Ai scooped Asahi into her arms with a practiced grace, cradling him against her bare chest as warm water streamed behind them. His tiny body pressed into hers, warm and slick with the lingering foam, and she couldn't help but let out a soft giggle as he instinctively clung to her like a baby koala. His arms looped tight around her neck, and without hesitation, his cheek smushed right between her breasts.
"Brat," she murmured fondly, brushing her nose against the crown of his soft, damp hair. "You're getting way too comfy there."
Asahi didn't answer—he just snuggled deeper, pressing his flushed face into her chest and humming like it was the coziest place on earth. His grip around her neck was surprisingly strong for such a small boy, and Ai didn't mind one bit. It made her heart swell. He was still her little creature, her little cool brat, acting like a spoiled kitten who'd claimed her for himself.
She smiled as she adjusted the temperature on the rain-style shower above them and let the warm cascade rinse off the leftover foam on their bodies. Water pattered gently over their skin, running down in gentle rivulets, sweeping away the remnants of their bubbly playtime. Ai shifted her stance and gently lifted Asahi's arm, rinsing under it with a gentle stroke, making sure no soapy traces were left.
"Hold still," she whispered.
Asahi, nuzzled between her breasts, made a soft, sleepy sound of acknowledgment, still refusing to lift his face. Ai rolled her eyes playfully and shifted him to rinse his back, using her fingers to brush off the last of the lather. She crouched a bit, giving his small thighs a gentle rinse too. There was no awkwardness—only a loving, deep bond between sister and brother. Their comfort with each other was something unshakable and almost sacred.
Once the foam had all washed away, Ai reached up and shut off the shower. The warmth of the bathroom was cozy with steam swirling around them. She stepped out of the stall with Asahi still clinging to her neck, his dripping body making soft sounds against hers. She grabbed a soft, fluffy towel from the hook nearby and began drying him first, rubbing his back and hair with slow, thorough motions.
"There," she said, drying his arms and then tucking the towel around him like a little cocoon. "Fluffy and fresh."
Asahi finally looked up, blinking through damp lashes. Ai leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Good job being such a cute brat," she praised.
Asahi's expression lit up. Without hesitation, he leaned forward and gave her a kiss on her cheek in return. It was quick but soft, followed by that signature giggle of his—light, warm, and filled with giddy affection.
Ai giggled back, and their noses brushed. Then rubbed. They laughed softly against each other, cheeks glowing pink from the heat of the shower and the love warming their hearts more than any water could.
Still chuckling, she used anothee towel to dry herself quickly, patting down her body before wrapping it around her waist. With Asahi still wrapped in the towel like a little bundle of joy, she stepped out of the bathroom, her bare feet padding softly on the warm floor as she headed to Shin's room.
Inside, she laid Asahi down carefully on the joined bed—two bed pushed together, making a perfect sprawl space for their chaotic little group. The sheets were slightly warm, faintly smelling of Shin's cologne.
"Time to get dressed," Ai muttered to herself.
She padded over to Shin's wardrobe and opened it, running her hand through the neat rows of folded shirts and hoodies. With a little smirk, she pulled out one of his hoodies—dark navy blue with slightly worn cuffs. She tossed the towel aside and slipped it over her head. It hung oversized on her, almost like a dress, the hem brushing her thighs. She adjusted the hood, letting her damp hair spill out lazily, the soft cotton clinging to her curves.
Ai caught a glimpse of herself in Shin's mirror and grinned.
"Yeah," she whispered smugly, striking a small pose. "Hot sister mode: activated."
Then she moved to the luggage at the corner of the room—the one their parents had dragged in with Asahi with all his things. She unzipped it and began rummaging through the neatly folded clothes, muttering as she sorted them.
"Too plain… too wrinkly… oh, this one's cute!"
She held up a tiny black T-shirt with a cartoon cat in sunglasses printed across the chest. Perfect. She paired it with a soft brown jacket with little paw prints on the sleeves and full-length pants with suspenders that made him look like an overstyled plush doll. She didn't even care that it was 11:30 in the morning—it was never too late to debut a cuteness overload.
Turning back to Asahi, she gently sat beside him.
"Alright, Asahi," she said, "Let's make you look so cute they'll melt at the table."
He raised his arms obediently, letting her dress him piece by piece. T-shirt first, then the jacket, then the pants. She brushed his hair into shape with her fingers, adding a few gentle ruffles at the top.
When he was finally dressed, Ai scooped him back up into her arms, hugging him tightly against her hoodie-covered chest. Asahi snuggled close again, his hands tucked near his chin like he'd just transformed into a sleepy little prince.
"Off we go," Ai said.
She opened the door and stepped out barefoot, carrying Asahi down the hallway. The house smelled of breakfast—something buttery and sweet still lingered in the air—and she could faintly hear voices coming from the dining room. Plates clinking. Laughter. The low hum of conversation.
As she padded down the hallway, hips swaying with every step, Asahi looked up at her with a dreamy smile.
"You smell like Onii-Chan," he giggled.
Ai rolled her eyes again, grinning. "Because I am wearing his hoodie, duh."
"I like it."
"Yeah, yeah," she murmured. "You're lucky you're cute."
When they reached the dining room, she paused dramatically at the entrance, shifting Asahi's weight in her arms as she peeked in.
As she expected, Shin and Aiko were already done with breakfast, plates pushed aside in lazy stacks as they relaxed in the cozy warmth of the dining room. Shin sat back in his chair with one leg stretched out, navy-blue sweatpants hugging his form, hoodie sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms—casually devastating as always. His hair was still a little tousled from the morning, giving him the dangerous look of someone who didn't try to look good but always did.
