Chapter 554: Over

"I expected this, but this apartment is quite spacious, right? You can even build your family here right away," Tsukiko said while looking at the apartment in front of her.

They must admit that the apartment was so good. Somehow they weren't surprised at why Hina didn't mind moving. Yet they knew the reason why she moved wasn't because of this matter. Instead, it was because she could be with the one she loved.

The apartment was a 3LDK room.

It was a perfect place for one if they wanted to build a family.

The soundproofing was also good, so no one would worry the noise would be heard from the outside.

This was the most important point.

While many people thought it was for a perverted reason, he wanted to say that wasn't the main reason. The noise could be a bother, especially when one was living as a neighbor.

A house might not have this problem, but an apartment had this problem where the noise they created or the noise from the neighborhood could be heard which was quite annoying.

Some people might be surprised, but many people often had to walk on tiptoes when they walked into their apartment, so they wouldn't bother their neighbors. Everything had to be done quietly.

One could imagine how uncomfortable it was, right?

Even if you stayed in your house, you couldn't even stay relaxed.

If so, what's the point of getting a house, then?

This was why soundproofing was important in the apartment type of building.

Hina's apartment was the best one, and unless they were rich, it would be impossible to buy one.

However, it was quite easy for him to buy the entire building.

Anyway, Tsukiko and Akihito looked at the apartment curiously with satisfied expressions.

Natsuo felt uncomfortable. After all, he could see the difference between him and Hina's boyfriend. Yet he still had a chance since he had heard Hina's boyfriend went to Shanghai on a business trip, so he knew there should be a chance for him to confess.

While Natsuo was in the middle of his thought, Hina suddenly asked, "What do you want to eat? Should I get udon? There's a good store nearby." There were many stores around her apartment, so it was quite easy for her to buy lunch for everyone.

As for cooking by themselves, they were too lazy to do so since they had just finished moving.

"Okay. Let's get udon."

Hearing Hina's offer, they agreed and decided to have udon.

"Then, I'll go to the store. Shishio, can you help me?" Hina asked.

"No, we need him here. After all, who is going to handle the electronic matter if he's gone?" Tsukiko looked at Hina with a frown and said, "Still, your relationship with Shishio is so good."

"Re-Really? I think it's quite normal, though..." Hina looked away with a guilty conscience.

"....." Shishio and Rui.

"But I can't bring the lunch alone," Hina suddenly showed her wit and thought she could bring Shishio.

"Then, bring Natsuo. Can you help her, Natsuo?" Tsukiko looked at her stepson.

"Ah, yes!" Natsuo nodded in a daze before his expression became excited.

Shishio only glanced at Natsuo for a moment, but he didn't say anything.

"Well, is that so?" Hina sighed and knew she couldn't get Shishio out, so she nodded while looking at Natsuo. "Then, Natsuo-kun, can you help me?" She thought she should just buy lunch before went back quickly.

"Yes." Natsuo nodded without hesitation since he thought it was a chance.

When the two walked out, Rui couldn't help but ask in a whisper, "Is that okay?"

"What do you mean?" Shishio asked while holding Hina's sexy lingerie from the card box. He looked at it for a while before he put it back.

"......." Rui was speechless, but she decided to ignore what had just happened and asked, "Leaving the two together. Is that okay with you?" It was quite easy to tell what Natsuo felt toward Hina, especially when she often noticed Natsuo's gaze darted in Hina's direction. While she knew Natsuo wouldn't do anything weird toward Hina, she wondered whether it was right to leave the two alone.

"It's okay. I believe in her," Shishio said calmly. Still, he might have believed in Hina, but he didn't believe in Natsuo. If something really happened, he would notice immediately, and it was the reason why he was always calm.

Shishio also felt this was for the best since the faster this matter ended, the better it was.

"Then, I believe in you." Rui nodded, but then she asked, "Say, what did you do with my mother before?"

"......." Shishio.

---

Even if Natsuo wasn't a good talker, Hina was a good talker, so she talked from A to Z about many things. The topic was quite random, and it had never stayed in a place.

However, he felt this time was precious, and he couldn't contain the emotion inside his heart. He bursts out feeling like a broken damn, uncontrollable.

Natsuo smiled and answered what she asked about his school and lastly...

"Natsuo-kun, do you have a girlfriend?" Hina asked with a smile.

"Ah, no, I don't have one," Natsuo was embarrassed.

