Chapter 1. And then, it all came down to thighs.

Chapter 1. And then, it all came down to thighs. CHAPTER 1 And then, it all came down to thighs.

The park’s cold night air stirred with Masachika’s voice.

“In the end…I couldn’t do anything for Yuki.”

He had failed to make her happy, to give her freedom, to always be a big brother she could rely on. And yet, unlike her pathetic and inadequate brother, this little sister, who had once been so small and fragile, had grown into someone so big and strong.

“I abandoned her. I ran away from my responsibility as her brother.”

He couldn’t bear it. His sister was too radiant—too bright—to look at.

“But even then…she was still nice to her pitiful older sibling.”

Yuki always charged straight up to her brother, even as he looked away. As his silly, nerdy little sister, she swept his guilt aside as if it were a joke.

“She would always cling to me like a little animal, always expressing how much she loved me through both her words and actions, as if it were never enough…”

To an outsider, it might’ve looked like Yuki was just being spoiled by Masachika, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“I—I … ! I took advantage of that kindness of hers!”

It was in fact the other way around. It was Masachika who was being spoiled by Yuki all along. She saved him. Only when he was indulging his little sister could he forget his guilt. Only when he was humoring her selfishness did he feel like an amazing and dependable big brother again.

However…deep down, he had always felt it—the cold gaze of his former self, the Masachika Suou from before he had lost his way, watching him with disapproval. He could clearly hear the higher-pitched voice of his younger self as he asked, “How can you smile like that after ruining your sister’s life?”

He pretended not to notice the voice and smiled, but he despised that part of himself.

“I realized I had sacrificed my little sister Yuki’s freedom for my own sake, yet I’ve refused to face that fact while squandering my days as the pathetic, self-absorbed failure that I’ve become. That’s who I am… That’s Masachika Kuze in his entirety.”

No matter what excuses he told himself, the truth remained the same. In the moment his sister had needed him most…he couldn’t move. He said he loved her more than anyone. Said she was the most important person in his life. But in the end, the only one he truly cared about was himself. How arrogant—to speak of love and importance with such empty weight.

Oh… It all makes sense now…

Suddenly, Masachika understood why he couldn’t return Maria’s feelings. It wasn’t about confidence, or the fleeting nature of love, or even his parents’ divorce…all of which he now understood was merely an excuse. After all, he already knew the bond they shared was unbreakable. In other words, the real reason lied elsewhere entirely…

I just…

He simply couldn’t believe the strength of his own feelings.

He told a girl he liked her, yet he failed to recognize her as his first love when they were reunited. He said his sister was important, yet selfishly abandoned her.

He had realized how shallow and fragile his feelings and love were compared to theirs. Filled with disappointment and self-loathing, Masachika buried his face in his hands, trying to squeeze out the emotions that swelled in his aching chest.

“I have nothing… I have absolutely nothing to be proud of… I’m a worthless scumbag…”

He even felt disgusted with himself for acting so pathetically. Simply trying to repent felt arrogant as well. There was nowhere for him to seek forgiveness or comfort.

“I made a mistake.”

A low voice, saturated with darkness, spilled from him.

“It was all just one big mistake…from the very beginning.”

The day he walked out of the Suou household, leaving his sister behind, was the moment he veered off course; even now, he was still lost on that same misguided path, none the wiser.

“Masachika Kuze was a mistake.”

“I realized I had sacrificed my little sister Yuki’s freedom for my own sake, yet I’ve refused to face that fact while squandering my days as the pathetic, self-absorbed failure that I’ve become. That’s who I am… That’s Masachika Kuze in his entirety.”

In a daze, Alisa listened as this confession, steeped in self-loathing and regret, poured out of the boy across from her as he hung his head like a sinner awaiting judgement. It was a confession that had started with the stunning truth that Yuki was actually his sister, and it was honestly…far too much for Alisa to process right now, but some things were finally starting to click.

Oh…

Masachika’s smile always bore a hint of a shadow, even in moments of success. He shied away from praise, seemed to resent recognition, and quietly avoided the spotlight. And now Alisa fully understood why. Beneath it all was a deep-rooted self-denial, and a belief that his current self only existed at the expense of his sister’s sacrifice.

“I have nothing… I have absolutely nothing to be proud of… I’m a worthless scumbag…”

It was impossible not to wonder what that must have felt like. Alisa, too, understood the pain of being unable to defend her own way of life, the ache of not knowing if it was truly right, yet being unable to live any other way.

Nevertheless, Alisa couldn’t even fathom how it would feel to outright reject her own way of life, and so she had no words to comfort him. All she had was sorrow.

