3
Komachi Hikigaya takes him by surprise and gets formal.
The chilly air woke me up.
The faint morning light was streaming through the window, blurry in my sleepy eyes. The edges of the roofs slowly turned white from the soft reflected light.
The sky was a little cloudy that day—fitting weather for my still-hazy thoughts.
I rolled over and looked at the clock. This late, I’d normally be panicking and jumping out of bed, but fortunately, thanks to the high school entrance exams, I didn’t have school. I let my drowsy head and gradually sagging eyelids do as they would, ready to once more indulge in sloth.
But a couple of the words that had just popped into my head raced around my mind once more.
Entrance exams! Yes, the second day of Komachi’s entrance exams! My parents would have already left the house, so I had to see her off!
I bounded up, and with a moxie energy wakety! I shot out of my bedroom and thundered down the stairs. I stepped into the living room, smothering a yawn, right when dreamy-cute Komachi was about to leave the house.
Her favorite hairpin was sparkling, her middle school uniform particularly crisp and precisely worn to school regulation. When my dear little sister noticed me, she raised her hand in a little ’Sup gesture. “Ohhh. Mornin’.”
“Hey,” I replied. At the table, I found breakfast and coffee covered with plastic wrap that seemed to be my share.
Komachi was barely finished saying good morning to me when her eyes went back into her bag. She had to be doing her final check before departure. But it seemed about all she was taking was her exam ticket and her pencil case. Once she had that tucked away, she patted her bag to make it flat.
There was something lonely about the empty, flat bag over Komachi’s shoulder, and I realized her entrance exams were mostly over.
The written exams for all subjects had ended the day before, and all that was left was the interview. She wouldn’t have to bring any reference material or vocab books. And the interview was pretty pointless, too. In Chiba public high schools, academic exams tend to carry more weight, so the first day is what sets you on course.
As is the way of entrance examinees, Komachi would have brought home a problem sheet with answers written on it, and she would be self-grading. If she felt she’d done well, then that was good, of course, but if she got worried over some errors and couldn’t concentrate in her interviews—well, I could hardly bear to see that.
Concerned, I tried indirectly inquiring how she was feeling. “How was it?” I reached for the coffee left there and took a sip. I was making an effort to ask completely lightly and cheerfully, choosing words that were vague and nonchalant.
Komachi gave me a blank look, stuck her finger out to touch it to her chin, bent her head to the side, and commenced pondering. “Hmm… Well, so-so. No point freaking out about it now anyway.” She sounded particularly calm, a smile in her tone.
That’s some impressive resolve. She’s as calm as if she’s been told the end of the century’s coming. She’s so calm, you might even think she’s been made into a wax doll. Wait, that was Seikima-II, huh? Either way, it seemed Komachi was coolheaded now, which was a bit of a relief.
But that cool was not necessarily derived from a positive source.
“Besides, the exam yesterday was basically what decides everything,” she added with a wry smile, her words revealing mild unease. A certain type of resignation can occasionally bring a quiet enlightenment. Right now, Komachi was superficially as peaceful as the surface of a placid lake, but a single breeze would churn up the waves.
So I’d bring up something completely unrelated—even if that would just be escapism, even if it was just running from what lay before her. I knew shoving reality in someone’s face and battering them with logic wasn’t always the right thing to do. “…Once it’s over, wanna go out to eat together?” Sloshing sugar and milk into my still-lukewarm coffee, I stirred it into a color that was neither black nor white, but my particular sort of brown.
Komachi grinned a little impishly. “Oh? That’s a great idea.”
“I know, right?”
“Yeah, yeah!”
I grinned back at her, and Komachi clapped her hands, then put her hands on her cheeks. Then she started twisting around in a deliberately cutesy act. “With a treat from you as a reward, Komachi can do her best! Blush, blush. That was worth a lot of Komachi points, blush, blush.”
“I’m not gonna treat you. And that scores low…” I mean, I used up most of my money yesterday…
But if she was saying this would help her do her best—even jokingly—then I could try scraping the bottom of my wallet. “Well, a date with your little sister doesn’t happen every day. I can manage the cost of the food somehow.” With a smug chuckle, I jokingly played the part of a rich royal showing off his fortunes.
But Komachi’s expression turned suddenly icy. “Yeah, uh, when you call it a date, it really makes Komachi not want to go, though. But if it’s all expenses paid, then Komachi’ll bear with it.”
“Stop it, stop it, don’t act so serious… What the heck do you mean, bear with it? That hurts. It was an innocent big brother joke… You’re the only one I can say stuff like this to, so it’s fine, right…?”
And then as I was dissolving into blubbering tears, Komachi kicked me while I was down. “Whoa, and it’s creepy when you get like this, too…,” she said, sounding highly aggravated.
So harsh… Hey, wait, when did it stop being just lunch? Now even the train ticket has wound up on my dime, too… Where did she learn that lingo anyway? Has she reached the age where she wants to act like an adult? Oh no, Komachi-chan is slowly growing up…
Looking over at my sister, I saw she was giggling. She hefted the shoulder of her bag up again with a hup and waved her cell phone before heading out of the living room. “Okeydoke, then I’ll give you a call once it’s over.”
“Understood. When you’re waiting for your interview, think about what you wanna eat, just to kill time,” I said, with the silent implication, Don’t worry too much, though I didn’t mind if that didn’t get across. I followed her to the front door.
She shoved her feet into her loafers, hopping on each foot to make sure they were on right, then turned back. “…Yeah, I will.” Her smile seemed calm—mature, somehow.
I knew it was for my own sake, but I decided to believe that even if I didn’t say something specific or ask, my intentions would reach just one person in the world, just this girl.
Komachi’s earlier smile was tucked away as she drew in a deep breath and sharply saluted with extra energy. “Right then, time for departure!”
“Roger, see you later.”
Komachi spun on her heel and pattered away as I watched.
All right, guess I’ll look up some restaurants and get ready for that outing, huh?
Once it got close to lunchtime, I went to the station closest to my school and dawdled for a while.
I wasn’t quite sure what time Komachi’s exam would be over—partly because the only thing they did on the second day was the interview. You were allowed to leave once yours was done, so I didn’t know what Komachi’s exam number was. I couldn’t guess as to when she’d be out. The examinees couldn’t, either—their heads would be full of the test, and they wouldn’t be thinking about what time it would end.
So then it was clear what I should do: lie in ambush by the school.
