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Just like now.
"Haruno, take Kiyono to buy clothes for different seasons; a child can't just wear one outfit."
In the room overlooking the garden pond and cherry blossoms, the kimono-clad beauty's gaze was tender and caring.
"No problem! I'll put my fashion expertise to good use and dress my little brother up as the most handsome boy!" Big Sister seemed full of fighting spirit.
Kiyono… Kiyono had no objections. After all, he was just a child. Facing the power wielders of the Yukinoshita family, even if he voiced an opinion, it would be politely rejected in various ways. It was better to simply accept and thank them.
However, Kiyono's mood was complex at this moment. He could guess the reason for the Yukinoshita family's change in attitude. Even so, they were genuinely helping him. The better the Yukinoshita family treated him, the more uneasy he felt about how to repay them.
"Let's go!"
Haruno walked up to him with a smile, gently pulling him forward.
Kiyono looked at the girl in front of him, feeling quite strange. Haruno was over three years older than he was, just starting her second year of junior high this year, and her height should be around 1.6 meters. He hadn't measured himself yet, but he was at most under 1.4 meters. Being pulled by her hand now, it really looked like a big sister and little brother going out together.
After jogging into the courtyard, Haruno's steps slowed. She turned her head to glance at Kiyono beside her, then suddenly leaned down and whispered in his ear:
"Luckily you're here, little brother."
Her warm breath brushed his ear, tickling him a bit. Kiyono shivered and quietly rubbed his ear.
"I didn't do anything, did I?"
"Originally, Mother was going to put me through special training today, but now the special training has turned into a happy shopping trip with my little brother. This is all thanks to you," Haruno winked.
Kiyono suddenly realized. This is the 'young miss tired of family arrangements' plot often seen in manga, isn't it!
"What do you usually study, Miss Haruno? Tea ceremony, painting, archery, and piano?" the boy asked curiously.
Big Sister touched a finger to her moist, cherry-like lips. She wouldn't normally tell Kiyono these things, but she had already discerned his future status from Mother's attitude. In that case, there was nothing to hide.
"Hmm… I do learn those, but they're not the main focus. After all, I'm not the young miss of a zaibatsu. The main focus is honing social skills and interacting with people from various industries. In terms a primary-schooler can understand, it's attending banquets and subtly testing each other with ulterior motives!"
"That sounds really tough," Kiyono sighed. The abilities Yukino yearned for were also earned through effort, little by little.
"Exactly! Being forced to deal with adults all day in junior high, and enduring disgusting gazes—isn't that too much? Mother even taught me how to build up my alcohol tolerance…"
Miss Haruno's voice gradually trailed off.
This isn't something you should be telling a primary-schooler, hey.
"So, Big Sister is actually quite happy to spend today with you."
Her smile looked a little more genuine.
The black Toyota Century glided silently.
Haruno sat in the back seat, glanced at the boy on the far right who was keeping his distance, then leaned over with a grin.
"You need to be prepared today. I'm going to make up for all the regrets I had about not being able to dress up little Yukino—on you."
"…If you like playing dress-up, just go find Yukino," Kiyono retorted.
"Yukino's clothes are all bought by Mother, and I usually don't have the time or reason to go out with her," Big Sister Haruno sighed.
"If family goes out together, there's no need for a reason, is there?"
The unexpected words took Haruno by surprise. She looked at Kiyono playfully, clearly not expecting a primary-schooler to say such a thing.
Yukinoshita Haruno didn't take Kiyono to any fancy boutique, but instead directed the driver to a nearby large shopping mall.
Inside the children's clothing store, Kiyono stared intently at his reflection in the fitting-room mirror—the boy was cowering in a corner, and in front of him, the tall, sunny Big Sister looked down from above, her pretty face adorned with a beautiful yet dangerous smile.
"Hurry up and take off your shirt!"
"I'll just change in the fitting room myself…" His nose filled with the scent of lavender softener. Kiyono coughed lightly and turned his face away. This girl is only in junior high—why is she so well-developed?
"Don't be shy! How can I pick out clothes for you if I don't measure your exact size?"
Big Sister Haruno tugged off the boy's shirt; her slightly cool fingers inadvertently brushed his skin, making him even more embarrassed.
"Hmm, you're a little thin. You should eat more in the future. Try this one first."
Change.
"Cute!"
Change.
"Even cuter!"
Change again.
"British style is quite nice, too!"
Big Sister Haruno's smile was perfect, warm as the sun. Every word was sweet enough to intoxicate and numb a little boy's heart.
If it were an ordinary boy facing such a beautiful girl going all out, he would probably have long become a plaything in her palm, to be manipulated from then on. However, Kiyono, after all, had a mature inner self. This level of offensive was no match for Old Eight!
—Of course, his favorability did increase a little.
Kiyono thought silently.
After changing into the latest outfit, Big Sister Haruno picked up the clothes Kiyono had just tried on with satisfaction and called a store assistant to help pack them.
While checking out, the girl's gaze swept over a bear-themed pajama set hanging on a rack opposite, and her expression—uncharacteristically—showed some hesitation. In the end, she bought it.
They visited several stores in a row.
He felt weak, as he always did after excessive exertion. Constantly moving and changing positions—although this kind of exertion would once have been easy for him, who had been trained by Lemon to have a superhuman physique—the frail boy was now panting and could no longer keep up with the older Big Sister.
"Miss Haruno, aren't you buying too much?" He felt a little embarrassed.
