Manami’s birthday

Even though it’s already been about a week since that shared life with Aisa, my head still feels all floaty.

I vividly remember how adorably downcast Aisa was on the last day. Even if I couldn’t get her to say what she was thinking, I could tell she was feeling the same way I was…

Well, whatever the case, an event to finally bring me back to reality has arrived.

November. With a major event before the school trip looming, Aisa and I were getting ready.

“This year, we’ve got to make her birthday something special…”

“Manami’s done so much for us, after all.”

Manami’s birthday. This year, we have to celebrate it properly… Last year, Aisa and I were still distant, so I couldn’t even imagine doing something like this, but this time, we’ll make up for it.

“I’ve already secured Manami’s schedule for the day, so it’s just about where to go, what to do, and the present.”

As she said that, Aisa stared at me intently.

“What’s up?”

“I was just thinking, knowing Manami, she’d probably be thrilled with something like a date with Kouki…”

“No, no, hold on…”

Is that really okay? More importantly, as her girlfriend, is she fine with that…?

“I mean, Manami probably wouldn’t even agree to it.”

“Hmm… but I want to do what would make Manami the happiest…”

Seeing Aisa start to seriously mull it over, I wasn’t sure how to handle it…

“Alright! On the day, you should go out with Manami, Kouki!”

Aisa declared energetically, her face showing there was no stopping her now.

“Meanwhile, I’ll handle the preparations, like baking the cake.”

“Oh, so it’s a time-stalling tactic.”

“Yup. If there’s a reason like that, I don’t think Manami would say no. Then, we can plan to meet up as a trio, but I’ll just happen to not show up…”

“Well, we’ll figure that part out later. Either way, a present can’t just be ‘a date,’ right?”

“True enough.”

Laughing, Aisa and I chatted about it, gradually getting things ready.

Picking out a present was part of the fun, and we looked forward to the big day.

◇

“Manami.”

“Kouki-nii! Huh? Where’s Onee-chan?”

Manami’s birthday arrived.

At the station where we’d planned to meet as a trio, it was just me and Manami.

“Well, I got a message earlier, but something urgent came up, so she said we should go without her.”

I recited the script Aisa had prepared, though even I could tell my delivery was a bit shaky… Manami, however, seemed to catch on to everything with just that one sentence.

“Ugh… Onee-chan, really?”

Laughing as she said it, Manami turned to me.

“Alright then, today I’m gonna treat you like my Onii-chan and totally spoil myself!”

“Onii-chan…?”

“Yup! I’m just going out with my Onii-chan for my birthday! So neither you nor Onee-chan have to worry! How’s that?”

“I see.”

So that’s her way of justifying it.

“Well, alright…”

“Hehe, it’s a deal then, Onii-chan?”

“Whoa…”

Manami linked her arm with mine, looking up at me with a teasing glance that made my heart skip a beat.

This might actually be bad…

“Come on, Onii-chan! Let’s go!”

“Wait, where to?”

“Hmm, where should we go?”

“At least decide on a place before dragging me off!”

“Haha!”

With a carefree grin, Manami grabbed my hand and started swinging it around, clearly having the time of her life.

◇

“Ahh, that was so much fun!”

“Haa… haa… glad you enjoyed it.”

After hours of being dragged around by Manami, it was way more intense than just “killing time.”

We wandered through an arcade, hit up karaoke, played pool without knowing the rules, threw darts, went bowling, and somehow ended up buying matching tracksuits together before she hauled me off to a bouldering gym.

I was completely wiped out, but Manami somehow looked even more energized than when we started—it was honestly baffling.

“By the way, Manami, you were incredible at bouldering.”

“Hehe, I actually go there sometimes.”

“Really?”

“Yup. I had so much fun with it at that camp, so I looked into it a bit.”

“No wonder you were on another level compared to the other activities.”

“Hehe!”

Bouldering is a sport where you climb a wall using only designated holds, moving from start to finish. The difficulty varies greatly depending on the route.

I was having fun with a beginner-friendly course, just following the instructions to reach the top, but Manami was tackling challenges I couldn’t even wrap my head around, like how she’d even start.

Some routes required her to jump to the starting hold, or climb with her body nearly sideways, or even hang by just her feet… Manami’s challenges were beyond my comprehension.

“You were seriously impressive.”

“I’ve still got a long way to go, though.”

“That’s rare, you saying something like that.”

“Is it?”

Up until now, she always seemed to just enjoy activities for fun, not really aiming to improve, but…

“Well, I guess it just means you had a blast.”

“Maybe? Hehe, thanks!”

“Yeah.”

Maybe because it was her birthday, Manami seemed a little more mature than usual…

“Hup!”

“Oi… don’t just jump on me like that.”

Out of nowhere, she leaped onto my back, nimbly climbing up for a piggyback ride and clinging tight.

In that position, she whispered in my ear.

“Kouki-nii, it’s been about three months since you and Onee-chan started dating, right?”

“Yeah, about that…”

“So, how’s it going? Feeling like proper lovers yet?”