Hachiman will wait so hard, it’ll make both Aming and Yuming blanch. I’ll pretend to be cute, and I’ll do a good job at it.
But still, lying in wait behind a tree by the school, murmuring her name like Hyuuma Hoshi’s older sister, would be a little uncomfortable. Specifically, socially uncomfortable for me. We’d narrowly avoided yet another incident where the son of the Hachiman household got written up in the neighborhood bulletin that was passed around the whole block! You can identify him from his black clothes! We like black clothes too much…
Since I didn’t want to get immediately reported to the police, I decided to go kill some time close by as I waited for Komachi.
And so here we are at the Marinpia right by Inagekaigan Station!
I went into the old Jasco—now called Aeon—and hung around the bookstore. I bought a few random books there, and then for some really good time-killing, I headed for the Saize not too far from the station. Saize or bust! It’s A-OK to go there alone!
The Saize at Inagekaigan is on the second floor of the building in front of the station, so you can get a good view of the people going by. My scheme was thus: Once I started seeing a lot of kids in middle school uniforms, I’d know the exam was over!
If I could kill time in the Chiba station area, I might just be a genius…, I thought. Trembling in awe at my own talent, I headed outside.
The chill of the wind blowing through the wide main street of the seaside area made me shiver. It was already cold out here, and with this wind… I rewrapped my scarf and buried my face in it.
That was when, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a familiar figure.
She was in the St-Marc Café that faced the street, right to the side of the Marinpia exit. At an outward-facing counter seat, a bluish-black ponytail was restlessly swaying on the other side of the glass.
Hmm? I thought with a doubtful look.
I found that Miss Ponytail was fussing over a little girl with similarly colored, bouncing bluish pigtails, wiping the girl’s mouth and having her blow her nose and such.
And if we’re talking about little girls I know, I could think of only one. It was Keika Kawasaki. And as for who would be fussing over her…yes, that was Kawa-something!
Those sisters are really close, huh? Totally unlike a certain other pair of sisters, I thought as I found myself watching the pleasant scene, when through the glass, my eyes locked with another big, blinking pair.
Keika opened her mouth wide and pointed at me, on the other side of the glass. Then her mouth was moving, opening and closing as she said something. Aw man, this is so cute…
But this wasn’t the time to be having heart-eyes for Keika’s cuteness. Kawasaki immediately noticed me as well, and her eyes met mine.
We exchanged little nods.
Then we both froze.
We were both solidly in Jizo statue mode. We were so Jizo, we could even get little hats to go with the offerings. This Jizo time was a time for seeking, and a bit of a time for thinking. And so of course, we had to make use of this time with a pop quiz!
So here’s the question: If you run into a classmate in town, what’s the right thing to do? It’s a push-button quiz, fastest finger first! Get seven answers right, and you win! If you buzz too quickly three times, then you’re out!
But there was no need to answer any questions. The answer here was simple.
If it’s someone you’ve never really talked with before, the correct response is to pretend you never saw them. If it’s a classmate you’re not really friends with, then it’s smart to offer just a casual greeting and leave. If it’s a close friend, then you can see them any time, so there’s no need to bother getting into a conversation. As before, you can just leave. In other words, with anyone you meet in town, the correct response is to leave!
For this reason, I’d have been glad to have smoothly slipped away, but this was Kawasaki. When I started thinking about our relationship, my feet stopped on their own.
Maybe that was why—even with a layer of glass between us—I could see she was bewildered. The encounter felt similar to running into your cat outside. The distance between both parties feels delicate, like if you take one step closer, the cat’ll nyoom away.
Something was seesawing between us, completely bringing us to a standstill—it was so bad, I wanted to call for help like the dude from the insurance ads. Someone help…!
As I was mentally seeking help from Axa Direct, the one to come to my aid was not Axa but Keika.
Keika was smiling brightly as she kept waving her hands to beckon me over. I will properly refuse regular invitations with an “I’ll go if I can,” but I’ll easily give in to an invitation from a little girl. Hi, that’s me.
But she’s a minor! Oh dear! I may be tempted to accept, but I have to get the okay from her guardian. Otherwise, I’ll just be arrested!
As I was glancing over, thinking, Oh dear, shouldn’t I get permission from her guardian? Kawasaki appeared to scold Keika with some embarrassment, then started to pacify her. But Keika puffed up her cheeks and jerked her face away, and Kawasaki blew a little sigh.
Then Kawasaki moved the bag off the seat beside her and shot me an examining look. For a moment, she seemed to be muttering something under her breath, before opening her mouth a crack to say just a few words. I think she was saying “Wanna come over?” She immediately jerked her head away, so I couldn’t see clearly.
Well, if I had permission, then I would be delighted to oblige. I would go talk with them—just offer a greeting, a very casual two or three words. Here a hi, there a hi, everywhere a hi-hi.
When I entered the café, a sigh drifted out of me. Mostly from the temperature and humidity, but I’d personally like to cast a vote for the bright smile before me. The sight of Keika Kawasaki was just that heartwarming.
“It’s Haa-chan!”
“Ohhh, it’s been a long time, huh?” I said. “Well, guess not really—we saw each other just a little while ago. You doing good?” Feels like it’s been two years or more…
As I rubbed rough circles nostalgically around the top of Keika’s head, she giggled and replied, “I’m good!” She patted the chair to the left of her own.
Guess that meant I should sit there.
What a smart, cool, and dashing way to make an invitation… Aha! Then she’s a “hot stud,” eh? Having a reputation for being weak against hot studs, I obediently sat down where Keika indicated.
I mean, I had no choice but to sit here. It’d actually be kinda scary to sit by Kawasaki! Just our shoulders lightly touching makes my heart get all fluttery! Stop it! Please don’t pretend I did something to you and extort money from me under false pretenses! Well, I know Kawasaki isn’t the sort of person to threaten lunch money out of me; unfortunately, she can be actually rather scary sometimes, so what can you do.
So even as I secured a demilitarized neutral zone by putting Keika between us, I also made an attempt at conversation. “So, like, why are you out here…?”
Neither of us had much to talk about, so in a situation like this, theory would dictate that you engage via an inoffensive common subject that was close at hand. Besides, it was frankly odd for her to have come all the way out here to the Aeon by our school on a weekend. During the exam holiday period, it’s customary for high school students of Chiba to lie around at home or go to Destiny Land to do something idle and fun. …Aha! Then she’s an eccentric, eh? Hmm, then what about me…?
