(chapter xv)

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰

Later that evening, Yuna arrived at her home. Once she settled in, she received a notification on her phone. It was a message from Hajime, expressing gratitude for hanging out with Tooru and keeping him company that day.

Yuna found herself sitting on the couch, drying her hair with a towel, and chuckled as the messages began to roll in—questions about whether Tooru had done anything stupid. Soon enough, she found herself added to a group chat with Hajime and Tooru.

Hajime teased Tooru relentlessly, and Yuna couldn't help but chime in with some playful banter of her own. No matter what they discussed, all three of them laughed and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere.

"Oh~" a voice teased from beside her, causing Yuna to freeze up. Her twin brother, Koshi, was suddenly right next to her, a mischievous expression on his face. "You're in a group chat?"

Yuna reacted quickly, grabbing a pillow and whacking him across the face. "Ever heard of minding your own business, Koshi?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with mild annoyance.

The siblings engaged in a playful wrestling match, with Koshi trying to reach for her phone while Yuna used one hand to keep him at bay, skillfully holding the phone out of his reach.

Their mother, sitting at the kitchen table, chimed in casually," Koshi, stop pestering your sister."

Their father joined in from the kitchen, adding with a chuckle, "He's just envious that Yuna has friends, you know."

"Am not!" Koshi stopped trying to grab her phone, letting down his guard for a moment. Taking advantage of his distraction, Yuna gave him a swift kick, sending him tumbling off the couch.

Yuna turned towards her mother and asked, "Mom, I have a question I'd like to ask for some advice."

Her mother looked up from her book, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Oh, is it a question about boys?" she teased, a smile on her face.

Yuna quickly denied the suggestion, her head shaking as she leaned against the back of the couch. "No," she explained, "It's actually for a friend, and it's more of a medical question."

"I'd be happy to help, as long as it falls within my area of expertise," her mother replied.

Yuna continued, "My friend has a serious knee problem, and I was curious if there's any support or aid he could use, especially for sports practice."

Her mother responded with a gentle tone, "Sweetie, I would advise your friend to avoid putting too much strain on that knee."

"Well, I do know that his coach is aware," Yuna continued, "but because he can still train, he's allowed to keep playing."

Her mother nodded, a hint of skepticism in her eyes. "To be honest, I find it difficult to believe, but maybe it's just my medical perspective. However, in your friend's case, it would be wise for him to wear a knee support for additional protection."

"Where could I find a knee support?" Yuna inquired, looking towards her brother who was lounging on the floor.

"Your friend plays volleyball, correct?" her brother chimed in, and Yuna nodded in affirmation.

He added, "In that case, I can ask Asahi if he knows any good places to get one. He had to wear a knee support in our first year after injuring his own knee."

"Really? That would be—" Yuna began, before abruptly stopping herself when she spotted the sly look on her brother's face.

With a hint of skepticism, she cut herself off and asked, "What do you want, Koshi?"

Koshi chuckled and replied with a sly smile, "I'm glad you know me so well, Yuna. But you see, I need your help with tutoring a few first-year students."

Yuna didn't respond immediately, her eyes narrowing as she pondered over the request. She didn't mind helping out with tutoring, but she knew exactly who the first-year students were—Yuu Nishinoya and Ryunosuke Tanaka. They weren't trouble-makers, and she didn't dislike them, but they had an endless amount of energy that could be exhausting.

Despite her reservations, the idea of potentially helping Tooru outweighed any initial doubts.

"Fine," Yuna sighed in resignation, her shoulders slumping slightly. "You better ask Asahi tonight, because I'm planning to go out tomorrow to get it," she informed him, her tone laced with determination.

Koshi grinned, clearly pleased with her response. "Well, looks like I'll be accompanying you," he stated. "Tomorrow and Sunday are the days we're scheduled to tutor. If they don't pass their exams, they won't be allowed to attend the game against Date Tech," he added with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

"Yeah, it was finally confirmed," Koshi affirmed from his sprawled-out position on the floor. "I've never seen them play, so I'm feeling a bit nervous about the match. Not having a coach anymore isn't helping with the anxiety either"

Yuna's eyes widened in surprise as Koshi explained the situation. "Oh...you guys haven't found a replacement for Coach Ukai yet?"she echoed, her concern evident in her voice.

"No..." he muttered, bringing his knees closer to his chest. "He was only there for a week before unexpectedly announcing his retirement. It was a shock to the team, and we even lost some members during that time. But despite everything, Tashiro-senpai stayed positive and encouraged us. I know we don't have the strongest team this year, but I just hope we won't let him or the other third years down

"Just do your best, Ko-nii," Yuna encouraged, reaching out to ruffle his hair affectionately.

Koshi's eyes fluttered from her touch, a soft smile gracing his lips. "Thanks, Yuna," he said sincerely, appreciating her support.

There was a short moment of silence between the siblings before Koshi suddenly remembered something, and his expression became serious as he fixed Yuna with a focused gaze.

"Ah, right!" he exclaimed, his tone indicating the importance of what was about to follow.

Curious, Yuna asked, "What is it?" wondering what could have suddenly sparked her brother's serious demeanor.

Koshi took a deep breath before proceeding to tell her the news, his eyes never leaving hers.

"There's something important you need to know, Yuna" he began, his words weighed with a hint of gravity.

Koshi had tried to maintain a serious expression, standing up and preparing to deliver the important news. However, before he could continue, a mischievous grin spread across his face as he made a revelation.

"I ate your pudding that was in the fridge," he declared, swiftly jumping over the couch and narrowly avoiding being chased by Yuna.

"What?" Yuna exclaimed, her expression a mix of disbelief and annoyance. "You ate my pudding? I was saving that!" she yelled, quickly getting up and trying to catch her nimble brother who had skillfully dodged her pursuit.

Koshi darted around the room, evading her attempts to catch him. He couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.

"Sorry, it was too tempting! I couldn't resist," he laughed, maneuvering around furniture and making it increasingly difficult for Yuna to catch him.

The siblings continued their chase around the house, their footsteps creating a lively atmosphere. Their parents stood by and simply watch, amused by the lighthearted moment.

She was determined to catch her agile brother, who was finding great enjoyment in his ability to dodge her every move.

He skillfully maneuvered through the room, avoiding furniture and evading his sister's attempts to grab him. He continued laughing and darting around, relishing the thrill of the chase.

Yuna grew more determined with each passing moment, her eyes narrowed as she honed in on her evasive target.