In a short span of ti, Kuro Kurogane discovered that Rika Saionji’s older sister was lethal.
Not in an emotional sense like Aoi.
Not in a chaotic sense like Akari.
Instead Yuna Saionji was unsettling because an older sister who gets amusent out of making the lives of her little sister’s friends miserable.
As luck would have it Kuro was now ’the target’.
The following afternoon Kuro regretted having answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Get your ass over here."
Yuna’s voice was bad news.
"Why?"
"Rika forgot her lunch."
"Why can’t she go get it herself?"
"She’s too embarrassed to leave the house after what happened yesterday."
Fair enough.
Kuro was standing outside of school, and he was feeling exhausted.
"Why am I involved?"
"Because you’re interesting."
Anyti soone uses that phrase, it usually leads to trouble.
Thirty minutes later, Kuro was once again back at the Saionji household.
Spiritually prepared this ti.
Sadly, the spiritual preparation does not matter.
Because when Yuna opened the front door to greet she grinned mischievously.
"Oh?" "The boy ca back of his own accord?"
"Uh ... you literally called ."
"Still counts."
Yuna is such a demon!
Kuro stepped cautiously inside.
Imdiately Kuro noticed very loud music playing from another room!
Also Rika is yelling!
"BIG SIS STOOOOP!"
That is interesting!
Very interesting!
Yuna is just casually walking to the kitchen and carrying in groceries.
"She’s changing."
"Changing?"
"Relax. "Not that kind."
Again those are so very suspicious words.
Then suddenly Yuna leaned in really close.
"Although I think Rika will look adorable blushing because of you."
Kuro physically stepped backward!
"You like to cause too much trouble."
"I love it."
At least Yuna is honest.
Several seconds later Rika finally ca out of her room.
At that point Kuro completely malfunctioned when he saw her.
The Rika that stood before Kuro was not the sa Rika from school anymore.
What was no longer there was a strict ponytail , aformal stance and an air of cold sophistication.
Instead what was now there was long flowing dark hair , a giant ani-thed hoodie, tiny shorts and round glasses that were crooked because of her near-panic state.
That girl was so soft!
So comfy!
So sweet!
So dangerously sweet!
As Kuro stared silently at Rika she froze in shock and disbelief!
Then slowly her face turned red.
"Why are you here again?"
"Your sister made co against my will."
"That’s correct," replied Yuna with pride.
Traitor !
Then unexpectedly but yet so predictably .
Yuna determined that she could not allow Kuro and Rika to remain at peace with one another!
"Okay, now you two need to tell how long you have been emotionally flirting?"
Rika was just about dead on impact.
"We are not ."
Kuro was already physically pushed beyond his limit of exertion.
"Can I leave now?"
"No," replied Yuna while positioned in between them.
"You took a boy to your secret otaku room. That is essentially an engagent by introverted standards!"
Rika dropped face-first onto the couch and moped about.
"I hate this family." (Can you bla her?)
anwhile Kuro was silently watching the sisters converse in the sa room, yet had a feeling of warmth being around.
Mainly because Rika was just different in how she acted.
Rika wasn’t so composed now.
She was much more animated and much less restrained.
For example: Whenever she was annoyed, she would slightly pout and usually be the last person in the room to pout.
When she was really embarrassed, her ears would turn red to show it before any other part of her body would.
But when Kuro was around Yuna, Rika just acted as if she was a normal human being and not the perfect model student.
Then, just like that all of a suddenRika caught Kuro looking at her again.
"Why do you keep staring at ?"
Direct shot to Kuro.
One blink and he had nothing to say.
"You are a different person when you are ho," said Kuro right after.
Silence for a mont as Rika then turned her head slightly.
"Is that bad?" (Rika really wanted to know.)
"Not bad." (Very truthful answer.)
"That is a good thing." (Very truthful answer.)
Strong emotional impact on Rika she completely froze.
anwhile, Yuna was privately watching from across the room.
Yuna was smirking just like evil itself.
Many minutes passed after this occurred.
Suddenly Yuna dropped a multitude of manga volus onto the table.
"Kuro!"
"Two questions: First why do I now feel scared?"
"Which type of heroine character suited Rika the best?"
Imdiately, Rika was back on her feet and directly at Yuna.
"BIG SIS !!!"
Too late.
Yuna quickly went through so examples of romance manga.
"Cool beauty? Shy introvert?Secret clingy?"
Emotionally repressed?"
"...STOP PUTTING IN BOXED TROPES."
Kuro couldn’t help but laugh at her comnts.
This also led Rika to glare at him.
"You too?"
"Sorry. But secret clingy is actually kinda true."
That was damaging beyond repair.
Rika actually covered her face with a pillow afterward.
She was also adorable.
Later that evening Yuna went to do grocery shopping.
Finally.
The calmness is back.
Except with only one: Kuro and Rika and a soft silence.
Rika was sitting near the low table and organizing her manga and avoiding eye contact.
"...I’m sorry about my sister."
"...She’s funny," he replied.
"...She’s evil."
Both statents were correct.
Then out of nowhere Kuro noticed sothing on the table next to him.
It was a sketchbook.
Partially opened.
Full of rough manga drafts.
Kuro blinked slowly.
"...Can I see?"
Rika hesitated quick and then quietly replied: "...Ok."
Kuro opened the sketchbook all the way.
Instantaneously froze.
The art was so emotionally intimate.
It featured two girls in emotionally charged scenes being protective of each other from difficult romance.
Sohow the character’s personalities appeared to be familiar.
Very very familiar.
Kuro turned very slowly to look at Rika.
"...These characters..."
Rika imdiately panicked.
"...Don’t analyze them..."
Too late; she was done for.
The reason I’m saying this is because they looked like Aoi.
And, the other one?
Totally Akari.
Kuro glared at him.
"...Saionji-senpai."
"Ahhh!" Rika was imdiately embarrassed.
"I said to stop thinking about it."
"Well, it’s obviously them."
"FICTIONAL."
Super believable defense.
Then, Kuro flipped through the pages gently, while a smile crept across his face.
"...It’s really good though."
Rika lowered her hands just a little.
"You really think so?"
"Yeah."
Answering with honesty.
And then, she showed him that wonderful little smile again.
Quiet. Shy. Gorgeous.
The kind of smile that made you feel special, because she hardly ever had that smile on her face.
And then, all of a sudden Kuro realized a very scary thing he wanted to see this expression again.
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