Whether she could guess what I was thinking or not, there was a rustling as Kawasaki indicated the shopping bags she’d earlier moved off the chair and put at her feet. “We came to shop…but then took little break…” Green onions and stuff were sticking out from the openings of the bags.
But why would she come all this way on a weekend? I thought there was some other supermarket in her neighborhood…
That thought changed form slightly to spill out of my mouth. “Huh. You came all this way?”
“We always shop here,” she said, fidgeting and looking away with embarrassment.
Without missing a beat, Keika shot up her hand. “Point card!” she shouted with a triumphant chuckle. In her hand was a card with a dog character printed on it.
Ahhh, that thing that barks when you scan it at the register, I thought, succumbing to the little girl’s adorableness.
Kawasaki’s cheeks turned pink. “Kei-chan…,” she chided quietly.
Keika lowered her hand.
Yeah, well, little kids will want to press the stop button on the bus or offer cards and stuff, huh…? It seemed that at the Kawasaki house, offering cards like that was Keika’s job. They had to be stopping by regularly to shop, on the way home after picking her up from preschool.
But there’s other Aeons, too, so isn’t the effort a bit much for a school break? I thought with a tilt of my head.
Kawasaki noticed my confusion and added in a soft mutter, “…Taishi, too, while we’re here. Since today, um, his exams are over.” She avoided looking at me, turning her gaze out the window.
Ahhh, I see. So that’s why, huh? I’d heard before that Kawasaki’s younger brother, Taishi Kawasaki, was also taking the Soubu High School entrance exams. She’d probably gotten worried over him and found herself coming this way. Or something to that effect. Whoa… What’s up with that…?
“That’s a real brother complex you’ve got there, yikes…”
“Huh? I don’t wanna hear that from you.” She shot me a glare, and I automatically cringed.
“Hyerk!” Even knowing she’s a good person, that sharpness of hers really is scary, okay…?
As I was curled up and trembling, I suddenly noticed the cold.
The heating at the windowside seats wasn’t that great, and it felt like the frigid outside air was coming through the glass. That chilled, shiver-inducing air and the awkward pause in the conversation made me antsy. Kawasaki must have felt similarly, as her gaze kept flitting between the window, me, and Keika. My eyes naturally tended to turn toward Keika, too.
Keika was holding her kiddie glass in both hands, slurping at her orange juice through her straw. When she eventually finished it all, she let out a satisfied-sounding ahhh.
Looking over, I saw Kawasaki’s cup was also empty. She must’ve been waiting for Keika to finish her drink. So then, time to go…perhaps? I was considering this when Kawasaki glanced at me.
“Um…and you?” Her question was curt, but I could sense the implication: We’re thinking about going soon, so…
I thought I should use this as my opportunity to obliquely let her know I’d be leaving as well. “Yeah, I was just thinking I’d go get something to eat.”
“Oh, huh…,” Kawasaki replied disinterestedly. Then she lowered her gaze to Keika and patted her back. “Haa-cha…” She hesitated a moment, then rephrased herself. “Um, Big Bro says he’s going.”
I mean, Keika calls me Haa-chan, so it’s fine, though. In fact, Big Bro is even more embarrassing …
As I was squirming a bit, there was a tug on my sleeve. “Huhhh, you’re going already?”
I looked down beside me to see Keika with her eyebrows in an upside-down V, staring up at me with extreme disappointment. I hadn’t even noticed her fingers curling into the fabric. If she’s gonna be like that, getting up is gonna be a challenge… It’s like when you get a full-time job and then they say to you, You’re leaving already?
As I was wondering what to do, Kawasaki scowled at this little exchange. I was getting the sense she was about to give a low, chiding “Kei-chan…” I’d seen it before during that baking event, but it’s still scary, you know…
I didn’t want the guilt of turning Kawasaki’s ire onto Keika, so for now, I decided I might as well intervene with some random babbling. My special skills include impersonating a lightning rod and also l’Cie heroes. Though I’m not that pretty.
“…Wanna go together? I was thinking about going to Saize,” I said.
Kawasaki’s eyes widened for an instant as she opened and closed her mouth. “Uh… Huh? N-no…”
“Yeah, figures.” I knew that. I read online that girls don’t like going with guys to Saize after all. The Internet is so huge, you can learn just about anything there.
Keika was still sulking, so I gave her a pat on the head to pacify her and stood from my seat.
Then a weak voice called me to a stop. “…Ah, hey.”
When I turned around, Kawasaki’s cheeks were slightly pink, her lips in an aloof pout, her eyes lowered. Then she muttered, barely above a whisper, “…W-well, if it’s just tea here, then…”
“Huh? Ah, okay. Right, well, thank you. If it’s tea…” Her unexpected reply made me over-polite, and I slumped back into the chair. Keika leaned sweetly against me, like Yaaay.
Aw, now I’ve totally lost my chance to go… Now I’d really have to order something. “Want a drink?” I asked as I stood up again.
Kawasaki seemed to snap out of her daze, eyes zipping over to Keika’s hands. “Ah, uh, th-then a hot chocolate… And an iced coffee while you’re at it.”
“Roger.”
What a big sister move, worrying more about Keika’s drink than her own. Hell, I might even start smiling. I hurriedly trotted off to the register to hide it.
I swiftly finished ordering, picked up the items, then whisked the tray over to the plywood counter seats. On the tray were the hot chocolate and iced coffee Kawasaki had just asked for, plus a hot latte. And a fresh-looking chocolate croissant.
Upon my return, Keika gazed at the croissant with sparkling eyes. A sigh of wonder like Sonny Chiba’s escaped her mouth. A weakness for sweets is a classic childish trait. Being that I also have experience with kids, I can recognize such feelings quite clearly. I’m the champion of children.
And so I said the words Keika would surely want me to say at that moment. “…Want some?”
Keika locked on to me with her glittering little eyes. Heh, my strategy has been a success… Just like a politician suddenly starts preaching about senior care and pension payment issues right before the election, I will also readily make irresponsible grabs for popularity. While I’m at it, I’ll also emphasize my interest in politics to go after a collab on the next “vote at eighteen” campaign. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, are you watching?
Completely oblivious to my schemes, Keika was bouncing up and down. “Yeah! This is why I love you, Haa-chan!” she said energetically, batting at my arm.
“Ha-ha-ha, of course, of course you do! But casual touches will really make boys get the wrong idea, so you can’t be doing that so carelessly!”
“Okay! I’ll just do it with you, Haa-chan!”
