After the "Christmas Showdown," the relationship between the three Shiba siblings could be considered to have made some progress. It couldn"t become as warm and affectionate as other families, but at least all three treated each other more gently and naturally than before.

Yuzuha and Hakkai no longer viewed their older brother as an irreconcilable enemy. Yuzuha was naturally empathetic; she had completely let go of the grievances she had suffered in the past. But Hakkai was different from her. Saying he no longer hated him was one thing, but expecting his affection for Taiju to grow was something that simply couldn"t happen right now.

"Taiju, you agreed to let Takemichi borrow our house?"

But today, the moment he returned home and saw Taiju, Hakkai immediately marched up to question him.

Taiju furrowed his brows, turning the page of the magazine in his hands.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"Of course there"s no problem with the event, but the problem lies with you."

Yuzuha walked out of the kitchen right then, purely to eavesdrop on the drama.

"What problem could possibly lie with me?"

"Have you ever tried counting how many times, because of you and your rules, Yuzuha and I have been able to bring friends over? Never! So why on earth would you agree to let Takemichi borrow our house to throw a party for over twenty people?"

In the past, as the Commander of the Black Dragon, all gang members, except for Inui and Kokonoi, had to wait outside. Even those two never stayed inside the Shiba household for too long. Taiju was the lord of strictness, a neat freak who demanded everything be tidy and orderly. He never liked others intruding on his private space.

Therefore, when Yuzuha heard Taiju say he would let Takemichi host a party at their house, she was also incredibly surprised.

She knew Taiju had been paying special attention to Takemichi ever since the Christmas Showdown, or perhaps even before that — on the day Takemichi risked his life to shield her, even daring to punch Taiju straight in the face. That figure was both resilient and unyielding.

Yuzuha remembered her brother"s expression at that moment: a deeply irritated scowl, as if it were his first time encountering a brat who looked weak enough to be crushed in one hand, yet refused to submit so stubbornly.

Until now, there had never been anyone Taiju couldn"t subjugate. The impression Takemichi left in Taiju"s heart at that moment was undoubtedly far more profound than anyone else"s.

Yuzuha wasn"t entirely sure what had transpired during the Christmas Showdown or in its aftermath. She still found it hard to believe that her brother, who had never bowed to anyone, was willing to help Takemichi, becoming the advisor for the 11th Generation Black Dragon, which ultimately led to this current situation.

That initial attention seemed to have been nurtured, allowing a different kind of affection to sprout and take root deep within her brother"s heart.

The boy who carried the light, who carried his brave heart, had shaken the very core of the Shiba family.

Taiju glanced at Hakkai"s visibly frustrated demeanor and let out a sigh, seemingly unwilling to explain too much.

"There is no problem here. Naturally, I want to do what is best for my leader."

Having said that, Taiju stood up and left the living room, leaving Hakkai looking as if his soul had just been knocked out of his body by those words.

Yuzuha had to walk over and smack him on the head just to drag his soul back to reality.

"Did you hear what he just said? Naturally, I want to do what is best for my leader. What? He actually called Takemichi his leader? His? He said his? I"m dreaming, right? A nightmare, this is an absolute nightmare! Or maybe you should double-check, that guy isn"t our brother."

Yuzuha felt a wave of helpless exasperation at her younger brother"s utterly bewildered face. No wonder his relationship with Takemichi hadn"t progressed at all. Too stupid! He still hadn"t realized he had feelings for the guy. At this snail"s pace, one day her idiot brother would come crying to her because someone else snatched Takemichi away. And if that someone turned out to be their older brother, Hakkai would probably renounce the Shiba name altogether. Because clearly, their older brother was already taking the lead with his sheer decisiveness and intensity.

"If the other party is Hanagaki-kun, then it"s not really surprising."

Just as Hakkai"s face went blank, Yuzuha dropped another bomb.

"Just like you, our brother"s heart has been swayed by Hanagaki-kun. He must really like him."

Yuzuha patted Hakkai"s shoulder.

