When the car rounded the corner by the flower shop, Qiluo suddenly sat up straight and pointed at the window glass.
“Wait—can we stop at that cake shop ahead?”
Yuki followed her gaze.
There was a cozy-looking cake shop on the corner. Various exquisite desserts were on display in the window, bathed in warm yellow lights that made them look like works of art.
She wasn't quite sure why Qiluo suddenly wanted to buy a cake, but she still had the driver pull over.
“Why do you suddenly want to buy cake?”
“I can't go to your house empty-handed.”
Unbuckling her seatbelt, Qiluo looked back at her as she pushed open the car door.
“Last time at the hospital, I saw the wrapper of an energy bar sticking out of your sister's white coat pocket. It was matcha-flavored.”
Yuki blinked. She had never noticed such details.
Her sister liked matcha? In all these years, she had never once paid attention to that.
Yet Qiluo had only met her sister once and already remembered?
“Are you sure it was matcha? My sister... she's never told me what flavors she likes.”
“Then let's just say I guessed.” With one foot already on the sidewalk, Qiluo looked back and smiled at her.
There was a hint of smugness in that smile.
Sitting in the back seat, Yuki watched Qiluo push open the door of the cake shop. The wind chimes hanging on the door let out a series of soft, delicate tinkles.
Through the glass window, she could see Qiluo bending over, carefully examining every single cake in the display case.
Her finger tapped lightly on the glass as she mumbled to herself, probably comparing the different styles to see which was most suitable.
For so many years, she had never asked her sister what flavor she liked, nor had she ever thought to ask.
Just because she had never learned how to show concern about what her sister liked to eat didn't mean Qiluo should have to do it for her.
Yuki felt very strange right now.
There was a slight ache in her chest, knowing that she understood her own sister less than Qiluo did.
Qiluo cared about her sister, observing and remembering with care.
She put her heart into everyone around her.
She could notice what everyone liked and quietly prepare surprises.
Yuki felt that Qiluo probably didn't even realize how wonderful she was, but Yuki Kurokawa knew.
Qiluo pushed open the door of the cake shop, carrying a white paper box tied with a ribbon.
As she walked back across the sidewalk to the car door, she deliberately held the paper box up a bit, showing her the logo through the window.
The car door closed again. Qiluo carefully placed the cake on her lap, holding the edges of the box with her hands, the smile still playing on her lips.
“What's wrong? You've been spacing out ever since I got back. Is it because the cake I bought won't suit your sister's taste? Well, even if it doesn't, I can't return it anymore. I already threw away the receipt.”
“No, it's not the cake.” Yuki shook her head, as if gathering her courage.
“I was just thinking... you've only met my sister once, yet you already knew she likes matcha. Meanwhile, I never knew. It makes me feel really inadequate.”
The car came to a gentle stop at a red light. The driver stared straight ahead, and the backseat was quiet enough that they could hear the faint hum of the air conditioning vent.
Yuki felt this was her failure as a younger sister.
Ah, this girl is taking on responsibilities that aren't hers again.
“You don't need to feel inadequate because of this.”
Qiluo placed the cake in Yuki's lap, took her hand, and scooted a little closer to her.
“I just happened to see it. You and your sister have lived together for over a decade. You're used to her presence, so you wouldn't deliberately look for wrappers sticking out of her pocket. That's completely normal.”
“Whereas it was my first time meeting her, so my attention naturally gravitated toward every little detail. Strangers always look at other strangers more closely.”
As Qiluo sat closer, that familiar scent unique to her drifted over again.
Her words slowly settled into a soft spot in Yuki's heart.
“And besides—” Qiluo intentionally made her tone more lighthearted.
“Don't you have the perfect opportunity today? When we get to your house in a bit, you can ask her yourself. Ask her if she really likes matcha. These are all things you can do. If you're the one asking, she'll definitely be even happier.”
Yuki looked down at the white paper box in her lap. The ribbon was light green, very close to the color of matcha.
Qiluo must have put a lot of thought into comparing and choosing this cake.
“...Mhm.” She held the cake box a little tighter.
...
The car came to a stop in the underground garage, with Yuki still cradling the cake box in her arms.
One corner of the ribbon had been gently creased by her fingers; she had barely let go of it the entire way from the cake shop to the garage.
“Are you nervous?” Qiluo unbuckled her seatbelt and looked at her sideways.
“...A little,” Yuki admitted, but then quickly added, “I think this is the first time I've ever formally brought someone home...”
As the elevator went up, Yuki kept her eyes fixed on the floor numbers rising one by one.
Qiluo stood beside her, carrying the cake box, which she had taken from Yuki's arms when they got out of the car.
The elevator stopped at the top floor. The doors slid open, revealing the entryway of the Kurokawa household.
The entryway was larger than Qiluo's entire apartment. The floor was polished like a mirror, and the air carried the scent of citrus-flavored cleaner.
Yuki pulled a pair of clearly brand-new slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed them at Qiluo's feet, then bent down to neatly put away her own leather shoes.
“I'm home,” Yuki called out toward the depths of the hallway, her voice not very loud.
Qiluo followed with a polite, “Excuse the intrusion.”
In truth, back when she was in her Star-trail form, she had already explored every nook and cranny of Yuki's home.
Everything was exactly as she had seen it through Star-trail's eyes.
She reminded herself: Don't act too familiar, and don't look directly toward Yuki's bedroom.
This was Qiluo Tian Gong's first time visiting the Kurokawa household, so she had to show the appropriate amount of curiosity and restraint.
Knowing the place inside out yet having to pretend it was her first visit was honestly a bit suffocating.
She looked down to change into the slippers, using the motion to hide the slight smile she couldn't quite suppress.
“My sister should be in her room,” Yuki said softly, leading Qiluo toward the living room.
“What is it?” Yuki noticed her footsteps slowing down.
“Nothing, your house is just really big.” Qiluo withdrew her gaze and kept walking.
Yuki didn't reply. She didn't know what Qiluo meant by that.
Was it envy? Awe?
In reality, Qiluo was only remembering when she used to fly all over Yuki's house. It was indeed spacious enough for Star-trail to zoom around like a little airplane.
“I'll go get some snacks. Make yourself at home, Qiluo.”
“I'll come with you.” Qiluo didn't sit on the sofa to wait.
She followed Yuki into the kitchen, watching her retrieve a tray and dessert plates from the cabinet.
Yuki opened a cabinet to locate the tea tin. When she turned around, she nearly bumped into Qiluo, who was standing right behind her. She took half a step back, her lower back gently pressing against the edge of the kitchen counter.
“You don't need to help. You're a guest.”
“Guests can help too.” Qiluo leaned against the other side of the counter. “Besides, I'm pretty curious about your kitchen.”
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