They had less than a week before the day of the Summit results conference, and their daily schedule felt like every day was a club bootcamp. At first, they’d been meeting up at the clubroom in the morning and sticking around for as long as the school’s scheduled club hours allowed. After leaving campus, everyone who could keep going would head to Kai’s house. That said, other than Aina (who had missed a handful of days in order to help her grandmother), everyone was always present.
At some point in the middle of this lifestyle, Kai had noticed something. He noticed something, but couldn’t say it out loud because it would shake the very foundation of ‘club activity.’
However, there was now someone in the social game club who wouldn’t hesitate to simply question her doubts out loud. “Hey, hold on. Do we even need to go to the clubroom? Can’t we just start at Kai-kun’s? Aren’t we wasting our time on the train?” One day, as the gang exited the clubroom and stepped into the still-hot evening air, Aina flapped the hood of her jacket in the wind and brought up the untouchable topic. Kai could see her white collarbone peeking out from underneath her blouse and turned away, feeling like he’d seen something he shouldn’t have.
Aina had probably made her statement just because she was hot. Kai had previously suggested that she remove the jacket she was wearing, but apparently it was important for avoiding sunlight and making sweater paws. Kai didn’t understand the relevance of the second point, but according to Aina, it was of great importance.
“Kai-kun, if you don’t mind...” Nanaka meekly asked, “Can we?”
That was unfair, he’d thought. Whether she was laughing or crying, his answer wouldn’t change, but the way she’d asked hadn’t left him any room to say no.
And so, now their days began with everyone coming to Kai’s apartment in the morning and going home at night. They didn’t have enough computers, so they all worked together to lug Eru’s work PC out of the clubroom, which was Kai’s main exercise for the summer.
However, there was still an issue with using Kai’s house—or more accurately, an ‘issue’ currently visiting it.
“What’s with the new character?!” Misako had asked, kicking the front door open to literally tumble inside while listlessly groaning about the heat. She’d begun shouting as soon as she hopped back up, although saying she’d ‘hopped’ up might be an overstatement, as she’d really gotten up onto her hands and knees in order to arch her back.
Misako’s statement had been directed toward Aina, and the indescribable look of pure disdain in her eyes as she’d looked down on his sister burned itself into Kai’s memory.
Still, this was within expectations; in fact, Kai had been counting on it. To make a long story short, he wanted to enlist Misako’s help: not as ‘Shiraseki Kai’s sister,’ but as ‘Shiraseki Misako, the novelist.’
However, Misako instantly shook her head, saying, “Nope, not happening.”
“Wh-Why?” he’d asked.
“I’m not trying to be mean,” she’d told him. “Kai, let me put it this way: the work of ‘Shiraseki Kai’ isn’t just the best for this situation, it’s a must. After all, I’m guessing this is your plan, right?”
“Yeah...?”
“Then that settles it. Don’t get in my waaaaaaaaaaay!!!” shouting at the top of her lungs, Misako sprawled out onto the floor next to where Nanaka, Aya, Eru, and Aina were working and took a deep breath. “A nice smell plus a nice smell plus a nice smell plus a nice smell equals the tastiest breath I’ve ever breeeaaathed!!!”
This may seem redundant, but Aina’s glare was, again, cold beyond what words can express. Misako seemed to sense this gaze, as she blinked once and leapt to her feet. Aina then suddenly returned to her senses, but didn’t bother putting on her cutesy mask. Perhaps she’d given up, Kai reflected, because it was too late.
“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady,” his sister said. “I’m Misako, Kai’s older sister. My thanks for your stimulating gaze.”
“...You’re welcome. I’m Yozakura Aina. And this is... Kai-kun’s sister?”
“Yes, indeed!” Misako exclaimed. “I’m also Nanaka-chan, Aya-chan, and Eru-chan’s older sister in my heart! I can be your older sister, too, if you so please!”
“...Um, Aina-san,” Kai said meekly. “Even if you look at me like that, I can’t do anything about her.”
“You ought to train your beast better,” spat Aina.