"If you keep sitting here hesitating over whether to set your phone wallpaper to Mitsuya or Hanagaki, one day you"ll be calling him sister-in-law—no, brother-in-law."

Yuzuha then left Hakkai frozen alone in the living room, effectively dooming the idiot to toss and turn sleeplessly for the entire night.

He found himself questioning whether his feelings for Takemichi were different from mere friendship. Just like everyone else today.

"But I really just want to become stronger to protect him."

Hakkai muttered softly to himself.

The next day was the day Takemichi had arranged to go to the supermarket with Mitsuya. And everyone knew that whoever went with Mitsuya meant Hakkai would be there too, along with two cute but not necessarily easy-to-please little mushrooms—Luna and Mana. Seeing Takemichi, the two little girls waved their hands enthusiastically.

Takemichi smiled brightly, waving back at the four of them before running over to pick Mana up.

"Hello there, my two little princesses. Long time no see."

"Good morning, Takemichi! Are you feeling better? Big brother said you were sick."

With one little girl in his arms and the other tugging at his hand, they looked up at him with sparkling, innocent eyes, sweetly asking about his health. It made Takemichi"s heart want to melt at their sheer adorableness.

But he didn"t know that even though Mitsuya was smiling as brightly as a flower, he was sweating bullets on the inside.

The two little girls were being unusually well-behaved because before coming here, their big brother had strictly instructed them that Takemichi was unwell. They had to be obedient, they couldn"t cause trouble for Takemichi, they had to be good and their big brother would reward them, along with many other things the girls couldn"t remember. They only remembered that it all revolved around Takemichi.

Luna had dramatically placed a hand over her forehead, and Mana had clutched her chest, acting deeply hurt, claiming that their big brother didn"t love them anymore and only loved Takemichi. They had put on such a tragic, tear-jerking performance that it gave Mitsuya a massive headache.

Fortunately, the two little girls raised by Mitsuya were clever. Seeing their older brother"s "too scared to confess but feelings written all over his face" predicament, they perfectly synchronized their efforts. They utilized the Mitsuya family"s beautiful genetics to help their older brother win over the younger brother"s affection and bring him home.

This morning, Mitsuya noticed that Hakkai"s mood wasn"t great; he was quieter than usual. He guessed it was probably because of Taiju letting Takemichi host a party at their house.

"Why the long face?"

Hakkai startled slightly, then offered a strained smile.

"It"s nothing."

"You"re still hung up on your brother"s business."

"Huh? What"s there to be hung up on? It"s my house too, so whoever asked, it would be the same."

Mitsuya looked at Hakkai and sighed inwardly. That was just the surface of the issue. What really bothered him was the fact that Taiju harbored special feelings for Takemichi.

A few days ago, Taiju had blatantly shown off how he meticulously took care of Takemichi, from his meals to his medication schedule. And now, lending his house for a party—it truly exuded the aura of a sugar daddy. A true capitalist, doing everything with such cool decisiveness.

Actually, Hakkai was a bit of a young capitalist himself. Back when Takemichi clashed with the Black Dragon, Hakkai had spent a fortune paying off Kokonoi to keep his mouth shut and not report Takemichi for ruining the Black Dragon"s business. Not only did he lose money, but Hakkai also had to endure Kokonoi"s sour, venomous mockery.

He had silently protected Takemichi for a long time, never claiming credit nor needing Takemichi to feel grateful. If Kokonoi hadn"t turned his coat for Kisaki"s money, Takemichi would never have known.

Hakkai was a good, sincere guy. If he loved someone, he would undoubtedly sacrifice everything for them. But as mentioned, Hakkai was an idiot. He hadn"t even realized his own feelings for Takemichi, so how could he know how to express them?

And Hakkai had another weakness. Even if he did realize it, he would be timid when facing that love. The other party was also a boy, which would inevitably make Hakkai flustered, temporarily seeking ways to evade his true feelings.

But the thing is, you can deceive your own mind, but you can never deceive your heart. The skipped beats in his chest—the one who felt them most clearly was himself. Teenage love was truly too hard to hide.

