Chapter 5: A Small Doubt

April ends, and the deepening spring shifts into May. With Golden Week starting, this tourist-heavy town buzzes with crowds. High school’s been on break for a few days now.

“Well then, let’s begin the first ‘How to Make Yuu-nii Notice’ meeting. The agenda is exactly that—how to make Yuu-nii notice…”

The setting is a secluded table at the McDonald’s inside the Aeon mall. Taking a sip of my small iced coffee, I kick things off.

“Yo,” Mahiru raises her hand.

“Yes, Ryuushaku-kun.”

“Why doesn’t the chairperson just muster some courage and confess their name? Wouldn’t that solve it in a second?”

“Motion denied. Please understand the point of the agenda.”

“Fine.”

“Ideally, it should feel natural, without revealing how desperate we are, and strong enough for Yuu-nii to realize on his own, in one shot, who we really are—”

“That’s a tall order. So you’re admitting you’re desperate, huh? Nom.”

Mahiru takes a bite of her second Big Mac.

“Well, I can’t afford to hold back anymore.”

“Yuu-nii’s got it rough, doesn’t he? If he looked closely at Miya’s face, he’d see the resemblance… Hey, what if you dressed like back then?”

“Meaning?”

“Clothes… might not fit anymore, but maybe the way you part your hair or accessories—try mimicking the old days?”

“Hmm, hmm.”

“Like, you used to wear that heart-shaped hairpin all the time in elementary school, right?”

“Yeah, the one Yuu-nii got me for my birthday.”

“Just wear that.”

Oh, that one.

“I still wear the wristband Yuu-nii gave me too.”

Having polished off her Big Mac, she reaches for the large fries with her left hand, where the wristband sits on her wrist.

A well-worn black wristband. Yuu-nii gave it to Mahiru for her seventh birthday.

“You really treasure that, don’t you, Mahiru?”

“Yup.”

For my seventh birthday, Yuu-nii gave me a hairpin.

A shiny red heart jewel with glitter around it—I remember being thrilled about it back then.

It’s still a precious treasure, but the problem is it’s too childish-looking.

It’s the kind of thing little girls use for playing princess. A wristband is one thing, but a high school senior walking around with that on risks being labeled a total weirdo…

No, no, I just said I can’t afford to hold back.

“Alright, I’ll do it!”

“Go for it!”

With that, Mahiru reaches for her McShake.

Hairpin, check. Hair parting, check. Phone on silent, check. Off to Moonlight Terrace!

“Welcome—oh!”

“H-Hello, Yuu-san.”

“Hey, hey… huh?”

My heart’s beating weirdly.

This feels off, doesn’t it?

On the way here, people kept giving my head weird looks. I even showed it to Seina-chan, who doesn’t know the context, and she snorted and handed me a fashion magazine, saying, “Study this.”

As expected, Yuu-nii’s gaze is locked on the hairpin. The awkwardness in his expression stirs up my anxiety.

Oh no, does he think I’m some tacky girl or a shy nerd trying too hard to be stylish (lol)?

I should’ve just skipped this.

“That—”

“Y-Yes?”

“It looks good on you.”

“Huh?”

An unexpected comment pops out.

“D-Does it really look good? This?”

“Yeah, it’s cute.”

“Ehe, ehehe.”

He called it cute.

Wait, no!

This isn’t the time to get happy!

Yuu-nii, don’t you recognize this hairpin? You gave it to me!

“To the counter.”

“…Muu.”

As soon as I sit at the counter, the usually quiet old man does a double-take, looking shocked for a moment.

“W-Welcome.”

I had coffee earlier, so…

“A cola float, please.”

“R-Right away.”

The old man’s back trembles as he disappears into the kitchen.

So embarrassing.

Also, I’m worried about Yuu-nii’s taste if he thinks a hairpin for little kids is cute. He lived in Tokyo for ten years. Isn’t Tokyo supposed to be full of stylish people?

“That hairpin.”

“Huh?”

Yuu-nii comes closer, staring intently at my head.

