A Stubborn Girl Starts and Ends Conversations as She Pleases

The next day, July 25, the weather was cloudy.

After informing the daily labor foreman that he'd take a short break, Yuu went to prepare breakfast while waking up Sora, who was still asleep.

As they started eating, Sora's strange gaze made it hard for him to swallow. Finally, unable to take it anymore, Yuu put down his chopsticks and asked resignedly:

"Sora, is there something you want to say to me?"

Hearing this, Sora paused for a moment, then slowly set her chopsticks on the table.

"Since you're asking, I'll just come out with it."

Yuu: "…"

(Where did she learn to shift responsibility so smoothly?)

"First question."

Sora's cold voice landed on the table, her eyes narrowing as if she wouldn't miss the slightest hint of a lie.

"Where did you go yesterday? What did you do? Who did you meet?"

Yuu corrected: "That's three questions."

"Guilty!" Sora raised an eyebrow, pulling the arm of her bunny plushie and pointing straight at him. "Forget harakiri—your punishment is life imprisonment with no wife!"

"Thanks for helping me save on wedding costs, then…"

His lips curled into a slight smirk, and Yuu sighed, not intending to continue the joke. Otherwise, this breakfast might drag on who-knows-how-long.

So he answered honestly:

"I went to Shibuya, met my new job's employer, and while getting familiar with the work, I got my first payment."

This was one hundred percent the truth—the system could vouch for it.

Unless absolutely necessary, not lying to his sister was Yuu's pride as a brother.

But Sora didn't say he couldn't play with words.

"Hmph… Really went to Shibuya?" Sora muttered, then asked again, "That's it?"

Yuu thought for a moment: "Not just that. I also stopped by a basketball court, helping some elementary school girls retrieve their ball…"

"Elementary school girls?" Sora repeated, her tone suspicious.

"Yeah…" Just as he was about to nod, Yuu sensed something off, the corner of his mouth twitching twice unconsciously.

"What's with that look? What's wrong with elementary school girls?"

"…Nothing."

Sora turned her face away, her slender fingers playing with the bunny's ears, saying nonchalantly:

"Don't worry, I trust you, Yuu… So if the police come, I won't open the door."

Yuu: "???"

(My dear sister, are you trusting me in the wrong context?)

He sighed unconsciously, rubbing his forehead. "…The police won't come, and I'm not interested in elementary school girls."

After that, regardless of whether his sister believed him, Yuu spoke to her seriously:

"Don't change the subject. You just want to ask about that video, right?"

Sora shifted her gaze back, her clear brown eyes meeting his, then nodded slightly.

"As expected…"

Since he'd already suspected it, Yuu wasn't too shocked to learn the video of him playing the piano had spread on forums.

If this were a feel-good urban novel, maybe last night some piano master, tipped off by a student or grandchild, would've seen the video. After hearing the perfect-level Goldberg Variations, they'd be stunned and post on Twitter or SNS:

Then a bunch of other masters would chime in, netizens would be mesmerized by his performance, and even insomniacs would fall asleep to the piano's melody, making psychiatrists tremble with excitement, hoping he'd record it for therapeutic use.

That wouldn't be the end—he'd appear in magazines and news, earning titles like "New Generation Piano Prince," amassing tons of fans.

Then, a beautiful, usually cold and aloof girl in his class would recognize him from the video, ask him to meet behind the school one afternoon, pin him against the wall, and say—

Scenes like that only happen in dreams, not reality.

Sure, many reposted it on forums because Yuu didn't just play beautifully—his confident, dashing style was undeniably cool, naturally drawing attention.

But if he didn't seize this chance to boost his popularity, open a Twitter or YouTube channel to manage his fame, within a week, no one would remember the young man who played a stunning lullaby on the painted piano at Shibuya Station.

Society is indifferent, after all—news comes and goes constantly.

And most importantly…

It was summer break. Where would a cold-faced beauty come from to pin him against a wall behind the school?

"About this, Sora, you need to prepare yourself to hear me out."

As if mentally braced, Yuu took a deep breath, looking at his sister with a serious expression.

