito instinctively open his arms to catch her and naturally call out a girl's name he didn't recognize, Utaha's calm expression instantly crumbled.
But the next second.
"Hehe, I came to see you, Big Brother!"
Hearing the word "Big Brother" from the beaming girl's lips, Utaha's pouty expression paused. She instinctively looked from Miyahito's face to the girl in his arms.
Well, not identical, but at least a 90% match.
So, this girl's true identity was...
"Miyahito-kun, is this your sister?" Putting on a graceful smile, Utaha tried to make her tone as gentle as possible.
"Yeah." Miyahito nodded, smiling as he turned to Utaha and lightly patted his sister's head. "This is my sister, Ayase."
Hearing the introduction, Ayase finally realized she'd been a bit too excited. Blushing slightly, she let go, took a small step back, and bowed slightly to the older girl beside her brother.
"Hello. I'm Aragaki Ayase, his younger sister."
Big Brother's younger sister... Mou, what a cute way to put it.
Looking at Ayase's face, which was ninety percent identical to Miyahito's, a trace of doting affection crept into Utaha's smile.
"Hello, Ayase-chan. I'm Kasumigaoka Utaha."
"If you don't mind, you can just call me Utaha... nee."
Hearing the affectionate "Ayase-chan" and the deliberate, slightly teasing emphasis on "nee," Ayase blinked, momentarily confused. Her little face turned from her brother to the smiling Utaha, and a faint understanding dawned on her. Blushing slightly, she lowered her head and called out softly,
"Mhm, Utaha-nee."
"Good girl."
That single "Utaha-nee" sent a wave of pure joy through Utaha.
Watching the friendly first meeting between Utaha and his sister, Miyahito felt an inexplicable sense of relief, followed immediately by a sudden, ominous premonition.
Strange... isn't it a good thing that Ayase and Utaha get along?
Why do I feel uneasy? Bakabakashii... Don't tell me they'll team up later to force me to study science?
Shaking off the absurd thought, his gaze returned to his sister, and he finally remembered his question.
"Right, Ayase, why didn't you tell me before coming to Tokyo?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he noticed his sister's expression instantly freeze.
Then, even her tone as she answered such a simple question became hesitant.
"Um... um, well, I missed you, Big Brother, so, so I just..."
Listening to Ayase's stuttering reply, Miyahito's brows gradually furrowed. He could sense the evasion and guilt in her words.
Just then, he connected it to his sudden "taking the fall" premonition during lunch.
Could it be... Ayase snuck out to Tokyo behind Mom and Dad's back?
Just then.
"Ayase, why didn't you wait for me?"
"Sorry, Kirino." Hearing her best friend's mild complaint, Ayase apologized softly to Kousaka Kirino, who had come with her.
"Oh, right. Kirino, let me introduce you." Her tone brightening, Ayase looped her arm through her friend's and said, "This is Big Brother's... um." She paused slightly when mentioning Utaha's relationship to him, thought for a moment in her little head, and continued, "Good friend, Kasumigaoka Utaha-senpai."
Kirino naturally caught the pause. Glancing at Utaha, who stood gracefully beside Miyahito and clearly shared a close bond with him, she nodded internally.
Yeah, seems like this "friend" is a bit different.
"Hello, Kasumigaoka-senpai. I'm Kousaka Kirino, Ayase's friend."
"Hello, Kousaka-san."
Catching the underlying meaning in Ayase's words, a gentle, graceful warmth added itself to the faint smile on Utaha's lips.
Meanwhile, Miyahito, who had been standing quietly with a darkening expression, fixed his gaze on his sister's happily satisfied face and asked,
"Ayase, do Mom and Dad know you came to Tokyo?"
"I..." Catching the emotion in his voice, Ayase, who had been ready to bluff, instantly fell silent. She just lowered her head, standing there dejectedly.
Seeing her like this, Miyahito's face grew even darker.
"Hmm. Very good."
At those words, Ayase's body instinctively trembled.
Beside her, Kirino, too scared to speak, silently swallowed hard.
Ayase's brother... looks terrifying when he's serious.
Similarly, seeing Miyahito this stern for the first time—usually so playful with friends and herself—Utaha couldn't help but be stunned.
"Ayase."
With no mind for the girls now, Miyahito called his sister's name expressionlessly. "Look up. Look at my eyes."
"Miyahito." Seeing Ayase tremble with fear, a pang of sympathy crossed Utaha's face.
She reached out, gently taking his right hand, and whispered in his ear, "You're scaring her."
"I know." His expression worsening, Miyahito turned to Utaha. "But this time is different."
"Ayase is being completely reckless this time!"
He turned back, suppressing his anger, and spoke to his sister again, her shoulders shaking slightly.
"I'll say this one last time, Ayase. Look up. Look at my eyes."
"Tell me. Did you sneak to Tokyo behind Mom and Dad's back?"
The moment he finished, Ayase's tears finally broke through.
Overwhelmed by grievance and sadness, large tears welled up in her eyes and dropped to the ground with soft sniffles.
"Eh, Ayase." Seeing her friend cry, Kirino panicked. "Why did you suddenly start crying..."
Even Utaha couldn't bear to watch. She stepped forward, gently pulling Ayase into a hug, and comforted her softly. "There, there. Don't cry."
"Wuu wuu wuu...."
However, even with his sister crying, Miyahito's expression didn't soften much.
Braving Utaha's reproachful glare, he turned to Kirino, who was comforting Ayase. "Kousaka-san, did you tell your parents about coming to Tokyo?"
"Yes, I did, Aragaki-senpai." Kirino answered honestly and obediently. "My mom and dad agreed to let me come with Ayase. They even said if we stay too late, they'll drive down to pick me up."
"Mhm. That's good."
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