{What's this? I thought it was something serious. Your little Senya went out to work part-time just to help with household expenses, and he even gave you all the money to manage? That's not a burden — that's a dream little brother, mature, considerate, and caring! If you really don't want it, you could just hand it over to me. Honestly, only because I know you — if you told anyone else this, they'd think you were bragging on purpose.}
When Yukinoshita Haruno read through the string of messages from her friend, she understood the situation and felt her chest tighten. Jealousy welled up inside her — sharp, undeniable, and almost painful.
On the other end, Takanashi Toka went quiet for a moment. Haruno's phone displayed "typing…" several times before the words disappeared. At last, only a single curt line arrived.
I'm done talking to you. Going to sleep. Good night, everyone — except you.
Toka had been looking for comfort, maybe even some practical advice.
Instead, she'd been misunderstood and accused of humble-bragging. She instantly regretted telling Haruno at all.
Wait wait wait!
Haruno typed frantically, a panic bubbling beneath her usual teasing tone.
There was no way she was letting this drop. The daily antics of this step-sibling duo were far too entertaining.
I get it. You feel this way because of your sense of duty as an older sister. With your parents away, you feel guilty that you haven't taken proper care of him. Right? Here's the solution: he's working part-time, so you work part-time too. Doesn't matter how much you make — at least you'll be fulfilling your role as the older sister.
She paused, then added another line.
Of course, if you ask me, I don't think you need to go that far.
But Toka ignored that last message. Her eyes fixed only on the suggestion before it.
Her ahoge bounced sharply.
…That's right. She could get a part-time job too.
Thanks. I understand now. Good night~
Toka never used emojis or stickers, but the tilde at the end carried a rare buoyancy. She must have been in a good mood after all.
That was good enough.
Anytime. You can tell me about things like this again, okay? Good night, darling~
After her chat with Toka ended, Haruno suddenly thought of her little sister overseas in England.
The time difference was about eight or nine hours, so it was still afternoon there. Sending a message wouldn't disturb her.
So she typed one out — a rare check-in.
How have you been lately, Yukino?
To her surprise, the reply came back almost instantly.
What do you want?
Haruno blinked.
Do you stare at your phone all day or something?
On the other side of the globe, Yukinoshita Yukino felt oddly attacked.
In truth, she had been staring at her phone, calculating on her calendar how many days remained until she could return to Japan and see her friends. But she couldn't exactly admit that.
What do you want, Onee-san?
Just a question. Hypothetically, if the Yukinoshita family fell on hard times — if our parents' income dropped so much we couldn't even cover daily expenses — what would you do?
…With your grades, Onee-san, scholarships would be no problem. As for me, I'd take on part-time work to support you so you could finish your studies. Once we both graduate university and start working, everything would sort itself out.
She would work part-time to support me?! As expected, my little Yukino is adorable!
By the way, if you're having trouble sleeping at night, you should get more exercise during the day. Listening to calming music also helps. Anything would be better than messaging me with these ridiculous hypotheticals.
Haruno stared at her screen. "…"
She was cute, sure — but still not quite as cute as Senya.
"You want to get a part-time job? Absolutely not!"
The next morning, in the kitchen, Minamoto Senya flatly rejected Toka's idea as the two of them worked together on breakfast.
Toka frowned. "Why not? If you can do it, why can't I?"
"Because we're not the same."
"What's different? Just because you're a boy?"
"Whoa, hold on! Don't throw that at me — I'm a firm believer in gender equality. When I say we're not the same, I mean our situations aren't the same."
Toka set down the knife she was holding and leaned against the counter, arms crossed, clearly ready to listen.
Senya explained calmly: "Next semester you'll be competing in the national rhythmic gymnastics tournament for the first time. Between schoolwork, gymnastics, and responsibilities at home, you're already stretched thin. How could I possibly let you add part-time work on top of that?"
And besides, what part-time jobs were even available to high schoolers? Delivering newspapers, handing out flyers, waiting tables, cashier work — all barely above minimum wage, a thousand yen an hour at most.
As someone with an adult's mindset, Senya couldn't stand the thought of his high school step-sister working herself to exhaustion for such little return.
Their family wasn't desperate enough to need it.
And even if things did get that bad, Senya felt no real pressure.
His "God's Eye" ability had only grown sharper over the years. If he ever wanted quick cash, he could just stroll through a few poker or mahjong parlors. With his omniscient perspective, money would practically fall into his lap.
Even if gambling carried risks, there was always eSports.
First-person shooters, MOBAs — with full-map vision, he could slip behind enemy lines and wipe them out before they even knew what happened. No matter how talented, no pro player could keep up.
But honestly, neither option appealed to him.
Gambling disgusted him — no good ever came of it, no matter how unbeatable he was. And while eSports would be easy money, he had zero interest in the lifestyle. Training endlessly, locked up with teammates day and night? No thanks.
He preferred his current life — going to school like normal, occasionally using his ability for odd tasks, steadily improving his stats, picking up new skills by spending time with his "study buddies," buying Rikka little treats so she'd reward him with shoulder massages and back pats.
It was a slow, peaceful rhythm. He had no desire to change it.
Finally, Senya wiped his hands, clapped Toka gently on the shoulder, and said with quiet conviction:
"I know you and Rikka had it rough living with your mom in the city. But now that I'm here, the weight of this family is on me. You don't need to worry about anything extra. Just focus on your dreams — I'll be the shield that protects you."
Toka's heart trembled. She realized that the boy three years younger than her, the one she had no blood relation to, had truly grown into someone reliable. Someone she could lean on.
And though she was deeply moved — and for the moment convinced — the thought of finding her own part-time job still lingered over the next few days.
Until…
The following Saturday night, Senya returned from Enishi Bar a little after ten.
The moment he stepped through the door, he grinned at the sister waiting in the entryway and declared:
"Toka-nee, our family just struck it rich."