vol. 5 ch 4 (last half)

"But, onii-sama, won't Gon-chan regret it if this goes on?"

I shook my head. There's no correct answer in interpersonal relationships.

We make mistakes and keep them as memories. Sometimes, we forgive each other, and other times we don't.

I think this process should continue.

"Maybe Kaju is right. Maybe Gondou-san will regret it one day- however, just because it's right doesn't mean it's the correct answer."

Kaju tried to say something, but I interrupted her and pressed on.

"She's your best friend, right? It's best for you to have a nice, long talk with her."

"...Yes, Kaju will go to school and talk to her tomorrow."

Finally, Kaju cleared her thoughts and leaned on my shoulder.

"Please hold Kaju like when we were little, onii-sama."

Eh, have I done something like that before?

I can't remember- now's not the time to talk about that. So, I hugged Kaju from behind.

Kaju pressed her palm against mine as she chuckled gently. She looks like a child.

…I felt the warmth on my kneecaps, and yet another question came to mind.

"Come to think of it, where's your chocolate? You spent so much effort on it. So, you're giving it to someone instead of me, right-"

"Onii-sama already got a bunch of chocolate in school even if Kaju didn't give you any, right?"

Kaju's cheeks pouted like a pufferfish. She elbowed me.

"If onii-sama has received so many honmei chocolates already, it would be miserable for Kaju to give you another one. Kaju has a girl's self-esteem too."

"Wait, I didn't get any honmei chocolate."

Kaju overestimated me, as usual. I couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"...Onii-sama didn't get any chocolate? Not even from Komari-san?"

Kaju's eyes bulged in disbelief.

"Everyone brought chocolate. It was for the visitors, but that was all. I did get an obligatory chocolate-"

"You got it!? From who!?"

Kaju dashed toward me in excitement. I pushed her away forcefully.

"It's from Asagumo-san. She has a boyfriend, so this is a 99.9% obligatory chocolate."

"...It's not 100%?"

"When you buy a lottery ticket, you will wonder how you're going to spend the money after winning, right? This is as important as that 0.1% possibility. For example, what if the person who gave me chocolate was Asagumo-san's twin sister? It's just that I don't know her. Think about this setting, okay?"

"I…see?"

Kaju rubbed the spot between her eyes with her fingers. However, she doesn't seem to want to ponder about it any longer.

She wobbled as she stood up and took out something from the desk's drawer.

She hid it behind her and sat down in front of me.

"Hmm, …onii-sama, I'll confirm it for the last time. Onii-sama didn't receive any honmei chocolate, right?"

"Yeah, I didn't."

Kaju fidgeted as she lowered her hand and handed out a small bag. The package looks very cute.

"This is honmei little sister chocolate! Please take it!"

I took the bag puzzledly. The transparent bag is filled with Kaju's chocolates.

"...Are these for me? Didn't you say you weren't giving them to onii-chan?"

"It's because onii-sama didn't receive any honmei chocolate, right? That means onii-sama has accepted Kaju for giving you honmei little sister chocolate this year!"

I see. It would be unreasonable for me to try and be logical before a concept as mysterious as little sister chocolate.

Kaju blushed really hard. I gently stroked her head.

"Thank you. I'll try them out with my heart."

"Okay, onii-sama!"

Kaju's energetic voice echoed through the room.

-During this time, a familiar car engine noise can be heard outside the window.

"Dad and Mom are back."

"Yeah, I need to make dinner."

Kaju held my hand tightly as she stood up.

We finally got the most urgent things out of the way now. Tachibana-kun's love is over. Kaju is smiling. Amanatsu-sensei is now a bit popular.

Even though the Valentine's Day incident is over, it's still lurking in our daily lives.

I followed Kaju as we prepared to leave the room. Kaju held the handle, yet she stopped.

"What's wrong, Kaju? Are we not going out?"

"Onii-sama just said Kaju should give the chance to them if Kaju has fallen in love with the same person as my friend, right?"

Kaju mumbled quietly as she faced me with her back.

"Eh? Yeah, I did."

"...It's probably a little different."

Hmm? What is she talking about?

Kaju turned around and straightened her back-

She gave me a kiss on my cheeks.

"Hey!? What are you doing, Kaju!?"

Kaju immediately backed away from me. She pointed at her face.

"There's some chocolate on onii-sama's cheeks. Kaju helped you wipe it off."

"Ehhhh, you're overstepping your bounds."

"Hehe, make sure to keep it a secret from Mom, you know?"

Kaju said that as her smile blossomed.

I silently shook my head.

-I can only admit defeat if she's already smiling so much.

*

The next day is a Monday. The west winds are unexpectedly quiet today.

