Chapter 195: He Really Is a Worrywart of a Little Brother

Because he needed to rush home to process the ingredients he had worked so hard to buy, Miyahito quickly rode off on his motorcycle.

And after he left.

"If you have friends, just invite them along... right?" The corners of Miyuki's lips curled up slightly as he looked in the direction Miyahito had left, quietly repeating the words his junior had just said to him.

"He really is... such a worrywart of a little brother."

Clang—

After tossing the trash bags into the dumpster outside the store, Miyuki turned and headed back inside.

Ishigami and Secretary Fujiwara were easy enough to handle; he could just give them a call during his lunch break.

The problem was Shinomiya.

That brat really handed me a massive headache.

Asking me to take the initiative to call Shinomiya, and asking if she wants to come to my birthday party... Isn't that basically telling her outright that I like her?

...

"Yeah, yeah, I also think the new designs from Marni are really cute, but a single dress costs over 8,000 yen. It's so expensive."

"I'd have to deliver newspapers to 530 houses just to afford it."

"I'd have to take on several modeling gigs just to barely afford it, too."

Listening to the two little sisters lamenting how hard it was to earn money and how they didn't dare buy the dresses they wanted, a certain light novel author sitting with them—whose annual income was probably in the tens of millions of yen—quietly blinked.

"If only I could be like Big Brother," Ayase slumped over the coffee table, pouting and muttering in a small voice. "Except for Maki-nee and Akane-nee chasing him all day for new songs, he gets to do whatever he wants the rest of the time."

"But," Kei, holding her milk tea, looked curiously at Ayase, who looked like a salted fish drying in the wind. "Ayase, don't you like taking photos?"

"I only liked it before."

Pouting in frustration, Ayase turned her face away.

"Now, in the sweltering heat, posing under the sun... a single modeling gig requires changing clothes back and forth so many times... When I didn't know any better, I thought being a model seemed really fun."

"But now..."

Surprised, Kei widened her eyes slightly. Hearing this for the first time, she nodded, looking at her little friend with a hint of admiration.

"I didn't realize being a model was so hard. I thought you just had to take pictures and that was it."

The two girls exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.

Making money was hard.

Especially for middle schoolers... it was even harder.

Just then, the two girls seemed to suddenly remember something. In perfect sync, they turned their heads to look at the certain author who hadn't said a word, just quietly reading a novel, sipping her milk tea, and keeping them company.

"Hmm?" Feeling their gazes land on her, Utaha slowly looked up, meeting the eyes of the two little ones. She smiled and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Onee-san!" Blinking her big eyes, Ayase's face was written with pure curiosity as she looked at her future sister-in-law. "Is the income from writing novels good?"

"You're curious about my income, aren't you?" Raising her hand, Utaha affectionately tapped the little girl's nose. Then, under the intensely curious gazes of the two girls, she leisurely picked up her cup and took a small sip of her sweet, smooth milk tea.

Mhm, the sweetness is just right! Miyahito was right; iced milk tea needs a little extra syrup.

Raising her right eyebrow slightly, she looked at the two little ones who were practically dying of suspense. Slowly, and in a very soft voice, Utaha dropped a number.

"It's in the tens of millions of yen."

"!" "!"

Shocked! So writing novels makes that much money?!

The two girls exchanged a look of utter disbelief, then simultaneously turned to look at Utaha, who had practically ascended to the status of a literary goddess.

Then.

"You two little ones, don't even think about writing novels right now," Utaha said calmly, turning a page in her novel. "Especially if your goal is just to make money. You'll end up regretting it."

Just like I did back then.

If it weren't for Miyahito's songs supporting me, I probably would have given up writing novels a long time ago.

Watching Utaha suddenly smile as she spoke, a smile that looked incredibly happy and sweet, the two girls exchanged another glance.

Utaha-nee is thinking about Miyahito-nii again.

Onee-san is thinking about Big Brother again.

Silently communicating the exact same thought with their eyes, Kei and Ayase quietly picked up their milk tea and took a massive gulp.

So sweet! The milk tea is way too sweet!

Just then, the sound of a key turning in the lock came from the front door.

Before the three girls enjoying their pleasant "Morning Tea" could react, the voice of the house's owner reached their ears first.

"I'm home! Hmm? Utaha, is someone here?"

Speaking as he walked to the edge of the living room, his left and right hands laden with shopping bags, Miyahito poked his head in. Seeing the white-haired girl—Kei—sitting on the carpet with his sister and girlfriend, he smiled.

"Oh, it's Kei."

"Sorry for intruding, Miyahito-nii."

The moment she saw him, Kei immediately stood up, politely greeting him with a slight bow.

"Why are you being so formal like before?" Miyahito, his hands full, didn't step into the living room, his tone completely nonchalant. "Alright, go play with Ayase. Utaha."

"Mhm."

Without asking why, Utaha immediately put down her novel and stood up at her boyfriend's call. Looking at the two little ones, she said, "Make yourselves at home. Ayase, take good care of Kei."

"Mhm, I got it, Onee-san!"

Hearing Ayase's energetic reply, Utaha smiled doting-ly and gently pinched the little girl's unexpectedly soft and squishy cheeks before heading off to help her boyfriend with the groceries.

But speaking of which.

No wonder Miyahito, with his high sister-complex, likes pinching Ayase's cheeks from time to time. Ahhh, it's seriously addictive.

After Utaha left the living room, Ayase, who was about to continue their previous topic, turned and saw the "I want to go help" expression on Kei's face. She then looked back at the kitchen, which was currently occupied by her brother and sister-in-law.

Sigh, give it up, Kei-nee.

Since Big Brother and Onee-san both said so, no matter what you think, those two won't let you into the kitchen to help.

Thinking of this, Ayase's big eyes darted around, finally landing on the small courtyard outside the glass balcony door.

The birthday party is being held at night, right?

And, if I remember correctly, there's a bunch of LED light strips and outdoor floor lamps Big Brother bought before in the storage room, right? Oh right, Mom also mailed over the family's BBQ grill. I wonder if Big Brother put it in the storage room.

Mmm... so, thinking about it seriously, if Kei-nee really wants to help, it's not like there's absolutely nothing she can do.