We'll leave aside Bocchi-chan's chaotic first band experience for now. At this moment, Kanzaki Saku had drily returned home under the escort of Yumiko and Yui.
After bidding farewell to his two guards, each with their own ulterior motives, Kanzaki Saku pushed open the door to his home.
The moment he stepped into the entryway, Kanzaki Saku keenly noticed that besides his sister's shoes, there was another pair of a girl's leather shoes.
Kanzaki Saku could tell at a glance that the size and style of the shoes definitely didn't belong to his adoptive mother, which meant his sister must have a friend over.
Sure enough, upon entering the living room, Kanzaki Saku saw the figures of two girls sitting very close to each other.
With their backs to the entrance, they sat on the soft carpet, pointing at the screen and commenting on something.
"Brother! You're back!" Sagiri's hearing was sharp, and she immediately turned her head upon hearing footsteps.
A delighted smile bloomed on her face, and she looked like she was about to pounce on him, but she seemed to hold back due to her friend's presence, merely gazing at him with sparkling eyes.
The other girl sitting beside Sagiri also turned her head at Sagiri's call.
She was a girl with long black hair, her features as exquisite as a finely carved doll, with a hint of the three-dimensional quality of a mixed-race person. What was particularly striking was the perfectly placed beauty mark under her left eye, adding a unique charm.
At this moment, her face was beaming with an infectious, enthusiastic smile, and she exuded a sunny, cheerful aura that made her easily likable.
"Sagiri's brother, hello! I'm Sagiri's good friend, Shiina Taki!" The girl's voice was clear and pleasant, full of vitality. She stood up and bowed slightly in a very polite manner.
"I often hear Sagiri talk about you, and I've finally met you in person today! You're just as handsome and gentle as Sagiri said!"
Her words and actions were impeccable, presenting the perfect image of a sunny, cheerful, and polite honor student.
Although Kanzaki Saku was still quite surprised to see a sunny and cheerful girl version of Shiina Taki in his own home.
But that morning, he had almost been taken out by a single slide tackle from the low-key penguin, Takamatsu Tomori, so he was more or less mentally prepared.
Moreover, Kanzaki Saku recalled that Sagiri had indeed mentioned at dinner yesterday that she had recently made a good friend with whom she got along very well, who had a great personality and took good care of her.
It seemed now that this friend was Shiina Taki.
In response to Shiina Taki's greeting, Kanzaki Saku also offered a smile that fit his "gentle big brother" persona.
"Hello, Shiina-san. I'm Kanzaki Saku, Sagiri's brother. Welcome to our home. I hope Sagiri hasn't caused you any trouble."
"Not at all! Sagiri is super cute!" Taki quickly waved her hands. "We have so much fun drawing and talking about anime together! It's my honor to be Sagiri's friend!"
Her words were incredibly sincere, her eyes clear. Anyone who saw her would think she was a girl with an excellent personality, genuine and straightforward.
However, that wasn't actually the case. Although Shiina Taki had always been a warm, cheerful, and popular social butterfly since childhood, there was a restless heart deep inside her.
She usually vented her youthful restlessness and curiosity by reading some smutty novels, but what one learns from paper is always shallow. As time went on, Taki grew dissatisfied with single-player games and began to yearn for a boyfriend to start a multiplayer session with!
But due to the scarcity of men, this idea was gradually pushed to the back of her mind.
Until one day, in the school hallway, she overheard Sagiri casually mentioning to someone how close she was with her brother, and how gentle and considerate he was...
The idea that had been shelved now seemed possible to implement again.
Thus, under Taki's deliberate attempts to curry favor, the two gradually became inseparable best friends, to the point that Sagiri even told her about her identity as Eromanga No. 2.
Finally, feeling that the groundwork was sufficiently laid and the time was right, Taki suggested to Sagiri today that she wanted to come over to her house to play and have a study session for the upcoming exams.
Unaware that Taki's true goal was to have a 'session' with her brother, Sagiri naturally agreed to her good friend's request without hesitation.
This led to the scene of a "cozy afternoon between sunny best friends" that Kanzaki Saku saw when he returned home.
'Aaaah! So close! He's so handsome! His voice is so nice too! And he seems so gentle and pure! Exactly like Sagiri described! It's just like a doujinshi... ah, no, it's a dream come true!'
