"Bye-bye~ Let's meet again~"
"Alright, see you~"
At 9:07 p.m., the brightly lit pub was still bustling with noise.
People coming and going were accustomed to farewells after gatherings, so they paid little attention.
At most, they glanced a few times at the tall boy in a dark gray shirt and the tall, sexy girl in dark denim shorts leaning against his shoulder.
Good-looking people always attract more attention.
It's nothing more than for one's own visual pleasure.
Ignoring the gazes from others, Sasaki supported Yuuka, who was unsteady on her feet from 'drunkenness,' letting her lean against him.
Listening to her murmur goodbyes to their classmates, he shifted his gaze from the distant flashing neon lights to her face.
The neon lights cast various colors on Yuuka's charming, rosy cheeks, making her look enchanting.
Combined with the sweet, warm scent of alcohol wafting from her, it was hard not to want to do something to her.
Sasaki was a normal man, and although he couldn't respond to her feelings for certain reasons, it didn't mean he wanted to reject or distance himself from her.
On the contrary, he wanted to play dumb and make her like him even more.
This was also insurance to prevent Yuuka from letting go when things eventually came to light.
Feeling the cool breeze brush his hair, Sasaki took off his dark gray shirt and draped it over her shoulders, then quietly carried her on his back.
Since she was pretending to be drunk, it meant she wanted him to do something for her.
Maybe she wanted him to hold her tight while teasing her drunken state.
Or perhaps she wanted him to see her looking so helpless and kiss her warm, soft cheeks.
Or maybe...
There were too many possibilities, and Sasaki couldn't read minds to guess her exact thoughts.
But her desire to be close to him was certain.
Because she was pretending to be drunk, Sasaki saw no need for a conspicuous princess carry to prevent her from throwing up on him.
And since the school was only a thirty-minute walk away, and he didn't want to avoid her, they didn't take a cab.
Instead, they walked back.
After they had gone some distance, Toda Ken, dressed in expensive casual clothes, emerged from an alley, speaking to a red-haired delinquent with his hands in his pockets, frowning and rubbing his eyes:
"Did you see clearly? It's the guy in the white short-sleeve shirt."
Confirming that the target was his boss, Nogami glared and turned his head to ask:
"Him? Are you sure?"
"Positive!"
Not detecting the oddity in his tone, Toda Ken thought he was simply confirming the target and nodded firmly.
"Do you know who he is?"
Sensing the strangeness in Nogami's voice, the latter asked with a frown, thinking Sasaki might be a tough character:
"Who?"
"He's my close friend, my confidant and brother."
'Well... He did kick me in the stomach, so calling him a blood brother isn't too much...'
"Do you delinquents even care about that?"
Thinking this group of greedy delinquents just wanted more money, Toda Ken smirked inwardly and said:
"I can pay more."
With that, he pulled out five more 10,000 yen bills:
"I'll add another fifty thousand."
To be honest, just teaching someone a lesson for that much was a windfall.
If it had been earlier, he wouldn't have had any reason to refuse.
But the target was...
Rubbing his still sore stomach, Nogami slapped the guy in front of him:
"You know I'm a delinquent, right? So if I beat you up, all your money is mine."
With that, the money in his hand scattered like falling petals.
Reeling from the slap, Toda Ken staggered and fell, clutching his cheek now marked with a red handprint, full of anger and disbelief as he looked at the sneering red-haired delinquent:
"You dare hit me?"
Picking up the money, Nogami signaled his companions to keep watch and grinned at him:
"Heh~ You're funny. I'm a high school delinquent. Who wouldn't I dare hit?"
Under normal circumstances, a delinquent like Nogami, who has parents and indulges in fights and trouble for the thrill, wouldn't usually lay a hand on a rich kid.
If the parents of a wealthy child found out their kid was beaten, they'd certainly use their connections to retaliate.
This kind of retaliation often escalates to a family level.
So, delinquents like Nogami, who have something to lose, generally avoid provoking wealthy kids.
But this time was different.
The person this guy wanted to beat up wasn't just someone Nogami couldn't defeat, but he also had leverage over him.
