Epilogue

“…What am I even doing?”

The next day, Mahito was already slumping his shoulders on Monday morning.

—In the end, I couldn’t ask Yuuri why she looked so down…

Despite sensing it was something serious, he’d only managed to talk about himself.

—This is just like before, isn’t it!

Tormented by self-reproach, he saw Yuuri, now wearing her shoes, step out into the entryway.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Onii-san.”

Though he hadn’t managed to ask what was troubling her, it seemed she’d still walk to school with him this morning. Her usual smile directed at her stepbrother somehow made Mahito feel a little saved.

—No, if I let myself be satisfied with that, nothing will change, will it?

Shaking his head, Mahito spoke up. “By the way, Yuuri, about yesterday…”

“Yes? …Wait, which part?”

Thinking back, it had been a strangely packed day—from heading to the shopping mall in the morning to pick out an apron, eating pancakes, having a run-in with Himemiya and the others, and then more shopping afterward.

—How did so much happen in just one day?

Wearing a dumbfounded expression at his own situation, Mahito continued. “Last night. You looked like you were really troubled by something, Yuuri. I got worried Dad and Mom might misunderstand, so I couldn’t ask you about it.”

As he brought it up, Yuuri jolted with a start.

“H-Hyah?! U-Um, that was, well, you know…”

“It might not be something I can help with, but if you’re okay with it, could you tell me?”

At his words, Yuuri’s face twitched as if to say, There’s no way I could tell you! Then, she let out a voice tinged with apology. “Um, well, it’s kind of something hard to talk about with a guy…”

“Oh, uh… s-sorry.”

Well, girls probably have worries that only other girls would understand. For a guy to butt in would be pretty tactless.

But then, Yuuri’s face lit up as if she’d just had a brilliant idea. “Oh, but if Onii-san dressed up as a girl, I think I could talk about it.”

“…Could you give me a moment to think about that?”

Weighing his dignity as a man against his stepsister’s troubles required a bit of resolve.

“You don’t have to take it so seriously!”

Apparently, she hadn’t expected Mahito to actually consider it. Yuuri’s voice rose in a panic. “…Though, I wouldn’t mind seeing Onii-san in drag, to be honest.”

“I’m not here to judge anyone’s preferences, but don’t expect that from me.”

Whether she was reflecting or not, Yuuri laughed playfully.

—Well, if she’s showing me a face like that, maybe she’s okay?

He’d said he wanted to talk, but forcing her to share something she didn’t want to wasn’t right. For now, he decided to hold off on pressing her further.

As they started walking, Yuuri nodded as if making up her mind. “Um, Onii-san, instead of that…”

“Yeah? What is it?”

His stepsister stepped in front of him and gently held out her hand. “Is it okay if we hold hands on the way to school?”

To such a simple request, Mahito nodded with a smile. “Of course.”

He reached out to take her hand, but…

“…Uh, Yuuri?”

Instead of a normal handhold, her fingers slipped smoothly between his with flowing precision, locking into a “lover’s hold.”

—That’s not something siblings do…

He was about to point it out, but Yuuri spoke first. “—Is it… no good? I kinda like it, though…”

“Guh, nngh…”

Being told that so directly caught him off guard. Faced with his stepsister’s pleading, upward glance, Mahito could only hold out for a few seconds.

“…Just until we get to the station, okay?”

“Hehe, I love that side of you, Onii-san.”

Feeling like he’d been completely outmaneuvered, Mahito fell silent. Paying no mind to his reaction, Yuuri swung their clasped hands and started walking.

“…Don’t tease me too much, alright?”

“I’m not teasing! I just want Onii-san to feel a little flustered, that’s all.”

“That’s exactly what teasing is…”

Letting out a sigh, his stepsister suddenly raised her voice as if struck by another idea. “Then, if I’m serious, that’s fine, right?”

“Serious about what?!”

As Mahito let out a yelp, his stepsister pressed a finger to her lips and smiled mischievously. “The one who’s going to get serious is you, Onii-san.”

“…?!”

—Facing each other doesn’t mean that, I think!

At her words, which felt almost like a declaration of war, Mahito could only let out a voiceless cry.

“Come on, we’ll miss the train if we don’t hurry, Mahito-senpai!”

Dragged along by his stepsister, whose resolve seemed to come from an entirely different place, Mahito was pulled forward with no choice but to follow.