If he had been the kind of older brother with a terrible personality, being disliked by his younger sister might not have been something worth complaining about. But Haruto couldn't recall doing anything that would make Mitsuha dislike him. Somewhere along the way, without him even realizing it, his little sister had become distant.
"Maybe she's just shy?"
Lying in his arms, Setsuna buried her face against his chest, basking in his warmth. She inhaled his scent deeply, the intoxicating comfort of his presence making her feel almost drunk with peace.
After listening intently to Haruto's confusion, Setsuna slowly lifted her head. Her eyes, still drowsy, gazed up at his face. She thought back to the last time Mitsuha visited Tokyo and how she interacted with him. From what she remembered, there hadn't been any obvious signs that Mitsuha disliked him.
"When we're little, we don't really think about things like that. But as we grow up and start to understand the differences between boys and girls, plus with people around teasing and stirring things up... maybe that made her feel embarrassed? So she started keeping her distance?"
Setsuna didn't have siblings herself, so she couldn't say for sure. She could only try to explain it based on what she'd observed and what made sense to her.
Haruto, gently holding Setsuna's delicate body with one arm, fell into thought at her explanation. Recalling the many moments he'd shared with Mitsuha, he realized that Setsuna's theory made sense. Besides this, there really wasn't any other explanation that fit.
"Maybe you're right. Ever since she started keeping her distance, we've hardly had any real conversations. Most of the time, she just expresses her displeasure toward me."
"Do you want to talk to Mitsuha?"
"Right now? No… it's already pretty late. If I call now, I'll just disturb her rest. It can wait. Once summer break starts and I go back to Itomori, I'll talk to her properly."
Haruto understood that his sister didn't bear him any true malice. She simply chose to keep a certain distance, though she wasn't cold toward him either. There wasn't any rush to resolve the misunderstanding. Summer would give them the time they needed to talk things through.
"Are you asleep?"
Just as Setsuna was about to ask what Haruto planned to do during summer break back in Itomori, a sudden voice came from the hallway. She stopped mid-sentence, her words dying before they left her lips.
Haruto had been about to bring up the same topic, thinking it was a good chance to discuss summer plans with Setsuna. But the unexpected voice at the door pulled him from his thoughts. He shifted slightly and turned toward the sound.
"I'm coming in, okay—"
Standing outside the door, Mai had heard part of their conversation. Though her mood had been somewhat troubled before, the warmth in her daughter's voice helped her calm down. Gently, she pushed open the door and entered Setsuna's room, finding the two lying together on the bed.
"I brought some warm milk."
"Thank you…"
Placing the milk on the nearby desk, Mai stood quietly. Haruto looked at her for a moment before glancing at Setsuna beside him.
The girl stared at her mother with a somewhat cold expression. Mai met her daughter's eyes and smiled faintly before offering a gentle farewell and leaving the room.
"I'm heading to bed. Drink the milk and try to rest early, both of you. If you can't wake up tonight, don't force it."
"I've already set the alarm. I'll wake up in time."
Setsuna didn't show much warmth toward her mother, and Mai simply smiled in return before quietly exiting, closing the door behind her.
Haruto's eyes drifted to the milk on the desk, then back to Setsuna.
"Do you want it?"
"…Mm-mm." She shook her head.
She didn't feel like drinking it. Haruto felt the same. After all they'd been through, he'd developed a bit of wariness toward anything he hadn't prepared himself.
"Alright then. Let's get some rest for now. We'll wake up later tonight."
"Yeah."
Getting up, Haruto switched off the light. In the darkness, the two of them nestled together, savoring each other's warmth as they slowly closed their eyes to rest.
—
After leaving her daughter's room, Mai glanced back at the closed door with a sigh. She walked slowly back to her own room, shut the door behind her, and lay down on the bed. Pulling the covers over herself, she felt a quiet loneliness settle in her chest. In the empty room, her soft sigh echoed briefly before she too closed her eyes to sleep.
—
Ding—ding—ding-ling-ling—
The sound of the electronic alarm clock echoed through the quiet room. Though not as sharp as a wind-up clock, it was clear and distinct enough to rouse someone from sleep.
Haruto slowly opened his eyes. The room was pitch black. Still half-asleep, he looked down at the warm, petite girl in his arms.
His mind, sluggish at first, gradually cleared. He glanced at the clock, then looked back down at Setsuna. With a soft murmur, she stirred and opened her eyes, meeting his gaze.
"Ha-Haruto?"
"Yeah. The alarm's ringing. I think it's about time—the show should be starting soon."
"Mmm… okay."
Still groggy, Setsuna quietly slipped out of his arms and sat up. As she reached for her jacket, Haruto sat up as well, still in his pajamas. The two of them left the room together.
Click—
As the door opened, the living room lay in darkness. Setsuna was the first to switch on the lights, then casually walked over to the sofa and used the remote to turn on the TV. Meanwhile, Haruto began boiling water in the kitchen.
"Which channel?"
"NTV."
Glancing at the screen, Setsuna quietly switched the channel to NTV. The program airing was a news show called news zero—something like News Origin, perhaps?
