The bustling station was alive with constant noise.
It seed as though Sam could no longer hear anyone else's voice, whether it was the anxious rapidity, the soft lingering whispers, or the bland neutrality that only left peace behind.
None of that mattered.
Because the beaming smile of the girl in front of him was enough to overshadow everything else.
The mories lodged in Sam's mind felt like the vibrant days of March when the grass grows and the orioles sing.
Everything about this girl, all their experiences, had beco a part of his mind, taking residence without any prerequisites.
Even seeing this girl made Sam's lips curl into a smile, a very natural instinct.
It was an emotion he simply couldn't suppress.
Even for a mont, faced with Ava's smile and her bright, clear eyes, Sam was sowhat at a loss for words.
His pupils dilated for a few seconds before he managed to calm down.
"How did you sneak up on like that? You scared ."
Ava blinked.
"It was you who was daydreaming, okay? What were you thinking about? You didn't even notice coming. Are you a dummy?"
Sam was embarrassed to admit that he had indeed been a dummy just then, lost in thoughts all about this girl.
That must be sowhat embarrassing to say, right? Sam didn't want to be seen as the weird brother.
"You're the dummy, coming here and teasing your brother like that. Watch it, or I might just leave you here at the station."
Sam said, pretending to be angry.
But Ava was adaptable, at least in front of Sam. In front of girls like Angel, she was all steel, uncompromising to the end.
Ava imdiately moved closer, smiling as she wrapped her arms around Sam's arm, clinging affectionately.
"Don't be like that~ Leaving here all alone, I'd be scared. How could you be so heartless, big brother?"
She blinked vigorously while speaking, trying to look as cute as possible.
And indeed, Ava was very cute.
A ninth-grade student with natural beauty, tall and striking, even among high school students, there were few girls taller than her.
But Ava's figure was very well-proportioned, even sowhat slender.
Her close embrace around Sam's arm made her look almost like an oversized Barbie doll.
If other girls made such intimate gestures towards Sam, it would make him uncomfortable, but with Ava, it seed he could only feel warmth.
Even enjoy it.
He didn't have any intention of pulling away; his body couldn't resist Ava at all.
It was as if she had so kind of magical charm.
"Cut the act, by the way, do mom and dad know you're staying here for a week?" Sam suddenly rembered this, considering the competition was only three days long, and while the other team mbers would be returning, she wouldn't. Their parents would definitely be worried.
Even though he was there to look after her, Sam was only 18 himself and hadn't even started college yet.
The girl clinging to Sam's arm suddenly laughed, showing a wide smile with her neat row of bright white teeth.
The aning behind her expression was clear.
"Heh."
"Heh your head, you didn't tell mom and dad?"
Ava pouted.
"Why should I tell them? I'm not a little kid anymore, and if I did tell them... they'd definitely nag a lot, I hate being questioned all the ti," she declared confidently.
Sam couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Great, as if I won't have to answer them when they ask ."
"That's your problem~"
"You're just lazy, aren't you?"
Sam couldn't understand how a girl who could be so lazy in daily life could be so talented in swimming.
"Heh, you're the big brother, right? I ca all this way, and you'd make your little sister do such things? Isn't that a bit too much?"
"Who's being too much here?"
"Hey, hey, hey, there's a taxi!"
The girl quickly hailed a cab from outside the station.
Sam sighed.
"Do you know how expensive cabs are? Can't we take the subway?"
"I ca all the way to Kuhang to take the subway?"
"Is your brother's money not money? Do you think it's toilet paper to be used for wiping?"
"Brother~~ can't you be a bit more civilized to your sister?"
Ava pulled Sam into the cab, then continued to grumble.
"Isn't there that woman who always brags about how rich she is? Didn't she give you any money?"
Sam, both amused and annoyed, said, "What do you take your brother for?"
Ava paused for a mont.
"Isn't it for her wealth that you are with her?" she asked bluntly, making Sam even start to doubt himself.
Was it really seen by others that he was with Angel just for the money? That seed like a gross misrepresentation of his noble character.
"What are you talking about? Do I look like that kind of person?"
Ava pouted.
"Then what? Are you actually in love with each other?"
"Can't I have normal intentions?"
Even his own sister doubting his motives was truly embarrassing.
Ava turned her head, seemingly distracted by the bustling scenery outside in Kuhang. She continued while looking around, "I don't believe you... By the way, does she know I'm here?"
"It would be hard for her not to know."
Indeed, that was the case.
After all, it hadn't been two hours since he had taken leave, and Angel had already sent a ssage—not just asking, but rather interrogating him about where he had gone.
Sam had no choice but to be honest.
He had ntioned it to Angel before, so when he spoke about it, he did so justifiably and even righteously.
What was slightly unexpected was that Angel didn't make it difficult for him, nor did she suggest coming along to pick up Ava. She simply said one thing.
"Got it."
That was not quite Angel's style, and Sam even felt a bit uneasy. Could that girl be secretly plotting sothing terrible?
Ava clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction.
"Why do you have to tell her everything?"
"It's not a big deal, so what if she knows?"
"It's going to be troubleso..."
"How is it troubleso?"
Sam looked at her strangely, only to receive a glare in return, followed by a sigh.
"Forget it, you're just a fool who doesn't understand anything."
"Now it's your turn to call a fool?"
"Fool, fool, fool! You're just a big fool of a brother!"
"..." She really had a way with words.
As they neared his ho, Sam didn't go grocery shopping first because he had other plans.
First, he brought Ava's luggage into his apartnt.
Upon entering, Ava looked around.
"Did you clean up because you knew I was coming?"
