Episode Forty-Three
Even someone who turns clingy and easily swept along the moment it’s just the two of us can look thoroughly composed giving a speech in front of the whole school. The all-school assembly, something I used to find nothing but tedious, has quietly become one of my favourite parts of the week lately.
My proud stepsister, and my proud girlfriend. I’m so glad I fell for Tsukishima Yuna.
My life used to be nothing but boring — going through the motions, more or less just existing. She’s changed all of that completely. And she’s apparently been in love with someone like me the whole time. I still don’t really know why. Because she liked my face? Because of some specific moment? Whenever I ask, she always finds some way to dodge the question.
Maybe I should ban kisses until she actually tells me properly. She’d probably cave and explain right away if I did.
I clapped as she made a neat bow and stepped down from the stage. I kept sending desperate glances her way, wanting her to look back at me, but she seemed too nervous to meet my eyes even once. I’ll have to punish her for that later.
Final exams are done, and tomorrow summer break starts. Summer cram school, a mountain of assignments — thinking about the tedious schedule ahead makes my head hurt a little, but not enough to actually dampen how much I’m looking forward to it.
Because I get to spend the whole break with Yuna. We’re already together most of the time, but we barely talk at school, and there are days I have my part-time job too. I actually suggested quitting the job so I could spend more time with her, but Yuna talked me out of it, insisting I keep it.
She said she’d come meet me every time my shift ends, so there was no need to quit. When she said that, I couldn’t hold back the feeling that had built up too high, and ended up leaving quite a few marks on that pale skin of hers.
I filed out of the gymnasium along with classmates already halfway into summer-vacation mode, back toward the classroom. The next time we’re back in this gym will be a month from now. It hadn’t quite sunk in yet that starting tomorrow, I wouldn’t need to come to school for a while.
I frowned against the unusually strong sunlight pouring into the corridor.
That rainy day changed everything between us.
The real feelings I saw in Yuna on the night of the summer festival vanished completely the very next day, and it hurt. I thought the Yuna who fell apart afterward had come to hate me. But once everything finally came out into the open, it turned out we’d simply both misread each other’s feelings the whole time. Yuna assumed she’d been rejected by me; I assumed I’d been rejected by her.
Both of us, sisters through and through, hopeless in exactly the same way — it’s almost enough to make me laugh.
But I think the misunderstanding only happened because we both genuinely loved and treasured each other so much. The days after I realised my own feelings for Yuna were painful, but looking back now, I think even that counts as a good memory.
“Ao~ Have you bought a swimsuit yet?”
“Not yet. Guess I should get on that soon.”
Tatsuka clapped me on the shoulder and pulled my thoughts back to the present. Even in a modest, presentable undershirt, that much cleavage on display is probably dangerous for the boys nearby.
“I haven’t bought mine either, want to go together sometime? I bet it’d be way more fun to surprise Yuna with it.”
“That could work.”
Tatsuka and I traded a mischievous grin.
“Yuna’s kind of a closet perv, though. Don’t overdo it, just saying.”
I shot her a flat, unimpressed look.
I haven’t told her this directly, but I do notice Yuna’s gaze on me sometimes at home. My chest, my legs. Tatsuka in a swimsuit would probably be way too much stimulation, and honestly I’d rather not show Yuna that if I can help it. But there’s not much choice — Tatsuka’s an important friend to Yuna, and an important partner-in-crime to me.
“Want to compete? Whoever picks the swimsuit Yuna would like best wins!”
“I’ll win, obviously.”
We laughed loud enough to carry over the noise of the corridor and knocked shoulders together.
The night of the rain. Yuna told me there was something she absolutely needed to tell me, and I listened to her and Fuuka’s story. Something I’d half-guessed already, more or less exactly as I’d imagined. Fuuka had liked Yuna for a long time, and gave up on those feelings. No — she reshaped that love into a different form, as her most important best friend instead.
I couldn’t hide my tears when I heard it. Because I felt like I’d taken Fuuka’s happiness away from her.
Later, Fuuka and I talked one-on-one, just the two of us, and I cried again. I think Fuuka cried just as much.
I couldn’t hand Yuna over out of pity for her — that was one thing I wouldn’t budge on. But I didn’t want to be on bad terms with her either. So we started trading stories and photos of Yuna neither of us had, building something like a partnership as fellow troublemakers. It’s worked out well between us.
If she tells me properly in advance, I even allow the dates. Because I trust Fuuka.
Well — I do make sure to let Yuna know how I feel about it, on the nights she comes home from one of those dates. Whether I go a little overboard, I honestly can’t say. Yuna’s never looked like she minded, so… I suppose it’s fine.
A classmate whose name I couldn’t even remember became my stepsister, then my girlfriend, and her best friend became my partner in crime. All of it packed into just three months feels far too dense to be real — sometimes I wonder if I’m still dreaming.
Did I do okay? I stumbled over my words a bit.
Seeing a message from the person I love most light up my phone, my cheeks relax on their own.
You looked amazing. Maybe wear your skirt a little longer next time you’re up on stage, though.
These days feel like a dream, but they’re not a dream at all. I remember Yuna’s voice, her warmth, all of it clearly. So this is real.
But even if it turned out to be a dream after all, I think that would be fine too.
Because when I wake up from the dream, she’ll be right there beside me.
Whatever happens, I believe we’ll always stay together.