Volume 4—Chapter 84: A Mischievous Plan

“Onee-chan, wait for me!!”

I hear a shota voice calling out just as I step out the door. Of course, that voice belongs to none other than my little brother, Miyazaki Yuuji. Since I just mentioned my little brother’s name, you can probably guess who I am, right? Did you say Irana? Wrong. I am Aria!! The one and only… well, aside from the countless others who also happen to be named Aria. Now that I think about it, Aria is a pretty common name. So, just to clear things up, I am Miyazaki Aria. No mix-ups allowed.

Anyway, what am I doing today? I’ve got plans. Plans to hang out with my lil bro. It’s something we make sure to do every week. Why? Because I’m stuck in a boarding school most of the time, and that means I don’t get to see him as much as I’d like. He ends up spending most of his days at home, and honestly, it makes me feel kinda bad.

Dad? He’s always away. Work, business, or “some reason” he never tells us about. And Mom… well, Mom is technically always at home, but she’s glued to her streaming setup. So, yeah, Yuuji spends a lot of time by himself.

Geez. Now that I’m actually thinking about it, this lil guy must be way lonelier than he lets on. No wonder he clings to me every chance he gets.

That settles it. I need to spoil this kid today. Not just the usual “hang out with him” kind of thing. I want to give him something memorable, something that makes him light up with that big goofy smile of his.

And guess what? I’ve already got a pretty good idea of how to do it.

“Move faster, will you? The train isn’t going to wait for us, you know.” I called out to Yuuji, already standing by the door with my shoes on.

Hmmm... I was wondering if I should just straight up jump into some exciting part of the story, or just slowly build it with this Slice of Life story.

Geez... this chapter is not completed before?!

~~~~

“Onee-chan, wait for me!!”

I hear a shota voice calling out just as I step out the door. Of course, that voice belongs to none other than my little brother, Miyazaki Yuuji. Since I just mentioned my little brother’s name, you can probably guess who I am, right? Did you say Irana? Wrong. I am Aria!! The one and only… well, aside from the countless others who also happen to be named Aria. Now that I think about it, Aria is a pretty common name. So, just to clear things up, I am Miyazaki Aria. No mix-ups allowed.

Anyway, what am I doing today? I’ve got plans. Plans to hang out with my lil bro. It’s something we make sure to do every week. Why? Because I’m stuck in a boarding school most of the time, and that means I don’t get to see him as much as I’d like. He ends up spending most of his days at home, and honestly, it makes me feel kinda bad.

Dad? He’s always away. Work, business, or “some reason” he never tells us about. And Mom… well, Mom is technically always at home, but she’s glued to her streaming setup. So, yeah, Yuuji spends a lot of time by himself.

Geez. Now that I’m actually thinking about it, this lil guy must be way lonelier than he lets on. No wonder he clings to me every chance he gets.

That settles it. I need to spoil this kid today. Not just the usual “hang out with him” kind of thing. I want to give him something memorable, something that makes him light up with that big goofy smile of his.

And guess what? I’ve already got a pretty good idea of how to do it.

“Move faster, will you? The train isn’t going to wait for us, you know.” I called out to Yuuji, already standing by the door with my shoes on.

Hmmm... I was wondering if I should just straight up jump into some exciting part of the story, or just slowly build it with this Slice of Life story.

Geez... this chapter is not completed before?!

~~~~

“Onee-chan, wait for me!!”

I hear a shota voice calling out just as I step out the door. Of course, that voice belongs to none other than my little brother, Miyazaki Yuuji. Since I just mentioned my little brother’s name, you can probably guess who I am, right? Did you say Irana? Wrong. I am Aria!! The one and only… well, aside from the countless others who also happen to be named Aria. Now that I think about it, Aria is a pretty common name. So, just to clear things up, I am Miyazaki Aria. No mix-ups allowed.

Anyway, what am I doing today? I’ve got plans. Plans to hang out with my lil bro. It’s something we make sure to do every week. Why? Because I’m stuck in a boarding school most of the time, and that means I don’t get to see him as much as I’d like. He ends up spending most of his days at home, and honestly, it makes me feel kinda bad.

Dad? He’s always away. Work, business, or “some reason” he never tells us about. And Mom… well, Mom is technically always at home, but she’s glued to her streaming setup. So, yeah, Yuuji spends a lot of time by himself.

Geez. Now that I’m actually thinking about it, this lil guy must be way lonelier than he lets on. No wonder he clings to me every chance he gets.

That settles it. I need to spoil this kid today. Not just the usual “hang out with him” kind of thing. I want to give him something memorable, something that makes him light up with that big goofy smile of his.