Sam set her suitcase aside and replied irritably.
"Think too much, my place is always like this."
Ava scoffed.
"Who would believe that? Isn't every guy's place a ss when he lives alone?"
"You act like you know so much."
Ava's eyes widened.
"That's what everyone says online!"
The internet is highly developed nowadays, with lots of information spread through various online platforms..
...
"I'm exhausted~" Ava plopped down on Sam's cheap sofa, and he handed her a bottle of water.
"Are you sure you've sorted things out with your school about staying here?"
Sam was still skeptical. Ava had a knack for acting first and explaining later, and it would be troubleso if her coach or the school administration showed up at his place.
Ava took the water and nodded.
"Of course, who do you think I am? As the star swimr of the team, don't I deserve so privileges... Can you open this for ~~"
She needed Sam's help to open the bottle cap, and he replied grumpily.
"You're the star swimr and you can't open a bottle cap? Open it yourself."
"Isn't it a guy's job to help a girl with bottle caps? Haven't you ever been in a relationship?"
"I'm not dating you, cut the chatter."
Sam tried to assert so brotherly authority, seemingly unaware that the young girl's cheeks flushed as she sneakily blinked at her handso brother.
Sam had already prepared the bed, even changing to a new set of sheets and blankets.
"You can sleep in my room for the next few days."
"And where will you sleep?" Ava blinked and asked.
"I'll sleep on the sofa, or I can make do on the floor. It's not like I'm going to sleep on a park bench."
Sam answered casually.
Ava thought for a mont.
"I don't want to sleep in a boy's bed. You sleep there; I'll sleep on the floor."
Sam could see right through why his sister said that.
It wasn't because she despised the bed for having been slept in by him, especially since the sheets and blankets were freshly changed, and there was no unbearable sll.
"Co on, don't put on an act in front of your brother. If mom and dad knew I let you sleep on the floor in Kuhang, they'd give an earful when we get ho. If you're not going to sleep in the bed, then go back to the place arranged by your swim team."
"I'll sleep in the bed then."
Ava looked resigned, but her eyes were practically glued to the bed.
This is Sam's bed... It must be full of his scent...
Sam was unaware of these thoughts. He just helped tidy up a bit and took out so new toiletries for her to use.
By the ti he finished, it seed like it was getting dark.
Just then.
"Gurgle..."
A strange sound erged.
Sam turned his head to look at the suddenly flushed girl.
"Hungry?"
Ava's eyes widened, her cheeks so red they looked like they could drip blood.
"That sound wasn't from ..."
Sam said with a slight chuckle.
"I didn't say it was. I'm asking if you're hungry."
"A little bit~~ What are we eating? Burgers or fries?"
Ava naturally assud that Sam, a student living alone, would either opt for fast food or takeout.
She had ntally prepared herself for that.
Sam smiled.
"How could I let you eat takeout in Kuhang? Do you need to pack anything? Let's head out."
"Eh, where are you taking to eat? Just so you know, I don't have money to pay."
Sam shook his head.
"It's actually probably better than ninety-nine percent of the places in Kuhang."
That might still be an understatent.
"Really! Let's go!"
Ava was clearly a foodie, but when Sam first took her to a nearby supermarket to start buying groceries, she seed to realize sothing.
"Buying groceries? Do the restaurants in Kuhang require you to bring your own ingredients?"
Sam chuckled, "Haven't you figured out yet that I'm planning to cook?"
"Cook? I can't cook at all!"
"Thump!"
Sam gently tapped Ava's head.
"You really are clueless, aren't you? Who said anything about you cooking? I still don't know what your cooking is like."
"You're cooking? No way... You can't cook either!"
"That was in the past. You haven't tried the dishes I make now. I'm sure you'll be impressed."
"Eh... you're not planning to poison in Kuhang and then take all the inheritance for yourself, are you?"
"First off, poisoning soone would get in legal trouble, and secondly, what inheritance? Do you think our family is like Angel's family?"
"Can we not ntion her na?"
Ava pouted, clearly fixated on Angel.
Sam had bought a lot of groceries, most of which were Ava's favorites, and so were for another girl.
When Sam led Ava to the door of a strange apartnt.
Ava asked curiously, "Aren't we going ho to cook? Why are we here?"
Sam calmly replied, "This is a classmate's place. Let's eat together; we can have more variety."
"Eh... Why do we need an extra stranger at the al?"
Ava was a bit upset.
It was supposed to be a al alone with her brother... Even if it wasn't great, she would have forced herself to eat it, but having another person made it harder to swallow.
It's not another girl, is it?
Sam said with a smile, "Don't you think having an extra person ans we can enjoy more dishes? It's a good deal."
"I don't eat much!"
"Ding dong~~"
Sam rang the doorbell.
Inside, the sound of soone approaching the door slowly ca, as if they checked the peephole before opening the door.
The person who appeared was a girl in a thick gray hoodie, her long hair sowhat ssy and falling around her, and she wore a pair of old-fashioned black-frad glasses.
But even in such a casual outfit, her innate elegance and almost unbeatable charm among her peers couldn't be hidden.
Ava was stunned the mont she saw her.
She had thought that Angel was the prettiest girl around Sam, and that no other girl could surpass her.
But unexpectedly, this girl, even in such a casual outfit, possessed a beauty that was unattainable for most girls.
This must be makeup, right? A cunning no-makeup makeup look? It can't be real!
How can soone look so good without makeup?
All the creatures around her brother are either fairies or enchantresses!
Even upon seeing Sophie for the first ti, Ava couldn't help but exclaim in a very unfriendly manner...
"Fuck~"
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