"Yuu…"

Sora unconsciously hugged her bunny plushie tightly, her small teeth biting her lower lip slightly, seemingly tense from his demeanor.

Yuu didn't avoid his sister's fearful gaze.

To him, compared to society's reactions, the most important thing was what his family would think after seeing the video.

—He couldn't say anything about the system, so how could he explain why he suddenly knew how to play the piano, and so well?

They were siblings with only each other, supposed to know everything about one another, highly sensitive to each other's changes.

The Yuu in the video made Sora feel like a stranger.

Since Sora recognized him from the video and asked directly, any evasive excuse would be a betrayal. He had no choice but to face it.

So, Yuu could only lie.

A lie isn't a crime but another path to the truth.

Telling an obvious lie to let Sora understand his difficulty in telling the truth might resolve this peacefully. In the future, if Yuu suddenly mastered other weird skills, his sister wouldn't find it strange anymore.

Of course, understanding was still understanding—some awkwardness was unavoidable, right?

Anyway—

"Actually, that day, I was possessed by the ghost of a piano master. To help him reach nirvana, I let him use my body to complete the performance."

That kind of excuse, that kind of lie, was practically toying with someone.

"…"

As expected, after hearing it, Sora's cute little mouth opened slightly, staring at him in confusion, silent for quite a while.

Her expression seemed to say—Do you think your sister's an idiot?

"Hahaha…"

Slowly dropping his serious expression, Yuu laughed awkwardly, then sighed.

"You didn't buy it, huh."

"Of course not!"

Regaining his spirit, Yuu said with a serious face:

"Sora, give me one more chance. This time, I'll come up with something more believable!"

Pursing her lips, Sora instead said softly: "Forget it, this is fine."

"Huh?" Now it was Yuu's turn to be surprised.

Her gaze fixed on the table, Sora suddenly picked up her chopsticks. Though her lips pursed slightly in displeasure, as if she'd anticipated his response, she muttered resignedly:

"Of course I don't believe nonsense like a ghost possession, but I'm willing to believe in you."

"That's that!"

As if sweeping away the serious atmosphere she'd created, she casually grabbed some side dishes and started eating heartily.

A stubborn girl starts and ends conversations as she pleases.

"…"

With a complicated expression, slumping back in his chair, Yuu was truly helpless against his sister.

"Anyway, no matter what happens…"

Her voice suddenly spoke up again.

He looked up, a grain of rice stuck to her soft, pink lips, looking a bit cute.

But her eyes were the opposite—serious enough to make it impossible to laugh.

"You're not someone else, you're Yuu, right?"

"Yuu, who promised to be with me forever, Tenkuji Yuu."

It was a question laced with realization, fragile like reality, as if it could shatter with a touch of chopsticks.

Yuu understood what Sora feared, just as she understood why her brother lied earlier.

So, after a brief silence, Yuu picked up his chopsticks, grabbing some side dishes for his bowl, answering with an expression like What nonsense are you talking about?

"Of course!"

"Since the day our parents left, I told you, I'm your brother, and from now on, I'll take care of you."

Unless absolutely necessary, not lying to his sister was Yuu's pride as a brother.

"…"

The silver-haired girl didn't respond, just used her little pink tongue to pick up the rice grain, pursed her lips, and continued her breakfast.

She seemed to smile in relief, unnoticed by anyone.

Yuu glanced at her, his gaze incredibly gentle.

"Oh, by the way, if you don't believe I'm me, I could recount how a few years ago you wet the bed because you were too scared to leave your room…"

BANG!

Sora slammed her bowl down, glaring with a flushed face, her small shoulders trembling with embarrassment and annoyance.

After holding back for a while, she finally spat out:

"Pervert, pedophile!"

"Hah, I'm not a pervert."

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Two days later, July 26, clear weather.

Perfect for a date, not so much for exercise.

At 9:15 a.m., in front of Sobu High's gate.

Having agreed to exercise with Haruno, Yuu stood under the scorching sun, wiping sweat from his neck with a towel.

The calm on his face slowly turned to impatience.

"Haruno-san, I'll give you the duration of one more song…"

With a murderous glare, he muttered lowly:

"If you still don't show up, I'm heading to the convenience store across the street to cool off."