Oh no, she’s already learning how to become a heartbreaker; what a fearsome child… On the day they hear this, the boys of the world will be annihilated on the spot, and Keika’s name will instantly go down in history as a mass murderer… And the first name on that memorial monument will probably be me. For the sake of world peace, I must do something about this charming terrorist early!
As I was burning with a sense of mission, another, stealthier charming terrorist sighed. “What are you teaching to a kid…?” Putting a hand to her forehead, Kawasaki looked ready to click her tongue as she reached out from behind Keika to yank at my sleeve. Then she beckoned me with little hand motions, leaning her face in over Keika’s head and lowering her voice to a whisper like she was letting me in on a secret. “Like, um…I’d rather you not do stuff like that.”
“Huh?” What doesn’t she want me to do?
Oh, that. Does she mean like my own personal Hikaru Genji plan of winning over Keika to try to raise her into a wonderful lady? Right now, I’m making progress to rave reviews like a frantic Columbus. “Welcome here” or however that song goes…
As I was thinking this, Kawasaki glanced out the window and at the climbing sun. “It’s not even noon yet…”
“Y-yeah…” Oh, I see. A kid’s stomach is small, after all. If she had a snack right then, she wouldn’t be able to finish her lunch. I didn’t know what they were planning to eat, but if I caused trouble for the neighbors’ children, it might be too much to bear. Maybe not for a bear, though.
But still… But still! I went to all that trouble buying this chocolate croissant to score points with a little girl… Whatever do I do? I was thinking, when it suddenly struck me. I sneakily pushed the plate with the croissant over to Keika and whispered in her ear, “…Let’s split it. Keep it a secret from your sister.” I put my finger to my lips in a shh gesture, and Keika copied it.
“Yeah! A secret!” Nothing unifies people like sharing a secret, especially when it’s a conspiracy to commit a crime.
“I can see you, okay…?” I heard a disgruntled sigh as I watched Keika nom away at the halved croissant in satisfaction. Kawasaki shot me a glare. “Don’t spoil her too much.”
“…H-hey, just every once in a while, you know?”
“Every once in a while? You’re always like that.”
“I don’t think it’s always… Keika’s just special, you know. And Komachi.”
“…So you’re in denial, huh?” Her eyes narrowed, and the icy chill in them kicked up a notch.
Whoa… Oh no, it’s gotten even colder! Oh, should I have, like, included Kawasaki in that? I don’t get girls, seriously. This question is about as difficult as “Do you know why I’m angry?” It’s an unblockable move—no matter how you answer, it’s always wrong.
Seeing me flinching and getting flustered, and not knowing what to do, bow wow wow woooow, Kawasaki turned her attitude around and lowered her eyes apologetically. She seemed to have trouble getting the words out, but she said, “I’m glad you give Keika attention, but she has to learn restraint…”
“Yes, I’m sorry…” I gave her a proper apology. Hey, I think it’s kinda unfair to get mad and then wilt like that… If you’re gonna be like that, then I can’t say anything…
Kawasaki didn’t press her point any further, and the silence between us resumed.
Keika must have felt weird about the exchange going on over her head suddenly going quiet; she lifted her head, chocolate on her cheek, and looked between us anxiously. “Don’t fight?”
“We’re not fighting. Come on, this way, Kei-chan.” Kawasaki smiled kindly, then pulled a wet tissue out from one of her shopping bags to dab at Keika’s cheek. That seemed to put Keika at ease, and her attention returned to the chocolate croissant.
I don’t think Kawasaki was seriously angry. If she were, she’d be even scarier… When sparks are flying between her and Yukinoshita or Miura, you’d think she’s some kinda delinquent.
But now, my impression of her had softened.
Before, I’d thought that wooden swords, chains, and yo-yos would be more her speed, but lately shopping bags and green onions have been right at home with her. Actually, maybe I’m getting too used to seeing her carrying shopping bags… The way she came down to the St-Marc with a little kid who looked a lot like her really had a “mah-jongg mama” feel to it. The term yan-mama is way too dated.
The whole scene here felt really domestic, me included. Now if I were to be driving a minivan, like an Alphard or an Elgrand, we’d be a common sight at a rural Aeon. Like the type who says his favorite manga is One Piece or Naruto, with a white fluffy mat spread out over the dashboard and an air freshener in the shape of a hemp leaf hanging from the rearview mirror.
Imagining that created an anxious sort of itch under my skin.
Keika was munching along, chocolate stuck on her face, while Kawasaki watched, leaning her cheek on one hand with a wet wipe in the other. Being there myself, with nothing to do but observe the two of them, just made that unease grow.
It was embarrassing to watch them the whole time, so I jerked my gaze out the window.
Then I saw what looked like a middle school uniform cut in front of the café. Meaning it was about time for the examinees who’d finished their interviews to be coming out. It seemed Kawasaki had also caught sight of it out of the corner of her eye. She sighed, releasing the tension in her shoulders.
I could understand that feeling. Actually seeing the other kids who were taking the exam made me worry for Komachi. Right in front of us were Komachi’s rivals, those who would be her obstacles, so a thought suddenly billowed up inside me: Wouldn’t it be best to eliminate them now?
Good policy would be to take out the nearest opponent at hand: boys who get near Komachi! Yes, that means Taishi Kawasaki! And so I decided to gather information on the enemy forces.
“How does it look for Taishi?” I tried asking suddenly.
“…I don’t know.” Kawasaki tilted her head with a hmm.
My, how surprising. I’d thought for sure this girl with a brother complex—er, worried big sister would know how he self-graded, at least…
Kawasaki sniffed, then grimaced. “He gets grumpy if I ask about that stuff.”
“Ahhh. Guess he’s at that age.”
Not like I couldn’t understand Taishi’s feelings. It’s not just part of the rebellious phase; when your family—especially when it’s your family—needles you about very personal and sensitive problems, you start to shut down.
For example, when you’re just chatting with friends, you could say how much debt you have, how low your salary is, or other negative events as a masochistic joke to make them laugh. But you can’t bring that up so easily with your family. It really sucks when they get all serious and ask, “Are you actually okay?” You don’t want to make them worry, but you also suspect they won’t believe you, and that all comes together into a big ol’ just don’t ask.
I was making affirmative noises with a motherly look in my eyes, like, Boys can be like that, hmm?
Kawasaki was also nodding with a mom-like expression, but what she said next I couldn’t ignore. “But he’s graded himself at about eighty percent.”