Considering Sasaki's monstrous strength, if he truly wanted to harm Nogami's family...
To prevent such a disastrous scenario, Nogami had to firmly stand by Sasaki's side.
Of course, that meant standing by Sasaki's side and informing him that someone was out to get him.
But for Nogami to burn all bridges and offend Toda Ken, that wasn't enough.
However, thinking deeper...
Todake was just a kid with some money, nothing special.
On the other hand, Sasaki's evident combat prowess suggested his family ran a dojo.
Because how could a child from an ordinary family be so good at fighting?
In this country, running a dojo meant having a legacy.
Such a well-established family was far superior to a merely wealthy one like this guy's.
If Nogami could earn Sasaki's approval, he'd have a reliable backer if he ever got into real trouble.
And this guy, right in front of him, was his ticket to loyalty.
Toda Ken wanted to say some tough words to save face, but the strength disparity made him know that being tough now would only bring him pain.
So, after pulling out all the money he had, he hung his head and silently tried to leave.
But since he had already offended him, how could Nogami let him go so easily?
"Stop, did I let you go?"
Nogami stuffed the money into his arms, smiling and looking extremely frivolous, and walked to Toda Ken and put his hand on his shoulder:
"I know you are angry and you will take revenge on us when you return. Tell me, how can I resolve the conflict between you and me?"
Resolve?
When I get back, I'll make sure you stay in the hospital forever!
Thinking such harsh thoughts, Toda Ken forced a smile and waved:
"This money was just for drinks with the boys. It's nothing serious, how can I retaliate for such small thing."
"But..."
"Without something to hold over you, I can't trust you."
After being threatened by Sasaki and feeling the helpless resentment of having something held over him, Nogami found the tactic effective and decided to use it himself so he turned to his companions:
"Strip him, take photos!"
?!
Upon hearing "something to hold over you," Toda Ken felt a sense of foreboding.
When he realized Nogami's plan, his eyes widened in terror:
"No, don't, listen to me, really, I won't cause you any trouble, believe me, believe me, I really won't cause you any trouble!"
"Enough talk!"
Nogami kicked him towards the wall and grabbed his white undershirt.
"No, stop! Don't!"
"Yamero!!!" (a street name)
......
The night was hazy, and the late May breeze was neither as cold as in February nor as scorching as in August.
The perfect coolness and comfort were akin to Yuuka rubbing her head against Sasaki's neck, making him feel both ticklish and pleased.
Walking along the main road, the boy was somewhat helpless against her drunk antics to express her feelings.
"Stupid brother~ I like you~"
"Like~"
Knowing she was pretending to be drunk, Sasaki played dumb.
"What do you like?"
"Like~"
"What do you like?"
"..."
Hearing no more murmuring, Sasaki could clearly feel her breathing become heavier next to his ear.
Then, as if throwing a tantrum, Yuuka, lying on the boy's back, started acting restless.
"Mm~ So hot!"
"..."
This is too fake.
Who says they're hot and doesn't take off their clothes, but instead moves their legs back and forth?
Knowing Yuuka was unwilling and was throwing a tantrum, Sasaki gently pinched the soft flesh above the bend of her knee, soothing her:
"Sister Yuuka be good~ Listen to me~"
"I like obedient Sister Yuuka the most~"
Hearing Sasaki's words, the girl initially wanted to fuss a bit more to get more comforting words from him.
But his last sentence hit her heart directly, making her quiet down.
He said he liked her~
Wiggling her feet encased in black stockings, feeling warm and comfortable, she continued to nuzzle Sasaki's neck like a cat.
'Silly sister~'
Tilting his head, his cheek touching her forehead, the boy looked at the indistinct shadows on the ground, sighing in his heart.
Catching the night breeze, they arrived at Yuuka's school gate, where Sasaki took out his phone and called Koharu.
"Hello, Fuyumi~"
"Sister Koharu, are you busy?"
"No, Fuyumi, go ahead."
Hearing the soft and warm voice, as gentle as cotton basked in the sun, Sasaki exchanged simple pleasantries and said:
"Sister Yuuka had a club get-together, and I followed along. She's drunk now, so I brought her to the school gate. Can you come and pick her up?"
