The day before heading to ‘Animal Crossing Park’, Haruto was diligently working at his housekeeping help part-time job at the Tojo residence, as usual. He was proceeding with the cleaning of the kitchen area, which was today’s request. There, Ikue, who was teleworking, spoke to him. “Speaking of which, you’re going shopping with Ayaka for tomorrow’s bento ingredients today, aren’t you?” “Ah, yes.” “In that case, you don’t need to do too much house cleaning today, so please spend plenty of time shopping with Ayaka, just the two of you. Here, this is the money for shopping.” “Oh no! I couldn’t possibly accept this much!” Haruto waved his hand, refusing the bills Ikue held out. “Tomorrow I’ll be going as Ayaka-san’s friend, not for housekeeping help, so I was planning to split the cost of the bento ingredients…” “Don’t worry about it. You’re taking Ryota out to play, after all. Please let us, as parents, do at least this much.” Saying that, Ikue took Haruto’s hand, which was holding back, and pressed the money into his palm. “Please, Ootsuki-kun?” Tilting her head cutely and looking up at him. Although a mature woman, her slightly childish, adorable gesture, combined with Ikue’s own beauty, made Haruto blush involuntarily and avert his gaze. “Um… yes. Understood.” “Ufu, thank you, Ootsuki-kun.” Haruto nodded, unable to look directly at Ikue, his gaze still averted. Seeing his reaction, she wore a warm, amused expression. Just then, Ayaka, who was doing her summer homework in her room, came into the living room. “Hey Mama, where is the lead for my mechanical pencil… wait, Mama?!” The daughter, who had come to ask her mother something, rushed in between Haruto and Ikue in a flustered state. “Why are you holding hands with Ootsuki-kun?!” Seeing her daughter’s somewhat panicked and anxious state, Ikue grinned mischievously.

“Oh dear, what’s with all the fuss? I was just giving Ootsuki-kun the money for shopping.” “Then you should just hand it to him normally! Honestly! Ootsuki-kun looks troubled, let go of his hand quickly!” “Oh? Was it unpleasant to have this old lady hold your hand? I’m sorry.” Saying that, Ikue released Haruto’s hand she had been holding. He, in turn, replied briefly, lowering his head slightly with “No… it’s alright.” Seeing Haruto’s reaction, Ayaka glared sharply at her mother. “Mama, you have a remote meeting now, don’t you? If you don’t get ready quickly, you’ll be late for the meeting!” Saying that, Ayaka pushed Ikue’s back, trying to distance her from Haruto. “There’s still thirty minutes until the meeting, so you don’t have to rush so much.” “Mama is the president, so you absolutely can’t be late, right? Come on, hurry, hurry!” “Oh dear, alright. Well then, Ootsuki-kun, I’ll leave things to you.” Ikue, being pushed forward by Ayaka, turned back slightly and waved to Haruto. Then she was pushed even harder by Ayaka. Ikue smiled kindly, noticing how her daughter’s reaction was subtly changing compared to when Haruto first started the housekeeping help job, and whispered something in a small voice that Haruto couldn’t hear. Perhaps due to that whisper, Ayaka’s ears turned red, but she continued pushing her mother’s back with all her might. ※※※ As Ikue had instructed earlier, Haruto quickly finished a light cleaning of the Tojo residence and got ready to go shopping. Ayaka also started preparing to go out. Ryota, who was watching a Super Sentai video on the living room TV, came up to Haruto as usual, saying he wanted to go shopping with them. “Shopping? I’m going too!” Haruto had no reason to refuse, so he smiled and was about to nod at Ryota. However, Ayaka spoke first. “Not this time. Ryota, you stay home.” “Huh? Why not?” Ryota pouted his lips and looked dissatisfied at his sister’s words. “We might be buying a lot of things this time, and i’ll be discussing various things with Ootsuki-kun while shopping, so Ryota will stay home. Understand?” “No way! I want to go too!” “No, you can’t. Please listen to your Onee-chan this time? Okay?” Ayaka knelt down in front of Ryota, matching his eye level, and pleaded with him. Despite his sister’s plea, Ryota’s dissatisfied expression didn’t change. “You’re just saying that because you want to have Onii-chan all to yourself!” “Th-that’s not true? It’s not like that. This time we need to discuss the bento while we–”

