In the evening, Rui thinks of something and asks Shinichi.
"By the way, why didn't you fight back when Miku kicked you? Am I disturbing you two's fun?"
Hina spit out all the food in her mouth, but she ignored the mess in front of the table.
"What? How about kicking back and having fun?! How can you play so excitingly? Tell Onee-san!"
"Hina-san, you're drooling," Said Shinichi calmly with a zombie face.
"Where…" Hina wiped her mouth, but only flattened a whole grain of rice, then she realized the trick, "Shinichi-kun, don't change the topic!"
Then she looked at Rui, with a blush on her face and a rather bad laugh.
"Aren't you guys... Ehehehe, this isn't good. We've only known each other for a few weeks, but you're too impulsive—"
Rui didn't look at her, and her eyes were still on Shinichi.
"Did you enjoy it then? Foot fetish?"
Under the table, Rui's toes rubbed the back of Shinichi's leg.
Shinichi kicks Rui's calf in revenge.
"No, don't talk nonsense, and don't move your hands or feet."
Rui said to himself: "I heard that men like to be kicked in black stockings."
"Where did you receive that strange information?"
"Once you get kicked, your blood will surge throughout your body and you will be very excited."
She was confused.
"It turns out the reason why you rushed out suddenly was to vent your energy…"
"Don't just make decisions, okay?" Shinichi speeded up his eating.
Hina on the side finally swallowed the fried chicken pieces, and turned her head with a sly smile.
"People don't match their appearance... Ygh!"
Shinichi expressionlessly put a pickled cucumber into his mouth. The movement forced Hina to cover her mouth with her hand.
"According to information on the Internet, once a man receives strong stimulation, it is difficult to get rid of the excitement. I never noticed at the time…"
Rui's gaze slowly moved downwards, and a curious light appeared in her eyes.
And makes the decision that she thinks makes the most sense.
"Could it be that you guys have been playing since then?"
"!?"
Hina's eyes widened, stood up from her seat, and turned her head with interest.
"I'm full."
Shinichi slowly put down his bowl and chopsticks, and squeezed his fingers.
The two sisters of the Tachibana family covered their foreheads with tears in their eyes, and instantly lost their ability to resist.
"An older single woman, a sullen child… It's fine to have random thoughts, but it's best not to tell me."
The two could only protest with weak words.
"I, I'm only 22 years old, how can I get old... I'm single and fooling around again..."
"Who is this sullen child? Say it clearly…"
Shinichi snorted coldly, turning around.
There was only one sentence left, in the ears of the two girls.
"Also, don't underestimate others – I don't get excited easily."
They stared at the figure disappearing at the living room door, then looked at each other in silence.
Hina hesitated and spoke first.
"Does that mean that in the face of stimulation, he failed to reconcile from beginning to end?"
Rui opened her eyes wide: "Can you still understand it like this..."
"I see… I understand."
Hina held back her smile resting her chin on her hands.
She spoke honestly to Rui.
"Even though I don't know what happened, Rui, please give him more kidney-strengthening dishes from now on, not only for the sake of uncle and aunt, but also for the sake of Shinichi-kun's happy life."
Shinichi immediately appeared from behind the door.
"I just want to say that I was calm from start to finish! I don't need you to worry about that, just let me eat my own food!"
Rui was surprised: "He is still eavesdropping…"
"This is not eavesdropping! This topic ends here. All discussion and speculation is prohibited!"
The sound of footsteps could be heard upstairs.
Rui looked at Hina, who raised her index finger in front of her mouth with a smile.
Even though it was all a joke earlier, because someone didn't like the joke, Hina never mentioned it again.
Although she was a little curious about what happened while she was away in the afternoon, she was worried that Shinichi might be unhappy, so she decided not to ask.
But after dinner, the two of them worked together to wash the dishes, and Rui asked.
"Hina Nee-san, I have something to ask you."
"What is it?"
Back in the living room, Hina sat on the bed and looked at her little sister suspiciously.
Rui crossed her legs on the chair. Since Shinichi left, her expression was always confused.
"This afternoon, his friend came to the house for a study meeting."
Hina listened carefully.
"Hmm, what next?"
"His friends are all pretty girls, and most of them have a crush on him."
"Hmm... Huh?!" Hina opened her eyes wide in surprise, but Rui still explained.
"One used to like him, one didn't dare say she liked him, and the other said she respected him, but was like a pervert."
"What the hell???"
Hina was completely stunned and wanted to look at the wall. Across the wall is the protagonist in conversation.
Wait, what kind of surreal romantic comedy is going on?
Is her cousin the protagonist in the light novel?
"That is not important. What's important is that the girl who once liked him asked me a question..."
Rui hugged her knees tightly, and spoke softly.
"Do I like him... I also knew she would ask this question, after all I just asked him."
"However, I don't know what the feeling I have right now is. I don't know what answer I really have in mind, and I don't know what answer I should give her."
"Maybe, maybe... Is love a complicated thing? Why can't we say this for sure..."
"Rui…" Hina looked at her with some distress.
Can she who has never fallen in love, let alone kissed, or even held hands, really be able to solve Rui's current confusion?
Don't know, but...
Hina clenched her fists.
Her little sister was in trouble, how could she sit still and ignore her?
Based on her experience of living for 22 years, listening to so much college classmates' love gossip, and reading countless novels and articles, Hina can always think of some truth to make Rui feel better.
"I obviously already kissed him," Rui sighed, "At that time, I should have liked him…"
Hina: "😐"
She lay with her head in her hands, staring at the ceiling with a blank face.
Turns out she was still a rookie, and now she's the only one left...