Chapter 6: chapter 4
10th of June (Wednesday)
The reason I never fully mention my morning way to school in my diary is simply because it is a never-changing scenery, offering nothing out of interest that any reader, basically me, could benefit from. In other words, if I mention my way to school like I do now, then it means that something stimulated my memories to the level of where I consider the incident important enough to write it down.
—As you might be guessing, today such an event had occurred during my way to school.
Generally, my methods on going to school consists of two basic variants. Walking, or going by bike. Walking distance from home to Suisei High isn't exactly long, so I can still take my time on the way, but when I have work right after school, I tend to use the bike. There exist exceptions however, for example when the weather is bad, and I decide to walk.
When there's a typhoon warning, snowy days, rainy days, or just the weather forecast saying that it'll rain, I don't force myself, and go by foot. There was a time when I chose to go by bike despite it having been raining for hours, which led me to become sick the next day. I won't make the same mistake twice. With this determination in mind, I don't rely on my bike, and always keep an umbrella with me on rainy days.
Today's weather forecast stated that the chance of rain was at a confident 60%, and beneath the cloudy sky, I was walking on fast feet, when my view stopped at a single point. In the midst of people waiting at the intersection's red light, glittering blonde hair shot right to my eye—Ayase-san. I could tell from her back even.
She had earphones in, as the cord reached down into her clothes. She might have been listening to music through the smartphone in her pocket. She had a similar look during P.E. class, so maybe she just likes music? I guess all living beings called gals like listening to music. They're like a different race from me, I had no way of knowing. All I was certain of is that she surely wouldn't be listening to anime or western songs.
For a second, I thought of calling out to her, but I immediately buried that thought. The reason we leave the house at different times is to ensure that no weird rumours about our relationship would spread at school. It was to ensure our normal lives still before the official remarriage of our parents. That's why I decided to abide by our rules, and not call out to her on our way to school, where other students might be able to spot us.
However, the traffic light turned green. The people didn't move, and I stood still as well. Only Ayase-san started to walk forward.
"Ayase-san!"
"Eh?"
The sound of the engines reffing up completely vanished from my head, as I completely forgot about the deal we had. I couldn't allow myself to be slow. If I was one second too late, and something might happen—Even that very thought occurred to me only after I started acting.
"…!"
I fiercely pulled on her arm, which led her to stagger backwards. As I wasn't specifically trained in terms of raw strength, I couldn't stand my ground against the weight of a grown woman. As a result, both Ayase-san and I fell to the ground behind-first, right in front of the pedestrian crossing. Before our eyes passed the large cars after having been given the permission to drive thanks to the traffic light. I saw her death happen in front of my eyes. Taking away any joking out of the equation, if I was one second too late, she would have died.
"..."
"...…"
Ayase-san and I looked at each other, not uttering a word. It felt like time progressed slower than usual, as sweat came from every pore of my body. As the other people around us showed worried gazes, I stood up, and pulled on Ayase-san's arm, forcefully making her stand.
"Can you come with me for a second?"
"Eh…ah…yeah."
We slipped past the other people around us, and entered a back alley with no people. What I was about to do would be something embarrassing for Ayase-san. That's why I decided to not progress in front of others, but rather in a secluded space. I looked left, I looked right, checking for no other people to be around, and faced Ayase-san when I was done.
"Just now." I spoke with a calm, but clear tone.
I'm not her real older brother, not in the position to lecture her like I was someone better than her. That's why, when I heard about the rumours of her paid dating, or saw her skipping class, I didn't warn her. I doubt she would have cared either. I thought that Ayase-san didn't wish for that kind of relationship. However, this incident is different.
"I can't ignore the fact that you were about to die. Please, be more careful."
"…Sorry."
In the face of my calm and logical statement, Ayase-san showed a troubled expression, her voice quieter than usual. Watching that reaction, I gasped.
"Ah…Same here, sorry. I don't want to sound arrogant or anything."
"N-No, that was clearly my fault, so it's fine."
"Why did you just walk onto the street like that? The cars were driving towards us with such loud noises, and nobody around you moved either."
"I was too focussed on listening…Sorry."
"Listening? Ah, music? You were doing that before as well, right. I'm not going to tell you to stop, but I feel like it'd be better to hold off of that at least when you walk to school." After everything I said, I still spoke in a lecturing tone.
Well, she was about to die there, so this much should be allowed.
"Music…Well…Ah."
There, Ayase-san seemed like she realized something, as she put one hand on her ears. Realizing that something was missing, she panicked and looked down at her body. Through that, I caught on to it as well. One earphone head was still in her ear, but the other dangled down into her pocket. From that earphone head, I heard the music—Not quite. Rather, a foreign woman, speaking English phrases.