The northern sky has several stratus clouds floating around.

Municipal Momozno Middle School. The pure morning sunlight is beaming into the Gardening Club's greenhouse from the ceiling. Asami Gondou- Gon-chan is facing a pot under the sun.

Ka-chak. A pleasing noise can be heard from the gardening scissors.

Gon-chan stared at the branch for a while. She made up her mind and reached her scissors out again.

Creak. The old door of the greenhouse is opened. It's making noises.

The person who poked her head behind the door is- Kaju Nukumizu.

"Gon-chan, can you hear Kaju out…?"

"There's fertilizer over the ground there. Watch out."

Kaju nodded silently. She avoided the bag next to her foot and approached Gon-chan.

"Hey, Gon-chan…"

"Bonsai is all about imitating the scenes in nature inside a pot. Check it out from this side."

Gon-chan suddenly said that before waving toward Kaju and asking her to come here.

Kaju approached her in confusion. Her eyes squinted as she looked at the plant.

"Scenes- it feels like a miniature model."

Gon-chan raised her head. She seems to be formulating her words.

"Very close, but there are some differences. A bonsai requires time to care for its trunk, branches, and leaves. These things will slowly turn into a scenery at last."

Gon-chan looked at the horizontally-growing branches and mumbled to herself.

"...This bonsai is as old as us."

"Has it lived for 14 years already?"

Gon-chan nodded in agreement.

How long has it been? Not even Gon-chan and Kaju know. However, to them, this period is enough to cover everything they ever have.

"The teacher who left this to me once said you could never get a good look if you tried to trim trees into the shape you wanted. However, those unexpected branches- turn into beautiful scenery sometimes."

Ka-chak. Gon-chan cut off the tip of the branch.

She stared at the cut briefly before gently putting down the scissors.

"...I would be pretty sad if Satoshi got a girlfriend."

"Yeah, so-"

"However, you would be wrong to say I wanted to go out with him right now."

Kaju wanted to say something, yet she kept her mouth shut.

Gon-chan slowly shook her head.

"The Satoshi next to me has always liked a teacher since he was young. This guy is such an idiot. He's very loyal. If I confess to Satoshi and he changes his mind because of this, he won't be the Satoshi I know, right?"

"So, …you mean Kaju misunderstood you?"

Gon-chan couldn't stop her lips from curling up after hearing the unexpected words.

"Perhaps. So, I'll be very glad if you can pretend you didn't see anything."

"...Yeah, sorry, Gon-chan."

"I should be the one to apologize. Sorry to make you worry about me."

The sun is already up before they know it. The whole greenhouse is really bright.

Kaju looked around before taking a step toward Gon-chan.

"...Hey, Gon-chan. Can you hear me out?"

Gon-chan agreed. Kaju took out a delicately-decorated small pink box.

"Kaju made friendship chocolate. Gon-chan, can you take it?"

"For me? Are you sure?"

"Yes, Kaju hopes Gon-chan can take it."

Gon-chan took her chocolate and handed the gardening scissors to Kaju in return.

"Try to use it and trim these branches."

"Eh? Can Kaju do it?"

Kaju took the scissors carefully.

"It's okay. It doesn't matter, even if it doesn't look good. As long as you have fun."

Kaju seemed startled. Gon-chan then gently stroked her head.

She stood before the pot nervously.

"There are iron wires on these branches. What are they for?"

"Adjusting the shape of the branches. The branches will get more sunlight that way. It's good for ventilation as well. The trees hibernate during the winter, and that's when we use the wires."

"You install iron wires every year? This must be why the bonsai looks like this right now."

Gon-chan nodded and touched the branches gently.

"But its shape can't be changed easily even with the wires."

"Really?"

Gon-chan stared at the rough trunk lovingly.

"It will slowly grow up with time. Sometimes it makes the owner satisfied, and other times it's unexpected. It only has its current form after a lengthy trial of time."

"After a lengthy trial of time-"

Kaju realized it after hearing that.

No matter how the future turns out to be, it requires a lengthy trial of time.

Her brother's future. Her own future. The siblings will eventually go on separate paths.

But these are strongly connected to the times the two of them have spent together.

"...Bonsai is kind of interesting."

"Really? I can teach Nuku-chan anytime if Nuku-chan is into it."

Gon-chan's eyes are sparkling. Kaju nodded and grabbed the scissors again.

"Well, can I cut this part off?"

Asami quickly reached her hand out when Kaju put the scissors on the branch.

"Can you raise the scissors higher?"

"This should be okay, right?"

"Ah, move it a little over to that side of the branch-"

Gon-chan couldn't help but intervene. So, Kaju's lips curled down. She put her hands on her waist.

"Sheesh, Gon-chan said I could do it myself."

