Mitsuto Iori felt a sudden jolt in his chest when he saw the cute girl standing next to his older cousin being subtly shielded behind him.

He couldn't deny it—his heart had thumped wildly the moment she entered the room. Petite, soft-spoken, and adorably shy... it was the kind of delicate beauty he'd only ever seen in TV dramas.

As for the girls in his class?

Well, let's just say... an all-boys elementary school doesn't offer much opportunity for comparison.

Just as he was daydreaming, a loud slap landed on the back of his head.

"Ow—!" he winced, not even needing to look up to recognize the voice.

"What are you standing there for? Say hello!" barked his father, Mitsuto Take, giving him a classic head-thump that echoed through the room.

The commotion drew everyone's attention.

Miyamura Shizuka stepped forward before her brother could dish out a second hit. "Enough already. We're all family—it's not the end of the world if he forgets his manners for a second."

Despite her words, she didn't physically stop him—so the second slap still landed, albeit with a little less force.

Take withdrew his hand and gave his sister a quick glance, checking for signs of irritation. Seeing none, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Iori, now fully alert, greeted Miyamura Shizuka, Miyamura Daiki, and Akira with proper bows and a sheepish smile.

But when his eyes fell once again on the girl behind Akira, he faltered. She was clearly new to him… but no one had introduced her yet.

"You haven't told Iori about her, have you?" Shizuka asked, turning to her older brother.

One look at Take's expression gave her the answer.

With a soft sigh, she gently pulled Nishimiya Shouko forward from behind Akira and said, "This is Nishimiya Shouko—the goddaughter Daiki and I adopted a few years ago. She's also your cousin's childhood sweetheart."

She then paused, asking Take for Iori's birthday, and continued with a grin, "She's a year younger than you. You can just call her cousin, alright?"

Iori blinked. Cousin? Wait, so she wasn't... really family?

His mind started spinning with wild optimism, completely ignoring the words "childhood sweetheart" that Shizuka had emphasized loud and clear.

Akira, meanwhile, looked sideways at his cousin, whose buzz-cut head and awkward grin made him instantly suspicious. Why did he start smiling like that? There was nothing funny in what Mom said...

Suddenly, the room quieted.

"Alright, that's enough chit-chat," Grandpa coughed lightly. "You've all been traveling for hours. Go put your things down and get some rest."

Miyamura Shizuka turned to Daiki. "Don't you have something to discuss with Dad? You two talk—I'll take your backpack upstairs."

Daiki nodded and handed her the bag.

She casually tossed it to Akira, who caught it with a blank stare.

"...Seriously?" he mumbled.

Shizuka didn't respond. Holding Shouko's hand, she gestured for Akira to follow her and started down the hallway. They walked to the second floor—reserved for family members—where two guest rooms stood across from each other.

Soft wind chimes dangled from each door, swaying gently in the summer breeze.

Shizuka stopped walking. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes.

"There are only two rooms," she announced innocently. "Perfect! Daiki and I will take one... and you two will share the other. Sound good?"

"Th-th-th-th-that…" Shouko's voice stuttered, her cheeks flushing crimson in a heartbeat.

Akira sighed internally. Still falling for her pranks, huh?

He took a step forward, ready to intervene, but suddenly felt heat rush to his own ears when he heard Shouko quietly mumble:

"Okay."

Wait... what?!

Panicking slightly, Akira pinched her cheek and muttered, "Okay, my foot! Can't you tell Mom's teasing again?"

Shouko blinked, caught off guard, and rubbed her cheek.

Meanwhile, Shizuka giggled behind her hand.

"Who says I'm teasing? Shouko agreed, didn't she? That settles it," she said gleefully, then disappeared into the left-hand room, sliding the door shut behind her.

Leaving two blushing teenagers standing frozen in the hallway.

"S-should we go in?" Akira finally managed.

"Mm-hmm..." Shouko nodded, still unable to meet his eyes.

Akira opened the right-hand door.

Inside was a clean, traditional room: a green tatami floor, a ceiling lamp, and a large wooden wardrobe tucked against one wall. A window offered a quiet view of the mountainside.

The room was cozy. Empty of clutter. Peaceful.

The futons were likely stored in the wardrobe, to be laid out at bedtime. It reminded Akira of summer visits to his grandparents—simple and nostalgic.

He started to reach for Shouko's hand, then paused.

Maybe… now wasn't the best time. She still looked a little flustered.

"Let's go in and put down our stuff first."

But to his surprise, Shouko silently reached out and slipped her hand into his.

Startled but smiling, he gently led her inside.

They dropped their backpacks beside the wardrobe. Akira, now more composed, looked over.

"You want to rest for a bit? I saw you dozing off in the taxi."

Shouko peeked up at him, then quickly averted her gaze.

"Are we… sleeping together?" she asked in a voice softer than a whisper.

Akira's ears burned.

"N-no! I mean… you can rest first if you're tired. I'm going to walk around the area, stretch my legs."

"Then… I'll come too," she replied, her voice steadier this time. "I want to see what it's like around here."

------------

POWER STONE!!!

Support me at patréon com/Lukas25