'Forget it, this kind of thing doesn't matter.'
Giving up on recalling, Kaito looked toward Little Mutsumi, gently ruffling her long hair, "While I'm not home, I'll be counting on you to look after the house."
"Mm," Wakaba Mutsumi lightly nodded, "Onii-chan, be safe."
She was always so obedient, fully accepting everything from her brother, and didn't resist his big hand on her head, letting him gently stroke her hair as if it were totally normal. Like she was your cat, one you've raised for many years.
Kaito suddenly felt that he had been paying a little too little attention to Little Mutsumi. The sensible older sister and the energetic younger one, the latter always got more affection from the adults. Even he wasn't an exception. Because he felt Little Mutsumi was so mature and didn't need to worry about, he'd naturally given more attention to Mortis.
But being sensible should not be a reason to be overlooked this was his negligence. Thankfully, it wasn't too late to realize it now.
'Someday soon I should properly make it up to Little Mutsumi.'
'With her personality, it's unlikely she'll ask for anything too difficult'
'Mm, probably?'
[Tokyo, Minato Ward, Roppongi]
This wasn't Kaito's first time visiting the Nagasaki house, only his identity was now completely different.
Last time he was just an ordinary guest, simply coming for a meal. This time, however, it felt more like "meeting the parents," barely even counting as half a host.
Arriving below the familiar tower, there was already a tall figure standing at the door.
The brown-haired girl wore a long floral dress. The wind lifted the hem of her skirt. The moment their eyes met, she suddenly raised her right hand to cover her lips.
Clearly no one else could see the corners of her lips curling up, yet no one would doubt that she was smiling.
Because in that instant, the loneliness in the girl's brows and eyes suddenly came alive. Like an early spring stream thawing all at once, the chilly spring water wrapped with ice crystals and snowflakes, radiant beyond words.
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Chapter 257: Caught-in-the-Act Imouto
One day without seeing you feels like three autumns.
Thousands of years ago, the ancient people used this kind of verse to express the feeling of longing.
As a native girl, Nagasaki Soyo didn't know this allusion, but at this moment, with the bright moon high in the sky and the season already stepping into summer, the treetops were lush and green.
Standing under the brightly lit tower, gazing at that familiar figure not far away, she subtly felt a similar emotion.
'How strange, obviously we have only been apart a few days.'
'But the moment I met you, the longing took root.'
The girl gently placed a hand over her chest, there was a burning emotion brewing inside, making her urgently want to do something.
Taking three steps as two, like a fledgling swallow diving into its nest, she threw herself into her lover's arms.
"Good evening, Kaito-kun."
Clearly, she had been told beforehand that there was no need to come down specially to greet him.
But obviously, this advice went in one ear and out the other for this willful girl.
Kaito caught the jubilant girlfriend. Soyo's figure was perfect. Typically, curvy women would carry a bit of extra weight, but her waist was precisely slender, just the right amount to hold in one hand. It was as if all the flesh had grown exactly where it should. The classic "thin branch bearing heavy fruit."
Holding her in his arms felt so good it made one unwilling to let go.
"Good evening," He looked down at the girl in his arms. Facing her clear starry eyes full of undisguised affection, he gave a silent smile, and something suddenly appeared in his hand.
"A gift for you," It was a bouquet of pink tulips, something he had bought on the way here.
Nagasaki Soyo was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected such a surprise at all.
Her once awkward and clumsy boyfriend suddenly opened up, giving her a pleasant surprise like a blooming iron tree.
She took the bouquet with great care, sniffed it lightly, and the faint fragrance instantly sweetened her heart.
At the top was a small white card with a beautiful font that read a famous German verse by Hermann Hesse: [All missteps lead me to your side]
[T/N: Unverified fact.]
Most girls are emotional; they'll be delighted by the slightest romantic gesture in life. If there had been a mirror right now, Nagasaki Soyo would have seen her own expression.
It was a face bright as spring flowers, blushing red.
"Long time no see, Kaito-kun, good evenin, hmm? Where did the flowers come from?"
Hearing the commotion at the door, Nagasaki-san originally intended to step forward and welcome them, but upon seeing the scene before her, she was slightly stunned.