“That’s a weird thing for you to know…” Oh man, the moms of the world really are too good. Why do they always immediately notice their sons’ secret hiding spots for books?
Wait, I thought he wasn’t telling her? How does she know?
When I gave her a doubtful look, Kawasaki slid her gaze away. “Uh, well, um, Kei-chan said…”
“Yeah, he said it was three hundred ninety-six.” Listening from the side, Keika seemed to understand what we were talking about, and she puffed out her chest with a smug chuckle.
“Uh-huh… Oh, Kei-chan asked, huh?” Ah, maybe the things that are hard to say to an older sister come much easier around his tiny sister? Anyway, little kids will pick up that stuff so fast, hmm. Amazing, isn’t it? I said with my eyes.
For some reason, she turned her head to hide her face again. “…Besides, o-our house isn’t that big. You tend to notice.”
“Ah, I see.” So she’s definitely seen it herself, too. I didn’t even have to bother asking one last bombshell question to nail the perp like Mr. Ukyou. She just confessed herself…
But now I’d found out Taishi’s self-grading score. It’s typical to go easy on yourself with self-grading, so if I estimated that his actual score was about ten points lower, that would make just over 70 percent.
Comparing that with my own exam score, my slightly harsh opinion slipped out. “I dunno…” Judging from how Komachi had been acting that morning, her scores were probably similar. I had a sense of the average from past data.
Kawasaki had taken the Soubu High School entrance exams like me, so she had to have the same impression. She nodded gravely. “Yeah. The rest is up to the acceptance ratio and his pre-exam academic evaluation.” She let out a heavy breath.
The acceptance ratio for our high school most years hovered between one half to one out of five. The feeling you get is that if you can score 80 percent, you can basically assume you’ve passed. So in that sense, Taishi was right on the edge.
“We’re basically fine with private, but I don’t think he feels that way.” Perhaps thinking about something at the edge of a forbidden borderline, Kawasaki had a slightly pained expression.
I don’t know what everyone’s family situation is, but it can definitely be emotionally painful for that individual. And not just in the economic sense. You’re rejected and branded, and that fact will haunt you and torture you forever. Once you eventually become an adult, you might be able to snap back and say it was nothing, but to a child of fifteen or so, family and school is just about your whole life. The one-two combo of rejection by the school and pity from your family can be too much.
Especially in the case of Taishi Kawasaki, there was pressure of a different type. It wasn’t my place to say, but I did it anyway. “Well, you know. Thinking about next year, he’d want to get into public.”
“What? Next year?” Kawasaki gave me a dubious look like, Were you just listening to me?
I was listening, how rude… I responded with a chin-only nod. “Yeah. You want to go for national public, right? That’s a lot of pressure, isn’t it? Not like I know.”
“You’re talking about me?” Kawasaki tilted her head, and Keika copied her, cocking her head with a hmm. The two of them were such a perfect pair, I couldn’t help but let a smile into my voice.
“No, no. Well, yes—but actually no.”
“…What’re you talking about?” Kawasaki glared at me, looking fairly irritated.
Whoa, she’s super-scary. “Well, look. The way your brother sees it, if he can go to a public school now, then your options will broaden a little. I think. Not like I know. But, like, he wants to get in no matter what—not like I know.” I rushed to make my point, with a few nice hedges to protect me from responsibility.
Kawasaki blinked in surprise. After a few more blinks, a smile slipped onto her face, but she immediately jerked away. “…Tuition for university is nothing like high school.”
Huh, really? She knows a lot about it. I have absolutely no intention of paying tuition myself, so I’ve never looked it up… If I were to casually look into it and calculate how many thousand yen one class cost, I’d be so scared of wasting money that I’d never cut class again.
“…But yeah, maybe he’d say that,” Kawasaki muttered softly, twirling the straw for her iced coffee in her fingers. As the harshness faded out of her, my lips were a little looser, too.
“Right? I understand a guy with a sister complex better than anyone.”
“What the hell, creep?” Her tone was very light for how blunt the words were.
Keika joined in, innocently chanting, “Creep, creep, creep!”
Oh, you’re quite right. I really am quite creepy. Observing the face I saw there in the window glass, his cheeks slightly relaxed in a smile, I wholeheartedly agreed.
Outside the window, middle schoolers in uniform were starting to catch my eye more and more.
Some time had passed as I was giving Keika attention and occasionally having the odd dribbles of conversation with Kawasaki when the thought struck.
Suddenly, my cell phone vibrated, and I saw a message from Komachi. I replied briefly that I was in the St-Marc by the station. Her response came immediately—not via vibration, but a hard knock, knock sound. The source was the window in front of me—where Komachi was. She waved at me.
I beckoned her over, and she trotted into the café.
As soon as she was inside, she spread her arms wide. “It’s over! Yaaaaay!”
“Yaaaay!” My voice and hands followed hers as I raised my arms to welcome her. Our palms slapped together.
Before the sound had even faded, Komachi took another step forward, bounding out in front of Kawasaki and Keika. “And Saki and Keika-chan, too! Hello, yaaaay!”
“Yaaaay!” Komachi and Keika transitioned seamlessly into a high five, and that pulled Kawasaki into the mix, too.
Miss Kawasaki is very confused, isn’t she…?
She seemed to pick up on the vibe, though, and raised her hands just slightly to accommodate Komachi. “Y-yaaaay…” But she was blushing up to her ears in embarrassment, and her voice sounded weak, too.
Komachi leaned back dramatically and took about three steps for emphasis. “Whoa, Saki, your voice is quiet! Okay, one more time: yaaaay!”
“Y-yaaaay!” Kawasaki cried with near desperation while Komachi seamlessly pressed her for a redo. “…What’s with your sister?” She was glaring knives at me.
Hey, I can’t fix this…, I thought, but I’m a big brother, so I’ve got to deal with my sister’s misconduct. “Um, sorry, okay? She’s kinda worked up. Komachi, here. Have some water and calm down.”
While preparing to hear Is the water good?! I held out the glass, and Komachi smiled brightly. “Thanks. But it’s kinda gross if you’ve already drank from it, so I’m gonna go get my own.” Komachi smoothly ignored me with perfect finesse, spinning around to trot straight off to the register. Kawasaki giggled.
“K-Komachiii…,” I groaned, but Komachi was already too far away to hear as her steps turned to a skip of run-tatta!
Big Bro took quite a lot of damage just now… The kinda added a particularly painful realism… That hint of consideration might make me rethink my whole way of life…
As I was moaning with my face down on the counter, Komachi quickly finished her order and came to sit beside me with an iced latte.
