Nursing

Aisa caught a cold.

“Cough… Kouki… you might catch it…”

“Don’t worry about that now, just rest.”

Uncle just took time off, so he’s at work, and Mom and the others apparently didn’t get enough of camping, so they’re off on a trip together.

“It’s not a big deal…”

“Thirty-nine degrees is a big deal! Just rest already!”

“Cough… sorry…”

1. ◇

(Kouki-nii, help)

The message from Manami came past noon. Wondering what was up, I called her, and she said in a tearful voice:

“Onee-chan… she’s gonna die…”

“Huh?”

“Cough… Don’t kill me off just because of a cold… cough…”

Aisa’s faint voice came through from the other end of the line.

“Got it… I’m coming over now, so Manami, make sure Aisa doesn’t wander around and keep her in bed.”

“Okay! Hurry, Kou-nii…”

“I’m fine… cough… really…”

1. ◇

And so, I ended up at the Takanishi house.

It’d been a while since Aisa got sick, apparently, and Manami was so flustered it was almost more worrying than Aisa’s condition.

“Calm down.”

“Uuuuh… uuuh!”

She didn’t calm down at all, instead rubbing her head against me like a headbutt. It kinda hurt.

“Cough… sorry, Kouki…”

I gave her some energy drinks and sports drinks I bought on the way, and stuck a cooling pad on her forehead.

“Just rest, okay? I also got some apples, so I’m borrowing your kitchen for a bit.”

“Okay…”

I gently patted Aisa’s head and left the room.

“I’m so glad you came, Kou-nii…”

“We’re gonna make sure Manami learns how to take care of someone too. Remember this time.”

“Got it… Onee-chan, I’ll be right back, okay?”

I went down to the kitchen with Manami to prep the apples. While I had her bustling around getting plates and spoons, I grated the apples. This is surprisingly tiring…

“I added some honey, how’s it taste?”

“Hmm?”

When I held out the spoon to Manami, she leaned in and took a bite directly.

“Maybe a bit sweeter?”

“But Aisa’s the one eating it, you know?”

“Onee-chan actually loves sweet stuff, you know?”

Really? She never puts sugar in her tea, so I thought she wasn’t into sweets.

“Alright, I’ll add a bit more then.”

“Ahh!”

“No way…”

“Taste-testing is important!”

In the end, I added honey three times. Which also means Manami made me feed her three times…

Well, she seemed anxious, so I’ll just chalk it up to her wanting some comfort…

◇

“Aisa, I’m coming in.”

“Nuu…”

“You asleep?”

“Come on, come on, Kou-nii!”

Manami took the lead and opened the door. Aisa was sleeping, her face twisted in discomfort.

“She’s having a rough time…”

“We should wake her gently, maybe stroke her head!”

“Wake her up, huh?”

“Gently, I said! Stroke her head!”

Manami rephrased herself. What does she mean by gently…?

“Nuu?”

Maybe because Manami and I were being noisy by the bed, Aisa stirred and rolled over.

Her pained expression, the half-peeled cooling pad, and the sweat on her face gave off an oddly alluring vibe.

“Come on, Kou-nii!”

“Alright, alright…”

Urged by Manami, I reached out and touched Aisa’s head.

“Nnh…”

Her tense expression seemed to soften a little, I think.

“That’s our Kouki-nii!”

“Yeah, yeah. She’s waking up, so keep it down.”

“Got it!”

I kept stroking her head for a while. Gradually, Aisa’s body tilted toward me…

“Ah…”

Something that shouldn’t have been seen came into view.

“Oh no…”

As she rolled over, the blanket slipped off. That wasn’t the issue. The problem was Aisa’s state.

“Good job closing your eyes, Kou-nii!”

Manami praised me, but the image of Aisa just now was burned into the back of my eyelids, and the guilt wouldn’t go away…

“It must’ve been hot, huh, Onee-chan?”

