It was another peaceful afternoon, and Sam and Mahiru had decided to meet at the usual café after their classes. As Sam walked in, he spotted Mahiru sitting by the window, her attention divided between a book and the soft clink of the café cups. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her, her casual elegance making the ordinary café feel like something special.
He walked over to her table, and Mahiru looked up, smiling warmly. "Hey," she greeted him, her voice light and easy, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened since their last meeting.
"Hey, you," Sam replied, settling down in the seat across from her. "How's everything?"
Mahiru tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. "Everything's good, except for... an interesting encounter I had last night," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Interesting? What happened?"
Mahiru leaned in a bit closer, her voice dropping to a playful whisper. "Well, you know your mysterious little sister?" she began, smirking at the way Sam's expression immediately shifted to confusion.
"My sister?" Sam said, looking more puzzled than ever. "What about her?"
Mahiru couldn't contain her laughter any longer. She leaned back in her chair, trying to compose herself. "So, I was at the train station last night, right? And as I was about to board the train, someone suddenly stepped in front of me and blocked my way."
Sam blinked, still trying to piece things together. "Okay... who was it?"
Mahiru's grin only widened. "Your sister, Anna."
Sam's eyes went wide. "Wait, what?! Anna?!"
Mahiru nodded, her smile full of amusement. "Yep, she confronted me out of nowhere. Full-on detective mode."
"Detective mode?" Sam repeated, his face now turning pale. "What do you mean by 'detective mode'?"
"Oh, she was asking all sorts of questions," Mahiru continued, her voice dripping with mock seriousness. "She wanted to know if we were just 'friends' or if there was something more going on."
Sam was speechless for a moment, trying to process what Mahiru was saying. "She did what?!" he finally managed to get out, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red.
Mahiru leaned in, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "Oh, she was very protective of you. It was honestly adorable," she teased, poking at him with the tip of her finger. "She even said she was 'keeping an eye on me.'"
Sam buried his face in his hands, utterly mortified. "I'm so sorry. She can be... a little much sometimes."
Mahiru giggled at the sight of Sam, her heart swelling at how genuinely embarrassed he was. "It's fine, really. But I have to admit, it was pretty funny. She's definitely got her ways of showing she cares."
Sam shot her a sideways glance. "Wait, so what did you say to her? Did you tell her we're just friends?"
"Well, I tried," Mahiru said, her voice now playfully conspiratorial. "But she wasn't having it. She still seemed a bit suspicious."
Sam groaned, rubbing his temples. "I swear, she's the worst sometimes."
Mahiru couldn't help but laugh again at how flustered Sam looked. "Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad. I mean, she did let me go in the end, so I guess she's not all that bad."
Sam sighed, trying to calm down. "Well, I'll make sure to talk to her. She's just... well, she's Anna."
Mahiru gave him a soft, reassuring smile. "It's okay, really. I think it's sweet how protective she is of you."
Sam shook his head, clearly amused at the situation but still embarrassed. "I'll never hear the end of this, will I?"
"Oh, no," Mahiru said with a wink. "You won't. Not from me, at least."
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their drinks, and the momentary awkwardness faded into comfortable silence. Sam's thoughts were still buzzing with the knowledge that Anna had been keeping tabs on him, but he couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the whole situation.
"Well, I guess it's nice to know that at least someone's looking out for me," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
Mahiru smiled fondly at him. "Yeah, well, it's not every day that your little sister turns into a secret agent. But hey, at least you've got a good team behind you."
Sam raised his cup in mock salute. "To Anna, the world's most overprotective sister."
"Cheers to that," Mahiru agreed, clinking her cup against his.
As they sipped their drinks, the playful energy between them was palpable, and despite the awkwardness that came with Anna's sudden detective phase, it felt like another step forward in their relationship. The little moments, the teasing, and even the unexpected surprises, all came together to make their time together feel special.
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