Hakkai was beginning the process of acknowledging his feelings, and the person "helping" this timid boy kickstart this realization was none other than his beloved older brother.

Previously, seeing everyone so passionate about Takemichi, Hakkai simply thought he cherished him as a friend, just like everyone else. But suddenly, the older brother he thought was made of stone—someone who seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with the word "love"—was now displaying a gentle demeanor, showing unprecedented care and indulgence toward Takemichi. Hakkai suddenly realized he was incredibly irritated, and he gradually learned that this irritating feeling was called jealousy.

Now, he also realized something else: not everyone in Toman thought as purely as he did. This realization made Hakkai feel completely twisted up inside. Add his sister adding fuel to the fire, and honestly, wasn"t he tangled up enough already?

Sinking into his own thoughts for too long, Hakkai didn"t even realize when he had walked into the supermarket, even grabbing a shopping cart to follow the other four.

The moment Luna and Mana entered the supermarket, they became so excited they forgot their matchmaking mission, or the fact that the purpose of today"s trip wasn"t to shop for them. They immediately ran toward the colorful candy aisle, forcing Mitsuya to grab the two energetic girls by the collars.

Seeing the two little girls like that, Takemichi felt happy too. Watching the three Mitsuya siblings was truly endearing.

"Whatever you two want to buy, just grab it. I"ll buy it for you."

And so, he blurted that out in high spirits. Mitsuya was about to open his mouth to tell him not to say that, otherwise the girls would get too overly excited for Mitsuya to handle. But before he could speak, his two little girls were already cheering, hugging Takemichi"s legs and thanking him.

"Takemichi, don"t spoil them like that."

"Come on, it"s just a small gift to thank them for coming shopping with me. It"s no big deal."

Hearing that, the two little girls immediately began flattering Takemichi.

"Takemichi is the best!" - Luna.

"Takemichi is the coolest!" - Mana.

Hakkai, having fallen out of favor, sighed heavily alongside Mitsuya, at a loss for words. With just a few sweets, Takemichi had lured away the sisters Mitsuya had raised. Mitsuya didn"t know whether to be happy or sad.

"Alright, fine. But you two can only pick one thing you like the most. No more than that."

The two little girls pouted but weren"t too dissatisfied; after all, getting a gift was still a win. So they ran off to find their favorite treats. It took some time to think because everything looked so delicious, giving the two girls quite a headache.

Watching the scene, Takemichi really wanted to generously declare that he would buy everything they liked. But Mitsuya, as if sharing a telepathic link with him, glanced over and slightly furrowed his brows, signaling Takemichi not to spoil them any further. It made Takemichi feel a bit guilty, offering Mitsuya a sheepish smile.

Simple, gentle, and filled with cute little things—that was all he wanted in his life.

After waiting for the girls to pick their treats, the five of them began shopping for the necessities. Hakkai was quieter than usual today. It took a while before he seemed to pull himself together, and then he asked if Takemichi wanted to sit in the shopping cart.

Takemichi silently marveled that it was a great idea—if he were an elementary school kid, he would be incredibly excited about it. But he was a 15-year-old teenager now, with the soul of someone pushing thirty. His body might be short compared to these two, but he wasn"t a baby to be playing this game. Not to mention, there were two actual kids right next to them, yet Hakkai didn"t offer it to them, but to him.

Hakkai guessed Takemichi would open his mouth to object, so he quickly scooped him up like a kitten. Takemichi only had time to let out a low yelp. By the time he regained his senses, he was already sitting neatly inside the shopping cart, accompanied by the giggles of Luna and Mana.

"Hakkai, I"m really not a baby anymore."

"Takemichi will always be a baby."

Hakkai shrugged and grinned, then cheerfully pushed him along to prevent the kitten from jumping out of the basket. And just like that, Takemichi was robbed of any chance to resist. Honestly, being pushed like this was actually quite fun. Who didn"t like the feeling of being pushed in a shopping cart when they were a kid? So Takemichi quickly found himself enjoying it.