Under the blanket, Aisa had unbuttoned her pajamas completely… And since she was sleeping, it made sense, but she wasn’t wearing any underwear either…

Sorry… Aisa…

I muttered an apology in my head and kept my eyes closed until Manami fixed her clothes.

◇

“Kouki… you saw, didn’t you…”

Why’d you have to say anything, Manami…

Aisa woke up while Manami was fixing her clothes. We figured it’d be better to wipe her down and change her, so I’d stepped out of the room.

That was the first thing she said when I came back.

“Ehehe.”

I glanced at Manami, who winked and tried to play it off.

“Uh…”

“It’s… fine… just forget it as soon as you can…”

Aisa turned her face away but grabbed the hem of my shirt as she spoke.

“Y-Yeah…”

Forgetting that is impossible… It’s gonna stick in my head for a while, but I nodded anyway.

Time to change the subject.

“Your color looks a bit better, doesn’t it?”

“Ah…”

Without thinking, I reached out to feel her forehead like before, and Aisa’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“You’re still warm.”

“Look, Kou-nii, the apples!”

“Oh, can you eat?”

“Yeah…”

For some reason, Manami handed me the plate and spoon. Wouldn’t it make more sense for her to give them to Aisa directly since she’s closer…?

“Onee-chan, it’s tough to eat on your own, right?”

“Huh?”

“It’s tough, right?”

“Uh? Um… yeah…?”

Aisa answered, clearly confused.

“Come on, Kou-nii! You gotta feed her!”

“Oh, uh…”

I glanced back and forth between the plate and Aisa.

“Um…”

“Sorry, Kouki… can I ask you to do it?”

“Y-Yeah…”

Is it the fever…? Aisa’s being unusually docile.

I brought the spoon to her mouth, and she opened it.

“Ahh.”

“Saying it out loud really makes you two sisters, huh.”

I fed her a bite of the apple.

“Mmm… sweet…”

“Too sweet, huh…”

I thought it wasn’t to her taste, but Aisa grabbed my hand and smiled.

“It’s delicious… thank you.”

Her hair was messy, her face still pale, but that smile was the most captivating expression I’d seen on Aisa in a while.

◇

“Ahh.”

“…There’s no more, Aisa.”

“More…”

Oh no… The fever’s broken her… And this version of Aisa is way too powerful…

She’s regressing to a toddler, isn’t she? It’s probably because she forced herself to sit up despite still having a fever.

“Go back to sleep, Aisa…”

“Muu…”

By the way, Manami, realizing she couldn’t handle this, had already fled to her room. Traitor…

“Kouki-nii!”

“What’s that, traitor…”

“What!? Why!?”

I shot Manami a resentful glare, but she brushed it off and kept talking.

“So, Dad and the others are joining them at their trip destination.”

“Oh, really?”

“And they’re worried about you, so they said to eat at one of our houses.”

Why are they worried about me…?

“You didn’t tell them about Aisa’s cold?”

“Nope! Onee-chan said not to, so they could enjoy their trip without worrying.”

I looked at Aisa.

“You…”

“Ehehe…”

“Don’t just ‘ehehe’ me.”

That ‘ehehe’ is unfair… When she does it with that flushed face, it’s different from Manami’s—it hits me in a way I can’t explain.

“So, Kou-nii’s staying over!”

“They didn’t say anything about staying over…”

“Dinner’s on me!”

“You can’t cook, can you?”

Manami started to dash out of the room, so I hurriedly tried to follow, but Aisa grabbed my arm and I couldn’t move.

“Aisa…”

“No good…?”

That’s unfair too… She’s being ridiculously unfair today, Aisa…

“It’s not that it’s a problem, but…”

“Okay…”

“You think it’s okay to leave dinner to her?”

“…”

Aisa silently let go of my arm. Reluctantly, I chased after Manami.

It’s a matter of life and death, after all…

◇

“Oh, Kouki-nii, pizza or sushi?”

When I got to the living room, Manami was looking through takeout flyers.

