Time— He wasn't sure what time it was anymore, only that it had long passed the usual hour of sleep. His body felt heavy, and his mind buzzed from exhaustion, yet no matter how much he closed his eyes, sleep simply refused to come.
Kasumigaoka Touji let out a quiet sigh and rolled over for what must have been the hundredth time. From lying on his back, to his side, to his stomach—tossing, turning, repeat. He even tried counting sheep and whispering "sleep, sleep, sleep" under his breath like some kind of spell, but all it did was make him more alert.
Finally, with a resigned expression, he reached over to his nightstand, picked up his phone, and checked the time.
2:30 AM.
"Are you serious!?" he muttered to himself. Normally, he was lights-out by 10:30 PM sharp.
Since sleep was obviously not coming anytime soon, Touji unlocked his phone and instinctively opened Twitter. He skimmed through his DMs, replied to a few lucky followers, then switched over to YouTube and repeated the same.
Kasumigaoka Touji was a food and music blogger. A dual identity he'd held since elementary school, when he convinced his mom to help him register two accounts.
With his youthful looks, gentle voice, impeccable manners, and surprisingly skilled cooking abilities, he quickly became the darling of "mama fans" and shota enthusiasts alike.
In his second-grade spring term, he even had an obsessed fan try to corner him IRL.
The most furious one about that incident wasn't himself—it was Kasumigaoka Utaha.
She had marched straight to a karate dojo the next week, declaring, "I need to protect my baka Younger brother."
Honestly, Touji hadn't been too upset. The fan had been good-looking and, well, right up his alley in terms of figure.
But his family didn't share the sentiment. Since that incident, his livestreams had featured a signature half-fox mask, earning him the nickname "Fox Boy."
Then came junior high. Using the music theory he'd studied, he began recreating popular songs from his past life and posting covers. His dual persona was now complete: food and music blogger.
He scrolled through his feed lazily, casually tapping into a dance short that was… well, let's just say not entirely wholesome. But right as the screen filled with bouncing thighs and dangerous angles—
Clatter!
The sound of a door opening made him jolt.
He nearly dropped his phone and quickly paused the video, heart pounding.
"Who is it!?" he whispered, trying to mask the guilt in his voice.
"It's me… Keep your voice down. You wanna wake up Mom and Dad?" came a hushed reply.
Before he could respond, Kasumigaoka Utaha had already crossed the room, silently closed the door behind her, and climbed onto his bed with practiced ease. She lifted the covers and slipped in beside him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
It was the first time she'd done this since elementary school—and back then, it had been because of thunderstorms.
"You... What are you doing?" Touji asked, his voice cracking just slightly.
His heart raced uncontrollably. What was this sudden midnight visit supposed to mean!?
He was already reaching out instinctively when—
Twist!
"Gahh!" Touji hissed as pain shot up his side. Utaha had pinched and twisted his waist with surgical precision.
"What are you even doing this late at night, huh?" she asked, her voice sweet but layered with danger.
"I was just scrolling through some... entertaining videos," Touji replied innocently.
"Ohhh~? Like this? Mm~ Ah~?"
She imitated two breathy sounds with a deadpan face.
Touji: "..."
"Ahem! Those were algorithm-generated suggestions! Total coincidence! The internet is full of those!" he explained in a rush.
"Do you think I'm dumb enough to believe that?"
In the darkness, Kasumigaoka Touji could practically picture the smirk playing on her lips.
"I think you should believe it," he declared with a straight face, the seriousness in his tone a clear overcompensation.
"But aren't you Touji the dog?" Kasumigaoka Utaha retorted smoothly, as sharp as ever, tearing through his weak defense like paper.
"..."
"I see! So you're actually up to no good tonight, huh? Coming in here just to mess with me?"
Kasumigaoka Touji narrowed his eyes, the teasing glint in hers igniting something mischievous in him. Without warning, he shifted his weight and flipped over, straddling her with both legs.
"I should've known it!" Utaha yelped softly, trying to push him off, her cheeks blooming with a faint blush.
...
Sunlight quietly filtered through the half-closed curtains, casting warm streaks of golden light across the tidy bedroom.
Kasumigaoka Touji slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the brightness. His brows furrowed slightly as he blinked, adjusting to the light.
For a moment, he lay still in a daze, then glanced left and right, making sure he was alone. Finally, he groaned and raised a hand to cover his face.
"I... had a wet dream. Seriously?!"
It was his first.
Kasumigaoka Touji buried his face in the pillow for a few seconds, burning with shame. At least no one saw, right? That was the saving grace here!
Just as he was about to roll out of bed and pretend nothing happened, a strange chill hit his lower half.
His eyes widened.
Reaching down cautiously, he confirmed it—
"No way! I seriously...!"
His face turned beet red.
Of all the times! And after last night's conversation, too! The universe had a twisted sense of humor.
If his mom or—God forbid—Kasumigaoka Utaha found out, he'd be dead! Socially, spiritually, emotionally... completely dead!
"No, no, no, absolutely not! This can never be known!" he muttered under his breath like a chant.
Touji scrambled to clean up the crime scene.
He yanked off the evidence, wiped himself down with wet wipes, and tossed on a fresh pair of boxers. The old ones? Stuffed deep under the bed with the precision of someone disposing of contraband.
He'd destroy them later, maybe toss them out while pretending to take out the trash. Definitely before his mom did laundry. Definitely.
Mission: Concealment—complete!
...Or so he thought.
Returning from the bathroom, refreshed and thinking the worst was over, Touji froze at the door.
There, seated casually on the edge of his bed, was Kasumigaoka Utaha. One leg crossed over the other, her elegant fingers dangling something familiar.
No.
No.
Please no!
She was holding his underwear.
Touji's soul left his body.
Utaha's lips curled into a fox-like grin. "Ara~? What's this I found under my dear little brother's bed?"
His face drained of color. "U-Utaha-san... That's—"
"Oh my, oh my~. Touji-kun, could this be evidence that you're experiencing your very own... man period?"
She giggled, a melodious sound that absolutely did not match the demonic aura she was exuding.
Touji clenched his jaw. This was the final straw.
"Yes. You caught me. I'm on my 'man period.' Be proud."
He said it deadpan, hoping that boldness would outshine shame.
"Pfft—!" Utaha tried to contain herself, cheeks puffed out as she snorted. "W-what even is a man period!? Haha...! That's so stupid it's hilarious! I'm crying—"
She doubled over, laughing so hard she had to hold her stomach.
Touji felt his soul ascending. There it was. Ultimate social death.
"GIVE THAT BACK!!"
He lunged forward, snatching his poor, unfortunate underwear from her grasp and glaring daggers. "Do you have any idea how much embarrassment that thing's been through?!"
"Hmm? It's not like it talks. And hey, you were just going to throw it away, weren't you? Wasteful~"
"Utaha-san... I swear, if you keep this up, I'm gonna—"
"Gonna what? Stuff it in my mouth?" She tilted her head, looking at him with a wickedly amused expression.
Touji choked. Why did she always twist his words around like that!?
Utaha, still chuckling, stood up gracefully. "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing. For now."
She gave him a wink before casually brushing past him to exit the room.
Touji sank to his knees and groaned.
Today was going to be a long day.