Aiko, on the other hand, looked like the poster girl for wardrobe theft. Ai's off-shoulder top and shorts strained to contain her curvier, taller frame. The top clung to her full chest like a white flag of surrender, her toned stomach exposed to the air, and the shorts looked more like underwear now—riding high up her thighs, constantly in danger of giving everyone an unintentional show. She looked like she'd wrestled with the clothes and won—but barely.
Rika sat at the far side of the table, crossing her long legs under the chair, wearing Ai's fitted top and a pleated skirt that made her look every bit the strict but dangerously alluring big sister. She had a bowl of miso soup in front of her, and a small side plate of grilled salmon, tamagoyaki, and pickled vegetables. The kind of well-balanced, homey breakfast always prepared with sharp precision.
Next to her, Yuki had his usual pout plastered on his doll-like face. He was in his signature cat-eared hoodie again, oversized sleeves halfway over his fingers, and tiny shorts that made his slender thighs peek out scandalously. He pushed steamed rice around with his chopsticks, cheeks flushed with annoyance as he looked at a slightly charred piece of toast on his plate.
Ai entered like a storm of fresh soap and mischief.
"Look what I baked fresh from the shower!" she called out playfully.
All heads turned.
Shin blinked.
Rika's brows rose a fraction, spoon paused near her lips.
Yuki froze mid-bite.
And there Ai stood—hip cocked, damp hair curling slightly at the tips, bare legs gleaming under the oversized hoodie she'd clearly stolen from Shin's closet again. The hem skimmed her thighs, dangerously close to revealing more with every step. She held Asahi casually in her arms—not bridal style, not princess-style—just scooped him up effortlessly like the brat he was, one of her arms under his thigh and the other around his back. Her bare feet padded silently on the floor, but her presence was thunderous.
Asahi, in contrast, was anything but sleepy now. His eyes were wide, sparkling with mischievous energy, cheeks a little pink from the hot water, and his lips twisted into a grin that could charm angels—or get him scolded by all of them. He kicked his little feet lazily in the air, arms wrapped around Ai's neck as he giggled.
"Onee-Chan smells like soap and Onii-Chan," he declared proudly.
Yuki instantly choked on his rice.
"Baka…" he hissed through a cough.
Aiko nearly spit out her juice. "A-Chan!"
She got up from her chair so fast the stool scraped the floor. Without hesitation, she strode straight to Ai, hands out like she was about to catch a flying puppy.
Ai let Asahi go without a fight, smiling fondly.
"Careful. He's slippery and still hyper," Ai warned.
Asahi squealed gleefully as Aiko snatched him up and stuffed his face against her chest, arms snug around his tiny body. He buried his face into her cleavage like it was his private bunker of heaven and let out the most mischievous of giggles.
"Amu-Chan!" he chirped, muffled into her breasts.
Aiko blushed but didn't stop him. Instead, she snuggled him tighter and patted his back, looking like a proud mom with her overly affectionate kitten of a child.
Asahi nudged deeper into her chest with a wide grin, and then—to no one's surprise—grabbed two full handfuls of boob.
"Oh my god," Yuki whispered, face turning crimson.
"Why are you so surprised?" Rika asked calmly, but her eyes betrayed amusement.
Shin leaned back and ruffled Asahi's hair as Aiko returned to sit beside him, the boy now latched to her like an energetic baby sloth.
"You're learning from the best, aren't you, buddy?" Shin smirked proudly.
Yuki rolled his eyes. "Pervert. He's copying you."
"Thank you, Yuki," Shin said smoothly, "for the compliment."
"I wasn't—!" Yuki's protest was cut short by Shin reaching across the table and ruffling his fluffy white hair, making him yelp and swat at the hand.
"You're adorable when you pout. Makes me wanna kiss you."
Yuki's whole face turned red. "B-Baka! Don't say that!"
Rika sipped her miso soup calmly. "The chaos is unusually loud today."
As Ai plopped down next to Shin, she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed dramatically.
"That little brat," she grumbled, jabbing her thumb in Asahi's direction, "was gripping my boobs in the bath."
Shin laughed, resting his cheek against the top of her head as he ruffled Asahi's hair again.
"Proud of you, kid," he chuckled.
Asahi grinned at him with sparkly eyes. "Told you I'm your number one fan, Onii-Chan!"
Ai pouted harder against Shin. "You're enabling him."
"And he's excelling at it."
Ai gave a little huff, but her lips curled into a smile as Shin leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Her pout melted instantly, and she let out a small sigh of bliss.
"I knew you'd stolen my hoodie again," Shin said, tugging at the loose sleeve around Ai's arm.
Ai grinned. "It still smells like you, so yes. I win."
"Does that make me the prize?"
Ai smirked. "Always."
Asahi reached up from Aiko's lap and tugged on Ai's hoodie sleeve. "You both smell like each other. That means you're married now, right?"
Aiko nearly dropped her glass. Rika choked again.
Yuki slammed his forehead on the table. "I can't. I just can't with this family."
Shin looked amused. "Well, that escalated quickly."
"I'm okay with that," Ai said, flicking a glance at Shin from under her lashes. "You, Onii-Chan?"
He kissed her again on the cheek. "We'll talk wedding plans later. For now, breakfast."
Ai laughed and leaned in to kiss his jaw softly before grabbing a plate. She filled it from what was left on the counter—grilled mackerel, steamed spinach, and tamagoyaki—before settling beside Shin, where her and Asahi's combined energy could warm a city block.
Yuki mumbled into his miso soup, "This is not normal…"
And though the clock ticked past 11:30 a.m., the real day had only just begun.
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END OF CHAPTER : 193 : CLEAN AND CUTE... AND A BIT OF A SHOW-OFF!
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