New Morning Routine

"…"

Lying in bed, Shido could hear birds chirping outside his window. Today seemed as if it was going to be another peaceful day. Unfortunately, he didn't feel as though the peace would be shared with him.

"Hey, Kurumi."

"Yes?"

"Don't you think we should get out of bed now?"

"You can get out of bed whenever you like, Shido."

"No, I can't!"

Shido turned his head to talk to the girl clinging to his right arm.

Kurumi stared back at Shido blankly.

"Why are you even here?"

"Kotori-san told me to come wake you up."

"So you're holding me in bed?"

Kurumi gave a chuckle.

"I suddenly felt like sleeping for a little longer."

"Neither one of us is sleeping."

As usual, Kurumi took Shido's comment in an entirely different direction.

"Are you saying that you won't let me sleep, Shido?"

"What made you get that idea?"

Kurumi began to move underneath the covers.

"K-K-K-Kurumi?"

Before Shido knew it, Kurumi was suddenly mounting herself on top of him. Her right leg was between both of his and her hands were placed beside his head.

The current position made Shido's heartbeat accelerate to the point where if he said anything, his heart would jump out of his mouth.

Kurumi's face was turning pink. She slowly leaned her face closer to Shido's. Shido instinctively closed his eyes, anticipating a kiss.

Suddenly, the door to Shido's room swung open.

On the other end of the door, a girl with red eyes along with red hair tied into twin tails by black ribbons was staring at the couple furiously. Her cheeks were beginning to flush.

"What the hell are you doing!?"

"Oh, Kotori-san, good morning~"

Kurumi had moved her face away from Shido's to greet his little sister with a smile.

"It's noon."

Kotori's expression was neutral as she mentioned the time.

"What's wrong with sleeping until noon? It's the weekend, after all."

Kurumi continued to look at Kotori innocently.

"Even so, I sent you to wake Shido up an hour ago!"

Kotori's voice was growing louder as she pointed her index finger at Kurumi.

"Why did it take an hour for you to come check on us?"

As the situation escalated, Shido's voice was also growing louder while he was still being mounted by Kurumi.

"You shut up!"

"I don't think that'll be a problem at this rate."

Kotori's face began to grow redder as she saw Shido and Kurumi in their current positions. Her pointed finger was slightly trembling.

"Could you give us another hour?"

Kurumi asked with the kindest voice.

"Not a chance! Get up!"

Kotori's disapproval made Kurumi frown. She turned to look at Shido again.

"It seems we have a problem, Shido. What would you like to do?"

"Why are you asking me!?"

Shido showed no sign of calming down.

"It is your room."

"That doesn't seem to be stopping you from doing what you want."

"Then can we keep going?"

"Why!?"

"Enough!"

Kotori began to approach the two on the bed.

"Get up already!"

Kurumi suddenly embraced Shido's head.

"My, Shido, Kotori-san seems to be feeling left out. What should we do?"

"Again, why are you asking me!?"

Kotori had frozen the moment Kurumi teased her. Her expression suddenly grew dark.

"K-Kotori?"

Shido's face now showed signs of worry.

"I see. So that's how you want to play it."

"My, did I make you upset, Kotori-san?"

Kurumi made an innocent smile.

"Hey, Kurumi!"

Shido was worried that Kurumi was taking the situation too far.

Enraged that Kurumi had made such a claim, Kotori began to raise her right hand.

"W-Wait a second, Kotori! She didn't mean it! Forgive her already!"

Kotori's hand continued to rise, until it reached one of the black ribbons that was tying her hair. She slowly loosened the knot, and swiftly pulled it off. The behavior made Kurumi stare in bewilderment.

Kotori then proceeded to untie the other ribbon that was tying her hair.

When both of the ribbons came off, Kotori pulled out what seemed like white ribbons, and began trying her hair into twin tails again.

"Hey, Kotori, what are you…?"

Before Shido could finish asking his question, Kotori had finished tying her hair and suddenly made an energetic yell as she jumped straight onto the bed.

Kurumi had barely managed to dismount Shido and move to lie next to his left side.

The moment Kurumi had thrown herself off, Kotori had taken her former place on the bed and began pulling the covers off.

"Onii-chan, it's time to wake up!"

Kotori had tied her ribbons to become the sweeter sister that Shido knew.

"K-Kotori, what are you…?"

"I'm doing this because you aren't getting up!"