“You like Onii-chan, so you want to be with him, right! I’m in the way!” “Th-that’s not it! Ryota, listen? I’m not specifically…” “But I like Onii-chan too…” Saying that, Ryota pouted and looked down. “Um, Tojo-san.” Unable to watch any longer, Haruto spoke to Ayaka, and she began speaking in a rush. “Ah, Ootsuki-kun, um! N-no, I don’t particularly want to have Ootsuki-kun all to myself, or anything like that, a-and Ryota is just saying ‘like’ arbitrarily…” “No, I’m happy that Ryota-kun likes me too,” Haruto said with a wry smile, which made Ayaka look troubled. Regardless of Ayaka’s true feelings, the shopping trip this time was likely to involve buying many things, as she had just said, and they planned to discuss the contents of the bento while shopping. Therefore, it was certainly true that shopping would be smoother without Ryota. However, seeing Ryota’s sulking face made a sense of guilt well up inside both Haruto and Ayaka. Just as the atmosphere was becoming like they should probably take him along after all, Ikue, who had finished her remote meeting, appeared in the living room. “Ryota. While Onee-chan and Onii-chan are out shopping, let’s have some ice cream together and wait.” In both of Ikue’s hands, containers of expensive cup ice cream were held. The moment he saw them, Ryota’s face instantly lit up. “Ice cream!!” On the other hand, Ayaka groaned sadly when she saw the ice cream in Ikue’s hands. “That’s the ice cream I was saving…” Joy and despair. The siblings, displaying conflicting emotions, were smiled upon warmly by their mother. “What will you do? Go shopping? Or eat ice cream?” “…Ryota, you can eat my ice cream, so will you stay home?” “Hmm… Okay. I’ll stay home.” To Ayaka, who had made the decision with a heavy heart, Ryota, after some hesitation, chose the ice cream. “Well then, have a good trip!” “Yes, we’re leaving now.” “Ugh… It was a limited edition flavor… We’re leaving now.” Seen off by Ikue, Haruto and Ayaka went out alone to shop for the bento side dishes. ※※※ Walking side by side with Ootsuki-kun on the road leading to the supermarket, I let go of my lingering regret for the limited edition ice cream. It was the limited summer Apple

Pie flavor. It had been a topic on social media and was the ultimate ice cream I had finally managed to get after going around many convenience stores and supermarkets nearby. I had carefully stored it at the very back of the freezer as a special treat for summer vacation… B-but! Thanks to the ice cream, I was able to get some alone time with Ootsuki-kun, so I have to think positively! For the sake of the ice cream that sacrificed itself! “Speaking of which, the ice cream Ikue-san had earlier, wasn’t it the one that’s been popular lately?” “Ah, yes. Ootsuki-kun knows about it too?” “Yes, I happened to see it at a convenience store the other day, bought it, and tried it. It was very delicious.” “Eh…? You’ve eaten that ice cream, Ootsuki-kun?” “Yes. Oh? Tojo-san, haven’t you had it yet?” Oh, Ootsuki-kun, you traitor~! I went around convenience stores and supermarkets all over town in the scorching heat and finally managed to buy it… “I haven’t eaten it yet… I wanted to… I really wanted to…” “Ahahaha… Well then, if I see it again, I’ll make sure to get it for Tojo-san.” Perhaps I looked really down, as Ootsuki-kun said this out of concern. Maybe it feels good to be treated so kindly by Ootsuki-kun…? Should I act a little more dejected? “I was really looking forward to that ice cream… I was so looking forward to eating it, I even dreamt about it…” “Um… It seems the convenience store near my house is quite a hidden spot, they might still have it, so I’ll check next time?” “But… I looked it up online, and it said it’s sold out everywhere…” “Well then, shall we go on an ice cream hunting trip together sometime?” At Ootsuki-kun’s suggestion, made with a slightly wry smile like he was joking, I couldn’t help myself and stopped pretending to be dejected, breaking into a full smile. “Really?!” “Eh? Ah, yes. I want to eat that ice cream again too.” Yes!! I got another excuse to go on a date with Ootsuki-kun! I feel a little bad for Ootsuki-kun for pretending to be dejected and lying a little… But this is part of the tactics of love! To make this love blossom, I have to do my best! “I wonder if that ice cream is still being sold?” “If we search all over town and can’t find it, we can go to the next town over. If we search all day, we’re bound to find it, right?” “Yeah, that’s right. If we search all day, we’ll definitely find it! All day…” I can be with Ootsuki-kun all day. What should I do…? I want to eat the ice cream, but I also want to keep searching with Ootsuki-kun forever, without finding it. Ugh… Love is a series of hardships, isn’t it? But I never thought that a limited edition ice cream would

be the reason I could make a date promise with Ootsuki-kun. Maybe my lucky item today was the limited edition ice cream. I should have checked my morning horoscope properly. “Thank you, Ootsuki-kun.” “Not at all. I want Tojo-san to taste the deliciousness of that ice cream too.” Ootsuki-kun said that with a gentle smile. Ah, he’s so kind. Just seeing his smile makes me feel a warmth in my heart. “I have to thank Ootsuki-kun. Especially with tomorrow coming up.” I’m getting spoiled by his kindness, so I want to give something back. “Is there anything you want, Ootsuki-kun? Anything you want me to do, or anything you want?” “You don’t have to worry so much.” “I’m worrying, so please tell me anything? If it’s Ootsuki-kun’s request, um… I’ll do anything?” What if Ootsuki-kun, who always has a mature aura and seems like he would never be selfish, started telling me, “Do this, do that”… What would I do! Just imagining it is so cute! If he said something like that, I’d do everything he asked. I’d devote myself completely! “Well, um… I can’t think of anything right now, so I’ll think about it a bit.” “I see… Okay. Don’t hold back, alright?” “Yes, understood.” Ootsuki-kun nodded with a laugh. I see… he doesn’t have anything specific he wants… I have so many things I want, things I want Ootsuki-kun to do for me, things I want to do with Ootsuki-kun. Even now, I want to walk hand in hand with Ootsuki-kun like before… I subtly glanced at his hand. There, I remembered what my best friend, Saki, had told me. That in love, it’s not just about pushing, but sometimes pulling is also important. Saki had said that if I could use this pushing and pulling skillfully, Ootsuki-kun would become crazy about me. But what should I do to ‘pull’? I can somehow imagine pushing as doing things to show that I like him, but what is pulling? Since it’s the opposite of pushing, should I be cold towards Ootsuki-kun? Like, ‘I’m not happy about going ice cream hunting with you at all!!’ or something? …Hmm, that doesn’t seem quite right. Pull… Pull Ootsuki-kun… Try pulling him… I stared at Ootsuki-kun’s hand, deep in thought about ‘pulling’. Pushing and pulling, making Ootsuki-kun’s heart flutter… Flutter? Pulling to make him flutter? Just then, an image suddenly popped into my mind. Following that image, I grabbed Ootsuki-kun’s arm and gave it a quick tug. “Whoa!?” Ootsuki-kun, whose arm was suddenly pulled by me while we were walking, let out a surprised sound, then stopped and looked at me with a puzzled face. …Wait, what am I doing pulling him physically?! That’s not what pulling means, is it?!