“W-What is it?”

Oh, did he finally notice?

Was it worth putting myself out there?

You remember, right?

You do, don’t you?

“Come to think of it, I told you about the brats next door, right?”

“Yeah.”

Calling me a brat is uncalled for!

“I was thinking it’s the same design as the one I gave one of them for her birthday.”

“H-Heh.”

Not just the same design—it’s the same one!

In the end, Yuu-nii didn’t figure it out that day and even threw out a ridiculous name like “Hinako Mitsurugi,” so I flicked his forehead.

＊

I wonder how Miya’s doing with her plan.

“I’m home!”

“Welcome back, Mahiru! Take a bath first!”

“Okay. Mom, what’s for dinner?”

“Tonkatsu!”

“Sweet!”

I drop my bag in my room and head to the changing area. I strip off my uniform, down to my underwear.

Lately, my bra feels tight again. It’s heavy, hard to move in, I can’t see my feet, and guys keep sneaking glances at my chest—having them grow bigger isn’t great at all.

Or so I thought until now.

“…”

When I touch my chest, the warmth from hugging Yuu-nii comes flooding back.

I wonder if Yuu-nii prefers them bigger…

“Huh?”

As I take off my underwear and finally the wristband, I notice the red heart patch I sewed onto the back is coming loose.

“Oh no.”

I’ll have to resew it later, I think as I head to the bathroom.

2

May 2nd.

“What? So you’re not coming back for Golden Week? Yeah, yeah… Got it. Then summer break, for sure, okay? Huh? Yeah, I’ll make him notice by then… I’ll try my best. Yeah, bye, Asaka, you do your best too. Okay!”

I hang up and flop onto my bed.

“She can’t come back, huh.”

Asaka goes to a private girls’ school in Kanagawa. It’s a boarding school, one of those fancy ones for refined young ladies. She can’t come back to Shizuoka unless it’s a long holiday, so even though it’s the next prefecture over, we don’t get to see her much, and it’s lonely.

Like Mahiru, she’s been a family-like friend since kindergarten. No, the three of us are practically sisters. Of course, I’m the big sister since my birthday’s the earliest.

“Nee-chan.”

My little sister, Misora, peeks in, her low twin-tails dangling.

“Hey, Misora, what’s up?”

“Mahiru-chan’s here.”

“Yo.”

Mahiru appears from behind Misora, dressed casually in a red hoodie and dark jeans. And, as always, the wristband on her left wrist.

“Hey, Mahiru-chan, let’s play a game!”

“Mm, later, okay?”

“For real!”

“Sure thing.”

“Nee-chan, you should take a page out of Mahiru-chan’s book.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you think those sloppy clothes are kinda lame?”

I’m in a stretched-out T-shirt and school track pants—classic loungewear.

“I-It’s fine at home!”

“Ugh, no wonder you can’t get a boyfriend.”

“Shut up!”

Misora leaves. Mahiru settles at the table.

“Misora’s so cute. I want a little sister too.”

“She’s been super cheeky lately. Keeps challenging me at games until she wins, barges into my room to read manga or play games. Who does she take after?”

“Well, a bit of cheekiness makes kids charming. We were like that too, right? Wonder if that’s how Yuu-nii felt.”

“…Maybe. Oh, by the way, Asaka can’t come back.”

“Ugh, seriously? Just when Yuu-nii’s back.”

Mahiru’s shoulders slump.

When will the four of us finally reunite? But first, we’ve got to make Yuu-nii notice. I’m definitely making him realize by the time Asaka comes back for summer.

3

“Yuu-nii!”

Miya runs, her brown hair flying. I chase after her small back.

“Wait up!”

“Hurry, hurry!”

The distance between us feels like it’s closing but doesn’t. She’s only a first-grader with terrible athletic skills, but today she’s weirdly fast.

“Gotcha!”

I grab Miya’s small hand. But then,

“Huh?”

