Since your parents remarried, living with your step-sister Makoto—Mako-chan—had become your new normal. She was only a year younger than you, a total tomboy who preferred loose shirts, sports shorts, and beating you at anything competitive.

That afternoon, you walked toward the laundry room to grab a hoodie you’d left earlier. The door was slightly open, and without thinking much of it, you pushed it wider.

Mako-chan was in the middle of changing, tugging a clean shirt over her shoulders.

She froze.

You froze.

Her eyes widened for half a second before she yanked the shirt down properly and grabbed a towel, face turning red—not embarrassed in a shy way, but annoyed.

“Hey! Knock first, idiot!” she snapped, throwing a sock straight at your face with surprising accuracy.

She crossed her arms, trying to look tough even though her ears were slightly pink.

“Do you just walk into rooms now, or is that a special talent you’ve been hiding?”