“Impossible, there’s no way. That person is not someone I can hug,” demanded Akane.
“I didn’t think you were someone to turn down a challenge!” encouraged Himari.
“It’s impossible, Himari. I’d rather try another approach.”
Akane wriggled free from Himari’s arms. Himari’s maternal affection was dangerous—if Akane were hugged like that all the time, she’d end up melting like cheese, becoming lazy and pliant.
“Well, how about a slumber party?” Himari suggested.
“No way!” Akane couldn’t possibly tell her that, technically, she had already been having slumber parties with him every night, sleeping in the same bed together.
“Okay, how about just having dinner or something together?”
“Absolutely not, they make me lose my appetite!” Akane protested. Once again, there was no way she’d tell Himari she was preparing home cooked meals for Saito every day.
“Could you maybe bond while being naked? Something like a hot spring retreat together?” Himari suggested.
“Eeeeek…”
She couldn’t help but think of the time she had embraced Saito while naked, and she covered her face with her hands. Come to think of it, everything Akane and Saito did was outrageous—even though they were married, making their actions neither illegal nor unethical, they were living shamelessly, in ways that a naive and righteous high school student like her should never experience. Himari crouched down in front of the shivering Akane, who had been reduced to squatting down on the ground.
“If none of that works, why don’t you at least try talking it over?” proposed Himari.
“Talking it over?”
“Yeah, I really believe that most people can come to an understanding through open and honest discussion,” Himari said.
“That only works for you, Himari. You’re like some kind of a communication-skills superhero, you can get along with anyone,” Akane replied. Even someone like me, Akane thought to herself.
“That’s not true—there are people I just can’t get along with too,” said Himari.
“Really?”
Akane couldn’t believe what she had heard. Akane thought Himari might even have a gaggle of animal friends who lived in the forest.
“Of course. Honestly, compared with you two, I’m just an average, nothing-special high school girl. You don’t have to be smart or beautiful to make friends, you know. It’s not about admiration—it’s just about mutual respect,” Himari revealed.
“Respect?”
Himari nodded with a smile.
“Just listen to what they have to say—try to understand what they’re thinking, how they’re feeling, why they’re angry, and what they want. The more you understand where someone is coming from, the more you’ll respect them. That’s how I became best friends with you, Akane.”
“I see…” Akane fidgeted, feeling a little shy after receiving such frank advice. Himari was right. They hadn’t been close from the very beginning. It was Himari’s patience, the way she cared enough to get closer to her, that caused the walls around Akane’s heart to crumble.
“Do you…think I can do it?” Akane asked.
“I know you can.” Himari cheered on her friend.
“What if I feel like snapping the person’s neck mid-conversation?” said Akane.
“Don’t give in! Hold back!” pressed Himari.
“A regular living room could turn into a blood-soaked slaughterhouse,” muttered Akane.
“It’s a discussion, not a battle royale!” Himari reminded her.
Determined, Akane clenched her fists tightly.
“…I’ll do my best. No matter what, I’ll make sure they understand my…demands.”
“Remember, it’s the other way around! You’re not forcing them to understand you, you’re working to understand them, okay?”
Himari reassured her, genuinely worried about her friend.
Lunchtime. Saito was slurping down his café au lait on a bench in the high school’s outdoor courtyard. The artificially sweet liquid—utterly devoid of any nutritional benefits—seeped into his stomach and gave him a fleeting burst of energy. Sitting next to him was his cousin Shisei, who was munching on a large melonpan she had clutched in her hands. She looked more like a harmless chipmunk than a girl. For Saito, who right now preferred the company of chipmunks than that of girls, her presence was healing.
“Ani-kun, your meal… Is that all you’re having? Were you not able to buy any bread?” Shisei asked.
“No, that’s not it…” said Saito.
“I’ll share. Want some?”
Shisei held out her melonpan, complete with her cute little bite marks. For some of the school’s more fervent Shisei fans—regardless of gender—it might have been a prized item worth a fortune, but to Saito it just looked like half-eaten food.
“I’m not hungry—I only wanted a drink,” he said.
At that moment, two of Shisei’s fingers suddenly thrust right into Saito’s eyes.
“Whoa!”
Saito quickly jerked his body backward, narrowly escaping from Shisei’s outstretched fingertips.
“Wh-what are you doing?” Saito asked, startled.
“Ani-kun, those dark circles under your eyes are ridiculous!”
“So gouging my eyes out is supposed to help?”
“I was thinking of giving you an eyeball massage…” Shisei said.
“Oh okay, that’s a relief, then.” Saito let out a sigh, calming his wildly pounding heart.
“Settle down and let me massage them,” said Shisei.
“Wait, I’m not ready!”
With that, Saito put some distance between himself and Shisei, who was advancing, her index fingers poised. Saito hoped she’d misspoke and was talking about doing an eyelid massage, but Shisei’s way of thinking was atypical. He wanted to avoid even the slightest chance of having his eyes gouged out.
“Why don’t you have an appetite, Ani-kun?”
“My home life is hell, you know. There are no peaceful moments, I’m always fighting with that girl—are you really surprised that I can’t keep my appetite?” Saito confessed.
“I understand… Have you thought about getting a divorce?” Shisei suggested.
