Chapter 61

She smoothed her hair back with her hand, peered through the peephole, but couldn't see clearly. Takahashi Mio tentatively asked,

"Is that Miki sis?"

The woman outside, hearing her question, stepped forward and pressed her eye against the peephole.

"If it's not me, then who else, Xiao Mio?"

The slightly hoarse female voice startled Takahashi Mio. Once she realized who it was, she quickly opened the door.

But as soon as the door opened, she froze, staring blankly at the person before her.

The Takahashi Miki standing there was nothing like the image Mio had in her mind.

Light blue fitted pants, a white short top, and short black hair.

Extremely thin, with only a bit of flesh on her face; her collarbones nearly protruded, like a bare tree trunk clad in a beautiful skin.

Noticing the girl's surprised gaze, Takahashi Miki smiled, raised her index finger, and tapped Mio's forehead, saying,

"What, don't recognize me anymore?"

"Ah..."

The cool touch on her forehead immediately brought Takahashi Mio back to her senses. She hurriedly stepped aside,

"Miki sis, you've changed a lot..."

"Hehe."

Takahashi Miki smiled, stepped inside in her black heels. When Mio closed the door behind her, Miki lifted the plastic bag in her hand and said,

"Auntie asked me to come check on you. I'm no good at cooking, so I just bought some food..."

"Thanks for the trouble."

Miki waved her hand dismissively, about to put the bag down at the entrance while removing her shoes. Her gaze shifted to Mio's face with some curiosity,

"Mio, why's your face so red?"

"Huh? Is it?"

Mio hurriedly touched her face and realized she was indeed quite warm.

Seeing her little sister flustered and awkward, Takahashi Miki squinted her narrow eyes and asked with a half-smile,

"Mio, you're not hiding someone at home, are you? Am I crashing your fun?"

"Ah, no, not at all!"

Mio was stunned by the question but quickly explained,

"It's just really hot today, and I just got back..."

She stomped her foot.

"Is it that hot?"

Miki asked with a hint of doubt. She glanced at Mio's sneakers but said nothing. When she bent down to change her shoes, she glanced at the shoe rack, saw nothing unusual, then walked into the living room and peeked into the bedroom.

Noticing her actions, Mio finished changing shoes, threw the plastic bag onto the table with a pout, and teased,

"Miki sis, really, there's no one hiding here. Stop looking..."

"Haha."

Hearing that, Miki couldn't help but burst into laughter, her back arching with the force of it. The long-unseen awkwardness between them dissolved with that laughter.

After she'd laughed enough, Miki turned to the girl before her and said,

"Can't help it. It's Auntie's mission. She said you haven't called home in ages, maybe some bad guy tricked you, so she sent me to check."

"But honestly, Mio, you're at the age to be dating, right? Auntie said you've never had a boyfriend. You're not seriously planning to stay single till graduation and then go to arranged meetings, are you? If you don't start dating and gaining experience now, you might get fooled by some guy later, and then you'll be the one suffering..."

Hearing this, Mio pressed her lips together, lowered her eyes, and whispered,

"I actually have been seeing someone."

"Huh?"

Miki didn't catch that clearly and asked again.

"I actually have a boyfriend."

This time, Mio's voice was louder.

Since the conversation had come this far, denying it would be like Shiratori Kiyoya not being able to hold his own.

Besides, she still had a long way to go with him, and the family would find out sooner or later.

"Dating?"

Miki blinked in surprise, puzzled,

"You haven't told Auntie?"

"No..."

Mio shook her head,

"Not yet."

She hadn't figured out how to say it, hadn't thought up how to explain how they met.

Of course, she still hadn't figured it out. Thinking about her cousin possibly grilling her next, Mio hastily said,

"I just got back and was all sweaty from the heat. I'll go shower first. Miki sis, can you wait a bit?"

"No problem. We'll eat and chat after you're done."

Seeing the strong gossip vibe in Miki's eyes, Mio bit her cherry-colored lips and hurried into the bathroom.

Miki smiled, then turned to survey the room's layout. Sitting on the sofa seemed too tiring.

So she went into Mio's bedroom, sat on the tatami, set the long table with the food, and looked around the room's arrangement.

Though a bit messy and small, it was still a girl's room, radiating a cozy warmth. A trace of nostalgia unconsciously appeared in Miki's eyes.

She instinctively reached into her pocket for a cigarette, but when she looked down, she suddenly noticed a piece of manuscript paper sticking out from under the bed.

She pulled the paper out casually, and her eyes narrowed.

Hmm?

...........

"I'm done showering. Wait a moment, I'll change clothes."

In about ten minutes, Mio walked out of the bathroom wearing a yukata, then thought for a moment and changed into pajamas from the wardrobe.

