At the supermarket entrance, I exchanged a quick goodbye with Taihei Tsuchimi, whose lips kept twitching uncontrollably, while I forced a faint smile. We parted ways. Though I’d handled Tsuchimi’s older brother, now wasn’t the best time to enter her apartment. I hurried home.

“I’m home!”

I slipped off my shoes at the entryway and stepped inside.

“Big Bro, why are you so late? I’m starving…”

Hidetomo came down from his second-floor room, complaining to his brother in the living room.

“Sorry, I got held up. Here—I bought your favorite taiyaki.”

I pulled two paper bags from the plastic one and set them on the dining table.

“Yay~~”

Rapid footsteps echoed on the stairs. Hidetomo soon appeared downstairs.

“Hidetomo, take one for your sister too. Dinner’ll be a bit longer.”

I walked into the kitchen, grabbed the apron hanging on the wall, and tied it on. Placing ingredients on the counter, I started cooking.

Beep beep beep…

As the pot simmered on the stove, my phone buzzed with a new message in my pocket. I pulled it out.

“Huh? A text from Rei Shiraishi? What could she want now?”

Curious, I tapped to open it.

“Kamimichi-kun, about today’s body swap—my parents explained it. Our family has a special trait: we swap bodies with whoever first touches our ‘effective spot’.”

Huh? Such a weird thing really exists?…

I quickly hit reply. “Shiraishi-san, that ‘special spot’… could it be…”

Beep beep beep…

“Yes. For you and me, Kamimichi-kun, it’s the lips.”

My eye twitched as I stared at the screen. Without the system inside me—and having lived through the swap—no normal person would believe this.

What if it happened with a dog? That’d be tragic. Stuck swapping bodies with a dog forever…

“So that’s it… How about we try again tomorrow at school…”

I sent a casual reply and returned to cooking. She never texted back. I didn’t worry—it wouldn’t lower her affection points anyway.

After placing the dishes on the table, I called out, “Ruri! Hidetomo! Dinner’s ready!!”

“Got it! Big Bro!~”

Soon, Hidetomo came down with his sister. Seeing Ruri’s usual cold expression, I shook my head and started serving rice. My affection points with her had hit a plateau. Without a big move, they’d barely budge. She’d grown used to small gestures—no reaction, let alone being moved. At home, good romance tactics were hard to find. I’d wait for the weekend.

We ate dinner in quiet peace.

“Big Bro!~ I’ll clear the table! You bathe first—I filled the tub!”

“Mm…”

I ruffled Hidetomo’s hair—he was unusually well-behaved—then left for the bathroom. Tossing my clothes in the laundry basket, I stepped into the steaming tub.

Lying back, I stared at the ceiling, replaying the day. Body swap? Interesting… If I romanced a girl after swapping, would it count? The system never specified. Maybe after fully winning over Rei Shiraishi… I’d table that. Right now, easiest romance targets in class: the perfect girl behind me—Umaru Tsuchimi; the unpopular one—Tomoko Kuroki; and Rei Shiraishi, whose affection points had suddenly jumped to fifty. But how to boost positive points? I’d only ever reduced negatives. Now I was stuck. Go on a date? Corner her against a wall? Ugh—such a headache…

Just as I frowned deeply in the tub, the frosted glass door slid open with a whoosh.

“Hidetomo wants to bathe with Big Bro!!”

“Wait—”

Naked Hidetomo charged in. I sat up fast, eye twitching—I was used to this. Splash— He jumped in, sending water flying. The tub was half-empty.

“Hidetomo, don’t jump in like that next time!!”

I wiped my face, scolding, but instantly surrendered to his watery-eyed pout.

“You’re a boy… always acting cute…” I sighed, hand on my forehead, then looked up. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too…”

“Does Big Bro not like Hidetomo anymore?…”

His pitiful gaze made me swallow my words.

“…Uh… no! Hidetomo’s Big Bro’s best little bro! How could I not like you?…”

I said it awkwardly, sweating. If I upset him, Ruri—the ultimate brother-con—would make my life hell. I didn’t even want to recall those days.

My words worked. My silly little bro beamed and pounced into my arms.

“Hidetomo loves Big Bro the most!~”

—If you love me, wear a dress next time!—

I’d never say that aloud. Smiling, I patted his hair, got out, and moved to the showerhead. Soaking lost its appeal. I’d just rinse off and leave. With such a cute boy clinging to me, losing control someday would be a real disaster.