MCFW 11

Chapter 11

When I went back to my room, Kana-neechan (Big Sister Kana) was still doing things entirely at her own pace.
First, she lay down on my bed and started reading a music magazine that had been sitting nearby.

It was already nighttime. Normally, this was the time to get ready for school tomorrow.

“Hey, Kana-neechan. Are you all set for tomorrow?”
“Mm-hm. I already got things ready when I went home earlier, so I’m fine for a little while longer.”

I wasn’t sure what exactly “a little while longer” meant… but still, since she manages both her band and her part-time job without trouble, that’s just like her.
After my bath, I had nothing in particular to do, so I came back to my room — but I didn’t expect Kana-neechan to follow me here.
I’d assumed she would go home, so having her in my room left me uneasy.

There wasn’t anything embarrassing she could find, but even so… having a girl — and not just any girl, but Kana-neechan — in my room made it hard to stay calm.

“Don’t you have any homework or something?”
“Not really. What about you, little brother? Got any assignments to finish?”
“No, nothing like that for me either, but…”
“But what?”

Kana-neechan turned her gaze toward me.
Lying on the bed, she faced me with a thoughtful look — in a way that looked almost like she was tempting me.
Even if my bed is soft and comfy, I wish she wouldn’t do that.
And since her skirt was short, every little movement gave me a flash of her underwear.

“Do you still have something you needed to do?”
“Do I need a reason to be here?”
“Eh, n-no… I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Speaking of reasons — there’s something you didn’t do at the end of our date today, you know.”
“Something I didn’t do? At the end of the date? What’s that supposed to mean?”

I tilted my head, confused.
When she said “something you have to do at the end of a date,” I couldn’t think of anything.
Apparently, to her, the date wasn’t over yet.
Kana-neechan pouted, got up from the bed, and stepped closer to me.

“Honestly! How dense can you be? Do I really have to make a girl do this for you to get it?”
“Eh…?”

Before I could react, she grabbed me and pressed her lips against mine.
A soft fragrance filled my senses.
Wait — was that… a kiss?
My mind went completely blank from the unfamiliar sensation.

“Uh… Kana-neechan, what was that just now?”
“I just did what you’re supposed to do at the end of a date. How was it?”
“Ah, uh… well… you smell nice and, um…”

I couldn’t even form a proper response.
I never expected her to kiss me out of nowhere.

“My feelings are already decided,” she said softly. “The rest is up to you.”

With that, Kana-neechan left my room.
Up to me? What was I supposed to do now?
For the moment, all I could do was chase after her.

“Ah, um… where are you going?”
“I’m heading home for today. See you tomorrow.”

She said that and left my house.
All I could do was stand there and see her off — but I couldn’t stop touching my lips where she had kissed me.
I could still feel that soft warmth.

A kiss is something you share only with someone you care about.
If she kissed me, that must mean…
Ugh, no use overthinking it.
I decided to go back to my room and just sleep.

The Next Day — At School

I told my friend Shingo about what had happened yesterday.

“So that’s what went down,” I finished. “What do you think, Shingo?”
“Well, let me get this straight. You went on a date with Nishida-senpai, then ran into Takizawa-senpai and the others. After that, she turned Takizawa-senpai down and went lingerie shopping with you instead, huh?”

Shingo spoke like he was summarizing a case.
At least there was no misunderstanding — that helped.
I nodded.

“Yeah, that’s basically it. Oh, but in the end Kana-neechan picked out the underwear herself — I figured I’d mess up the size.”
“I see. Well, it sounds to me like Nishida-senpai likes you.”
“Huh? No, she’s my childhood friend — of course we’re close. I like her too, but, you know, as a friend.”
“That’s not what I mean. She’s starting to see you as a man.”

What?
See me as a man?
Who’d believe that?
If she saw me that way, she wouldn’t keep calling me ‘little brother.’

“That can’t be right.”
“Why not?”
“She’s like an older sister to me! She even calls me ‘otouto-kun.’”
“Yeah, but during your date, she called you ‘Kaede-kun,’ didn’t she?”
“Well, yeah…”
“And she made you call her ‘Kana-san,’ right?”
“Yeah, but that was just because there were people around…”

I’d only gone along with it so strangers wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

“Then it’s obvious,” Shingo said. “Nishida-senpai definitely likes you.”
“Eh… I don’t think you can say that for sure.”
“Then test it.”
“Test it? How?”
“You’re walking home with her today, right?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”

We’d agreed to meet near the boys’ school and walk partway home together, though she had a part-time shift later — so I wasn’t even sure she’d show.

“Then try holding her hand. You’ll find out right away.”
“There’s no way I can do that! That’d be way too forward — she’d think I’m rude!”
“Up to you. If you’re fine with how things are, don’t do it. But I doubt other guys will leave Nishida-senpai alone for long—”
“…Alright, alright. I’ll try.”

I sighed deeply.

