"But... isn't your family yakuza?" Haruto asked, leaning forward slightly, curiosity plain in his gaze.
Akane's eyes widened in surprise, then, to his surprise, she broke into laughter. "What?! Where did you get that idea? No way!"
She laughed again, clutching her stomach as if he'd told her the funniest joke.
Haruto's eyebrows lifted as she continued, "My brothers might look rough, like gangsters or something, but they're honestly big sweethearts!" She picked up her glass, taking a sip with a satisfied smile.
'A sweetheart? She has to be joking,'
Haruto thought, recalling Daiki's near-lethal rage and Shohei's towering, intimidating frame that was more titan than man.
"My dad's a diplomat, and my older brother, Shohei, is just a businessman. So yeah, we're well-off." She gave a proud smile, puffing out her chest a bit.
"Hmm... I can see that," Haruto said, nodding. It was becoming clear that Akane had no idea about her brothers' real lives.
She was blissfully unaware, a sheltered, innocent girl. His lips curved into a smirk as he thought,
'I wonder how Daiki would react if I took that innocence away.'
"Here, try one of these! It's baumkuchen—it's delicious!"
Akane offered him a slice, her cheerful smile still lighting up her face as she took a bite herself.
Haruto accepted the treat, eating it slowly.
'I'll have to get some of this for Haruka,'
he thought, knowing his sister would enjoy it.
"But you're really quiet, just like my brother," Akane observed, breaking the silence. She stroked Mochi absentmindedly.
"Sometimes, I don't know what he's thinking at all."
"Same here. His moods are... unpredictable," Haruto replied, matching her exasperated sigh.
"Right?" she laughed.
'But I need to move faster with Kota. Time is running out.'
Just as he was lost in thought, someone hugged him from behind. He smiled instantly, recognizing the familiar sound of her footsteps.
"Haruka, don't sneak up on me like that! What if I had a heart attack?" he chuckled, teasing her.
"No way you would!" Haruka laughed, letting go and moving to his side as they continued walking.
Haruto's eyes fell on her uniform, and his brow furrowed slightly. "Haruka, why are you coming home so late from school?"
She jolted, caught off guard. "Umm... I stayed for extra study. Just eight more months, and I'll be in high school!" she said, a mixture of excitement and nervousness in her voice.
Haruto stopped in his tracks, his thoughts growing serious. The idea of his sister going to high school always worried him, and he knew he needed to address it now.
"Hey, why don't we stop at one of these restaurants? My treat."
Her face lit up with a wide smile. "Really? Let's go!" she exclaimed, hugging his arm before pulling him toward a nearby restaurant.
Once inside, they found a table and settled in, flipping through the menus. After placing their orders, a comfortable silence lingered until Haruto finally broke it.
"Haruka, about high school..."
Before he could continue, she cut in, smiling brightly. "I want to go to the same school as you, brother."
His heart skipped a beat at her words. He wanted her to stay by his side, but he also remembered the dangers that might await them if she went to the same school as him.
"Have you thought about a private school? You're a bright student, and I think it would be better for you to have a good education."
Haruka pouted, her brows knitting together in disappointment. "But I want to be with you! You agreed before—why are you changing your mind now?"
He wanted to tell her everything, about the painful future he was trying to prevent. But he couldn't burden her with that knowledge.
She was innocent and cheerful, and he wanted her to stay that way. A brother's duty, after all, was to protect his sister from pain, even if it meant keeping her in the dark.
"Yes, but now that I have a stable job, I can start saving for your tuition," he said, taking her hand gently.
"So please, think about going to a good university and marrying a rich," he added, half-jokingly.
Haruka didn't find his words funny at all. She scowled, her voice laced with defiance. "I don't want to marry rich! I want to be with you!"