And guess what? I’ve already got a pretty good idea of how to do it.

“Move faster, will you? The train isn’t going to wait for us, you know.” I called out to Yuuji, already standing by the door with my shoes on.

“But I can’t find my favorite clothes…” Yuuji’s muffled voice came from his room.

Favorite clothes? I raised an eyebrow. “Just wear whatever. As long as you look presentable, it’s fine.”

He peeked out from the doorway, lower lip trembling. “But those are the ones you bought for me.”

Ah. So that’s what this is about. My chest tightened a little.

“No worries,” I said, softening my tone. “Coincidentally, I was already planning to buy new clothes for you today. So, just throw on something for now, okay?”

“But…” His eyes shimmered, already threatening to spill tears.

Ugh. Too adorable. My heart squeezed, and I had to swallow hard. Calm down, Aria. Keep it together. Stay composed.

I crouched a little to meet his gaze, forcing a gentle smile. “Listen, I promise you, that outfit is probably still in your room somewhere. You just can’t spot it right now. So wear whatever you like for the moment, alright?” My voice came out softer than I intended.

Meanwhile…

“For goodness’ sake, what kind of game did you all make me play?!”

Even from here, I could hear Irana’s raging voice through the stream. She was covering for me, sitting in my chair, smiling at the camera one moment and yelling at chat the next. Poor girl...

“Uh… let’s get moving quickly, shall we?” I urged Yuuji, who gave me a quiet nod, almost as if he understood more than he let on.

Sorry, Irana… I’ll make it up to you later. Promise.

And with that small weight on my conscience, Yuuji and I stepped out together, beginning our short but lively journey toward the train station. The afternoon sun bathed the streets in a warm glow, and every step forward felt like I was leaving behind one kind of chaos only to head into another.

“Oh… I am curious. Yuuji, did you know where Mom went to?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

“Hmm… I don’t know, but I saw Mom and Dad get in a car earlier.”

A car? My steps slowed.

“Like taxi?” I said, tilting my head.

“No… it didn’t look like a taxi. It was a black car… it looked expensive,” Yuuji explained, his voice thoughtful.

Black car that looked expensive? My mind immediately spun. What the hell? Did that old man rent a luxury car just to impress Mom? Where did the money even come from? Could we even afford something like that?

Well… let’s not think about that. What matters right now is my time with Yuuji. I shook off the thought and smiled down at him.

“Where did you wanna go first, Yuuji? The arcade, perhaps?” I asked, half-expecting the usual answer.

“Let’s go buy some clothes!!” he said, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

“Eh… that’s unexpected. But not surprising, I guess…” I replied, chuckling a bit at his eagerness. Honestly, it was kind of cute seeing him so fired up about something as simple.

If that was his choice, then it couldn’t be helped.

“Say, you would wear whatever clothes I bought for you, right?” I asked with a cunning smile tugging at my lips.

“Of course… whatever clothes you buy for me, I’ll cherish them,” Yuuji replied with absolute sincerity.

“Promise?” I pressed.

“I promise!!” he said without hesitation.

“Will you wear it for the rest of the day?” I added, narrowing my eyes playfully.

He nodded enthusiastically, like a soldier swearing loyalty.

Hehehe… I could already imagine his reaction when he saw what I had in mind. I could barely hold back my grin.

After we boarded the train and rode through the city, we finally arrived at Tsukuru Central Mall. The place was lively, filled with families, couples, and kids running about.

“Let’s see… where’s the clothing store…” I muttered, humming a little tune while scanning the colourful signs.

I made sure to hold Yuuji’s hand firmly. This lil shota might be full of energy, but he could easily get lost in a crowd like this. We wandered through the mall together, our footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor, until…

“Ah, that store is perfect,” I declared with delight.

The shop in question had a bright pink exterior, almost blinding, and radiated an aura of pure frilly cuteness. Ribbons, bows, and pastel displays lined the entrance, practically screaming “kawaii overload.”

“Eh… did you want to buy clothes for that stinky sister, Irana?” Yuuji asked, his nose wrinkling in suspicion.

“Hahaha… well, that’s a great idea. Let’s buy a few for Irana too,” I said, playing along.

Yuuji tilted his head in confusion, clearly sensing that something was off.

Without waiting, I dragged him inside the store, my face stretched into a mischievous smile I couldn’t contain.

“Now then… You said earlier you would wear whatever I bought for you, right?” I reminded him, my tone as sweet as sugar.

Yuuji, now realising something, turned his head toward me very slowly, his eyes wide with growing dread.

“O… Onee-chan… Don’t tell me…”

“Fufufufu…” I chuckled darkly, enjoying every second of his panic.