Chapter 134

“Hey, Mana, what high school are you gonna go to?” I asked the question casually over dinner while we were watching TV. The program just then was about high school life, so it was easy to broach the topic. “Hmmm, I’m not sure.” Mana, still wearing her apron, was holding a bowl in one hand while using chopsticks to grab more food with the other. Despite her frivolous-looking style, Mana was a serious person with a good attitude, not to mention a great cook. She was smart, too. She’d shown me her test grades once over the break, and I’d been flabbergasted. She had above an eighty-five in every single subject. The only person I knew with grades like hers was Fushimi. “Why not go to Seiryo? You’re smart.” Seiryo University High School for Girls was the school Shinohara, who Mana called “Boss,” attended. It had the highest standard score in the area, and many of its students went on to attend its famous university. “Their uniform is peak, for sure.” Peak? Does she mean “good”? I had no idea what made girls’ uniforms good or bad, but it was true that Seiryo’s was recognizable at a glance, and clearly distinct from those of public schools. “A lot of girls wanna go there just for the uniform, right?” I glanced at her as I said this, gauging her reaction. She continued to move her chopsticks, totally unbothered. Evidently, the uniform wasn’t a big deal to her. “I wonder where I should go,” she muttered, chopsticks in her mouth. You should just go wherever you want, I thought. But then I wondered if the sheer number of options had her feeling paralyzed. “Why did you choose your school, Bubby?” “Because it’s close to home.” “Simple.” “Right?” I smiled. If I was being honest, it was also because their standard score wasn’t all that high, so even a bad student like me could get in if I made an effort. “Do you know why Hina chose it?” “No… I wonder.” Fushimi had always had good grades, even back in elementary school. She could’ve gone to Seiryo, like Shinohara. Maybe she didn’t care about going to a high-achieving school, since she’d already decided she wanted to be an actress. “Since you brought it up,” said Mana, “it just so happens we had a bunch of presentations today from potential schools.” “And?” “Seiryo has a lot of clubs. It looks fun.” “Well, there you go.” “…” Mana stared at me. I paid her no mind and continued eating. Oh, is this pamphlet about that? I casually grabbed a brochure that had been left on the table and opened it up. Come to think of it, I remembered getting something similar when I was my sister’s age. A model with a breezy smile on her face was wearing the school’s uniform. The text detailed possible paths after graduation, school events, and clubs. “So you want to join a club in high school?” “Nah.” But you just said they looked fun… “Hina chose your school to be with you, by the way.” “She did?” “Yeah.” Mana interacted with our neighbors a lot more than I did. I bet that’s where she got her info. “It is close, after all. From our house, and hers.” Not that close, though, since we still had to take a train. Not giving the topic much thought, I grabbed another piece of potato—or, I tried to. Mana grabbed the same one with her own chopsticks, as if saying, “Hold up.” “Hey, I was about to take that,” I said. “That means your school is also close to me.” “Huh? Yeah, I guess. I commute from home, after all…” It seemed she was really determined to eat that bit of potato, so I decided to try for something else. But when I reached for another piece of food, she stopped me again. She’s doing it on purpose. “What?” I asked. “What are you thinking, Bubby?” She looked super mad. “About what?” “You don’t mind if I go to Seiryo?” Not…really? “It’s a private school,” she continued, “so it’d cost a lot. I’d have to take a crowded train every morning.” “Well, that last bit would be the same even if you went to my school.” “You want me to get molested on the train?” “No, of course not. Why are you assuming that’ll happen?” Mana pouted silently and refused to answer. The truth was, I had already witnessed such a thing happening twice—so I knew there was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen to her. And I was pretty sure she’d roll up her miniskirt until it became a microskirt, making it even more likely than with Himeji or Fushimi. But that would be the same no matter which school she attended, so long as she took the train. Was it actually our finances she was worried about? “Why’re you mad, Mana?” I poked her slippers. “I’m not mad.” People who say that are always mad. Mana finished eating before me and left to start the dishes. She clanged the plates against each other loudly as she worked. Mmm. I haven’t seen her this upset in a while. From experience, trying to say anything in this situation will only make things worse. “Well, my school has Torigoe, Fushimi, and Himeji, so it might be more easygoing for you.” If this backfires, I’m retreating for today. Timidly, I looked up. “Sounds super-duper,” she said, still cleaning the dishes. She didn’t look happy, but it seemed like I hadn’t screwed up, at least. “…And I’ll be there, too, so why not?” “Well, I guess if you want me to, I could do that.” Are you sure this is the best way to decide your future? “Mana, you need to think very carefully abou—” “Waaaaah! You’re such a stupid idiot, Bubby!” Mana shouted. It was like a dam had burst. “Dumb jerk! We only get to be together for one year in high school! Of course I wanna be with you!” Her breathing was ragged. Was that supposed to be obvious? “Yet here you are, telling me to go to Seiryo. It drives me crazy. I know you love me more than you let on! You’re totally obsessed. Be more honest with your feelings!” I did love my sister, but I wouldn’t say I was obsessed. “Don’t make me out to be some kind of pervert,” I said. “You wanna go to high school with me, don’t you?” Mm. Mmm…? I thought about saying no, but I didn’t want to make her any more upset. “Uh… Well, err, sure, I guess…” “See!” Mana smirked. She’d basically forced me to say it… This was exactly how she ended up getting those ideas about me being obsessed with her. “Either way, Mama said to choose a public school, so I was already set on going to yours.” If you’d already decided, what was all that? Mana’s mood instantly did a one-eighty, and she began humming cheerfully.