Before pushing him to the condiment aisle, Hakkai stopped by the potato chip shelves and started scooping them up. And it was literally scooping, not picking them one by one. He dumped a whole pile onto Takemichi, making him feel like he was about to be buried alive in potato chips.

"Hakkai, slow down, I can"t afford to pay for all this."

Not to mention, he still had a ton of snacks at home that Draken had bought. Counting the previous hauls, the snacks Toman bought for him were enough to open a grocery store.

Toman had a massive obsession: fattening up Takemichi.

"You pay for the party food, but I"ll pay for this pile separately later. The two little babies got their gifts, so the big baby should get some too."

"What do you mean baby? You"re the same age as me!"

Takemichi"s face flushed beet red when he noticed the surrounding shoppers looking their way. He could even vaguely see them smiling.

"Mitsuya!"

Takemichi wanted to call Mitsuya for help, but at that moment, all Mitsuya saw was Takemichi sitting neatly in the shopping cart amidst a pile of snacks, his face flushed red as he pleaded for help—it was just too cute. Look at this, they had just acquired a limited edition item, the only one in the world: a super cute Takemichi.

Seeing Mitsuya just smiling and refusing to help, Takemichi decided to give up. Oh well, teenagers were supposed to do silly things, regardless of how others looked at them. Having given up, Takemichi just accepted it.

"Hakkai, we want some too!"

But the two little girls felt this was very biased. Both their big brother and Hakkai were favoring Takemichi. They were only allowed to pick one item, but Hakkai bought Takemichi a whole mountain of food, and their big brother just smiled without any objections.

They were enduring selective stinginess. They really needed to reconsider helping their big brother bring the younger brother home. Otherwise, their big brother would take all their food and give it to the younger brother. Luna and Mana needed an urgent conference.

"I"ll share with Luna-chan and Mana-chan later, okay?"

Takemichi sat up, reaching out to pat Luna"s head as he spoke tenderly to the two girls.

Alright, the two little girls would reconsider the matter.

"Whoa, if you two eat too many sweets, your teeth will rot," Hakkai said.

"Then aren"t you afraid Takemichi"s teeth will rot since you bought so much?"

"We"re grown up, unlike you two," Hakkai replied.

"Hakkai is grown up, but you still cry to my big brother, bleh!" Luna teased.

"Hey, I do not cry!" Hakkai felt severely attacked.

"Just yesterday! Big brother had to comfort you, bleh! A grown-up who still cries!" Mana chimed in with her sister.

Hakkai was truly pitiful, getting roasted by two little kids until he was speechless. Mitsuya and Takemichi shook with laughter watching the two tiny girls bully a guy over 1.8 meters tall.

In a small corner of the supermarket, laughter filled the air. Supermarkets weren"t supposed to be too noisy, but no one wanted to ruin the warm, joyful atmosphere of these youths brimming with the flavor of youth. Being young was truly wonderful.

Takemichi was pushed around in a large loop by Hakkai. He didn"t know how many people had stared at them. The girls were swooning over the radiant handsomeness of the two guys accompanying him. Takemichi felt so jealous. They were already handsome, and they dressed well too, looking like they were walking a runway even in simple clothes. Truly, clothes make the man.

But little did he know, those girls were actually even more jealous of him. Even just passing by, they could recognize the deeply affectionate gazes and gentle smiles on the guys" faces. The sense of indulgence when Mitsuya patted his head, or when Hakkai saw something tasty and leaned down to ask if Takemichi wanted it. If Takemichi nodded, Hakkai didn"t care about the price and just tossed it into the cart for him, while Takemichi only had to sit there and enjoy it. The scene was practically force-feeding dog food to everyone else until they were stuffed.

After making a large round of shopping, they arrived at the frozen food section. The most important things they needed to buy today were all here. Takemichi was about to stand up and step out of the cart when Mitsuya appeared in front of him. Once again, Takemichi was swiftly and gently lifted up and set down, accompanied by chuckles from the surrounding people at the unexpected sight.

Takemichi looked as bewildered as a deer in headlights, his face completely blank.

