The final school bell rang loudly, marking the end of a first day that felt much longer than usual. I stuffed my books into my bag and walked down the hallway toward the shoe lockers. Up ahead, I spotted the familiar silhouette of a girl with long hair busy with her outdoor shoes.
"Hey, Nika!" I called out, approaching her. I glanced outside the school building. The sky had turned a heavy charcoal grey, exactly as I'd predicted. "It's looking gloomy. Want to walk home together?"
Nika turned slowly. Her brow was still slightly furrowed, and she averted her gaze to avoid looking me in the eye.
"Who would ever want to walk h-home with you?" her face flushed. "But... since it looks like rain and I happen to be without an umbrella, I suppose there's no—"
"Yumina-san!"
A deep voice suddenly cut her off. We both turned to find Satou-sensei—our homeroom teacher—jogging toward us with a stack of thick folders cradled in his arms.
"Could you help me for a moment? I need a hand tallying the club registration forms in the faculty room right now. As it happens, no one from your class has volunteered yet."
Nika let out a soft sigh. A flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes so quickly I almost missed it before she put back on her trademark flat expression. "Of course, Sensei."
She then shot me a sharp look, returning to full-blown tsundere mode. "You go on ahead. And don't get any ideas! I wasn't finished—I was going to say 'there's no harm in you walking home alone'! Got it?"
I could only offer a wry smile as she turned and followed Satou-sensei. "Yeah, yeah. Get home safe, Nika."
My walk home through the evening streets felt a bit lonelier than usual. The black clouds were thickening now, hanging low as if ready to pour their contents over every corner of the city.
My mind drifted back to what Nika had said at school. 'Have you ever felt... that your parents' death wasn't just an accident?'
"Ah, no way," I muttered, kicking a small pebble on the sidewalk. "That's just her mystery-loving instincts overthinking things. After all, the police closed the case years ago."
However, as I passed a narrow alley sandwiched between old shophouses and an abandoned warehouse, my ears caught something. Coarse male laughter, followed by the sound of shuffling footsteps.
I stopped in my tracks. My instincts screamed. Creeping forward, I pressed my back against the wall and peered into the dimly lit alley.
My eyes widened. There, three scruffy-looking men in civilian clothes were cornering a girl. She was wearing a school uniform—not mine, but the uniform of an elite academy located quite far from this district.
"Come on, Sweetheart. Just hang out with us for a bit. Don't be so stiff," said one of the bearded thugs with a disgusting grin. He boldly reached out to touch her shoulder, twirling the ends of her hair and placing his hand near her chest.
The girl looked... ordinary, in a sense. But her body was trembling violently, her face was deathly pale, and her lips were locked tight. She couldn't fight back, let alone scream. She was completely frozen, like a small rabbit cornered by a pack of wolves.
I took a deep breath, gathering every scrap of courage—or perhaps stupidity—I possessed. I didn't need muscles; I needed momentum.
With a sudden burst, I sprinted into the alley at full speed.
"HEY! POLICE! THERE'S A POLICE PATROL RIGHT OUT FRONT!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, pointing back toward the main road.
The three thugs jumped. Reflexively, they all turned toward the street at the same time. In that one crucial second of hesitation, I slipped into the center of their circle and grabbed the girl's wrist firmly.
"Eh?" The girl gasped in shock as I pulled her.
"Run!" I shouted directly into her ear.
Without wasting a single heartbeat, I yanked her along. Fortunately, her legs responded by reflex and followed my lead. The two of us burst out of the alley like a shot.
"Damn it! That brat tricked us! Get them!" roared the bearded man, finally realizing there were no police at all.
Heavy footsteps and curses echoed right behind us. I didn't dare look back. I kept my grip on her hand tight, pulling her through a sharp turn into a labyrinth of small residential alleys I'd known by heart since elementary school.
"W-Wait...!" the girl whimpered behind me. "Just a little longer!" I called back.
Relying on my agility and knowledge of the local layout, I led her over a small drainage ditch, ducked under residents' laundry lines, and finally swerved into a narrow gap behind a stack of empty crates and trash bins at the rear of a closed convenience store.
We crouched there, huddled in the darkness. Both of us were panting heavily. I immediately signaled for her to be quiet, covering my own mouth so the sound of my ragged breathing wouldn't give us away. The girl beside me nodded weakly, her eyes still reflecting the lingering terror, but she pressed her hand firmly over her mouth.
The sound of the thugs' heavy boots thudded nearby, approaching our hiding spot. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might explode.