"English conversations?"
"…W-What about it?" She covered up her pocket, and glared at me.
For some reason, her face turned beet red.
"I don't think it's that big of a deal, but…Are you embarrassed?"
"...…"
I saw her shoulders shaking, only for all expression to vanish from her face. She walked out of the back alley, carefully confirmed her surroundings by looking left and right, and then walked over the pedestrian crossing. She seemed to have calmed down, but her ears were still a bit red.
"So you wanna practice English?"
"…Why are you following me."
"Because I'm heading to school as well?"
Even without any ulterior motive, I needed to walk with her in order to get to school. That being said, I actually had an ulterior motive. Maybe it's because she barely avoided death, and my heart was still racing from the fact, my ability to judge calmly utterly gone, but I couldn't stop myself from wanting to see Ayase-san's expression. This might just be the so-called suspension bridge effect, but I couldn't calm down the curiosity burning up inside of me.
Ayase-san on her end didn't seem like she was blocking me off, as she gave me a brief 'Sure, do what you want', and continued walking at a set speed.
"It's just one part of my studies."
"Eh, what are you talking about?"
"Weren't you asking me about what I was listening to? The English conversation teaching materials." She glared at me again.
I thought she just ignored me before, but apparently she grew interested in talking about it.
"Studying for exams?"
"That as well, but also thinking about the future, I guess?"
"Considering future workin places, huh."
"Not like you'll always stay in your home country."
If I had said that, then Yomiuri-senpai would definitely tease me about it again, but when Ayase-san said it, it sounded oddly believable.
"But, why is there a need to be so embarrassed about it?"
"It's like I'm a swan trying to look dignified, but doing flutter kicks below the water surface. Of course I'd be embarrassed."
"Ahh…so that's also an armament?"
"Yup."
In order to become a strong girl who could live independently, she armed herself with the outer appearance of a delinquent-looking blonde-haired gal. That's what she told me before. I guess she was listening to the same material during that P.E. class before. I mean, I don't like the idea of skipping class, but in terms of grades and preparation for exams, P.E. is practically useless, and since she's not excited for the ball sports festival either, participating is probably just a waste of time for her.
Judging that, she used that time to study more by using auditory studying materials, all in order to become a perfect and strong human being that excelled in both job and academic knowledge. The more I start to learn about her, the more it feels like a puzzle is being put together, and I gain a more clear overview.
We walked away from the main street, with the rows of buildings at our backs, as our familiar school came into sight. The number of older people or people in business suits around us started to lessen, as the greater percentage wore school uniforms like us, announcing the beginning of the school rush. Although I'm sure that they didn't know each other, with Ayase-san's flashy appearance, a lot of students from this high-level school directed their attention towards us.
"Don't tell anybody, okay...See you." Ayase-san said, and started walking faster.
Maybe the eyes of the onlookers grew too many for her taste, or taking into consideration how kind she always was, she probably didn't want to trouble me in any way. Whichever it was, we'll be going along just as we promised. At school, we're like strangers.
"Yup, got it." I answered towards Ayase-san's back.
I didn't expect any response. Naturally, in a good way.
With all this action happening early in the morning, I was assaulted by a feeling of exhaustion like I had survived another day. Sadly, this wasn't a convenient story, but a cruel reality. An author would now see that this event was enough for one day, and swiftly jump over to the next day, but alas, I wasn't freed just yet. Following this intense first incident, both Ayase-san's and my feelings were completely disregarded, as we were forced to approach each other once again.
It was time for P.E. class. Today, during the first period, practicing for the ball sports tournament again, at the same tennis court. However, there is one difference from before.
"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Maaya, you're hitting it way too high."
From a nearby coart, I heard Narasaka-san's high-pitched scream, together with a cold retort from a female student, only that this female student had now turned into my step-sister that I knew somewhat well. Compared to before, when she was just leaning against the metal fence, listening to music—or rather, those studying materials, Ayase-san was now doing a rally with Narasaka-san.
I don't know what kind of trigger led to her actually playing with her friend, but she was now properly wearing P.E. clothes, showing some skilled plays with the racket.
"——-yyyy...…mura."
She had her long blonde hair tied up with a hair tie, and the ponytail that resulted from this swayed left and right following all of her movement. Her bare arms were in plain view, as well as her thighs. Her muscles tightened up with every lively motion, revealing no needless movement, as she returned the ball with a sharp pass.
"—Heeeeyyy…What're…at…samura."
