Sister’s Attack.

One week had passed since the “Honoka Disappearance Incident.”

We had plunged headfirst into the university’s final exam period for the second semester.

During this time, Toko-senpai and I studied together almost every day.

Usually, we’d set up at the library or a coffee shop.

Today, we are sitting in a cafe near the university with our textbooks spread out.

I’m confident in my specialized subjects—Electromagnetism, Digital Circuits, and Computer Theory—but I’m hopeless when it comes to the mandatory general education requirements like Law and Philosophy.

I’m also terrible at my second foreign language, Chinese, and despite being a science major, Chemistry isn’t my forte.

Even the math-heavy subjects I excelled at in high school—Linear Algebra and Calculus—have been a struggle.

However, Toko-senpai has been a lifesaver.

She finished her first year with S-grades across the board and a GPA of 3.7. She’s incredibly brilliant.

If she maintains these grades at our university, she could probably get into almost any company she wants.

“Look, Yu-kun. Check this reference material for that part. The solution is right here.”

Seeing me stuck for a long time, she pointed it out.

Thanks to having such an elite exclusive tutor, I felt like I might actually manage to scrape through my weak subjects and earn the credits.

Exams would continue through next week, but spending time like this with her wasn’t bad at all.

For me, it was precious time where I could have Toko-senpai all to myself.

…One wrong move, and I might not have been able to spend time like this…

The thought crossed my mind as I reflected on the past week.

The day after the incident—Sunday.

I had called Toko-senpai out and told her everything.

The story of how I first met Honoka.

How she claimed to have lost her phone, and while searching together, she said she “felt sick,” leading to those photos being taken while I was looking after her in the public restroom.

How she then used those photos as leverage to demand I break up with Toko-senpai and date Ishida Meika.

And the fact that I had met with Meika twice, just the two of us.

“Honestly…”

Toko-senpai spoke with an exasperated sigh.

“Do you act like that every time a girl says she’s in trouble?”

“…No… but I didn’t have any ulterior motives. Really. Even when she asked for my contact info, I had no intention of giving it to her.”

“I know that. Honoka said so, too.”

“She did?”

“Yes. According to her, ‘At first, I was going to get his contact info and go on a secret date to use as evidence of cheating. But since Yu-kun didn’t show any sign of giving it to me, I had to change my plan on the fly.’”

“I see.”

I felt a small wave of relief.

“But your actions were far too careless. Going into a place like that alone with a girl… You remember what happened with Tetsuya and Karen-san!”

“…Yes…”

“And what I’m most angry about is that Yu-kun didn’t trust me. Why didn’t you tell me immediately when that happened?”

I didn’t know how to answer that.

No matter how I put it, I felt like my true feelings wouldn’t reach her.

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t know what to say. I felt like… you would hate me.”

“I wouldn’t hate you if you were honest with me.”

She followed that up in a small voice.

“I might have been a little angry, though…”

“I’m truly sorry.”

I bowed my head.

“It’s fine now. My sister is the one who caused all this… but promise me one thing.”

She leaned in close, looming over me.

“From now on, if you are going to meet or go out with a girl one-on-one, you must contact me beforehand!”

“Yes.”

“Explain when, where, and who you’re meeting.”

“Yes.”

“Of course, if I’m going to meet or go out with a guy one-on-one, I’ll definitely tell you, too.”

“Understood.”

If the matter could be settled with this, it was a victory in my book.

And so, a new rule was established between us.

“Ah, we should probably get going.”

Toko-senpai looked at her phone.

I checked mine as well. It was 4:00 PM.

“You’re right, shall we head out?”

I packed my textbooks and notes into my bag.

We left the shop together and headed toward the station.

We were supposed to meet someone at Funabashi Station at 5:30 PM.

Toko-senpai had told me about this while we were heading to school this morning.

“Honoka says she wants to apologize to Yu-kun for the other day. Could you come along?”

…Apologize? Her?…

I looked at Toko-senpai in disbelief.

“She seems to be reflecting on it in her own way. She said she has something she wants to talk to me about, too. So I want you to come with us.”

“Well, tomorrow is the weekend and there’s no school, so that’s fine. But is Honoka-san’s health okay now?”

After spending a long time under the winter night sky in nothing but a sweater and jeans, she had—predictably—caught a cold.

I heard she ran quite a high fever and had to stay home from school for a couple of days.

“Yeah, she’s completely fine now. She’s been going to school normally since Wednesday.”

“I see. That’s good then.”

While I said that, I was privately thinking she should have stayed quiet a bit longer.

But come to think of it, meeting that wild “Shiro-gyaru” (pale-skinned gyaru) while she was still recovering might be for the best.

…Toko-senpai will be there today, so I doubt things will get weird…

I thought as I watched Toko-senpai’s profile.

…Toko-senpai and Honoka really do look alike, in a way…

I recalled how Honoka looked late that night.

Honoka crying in the car definitely looked similar to the way Toko-senpai had cried in front of Kamokura’s apartment before.

On the train to Funabashi, Toko-senpai spoke to me.

