Katsumi stood in front of Aika’s home, his bag hanging loosely from one shoulder as he stared at the familiar entrance with a faint sense of resignation.
The good news was that Aika had actually listened to him and hadn’t rushed outside to wait for him.
The bad news?
That meant he had to enter her house again.
Katsumi sighed quietly.
“…Why does this keep happening?”
It wasn’t as though he disliked being in Aika’s home.
In fact, the place was perfectly comfortable, and her family had always treated him kindly.
It was simply that every visit seemed to come with its own unexpected complication, and Katsumi had begun to suspect that entering this house was somehow becoming a recurring event in his life.
Blue’s translucent form drifted beside him, a grin spreading across his face.
‘The kid is going to fuss over you again.’
He snickered.
‘Hehe.’
Katsumi’s eyebrow twitched.
“Don’t start.”
‘I didn’t say anything.’
“You were thinking loudly.”
Blue laughed again.
Katsumi ignored him and reached toward the doorbell.
Driiing!
The shrill chime rang through the house, spreading through the quiet afternoon before gradually fading.
Katsumi waited.
A few seconds passed.
Then…
Creak.
The door opened.
Katsumi immediately straightened his posture and offered his usual polite greeting.
“Hello, Auntie.
I—”
He stopped.
There was no Auntie.
Standing in the doorway instead was a familiar eleven-year-old boy with blue hair and a gentle expression.
Katsumi’s eyes widened slightly behind his glasses.
Aichi.
His little fan.
For a moment, the two simply stared at each other.
Behind Katsumi, Blue’s grin became enormous.
‘Oh, this is going to be fun.’
Katsumi silently regretted ringing the bell.
“Brother Katsu!”
Aichi’s expression brightened immediately, his earlier calmness disappearing beneath obvious excitement.
“You’re here!”
Katsumi gave a short, dry chuckle.
“Yeah.”
Aichi looked past him, seemingly expecting someone else.
“Are you visiting my sister?”
“Your sister and I are going to Card Capital.”
Katsumi explained it casually, not giving much thought to whether Aichi would actually care.
Instead, the boy’s eyes widened with interest.
“Card Capital?”
Aichi straightened.
“I know Card Capital.
Kai and I are supposed to go there tomorrow.”
Katsumi’s expression remained neutral.
‘Tomorrow?’
That caught his attention.
He couldn’t quite explain why, but Aichi’s casual statement left him with an odd feeling, as though the harmless information had quietly placed another piece onto a board Katsumi hadn’t realized he was playing on.
Was the kid going to become another complication?
He couldn’t put his finger on it.
Blue drifted closer, his grin widening.
‘Interesting.’
Katsumi ignored him.
“Yeah, it’s a nice place.”
Aichi was eleven, after all, and clearly considered himself old enough not to be treated like a little kid.
“Hey…”
Katsumi withdrew his hand.
“Sorry.”
Aichi fixed his hair with a small frown before looking back at him.
“So you’re going there to play Vanguard?”
“To train.”
“Train?”
“With your sister.”
Aichi’s eyes brightened again.
“Oh.”
There was genuine interest in his expression now.
“I’ve been trying to get better too.”
Katsumi studied him for a moment.
“You play?”
Aichi nodded.
“Yeah.
I started learning properly recently.”
Katsumi gave a small nod.
“Then you’ll have plenty of opportunities to improve.”
Aichi smiled.
“I’ll remember that.”
Katsumi adjusted the strap of his bag.
“Could you ask Aika to come down for me?
We’re already running a little late.”
Aichi nodded.
“Sure.”
He turned toward the stairs, but before he could take more than a couple of steps, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly came from above.
Aika’s voice followed.
“Aichi?
Who’s at the door?”
Katsumi glanced toward Blue.
The dragon merely smiled.
‘This is going to be interesting.’
“…I have a bad feeling about this.”
The footsteps grew louder.
Then a small figure came rushing down the staircase.
Katsumi barely had time to turn before Emi Sendou appeared, her face lighting up the instant she spotted him.
“Brother Katsu!”
Before Katsumi could properly react, Emi rushed toward him and wrapped her arms around him.
“Whoa…”
Katsumi staggered half a step before regaining his balance.
“Emi?”
She looked up at him with a bright smile.
“Did Sister invite you again?”
Her curiosity was practically overflowing.
“Are you staying for a while?”
Katsumi stared down at her.
“…Why does everyone keep assuming I’m staying?”
A muffled snicker came from behind him.
‘Because they like you.’
Katsumi’s eyebrow twitched.
“Blue, don’t.”
Emi blinked.
“Blue?”
Katsumi froze.
Aichi tilted his head.
Aika, who had finally reached the bottom of the stairs, looked toward Katsumi with a questioning expression.
Katsumi cleared his throat.
“I said…
blue.”
He pointed vaguely toward the sky outside. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“The sky.”
Emi stared at him for a moment.
Then she smiled.
“Brother Katsu is weird.”
“…I know.”
Blue was practically shaking with laughter.
‘Excellent recovery.’
Katsumi silently decided that the dragon was going to pay for this later.
Aika walked over, looking slightly embarrassed by the scene.
“Emi, let go of him.
You’re going to make him late.”
“But Brother Katsu just arrived!”
“I know.”
Emi finally released him, although she remained close by.
Aichi looked toward Katsumi.
“So you’re really going to Card Capital?”
“Yes.”
“Can I come?”
Aika looked at her brother.
“Aichi…”
He immediately raised his hands.
“I won’t get in the way.
I just want to watch.”
Katsumi studied the eleven-year-old for a moment.
Unlike Emi, Aichi wasn’t bouncing around or demanding attention.
His interest was quieter, but the excitement in his eyes was unmistakable.
He genuinely wanted to see a cardfight.
Katsumi glanced toward Aika.
Then toward Aichi.
Then toward Blue.
The dragon gave him an innocent smile.
‘You wanted to avoid complications.’
Katsumi sighed.
“…Fine.”
Aichi’s expression brightened.
“But you’re watching quietly, and you don’t touch anyone’s cards without permission.”
Aichi nodded immediately.
“Of course.”
Emi raised her hand.
“Can I come too?”
Katsumi looked at her.
“…You too.”
Emi’s face lit up.
“Really?!”
“But the same rules apply.”
“Okay!”
“No running around the store.”
“I won’t!”
“No interrupting the fights.”
“I won’t!”
“And absolutely no touching someone else’s cards without permission.”
Emi nodded enthusiastically.
“I promise!”
Katsumi stared at the three children surrounding him.
Aika was smiling.
Aichi looked genuinely excited.
Emi looked ready to explode from enthusiasm.
Blue was laughing silently behind them.
Katsumi adjusted his glasses.
Two children, one preteen, one training session, and an invisible dragon who apparently existed solely to make his life harder.
“…This is going to be a long afternoon.”