She hadn’t planned on cooking from the start, apparently.

“Neither’s good for a sick person, you know.”

“Huh? You’re cooking, right, Kouki-nii?”

This girl…

“Alright, Manami. I’ll teach you how to make porridge, so you’re making it.”

“Whaaat…”

“In exchange, I’ll make omelet rice for you and me.”

“Really? Fluffy?”

“I’ll make it fluffy.”

“Yay! Let’s do it!”

Her favorite food never changes, huh.

I hesitated to rummage through someone else’s fridge, but I figured they’d let it slide today.

There were eggs and ketchup. The basics were covered.

I found some green onions, so I’ll put those in Aisa’s porridge.

“Kou-nii! What do I do first?”

“You can rinse rice, right?”

“Leave it to me!”

I opened the vegetable drawer and found an onion. No meat, but there were sausages, so those’ll do. Manami probably likes them better anyway.

“Kou-nii! Three cups okay?”

“That much… yeah, that’s fine.”

Manami might eat two cups by herself. I’m always amazed she doesn’t gain weight, but she moves around three times as much as most people… Though Aisa’s the one with a bit more—never mind, I feel a murderous aura.

“Alright, I’ll explain how to make porridge, so listen up.”

“Got it!”

I started chopping the onion and turned to explain to Manami, only to see her peeking from the corner of the room.

“You’re so far…”

She’d already left the kitchen and was watching from the living room.

“My eyes sting right away!”

“Sigh…”

And so began a rather foreboding cooking lesson.

◇

“Unfair…”

Aisa glared at me resentfully when she saw the omelet rice. She’d recovered enough to come to the living room, apparently.

We decided to eat together at the table, but…

“You can have some when you’re better, Aisa.”

“…Promise.”

She reluctantly started on her porridge.

“Oh… it’s delicious…”

The moment she took a bite, her slightly grumpy expression lit up like it was a lie.

“Phew…”

“Huh? Manami made this?”

Aisa’s eyes widened as she looked between the porridge and Manami.

“Kouki-nii helped a lot, though…”

“Wow… you really tried hard…”

“Ehehe.”

Yeah, yeah. Manami did work hard, didn’t she.

We didn’t have enough cooked rice and ended up ruining one batch of cold rice with all the trial and error. The staff happily ate that mess, though… Honestly, coming to the Takanishi house, this might’ve been the toughest task yet…

But all that effort paid off, and Manami grew enough to make porridge we could honestly say tasted delicious.

“I taught her how, but Manami’s the one who really did it all.”

“Wow… That’s amazing… Thank you, Manami.”

“Ehehehe!”

Aisa’s smile as she looked at Manami was soft and warm.

◇

“Alright, Kouki-nii, we’re gonna hop in the bath now.”

“Cool, guess I’ll head out then.”

““Huh?””

“What?”

Aisa and Manami both turned to me with looks of utter disbelief.

What’s their deal?

“Kouki-nii, you’re taking a bath…?”

“No, no way.”

“Then… together…?”

Even Aisa was acting weird now.

“You guys are fine now, right? I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“I already got the futon out.”

“What’s a sick person doing messing around like that…?”

“Come on, didn’t you see the messages from Mom and Dad, Kou-nii?”

“Yeah, but… that was just about dinner…”

“…”

Their silent stares, eyes trembling with unease, hit me hard.

“Ugh… Fine, I’ll stick around till you’re out of the bath. Go on, while you’re still feeling okay.”

““Got it!””

In the end, their momentum won, and I sent them off.

I ended up waiting on the living room sofa, watching TV… I wanted to do the dishes to settle my nerves, but that’d mean getting close to the bathroom, so I kinda avoided it.

“This is awkward…”

I could barely focus on the variety show, but time passed surprisingly fast, and I heard the bathroom door open.

“It’s been a while since we bathed together, huh?”

“Yeah, it has.”

Their voices drifted out from the bathroom.

