"Eriri-san, can I interview you for a bit?"
Yukima Azuma's voice carried a teasing lilt as he sat beside the flustered blonde, crossing one leg over the other like a nosy reporter ready to dig into scandal.
She groaned, head low, bangs drooping.
"What were you thinking," he asked dramatically, voice full of mock judgment, "coming all the way to your homeroom teacher's rented apartment, just to copy homework?"
"I forgot, okay?! I forgot!" Eriri wailed, face crumpling in distress as she frantically scribbled into her half-finished workbook.
Her expression screamed existential regret. The anime marathons. The doujin deadlines. The procrastination.
All of it had come crashing down.
To be fair, Kirisu Mafuyu hadn't been home much these past few days, having been busy with an advanced teaching course over at Shuchiin Academy. Eriri had assumed the coast was clear.
But she hadn't realized—had completely forgotten—that Kirisu Mafuyu was also renting her place at Yukima's house.
So when she burst in like a desperate soul seeking salvation from homework damnation…
She walked right into the lion's den.
Kirisu had caught her red-handed.
There was no mercy.
No chance to borrow.
No chance to copy.
Now, Eriri had no choice but to actually do the homework herself—one painful problem at a time.
And whenever she didn't understand something, she'd glance over with puppy-dog eyes.
"Azumaaa… help meee…"
Yukima obliged.
Might as well treat it as a study session, he thought.
A final cram before the term began.
From a teacher's point of view, Kirisu Mafuyu wasn't wrong. Eriri had barely passed her exams last semester. If she didn't put in real effort now, she'd fall behind the moment classes resumed.
And when finals rolled around again?
She'd be back to crying, pencil clenched in hand, wailing over formulas like they were death sentences.
Yukima Azuma watched her struggle with a basic algebraic equation, brow furrowed like she was facing the final boss of a JRPG.
This girl…
He reached over and gently ruffled her golden twintails.
"You've got this," he said, smiling. "A little airheadedness is cute too."
Eriri blinked, then pouted.
But the truth was, those head pats felt… nice.
Comforting.
Reassuring.
She mumbled a quiet thanks, her cheeks a touch pink.
After everything they'd shared—late nights, whispered confessions, intimate touches—something as simple as a head pat carried a different kind of weight.
They weren't strangers anymore.
And so, Eriri allowed herself to lean just a little into the warmth of his presence.
Suddenly, she remembered something.
"Ah! Right—I almost forgot again!"
She set her pen down and rummaged through her bag. After a moment, she produced a small white envelope.
"There was something in the mailbox outside," she said. "I thought it was just junk mail, but… it had your name on it."
She handed it over.
Yukima Azuma accepted the envelope, turning it over slowly.
No sender's name.
But on the recipient's line—
"Yukima Azuma", written with graceful, precise strokes.
His eyes widened faintly.
Eriri leaned in, her curiosity on full display.
"In this day and age, someone's writing letters instead of just messaging on Line? That's super rare…"
He didn't respond right away.
He quietly tore open the envelope.
Inside were two neatly folded sheets of stationary.
The moment he unfolded them and saw the first line—
"[Dear Onii-chan-sama, I hope this letter reaches you safely.]"
—he knew.
Even if only a month had passed for him, for the girl who wrote this, it had been…
Three long years.
He ran his fingers across the ink.
So delicate. So carefully written.
Every stroke was soaked in emotion.
He continued reading.
[As promised, I have patiently waited for three years. Now that the three-year period is over, I am sending you this letter.
Even though you said we would meet again after three years, I can't help but feel a little anxious.
After all, the way we met was already so strange.
I have arrived in Tokyo and have heard a lot about you.
I wonder if Onii-chan still remembers this little sister of yours?]
Yukima's eyes narrowed slightly.
His breath slowed.
[We will be seeing each other soon.
If Onii-chan still remembers me, I will happily give you a hug filled with longing.
If Onii-chan has forgotten me, that's okay too.
I will pretend we never met, and let us have a new encounter from the beginning.
Dear Onii-chan, I hope this letter reaches you safely.
I did not leave my name, but my longing and anticipation are completely real.]