For an amateur like me, I couldn't even tell apart if she was on a beginner's level, or entered the realm of a professional, but she did gather a lot of attention from the audience around her. Of course, since I was staring at her myself, I wasn't one to talk, but I think you should do something about boys and girls having P.E. together, it's so distracting. I tried to tear my gaze away, but her plays were just so charming that I could only stare—
"Hey, Asamura!"
"Eh? …Wah!"
Together with my friend's enraged voice, I saw a round shadow approach me in the corner of my eyes, and when I readied my racket in front of my face, the ball flew against it, repelled off of it, and hit me right on the forehead.
"What are you looking at? It's not a baseball, but getting hit with that is still pretty dangerous."
The student who came running towards me—my friend Maru Tomokazu, picked up the ball at my feet, and gently tapped himself on the shoulder with his racket. He's acting cool again, that bastard.
On a side note, if you were wondering as to why Maru would be here even though he was doing the other sports before, then it's simply because the soccer participants and practicing place have a promise to use the court, so once out of two times, Maru comes over to play here instead. Of course, he's limited with what he can play here, but it's rather than not getting any practice at all, which is why he's glad to be here.
"Sorry, I was just lost in my thoughts."
"Entranced by her, right."
"You'll be hated if you just blurt out the truth like that."
"Probably, but that's what life is all about. I don't care about those who are bothered by it."
That's a catcher for you, he gives off vibes of the strong. Maru glanced over at the girls playing tennis, at a single individual specifically.
"Ayase? I told you to give up, didn't I…"
"That's not it."
It's true that I was looking at Ayase-san, but she's still my little sister. I was saying these words in the way that she wasn't someone I was interested in, or even had feelings for, but apparently Maru got the wrong idea about that.
"So Narasaka, huh. Not bad, gotta say."
"Again, that's not what this is."
"Don't worry about it, Young Asamura. I recommend Narasaka. She's energetic, accepted in the eyes of society, has good grades, and can easily make it into Waseda1. As a human person, she's great value."
"Aren't you a bit too well-informed?"
"I get a lot of information about her, although in a different way compared to Ayase. If there was one problematic part about her, then it'd be that there's way too many that are gunning for her that you probably won't even get a chance at all."
Was it just my imagination, or did Maru blabber on quite fast when talking about Narasaska-san? I really can't read his honest feelings, hidden behind those glasses. For a second, I thought he had the hots for her, but I really can't see that guy of all people trying to woo a girl, so I stopped considering it.
"I really wasn't looking at her in that way, but even if I did, I really don't think I could win that war."
"Haha, probably."
"Not even with the follow-up of a friend?"
"Narasaka's good at looking after others. I mean, she's even playing tennis with that Ayase."
"Feel like she'd be interested in the diligent and reliable type."
"Nah, the opposite. She'd be attracted to those good-for-nothing men out there."
"So you're saying I have a chance?"
"…Are you being serious right now?" Maru gave me a real dubious gaze.
I thought I was being honest with myself, so I don't know why he would react that way.
"Asamura. You're not that no-good of a man you think you are."
"So I'm even worse than I think?"
"You damned pessimistic bastard…"
Maru let out a loud sigh in the face of my wry smile. What followed that was the phrase you'd hear from a considerate housewife.
"Considering your age, you're definitely standing out in terms of your cleverness. Got the smarts as well."
"H-Huh, it sure feels disgusting being praised face-to-face like that."
"No worries. I was telling you the reason why Narasaka wouldn't even bother to look in your direction. If anything, I was insulting you."
"Could you maybe try an approach that is neither praising nor insulting?"
I always appreciate Maru's straightforward way of saying things, but there are times when a bit of restraint wouldn't hurt. Not to mention that the chances I have with Narasaka-san don't even matter to me, since I'm not interested at all.
"...…Mm."
My eyes wandered over towards the two girls we've been talking about. Ayase-san apparently caught on to my gaze, and stared at me from a distance. That only happened for a moment however, as she quickly averted her face again. How clever, any long-term eye contact would evoke doubts with the other students, so she's keeping it to a minimum. However, there was one person who picked up even this faint moment. Indeed, Narasaka Maaya.
I understood how she'd be good at taking care of others. At the root of that was her ability to read the mood. Even in the corner of her eye, she picked up on Ayase-san's action, traced it, and saw me looking at them. Following that, she gently tilted her head, like she was questioning something. Yeah, I can see how cute she is. Makes sense why Maru spoke so highly of her.
But, I shouldn't keep looking forever. I'm ruining Ayase-san's considerate act here. In a panic, I looked the opposite direction.
"What was that about you not looking at her like that?"