Standing before me is a high school girl with heavy eyeliner and a piercing gaze. Her skirt is so short you could almost see underneath, her shirt unbuttoned low, a skull pendant glinting eerily. Multiple piercings dot her ears, screaming troublemaker vibes.

“M-Miya?”

“Who the hell are you, calling me by my name like that?”

She glares at me with a low, menacing voice.

“N-No way.”

Miya? Miya?

“Gahhh—w-what, a dream?”

I jolt awake, my forehead damp with sweat.

What a nightmare.

“Miya.”

I wonder how she’s doing now.

“Yuu, you up? Get ready.”

Mom’s voice comes from the hallway.

“Y-Yeah, I’m up.”

I get out of bed and start getting ready.

May 5th.

At the heart of town lies Sengensha Shrine, where massive festivals are held for three days in May and November each year.

The May event is the Yabusame Festival, featuring authentic horseback archery performances.

Moonlight Terrace is running a stall, so naturally, I’m roped in.

So nostalgic.

As a kid, I looked forward to these festivals twice a year. The sprawling grounds lined with stalls, crowds bustling—it’s on a whole different level from the neighborhood summer festival.

Shaved ice, fruit powder, chocolate bananas, baby castella, yakitori, salt-grilled ayu, corn on the cob, beef stew, yakisoba, turtles, cotton candy, takoyaki…

Just past 11 a.m., a familiar voice calls out.

“Yuu-nii.”

It’s Mahiru.

“Hey, Mahiru… whoa, what’s with that outfit?”

A white blouse with a deep neckline and a black miniskirt showing off her full thighs. And the black wristband on her left wrist.

“It’s pretty normal, right? Right?”

Mahiru turns to the beautiful girl beside her, who’s wearing a shoulder-baring white shirt with a sky-blue cami dress, her long brown hair in a ponytail.

As expected, all eyes—especially the guys’—are on these two gorgeous girls.

They’ve clearly hit up some stalls already, both carrying plastic bags full of food.

“Yuu-nii, we bought a bunch, so let’s eat.”

“For real?”

“Here, this is for your parents.”

The beautiful girl hands a bag to my mom and dad.

“Oh, thank you!”

“Thanks so much.”

“Yuu, take a break first.”

“Got it.”

I move to the back of the stall and sit on a pipe chair. Standing in one spot all morning has made my legs feel like logs.

“Phew, I’m beat.”

“Here, Yuu-san.”

The beautiful girl hands me a pack of yakitori.

By the way, festival yakitori is my favorite. It’s cheap and junky but so satisfying.

“Thanks, mm, delicious.”

“You’re working tomorrow too, right, Yuu-san?”

“It’s a three-day thing.”

The Yabusame Festival runs on the 4th, 5th, and 6th.

“Hey, you’re watching the horseback archery, right?”

Mahiru says, biting into a doner kebab.

“It’s been ten years, so yeah, I think I will. Oh, Mahiru, your sauce is dripping!”

Luckily, the sauce doesn’t hit her clothes but lands on her exposed chest.

“Whoops, Yuu-nii, wipe it off.”

“Huh? What?”

“My hands are full. Hurry, it’ll drip onto my clothes.”

The reddish-brown sauce trickles down her pale cleavage.

“Hurry!”

“R-Right.”

Idiot, why am I getting flustered? It’s just Mahiru. She’s as carefree as ever.

But my hands just tremble awkwardly, not moving.

“Ugh, fine, I’ll do it!”

The beautiful girl, unable to watch, pulls out a wet wipe and cleans Mahiru’s chest. I feel a tiny bit disappointed but mostly relieved.

They seem like close friends. Watching them fondly, I suddenly recall this morning’s dream.

Miya.

Back then, Miya, Mahiru, and Asaka and I used to enjoy summer and fall festivals together. Now it’s just Mahiru. This mysterious beauty seems like a good friend, but what about Miya? Ten years weigh heavily on my heart.

W-What is she thinking, doing that in public…

Is she some kind of exhibitionist…?

It’s hard to believe she spilled it on purpose, but she was wearing a hoodie that covered her chest completely last time. Why such a revealing outfit today?

