Chapter 273: Fighting Over It

After bathing, Yuigahama found her underwear didn’t fit. So, she simply threw on a thin summer T-shirt.

Without the concealment and support of a bra, the sharp outlines were practically demanding attention.

Super obvious!

So embarrassing…

Holding herself instinctively, Yuigahama hesitated and fidgeted for a long while.

Then, she suddenly thought—

Himekoji couldn’t see anyway.

Besides Himekoji, everyone present was a girl.

So, it should be fine, right?

Besides, keeping her arms crossed just wouldn’t work forever.

She still had to eat dinner.

So, gritting her teeth, she gave up on covering for modesty’s sake. Resignedly, she lowered her arms.

……

Yukinoshita coldly caught sight of the scene at Yuigahama’s chest and immediately turned her head away, her face blushing red.

“How about… putting another layer on?”

Yukinoshita suggested cautiously.

Meanwhile, she felt awkward and deeply embarrassed deep down…

When it came down to it, this whole thing was her fault, really.

So seriously, why does underwear even come in sizes!

So annoying!

“That’d be way too hot…”

Yuigahama shook her head repeatedly, refusing without hesitation.

She’d just gotten out of the bath and felt nicely cool. No way was she making herself miserable.

“Maybe use band-aids?”

Remembering something, Akiko suddenly perked up, raising a finger as she proposed it.

That was actually a good idea.

Lying on the bed and catching everything just through the conversation, imagining the details himself, Himekoji couldn’t help but nod in agreement internally.

“Eh?! That sounds way too indecent♂!”

However, Akiko’s bold idea shocked Yuigahama.

“Your current ‘free’ state is way more indecent♂!”

Himekoji, who hadn’t spoken the entire time, finally couldn’t hold back and interrupted.

“Huh?! Akito, you can see?!”

Hearing this, Yuigahama immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Looking utterly shocked, she staggered back two steps, her face beet red as she hugged her chest tight.

“No, I can’t see. I have no idea that you’re practically flashing anyone, or anything like that…”

“Ah! So you definitely saw!”

“I just figured it out from what was said! You guys were practically spelling it out!”

“Well, you must be picturing it in your mind!”

Being fantasized about felt even more humiliating!

“I didn’t…”

“Don’t even imagine it!”

“I’m not imagining anything! I swear!”

This kind of lie, impossible to verify or pin blame for, came incredibly easily and casually to Himekoji.

“Eh? Seriously?”

Yet, for some reason, Yuigahama didn’t seem pleased. She bit her lip, looking unconvinced.

“Of course.”

“Mmm…”

Yuigahama puffed out her cheeks, clearly displeased.

Was the subtext of that saying she wasn’t attractive enough?

Since that discussion seemed to go nowhere, she grumpily grabbed the Bento Akiko had bought earlier and started eating, ignoring Himekoji.

It was mealtime. Akiko and Yukinoshita started their meals too. Everyone ate their own food. No one bothered with Himekoji.

Troubled by the Handcuffs immobilizing his limbs, he felt stuck. His stomach growled loudly.

“Hey, Yukinoshita, can you unlock the Handcuffs now?!”

Yukinoshita gave Himekoji a glance, seriously thought it over for a moment, and then shook her head—

“No.”

Eh? No?!

He could almost feel the blood rushing to his head!

And he’d been hoping Yukinoshita would finally untie him!

Had this girl gotten hooked on SM or something?

“Onii-chan, in that case, I’ll feed you!”

Akiko eagerly trotted over to his hospital bed holding her Bento box.

“No, it’s fine… just unlocking the Handcuffs would work…”

Himekoji wasn’t used to being waited on.

Even though the idea kind of appealed to him… Yukinoshita and Yuigahama were right there watching!

Wouldn’t that be super awkward?

“Open wide, say Aaa—”

However, Akiko completely ignored Himekoji’s resistance.

Because she had a dream—

To totally train her Onii-chan into obedience within three days! ♂

“Aaa what Aaa?! No way am I doing something so lame!”

Though Himekoji appeared admirably resolute in that moment, his defiance didn’t last long.

“Aaa—”

Food is essential fuel. Sometimes, pride just has to bow to necessity.

The intense events of the day had completely emptied his stomach reserves.

“Onii-chan is so obedient.”

Akiko praised, her eyes narrowing into happy crescents.

Himekoji could only stay silent.

…

“Hey! Wait! Akiko, what are you trying to feed your brother with?”

Yuigahama, midway through her own meal, glanced at Himekoji and Akiko. She started in fright, instantly losing her composure.

Akiko was planning to do it mouth-to-mouth!

Without another word, Yuigahama rushed forward to stop her.

“Even for siblings, that’s going way too far!”

“Onii-chan is severely sick in bed, barely breathing! He doesn’t even have the strength to chew. This is my only option.”

Her good deeds interrupted, Akiko swallowed the food in her mouth herself. After that, she put on a serious face and made up an explanation.

Seriously, how utterly naive would someone have to be to believe that!

Though he couldn’t see, hearing the commotion made Himekoji realize what had nearly happened.

No wonder he’d felt Akiko’s breath so close just now!

So she’d almost pressed her mouth to his!

“Let me do the feeding instead.”

Too uneasy, Yuigahama finally decided to take charge and shoulder this nanny duty.

“No! Of course, I’m the one who should take care of my Onii-chan.”

Caring for her brother was a huge benefit for Akiko. How could she let someone else take it?

“That’s not proper care at all, the way you do it!”

Both squeezed by the sickbed, neither willing to back down.

All their arguing and bickering left Himekoji utterly ignored on the side.

“I’m saying, anyone, just let me eat a few bites of food first please…”

“Hang on!”

“Onii-chan, be quiet right now!”

“Huh?”

What the heck…

How had everyone suddenly turned their focus onto him?

Himekoji felt completely innocent.

…

“Sigh.”

Finally, Yukinoshita, who had been edging on the sidelines observing the battle, was the first to show she’d seen enough. She sighed and stepped forward.

“Open your mouth.”

Yukinoshita spoke quietly. Her voice wasn’t gentle, but neither was it cold.

…

Himekoji finally got to eat. His eyes were nearly welling up with tears of joy.

It tasted so good.

Yukinoshita’s chopsticks.

…

“Then, rock-paper-scissors to decide!”

“Okay! We should have done this ages ago!”

After arguing endlessly with no one conceding, by the time Akiko and Yuigahama finally settled a winner, Himekoji had already happily let out a satisfied burp.

“Huh? Yukino-chan is so sneaky!”

“Yukino-nee, how could you do that?”

Snapping back to reality, Yuigahama and Akiko suddenly realized all their intense battling to pick a victor was completely useless!

Because in front of Yukinoshita, they were both losers!

…

“Um… can you really not take off these handcuffs now?”

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Himekoji lay pointlessly on the sickbed for a while before speaking up again, asking the same question.

“No!”

“No way!”

This time, Yukinoshita didn’t speak. Instead, Akiko and Yuigahama answered almost simultaneously, voices overlapping.

Then —

“Onii-chan, are you thirsty? I’ll get you water!”

“Aki-chan, do you want fruit? I’ll peel it for you!”

The battle between the two girls continued endlessly…

Himekoji truly was grateful for their eagerness to help.

But some things seemingly couldn’t be done by someone else —

“Um… I kind of need to use the toilet.”

…