"Seriously, drop it already."
"Hmm, well, you're a man as well, aren't you, Asamura."
"I feel like that way of phrasing things would invite a lot of misunderstandings."
"The complicated carnal desire of a high school boy."
"That choice of words makes it even worse!"
"Never expected you to be filled with so much lust, but don't worry. As long as you keep it inside your head, I won't judge you."
He totally gets it and is just teasing me about it, right.
"Alright, alright. Thanks for solving the misunderstanding, really." I let out a sigh, and shrugged my shoulders.
Either way, both of the girls caught on to my gaze, so I can't even argue back.
"You done now?"
"Ah, yeah, let's practice."
I somehow managed to get back on track, and used the rest of the time to focus on my practice. Taking the time for them to change into consideration, the girls' class ended a bit earlier, and the next time I glanced over at the tennis court, all that was left was a single yellow tennis ball.
Together with the chime ringing, as if the sky couldn't hold it back any longer, small drops of water came soaring down on the court, quickly drenching the ground with a different, brownish color.
"Seriously? Hey, let's run, Asamura." Maru called out to me.
"What do you mean 'seriously'? It said 60% this morning, so it's not that big of a shock."
That being said, I didn't want to end up drenched either, so I only returned that while running for the school building.
"40% is more than enough to bet on! How many 40% batters do you think exist in this world!?"
"I feel like that logic is not applicable here."
Or, is he talking about the baseball club making bets during the game? I see, it might be the same math, but the sense of values can differ completely depending on your point of view.
"Asamura, hurry up! It's getting stronger!"
Right before it started pouring for good, we made it inside the school building by a hair's breadth. Maru turned around, glaring up at the sky.
"For crying out loud. Guess it'll be muscle training for today…" He let out a sigh, only to sneeze right after.
The ground around the school building already turned dark brown, as the rain poured down mercilessly. The sound of the rain hitting the windows grew louder and louder.
"It's June alright, huh."
"Even if it's the rainy season, 40% is still 40%. I wanna hit some."
"Now now, just skip out on it today."
I watched Maru complain even though this was something out of his reach. Honestly, I'm so glad I have an umbrella with me, I should be able to make it home without ending up drenched.
—That's what I thought at that time.
Classes came to an end, but of course, the rain didn't stop. It's about what I expected. Of course, I'm not happy about it in the slightest, but whenever you wish for a premonition to be wrong, it almost always happens. The world is riddled with Murphy's Law.
Luckily, I had off work today, so there was no need for me to make my way to Shibuya. If anything, going home straight without a detour was probably the best idea. I was deciding on that during my walk towards the shoe lockers, when I spotted a similar figure. There was a single girl who gazed up at the rainy sky. Since she stood beneath the grey sky, her bright hair color stood out even more.
That's Ayase-san, right…Did she forget her umbrella? No way, it said there was a 60% chance of rain today. Was she also part of the 40% hit-chance faction? Wait, she left the house before me, so when I was watching the weather forecast, she had just stepped out. I gazed at her from afar, and contemplated on what to do. I looked left, looked right, and confirmed that nobody was present. Seems like everybody decided to leave as quickly as possible. How clever.
I opened my student bag, and took out the folding umbrella. Since it was only that type of umbrella, it easily fit into my student bag, and I could comfortably choose if I wanted to bring it with me or not, as it barely turned into any baggage. Life is a continuous chain of choices—someone said before.
So that I wouldn't surprise her, I approached her with louder footsteps. Around three steps away from her, I stopped. This should be good enough for our distance, right? I don't have the courage to tap her on the shoulder. We're not both girls either, so am I even allowed to touch her body? If she were to scream, my high school life would be over. I cleared my throat, and opened my mouth.
"If you forgot your umbrella, we can share one?"
Her shoulders twitched ever so slightly. When she turned around, her golden hair swayed through the wind. Through a rare ray of sunlight through the cloudy sky, her piercing shone brightly for a moment. Her eyes slowly moved towards my face. It felt like a PC slowly booting up, when an expression appeared on Ayase-san's face.
"Eh?" Her eyes opened wide.
Why're you so shocked?
"Did you forget about me or something?"
"What are you talking about…"
"That's my phrase." I was really worried for a second.
"So, what is it? Didn't expect you to call out to me at school again."
"Ahh, well, you know."
I could tell she wasn't angry. If anything, she seemed a bit doubtful. Thanks to the past few days of me dealing with Ayase-san, I started to become more skilled in picking up what her expression, or lack thereof, meant. Of course, I was intent of keeping my promise to act like strangers at school, but that didn't mean I could just ignore her practically sitting in the rain like that. We're still brother and sister in the end.
