"Shouko became a voice actress!"
"What?!" Kyousuke was so shocked he almost dropped his phone into the river.
"Haha, gotcha, didn't I?"
Sakura burst into laughter when she saw the exact expression she'd been hoping for on his face.
She laughed so hard that her cute little belly button peeked out from under her T-shirt.
"Hey, hey, Sakura, it's getting chilly out. Go throw something on before you catch a cold!" Kyousuke spoke reflexively at the sight.
"Yeah, yeah, got it! You sound like a naggy old granny, Kyousuke!"
Pulling a funny face, the girl turned and walked inside from the balcony.
In the living room, Yamauchi Makoto, who had been lounging around, glanced at her daughter and gave an unreadable smile.
She turned her head and whispered something to her curious grandmother.
When Sakura reemerged wearing a jacket, she found both her mom and grandma giving her a look of an equal parts amusement and curiosity.
Her cheeks flushed pink.
Clutching her phone tightly, she made a beeline for the balcony, not even stopping when she banged her knee against the coffee table.
'Ahhh, this is so embarrassing!'
No matter how bold she might act, having her beloved grandma catch her video-chatting with the boy she liked… that was next-level awkward!
On the balcony, Sakura leaned against the railing, trying her best to hide the screen from her mom.
She definitely didn't want her seeing Kyousuke's face right now—she'd never hear the end of it.
"What's wrong, Sakura?" Kyousuke had just finished touring her childhood bedroom through the camera when the screen suddenly went dark.
"N-Nothing!" Even though she was fine acting like Kyousuke's girlfriend in front of both their moms, being caught in the act by her grandma was something else entirely.
"I'm telling you, Kyousuke—Shouko signed up for a voice acting workshop!"
The sunset had painted Sakura's cheeks an even deeper shade of red, and she took the opportunity to steer the conversation away.
"Huh?"
Kyousuke didn't quite catch that; he'd been completely distracted by how adorable she looked flustered like that.
"Geez! Focus, will you?"
She puffed up her cheeks and gave him a playful scolding, sneakily taking a screenshot of his dazed expression with a little pride in her heart.
'Heh, even after all these years, Kyousuke still can't resist the charm of Sakura-sama!'
"Oh, you mean Shouko signed up for that voice actor training class."
Kyousuke finally processed what she'd said and pulled the memory out of the fog in his head.
"Yep! I actually wanted to tell you the day she started, but she asked me to wait until she knew whether she'd be accepted or not."
Kyousuke immediately understood why Sakura was bringing it up now, she wanted him to encourage Shouko.
'...Of course.'
As Sakura started excitedly recounting her last few days at home, Kyousuke's heart filled with a deep, quiet tenderness.
That's just the kind of girl Sakura was.
She knew he still cared about Shouko, and even behind the scenes, she made sure Shouko was okay.
He didn't know how Sakura truly felt, doing all this for a girl who used to like the same guy but it probably didn't feel great.
Leaning against the balcony wall, Kyousuke watched her laugh with such joy, and somehow, the nagging worries in his heart melted away.
"Even though my doctor said I'm the healthiest girl in all of Japan, my grandparents keep saying I look too skinny."
"Every time I stop chewing, they shove another snack into my hands!" She let out a dramatic sigh—blissful, but exhausted.
"Make sure you're getting exercise too—and don't overdo the sugar," Kyousuke said in his classic health-conscious tone.
"Okay, okay! I even went for a walk with Grandma this morning!"
"Oh, Kyousuke, the autumn leaves in Kyoto are gorgeous—so red, it's like they've set Kiyomizudera Temple on fire. I wish I could bring them all back to Tokyo."
She lifted her phone to show off the trees glowing in the sunset, but in Kyousuke's eyes, there was only one thing more beautiful than those autumn leaves—her burning amber eyes.
They were the most mesmerizing thing in his world.
"Idiot. Even if you could bring them back, where would you plant them in Tokyo?"
