Yumo stepped back into the house to find his sister looking utterly wronged.

Head bowed, her right hand fidgeted nervously with her shirt hem while her left clutched Liyu’s. Liyu patted her shoulder gently, watching over her with tender eyes.

“You two… finished talking? So…”

“Brother.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m really sorry. I was being unreasonable… causing trouble for you. I truly apologize.”

“Ah…”

Yumo had braced for another argument, not this blunt apology.

Seeing her so anxious, his anger should’ve faded—except it hadn’t.

His emotions had never been simple anger.

More like vigilance. Suspicion. Distrust.

He didn’t see a sister in Yuxin—only a stranger unworthy of trust.

Yuxin saw that distrust clearly.

Something inside her tore apart.

“Y-Yuxin means it!” Liyu jumped in.

“We talked seriously for ages. She’s not acting. She’s truly reflecting.”

“…You sure?”

“Absolutely!”

“Oh…”

Only then did Yumo’s guard lower slightly.

The fact that he trusted an outsider over family stuck in Yuxin’s throat like a bone.

“But wait—why were you even mad, Yuxin? What did you talk about in there? Why did I have to leave? Couldn’t you just tell me?”

“Uh, that’s—” Yuxin tensed instantly.

“—A girl’s secret!” Liyu cut in smoothly.

“Girl talk! Heart-to-hearts! Making up over giggles! It’s our sacred ritual, right Yuxin?”

“Y-yes! Exactly! Liyu-jie helped me realize things!”

“???”

Yumo stared, baffled by their sudden closeness. But since the issue was resolved, he didn’t push. He’d never been one to dig for answers. He’d learn when the time came.

Whatever the reason, whatever the process—Liyu mending things was enough.

“Liyu.”

“Hmm?”

Yumo squeezed her still-plump hand, whispering near her ear:

“Thank you.”

“…Just doing my part.”

Liyu’s ears flushed crimson.

Yuxin watched from the side, wearing the bittersweet expression of someone whose favorite cake got snatched first—before sighing quietly to herself.

——————————

“Five years ago, you got your first period while playing with your brother, panicked thinking he’d done something to you??????”

Chen Xiang was dumbfounded.

“Yes.”

Yuxin confirmed.

“This… wait… that’s so… hold on…”

Chen Xiang rubbed her temples, reorganizing her thoughts.

“So that day five years ago—you and your brother were playing outside?”

“Yes.”

“While roughhousing, you suddenly felt something wrong down there. You touched it and saw blood?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t understand what was happening. Thought Yumo did something. Got scared. Didn’t tell any adults?”

“Yes.”

“I remember you started menstruating at ten—earlier than most girls… So it was all a misunderstanding?”

“Yes.”

“Ugh…”

Chen Xiang didn’t know what face to make.

Most girls got their first period in middle school. Only a few started at ten. She’d never properly explained it to elementary-schooler Yuxin back then—of course she’d been terrified…

And Chen Xiang, without digging deeper, had jumped to the worst conclusion. That’s what drove her apart from Yumo. The misunderstanding festered, growing wider…

“So it’s not Brother’s fault at all. It’s mine for never clearing it up. I made you misunderstand him too.”

“Well… you *were* careless. But I share the blame too… Sigh…”

Chen Xiang wanted to vanish into the floorboards.

How could she make it up to her stepson now? It’s never too late to mend fences… was it really not too late?

And what about Yutianqiao? From his view, his son and stepdaughter were estranged, yet he’d done nothing? She’d always blamed the rift on Yumo’s birth mother’s death—but now that didn’t quite fit. What was really going on…

Forget it. Focus on fixing things first.

——————————

“Sigh…”

After dealing with Mom, Yuxin sat alone in her room.

Her heart ached.

Ached until tears threatened to spill.

How did it come to this?

She looked up. Her eyes landed on the photo frame on her bedside table—Yumo’s picture inside.

Strange.

She usually hid it in the drawer. When had she taken it out?

And the things hidden in her closet… she’d stuffed them deep inside. How could they just tumble out when she opened the door?

“………………”

Confusion washed over her.

Then, swiftly, it twisted into fury.

“Hey!”

She growled at the empty air.

No reply came, but she kept talking anyway.

“Hey! You’re there, aren’t you!”

…

“You did this, didn’t you?”

…

“You want my feelings exposed?”

…

“Trying to tear up our contract yourself?”

…

“Talk! Stop just watching me!”

…

“Should I even try getting close to Brother again? Was everything before just wasted?”

…

“SPEAK!!!”

…

“…………Tch!”

No answer to Yuxin’s demands.

Utterly clueless.

No idea whether to truly make peace with her brother now.

Like a clown.

——————————

——————————

The next day, life returned to normal.