The segment featured interviews with office workers and part-timers returning home late. It wasn't yet time for the program Haruto had been waiting for, so the two of them sat quietly on the sofa, leaning against each other, waiting for it to begin.
As they sat there, he kept glancing toward Mai's room. Setsuna, sitting beside him, tilted her head and looked up at him.
"Something wrong?"
"Mai hasn't woken up yet. Still seems to be asleep. I'm wondering if I should wake her."
From the living room, the crack beneath her door was pitch black—no lights on inside. She was probably still asleep. Haruto wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to wake her up at this hour, especially since she had work tomorrow. It didn't feel right.
Just then, Setsuna suddenly stood up. Surprised, Haruto watched as she walked straight toward her mother's room.
"Setsuna?"
She didn't answer. She reached her mother's door, pushed it open without hesitation, and stepped into the dark room. Haruto, now slightly concerned, got to his feet and followed her quickly.
As he reached the doorway, the room lights flicked on. Setsuna pinched her sleeping mother's nose, prompting Mai to wrinkle her brow and slowly open her eyes. Blinking groggily at what her daughter was doing, she muttered:
"What are you doing?"
Setsuna let go of her nose and glanced toward the doorway where Haruto was standing.
"It's time. The show's about to start."
"The show? What... oh..."
Mai suddenly remembered. Her expression turned slightly awkward. She gave her daughter a sideways glance, then quietly got out of bed, pulled on a cardigan over her pajamas, and stepped out of the room. Watching the two of them, Haruto felt a twinge of emotion.
He knew he could never act that casually toward his own mother—especially not someone like Futaba. Every family had its own dynamic, and in some ways, he envied the relationship between Setsuna and her mother.
They returned to the living room and sat down.
"Is it over?"
"It hasn't started yet. Sit down."
Now the three of them sat quietly on the sofa. It was early summer, so the evening air wasn't cold. Wearing pajamas with jackets thrown on, none of them felt uncomfortable. They sat in silence, watching the news wrap up and the commercials begin, waiting for the show to start.
"How long until it begins?"
"Should be soon. Just a little longer."
Mai stared at the commercials, clearly bored. She turned her head slightly and looked at Haruto beside her. Then, without a word, she shifted into a more relaxed position and leaned her head against his shoulder. Her hair fell down around his neck, tickling his skin.
Haruto glanced sideways at her resting on his shoulder, but said nothing, quietly returning his gaze to the TV.
Setsuna noticed her mother's movements but didn't comment. Instead, she leaned against Haruto's other shoulder, mirroring her mother's gesture.
With both of them leaning on him, Haruto simply sat there silently, watching the commercials and waiting for the show to begin.
"This program takes the hottest topics trending around the world, adds a humorous twist, and offers commentary without digging too deep."
Monday Late Show
As the show officially began, both women—who had been drifting off to sleep—perked up slightly, their eyes opening just enough to watch the screen.
"Hello, everyone!" "Good evening!"
"Tonight's segments:① Street interviews with people sharing personal stories② A nationwide check-in with flamboyant big sisters③ Solving random unsolved cases from street interviews④ Another skyscraper completed"
"There are four segments?" Mai glanced at Haruto.
"I'm not exactly sure, but if anything relates to me, it's probably the first one. Definitely not the second. The third is a maybe, but the fourth has nothing to do with me."
He looked intrigued as the show began. He wasn't certain whether his part had made the final cut. If it had, it might help his book sales.
—
Late at night, Mitsuha opened her eyes in her room. She looked over at her sleeping little sister, then quietly sat up and lifted her blanket. Without bothering to muffle her steps, she headed to the door. Getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night was common. She glanced once more at Yotsuha, still sound asleep, then gently slid the door shut and crept into the living room.
Bathed in moonlight, she found the TV remote and turned it on, quickly lowering the volume to the minimum. She sat down and quietly watched.
"What was the name of the show again?"
"Right—Monday Late Show!"
She had nearly forgotten. Remembering, Mitsuha flipped through channels until the preview came up. She stopped on NTV and waited.
"Still some time left... So slow."
She muttered a complaint under her breath, then stood up again, planning to grab a midnight snack.
Click—
Suddenly, the dark living room lit up. Mitsuha froze mid-step, her body stiffening, mind blank. Slowly, she turned toward the doorway—and felt her heart pounding loudly in her chest. Cold sweat began to form down her back.
There stood Futaba, wearing a light cardigan, silently watching her daughter with a helpless smile.
"M-Mom... I was just…"
"Well, since you're already up, you don't need to rush back to bed. Come sit with me and watch the show."
"Huh...? Oh, o-okay!"
Expecting a scolding, Mitsuha was stunned. But Futaba simply made her way to the sofa and sat down.
"It's my son's first appearance on TV. Of course I care. You got anything else you want to say?"
"N-No… I'll go make some tea!"
Relieved beyond measure that her mother wasn't angry, Mitsuha scrambled to make tea. She sat properly beside Futaba, quietly sipping her drink and staring at the TV like a statue. Futaba, watching her daughter, couldn't help but chuckle softly. She never imagined her daughter could be this uptight.