“Tojo-san?” “Ah, um! That! Well, um, well… A bug!! There was a bug! A big bug like this at Ootsuki-kun’s feet!” I quickly came up with an excuse. He, in turn, looked startled when he saw me spread my arms wide. “Gross! Seriously? I didn’t notice at all.” “Y-yeah. But it might be gone already, it was really fast. Maybe it was a cockroach?” To my desperate excuse, Ootsuki-kun made a strained face and said, “That sounds scary… maybe it was better if I didn’t see it.” Th-that was close… I managed to fool him somehow… The moment I breathed a sigh of relief, Ootsuki-kun’s left arm suddenly shot out and gently pulled me closer by the shoulder. “!?” Huh?! What, what?! What just happened?! My heart hammered rapidly at the sudden event. Just then, a light truck going at a considerable speed whizzed past very close to me, who was still confused and unable to grasp the situation. That’s when I finally realized. Ootsuki-kun had changed his position to protect me from the truck. “Ah, thank you.” “No, please don’t worry about it. I’m sorry for not noticing either.” After saying that, Ootsuki-kun subtly guided me so that he was on the road side. S-somehow, feeling protected by Ootsuki-kun makes my heart pound so much… I walked quietly next to him, looking down so that Ootsuki-kun wouldn’t see my face, which was probably red. I was trying to push, pull, and make Haruto-kun’s heart flutter, but instead, my heart was getting all flustered by his thoughtfulness. I took small, repeated deep breaths, trying to calm my heart that was pounding wildly in my chest, without Ootsuki-kun noticing. In the end, without being able to do anything, we simply walked side by side until we reached the destination supermarket. “For the bento side dishes, I guess we should get the ingredients to make the rolled omelets and fried chicken?” “Yeah, that sounds good.” Ootsuki-kun said, confirming, as he picked up a basket near the entrance. We had discussed the bento contents to some extent at the cafe we stopped at after the movie date the other day. We put the ingredients for the bento into the basket while examining the food items lined up in the supermarket. “Oh? Mini tomatoes are ninety-eight yen a pack!! How about these for the bento? They’ll add some color!” “Fufu, yeah. I think that’s a good idea.”

I couldn’t help but reply with a laugh to Ootsuki-kun, who was getting excited. I thought this before when he bought sesame oil, but Ootsuki-kun’s eyes sparkle innocently when he sees something cheap. That expression is so cute, and the gap between that and his usual mature atmosphere makes my heart skip a beat. While thinking that, he made a dejected face in the vegetable section because the price of cabbage was higher than yesterday. But then he discovered a sale on perilla leaves and his face lit up again. I couldn’t help but stare at his constantly changing expressions. Shopping together is so much fun. Feeling better, I started to want to tease Ootsuki-kun a little. I gathered my courage and smoothly closed the distance between us, then spoke in a slightly exaggerated voice. “Somehow, shopping together at the supermarket like this, it feels like we’re living together.” When I said that jokingly, Ootsuki-kun, who had been examining the ingredients with serious eyes, suddenly looked up and at me. “If I were living with Tojo-san, I’d work incredibly hard on the daily cooking.” “Is that so? But that would cause trouble for me. Ootsuki-kun’s cooking is delicious, so I’d eat too much and get fat.” “If you gained weight because you ate the food so deliciously, I’d be happy,” he said. Ah, he’s a devil!! Ootsuki-kun is a kind devil!! Just a moment ago, he had such a serious expression, but suddenly he smiled and said such sweet things, of course my heart would flutter! If… if I were to live with Ootsuki-kun, I’m confident I’d reach my highest weight in life within a week. “Besides, Tojo-san’s charm isn’t something that would be diminished by her figure alone.” “!” O-Ootsuki-kun is! Ootsuki-kun is scary!! Huh?! Did Ootsuki-kun just call me charming?! Why? What’s wrong? Is it because he’s high on finding cheap things at the supermarket? Is that it? Is that what’s going on?! As I froze upon hearing Ootsuki-kun’s words, he also looked startled, then averted his gaze awkwardly. “Ah, no, um, I’m sorry. I got a little carried away.” “U-uh, not at all… it’s fine…” An awkward silence lingered for a while. What should I do? I have to change the mood by bringing up a topic! While thinking that, Ootsuki-kun tentatively started talking. “Um, we’ve bought enough ingredients for the bento, so shall we go look at snacks to take with us next?” “Ah… U-uh, yeah. That’s… right…” Ootsuki-kun sometimes just casually says things like “cute.” And it’s always out of the blue… He’s a natural charmer. If I’m not careful, my heart won’t be able to handle it…

