Chapter Thirteen

A Date

Several days had passed since the esteemed actress Yui had graced the Narito household with her outstanding performance. Yuuki had just returned from school to find Mina sitting on the sofa fiddling with her phone. Normally if her phone was in her hands, it meant that she was playing a game with the volume at max. That wasn’t the case today. She was quiet, perhaps too quiet.

Yuuki changed out of his school uniform and into his loungewear before sitting down next to Mina. In response, she scooted away from her brother and hid her phone from him.

“What’s wrong?” Yuuki asked.

“I’m texting a friend. No peeking.”

“Sorry, what?” he involuntarily responded before he could stop himself.

“Y-You heard me. I made a new friend,” Mina said with an awkward smile.

“Have you now? Nice going. What’s their name?”

“R-Rika.”

“Just checking, but she isn’t imaginary, right?”

“H-Hey! That’s just rude!” Mina protested and angrily stormed out of the living room. She remained locked in her room for the rest of the day after that, only leaving for lunch.

Her abnormal behavior continued into the next day as well, as she returned home from school much later than Yuuki did.

“I’m gonna call my friend, so don’t bother me!” Mina commanded. Again, she secluded herself in her room, now for the second day in a row.

Yuuki wondered why she didn’t spend more time with her supposed friend after school if she was just going to call her immediately after returning home. Whatever the case, it seemed that it was now becoming a habit for Mina to hide herself away in her room and only foray outside for food.

“I’m so, so, so busy chatting with my friend. I don’t even have any time to spend with you anymore, Yukkie,” she grumbled as she continued to tap away at her phone.

Moreover, it appeared that her interest in being a maid and such had gone with the wind. If anything, this was good news for Yuuki, since he no longer had to worry about Mina’s destructive attempts at doing chores. Still, he didn’t like that she was so preoccupied with her friend that he got to spend less and less time with her.

“Oh bee tee dubs, how’s Yui? Haven’t seen her in a while,” Mina suddenly asked with an inquiring glance.

Yui the Star was in need of a well-deserved rest, so Yuuki hadn’t invited her to his apartment ever since that day. Plus, each unnecessary exposure to Mina only increased the risk of blowing their cover. There was no need for him to go out of his way to bring that dazzling actress Yui out of retirement so recklessly.

“It’s the weekend tomorrow. Aren’t you planning to go on a date with her?” Mina continued, leaving Yuuki at a loss. He reluctantly dug his phone out of his pocket and sent Yui a text asking her what she thought of the idea. She agreed, leaving him with an impromptu date to look forward to.

The following morning, Yuuki had gotten changed at his usual pace and was just about ready to head out. When he walked into the living room, he saw that Mina was preparing to go out herself.

I figured that was her plan, Yuuki thought. “Are you coming with, Mina?”

“Ever seen a sister accompanying her brother on a romantic date before?” she asked.

“I take it that you weren’t going to follow me? Then where are you going?”

“I have plans with a friend,” she said with a smirk.

Damn, she’s full of surprises lately, Yuuki thought. Regardless, he was beginning to get anxious about the true identity of that friend of hers. “Let me ask you something for my own peace of mind: this isn’t some stranger you met on the Internet, right?”

“O-Of course not! It’s a friend from school!” she insisted.

Yuuki had no reason to suspect that she wasn’t telling the truth. After all, he didn’t believe she actually had the guts to meet up with Internet strangers. Of course, there was always the possibility that she was being stubborn and denying that she truly did want to tag along with Yuuki.

“You sure you don’t want to come?” he asked once more to make extra sure.

“I’m telling you I’m going to hang out with a friend!” she argued. She made herself perfectly clear, so he refrained from pursuing the matter any further.

Maybe she got asked out on a date by a guy or something? Can’t rule out that possibility, he thought. She did say she had plans with a friend, but she didn’t specify whom, after all. Yuuki was naturally worried about her, but he figured that being over-protective would only get in the way of her independence as a person.

“Don’t you have a date to worry about, Yukkie?! Forget ‘bout me, and go already!”

“Fine. Don’t keep your friend waiting too long, okay?” he warned before leaving the apartment.

Yuuki and Yui had decided on meeting up in the plaza of a neighboring train station. Yuuki walked there on foot and ended up arriving earlier than what they’d initially agreed on.

The weather was great today; it was mostly sunny with just a few clouds floating about lazily in the sky. A refreshing breeze blew by from time to time, making the prospect of standing around basking in the sunlight that much more enjoyable. Yuuki sat on top of a brick wall and watched the cars coming and going, the swarms of people making their way in and out of the station, and the clock tower topping the station. His people-watching was interrupted when a person walked right up to him.

“Earth to Yuuki, over?” the lively voice rang. He looked up and saw his date, Yui, waving her hand in his face. “Did I keep you waiting?” she asked with a smile.

“Yes. You’re six minutes late.”

