Serina, a second-year high school student, has a bit of a weird problem. And that problem is her stepbrother, Kenta. At school, Kenta's a popular and cool art teacher everyone looks up to. But at home? That mask comes right off. He's still super kind most of the time... but sometimes, he gives Serina this really mean look and teases her like crazy. Sometimes in a way that's a little naughty.
At first, it was just heart-pounding fun. But it's been getting more and more intense, and now her heart
Milf cute Mother Obsessed with her step son Alot - The person standing next to me, an unfamiliar smile
Monday morning. It was past mid-October now, and a cold sea breeze had begun to blow through the town of Minase.
The route from the Tsukimidai residential area to Uminosaki High School took about fifteen minutes by bicycle. Down the hills, through the old shopping district, then up another gentle slope. The usual route to school. The usual scenery.
And yet—
Serina's legs felt heavy as she pushed the pedals.
"......Hah."
The fact that her sigh didn't turn white only made it feel half-hearted and irritating.
*(It starts today, huh.)*
Last Friday, Kenta had mentioned it. "A student teacher is coming next week." Her name was Mio Majima. Kenta's kouhai from university.
Friday night, Kenta hadn't said anything more about it. As always, he'd lounged on the sofa watching TV, teasing Serina and laughing with amusement.
But Serina remembered.
In front of the staff room, the moment Kenta received the documents, his hand had stopped—just for a fraction of a second.
Only an instant. But Serina, who had been watching her big brother for four whole years, understood.
*(There was definitely something about that.)*
A sharp little pain pricked deep in her chest.
She didn't know why. She didn't know, but—thinking that person was coming starting today, she just couldn't settle down.
* * *
Passing through the gates of Uminosaki High School, many students were already arriving.
The school building was four stories tall. The first floor housed the staff room, the administrative office, and the nurse's office. Serina's class, 2-C, was on the third floor. Normally she would head straight up the stairs, but today, for some reason, her feet turned toward the staff room.
*(It's not like I'm planning to look or anything.)*
But—just a quick glance.
Thinking that, she was passing by the large glass window of the staff room when it happened.
"—I'm Mio Majima. I'll be in your care for the next three weeks as a student teacher. It's a pleasure to meet you all!"
A clear, confident voice that carried well.
Serina stopped in her tracks involuntarily.
Through the glass, she could see inside the staff room.
Standing before the vice principal and a dozen or so other teachers—was someone far more beautiful than she had expected.
Brown hair that reached down to her shoulder blades. Soft, fluffy waves swayed gently in the morning light. Only the hair on the sides was braided and tied back, and it bounced slightly with her every movement.
She wore large round glasses, but they only served to accentuate her fine features. Her bright brown eyes had a distinct double eyelid, and when she smiled, the corners crinkled downwards.
*(She's cute...)*
The moment she thought it, Serina shook her head hurriedly.
No. That wasn't the issue.
Mio stood in the center of the staff room, showing no signs of nervousness whatsoever. Her back was perfectly straight, and she spoke while properly looking at each teacher's face.
"I majored in art education at university. I'm sure there will be many areas where I'm lacking, but I humbly ask for your guidance over these three weeks."
She bowed deeply.
Even that motion seemed somehow filled with confidence.
The vice principal nodded and said a few words. The other teachers were also watching her with welcoming smiles.
—And beside her, Kenta was standing there.
Kenta stood with his arms crossed, his usual sullen expression on his face. But his eyes were fixed properly on Mio.
The eyes of someone looking at a person he knew.
*(Well, of course.)*
She was his kouhai from university. It was only natural that he knew her.
And yet—
Kenta gave a slight nod and said something brief. The corner of his mouth seemed to soften, just a little.
*(Ah.)*
Deep in her chest, something tightened with a squeeze.
She didn't know why. But she felt like she had seen something she wasn't supposed to see.
Serina turned on her heel and headed quickly for the stairs.
* * *
She couldn't concentrate on any of her classes that day.
Third period was Art. Kenta's class.
"Today we're continuing from last week. It's the second session of still-life drawing. The motifs are an apple and a wine bottle. Try to draw better lines than last time."
Kenta's low voice echoed through the art room.
As Serina ran her pencil across the drawing paper handed out, she found herself glancing over at Kenta.
Her big brother at school truly seemed like a completely different person.
His black hair was styled in a slightly longer mushroom cut. His narrow, single-lidded eyes always looked sleepy, but when he was serious, they sharpened with surprising intensity. Today, his gaze seemed to be in a slightly better mood than usual—though it might have just been her imagination.
"Nanami."
"Y-yes!"
Before she knew it, Kenta was standing right behind her.
"Your pencil's stopped again. Does your soul leave your body every time you draw an apple?"
"N-no, it doesn't! I was just thinking!"
Serina's face turned bright red.
"Yeah, yeah. Focus."
With just that, Kenta walked off toward the next student.
The usual exchange. The usual teasing.
And yet—
The scene she had witnessed in the staff room earlier remained stuck in Serina's mind.
*(What kind of conversations did my brother have with her?)*
*(What kind of relationship do they have?)*
The tip of her pencil stopped unconsciously.
"Nanami-san, what's wrong?"
The girl sitting next to her whispered.
"Huh? Ah, no! It's nothing!"
She hurriedly moved her pencil.
The outline of the apple had warped strangely.
* * *
Lunch break.
Serina was spreading out her lunch box with Rina on a bench in the courtyard.
The courtyard was a small garden surrounded by the school buildings, with five cherry trees planted there. Now, in October, the leaves were beginning to change color, and the red and yellow foliage swayed in the wind. Of the six benches lined up, the one Serina and Rina were sitting on was at the very end, in the shade of a cherry tree.