Kotori continued to pull the covers, but Shido was holding the other side. A smile had formed on her face.

"My, Kotori-san, did you want to join Shido in bed that badly?"

Kurumi was suddenly interested in Kotori's sudden change in personality.

The moment Kotori heard Kurumi's question, she stopped pulling the covers and turned to look at the woman who was having her way with her older brother, but her expression didn't seem to show any upset emotions like before. Instead, she excitedly let go of the part of the covers that Shido was holding and leaned closer to Kurumi.

"Hey, Onee-chan, you should get up too."

The sudden title that Kotori addressed Kurumi with caught both her and Shido off guard.

"O-Onee…chan…?"

It was Kurumi's turn to have her cheeks flush.

"Hey, hey, Onee-chan, hurry and get up!"

Kotori suddenly threw herself at Kurumi and tried to pull the covers off of her.

Shido's little sister was now on top of Kurumi, while Kurumi was trying her best to keep Kotori off.

"Sh-Shido! What's going on?"

The covers were pulled off of Kurumi, and Kotori was now hugging her as if trying to cuddle with her.

"W-Well, long story short, that's how she is when she isn't wearing her black ribbons."

"W-What does that mean? H-Hey, Kotori-san, that tickles!"

Kotori was cuddling with Kurumi to the point where Kurumi yelped a few times from having her body tickled.

"Heehee, Onee-chan~ Onee-chan~"

Kotori chimed Kurumi's new title as if it was natural. Shido had never seen her act this way towards anyone other than himself. Therefore he was dumbfounded. But for some reason, he also felt a warm feeling in his chest, which made him form a wide smile on his face.

In order to not let either of the two notice his expression, Shido suddenly pulled the covers over his head and laid back onto the mattress of his bed.

"Ah, Onii-chan! Don't go back to bed!"

Kotori was now once again pulling the side of Shido's cover, no longer prioritizing Kurumi.

"Hey, Kotori."

The tone of Shido's voice had changed as it was heard from under the covers.

"Hm? What's the matter?"

Kotori stopped tugging the sheets for a moment and tilted her head.

"I think…the T-virus is coming back…"

"T…virus?"

Kurumi repeated what Shido said slowly, confused. She looked at Kotori for an explanation, but what she saw instead was suddenly a look of fear.

"O-Onii-chan…?"

The moment Kotori called out to her older brother, the covers flew off from Shido and the expression he made was terrifying – at least to Kotori.

Having her fears return a second time, Kotori immediately jumped off the bed and ran out of the bedroom. The moment she was gone, Shido laughed as he laid back onto his bed.

Kurumi remained sitting on the other side, more confused than before.

"Was that…really Kotori-san?"

Shido laughed a little more before giving a reply.

"Yeah, that's her other side."

"I see."

"So, what did you think? 'Onee-chan?'"

Shido emphasized Kurumi's new title.

Hearing herself being addressed as someone she wasn't used to being again, Kurumi's cheeks immediately reddened.

"T-That's…"

Seeing the rare scene of Kurumi being flustered, Shido couldn't help but laugh even more. Though she was still embarrassed, she couldn't help but laugh along with him.

Eventually the laughter died, and there was silence in the room again. Kurumi had decided to break the silence shortly after.

"…shouldn't we go check on Kotori-san?"

"Are you worried about her?"

"…"

Kurumi remained silent, not wanting to admit what she was feeling.

"She'll be fine."

"Right…"

More silence.

"Well then, should we get out of bed now?"

"R-Right…"

The event that Kurumi had just experienced had ruined her mood for jokes.

"By the way, Shido."

Shido began to sit himself on the corner of his bed before turning to look at Kurumi.

"What's the T-virus?"

Kurumi looked at Shido and showed that she truly was confused. Seeing her so curious, he couldn't help but form a sinister grin on his face.

"The T-virus?"

He turned away and stroked his chin as if to think.

"Well…it's this!"

Instead of replying normally like Kurumi expected, Shido suddenly jumped further back into his bed, pulled the covers above both himself and Kurumi, and began to tickle her.

"W-Wait, Shid-"

As Kurumi was being tickled by Shido, she was letting out yelps that could be heard throughout the house.

In the end it took them another half hour before they got out of bed. By the time they were finally out of bed, they discovered Kotori hiding behind a coffee table, which she had flipped over onto its side in order to use it as a barricade.