※※※ It was a little past six in the morning. Haruto got ready and finished preparing to leave, then sent a message to Ayaka. ──Good morning. I’m heading over now. ──Good morning! Okay, I’ll be waiting! A reply came back immediately. Haruto smiled slightly at that and headed towards the entrance. “Grandma, I’m heading out.” When he called out towards the living room, his grandmother, with her hands clasped behind her back, appeared. “Yes, yes, off you go. Have a good time.” “Yeah, I’m off.” Seen off by his grandmother, Haruto put on his slightly large backpack containing his things and stepped outside. “Looks like a good day for playing in the water.” Although it was only a little past six in the morning, the air outside already felt somewhat humid and hot. Haruto looked up at the sky, where the same clear blue sky stretched out. Surely by the time the sun reached its peak, it would be so hot he’d want to pour cold water over his head. Thinking such things, Haruto headed for the Tojo residence. And then, just before seven o’clock. Haruto arrived in front of the mansion he had become accustomed to and took out his smartphone. ──I’ve arrived in front of the house. It wasn’t exactly early morning, but Haruto felt a little hesitant to ring the intercom in the morning, so he sent a message to Ayaka. Immediately, a stamp of a rabbit giving an “OK!” sign was sent back. Immediately after, the door opened with a click, and Ayaka herself appeared. “Good morning. Ootsuki-kun.” Ayaka greeted him with a shy smile. Perhaps because she was about to make bentos, her hair, which was usually down to the middle of her back, was now tied up in a ponytail. “…Good morning.” Haruto, a little mesmerized by her different hairstyle, paused for a moment before replying. Ayaka said “Come on in,” opening the door wide and inviting Haruto into the house. Perhaps the rest of the family wasn’t awake yet, as the house was quiet. “I think Papa and Mama will wake up soon. Ryota probably won’t wake up for quite a while,” Ayaka said as she headed towards the kitchen. For most ordinary salarymen, this would be the time they were rushing to get ready for work, but since both Mr. and Mrs. Tojo were company executives, there must be

days when they go to work later. On the other hand, there were also days, she said, when they went to work while it was still dark. “In that case, while I’m making the bentos, I’ll make everyone’s breakfast too.”

“What? No, no! Ootsuki-kun, you’re not working today, you don’t have to do that much!” Ayaka waved her hands at Haruto’s suggestion. In response, he said with a gentle smile. “Actually, I thought it might be difficult to make breakfast while also making the bento, so I prepared a little yesterday.” “Oh? Is that so? Then… maybe I should ask you to. Papa and Mama would be very happy with breakfast made by Ootsuki-kun.” “Understood. I’ll make it quickly.” Saying that, Haruto took the French bread, which he had soaked in egg mixture the day before, out of the refrigerator and started cooking it in a frying pan. “Wow! French toast!” Ayaka’s face lit up at the sweet aroma of egg and sugar. “You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you, Tojo-san?” “No. What about you, Ootsuki-kun? Did you already eat? If not, why don’t we eat breakfast together?” “Is that alright? Then I’ll take you up on that offer and join you.” “Okay!” Haruto’s lips naturally curved upwards at Ayaka’s happy nod. He then took out the chicken ham from the refrigerator, which he had cooked and cooled yesterday, thinly sliced it, and arranged it on a plate. “Is there anything I can help with?” “Ah, in that case, could you cut the tomatoes and lettuce and arrange them next to the chicken ham?” “Got it.” While taking out yogurt from the refrigerator, Haruto also picked up the tomatoes and lettuce and handed them to Ayaka. Standing side by side in the kitchen, Haruto added sugar to the yogurt and made a sauce for the chicken ham next to Ayaka, who was cutting and arranging the vegetables. “After you finish cutting the vegetables, could you boil these in a pot?” Saying that, Haruto handed Ayaka three kinds of spices: cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. “Hmm? What are you making?” “I thought I’d make chai.” “Oh, you can make chai at home?” “Since I had the spices, I thought Assam tea would be just right.” “Ah, Mama often drinks milk tea, so we have Assam instead of Darjeeling at home.” “I see.”

Conversing in such a manner, they cooked side by side in the kitchen. Just then, Shuichi, who had woken up and came into the living room, was excited to see Haruto standing in the kitchen. “Oh! Good morning, Ootsuki-kun!” “Good morning, Shuichi-san. Breakfast will be ready in just a moment, so please wait a bit.” “What! You’re making breakfast!? I’m sorry, it’s not even your housekeeping help day.” “No, it’s not much trouble, please don’t worry about it.” “It’s amazing that you can say that.” Shuichi said admiringly and sat down at the dining table. Then he smiled at his daughter standing next to Haruto. “Good morning, Ayaka.” “Good morning, Papa.” “Hmm. I thought this when you made the chilled oden the other day too, but seeing the two of you standing side by side in the kitchen, you really look like a newlywed couple.” “Papa, why do you always say such strange things right away!!” Ayaka protested against her father, who seemed to be in a good mood. Just then, Ikue also entered the living room. “Oh? Something smells nice?” “Good morning, Ikue-san. Breakfast is ready, please help yourself.” Saying that, Haruto arranged the finished dishes on the dining table. “Oh my! You made breakfast? That’s such a help! I’m sorry, you’re not even working part-time today.” Haruto gave a wry smile, having been told the same thing by everyone in the Tojo family. “I’m going to occupy the kitchen to make the bento from now on, so…” “Oh dear, you don’t have to worry about that.” Saying that, Ikue sat down at the dining table and her face lit up at the dishes arranged before her. “Oh my! What a delicious and wonderful breakfast. Right? Dear.” “Yes. Eating Ootsuki-kun’s breakfast makes me feel like my work efficiency will increase for the whole day.” The breakfast menu Haruto made today consisted of French toast, chicken ham with yogurt sauce, and a fresh vegetable salad. “What would you like to drink? I made some chai, but would you prefer coffee?” “Oh, well, since it’s made, I’ll have the chai then. What about you? Coffee?” “No, I’ll have the chai too.” Both Mr. and Mrs. Tojo chose chai. Haruto also asked Ayaka next to him.