“Onee-chan, your body is seriously so pretty!”

“Kyaa! Manami, what’re you doing?”

“Hehe… Not bad, not bad at all!”

“Hey! Stop it!”

“I mean, my chest hasn’t grown at all, but yours is like…”

“Eep! Seriously, stop!”

I cranked up the TV volume.

“Oh, Kouki-nii!”

“Hm?”

“Sorry, I forgot to grab my clothes! Could you get them for me?”

“What?”

Did she just say what I think she said…?

1. ◇

Manami shouted through the bathroom door.

“Hurry, or my cold’s gonna get worse!”

“Alright, alright! Where are they?”

“Um, mine are in the third drawer of my usual dresser! Underwear’s in the second drawer!”

No way this girl expects me to grab her underwear too, right?

“Hold up, you’re not saying I have to get your underwear too, are you…?”

“Huh? But if I don’t have underwear—”

“Kouki! The underwear’s already in the dryer from the laundry! You don’t need to grab those!”

“Oh, okay, got it.”

Thank goodness… Aisa’s got my back…

“Sorry, mine are in the drawer under my bed, on the right side…”

“But…?”

“Oh, Onee-chan keeps her pajamas and underwear in the same drawer, right?”

Oh, come on…

“Sorry… Kouki…”

“No, it’s fine… I’ll try not to look…”

“Okay…”

This is beyond awkward, but if I don’t hurry, their colds could get worse…

I steeled myself and went to grab their pajamas.

Manami’s were easy enough, but Aisa’s were another story.

I already felt weird just stepping into her room uninvited… but no time to hesitate, so I went in.

“This must be it…”

The clothes were folded so neatly it didn’t even feel like I was looking at underwear, which was a relief…

But then I caught a glimpse of a tag sticking out, and it took everything in me to keep my mind blank. I’m not holding a grudge against Aisa, but still…

I think I saw a “D” or something, but I’m not thinking about it.

“I didn’t see anything. Nothing at all…”

I grabbed what looked like pajamas without thinking too hard and headed downstairs.

Manami must’ve heard my footsteps, calling out like she couldn’t wait another second.

“Thanks!”

“Yeah, I’ll leave them here and step back, so come get them in a bit.”

I tried explaining in a way that wouldn’t make them nervous.

But—

“Huh?”

“What?”

Either Manami couldn’t wait, or we weren’t on the same page, but she flung the door open. She’d probably say something like, “I’ve got a towel on, it’s fine!” but…

It wasn’t fully open, and maybe she thought the angle was safe, but the positioning was just perfectly bad. And it was clear she hadn’t even considered checking on Aisa’s situation.

“Oh, sorry, Onee-chan!”

There stood Aisa, her face bright red. The only saving grace was that she was facing away. But that meant her beautiful back and, well, her butt were in full view.

I quickly handed over the clothes and bolted.

“?!?!?!?!?!?!?!”

“Whoa! Sorry, Onee-chan! It’s fine, Kouki-nii’s a good guy, he didn’t see anything!”

Aisa’s wordless scream and Manami’s hollow reassurances echoed from the bathroom.

Sorry, Manami… this one’s definitely burned into my memory…

“I can never get married now…”

“If that happens, Kouki-nii will take you!”

“Really…?”

“Yup, yup! Kouki-nii’s got you!”

The whole incident must’ve spiked her fever, because Aisa was regressing into a childlike state again.

◇

After waiting on the sofa for a while, the two finally came out.

For some reason, I ended up sitting seiza-style in front of them.

“Kouki-nii, seeing Onee-chan naked is a serious crime.”

Manami stood in front, while Aisa nodded vigorously behind her.

Also, why is Aisa only wearing a baggy T-shirt…? She’s tugging at the hem like her life depends on it, but it’s way too risky… Did I grab pants for her? Wait, I didn’t double-check, so I’m not sure…

“Are you listening, Kouki-nii?!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“This isn’t the time to be ogling Onee-chan! Bringing her something this skimpy!”

