"Kirino, we have a guest coming over tomorrow. Make sure you play host."
Kosaka Daisuke, having just returned home, delivered this specific instruction. The cute girl with long, light brown hair, who had been sitting obediently on the sofa scrolling through her phone, looked up at her father in confusion.
"A guest? Who is it?"
"That young man we met on the plane last time. Hozuki Nozomi. Do you remember him?"
Kosaka Kirino nodded gently. "That very handsome older brother? Yes, I remember him."
"Good that you remember. Your mother and I will be out tomorrow, so you'll be in charge of entertaining our guest. Understood?"
"Ugh… but isn't… he around? Why do I, a middle school student, have to entertain a guest?" Kosaka Kirino pouted, her reluctance plain.
Kosaka Daisuke looked at his daughter with helpless fondness. "Do you honestly think Kyosuke is capable of entertaining a guest properly?"
Just mentioning his son's name brought a faint, familiar sense of exasperation to Daisuke—the classic 'hating iron for not becoming steel.'
They were both high school-aged boys. Look at Hozuki Nozomi: stellar grades, exceptional capabilities, already operating on a level far beyond most adults. He even commanded mysterious powers. The boy was a veritable alpha male.
As for his own son, Kosaka Kyosuke… he was more like a beta. Ever since a certain childhood accident, Kyosuke had settled into a life of profound inertia. Together with his childhood friend, Tamura Manami, he lived at a pace that could only be described as geriatric, content to simply drift along.
In short, Kyosuke was utterly unmotivated, whiling away his days at home reading manga, novels, and playing games, seemingly waiting for life to happen to him.
Meanwhile, his younger sister, Kosaka Kirino, was already a part-time model for a renowned fashion magazine at her tender age, enjoying financial independence. She excelled academically and was bright and cheerful—the very definition of "someone else's child" and the envy of every parent in the neighborhood.
But back to the point. Thinking of her brother's hopeless demeanor, Kosaka Kirino could only sigh and nod in agreement. "Alright, Dad. I'll take care of it. I'll make sure Brother Hozuki is well looked after."
"But… what exactly is he coming for? Just a social visit?" she pressed.
Kosaka Daisuke's weathered face flushed slightly. He couldn't possibly tell his daughter the truth—that he'd previously enlisted Hozuki Nozomi's help with a supernatural case and had, in a moment of desperation, more or less dangled Kirino as 'bait' to secure his cooperation. It felt uncomfortably close to pimping out his own daughter!
Clearing his throat, Daisuke feigned composure and adopted a stern, paternal tone. "Hozuki Nozomi is an exemplary high school student. I invited him over in hopes it might… motivate Kyosuke. Who knows, it might work? In any case, I'm counting on you to be a gracious host, Kirino."
"Yes, sir! You can count on me!"
This was the first time her usually strict father had entrusted her with such a solemn, important-sounding task. Kosaka Kirino felt a flutter of nervous pride, a sense of mission swelling in her chest.
After all, Kirino was still just a middle schooler. Though she carried herself with a mature air, she was fundamentally innocent and trusting. She naturally wouldn't suspect her own father of anything as underhanded as 'setting up daughter.' Encouraged by his words, she resolved to put her absolute best effort into entertaining tomorrow's guest.
...
Once back in the sanctuary of her own room, Kosaka Kirino's confident posture deflated, her shoulders slumping.
When she'd accepted her father's request, she'd been decisive and bold. But the reality was now sinking in: the guest she had to entertain was a handsome older boy, several years her senior.
How was she supposed to entertain him? More importantly, what on earth were they supposed to talk about?
A sudden wave of regret washed over her. She had zero experience interacting with handsome older brothers. Her usual method of dealing with boys—specifically, her own useless brother, Kosaka Kyosuke—was to either ignore him completely or offer a disdainful hmph when their paths crossed. She could hardly adopt that attitude with Brother Hozuki.
Feeling increasingly troubled, Kosaka Kirino picked up her phone. The only solution was to consult her best friend, Aragaki Ayase—fellow fashion magazine model and classmate.
"Hello? Kirino-chan? Is everything alright?" Aragaki Ayase's voice, clear and cheerful, came through the line.
"Um, Ayase… it's like this," Kirino began, her tone awkward. "A handsome older brother is coming to visit my house tomorrow, and I'm supposed to entertain him, but I have no idea how. Can you give me some advice?"
Aragaki Ayase felt an immediate, protective pang of unease.
"A handsome older brother is visiting your house? And they want you to entertain him? Why?" she asked cautiously.
Seeing no reason to hide anything from her best friend, Kirino explained,
"My dad asked me to. He and Mom are going out tomorrow. Since Dad is a detective, his days off are rare, so he left hosting duties to me." She sighed. "I do have a brother, but… you know how he is… a bit of a pervert. I'm afraid he'd just embarrass our family."
This assessment stemmed from a time Kirino had been helping her mother clean and stumbled upon some… questionable publications under Kosaka Kyosuke's bed. The incident had earned her brother another notch of scorn from his sister and a significant reduction in his allowance from their father.
Ayase, having heard many such tales, responded with sympathetic understanding. "It does sound like you're the only one who can do it. So, what's this guest like? Did Daisuke-san tell you anything about him?"
She was already forming suspicions. Having a lovely girl like Kirino entertain a handsome older boy alone? That sounded suspiciously like a setup. Was Daisuke-san trying to set up his daughter? What if this person was a bad guy, drawn in by Kirino's undeniable cuteness?
Oblivious to her friend's concerns, Kosaka Kirino answered frankly. "His name is Hozuki Nozomi. He's a top student at Soubu High. Dad mentions him all the time, using him as an example to try and motivate that one in our house."
She paused. "Dad said Brother Hozuki helped him a lot with something, and even his recent promotion was thanks to him. So he wants me to welcome him wholeheartedly, to show him our family's goodwill and warmth."
Hearing this, Aragaki Ayase clenched her free hand into a determined fist. She was now certain. This was a deliberate, father-arranged meeting!
"Alright, Kirino-chan, here's what we'll do," Ayase declared, her voice firming with resolve. "I'll come to your house tomorrow too. I'll help you entertain him."
"Huh? Ayase, you'll come too? Is that okay? Will your mother let you go out?"
"It's fine. For you, Kirino-chan, I'll make time," Ayase assured her, her tone brimming with protective enthusiasm. "Don't worry. With me there, he'll definitely experience the Kosaka family's… goodwill and warmth."
"Okay! Then I'll be waiting for you tomorrow, Ayase!" Kosaka Kirino agreed happily, a genuine smile returning to her face, her earlier anxiety soothed by her best friend's promised support.