“How about you, Ayaka-san?” “I’d like chai too. It’s smelled nice since a little while ago.” Just as she said, in addition to the smell of the French toast he had just cooked, the aroma of the spices from the chai being heated now and the elegant fragrance of the tea wafted through the kitchen. “Understood.” Haruto added milk to the chai, which had turned a nice color, and then poured the chai into cups while removing the spices and tea leaves with a strainer. “Here you are, sorry to keep you waiting.” “Mmm~ It smells wonderful.” “It’s a luxury in the morning.” Mr. and Mrs. Tojo wore satisfied expressions. There, Ayaka said. “It’s okay if Ootsuki-kun eats breakfast with us, right?” “Of course!” “Yes, please eat with us.” Shuichi and Ikue readily agreed to have Haruto join them for breakfast. He said, “Thank you for having me,” and placed his and Ayaka’s portions of breakfast on the dining table as well. With everyone seated, Shuichi put his hands together. “Well then, let’s eat.” Following him, everyone else also put their hands together and said, “Itadakimasu.” “Hmm~ This French toast is exquisite. The outside is crispy, but the inside is soft and the flavor is well-infused.” “The chicken ham is also moist and delicious. The acidity and sweetness of the yogurt are perfect, too. Hey, Ootsuki-kun, could you teach me this recipe sometime?” “Yes, it’s simple. I’ll teach you sometime.” Haruto, the cook, smiled happily at Shuichi and Ikue, who were praising the breakfast. Next to him, Ayaka took a sip of chai and let out a sigh, “Hoh~.” “Delicious…” After muttering a single word, she took another sip of the chai. “Well, seeing you like this, Ootsuki-kun, it really feels like you’ve become a member of our family.” Saying that, Shuichi wore a cheerful expression. “That’s certainly true, isn’t it?” After Ikue agreed with Shuichi’s words, she smiled warmly at Haruto. “Why don’t you just become a real family member? Ootsuki-kun?” At Ikue’s remark, Ayaka blushed and protested. “Mama! Stop it! Why are you talking about me and Ootsuki-kun getting married?!” “Oh? Even if you don’t marry Ayaka, Ootsuki-kun can become our family, you know? Like getting adopted or something.” “Adop… ted…”

Her mother smiled at her daughter, who had frozen with a small murmur. “But if Ayaka can win Ootsuki-kun’s heart, we would be very welcoming. Right? Dear.” “That’s right. In that case, we’d be delighted to welcome Ootsuki-kun as our son-in-law! Hahahaha.” Haruto wore a wry smile and Ayaka blushed at the cheerful conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Tojo. “Honestly! You don’t have such a conversation in front of the person!” Despite their daughter’s desperate protest, her parents brushed it off lightly and continued to enjoy their breakfast. After such a lively breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Tojo left for work. In the kitchen, where they were alone again, Ayaka apologized to Haruto while washing the breakfast dishes. “I’m sorry. Papa and Mama always say strange things.” “Ahaha, well, it’s much better than being disliked, isn’t it?” Haruto said that while making the rolled omelets. “That’s true, but… Papa and Mama really have taken a liking to Ootsuki-kun.” “I’m grateful for that. Truly.” Haruto replied, skillfully flipping the omelet with a spatula. Ayaka, next to him, blushed slightly and spoke in a small voice. “If we let those two have their way like this, we might actually end up getting married… Just kidding!” Ayaka ended with an extremely bright voice, as if to cover up her own words. In response, Haruto looked slightly upwards and muttered to himself. “If I invited my grandma to the wedding, she’d be really happy, wouldn’t she…” “Eh!? Your g-grandma?” Ayaka was flustered by Haruto’s unexpected remark, which could be interpreted positively. Seeing her reaction, Haruto snapped back to reality and gave a wry smile. “Well, marriage is still a long way off for us, something we can’t even imagine.” “Th-that’s right! We’re still high school students, aren’t we!” Ayaka replied, nodding repeatedly at Haruto’s words. However, she still seemed bothered by his earlier remark and her face was flushed. She peeked at Haruto’s expression next to her while making the bento side dishes. After that, Haruto and Ayaka continued making the bento while exchanging trivial conversations. As they finished most of the side dishes, Ryota came into the living room, rubbing his sleepy eyes. “Good morning, Ryota-kun.” “…Huh? Onii-chan…?” Ryota looked at Haruto standing in the kitchen with puzzled eyes.