“…Congrats,” I offered, and she gave a little nod.
“Yeah. Whew!” She moistened her throat with a sluuurp and let out a big hahhh.
During the interview—the whole time until the exam ended—she must have felt like something was stuck in her throat. She let her whole body slump onto the counter with exhaustion and the joy of hard-won freedom.
With both brother and sister in the same position, Keika peeked at us curiously. “Ooooh.” Then she whispered, “You look alike.”
“…Huh?” Komachi wrinkled her face in disgust for just an instant.
Keika let out an admiring sigh. “Haa-chan and Komachi are so alike! Which of you is the copyright fringent?” She tilted her head curiously.
“Where does she learn these words…?” Kawasaki put a hand to her forehead and sighed.
Yeah, well, little kids pick up new words fast, you know… Anyway, why did Komachi get that nasty look just now? Well, I know the reason, so I won’t ask…
I think it’s good that Komachi doesn’t resemble me, too… If anything, I take after my father, and Komachi takes after our mother. About the only thing both of us got was the similar hair, I guess. But when she’s letting her mind wander or gets a nasty look on her face, she takes after me, huh…?
I was also examining Komachi’s face, while she was clearing her throat with a gfem, gfem. She straightened in her seat to give Keika a slightly strained smile. “Hmm. Well, since we are brother and sister…,” she muttered quietly, the emotion in her voice somewhere between resignation and shyness. But then she breathed it all out in a sigh and dragged the tall chair over right up next to Keika. “You and Saki have a lot in common, too, Keika-chan! You look just like her! You’ll grow up so pretty!”
“Tee-hee, you’re cute, too, Komachi,” Keika mumbled bashfully as she returned the compliment. She must have been used to hearing that.
“Ohhh, she said it! Aw, you!” Komachi said, jokingly poking at Keika’s cheeks.
…Hmm, what a girly conversation.
The give-and-take of compliments is so nice. It’s like getting hit on the right cheek and hitting back on the left. Irresistible.
If in the east, one compliments you with Cute, then you say Cute to her in return; if in the west one tweets, I’m so ugly! then you reply, That’s not true at all, I’m so much uglier than you! Look, I’m fat for real (ded)!; if in the south you find a classmate from middle school, then you must react with great melodrama: Yeek! Omigooood, it’s been forever! Ahhh, let’s hang out sometime! while touching her arm and making empty promises; if in the north you encounter a hint of femininity, immediately you interject with I knooow, right. Or so I assume anyway.
Kei-chan was also glancing over at her spitting image like, Really? Really? Miss Saki Kawasaki was speechless (and very shy) in the face of such a compliment.
Hmm, no wonder she would be excluded from girl society. I don’t think it’s good for pretty girls to have such traditionally cute reactions. The Kawasaki family is ka-wite cute.
As I was thinking this, Kawasaki cleared her throat with a quiet hnn lest we say anything. Then she eyed me and Komachi to strike back. “You guys are close, huh?” she said, attempting to hide her shyness.
Komachi replied instantly—like basically zero frames. “Oh, we’re kinda really super not,” she denied with utter seriousness, waving her hands with aggressive speed.
“Komachi? Could you pretend to make it a joke?”
And then suddenly, those waving hands cutely went to her cheeks and she smiled brightly. “Frankly, you’re sometimes super-annoying. ”
“Yikes…” I’m speechless! I feel like this is a jab in jest—but could it be for real?! No words would come out of me anymore; all I could manage was a hoarse and broken hyrrrgh.
Kawasaki cracked a smile at our exchange. “We need to get going. I have to get home and make lunch,” she said and looked out the window. The sun had risen high in the sky, and lunchtime was approaching. Taishi’s exam would be about over, so he’d be going home, too.
Keika’s eyebrows turned down again, and she whined grumpily. “Huhhh?”
But Kawasaki patted her back and just whispered, “Taa-kun’s waiting.”
Keika groaned sullenly, but she folded her arms and nodded. “’Kay. Guess we gotta.”
As I was smiling wryly at that gesture, Kawasaki quickly got them ready to go, putting Keika’s coat on her, wrapping her scarf, and pulling her gloves on snugly. Once she was done, she gave Komachi and me a casual bow. “Then see you…”
I nodded in return to her very quiet farewell. “Yeah, see you.”
“See you again! And bye-bye to you, too, Kei-chan!”
“Bye-bye!” Keika waved energetically at us, and Kawasaki strolled off toward the station with her sister in tow.
After watching her go, I turned back to Komachi. “How about we get some food, too? You know what you wanna eat?” I asked.
Komachi nodded. “Yeah, I was thinking about it to kill time…” She paused a moment. Then with a smug chuckle, she said, “And I came up with eel on the grill, with thyme.”
Hmm, a pun… Normally, I would send this matter to the committee, but she’s cute, so I’ll let it go!
“Eel, huh, I’d like eel… They might go extinct soon, and then we won’t be able to eat them anymore. It’s got that amazing premium, limited time only feeling, and it’s kinda cool to be the one destroying them…”
“Geez, you’re awful… What an awful reason to eat them; the eels will be turning in their graves… Oh, but I hear in Japan they all come from fish farms? Apparently, you can do that these days. I saw it on the news.”
Ahhh, now that she mentions it, she has done a lot of interesting research for the interview part of her entrance exam. But, Komachi—you’re too naive!
“Nah, there’s no way,” I said.
“Why not?”
“Japan’s population is aging because the people can’t even manage to breed. We don’t have the time to be raising eels,” I said with a self-satisfied look.
“Ohhh, you’re so socially aware!” With a whistle of twoo~ like Cobra, Komachi jabbed a finger at me like, You nailed it! Thanks to that, I was feeling very good.
“Think about it that way, and maybe eels won’t go extinct that easily. Even made-in-Japan, all-natural corporate livestock are surviving their harsh work environment, after all. You could even say Japan takes better care of eels than workers.”
“Maybe both will go extinct…”
Indeed. Both eels and workers are living things, you know? …See how I’m referencing Japan’s labor environment every chance I get? I’m demonstrating a deep interest in politics, and in the future a “vote at eighteen” campaign collab (abridged).
Despite the ambition swelling in my heart, Komachi tilted her head with a hmm. “But, like, it doesn’t have to be eel. I mean, I went out for eel with Mom and Dad the other day.”
