As Mitsuki sneaked into the studio unnoticed, the guys were having a heated argument
"I'm telling you, those lyrics make no sense! It's like a love poem written by a drunk goldfish!" Kaito snapped.
"You've got no sense of poetry! Yours reads like a grocery list," Tatsuya fired back.
Suddenly, they all stopped dead, their words hanging awkwardly in the air as they noticed a small, wide-eyed girl staring at them in fascination.
"There's a kid!" Kaito blurted out, jumping back like he'd just seen a tarantula.
"Hey, Mitsuko," Sota greeted her warmly, walking over to ruffle her hair as if nothing had happened.
"Do you know her?" Tatsuya asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She's Saeko's little sister," Sota explained casually.
"Were you curious about what we're working on?" Yasushi asked kindly.
"No!" Mitsuko replied firmly, crossing her arms like a tiny adult.
"She's definitely Saeko's sister…" Kaito muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
"Why are you all so boring, staying in?" Mitsuko asked.
"We're not boring!" Kaito perked up instantly, as if someone had just pressed his button and now he had to prove he wasn't dull. „Let's go somewhere fun," he insisted.
"What about your family?" Tastuya asked, looking skeptical.
"Saeko's busy as usual my brother is away," Mitsuki replied.
"I have got an idea you might like," Sota said quickly, changing the topic.
Saeko felt panic creeping over her as she checked every possible place her little sister could have gone. Without thinking, she grabbed her phone and called Sota.
"Hey," he answered immediately, his cheerful tone standing in sharp contrast to her worry. "Are you ready to join the fun?"
"Mitsuko's missing…" she burted out.
"Wait, didn't you get my message?" he asked, sounding surprised. "She's with us."
"What?" She snapped.
"I texted you not to worry. She snuck into the studio wanted to have some fun. I thought that's why you were calling," he explained.
She huffed, storming off to find them, her anger bubbling over with every step. Did I really just call Sota the first time ever when something went wrong? The realization made her feel even more annoyed.
Following the coordinates Sota had sent, she arrived at a trampoline park. Her eyes quickly found Mitsuko, laughing and bouncing around in a game of trampoline dodgeball with the guys. Her tension eased slightly at the sight. It was unusual to see her so relaxed around other people.
How can she trust them so easily?
"Hey, look! Saeko's here to join us!" Sota called out, his mischievous grin already giving away his intentions.
"No," Saeko said flatly, crossing her arms.
"It wasn't a question, granny," Kaito smirked, aiming a ball at her. She barely dodged it in time, glaring as the others burst into laughter.
Before long, Saeko found herself reluctantly caught up in the game. It wasn't the kind of experience she'd expected to share with these guys, but for a brief moment, she forgot her worries and let herself enjoy it.
On their way home, Mitsuko had fallen fast asleep on Tatsuya's back, her small frame resting comfortably against his shoulders, as he carried her effortlessly through the streets. It was a heartwarming sight, but Saeko's chest tightened with worry. She felt a pang of concern at how easily her sister seemed to grow fond of the guys.
"What's got you looking so gloomy?" Sota asked, studying her face as he fell into step beside her.
Am I really that transparent?
"I told you not to get too close to her," she said, her voice tense.
"I'll take responsibility for it," he replied smoothly, cutting her off.
"But…"
"Don't worry. I don't plan to disappear from your life," he said, his expression serious. There wasn't a trace of his usual grin. No matter how much she resisted, something in his words stirred a quiet warmth inside her. A feeling she couldn't quite put into words, but it was there all the same.