Yabusame.

The martial art of shooting targets with a bow and arrow from horseback. This shrine’s Yabusame Festival is said to have started when Minamoto no Yoritomo dedicated horseback archery to pray for lasting martial luck and world peace.

A dedicated path stretches across the vast grounds from east to west, cordoned off by wooden fences. A huge crowd gathers in front of them.

“It’s about to start.”

Like at karaoke, the two girls hold my hands, one on each side. Do I really deserve this?

I catch occasional glares filled with hostility.

“By the way, Mahiru.”

“Hm?”

“You’re still wearing that wristband, huh?”

On her left wrist is the black wristband I gave her for her birthday long ago.

“Of course.”

“Man, that’s nostalgic. Let me try it on.”

“What? N-No way.”

For Mahiru, that’s a rare instant refusal.

“Why not?”

“…It’s just not okay.”

“?”

Why not? Girls’ hearts are a mystery.

“L-Look, the horses are coming!”

From the east, a horse gallops, its white mane flowing in the breeze as it passes before us.

4

“Ugh, I hit the target, but it didn’t fall. That’s so dumb.”

“Calm down, Mei. My mom says shooting games are basically scams. Huh? Misora, what’s wrong?”

I—Haruyama Miya—saw something unbelievable.

I was enjoying the festival with two friends.

My big sister and her friend Mahiru-chan were walking around with some mystery old guy.

And they were holding hands…

All sorts of wild thoughts race through my head.

Is that… Nee-chan’s boyfriend?

But he’s so old.

Mahiru-chan was there too, and they seemed to get along fine.

But… who is he?

A guy I don’t know.

Maybe it’s that “enjo kosai” thing I hear about in dramas. I don’t really know what it means, though.

“Suspicious.”

“! Right? It’s totally weird that it doesn’t fall.”

Feeling uneasy, I leave the scene. My friends are here, so I’ll hold off on saying anything.

Come to think of it, Nee-chan’s been acting strange lately.

Sometimes she has this creepy smile, her moods swing wildly, and the other day she was suddenly reading a fortune-telling book…

She used to stay home reading novels all the time, but lately, she’s been coming home late a lot.

My two years of reading Cha* tell me I’m right.

It’s a guy.

A week has passed since I saw the mystery old guy with Nee-chan and the others at the festival.

Nee-chan’s still coming home late, some days grinning like crazy, others in a terrible mood. She’ll seem lost in thought like she’s troubled, then suddenly look like she’s had a brilliant idea.

“Suspicious.”

“Huh? What?”

After dinner, Nee-chan’s sipping hot milk and watching TV in the living room. So carefree, oblivious to my concerns.

I’ve been agonizing for a week. I want to ask for details, but it’s hard to bring up since it’s some unknown guy—an old one at that.

“What’s with calling things suspicious out of nowhere?”

“Nothing.”

“Weird Misora.”

Mom and Dad are in the living room too. If I asked, “Are you dating that old guy?” it’d be a family crisis.

“Misora, time for a bath soon?”

Mom asks.

“Yeah.”

I head to the bathroom with Mom.

“Hey, Mom.”

I ask while soaking in the tub with her.

“What?”

“How many years apart are you and Dad?”

“What’s with the sudden question?”

“Just tell me.”

“Let’s see… I’m forty, and Dad’s forty-five, so… five years.”

“Hmm.”

That’s quite a gap. But five years, huh? That’s not too bad…

I figure Nee-chan and that old guy have about a ten-year gap.

“What if I said I was dating a nineteen-year-old guy?”

“I’d call the police.”

Mom answers instantly.

“What? What about a fourteen-year-old?”

“I’d call the police for that too.”

“What?!”

Then Nee-chan’s in trouble. If Mom finds out, she’ll get reported. And Mahiru-chan was there too.

“…”

Mahiru-chan was there… which means…

“It’s an affair!”

“Misora, what’s wrong!?”