“Look here, buddy, let me lay it all out for you. You’re supposed to say something like: ‘No, Yui! I just got here myself! You’re looking lovely today, by the way!’” she explained. Her imitation of him was quite nasally, and she strung words together at a strange pace. At this point, Yuuki stood up, looked away from the clock tower, and focused on Yui instead. “... Sorry I was late. Something came up back at home, and I ended up losing track of time,” Yui explained bashfully while straightening her collar.

Today, Yui was wearing a white blouse with a bow tie neck along with a medium-length checkered skirt to match. She looked like a porcelain doll, a style worlds apart from the getup she had on the last time Yuuki had seen her at the station.

“You look great today,” he praised her.

“I always look great,” she retorted. Yuuki stood in place and eyed her up from top to bottom. This must’ve made Yui uncomfortable, as she began looking away and twiddling her thumbs. “C-Could you stop ogling me like that?”

“Oh, yeah. My bad. You’re just so cute. You look like the daughter of a rich family,” Yuuki said. Yui’s cheeks were beginning to curl up into a smile, but when she noticed Yuuki’s glances, she toned it down to a more serious expression instead.

“A-Anyways, where are you taking me today, Yuuki?” she asked.

“I dunno. Don’t have a specific place in mind,” he promptly answered.

“Then why did you tell me to come to the station specifically?” Yui asked, her eyes full of scorn as she approached him threateningly.

“Just seemed like a good place to meet up,” he responded.

“Haah, so you asked me on a date without planning anything in advance? Are you kidding? Nothing at all? You can’t be serious, man,” she complained, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

“Well, you know. I thought Mina would come with me, so...”

“What do you mean?”

“Thought all three of us could hang out today. But then Mina told me she had other plans with a friend,” Yuuki explained.

“Wha—? That’s great! She made a friend that fast? Good for her! You don’t sound all that happy about it though.”

“It’s not that. I’m just a bit worried.”

“Whoa, look at this worrywart. Y’know, I almost didn’t believe it when you told me she didn’t have any friends. She’s cute, cheerful... maybe a bit weird sometimes, but I don’t see why you have to worry.”

That wasn’t how Mina usually acted around strangers, but Yuuki understood where Yui was coming from. Mina had unexpectedly opened up to Yui, even though that was only their first time ever meeting. Even the typically immovable Yuuki was surprised.

“Well anyway, I’m used to getting led around town by Mina. So I haven’t planned anything.”

“Hmm, I see. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

“Not really.”

“Let’s just go back home and forget this ever happened.”

“How about we go where you want to then, Yui?” he asked.

“Huh? Me? Well, I, uh,” she stumbled after having been abruptly put on the spot like that.

Guess she’s as much at a loss for what to do as I am, despite all that big talk of hers, he thought before saying, “This is my first time asking somebody out, so I’m not really sure how these things work. But you sound pretty used to it.”

“W-Well, you could say that, haha,” she chuckled awkwardly and evaded the question. Something was off about how she was acting.

Maybe she’s just nervous, Yuuki thought. Then again, she looks way too confident. Hmm.

Neither of them could come up with a plan, and things were beginning to get awkward. However, Yui’s phone was here to save the day. She began browsing around for a suitable location for their date.

“H-How about we start by going to that cafe over there and—”

“Ah, I got it,” Yuuki interrupted. “There is one place we could go.”

“Wha—?”

“Let’s go,” he said, grabbing Yui by the hand.

Before he could pull her too far, Yui pulled her fingers away from his tight grasp. As was par for the course, she was blushing.

“W-Wait! Why did you grab my hand like it was nothing?!”

“Oops, sorry. Old habit.”

“Hmm. Well, I am pretending to be your girlfriend. I guess I’ll allow it if you want,” she said, some apprehension still present in her voice.

“No reason to, since Mina’s not around anyway. Oh! Wait, are you the type that easily gets lost unless somebody holds your hand?”

“No,” she replied coldly.

Ultimately, the pair kept their distance from each other as they made their way to the bus stop.

A short 20-minute bus trip later, the pair arrived at the largest park in the region. It was separated into two parts: one with sports grounds and a gym, and the other that had a playground and fresh grass covering the whole area. Additionally, there was a long boardwalk that extended along the circumference of the park, which is where Yuuki and Yui were now.

They walked away from the bustling crowds and to somewhere more peaceful. The buildings around them gradually become few and far inbetween, replaced by serene and refreshing greenery.

“Whoa, I didn’t know this was a nice date spot. It’s pretty peaceful,” Yui marveled as she looked around at their surroundings.

“Not really,” Yuui responded monotonously, “I just like to come here alone sometimes.”

“Alone? But why?” she asked.

“It’s pretty quiet. Helps me think straight when something is on my mind.”

“Wow, I’m sorry I bother you that much.”