“It was all just one big mistake…from the very beginning.”

Watching the boy drown in self-torment was heartbreaking. Alisa was frustrated by her own helplessness, unable to say or do anything to help him. However…

“Masachika Kuze was a mistake.”

Something inside her chest burst the instant she heard those words.

“…A mistake?” The words fell from her lips before she even realized it. “Do you really mean that? That everything was one big mistake?”

Her voice trembled as the words and tears spilled out. Without bothering to wipe the streams of sorrow cascading down her face, Alisa fixed Masachika with a piercing glare and seized his shoulders. And as he raised his chin, she cried out:

“You—! You met me, didn’t you?!”

Through blurred vision, she saw his eyes widen suddenly. Their gazes now undoubtedly met—though his had been off in a dark place—and that alone made Alisa’s heart flutter with joy.

Even if Masachika had stayed with the Suou family, they might still have met one another. But if the Masachika she met that day in class had been the polished, perfect gentleman he’d intended to become…then surely, she would never have been so drawn to him.

The one she had fallen for and truly loved was the Masachika Kuze right in front of her. He was far from perfect, and full of flaws she could list ad nauseam, yet now she adored everything about him, including those faults. Therefore, she absolutely could not allow that person to be called a mistake.

“You said earlier that you were grateful that we met. Was that—?! Was that…all just a lie … ?” she muttered. Her head was lowered and she was still gripping his shoulders.

Her tears continued to rain upon the ground, and it dawned on her that she must look like a total mess. This wasn’t what she had intended. All she’d wanted to do was comfort him, but instead, she had spoken selfishly and emotionally, almost as if blaming him.

I’m… I’m a terrible person for doing this…

Once the storm of emotion had passed, regret settled in. She felt pathetic, crushed beyond words as she sank to the ground, curling inward as her tears silently fell. But immediately, a hand was gently placed on her shoulder.

“Thanks, Alya.”

Alisa lifted her head, taken aback by his gratitude. Their eyes met again. There was still pain in his eyes, but they narrowed as he smiled faintly. He chose his next words carefully, concerned about the tears streaming down her cheeks.

“You’re right. Meeting you…and becoming partners—all of that happened because of the mistake I made.”

Masachika closed his eyes, as if facing his inner self, then slowly nodded before opening them once more.

“Yeah, now that I think about it, it wasn’t all a mistake. I really feel that way now,” he exclaimed with sincerity, then lowered his head.

“And I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I mean…”

He lifted his head again and looked Alisa straight in the eyes.

“Meeting you was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I mean it.”

Those words made Alisa’s heart pound wildly. The sadness and regret that had weighed her down only moments ago melted away and were replaced by joy and affection…yet she felt too shy to show those feelings openly.

“ < …Me too. > ”

She murmured softly with her head down and her lips pressed against one knee. But before Masachika could even ask what it was she had said, she wiped away her tears, stood up, and extended a hand to her partner, who was still sitting on the bench.

“Come on.”

“Huh?”

She stared straight into his bewildered gaze and simply replied:

“We’re going to see Yuki…so you can move past your regret.”

Fear flickered in Masachika’s eyes and his expression stiffened…but before he could look away again, she firmly declared:

“I’ll be there for you. It’s my turn to be right by your side and support you…so don’t say a word and just take my hand!”

Masachika’s shoulders twitched, but his eyes met Alisa’s once more. His distress melted away as he placed his hand in hers.

Gripping his hand tightly, Alisa tugged and pulled him up. Then, without letting go, she spun around and began to head toward the road.

“Huh? Uh. Hold on. Are we seriously going to do this? Now? Your birthday party isn’t even over yet. You can’t just leave in the middle of your own party!”

“My parents and Masha can handle the rest. I’ll make sure to apologize to the others later, too.”

“Come on, you can’t just—At least go grab a jacket. How do you plan on getting there, anyway?”

“Taxi, bus…we’ll find a way. Just get moving! Let’s go!”

“Taxi? Do you even have money for—”

“Let’s go already!”

Alisa pressed forward without giving Masachika a chance to refuse, tugging him along by the hand…as a lone figure watched them from the shadows.

Hmm… Looks like I’m too late.

Nonoa had deliberately lost during the werewolf game early on to excuse herself and search for the missing birthday girl. Ayano had filled Nonoa in on Yuki’s situation, inspiring her to orchestrate a scheme that would bring Masachika to visit the Suou household to see his bedridden sister. The plan was to shatter him with grief, then sweep in to comfort him, thereby worming her way into his heart.

