"Good morning, Mom."
"Good… Wait a second—did you two sleep together last night?"
Kasumigaoka Airi placed her phone onto the little stand beside her bed, her sharp eyes narrowing with a mix of surprise and excitement as she looked at her son and daughter sharing the same futon.
Touji blinked. …Right. They were still in Utaha's room.
Honestly, Mom had probably guessed the two of them would end up tangled up last night, but judging from her playful grin, she hadn't expected to catch them red-handed.
"Hmm, Utaha-chan held my hand last night and refused to let go," Touji replied smoothly, his expression not changing as he scrolled through his phone like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Wha—?!"
Utaha's wine-red eyes widened in shock. She turned her gaze sharply toward him, her usual composure cracking.
Held your hand and wouldn't let go? Don't spout lies so casually, you shameless otouto-kun! You're the one who begged me to perform for you, and then you were the one who kept holding onto me, clinging on and refusing to leave. Baka!
"Ara ara~, is that so? Then Utaha-chan is far bolder than I thought~."
Airi's voice sang with glee. She clearly didn't care if it was the truth or not. As long as there was even the slightest opportunity to tease her daughter, she wasn't about to let it slip away.
Her wine-red eyes—so similar to Utaha's—curved into crescent moons as she covered her mouth delicately, stifling her laughter.
Utaha groaned and rolled her eyes. "Mom, don't listen to his nonsense! He's the one who wouldn't leave! I couldn't even kick him out if I tried."
"Mm-hmm. Of course, I believe you. Mom has always believed in Utaha-chan's charm~."
The way she nodded seriously while switching stances so easily made Touji's lips twitch. His mom… really had no loyalty.
But before he could complain, Airi switched gears again.
"I heard the new song last night, Winter-kun. You're much better than your father, that blockhead."
Touji froze for a second. The way she said "father" carried a faint edge of resentment.
"Where's Dad, anyway? He shouldn't have work today, right?" Touji asked curiously.
"Hmph. He went fishing with his colleagues early this morning. Didn't even bother eating breakfast." Airi puffed her cheeks just slightly.
Ah. Touji could tell exactly where that resentment was coming from. But true to her personality, his mom quickly brushed it aside and clasped her hands together with a cheerful smile.
"And then, Mom discovered something very interesting last night."
Her gaze drifted—no, pierced—toward Utaha.
Utaha stiffened, a strange premonition rising in her chest.
Touji, ever the perfect partner-in-crime, played along. "Something interesting?"
"Hmph hmph~."
With a playful hum, Airi raised a slender finger, green-onion delicate, and pointed straight at Utaha.
"I discovered that my daughter secretly debuted as a light novel author two months ago… and not only that, she even wrote a brother-complex story."
"Clatter—!"
Utaha's phone slipped from her hands, narrowly avoiding smacking her in the face.
Touji smirked. You've been exposed, onee-san.
He let his hand casually rest on her soft waist, adding salt to the wound.
It wasn't that writing a brother-complex novel was bad—but being found out by your own parents when you had a real otouto-kun lying right beside you? Now that was the ultimate humiliation.
Back then, they had still been "siblings" in the public sense. That only made it worse.
"Eh? I can't see her face! Utaha-chan, quickly pick up the phone! Touji, help me out—"
Airi's slightly urgent tone came from the other side. Touji immediately knew what she wanted. Of course—Mom wanted to witness Utaha's thoroughly embarrassed, red-as-a-tomato face.
That was exactly the kind of person Airi was: a fun-seeker to the core.
Touji chuckled and obligingly leaned down to pick up the phone.
At that exact moment, Utaha turned crimson, flustered beyond repair, and clung to him. She buried her face into his chest as if hiding in an ostrich hole.
"Ara ara~, is my daughter shy?"
Airi giggled behind her hand, her mischievous smile blooming like a cat toying with a mouse.
Are you here just to publicly execute your daughter? Touji thought dryly, though in truth, he was mostly enjoying the show. Looking down at Utaha trembling against him, he murmured with amusement,
"Looks like she really is embarrassed."
"I don't remember my daughter's skin being this thin," Airi teased.
"Mom, that's enough already!" Utaha snapped, finally lifting her face from Touji's chest. Her cheeks burned bright, and she instinctively leaned sideways into Touji's warmth—only to bump into a very energetic young man, thanks to the morning hours.
Utaha's blush deepened to critical levels.
Airi, of course, didn't notice the subtle shift. She only looked even more pleased, her smile practically glowing as if she'd just consumed a full-course feast of spiritual food.
"If Mom has nothing else to say, let's just hang up," Utaha said flatly, fighting to recover her composure.
"Ugh—my daughter is starting to dislike her mother already…" Airi feigned tears, her acting so exaggerated it could win awards.
Touji noticed Utaha's composure was on the verge of breaking again, so he gently patted her chest in comfort.
Instantly, Utaha turned her head and shot him a glare sharp enough to kill.
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore," Airi conceded, clearly satisfied.
Then she suddenly lifted up a book from the side and flashed it at the camera.
"Ta-da! I bought this at the bookstore last night."
The cover gleamed under the camera's light.
"Today, I'm going to sit down and carefully enjoy Kasumi Utako-sensei's masterpiece."
