The high-altitude sky was a magnificent, breathtaking masterpiece of nature. A deep, crystalline blue stretched endlessly, like a colossal gemstone embedded between heaven and earth. Sunlight pierced through the sparse, wispy clouds, painting the vast canvas with golden rays, creating a scene so picturesque it seemed surreal.
At the mid-mountain station of the Kurodake double chairlift, Mount Daisetsu—
"Hey, hey… Ouch!"
Kasumigaoka Touji rescued his poor earlobe from Kasumigaoka Utaha's pinching fingers, rubbing it with a pained expression. "You go straight for the ear the moment you see me… Did I do something to offend you, oh great Onee-san?"
He leveled a half-hearted glare at her. "Or is this some new, fashionable greeting ritual I'm unaware of?"
"Mom told me to pinch it."
Kasumigaoka Utaha replied, puffing out her chest proudly. Her ample bosom, accentuated by her winter gear, seemed even more prominent than usual!
"Mom? That can't be right. You're even dragging Mom into your slander now? I'm going to go ask her."
Kasumigaoka Touji squinted at her suspiciously, making a show of turning his head as if to seek parental justice.
"Then go ahead! Ask away!"
Armed with what she clearly considered a royal decree, Kasumigaoka Utaha was brimming with confidence, completely unperturbed.
Her reaction gave Touji-kun pause. Just as he was pondering her bravado, she calmly and elegantly raised a single finger, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"Mom said you were skiing way too fast and completely ignored her warnings. So she specifically tasked me with teaching you a proper lesson."
"Uh…"
He was momentarily speechless. So that was it.
"So," she continued, spreading her arms in a grand, theatrical gesture, "in order to give Nii-san a profound and unforgettable lesson, I racked my brains all the way down the mountain and came up with a brilliant idea!"
Her eyes sparkled with wicked glee. "I've decided to use you as my personal snowboard! What do you think? Innovative, right? You'll definitely be the most dazzling board on the entire slope~."
Kasumigaoka Touji stared at her, his face a mask of shock and disbelief. Then his eye twitched. "How… how did I ever deserve an older sister like you?"
"Maybe it's a blessing accumulated over eight lifetimes of good karma?" Kasumigaoka Utaha mused, tapping a slender finger against her snow-white chin, looking at him with mock thoughtfulness.
"No thanks! I'll gladly pass on that particular 'blessing'!" he retorted, waving a hand dismissively.
Whap!
Kasumigaoka Utaha promptly smacked the back of his hand.
Good grief! He couldn't even refuse it properly!
Of course, he couldn't really refuse her antics. With a sigh, Kasumigaoka Touji raised his hand again, this time placing it on Kasumigaoka Utaha's slender, perfectly rounded shoulder, pulling her closer. He poked a finger toward the center of her chest.
"Onee-san, if we were to cut you open right here, I bet it'd be pitch black inside, wouldn't it?"
"Where do you think you're putting your paws in public?!" she yelped, slapping his intrusive hand away.
She tsked lightly, then fixed her wine-red eyes on him, her expression turning serious—or as serious as it ever got with her.
"Back to the main topic!"
"When the time comes, Nii-san, do you prefer facing up or facing down? I'm thinking face-up might be better. You can hold my feet steady for me."
What kind of 'main topic' is this?!And using my hands as human stabilizers… isn't that going a bit too far?!
Kasumigaoka Touji's mouth twitched violently. He had a sudden, powerful urge to press a certain someone face-first into the nearest snowdrift and give her a thorough, snowy facial…
"Sorry, Onee-san, but your idea is just too perverse. I can't accept it."
With that, he gave Kasumigaoka Utaha a light push, creating some much-needed distance between them.
Kasumigaoka Utaha was momentarily taken aback, then let out a soft, knowing chuckle.
"Perverse? How could little old me ever compare to Nii-san? Next to you, I'm just a fledgling witch meeting the grand sorceress herself."
'Be quiet! The looks we're getting from everyone around us are already weird enough!'Touji-kun screamed internally, then tsked aloud.
"Rumor-mongering is so cheap these days. All it takes is a flick of the tongue…"
He pulled the smug Kasumigaoka Utaha back into his embrace, leaning in close until his lips were almost brushing the shell of her ear. His voice dropped to a low, threatening whisper.