“You did…?” Why do they do that stuff without me? I wanted to contribute to the extinction of eels, too, you know? Well, I’ve been coming home late recently, so I guess I see why. And the three of them went together, huh…?
Well, I can’t hope to match my parents in the area of economic prowess. So maybe it was best to drop the classy, delicious meal options for now.
For this occasion, I should actually be rewarding Komachi in a way unique to me.
A surprise that only I can offer! Not that I really have anything. All I can brag about to anyone is having the cutest little sister in the world. But I’m rewarding said little sister… What do I do? I’m stuck…
“Mmgh,” I whined, just as the divine revelation came down on me. Mikooon! “Oh, I know. How about we go have fun somewhere? Preferably something active. Specifically, maybe tennis with Totsuka. Or, like, just hanging out with Totsuka.” Aw man, am I a genius or what? Hanging out with the cutest friend in the world as a reward for the cutest little sister in the world, I’ve already got this! It’s in the bag, ga-ha-ha!
But Komachi looked slightly skeptical. “Hmm, I dunno about that…,” she said hesitantly, then made a little X with her fingers.
“R-really? Big Bro was really planning to spoil you with this, though…” I dug in a bit. I couldn’t just abandon my dream of hanging out with Totsuka, but I didn’t have the courage to suddenly invite him out one-on-one.
But Komachi shook her head. “I haven’t got my results yet, so I’d rather not do something like that.”
“O-oh, I see…” If she didn’t want it herself, then it was worthless as a reward. Komachi had the final say on these things. So now what do I do…? I was thinking when Komachi tug-tugged on my sleeve.
“Yeah, well, if it’s just you and me…that’d be practically perfect. And I think that’s worth a lot of Komachi points…,” she muttered, sliding her gaze away from me to hide the slight pink of her cheeks. It was so adorable, it made me ask something I shouldn’t have.
“Uh, I’m totally fine with that, but…are you?”
Komachi faced me and nodded solemnly. “Mm-hmm. Simple, cheap, and convenient.”
“That’s not a compliment at all…”
But if that was what Komachi wanted, then my task was clear: present a plan for a brother and sister to have the maximum fun. “Right, where do you wanna go? LaLaport? It’s LaLaport, isn’t it? Ahhh, LaLaport. LaLaport’s our only option. Right now, they have a vending machine with just Max cans. Let’s go buy some. I know they’ll be great.”
“It’s not gonna taste any different than it does anywhere else…,” Komachi said wearily, her earlier sweetness gone. She wagged her finger at me chidingly. “It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, and it doesn’t have to be anything special.”
“Oh, so then…” I leaned forward eagerly, prompting her to continue.
Komachi sucked a big breath in, then let it out. “I wanna go home and do chores!”
“Huhhh? What…?”
I’ve got nothing here. Aghhh, I’ve got nothing at all…
As my skin tingled with the presence of a Got Nothing Fairy, Komachi rose to her feet. “So let’s go shopping and go home!”
“…Okay.”
Well, what makes me happy is letting Komachi do whatever she wants. I stood up along with her and followed her out, heading for the grocery store.
We went shopping and came home, and Komachi quickly got started on the chores and cleaning.
Not only did she do the scrubbing and laundry, but she even set to cooking dinner, too. I heard the rhythmic tap, tap of her knife, and then immediately the fshhh of water flowing from the sink, followed by the clacking of utensils being washed. She was cleaning up everything as she cooked. What an impressive skill.
Meanwhile, I was flopped out in the kotatsu, petting the family cat, Kamakura, who’d come to sit on my lap. Anyone who walked in on me would think I was some evil boss.
But as I zoned out watching Komachi rush around, even I started to wonder if I should do something.
“Should I help?” I called out to Komachi in the kitchen.
But what came back was a blunt “No, it’s fine. You just stay there. You’re in the way.”
“Ouch…” I broke down in tears and buried my face in Kamakura’s back. The cat turned to me to give me a super-dirty look.
To make matters worse, Komachi sounded so put-upon. “I mean, you always do such a bad job. And when you cook, you never clean up.”
“…Yeah, well, that’s true. ’Cause it’s a hassle… Apologies to my little sister-in-law.”
“Who’re you calling a sister-in-law? Komachi is your sister.” She huffed in displeasure, then turned off the faucet a bit hard. She must have finished most of the cooking, since she wiped her hands on her apron as she circled around to the living room. “And besides, Komachi wants to do it. I couldn’t sit down and do it for so long because of exams, and the New Year’s cleaning didn’t get done right, either,” she said as she poured out hot water from the pot to make coffee. The fragrant scent tickled my nostrils, even if it was instant.
As I inhaled, Komachi poured out two cups, ambled over to me, sat at my side, and offered me some. “…Besides, Komachi caused a lot of trouble for Mom, too,” she said a bit apologetically.
Accepting the cup, I gave a quiet thanks, then said what I thought out loud. “You don’t really have to worry about Mom. You’re always doing stuff for her, so it’s fine. You worry about it too much.”
“Hmm… Well, maybe that’s true, but our parents are busy.” Komachi didn’t seem convinced, a cheerless smile on her face.
Our parents were always occupied, and at some point, it had become typical for Komachi and me to handle the chores that we could.
When Komachi had been small, I’d been the one doing stuff, albeit clumsily. But by the time she’d approached the end of elementary school, her household skills had easily surpassed mine. Ever since, she’d taken over as the main force handling chores. Thanks to her, my chore proficiency was frozen in sixth grade.
Don’t get me wrong; I’ve felt guilty for burdening my sister before. During her exams, our parents had also still been busy—they’d been in a real panic, actually, with the end of the fiscal year approaching—and I had little enough to do that I should’ve helped out.
“…Sorry. I thought about doing something, too, but, well…you know?” I said, drinking down my bitter coffee. The words came out a bit bitter, too. I really did, you know? But look, um…when I casually stick my nose in, Mom gets mad at me, okay…?
Whenever I do chores, she says basically the same thing Komachi did. I can complete them, but not to my mother’s standards. I especially can’t stand cleaning, and I get, like, one of those early-model Roombas that clean a circle around a square room…
So I’d taken the defiant route. If I was just gonna cause problems, I might as well do nothing—but I really did feel a bit bad for Komachi during her exam period.
But she must not have been that concerned about it, as she laughed pleasantly. “It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s Komachi’s hobby.”
“Housework?” I asked.
Komachi put a finger to her cheek and cocked her head. “Hmm, well…I guess my hobby is, like, spoiling my big bro?” Then she gave me a cute tee-hee sort of smile.