'No, Shiina Taki, you must calm down and maintain your persona! Don't let the siblings suspect anything! Take it slow, opportunities come to those who are prepared!'
"Brother, Taki is super nice! She's given me a lot of great advice on the pictures I've drawn recently!" Sagiri chimed in from the side, clearly very satisfied with and trusting of her dear friend.
"Is that so? That's great then." Kanzaki Saku smiled and ruffled Sagiri's hair, his gaze shifting to Taki. "Do you like to draw too, Taki-san?"
"No, no, it's mainly because I've seen a lot, so I can give Sagiri some suggestions!" Sagiri had told her that her brother didn't know she was an adult artist and thought she was an illustrator.
So Taki just laughed it off when faced with Kanzaki Saku's question.
"By the way, Saku-san—" Taki changed the subject with extreme naturalness, taking the opportunity to use a more familiar form of address. Her smile was so sweet that it would be hard to refuse her request.
"Can I call you that? I feel like calling you by your full name or 'Sagiri's brother' is a bit too distant."
This intimate address made Sagiri, who was standing to the side, pout slightly. 'Brother' was her exclusive title! Even if it was a good friend, calling him so intimately was a bit...
But she couldn't act up right now, so she could only puff out her cheeks secretly.
"Of course, you can." Kanzaki Saku was quite generous about it, nodding with a smile, not finding anything wrong with the address and maintaining his gentle brotherly demeanor.
"Also, I heard from Sagiri that your health wasn't too good before, Saku-san. How's your recovery going? Are you adjusting to school life?"
Taki struck while the iron was hot, perfectly portraying the image of a caring girl concerned about her friend's brother.
In reality, she was confirming Kanzaki Saku's physical condition to formulate a "conquest" plan based on the appropriate doujinshi plot.
To see if Kanzaki Saku was suited for a gentle, pure love story, or if she could try something a bit more intense... hehe...
"Thanks for your concern, I'm much better. My classmates and teachers at school have also been taking good care of me." Kanzaki Saku patiently answered Taki's questions.
Seeing Taki and her brother chatting more and more enthusiastically, a mix of possessiveness and jealousy began to brew in Sagiri's heart.
Brother was hers! Although Taki was one of her few good friends, she was nothing compared to her brother!
"Taki!" Sagiri finally couldn't take it anymore, speaking up to interrupt their deepening conversation.
She reached out and grabbed Taki's arm, her tone a bit forceful: "Aren't we supposed to have a study session? It's getting late, let's go back to my room and start!"
"Ah? Oh, right! The study session!" Taki was stunned for a moment, then she reacted, looking at Sagiri's slightly puffed cheeks and immediately understood.
She quickly went along with Sagiri's words: "Sorry, Saku-san, Sagiri and I agreed to review our lessons together. We'll head up now?"
"Mm, studying is important, go on ahead." Kanzaki Saku nodded with a smile, watching as Sagiri half-pushed, half-pulled a somewhat reluctant Taki toward her room on the second floor.
Upon entering Sagiri's room and closing the door, cutting off Kanzaki Saku's line of sight from downstairs, Sagiri immediately let go of Taki's hand. With her hands on her hips, she turned around and started hissing at Taki like a spinosaurus-shaped hachimi.
She moved closer to Taki. Although she didn't have the height advantage, her presence was imposing. Her beautiful eyes narrowed with obvious jealousy: "Taki!"
"Hmm? What's wrong, Sagiri?" Taki was well aware of Sagiri's brother complex, but she maintained an innocent expression on her face.
"Taki, you're my good friend, that's true!" Sagiri stared at her, her tone very serious. "But, brother is brother! There are some things you can't just get close to, or we can't even be friends! Understand?"
Sagiri might as well have said outright, 'Brother is mine, don't even think about it.'
Seeing Sagiri acting like a small animal guarding its food, Taki didn't panic at all. She already had a plan for this!
Taki immediately put on an expression of sudden realization mixed with a bit of apology, clasped her hands together, and explained with a sincere tone.
"Ah! Sagiri, you misunderstood! I was just so happy and excited to meet your brother for the first time! You know what my personality is like, I can be a bit too forward..."
"And your brother is so gentle and handsome, I couldn't help but ask a few more questions. I absolutely have no other intentions! I promise you!"