A moment of silence passed.
He folded the letter again with careful hands.
Sasuga, Yuki.
Her handwriting hadn't changed. Still so meticulous, filled with careful grace.
Even after their three-year promise, she still worried she might cause trouble.
So instead of barging into his life—
She sent a letter. To prepare him.
Even if I've forgotten you, huh…?
It was a soft gesture.
A gentle approach.
A reunion planned with care.
Yukima Azuma tucked the letter away.
She's in Tokyo. She's really here…
Eriri raised an eyebrow, unable to hold her tongue.
"Azuma, was that from someone you know?"
He nodded.
"Yeah. It's from my little sister."
Eriri blinked.
Little sister?!
Azuma had a little sister?!
She'd known he moved from Chiba and lived alone—but never heard anything about siblings.
But… well, it wasn't impossible. They could be cousins. Or maybe half-siblings. Or something else.
Eriri, already imagining her future role as Mrs. Yukima Azuma, quickly adjusted.
"Ohh~ imouto-san! Did she write about something important?"
Her tone was extra polite now.
After all, building rapport with the little sister could only help her case as a future bride.
Yukima gave a vague shrug.
"Not really. Just letting me know she's arrived in Tokyo."
He kept his tone casual, concealing the emotion in his chest.
Eriri let out a breath of relief.
No drama, no urgent issue. That was good.
Now she could return to the real emergency—
Her homework.
"Azumaaa, how do I do this part again?"
She pointed helplessly at the page.
Yukima chuckled and picked up a pen.
"You forgot this formula again? I'll walk you through it…"
The Next Morning
The sun peeked over the horizon, its rays soft and golden.
Summer had not fully left yet, but the morning breeze already whispered of autumn. There was a chill in the air—not enough for coats, but enough to make bare arms shiver.
Yukima Azuma returned from his morning run, sweat clinging to his brow, breath steady.
He entered quietly.
Kirisu Mafuyu had already left for school, dressed crisply in her fitted blazer, heels clicking with professional poise. The start of the new term meant paperwork, staff meetings, and a parade of half-asleep students.
Meanwhile—
Eriri was still passed out cold.
Despite finishing her homework late into the night, she had completely collapsed afterward.
Her limbs were splayed across the bed in a dramatic "X," one leg dangling off the edge, her mouth slightly open with a trail of innocent drool.
Unbelievable.
Yukima shook his head with a smile and unlocked the door to her room using one of the four keys now in his possession.
After Hokkaido, Eriri had given him her key.
Megumi had handed hers over the day she moved in.
Utaha? She had tossed hers at him right after the book signing.
And even Kirisu Mafuyu had reluctantly passed hers over after a long debate about cleaning schedules.
Only Yukino remained.
And she'd probably cave in soon too.
He walked over to Eriri's bedside.
"Hey. Time to get up."
He poked her cheek gently.
"Mmmmmm~… five more minutes…" she mumbled, curling tighter into the blankets.
"You'll be late. You don't want to mess up your perfect oujou-sama image, right?"
"Mm… image can wait… sleep more important…"
She rolled away from him.
Yukima stared at her.
A long sigh escaped his lips.
Guess I have no choice…
He raised his hand—
SLAP!
The sharp smack landed clean on her rear.
Eriri flinched with a soft yelp.
But instead of getting up—
She raised her hips slightly higher.
Yukima paused.
Then smirked.
This girl… has she awakened something dangerous?
All those late-night doujin techniques…
Had she turned into a total degenerate already?
"Well then… guess you leave me no choice."
He reached down and launched his ultimate weapon:
Tickling.
"AHHHHH! AHAHAHAHA—S-STOP! STOP!!" Eriri thrashed.
"I'm up! I'M UP! I CAN'T BREATHE!"
"YAME—YAMEROOOOOOOOOO!!"
She kicked the blankets off in a panic, wriggling like a caught shrimp as Yukima continued his ruthless assault.
Finally, gasping, red-faced, and out of breath, Eriri sat up in bed, hair a tangled mess.
"Y-You sadist…!"
"Good morning to you too."