“Well…”

Manami’s list of “lover-like things” has been a great excuse to move things forward with Aisa.

Thanks to it, we’ve even been able to do things like sleep in the same bed.

But…

“The other night, after spending the day together, we talked a bit.”

“Oh? About what?”

“About what it really means to do ‘lover-like’ things.”

“Huh, sounds like you’re going backward.”

Manami squirmed on my back in protest.

“But we both agreed that as long as we’re both having fun, that’s what matters.”

“Hmm… makes sense.”

Of course, I’ve looked at the list Aisa wrote back then, and with such an adorable girlfriend, I can’t help but think about all sorts of things…

Yeah, my thoughts were starting to wander, and I let my guard down.

“Hehe, Onee-chan’s probably thinking about what comes next, you know?”

“What comes next?!”

With my mind already on that, her words made my thoughts spiral.

Dangerous…

But before I could calm down, Manami whispered in my ear again.

“Onee-chan probably wants to kiss, don’t you think?”

“Wha—?!”

It wasn’t just the words—it was the way her breath tickled my ear that made me react weirdly.

“Haha!”

I nearly dropped her, but Manami adjusted her position on her own.

“If you’re acting like that, Kouki-nii, Onee-chan’s dreams might still be a ways off, huh?”

I could tell she was grinning even from behind me.

Since she was calling me Kouki-nii, I thought her “little sister mode” was over, and I let my guard down again.

“So, how about it? Wanna practice with your little sister, Onii-chan?”

“What?!”

This time, I couldn’t help but try to turn around, even with her on my back, but Manami swiftly hopped off.

“Hehe, what’ll it be? I’m still your little sister for now, and it’s my birthday, so I bet Onee-chan would let it slide, don’t you think?”

Manami, looking unusually mature, said that while touching her lips.

The setting sun behind her amplified her vibe, and for a moment, I was almost swept away…

“Stop saying dumb stuff. Let’s hurry to Yuuki’s place.”

“…Okay.”

I ruffled her hair roughly, trying to play it off like usual. I’m not entirely sure I pulled it off, but still…

“Man, Kouki-nii really is Onee-chan’s boyfriend, huh?”

“Obviously.”

“Hehe, fair enough.”

Manami’s vibe seemed to shift back to normal, so I figured that was good enough.

“Still, all that piggybacking and hand-holding… maybe I went overboard?”

“Bit late for that realization…”

“Haha! But it was so much fun! Thanks, Kouki-nii!”

Looks like “Onii-chan” mode was officially over.

The fact that she didn’t say “let’s do it again” showed she was thinking things through. Seeing her expression, I decided to say what I knew would make her happiest.

“Next time, we’ll go with Aisa too, okay?”

“! Yeah!”

It was the right call—Manami kept a huge smile on her face the whole way back.

◇

“Happy birthday!”

“Yay! Thank you!”

Manami’s birthday party was held at Yuuki’s café, which we had all to ourselves.

The place was decked out for a birthday, and the handmade cake showed just how much effort went into it—I was honestly a bit amazed.

But more than that, my eyes were drawn to…

“Why are you both in cheongsams…?”

“This is… ugh! You’re the one who bought them, Kouki!”

“Well, yeah, but… they’re cute.”

“…! Geez!”

The words slipped out, and Aisa lightly smacked me.

The cheongsams were something I’d bought when I went out with Akitsu. I gave them to Aisa, but there hadn’t been a chance to wear them until now…

“I asked them to wear them for the celebration!” Manami chimed in.

“Got it.”

No way they could say no to Manami, huh?

The neckline and the slits at the legs showed glimpses of skin you don’t usually see, and it was honestly a bit heart-pounding.

“I got roped into buying one too… If Kouki-kun doesn’t compliment me, it’s not worth it…”

“That’s what makes it worth it? It suits you, though…”

“Ugh… it feels different from Aisa-chan’s, but oh well… hehe.”

Yuuki was wearing the same style in a different color, but maybe because of her size, her chest was emphasized so much it was hard to know where to look.

“Ehehe, you two are so cute! Thanks!”

When Manami praised the two, they gave up on saying anything more and let out sighs.

They sent gentle glances at Manami, but the moment they turned to me, both glared with half-lidded eyes. Considering they saw me in this outfit, I guess I’ll just have to accept it.

Still, staying like this forever would feel awkward, so I decided to change the topic.

“You didn’t have much time after the lunch shift ended, right?”

“Hehe, we worked hard!”

The café, decorated with balloons and all, had a lively and fun vibe, just like Manami. She was practically buzzing with excitement.

“This is amazing! You made all this?!”

“The cake was a team effort, so it’s a bit different from what we serve in the shop…”

“This makes me even happier! Thanks!”

“Wah…”

Manami threw her arms around Yuuki, expressing her joy with her whole body. Adorable.

“Ehehe, I’m glad you like it…”

“Yup! Let’s eat, let’s eat!”

Pushed along by Manami’s high energy, Yuuki started preparing to cut the cake.