Indeed.

Even though she may regret it. Even though she may cry.

She should tread every step determinedly as long as it's the path she has chosen. This is what she has decided.

"Sorry."

Gon-chan gave a wry smile. She raised her hands and surrendered.

"-The result is fine no matter how it grows, right?"

Epilogue: The Past and the Future

The second day of the open day is a Monday. I repeat. It's a Monday.

I missed an excellent opportunity to rest during the weekend, and now I have to endure a whole week of school. I feel very pissed on a Monday morning. Perhaps this is why Amanatsu-sensei's personality is like this…

I put my hand on my chin as I became lost in thought during homeroom.

"Alright, that's all of the notice."

Amanatsu-sensei's crisp voice dragged me back to reality.

I sat upright to avoid her calling my name. However, sensei is in a very good mood today.

"We had the open day yesterday. Many students look like they will have a bright future."

Sensei smiled nonchalantly as she leaned forward on the podium.

"I mean, a teacher will bump into all kinds of things. Yep, they are mature women, right? Anyway, their bodies are radiating with attraction to those puberty boys. Yep, I know what they are thinking."

…Don't tell me she's talking about Tachibana-kun.

However, I don't think she has encountered such a situation before. I guess she couldn't help but feel a little excited.

"You guys should've admired a beautiful onee-san before, but sensei probably won't say yes. Ahaha."

Amanatsu-sensei didn't care about the dead atmosphere in the classroom at all. She kept talking about love (?).

I don't want to hear the story about how sensei was once popular at all. So, I ignored her and thought about the Valentine's Day that just passed by.

…I finally got chocolate this year.

Even though it's just a single one, and it's also an obligatory chocolate, I can't doubt it, this is already a big step in progress.

I didn't receive any chocolates from the Literature Club members, but it would be troublesome to give them something back. It's not ridiculous to say it's better for me to have not gotten anything. I'm serious.

"-Anyway, you guys are about to be second-year students. The split into science subjects and literature subjects is about to happen, and all of you will be in different classes as well. Don't think you still have a lot of time before graduation. There's only one shot as a first-year and second-year student. Treasure the moment. Don't regret it like sensei."

I then realized sensei suddenly drove the conversation toward depression.

The story where sensei was once popular is emptier than expected.

She cheered herself up and slammed the attendance table on the podium.

"Alright, cheer up for this week as well, folks!"

*

Club room, after school.

The three girls in the Literature Club looked at each other and dropped their jaws after hearing what happened yesterday.

"I didn't expect Tachibana-kun to be into Amanatsu-sensei. …I see. …I feel bad for him…"

Yanami mumbled deeply as she chewed kaki no tane. [TL: Small, crescent-shaped rice crackers.]

"Tachibana-kun is that boy who went on a walk with Nukkun in the boulevard, right? You can never judge a book by its cover."

Yakishio nodded with a gripper in her hand.

Komari looked at the two of them and showed a worried expression.

"I-Is that teacher that scary…?"

"Amanatsu-chan is a good teacher. It's just that she's a bit…"

Yanami seemed to have noticed my glance. She shook her bag of kaki no tane. It made a "sha sha" noise.

"Nukumizu-kun wants some too?"

"Ah, no thanks. Right, are you sure you're fine after eating so many sweets yesterday? Didn't you say you were going to start losing weight?"

"I've already started losing weight."

Yanami said that as she kept sending kaki no tane into her mouth.

Is this girl trying to change the concept of losing weight again?

"Also, I ate nothing in the morning and noon yesterday. It's okay."

"But it's pointless when you ate so many sweets, right…?'

My point hits the mark. Yanami shrugged helplessly.

"Sigh, alright, Nukumizu-kun doesn't know anything about losing weight, after all. How about I teach you?"

"...Well, if you say so, go ahead and teach me."

Yanami answered my dazed look with a smug face.

"The truth about losing weight is tricking your body."

She said something strange, as expected.

"It means you have to trick your body by not giving it a chance to be fat. The body will lower its guard without any proper meals. That's when you can eat snacks. Snacks contain less sugar than actual meals. It's the same as fasting."

…I feel like her theories are getting more supernatural by the day.

"Uh, the burnt calories aren't that different, right? Such irregular eating habits will lower the rate of metabolism. It's going to make losing weight even harder, right?"

"It's really fine. I've tried this method 5 times, and it worked twice."

The probability of failure is even higher.

In the end, she just wants to treasure this precious success. I should stop complaining.

"N-Nukumizu-kun, here's your l-little sister's club magazine."

Komari handed me the three club magazines Kaju and her friends forgot to take.

Come to think of it, the three of them went home without coming back to the club room.

