It was a scorching summer afternoon. The sun blazed outside, but the oppressive heat was nothing to worry about for Kaito. Seated comfortably in the living room, he immersed himself in the world of video games, the air conditioning humming softly in the background. With the summer break in full swing and colleges closed for the month, life felt like paradise.

  “Hey, I have a little favor to ask,” Miyuki's voice cut through the serene atmosphere.

  “What is it, big sis?” Kaito asked, without taking his eyes off the screen. “Don’t tell me you want me to stand in line for that fudge cake again. Sorry, but I’m busy right now, and besides, it’s way too hot outside.”

  Miyuki chuckled, shaking her head. “No, it’s not that. Actually… I’m planning to move in with my boyfriend.”

  The controller slipped slightly in his hands. He raised an eyebrow, still half-focused on his game. “Oh, that’s nice. So, when are you leaving?”

  “I’ll be shifting tomorrow,” she announced casually. “But here’s the thing—since we’ll be living in my apartment, my roommate will move in with you.”

  “Hmm, okay, sure—” Kaito froze mid-sentence, his character on-screen meeting an untimely defeat. “Wait, WHAT?! Are you kidding me? This is the favor you’re asking? Sorry, but I absolutely can’t agree to this. I’m a guy! How can you just make me live with some random girl?!”

  “It’s for your big sister’s happiness, you know,” Miyuki replied with a smirk. “Can’t you do this one little thing for me? Besides…” She leaned closer, her tone taking on a teasing edge. “You’ll be thrilled when you see how stunning she is. She gets love confessions almost daily, and when we go shopping together, people mistake her for a model. Don’t you think this is a golden opportunity?”

  Kaito shot her an exasperated look, running a hand through his hair. “You know, that’s not something you should say to your little brother. Seriously, what kind of big sister are you?”

  Miyuki just grinned, clearly enjoying his reaction.

  "Hehe, she'll be paying the rent and groceries, you know," Miyuki said, her lips curling into an evil smile.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  "Oh, and she has a whole collection of video games. Think about it- you'll have plenty of money if you don't need to pay rent or buy games".

  Kaito sighed, setting down his controller". Fine, sure. But for how many days is she going to stay with me?"

  "Until we buy an apartment for ourselves", Miyuki said casually.

  Kaito's jaw dropped. "The hell you mean?!"

  "Relax, I'm kidding", she said with a laugh. "She'll stay till end of this year. My boyfriend will graduate by then and be able to rent a separate apartment."

  "Ugh, fine. But what kind of person is your friend? She better not be the type to call police over every little thing".

  "Don't worry, she's super chill. Actually..."Miyuki grinned mischievously. "It'd probably be better if you don't end up calling the police. Haha!"

  "Hey! You're scaring me!" Kaito shot back. "Ugh whatever. At least she won't be annoying like you".

  Miyuki raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh? Taking her side already, huh?"

  "Shut up already!!" Kaito said, his voice sharp with annoyance.

  "Alright, alright," Miyuki said, waving a hand. "I'll finish packing. You can get back to your precious games". With that, she turned and headed to her room, leaving Kaito glaring at her retreating back.

  The rest of the day passed uneventfully, but the next morning brought a surprise. Kaito woke up and he went straight to living room.

  "Good morning, big sis," he mumbled.

  Silence

  "Huh?" He blinked around the empty room.

  "Where is she?"

  His eyes fell on note, sitting on the table. Picking it up, he read the message scrawled in Miyuki's familiar handwriting: "I'm leaving, lil bro, take care, and make sure to use protection- it'd be a problem if you didn't, you know?"

  Kaito's face turned red, and his hand crumped the note instinctively. "What the hell is wrong with her?! Doesn't she have any shame saying things like this?!"

  Letting out a groan, Kaito threw the note into the trash. "Unbelievable..."

  After taking a refreshing shower, Kaito was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for himself. The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air when the doorbell suddenly rang.

  "Coming! Isn't it a bit late for the newspaper?", Kaito muttered as he walked to the door.

  He opened it, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

  "Huh? Am I dreaming? Ms. Hoshino? Do you need help with something?" he asked nervously, his voice almost cracking.

  Chiaka tilted her head with a playful smile.

  "Didn't your sister tell you about me?"

  Kaito blinked in surprise. "Oh, so my sister's roommate is actually you?"

  Yay! I'm looking forward to living with you, hehe" Chiaka said, her radiant smile lighting up the doorway.

  "Uhh... Welcome. Please, feel like it's your own home", Kaito stammered, trying to keep his composure.

  "OfCourse! It is my home now", Chiaka replied with a cheerful grin. Her nose twitched as she caught a whiff of the air. "Wow, what's that smell? Were you cooking something?"

  "Yeah, I was making breakfast. Would you like to have some?" Kaito offered.

  "Sure! thank you!!", Chiaka said, her enthusiasm shining through.