“It wasn’t on purpose…”

Aisa, still tugging at her hem, took a step back to hide behind Manami. So it was my fault… But I swear it wasn’t intentional.

“Anyway! Kouki-nii, you’re obligated to meet our demands!”

Aisa, despite stepping back, nodded along, jumping into the fray.

“Uh… I’ll make it up to you next time…”

“Not good enough!”

“It’s not…?”

What am I supposed to do here…?

“Kouki-nii, you were about to leave earlier for some reason, but you’re not going anywhere today.”

Aisa nodded enthusiastically. Wait, isn’t it weird? If seeing her naked is such a big deal, shouldn’t they want me gone…?

“So, Kouki-nii, you’re taking a bath!”

“But, like, I don’t have clothes or anything.”

“Your stuff from the camping trip is still here, right? It’s been washed!”

Oh, right… They rode back in our car and loaded their stuff into the Takanishi family’s car…

“Uh… well…”

After seeing Aisa basically naked twice, I’m not sure I can keep a straight face.

“Kouki, you don’t want to…?”

Aisa, who’d been silently tugging at her hem, spoke up. Man, Aisa, that’s not fair…

“It’s not that I don’t want to, but…”

“Alright! Then go take a bath! Oh, I’ll explain the shampoo and stuff!”

Manami dragged me toward the bathroom.

For some reason, I felt like I had to say something to Aisa as we left.

“Aisa! Stay warm, okay?”

What was that, am I her mom now?

“Hehe… Thanks.”

“Come on, Kou-nii, let’s go!”

Manami hauled me off to the bathroom.

“This is the body wash, but there’s regular soap over here too.”

“How do you even use these differently?”

“Uh… no idea?”

Manami’s so carefree.

“So, this shampoo and conditioner are Onee-chan’s, this one’s for me and Mom, and that one’s Dad’s.”

“Why are there three different kinds?”

“Dunno…?”

Manami is utterly unhelpful.

“So, which one should I use?”

“Any of them, I guess? Oh, if you use Onee-chan’s, you might smell like her all day!”

“What’s that supposed to mean…?”

By that logic, the same could be said for Manami. Now I’m hyper-aware of the scent coming from her hair, since she’s standing so close.

But it’s not just the shampoo, right? Using the same stuff wouldn’t make me smell like that. Why do girls always have this mysterious, amazing scent…?

“Kou-nii, even after a bath, this is kinda embarrassing…”

“Oh, sorry… I didn’t mean anything by it…”

I fumbled my words, but saying I didn’t mean anything—does that make it worse in this situation?

“If you liked my scent, you should use this one!”

“Uh, sure…”

“Okay! Come to Onee-chan’s room when you’re done!”

“Got it.”

With that, Manami left the bathroom.

Getting a moment alone to cool my head was probably a blessing.

“Oh! Kouki-nii!”

“Hey! I’m already half-undressed here!”

“Oops, sorry, sorry!”

“What’s your deal…?”

Man, she’s so free-spirited. Good thing I’d only taken off my shirt…

“Want me to scrub your back?”

“Just go upstairs already…”

“Hehe! Alright, see you later!”

Seriously, Manami…

She’s the type to actually do it, and with Aisa out of commission as the voice of reason, I’m on my own…

Taking a bath while bracing for an ambush wasn’t exactly relaxing.

◇

After my bath, I grabbed a tea from the fridge and headed to Aisa’s room.

The door was closed, so I knocked, and I heard a flurry of scrambling from inside.

“Kouki-nii! That was quick!”

“Guys’ baths don’t take that long.”

“Oh, right! Hang on a sec, I’m tidying up!”

No idea what they were doing, but after more scrambling, they finally opened the door.

“Welcome…”

“Hey.”

Aisa greeted me, still in that risky pajama.

“What were you doing…?”

“Ehehe, I was just checking if I had all my underwear.”

