“Hey, hey, Onii-san! What do you think—does it suit me?”
Right in front of Yuzuru, a girl slipped off her rash guard and spun around.
She had beautiful black hair and clear, blue eyes.
She wore a cute pink bikini with a pareo wrapped around her waist.
Compared to what he remembered, she’d developed quite a bit more—
His little sister, Takasegawa Ayumi, who would be in her third year of middle school next month.
“…It suits you.”
With a half-genuine, half-polite smile, Yuzuru answered.
Ayumi immediately covered her body with both hands.
“Ehh—Onii-san, you perv!”
“Then it doesn’t suit you.”
“Ehh—Onii-san, that’s mean!”
“Then what am I supposed to say?”
“Ahahaha!”
For some reason, Ayumi burst into cheerful laughter.
Maybe it was the resort atmosphere—she was clearly in high spirits.
She’s still a kid in some ways, Yuzuru thought, conveniently ignoring himself.
…Though, to be fair, he was in a good enough mood to indulge her energy.
“Good thing the weather’s nice.”
“Yeah, totally!”
The two of them looked out over the beautiful ocean stretching before them.
It hardly needed saying—
It was the kind of tropical resort you’d see in a picture.
“Japan’s still cold… I don’t wanna go back.”
“You say that now, but give it a week and you’ll be begging to go home. You’re always like that.”
“This time’s different!”
“Sure it is. Just don’t throw a tantrum.”
“I’m not that young anymore!”
To be fair, she wasn’t lying.
At least last year, she hadn’t caused trouble saying she wanted to go home.
Though the year before that… had been another story.
“Ah… right.”
At the mention of going back to Japan, something occurred to Yuzuru.
He pulled his phone out of his swimsuit pocket.
“Taking pictures? That’s rare.”
“I was thinking of sending some to Arisa.”
“Aaah…”
Ayumi nodded in understanding.
Her expression carried a mix of exasperation and teasing.
Snorting lightly at her reaction, Yuzuru snapped a few photos.
And then—
“Hey, hey, Onii-san, take one of me too!”
Ayumi stepped into frame, flashing a peace sign and a bright smile.
“I’m putting it on Instagram.”
“…Fine, but be careful about personal info.”
“I know, I know.”
Click, click—Yuzuru took several shots.
At first, Ayumi just posed with peace signs, but as she got into it, she started striking bold, model-like poses.
“Well? Onii-san, do I look sexy?”
“Yeah, yeah—very sexy.”
“Hey, don’t say it like you’re discussing environmental issues or something!”
“That complaint wasn’t very sexy.”
And so the banter continued.
Then Ayumi pulled out her own phone.
“Onii-san, get in one with me.”
“I don’t mind… but don’t post it online. I’m not really into that.”
“I told you, it’s just to show my friends.”
“…My photo?”
“Your cute little sister showing off her amazing big brother. Nothing weird about that, right?”
She grinned.
It was a slightly different expression from her earlier carefree smile.
(Right… I see. The world of girls is complicated.)
Whether you’d say “surprisingly” or “as expected”—
Takasegawa Ayumi ruled her middle school like a queen.
Apparently, having “photos of a cool older brother” was one of her tools for asserting status.
As long as she wasn’t acting like some villainess from a shoujo romance, Yuzuru had no complaints.
So he went along with her selfies.
She snapped photos with practised ease.
“Oh, let’s get Dad and Mum too—”
She turned towards where their parents were—
And immediately fell silent.
Because there—
“Honestly, Kazuya-san, you’re so naughty—”
“I’m just applying it normally. If anything’s wrong, it’s on you.”
Their father, Takasegawa Kazuya, and mother, Takasegawa Sayuri, were busy flirting while applying sun oil to each other.
Under a beach parasol, completely unconcerned about their children watching, they were utterly absorbed in their own world.
(Seriously… how does she have the confidence to wear something that bold at her age…?)
Even more so than Ayumi—
Even more than Arisa’s swimsuit last year—
Their mother was pulling off something far more “sexy,” leaving Yuzuru unsure whether to be exasperated or impressed.
“…Let’s not interrupt.”
“Yeah, probably best.”
Fortunately, the beach was practically private at the moment.
As long as Yuzuru and Ayumi stayed out of the way, their parents’ little world would remain undisturbed.
With their children grown enough to be independent, their parents were enjoying a second spring of their own.
Neither sibling was tactless enough to interfere.
That said—
The beach wasn’t entirely empty.
“Could you take a picture?”
Ayumi asked the local guide, who had been quietly standing behind them.
The guide smiled warmly.
“OK!”
Taking the phone, the guide snapped a photo of the two of them with practised ease.
“Merci beaucoup.” “Thank you very much.”
When Yuzuru thanked them, the guide returned a gentle smile.
“Je vous en prie!” “You’re welcome!”
Satisfied they could communicate just fine with their bodyguard-slash-guide, Yuzuru and Ayumi exchanged a grin.
“Let’s leave those two alone and go snorkelling.”
“Yeah, let’s!”
Together, they ran off towards the sea.