Or so it seemed.

Yumo wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but Chen Xiang suddenly acted warmer toward him. What wind was blowing now?

Yuxin’s attitude softened—just a little. She often wore a look of things left unsaid, but Yumo couldn’t be bothered to dig deeper.

Today also marked exactly one month since Liyu started her diet.

She’d genuinely slimmed down.

Her overall shape was still soft, but her stomach and legs had visibly shrunk. Her face had even gained subtle angles.

The one thing unchanged… was her chest.

The “breasts are the first to go” rule seemed broken for her. What remained magnificent stayed magnificent—making Yuxin just a *tiny* bit annoyed, though she hid it well.

Their bond had grown incredibly close. So close Yumo found it baffling. Was girl talk really that powerful?

“Hmph. Just a clueless clown.”

—Yusuozaai’s sharp commentary.

“Clown? You mean Yuxin?”

“Who else?”

“…You seem to really dislike her?”

“Your imagination~”

Meanwhile, Liyu and Yuxin leaned against the pool edge, whispering secrets.

*(Yuxin, Yuxin—when did you fall for Yumo?)*

*(Around… five years ago? I’m not sure. I just realized I liked him already.)*

*(Yumo mentioned you started distancing yourself five years ago too. What happened back then?)*

*(I forgot.)*

*(Huh?)*

*(I was only ten! It’s normal to forget things. There must’ve been some trigger… but I can’t recall the details. Only the feelings stuck: ‘Brother is scary’ and ‘I love Brother so much’.)*

*(‘Scary’? What the heck?)*

No real answers came. Yuxin seemed to be hiding something, but it was just girl gossip—Liyu didn’t press further.

After lunch, Chen Xiang gave Liyu another thorough physical check. Rarely praising anyone, she genuinely commended Liyu this time—making the girl float on cloud nine.

“Don’t get cocky yet. You’ve only shed some fat. It’s too early to pop champagne!”

“Ah! Right, sorry!”

“Losing fat isn’t enough. Next phase: body sculpting. I’ve sent your new training schedule. You’ll need at least one or two more months to truly transform!”

“Yes!”

Everything was looking up.

For the first time in years, Liyu felt hopeful about the future.

Until—

“Xiaoyu! What are you doing here!?”

“Eeek—!?”

It was late. The gym had closed.

Liyu stayed behind to help tidy equipment. As they left, an unwelcome guest appeared—in every sense of the word.

A tall, thin middle-aged woman blocked their path.

Her face still held traces of beauty, but narrowed eyes and a tight-lipped frown radiated sharpness. An aura of authority clung to her—and right now, she was furious.

“I was away for a month, and you’ve been coming here daily!?”

“M-Mom…”

“I asked the neighbors! You leave at dawn and return at midnight! What’s gotten into you!?”

“I’m just exercising… fitness… improving myself?”

“Hah!? I told you to rest at home!—Was it you? Did you brainwash her?”

Liyu’s mother glared fiercely at Yumo’s family.

“So it’s you? Corrupting my child? Selling her classes to scam money!? And you, Xiaoyu—you kept this from me? Disobeying your mother!?”

“Hey, parent!” Chen Xiang snapped back, annoyed. “That’s uncalled for! I’ve never charged her a single cent!”

“Yes! You’re mistaken!” Yuxin rushed to defend her mom. “My brother is Liyu-jie’s class monitor. She defended him when the school wrongly accused him. We’re helping her lose weight as thanks. No ‘corrupting’ or ‘scamming’!”

“Even so—that’s irrelevant! She’s in her second year of high school! This critical time, wasting it on such nonsense!”

“We study during rest breaks,” Yumo said calmly. “Liyu and I tutor each other.”

“And who are you? Her monitor?”

“Yumo, at your service. Please see this.”

He pulled a stack of test papers from his bag—mock exams from every subject.

“I’ve kept all of Liyu’s daily practice sheets. As you can see, with our mutual tutoring, her science scores have improved slightly. Her other subjects haven’t dropped.”

“Even so—”

“By the way, I reported Liyu’s possible bullying to our homeroom teacher and asked in the parent group. Sadly, neither the teacher nor you—the parent—took it seriously.”

“…! What? You corrupt my daughter and dare blame me!?”

“Mom, stop! You’re being unfair! They’re good people! Please listen!”

“You’re siding with outsiders now!?”

Fuming, Liyu’s mother raised her hand instinctively—

***SLAP!!!***

The slap landed.

But on Yumo’s face.

He’d stepped in front of Liyu without flinching, taking the hit.

“Hey!? You—”

“I took that slap to let you vent. If you don’t want to crawl home holding your face, calm down and listen first.”

Yumo shook a small bottle of unknown liquid in his hand, his expression… very scary.