"What about Yoyogi Park? We could sneak in at night!"
"We'd get arrested!"
"Okay then… how about Higashi Middle School?"
"Be realistic. Not until I buy a house at least."
"Then hurry up and buy one! I'll get a part-time job over the break and help save up!"
—
Their silly, pointless banter dragged on for almost an hour.
By the end of it, Sakura had retreated back to her bedroom and plugged her phone into the charger, a move that made Kyousuke silently vow to stay loyal to his current phone brand for life.
"Oh wow, it's already this late. Shouko's class should be finished by now. I'm gonna get in a quick workout, wash up, and hit the hay. Night, Kyousuke."
On his screen, he could see Sakura lying face-down on her bed, her green T-shirt ruffled, legs kicking playfully in the air under a pair of tiny shorts.
Her bare, smooth calves wiggled back and forth, and her soft little toes stretched and curled like they were dancing.
"Good night, Sakura. See you in Tokyo," Kyousuke said softly.
In the glow of his bedside lamp, his dark eyes looked so warm they could melt hearts.
"See you in Tokyo." Sakura stared at the screen with her amber eyes wide and unblinking. It took her a long while to hang up.
After she finally did, she buried her face into the bed, giggling and kicking at the blankets like a child.
'Ughhh, why does the new semester have to be so far away?!'
———————————————————————
Kyousuke stared at her contact photo with a fond smile before backing out to his message list.
He tapped on Shouko's name and sent her a quick message to see if she was free for a call.
'Ring—!'
Not even a full second later, Shouko video-called him back.
When the screen connected, Shouko's sweet, slightly sleepy face filled the screen.
The warm yellow light made her light brown hair look almost pink.
Kyousuke immediately recognized her bedroom, it was the one she had back in Suimon City. He'd visited it often.
"Good evening, Shouko." He noticed the faint weariness in her eyes and felt a pang of concern.
"Good evening, Kyousuke-kun." She gave him a soft, gentle smile. Her phone was set to speaker.
"Still at your desk? Did your class give you homework?"
Kyousuke was so familiar with her room that he instantly recognized her position from the chair back behind her and the angle of the camera.
Unlike Sakura, who would casually sprawl across her bed during calls, Shouko sat neatly at her desk like a well-behaved schoolgirl with both arms laid flat on the surface, just like a kindergartener.
At his question, Shouko's lips pouted ever so slightly.
Her baby-soft cheeks scrunched up as she squinted, but she quickly returned to her usual serene smile, though this one had a hint of playful sulking in it.
"There wasn't any homework, but I wanted to review everything I learned today."
Her voice was soft and airy, like a kitten tiptoeing across your chest.
"It's already so late. You should get some rest no matter what."
Kyousuke's tone grew a bit more serious.
"But…" Surprisingly, the normally obedient Shouko hesitated.
"Come on, be good and get to bed," he coaxed gently, feeling a bit like a sneaky grandma-wolf.
He could tell she'd already taken a bath and changed into her favorite pink pajamas with the little bear on them.
"Mm!" Seeing Kyousuke-kun's gentle smile on the screen, all of Shouko's exhaustion seemed to melt away.
Her face lit up with a radiant smile, and the dimples that suddenly appeared at the corners of her mouth seemed to shimmer with happiness.
Then, from Kyousuke's side of the screen, the image wobbled a little, followed by the sound of two slippers hitting the floor.
The next moment, Shouko's adorable face filled the entire screen.
"Hehe, I'm already in bed!"
As she spoke, Shouko adjusted her pillows.
Once she sunk into the fluffy softness like cotton, a contented moan slipped from her lips.
Realizing what she'd done, she quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth, lowered her head slightly, and peeked shyly at Kyousuke-kun through the screen.
'So cute.' Kyousuke was completely disarmed by the girl's innocent charm.
He wanted to savor that bashful look a bit longer, but he forced himself to rein in the warm smile spreading across his face—after all, they still had things to talk about.