"If Onee-san keeps spouting nonsense like that, I'll…"
"You'll… what?" Kasumigaoka Utaha shivered slightly as his warm breath tickled her ear. She pulled back just a fraction, her wine-red eyes glinting with a lazy, challenging swirl as she looked up at him.
"I'll spank you right here on the spot!" he declared fiercely.
"…Tsk! Nii-san, do you even listen to yourself when you talk?" The supposedly innocent Kasumigaoka Utaha delivered a sharp, critical verdict. "You have a serious problem!"
Still asking for it!
Done with words, Kasumigaoka Touji decided action was the only appropriate response.
Smack!
A crisp, unmistakable sound echoed in the crisp mountain air.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, the recipient of the slap, froze for a split second. Then, refusing to take the hit lying down, she immediately launched her counterattack.
In the blink of an eye, the two were tangled in a playful, retaliatory scuffle. Their tussle continued all the way until they boarded the waiting chairlift, at which point a temporary, swaying truce was called.
Once they disembarked back at the Kurodake 7th Station, the battle resumed in the form of the first round of 'Spanking Skiing.'
The rules of 'Spanking Skiing' were simple: Kasumigaoka Touji would land a single, teasing slap on Kasumigaoka Utaha's well-padded backside, then immediately take off down the slope. Kasumigaoka Utaha would give chase, and upon catching him (or getting close enough), she would attempt to return the favor—twice, as per their unspoken agreement that she got two hits to his one.
Of course, Kasumigaoka Touji wasn't just a bully; he did allow her those retaliatory strikes.
And so, amidst laughter, shrieks, and the swish of snow, time flew by. Before they knew it, it was noon.
****
"Touji, Utaha, any thoughts on lunch?"
The thoroughly exercised group had returned their rental equipment. Kasumigaoka Eiji was stuffing the returned deposit back into his wallet as he posed the question.
"…Ramen?"
Kasumigaoka Touji thought for a moment, then threw the suggestion out for consideration. Hokkaido's specialty ramen was quite famous, after all. They'd had a good workout that morning; a warm, hearty bowl of ramen sounded perfect.
"Aah… I'll pass on that!"
To his surprise, his mother made an uncharacteristic 'X' with her arms, expressing firm opposition.
"Your father and I were planning to take you to the Asahikawa Ramen Village tonight. Eating ramen twice in a row might get a bit monotonous."
"Oh, is that the plan? In that case, you two decide," Kasumigaoka Touji said, deftly passing the decision-making rugby ball back to his parents.
After a brief discussion, Kasumigaoka Eiji and Airi decided to head back to the hot spring town first. While there were eateries here at the resort, the options were limited—simple set meals, coffee and cake, cola chicken wings, burgers… The variety and quality paled in comparison to the proper restaurants in the onsen street below.
After strolling around the charming hot spring town for a while, Kasumigaoka Utaha made a suggestion: why not try Hokkaido's famous Soup Curry?
A specialty from Sapporo! The broth, simmered from chicken, pork, or beef bones with a generous amount of vegetables and seasoned with aromatic curry spices, was rich yet surprisingly refreshing. Kasumigaoka Touji found it incredibly appetizing.
With lunch satisfyingly concluded, it was time for the essential tourist ritual: buying souvenirs and gifts.
The previous day, Kasumigaoka Touji and the others had already quizzed the inn staff about local specialties and had done some online research. Armed with this knowledge, their shopping expedition was efficient and targeted.
Roughly half an hour later, the family returned to the parking lot, arms laden with bags of all sizes. They loaded their purchases into the Toyota C-HR and began the drive back.
Perhaps due to the poor rest the night before, compounded by a morning of frantic, high-energy play, Kasumigaoka Utaha succumbed to fatigue not long after the car started moving. Her head gradually tilted, coming to rest against the cool glass of the car window as she drifted into sleep.
His mother noticed her daughter was asleep and quietly turned down the volume of the car's music. She glanced at Kasumigaoka Touji through the rearview mirror and said softly, "Touji-kun, you should take a nap too~."
"Hmm… it's alright. I'm not sleepy right now," Kasumigaoka Touji replied with a small wave.
Hearing this, his mother simply nodded and said no more, her gaze returning to the winding mountain road ahead.