While Manami went over to Yuuki, Aisa sidled up to me.

“Good work today.”

“You can tell?”

“Hehe, aren’t your arms gonna be sore starting tomorrow?”

Darts, billiards, bowling, and then bouldering… yeah.

Even now, my arms tremble a bit when I lift something heavy. It’s kind of unfair that Manami, who did the same stuff, is still so energetic.

Well, it’s Manami, so I guess that explains it. Plus, she mentioned she’s been doing bouldering for a while…

“Still, seeing Manami’s face makes it clear she had fun. Thanks, Kouki.”

“Yeah.”

Aisa said that with her big-sister face.

And then, right after—

“But seeing her that happy makes me a little curious about what you two were up to.”

“Uh…”

Now I saw Aisa as my girlfriend, and while it’s nice to see her different sides, I was already stressing about how to explain everything.

◇

“Alright, shall we hand over the presents?”

“Eh?! There’s more?!”

“Obviously.”

“Ehehe!”

Manami’s natural smile was just too cute.

At Aisa’s suggestion, my present was combined with hers.

“Oh, then I’ll go first. Here you go.”

“Ooh… can I open it?”

“Of course.”

Manami carefully unwrapped the paper package Yuuki handed her. Normally, she’d tear into it with gusto, but her clumsy, cautious movements, trying not to rip the wrapping, were downright heartwarming.

And yet, in the end…

“Manami, need some help?”

“Ugh… please, Onee-chan~”

Aisa’s always been better at this kind of thing…

Aisa peeled off just the tape, letting Manami see the contents first before handing it back. She really knows what Manami wants.

“Waaah, thank you!”

“Hehe, you’ll use it a ton from now on, right?”

“Yup!”

Yuuki’s gift was a chalk bag for bouldering, like the ones we saw today, along with the chalk itself.

“So you knew Manami was into bouldering, Yuuki?”

“Yeah… I went with her once, but she was way better than me. Her agility’s insane…”

“Better than you, huh…”

Maybe this was what got Manami hooked. For someone like her, who never had real rivals in any sport, Yuuki might’ve been her only benchmark.

“Ehehe, alright, let’s open Onee-chan’s gift!”

Aisa handed over the present, with the tape already neatly removed.

What came out of the tall box was…

“Whoa! I can use this in my room?!”

Among the options—clothes, stationery—this felt like the most Manami gift.

“Huh, they make stuff like this?”

It was a pull-up board you attach to the wall. When we picked it, we thought Manami would find all sorts of fun ways to use it, but by pure chance, it was perfect for bouldering training.

“They had one of these at the gym we went to today, right?”

“Yup! I’m so happy I can use it at home!”

To think Aisa picked this out without even knowing about Manami’s bouldering—truly an Onee-chan moment.

“I’ll treasure it! Thanks!”

“Wah… geez…”

Manami hugged Aisa impulsively, and Aisa gently hugged her back.

◇

“Ehehe, I’m so happy!”

Celebrated by the café’s master and treated to coffee, we relaxed in the booth seats.

“Hehe, I’m glad it went well.”

“Yeah.”

Seeing Manami so happy was worth it.

I thought we were done and ready to head home, but…

“Hey, Onee-chan, Kouki-nii.”

“Hm?”

Manami’s expression shifted from her usual bubbly self to something more serious. Sitting across from her, we straightened up to face her.

“Ehehe, so, I’m actually thinking about getting serious with bouldering.”

“Serious…?”

“Yup. The gym we went to today? Some athletes who compete in world championships drop by sometimes, and they asked if I’d consider joining.”

“World championships?!”

It was sudden, but knowing Manami, it didn’t seem impossible…

“Haha, obviously I can’t just jump in, but they said if I get results in competitions, I could aim for it.”

“Really… I mean, even I could tell you were amazing…”

“Thanks… I wanna compete at the world level if I’m gonna do it, but travel costs add up, and I’d need to learn some languages, so I’ve actually been picking up extra shifts at work.”

“You’re already that far…”

She was more serious than I thought.

No, maybe Manami’s never gone all-in on any sport before. This might be the first time she’s found something she truly wants to tackle head-on.

I could feel Manami’s growth.

“Wait, didn’t you two already figure it out?”

“Why?”

Aisa tilted her head, looking puzzled.

“Huh? I mean, the presents you gave me today—you wouldn’t even know about that stuff unless you knew I was bouldering…”

Well, yeah, that makes sense.

But we picked it because we didn’t know—just thought it was something fun that’d suit Manami.

“Aisa gets the credit for picking that one.”

“As expected of Onee-chan!”

“It’s not like that… but I’m glad you liked it.”

“Yup!”

“And… you’re amazing, Manami.”

“Huh? Ehehe, thanks, Onee-chan!”

Manami looked briefly confused by Aisa’s sudden words but quickly flashed a bright smile.

With her resolve set, Manami looked more mature than ever today.

Seeing her like that, Aisa stroked her head with a proud yet slightly wistful expression.