บท 48: Testing the limits
"No need, no need, I feel much better now, look."
After saying this, the girl unfastened the clothes tied around her waist, showing off her plump buttocks, and got up from the sofa, planning to walk a few steps to show Sasaki.
But as soon as she stood up, the boy bent down and picked her up.
"Ah~"
Feeling herself suddenly lifted into the air and not having time to react, Haruno Kasumi let out a startled cry, instinctively stretched out her arms, wrapping them around the boy's neck tightly.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, washing vegetables, Haruno Ayato heard his sister's cry and subconsciously wanted to turn around and take a look.
But halfway through turning, he clearly saw what happened out of the corner of his eye and turned back as if nothing had happened.
His sister has always been good to him, and naturally he hoped she would be happy.
Although he hadn't spent much time with Sasaki, he didn't distance himself from him because of his appearance.
Looking at this aspect alone, he was much better than the boys he knew.
Even if he might have had flaws that he didn't notice, he was still far better than those who harassed his sister from time to time.
As a boy who had been bullied, Ayato was well aware of the despicable methods of those people.
It would be difficult for him to protect Sister Kasumi by himself.
If Sasaki really had intentions toward his sister and she chose him, he would not interfere between them.
After all, it was he who couldn't hold onto happiness.
Although he knew that his approach of giving up happiness might be looked down upon by others.
But compared to not being able to protect his sister, resulting in the consequences he didn't dare even to imagine, this choice was already good enough for him.
One was his most beloved sister, and the other was his only friend. This outcome he could...accept it.
Having already made up his mind on the way home, he acted as if he hadn't noticed the commotion behind him and continued cooking and chopping vegetables as usual.
.
.
.
After being picked up, Haruno Kasumi quickly looked towards her brother, worried he would see her in this state.
When she saw that her brother was still cooking unhurriedly, as if he hadn't heard anything going on here, she stroked her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
No longer worried, she stared at this guy who made his own decisions angrily with her big, moist eyes.
Looking at Haruno Ayato's back thoughtfully, Sasaki noticed the girl's anger and explained with a smile.
"Don't always think that you are fine. A sprain is not a trivial matter. If you don't pay attention and move back and forth, it is possible that you will become a cripple in the future."
"But you can't just do that so suddenly…"
Even though she knew Sasaki was just exaggerating to persuade her, she didn't really want to test it out.
So, after blaming him in a low voice, she stopped talking.
.
.
Arrive on the second floor, in Haruno Kasumi's room.
Sasaki placed the somewhat shy and embarrassed girl on the bed.
"Try not to move too much. If you behave, you'll be fine by tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, Sasaki-kun~"
Hearing the boy's words backed by the fact that the pain in her feet was indeed relieved, Haruno Kasumi nodded, flashed her big eyes, and thanked him a little sheepishly.
After all, the reason for twisting her foot was quite embarrassing.
And he had carried her all the way home.
So when she faced him alone, there was always an indescribable sense of shame in the girl's heart.
But before this feeling could overwhelm her, Sasaki proposed to leave.
It was getting late and Otome was still waiting for him to come home, and he didn't plan to stay for dinner.
So after waving to the girl, he went down to the living room.
.
.
.
And there, Ayato Haruno was sitting on the sofa, with his head bowed.
Hearing the footsteps approaching from far away, he stood up and walked to his side.
.....
"Sister Kasumi, is she okay?"
Looking at the boy, who, besides being worried, also looked a little listless.
Sasaki shook his head, thinking in his mind, and after a moment's thought, he asked softly: "You seem a bit down. Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing... I'm just a little worried about Sister Kasumi..." After adjusting the expression on his face, the latter shook his head.
Knowing that something was wrong with him, but seeing that he didn't intend to say anything, Sasaki didn't force the question.
Although he didn't know his specific thoughts.
But Sasaki felt that it must have something to do with him and Haruno Kasumi.
After all, he had sensed that 'defeated dog' air about him as soon as he came downstairs.
"She's fine. Just let her have a good rest after eating. She should be back to normal by tomorrow morning."
Picking up the backpack and coat from the sofa, he made his farewells.
"That's it for now. I should go.
Call me if you need anything. I have to get home."
"Aren't you going to stay for dinner?"
"No, my family is still waiting for me." Shaking his head and rejecting the boy's offer to stay, Sasaki walked to the entrance.
"Sasaki-kun..."
Watching him bend down to change his shoes, Haruno Ayato asked softly: "We are friends, right?"
Standing up straight, the latter looked at the serious look on his delicate face and nodded seriously.
"Yes, we are."
Hearing his response, a smile spread across the boy's face, and he said no more.
"Please be careful on the road."
"I'm off."
Sasaki left, walking along the streets slowly being enveloped by the night.
He turned back to look at Haruno's house for a moment.
He hadn't noticed before.
But now, thinking back, Ayato's silence on the way, his abnormal indifference when he was carrying Haruno Kasumi, and his lost look just now...
He couldn't help but feel as if Ayato was experiencing the sadness of 'his sister getting married.'
Considering his praise for his sister in the morning and Haruno Kasumi's care for him,
Sasaki could feel that the relationship between the two of them was very deep.
So... his sadness was because he felt that his sister no longer belongs to him alone?
It was obviously the first time he met Haruno Kasumi, so where did he get such a leap of thought...
But thinking about what he had done to his sister... it wasn't unreasonable for him to think this way...
Ring, ring...
The sudden ringing of his phone from his backpack interrupted Sasaki's thoughts.
Taking out his mobile phone and looking at Otome's incoming call notification on the screen, his lips curled into a smile as he answered the call.
"Hey Otome, are you impatient?"
"I was delayed a little bit at school. I'll be home in a few minutes, five minutes."
"Okay, okay."
After hanging up the phone, Sasaki looked around and found that there was no one on the road and assumed a running stance.
After his physique went inhuman, he had never tested it thoroughly.
Not only his strength but his agility, stamina, and so on.
Earlier he used less than 20 percent of his strength and left a guy..cough a soon to be girl half-dead on the road.
Now, he wanted to test how long it would take him to get home at full speed.
At normal walking speed, it should take about ten minutes to get home from here.
Estimating the time in his mind, Sasaki vanished from his spot with a 'crack' under his feet.
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