Seriously! Were they kidding him? Was he just too light, tiny as a peppercorn, or were these guys just so ridiculously strong that they could lift him up like he weighed nothing?

Takemichi felt his self-esteem take a severe hit.

"Could you guys please not carry me in crowded places like this in the future? I want to bury myself in a hole."

The brains of a certain two guys automatically processed this as: So, in places with few or no people, we can still carry him.

Arriving at the meat and vegetable section, Mitsuya immediately showcased his domestic skills. Based on the number of people, Mitsuya calculated the amount of meat needed and the accompanying vegetables, while conveniently teaching Takemichi and Hakkai how to distinguish fresh produce and pick the best vegetables.

"Vegetables are very easy to pick. Choose the ones with young green leaves, evenly colored, not wilted or crushed. The ones that are too dark green are already old. Pay attention to the stems too; the good ones will look succulent and crisp. As for fruits or root vegetables, you have to pick them up to check their weight—see if they feel heavy and solid in your hand. The color should be even, without bruises or yellow spots. Also, looking at the stem is the easiest way to tell. Like these two bell peppers—they look identical on the outside and feel equally solid, but the stem on this one is slightly more withered."

Mitsuya lectured Hakkai and Takemichi with utmost dedication. The two guys listened more attentively than they ever did to their teachers at school. It was unknown if they actually remembered any of it, but as they listened, they marveled at how Mitsuya truly was a family man. The image of the handsome, capable Mitsuya was shining super bright. Today, Takemichi officially requested to join the Mitsuya fan club, alongside Captain Hakkai.

Mitsuya concluded his lecture amidst the awestruck gazes and gentle applause of the two guys, one tall and one short. Luna and Mana immediately seized the opportunity.

"My big brother is super, super amazing! He doesn"t just know how to grocery shop, he cooks really well too. He even knows how to sew; the clothes he makes for us are so pretty. At home, he does all the chores. Takemichi, you should come live with our big brother! He"ll do everything, you won"t have to worry about a thing. You can just play, and big brother will handle the rest!"

Hearing Luna"s words, the corners of Mitsuya"s and Hakkai"s mouths twitched. The advertisement for Mitsuya wasn"t wrong, but this blatant seduction was ruthless.

"That"s right! Takemichi, you should marry our big brother! We"ll be one family, and Luna and I will have so much fun playing with you!" Mana chimed in excitedly after her sister.

Takemichi was frozen by the two little girls before bursting into laughter. It was as if the two kids were demanding to marry Mitsuya off to him.

Mitsuya"s ears began to turn red. He silently directed a pleading look at the two little ancestors of his household, but it seemed they weren"t ready to give up just yet.

"Alright, you two, stop teasing Takemichi. Haha, Takemichi, it"s just because they like you so much."

Mitsuya quickly pulled the two girls away from Takemichi, trying to excuse their blatant attempt to marry off their older brother.

"No, it"s because big brother likes Takemichi so much! His phone..."

The full sentence, had Luna not been gagged, would have been: "...his phone is full of pictures of Takemichi. He takes them out to stare at every day and smiles to himself. I"m afraid if he keeps this up, he"ll turn into an idiot, and I don"t want my big brother to be an idiot, so I wanted Takemichi to come live with him."

My little princess, my little ancestor, are you trying to kill me?

Mitsuya glared at Luna. The little girl pulled his hand down and whispered into his ear.

"Don"t you want Takemichi to come to our house? I"m just helping you! If you"re too slow, someone else will snatch him away."

"Who hired you to do this, you little brat? Doing that will scare him away."

Your brother isn"t in a rush, so why are you?

"Really? I didn"t know."

Looking at the girl"s innocent expression, Mitsuya felt utterly powerless.

"Don"t mind the kids, Takemichi, haha."

Mitsuya smiled bitterly, the redness on his ears about to spread across his entire face as he kept scratching his head. It was the first time Hakkai had seen the usually cool Mitsuya look so flustered and slightly foolish. As for Takemichi, he was laughing so hard tears were forming in his eyes.