"I think every piece is perfect."
The girl wasn't thinking that much, skipping along happily.
"Ah… wait a minute!"
At this moment, Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly stopped, stared at Kiyono for a while, then put down the bags in her hand, approached him, and took out a tissue.
"You've sweated a lot. I'm sorry, I got a little too excited…"
Haruno leaned down slightly, gently wiping the sweat from his forehead. He saw gentle, sparkling stars swirling in her dark-blue eyes, her expression focused.
Kiyono was stunned.
He suddenly had a strange feeling. Whether it was the earlier affectionate "little brother" every time, or the enthusiastic compliments just now, those had all been deliberate tactics by this girl. It was only at this moment that she truly became a big sister—vibrant and full of life.
Subsequently, the medium-sized Yukino also helped him buy a whole new set of daily toiletries, stationery, and snacks, seemingly fully preparing for him to live with the Yukinoshita family long-term.
"…How did it turn into this kind of development?"
Kiyono muttered involuntarily. Although this directly solved his biggest predicament, he felt as if he would have to spend his whole life repaying it!
He carried the plastic bags and walked out of the mall with Haruno.
Before getting into the car, the junior-high girl revealed a mischievous, impish grin:
"Xiao Kiyono, did you know? I secretly bought matching parent-child pajamas for that set earlier."
"Did you buy them for Yukino?"
"No, they're for the two of us. Little Yukino never does things like that with me," Haruno tilted her head and said softly.
When they returned to the Yukinoshita residence, the rich red light of the setting sun filled the courtyard, and the maple leaves burned in the twilight.
Walking along the bluestone path, a black-haired girl sat on the corridor of the central courtyard reading a book. When the wind blew, pages and maple leaves trembled simultaneously, and the girl's eyelashes were like drooping cherry blossoms.
Seemingly hearing footsteps, she gently closed her book, raised her gaze, and spoke calmly.
"You're back."
"I had a lot of fun with little brother today. I tried on clothes with him and went to the supermarket, but I didn't take you. Will little Yukino be angry?" Haruno deliberately placed the shopping bags next to her.
"No, I don't have anything to buy," the little loli said coldly.
"Honestly, give me a more interesting reaction."
Big Sister pouted, brushed past her, and walked into the house.
Their sisterly relationship… is this how it is?
Kiyono, standing to the side, watched the two Yukino sisters, who spoke little, deep in thought.
He actually had no siblings either, so he didn't know what this kind of family life was truly like, but from various TV shows and conversations with friends, he could slowly imagine the scene.
In a normal family, the big sister should be more caring toward her younger sister at this time. Even if they didn't go out together, she would buy her treats and little things on the way back, and they would sit together and chat.
However, the Yukino sisters showed no warm family affection. They wouldn't go shopping together, wouldn't share food, nor would they proactively share the little details of their lives.
They seemed to understand each other well, yet they wouldn't get close.
This was a unique and awkward relationship, shaped by a special family.
He saw this side of Yukino for the first time:
The side of her as a younger sister.
In Kiyono's eyes, Yukino's image was both beautiful and ethereal. If he were to describe her, he would probably use a word like phantom.
His understanding of the girl came only from these two meetings and the patchwork of his past two-dimensional memories. Now, he truly saw the girl interacting with her family—albeit a childhood version.
He seemed to have quietly stepped into Yukino's past life.
Kiyono then thought of himself—his current status was even more special; he was almost becoming the second son of the Yukinoshita family. Roughly speaking, he had gained two adopted big sisters. Could this be considered a relationship of growing up together?
It should be, he calculated their ages on his fingers. They were currently in childhood, then they would experience adolescence together, and then choose their own lives—their youths almost connected.
So, what kind of relationship would the three of them develop?
At this moment, Yukino raised an eyebrow, her gaze turning to him.
"Snacks—do you want some?" Kiyono said subconsciously.
"Dinner will be soon."
The black-haired loli's thin lips curved into a crescent, her tone somewhere between teasing and sarcasm:
"It seems Kiyono and Big Sister are getting along well. You've also gotten your wish of living off a woman, haven't you?"
"This is all thanks to Lady Yukino; the honor belongs to you. I will never become arrogant."
Humble, polite, displaying excellent character in every aspect.
Yukino's mouth twitched, and she felt an urge to bap him with the book in her hand.
He heard it.
That familiar voice.
An achievement that had troubled him for a long time and taken him a long time to accomplish.
"[New identity information detected, successfully recorded for you.]"
Kiyono, who was flipping through a book in the library, paused. The boy reached up and scratched his head, feeling very guilty.
I won't actually become a three-surnamed slave in the future, will I?
And the Yukinoshita family's actions were so fast! He hadn't even fully processed it, and the identity issue was resolved! Is this the power of a councilman and a company president…
Footsteps suddenly sounded softly, and an elegant beauty walked up to him, her voice gentle.
"You enjoy reading a lot. In that case, how about going to school and studying with Yukino tomorrow?"
School?
Kiyono hesitated. He understood Yukinoshita's mother's meaning, but elementary and junior-high courses held no meaning for him…
He looked up and expressed his thoughts.
"Auntie, may I self-study at home? Of course, I'll ensure my grades are second to none."
"Why do you want to do that?"
The kimono-clad beauty asked curiously. In her eyes, Kiyono hadn't yet left the realm of a child, and most children yearned for school life, didn't they?
"Because I want to try creative writing in the future, and that way I'll have more time to study and write books," Kiyono said.