“Aw man, I’m feeling the maternal vibes. The heck. I can experience the ultimate regression. Based… I’ve achieved ultimate victory. Komachi-mama…” In my heart, I wanted to yell out, Komachi-mama! And I didn’t yell, but it did escape me.
Komachi’s expression twisted in disgust. “God, you’re such a creep, Bro! That’s sick.”
“Shut up, leave me alone. Hey, you’re pretty bad, too. What even is that hobby?”
“Right, right? Scores lots of points, huh?” Komachi chuckled smugly, then bumped my upper arm with her shoulder.
That’s not a compliment, ya jerk.
Though I tried glaring at her out of the corner of my eye, she ignored it and closed her eyes. Then she blissfully put a hand to her chest and let out a long, enraptured sigh. “What an amazing feeling… Ruining someone with my own hands…”
“Hey, that’s sick,” I said.
Komachi went tee-hee blep, sticking out her tongue with a wink as she rapped herself on the head with a fist. A gesture that deliberate was definitely a joke.
We giggled for a while, but then suddenly Komachi’s smile faded. Gazing at the ripples on the surface of her coffee, she slowly said, “…But it’s true that Komachi likes house chores.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s kinda, like, different from back when you were taking care of Komachi—now Komachi can do all sorts of things.” I gave her a sidelong glance, but her attention was far away, out the window. “When there’s something Komachi can do and, like, actually be useful…” I could see none of her usual innocence in her profile. Her clear eyes were so mature. “…It’s like…that’s not so bad,” she added with that mix of jokey and shy blushiness I’d come to expect from Komachi.
I’m sure when she was small, she’d experienced an impatient frustration that I couldn’t know. Our parents were often away from the house when she was at the age most kids were getting spoiled rotten. Instead of them, she had me, and I was hardly one to rely on. But though Komachi had grumbled and complained about it, she’d spent that time with me. Before I knew it, she was able to take care of me, too.
“Not bad? Actually, you’re too good,” I said, thinking from the bottom of my heart, This little sister of mine really is too good. And this brother is too pathetic.
Komachi puffed her chest out melodramatically. “Well, Komachi’s worked hard. When you have a useless older brother, the crisis helps you grow!”
“Right? I’m the best reverse teacher, aren’t I? Look how much I’ve taught you! You’d better be thankful,” I shot back, sweeping up my bangs with one hand as I bent backward to the ceiling in a pose of smug self-importance.
Then Komachi nodded. “Yep, Komachi’s thankful.”
“Huh?”
Hey, you can’t get so honest when we’re messing around… And isn’t that the wrong direction to take this joke? I thought, giving Komachi a look.
Komachi cleared her throat with a koff, sneaking her gaze away. “I’m sure it’d be better to do something like this after I actually pass,” she mumbled, “but I don’t wanna embarrass myself making a big deal out of it, and if I fail, I won’t even get the chance, and now is the only time I can say it, so…”
Komachi softly came out of the kotatsu, then knelt with proper form on the floor, placing her hands delicately on her knees.
“What? What’re you doing?” I asked.
Sitting up straight, Komachi looked me right in the eye. I jerked, startled. Kamakura, who’d been fast asleep on my lap, also woke up confused and padded away from me.
Ignoring both disconcerted human and cat, Komachi grinned a breezy smile. “Thanks, Bro. For taking care of me,” she said, then gently placed down three fingers of each hand and slowly bowed.
I stopped breathing—my thoughts had stopped, too. I’d never expected that from Komachi, but that wasn’t all. That bow was so beautiful, I could never imagine it coming from her normally. I think I was entranced.
I realized my mouth was hanging open, and I hurriedly searched for what I should say. “…The heck was that? Cut it out.”
“Eh-heh. I kinda wanted to try saying it. Figured it was worth a lot of Komachi points,” she teased, rubbing the back of her head, but with those pink cheeks, she wasn’t fooling me at all.
You idiot. Don’t say it if it makes you embarrassed; I’m getting your embarrassment secondhand. At least hide it better. You need to say a bunch of stupid stuff as a smoke screen. Your big brother has a lot of experience with that.
In the interest of leading by example, I said, “It’s not worth a lot of points. Besides, it’s kinda like you’re getting married. Like, really? You’re not allowed to go off and get married so suddenly, young lady, so, um, I dunno…… Just don’t.”
Unable to finish, my voice caught.
There was a prickling in the back of my nose, and my breathing was getting deeper.
I’d just been letting myself babble on and on, but now my voice was going hoarse, and the mindless stream of BS just petered out into a long, smothered exhalation.
Heat was building in the inner corners of my eyes, and I blinked as it became a kind of squeezing pain. A droplet trailed down my cheek.
“O-ohhh…there’s, like, water coming out of my eyes… What’s this? Why are they doing that; what the heck?” I found myself looking up at the ceiling. I bit the edge of my lip and let out a shaking breath.
Komachi’s eyebrows rose in mild surprise, but then she gave a little chuckle. “That’s tears, Bro. You’re acting like a robot that’s learning about feelings for the first time.”
“So this…is tears… This is…feelings…”
“Why’re you suddenly going monotone…?” Komachi said, sounding exasperated.
What else was I supposed to do? I mean, if I didn’t make a joke, I might actually start crying.
It wasn’t from sadness or pain, and it definitely wasn’t an eye problem. I think I was just happy.
At the same time, there was a trace of loneliness and something like relief.
But that was difficult to put into words. All I could manage was a groan like a really grumpy dog. “Uuurgh.”
My voice caught, and I hung my head. Komachi gave me a What can you do? smile as she quickly swiped at her eyes. She reached out to my head and gave it a little pat. “Komachi’s gonna go get a bath ready. And then go first,” she whispered, and I heard a little hoarseness in her voice, too. With a quiet sniff, she rose to her feet and hurried out of the living room without turning back.
When her footsteps grew distant, I finally let out a big breath. No real words or anything else would come out. Just a bunch of sighs.
While I was busy doing that, Kamakura came back from his corner to nuzzle his head against my back.
Whoever this cat was taking after, he was a good cat. He knew exactly what to do.
I took Kamakura into my arms and set him on my lap again. “…Is this that ‘weaning off Big Brother’ thing she mentioned before? What do you think, Mr. Kamakura? You don’t think she’s graduating a tad too early?” I asked.
But the cat didn’t even meow back. He just let me pet him for a while.
The only other sound was a little sniffle.
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