"Hiss—"
Kasumigaoka Touji couldn't help but take a sharp breath on behalf of Utaha. His mom was relentless. It was impossible for her to resist teasing once she found an opening. Honestly, a large part of Utaha's sharp tongue and mischievous streak came from Airi-san herself… and when it came to bullying Utaha, their mother was undoubtedly the most professional.
"I'm hanging up!"
Utaha's lips twitched in frustration as she reached toward the red button on her screen.
"Eh eh eh? Wait, wait! This time I'm really not joking…"
Seeing her daughter's bristling temper, Kasumigaoka Airi quickly raised her hands toward the camera lens as if physically trying to stop her. Her tone softened just slightly as she asked,
"Golden Week… what are you two planning to do during the upcoming holiday?"
The sudden shift in topic caught both Touji and Utaha off guard. In the past, their family had always gone on trips together, but this year things were… different.
"Haven't thought about it yet," Utaha muttered, finger still hovering dangerously close to the "end call" button, her expression dark.
"We haven't decided yet," Touji followed up, before casually adding, "but Utaha-chan has a signing event on the last day."
"…Eh? A signing event?!"
Airi blinked rapidly, her expression flickering between astonishment and pride. "Is it on May 5th?"
"Yes," Touji confirmed with a nod.
Her mother's eyes softened with a flicker of emotion as she gazed at Utaha, who awkwardly averted her gaze. "Where will it be held?"
"Here in Tokyo. At Fushikawa Bookstore's main branch," Utaha replied with her usual calmness, though her slightly pink ears betrayed her feelings.
"That's a shame… Mom won't be able to come and support you this time."
That's for the best! Utaha thought, resisting the urge to sigh in relief. She couldn't imagine the nightmare of her mother lining up in front of her fans, book in hand, asking for an autograph while smirking like the devil herself.
"Anyway!" Airi clapped her hands together, eyes sparkling. "How about you two come to Hokkaido for Golden Week? Mom's been here for a while now and already familiarized herself with the area."
Her voice grew excited as she listed things off like a tour guide:
"When you come, I'll take you to try the local specialties, soak in hot springs, and visit all the famous scenic spots. The scenery is breathtaking~, and the air here is so fresh!"
She had been away from her children for over half a month. This was the longest they'd been apart, and her maternal longing slipped through her cheerful tone. Golden Week was her chance to reunite with them properly.
"Okay," Touji answered without hesitation. A trip to Hokkaido wasn't a bad idea at all—it was one of the most popular Golden Week destinations after all.
Last year, Okinawa had been the hottest spot, with its warm beaches, crystal-clear seas, and tropical food. After that came Chiba, with the ever-popular Disneyland. Hokkaido ranked third, drawing crowds with its nature, hot springs, and unmatched gourmet delights.
The only downside was… it'd be tricky to bring Kani Nayuta along. Touji had even been considering a little three-person trip, but Hokkaido made that plan complicated.
"I'm fine with it too," Utaha finally said after a pause. Though she always acted annoyed at her mother's antics, it had been so long since they'd seen each other. Deep down, she missed her dearly.
"Perfect! Then I'll book the tickets right away," Airi said brightly. "It'll be impossible to find flights later on."
"We'll handle that ourselves," Touji interjected quickly, scratching his cheek.
"Mm, fine, fine. But you two better get up and eat something first. Breakfast is important! Don't you dare skip it and ruin your stomachs, got it?" Airi wagged a finger through the screen, her worry obvious despite her teasing tone.
With that, she picked up her phone again and said, "Alright, Mom's going to go book those tickets now. Hanging up!"
The call ended with a soft click.
"…"
Wako City. Kasumigaoka Residence. Utaha's spacious bedroom.
"Otouto-kun, go make breakfast."
Utaha stretched slightly, brushing her long black hair from her shoulders, then glanced at Touji expectantly.
"Hmm… I feel like being lazy today," Touji said, leaning back with a mischievous grin as his eyes lingered on her alluring figure. His hands itched to reach out.
Normally, he was the one who did the cooking, so Utaha rarely argued. Still…
"Lazy is fine, but keep your hands to yourself."
She caught his wandering hand mid-air, her wine-red eyes flashing with electricity as she glared at him.
The jolt ran down his arm and straight into his chest. Touji pretended to be displeased, puffing his cheeks like a child.
"Oi, what do you mean I'm not keeping my hands to myself? I'm just touching my girlfriend. How can you call that misbehaving?!"
"…Baka!"
Utaha's words got caught in her throat. All she managed was a sharp exhale before her cheeks turned pink. Then she huffed, raised her delicate hand, and pinched his cheek hard.
"Otouto-kun's skin has gotten so thick lately! Hmph, I can't even pinch it anymore!"
Touji's face, deformed from the pinch, twitched. "…Seriously?"
"…Baka otouto-kun, 'can't pinch it' is your lie!" Utaha shot back, puffing her cheeks with a mixture of irritation and embarrassment. "Here—let me pinch it again just to prove it!"
Her fingers dug in once more.
Touji sighed dramatically, though his lips curved into the faintest of smiles. Deep down, he didn't mind one bit.
After all, moments like this—teasing, bickering, but filled with warmth—were the kind of mornings he could get used to forever.