Haruto rarely crosses paths with Haruka these days. Mornings and nights were a blur for both of them—Haruka left early for school and returned home late, collapsing straight into bed.
Meanwhile, Haruto's late-night dog cage fights kept him busy, and even weekends seldom brought their schedules into sync.
But today was different.
As he descended the stairs, Haruto paused, spotting Haruka at the dining table. She was seated with a book propped open, her face scrunched in concentration as she read.
Her hand absentmindedly brought a piece of bread to her mouth.
A grin tugged at his lips as he crept closer. Without warning, he placed his hands over her eyes.
"Guess who?" he teased.
Haruka stiffened, then let out an exasperated sigh. "Brother, we're not kids anymore!" she protested, swatting at his hands.
Haruto laughed, withdrawing his hands and taking the seat beside her.