"Where did those rats go?!" one of them yelled, his voice ragged, only a few meters from where we sat. "Tch! Because you took too long, we lost a good prize! Let's go back before the neighbors get suspicious!" the bearded one barked.
Slowly, the sound of their footsteps faded as they headed back toward the main road, eventually swallowed by the distant hum of city traffic.
I let out a long breath and leaned my back against the cold brick wall, feeling as though one of my "lives" had just flickered out and returned. Safe. For now, at least.
"Hah... thank goodness. Looks like they're really gone," I muttered, wiping sweat from my forehead. I released my grip on the girl's hand, only then realizing how tightly I'd been holding it. "Sorry. I pulled you a bit too hard."
The girl shook her head gently. She adjusted her rumpled collar and looked at me with eyes that still held a trace of bitterness, though they were much calmer than before.
"It's okay," she said, her voice soft but clear. She bowed her head slightly. "Thank you so much... If you hadn't come, I really don't know what would have happened to me."
I scratched the back of my head, feeling a bit awkward. "Ah, I just happened to be passing by. But seriously, this area isn't a great place to—"
BOOM!
Before I could finish my sentence, a crack of thunder split the sky. A second later, the black clouds finally gave way. Heavy rain fell like a thick curtain of water, battering the asphalt and tin roofs with a deafening roar.
"Ugh, damn! It really started!" I complained, covering my head with my bag. "It's too cramped and leaky here. Come on, let's move to the front of that store—the awning is pretty wide!"
The girl nodded quickly. We dashed through the freezing wall of rain and took shelter under the canopy of the closed minimarket. The evening air, which had been merely cool, turned bone-chilling. I shivered, glancing at the girl beside me who was rubbing her arms for warmth.
"By the way," I said, trying to break the silence against the roar of the rain, "how did a student from an elite academy like you end up in a narrow alley around here? This is pretty far from the city center, you know."
She went quiet for a moment, watching the raindrops splash into puddles. "I... got separated from my friends while we were hanging out. I meant to take a shortcut to catch up with them, but I ended up lost in that quiet area."
She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a high-end smartphone, pressing the power button only for it to remain dark. "And to make matters worse, my battery is completely dead. I can't contact anyone."
She then turned to me, extending her right hand hesitantly. "My name is Aizawa Reina. Again, thank you for saving me... um..."
"Shinomiya Itsuka," I replied, taking her hand; it felt icy cold. "Just call me Itsuka. The rain looks like it's going to settle in for a while. Once it lets up a bit, want me to walk you home? It's dangerous for you to be out alone again."
Aizawa-san pulled her hand back. She looked down at her feet, the tip of her shoe playing with a small puddle. "About that..." her voice suddenly sounded shaky. "I... I don't remember the way back to my house."
I blinked twice. "Eh? You mean you don't know the way from here, or...?" "I truly don't remember the direction," she cut in softly, her hands clutching the hem of her skirt. There was something strange in her tone. Her eyes radiated confusion.
I stared at the heavy rain, then back at the shivering, directionless Aizawa-san. Her phone was dead, and she didn't know her way home. As a man who values what's right, leaving her here wasn't an option.
"Alright then," I sighed, my breath forming a thin mist in the cold air. "Follow me to my house for now. It's actually quite close to here. You can dry off, charge your phone, and maybe then you'll remember something or can call your family."
Aizawa-san looked up, her eyes widening. "Eh? Is that okay? I-I'm a stranger..."
"It's more of a hassle if you freeze to death in front of a minimarket, Aizawa-san," I joked half-heartedly.
Even though I spoke casually, inside my head, a high-level danger alarm was blaring. Oh boy. I'm dead, I thought miserably.
Bringing a strange girl home, soaking wet, while my sharp-tongued sister with a murderous aura was there? I could already imagine Shiro's gaze—colder than the North Pole—piercing through my heart. She'd definitely think I'd kidnapped someone, and her threat of burnt eggs for breakfast would turn into actual cyanide.
But well, the die was cast. Once you step into a mystery plot, there's no turning back for Shinomiya Itsuka.
"Come on, the rain is letting up a little. Let's run to my place now," I said, preparing to face the drizzle.
We sprinted through the remaining raindrops. My shoes felt heavy from the puddles, and I could hear Reina's short breaths behind me. Upon reaching the door of our minimalist-style house, I fumbled in my pocket for my keys.
"I'm home..." I muttered as I opened the door.