Her obedient daughter silently followed behind someone, her fair face faintly red, cradling a bouquet of pink tulips in her arms, like a baby penguin following closely.
"Just a small gift," Kaito still maintained a polite demeanor. "Nagasaki-san, long time no see."
"Oh oh, long time no see," Nagasaki-san snapped back to reality. After all, they were a couple. Giving flowers to each other was totally normal. It was she who overreacted.
Besides, she was happy to see the affection between her future son-in-law and daughter. She wished they'd speed things up even more. She was already eager to help Soyo raise their child.
As a career woman, her social skills were excellent. Nagasaki-san didn't linger on the topic. After a few simple pleasantries, she led the two to the dining table.
Still the same location, still the same seats, but their statuses had changed dramatically.
Kaito originally thought that tonight's dinner must have some deeper purpose. Nagasaki-san must have invited him to her home for dinner in order to evaluate him and put him through some tests. It was only natural for a parent to think that way.
But things turned out completely differently than he expected.
The entire dinner atmosphere was peaceful, no hidden daggers, no lurking killing intent. Toward the future son-in-law she had taken a liking to at first sight, Nagasaki-san was satisfied in all respects. Handsome, good character, well-mannered, if she were thirty years younger, where would Soyo's turn even be?
The reason she specially made time today to invite Kaito over for dinner was actually very simple.
"E-E-E-E-Engagement?", Hearing that explosive sensitive word from her mother's mouth, the brown-haired girl who had been hugging her bouquet and smiling foolishly suddenly snapped back to reality. She nearly jumped out of her seat.
"Is it really that surprising?", Nagasaki-san looked at her daughter strangely, "For couples, this kind of thing is perfectly normal, isn't it?"
"B-But", Soyo bit her lip, eyes darting about, "Isn't my age still a little too young"
"No, it isn't. Around this time next year, you'll be legally allowed to submit a marriage registration form with the one you love."
Nagasaki-san knocked her on the forehead. In Japan, there's no such thing as a "marriage certificate." Instead, there's a "kon'in todoke," a marriage registration form submitted to the local city office. One must be twenty to apply.
Soyo was currently nineteen, still a year away from the legal marriage age. To avoid any unexpected changes during this time, of course she wanted to lock things in early and make sure her daughter wouldn't be snatched away.
"But no matter what", Nagasaki Soyo still looked conflicted, not because she didn't want to become Kaito's official fiance, but because she felt guilty.
She hadn't forgotten, she came after the others. Kaito's first girlfriend was actually Miura.
'Stealing someone else's boyfriend is already bad enough, even though Miura-san doesn't seem to mind'
'But if I were to snatch away even the title of fiance, won't even Buddha shed bloody tears?'
After hesitating for a long time, she still shook her head, "It's too early to talk about this right now. And also it depends on what Kaito-kun thinks."
Actually, Kaito had no objections.
Back then, even Mrs. Miura had wanted him and Yumiko to get engaged first, but the shy Yumiko turned it down.
Now Soyo seemed hesitant too. Though he didn't quite understand, he chose to respect the girl's wishes. After all, there was plenty of time ahead, no need to rush.
Since the girl concerned said so, Nagasaki-san, though disappointed, couldn't press further.
But she still hadn't given up, just shifted to Plan B.
Since her daughter wasn't planning on getting engaged just yet, getting a grandchild early was just as good.
Right after dinner, she pretended to take a phone call, then left home under the excuse of company business, leaving the young couple with ample alone time.
With the "mountain" that was her mother out of the way, the brown-haired girl who had been suppressing herself all this time could finally be a little more honest.
Her nimble fingers fluttered like butterflies among flowers, and without thinking, she linked her fingers with her lover's.
The moon shyly hid behind the clouds.
The night grew deeper.
"Ahhh! Boring, so boring!"
In the brightly lit bedroom, Mortis in only a short sleeve and hotpants was rolling around on the bed hugging a pillow. After tossing and turning for a while, she suddenly sat up, "Mutsumi, what do you think Onii-chan is doing right now?"
