Before the trip [Aisa’s Perspective]

“Onee-chan, I have something important to talk about.”

The sports festival was over, and while I was bustling with preparations for the trip, Manami came up to me with this serious declaration.

“What’s up?”

I couldn’t help but sit down formally myself.

Manami’s topic was…

“Don’t you think Kouki-nii is a bit too carefree?”

I see…

I feel like we’ve had a similar conversation before…

“You’re worried, huh, Manami?”

“Huh? You’re not worried, Onee-chan!? Is this the confidence of the main wife…?”

“What are you talking about, silly?”

My cheeks flushed a little at Manami’s reaction.

Everyone’s always jumping to marriage… or kids… or, well, that stuff… It’s still a bit too early for all that! Wait, that’s not the point!

Right now, it’s about Manami.

“Kouki’s fine, you know.”

I patted Manami’s hair as I said this.

“Onee-chan…”

Manami pouted, her lips pursed in dissatisfaction.

“Listen, Manami.”

“Hm?”

I faced her properly and shared my thoughts.

“Kouki spent all that time with us during summer vacation and didn’t make a single move, right?”

“Well…”

That said it all.

From the way Kouki acts now, it’s clear he never disliked me back then.

If anything, he had positive feelings, yet despite everything that happened during that summer, there wasn’t any real progress.

“Him being kind to Yuuki or soft on underclassmen… that’s just how Kouki is, don’t you think?”

And above all, I’m certain Kouki would never do anything to hurt me.

This isn’t just me being conceited.

It’s a trust I’ve built from watching him longer than anyone else.

But Manami’s expression didn’t brighten.

“What’s got you so worried?”

“Your carelessness, Onee-chan…”

“Carelessness…”

I can’t say I don’t have some blind spots…

“You think it’s fine if Kouki-nii goes on a date with me or Yuuki-kun, don’t you?”

“Well…”

I can’t exactly deny it.

Or rather… I’d already planned to let him go.

“We did say the MVP would get a date…”

Manami really gave it her all at the sports festival. MVP is something I could never dream of, but Manami worked so hard, and I’m sure Kouki would praise her for it…

“Ohhh?”

“W-What…?”

For some reason, Manami narrowed her eyes at me.

“You think you won’t lose to me, don’t you, Onee-chan?”

“W-What!?”

I’d never seen this side of Manami before.

To me, Manami has always been my adorable little sister, always laughing innocently.

But for a moment, the face she showed me… I don’t know how to describe it, but it was the face of a girl.

“Haha! I’ve properly told Kouki-nii I like him, you know!”

“W-Wait… that’s… um…”

“I mean, unless you and Kouki-nii have some huge fight, I don’t think he’d ever come to me… And honestly, if you two were fighting, I wouldn’t even be in the mood for that…”

There it was again…

Manami was showing an expression I didn’t recognize.

But it was proof of how serious she was…

“We’re not going to fight.”

I had to meet her head-on.

“Really? I bet you’d totally fight if you’re together long enough… Oh, but maybe Kouki-nii would just bottle it all up.”

“Huh?”

“You know, Onee-chan, your face gives away everything you’re thinking, so he might pick up on stuff he doesn’t need to and hold back.”

“Is that… true?”

Kouki holding back…? Fighting?

I can’t even imagine it… or rather, I’ve never really clashed with Kouki seriously before.

“And anyway, you’re so head-over-heels for Kouki-nii right now, you’d probably forgive him for anything.”

“T-that’s…”

She might be right… but having it said to my face makes my cheeks burn.

“I mean, you’re even okay with him going on dates with other girls…”

“Ugh… but… it’s you, Manami…”

“Exactly! You and Kouki-nii both think of me as a little sister, so you let your guard down, right?”

Manami grinned mischievously.

“I’m only one year younger than you guys, you know?”

The way she looked at me then… it wasn’t the face of a little sister, but of a girl.

“I’m not going to lose either.”

“Hehe… Onee-chan’s been winning this whole time, so maybe you could afford to let your guard down a little more?”

She’s the one who started this, and now she says that?

Honestly, it makes me realize how much Manami cares about us.

“Ugh, if you and Kouki-nii would just get married already, I could finally give up.”

“Married!?”

I couldn’t help but react to her sudden bombshell.

And Manami didn’t miss her chance.

“Oh, and Onee-chan, Yuuki-kun’s got more going on up top than you’d think, you know?”

“Up t—huh!?”

“They’ve even been working the same shifts lately, so who knows what kind of steamy incidents might be happening when we’re not around!”

“W-Wait, what!?”

What’s with this all of a sudden!?

“So, you know, since we’re dragging Kou-nii into a private setting on this trip, why not take a step forward?”

“A step forward…?”

“Yup. Use this hot spring trip to get closer to Kouki-nii! Close enough that he won’t even blink if Yuuki-kun or some other girl tries something!”

“Make Kouki not even blink… How do I…?”

I’d been completely swept up in Manami’s pace, and there was no stopping it now.

All I could do was listen.

I mean, I did notice Yuuki’s got a surprisingly good figure… I’m kinda jealous…

Wait, focus on Manami’s plan!

“Ehehe! I’ve got a great idea, so look forward to it!”

“Look forward…?”

If Manami says so, it’s probably fine… right?

“By the time we’re back from this trip, Kouki-nii will be so unfazed by other girls, nothing they do will get to him!”

“I-Is that so…?”

I can’t shake the feeling I’ve been played by Manami, but… whenever she gets like this, listening to her has never steered me wrong.

Even with her rival declaration earlier, this back-and-forth is only possible because we trust each other.

“This trip’s gonna be fun, huh?”

“Yup!”