“We didn’t come here today because of that, don’t worry. There’s this other cool thing I like about this place,” he assured her. Hope she isn’t too pissed off that I brought her here without explaining anything.

Yuuki took a glance at Yui and quickly realized that his worries were unwarranted. Yui looked excited, and she suddenly exclaimed joyfully, “Wow! Look, a pond! I never knew there was one here!”

She was pointing at a large, oval-shaped pond at the far end of the boardwalk. The pond had a few small streams running off it and was populated by ducks.

“Look at that bird with the red beak!” Yui exclaimed, then she put on a mock serious expression and yelled, “It’s approaching us at three times the normal speed, Captain!” She walked around the pond, excitedly observing all of the ducks floating on the water. There were very few people around them, and the only noise reaching their ears was that of the birds doing bird things.

“Let’s have lunch over there,” Yuuki suggested, pointing at a row of benches near the pond. It was Yuuki’s favourite spot; it was nice and cool with a lot of overgrown trees whose boughs provided ample natural shade.

“This place is so cool,” Yui said, still admiring her surroundings.

Yuuki sat on the bench next to Yui, then shrugged off the sling bag he’d been wearing. He rooted around inside and pulled out a plastic bag that contained some rice balls and bread. He’d picked these things up from a convenience store located near the bus stop. Yui retrieved something similar from her bag.

Yuuki was just about to bite into a rice ball, but stopped when he noticed Yui holding a one-hundred yen coin in her hand.

“Where did you get that?” he asked.

“It was on the bench,” she answered.

“You’re pretty lucky with money, huh?”

“Yup,” she replied.

Yuuki considered making a smart remark about how it was all thanks to the stone he’d given her, but since Yui didn’t look particularly happy, he ultimately refrained from doing so.

Nevertheless, they both started eating their rather late lunches. Yui’s meal was on the lighter side, consisting only of a single rice ball and a sandwich. Yuuki stayed quiet the whole time he was eating, and so did Yui. Eventually, she was the first to break the irksome silence.

“To be honest with you, this is my, er, my first time going on a date with someone,” she confessed.

“Hmm?”

“I’m relieved it wasn’t as complicated as my sister made it out to be. She kept telling me about the do’s and don’ts of dates, and the places I should avoid going to for lunch, and this and that... This almost makes me feel stupid for overthinking it so much yesterday.”

“Huh. Well, this isn’t a real date, so...”

“Yeah! Obviously I knew that!” she stressed loudly. She looked a bit dejected, for some reason. She looked away from Yuuki, her gaze instead resting on the half-eaten rice ball he’d been holding. “I didn’t think we’d be having corner-store rice balls in the park when you first asked me on this date.”

“Ah, my bad. Should we have gone somewhere else?”

“Oh, no! That’s not what I meant! I don't hate it, really. It’s surprisingly nice!” she clarified.

She looks kinda pissed for someone who’s supposedly having a good time, Yuuki thought. The discrepancy between what she said and what her facial expression showed puzzled Yuuki. Alas, he would chalk it up to Yui putting up a tough facade. Instead, he focused on the more pressing matters at hand: finishing off his food.

“I would’ve made you a lunch box if you told me this is where we were going. Missed opportunity!” Yui said.

“You’d do that? I do want to try your handmade cooking again.”

“R-Really?” she tried to play it cool as she nibbled on her sandwich. Something was definitely off; Yuuki could feel it. He took a closer look at her and, sure enough, she was smiling.

“You’re pretty easy to please.”

“S-So wait then! Were you lying just now?!”

“Haha. Nah, I wasn’t,” he chuckled, his lips morphing into a grin. It was an innocent smile, though it didn’t make Yui any less suspicious of him.

“You’re in an awfully happy mood today. It’s good to see you haven’t forgotten how to laugh,” she said sarcastically.

“What’s there to be unhappy about? The weather is great, not too hot, not too cold. And the breeze is refreshing...”

“And you have a beautiful girl sitting right next to you,” Yui added.

“Wonder if Mina’s eaten lunch yet,” Yuuki said, ignoring her.

“The good ol’ silent treatment, huh?”

Yuuki considered sending Mina a message asking how she was, but he figured that’d probably just annoy her more than anything, so he scrapped the idea altogether.

“What about you? You having fun, Yui?” he suddenly asked.

“Wh-Who, me? I mean... yeah, I guess.”

“Glad to hear it,” Yuuki responded with a smile. Yui averted her eyes and focused on eating her food. Guess that was really embarrassing for her to say, he wondered.

They finished their lunch before long. Afterwards, they sat on the bench for a while, enjoying the view of the pond. The weather was still warm, and Yuuki’s stomach was full, so perhaps it was only a matter before drowsiness took over. His eyelids were half opened and were becoming heavier by the second.

“You look pretty sleepy, Yuuki. Hehe, how about you rest your head... on my lap~?” Yui smirked.