“Manami, don’t say dumb stuff.”

Sounds like they’re hiding something. Whatever, fine.

“So, uh… Manami was all like, ‘Let’s pick the cutest underwear and pajamas!’ and kinda made a mess…”

“Ehehe.”

No sign of remorse. And since Aisa’s still in that outfit, they clearly didn’t make any progress.

“Don’t make a sick person deal with your nonsense.”

“Ow!”

I gave Manami a light tap and stepped into the room.

“You’re looking a lot better, huh?”

“Yeah… Thanks to you, Kouki.”

Aisa’s complexion was way better than when I arrived. She was well enough to bathe, even with Manami’s help, so a good night’s sleep should do the trick.

“So, I don’t think I’m contagious anymore.”

“Yeah, probably not.”

Honestly, it’s a bit late for that. Manami was probably glued to Aisa’s side when she was at her worst, so I’m half-expecting her to crash tomorrow.

Just to be safe, I called Manami over.

“Manami.”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“Let me check your forehead.”

“Hehe, okay.”

I touched her forehead to check for a fever. Seems fine for now.

“Kouki, what about me?”

“Huh? Aisa, you’ve got a thermometer…”

“…”

What’s with this silent pressure…? Since we already know she had a fever, a thermometer would be more accurate, but…

I swear I saw tears welling up in Aisa’s eyes, so I hurriedly stepped closer.

“Alright, uh… I’ll check, okay?”

“Mm…”

“Hmm… Not sure about this…”

Touching someone who’s had a fever didn’t give me a clear read.

“Kouki-nii, when you’re not sure, you just gotta press our foreheads together!”

“No, a thermometer—”

“Forehead!”

“Kouki…”

What’s with this?! When Aisa catches a cold, her common sense and brakes just vanish—it’s too much!

“Fine, but… come on, that’s a bit…”

“…”

Aisa’s eyes, shimmering with moisture, locked onto mine…

When she gets like this, she’s just too sly.

“Alright… here goes…”

“Mhm!”

Why’s she closing her eyes…? It’s, like, this position makes me hyper-aware of kissing, and it’s not helping.

I can’t drag this out too long or my sanity’s gonna crumble, so I lean in to touch foreheads.

“Nnh!”

Please, please don’t make weird noises right now. This is just gonna make me feverish and confused…

“Ugh… still can’t tell…”

“Hehe!”

I failed to figure out her temperature, but Aisa, hand on my forehead, smiled like she was perfectly content.

◇

I got dragged into taking a bath here, but I hadn’t given up on finding a way to escape.

And here’s why.

“So, Kouki-nii, which room are you sleeping in?”

Manami and Aisa each have their own rooms. Normally, they’d bunk together in one, leaving me the other, right?

But for some reason, they’re both insisting I share a room with one of them.

“Uh, well…”

“I’m worried about Onee-chan, so I’d prefer if you stay with her.”

“I’d feel better if you stayed with Manami… I don’t want to get you sick…”

This is bad… What’s going on? They’re acting all considerate, but they’re teaming up with scary coordination to block every escape route.

“Say, what if I slept in a different room instead…”

“No way!”

There’s technically our parents’ room, but that’s a space I haven’t set foot in since we were kids. I’m not keen on it, and I bet it’s not even on their radar.

The living room’s an option, but they’ll never agree to that, and honestly, if I’m sleeping there, I’d rather go home for a comfier bed.

“Come on, it’s so your cold doesn’t get worse, right? Kouki-nii, you gotta nurse her for a whole day!”

“Whenever I get sick, Manami always catches it the next day… so please stay with her?”

They’re closing in on me.

“Uh… well…”

Aisa grabbed the hem of my shirt, looking up at me with teary, pleading eyes.

“I… I already got the futon out…”

“Kouki-nii!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stay at least until you two fall asleep.”

In the end, I caved and agreed to stick around longer.