But, well, she's clever as well, so she must be aware of that.
"So, what is it?"
The reason she still asked me like that is probably because of what happened in the morning, and indicated that she still felt a bit awkward. That's what I want to think at least.
"Forgot your umbrella?" I asked her once again.
"Ah, yeah…Sure did."
"40% batter, huh."
"Eh? What?" Ayase-san tilted her head, but forgot about it and dropped her gaze down onto the umbrella in my hands.
"We gotta go back to the same place, so I figured."
Ayase-san listened to me, and showed a complicated expression.
"Ahh…No, it's fine. I'm waiting for a friend anyway. She got some business at the clubroom, so she'll be right back. I don't need any—"
"Then…" I cut her off. "Use this. If I run home, I'll make it back without being drenched."
—I don't need any umbrella, is probably what she wanted to say, but I just pushed mine onto her, put on my shoes, and jumped out into the rain.
I guess I was meddling too much. Maybe she thinks of me as annoying now. I mean, she did say she was waiting for a friend. Maybe they're going to share an umbrella. But, they might still get wet in the process. A girl's umbrella is pretty small after all.
The face of Ayase-san when I pushed the umbrella on her popped up in the back of my head. She looked shocked, as if she didn't expect that. There I was, thinking that me meddling was worth just for seeing that expression. It was another face of Ayase-san I hadn't seen before.
Maybe this is how we slowly start to become siblings, overlapping our own personal views, matching up with each other. That's what I thought as I ran through the rain.
The strong June downpour quickly drenched my school uniform. A cold liquid different from sweat ran down my back, entering my shoes, making my legs feel heavy, and whenever I took a step on the ground, a damp sensation responded. Beyond the silver-grey curtain, I could finally see my home, letting me sigh in relief.
I opened the lock, walked past the janitor's office, and took the elevator up to the third floor. Walking down the hallway as water dropped from my entire body, I finally saw the familiar door of our apartment. I opened it up, walked inside, and turned on the lights. My surroundings were filled with an orange color, when I finally muttered.
"I'm home…Yeah, right."
Of course, no response came. Instead, painful silence scratched my ears. I mean, I had known this, but neither my old man nor Akiko-san would normally be home at this time. I thought I was used to that already, and yet here I was, feeling conflicted. I realized that I felt lonely at the fact that no response came.
I put down my bag on the dining table, and immediately moved to take a bath. Turning the faucet, the hot water came out right away. Now, I left it alone for roughly 15 minutes. In the meantime, I put my uniform on a clothes hanger, and stuffed my wet clothes into the washing machine. I added detergent and fabric conditioner, and let the machine do its thing. I heard the sound of water flowing inside, and the machine started to rumble.
"Oh, almost forgot."
I gotta get some underwear ready, otherwise I'd have to walk back to my room with just a towel around my waist. Normally that small detail wouldn't be important, but now I need to be mindful of that. I wonder how real siblings feel about that. Do they even care about that? No they probably do. They surely do…Right?
I waited until the bathtub was roughly half full with hot water, and moved inside. I stayed like that for another few minutes, just spacing out, and turned off the faucet once the water reached my shoulders. My skin hurt a bit because the water was still beyond hot, probably because I was running in the cold June rain. An exhausted sigh.
In a daze, I started thinking about Ayase-san's request. A high-pay part-time job, huh. Since she's willing to make both breakfast and dinner, going with the give & take principle, I need to find some work for her as well.
—When talking about give & take, it's my policy to have more on the give side.
Ayase-san's words flashed up in the back of my head. Now that I have heard this, I can't just rely on it. I can sympathize with Ayase-san there. That's exactly why I need to find something quickly.
"Hmmmm…" I put one hand on my forehead, and thought about it some more.
In today's day and age, starting a new business might be a good starting point. Rather than being used, using others is the most profitable—is what I read on a book's binding before. So basically, something like a youtuber or uber eats…! No, that sounds like nonsense. Calm down, me. Not to mention that, being a student, nothing really comes to mind when I think of 'starting a new business' either. I don't know anything about society.
"Know about society, know about the market, huh…"
It's exactly as Maru said. There's way too many things I don't know. I feel like finding a job for her in this state is highly impossible. But that being the case, I can't just ask Ayase-san to continue making food for me, as that would stop things from being fair.
Of course, I can't cook like her. That's why I remembered her wearing the apron. The emotion I embraced when seeing her—She's cute. No, not that. Not exciting either. If anything, it was…Perfect. That's it.