“Oh, can I? Thanks,” he promptly accepted her offer.

“Timeout, timeout! I was joking!” she panicked, her face already a beet red. She desperately tried to push Yuuki’s rapidly lowering head away from her lap. “Stop this right now! I only said that so I could see you all embarrassed and everything! God, you were just waiting for an excuse, weren’t you?!”

“What the? That’s a pretty awful joke, even by your standards.”

“Wh-Why do you sound so angry?”

There was a good time and a bad time for a joke, and for Yuuki, who was currently at the verge of passing out, it was clearly the latter. He stared at Yui, struggling to keep his eyes open any longer.

“Hmm? I had no idea you wanted to sleep on my lap this badly,” she teased with an elated grin.

“I just want a pillow to sleep on.”

“I don’t like that tone. If you want it to happen, then you better repeat after me: ‘Please, oh wonderful and cute Yui, let me sleep on your lap,’” she dragged out her vowels as she spoke.

“Please, oh wonderful and cute Yui, let me sleep on your lap,” he parroted, elongated vowels and all.

“You really do scare me sometimes,” she said. While she did seem slightly creeped out, it appeared that Yuuki’s brazenness had worked in his favor this time around. She sat upright on the bench, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and straightened it out. “Y-You can come over now,” she said quietly while turning her face away.

Those were the magic words Yuuki needed to hear as he rotated himself 90 degrees to the side and slumped his face into her lap.

“Smells great in here.”

“Hey, keep those disgusting comments to yourself! You’re facing the wrong way too! That's not how this works!” Yui objected. She slapped her hands to his ears and forcefully turned his head away from her stomach and to the opposite direction. Her thighs were much softer than Yuuki’d expected, and they made for an extremely comfortable pillow.

“Haah, now you’ve done it. Just checking, but you do know that I’m only pretending to be your girlfriend, right?” she sighed.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Oh, so nooooow it doesn’t matter? How convenient,” she said, flashing an ominous smile at him. Yuuki was too sleepy to give up his brand new pillow, however, so he just relaxed and shut his eyes.

“Goodnight,” he mumbled.

“Wai—wha—?! A-Are you for real right now?” she complained. Still, she ensured her legs remained balanced at the perfect height, which made it all the more comfortable and snug for Yuuki. Within moments, he’d dozed off entirely.

◆ ◇

Wow, he actually fell asleep, Yui thought as she looked down at Yuuki’s peaceful form planted in her lap. She’d been joking from the start, but things had gotten out of hand, and Yuuki had successfully talked her into it. I’d hate for someone we know to see us right now. She envied how seemingly unconcerned Yuuki was about how others viewed him.

Yui’s paranoia got the best of her, and Yui took a quick peek around her. She was relieved to find that it was mostly deserted, save for a few elderly people sitting around on benches and some little kids running around. Getting seen by any of these people probably wouldn’t cause her any problems.

Nobody our age is around, so there’s nothing to worry about, right? Did he plan this from the very start? Yui seriously considered the possibility of Yuuki being a genius strategist for a moment, but quickly scrapped that idea when she again looked down and saw him napping peacefully.

“He’s knocked the heck out. Maybe I should take a picture,” she thought, her hand already moving toward her bag. Ultimately, though, she decided against it for fear of accidentally waking Yuuki up.

Though Yui didn’t actually have a genuine reason to cater to Yuuki’s comforts this much, she couldn’t help it. The sight of his serene sleeping face and the sound of his quiet, measured breathing made it difficult for her to disturb him, even if she wanted to.

He’s sorta cute, she thought. If only he was this quiet and harmless when he was awake. The more she looked at him, the more Yui felt a strange urge to pat his head and stroke his back. Before she knew it, her heart was racing like crazy.

Eventually, she couldn’t take it any more and began to shakily extend her hand in order to fulfill her deepest desires. Fortunately—or otherwise—she came back to her senses and stopped herself just before her fingers made contact. Her conscience admonished her, harshly informing her that she’d have no excuse if her impulsive actions ended up rousing him.

“Oh yeah, ‘you were so cute I couldn’t stop myself.’ Great excuse, Yui,” she admonished herself. She wasn’t entirely sure she’d have the guts to say that to his face if push came to shove. Why do you get to be the one asleep when I’m just as drowsy?

Yuuki’s invitation had been completely unexpected for Yui. They had agreed to pretend that they were dating only in front of his sister, but the fact still remained that they were out on an honest-to-goodness romantic date right here and now. Yui had been so anxious about today that she’d gotten barely any sleep.

It was a mistake to go to Maki for advice. She’d totally panicked when he texted her yesterday, and her sister had taken the opportunity to blow the thing entirely out of proportion. Maki had sprinkled in half-truths and misleading advice that all led Yui to believe that a date was more akin to some sort of terrifying ritual than anything normal.

