I paid off the debt for the most beautiful sisters in the school, and then they barged into my house where I live alone. “Please go back home; you don’t need to repay the favor.” “No way.” “We don’t want to~☆”

“Is that so? Understood. Thank you for letting me know, Mr. Higashi.”

A rare phone call came in. It must be the first one since that trip.

Ah, I see. Indeed, this calls for communication.

We don’t have a landline at home, and those two don’t own cell phones. That means I’m the only one they can contact.

“Do you really understand?”

“I do. Their mother is set to be discharged from the hospital; I’ll pass on the message. Everything else will proceed as planned.”

“Is that really okay?”

“Of course. This means things are back to normal. It’s a happy occasion, isn’t it?”

“Fine, do as you like then.”

The call from Mr. Higashi ended.

“Discharge, huh.”

It seems their mother has been hospitalized more than once before.

Well, this time the stay was unusually long.

The sisters have been regularly visiting her, so they must have a rough idea that she’ll be discharged soon.

All I have to do now is tell them the set date.

“Yep. It’s a cause for celebration.”

Should I buy a cake or something?

That doesn’t feel right. I’ll look up online what’s appropriate for a discharge celebration.

As I’m sipping some tea I brewed myself, which is unusual, the sisters walk into the living room in their pajamas, apparently having just come out of the bath together.

There, I pass on the contents of Mr. Higashi’s phone call.

“What? They’ve set the date for the discharge?”

“Yeah. I had agreed to be the point of contact, so I got the message through Mr. Higashi.”

“I’m so glad! Mom’s better.”

“That’s what it means.”

Both Karen and Erika look relieved and happy, not particularly surprised. They must have sensed that their mother’s discharge was imminent.

“So, start packing up your stuff. Mr. Higashi and I have already found a new place for you guys to live.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“Are you saying that we should…”

I don’t think I’ve said anything too complicated.

“If your mother is getting discharged, you’ll need a place to live together. Found one that’s cheaper and bigger than the last. No key money or deposit required, courtesy of Mr. Higashi’s connections. Sure, it’s kind of a stigmatized property, but don’t worry about it.”

“But… are you saying we should leave this house?”

“It’s only natural to go back when your parent is back.”

Their current situation is abnormal, really.

When a guardian returns—if a family exists—it’s natural to live together.

Certainly, it should be that way.

Karen and Erika came to repay a favor; the debt is still there.

“Your debt is settled. Look.”

I throw a provisional pay slip, prepared by Mr. Higashi, onto the table.

“What is this?”

“It’s exactly what you see.”

“There’s no way we could earn millions in such a short period.”

“It’s possible. It’s for both of you.”

Erika, finally unable to hold back, steps forward in a fury. Karen watches quietly from behind her.

“It’s not like we’re cutting ties. From now on, let’s just be regular classmates or friends.”

“So you’re saying we’re just friends to you?”

“Don’t ask me. How would I know what constitutes a friend? But I’m saying this weird situation between us should end for both our sakes. Plus, do you plan on leaving your mother alone right after she gets discharged?”

“But we could—”

Karen grabs Erika’s arm just as she is about to take another step towards me.

Karen embraces her sister, slightly taller than herself, and holds her head gently.

“Let’s go back to our mother, who just got discharged. Mr. Seiichiro has thought about this as much as he can for our sake.”

After a moment of hesitation, I could tell that Erika nodded her head silently while being hugged by Karen.

“We’ll go back. But there’s something I want you to remember.”

“What is it?”

“Erika and I love you more than you could ever imagine.”

Her transparent expression, tinged with a small smile, was so breathtakingly beautiful that I was at a loss for words.

A few days later, I was handed the spare keys by Karen and Erika. The days leading up to their departure were eerily silent, reminding me of when they first arrived at the house.

However, when I handed them a bouquet I’d bought as a celebration of their mother’s discharge, both Karen and Erika laughed with a strange expression.

“Seiichiro, you really are a troublesome person.”

“Really, a troublesome big brother.”

With that, they turned their backs and walked away.