Although Asougi Shiuan hadn't actually accepted Hikigaya Hachiman as her "brother," she still followed Komachi's lead and began calling him Onii-san.
Even so, just that small change in how she addressed him made the atmosphere at the dinner table noticeably warmer.
Watching Shiuan's expression relax little by little while Komachi kept cracking jokes to lighten the mood, Hachiman nodded quietly to himself.
Having a little sister really wasn't so bad—especially one who knew how to act as your wingman. Without her, he would've had no clue how to comfort a girl who'd just been through a family crisis.
The three of them finished dinner in a surprisingly pleasant mood. When Shiuan stood up to clear the dishes, Hachiman also got to his feet and stopped her.
"Since you did the cooking, I'll handle the cleanup. You should rest for a bit—you must be tired from moving all your things today. Go ahead and take a bath first. Komachi, go run the hot water."
He glanced at Shiuan's face—pale and composed, yet faintly clouded with worry—and then turned to his sister with a small nod.
Bath time at the Hikigaya household followed a specific order. Filling the tub for each person individually would be a waste of water, so everyone would first wash themselves clean, then take turns soaking in the same bath. The order usually followed seniority and household priority. When a guest stayed over, the guest always went first.
Their parents had different schedules, so the two siblings typically bathed in the evening. Komachi first, then Hachiman.
…Well, "seniority" aside, it was pretty clear who held the higher household status.
"Um..."
Shiuan hesitated and instinctively turned to Komachi—the only person here she was familiar with.
She knew the rule that guests were supposed to bathe first, but it didn't sit right with her.
She and Komachi weren't that close. Just being allowed to stay here was already more than she could ask for—taking a bath before the family members themselves felt improper, almost shameless.
"At times like this, all you have to say is, 'Thank you, Onii-san~'"
Komachi winked at her, flashing her little canine tooth with a mischievous grin.
"...Thank you, Onii-san," Shiuan murmured, pressing her lips together and glancing up at Hachiman.
"Go find your clothes first, Shiuan," Hachiman said, nodding once. "Komachi, go fill the tub."
With that, he turned back to start washing the dishes.
"Take your time, Shiuan. You can wash your hair too if you'd like."
"...Okay," she replied softly.
Komachi hurried off toward the bathroom. Once she'd run the water and saw Shiuan walking in with her change of clothes, she quickly darted back into the kitchen.
"Onii-chan? Be honest—did you fall for Shiuan-chan?"
"…What are you talking about?"
"You keep smiling at her, Onii-chan. You never do that," Komachi said, sounding both smug and suspicious. "It's not like this is the first time one of my friends came over, but back then, you always had that deadpan scowl. I don't think you smiled once."
"That's not true. I smiled."
"Oh, you did smile. But honestly? It looked worse than when you didn't."
"…"
Hachiman decided to ignore her. When other people were around, Komachi could be polite and well-behaved—a model little sister. But when it was just the two of them, she became a merciless menace, switching between comforting and teasing him as she pleased.
"Hehe~ But that was the old you," Komachi continued, grinning. "Now your smile's actually… kinda nice. Wait—no, seriously, it's really nice."
Seeing her brother start to look annoyed, Komachi quickly shifted to flattery mode to lighten his mood again. But as she watched him quietly washing the dishes, his focused profile outlined by the kitchen light, she froze for a moment.
Shiuan hadn't spent much time with him before tonight—this was basically their first real meeting—so she wouldn't have noticed.
But Komachi, who saw him every day, realized it immediately now that things had calmed down.
Her brother looked… different.
The dull, lifeless aura of his "dead fish eyes" wasn't as strong as before. His skin even seemed smoother, clearer somehow. Handsomer.
Of course, her brother had always been handsome—at least when he wasn't talking or radiating his usual "I've given up on life" energy. But now, his charm had gone up a whole level.
Just by focusing on what he was doing, with that calm expression and no trace of gloom, he actually looked… kind of cool.