After the bath, I grab the house phone. I’ve got to ask the person involved.

“Hello, Mahiru-chan?”

It finally connects on the fourth try.

“Hey, Misora-chan?”

“Finally got through.”

“Sorry, sorry, my phone was on silent, so I didn’t notice.”

“Mahiru-chan, when can we hang out next?”

“Hmm, well, tomorrow’s a day off from club activities.”

“Can I come over tomorrow then?”

“Sure thing!”

“Really? See you tomorrow!”

“Yep, yep.”

Thinking calmly, there’s no way Mahiru-chan would go for an old guy. Cool, gorgeous, and perfectly styled Mahiru-chan dating some spaced-out old dude? No way.

But it’s true they seemed chummy with him, so what’s going on?

If he’s connected to both Nee-chan and Mahiru-chan, maybe a teacher?

But you wouldn’t hold hands with a teacher, right?

Is that old guy one of their boyfriends after all?

I can’t just ask Nee-chan directly.

Especially if there’s a chance it’s an affair.

Whatever, I’ll find out tomorrow.

The next day, Saturday.

I visit Mahiru-chan’s house.

“So, I’ve got something to ask.”

“Whoa, what’s with the serious tone? Want game tips or something?”

“Mahiru-chan, do you have a boyfriend?”

“Huh?”

Her face visibly reddens.

“N-No, I don’t, but…”

That reaction definitely means something’s up. I go for it.

“At the festival the other day, you were with that old… I mean, that guy, right? Who was he?”

“Old guy… well, I guess he kinda is an old guy now.”

“You were holding hands with him, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Lively Mahiru-chan starts fidgeting.

“He’s not your boyfriend?”

“N-N-N-No way!”

Her reaction’s kinda cute.

“Then who is he?”

Mahiru-chan rubs her wristband and says,

“Um, someone important… maybe.”

Her usual sharp demeanor gives way to an embarrassed expression I can’t imagine on her.

My head fills with question marks.

“…?”

“Haven’t you heard anything from Miya?”

“Nope.”

“Oh, right, you weren’t born back then.”

What’s that about? Mahiru-chan’s eyes look distant.

“It’s a long story—”

I’m hurrying through the dim evening.

I stayed at Moonlight Terrace way too long today. I thought maybe Yuu-nii would finally notice, but he didn’t.

Gotta get home and plan the next move.

“I’m home!”

When I get back, Misora’s lounging in my room again. Manga’s scattered all over the bed, and an open bag of half-eaten snacks sits on the table.

“Welcome back.”

“Ugh, Misora, I keep telling you to put books away after reading them… and I’ve said not to open snack bags like that because you have to finish them!”

God, this little brat.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Misora gives me an exasperated look.

“Well, good luck.”

“Huh?”

“Nee-chan’s so clumsy but stubborn.”

What’s she talking about?

“Yuu-nii, right?”

“…! Misora, where’d you—?”

“Mahiru-chan told me. You were quite the brat back in the day, huh? Pfft.”

Misora hops off the bed, pats my shoulder, and leaves the room.

Oh no.

How much of my brat days did Misora hear about? If she knows those stories, my big-sister dignity’s in freefall.

And she might get even cheekier…

“Hey, Misora, hold up!”

5

—My room.

Mahiru shows up in her tracksuit, probably straight from club activities. The sleeves are baggy, but the chest area looks tight. When I ask why she’s here, she says,

“It’s about Asaka—”

She tells me Asaka’s at a school in Kanagawa and can’t come back until summer break.

“So, Asaka’s at a high school in Kanagawa…”

I’d heard she was at a boarding school, but I didn’t know it was out of the prefecture.

“Well, it’s just the next prefecture, so it’s not that far. If it was Kyushu or Tohoku, it’d feel more distant.”

“Yeah, so we’ll probably see her in the summer.”

Saying that, Mahiru chugs a cola and chokes.

“Cough, cough.”

“What are you doing? Yeah, she was always kinda the refined one.”

Among the three, Asaka was the least bratty. A bit lonely, quiet, but clingy.

