"Re-ed li-ight, gree-en—"
I heard a voice calling out as we climbed the stairs to the shrine.
Sara-san and I instinctively locked eyes. She gave a small nod; she had clearly reached the same conclusion I had.
Just as we reached the top of the stairs—
"—li-ight!"
I came face-to-face with Todo-san, who had just turned around.
Mio-chan was still facing the other way, so she hadn't noticed us yet. Two other children—a boy and a girl who looked to be in the lower grades of elementary school—were joined in the game with them.
Noticing that Todo-san was staring off at something else, Mio-chan spun around to look.
"Ahhh! It's Big Brother and Sara Onee-chan!"
With a beaming smile, Mio-chan made a mad dash toward us.
I braced myself for a possible tackle, but at the last second, she swerved away from me and headed straight for Sara-san.
I was worried for a heartbeat, but Sara-san caught her firmly and scooped her up into her arms.
"Hehehe, Sara Onee-chan."
Mio-chan nuzzled against her affectionately, and Sara-san began to stroke her head with a gentle smile.
"Hello, Mio-chan."
"Mm! Hello, Sara Onee-chan!"
It seemed the two of them had truly become the best of friends.
However, feeling completely ignored, I couldn't help but feel a little lonely. I suppose this kind of bond requires a woman's touch...
"Hello to you too, Big Brother."
"Yeah, hello, Mio-chan."
Somehow, I felt like I was just an accessory to Sara-san.
"Hello, Takanashi-kun, Satsukawa-senpai."
Todo-san, who had been observing the scene for a moment, stepped forward to greet us.
"Hello, Todo-san."
"Yes, hello, Todo-san."
Just as we were exchanging pleasantries, the boy who had been playing Red Light, Green Light earlier crept up behind Todo-san.
I had a terrible feeling about this...
By the time the thought crossed my mind, it was already too late.
"Helloooo!"
While shouting a greeting at the top of his lungs, he reached out and grandly flipped up Todo-san's breezy, knee-length skirt.
"Kyaaa!"
I didn't intend to look, but it's practically a man's instinct to have his eyes drawn to such a sight...
Fortunately, she was wearing spats, so from both Todo-san's perspective and mine, we were sa—
Squeeeeeeze.
"I'h'ur's! I'h'ur's! S'op i'!"
Ow, ow, ow!
I shifted only my eyes to the side. There stood Sara-san, wearing a smile so unnatural I could practically see a dark, rumbling aura manifesting behind her. She was pinching my cheek with a level of strength that suggested she wasn't holding back at all...
And she was doing it while still holding Mio-chan in her other arm.
"Kazunari-san, in times like these, isn't it a gentleman's kindness to avert his eyes and look away?"
"Y-yef, you're righ', I'm fo-orry!"
It was so painful that tears actually started to well up.
While Todo-san held down her skirt in embarrassment, the boy bolted down the stairs as if his life depended on it.
"Hey! Come back here!"
The other girl chased after him, scolding him as she went.
Meanwhile, I was still being pinched.
"Kyahaha! Big Brother's making a funny face!"
At least Mio-chan was enjoying the show. That was my only consolation.
In the end, Sara-san didn't let go of my cheek until Todo-san intervened.
"I am truly, deeply sorry."
I bowed my head so low I was practically on the verge of a full prostrate bow.
Sara-san is terrifying...
"No, Takanashi-kun, you didn't do anything wrong. Besides... um, I was wearing them properly, so..."
I really wished she wouldn't say things like that while looking so flustered. If I let myself remember the image, Sara-san would definitely pinch me again.
"Satsukawa-senpai, please forgive Takanashi-kun. But more importantly... are the two of you on a first-name basis now?"
Perhaps trying to move the conversation along, she suddenly made that observation.
Come to think of it, when we met before, Sara-san had been calling me by my surname.
"Yes, well, about that..."
"Oh? Sara-chan and Takanashi-san. Welcome."
Before Sara-san could begin her explanation, Yukie-san appeared.
Ugh... here comes the nerves. Even though I’d already made a confession in front of Mayumi-san, the pressure was hitting me all over again.
"Hello, Yukie-san."
"Grandmother, hello."
"Yes, hello to you both. What brings you two here together today?"
Sara-san looked at me, her eyes silently asking: Shall I explain?
When I shook my head, Sara-san gave a happy, gentle smile.
"I apologize, but could you please look after Mio-chan for a moment?"
She handed Mio-chan over to Todo-san, then stepped close to me, leaning her weight against my arm as she looked at Yukie-san.
Yukie-san looked stunned for a heartbeat, but her expression soon shifted into an understanding nod.
"Is that how it is? Is that so! Oh, this makes me so happy! Takanashi-san and Sara-chan, finally together!"
I felt a wave of relief wash over me when she laughed with such genuine joy.
Just as I was about to start the formal explanation, Todo-san seemed to connect the dots as well.
"Wh... Whaaat!? Is it true!? The two of you are...!"
I decided to explain it clearly for Todo-san, who looked as shocked as if she’d been hit by a bolt from the blue.
"Um, the truth is, yesterday, I officially asked Sara-san to date me..."
"And I told him that I adore him as well," Sara-san added, finishing my sentence.
It seemed she couldn't help herself.
"Well now, ever since Sara-chan first introduced Takanashi-san to me, I had a feeling it would turn out this way. I can't just stand around here—I'll go prepare some tea. Please, come inside and tell me everything."
With that, Yukie-san headed back into the house.
After watching her go, I turned back to Sara-san, only to find her staring intently at my face.
"Is something wrong?"
"No... um... does it still hurt?"
?
Oh, she meant the cheek she had pinched earlier. It was certainly still throbbing, but...
"Well... it smarts a little, but is there a problem?"
"It's turned quite red... I'm afraid I used too much strength."
Sara-san looked dejected, as if she were deeply reflecting on her actions. But I was the one who had looked, so she wasn't at fault.
"It's fine. I was the one in the wrong, so please don't let it bother you."
Since she had been the assertive one since yesterday, I tried to show a bit of masculine composure. I drew her into a light hug and began to stroke her head.
In response, Sara-san reached up and gently caressed the place on my cheek that was likely flushed red.
I was just starting to think how nice it felt when she suddenly leaned in close to my ear.
"Kazunari-san... I don't like it when you look at other women with such strange eyes..." she whispered softly.
By now, there was no way to tell which part of my cheek was red from the pinch. My entire face had surely turned a deep, embarrassed crimson.
"Marina Onee-chan, I can't see anything!"
"Um, excuse me, you two... Mio-chan is right here, you know?"
I had completely forgotten about the others. Todo-san, who was busy shielding Mio-chan's eyes, ended up giving us both a thorough scolding.