When he smiled at Shiuan earlier, there hadn't been a single hint of that usual shadow in his face.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing that Komachi had gone oddly quiet and was staring at him, Hachiman turned to look at her, puzzled.
Ever since he'd gotten the "Agent 47 Template" earlier that afternoon, he'd been busy dealing with one strange event after another—first the overly forward Hayase Saki, then the depressed Asougi Shiuan. Komachi was just his sister, someone he saw every day. He hadn't had the chance to notice anything different about himself.
If Komachi hadn't brought up his smile, she probably wouldn't have realized it either—not for a while, at least.
"Onii-chan, don't even try to deny it—you totally like Shiuan! And that's nothing to be embarrassed about! I'm your sister; of course I'll help you win her over!"
Komachi gave his arm a playful squeeze, and when he raised his hand as if to flick her forehead, she quickly backed away and dodged, still grinning.
She was convinced this wasn't a dream—her brother's transformation had happened today. Maybe he'd fallen for Shiuan after seeing the photo she'd shown him yesterday.
He'd probably gone out this evening to get some kind of "self-care" done or something.
So her gloomy, reclusive brother was reinventing himself for the sake of the girl he liked—turning into a bright, handsome version of himself?
What a wholesome character arc!
"I told you, I'm not the type to go after middle schoolers," Hachiman sighed, giving her an unimpressed look. "I just didn't want her to feel unwelcome, that's all."
He placed the cleaned dishes on the rack to dry, wiped down the table, and finally sat on the sofa with a glass of water.
"Her parents are fighting, maybe even divorcing. She ran away from home to stay here for a bit. She's in a fragile mental state right now, so the last thing we should do is make her feel like a burden."
He spoke in his usual dry, detached tone, but there was a faint trace of concern hidden beneath it.
He just didn't want Shiuan to think she was unwanted and decide to return to that broken household.
"That's my Onii-chan," Komachi said proudly, scooting closer and sitting beside him. "You're so kind—Shiuan's definitely going to be moved when she realizes that."
Then, in true Komachi fashion, her eyes sparkled with mischief again.
"So, Onii-chan… are you sure you don't want to try going after Shiuan? She's smart, tall, beautiful, and actually good at housework. A girl like that doesn't come around often, you know?"
She leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially.
"I did some digging. She doesn't have many friends, and her childhood friend—her only one—moved overseas. She's basically all alone now. If you make your move at the right time, maybe your dream of being a stay-at-home husband could come true!"
Komachi was on a roll now, spinning her ridiculous logic with alarming confidence.
"I mean, her grades are amazing! She'll probably get into Sobu High, then a top university after that. With that kind of career, she'll definitely make good money in the future. Supporting her future husband won't be a problem at all!"
At first, she hadn't been that confident about pairing her slacker brother with such an excellent girl. But now that he looked more handsome and less gloomy, her optimism was back in full force.
With just a little push, maybe Asougi Shiuan really could become her sister-in-law.
"…Komachi, your line of thinking is dangerously unethical," Hachiman deadpanned, giving her a sideways glance. "Taking advantage of someone's weakness like that isn't something to brag about."
"How is it taking advantage?" Komachi shot back immediately, puffing up her cheeks. "Wouldn't ignoring her problems be worse? Onii-chan, weren't you in the Service Club? Isn't helping people through tough times exactly what you're supposed to do?"
Her tone was firm, her logic absurd—but consistent.
Sure, she didn't know the details of Shiuan's situation. But she could tell it wasn't just a simple fight or divorce. There had to be more—maybe even abuse. Otherwise, why would a girl like Shiuan choose to run away and stay with them?
Someone like her would definitely find help eventually.
But if there was going to be someone who reached out and changed her life...
Why couldn't it be her brother?
"…"
Hikigaya Hachiman stared at her in silence.
Great. Komachi was being smart again today.