Chapter 153: Wrong Flag!

Chapter 153: Wrong Flag!

Only when the sky turned orange did Izumi stir from her seven-hour long sleep. Something told Kazuya this was her best sleep in three months without him. The exhaustion that had lined her face seemed to have eased.

Grasping her hand, he gently helped her into a sitting position. “Hey.”

Izumi blinked back at him, her eyes filling with tears as they locked onto him. “Otouto-kun...” Her voice wavered, tinged with remorse. “I'm so sorry. What I did was unforgivable.”

“Don’t worry about that. All that sleeping should’ve gotten you hungry.”

She hesitated, then nodded. “A bit... I'll go prepare—”

“No, no, no. You stay put. I’ll get something for you.”

Before she could raise an objection, he exited the room. During her lengthy sleep, he had tossed out every lethal object — even something as small as a needle — from the bedroom. Nevertheless, he returned to her side as quickly as possible, bringing a glass of milk and some meticulously sliced fruits.

{You’re a terrible brother.}

‘Shut up. I didn’t have time to whip up a gourmet meal.’

{Even if I gave you three hours, your cooking will still taste like a freshly brewed disaster.}

‘In my defense, I have so many talented lovers to do it for me.’

Serving the healthiest meal to Izumi, he watched as she accepted it without question, sipping the milk before setting the glass back onto the table.

“Otouto-kun, I'm grateful for everything, but you really should—”

“Leave? Not happening.”

She chuckled softly. “You should have warmed up the milk. Cold milk sucks.”

{She looks better.}Thê source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

“As for your question, why would the world want to eradicate Quincy? It’s not them. The Quincy, at least the sane ones, don’t want to risk their lives to fight Hollows, and they absolutely don’t see any reason in getting punished by Shinigami for breaking the balance. Aside from that, do you think a sane mother will willingly raise her child for such a risky occupation?”

With passion and gentleness, he tried to fill her head with logic, unintentionally calling Izumi’s mother insane in the process.

She tilted her face upward, her eyes shimmering with unshed emotion. “Will you stay tonight?”

“Of course. Want me to cook something?”

She let out a laugh. “Never. I’ll do the honor.”

He allowed her to step in the kitchen, but he was there to supervise her. She didn’t mind his presence. Rather, she found his protectiveness and care heartwarming, making her smile.

“Otouto-kun, I wish we were true siblings.”

“Me too.”

Her smile blossomed like a flower in the spring — her most beautiful smile to date. “So it’s official then. I’m Izumi Ishihara from this day on.”

...

Nighttime.

The soft creak of the door roused Kazuya from his light sleep. Still wary of Izumi’s intentions, he was alert to every nuance of sound and movement. It was unmistakably Izumi slipping into his room, her presence confirmed as she gently lifted the blanket and lay beside him. The fresh scent of her damp hair hinted that she’d come straight from the bath, and her delicate lingerie amplified the warmth and softness against him.

Curious about her motive, he continued feigning sleep, which grew harder with her presence in his bed.

“Your scent is everywhere, mingling with the air I breathe,” she whispered, her fingers lightly grazing his chest before tracing the lines of his face. “If I give up... if I let go of this purpose that defines me—I’ll be left in a void. There’ll be no reason for me to greet the dawn, no emotions to color my days—neither joy nor despair. I’ll become an empty shell, devoid of reason. A nothing.'"

Contrary to the darkness of her words, her voice held a note of inexplicable optimism, absent of vulnerability.

“I’m not without purpose with you here.” She reached up and pressed her lips against his face. “My Otouto, my dearest, we’ll honor the tradition adopted by our ancestors — we’ll marry each other and start a family.”

{Partner, you triggered the wrong flag!}