About a week had passed since Yuko-san and Hina became a part of the Kasai family.

During that time, several rules were established in the Kasai household. In short, it was decided that everyone should take care of their own responsibilities and cooperate whenever possible.

“Alright, Yuuto, your father and I are off to work. Make sure to lock up before heading to school.”

“Yuuto-kun, I’ve already started the laundry, so it’s hung up to dry. Please take care of Hina.”

My father worked for a major publishing house and often came home late at night. Yuko-san also works at the same company as Dad, though in a different department, so her schedule is quite similar.

“Mom, I don’t need this guy to take care of me.”

Hina, who had just woken up, responded languidly in her pajamas with messy hair.

“Hina, don’t talk to Yuuto-kun like that.”

“Come on, Hina-chan, please rely on Yuuto.”

“Huh?…Fine.”

Even though her attitude towards Dad and Yuko-san was rough, it was much better than the way she treated me.

After seeing them off, I started preparing breakfast. Preparation meant simply toasting bread and making fried eggs.

“Hey, hurry up and make the food.”

“Ugh, fine, fine.”

Ignoring the recently established house rules, she pushed the chores onto me.

“Didn’t you just say earlier that you didn’t need me to take care of you?”

“Don’t be so nitpicky. I’m just following the house rules.”

“No, you’re not! The rule is that everyone should take care of themselves, right?”

“It’s the part about cooperating. I can’t cook, so it’s only natural that you, who can cook, make mine too.”

“That’s quite the twisted logic.”

I placed the finished breakfast on the table and started eating with Hina.

“Oh! This is delicious. The fried egg.”

“Anyone can make it taste about the same.”

“Come on, I’m trying to compliment you.”

“More importantly, Hina! You’re keeping your promise, right?”

When Hina and her mother first moved in, I used to call her “you,” but that resulted in my butt being kicked repeatedly, so I settled on calling her by her name.

“I know, I’m not smoking, okay?”

“That’s right! If I catch you smoking again, I’ll report it to Yuko-san. And just holding onto cigarettes is a no-go.”

“You make it sound like it’s some dangerous drug! And first of all, me smoking doesn’t bother you, does it?”

“Have you heard of secondhand smoke? You know, honor student? Plus, the smell sticks to the house—it’s a real nuisance.”

“Tch. Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

Hina continued eating while grumbling.

“Hey, you better remember how to act at school too, alright?”

“I know. I’m supposed to call you ‘Saijo-san’ at school, right?”

“Exactly. It would be a hassle if people found out about our family situation.”

“If that’s the case, stop talking to me at school in the first place.”

“What are you saying? You were practically grinning with joy last time.”

The school was, of course, informed and aware that we had become step-siblings. The school, after careful consideration, has decided to continue treating her as Hina Saijo, as before.

“Yuuto, if something happens at school that reveals our situation…”

“Don’t tell me… you’re going to kick my butt again?”

“You should be prepared for at least that much.”

“My butt is not a punching bag!”

“Huh? If you don’t like it from behind, should I kick you from the front next time?”

“I’d prefer you didn’t—it might ruin my manhood.”

!next

After finishing our breakfast and getting ready while engaging in silly banter, we headed to school.

I commuted to school by bicycle, which was a 40-minute walk from home. Hina apparently used the bus that stopped in front of the school.

After pedaling for about 15 minutes, I arrived at school. While the bicycle commute was good exercise for now, things would change in the middle of summer.

Maybe I should switch to the bus before then?

“Yu…Kasai-kun.”

“Huh, yes?”

As I arrived at school and was changing into my indoor shoes at the shoe locker, I heard a voice calling me from behind.

“Kitano-san…um, is something the matter?”

It was Kitano Miku, my classmate. She was a female student whose popularity was rapidly rising, nearing that of Hina, the most popular girl in our grade.

“Ah, um…I don’t have anything particular to ask, but I just saw you and wanted to say hi.”

“I-I see…Shall we go to the classroom together?”

“Sure!”

Kitano-san wasn’t as glamorous as Hina, but she was down-to-earth and neat, and her unpretentious appearance and personality made her popular with both boys and girls. I had heard that she had received more confessions than Hina. Perhaps Kitano-san, who was more approachable than the unattainable Hina, was preferred by some.

“Your dad remarried, right?”

“Ah, yes. Word travels fast.”

“Our town is small, so news spreads quickly. You got a step-sister, right?”

“Has the story spread that far?”

“Yes. I heard it from my mother. Have you gotten along with her yet?”

“W-well…how should I put it, my step-sister is rather wild and unique.”

“I see, it must be tough in a new environment.”

Kitano-san and I have been in the same town and attended the same schools from elementary through high school. Childhood friends…I was skeptical about whether I could call us that. 

I think we were quite close in elementary school. We stopped talking around the middle of junior high, and this was the first time we had spoken since entering high school.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a conversation like this.”

“…Yeah.”

We walked side by side down the hallway and arrived at the classroom.

“See you later, Kasai-kun.”

“Yeah.”

We entered the classroom through separate doors, front and back, so as not to be noticed by our classmates. The classroom was noisy, and Hina, who had already arrived at school, was surrounded by many classmates.

++My seat is being occupied.++

My seat, next to Hina’s, had been occupied by the popular kids in class. This happened frequently, which was why the seats next to popular students…

“Kasai-kun has arrived. Please vacate his seat.”

“Oh, sorry, Kasai-kun.”

“Ah, yeah.”

With just one word from Hina, my seat was easily reclaimed.

“Good morning, Kasai-kun.”

She greeted me with a quiet smile. It was because I was able to see this smile that I didn’t mind the incident earlier. But now, things were different.

“What’s wrong, Kasai-kun?”

Now, this smile and behavior of Saijo Hina only felt eerie to me.

“N-no, nothing. Good morning, Saijo-san.”

I named her fake persona “Saijo Mode.”

!next

Before I knew it, it was the end of the school day.

Usually, Hina would talk to me… or rather, pester me during every break, but nothing happened today.

++Well, now that I know that smile was fake, I’m not expecting anything…++

Thinking about such things, I pushed my bicycle to the back gate and started on my way home.

“Well, time to go home.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Just as I got on my bicycle, I felt weight on the rear carrier.

“Hina, what are you doing?”

“What do you mean? We’re going home, right? Give me a ride.”

“Get off. It’s a traffic violation.”

“Don’t worry about breaking school rules.”

“It’s a violation of the Road Traffic Act! Besides, if someone sees us like this…”

“It’ll be fine. Apparently, 90% of the students at this school commute by train, and hardly anyone goes home through the back gate.”

“What about the bus?”

“If I ride on the back of your bike, I can save on bus fare and have more pocket money.”

“You’re really stingy, aren’t you?!”

“Enough. Let’s go already. The Kasai express is ready to roll.”

“Am I a racehorse or something?!”

If I lingered any longer, someone would really see us.

“Please drive safely!”

“You’re the one who forced me to give you a ride, and you’re saying that!”

I reluctantly started pedaling the bicycle.

“Yu…Kasai-kun and…Saijo-san…?”

I was completely unaware that a classmate was watching us from afar at that moment. 

!next

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