“Come on, Ryota, don’t just stand there. Hurry and eat breakfast and get ready to go out.” Ryota was still half-asleep. However, his sister’s words suddenly made him fully awake. “Animal Park!” “That’s right. So if you don’t get ready quickly, we’ll be late.” “Okay!” Ryota nodded energetically, rushed to the dining table, and started eating the breakfast that was already served. “Sweet and delicious!” Ryota said while munching on the French toast. Haruto watched Ryota quickly eat his breakfast with a warm smile, and Ayaka, standing next to him, told him in a small voice. “Ryota was so excited about ‘Animal Park with Onii-chan!’ yesterday, he didn’t sleep at all last night.” “Ah, so that’s why he looked so sleepy when he woke up.” “He seemed really looking forward to going to Animal Crossing Park with Ootsuki-kun.” “Fufu, I’m honored.” Ryota, having no idea that they were talking about him, continued to eat the breakfast made by Haruto with relish. After Ryota finished eating, they packed the finished bentos into a cooler bag and stuffed a picnic sheet, changes of clothes, etc., into their backpacks. “Ah, Tojo-san. I brought a slightly larger backpack, so the bento and Ryota-kun’s change of clothes can fit in here.” “Okay, got it. Then I’ll put the picnic sheet in my backpack.” “Yes, please do.” Haruto and Ayaka worked together, splitting the items to take. Since Animal Crossing Park has a water play area in addition to the lawn area and animal interaction area, a change of clothes was essential. “Okay! Are we ready?” “It doesn’t seem like we forgot anything.” Next to them, where the two were doing their final check of belongings, Ryota was restlessly twitching, unable to wait. “Onii-chan, Onee-chan! Let’s go quickly!” “Yes, yes, I know. Okay, the belongings seem fine. Let’s go then.” Ayaka casually brushed off her brother and spoke to Haruto after finishing checking their belongings. “Right. Ryota-kun, shall we go?” “Okay!!” When Haruto called out to Ryota, he dashed to the entrance like an arrow shot from a bow. “Ryota, slow down a bit.” Ayaka warned him with a wry smile, but it probably didn’t reach Ryota’s ears.

Ryota quickly changed into his outdoor shoes and then energetically jumped outside. “Goodness, Ryota.” Following the energetic brother, Haruto and Ayaka also went outside. The heat outside had increased another notch compared to when Haruto arrived, and Haruto narrowed his eyes against the dazzling sun overhead. “Ryota, come here and put on your hat.” Ayaka beckoned to Ryota, who was running around energetically despite the humid heat, and told him. Haruto smiled gently at the exchange between the Tojo siblings. Leaving the Tojo residence, Haruto and the others walked towards the nearest station. Animal Crossing Park, their destination, was located in the suburbs of the town, and after traveling by train, they would take a free shuttle bus. As it was summer vacation, the shuttle bus was packed with many families and couples. Upon arriving at their destination, they immediately headed to the ticket counter at the entrance gate. “Two adults and one child, please.” “Alright, that will be two thousand yen for two adults and one child.” The friendly elderly woman behind the counter responded with a warm smile. Haruto handed the money through the gap under the counter. “Yes, exactly two thousand yen. Here are your tickets.” “Thank you.” Haruto handed the tickets he received to Ayaka and Ryota. Ryota then bowed to the elderly woman at the counter to express his thanks. “Thank you!” “Oh, what a well-mannered child.” The woman, pleased with being thanked, said, and leaned out of the counter a little to smile at Ryota. “Boy, it’s crowded today, so make sure to hold your mommy and daddy’s hands so you don’t get lost, okay?” “!” Ayaka twitched in response to the woman’s remark and glanced at Haruto. “You’re wrong, Auntie! Onii-chan and Onee-chan aren’t my mommy and daddy!” “Oh! I’m sorry, I misunderstood. That’s right, you’re both so young, aren’t you?” The elderly woman at the counter apologized to Haruto and Ayaka, bowing slightly. “No, it’s alright.” Haruto replied with a wry smile, and Ayaka looked down, her cheeks faintly flushed. There, Ryota approached the counter to clear up the woman’s misunderstanding. “Um, Onee-chan is my real Onee-chan, but Onii-chan isn’t my real Onii-chan yet. Onii-chan is… um… well…” Here, Ryota struggled to find the words to explain. It was difficult for Ryota, who was still a kindergartener, to fully understand that Haruto came to their house for a housekeeping help part-time job and the relationship between Ayaka and Haruto. So, he explained within the scope of what he understood. “Onii-chan is Onee-chan’s boyfriend! And when Onee-chan and Onii-chan get married, Onii-chan will become my real Onii-chan!!”

