When Kyousuke woke up on this fine Sunday morning, it was like any other. He had slept in like any ordinary student would on their day off and he had completed his typical morning rituals without interruption, quietly dressing in his room after a short shower and brushing his teeth. Glancing out the window, he admired the cloudless sky and the warmth of the sun, listening contently to the birdsong that filled the neighbourhood.

As he entered the living room, everything was as it should be - his mother was busying herself in the kitchen, happily preparing breakfast, while his father was seated in front of the television, watching the late morning news. Kirino was absent from the picture, but that wasn't all that surprising. Late into the night, Kyousuke could hear his little sister playing on her computer, no doubt attempting to clear one of her eroge. She probably wouldn't rise until near noon, as she didn't get many opportunities to rest during the school week.

On Sunday, the Kousaka household was rather laidback. Breakfast was served later than normal, giving everyone the chance to relax a bit more on their day off.

"Good morning," he announced, nodding toward his father and then his mother. "Father, mother."

"Morning dear~" Yoshino called, darting around the kitchen with boundless energy. She looked strangely upbeat, but it wasn't anything too out of the ordinary. His mother could be like that sometimes. While Kirino took after their father in many ways, she also had several mannerisms from their mother. Being full of energy was one of them. "About time you woke up, I was starting to wonder, you know~?"

Kyousuke grimaced, knowing there was a subtle insult in there somewhere but unable to pick it out. Just what did she think he did in his room all the time? Something perverted, no doubt - urgh.

"Kyousuke," his father grunted in return, acknowledging his greeting before returning to the news. That was typical.

Sitting down at the table, it wasn't long before breakfast was served. Giving his thanks, Kyousuke began devouring his rice, miso soup, nori - dried seaweed - and tamagoyaki - rolled omelette. He was in the process of dipping his nori in his small saucer of soy sauce when his mother commented about Kirino's absence, sounding worried.

"That girl - is she not feeling well? She doesn't normally sleep in so long, unlike someone I could name."

"Leave me alone," Kyousuke answered sullenly, rolling his seaweed with rice and chewing it thoughtfully. It was pretty good. Swallowing, he decided on allaying his mother's fears, even though he didn't really have to say anything; one of the many differences of the Kyousuke from a year ago and the Kyousuke of today was coming to the defence of his sister, even when it wasn't required. "She was up all night, studying. I could hear her complaining about it."

Yoshino accepted his lie at face value. "Oh, is that so? She's always working so hard, even when she doesn't have to. Why can't you be more like her, Kyousuke? You are such a slacker."

"Leave me alone," he repeated, continuing with his meal. Yoshino grinned at him cheekily in response while his father calmly went about eating his own food. Yes, this morning was just like any other weekend morning. It wasn't until after breakfast that things started getting a little strange. With his life as of late, he should have learnt by now not to let his guard down - ever.

He was stacking his dishes next to the sink when the doorbell rang. He took little notice of it, moving over to the fridge after completing his task and pulling out a can of soda while his mother went out and answered the door. Cracking it open, he was about to take a sip when his mother returned, calling out to him.

"Hm?"

"There is someone here to see you - a girl."

"What?" he asked, bewildered. "Manami?"

"No, someone else," she replied, sounding genuinely surprised. For some reason, he found that tone really annoying. "Honestly, I thought it must have been some mistake. She is much too cute - but she knew your name, so..." she shrugged, clearly confused.

"Uh - right," he uttered, slouching out into the entrance hall to see who it was. For some reason, it felt like his mother was holding something back. Did she know who it was and she wasn't telling him?

He blinked.

"Aha~! Hello, manager-saaaan!"

"Wha-!"

Kurusu Kanako beamed at him happily, her voice dripping with her over-the-top cuteness she used to annoy or charm, depending on the victim. She was dressed in a cute red checkered miniskirt, a pair of thigh-high socks and plain brown boots, and a sleeve-less white button-up shirt, with matching red checkered tie. Hanging from her shoulder was a small brown leather handbag that went with her boots. She simply looked adorable, especially with her usual twintails in place - so much so, in fact, that Kyousuke gaped at her, speechless. The young idol wannabe giggled at his expression, preening.

"Is Kanako's beauty too much, manager-san?" she asked, giving a little twirl. Her skirt flared at the action, showing dangerous amounts of skin. "Aha - the look on your face is priceless, it's almost gross."