“That doesn’t seem like an option,” said Saito.
“I, Shise, will take care of you, even if you get divorced. So don’t worry.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Saito was thankful for Shisei’s encouragement. He patted her head—her hair was so soft it felt like he was petting a cat.
“Mmm,” Shisei murmured, pursing her lips.
“Listen, divorce is out of the question. If I run away now, all my work trying to live up to Grandpa’s wishes so far will go to waste. I need to inherit the Houjou Group,” Saito confessed.
“Ani-kun, you look like you’re about to drop dead,” said Shisei.
“True, but I’ll just have to keep on truckin’,” Saito replied with a dry laugh.
Shisei fixed her gaze on him.
“It hurts me to see you suffer, Ani-kun. If divorce is off the table, you have no choice but to get along with Akane,” said Shisei.
“That’s impossible. Our personalities just clash. You should know better than anyone—she’s always picking a fight with me. We’re just wholly and completely incompatible,” Saito retorted.
“Well, humans are animals after all; sometimes people just don’t mesh. But in your case, Ani-kun, you’re just being lazy,” Shisei pointed out.
“Lazy? What?” Saito furrowed his brows. He didn’t understand—as far as he was concerned, he was working himself to the bone every day on a battlefield of agony and despair.
Reading his facial expression, Shisei explained, “Listen, Ani-kun. People who were born and raised in entirely different environments simply can’t get along without a concerted effort. Their tastes are different, their ways of thinking are different, even their perception of common sense is different.”
Shisei continued, “Ani-kun, did you at least try to compromise with Akane? Even a little?”
“Hmm…”
Saito couldn’t remember. They hadn’t done anything except clash.
“Demanding someone to accept you just as you are is selfish. If your goal is to find someone whose personality is a perfect match, you’d be better off making a clone of yourself. But a world where that’s possible would be boring—it’s our differences that make things interesting. Just my opinion,” Shisei said.
“That’s…surprisingly thoughtful,” Saito responded.
“This is what I, Shise, think. I know I think differently from everyone else, but at the same time, I don’t quarrel with anyone. I am completely different from you too, Ani-kun, but I still like you.” The corners of Shisei’s mouth gently raised, showing a Mona Lisa smile.
“The point is if you want to get along with someone, you have no choice but to compromise and change. You must understand the other person’s feelings and manage them. By the way, if you’re going to inherit Grandfather’s business, those are skills you will be expected to have,” advised Shisei.
“True… If I’m constantly bickering with subordinates I don’t get along with, there’s no way I’ll ever succeed in management.”
Saito nodded in understanding, appreciating his cousin’s wisdom.
Saito was impressed. To most of the students, Shisei was essentially an alien. Occasionally, the girls in school treated her like an adorable baby—but in reality, Shisei’s emotional maturity was quite high.
“There can be only one conclusion drawn from all this debate,” Shisei declared, furrowing her brows sharply.
“What?” Saito leaned forward. His heart was eager for more words of wisdom from his sagacious cousin.
“Ani-kun, you must give me, Shise, a princess carry.”
“Wait, what?” Saito suddenly doubted his cousin’s wisdom.
“Ani-kun, have you ever given anyone a princess carry?”
“I…haven’t.”
“Girls usually fall for things like that. Ani-kun, you should practice on me so you learn how to give Akane a proper princess carry.”
“I don’t really think she’ll fall for something like that—she’s the type of girl to try and break your fingers if you even touch her a little,” Saito protested.
Shisei gave Saito a long side-eye.
“That’s because you keep touching her breasts, Ani-kun.”
“I didn’t touch her breasts!” Saito exclaimed, feeling defensive.
“What about somewhere down…there?” Shisei interrogated.
“No, I don’t think I’ve touched her there either,” said Saito hurriedly.
“You don’t think?” questioned Shisei.
“No—I didn’t touch anything at all. I’m absolutely sure.”
Saito broke out in a cold sweat. During the bathroom incident, it felt as though their whole bodies were pressed together, but it was just an accident—I didn’t touch her intentionally, so it doesn’t count, right?
“Ani-kun, trust me. You need to try to understand the feelings of a young girl better.”
When somebody who’s been by my side since we were little says something like that, I can’t just refuse. It was clear in Shisei’s eyes—she was clearly serious.
“…All right, I’ll trust you.” Saito nodded solemnly.
“I’m rooting for you,” said Shisei, as she hoisted herself up onto the bench.
Shisei’s white-tights-clad knees were bent as her slender legs drew into the hem of her skirt. Her long hair cascaded over her small frame, and she appeared perfectly still—just like a porcelain doll. Saito slid his left hand behind Shisei’s knee and supported her back with his right arm. He carefully lifted her body so as not to drop her. He found himself worried she might break.
“Whooaa…”
A faint sound escaped from Shisei’s throat.
Her body was as light as a feather. Perhaps out of fear now that she had been separated from the ground, Shisei began to cower, clinging to Saito’s neck. A scent sweeter than milk wafted from her pale skin.
“Am I doing…okay?” Saito asked.
“Excellent! Ani-kun, you’ve graduated to the level of princess carry maestro!”
“You’re moving me up the ranks too fast, Shise.”