“Wh-what!! Don’t say strange things!!” Ryota was earnestly explaining to the elderly woman at the counter. Hearing his brother’s explanation, Ayaka’s face turned bright red and she rushed to stop him. “H-hey! You’re bothering the people behind us, let’s go quickly!” Ayaka hugged Ryota from behind and lifted him up, quickly moving away from the counter. As she did so, she heard the woman say, “Ah, to be young and in love~,” which made her face even redder. After putting Ryota down away from the crowd, Ayaka immediately cautioned her brother. “Listen, Ryota? Ootsuki-kun is not my boyfriend! And you shouldn’t talk about marriage or things like that to other people! Understand?” “Huh~, but you marry someone you like, right?” “Th-that’s true, but…” “Then aren’t you going to marry Onii-chan?” “Wha-what?! Why would you say that?!” “Because Onee-chan likes Onii-chan’s…” “Listen, Ryota!! Marriage isn’t that simple!” Ryota, with pure eyes, was about to say something, but Ayaka stopped him, raising her voice in embarrassment. Ryota seemed unable to fully understand his sister’s words and looked at Haruto next to him. “Onii-chan, you don’t want to marry Onee-chan?” After thinking for a moment about Ryota’s question, Haruto spoke slowly. “…That’s right. If I could get married… I’d want to?” “Eh!?” Ayaka couldn’t help but let out a voice at the surprising content of his remark. Haruto squatted down to meet Ryota’s gaze and began speaking with a warm smile. “But you see, Ryota-kun. Getting married isn’t something you can do easily, you know?” “Is that so?” “That’s right. Getting married means becoming a family.” “I want to become a family with Onii-chan!” Ryota replied immediately, and Haruto also smiled happily and patted his head. “Thank you, Ryota-kun, I’m very happy to hear that.” “Hey, hey, Onii-chan, you like Onee-chan, right?” “Eh, ah… yes, I do.” Faced with Ryota, Haruto, having no other choice, replied, hesitating slightly. Hearing that, Ayaka averted her gaze from Haruto and looked down. “Then you’ll get married, right?” “Marriage, you see, it’s not enough just to like someone.” “Why?” To Ryota, who tilted his head cutely, Haruto gently explained. “You and Onee-chan are family, right?” “Yeah.”

“Do you like Onee-chan?” “Yeah, I like her.” “But sometimes you fight, right?” “…Sometimes we fight.” “When that happens, what do you think of Onee-chan?” Ryota thought for a moment about Haruto’s question, saying “Hmm~.” “Just a little bit… I dislike her…” Haruto smiled gently at Ryota, who said this somewhat hesitantly, glancing at his sister. “When you fight, that happens, doesn’t it? But you don’t dislike her forever, right?” “Yeah.” “In other words, that’s what family is.” “…?” Ryota tilted his head again. Haruto said, stroking his head. “A presence you can be with even when you dislike them. Someone who is always by your side. That’s what family is. And that’s something you can’t do just by liking someone.” “Liking isn’t enough?” “Yes, it’s not just liking… you have to love them.” Ryota looked at Haruto, who spoke clearly despite being a little embarrassed, with innocent eyes. “Then, Onii-chan, you don’t love Onee-chan?” “It takes time for a person to love someone. I still need a lot of time to love your Onee-chan. Conversely, even if Onee-chan were to love me, there wouldn’t be enough time yet.” “Hmm~, I see.” Ryota finally seemed to understand with Haruto’s explanation, and looked at his sister with a beaming smile. “Onee-chan! I hope you and Onii-chan can love each other quickly!!” His sister replied to her innocent brother with a voice so faint it was almost disappearing, her ears turning red. “Y-yes…” Ayaka nodded awkwardly at Ryota’s pure words, but her body was trembling slightly from embarrassment.

​

※※※ Haruto hadn’t expected to talk about love so soon after arriving at Animal Crossing Park. He recalled his earlier statement and inwardly writhed in shame. The thought, “Marriage requires love,” a somewhat dramatic phrase, was swirling around in his head. Haruto maintained a calm exterior while inwardly squirming with extreme embarrassment. Even though it was to convince Ryota, talking about love as a high school boy in the middle of adolescence was a bit of a mental blow. What’s more, this conversation had been overheard by a girl who was his classmate. What did Ayaka think about his earlier statement? Haruto glanced sideways at her walking right beside him. From a quick look, she didn’t seem upset. If anything, she had been smiling and looking happy since a while ago. Her inner thoughts were unfathomable, but at least on the surface, she didn’t seem to be thinking anything particularly negative. Haruto breathed a sigh of relief at that. Then, Ayaka, with a slightly mischievous expression, smiled and said to Haruto. “Ootsuki-kun… you want to get married to me, huh?” “Ah, no, um… that was… to convince Ryota-kun…” Even though he knew Ayaka was joking, Haruto still found himself speechless. Seeing his reaction, Ayaka laughed happily. “Fufu, yeah. I know.” Saying that, Ayaka again wore a mischievous smile. She laughed happily, though her cheeks were slightly flushed with embarrassment. Haruto couldn’t help but find her genuinely cute. Ayaka today, as always, exuded the charm of a beautiful girl, drawing the attention of passersby. Unlike the girly outfit she wore on their previous movie date, today she was dressed for ease of movement in jeans and a t-shirt. This outfit also suited her very well, to the point where he wondered if there was any fashion that wouldn’t suit her. Haruto averted his gaze slightly from the lovely Ayaka, who was as radiant as the summer sun, and gave a wry smile. “Well, I’m not exactly a match for Tojo-san.” Haruto said, trying to play it off a bit to cover up the embarrassment of having talked about love. Then, an unexpectedly strong reaction came back from Ayaka. “That’s not true! Ootsuki-kun can clean and cook really delicious food! And you’re kind and considerate, so much so that I think you’re attractive enough to want as a husband!!” “…Um… thank you.” Haruto was bewildered by Ayaka’s sudden emphatic statement and thanked her hesitantly. Then, her face flushed bright red, she averted her gaze and mumbled awkwardly and disjointedly.