"Nii-chan! Do you know what time it is?! I told you not to—"
Shiro's voice cut off instantly. My sister stood in the hallway holding a duster, ready to unload her routine scolding. However, her sharp eyes immediately locked onto the figure behind me. Reina stood there with her uniform clinging to her skin, her long hair damp, looking incredibly awkward.
Silence reigned for three seconds. The temperature in the room felt like it dropped below freezing.
"Nii-chan..." Shiro's voice was dangerously low. "Who... is this woman? And why did you bring her home looking... like she's just been through an interrogation?"
"W-Wait, Shiro! It's not what you think!" I cried out in a panic, throwing both hands up. "I can explain, but she's freezing. Aizawa-san, I'm sorry, but could you head upstairs? My room is at the end of the second-floor hallway. Please wait there for a moment while I get you a towel and some of Shiro's spare clothes."
"Eh? To... your room?" Reina stammered, her pale face suddenly flushed red. "S-Shinomiya-kun, is that proper?"
"Just go up before you catch a cold!" I urged. Hesitantly, Reina stepped past Shiro—who remained frozen like an ice statue—and slowly climbed the stairs.
I stepped into the room Shinomiya-kun called his own. My heart was racing—not from fear, but because this was the first time I'd ever entered a boy's room.
As I closed the door softly, a faint masculine scent mixed with the smell of old paper greeted me. My eyes scanned the room. His bookshelves were crammed with mystery novels, some of which were rare limited editions. In the corner of his desk sat a small magnifying glass and a stack of very neatly kept notes.
He really does love mysteries... I thought.
I sat on the edge of his tidy bed, feeling slightly guilty that my damp uniform might ruin the sheets. This room felt... warm. It was different from my large house that always felt silent and cold. However, the thought of being in the private space of a boy who had just saved me made my cheeks burn all over again.
Shinomiya-kun... he's a strange person, but he's very kind.
"So... you saved her from thugs, then she forgot the way home, and you decided to bring her here without calling me first?"
Shiro sat on the living room sofa with her arms crossed, her glare sharp enough to drill a hole through the wall. I had just finished explaining the chronology of events as briefly as possible.
"Her phone was dead, Shiro! I had no choice. I couldn't just leave her on the street like that. You know I can't ignore someone who needs help."
"Tch. Always playing the hero," Shiro turned away, but I could see her fingers clutching the edge of her apron. "And why did you have to take her to your room? Planning to do something perverted like in those analysis notes of yours?"
"Of course not! I just wanted her to feel safe! Shiro, please... just lend her some clothes. Just for tonight until the rain stops or she remembers something."
Shiro let out a long, weary sigh—the kind reserved for dealing with her brother's antics. "Just this once. And don't expect me to make a nice dinner for her."
Despite her sharp tongue, Shiro stood up and went to her room to get the clothes. I knew she was still sulking, but at least she hadn't kicked us both out.
I leaned my head back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling. One mysterious childhood friend returns, and now an elite school girl is taking refuge in my house. My peaceful life has officially ended.
Soon, Shiro returned. Without warning, she threw a bundle of neatly folded clothes directly into my face.
"These are my old track pants and an oversized t-shirt," Shiro said coldly. "Give them to her before she catches a chill. And remember, Nii-chan, if you do anything suspicious... I will report you to the police for kidnapping and harassment."
"Yes, yes, I get it! I'm not a creep!" I protested, straightening the clothes.
I cautiously headed up to the second floor. The upstairs bathroom happened to be right across from my room. When I reached the top, I heard the muffled sound of running water from inside. The air in the hallway felt slightly warm and humid.
Ah, she's taking a hot shower. Good, I thought with relief. At least she won't get hypothermia.
I stood in front of the bathroom door, intending to leave the clothes on the small stool nearby. My hand was just reaching out to set them down when the sound of the water suddenly stopped.
"Aizawa-san," I called out softly, trying to keep my eyes fixed on the wall. "I'm leaving the clothes on the stool out—"
Click.
My words died in my throat. Before I could step back, the bathroom door swung open. A cloud of warm, soap-scented steam washed over me, and through the thin mist, Aizawa Reina stepped out.
Time seemed to stop.
Reina stood before me, her long wet hair clinging to her neck and shoulders. Droplets of water slid down her collarbone, catching the dim light of the hallway lamp. What made my breath hitch was the fact that she was only wrapped in a single, thick white towel of mine. It was wrapped around her body, exposing her shoulders, arms, and slender legs, while her chest was covered by the towel, revealing a hint of cleavage.
Our eyes met. We were less than half a meter apart.
