The girl with short chestnut hair and a leaf on her head—Kinugita Taoko—stood in the doorway, holding a large bag. She awkwardly scratched the back of her head, gazing at the embracing brother and sister. The situation was extremely awkward, but fantasies were already brewing in Kinugita's mind.
Could this… could this be that forbidden love between a brother and sister?! she thought. Otherwise, why would a brother and sister hug like that?! Oh, how thrilling! Maybe Xuan called me here to show her feelings? She never talks about her brother!
Kinugita Taoko froze at the entrance, lost in her wild musings.
Xuan, ignoring the uninvited guest, continued to savor her embrace with Hong Shuangyu. For her, nothing else mattered in that moment.
Perhaps due to the sound of Kinugita Taoko's footsteps, Hong Shuangyu pulled away from Xuan. He wiped the tears from his face and said softly, almost in a whisper:
"Sister… I'm hungry… let's eat together…"
His voice trembled, as if he were a child confessing a misdeed to his parents.
Xuan looked at Hong Shuangyu, and her heart melted.
Aaaa, I can't take it! He's so cute! So shy, I've never seen him act this spoiled! Oh, I might go crazy! I want… #&%!—her thoughts descended into chaos as she ignored Kinugita standing in the doorway.
A moment later, snapping out of it at her brother's words, Xuan replied:
"Alright, little Yu! Let's eat, your sister will feed you~"
She took his hand and only then noticed Kinugita Taoko, who was still standing there, lost in her fantasies. Xuan furrowed her delicate brows.
"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.
Her words jolted Kinugita out of her daydreams.
"Huh? Didn't you, little Xuan, call me?" Kinugita replied, scratching her head in confusion, her eyes comically widening.
Hearing this, Xuan recalled that she had indeed invited Kinugita.
"Sorry, I forgot," she said. "And I asked you not to call me that at school. Address me as 'President.'"
"Hehe, sorry, it's a habit!" Kinugita gave an awkward smile, scratching her head again.
"Since you're here, sit down, we'll eat," Xuan said, leading Hong Shuangyu to the prepared spot.
"Great!" Kinugita exclaimed and sat down nearby, clutching her huge bag.
Earlier, Hong Shuangyu hadn't paid attention to the bag's contents due to the distance. Now he saw it was a mountain of food: bentos, bread, milk, drinks, and much more. The bag seemed larger than the bento Xuan had prepared.
All this for one person? Is she really going to eat that much? Hong Shuangyu wondered.
"Well, little Yu, ah~" Xuan, wasting no time, opened the bento, picked up a piece of beef with chopsticks, and brought it to his mouth.
"Ah," Hong Shuangyu obediently ate the piece, but his gaze remained fixed on Kinugita.
Meanwhile, Kinugita laid out all the food from her bag, taking up nearly half the space. Grabbing a sandwich, she cheerfully exclaimed:
"Enjoy your meal! Ah~… Mmm, delicious!"
With one bite, she devoured half the sandwich. Hong Shuangyu, who rarely showed emotion, flinched slightly in surprise.
"What's wrong, little Yu?" Xuan asked, noticing his attention wasn't on her.
Following his gaze, she looked at Kinugita and sighed with mild irritation:
"As always, you eat like there's no tomorrow. Aren't you afraid of choking?"
"Hehe, I can't help it—if I don't eat my fill, I'll stay hungry!" Kinugita replied, chewing. "Hm? What's up, little bro? Want to try? Here, ah~!"
She offered Hong Shuangyu her half-eaten sandwich.
But before Hong Shuangyu could react, Xuan sharply grabbed Kinugita's hand and pushed it back.
"Don't you dare feed my brother with weird stuff! And especially not with food covered in your saliva!" she snapped.
"Ouch! That hurts, that hurts! It was a joke, little Xuan! My hand! My hand's going to break!" Kinugita squealed.
Xuan angrily released her hand, picked up the bento, and continued feeding Hong Shuangyu.
"Phew… and it was tasty too," Kinugita muttered, rubbing her hand with tears in her eyes.
After the hearty meal, Xuan began cleaning up. Hong Shuangyu sat nearby, waiting for her. Once finished, she carefully wiped his mouth with a napkin.
Hong Shuangyu glanced at Kinugita and was surprised to see she had eaten everything too! The floor was littered with empty wrappers, which Kinugita began to gather.
At that moment, Hong Shuangyu suddenly wondered: why had Xuan, who always forbade others from contacting him, invited someone—especially a girl? Though Kinugita sat nearby, Xuan was between them, like a barrier.
The same question arose in Kinugita's mind. Though they were partners in informal settings, their interactions at school were minimal. Kinugita knew of Xuan's reputation and nickname. Usually, Xuan never discussed Hong Shuangyu, but yesterday she had suddenly invited her to eat together. As she cleared the wrappers, Kinugita stole glances at Xuan, trying to decipher her intentions.
"I invited you today for little Yu's sake," Xuan said suddenly, looking at Kinugita.
"Y-yes?" Kinugita tensed under her serious gaze.
Though they were partners, Kinugita was wary of Xuan, aware of her ruthless side.
"I want you to interact with little Yu," Xuan continued.
"Huh?" Kinugita stared at her in surprise.
"In other words, become his friend."
Yes, Xuan had invited Kinugita so Hong Shuangyu could make a friend. She never stopped seeking ways to help him heal. Her goal was to give him a normal life: with friends, smiles, and perhaps a family in the future—though she wasn't thinking about that yet.
Why Kinugita? Because Xuan had few acquaintances. As the "Cruel Sister-Controller, Student Council President," she seemed unapproachable to most students. She had almost no true friends—student council members were merely work colleagues. For Xuan, Hong Shuangyu was the only one she needed. Among her acquaintances, Kinugita, her longtime partner, was the best choice.
Though Xuan was reluctant to choose a girl, she understood that healing had to start at the root of the problem. So, albeit unwillingly, she settled on Kinugita.
"Why me?" Kinugita asked cautiously.
"Out of everyone I know, you're the closest to me, and I understand you well. I can trust you," Xuan replied seriously.
"I see… Well, alright! Hehe, it's a bit awkward, but leave it to me! I'll definitely befriend little Yu!" Kinugita said confidently, slapping her chest.
"But don't come closer to him than a meter. That's not a request, it's a warning!" Xuan added, her voice growing colder.
"Um… may I ask why?" Kinugita ventured timidly.
"No. And you don't need to know," Xuan cut her off.
"Oh…" Kinugita deflated.
"We're short on time today, so that's it for now. You may go," Xuan said.
"Y-yes… I'll finish cleaning up and leave," Kinugita replied quietly.