Analysis Before Battle

Dresses, sandals, panties, bras and other accessories were in a shamble in Keiko's room.

She was in the midst of all that mess as she was brought down to her knees by her indecisions.

She scratched her head in distress, not knowing what to do anymore. She gritted her teeth in anguish.

"What should I do...?" She muttered weakly.

Her eyes scanned at all of the jumbled clothes laying everywhere. On the bed, on the floor, hanging from the cupboard's opened door and some even were under the bed.

"I give up..."

Keiko stood up, revealing that she was in only her bra and panties.

"I have no choice."

Her face turned serious and she clenched her fists.

She veered to the door and exited her room. The lights were off and it was dark in the corridors.

The time was around 9 p.m. This was past her bedtime but she was worried about something so important that she did not care about being up this late.

She walked with determined steps and arrived in front of another door.

*Click.*

The doorknob turned and she opened the door.

"....."

In front of her, she saw Yoichi playing on a game console. The T.V had some gruesome images. Blood, corpses, zombies, basically it was a zombie shooter game.

'Huh? It is rare to see him stay up late to play games.' Keiko pondered about his peculiar behaviour.

However, she did not care about that too. There was something more important than that.

".....What do you want?" Yoichi noticed her presence, "And why are you in your panties. Go put something on."

Keiko was again surprised.

'Huh? He did not mind about that up until right now. What's with him today?'

She shook her head and returned to the main reason as to why she knocked on Yoichi's door.

"Onii-chan, I need your help!"

"...Right now?"

"It has to be right now."

Yoichi became confused with her. He waved her off and denied any aid.

"Can it be tomorrow? I have some-"

"Why!? Please!"

Keiko stomped her towards Yoichi and begged him.

"As I said-"

"Please! It is just for a moment! Please!"

She grabbed his shoulder and tried to drag him away from the game console.

"W-Wait. At least let me pause the game."

With that, she stopped her tantrums knowing that Yoichi accepted her demands. He proceeded to pause the game and placed the game console near the T.V.

"Whatever it is, make it quick."

Yoichi seemed like he was in a rush. Keiko shrugged that off and resumed getting help from her brother.

He sat on the bed and listened to her problems.

"Listen. I have a date tomorrow. That is why it has to be done today. Please help me pick my outfit."

Yoichi sighed exasperatingly.

"Go put anything on. Asahi will like any clothes you put on. No matter what you will wear, it will be good on you. Now, go back to your room."

"Don't solve this problem so half-heartedly!"

"Does this even qualify for a problem?"

"It does! So please, pick something that would suit me. Something that Asahi would adore."

She blushed thinking about her boyfriend.

*Sigh*

Yoichi indifferently looked at her getting lost in her thoughts. Just like any other girl that would get excited to go on their date with their crush, Keiko was the same.

She was getting nervous, worried about how the date would go and which place to go.

Even after officially becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, she always acts like it is her first date.

"No need to be so nervous Keiko. For god's sake, now I know why you were acting so strange when we came home."

"What? Was I strange?"

"Yeah. You were mumbling to yourself and ignoring everyone around you. You even made Oji-san call the hospital. Good thing I stopped him in time."

"A-Ah...I am sorry..."

"Oh well, it can't be helped, right? Since it is a date with the handsome Asahi. You would hold hands, eat some good food, drink from the same cup, kiss and then go to some hotel room and then-"

"H-Hey!! Stop that!"

She covered Yoichi's mouth with an embarrassed face. Her ears and cheeks were beet red. It was unbearable to listen any further.

Keiko's imagination went wild when Yoichi narrated the whole scenario.

He removed Keiko's hand from his mouth and smirked at her.

"What? You did not think about doing it with him."

"-!? O-Onii-chan! Stop saying such obscenity!"

She began hammering her weak fists into Yoichi's chest to hide her bashful expression.

"Hahaha! I get it. Stop it."

She pouted heavily. She had enough of such talks and wanted to discuss her outfit for tomorrow.

Yoichi also went into helping mode.

"First tell me where are you going?"

"Huh? Is that necessary?"

"Yeah." He answered with certainty. Seeing him serious with his questioning, Keiko said.

"Well, it is a new cafe that recently opened up just in front of the arcades. Asahi-kun..... invited me to go."

"Oh, I know that place. Anywhere you would go other than that?"

"Hmmm? Maybe watch a movie and maybe have some fun at the arcade."

"Good choice, so that means you would walk quite a lot.....Hmm?"

Yoichi contemplated and racked his brain. Keiko held back her impatience. She gulped and saw Yoichi tapping his finger over his chin.

Keiko sat on her knees on the bed, clenching her fists and waiting for his response.

"First..."

"....."

"You should wear that yellow sandal. The flat one, not the one with the heels on. Then wear the pale blue skirt since it would be hot if you wore a jean, plus it would go well with the colour of your sandal. And how about the short-sleeved white stylish top that Oji-san gifted you on your last birthday. For the accessories like bangles or earrings, you can decide them? Is that okay?"

"....."

Keiko was in awe with his explanation. She could not reprimand any of his decisions, it was all perfect for her.

"Onii-chan..."

Yoichi tilted his head, thinking that he may have missed something judging how weak she sounded.

"What?"

"Thank you!!"

"Woah!!"

Keiko hugged him out of nowhere and it was unstoppable so Yoichi could not handle the force.

It was lucky that he sat on the bed since his back got smothered upon impact with the mattress. He would have been hurt pretty badly if he was anywhere far from the bed.

Her arm twirled around the back of his neck as she tightly hugged him. Her head was next to Yoichi's.

"O-Oi, Keiko! You could have killed me!"

"Hahahaha!! Sorry sorry. I got ahead of myself. But..."

She lifted her head and focused on his eyes.

