Aoi flopped onto the couch with an exaggerated sigh, her textbook tumbling to the floor. "Why does homework exist? I need a break!" she groaned, staring up at the ceiling in despair.
The sound of the doorbell startled her out of her misery. She sat up, curious. Kazuki had mentioned earlier that he'd be out running errands all day.
"Coming!" Aoi called, hopping off the couch and padding to the door.
When she opened it, Shizuka stood there, holding a small bag in one hand and a cheerful smile on her face.
"Hi, Aoi! Is Kazuki home?"
Aoi shook her head. "Nope. He abandoned me to my homework." She stepped aside to let Shizuka in. "But you can hang out with me instead!"
Shizuka laughed softly as she slipped off her shoes. "I'll take that as an invitation. I brought some snacks, too."
Aoi's eyes lit up at the sight of the bag. "Snacks? You're officially my favorite person now!"
The two girls settled in the living room, surrounded by an array of chips, cookies, and soda. Aoi quickly forgot her homework woes as Shizuka unpacked the treats.
"So, what's the plan?" Shizuka asked, popping open a can of soda.
Aoi grinned mischievously. "We could prank Onii-chan when he gets back!"
Shizuka giggled. "What kind of prank?"
"Well, last time, I put a fake spider in his drawer, and he nearly jumped out of his skin!" Aoi said, laughing at the memory.
Shizuka raised an eyebrow. "I thought Kazuki wasn't scared of anything?"
"Oh, he pretends he's not, but everyone has a weakness," Aoi replied with a smug expression.
They brainstormed various ideas, from hiding his slippers to swapping out the sugar in the kitchen with salt. The room was filled with laughter as they imagined Kazuki's reactions.
After a while, Shizuka glanced at the pile of books on the coffee table. "How's your homework going, by the way?"
Aoi groaned dramatically, flopping face-first onto the couch. "Don't remind me. It's impossible!"
Shizuka reached over and picked up one of the books. "Come on, let's do it together. I'm sure it's not that bad."
"You're way too nice," Aoi muttered, sitting up reluctantly.
The two of them worked through a few problems together, with Shizuka patiently explaining concepts while Aoi occasionally tried to distract her with random questions.
"Why are you so smart, Shizuka?" Aoi asked, resting her chin on her hands. "Is it because you're Onii-chan's girlfriend?"
Shizuka blushed slightly but smiled. "I don't think being his girlfriend has anything to do with it."
"Well, you're a genius compared to me," Aoi said, pouting.
Shizuka reached over and ruffled her hair. "You're smarter than you give yourself credit for. You just need to focus a little more."
Aoi pretended to grumble but secretly appreciated the encouragement.
Later, as the sun began to set, the two decided to take a break. Shizuka suggested they try out some simple nail art, and Aoi eagerly agreed.
"Wow, Shizuka, you're so good at this!" Aoi exclaimed as Shizuka carefully painted tiny flowers on her nails.
"It's just practice," Shizuka replied, concentrating on her work.
When they finished, Aoi admired her nails with a big smile. "Onii-chan's going to be so jealous of how cool I look now."
Shizuka laughed. "I'm sure he'll be impressed."
Just as they were cleaning up, the sound of the front door opening caught their attention.
"I'm back," Kazuki called from the hallway.
Aoi and Shizuka exchanged mischievous grins.
"Quick, hide the snacks!" Aoi whispered.
By the time Kazuki walked into the living room, the two girls were sitting innocently on the couch, pretending to be engrossed in Aoi's homework.
Kazuki narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why do I feel like something's going on?"
"Nothing at all, Onii-chan," Aoi said, flashing him a sweet smile.
Shizuka struggled to hold back her laughter, but Kazuki's raised eyebrow said he wasn't convinced.
The rest of the evening was filled with playful banter and teasing, the warm camaraderie between the three making it a memorable day.