“Also! While I’m here, at least wear something underneath, Aisa…”

“Ah…”

Even now, every time she raises her arms, her underwear peeks out. This is not okay.

By the way, Manami’s in cute pink pajamas, totally normal. Though I gotta watch out—she’ll start unbuttoning them if she gets “too hot,” but otherwise, she’s fine for now.

“Okay, while Onee-chan’s changing, let’s go to my room!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

She tugs me out of Aisa’s room.

“Oh! Onee-chan! I think the red one!”

“Red…?”

“Manami! That’s a secret!”

Aisa’s flustered reaction clued me in…

They’re talking about underwear, aren’t they…

◇

“Oh! Kou-nii, you free tomorrow?”

“Huh?”

While waiting for Aisa to change, just me and Manami, she suddenly piped up like she just remembered something.

“I’m free. What’s up?”

“Tomorrow, I’m helping out with the softball team! Wanna come watch with Onee-chan?”

“Oh, nice.”

Aisa seems to be doing a lot better, so it could be fun.

“Alright, I’ll go. Should we ask Aisa?”

“Yay! Onee-chaaan!”

Manami dashes off to Aisa’s room, leaving me behind. I know better than to follow—bad things happen—so I stay put in her room. Looks like Aisa’s already done changing anyway.

“Kouki-nii! Hurry uuuup!”

I head to Aisa’s room at Manami’s call, only to find Aisa in a white cat-ear hoodie.

“W-What…?”

It’s been a while since I heard Aisa’s “What?” It’s not sharp like usual, though—kinda soft.

Manami’s eyes are screaming at me to say something, so I squeeze out, “Uh… cute…?”

“…!”

Her face, half-hidden by the white hoodie, is blazing red, making it stand out even more.

“Ehehe! Isn’t it adorable?”

“Manami’s doing, huh…”

Probably dug it out while picking pajamas.

“Kouki-nii, you like this kinda thing, don’t you?”

It feels like she saw right through me, and that frustrates me. I mean, come on—if a girl as cute as Aisa did something like that, of course anyone would be thrilled…

“Oh, right, Onee-chan! Kouki-nii’s coming tomorrow too!”

“Really?”

“So you two should just come together like this!”

Like this, huh…

“If we’re going tomorrow, I should head home to prep—”

They both grab my clothes in silent protest.

“The futon’s in Onee-chan’s room, and I gotta rest up for tomorrow’s big day, so I’m hitting the sack!”

“Huh? Manami?”

Sure, the futon’s in Aisa’s room, but judging by Aisa’s shocked face, Manami’s going rogue with this one.

Before Aisa can say anything, Manami doubles down.

“I always end up stripping off my pajamas in my sleep, you know.”

What’s that outta nowhere…?

“So sleeping with Kouki-nii would be, like, a little embarrassing…”

A little? Wait, no, I’m getting sucked into Manami’s pace! If this keeps up—

“So I’m leaving Onee-chan to Kou-nii! Take good care of her!”

Too late…

“Night!”

“Good night…?”

“Uh…”

Aisa and I are left frozen, abandoned.

◇

“So, uh…”

As I stand there, unsure what to do, Aisa’s anxious voice slips out from the bed.

“Kouki, do you… not want to stay with me?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to…”

“But…?”

Spare me from saying more… I can’t even find the right words for what comes next.

“Just for tonight… even just until I fall asleep…”

Her pleading voice draws my eyes, and there’s Aisa, staring at me with those teary eyes again.

“Still feeling bad?”

“Uh? Y-Yeah… maybe?”

“Should we skip tomorrow?”

“No way! That’s not… I mean…”

Yeah, when you’re sick, you kinda crave company, don’t you…

“Alright. I promised I’d stay till you sleep, didn’t I?”

“Oh!”

As I sit on the edge of the bed, a spark of joy lights up Aisa’s voice. I can’t look at her face—it’s better for both of us this way.

“Um… Kouki?”

“Yeah?”

“Come up here.”