"Well then, now will you finally tell me about that voice acting class? I've been curious ever since Sakura mentioned it."
"Ah!" Only now did Shouko realize their conversation had been based on the assumption that Kyousuke already knew.
Her face flushed red with embarrassment.
"I… I was planning to wait until it was over before I told you," she murmured, her big brown eyes darting left and right as she hesitated.
"But I'm really curious about what they actually teach in those kinds of classes."
Kyousuke had found a stone bench under a streetlamp and sat down.
It was still around 20°C this evening in Hokkaido—pleasant weather that had brought many people out for a walk along the riverbank.
The empty streets he'd seen earlier in the day now felt like a lie.
Hearing that, Shouko shyly shook her head from side to side.
She knew Kyousuke-kun wasn't really curious—he was just concerned about her. But even so, it made her heart flutter with joy.
Despite the movement of her body, her hands stayed steady, carefully holding her phone so the screen wouldn't shake too much for Kyousuke.
Falling right into his gentle "trap," the sweet girl lifted a finger to her chubby cheek and began to speak softly.
Bit by bit, she explained how she learned about the class, what they'd done today, and everything in between.
Maybe it was because she was tired from the day, but her voice had grown quieter, like she was telling a bedtime story.
Whenever someone tried to sit on the same bench as Kyousuke, he'd look up and flash a bright, easygoing smile.
People immediately assumed he was a tourist such friendliness was rare among locals and would smile back before heading off to find another seat.
"…Originally, I was supposed to spend the break working part-time with Naoka."
"But then I saw a flyer for BandY Voice Acting Agency on the street."
"I wasn't sure about signing up, but once Sakura found out, she went ahead and registered me and paid the fee."
Shouko's rosy cheeks looked like they were melting into her pillow, and her words drifted dreamily into the mic.
"But it's been so much fun… Maybe one day I can help turn one of Kyousuke-kun's stories into an anime."
Her eyes were already half closed, and she smiled dreamily as she spoke.
"…I think I'm about to fall asleep."
"Then go ahead and rest. You've had a long day, Shouko," Kyousuke replied gently, lowering his voice.
He even covered the mic on his headset to keep the passing cars from disturbing her.
"Mm~ goodnight, Kyousuke-kun."
"Goodnight, Shouko."
With his final words, a peaceful smile spread across Shouko's face.
Her phone slipped from her hands and landed softly on the blanket.
Once he was sure she was asleep, Kyousuke ended the call and dialed Yuzuru instead.
That energetic little sister definitely wouldn't be asleep yet.
"Good evening, Yuzuru."
"Evening! Wait—weren't you just on the phone with my sister?" Yuzuru asked, looking up from her computer where she was editing photos.
"How'd you know?"
"I was in her room earlier, trying to ask about her voice acting class. But the moment she saw your message, she kicked me out," Yuzuru said flatly, clearly put out.
'I wanted to talk to Kyou-nii too…'
"Haha, sorry about that. Didn't mean to interrupt the sisterly bonding."
"It's fine, I guess. But is there a reason you're calling now?"
"Yeah… Shouko fell asleep while we were talking. Can I ask you to tuck her in and turn off the lights for me? Oh—and help her take out her hearing aids too."
"…Seriously?"
Yuzuru pulled the phone away and looked at the bright smiling face in Kyousuke-kun's contact photo, feeling a bit betrayed.
'Why are the two of them like this?!'
One ditches her sister to talk on the phone, and the other puts her to sleep only to get the younger sibling to do the rest!
"You really spoil my sister too much," she muttered, but got up from her chair anyway.
Since they lived on a high floor and the nighttime temperatures could get pretty chilly, she didn't want Shouko catching a cold.
"Hehe, I'm counting on you, Yuzuru. Goodnight."
Kyousuke knew they were both a bit over-the-top… but how could he not spoil such a sweet girl? And truth be told, Yuzuru doted on her sister just as much.