She got me again. Damn it! she bristled. Turns out dates are pretty fun. It’s like I have this fluffy and warm feeling inside all the time, and sometimes my heart just skips a beat—like now.

Her rapidly pounding heart eventually settled down as time moved on, and an extreme feeling of sleepiness overcame her senses. It was as if Yuuki’s sleeping face was beckoning her into the land of dreams.

The tranquil environment around her didn’t help much either. Yui put up a valiant fight against the drowsiness while she looked at him. However, the sandman always wins, and she eventually nodded off alongside Yuuki.

Yui blinked. As she came back to her senses, she realized that she’d been leaning against something, and she sleepily raised her head to see what it was.

“Ah, you’re up,” spoke someone right next to her.

Yui slowly realized that the voice belonged to Yuuki, who was now sitting upright on the bench. Any leftover sleepiness that still lingered in her vanished in an instant following the realization that she had been sleeping on his shoulder the entire time.

“Wh-Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?!” she asked red-faced and embarrassed.

“I felt bad about waking you up. Also, you looked cute while sleeping,” he said, flashing a smile. Yui could feel her face turning more and more red, like all the blood in her body was rushing to her head.

“H-How long was I out for?”

“Some time, actually. I woke up because I felt something soft on my face. Turned out to be your chest. Smelled pleasant, felt pleasant... other than the fact that I was being smothered to dea—”

“Okay, you can stop now.”

Having Yuuki thoroughly explain what happened with his opinions mixed in felt especially humiliating for Yui. It would appear that Yui had accidentally performed some very shameless acts while she’d been asleep. Judging from the fact that the sun was beginning to set, she guessed that this semi-lewd nap had lasted quite a long time.

This is awful... Maki wouldn't let me hear the end of it if she ever found out, Yui thought. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep like that.”

“Nah, don’t worry. I did it first, after all. It’s kinda funny how we went on a date just to nap, though,” Yuuki couldn’t help but chuckle as he tried to reassure her.

His carefree tone made Yui breathe a sigh of relief, accompanied by a fuzzy sensation in her chest. She immediately recomposed herself, returning his smile with one of her own.

◆ ◇

Now that Yui was finally awake, Yuuki stood up from the bench and stretched. It was just about time for them to head home. The pair enjoyed another leisurely stroll down the boardwalk, this time with a colorful sunset for a backdrop. Before long, they were on the bus back to the train station where they’d originally met.

“What’s your plan now?” Yui asked, meeting eyes with Yuuki as the bus drove up to the station. Yuuki checked the time; it was right around five o’clock.

“I think Mina will probably be home soon. Hence I was thinking of grabbing us dinner before heading back myself.”

“Ah... I see,” she said.

Yui would most likely be taking the train home, so they were each heading their own separate ways once they got off the bus. Yuuki felt bad for dictating all of their plans based on what was convenient for him, now that he thought about it. Moreover, Yui looked like she wanted to say something.

“You fine with that?” Yuuki asked.

“Who, me? Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” Yui answered. She was being surprisingly passive, and her refusal to make herself clear made it slightly challenging for Yuuki to deal with her.

She’s kinda like Mina in that respect. Speaking of, Yuuki began to recall how Mina had forcibly led Yui by the hand when she’d visited that one time. He began to feel more and more reluctant about parting ways for the day, so he made up his mind.

“Hey, Yui, how would you like to come over and have dinner? If you have the time, I mean. Mina rarely hits it off with strangers, so I think she’d be really happy if you visited again.”

“Wha—?” She was definitely surprised, but she appeared to consider it for a moment. “W-Well I, uh, if you insist!”

Yuuki then texted Mina to let her know about his plans to grab dinner. The fake couple got off the bus and made their way to the beef bowl shop near the station. Mina had enjoyed the food from there quite a lot last time, which made it an easy decision for him to pick up more.

When they arrived at the shop, he called Mina to find out what exactly she’d like to have. Interestingly, he couldn’t reach her at all and kept getting redirected to her voicemail. The text he’d sent also remained unread. He figured there was a decently high chance that she was asleep, so he decided to just pick for her. He bought three portions of food and went off in the direction of his apartment with Yui.

“Let’s get our story straight this time,” Yui suggested. Together, they agreed on the key details as they got closer and closer to Yuuki’s apartment. When Yuuki unlocked the door, he was surprised to find that the lights in the living room were off.

So she’s asleep after all, huh? he thought to himself. One little detail debunked that assumption, however. He quickly realized that her shoes weren’t by the door as they normally were.

“Mina isn’t home yet?” Yui asked.

“Looks that way,” Yuuki responded.

He warily entered the living room and set the bags of food down. He again tried calling Mina’s number, and once again got sent to her voicemail. Just as he was about to check if she’d at least read his message, his phone vibrated.

“I’m still out with my friend, so I’ll be coming home late,” read Mina’s text. Since no more messages appeared to be coming, he put his phone away and faced Yui.

