As soon as Haruno Yukinoshita walked through the door, she kicked off her high heels, tossed her coat and bag onto the carpet in the living room, and collapsed onto the sofa like a ragdoll.

Yukino's brow twitched at the sight.

"Are you some kind of modern-day cockroach or bedbug? No, even those have less destructive power than you."

"Hey, hey! Isn't that a little harsh for how you talk about your own sister?"

"If you know it's harsh, then clean up your mess!"

"I refuse!"

Haruno stayed limp on the couch, not even bothering to lift a finger.

"Outside of the four hours of required sleep I get a day, this is one of my rare vacations."

She crossed her arms into an X shape and declared with conviction,

"There's no way you're getting me to lift even a single finger right now!"

"…Maybe I should just get rid of you while you're defenseless."

"Then please be gentle about it~"

Despite gritting her teeth in frustration, Yukino couldn't bear to live in a space that looked like a war zone. With a sullen face, she picked up Haruno's coat, carefully smoothed out the wrinkles, and hung it on the nearly empty coat rack.

Then she hung up her bag and neatly aligned her shoes.

"Remember, your shoes go in the second shoe cabinet, third shelf."

Haruno remained slouched on the couch, looking like all the life had been drained out of her.

"Have you eaten dinner?"

Haruno let out a pitiful whimper.

"No…"

She got off work at eight. And she still hadn't eaten? Was she trying to achieve enlightenment through starvation?

Looking at Haruno's worn-out face, Yukino sighed in exasperation. She threw on her coat and shoes, ready to head out.

"Where are you going, Yukino?"

Yukino scowled.

"To pick out your urn in advance. At this rate, you'll drop dead and I won't have time to prepare."

Haruno waved a hand dismissively.

"Then make sure it's an expensive one."

This woman was beyond saving.

Yukino headed down to the 24-hour convenience store and picked up eggs, meat, and vegetables. She also grabbed a few small cakes not too sweet planning to give Haruno something light to eat before dinner.

When she got home, Haruno had already stripped down to just her underwear.

Yukino shut the door quickly and averted her gaze.

"…What on earth are you doing?!"

Haruno replied self-righteously, "Taking a shower!"

Yukino's face darkened.

"You're going to shower on an empty stomach? You already have low blood sugar. Are you planning to faint in the bathroom and use it as an excuse for a vacation?"

She shoved the cake into Haruno's arms.

"How have you managed to survive this long?"

Without another glance, Yukino stepped into the kitchen an area of the house she rarely used.

She didn't dislike cooking itself, but she had a mild cleanliness obsession and hated washing dishes. Most of the time, she survived off convenience store bento meals.

But as a properly raised daughter of a well-established family, Yukino was at least decently skilled in the kitchen. She wasn't a professional chef, but feeding someone like Haruno was well within her capabilities.

She prepared a simple vegetable soup, an egg roll, and a dish of pork with strong Chinese flavors. Just as she finished, Haruno came out of the bathroom, hair still damp.

"Yukino, where's the hair dryer?"

Yukino dried her hands, fetched the hair dryer from her room, and plugged it in to help Haruno dry her hair.

"You're so domestic, Yukino. I'm jealous of whoever gets to marry you~"

"Shut up."

"Ooh, Chinese food? That's rare."

Haruno recalled that Yukino had never really shown much interest in Chinese cuisine before.

"A friend recommended it. It seemed interesting, so I gave it a try."

"Wait, hold up. You have a friend?"

"…Haruno Yukinoshita!"

This was a personal attack. A full-on attack!

Thankfully, the annoying pest finally quieted down.

Watching Haruno pull her damp hair into a loose ponytail while yawning, Yukino couldn't help but ask,

"Have you been that busy lately?"

"It's fine. Things will settle down after this period."

She always said that.

Back when she first entered the family's social circles, just beginning to take over part of the business, she had said the same thing "Once I get through this, it'll calm down."

But that storm passed, and now, years later, she still operated like a fully-charged robot, endlessly busy and relentless.

The smart hair dryer could automatically adjust temperature and airflow. Yukino preferred a cool breeze, but Haruno liked it hotter and faster, just to get it over with.

Yukino adjusted the settings, then took over and began drying Haruno's short hair little by little.

Drying too long would damage the hair, so halfway dry was ideal.

Sitting in a weirdly relaxed posture, Haruno tilted her head back while eating and having her hair dried. Suddenly, she looked up at Yukino standing behind her.

"It almost feels like we've gone back to childhood…"

Yukino gave her a cold sideways glance. She was sure Haruno was about to spout more nonsense.

But Haruno smiled and went on.

"Back then, I was the one drying your hair. You were so tiny, always clinging to my leg, calling me 'Onee-chan' in that sweet little voice…"

"That's false. Stop making things up."

"I have recordings~"

Yukino: "…"

If you bring up my dark past, we're done being even fake sisters.

Yukino really had clung to her sister constantly when she was little.

She'd been a sickly child, smaller than other kids her age, and terrified of strangers. Whenever guests came over, she would immediately hide behind Haruno, crouch down, and clutch at her sister's legs. As she got a little older, she would wrap her arms around Haruno's waist instead.

And Haruno, ever the bully, took full advantage of Yukino's innocence. She'd coax her into saying all sorts of silly things, then record them to replay over the years.

Things like "Yukino loves Onee-chan the most in the whole world," or "When I grow up, I'm going to marry my sister."

And there were far worse ones. Even their parents would burst out laughing whenever they heard them.

Every time the topic came up, Yukino couldn't help but get a little violent.

With a chilly expression, Yukino muttered,

"You can still call me Onee-chan in that sweet voice if you want."

Once she finished drying Haruno's hair, Yukino hung the dryer casually on a wall hook in the living room. She was about to leave when she heard Haruno exhale deeply behind her.

"…Sometimes, it gets a little hard."

It was the first time this seemingly tireless machine of a woman had shown even a sliver of vulnerability in front of Yukino.

Yukino paused mid-step.

She was just about to turn and say, You don't have to do everything alone. You can live for yourself too. You should

But when she turned around, she saw Haruno rubbing her belly.

"I'm so full it hurts…"

Yukino's expression shut down immediately.

Why has no one killed this woman yet?!

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