“You totally listened to me when I wanted to talk, so now, I’ll listen to you. Like, I’m pretty sure I know a lot about you, like with Yuki and Yuushou, that nobody else does, so I think I could give you the least-biased opinion here.”

“Thanks… But I’m fine right now.”

“…You’ll survive?”

“Yeah, I can handle it. Thanks.”

“A’ight.”

It was a conversation that she’d had with Masachika in the Kujou’s living room. At the time, he didn’t express his concerns because there were others around, but Nonoa was certain if they had been alone, Masachika would have undoubtedly confided in her.

Tsk. I was this close to getting Kuze to open up to me.

She had long been kept at a distance, unable to approach his guarded heart, but it had felt like she was almost there, close enough to touch his raw, unfiltered emotions.

However, Alisa had beaten Nonoa to him, causing her plan to instantly fall apart.

“…”

Even from afar, the murky turmoil within Masachika was palpable, and she was supposed to get her hands on his vulnerability tonight. After that, she could have done whatever she wanted with her hold on him.

She could’ve whispered tender lies and gently stolen his heart. Or she could’ve shattered it, mocked him coldly, and then feasted on the resultant despair. Simply imagining it made the lifeless heart in her chest stir with a strange excitement.

Ah, this is exhilarating… I legit can’t believe someone other than Saya could ever make me feel this way.

And that was exactly why she was filled with disgust: the realization that the perfect opportunity had been snatched right before her eyes.

Ugh… She’s ruining everything… This is so annoying. Wait. Am I, like, jealous?

It wasn’t just the usual discomfort a person might feel toward someone unpleasant. It was a sticky, stinging kind of unease. Her lips twisted involuntarily and she felt the urge to kick the ground in frustration. Yet it wasn’t all bad. In fact, this was an emotion she wouldn’t have known if she hadn’t crossed paths with Masachika.

Still sucks, though.

It was better than being bored, but it wasn’t an emotion she wanted to experience. At any rate…Alisa was in the way.

There’s nothing I can do about it, though. I don’t want to hurt my friends.

That was an outright lie. When it came to hurting her friends, Nonoa felt nothing. She only cared because her parents had told her to cherish her friends—and since she couldn’t break their rules, she merely did the bare minimum to make sure she didn’t damage those relationships. However…

Yup, nothing I can do… Then again, all’s fair in love and war.

Her mother had once said that love was a battle, and that anything would be forgiven if done in the name of love. Therefore, Nonoa decided to define the feelings she held for Masachika as love. Which also meant that whatever happened, happened.

“Friendship is a fragile concept when compared to love…or something like that. Ha-ha.”

After she muttered those vaguely familiar words, Nonoa turned on her heel and used the key she’d borrowed from Maria to go back into the apartment. Once inside the Kujou residence, she opened the living room door, where she then met Maria’s gaze and noticed a smartphone in her hand.

“Ah, Nonoa. I’m sorry. I know you went looking for them, but Alya just called and said she was going to Yuki’s house…”

Nonoa immediately processed the information and decided to speak honestly about what she had witnessed.

“Ohhh. Yeah, I saw Alisa and Kuze run off together. So that’s where they were going…”

“Really? She didn’t go into detail…but apparently, they suddenly had to go see her for some reason.”

Maria tilted her head in confusion, so Nonoa promptly clarified:

“Like, they seemed like they were panicking. Or desperate, maybe? So I guess something must have happened?”

Touya slowly opened his mouth to speak after listening to their exchange.

“Yeah… Well, it must have been a pretty big deal for Little Kujou to suddenly ditch her own party.”

“Exactly… Hold up. I thought Yuki had some sort of urgent business she had to take care of?”

Chisaki glanced around in search of an explanation, but no one could give a satisfactory answer. Nonoa, the only one who knew what was going on, kept them in the dark, not wanting to betray Ayano’s trust.

“Eh, there’s no telling what happened, but I’m sure she has a good reason and will fill us in next time we see her!” Takeshi chimed in, with an overly cheerful voice, trying to clear the heavy atmosphere that had begun to settle over the room.

“Yeah, good point. Masachika’s with her, too, so everything’s going to be okay,” Hikaru added promptly, as if to back him up.

“Now that I think about it…I feel like something similar happened at the summer festival, too. You know, during the fireworks show,” Touya said with a grin.

“Hmm? Oh yeah! Kuze suddenly grabbed Alya’s hand, and they took off together!”

“Wait! Seriously?! He did?! That lucky little … !”

Takeshi jumped in right after Chisaki’s comment, quickly lifting the mood as they laughed over memories from the festival. Despite how absurd it was that the birthday girl herself had disappeared in the middle of her own party, not a single soul criticized her for it, perhaps because Alisa had always been such a genuinely good person.