“Sorry, I have to go,” Yuuki said.

“Huh? Go where?”

“I know I’m asking too much, but could you hold down the fort for me? Call me if Mina comes home. Oh, and you can go ahead and eat if you’re hungry,” he told her without waiting for a reply and left the apartment as a bewildered Yui watched him go.

The sun had already settled beneath the horizon when he stepped outside the apartment. It was completely dark outside, and the streetlights began to light up one by one. Yuuki’s brisk footsteps soon turned into a half-run as he frantically searched for his sister.

First, he headed to the neighbouring park he and Mina used to frequent a lot when they were children. Although the park was a bit small and boring, with only a single swing, a slide, and a sandbox, Mina always used to pester him to take her there.

Their daily routine would consist of proving and re-proving to their mother that they could use the swing just fine on their own, and then they would show off their sand sculptures that they’d built when she came by to pick them up at night. The siblings would always hold their mother’s hand when they walked back home.

Neither one of them wanted to return to the park after their mother had passed away. Despite that, Yuuki recalled seeing Mina sitting on the swings by herself a few times in the past. She’d looked like she was waiting for someone to come push her. When he got to the park, he thought maybe he saw her silhouette on the swings once more. Unfortunately, it was quite obvious that there wasn’t a soul in the dim and gloomy park right now.

He sprinted past the park and arrived at a nearby supermarket. This specific store was pretty much the only place that Mina was able to shop at on her own, since she was so used to the place from her numerous past visits with their mother. Yuuki remembered how happy Mina got when their mother praised her for being able to go to the supermarket all on her own for the very first time.

Yuuki rushed into the store, and the complete lack of customers helped clue him in that it was truly past the peak time of the day. He checked every corner for Mina, but she continued to elude him. Now at a complete loss, he struggled to think of any other place that Mina would go to on her own.

It’s possible she could have gone to that movie theater we went to the other day, or maybe that anime merch mall, he contemplated. But that’s still kind of far for her, and more importantly, I don’t think she’s ever stayed out this late on her own before.

His mind made up, Yuuki sprinted down the road that he’d just strolled down with Yui. By the time he reached the train station, he was struggling for air. Nevertheless, he searched high and low for MIna amidst the masses still walking around the station. It was more crowded than usual, which wasn’t unexpected considering that it was the weekend.

Yuuki wasn’t even entirely sure that Mina was actually around here, but even if she was, finding her small figure among the throngs would be like finding a needle in a haystack. He did his best to put such thoughts out of his mind and focus the entirety of his efforts into scouring every inch of the place instead.

Next, he ran to the east entrance of the station through the passageway that connected each end of the station. He checked the entrance of the theater, did a lap around all of the nearby shops, and finally scouted every last floor of the anime mall. Throughout his search, he kept ringing her phone, but each time was to no avail.

Eventually, Yuuki had no choice but to return to the main part of the station. He had resolved to comb the entire vicinity around the station. In the process, he caught sight of the clock tower and was upset to realize that it was already almost eight o’clock.

It’s getting way too late now, Yuuki said to himself. I have to get back home. Yui is waiting all alone.

When he arrived at his apartment, Yui came to the door as soon as he’d opened it. The grim expression on her face told him all he needed to know: it was obvious that Mina hadn’t returned.

“You’re drenched in sweat, Yuuki! You’ve gotta go wipe all that off,” she said, the worry in her voice palpable. She clearly sensed the gravity of the situation.

“Forget about that. It’s basically night time. We gotta get you home. Let’s go; I’ll walk you to the station.”

“But what about Mina?”

“It’s fine. I’ll go to the police station after I see you off.”

“Th-The police station? But... okay,” Yui faltered.

The pair solemnly left the apartment and took the stairs to the bottom floor. As they approached the front door of the building, someone rushed into the building and bumped into Yuuki.

“I-I’m sorry,” the person apologized in a small voice. They’d almost lost their balance and fell over. They hung their head suspiciously, hiding their features beneath the visor of the cap they were wearing, and tried to quickly walk past Yuuki.

Immediately, Yuuki called out Mina’s name. The small figure who he now noticed wore a red backpack came to a complete stop. The silence persisted for a moment before a terrified pair of eyes turned to face Yuuki.

“O-Oh... it’s you, Yukkie,” Mina said, finally realizing that she had bumped into her own brother. She promptly took off her hat and let out an embarrassed giggle as she scratched her head. “Sorry, I was hanging with my friend and didn’t notice the time!”

“Why weren’t you answering my calls?” Yuuki pressed her.

“I-I was having so much fun that I didn’t notice you were calling me,” she explained after a brief pause, averting eye contact with Yuuki as she did.

Yui, on the other hand, looked to be staring at Mina, looking as though she had something to say. Yuuki gazed back, signaling to her that he had everything under control before gently patting Mina on the head’.

