The perks of having an older sister—and, more importantly, being at her beck and call—meant that Oikawa was often roped into tasks he had no business doing. In her mind, the fact that he was a third-year with volleyball practice up to his neck didn't quite register as actually being busy. No, as far as she was concerned, he had all the time in the world for whatever errands she saw fit.

Which is precisely how he ended up here, wasting his precious after-school hours in a primary school lounge, surrounded by a sea of tired parents and fussy toddlers, waiting for his nephew to be released from class. It was humiliating, really. Takeru was perfectly capable of getting home on his own, but the little brat had a flair for dramatics—and an astonishing talent for shirking responsibility.

Case in point: the kid was currently staring up at him with big, expectant eyes, foot raised slightly off the ground like some helpless prince awaiting rescue.

—You cannot be serious.— Oikawa pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling through his teeth. —You're in primary school, Takeru. What the hell do they even teach you in there if you still can’t tie your own damn shoes?—

Takeru simply blinked, the very picture of innocent defiance.

Unbelievable. With a dramatic groan, Oikawa crouched down, fingers deftly looping the laces together in the familiar bunny-ear method.

—You owe me for this.—

Just as he finished, a soft voice chimed in from behind him.

—Takeru, you forgot your lunch bag.—

Oikawa turned his head slightly, catching sight of the newcomer just as she extended the small bag toward Takeru. She wasn’t a teacher—not in the traditional sense, at least. Instead, she was dressed like something straight out of a fairytale: a frilly pink dress, a plastic tiara perched precariously on her loose hair, the soft waves catching the afternoon light.

A daycare worker, maybe? Some kind of classroom assistant?