I wonder how she’s grown up.

They say the quiet kids go wild when they grow up, but not Asaka… right?

Miya, though, she’s probably turned into a total delinquent.

“…”

Mahiru talks about Asaka on her own but never mentions Miya.

“By the way, I might not come around for a while.”

Mahiru lies on the bed, stretching her legs.

“Huh? Why not?”

“Well…”

She looks glum.

“Midterms are coming up. Club activities are off starting next week, so I’ve gotta focus on studying.”

“Oh, it’s that time already.”

At my old school, midterms are at the end of May. Some clubs cut back activities two weeks early, then take a full break so students can study.

“Ugh, it’s so depressing. I can’t come here, and two weeks of nothing but studying? The worst.”

“Then study here.”

“Huh?”

“We’ve got plenty of drinks and food, and it’s quiet at night. You could even study in my room. We used to do homework here all the time, right?”

“R-Really?”

“Yup.”

“Heh, lucky me.”

Mahiru sits up on the edge of the bed.

“By the way, is Miya at Kita High too?”

I throw it out there.

“Huh? Y-Yeah.”

“What’s she like?”

“Like… um…”

Mahiru’s expression freezes, like she’s at a loss for words. She always gets weird when Miya comes up, and it fuels my suspicion.

“Does she have a boyfriend yet?”

“Dunno, probably not?”

Mahiru tilts her head, looking off diagonally.

“Hmm, what about you?”

“What!? M-Me? I, uh… I’m not interested in guys my age…”

Really?

Both Miya and Mahiru are outgoing; I figured they’d have boyfriends in no time. It’s surprising, but I’m kinda relieved. Is this what fatherly instincts feel like?

“What about you, Yuu-nii?”

“Huh?”

“Like, do you have a girlfriend?”

A moment of silence hangs in the air.

“Idiot. I was too busy to even think about that.”

“…!”

Never had a girlfriend, and I’m not apologizing for it, I think defiantly.

My private life was so packed I barely had time to come back home.

“As expected.”

Mahiru smirks.

“What’s that supposed to mean, you punk?”

I instinctively lunge at her, pinning her down.

“Eek!”

“Oh!”

Before I know it, I’m straddling Mahiru’s stomach. She looks up at me with slightly teary eyes, covering her mouth. Her slightly tilted bangs are oddly alluring.

What am I, a pervert? Pinning down a high school girl like this could get me arrested.

“S-Sorry, old habits.”

“It’s fine.”

I treated her like a kid again. I get off her quickly. She’s not a kid anymore—she’s a grown woman.

“Did that hurt?”

“…Sounds like something a pervert would say.”

Saying that, Mahiru chuckles.

“Huh? It’s not like that. I was just worried.”

“Heh, I’m not so weak that a scrub like you could hurt me.”

“You little…”

Damn. She’s still the same old Mahiru.

I’m annoyed, but also a bit relieved.

6

Lately, a suspicion has been growing inside me.

When you think about it, it’s obvious, and I’ve got plenty of reasons to suspect.

It can’t be true.

I don’t want it to be true.

Deep down, I wish it isn’t, but part of me can’t help thinking it might be.

I try to brush it off as something common, but it feels kind of sad.

What the—?!

I nearly drop the karaage from my bento.

“Safe!”

It lands on my thigh, so it’s barely safe. Thigh meat on thigh meat, huh.

I’m jealous—Mahiru gets to study for exams in Yuu-nii’s room. She said she told him she couldn’t come to Moonlight Terrace during the exam period, and he offered his room for her to use.

Mahiru takes a sip of her boxed tea and says,

“So, what’s Miya gonna do? I’m thinking I’ll study at Yuu-nii’s place—”

“I’m going too.”

“Instant answer, huh.”

At home, Misora keeps bugging me, so I usually study at the library or school’s study room, but Moonlight Terrace might actually be a good spot.

Plus, Yuu-nii’s there.

“Heh heh.”

“Then let’s study there starting today.”

