"Well then, brother. I'm off to club activities."
After school, Shiori walked with me to the shoe lockers and said,
"Please don't cheat on me."
"Tell that to your future lover. It's not right for you to tell me that."
"That's not true. You're my future husband."
The setting sun seeps through the gaps in the school building and shines onto our cheeks.
Maybe that's why I felt like Shiori's face was turning red.
"Shiori, we're family. We can't be together forever."
At that moment, a look of sadness appeared in Shiori's eyes.
"Are you not satisfied with me, brother?"
"No."
"So you want another woman?"
"Shiori. It's not like that."
I said soothingly. Shiori let out a sigh of relief.
"Then there's nothing wrong with that. Just look at me and let's grow up in a world with just me."
"Doesn't it have to be me?"
"Even imagining it with someone other than Nii-san is painful. And--"
Just as Shiori was about to say something, a light came down from the floor above.
A smile graced his beautiful lips as he looked at us with amusement.
"Are you two having a marital dispute?"
He called out without reading the atmosphere.
"...That's not right."
Answer lightly.
How can this brutal atmosphere look so cute?
"Lighting-san, could you please not barge in on my brother and I when we're talking? I wish you'd just disappear from this world."
"Oh my."
Lighting gave an exaggerated shrug.
"Really, you're—"
At that moment, the lighting suddenly grinned.
"Hey, Susumu. We promised to go home together today, right? It's about time we got going."
"Huh? Ah, yeah, that's right."
"Brother, the story isn't over yet."
"You and Susumu live in the same house, so we can talk whenever we want, right? If I were a woman, it would be one thing, but there are things I want to talk about as two men, so would you let me?"
"Rejected. Please disappear."
"You're such a troublesome little sister. It's nothing. I'm just borrowing Susumu for a little while. I'll return it as soon as I'm done."
I interjected during their conversation.
"Shiori. When we get home, I'll grant you one request."
"picture..."
"So, can you forgive me for today?"
Shiori's eyes widened for a moment, but then he shook his head.
"O-Okay. Go ahead. Go quickly!"
With that, Shiori forcefully kicked us out of the school building.
"O-oi, Shiori..."
"It's fine, just hurry up! If you want to hurry up, hurry up!"
I tried to say, "Wait a minute," but the sign drowned me out.
"Don't forget your promise! If you do, you'll suffer a terrible fate!"
From behind me, I hear some very unpleasant words.
"You've got it tough too, Susumu."
Teruaki expressed his sympathy in a tone that didn't seem to even consider him trash.
"Well... then, let's go."
I gave a quick wave to the sign and left the light and the school.
I feel like he's going to make some pretty drastic demands on me later. But Teruaki had gone to the trouble of pretending to have something to do and tried to help me out. I hadn't promised to go home with him. But when he said he had something to tell me, I assumed he was willing to lie and tell me something he wanted to tell me.