"...Thank you very much for helping me."

"I haven't helped entirely because there is one more thing I forgot to tell you?"

"Hmm? I thought there was nothing else?"

Yoichi glanced at her bra and panties.

"Please wear bra and panties with coordinated colours."

Keiko froze. She looked at herself and instantly noticed the difference in colours with the bra and panties respectively.

Yoichi's smug face gradually appeared. He added to Keiko's embarrassment.

"If Asahi sees this, he would be disappointed."

"You-!

She grabbed Yoichi's shoulder and shook him back and forth, making him dizzy.

"I-I t-told that we a-are not going t-to do that t-tomorrow!!"

"U-Uwaah...Aaah...S-Stop.....it. I.....Get it so.....stop....."

His eyes wandered and his head started to hurt from the dizziness. Keiko stopped from shaking him. It was necessary so that he would not talk about this topic again.

Yoichi grabbed his head with both his hands.

"Woah! I thought I was on a rollercoaster."

It took some time to regain his composure. After he did, he beckoned Keiko to leave.

"If that is it then go to your room."

"Hey, I have been wondering ever since I entered your room."

"Huh? I said leave now, we will talk tomorrow."

Keiko sat near him and she needs to clear her doubts right away.

"Why have you been constantly telling me to go to my room."

Yoichi was confused at Keiko instead. After she saw his reaction, it made her curiosity peak.

"You say why? It is because you are dressed like that, that is why I am saying to go to your room. Quickly."

".....Why?" Keiko had a question over her head.

"Just how forgetful are you getting?"

"Huh?"

Just then, both of them heard a click in the door. They darted their sight towards the door. The doorknob was turning.

Yoichi hurriedly grabbed the blanket on his bed and wrapped Keiko's body as quick as possible.

"Wai-" Keiko did not get the chance to comprehend what was going on.

Her body was covered completely. Only her head was sticking out of the blanket.

The door was fully opened and there appeared Naoko, who was clutching his stomach.

"Haa.....I feel much better."

"....."

Naoko noticed Yoichi and Keiko in a rather peculiar state.

"Eh?"

".....Hello..." Keiko, not knowing who it was, awkwardly introduced herself.

Naoko was creeped out by her.

"What is all of this, Keiko-san? Why are you dressed like that?"

She felt abashed as she had nothing but just a bra and panties under the blanket she got wrapped into.

Yoichi covered her by saying, "She was feeling very cold so I gave her my blanket."

"Cold? Oh well....."

The way Naoko behaved towards Keiko was unusual to her. She realized that and was flabbergasted at the fact that this guy knows her.

"You know me?"

"Hah? What are you saying Keiko-san!? Yoichi introduced you to me and we even walked together here. I was going to have a sleepover with Yoichi."

".....I don't remember?"

Naoko had his mouth agape, dumbstruck and upset by Keiko.

"Is that so.....? Is my presence that invisible to you?"

Naoko became more gloomy and sat in the corner of the room. He kept sneaking glances at Keiko.

".....Who is he...?" She turned towards Yoichi.

Yoichi felt bad for Naoko but it couldn't be helped.

"*Sigh*.....I am going to introduce him again to you. He recently became my best friend. He is in the baseball club just like me. Kimura Naoko."

Naoko stood properly and greeted Keiko with a gentleman like behaviour.

"Kimura Naoko. But you can call me Naoko. A prestige that is only available for a few people. Since you are the sister of one of my best friends, you are allowed."

".....Pftt!"

Keiko started laughing as he saw how fast he changed his demeanour and how dumb he looked.

"You are surprisingly funny!"

"Thank you for the compliment."

Yoichi waited for Keiko's laughter to die down to inform her about an additional data on Naoko.

"He is also Ando-san's boyfriend."

"Oh is that so?"

"That is true. I am her lovely and handsome boyfriend." Naoko confirmed it.

"Oh, so she has one," Keiko murmured. Only Yoichi heard it.

Keiko smiled and then apologized to Naoko.

"Then, Naoko-kun. I am sorry that I did not recognise you."

"It is fine. But I hardly believe that you have not even remembered me even though we just met a few hours ago."

"Ah, that....." Keiko felt at loss for words. Even she could not explain.

That is where Yoichi came in clutch again.....but not the kind of aid she expected.

"Yeah about that. She was too lost in her thought because she was too busy thinking about her date with his boyfriend."

'Why are you telling him the truth!!' Keiko furiously glared at Yoichi. He just grinned at her.

"Oh, you have a date? Then want my advice?"

"N-No it isn't a date, just a meeting with a friend."

Yoichi butted in and made it difficult for Keiko. She did not want Naoko to know about the date.

Because if Naoko knows about it, then that girl Ando would also know about it.

And Keiko has got the feeling that she would interrupt their date. That would be the worst thing ever to her.

"Get it in your brain, Naoko-kun. This is not a date, just a meeting with a friend. Don't take my brother seriously, okay?"

Even though her lips curved upwards, her eyes were getting scary and Naoko thought that if he refused to say otherwise, then something bad will happen to him.

"O-Okay."

"....That's good that you got it."

She meaningfully glanced at Yoichi before exiting the room.

"Then, goodnight."

She dragged the blanket with her and closed the door.

"....."

"....."

Naoko and Yoichi stared at each other in silence for a brief moment.

Naoko laughed out of fear.

"Am i.....going to die if I say it is a date?"

"Why?"

"Because her eyes were scary."

"Then probably."

"That is not reassuring! If that day comes then will you rescue me?"

"Of course, I will. Now come sit here and let's continue playing. Don't waste our precious weekend time."

"Now you said it! I am going to get the most points!"

"Keep dreaming!"

Naoko and Yoichi grabbed their console and started playing the game till late at night.