Reina's previously weary eyes suddenly went wide. She looked at me, then at the bundle of clothes in my hand, then back at my face. A deep crimson flush spread instantly, coloring her entire face to the tips of her ears.
"S-S-Shinomiya-kun?!" her voice shook violently.
"A-Aizawa-san! I-It's not like that! I didn't mean to—" I stammered, my tongue suddenly feeling like lead.
"C-Close your eyes, Shinomiya-kun! Don't look!" Reina shrieked in panic. She reflexively hugged her chest tightly, her face turning as red as a boiled tomato.
Without a second thought, I spun around, squeezed my eyes shut, and thrust the bundle of clothes toward her blindly. "H-Here are the clothes! I'm leaving them on the stool! I'm sorry! I swear, this was a total accident!"
With a lightning-fast movement fueled by sheer embarrassment, Reina snatched the clothes from my hand.
BAM! The bathroom door slammed shut right behind me. From inside, I could hear her frantic breathing and panicked murmurs. "S-Sorry! I'm sorry, it's my fault for not checking first!"
I leaned against the hallway wall, letting out a long breath. My heart was racing as if I'd just run a ten-kilometer marathon. Whew... thank goodness. At least this cliché incident didn't end with a heavy object flying at my face.
However, that relief lasted for exactly one and a half seconds.
From the bottom of the stairs, a thick, cold, and murderous black aura began to creep up to the second floor. The temperature in the hallway plummeted to absolute zero. Slowly, with cold sweat trickling down my neck, I turned toward the stairs.
There, on the top step, stood Shiro. Her head was bowed slightly so her bangs obscured her eyes. However, her right hand was gripping the handle of a floor broom tightly, looking exactly like a grim reaper who had just sharpened her scythe.
"Nii... chan..." Shiro's voice was a whisper, like a demon's hiss from the depths of hell. "I knew it... you really are irredeemable trash."
"S-Shiro! Listen to Nii-chan first! This was an accident! I swear on my entire mystery novel collection! The door just opened and—"
"No need for excuses, Mr. Perverted Kidnapper." Shiro slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were completely hollow, radiating a high-level killing intent. "Death penalty."
"Wait! Shiro! Put the broom down—GYAAAAA!"
That night, amidst the thunderstorm raging outside, my screams of agony echoed through the Shinomiya household.
Thirty minutes later. In the dining room, an incredibly awkward silence enveloped the three of us. The sound of rain tapping against the window was the only backdrop to the room.
I sat with a cross-shaped band-aid on my forehead—the remnants of Shiro's "justice." To my left, Aizawa Reina sat restlessly. She was now wearing Shiro's oversized t-shirt and track pants. The clothes were far too big for her slender frame; the sleeves even covered half of her palms. I had to admit, for some reason, the sight made her look a bit... cute. But I quickly shook that thought away before Shiro could read my mind and finish me off.
Shiro placed three plates of warm curry rice on the table with mechanical movements. When she set the plate in front of me, she intentionally slammed it a bit harder, making the spoon clink loudly.
"Eat. Before I change my mind and put rat poison in your plate," Shiro said coldly, then sat across from us.
"T-Thank you for the food..." Reina squeaked. She bowed her head deeply, scooping the curry very slowly. She still didn't dare meet my eyes after the incident outside the bathroom. A faint blush lingered on her face whenever our gazes accidentally met.
I cleared my throat, trying to break the agonizing frost. "Ehem. Shiro's curry is always the best. Here, Aizawa-san, try some while it's hot. It should help get your energy back after what happened in the alley."
Reina nodded softly. She took a spoonful of curry. A moment later, her eyes widened slightly. "T-This... it's delicious. It feels so warm..." she murmured, her tone much more relaxed.
At the compliment, Shiro's ear twitched. Her expression remained flat, but her grip on her spoon loosened. "It's nothing special. I just mixed instant roux with some leftover vegetables. Don't expect much."
Despite her sharp tone, I could see Shiro was a bit calmer. At least the storm at the dinner table wasn't as bad as the one outside. However, as Reina took another bite, her hand suddenly froze in mid-air.
She stared blankly at her plate, and a single tear fell onto the grains of rice.
"A-Aizawa-san? Why are you crying? Is the curry too spicy?" I asked in a panic.
Reina quickly wiped her eyes with the sleeve of Shiro's oversized shirt. "No... I'm sorry. It's just, it feels so familiar. Dinner together, the steam from the food... I feel like I've done this before, but I can't quite remember it clearly."
She clutched her head, her expression grimacing in pain.