Wakaba Mutsumi was silent for two seconds and gave a quality answer, "I don't know."
Mortis looked a bit dejected.
But it wasn't long before she perked up again and asked seriously, "Then do you think if I send Onii-chan a message now, will I be disturbing him?"
'That's obvious,' Mutsumi thought for a moment but didn't reply like that. She simply said, "If you're curious, you can ask Soyo."
That way, she wouldn't disturb Brother and could indirectly find out what was happening.
If Soyo replied quickly, it meant they weren't doing anything.
If not
"That's right!", Mortis had a sudden realization, quickly pulled out her phone, opened a certain chat window, and after much hesitation, typed and sent a message.
[Soyo, is Onii-chan with you?]
[I have something I want to ask him, do you know what he's doing?]
A moment later:
[Nagasaki Soyo: Me.]
Mortis: ???
Mortis looked utterly confused. But before she could respond, the chat window vibrated again.
[Nagasaki Soyo: Don't know either.]
'That phrasing feels a little weird, doesn't it?'
The green-haired girl furrowed her brows in confusion and followed up with a few specific questions.
But this time, after waiting a long while, the messages she sent remained in "unread" status.
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Chapter 258: Sorry, Hands Are Full Again
The next day, clear skies.
The pleasant ringtone of an incoming call rang out like thunder, shattering the morning silence.
A slender white jade-like arm reached out from under the covers. The brown-haired girl who had toiled all night blinked her eyes in a daze, her delicate fingertips fumbling for quite a while on the bedside table before finally touching something hard.
She brought the phone to her face and unlocked the screen. The previously noisy ringtone had already faded, leaving only a striking notification on the message bar.
[Caller: Mortis]
'A call from Mortis?'
Nagasaki Soyo yawned lazily. The girl's fair face still carried a faint blush, her long lashes drooping, eyes misty like an elegant Ragdoll cat curled up on a sofa, dozing contentedly after a full meal.
She didn't call back immediately. Instead, she opened the chat window between them. Over forty unread messages sat there, displayed pathetically on the screen.
[Soyo, are you still there?]
[Are you busy? Or didn't see the messages?]
[Why aren't you replying?]
[Brother's phone isn't going through either! What exactly are you two doing?]
[Hey! At least reply to me!!!!!]
The tone at the beginning was still friendly, very much like chatting with a bestie.
But perhaps due to the lack of reply for too long, the girl on the other side of the screen seemed to be getting anxious.
The last message was sent at 2:30 a.m., consisting of three bright red, fuming soybean emojis, followed by a long row of exclamation marks. One could easily imagine the teeth-gritting mood she was in when typing them.
Nagasaki Soyo tried to recall what she had been doing at that time.
Oh right, she remembered.
She had been immersed in a sea of knowledge then, completely losing awareness of the outside world, focused to the point of self-forgetfulness.
Actually, Kaito had noticed the message alert and wanted to pause the tutoring session so she could respond. But the learning-addicted her had refused and instead urged him to continue the lesson.
'Gotta say, the feeling of having knowledge explode in your brain was pretty great.'
Soyo subconsciously rubbed her flat and firm lower abdomen. It was as if she could still feel that familiar warmth. A nostalgic expression flickered on her charming face.
She really hated having emotional distance with her lover, so she never used any kind of barrier devices, 'Last night has gone on for so long, could it be that there might be a little baby?'
'But thinking it through, maybe that won't be so bad?'
At the very least, her mother would definitely be happy. She was dying to hold a grandson and nagged about it non-stop every day, making Soyo feel deeply troubled.
The only hassle would be having to take a year off from school, which would affect her studies a bit, but honestly, that wasn't a big deal.
For most people, going to school was just to find a good job in the future. But what the Nagasaki family lacked least was money. The wealth her mother had worked so hard to build was enough for both mother and daughter to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
Bzzz~
Suddenly, the phone began to vibrate violently. Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe Mortis had been watching the screen the whole time. The moment all the messages turned from "unread" to "read," the urgent ringtone followed right after.
"Good morning, Mortis."
People tend to be in a good mood after eating and resting well. Soyo was no exception. Anyone could hear the delight in her voice.