"Ah - Kanako-san? What - how?" he stuttered, confused. She was calling him manager-san - how had she worked it out? What happened to that lovable idiot who got tricked into cosplaying Meruru? That girl couldn't have worked out his identity, could she? His disguise hadn't been a very good one - all he had done was put on a suit, a pair of sunglasses and style his hair a little bit - but she had shown no signs that she recognised him that day.

Kanako gave another giggle. "Ayase told Kanako who you were - she owed Kanako a favour, see? And well, Kanako wanted your address and she got all weird about it, but Ayase hates lies, so she finally told the truth after Kanako teased her about it even though she got really scary. Man, I couldn't believe it when she said that Kanako's very first fan was Kirino's plain older brother - what was that other name you gave me, huh? You are pretty sneaky. Oh - is that for me?"

Kyousuke sighed as she took his can of soda. What a damn brat. She wiped the lip, even though he hadn't even begun drinking it yet. So Ayase was to blame, huh? Kyousuke worried that she might have let slip about his reasons for posing as her manager, but then shook them away. Ayase was a lot of things, but she wouldn't betray Kirino for anything - this much he knew for certain. His troublesome sister's secret was still safe. But now he had something else to deal with. He never expected to be found out like this.

He sighed again. This was such an odd situation that he didn't even know how to react or how this was going to play out. He supposed that introductions were in order - a real one, this time, even if Ayase had already told her his name. He bowed politely. "Sorry about that - my name is Kousaka Kyousuke. Please, call me whatever suits you."

Kanako took several large gulps of the soda, gasping with tears in her eyes as she came up for air. Then she grinned, simpering, "Hm, what a polite guy - how about Kyousuke-kun~?"

She could really hit the high note, couldn't she? As expected of such a talented singer, he thought - Kyousuke hadn't forgotten the amazing performance she put on as Meruru. That day, he had learned that his sister truly had befriended some amazingly outrageous people. They made him look bad being such an average guy.

"So," he began, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "How come you wanted to see me?"

"I thought we could hang out, you know?" she said casually.

Kyousuke honestly didn't know how to respond to that, so he repeated hesitantly. "Er - hang out?"

"Yeah. I want to learn more about Kyousuke-kun. And I know Kyousuke-kun will agree, since he is a total lolicon."

"Who are you calling a lolicon?!"

To be honest, he felt a little embarrassed by her honesty. Though, strangely, he also felt relieved. He was used to dealing with girls who were incredibly vague in their intentions that it was a breath of fresh air to deal with someone who was much more straight forward. Even if she could be painfully blunt at times. But why did she want to get to know him?

"Uh, sure," he agreed, shrugging. It wasn't like he had any plans for the day. He was intending to laze around at home; maybe muck around on the internet, so getting out was appealing. It was a pretty good day, from the looks of things. "Let me grab my wallet."

"Huhu - a man who knows his role. Kanako hit the jackpot."

...what she said made him feel a little nervous.

It didn't take him long to get his things, but he was waylaid on the staircase by his mother. Kyousuke paused, unsure - she was frowning, looking rather serious, something that rarely happened. He remembered the time she first saw Kuroneko in her school uniform, being invited up to his room - such a cold glare. It was because she thought he was dating Manami while messing around with a younger girl - that's the type of person his mother thought he was.

"Mother?"

"Is that your girlfriend?"

"Gah!"

Kyousuke coughed, thumping his chest. He probably should have expected something like that.

"She is one of Kirino's friends, right?" she continued. "I was pretty surprised when she asked for you. Putting the moves on such a young girl, I should have expected it after last time - how long have you been dating? You should tell your mother these things, you know~!"

Kyousuke felt like pulling his hair out as she laughed. She was teasing him - he should have known. "You are such a clown sometimes."

"Aha - that isn't a very nice thing you say about your mother, Kyousuke."

Grumbling, he slid around her, but stopped near the bottom, half turning towards her. Something had just occurred to him. "Please don't tell Kirino. It's rather important."

"Oh?"

"We are trying to surprise her with something," he invented wildly, knowing his mother was hopeless at keeping a secret. How else did the neighbours know about what kind of porn he enjoyed? Perhaps if she believed it was for the benefit of her precious daughter, she could control herself. If not, there was a very real chance that Kirino would blow her stack if she found out he had been out with one of her school friends. "Her friends want to show how much they appreciate her, so I'm helping out."

She tilted her head to the side, pondering what he said, before nodding. "Okay."

"Thanks, mom."

Kanako was waiting rather impatiently, her foot tapping the ground irritably. The soda she stole from Kyousuke was crushed in her fist. "Oh, there you are. How slow are you?"

"Yeah, yeah - let's go."