Everyone really trusts her… It’d probably be pretty hard to break their trust in her.

Nonoa was apathetically analyzing the scene behind her usual listless expression…when Sayaka suddenly spoke up with a somewhat puzzled tone.

“Nonoa?”

“Hmm? What’s up, Saya?”

“…”

“What?? Come on, you’re making me blush.”

Nonoa smiled blandly back at her friend’s intense stare until Sayaka eventually averted her gaze.

“Never mind… Want anything to drink?”

“Oh! Yeah, can you get me some soda?”

“Really? Again? How many glasses have you had already? You’re going to get fat.”

“I basically can’t get fat. I’ll be fine. See? You feel that?”

Nonoa then nestled sweetly against Sayaka’s arm, her demeanor radiating pure innocence—a far cry from someone harboring dark intentions.

Meanwhile, the talk of the party—Alisa and Masachika—were on a bus, heading toward the Suou residence. They sat side by side in a double seat, exchanging no words, yet Alisa’s right hand was clutching Masachika’s left as if she was trying to hold something intangible together.

“…”

She stole a glance at Masachika, and though his profile revealed nothing, his distant gaze suggested he was deep in thought, confronting his inner self.

I probably shouldn’t bother him right now.

He no longer seemed consumed by regret, and if that were the case, then it was probably best to let him be. After all, Alisa’s earlier words had barely landed well, since eloquence had never been her strength. In other words, if Masachika didn’t need to be consoled right that moment, her silence would probably serve him better.

Once she reached that conclusion, Alisa turned toward the window and surrendered to her thoughts. With the storm finally dying down, only one matter demanded her attention. Put simply…

What do you mean, she’s your biological sister?!

That. Now that she had regained her composure, Alisa’s mind was plagued by this one question. Memories of past interactions with Yuki surfaced one after another, playing back in her head like a reel on loop.

Then what was that all about?!

One memory stood out most vividly: Yuki confronting her in the empty classroom at nightfall.

“I told you that I love him, so you have to tell me exactly how you feel, too!”

Overwhelmed by Yuki’s intensity, Alisa had boldly declared that she wouldn’t give her Masachika. It was a retort born from rivalry—a reaction to Yuki being his childhood friend and his student council partner back in middle school. And she’d feared that without that decisive declaration, Yuki would take him away from her. However…

She’s his sister?! His sister ?! What? That means I told his little sister I’m not going to let her have him? Like some crazy stalker? No… Noooooo!!

Alisa wanted to writhe and bury her face in both hands, and she was doing everything she could to keep a straight face… Then she imagined Maria’s crush—Sah, or whatever his name was—suddenly storming over to her and shouting, “I won’t let you have Masha! She’s mine!”

There was no mistaking it. He would sound completely unhinged. It would be plain weird, and it would have made her tell her sister to really reconsider who she dates. And yet, the person who’d behaved that way was none other than Alisa herself.

Ngh…!! Aaaggghhh…!!

“Alya?”

“ … !”

Startled by Masachika’s voice, Alisa quickly turned to face him, only to find him studying her with mild bewilderment.

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh, uh… No. Nothing…”

“You sure?”

“Positive,” she assured him. Then she immediately turned away from him. And so Masachika, perhaps sensing her reluctance to pursue the topic further, said nothing more and looked the other way.

Alisa let out a quiet sigh of relief as she watched his reflection in the window.

Thank goodness he left it at that… I should probably put it out of my mind for now. I mean, it’s only going to get worse the more I think about it…

With that, she decided to put her thoughts on hold, since there was just a bit too much to process at the moment.

And I’m holding his hand, so he’ll be able to tell if I get nervous…

That was when it suddenly hit her.

I—I’m holding hands with Masachika?!

A jolt shot through Alisa like a lightning strike. Holding hands in itself wasn’t that big of a deal. She had even held his hand a few times before, but this time was different. After all, she knew she had feelings for him now, and holding hands with someone you had feelings for was completely different from holding hands with a friend! And to make matters worse…

Wait. Calm down and think for a second…

She had taken his hand at the park bench, but they had let go once they arrived at the bus stop, only to clasp hands again the instant they got on the bus… Yes, there was no denying it.

It was me?! I held his hand?!

Of course, she had no ulterior motive, and she definitely hadn’t used this opportunity to sneakily hold his hand, either. She was simply making sure he didn’t run off. That was it.

Y-yeah, I just wanted to help him find his way…like he did for me… That’s all this is!

