Unlike a certain Eriri who loved staying up late, Ayase, who had always listened to her brother, had an incredibly healthy daily routine.
She was in bed by nine, woke up right on the dot at six-thirty, and even helped her mom with chores on her days off. An Ayase like this was the absolute embodiment of the "neighbor's perfect kid" parents always brought up... a reality Eriri, her best friend, knew all too well.
After all, Eriri's mom had said more than once in front of her, "Look at Ayase-chan... (blah blah blah)..." and "Why can't Eriri learn from... (blah blah blah)...."
So, factoring in the 'new grudges and old scores' accumulated over the years, last night Eriri had practically tied Ayase to her side with a rope, forcing the girl who had never pulled an all-nighter to stay up with her playing games, watching anime, and watching movies until almost dawn.
To the point that, now... it was almost time for lunch.
Eriri and Ayase, the two little girls, were still head-to-head, sleeping soundly in Eriri's room.
Outside the room, Sayuri quietly pushed open her daughter's door a crack. Peeking through the gap at the two girls sleeping sweetly with their feet touching, she shook her head with a helpless smile.
Then, returning to the living room, Sayuri looked at the young man sitting on the sofa, whose every move exuded the elegance of a noble upbringing, and said with a helpless expression.
"I'm sorry, Miyahito-kun. Eriri went a bit too far last night."
"The two kids are still sleeping."
Hearing this, Miyahito smiled.
"It's fine, Auntie Sayuri. Rather, it's my sister who is greedy for sleep. It's quite rude of her."
"Alright, Miyahito-kun, you don't need to be so formal when you're at Auntie's house."
"I can't help it, Auntie Sayuri. Mom warned me before I left not to be rude."
"But Miyahito-kun is at the Sawamura house right now, so you don't need to listen to Satomi. Just listen to me."
"Then I'll respectfully accept your offer."
"..."
If, at this moment, any classmate or friend from Miyahito's grade were present, they absolutely wouldn't believe that the Miyahito sitting on the sofa, chatting effortlessly with the Sawamura family's matriarch, Sayuri, about everything under the sun, was the same person who usually caused a ruckus with the boys at school.
The two women, despite their age difference, chatted about everything from macroeconomic issues like "recent fluctuations in import/export trade volumes" to the cozy, grounded realities of everyday life, like "what to pick up on supermarket discount days."
However, even with topics spanning such a wide range, Sayuri hadn't seen even a single flicker of change in Miyahito's composed expression.
This made her involuntarily sigh in admiration.
'Satomi's two children are truly extraordinary.'
Thinking of her own tsundere daughter, Sayuri couldn't help but sigh helplessly in her heart.
'Sigh.... My daughter.'
Although, from childhood, Sayuri and her husband, Mr. Spencer, a couple with very open personalities and viewpoints, had always adhered to the principle of 'letting children develop freely'... a sort of semi-free-range parenting style.
They also deeply loved and were very proud of the achievements Eriri had made now (a wildly popular 18+ doujin artist on the internet).
But ultimately, it was that one sentence.
'Without comparison, there is no heartbreak.'
Not to mention Miyahito, who was sitting right in front of Sayuri and was completely being treated as the next-generation heir of the Aragaki family.
Just take the Aragaki couple's youngest daughter, Aragaki Ayase, for example.
Obedient, virtuous, gentle, considerate, quiet yet dignified and graceful... even her personality was that soft, sweet, and quiet type... paired with a face that combined the best features of both Satomi and Seiichiro.
It had to be said, no matter how much she loved her own daughter, Sayuri had to admit one point.
A girl like Ayase-chan was the ideal daughter Sayuri had always dreamed of.
(To put it simply, she completely hit Sayuri's exact preferences.)
Sigh. As cute as Eriri was, if only Ayase could be her daughter too... and, as a bonus, bring along a perfect future son-in-law who would take such good care of their daughter that they'd never have to worry about her again...
How wonderful would retirement life be!
Holding this thought, Sayuri cast her gaze toward Miyahito.
'Although Miyahito-kun has a girlfriend now, it's fine! She's just a girlfriend. Besides, even married couples get divorced.' Silently recalling how she had defeated Mr. Spencer's childhood friend, Sayuri felt completely reassured and spoke softly.
"Miyahito-kun."
Noticing Miyahito's gaze shifting toward her, the curve of Sayuri's lips carried a slightly meaningful feel. She picked up her black tea cup and spoke in a very casual tone, as if chatting about family matters.
"I'm planning to have Eriri attend Toyogasaki next year."
"Eriri at Toyogasaki?"
Although Miyahito had known from the very beginning that Eriri would definitely become his junior in the future.
He still put on an expression of hearing this fact for the first time and replied with a smile.
"That's great. Toyogasaki has a relatively relaxed academic atmosphere, which suits Eriri perfectly."
"Right?" Taking a small sip of her black tea, Sayuri raised an eyebrow, secretly observing Miyahito's expression before saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you to look after that kid when the time comes."
"You also know how much Eriri values her little secret."
"..."
Of course she values it! Auntie Sayuri, don't you even think about what your daughter's 'little secret' is... An active middle schooler and prospective high schooler whose secret identity is actually a master of sadistic 18+ doujin art—Kashiwagi Eri!
If this were to leak out...
It would absolutely mean social death...
After silently complaining in his heart, Miyahito replied with a smile, his expression completely unchanged.
"Auntie Sayuri, you're too polite. There's no trouble at all."
"Eriri and Ayase are so close, and she calls me 'brother' anyway. As an older brother, looking out for a little sister is no big deal."
"Little sister, huh." Sayuri suddenly repeated the word with a meaningful tone, then reached out and picked up a folding fan from the edge of the coffee table.
Opening it, she hid the lower half of her face behind the fan. Fanning herself gently, she looked at Miyahito with half-lidded eyes.
"Then I'll have to trouble Miyahito-kun, as an older brother, to look after my useless daughter."
"Oh... oh, okay..."
Miyahito responded blankly.
He wasn't sure if he was misinterpreting it.
He just felt like Auntie Sayuri's words just now seemed to have another, different layer of meaning...?
But then Miyahito thought about it again.
It was definitely just his imagination. Auntie Sayuri wasn't just anyone; she was his mom's best friend and had practically watched him and his sister grow up.
So, what kind of bad intentions could Auntie Sayuri possibly have?
It was just because he was also studying at Toyogasaki, so she wanted him to keep an eye on her daughter and make sure no one led her astray. That was all.