“That’s right, I’m a beast!” Misako agreed enthusiastically. “A poor beast, craving Aina-chan’s love! Oh! I ask of you! Won’t you call me ‘onee-chan’ just once?!”
“...Um, Aina-san,” Kai said meekly again. “Like I said, um, even if you look at me like that...”
“Hey,” Aina said with a massive sigh. “Does this brute know any tricks?”
“Tricks?” he questioned.
“Other than writing novels,” Aina clarified.
“............I guess maybe the fact that she’s even louder and more of a nuisance than you’d think?” said Kai, hazarding a guess.
“Kaaaaaaaaai?!” Misako protested, “Aren’t you going a bit too far?! There’re other things you could’ve said there, like the fact that I always show up when it counts to hint at important advice!”
“So basically, you’re a nuisance?” Aina pressed.
“Well, she’s definitely loud,” Aya chimed in. “Oh, by the way, hi! I’m Oushima Aya. This is the first time we’ve met.”
“I find this incredibly vexing, but I agree with you,” Eru noted. “...Also, I’m Kuroba Eru.”
“How rude of me...!” Misako apologized. “I looked at the swimsuit photo so many times, I’d completely forgotten that we’ve never met! I won’t mind if you shower your new sister with adoration—Aina-chan? Why are we holding hands? Where are we going? That’s the front door, you know? Are we going shopping? A walk? Are we playing outside now?”
“Hey, Misako-san?” Aina asked menacingly. “Would you get mad if someone started singing an indecipherable song through a loudspeaker while you were trying to focus on a novel?”
“W-Well, I mean... yes?”
“Alright, then,” said Aina, dragging Misako by the hand toward the front door.
She was going to send her right back through the exit, Kai realized. There was only one thought in his mind, which was: absolutely superb.
In a fit of ecstasy, Misako muttered, “Ah, her fingers are so soft and slender, and yet so strong... M-My heart won’t stop throbbing...!” Kai couldn’t help but to hope that his sister would legitimately get herself hurled out the door.
They were three steps away. Three steps away from the front door, Misako returned to her senses and slammed on the brakes while screaming, “Stoooooop!!!”
“No way, ♪” Aina purred without a shred of sympathy.
“L-Let’s talk it out!” Misako begged. “Aina-chan...!”
Outstanding, thought Kai, who had never seen his sister so overwhelmed in his life. Nanaka must have felt the same way, as she was watching the scene unfold with her mouth agape.
Mustering every gram of willpower in her body, Misako jumped... and prostrated herself on the floor. “I-I beg of you, please, wait...!”
“What?” asked Aina, through the smile plastered on her face.
“There be...” Misako uttered, her face still buried into the floor.
“‘There be’?”
“As wretched as ye may find me, there be a use for one such as I—Shiraseki Misako—to better the lives of every soul present!” Misako declared dramatically.
“You can help everyone?” Aina clarified.
“And that be... cooking!” announced Misako, springing back to both her life and her feet. “Japanese, Western, Chinese, Indian curries, and even the home-cooked taste of every mother in this country! I can do it all! I really can, I promise! So please, allow me the lowest seat of this banquet, here in this hidden paradise...!”
Misako openly displayed her exaggerated crocodile tears. Seeing the oldest person in the room wail this pathetically managed to kill Aina’s sense of hostility, and she gave way by saying, “Well... I guess if it tastes good...”
“But nee-san,” Kai couldn’t help but to interject, “isn’t that a little... hopeless?”
“Hopeless?” Misako asked.
“Your cooking,” he specified.
“Hehe,” she chuckled with an infuriatingly smug look on her face. “Don’t underestimate your big sister.”
Kai could already see how things were about to pan out: Misako would pull up her sleeves (never mind the fact that she was wearing a t-shirt, because she’d still do the motion), and dash outside. All the while, she’d be shouting about securing ingredients. After a while, she’d return, drenched in sweat. The bags in her hands would be from the convenience store instead of the supermarket, and they’d be jam packed with cup noodles... or at least, that was how it was meant to go.