But…

“Hmm, going to Yuu-nii’s room as some mystery beauty…”

“What? You’re calling yourself a beauty?”

“Shut up.”

If I’m going to Yuu-nii’s room, I want to go as Haruyama Miya, not some stranger.

I don’t want some unknown girl in that room full of memories. Ugh, I’m turning into such a complicated woman.

“I’ll pass.”

“Why not?”

Mahiru furrows her brows into a frown.

“In Yuu-nii’s mind, I’m not Miya yet. If some random girl casually went into his room, it’d bother me.”

“…True, I’d hate it too if some stranger went into Yuu-nii’s room.”

“So I’m good.”

Come to think of it, when I was little, I was super shocked seeing Yuu-nii play with some random girl.

Looking back, I was probably jealous even then.

“Then I’ll join you. Inside Moonlight Terrace is fine, right?”

“Huh, really?”

“Yup.”

“Mahiru, I love that about you!”

I hug Mahiru, feeling her warm, soft arms.

That afternoon, I head to Moonlight Terrace with Mahiru. The place is moderately busy, and Yuu-nii seems swamped.

“Yuu-nii, we’re here.”

“Hello, Yuu-san.”

“Hey, welcome.”

His reply sounds kind of flat.

“What’s up, Yuu-nii? You seem down.”

“Nah, I’m fine.”

Is he tired from being busy? Or maybe sleep-deprived?

“Lack of sleep?”

“Nope, not that. I’m my usual self.”

He says that, but he looks spacey and lacks energy. Maybe he caught a cold?

We sit at a two-person table, order drinks and snacks, and take a breather. I get a café au lait, Mahiru a cola.

“Phew.”

“Nothing beats a cola after school.”

“Right?”

Another tough day at school done.

—Wait, we came here to study.

I spread out my study materials and dive into exam prep. Midterms have fewer subjects and a narrower scope than finals, but I can’t slack off.

After about an hour, the customers clear out.

“Ugh, time for a break.”

Mahiru stretches dramatically, her ample chest on full display. Was it a coincidence that Yuu-nii passed by right then?

“Yuu-nii, over here.”

Beckoned by Mahiru, Yuu-nii comes back to our table.

“What, refills?”

“The place is empty, so hang out with us.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be studying?”

“It’s a break, a break. Right?”

“Fine.”

“You seem kinda tired today, Yuu-san.”

“You look out of it.”

“…Do I?”

“Got something bothering you?”

When I ask, Yuu-nii frowns.

“Bothering me… maybe unease? No, well… hmm.”

“Stomachache?” Mahiru asks.

“…No way.”

What’s up? He’s definitely off today.

In times like this—

“Yuu-san.”

“Huh, wait—”

I take Yuu-nii’s right hand.

“The best way to recharge when you’re feeling down is to hold hands.”

“W-Well, but…”

His face turns bright red, and his right hand trembles.

“My experience says it works, so it’s foolproof. Come on, squeeze back properly.”

We held hands at karaoke and the festival, so why’s he getting shy now? Yuu-nii’s kinda cute like this.

His mom’s grinning from behind the counter.

Oh, maybe because his parents are here?

His trembling hand finally grips back. After a few seconds, the shaking stops, and warmth builds between our touching skin.

A comforting warmth.

Feels nice.

“How’s that?”

“Yeah, it’s… nice, maybe?”

His expression softens a bit, and I’m relieved.

“So, what’s got you so worried?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Yuu-nii looks back and forth between me and Mahiru.

“Is it hard to say?”

“Hiding stuff from me? That’s cold,” Mahiru says.

“No, it’s… uh, well. Lately, my hair’s been thinning. Guess I’m getting old, haha.”

“Dad’s got a full head of hair, so you’re fine. Anyway—”

Mahiru takes Yuu-nii’s left hand.

“I’ll hold your hand too.”

“!?”

Tch, this big-chested girl isn’t just holding his hand—she’s slyly placing it on her chest!

How shameless…

After that, studying was the last thing on our minds.