I tried to take the magazine, but Komari didn't let go.

"Eh, what's wrong?"

"...D-Did something happen between you and your little sister?

"Didn't I just tell you before? I said she helped Tachibana-kun to meet Amanatsu-sensei."

I used the opportunity to take the club magazine.

Yanami and the girls still don't know I argued with Kaju.

I don't expect other people to understand this. I don't have to tell anyone, anyway.

"Nukkun, your little sister doesn't have a crush, you know? But you don't seem too happy about it."

"Yeah, I guess…"

I looked away from Yakishio's eyes and opened the club magazine.

It's the page that contains Kaju's novel.

The siblings still go their separate ways at the end of the story, but the time they spend together will never disappear.

The brother heads to a new world, while the little sister is left in her daily life.

I wonder how Kaju felt when she wrote this novel-

The club room's door opened as if it was to interrupt my thoughts.

"Onii-sama, Kaju is here!"

Huh!? I immediately dropped my jaws. Kaju- dashed onto my lap right away.

She sat on my lap and hugged my neck with both of her hands.

"Wait, why are you here!? Also, don't you have to go to class?"

Kaju didn't flinch at my questions at all. She showed the ID beneath her chest.

"Hehe, please look at this."

There's an ID hanging on Kaju's neck. The word "Temporary Entry" is printed above.

Then, the issuer is- the student council.

"Student council…? Kaju, why do you have this?"

"Tsuwabuki High School's student council allowed me to watch their duties up close."

"Uh, …it should be just for today, right?"

Kaju smiled and hugged my neck tightly.

"Prez really likes Kaju. She said Kaju can come whenever I want."

…In other words-

"I'll be in your care from now on, onii-sama."

With that, Kaju rubbed my cheeks with her head.

Ah, …is she going to come in and out of Tsuwabuki from now on?

"Hold on, calm down."

I pulled Kaju away.

"Kaju is pretty calm, you know?"

"Then listen to me. You're still busy with the student council work in your middle school, right?"

"Yes, I'll do my best to balance both sides."

…Oh, she'll do her best?

Kaju poked her head out and stared into my eyes just as I struggled to think of a way to convince her.

"Kaju understood something after hearing onii-sama out yesterday."

"Understood something?"

"Yes, Kaju understood it completely. It's torturous to not be willing to face the present out of fear of what's going to happen in the future. The memories in the past are what made us where we are right now. That's why Kaju has decided to experience as many beautiful histories as we can with onii-sama."

"It looks like you have already made up your mind."

"Yes, Kaju has already made up my mind."

…This will be tough.

I stared around for help. The three girls gave me a dumbfounded look.

"Nukumizu-kun, we're in the club room right now. Can you hold yourself back?"

"Uh, congrats."

"G-Go die."

…Yep, I didn't expect them to say anything good, anyway.

I'm a bit hopeless. Kaju answered them with a smile.

"Right, I baked some madeleine cakes for everyone."

"Welcome, Imouto-chan!"

Yanami has immediately fallen.

"Komari-san, you can come to our house to play any time as well! I've already prepared a new bath agent."

"Really!? T-Then- I-I got it."

Komari lowered her head sheepishly.

Yanami immediately showed a serious look after hearing that.

"Bath agent…? Komari-chan, can you tell us more about this?"

"Eek!? N-No! N-Nukumizu was the one who filled the tub-"

"Huh?"

What's with this lethal ball pass?

Yakishio was the one who stared at me displeasedly this time.

"...Nukkun, what did you do to Komari-chan?"

"This is a misunderstanding! Kaju, help me explain as well!"

Kaju smiled and nodded. Great, I'll leave it to you-

"Kaju will support whatever onii-sama does! Please go ahead and be wild!

"What the hell did you do!?" (x2)

Yanami and Yakishio yelled at the same time.

I didn't do anything. I don't deserve this.

...

…Yeah, exactly. I didn't do anything wrong at all.

I hugged Kaju and stood up.

"That's not important. Let's put that aside and start today's club activities! First of all, let's summarize yesterday's tour."

"What do you mean by putting that aside…?"

Yanami took a bite of the madeleine cake and gave me a ferocious stare.

It's pretty scary, but I've anticipated all of this.

I thought Komari would continue and skip over the bath incident.

I can immediately talk about the activity after she took over, and then we can forget-

"N-Not important…? G-Go die!"

"I'm disappointed in you, Nukkun!"

…My plan has been foiled. Even Yakishio is looking at me like I'm a criminal, not to mention Komari.

How did this happen? I didn't do anything, right…?

I faced the three girls' scolding and looked up at the ceiling. During this time, Kaju whispered something next to my ear.

"We'll always be together from now on- onii-sama."