Then, he crouched down beside the two little girls.

"Your big brother is also super kind and super cool. Whoever marries him will definitely be very happy."

Hearing that, the two girls looked visibly overjoyed, while Mitsuya froze, staring at him. Sure, Takemichi often said things like that to him, but right now, those words carried immense destructive power. Both of Mitsuya"s cheeks began to flush red.

"Then do you like our big brother, Takemichi?" Mana asked quickly.

"Of course I like him."

Takemichi answered decisively, flashing a sweet smile that made Mitsuya"s heart start pounding wildly. He widened his eyes, looking at him in astonishment.

But at that moment, Hakkai"s heart gave a sharp twinge. His expression turned slightly grim, as if he had just felt a surge of fear.

"I also like Luna and Mana, and I like Hakkai too. I like a lot of people."

As Takemichi added those words, Mitsuya immediately felt a wave of disappointment. Takemichi hadn"t even let him touch heaven before kicking him straight back down to earth. He had gotten his hopes up for nothing; it was "like," but not that kind of "like." Hakkai, on the other hand, quietly let out a sigh of relief.

"Eh! No way, you can only like one person, Takemichi!"

Luna didn"t realize that her definition of "like" and Takemichi"s were entirely different.

"Then do you like me?"

"Yes, I do."

"So you don"t want me to like you?"

"No, that"s not it! I want you to like me too."

"See! So if everyone likes me, I will just like everyone back."

The little girl"s head was spun in circles by Takemichi. Why did it sound so illogical yet make so much sense?

Luna started getting a headache; she didn"t want to think about it anymore. Seeing Luna"s confusion, Takemichi picked her up and said with a smile.

"I like everyone so much, so I want to be by everyone"s side. Beside Mitsuya, Hakkai, Mikey, Draken, and everyone in Toman. Then we"ll all go welcome the New Year together like before. Spring, summer, autumn, winter—all four seasons together. We"ll go hang out, go to the supermarket like this. I also want to see Luna and Mana grow up into beautiful young ladies."

Why did that feel wrong? She wanted Takemichi to come live at her house, so how did it turn into everyone? That would be too crowded; her house couldn"t fit all of them.

But looking at the younger brother"s expression right now, the little girl forgot everything else. Suddenly, she felt excited about what he had said. It sounded really fun. In the coming years, everyone would welcome the New Year together just like this year, watching the brilliant fireworks in the sky. Sometimes, the older guys would drop by their house to play, and going to the supermarket like this meant Takemichi would buy them lots of delicious sweets.

Hakkai and Mitsuya were slightly dazed, watching Takemichi"s deep blue eyes sparkle with light as he spoke those words. In this rushed world, Takemichi still walked slowly, step by step, on the path he had chosen. He only had one simple desire: to have peaceful days with the people he loved, cherishing every second beside them. Things that seemed trivial and simple could immerse Takemichi in a profound sense of happiness.

Everyone wanted to hear words of love, but saying them out loud was sometimes far from easy. The reason was usually shyness, yet Takemichi could always speak those words with absolute sincerity.

These things didn"t make Takemichi seem weak or overly sentimental; instead, they made them feel that he was truly, incredibly strong—so strong that they couldn"t understand why. It wasn"t the kind of strength used to suppress others or sweep through like a storm. It was the strength of wanting to love, wanting to protect. It was as gentle as a spring breeze carrying the warmth of the sun.

Amidst the chaos, selfishness, and vanity, it was as if he held a miracle in his hands—one that could soothe others, making them feel that this world was truly radiant because of the simplest things. And they, within his world, were all precious treasures that he wanted to cherish.

Since he joined Toman, they had noticed that Takemichi often watched them intently from afar, sometimes staring until he was in a daze, a faint smile on his lips, exuding an indescribable sense of happiness. At first, they felt a bit shy, usually choosing to pretend they didn"t notice. When they were still strangers, they even wondered, "What"s wrong with him? He"s so weird." But gradually, they began to seek it out, becoming mesmerized by it.

