"Nothing has changed between us. It's the same as before. More importantly, you should give a heads-up before coming over."
I had a feeling that Shinobu might show up soon, but her sudden visit disrupted my plans. I wanted to take my time loving Kaya, but now my time is being wasted dealing with Shinobu.
"...I apologize for that. But isn't it a bit unreasonable to say that things are the same as before?"
"What do you mean? By the way, your face is a bit red. Did something happen?"
I couldn't understand what she was implying. Nothing has changed between us. If anything, the only difference is that the way I express my love has increased, but our relationship itself remains the same. What caught my attention more was why Shinobu's face was red—it wasn't hot in the room.
"Are you really the one asking that? If anything happened, it happened on your side."
"Huh? I don't understand."
"Anyhow, please contact us next time before coming!"
"...Ah, yes, I'll do that. Next time, I'll make sure to give you a heads-up."
"Please do. Sister, could you make dinner?"
"Yes, of course."
I didn't quite understand what was going on, but since the conversation seemed to have settled, I shifted my focus. Well, it's too late now that she's here, so I'll prepare dinner, including for Shinobu, and head to the kitchen. Fortunately, I had enough ingredients, so I could simply adjust from cooking for two to three.
As I started working in the kitchen, I noticed the two of them whispering about something. For some reason, both of them had slightly flushed cheeks. I couldn't imagine Kaya being swayed by Shinobu, and the reverse seemed equally unlikely. But it didn't feel good to have them whispering without me.
"Hey, Shinobu. You're not telling Kaya anything unnecessary, are you?"
"Of course not. But Kaya, if your sister ever does something terrible to you, you can always come to my place. I'll do whatever I can to protect you."
"I would never do something terrible! Seriously."
How rude. I couldn't leave them alone together, who knows what she might say. Even so, I couldn't just serve Kaya something hastily made, so I finished the cooking as quickly and carefully as possible.
We all joined hands, said our greetings, and started eating. Judging by their reactions, it seemed the meal turned out well. After the lively meal, I washed the dishes. Now that we'd finished preparing for bed, the only thing left was to spend time with Kaya. But for that to happen, Shinobu needed to leave.
"So, could you go home now?"
"Would it be inappropriate to ask why?"
"Because, obviously, I want to love Kaya as soon as possible."
"Stop it!"
"Sister, what are you saying?!"
"What's the matter, Kaya?"
Kaya's sudden flustered voice was cute, but I didn't understand why she was so agitated, so I asked her.
"What do you mean, 'what's the matter'? You can't just say things like that to people!"
"Why not? My body is yours, and your body is mine. There's nothing to be embarrassed about."
"Hmmm, just be quiet, sister!"
"Well, I suppose Kaya is going to have her hands full with you, isn't she?"
"I won't let that happen. I'll make sure she's too happy to ever even think about such things—"
Before I could finish, Kaya, her face bright red, covered my mouth with her hand. Why was she so upset? As I was pondering this, Shinobu suddenly burst out laughing. Both Kaya and I were startled, and after she had laughed to her heart's content, Shinobu began to speak.
"Oh, I'm so relieved. I've never seen you so expressive before, Yuu. Kaya, please continue to take care of Yuu."
With a serious expression, Shinobu said that. I wanted to retort that she had no business saying such things, but I couldn't because Kaya had silenced me. Kaya nodded once and firmly replied, "Yes." Seeing her smile so full of love stirred up an indescribable emotion deep within me.
After confirming that Shinobu had left and the door was closed, I immediately lifted Kaya and carried her to the bed. Fortunately, tomorrow is Saturday, a day off. As I watched the adorable Kaya fuss and resist, I decided to spend the night showering her with love.