"Onii-chan, who was that little-sis just now?"
Shimizu Airi pointed toward the door, her eyes brimming with curiosity.
"When did our zako big bro start picking up girls?"
"Kuso!"
Fujii Shu shot her a glance and replied, "No comment."
But his cold demeanor failed to deter Shimizu Airi, who clung to him with the persistence of chewing gum.
"Tell me, come on..." Shimizu Airi's white tights settled onto his crisp white bedsheets, gently shaking Fujii Shu's arm.
Fujii Shu frowned and reluctantly pulled his arm back.
"Why do you care so much? She's about my age, so obviously, she's just a classmate."
"Just a classmate? Onii-chan, you're not being honest, are you?"
"What else could she be?"
"I'm guessing she's your girlfriend. Regular classmates don't get to visit such private spaces as your bedroom."
"Think whatever you like."
To avoid getting tangled up with this mesugaki any further, Fujii Shu replied indifferently.
If he weren't so weak right now, he would've made an international gesture raised both his middle fingers and told her to get lost.
"You actually told me?"
Shimizu Airi's mouth opened slightly in surprise.
Usually, her zako big bro would just put on his "dead fish face" and haughtily tell her to scram.
But today, he actually gave in so easily.
"Looks like my gentle charm offensive over the past two days has worked wonders!"
Shimizu Airi felt a surge of glee.
"Youxii~, my zako big bro's trust level in me must be over 50% now!"
Otherwise, why would he share such an intimate detail as having a girlfriend?
"Operation cutting tree will soon reach its endgame!"
"What are you smirking about?"
"Ah, just some happy thoughts!"
"Happy thoughts?"
Sensing Fujii Shu's skeptical gaze, Shimizu Airi quickly changed the subject. "By the way, Onii-chan, I just came back from the convenience store and brought you some chocolate!"
"Chocolate?"
"Yep, want to eat some now?"
She pulled out a few gold-wrapped chocolates from her pocket.
Fujii Shu hesitated for a moment.
They say sweets can relieve pain and boost mood. Considering his current state, it seemed worth a try.
"Sure, thanks, Airi."
"Can you feed it to me?"
/Huh? Wait, you're actually going to eat it?/
/Aren't you that jerk who's too paranoid to eat food I hand you?/
/Wahhh! My Ferrero Rocher! I just bought it and haven't even had a bite!/
"Y-Yes, sure!"
"Ahem, sure! Since it's Onii-chan asking, how could Airi refuse?"
Forcing a sweet smile, Shimizu Airi reluctantly unwrapped the chocolate, her fingers trembling as she popped it into Fujii Shu's mouth.
"Goodbye, my dear chocolate..."
"Just pretend you never bought it," she consoled herself repeatedly. "It's okay; this is a sign of trust from my zako big bro. Yes, it's fine. I'll demand compensation later—double!"
"Crunch!"
As the chocolate shell cracked, a rich hazelnut aroma filled Fujii Shu's mouth, mingling with the sweet, indulgent taste of chocolate.
"It seems to be working... doesn't hurt as much now."
"Is it a placebo effect?"
Fujii Shu nodded subtly to himself.
"Onii-chan, how does it taste?"
"Not bad."
"Then... want more?"
"Yes."
"Ugh, why are you still eating it?!"
"Can't you leave one piece for me?"
"It's bad enough that you're eating it, but you also want me to feed it to you!"
"Why don't I just jump straight to your stomach?"
While her inner self was crying rivers, Shimizu Airi maintained a façade of indifference, awkwardly unwrapping another chocolate and feeding it to Fujii Shu.
Such intimate gestures inevitably made her fingers brush against his lips, sparking a faint, indescribable feeling within her.
With Shimizu Airi's feeding, Fujii Shu gradually regained some energy, estimating that he would fully recover in a few hours.
"Onii-chan, are you full?"
"No."
"Then... shall I go to the convenience store and buy you a bento?"
"Dammit, how can this zako have such a big appetite?"
"Even chocolates can't satisfy you?"
Clasping her hands at her hips, Shimizu Airi displayed her trademark fake smile, the "Shimizu Airi Special."
"What does Onii-chan want to eat?"
"Beef bowl, I guess."
"What a coincidence, I was just thinking of having a beef bowl too."
"Hm..."
Fujii Shu hummed softly, giving Shimizu Airi a sidelong glance.
Seeing her stay rooted to the spot, gazing at him expectantly, he understood her intention.
"The money's under the pillow. Go take it yourself."
This little brat had always been a spendthrift and often set her sights on his wallet. It was nearing the end of the month; her purse was likely empty.
"How could I possibly..."
Feigning reluctance, Shimizu Airi leaned in, her hand quickly slipping under the pillow to retrieve Fujii Shu's wallet.
"To bait the wolf, one must sacrifice the child. Chocolate, your sacrifice wasn't in vain!"
"My zako big bro actually told me where he hides his stash!"
"This level of trust... is truly wonderful!"
"I definitely won't betray this trust... or not!"
Her inner self burst into maniacal laughter as she pulled out a crisp 10,000-yen bill, before reluctantly tucking the wallet back under the pillow.
"Onii-chan, I'm off."
"Mm, don't take too long."
Seeing the yearning in her eyes as she glanced at his wallet, Fujii Shu wasn't surprised.
The Fujii family adhered to a laissez-faire style of parenting.
Momoaki Eiko, their aunt and the household's matriarch, controlled the family finances.
The eldest daughter, Shimizu Rin, was an outstanding student at a prestigious private university. A boarder, she only returned home on weekends and holidays, receiving a weekly allowance of 50,000 yen (~2400 RMB).
The youngest daughter, Shimizu Airi, though still a high school senior, received a monthly allowance of 50,000 yen. With breakfast and lunch taken care of by her mother, Momoaki Eiko, she only needed to cover her dinner expenses.
As for the only son of the household, Fujii Shu, he had to fend for himself for all three meals, with a measly monthly allowance of 5,000 yen (~35 bucks).
That's an average of 1.5 dollar a day—in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, it was practically a survival-level budget.
No wonder the original Fujii Shu, despite standing over 170 cm tall, looked so frail and weak.
Living off rice balls and discounted bento, barely filling his stomach—how could he not be weak?
To make ends meet, Fujii Shu had to take on part-time jobs. Yet even then, half of his salary would be extorted by this mesugaki Shimizu Airi.