As the balcony door slid open slowly, a cold gale slammed itself against Shinae's body, making her tremble even under Rindou's thick polyester sweater.

"Ahhh~ So cold!", she slightly whined as her hand slid under its sleeve to seek shelter for the cold while the other fumbled as desperately quickly as possible on the laundry line to get hold of her white T-shirt and her baggy jeans.

"Brrrr... What are you doing, Shinae-chan? Close the door, please. I'm about to freeze to death in here!", Ran said as he appeared in the corner.

"Yea, it's so cold for an October morning, isn't it?", Shinae shuddered again as she slid the door close behind her. Her face was even paler in the breeze, but her cheeks and nose was so rosy it looks like she's blushing.

Ran gazed at her face and smiled, thinking to himself that Shinae-chan really is quite pleasant to look at.

"Anyways, are your clothes dry?"

"Yea, surprisingly. I thought it would never do in this weather.", Shinae said as she breathed into her hands, trying to shake off the cold, "It's so cold uhhhh~!"

"Aww, poor you. Oh, but if winter sets in early, then we should take the kontatsu out early too~!", exclaimed Ran excitedly.

"Kontatsu? What is that?", Shinae asked absentmindedly as she sat down next to Ran, desperately huffing into her hands, "You mean a fireplace?"

Ran stared blankly at the shivering body next to him. "You... don't know what that is?!! Not knowing what a kontatsu is!!!"

Before Shinae could answer he stood up and patted on her head decidedly.

Oh, she didn't avoid my touch anymore...

"You're missing out on some of the best things in life, Shinae-chan!! But not to worry! I will introduce you to the heaven of winters."

Ran left into another room, leaving a confused Shinae behind.

"Rinrin? Rindou? RINDOU?", she could hear his voice roar in another room. A series of sulky mumbling complains and the sound of slide door opening followed.

A few seconds later, the two boys come back, holding either side of a wooden table with seemingly blankets tucked underneath.

Ran's face seems to be shining with excitement

Disappointment seems engraved into Shinae's eyes, but Ran's eyes and Rindou's stare made her feel like she ought to react. So she put up a smile and laughed.

"Oh, a kontatsu is a table with blankets? Nice, I'm sure it'll be warm~!"

"You don't know what this is?", Rindou asked as both of them settled the kontatsu to the ground.

"Shinchan? Can you go plug this to that socket over there?"

Socket?

"Is this really a fireplace?", Shinae eyed the table as she pushed the cord into the socket.

"Hmm, something even better.", Ran gave her a close-eyed smile, "Rindou, turn it on high heat. Our Shinae is freezing already~!"

Shinae hesitantly sat down before the table and slid her hands inside the blanket.

"Woaaaaa~~!! It's so warm!! There's a heater in here, isn't it? Ohhhhhhhh....", she said as she comfortably slip her body under the table.

"Come on, Shinae-chan! Sit up or there won't be space for us to sit to~!", Ran laughed as he pulled her out of the blanket.

"But I'm cold...", Shinae pouted as the Haitani brothers sit down next to her, "But this is heaven."

"Hey, wanna watch something?", Ran said as he reached for the television control on the sofa.

"Yea! Some horror shits will be nice!", exclaimed Shinae excitedly, "Open it!"

"Yea yea, whatever."

"Ooh, what are you listening to, Rindou-kun?", Shinae gazed at the mini music player in Rindou's hand.

"Music."

"Can I hear it, please?"

Rindou took one of his earphones and gave it to her. She eagerly took it and moved a little closer to him.

"Oh, Pop music!"

Ran pouted at them, "Shinaeee~! You were going to watch horror films with me~!"

"Yea, just open it."

"Shinaee-channnn~! Quit that rude mf and come watch with me!"

"Hey, who tf do you call mf, brother?", Rindou frowned as he looked across the table.

"You haven't even called her respectfully by her name once, Rinrin.", Ran shrugged, ignoring the stare.

"At least it's better than your "My boy"s and "darling"s and "Shinae-chan"s."

"What?! She loves it when I call her that!"

Shinae looked at the siblings and unconsciously broke out a warm smile.

She and Aniki used to fight like that, too, constantly, daily, the fight that involves no harm, no truly negative intentions or even an acceptable reason. She knew neither of them are actually fighting over her. It just seems that all siblings are coded to fight with each other, that's all. No one who don't have a sibling will understand that. The mutual understanding between them, between her and Aniki, between Ran and Rindou, is one that nobody can experience. Yes. There was no third party in this special bonding. There is none.

The smile on her face switched off immediately.

Anyone who breaks our bond will be eliminated with my own bare hands.

Her chain of thoughts was broken off when her hand was pulled to one side, dragging her body along with it.

"I told you, she likes me better!!", Ran yelled over to Rindou. The latter angrily tugged on Shinae's sweater and try to free her from his brother's hand.

"What the hell? Why do you think so?? Brother, are you dreaming?? You don't have any proof of it!! Look! She's wearing my sweater, she shared her breakfast with me, she's listening to music with me, she calls me Rindou-kun every time we talk!!"

"Oh yea?? Those are only things that they do with acquaintances, Rinrin!! Had she ever patted you on the shoulder and smile to you like a friend?? And she has called me Ran-kun, before, dumbass!"

Sheesh, this bonding really is annoying to anyone outside of it. thought Shinae aggitatedly, as she increased the volume on the music player to cancel out the arguing. No wonder why Mother's always so annoyed when we fight.

She set her head on the table, her body joyfully enjoying the warmth in the blanket and her mind floating slowly away.

... I really have to go and do away with that fvcking assh_le now... It is 2 p.m. already, and Mother usually gets home at 5... I really have to go, but these two... Jesus, they must have had experience of guarding prisoners or something...

Shinae thought as she remembered her multiple attempts of slipping out of the Haitani household after Reiko-san had left, and how either Ran or Rindou found out every single time.

"I promised mother that I'll take care of you until she's home, Shinae-chan." said Ran sternly.

I'll never get the chance of sneaking out if I'm home with them... If only they'd go out... Wait, it will be easier to sneak away if all of us goes out, doesn't it?

I might even be able to visit Aniki first too...

Shinae's head slowly rose up, and she looked at both of them, "I'm so bored~! Let's go out and show me around where you live, please?"

They both stopped fighting at once and looked at the curious girl before them.

"Um... Would mom allow that?", said Rindou hesitantly, "I think you should--"

"YES! Let's get dressed up and go now, Shin-chan, Rinrin!! COME, SHINAE, WE'LL INTRODUCE YOU TO THE HAITANI BROTHER'S ROPPONGI~~!!"