After School

As promised, Kana-neechan was waiting in front of the boys’ school.
Her girls’ school uniform stood out here, and a crowd of guys had gathered around her.
She smiled and chatted with them like it was nothing — as always.
It was hard to approach her in that situation, but… I couldn’t just stand here.

Taking a breath, I walked up to her.

“Oh, little brother — ready to go?” she said, spotting me immediately.
Her smile was radiant.
Ignoring the stares of the guys around her, I smiled back.

“Yeah, all done. Let’s go, Kana-neechan.”
“Okay! Let’s head home together.”

She grabbed my arm and started walking.

“Ah, Nishida-san, wait — we’re not finished talking yet!”

One of the guys — Takizawa-senpai — caught her arm.
Kana-neechan didn’t flinch, but answered clearly.

“I’m sorry. I’m not interested in dating you. I promised to walk home with my little brother today. Goodbye.”
“W-wait…”

Takizawa-senpai stood frozen, letting go of her arm.
I wasn’t sure of all the details, but apparently the group of guys had gathered to keep her from leaving so he could confess to her.
Too bad for him — it didn’t work out.
Well, of course not. Even my own brother confessed to her once and got rejected.

Feeling a little sorry for him, I let her keep pulling me along.

Shingo had said “try holding her hand,” but this — with her clinging to my arm — probably counted.

“Um… Kana-neechan?”

She must have sensed what I was thinking, because she said softly:

“Please, just let me walk like this for a bit longer.”
“…Alright.”

So I let her.

What had Takizawa-senpai said to her?
She was quiet, eyes downcast — something I rarely saw.
Whatever it was, it must have shaken her.

“Hey… little brother,” she finally whispered, so faintly I almost missed it.
I’d never seen her so dejected.

“What is it, Kana-neechan?”
“Am I… wrong?”
“Eh? Wrong about what?”
“I mean… am I making a mistake somehow?”

I had no idea what she meant.

“Did you do something wrong?”

Even when I asked, she just sighed and muttered,

“I guess I am wrong after all…”

Yeah, she wasn’t really listening to me anymore.

“I don’t know what’s bothering you,” I said, “but I don’t think you should worry so much.”
“…Little brother?”
“You should just keep following the path you believe in.”
“The path I believe in, huh…”
“You always say that yourself, don’t you? ‘It’s important to follow the path you believe in.’ That’s why you started your own band.”
“Yeah… you’re right. It is important.”
“Exactly! That’s the most important thing.”
“Got it. Then I’ll follow my own way — even when it comes to love!”

She said that with a cheerful fist pump, her energy returning.
Her love? What did that mean?

“Your love? What do you mean by that?”

Something I couldn’t quite grasp was coming.

“Well, lately, I’ve realized there’s someone I like.”
“Really?”
“Yup! …You’re curious who, aren’t you?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”

That was surprising. I wanted to ask who, but the words caught in my throat.

She looked straight at me and said,

“He’s kind of reserved — quiet, really. He recently joined my band.”
“Oh…”
“And he still calls me ‘Big Sister’ and keeps confusing me.”
“W-wait… you don’t mean…”

It couldn’t be—

“Yeah. The person I like is you, little brother.”

She stopped walking and turned to face me.
I froze in shock.

“You… like me? Why?”
“Because you’re always by my side. When I’m in trouble, you’re there, and that makes me want to keep trying.”

She said it without a hint of embarrassment.

“But… you just turned down my brother when he confessed to you. So why me?”
“Because I realized you’re the one who really suits me. Sure, Ryuichi-san is cool and dependable, but… he’s too good for me. I know he’ll succeed even without me. You, though…”
“Me?”
“You might be timid and not exactly reliable, but you look like someone who’d protect the people you care about. So before any other girl notices that, I thought I should claim you first.”
“…So that’s how you saw me.”
“I didn’t mean any harm. And if you liked someone else, I wouldn’t try to stop you. But—”
“But?”
“If I can help it, I don’t want you to fall for anyone else.”

So that’s how she saw me… and my brother.
I couldn’t help but smile helplessly.

“Well, you can relax. There’s no one I like right now.”
“Really?”
“I’m not lying.”
“You sure? You’re not hiding anyone?”
“Yeah. No one.”

She eyed me suspiciously, but since I had no reason to lie, I met her gaze honestly.

“Jeez, little brother. When you look at me like that, I can’t not believe you.”
“Because it’s true.”
“I see… then I guess that’s fine.”

She smiled and started walking again, still holding onto my arm.
Honestly, I wished she’d let go already — people were staring.

“Um, Kana-neechan, when are you going to let go?”
“Hmm, who knows?”
“What do you mean ‘who knows’? This is kind of embarrassing.”
“I’m not embarrassed at all. I’m walking home with you — just like always.”

She smiled brightly and tugged me along.
Seeing that smile, I knew resistance was pointless.
I decided to let her hold on for as long as she wanted.

And so, with Kana-neechan clinging to my arm, we walked through the town together.