Xuan patted her snow-white thighs, clad in black knee-high stockings.
"Little Yu, you're tired, aren't you? Lie down, take a nap," she said tenderly.
"Mhm," Hong Shuangyu replied.
He was about to lie down when Xuan's phone, which she always carried with her, suddenly rang. Hong Shuangyu realized at that moment that Xuan rarely used her phone in his presence. Considering her role as the student council president, one would expect her phone to be constantly in use, but for some reason—perhaps to avoid distractions from her brother or for another reason—she almost never took it out when Hong Shuangyu was around.
Xuan indeed only used her phone when necessary. For her, it was merely a communication tool. She didn't allow herself to waste time scrolling aimlessly, especially in Hong Shuangyu's presence. Calls to her were limited to two possibilities: either from Hong Shuangyu's number or work-related matters.
"Sorry, little Yu, wait for your sister for a moment," Xuan said with a guilty expression.
"Mhm," Hong Shuangyu responded obediently.
Kinugita Taoko, who had already packed her things and was preparing to leave, was stopped by Xuan.
"Wait," Xuan said.
Kinugita froze.
"W-what's wrong?" she asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
Xuan didn't answer. She stepped to the edge of the roof and answered the call. The conversation lasted less than thirty seconds. Returning to Hong Shuangyu and Kinugita, she looked serious.
"Is it… work?" Kinugita asked cautiously.
"Yes. The target is near the school…" Xuan replied.
"Should we go together? Or… can I handle it alone?" Kinugita offered.
"No, I need to eliminate this target myself. But…" Xuan glanced at Hong Shuangyu.
Her departure meant she would have to leave Hong Shuangyu alone, even if only briefly. Even for a short time, this caused her significant anxiety. The only option in this situation was Kinugita Taoko.
Though Xuan was extremely reluctant about this idea, there was no other choice.
"You," she addressed Kinugita, "watch over little Yu during lunch. Don't let anyone approach him. If he wants to go somewhere, go with him."
"Huh? Eh?! Even to the bathroom?" Kinugita blushed and covered her face with her hands.
"Of course not to the bathroom! I've never gone with him to the bathroom myself! What are you even thinking?!" Xuan exclaimed, losing her usual composure.
Ignoring the flustered Kinugita, Xuan turned to Hong Shuangyu.
"Little Yu, rest here. When the bell rings, return to class. I'll leave Taoko with you, be good, your sister will be back soon," she said with care and a trace of worry in her voice.
"Mhm," Hong Shuangyu replied with his usual monosyllabic response.
Xuan stroked his head, gathered the bento, and turned to Kinugita.
"I'm entrusting you, Taoko. After lunch, take little Yu back to class."
"Y-yes… you can count on me! I won't let anyone near your little bro!" Kinugita declared confidently.
Xuan immediately rewarded her with a light tap on the forehead.
"Don't let others near little Yu, not the other way around! And if I find out you've done anything strange with him, I'll kill you!" she threatened.
Kinugita, clutching her forehead, rolled on the floor, groaning:
"Ouch, that hurts, that hurts!"
Ignoring her theatrical suffering, Xuan turned back to Hong Shuangyu.
"Little Yu, your sister is leaving. If Taoko does anything bad, call me on the emergency number right away. Your sister will come back to you immediately," she said softly.
"Mhm. Be careful," Hong Shuangyu replied, adding a few words this time.
Hearing more from him than usual, Xuan couldn't resist and kissed his cheeks several times before leaving with evident reluctance. At the threshold, she turned back, casting a few anxious glances, and finally left, still hesitant.
…
Only Hong Shuangyu and Kinugita Taoko remained on the roof.
Hong Shuangyu sat silently to the side, while Kinugita stopped rolling on the floor.
…
She stood up, sat opposite Hong Shuangyu, maintaining a distance, and began speaking:
"Hey, little bro! Tired? Want to sleep? You can nap peacefully, I'll wake you when it's time. And I definitely won't do anything weird, I swear!" she blurted out in one breath.
Hong Shuangyu shook his head.
"Not tired. Let's talk," he said.
If Xuan had been there, she would have exploded with indignation: Hong Shuangyu said more than "mhm," and not to her!
"Huh? Really? You can say more than 'mhm'?! Oh, sorry, I didn't mean it like that! Please don't tell little Xuan!" Kinugita panicked.
"Mhm," Hong Shuangyu nodded.
"Thank you so much!" she exhaled with relief.
"So… what do you want to talk about, little bro?"
"About my sister," he answered.
"About little Xuan? We work together, but honestly, I don't know much about her. And I can't tell you about work, hehe," Kinugita said with a sly smile.
"Mhm."
"But, you know, this is the first time I've seen Xuan ask someone for help. Usually, she handles everything herself without assistance."
"Mhm."
"What about you, little bro? Any hobbies?" she asked.
"None," Hong Shuangyu replied.
"Huh? Hm… then why does Xuan not let others near you?" she tried approaching from a different angle.
Hong Shuangyu shook his head. In the few minutes of their conversation, he had already realized that Kinugita Taoko had a tendency toward risky behavior. He began to worry she might do something strange, and he certainly wasn't about to reveal important secrets.
Due to his long isolation from others, Hong Shuangyu had almost no chance to speak with anyone besides Xuan. Her decision to leave him with Kinugita was unexpected for him. Though he spent most of his time with Xuan, he knew surprisingly little about her.
For a long time, he had been curious about questions: where did the money for their living come from? What kind of work did Xuan do? How did she afford an expensive school? Why did she always find housing so quickly whenever they moved to a new city?
For Hong Shuangyu, Xuan was the sole reason to keep living, his anchor in this world. Therefore, he desperately wanted to learn more about her. If he couldn't ask directly, perhaps he could find out something through others.
Hong Shuangyu didn't realize that today's events—his emotional outburst and conversation with Kinugita—were slowly changing him. He was gradually returning to his former self, to a normal life.
They sat on the roof, maintaining a meter's distance, and began their first real conversation.
…
"And you know, sometimes Xuan says she doesn't like something, but she actually thinks the opposite. I suspect she might be a tsundere…" Kinugita chattered nonstop, getting carried away.
Hong Shuangyu remained silent, listening to her endless stream of words. Her chatter began to tire him, reminiscent of a literature class.
It's like the teacher giving a lecture… he thought.
His head involuntarily began to droop. Finally, unable to fight the fatigue, Hong Shuangyu lost his balance and started to fall toward the floor.
In the last moment, as his head was about to hit the ground, Kinugita Taoko's hand swiftly cushioned it.
"Phew… barely made it…" Kinugita exhaled, lying on the floor with her arms extended to protect Hong Shuangyu's head.