Kazuki woke up to the familiar smell of miso soup drifting through the house. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he made his way to the kitchen, surprised to find Aoi bustling around, setting out breakfast.
"Onii-chan, good morning!" Aoi greeted him cheerfully, flashing him a bright smile as she poured tea.
"Morning, Aoi," Kazuki replied, still half-asleep. "What's with the enthusiastic cooking?"
"I thought it'd be nice to make breakfast today," she replied, though Kazuki had a sneaking suspicion she was up to something.
Just as they sat down, the doorbell rang. Before Kazuki could even react, Aoi was already up, moving toward the door with an unusual swiftness.
"It's Shizuka, right?" she called back, not waiting for his answer as she opened the door.
Kazuki's suspicions were confirmed as Shizuka's cheerful "Morning!" rang out through the house. She strolled in with her usual energy, beaming as she spotted Kazuki. "Oh, breakfast! Aoi, you're amazing!"
Aoi turned back, hiding a smirk. "It's nothing. Just thought I'd make sure my onii-chan has a proper breakfast—especially since he's always busy with *someone* these days."
Kazuki noticed a faint edge in Aoi's tone, and Shizuka seemed to pick up on it, too. She grinned, unfazed. "You're so thoughtful, Aoi! But I've got to make sure Kazuki has fun, too, right?"
They both looked at Kazuki, who suddenly found his breakfast very interesting.
After a tense silence, Aoi broke the ice with a small smile. "So, onii-chan, any plans today? I was thinking we could hang out together."
Shizuka tilted her head, pretending to think. "Actually, Kazuki and I were supposed to catch a new ice cream stand in town."
Aoi raised an eyebrow, not missing a beat. "Onii-chan loves chocolate mint ice cream, right? I know all his favorite flavors."
Kazuki cleared his throat, feeling like he was suddenly in the middle of a showdown. "How about we all go together?" he suggested, hoping to defuse the situation.
"Perfect!" Shizuka agreed, beaming at Aoi. "Let's make it a fun day out."
Aoi seemed to hesitate for a moment but then nodded, flashing a smile at Kazuki. "Sounds good, onii-chan."
---
The three of them walked through the bustling streets, surrounded by the lively sounds of summer—the chatter of people, the aroma of street food, and the laughter of children. Kazuki found himself sandwiched between Aoi and Shizuka, each holding onto one of his arms as they strolled through the shops.
It wasn't long before they found the ice cream stand. Aoi practically dragged Kazuki over, giving Shizuka a triumphant look as she handed him a chocolate mint cone.
"Here you go, onii-chan. Your favorite," she said with a proud smile.
Shizuka, not one to be outdone, quickly ordered a swirl of flavors and handed it to Kazuki with a grin. "Try this one! It's a limited edition—they only make it in the summer!"
Kazuki held both cones, looking between the two girls with a helpless smile. "Thanks, both of you. I… really don't need two cones, though."
"Just try them!" Aoi insisted, watching him expectantly.
Shizuka crossed her arms, smirking. "Yes, Kazuki, we're waiting!"
Kazuki sighed and took a bite of Aoi's cone, which earned him an approving smile from her. Then, he tasted Shizuka's, nodding as he tried to play diplomat. "They're… both really good?"
Aoi's eyes narrowed, her smile tightening. "Of course they are. Mine was picked just for you, after all."
Shizuka laughed, giving Aoi a teasing look. "I see you haven't changed at all, Aoi. Still the possessive little sister?"
Aoi's smile grew sharper. "Just making sure my onii-chan doesn't get stolen away, that's all."
Kazuki laughed nervously, interrupting before their friendly rivalry could get too intense. "Why don't we walk down to the pier? There's a nice spot to sit by the water."
They made their way to the pier, where Aoi and Shizuka sat on either side of Kazuki. They watched the waves for a while, enjoying the peaceful scene.
Aoi leaned her head on Kazuki's shoulder, sighing contently. "This is the best way to spend summer break, don't you think, onii-chan?"
Kazuki smiled softly, patting her head. "Yeah, it's nice."
Not one to be left out, Shizuka nudged him playfully. "Hey, Kazuki, you should lean on me too. Fair is fair, right?"
Aoi shot Shizuka a look, tightening her grip on Kazuki's arm. "I think he's comfortable enough as is."
"Oh, really?" Shizuka challenged, leaning in closer until she was nearly cheek-to-cheek with Kazuki.
Kazuki could feel his face heating up, sandwiched between two of the most important people in his life, each tugging on his arm in silent competition.
"Alright, alright!" he said, laughing to break the tension. "You two are going to pull me apart if you keep this up."
They both let go, each muttering a soft "Sorry" with a sheepish smile. For a moment, they shared a laugh, the rivalry forgotten.
As they made their way back home that evening, Aoi walked beside Kazuki, looking up at him with a smile. "Today was fun, onii-chan."
Kazuki smiled, ruffling her hair. "Glad you enjoyed it."
Shizuka caught his other side, nudging him with a playful smirk. "Hey, don't forget, I was the one who organized this day out."
Kazuki chuckled, putting an arm around each of them. "Thanks to both of you. It's not summer without some chaos, right?"
And with that, they walked off into the sunset, laughter trailing behind them as they enjoyed the long, lazy days of summer.