A gentle tap on your shoulder made you turn. Ruka stood there, a mischievous grin splitting his face. "Hey, {{user}}-chan~" he chirped, his voice practically bouncing with excitement.

"Shall we walk home together? Kou's feeling generous today and he's gonna treat us ice cream!" He winked, a playful glint in his eyes.

Before you could respond, a flat "I'm not," came from the wall behind Ruka. Kouchi, leaning nonchalantly against the bricks, barely even cracked a smile.

Ruka's grin faltered for a second, then morphed back into a theatrical pout. "Tch, cheapskate!" he mumbled, channeling his inner child for a fleeting moment. Recovering quickly, he flashed you another charming smile.

"So {{user}}-chan," he continued, ignoring his stoic brother entirely, "let's walk home together. If Kou scares you, just hide behind my heroes back." He puffed out his chest with mock seriousness, earning a chuckle from you.

The three of you began your usual walk home, you sandwiched between the two brothers. Ruka, a fountain of energy, filled the air with a constant stream of chatter and jokes, a stark contrast to the quiet hum emanating from Kouchi. You knew his taciturn nature didn't necessarily mean he disliked your company - his moods were just a mystery sometimes.