Kazuha-nee trying to mediate when she had zero clue of what actually happened was kind of funny. If only she could see her little brother shaking in anger right next to her or his deadpan face filled with hopelessness when I slapped him with the truth that day, she wouldnt be this enthusiastic.

In any case, I wouldnt spoil her fun and Ogawa looked like he was incapable of saying no to his sister.

In my eyes, that made him more of a pushover than he already was. But I guess, if I have an older sister like Kazuha-nee, I might just do the same to not disappoint her. Alas, I am an only child and only have surface knowledge from watching my girls interact with their siblings.

Lets get along from now on then, what do you think, Ogawa? I smilingly said as I stretched my hand open for the handshake.

Ogawas face visibly twitched and he looked like he was about to curse at me. However, one glance by Kazuha-nee was enough for him to fold. With his voice filled with reluctance, he accepted the handshake, Y-yeah.

Upon seeing that, Kazuha-nee put her hands on top of ours and cheerfully shook it, thinking her mediation was a complete success.

With her current jovial mood seemingly at its highest, Kazuha-nee then suggested, This is great. Onoda-kun, do you still have time? Want to accompany us?

Wait, aneki. You said you want to go home soon. Ogawa instantly reacted. Theres even a hint of panic in his voice.

Of course. If I was in his shoes, I wouldnt want her to spend another second with me knowing what I was capable of.

Lucky him, I wasnt in any mood to ogle at his sister or draw a plan to steal her. My mind was already committed to my date with Ayu, after all.

Oh. I did say that. But its before meeting Ruki-kun here. Whats wrong with it? We can get a crepe and talk more, right? Im interested in his story about Hina-chan.

Is she, really? I doubt its as simple as that. For all I know, shes not this easygoing. Or rather, theres a layer in her personality. She might be seen as a very amiable older sister but deep inside, she could be as protective as she could get for those she considered under her protection.

For example, Hina and her little brother.

Aneki Ogawa tried to say something but the guy couldnt continue it.

And perhaps misunderstanding her little brothers intention, Kazuha-nee proposed, Oh, I get it. Kazu-kun can go home first. You still have something to do, right? Ruki-kun will escort me.

After saying that, the woman grabbed my arm and locked it with hers. Although she didnt press herself on me, the action itself was enough for Ogawa to be worked up.

W-what?! No! I cant leave you alone with him! The guy shouted as he tried pulling her sister away from me.

That worked pretty well since shes not really holding tightly.

Hmm? Whats this? Are you afraid hell get your little brother's position? Thats cute Kazu-kun.

Kazuha-nee looked at her little brother, a little confused. However, it didnt take long for a teasing smile to appear on her face.

Thats not what I

Ogawa was instantly flustered, dispersing most of the tension that gathered on him from seeing his sister close to me.

But the same as earlier, he still couldnt form complete sentences. What a pathetic guy. Thinking about it hes acting differently than the Ogawa I always see in our classroom, be it before or after he got slapped by the bitter truth.

How should I say it? Hes more submissive to his sister? No, theres probably a better description of it. I couldnt quite put it in simpler terms.

Anyway, seeing this exchange between siblings and how Kazuha-nee seemed to want to drag me with her, I thought of trying something

I glanced at the womans side frame first before meeting Ogawas gaze. And the same as Kazuha-nee, my lips drew an arc. Dont worry. Ill make sure that nothing will happen to Kazuha-nee. If someone hits on her, Ill hit him. Literally.

Ogawa was speechless and his face gradually warped into that of someone who couldnt believe what he was seeing.

On the other hand, Kazuha-nee laughingly turned to me, perhaps thinking it was all a joke.

How reliable~ But you cant do that, Ruki-kun. Youll be dragged out of this mall.

Im just saying Ill protect you. Though, I doubt anyone will be courageous enough to hit on you.

Letting words flow through my mouth naturally, my glib tongue started working again. And while it amused Kazuha-nee, Ogawa was turning green from envy.

Oh? And why is that? With one of her eyebrows raising in obvious interest at what I was about to answer, Kazuha-nee leaned closer to me.

Putting up an act, I leaned back as though I was afraid to touch her before saying, How should I explain it? Kazuha-nee looked too perfect to be touched.

My are you hearing this Kazu-kun? This is how you compliment a girl. Take note. Kazuha-nee pleasantly laughed. Its a genuine reaction, for sure but when she turned her gaze back to her little brother, her laughter abruptly stopped.

Whats wrong, Kazu-kun? She asked.

Ogawa gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Sure enough, he couldnt stand seeing me getting along with his sister anymore.

Aneki anyone but Onoda.

Hmm? What did you say?

She heard that perfectly yet Kazuha-nee acted like she didnt.

And in this very moment, her earlier great mood instantly dispersed. Like a balloon losing its air, the cheerful vibe around her deflated.

Furthermore, the surrounding somehow turned colder in response to her.

What a terrifying presence.

I said anyone but Onoda, aneki. Ill be fine if youre with someone else but not him.

Finally, for the first time in a while, the coward managed to voice out his thoughts. But what good would that do?

Although Kazuha-nees demeanor suddenly changed, its directed at her little brother. Like, shes trying to get to the bottom of whats making Ogawa act like this.

Obviously, if Ogawa would fold into that pressure, hed probably blurt out my impossible feats. Like stealing Nami from him and eventually most girls in his circle fall in love with me.

Could I prevent him if thats the case? Probably not. But I wasnt worried at all.

Because even if he revealed that, Kazuha-nees first reaction would be disbelief.

Anyway, I watched from the side, preparing myself to react accordingly.

Why is that? Is there some particular reason why you hate seeing me with him?

You dont know him well. He is

He is what?

dangerous. Aneki, I cant lose you as well.

Oh So, in the end, thats all he could say, huh? What a spineless guy. But well, he probably succumbed to the pressure. Or he just knew that nothing was going to happen if he blurted all that out. And since hes trying to keep up appearances that hes still going after Nami, the guy was afraid to say that he already lost his chance.

Perhaps not finding Ogawas answer satisfactory or she just wanted to understand it better, she turned to me. Hmm? Whats this? Ruki-kun, care to explain what he meant by that?

Beats me. Hey, Ogawa, are you afraid that Ill steal her from you? Answering with a shrug, I then addressed Ogawa, asking that question shamelessly.

And sure enough, Ogawa's reaction was within my prediction. He froze and appeared listless. As for Kazuha-nee, question marks just popped up in her eyes. She understood that question, true. However, she couldnt wrap her head around the underlying meaning of it.

She was about to elaborate on it but Ogawa thawed himself out of his frozen state and responded, his voice laden with fear, Yes. Please stop. Dont get my sister involved with you.

Upon hearing that, Kazuha-nee became even more confused as her eyes alternated between us. Sensing that her little brother wasnt making that up, she put a hand on her forehead Alright. I believe I really have to talk to you, Ruki-kun. And you, Kazu-kun Wait for us here.

Upon saying that, Kazuha-nee grabbed me by my wrist and started dragging me with her. Naturally, I could easily overpower her but this kind of reaction intrigued me. Without getting the full explanation, she seemed to have drawn a conclusion in her mind.

Surprisingly, Ogawa didnt try to follow us. Instead, he focused on his sisters back, his expression filled with confidence and trust in her.

Where are we going, Kazuha-nee? I asked, still acting the same as earlier.

And responding with a meaningful smile, Kazuha-nee glanced back at me without stopping, Somewhere we can be alone.