Her lang back hair she had tied up with a thread up to her neck, her view focussed on the work in front of her, as her knife went up and down rhythmically. Periodically, she would fix her hair, pulling it back behind her ear. Her fluent gestures repeated over and over, telling a story. In reality, she must have been cooking at home, where I would just go to the convenience store to get a lunch box. And, I figure it wasn't for her sake alone.
Neither my old man or I can cook. That's why I never felt the need to learn. But, the same couldn't be said about Akiko-san. Looking at the food she made on the very first day she lived with us, I got a clear idea that she always made food for her family. I didn't split that into good or bad, I just saw it as her personality. Even if Akiko-san had the personality to not make any food, I wouldn't have cared either way.
However, if, as a result of that personality, Ayase-san had to get store-bought food, I feel like Akiko-san would make food for her no matter what. Since she didn't want to bother her busy mother, Ayase-san learned how to cook herself. That was probably it.
Observation and thought process. Overlapping these, you can understand any person fairly well. Of course, only if you think of it as necessary.
"Armament, huh…"
When I was running away, she had continued to fight.
"I really want to find a well-paid part-time job for her…"
My thoughts eventually returned to that topic, but I was still without any plan of future action. If anything, my head started to feel hot because of all the thinking. I felt dizzy.
That's why I got out of the bath. I washed my wet hair with shampoo, washed my entire body, and left the washing room. The washing machine was currently in drying mode. I just let it rumble for now.
I put one some light room wear, and decided to leave my worries behind for now. I stepped out on the hallway, and a fresh breeze of air from the A/C hit my steaming body. My mood had greatly improved, and I was even humming as I walked into the living room, when I finally realized that I didn't even put on the A/C when I got home.
Two girls were present in the living room, turning towards me. One of them was Ayase-san, and the other…Narasaka-san? Why?
For a second, my mind turned blank. Wati, didn't I just…Oh no, I was just humming, right in front of them! A severe feeling of shame assaulted me, but my defensive operation didn't make it in time, as my entire head burned up. I was probably blushing furiously. Not to mention that it's not just Ayase-san. A super stranger, Narasaka-san, saw me like that. Oh lord, I want to die. Please kill me. My legs froze to the ground, and I couldn't move.
At the same time, Ayase-san's mouth was wide open, letting out a baffled 'Ah'.
"Sorry. Maaya just suddenly said 'I wanna come over to Saki's place to play'. I wanted to consult you beforehand, but I don't have your LINE ID, Asamura-kun."
That's why she couldn't warn me, huh. Ayase-san walked towards me, clapping her hands together as she apologized. What a rare sight. Maybe it's because she was in front of a good friend of hers. Narasaka-san seemed quite surprised as well, but she immediately switched to a smile.
"Ohh, it's the rumoured Onii-san! You really were Asamura-kun from our neighbouring class!" What an energetic voice. "Hey, hey, do you know about me? Did you hear about me from Saki?"
"Eh…Well." What should I even respond with here? "I heard you are on good terms."
For now, I gave a somewhat honest response. For a second after hearing my words, the color of Narasaka-san's eyes changed. I feel as if she said something like 'Ah, good terms, huh' with a very silent voice. I only saw her mouth move though. It looked like a bit before a serious face, like she was troubled? I don't think Ayase-san could have been able to see that. However, this expression vanished immediately, as her usual smile returned.
"That's right~! We're super close! That's why, let's get along as well, Asamura-kun!"
"Okay…Let's get along. So, did you get home dry?"
Looking outside, it was still raining buckets. It wasn't on the level of a storm, but the raindrops were racing along the window glass.
"We're totally fine! We both had an umbrella!"
"Is that so."
"Even though Saki said she forgot hers."
"I actually had it in my bag, just didn't see it."
Seems like she decided on that. I'm glad that it was just a folding umbrella, unable to tell if it belonged to a boy or girl.
"You clumsy girl!"
"Hearing that from you makes me feel dizzy because of a psychogenic reaction."
"Why are you using so many complicated words! Also do you even use that expression nowadays?"
"Is it weird?"
"It is! But, whatever." Narasaka-san jumped down on the sofa.
Because of that sudden movement, her skirt was lifted up, to which Ayase-san let out a sigh.
"Maaya. Underwear."
"Ah!" Narasaka-san frantically fixed her underwear.
Following that, she gave me a stare. I didn't see anything, alright.
"Saki. This house. It's dangerous."
"Why are you talking like a robot now?"
"There's a man!"
"Asamura-kun sure doesn't look like a woman, yeah."
"It's a man! A man I tell you!"
"What about it?"
"It's dangerous! You can't even walk around with just a pair of panties!"
