It was a scorching summer afternoon. The sun blazed outside, but inside, Kaito was living like a king. Sprawled on the couch, a game controller in his hands, the AC blasting at full power—life couldn't get better. With college on break and not a worry in the world, his only concern was defeating the next boss on screen.
That is, until—
"Hey, I have a little favor to ask," came Miyuki's voice, slicing through his peaceful bubble.
"What is it, big sis?" Kaito said without looking away. "If it's about that fudge cake from the new bakery again, forget it. I'm not standing in the sun for two hours. I value my skin."
"No cake. I'm moving in with my boyfriend."
The controller slipped. His game character died a humiliating death.
Kaito blinked. "...Oh. Uh, congrats?"
"I'm shifting tomorrow," Miyuki said casually, as if she wasn't dropping a bomb. "But you see, my roommate's going to move in here."
Kaito paused. "...Roommate? What kind of roommate?"
"She's a girl."
He bolted upright. "WHAT?! No way! That's not fair! I'm a guy—you can't just drop a girl into my apartment like this!"
"It's just until the end of the year. My boyfriend will get his own place by then. Besides, she'll pay rent and buy groceries."
Kaito narrowed his eyes. "That sounds like a bribe."
"She also has an entire collection of games you've always wanted to try."
"…That's definitely a bribe."
Miyuki grinned. "And she's insanely pretty. Like, model-level pretty. She gets confessed to almost every day."
"You're trying to get me arrested, aren't you?" Kaito groaned.
"Don't be dramatic. You're just helping your loving sister start a new chapter of her life." She gave him a mock-hug and sauntered away.
"Yeah, by writing the first chapter of my funeral," Kaito muttered.
That evening passed in disbelief. But the next morning…
He walked into the living room, yawning. "Good morning, big sis—"
Silence.
She was gone. No bags. No goodbyes.
On the table was a note in Miyuki's handwriting:
"I'm leaving, lil bro. Take care. And make sure to use protection—wouldn't want any surprise 'roommates', you know?"
Kaito's face turned beet red. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH HER?!"
Crumpling the note and tossing it in the trash, he stomped to the kitchen. "Unbelievable…"
Still muttering, he started cooking breakfast. Eggs, toast, peace, and quiet. Maybe she was bluffing. Maybe the girl changed her mind. Maybe he was free—
Ding-dong.
"Newspaper guy? Package?" he said as he headed to the door.
He opened it… and his brain temporarily shut down.
Standing there was her.
Long black hair, radiant skin, sparkling dark cyan eyes, a perfect smile. In a crisp top and summer skirt, holding a small suitcase and waving softly.
"Hi! I'm Chiaka Hoshino. You must be Kaito~"
Kaito's jaw dropped. "Y-You're Miyuki's roommate?!"
"Yup~ surprise!" She twirled lightly on her feet. "I'll be living with you from now on. Let's get along, okay?"
"I… uh… sure. Please come in," he said, trying not to sound like his soul was spiraling.
As she stepped in and caught the smell of food, her eyes sparkled. "Oh wow, were you cooking breakfast?"
"Yeah. Want some?"
"Don't mind if I do~" she said brightly, placing her luggage by the door and skipping toward the dining table.
Kaito watched her sit, completely at ease. "Feel free to treat this place like your home," he offered, still reeling.
She gave him a wink. "Oh, I will. After all, it is my home now, right?"
Kaito blinked. Right. This was happening.
As he walked back to the kitchen, he mumbled under his breath, "I just wanted a peaceful summer…"