"'Night, Kyou-nii. Don't forget my souvenir! I want Kumagorou Ramen!"
"Absolutely!" Kyousuke promised, even though he had no idea what Kumagorou Ramen was.
As Yuzuru stepped out of her room, she saw her mom and grandmother quietly watching TV in the living room.
The volume was turned way down.
"Mom, I told you I'm fine. You can turn it up."
"We'll wake Shouko," said Nishimiya-san, looking years younger than she had half a year ago, smiling as if aging in reverse.
Yuzuru rolled her eyes.
'If only it were that easy to wake her…'
"Was that Kyousuke-kun on the phone?" asked her mother, Yaeko.
"Yeah. He said my sister fell asleep and asked me to tuck her in."
"Kyousuke and Shouko are as close as ever," Yaeko said, her eyes squinting from her smile.
"Yep. And I'm the one who ends up doing all the work," Yuzuru muttered.
She carefully opened Shouko's door and peeked inside.
Just as expected, her silly older sister had already fallen asleep with her phone still in her hands.
The smile on her face made it obvious—she was probably deep into a lovely dream.
"You dummy," Yuzuru whispered.
She gently took the phone from her sister's hands and placed it on the nightstand.
Then, with practiced care, she pulled the blanket up, removed Shouko's hearing aids, and placed them in the drying case.
Meanwhile, Kyousuke considered giving Naoka a call too… but thought better of it.
She had started working part-time at a cat café the moment the break began, and was probably already asleep.
Better not bother her.
He glanced at his phone.
Aside from a bunch of messages from his team asking whether the boss liked their gifts, there was only one other message—
From Eriri.
———————————————————————
"Summer Comiket is my thing! I'll go on my own, so don't get any stupid ideas about rushing back from Hokkaido!"
———————————————————————
That girl... Kyousuke chuckled and shook his head.
At first, she had been fuming, practically threatening to never forgive him if he dared show up late.
But the moment she found out he hadn't been back to his hometown in years.
Her attitude did a complete 180—suddenly she was brushing him off like he was a nuisance, saying stuff like, "We sold out last time even without you. You'll just get in the way again."
'Jeez... Even if I don't go with you to Comiket, I still need you to draw for me, you damn dependable assistant.'
Kyousuke smiled to himself, as if he'd completely forgotten the internet exists and people could just send files.
After taking one last look at the canal scenery, he started heading home.
On the way, he grabbed a random sushi platter from a fancy-looking sushi shop by the roadside.
It wasn't even discounted, even at this hour—probably thanks to the tourist season.
Honestly, he'd rather have stopped next door and grilled up a couple king crabs from the seafood place, but they needed time to cook, so he gave up on that idea.
When he got home, despair hit him like a truck—the entire house was still knee-deep in a heated discussion about One Punch Man, and they'd somehow escalated to rehearsing a stage play.
Right as Kyousuke opened the front door, Kisaki Tetta was in full character.
"Ahem! I'm just a hero... for fun!" he declared dramatically, nothing like his usual awkward and reserved self.
"My turn, my turn! I'm—just—a—hero—FOR FUN!!" shouted the ever-obnoxious Goro Hatake, waving a rolled-up newspaper like it was a mic at a rock concert.
"…Everyone, it's time for a late-night snack," Kyousuke cut in, quickly slamming the door shut before his gruff, bandit-looking grandpa could snatch the "mic" from Goro.
"Wait, is that the Otaru Fukuzushi? The one that's ranked #1 online?"
Before any of the locals could even react, Hatake had already rushed over, eyes locked on the sushi box in Kyousuke's hands like it was buried treasure.
Watching how comfortable his four assistants had gotten with his family, Kyousuke had to admit—yeah, his social death was probably worth it.
"Yeah, yeah, dig in already. But tomorrow morning, all of you better be up bright and early to help my grandpa on the farm."
"YES, SIR!" ×3