Slipping on a pair of trainers, he ventured out into the sun with his surprising companion. As they walked down the street, he felt a little awkward - he didn't know this girl very well, so he was having trouble coming up with things to talk about. If it was Manami, they would just idly chat about every day, unremarkable topics - in a sense, very normal and boring. Kanako was the complete opposite of Manami, though. She was a cute, stylish middle-school girl who was incredibly talented at singing and dancing. If she was the complete opposite of Manami, she was even more removed from Saori and Kuroneko - so he couldn't pull experience from dealing with them, either. Ayase was perhaps the closest, but his track record with the beautiful model was not the best. He didn't feel like being threatened with police action. In the end, he decided to go with what he knew about her and hesitantly spoke up as they entered a park.

"Um - so, how are things?" he said lamely while she binned the crushed soda can. "I mean - did Ayase introduce you to her modelling agency like she promised?"

Kanako nodded happily. "Yeah, I've been working for them for a little while now. Kanako is amazing, right? I don't get as much work as Ayase or Kirino-chan, but I still get enough to earn some decent cash. I should have gotten into it sooner. Those two get all the really good shoots, though. Kanako is still a bit loli, you know? I get used for the younger consumer."

Kyousuke understood that could be a little frustrating. He took a few moments to reply, thinking over his words carefully. "Does that bother you? Being used that way?" She didn't seem very annoyed by it, though she was frowning a little.

She shrugged indifferently. "Kanako gets paid to look cute, so there is nothing to be bothered about."

That was a pretty good way of looking at it. He was impressed.

"Kanako was also picked up as an official cosplayer for that anime - Stardust Witch Meruru. The modelling agency is into that stuff, as well."

"Wha-!? Really?" Kyousuke asked, shocked. It wasn't that he didn't think she could - when dressed in her magical girl attire, she looked exactly like Meruru; she even sounded like her when she spoke and sang. Kanako would be perfect for the job. But didn't she hate that sort of stuff? And when did modelling agencies do things like cosplay? Were they involved in the otaku culture now? "Uh - that is pretty surprising. I didn't think you would want to do something like that again. It sounded like you hate that sort of stuff, you know?"

Again, she shrugged, though this time she smiled at him. "Yeah, otaku are disgusting, but like I said that time - Kanako likes being worshipped and thought of as cute. It was really fun, even with all those creepy people in the crowd. And it also pays really well - better than the regular modelling, even though I've only done a few small events. I also get to sing and dance, so I don't mind doing it. An idol should be able to do things like that, right?"

Kyousuke blinked at her enthusiasm before grinning broadly, his switch flipped. "You are really amazing, you know that? Go for gold! You'll be an idol in no time!"

"Why are you shouting all of a sudden?" she asked, though she didn't seem to mind all that much. If anything, it seemed to please her. She began to skip beside him, laughing haughtily. "And of course Kanako will be an idol in no time. I'm glad you understand. Ahahaha~!"

The silence that followed was a comfortable one. Soon enough, the park was left behind and the houses around them gave way to various small shops, arcades and cafés.

"So, what do you want to do?" he asked, looking around. He had just eaten breakfast, so he wasn't hungry at all. He could go for a drink, though. Kanako had stolen his soda. He then felt a chill go up his spine, a sense of dread that was well honed from hanging out with his sister in recent times.

"Let's go shopping!"

For some reason, those words made Kyousuke feel ill at ease.

The next few hours were full of clothes shopping, which really was the worst type of shopping imaginable. Kyousuke thought that following his sister around while she brought eroge was bad, but this trumped it. He wasn't exactly sure why - they were just clothes, right? Perhaps it was just some inborn male thing. Eroge and other otaku assorted good might be rather embarrassing, but it was far from boring. Though watching Kanako try on different clothes wasn't exactly boring, either. It's just that she took so long to pick which clothes to try - which was boring, extremely so - that the modelling of said clothes was such a small payoff at the end of it. And really, Kanako wasn't afraid of showing a little skin and then teasing the hell out of him.

"P-Please, isn't that a bit short? I can almost see your panties."

"Ahaha~! Lolicon."

"Oi - keep your voice down, will you? I don't want to get locked up. And aren't you the one showing off more than she should? Don't you have any shame?"

"You are pretty cute when you're flustered, Kyousuke-kun. You can come in the dressing room, if you liiiiike~!"

"You damn brat!"

"I'll just get changed here, it doesn't matter."

"H-Hey, wait! Don't do that here! We'll get in trouble!"