“That explains it. I guess it’s okay if you were having that much fun. Just make sure you don’t stay out this late next time, okay?” he admonished in a tender tone, apparently to everyone’s surprise. “You’re probably pretty hungry, huh? I bought beef bowls. Let’s go up and eat them together.”

Mina didn’t say anything, and her head remained drooped. Yuuki was about to hold her hand so that they could both finally return home, but Mina violently jerked her arm away just before their hands touched.

“Why?” Mina asked, strained, “Why aren’t you mad at me? You know I’m lying about having a friend... You know it! It’s all a lie!” she yelled, raising her head and glaring straight at Yuuki. He remained undaunted, however, and just gave her a soft smile.

“Why would I be angry at you?” he replied. Mina again hung her head and chewed on her lower lip before facing him once more.

“Why are you always like this?! Always! You didn’t even tear up when Mom died! Like she didn’t even matter to you! I was so sad that she was gone! I didn’t want to speak with anyone, eat anything, nothing... but you... you’re just strange, Yukkie! Why, how are you like this?!” her piercing high-pitched voice echoed through the hall.

Yuuki calmly and patiently waited for Mina to finish her tirade before he spoke up, “I’m so sorry, Mina.”

“I don’t want your apology! You’re making it harder, Yukkie! I can’t figure out how I’m supposed to feel!”

“... I’m your older brother, Mina. I can’t just sit down and cry with you,” he stated flatly.

Mina jerked to look at him, her eyes wide open. She blinked at him in disbelief, and her fingers grew weak, letting her beloved hat slip from her fingers and fall to the ground. It was as if Yuuki’s words had pierced through her very heart.

She couldn’t keep her silent sobs in check any longer, and as her breathing gradually started to shudder, her body began to tremble. Tears were welling up in her eyes, just waiting for the floodgates to burst open.

“So you’re blaming me? Is it all my fault?! Do you hate me cuz I’m a liar who’s shy around people? Because I don’t understand how you’re feeling or what you’ve been going through? Because I can’t do anything by myself?! I bet you think I’m just a nuisance! Some useless burden you’ve gotta lug around! One you wanna get rid of first chance you get!” she shouted.

With that, Mina finally burst out crying. Her tears left a trail down her cheeks before dripping onto the cold floor below, and the sounds of her weeping filled the air.

Maybe I panicked too much, Yuuki thought. And I definitely got way too complacent about Mina. She told me she was fine when clearly that’s not the case...

—Look, Yuuki. See how this stone glows? I took the day off work to go to Okinawa to buy it from this person with mysterious abilities.

—What do you mean, ‘how much did it cost?’ Money isn’t everything, Yuuki. And besides, I got it at a steep discount when I mentioned that your mother was in dire need of help.

—No! Mom didn’t cook this, so I don’t wanna eat it!

—I don’t wanna go to school! I wanna stay with Mom!

---

---

It all happened in an instant—their mother simply collapsed without warning and was promptly rushed to the hospital. There was no time for anyone to even process what had just happened. The unit was shattered, having lost its foundation, and would never be mended again. The foundation could never be replaced. Perhaps it was all pointless. No matter what Yuuki did, he was just one person, after all.

I’m alright. I’m okay, he assured himself, trying to keep the now-surfacing dark emotions in check. It’s going to be just fine... just fine. I’ve made it this far, so there’s nothing to be afraid of. Those words of solace were no different from a mere misguided assumption as Yuuki had no real guarantee of what the future held.

Yuuki had managed not to snap at the time, but it may have all just gone so relatively well by mere coincidence, by sheer chance even. Whatever the case, he wasn’t sure he could remain composed right here and now. Though he felt close to breaking down, he couldn’t afford to cry. Not in front of Mina.

And so Yuuki exhaled slowly and steadily, expelling all of his painful feelings alongside the air before allowing himself to take another slow, deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Mina,” he whispered gently, crouching so he could get close to Mina’s ears.

“Why are you apologizing again, Yukkie?” Mina asked, earnestly trying to wipe away her tears with the sleeve of her jacket.

“Because I forced you to make friends. I won’t bring it up again.”

“You don’t have to be sorry... I mean, you got yourself a girlfriend like we agreed.”

“I never did. I was the one who lied first, Mina,” he said, casting a wary glance at Yui before returning his gaze to Mina. “Yui... isn’t my girlfriend.”

“Wha—?!” Mina let out a surprised yelp.

She stared at Yui in disbelief. She hadn’t doubted that they were a couple in the slightest. Yuuki felt bad about exposing the plan without checking with Yui first, but he figured that the lie wasn’t worth it anymore. Yuuki followed Mina’s suit and turned to Yui, giving her an apologetic shrug.