But when she entered the bedroom, she saw Miki already drinking a beer by herself, not even opening the disposable chopsticks.

Noticing Mio's gaze, Miki raised her beer and shook it at her,

"Want some?"

After saying this, she realized Mio had just showered, her delicate face still glowing, and added,

"Oh, forgot you're not twenty yet."

Mio pursed her lips, wanting to say she'd already broken that rule once.

But she didn't want to drink now. After the last time with Reika, she recalled how embarrassed she felt about what she'd said while drunk.

Noticing Miki's mood seemed off, Mio pursed her lips and asked,

"Miki sis, you don't seem very happy. What's wrong?"

"Don't say that first. Your love life is obviously more important."

Miki reached out, opened the oden, and pushed it toward Mio, a gossipy smile on her face,

"Tell me what's going on."

"Uh..."

Mio rubbed the smooth white skin of her neck, lowered her eyes, and shyly said,

"Actually, last semester..."

The story with Shiratori Kiyoya had already been planned out in the bathroom. Borrowing from a friend's love story, it went like this: last semester, she was failing two classes badly, almost failing for sure, then met Shiratori Kiyoya in the library. He tutored her, and as they spent time together, she found him talented and grew to like him.

Very ordinary, very normal, nothing as miraculous as reality.

But Takahashi Miki calmly nodded and said,

"As long as you like him. But what does he look like? Is his character okay?"

"Uh, I've posted about him."

Mio didn't remember blocking him. She avoided her cousin's second question.

Because that jerk's character...

She really didn't know how to judge it.

"Oh? I haven't logged into that account for a while. Wait a sec."

Saying that, Miki put down her chopsticks, took out her phone, switched accounts, and opened Mio's recent post with a photo. She pursed her lips,

"Looks pretty honest. Not like a playboy."

"..."

Mio fought the urge to retort and changed the subject while eating,

"By the way, Miki sis, long time no see. How have you been lately?"

"I remember you said before you wanted to be a model."

"Hehe, I changed a lot, right?"

Miki knew exactly what she meant, swallowed a sip of beer, and said,

"But I guess it's no good. Modeling isn't that easy. Too competitive. I got rejected again yesterday."

As she spoke, a bitter smile tugged at her lips. She seemed to recall something, then shook her head and said,

"It's tough out there. I think I might try going into acting next."

Hearing that, Takahashi Mio froze for a moment and reflexively asked,

"Acting?"

"Yeah. I mean, there aren't that many options in this industry, right? You either go behind the scenes—but I don't really have the knowledge for that."

She paused, set down her beer, and looked intently at the girl in front of her.

"But enough about me. Mio, have you figured out what you want to do after graduation?"

"Uh..."

The topic had turned back to her—and to that topic, no less. Mio faltered, dropping her gaze to her chopsticks as she hesitated.

"Well, I majored in literature, so I guess I'll end up doing something like screenwriting, or maybe teaching? I haven't really decided yet."

"Oh."

Takahashi Miki nodded thoughtfully, then smiled.

"As long as you stay out of the entertainment world, that's good. Honestly, I already kind of regret it. But hey... if you do become a screenwriter and you've got a good role, don't forget to cast me, okay?"

Looking at the downcast expression on Miki's face—so different from the confident woman she remembered—something caught in Mio's chest.

She'd been learning a lot about character psychology lately, and without realizing it, she slipped into Miki's point of view.

At that moment, Miki looked to her like a candle shrouded in mist and soaked through. No matter how hard she tried, the flame just wouldn't catch.

An overwhelming sense of suffocation surged over her, and the stubborn defiance deep inside Mio flared up. She couldn't help blurting out,

"But..."

Ding-dong.

She had barely spoken when the doorbell rang.

Mio blinked, then stood up and said,

"I'll get it."

"I'll go—I need to use the bathroom anyway."

"Huh?"

Mio opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when she saw Miki already standing up and walking out of the bedroom...

Out in the apartment hallway, Shiratori Kiyoya frowned down at a string of missed calls on his phone. He pressed the doorbell.

His hand had just lowered when the door swung open—and a gaunt, unfamiliar woman appeared in front of him.

"Who are you?"

"?"

Kiyoya blinked at the bony woman in surprise.

Then he glanced up at the apartment number to confirm it was indeed Takahashi Mio's place. Narrowing his eyes, he fixed his gaze on the woman and said coldly,

"Where's Takahashi Mio?"

He had barely finished speaking when a girl in pajamas suddenly appeared in his line of sight.

Their eyes met across the threshold, over Miki's shoulder.

Mio opened her mouth and instinctively called out,

"Kiyoya?"

...