“Huh…”

Up? On the bed? That’s…

“Oh! I mean! Just sit, that’s all!”

“O-Oh…”

Caught between relief and a weird disappointment, I follow her words like a puppet.

Then Aisa clings tightly to my waist.

“Hehe… thanks.”

“…”

“Just until I sleep… okay?”

Her voice wavers with nerves, but there’s a mischievous, almost devilish smile in it. Yep, she and Manami are definitely sisters.

“Just until you sleep… got it.”

“Mhm.”

Aisa closes her eyes.

I stroke her hair gently, and she seems to melt into it, looking content.

“I… might want you to do this again…”

“Yeah, yeah. Just focus on getting better.”

“Mhm… thanks, Kouki…”

Neither of us says another word after that.

Oh no… I’m starting to doze off…

I agreed to stay until Aisa falls asleep, but I haven’t given up on going home.

I mean, spending the whole night here would be… rough for a lot of reasons. Aisa with cat ears is way too dangerous for my heart, especially with how different she looks from usual. And there’s also what happened earlier. I can’t exactly rule out the possibility that she might pull a “gonna strip now” move like Manami mentioned…

If that happens, I’m not confident my self-control will hold.

“Aisa…?”

“Mmm…”

Nope, she’s out, clinging to me… not letting go…

So sleepy…

“Kouki, come here.”

Whether it was Aisa’s sleep-talk or my own dream, I couldn’t tell, but I gave in.

I collapsed onto the bed, enveloped by warmth.

1. ◇

“I messed up…”

I woke up on a cute bed in a room that smelled sweet.

An unfamiliar ceiling… I almost said, but it’s just nostalgic. I’ve seen this ceiling plenty before.

Aisa, who was supposed to be next to me, was gone.

“Thank goodness she’s up…”

If she was still asleep beside me… just thinking about it is terrifying.

Wait, did I make her feel that way…? I’m so sorry…

“Guess I’ll head downstairs…”

My clothes and everything are in the bathroom downstairs, so I need to go there anyway.

Manami’s room was open. Even with her antics, she’s never late for promises and isn’t weak in the mornings if she’s on her game. She just seems childish when we’re all together. She’s probably already left.

As I head down the stairs, the rich aroma of coffee drifts up.

“Morning.”

“Oh, uh… morning.”

I was agonizing over what to say, but Aisa greeted me casually, like nothing happened.

“Thanks to you, I’m all better. Thank you.”

“Good to hear… but you sure you’re okay?”

Her face still looks a bit flushed, and I’m worried.

“I-I’m fine! Anyway, we should start getting ready.”

“Right.”

“Yeah, the match is scheduled for the afternoon.”

I glance at the clock—it’s closer to noon than morning.

“Breakfast? Or should we just do lunch?”

Aisa’s smile makes my heart skip for some reason.

“You’re cooking?”

“As thanks for yesterday.”

“Cool… then breakfast or lunch, doesn’t matter, but I’m craving egg dishes.”

It’s been since elementary school that I’ve seen Aisa this cheerful. Maybe that’s why I suddenly remembered the tamagoyaki she made back then and wanted eggs.

“Fine, but don’t forget your omelet rice, Kouki.”

“You remembered that?”

I thought her chill vibe was because she forgot yesterday.

“Th-That! I remember it!”

“Got it…”

I’m scared to ask how much she recalls, and poking that snake might bite, so I keep quiet.

“Why don’t you wash your face first?”

“Y-Yeah, good idea.”

I escape to the bathroom.

“Oh!”

Just as I reach for the bathroom door, Aisa’s voice rings out. I figure she messed up something in the kitchen and open the door without thinking.

“Ah! Wait!”

Aisa comes running, shouting, her footsteps thumping toward me.

“Huh?”

But the door’s already open. Manami’s not here, so what’s she worried about… oh…

“Did you see?”

“Uh…”

The underwear in the laundry basket… yeah, it was a very eye-catching color…