That's how it went at almost every store. Kanako was quite a handful. Kyousuke was surprised they didn't get thrown out of each and every shop, but maybe it was because Kanako bought something from all of them. The power of money solves all problems, he thought as he slouched down the street, carrying dozens of bags. It also causes me pain! He was a little worried at the amount of money she was spending, but Kanako assured him that she had saved plenty for a day just like this.

It was nearly one o'clock when they finally sat down at a nearby café, Kyousuke hastily ordering a drink to quench his thirst. He almost sobbed as he drank all of it in one go, ordering a second as a follow up. Kanako smirked at him, ordering some food for herself and a drink.

"You can pay for this, right?" she asked arrogantly, idly searching through her handbag. "It's the least you could do."

"What is this, a date? Tch."

Honestly, he didn't mind paying all that much. He wasn't going to let her know that, though. It would be the end of his wallet, for sure. She was the very definition of a high maintenance girl.

"You are a bit slow, aren't you? Ahaha - that's why I like you."

He was about to retort when she pulled out a cigarette. He froze for a moment, staring at her blankly. Just as it touched her lips, he snatched it away angrily. She jumped, startled, before glaring at him hotly.

"Hey - what are you doing?" she yelled.

"Didn't I tell you last time not to smoke? You damn idiot!"

"You sound just like Ayase! You're the idiot! It isn't a real one, dummy. Now give it back!"

He blinked.

Now that he had it in his hand, it was obvious it wasn't a real cigarette, but one of those new electronic ones that were supposed to help people quit. He rubbed his fingers against the plastic cylinder, thoughtful. Instead of smoke, you inhaled vapour that was harmless. He was so surprised that he didn't even attempt to evade her as Kanako reached out and snatched it back, scowling.

"So, you're trying to quit, huh?"

"What of it?"

"That's really great, you know. Smoking is bad for you."

"You sound exactly like Ayase. She won't shut up about it - and what's worse, she gets all scary when she does it. What are you two, my parents?"

Kyousuke shrugged. "It's the truth. You shouldn't damage your lungs with something like that. I'm glad you are trying to give up. Really."

Kanako flushed lightly at his praise. "You are such an idiot."

He chuckled. "Yeah, yeah."

"Anywaaaay - tell Kanako about Kyousuke-kun!"

"What do you want to know?"

Her food arrived at that moment, so she stashed her electronic cigarette back in her handbag for later.

"Kirino never talks about you - I didn't even know she had a brother until we came over that day. Don't you guys get along or something?"

Just like Kanako, to go straight for the jugular.

"We never used to talk and would just ignore each other, no matter what," he explained, shrugging sheepishly, "But that has changed a little bit lately. She still hates me - I think - but..."

"Do you guys do dirty stuff together?"

"Oi! Where the hell did that come from?!"

She laughed mockingly. "You were all over her that day - trying to undress your little sister on the floor. Totally gross!"

"Don't misunderstand!" he pleaded, wanting to bury his face in his hands but fighting the urge. "And don't say that so loudly! People might hear!"

"Ehehe ~ you are fun to tease."

"Urgh - really, please stop."

"So, what school do you go to?" she asked, settling for more normal question. He answered her readily, thankful to move off the subject of his relationship with his sister. After a few more mundane questions about him, she began eating.

He sipped his drink slowly as Kanako ate her food. Unlike what you would expect from a middle school girl, she wasn't taking dainty bites at all - she was taking large bites and washing it down with her cola, her cheeks almost bursting as she forced it down. He shook his head, unable to keep a smile off his face. Even if waiting around while she browsed for clothes had been boring, he was enjoying himself more than he thought he would be. It was strange, but Kyousuke realised he felt extremely comfortable around this girl after the initial awkwardness.

"Hey..." the young girl opposite him asked hesitantly. The fact that she sounded a little unsure of herself made him sit up and take notice.

"Y-Yeah?"

Kanako was biting her lip, worrying it between her teeth. Kyousuke felt a little hot around the collar. "Kanako was wondering..."

"Yeah?"

"Kanako was wondering if you could be her manager."

He opened his mouth to reply, realised he had nothing to say, so he closed it again. He stared at the twintailed girl, unsure if he had heard right. The silence started to stretch a little too long, so he echoed her faux-calmly.

"Manager?"

Kanako nodded seriously. "Yeah. I mean, the agency handles all the important stuff like contract negotiations and stuff like that. But Kanako has a pretty big event coming up and normally, we get a helper to run errands and stuff - and Kanako was pretty comfortable with you last time and was hoping you'd like to do it again."