“Um… when I said ‘want as a husband’, I didn’t mean me specifically, it’s more like… generally speaking, or rather, it’s the result of analyzing Ootsuki-kun objectively from a female perspective…” Ayaka’s voice became fainter and fainter. Haruto smiled gently at her. “Thank you. Hearing you say that, Tojo-san, somehow gives me confidence.” “Yeah… Ugh…” At Haruto’s words, Ayaka’s face turned even redder and she looked down. Then, Ryota, worried about his sister, peered up at her face from below. “Are you okay, Onee-chan? Your face is red, you know? Here, have some water from the bottle.” Ryota held the water bottle with both hands and offered it to Ayaka. “Ah, thank you…” Ayaka accepted the water bottle from her brother and drank it down quickly. “It’s hot today, isn’t it? Shall we buy some more drinks later?” Haruto said, watching the heartwarming interaction between the Tojo siblings. To his suggestion, Ayaka replied shyly, “U-uh… yeah…” While exchanging such remarks, Haruto and the others first headed to the animal interaction area. “Look, Onii-chan! Rabbits!” Ryota’s eyes sparkled as he saw the rabbits hopping around inside the fenced area. Next to him, Ayaka, also with sparkling eyes, was excitedly holding rabbit food in her hand. “Ah! One came over here! Wow! This white one is so cute!” “They’re certainly fluffy and soothing, aren’t they?” Haruto said, nodding greatly at the ultimate combination of a beautiful girl and small animals, while Ayaka wore a melting smile as she stroked the back of a white rabbit that was munching on hand-fed food. “Onii-chan! Look at this! It’s twitching its nose all the time!” If he shifted his gaze, he would see Ryota surrounded by several rabbits, begging for food. An innocent child and small animals. That scene was also a heartwarming and precious sight. “Here, Ryota-kun. They’re asking for food, so give them this.” Haruto gave Ryota the food he was holding. “Look, look, Ootsuki-kun! This one is following me! So cute~! I want to take it home!” The white rabbit she had been stroking earlier was hopping after the moving Ayaka. She was completely smitten by its appearance and once again crouched down to give it food while stroking its back. That white rabbit is good at getting by in life, Haruto thought, but even so, he was truly soothed by the Tojo siblings playing with the rabbits. In the animal interaction area, besides rabbits, visitors could also interact with ponies, mini pigs, chickens, guinea pigs, and goats. In the guinea pig area, Ayaka held a fluffy white and brown guinea pig and was completely smitten, and during the interaction with the chickens, Ryota was chased around by a rooster and was on the verge of tears.

Having enjoyed interacting with the animals to his heart’s content, Haruto felt greatly satisfied. “We’ve looked around quite a bit.” Ayaka said while giving carrots to a pony over the fence. “Right. Did you have fun, Ryota-kun?” “Yeah, it was fun.” While replying to Haruto, Ryota kept casting wary glances at a nearby rooster that was wandering around. When the rooster crowed, “Cock-a-doodle-doo!!” Ryota immediately hid behind Haruto. “Shall we go to the lawn area and play next?” “Yeah, that sounds good.” Haruto said while stroking the head of Ryota, who was holding onto the hem of his pants. Ayaka nodded at his suggestion, finished feeding the pony, and took out a pamphlet from the backpack she was carrying. “Um, this is the interaction area, so the lawn area is…” She checked the direction they needed to go while looking at the map. Just then, a goat that mistook the pamphlet for food approached with a “Mee~.” “Whoa, this isn’t food.” Ayaka quickly turned her back to the goat. “After we play in the lawn area, let’s eat our bento there as well.” “That’s a good idea. It seems they also rent out balls and stuff in the lawn area.” “They also rent out badminton rackets and shuttlecocks. There are various other things too.” Haruto also peered into the pamphlet Ayaka was holding open. “Right? Is the lawn area okay with you next, Ryota?” “Okay! Let’s go quickly!” Ryota’s interest seemed to have already shifted to playing in the lawn area, and he grabbed Haruto’s and Ayaka’s hands and lightly pulled. “Yes, yes, I get it.” Ayaka closed the pamphlet she had opened with a wry smile. Just then, she heard a “Mee~” sound again from behind her. When Haruto looked towards the sound, he saw a goat happily eating the hem of Ayaka’s t-shirt. “Ah! Tojo-san! Your clothes are being eaten!” “Eh? Ah!” Ayaka also turned around at Haruto’s words and realized that the goat was eating her clothes. “Wh-what should I do?” Ayaka tried pulling her clothes gently, but the goat showed no sign of letting go and continued to munch on the hem of her shirt as before. There, Ryota approached the goat to help his sister. “Hey! Onee-chan’s clothes aren’t food!” Saying that, Ryota gave a firm tug on the clothes in the goat’s mouth. The goat, perhaps finding Ryota annoying, sharply turned its head while still holding Ayaka’s shirt. “Kya!” Pulled sharply by her clothes, she lost her balance greatly and stumbled towards Haruto. “Whoa… Are you alright?” Haruto quickly reached out to catch Ayaka, who was about to fall.