She blinked her big eyes, trying hard to make her gaze look sincere: "You're my best friend! Why would I do anything to make you unhappy!"
Hearing Taki's heartfelt explanation and considering that Taki's persona was indeed like this, most of Sagiri's doubts dissipated.
After all, she wasn't a girl with a scheming mind, and Taki had always been very good to her.
"Hmph! You'd better mean it!" Sagiri huffed, accepting the explanation, but she still didn't forget to add, "Anyway, just watch your distance a little!"
"I know, I know! The whole world knows Sagiri likes her brother the most!" Taki smiled and put her arm around Sagiri's shoulder, trying to pull the atmosphere back into "best friends" mode.
"So, shall we start studying? Otherwise, we're really going to fail the exam!"
Successfully shifting the topic back to "business," Sagiri's attention was also pulled back. Thinking about the upcoming exam, she temporarily put aside the matter of her brother and nodded.
"Mm, okay. Let's take out the math first, I still don't quite get this chapter..."
The two finally sat down on the carpet, spread out their textbooks and notes, and began their nominal "study session."
On the surface, Taki was listening intently to Sagiri's questions and giving timely answers, playing the role of a reliable best friend, but her heart was far from calm.
'Sagiri's guard is stronger than I thought. It seems a 'frontal assault' will be difficult and risky. I need to adjust my strategy, hmm... this needs some proper planning.'
Taki's original plan was great: use the study session as a cover to get an opportunity to visit Sagiri's home.
Then, following the steps from a doujinshi, she would lure this gentle brother into the trap she had carefully woven.
However, man proposes, God disposes. She had calculated everything, but she never calculated that she had the damn soul of an honor student hidden in her bones.
At first, she was indeed playing the part of a "reliable best friend," multitasking by explaining problems while thinking about what excuse to use to go downstairs and be alone with Kanzaki Saku later.
"Here, Sagiri, look at this function. You have to find the derivative first and then substitute the interval, you can't just apply the formula directly..."
'Hmm, should I say I'm thirsty and go get some water later? Too common. Ask Saku-san for help with a question? But Sagiri would follow.'
Sagiri listened, half-understanding, her face scrunched up: "Ehh—so complicated. Taki, you're amazing, you understand all this."
"It's nothing, you'll get it with more practice." Taki waved her hand humbly, but her attention began to be unconsciously drawn to the tricky math problem itself.
Just like that, she unknowingly entered a state of flow and began to study seriously.
Until—
"Knock, knock—"
"Sagiri, Taki-san, you must be tired from studying. I've cut up some fruit and brought some juice up for you."
Kanzaki Saku's gentle voice came through the door, finally waking up Shiina Taki, who was addicted to studying and unable to extricate herself.
'!!!'
Taki's hand holding the pen froze, and the mechanical pencil fell onto the desk with a clatter.
Wait! I'm not here to study! I'm here to find a man!
'It's over, it's over, it's over! What have I been doing! Such a rare opportunity! And I actually spent the whole afternoon studying?! Shiina Taki, you useless idiot! Where's your ambition! Where's your desire!'
Sagiri, however, didn't think much of it and cheerfully replied, "Coming, coming! Come in, brother!"
The door was pushed open, and Kanzaki Saku walked in carrying a tray with fruit and two glasses of orange juice. He was wearing loose loungewear, looking even softer and more harmless than when they met in the afternoon.
"Sorry to disturb you." He smiled and placed the tray on an empty spot on the desk, his gaze sweeping over the carpet covered with textbooks and art drafts. "Looks like the study session was very engaging?"
It was a casual question from Kanzaki Saku, but Taki, who had a guilty conscience, felt an inexplicable pang of guilt, as if her evil plan had been seen through by those gentle eyes.
"I-it was okay! Mainly because Sagiri is very smart, she gets it right away!" Taki quickly chimed in, a hundred-percent sweet smile back on her face, trying to hide her inner panic.
"Thank you for the juice, Saku-san!"
She reached for the juice, but her hand, tense with nervousness, accidentally knocked over a nearby stack of reference books.
"Ah! Sorry!" Taki scrambled to steady them.
"It's okay." Kanzaki Saku helped her steady the stack of books, his palm inadvertently brushing against Taki's thigh.
____
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