Was this why she asked me out today?

"You would be paid, of course. Kanako would make sure of it - even though being around Kanako should be payment enough!"

This girl...

"Well," he began slowly. "I suppose I could. Do you just want me for this event?"

"And more!"

"I'm still a student, you know."

"So is Kanako. None of the events would happen during school time."

The pair stared at each other, one secretly hoping with all her heart that he would agree while the other thought furiously for any reason he should refuse. It wasn't like there was a Meruru event every other week, so it wouldn't take up too much of his time and affect his grades - and really, the money would be nice, as well. He wouldn't be able to do it around exam time, though. If he failed a test, his parents would never let him hear the end of it.

"...Okay, I'll do it!"

Kanako beamed at him. "Ahaha~! As if there was any doubt!"

"You damn brat."

...you damn cute brat.

They hung around the shopping district for a little longer before calling it a day, slowly heading back to the park they had walked through earlier in the day, both licking ice creams they had bought on the way out. Even with his arms laden with bags, he wasn't having too much difficulty lapping at his treat - though watching Kanako's tongue dart out and lick her vanilla cone was really distracting; so much so that he nearly tripped on the curb as they crossed the road. She laughed at him loudly while he cursed.

"Watch where you are going, Kyousuke-kun. You are so clumsy."

He wanted to say it was her fault, but really, how could he?

Entering the park, they found a bench where he could unload the bags. Apparently, Kanako was being picked up by her sister here, so this was where they were going to part. She didn't live far away but with all her bags, it would be quite a hike. He would have carried them to the whole way, but Kanako wasn't ready to invite him over just yet.

"Well, I had fun today," he said, not lying. "Shouldn't we swap numbers? If I'm going to be your manager, you know?"

"That was pretty smooth - Kanako has high hopes for you, Kyousuke-kun."

"Why do you always take what I say and twist it?" he asked resignedly, but he had a small smile on his face. "Some guys might get the wrong idea, you know?"

"Heh," she chuckled cockily. "Here is my number."

They brought their phones together, trading their contact information. Kanako began typing on her cell furiously, probably giving him some ridiculous name. He looked down at his own phone for a moment, debating silently. Then, with a wide grin, he input a name for her contact details.

Kanako frowned at his smile, suddenly worried. "What did you just do? I don't like that look on your face."

Showing her his screen, he said cheerfully, "Kanakana-chan~!"

"Urk!"

The look on her face was priceless. She nearly dropped her ice cream.

"Well, I'm going now. Give me a call when you find out more about the Meruru event, okay?" he said, turning to go, "I had fun today."

"Wait!"

He blinked when he felt something soft touch his cheek. It was a strange sensation; wet, cold but with underlining warmth. Eyes wide, he turned to the small girl in shock. She smirked at him, trying to look superior, but it was ruined by her flushed face and the smeared ice cream on her lips.

"It's decided. Don't get the wrong idea, but you are now Kanako's property. Now you can go~! Cya ~ Kyousuke-kuuun~!"

He barely remembered leaving the park.

...damn, when did I trip this flag? Her affection points are nearly at max! This is kinda scary...

Before he knew it, he was standing outside his house. Staring blankly at the front door like a zombie, it took him a few moments to move, reaching out for the handle. He was about to grip it when the door was pulled open viciously and he blinked, surprised, face to face with his little sister.

"Uh..."

"You!" she snarled, seething. He took a step back hastily at the look of murderous intent on her face.

"What are yo-?"

"Stay the hell away from my friends!"

...Shit. Thanks mom.

"And what is that on your face?!" she roared.

Startled at the odd question and the fact she seemed even more pissed off than before, he touched his cheek where Kanako had pecked him goodbye. He went pale, fingers trembling as he moved them away so he could look down at his moist finger tips.

Melted vanilla ice cream. Surely, it hadn't taken on the shape of her lips, right?

The look of rage on Kirino's face said otherwise.

...Fuck. What is this, an eroge? Thanks a lot, Kanako!

OoOoO

Cow: Fairly popular idea - Kanako attempting to recruit Kyousuke as her manager. Even happens in the anime. Nothing ground breaking, just my spin on it, I guess.

Just for reference for anyone that cares, this takes place after Kirino returns from America, but before Kyousuke works as Kanako's 'manager' for the second time in the Light Novels. The event she is talking about when recruiting him is the one from the novels, where he meets Bridget-chan again - not to be mistaken with the one from the anime, where Kyousuke brings Kirino in the wedding dress.

But yeah, it's AU. So whatever.