But still…Alisa had been the one to initiate it with the boy she liked, and it wasn’t exactly subtle, either. She had essentially grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the bus. It was as if…

I’m acting like some sort of alpha female wannabe!

Alisa inwardly buried her face in her hands and let out a silent, frustrated roar. In her opinion, normal girls didn’t reach out to hold hands with the boy they liked. Even if they mustered up all their courage, they still would not be so forward. Instead, they would offer their hand timidly and hope the boy would take it. She thought that was what ordinary girls should do.

But nonchalantly taking a boy’s hand? That was something only some promiscuous hussy would do! Only aggressive, flirty girls went after their crushes like that!

Modesty! A lady must have modesty and self-discipline!

Alisa writhed on the inside, feeling her sense of propriety being scraped away bit by bit. Hmm? She had done much bolder things before? No, that was simply teasing her smug, aggravating male friend so she could gain the upper hand. She hadn’t been trying to seduce him in the least… She definitely wasn’t trying to seduce him now, either, of course!

“S-seduce”? How scandalous! That is absolutely not something that a proper lady would do!

She truly felt that way…and yet…why did it make her heart race? She imagined herself tempting Masachika and seeing him, usually so composed, lose his cool and desire her desperately. It stirred something from her stomach up to her heart…causing her to almost immediately scold herself.

You idiot! What are you daydreaming about?! And at a time like this?! Masachika is about to face his estranged family! He’s fighting his inner demons! So stop daydreaming, stupid, love-crazed brain!

When she glanced to the side, she noticed that Masachika’s expression held a subtle hint of melancholy. It was clear that he wasn’t in any state of mind to be worrying over who held whose hand first or why.

See? Masachika doesn’t have time to worry about stupid stuff like this!

…Okay, calling it “stupid” is kind of harsh, don’t you think?

After criticizing her own opinion, she found herself somewhat annoyed. She knew he had bigger things to worry about, but as a girl in love, the fact that he seemed completely oblivious left her both irritated and a little anxious.

He could at least be a little embarrassed or nervous. What? Is holding hands not even special to him? A little hand holding doesn’t make his heart race? I can’t stop thinking about it, yet…

Driven by the swirling mix of frustration and anxiety, Alisa ended up gently squeezing his hand, causing Masachika to blink two or three times in surprise before turning to face her.

“ … ? Alya?”

“Oh, uh…” His expression was filled with curiosity as he gazed into her eyes. Alisa hesitated, scrambling for something to say, and then blurted out the first plausible thing that came to mind. “It’s all going to work out.”

“…Yeah. Thanks.”

Though her reassurance was baseless and merely on-the-spot improvisation, Masachika smiled faintly, thanked her, and turned to face forward once again, still not showing even a hint of embarrassment or nervousness.

…Hmph.

Frustration and anxiety swelled inside Alisa. She couldn’t let it go—not unless he noticed her, even just a little. But how? Flashing her chest or clinging to his arm like before was obviously out of the question. Too overt. And besides, they weren’t exactly alone. Whatever she was going to do, it had to be subtle, casual, and—most importantly—seem free of any deeper meaning.

What can I even do…?

Caught up in her thoughts, Alisa suddenly remembered their joined hands. They were loosely clasped on the seat between them, her hand resting on top of his…and the observation made her realize just how cramped the space really was.

That’s it…!

A sudden idea came to her. Right as the bus rounded a curve, she exaggerated her shift in weight, pretending to be thrown off balance by the centrifugal force. Sliding both legs to the side, she casually let their joined hands slip beneath her, gently pinning them under her thighs.

“Ah! Sorry.”

“Hmm? Oh.”

While briefly apologizing, she watched Masachika’s face closely, just to make sure he hadn’t noticed anything strange. Then, once the bus began to straighten out, she casually—ever so casually—lifted their joined hands under the guise that she didn’t want to crush them again. Obviously, there was no other reason why she would lift their hands, since she had absolutely no ulterior motive… Then she placed their hands on top of her thigh.

Eep!

The cool back of his hand rested firmly on Alisa’s thigh, sending a faint shiver down her spine. But she maintained her composure, looking casually out the window while observing his reflection in the glass.

How do ya like that?!

Masachika’s expression hadn’t changed a bit. He was still staring straight ahead, completely oblivious to his left hand resting on Alisa’s thigh.

“…”

Alisa’s spirits instantly deflated before being replaced by an indescribable wave of embarrassment.

What am I even doing? she wondered. Seriously, what is all this about? Am I stupid…? Actually, that shouldn’t even be a question. I’m an idiot. What am I doing? He’s obviously not even thinking about me right now… This is ridiculous…