The seven-day Golden Week holiday seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
May 3rd. 4:00 PM.
Carrying the lingering satisfaction, relaxation, and a pleasant post-travel laziness from their multi-day journey, Kasumigaoka Touji and Kasumigaoka Utaha boarded a Boeing airliner at Asahikawa Airport in Hokkaido, bound for Tokyo.
The moment they stepped off the plane, a tangible wall of heat hit them.
"Haa…"
Kasumigaoka Utaha clutched her down jacket, taking a few steps before commenting, "Tokyo feels even hotter than I remember…"
Having spent days in Hokkaido's cool climate, where mornings and evenings still carried a distinct chill, the temperature shock upon returning to Tokyo was truly jarring.
"Yeah, it's pretty much summer here already," Kasumigaoka Touji agreed, following the stream of passengers toward the terminal building. He glanced at her. Today's high in Tokyo was forecasted to be 24°C. In Japan, once the temperature hits 25°C, it's officially considered 'summer,' so the season was literally just around the corner.
Kasumigaoka Utaha narrowed her wine-red eyes, squinting at the bright sun hanging in the sky. Then she turned her gaze to Kasumigaoka Touji, raising a slender, pale hand to her rosy lips. Adopting a deliberately sultry, mature tone, she said, "Speaking of summer… it's time to start thinking about swimsuits. Nii-san, any recommendations?"
"Bikinis."
"Do boys only ever think about that?" she sighed, though her eyes held a teasing glint.
"Of course not! But the specifics… we'd have to go to the store and look together, right?" Kasumigaoka Touji replied, his expression the very picture of righteousness and practicality.
He was even moved by his own words, his mind immediately drifting into a fantasy: Then I'll bring Kazuko along too…
The mere thought of the two of them trying on various styles—cute ones, sexy ones, devastatingly sexy ones… Kasumigaoka Touji felt a surge of anticipation. Maybe they could even go shopping for a few sets after dinner tonight? And maybe even invite Nayuta-sensei along…
Wait, what am I thinking!He was really getting carried away, imagining taking Nayuta-sensei swimsuit shopping…
But, in all fairness, if Nayuta-sensei wore a swimsuit, with her looks and figure… she'd undoubtedly be absolutely stunning!
Kasumigaoka Touji realized he genuinely, really wanted to see that…
"Speaking of Kazuko," Kasumigaoka Utaha interjected, pulling him back to reality as she changed the subject, "is she meeting us at the restaurant later, or what's the plan?"
She had learned from Kasumigaoka Touji a couple of days ago that Kojima Kana was treating them to dinner today, and that they were even allowed to bring 'family members.' Honestly, Kasumigaoka Utaha was quite surprised by the whole situation, in more ways than one…
"Hmm… Kazuko is already at Elf Yamada's place. She'll come with us later," Kasumigaoka Touji replied as they followed the crowd to the baggage claim. His eyes scanned the conveyor belt as suitcases began to trundle past.
After retrieving their luggage, they headed to the underground parking lot to catch a taxi home.
As the taxi neared their neighborhood, Kasumigaoka Touji sent a quick message to Kani Nayuta.
When the taxi pulled up at the entrance to their family courtyard, a silver-haired beauty was already waiting there, a small bag slung over her shoulder.
Her soft, dazzling silver hair shimmered under the afternoon sun like a cascade of precious metal. A black hair tie adorned with a blue heart-shaped crystal secured the section of hair draped over her left shoulder, which reached down to her chest.
She wore a simple gray hoodie paired with a black A-line mini skirt. The loose-fit hoodie couldn't completely conceal her impressive figure; the pronounced fullness of her chest insisted on announcing its presence. Meanwhile, the straight, fair, and shapely length of leg extending from beneath the mini skirt was equally eye-catching.
Honda Kazuko—Kani Nayuta!
"Did you come over as soon as you got my message, Kazuko?" Kasumigaoka Touji asked, a smile spreading across his face the moment he opened the taxi door and saw her.
"Of course!" she chirped, her bright eyes fixed on him, filled with unrestrained joy. "I wanted to see Winter-sensei as soon as possible, so I rushed right over!"
As she spoke, she raised her arms and hugged him in an utterly adorable manner.
Kasumigaoka Touji opened his arms and readily returned the embrace.
Sweet, soft Kani Nayuta—The best!
Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was climbing out of the taxi's back seat with an armful of souvenir bags, observed the scene with a gaze as calm as still water. "You can continue the hugging session later. Let's get this stuff inside first."
"Right.""Okay~!"
Kasumigaoka Touji responded, guiding Kani Nayuta to the trunk. He took two suitcases from the driver and handed them to Kani Nayuta to carry inside. With the driver's help, he then hefted two large insulated cooler boxes.
As for Kasumigaoka Utaha—she had already headed to the door with her souvenirs to unlock it.
"Winter-sensei, you brought back quite a lot this time," Kani Nayuta remarked once they were in the living room. Having set the suitcases down beside the coffee table, she turned to curiously eye the two large boxes in Kasumigaoka Touji's hands.
"Yeah, a fair bit. When we got off the plane, we almost couldn't manage it all," Kasumigaoka Touji grumbled, placing the insulated boxes on the floor of the open-plan kitchen.
He'd wanted to bring back some local specialties. Some of the items his mother had sent earlier were excellent, and with plenty of baggage allowance left on the flight, it seemed a shame not to use it. However, reality had proven that bringing too much was a major hassle. Next time, mailing things might be the better option.
"I'm going upstairs to change. I'm boiling in this," Kasumigaoka Utaha announced, pulling at her sweater as she made her way toward the staircase after opening the windows for ventilation.
"Same here," Kasumigaoka Touji said. As he walked out of the kitchen, he looked at Kani Nayuta. "I'll give you your souvenir later. And when you head back the day after tomorrow, I'll pack some of the local specialties for you to take."
"Okay… And to thank Winter-sensei, I'll help you change! Ehehe~."
Kani Nayuta giggled and quickly caught up with Kasumigaoka Touji, who was heading for the stairs.
He couldn't help but give her a sidelong glance. "Is that really 'thanking' me? I don't even want to call you out on it."
"Aren't you calling me out right now?" Kani Nayuta retorted, placing a hand on Kasumigaoka Touji's waist.
Then, like a child playing train, she followed him up the stairs.
Upon entering his room, she tossed her backpack onto his bed. Then, with a chuckle that sounded suspiciously like a mischievous old man's, she wiggled her fingers and advanced toward Kasumigaoka Touji with clear intent…