Haruto left.
Shoko covered her flushed cheeks, rolling back and forth on the bed, letting out a soft, frustrated groan.
Yuzuru opened the door and walked in. Seeing the scene, she stepped forward with a puzzled expression and asked, "Onee-chan, are you alright?"
What was the meaning behind this shy, sweet, and anxious expression?
What exactly did that man say to her sister?
Yuzuru raised her voice, as Shoko had hearing issues. Although she wore a hearing aid, she still had to speak loudly for her to hear clearly.
But this time was different.
Shoko quickly sat up, unconsciously clutching a pillow to her chest, and looked at her brother with her beautiful, misty eyes.
"Yuzuru, don't speak so loudly; I can hear you~"
"Huh? Onee-chan, what nonsense are you talking about?" Yuzuru asked in frustration. "Are you still worried he won't like you because of your hearing problem?"
"No."
Shoko shook her head quickly. In fact, after Haruto left for the first time today, she had worried about this in her heart.
It was natural.
How many people born with disabilities are able to maintain a confident and cheerful character since childhood?
But when Haruto kept returning and approaching her again and again, that worry faded away.
Because if Haruto didn't like her, he wouldn't have kissed her repeatedly, would he?
And each time lasted so long that Shoko felt like she might faint.
He said it was to add some kind of "buff", but Shoko didn't believe him.
After a moment of hesitation, Shoko sat beside Yuzuru, stretched her arms around her little sister, smiling softly as she whispered, "Yuzuru, it's true, I can hear."
It was her miracle.
A miracle he had brought to her.
Although she had imagined this day ever since Haruto first helped her, Shoko never thought she would recover her hearing in this way.
After all, it's just as he explained. Whether she truly believed it or not was something only Shoko knew.
"Really?"
Yuzuru instinctively looked at her sister's ears and found she wasn't wearing her hearing aid. After a moment of thought, she lowered her voice and said, "Onee-chan is really silly."
"Yuzuru!"
"Huh? You actually heard that?"
"You said it yourself; I can hear now, idiot!"
"Who's the idiot? No matter how I look at it, it's impossible for you to suddenly regain your hearing!"
"Hmm~"
Shoko was at a loss for words.
It's true that congenital hearing impairments can sometimes be resolved through surgery, but otherwise, hearing aids are the only option.
As a child, she had lost hearing in one ear due to an accident, and her other ear's hearing deteriorated despite the hearing aid.
Even after surgery, the chances of recovery were slim. So it truly was a miracle that she suddenly regained her hearing.
If she hadn't met Haruto, if not for his help, perhaps in time, she wouldn't even be able to hear her own voice.
Now she could hear the wind outside the window, the curtains flapping, the sound of an unknown bird—
And Yuzuru's familiar, childish voice.
A gentle, peaceful smile appeared on Shoko's face. She gently rested her chin on her brother's shoulder and softly said, "Yuzuru, thank you."
The sudden tenderness made Yuzuru feel a bit awkward. She fidgeted and said shyly, "Onee-chan, why are you suddenly saying this?"
"Because Yuzuru is my most adorable, sweet little sister."
"…"
Yuzuru opened her mouth, suddenly realizing her eyes were stinging. She closed her mouth, took a deep breath, and looked at the sunset outside the window.
In short, it must have been that man's doing again, right?
❀❀❀
The broad dusk gradually blanketed the earth.
Haruto stepped off the bus, bought two bottles of drinks from a vending machine near the station, and walked toward a nearby park.
He found a quiet spot and sat on a bench.
After thinking for a while, he took out his phone, found the Kamiya family's number, and made the call.
Within five seconds, the call connected.
A solemn, monotonous voice answered, "Good evening, Haruto-sama."
"Good evening."
After a brief pause, Haruto asked, "Is the fox well?"
The fox?
The Kamiya patriarch quickly realized who he meant. A wry smile appeared on his face as he replied, "The lord is concerned for you. All is well now."
Haruto was likely the only one brave enough to call the deity worshipped by the Kamiya family a "fox"!
Haruto nodded slightly. "Since all is well, let her come. I need her help with something."
"I understand. I will relay your message precisely, Haruto-sama."
Putting his phone away, Haruto touched the red string on his wrist, then glanced into the darkness.
In the shadows, a girl in a maid uniform slowly approached him, stopping by his side.
Strangely, it was the doll-like girl, Yoruha.
Yoruha bowed, then reached for the hem of her skirt, gazed at Haruto with her blue eyes, and said in a calm tone, "Master, do you need comfort from a maid?"
Haruto's mouth twitched. "What are you trying to do?"
"In the past two days, I've been reading a book titled [On the Self-Cultivation of a Maid], which details how to comfort the master after a weary day in the wilderness and—"
Haruto raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I tell you not to study randomly?"
"I wasn't studying randomly." Yoruha replied seriously. "I studied on Master's computer."
At this point, she showed a confused expression. "I don't know why, but many people say things like 'A good poster ensures a safe life'…"
So, just what kind of websites had she visited?
Yoruha straightened up, lifted her skirt, and looked at Haruto intently, then calmly asked, "Does Master need comfort from a maid?"