"Ah, is that so? What a shame! You're a high school student! You should try a romance or two!" Even her boyfriend had so many romances, so it was quite a shame for Natsuo if he didn't taste the feeling of love. Still, she maintained a slight distance from him. It was just subtle, and one wouldn't realize it even if they looked at them closely.

Hina had never touched Natsuo and maintained their distance from a safe distance. Frankly, her mind had wandered around the fact that she felt Natsuo had a feeling toward her. If possible, she didn't want him to have such a feeling. After all, their relationship was obvious.

They were step-siblings, and they were a student and a teacher.

The hurdles between them were tough.

However, the most important reason was that Hina didn't have an interest in passing these hurdles. She didn't have an interest in him except for their relationship as a step-sibling. It might be strange of her to have a step-sibling at this age, but as an adult, she had to adapt.

This is what it meant to become an adult, after all.

Even though she didn't want to become one.

Anyway, in front of "him," she didn't need to become an adult, and once she moved, she could stay with him without thinking about her family, which made her smile happily.

"Haha..." Natsuo, on the other hand, could only laugh awkwardly at Hina's question.

"But there should be a girl you're interested in, right?" Hina asked with a mischievous smile.

"That... that..."

"Oh, the store is here! Let's buy udon!" Hina entered the store and ordered five udon for everyone.

Natsuo was just right behind Hina and stared into her profile. Her long silky hair, cute yet mature face, and alluring body. He felt every part of her body was beautiful and knew he had fallen for her.

However, Hina didn't care about Natsuo's gaze and just talked with the owner before her order was prepared. "Help me, Natsuo."

"Ah, yes!" Natsuo nodded.

"Oh? Is this your brother?" The owner asked.

"Yes, he's my brother." Hina nodded.

"I see." The owner nodded and didn't say much. After all, he knew Hina's boyfriend was. Fortunately, Shishio didn't come since he was afraid that his wife's gaze over Shishio was quite strange.

However, Natsuo felt slightly uncomfortable with Hina's answer. Yet, what could he say? After all, that's the relationship that they have.

Hina paid the money before she decided to go back. There was no need to stay any longer, after all.

The two walked back to the restaurant.

Even if the restaurant was quite close, they had to walk around 300 meters. While it wasn't that far, it would take a while for them to return.

Hina didn't say anything this time, but Natsuo said, "Hina-nee."

"Yes?" Hina was a bit absentminded since she was thinking about what she should do with Shishio later when everyone had gone back.

"Your question earlier..."

"My question?" Hina turned and looked at Natsuo with a confused expression.

"I mean, you asked me whether I had an interest in someone, right?" Natsuo was so nervous at that moment.

"Oh, right!" Hina only remembered and asked with a cheeky smile, "So do you have someone you like?"

"Yes." Natsuo nodded.

"Who?"

"I..." Natsuo felt his heart almost burst out, but he tried to control his calm and said, "I... I like you, Hina-nee."

"........"

Hina was dumbfounded and shuddered. She didn't expect what Hiratsuka had told her previously would be right. She couldn't think straight at this moment and felt so strange.

"...Hina-nee?" Natsuo wondered why Hina didn't say anything.

Hina took a deep breath, forcefully calmed herself, and said, "Sorry, Fujii-kun. I can't think of you that way. I'm also in love with someone, so you should give your love to someone else. I'm sure that person will be happier." She patted Natsuo's shoulder gently, then left. As for what to say to him, she didn't know what to say. "I'll go back first. You should calm yourselves first."

"..........."

On the other hand, Natsuo didn't move from his spot and looked at his feet; he couldn't imagine what he had heard previously. He looked up and saw that Hina had already walked away. He only realized that the distance between them wasn't close. Instead, it was so far away. Everything was just a hallucination that he created with his own heart.

Natsuo instantly understood all of that, but he must admit it hurt to be rejected.

"Ugh..."

---

Shishio was in the bathroom, looking at the device in his hand for a while before he rubbed his face with water. Suddenly the door was knocked, so he said, "There's someone here."

"I know."

"....." Shishio was speechless and opened the door. "What's wrong, Auntie?" He looked at Tsukiko curiously, wondering what this woman wanted to say.

"Say, I know it might be wrong for me to ask this question." Tsukiko showed hesitation.

'...Then, don't ask.' Shishio thought.

"But are you dating two of my daughters?" Tsukiko suddenly asked.

"......."

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