"I wouldn't walk around like that anyway. You do that at home or something?"
"Of course not! I am a lady after all." She said it with a real confident tone. "Still, so you're saying it as well."
"W-What exactly?"
"Referring to me with 'You2'." Narasaka-san said with a smile.
"!" Ayase-san covered her mouth, but it was already too late.
She completely let down her guard, and started blushing.
"Huh, hmm, I mean, your father is very happy."
"You're not my Dad, okay!" Ayase-san retorted full force.
I see, so she normally referred to her with the normal 'You', is it?
"It took some time for you to call me like that~"
"Did it?"
"It did~"
"Don't remember."
"I properly remember!"
"You can forget about it."
"Don't wanna!" She said happily.
I don't think she was happy because of the way she was addressed, but rather because she saw a glimpse of what's inside Ayase-san, I'm sure. In this world, there are folks who mistake the phenomena as becoming closer as the same as being comfortable with someone, and start calling others with rude names to appeal how friendly they are. However, that rude way of addressing others is still rude no matter how much you turn it.
Since we call each other Ayase-san and Asamura-kun, we both agreed with that subconsciously. This way, we wouldn't insult each other, and it allowed for easier casual talk. At the same time, Narasaka-san didn't seem like the type of person to make that mistake. Or was she? I haven't talked with her enough to really confirm or deny that.
Just, if Narasaka-san was that type of person, I really doubt Ayase-san would invite her into her home. That's how I can judge she's a trustworthy person. Observation and thought process, together they are the strongest.
"More importantly! Saki's Onii-chan, say!"
"O-Onii-chan?"
Didn't she just call me 'Onii-san' and 'Asamura-kun'? I feel like taking back my previous statement.
"What are you getting embarrassed for, Onii-chan!"
"First of all, I'm not your older brother, Narasaka-san…"
"Come on, we're good friends, so just call me Maaya."
"I won't! Also, you and me are still strangers, right?"
"Don't bother with the small details, Onii-chan! You must be happy to have me call you like this, Onii-chan!"
"Not in the slightest."
I figure that people who really enjoy that do exist, but I didn't feel anything special. Though, Narasaka-san looks like some small animal, begging for attention. Also, I didn't expect Narasaka-san to be this pushy. She didn't seem to have the personality to be this annoying towards a friend's older brother.
"…Stop…"
I heard a faint voice. Ayase-san had her face cast down, as she muttered.
"Hm? What happened, Saki?"
"…ssing."
"I can't hear you~"
"This is embarrassing, so quit it already! Whenever I hear your 'Onii-chan', I can feel shivers running down my back! I beg you, just stop it already!"
"Oh my, so you broke down first."
Ah, I see how it is.
"So basically, you wanted to tease me, and have Ayase-san be embarrassed as well, right?"
"A-Ahahaha…Correct!"
"Don't 'Correct!' me."
Don't point at me like that. Or rather, don't point at people in general.
"Well, I guess I can stop playing with you for now, Onii-chan."
"Forever, please."
"That'd be such a waste. Hey, Saki, let's call him 'Onii-chan' together, okay. Come on, one, two—!"
"Never!"
"Even though this would be the best possible event to really get along with him? You're not using your changes accordingly!"
"Can you not categorize someone's life into events? …What are you even doing there?"
Narasaka-san opened up her sports bag beneath the desk, and took out something.
"Let's play with this!"
"A game console?"
"Narasaka-san, bringing games to school is…"
"Not prohibited. You're just not allowed to play."
Isn't that practically the same? But, when I asked her, she stated that as long as you didn't play during class, you could carry it on you. Even playing between classes was something that happened often, as long as you had someone stand on guard. As for the game console itself, it was a popular one that just came out.
"Saki, you said you didn't have this one, right?"
"I don't, yep."
"I wanted to play together. So, can I connect this to the TV?" She said as she pointed at the 50 inch TV screen facing the sofa.
"…Sure."
"I have some games we can play together. Do you have internet here?" Narasaka-san looked at me.
I figured she was asking me for the wifi password. Since handing over the wifi password was pretty much standard when visiting someone else's house, I didn't hesitate much, and gave my consent. Ayase-san handed her the memo with the password on it, and after setting up everything Narasaka-san came back to the sofa, as she looked at me.
"Wanna play with us, Asamura-kun?" She said, and took out the controller.
Let alone two, she had actually prepared three controllers. Is one for me? I guess this is how her personality shines. Just like Maru said, she was really considerate, and caretaking. She probably planned to have me join in from the very start. I glanced over at Ayase-san again, asking her what to do via eye contact.