"Seri-chan, did you hear? The student teacher is super cute!"
Rina said excitedly, opening the bag of potato chips she had brought.
Her brown hair was in a bob cut, a little shorter than shoulder length. Only the ends flipped outward—a style she called "pudding hair." Her large, round eyes were sparkling.
"......Yeah, I caught a glimpse of her this morning."
Serina poked at her rolled omelet and gave a half-hearted reply.
"She's an art teacher, right? She's Minakami-sensei's kouhai. I wonder if she'll come to our class too."
"I wonder."
"Ehh, you're not interested? Seri-chan, you're always so serious in art class."
"I-it's nothing like that! It's not like I like art or anything!"
Rina looked at her blankly.
"Really? Well, whatever—ah! Look, she's over there!"
Looking where Rina pointed, Serina's heart leaped in her chest.
On the opposite side of the courtyard. Around the connecting corridor of the school building, Kenta and Mio were walking side by side.
Kenta wore his usual sullen expression, but Mio was chatting away happily. Her large round glasses reflected the sunlight, glinting brightly.
"I wonder what they're talking about. Like, university memories or something?"
Serina couldn't answer.
Just then—
Mio said something, and Kenta laughed briefly.
*(Huh?)*
That smile.
It wasn't the formal, distant smile he showed at school.
It wasn't the mean, teasing smile he showed at home when he was messing with Serina.
It was just a natural expression, enjoying a conversation with the person in front of him.
*(He can make a face like that...)*
A sharp pain throbbed deep in her chest.
"Seri-chan? What's wrong? Tummy ache?"
Rina peered worriedly into Serina's face. Her large, round eyes were opened even wider than usual.
"No! It's nothing!"
Serina hurriedly put on a smile.
"Really? You look kinda pale. Want some of my chips?"
"......Thanks."
She picked up a single potato chip.
The salty flavor felt strangely intense.
"It'd be nice if we could get along with the student teacher. She seems really cheerful, like she'd be easy to talk to, right?"
"......Yeah."
Serina looked down and picked up another chip.
*(I wonder if I can get along with her.)*
*(Me, with that person.)*
She didn't know.
But she couldn't get Kenta's smile from earlier out of her head—
She felt a hazy, murky feeling clouding her heart.
* * *
After school.
At her desk, Serina hesitated as she packed her textbooks into her bag.
*(Maybe I'll go to the art prep room.)*
She had a question about the assignment—if she said that, it wouldn't be strange.
In fact, Kenta had told her in class today that her "apple was warped," so having a question or two wouldn't be odd at all.
*(It's not like I have any ulterior motives or anything.)*
Telling herself that, Serina left the classroom.
The art preparation room was at the very end of the second floor of the school building.
It was a room of about eight tatami mats, always filled with a unique scent mixing the smells of oil paints and wood. An old sofa, Kenta's desk, shelves of art supplies—it was that kind of small space.
Standing in front of the door, she heard voices from inside.
"Senpai, you really haven't changed at all since university. I found a pamphlet for an art school exhibition the other day, and your piece was the only one that was freakishly good."
"Obviously. Back then, I drew for eight hours every day."
"Ahaha! That's not really something to brag about. Getting good by drawing eight hours a day is normal; you were good even without drawing, Senpai."
Kenta's voice sounded cheerful in a way she'd never heard before.
Serina hesitated for a moment, her hand poised to knock.
*(Is it okay to go in now?)*
But—if she didn't go in now, she'd feel even more unsettled.
She took a deep breath.
*Knock, knock.*
"Yes?"
When she opened the door, Mio looked up.
Kenta was sitting at his desk in the back, and Mio was seated at a simple desk next to his. An old sketchbook was spread open on the desk, and Serina could tell immediately that they were drawings from his university days.
"Oh, Serina-chan?"
Mio looked at Serina with an unguarded smile.
"......Huh?"
She knew her name.
"Sorry, I happened to see it on the staff room roster. Serina Nanami-san. Minakami-senpai's—little sister, is that right?"
Mio's eyes behind her large round glasses crinkled in a warm smile.
"......Yes. His step-sister."
"I see, I see! I'm Mio Majima. I'll be in your care for the next three weeks. Nice to meet you!"
Mio stood up and bowed her head politely.
The gesture was very natural and pleasant.
*(This person really does seem nice.)*
The moment she thought it, Serina felt a prick of pain deep in her chest.
She seems nice—so what?
"[to Kent]Big brother—I mean, Minakami-sensei. I have a question about the assignment."
Kenta looked up.
"Yeah. What is it?"
His usual indifferent reply.
"Today's drawing... I couldn't get the shading on the apple right... so..."
"Ah, that warped apple."
"N-no! It's not warped!"
Her face turned bright red.
"Ahaha, Serina-chan, Senpai's teasing you."
Mio laughed merrily.
That smile seemed so composed—
*(This person knows my brother well.)*
Perhaps, in a deeper way than she did, even after living together with him for four years.
Mio continued.
"Senpai's been like that since university, you know. His mouth is bad and he acts all high and mighty. But, you see, he always properly looks after his kouhai. When I was stuck on an assignment once, he stayed up with me until the middle of the night—"
"Hey, don't say unnecessary stuff."
Kenta turned his face away, looking slightly embarrassed.
—It was a face Serina had never seen before.
Not the slovenly face he showed at home.
Not the cool face he showed at school.
It was the face of her big brother from his university days, a time she didn't know.
"......Is that so."
That was all Serina could manage to say.
"Ah, sorry, Serina-chan. You came
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