Takemichi was very clumsy, but he would always treat them with gentleness. They used to think he was like that with everyone, but later they realized—no, Takemichi favored them the most. They wouldn"t admit out loud how ecstatic this made them. Takemichi would look at the good in others and empathize with their sorrows. In those moments, the naive Takemichi would suddenly transform into a mature older brother.

Many people couldn"t understand why Toman treated Takemichi so specially, but they had no desire to show off how beautiful their Takemichi was, how gentle he was with them, and how much he cherished them. A strong and resilient person, someone who pushed others to become better—who wouldn"t want to love someone like that?

Not everyone who had endured trauma could still want to treat the world with such gentleness.

But within every person, there resides both light and darkness. If one only focuses on the reigning light, they will never know what is unfolding in the dark. There is a tragic truth: you can be right beside someone and still have no idea how shattered they are inside. What"s even more tragic is when that person refuses to give you the chance to find out.

He wanted to soothe the pain of others, yet he himself didn"t know how to heal the wounds in his own heart.

Mitsuya and Hakkai were also swept up in his words. Thinking a bit about the future, they didn"t need too much. They didn"t know how deep these feelings would grow, nor did they know if they would ever reach him. But no matter what, they still wanted to be by his side, to go through the sweet and bitter years of youth together, to be a part of each other"s journey of growing up.

At this moment, not a single one of them thought about the day they might be torn apart.

After the five of them finished shopping, they were supposed to bring all the groceries back to the Shiba household. However, only Hakkai and Takemichi carried them back, because Mitsuya needed to take the exhausted little girls home. Mana was practically dozing off already.

Nodding off in Mitsuya"s arms, Mana spoke in a sleepy voice.

"Let"s invite Takemichi to play with us again next time."

Mitsuya chuckled, patting the little girl.

"Definitely. But the sisters I raised were lured away by Takemichi. I"m so hurt."

With two sisters who knew how to act so well, he had to pick up a few acting skills himself.

"No way, we love you the most, big brother!"

Luna grabbed the hem of Mitsuya"s shirt and said hurriedly. They had clung to Takemichi so much today that she was afraid they had actually hurt their big brother"s feelings.

"That"s more like it," Mitsuya smiled in satisfaction.

After that, Mana truly fell asleep in his arms, while Luna continued to chirp away in a low voice about all sorts of things. Kids really always had so much energy.

"Luna and Mana will be so pretty when we grow up! Takemichi said so, big brother."

"Of course. You"re my sisters, how could you not be pretty?"

"Takemichi likes you too, big brother. So when you grow up, can you two get married?"

"We"ll figure that out when we grow up."

"So you two will get married, right?"

"..."

"If you two get married, Mana and I will be the bridesmaids. Wait, but between you and Takemichi, who will wear the wedding dress?"

"..."

Oh, honestly! In this world, the people who gave him the hardest time were undoubtedly his two younger sisters.

"I don"t know yet. We have to leave that for the future. Marriage is for adults."

"But big brother, you like Takemichi a whole, whole lot, right? I like him too. Even though Takemichi isn"t as handsome as Hakkai, he gives us lots of yummy food."

Mitsuya burst out laughing. Takemichi wouldn"t know whether to laugh or cry if he heard Luna say that. Meanwhile, Luna was still looking at him, waiting for his answer.

Mitsuya looked toward the distant horizon, the sky a clear, towering blue. He took a soft, deep breath. Suddenly, his heart began to pound wildly, as if it wanted to tell him something.

It was telling him to admit it: You love him so much.

Mitsuya tilted his head slightly to look at Luna. It was truly hard to lie under the pure gaze of a child, wasn"t it?

"Yeah! I like Takemichi a whole, whole lot."

The lingering chill of late winter still hung in the air, but the golden sunlight was brilliant. On the shaded path, there was a faint scent of grass and trees, carrying the fragrance of the approaching spring. It was a beautiful day to be honest with oneself. Perhaps one day, these words of his wouldn"t just be heard by Luna. When he gathered enough courage, he would definitely say them to him, even if they were never reciprocated.