"Haa…Well, the rain isn't stopping, so come join us, Asamura-kun." Ayase-san moved to the corner of the sofa, making some space.
"Ohh, so you want your Onii-chan next to you, I see."
"Nevermind. Can you make some room over there then?" She moved her waist back to her previous position.
"Just sit between us! Asamura-kun, come on, a flower in each hands, as they say!"
"I'd prefer the corner…"
"No can do. I'm not letting you off the hook!"
"Why are you acting like our sofa is suddenly yours, Maaya?" Ayase-san let out a sigh towards Narasaka-san, who was clinging to the sofa.
"I get it already, I'll sit there."
Seeing no other option, I sat in the middle of the sofa. You need to keep in mind that it was just me and my old man living here before. This sofa isn't that big. Both of the girls, to my left and right, were practically inches away from rubbing against me. How can I stay calm like this? There's a limit, alright.
"You smell really nice, Asamura-kun. So this is the scent of the Asamura Household's shampoo, I see. That must mean, Saki as well…"
"As if we'd use the same shampoo. Common sense, ever heard of it?"
So that was supposed to be common sense, huh. I never thought of using a different shampoo and body soap from my old man's. Guess I should keep that in mind next time I go shopping.
"I buy my own things. I'm a high school girl after all." Ayase-san said, as if she saw through my thoughts.
"Then, let's get this started~!" Narasaka-san said, and operated the controller.
A joyful music played, as I focussed on the screen. Even though this should be a familiar sofa to me, this must be the most uncomfortable experience I had so far. At the same time as I thought that, I remembered Ayase-san's words. 'Our sofa' she said. These words made me a bit happy.
There, the console booted up. It was looking for the newest patch of the game. But, nothing could be found, and the game started.
"Is it…a scary one?" Ayase-san asked, slight tension mixed in her voice.
"It's not scary at all~ It's a cute one! Like a puzzle! You control these flappy people, and while holding hands, you make it through the goal."
Narisaka-san pointed at the screen, specifically at the character that looked like they had no bones. By operating the controller, Narasaka-san's character was thrown into the air, turned around, and landed on spikes put on the ground. Blood gushed from the body, as the character fell to the depths of the map with a scream.
"See, this is how they die."
"So it is a horror game."
"Again, it's not! You can actually clear this stage. It's only scary if you fail. Come on, Asamura-kun, hold this."
"O-Okay." I was given the controller.
"Listen. We have to work together here. This will be our first shared operation!"
"I don't get it at all."
"Forget about that! Let's go!"
We died a thousand times. This is the first time I played that game, so there's no way I'd be any good at it. And yet, Narasaka-san was celebrating it whenever my character fell to its death. She even shook my shoulders in some fake attempt to cheer me on, trying to make me fail even more. It's honestly scary how close she is. She feels more like a little sister than my real step-sister.
"Haaaa, that was fun!"
By the time we were done, the rain had stopped, and Narasaka-san went home, seemingly satisfied.
"Sorry that she's so annoying." Ayase-san came back from seeing her off at the entrance of the flat, and said so.
"No, it's fine."
"Um…" She seemed hesitant with her words, leaving me a bit nervous. "Could we…add each other on LINE? To make sure something like that unfortunate happening from before doesn't happen again?"
"A-Ah, yeah, sure."
I had no objections to that. Indeed, it was all to avoid any possible misfortune. We're family after all, it's not weird in the slightest. When I opened up my friend's list, I saw Ayase-san's icon. She was using a stylish tea cup as a picture. Just from that alone, you couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl, which is very much like her.
"I guess this is an armament as well…"
"Did you say something~?" After we finished exchanging contacts, Ayase-san went to the kitchen, from where she now called out to me.
The sound of the kitchen knife hitting the cutting board stopped momentarily.
"No, it's nothing."
"Okay~ Dinner is gonna be ready soon."
"Got it."
The cutting sound resumed, as the gentle scent of miso soup tickled my nose. I reminisced about everything that happened today. For the fact that the day started with me running into Ayase-san during our way to school, the day continued to be full of events.
I saw Ayase-san during practice, when she made fun of Narasaka-san. Even though I had an umbrella, I ended up drenched from the rain. The moment where these two girls heard my humming was definitely the worst of today, and even after that, when we played the game together, I would have trouble finding something worthwhile there.
And yet, I felt oddly satisfied when I turned off my phone's screen, like I had gathered a lot today.
───
1 High-ranking university in Tokyo
2 'Anta', a short-form of 'Anata', which is the informal and not very polite version of 'You'. The 'You' later is the normal 'Anata' version.
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