"Oh, okay~ Which gate are you at?"
"The east gate."
"Alright, I'm coming over now~"
Not long after hanging up, Sasaki, with his sharp eyesight, saw Sister Koharu running towards the school gate from afar.
Compared to Sister Yuuka's well-proportioned and athletic figure, Sister Koharu was more voluptuous, with a larger bust.
In appearance and figure, she resembled Aunt Kyouka, but with long hair and a more gentle and elegant demeanor.
Full-figured people typically don't like wearing tight clothes when relaxing, and Koharu was no exception.
Perhaps due to the cool night, the girl had swapped her daytime beige mid-length dress for a loose gray-and-white tracksuit.
Her waist-length hair remained untied, slightly disheveled in the cool night breeze as she jogged over.
Because of her bulging, domineering breasts, the plump Sister Koharu gradually lost the right to run since junior high school.
It's not that she can't run, but carrying two large "watermelons" on her chest makes it very strenuous.
However, when it came to seeing Sasaki, Koharu felt that the effort was worth it.
Jogging all the way to the boy, she was so tired that her face turned red, and she squatted down, panting heavily.
"Fu, Fuyumi~"
"Sister Koharu, no rush. If you exhaust yourself, I'll feel guilty."
With Sister Yuuka on his back, Sasaki couldn't squat down to wipe Sister Koharu's sweat, so he leaned slightly:
"Sister Koharu, I have tissues in my pocket."
"Oh, okay~"
As she straightened up to reach for the tissues, Sasaki caught a whiff of her shower gel scent:
"Suster Koharu, did you just take a bath? Sorry for making you sweat again."
After a quick wipe of her forehead and catching her breath, the girl stood up and reached out to wipe Sasaki's forehead with the tissues:
"It's alright, I can just take another shower~"
"Fuyumi, you must be tired too, carrying Yuuka all this way, right?"
Adjusting the still-pretending girl on his back, Sasaki felt the warmth of her body pressed against him and smiled, shaking his head:
"Nope, I enjoy it."
Hearing this, Yuuka, knowing her silly brother might be dense but was still a boy who liked soft, big chests, hugged his neck a bit tighter, pressing the big soft mounds into thin layers.
"Wow! Fuyumi and Yuuka have such a good relationship~"
The naturally pure Koharu didn't catch Sasaki's subtle hint, and assumed he meant it wasn't tiring because it was Yuuka.
With a bit of envy, she muttered softly.
Understanding the importance of treating everyone fairly, Sasaki knew he couldn't ignore what he heard.
Walking a few steps forward, he lowered his head to bump Koharu's slightly warm forehead and said:
"My relationship with you is just as good, Sister Koharu. If you were drunk, I'd carry you home too."
"In my heart, both Yuuka and you are the best sisters."
The naturally simple-hearted Koharu wouldn't delve deeper into who Sasaki thought was better. Hearing his sincere words, she was easily comforted and nodded happily:
"Fu-chan is also the best brother~"
"Hehe~"
With a squinting smile, Sasaki gently crouched down and let the slumbering girl off his back:
"We'll chat more tomorrow.
Sister Yuuka is drunk and shouldn't stay outside for long."
"Yes, yes~" Moving forward, supporting the girl's arm and letting her lean against her, Koharu was about to offer her jacket to Sasaki but heard him say:
"Let her keep it. I'm not cold."
"That won't do~" she said, about to take off her own jacket.
But Sasaki quickly stepped forward and grabbed her hand poised to unzip, and said:
"See, my hands aren't cold. You just sweated, and taking off your jacket could make you catch a cold. If you get sick, I'd have to ask for leave to take care of you."
Knowing that Sasaki had recently returned to school and was under a lot of academic pressure, Koharu couldn't let him take leave.
So she didn't argue further.
"I'll head back to the dormitory then~"
"Yes, go ahead."
Waving his hand, Sasaki looked the two figures fade into the distance.
And then took out his phone, glancing at the message Nogami had just sent, along with a photo.
---