"Don't force it," Shiro cut in suddenly. She stood up and took Reina's empty glass to refill it with water. "Your brain is protesting because you're pushing it too hard while you're exhausted. Just eat."
Reina nodded weakly. "Thank you... Aizawa-san." "Just call me Shiro, so you don't get us confused with Nii-chan," Shiro muttered, though she acted like she didn't care.
The silence in the dining room was so thick it could be cut with a knife. The sound of the rain and the soft clink of spoons against porcelain were the only melodies accompanying our awkward dinner.
I swallowed a mouthful of curry with difficulty. Usually, Shiro's cooking tasted like five-star cuisine, but tonight my stomach refused to cooperate. Add to that Shiro's piercing gaze from across the table—intimidating both me and Reina—and the atmosphere was suffocating.
"So..." Shiro finally broke the silence. Her voice was calm, but the temperature was near absolute zero. She set her spoon down and crossed her arms, staring intently at Reina. "Aizawa-san, right?"
Reina gasped softly, her shoulders jumping. "Y-Yes..."
"Based on the emblem on your uniform that I was drying earlier, you're from St. Luminas Academy. An elite school three stations away from here," Shiro said, her eyes narrowing like a detective interrogating a suspect. "Nii-chan said you got lost and forgot your way home. But... how does a high-class lady like you end up in a quiet, dangerous outskirts district like this? Isn't that a bit too strange for just being 'lost'?"
Reina bowed her head even lower. Her flush now wasn't from the bathroom incident, but from sheer embarrassment. Her fingers toyed with the hem of Shiro's shirt.
"I-It's... I..." Reina murmured, barely audible. "I actually... have a very, very bad sense of direction..."
"A bad sense of direction?" Shiro repeated skeptically.
Reina nodded weakly. "When I got separated from my friends at the mall, I meant to find the nearest station. But... I saw a very cute white cat run into an alley. I... I only meant to follow it for a moment to take a photo, but when I turned around, the streets had changed. I kept walking to find an exit, but somehow I just kept getting deeper into those narrow alleys... until those scary people surrounded me."
Shiro and I both went silent. It was a ridiculous, trivial, and incredibly careless reason. But looking at Reina's face—verging on tears from the shame of admitting her own density—I knew she wasn't lying. She was purely a sheltered elite girl with zero survival instincts.
"I see," Shiro's sigh broke my train of thought. My sister's cold expression softened slightly, though her eyes remained guarded. As a fellow girl, I think Shiro could understand how terrifying Reina's situation must have been.
However, Shiro's empathy didn't last long once she glanced at me.
"And then you..." Shiro looked at me with half-closed eyes. "Acting like some knight in shining armor, grabbing a strange girl's hand and bringing her to our home. To our territory, Nii-chan."
Shiro emphasized the word "our" with a heavy intonation. I knew exactly what that meant. Shiro wasn't just mad about the bathroom incident; she was mad there was an 'intruder' in her safe zone. To her, this house was an absolute sanctuary for just the two of us since our parents' accident. And honestly, Shiro's protective (and buried jealousy) could be quite... terrifying.
"I-I'm so sorry, Shiro-san!" Reina suddenly bowed slightly toward Shiro. "I really didn't mean to disturb you both! Once my phone is charged, I'll call my family to pick me up immediately. Until then, please allow me to take shelter."
Shiro stared at Reina in silence for a few seconds, then turned to the rain still pouring outside the window.
"The downstairs living room gets pretty cold at night," Shiro said finally, her voice returning to a flat drone. She stood up, carrying her empty plate. "There's a guest room next to my room on the first floor. You can rest there while you wait for the rain to stop and your phone to turn on. I'll get you a blanket."
Reina's eyes sparkled with relief. "T-Thank you so much, Shiro-san!"
Shiro only snorted and headed to the kitchen. But before disappearing down the hall, she shot me a look as cold as the Arctic.
"Nii-chan. You, wash all the dishes. And don't you dare come down from the second floor tonight, or that broom from earlier will find a home somewhere much more fatal than your forehead."
I could only swallow hard and nod stiffly. "Y-Yes, Commander."
Reina let out a small laugh at our interaction—a canggung but sweet sound that finally let the dining room breathe.
My peaceful life continues tonight. However, out there, the thunderstorm still hides many things in the city's shadows. Including why a St. Luminas uniform in this district attracted thugs so quickly, or the old mystery of my parents' accident that always tugs at the corner of my heart.
But for tonight, my main focus is finishing these dishes without making my possessive sister bring out her weapons of mass destruction again.
--END OF CHAPTER 2--