November 6, AD 2095

Yotsuba Main House

Parlor

“…Hee-hee…”

When Miyuki suddenly let out a giggle, Tatsuya, who’d been looking out the window, returned his attention inside.

It was a large Western-style room, which stood out in the building’s more Eastern construction. The vivid colors and landscapes on the walls were neither screens nor reproductions but genuine oil paintings on canvas by a prominent modern artist. The table, stately and made of natural wood, was big enough to seat more than ten.

But the room still felt empty. One reason was likely that the only seating at the table were four sofas instead of ten chairs; another was the lack of other furnishings besides those things in the room, which made for a lot of empty space. Maybe it was to impart a psychological oppressiveness by making the room appear larger than it actually was.

Of course, Tatsuya wasn’t paying attention to the psychological effects at this point. His gaze went straight to his sister.

When he looked at her dubiously, Miyuki, sitting on a cabriole-legged sofa, drew back awkwardly. “I’m sorry, Tatsuya. I was remembering something from long ago,” she said, smiling.

“Was it something fun?” he asked, smiling along with her.

“No… I was laughing at how very foolish I used to be.”

The thought was self-deprecating enough for Tatsuya’s smile to disappear and for him to blink at her. Still, contrary to what she’d suggested, he could hear nothing negative in her voice nor see anything dark in her expression.

“Come to think of it, you’ve always been very kind to Ayako and Fumiya, haven’t you?” she said. “That was a big shock to me, you know.”

Tatsuya grinned drily. He’d figured out what she was recalling. “Well, yes… But don’t be so hard on me. I was a kid at the time, too.”

“Oh, I would never,” she replied. “I was the foolish one, without a doubt.”

From the rest of the world’s perspective, the siblings were both still young enough to call children. They didn’t seem to think of themselves as adults, either. Still, neither of them felt anything wrong with calling themselves more childish three years ago than they were now.

“I am your sister, and yet I didn’t understand a thing about you. No… I wasn’t even trying to.”

Tatsuya considered objecting, but his sister smiled ephemerally and shook her head, causing him to be unable to speak. It was neither something he was supposed to nor needed to object to. Both of them knew that neither of them was to blame for back then.

If she didn’t want to continue her story of the past, then Tatsuya wouldn’t bring it up again. He returned his gaze toward the window.

Though he looked like he was spacing out, his five senses were completely engaged, leaving no detail unnoticed. His super-sense, which exceeded his five senses, was always standing by, ready to access the Idea at any time.

All to protect Miyuki. All to eliminate anyone who might cause Miyuki harm. That was how it was now, and it had been the same then.

Back then, she simply hadn’t realized it yet.

Back then, he always kept her from realizing it.