It was eight o'clock in the morning, and Hachiman rose from his slumber, making his way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
"Ha... good morning, Onii-chan."
Shortly thereafter, Komachi also entered the living room, her eyes heavy with sleep as she greeted him.
"Good morning, Komachi."
He offered a slight smile and carried on with his cooking.
"Why don't you go wash up first? Breakfast will be ready in no time."
"Mhm." Komachi nodded and wandered into the bathroom.
Before long, she returned, having freshened up, and Hachiman had completed the breakfast.
"Breakfast is egg bacon sandwiches and milk. Komachi, you can go ahead and eat first," he suggested before heading to the bathroom.
Upon his return from the bathroom, Hachiman discovered that Komachi's breakfast remained untouched; it seemed she had been waiting for him.
With an affectionate smile, Hachiman gently tousled her hair.
"I told you to start eating without waiting for me."
"Oh, Onii-chan, you don't understand. A family should have breakfast together; it's like a little ritual." Komachi nuzzled his warm hand with her head, her voice soft and affectionate.
Listening to her words, Hachiman fell into a brief silence.
Family, huh?
Truth be told, he only considered his younger sister Komachi as his true family now. His original parents held no special place in his heart.
Perhaps, once he had amassed enough money, his first act would be to leave this house behind.
"Onii-chan, what's on your mind?" Komachi's face twisted into a puzzled expression upon seeing him lost in thought.
"I'm alright. Come on, let's have breakfast."
Her words snapped Hachiman out of his reverie, and he gazed at her endearing countenance. For the moment, he pushed his thoughts aside and pulled out a chair, settling in.
"Let's dig in." As he took his seat, Komachi clasped her hands and recited the customary pre-meal phrase before eagerly grabbing a sandwich.
"Mmm... Onii-chan's breakfast is absolutely delicious." Her eyes transformed into crescent moons as she savored the flavors in her mouth.
"If you like it, I can make it for you every day." Her praise filled Hachiman with a sense of accomplishment; perhaps he truly had a soft spot for his little sister.
"Hey, Onii-chan, how about we go out and have some fun after breakfast?" Swallowing her last bite, Komachi made an enticing proposition.
"Go out and have fun?" Hachiman was taken aback.
"Yeah, you've been occupied with other things every weekend lately. It's been a while since we had an outing together." Komachi pouted slightly, her personality brimming with liveliness and activity. With their parents absent, Hachiman was the only one who could accompany her outside.
But for the past few weeks, Hachiman had been engaged with various commitments on the weekends, leaving her to pass the time at home.
"Sure, I don't have any plans for today." Hearing her request, Hachiman readily agreed.
Truthfully, he had no concrete plans for the day, and a chance to unwind was a rare opportunity.
"Wow, that's fantastic."
"But, Onii-chan, are you sure there are no girls asking you out today?"
"I wouldn't want to intrude on your date, after all."
As she concluded her sentence, Komachi regarded Hachiman with a hint of suspicion in her eyes.
It wasn't entirely surprising for Komachi to entertain such thoughts, given that her Onii-chan now seemed to be acquainted with quite a few girls, and they appeared to have a good rapport.
"Where did you get the idea that I have so many girls asking me out?" Hachiman retorted, a bemused expression on his face.
"Really?" Komachi raised a skeptical brow.
She could count at least three girls who were on close terms with him: Yui, Kotonoha, and the kendo club senpai who had visited their house just the day before. Who knew how many more might be lurking beyond her knowledge.
It was odd. When did her Onii-chan become such a hit with the ladies?
Back in middle school, he hadn't had any friends to speak of, and now, after only a month or so in high school, he appeared to be veering toward a more conventional path.
"No, really, I don't have any dates lined up this week," Hachiman reassured her with a hint of exasperation.
"Well, that's good to know."
Observing that he didn't seem to be fabricating the truth, Komachi also eased her concerns.
After Hachiman had tidied up the dishes, the two siblings departed from their home together.
Since it was early May, the weather was pleasantly mild.
Strolling along the quiet residential streets, a gentle breeze wafted by, eliciting a contented smile from Komachi.
"It feels so nice, Onii-chan. Weekends are made for going out and having fun," Komachi remarked, relishing the cool morning breeze.
Feeling the pleasant mood, Hachiman couldn't help but agree. It seemed that an occasional outing wasn't such a bad idea.
Observing the joyful smile on Komachi's face, he extended his hand and tousled her hair affectionately, saying, "Alright, let's go for a leisurely stroll."
"Okay."
Since their decision to go out had been rather impromptu, the siblings didn't have any concrete plans. They simply ambled along.
Following the winding roads of the residential area, Hachiman and Komachi eventually arrived at a park.
"Onii-chan, look, this is the park we used to come to when we were little."
As Hachiman gazed at the modest park, he, too, found himself lost in recollections.
During their early years, their parents had been perpetually absorbed in work, leaving Hachiman to shoulder the responsibility of looking after his younger sister as the older sibling.
In her younger days, Komachi had often yearned to venture outdoors and play. However, Hachiman was relatively young himself at the time, and they couldn't wander too far from home.
This park represented the outermost boundary they could venture to in those days.
Thus, this unassuming park held a special place in their childhood memories.
Observing the familiar swing set, Komachi settled herself onto one and beamed. "Do you remember, Onii-chan?"
"When I was little, my absolute favorite thing to do was swing on this swing."
The park offered limited play equipment, and the image of her brother pushing her on the swing remained one of her most cherished childhood memories.
"Then today, I'll give you a good push, just like old times."
As he watched Komachi seated on the swing, Hachiman's mind also revisited his own childhood memories. This, too, was among the rare beautiful recollections he cherished.
With a gentle shove, the swing carrying Komachi began to sway back and forth.
"Hahaha..."
The swing's rhythmic movement prompted joyful laughter from Komachi.
However, after a while, as the swing gradually slowed down, Komachi's mood seemed to shift, losing some of its earlier buoyancy.
"What's the matter, Komachi?" Hachiman inquired, perplexed by her change in demeanor.
"Onii-chan, do you think we can always be together like this?"
"We'll definitely continue living together. Why would you ask something like that?" Hachiman replied, his smile unwavering.
"But, Onii-chan, you're already 16. After high school, you can get married," Komachi expressed, her tone tinged with concern.
From her perspective, her older brother was already in high school, and due to societal changes, the legal marriage age had been lowered to 18 for men and 16 for women. Consequently, many people chose to wed after completing high school.
If Onii-chan were to marry in the future, would they still be able to maintain their current happy life together?
Could she continue to live happily alongside her future sister-in-law?
Contemplating the possibility, a sense of trepidation welled up within Komachi.