Bonus Chapter: A Day in the Chaos of the Yuuto Household

The morning sun streamed through the windows of the Kurogane household, casting a warm glow on the kitchen as the familiar scent of miso soup and grilled fish wafted through the air. Yuuto stretched lazily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he stumbled downstairs.

Breakfast at the Kurogane house was always a lively affair. That liveliness, however, came with a particular brand of chaos—most of which could be traced back to one person.

"Yuuto! You're finally up!"

Yuuto froze at the bottom of the stairs, dreading the overly enthusiastic voice that greeted him. Before he could react, a blur of energy hurtled toward him and latched onto his arm.

"Good morning, onii-chan!"

There she was—Yuuto's younger sister, Ayaka Kurogane. At sixteen, she was only a year younger than Yuuto, but her petite stature and bubbly demeanor made her seem much younger. She had long, jet-black hair tied into twin tails, a mischievous glint in her bright brown eyes, and a knack for driving her brother insane.

"Morning, Ayaka," Yuuto muttered, trying to shake her off.

Ayaka clung tighter, pouting. "Why are you so cold, onii-chan? Shouldn't you be happier to see your cute little sister?"

"You saw me last night, Ayaka. And the night before. And the morning before that," Yuuto deadpanned.

"But every day is a new chance to bond!" she chirped, her grip unrelenting.

By the time Yuuto managed to pry Ayaka off and shuffle into the kitchen, their mother, Saeko Kurogane, was already setting plates on the table. A graceful and kind woman in her early forties, Saeko had mastered the art of ignoring the chaos her children brought into her life.

"Good morning, Yuuto," Saeko said with a warm smile. "You slept in again."

"Sorry, Mom," Yuuto said, sliding into a chair.

Ayaka skipped into the kitchen behind him, her energy undeterred. She immediately took the seat next to Yuuto, leaning toward him with an adoring gaze.

Saeko sighed, shaking her head. "Ayaka, give your brother some space. Let him eat in peace."

"But, Mom!" Ayaka protested. "This is prime onii-chan bonding time! We have to strengthen our sibling connection!"

Yuuto groaned, already regretting getting out of bed.

"Maybe I should start eating breakfast in my room," he muttered.

"Don't you dare!" Ayaka gasped, looking horrified. "What if you choke and I'm not there to save you?"

Saeko laughed lightly. "I think Yuuto will manage just fine on his own, Ayaka."

"Still, better safe than sorry," Ayaka insisted, scooting her chair closer to Yuuto's.

After breakfast, Yuuto attempted to retreat to the sanctuary of his room, but Ayaka was hot on his heels.

"What now?" he asked, turning to face her halfway up the stairs.

Ayaka held up a small notebook, her expression serious. "We're going to update the onii-chan shrine today."

Yuuto blinked. "The what?"

"The onii-chan shrine," Ayaka repeated matter-of-factly.

"You can't just say something like that casually!" Yuuto snapped. "Why do you even have a shrine?!"

Ayaka tilted her head innocently. "Why wouldn't I? You're the best big brother in the world. It's only natural to celebrate that."

"You're insane," Yuuto muttered, rubbing his temples.

"Don't worry! I'll show you. You'll love it!" Ayaka grabbed his arm and began dragging him toward her room.

Yuuto had been in Ayaka's room before, but he'd never really paid attention to the details. It was a typical teenage girl's room—pink curtains, plush toys, and posters of her favorite idol group. But the far corner of the room was a different story entirely.

There it was: a makeshift shrine dedicated to him.

The shrine consisted of a small table draped with a white cloth. On it were framed photos of Yuuto, most of which he didn't even know existed. There were candles, small trinkets, and what looked suspiciously like a lock of his hair in a tiny glass jar.

"What… is this?" Yuuto asked, his voice filled with a mixture of horror and disbelief.

"It's my onii-chan appreciation shrine!" Ayaka said proudly. "Whenever I feel down, I just look at this and remember how lucky I am to have you as my brother!"

"This is creepy on so many levels," Yuuto muttered.

Ayaka ignored him, pulling out her notebook. "I've been keeping a record of all your achievements this month. Like the time you helped Mom with the groceries, and the time you tied my shoe when it came undone."

Yuuto stared at her, his brain struggling to process the absurdity. "You need a hobby. A normal one."

"This is my hobby," Ayaka said cheerfully.

Yuuto spent the next hour trying to convince Ayaka to dismantle the shrine, but she remained steadfast.

"It's not hurting anyone," she argued. "And besides, it makes me happy."

"Mom needs to see this," Yuuto muttered under his breath.

"Mom already knows," Ayaka said with a grin.

"Of course she does," Yuuto groaned.

Eventually, he gave up and retreated to his room, hoping for some peace and quiet. But his reprieve was short-lived.

---

Sibling Movie Night

That evening, Ayaka burst into Yuuto's room with a stack of DVDs in her arms.

"Movie night!" she announced.

Yuuto frowned. "Why are you doing this in my room? You have a TV in yours."

"But it's more fun to watch movies together!" Ayaka said, plopping down on his bed and spreading out the DVDs.

Yuuto sighed. "Fine. What are we watching?"

Ayaka held up a romantic comedy. "This one! It's about a girl who falls in love with her older brother's best friend."

Yuuto raised an eyebrow. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Ayaka said, pressing play before he could protest further.

As the movie played, Ayaka kept glancing at Yuuto, gauging his reactions.

"See, isn't this sweet?" she said during a particularly cheesy scene.

Yuuto rolled his eyes. "If by 'sweet' you mean cringeworthy, then sure."

Ayaka pouted. "You're no fun."

Despite the chaos Ayaka brought into his life, Yuuto couldn't deny that there were moments when he appreciated her energy. As the movie ended and Ayaka curled up on his bed, fast asleep, he found himself smiling.

She could be exhausting, infuriating, and borderline insane, but she was still his sister.

And no matter how much he complained, he knew he wouldn't trade her for anything.

"Well," he muttered, pulling a blanket over her. "At least she keeps things interesting."

With that, Yuuto turned off the light and settled into his chair, ready for another day in the chaotic, unpredictable world of the Kurogane household.