Yui, who had been silently watching them until now, gazed at each of them in succession before she spoke up, “Haha, what are you even saying, Yuuki? That’s not funny at all. Are you trying to get a rise outta me or something?” she chuckled with seemingly genuine amusement. Yui’s reaction astounded Yuuki to no end.

Yui bent down to pick Mina’s hat up off the floor. She gently dusted it off before putting it back on Mina’s head, giggling as she did.

“You know, you were all that your brother could think of,” Yui said. “Even when we were out on a date together! Then he ran around like he was possessed when he was searching for you earlier too. First time I've ever seen him sweat! So never talk like he doesn’t want you around, Mina... He wouldn’t have been so worried if that was true.”

Mina listened attentively to Yui’s words, sniffling all the while. After she had finished, she looked up at her brother, and her mouth curled into a frown.

“Why did you go that far for me? You could’ve just ignored me and enjoyed your time with Yui instead.”

“I already told you, but I’ll say it again: I’m happy when you’re all good and healthy. And if you aren’t, then I’d be sad no matter what I’m doing and no matter who I’m with,” Yuuki said, wrapping his arms around Mina. He stroked her back as tenderly as he could, feeling her warmth and the faint trembling of her body.

“So where have you been hiding all this time?” Yuuki asked.

“The bathroom at the park... and the supermarket.”

“Hah. I did miss those when I was looking, didn’t I?”

It wasn’t hard for Yuuki to imagine Mina locking herself in a bathroom somewhere. He felt miserable that he drove his sister into a corner like this, and the mere thought of Mina confining herself to a dark, musky space was heart-wrenching. It left him speechless.

The very next moment, a hand extended from the side and came to rest gently atop Mina’s head. It was Yui’s, and she promptly squatted down to Mina’s eye level.

“You know, Mina, I used to not have any friends back in the day. I was really shy and boring, a throw-away, two-star character. But I still managed to evolve into a five star SSR character with a top notch sense of humor. I never even realized it was happening!” Yui said. She paused for a second to consider her words, then continued, “What I’m trying to say is that there’s no need to panic, you know? Take it at your own pace!”

Somehow, Yuuki felt as though those words were meant not only for Mina, but for him as well. He felt himself relax after hearing them, as if a load had been lifted from his shoulders.

She’s completely right, he thought. There was no need for him to rush anything. He’d been able to overcome all the hardships he’d faced until now, and he decided he’d take the same approach to whatever life threw at him in the future, as well.

“I’ll always be your older brother, Mina. Nothing will change that. When you make friends, when you grow up, and when you start relying on yourself, I’ll still be your big brother. That’s why we shouldn’t celebrate Big Brother’s Day.”

“Yukkie...” Mina’s voice trailed off, and she pushed her face into her brother’s chest. Her shoulders shook as she grabbed his arms, and she began apologizing to him through sobs. Yui looked at Mina affectionately, then shot a glance at Yuuki.

“Let’s keep the secret a bit longer, okay?” Yui said quietly, dragging out the last word. She sneakily pressed a finger to her lips and shot him a wink. Yuuki didn’t reply and just continued comforting his sister. Yui smirked, then announced in an extremely cheerful tone, “C’mon, Yuuki! Turn that frown upside down, wouldja? Quit being so serious! I was never a fan of heavy atmospheres, y’know? Here, I’ve got just the thing for awkward silences...”

Yui quickly dug her notebook out of her bag. It took him a moment, but Yuuki recognized it as the same notebook she used to jot down her favorite jokes from improv shows. She flipped through it until she landed on something that caught her eye.

“Allow me to brighten up the mood with these funny zingers! Let’s see here... Aha! That’s a good one! Ahem, so our friend Kermit just entered highschool. He wasn’t very popular, though, and struggled with making friends. Why do you think that is?” she asked. The siblings stared at each other in confusion, but that didn’t faze Yui one bit, and she continued to read the punchlines by herself.

“Because his favourite music genre was Hoppera!”

“Because he was an am-fib-ian, a liar!”

“Because he caused a scene whenever the restaurants didn’t have diet croak!”

“Because he kept bragging about his brand-new lilyPod!”

“Weren’t those jokes toadally awesome?!” Yui asked excitedly. Unfortunately, it appeared her little puns weren’t enough to amuse the Narito siblings. Panic began to set in, and she couldn’t help but start to spout off nonsense, “I toad you kids to get off my lawn!”

A couple of teenagers entered the building right when Yui finished that last joke, though they only briefly glanced at her as they walked right past her.

“Pffftttt, ‘toad you kids,’ haha!” snickered one of the strangers.

“Y-You’re ruining the ribbeting scenery, miss!” Yui replied with a blush, but her pun was only met with a forced smile.

Regardless, Yui’s little standup routine eventually had the desired effect. Mina cracked a giggle as she rubbed her now puffy eyes. Her laughter was contagious, as Yuuki’s expression softened up as well, and his own laughter joined hers.