“You know, after that, I feel like Honoka’s attitude toward me changed a little.”

“How so?”

I prayed it hadn’t changed for the worse.

“Honoka used to act a bit reserved around me. It was like… even if there was something she wanted to say to me, she would swallow it back down…”

I remembered what Honoka had said that night.

“That’s still there, but I can tell she’s trying to tell me. Like she’s trying to settle things.”

“Is that a good thing?”

Personally, I’d prefer she stayed reserved forever.

“Yes, I think so. I don’t want there to be walls between sisters. When she acts like that, there are times when I can’t say what I really feel, either. It’s lonely when your only sister treats you that way, right?”

“Huh, I guess so.”

Toko-senpai stared at me after my half-hearted reply.

“Yu-kun, did you talk about something with Honoka that night?”

“Eh.”

I got a bit flustered.

I didn’t think I had said anything that would be bad if Toko-senpai heard it, but…

“It looks like I might still have a long talk ahead of me with you later.”

Toko-senpai gave me a cold, sideways glance.

I felt a sharp pang of anxiety in my stomach.

Eventually, we arrived at a cake shop in Funabashi.

It was the same place I had visited with Meika-chan before.

And to my surprise…

It wasn’t just Honoka; Meika-chan was there with her.

“Oh, Meika-chan is here too?”

While I was tensing up at the sight of them, Toko-senpai merely acted surprised for a moment and spoke casually.

“Yes, I felt I had been dishonest to Toko-senpai as well, so I came to apologize.”

“How dutiful. I can’t be angry when you put it like that.”

Toko-senpai said with a smile and sat down.

I sat down right next to her.

Honoka was in front of me, and Meika-chan was in front of Toko-senpai.

“Well then.”

Honoka looked back and forth between me and Toko-senpai.

“Isshiki-san, Onee. I’m truly sorry for what happened. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble.”

Honoka bowed deeply.

“Me too. Toko-senpai, I’m sorry for going along with Honoka-chan’s plan and meeting Yu-san in secret.”

Meika-chan bowed as well.

“It’s fine, Meika-chan. I don’t think it’s something you need to apologize for that much.”

Toko-senpai said as she turned her gaze toward Honoka.

“Honoka, you have something else to apologize for, don’t you? To Yu-kun.”

“Yeah…”

Answering meekly, Honoka raised her head once.

“Isshiki-san. I am truly sorry for trapping you. I apologize again.”

Honoka bowed to me deeply once more.

Honestly, seeing her act this demure was a bit unsettling.

“Isshiki-kun, I apologize for this as well. I’m sorry my sister caused you such a huge mess. She’s reflected on it enough, so I hope you can forgive her.”

With that, even Toko-senpai bowed to me.

“N-no! Please! You shouldn’t bow, Toko-senpai! I’m the one who should be apologizing! My careless actions were the root cause in the first place, and it was my fault for not opening up to you, and for not telling you I met Meika-chan…”

I had always felt that I bore a significant amount of blame for this situation.

Even if the reasons were “Honoka’s actions were beyond the pale” or “I was afraid Toko-senpai would hate me,” it didn’t change the fact that I deserved criticism.

The fact that Toko-senpai believed “I had no intention of cheating” was my true salvation.

The waitress who came to take our order stood there frozen, not knowing what to do at the bizarre sight of four people all bowing at one table.

Noticing this, Toko-senpai said, “Everyone, let’s leave the apologies at that. Let’s eat some cake as a sign of reconciliation. My treat,” and ordered cake.

I instinctively said, “I’ll pay half,” but she replied, “It’s fine for today. Don’t worry about it.”

In the end, all four of us followed Toko-senpai’s lead and ordered rare cheesecake.

The cakes were served quickly.

During that time, Toko-senpai and I tried to bring up various topics, but even Honoka remained quiet, let alone Meika-chan.

She would answer when spoken to, but she wouldn’t start a conversation herself.

The atmosphere gradually grew gloomier.

…What is this eerie silence?…

I was feeling anxious.

It was just as everyone finished their cake.

“Onee…”

Honoka muttered in a low voice.

“What is it, Honoka?”

“Onee, you’re dating Isshiki-san, right?”

“Of course I am.”

“But looking at you two, I just can’t bring myself to believe it.”

The look on Honoka’s face was dead serious.

Her eyes were like a cat stalking its prey.

“Why do you think that?”

“From Isshiki-san’s attitude. Isshiki-san said he ‘empathized with me on one point.’ And that was ‘Onee’s existence is too high up, so he can’t feel like an equal.’”

“You two talked about that?”

Toko-senpai looked at me.

“N-no, I didn’t mean it in that way…”

“Even now. Isshiki-san calls Onee ‘Senpai’ and uses polite language. That’s clearly not how lovers talk.”

“Well, that’s different for everyone—”

“Isshiki-san calls me by my name without a title or calls me ‘you’ (omae). Yet he only says ‘Honoka-san’ in front of Onee. Psychologically, Isshiki-san is closer to me, isn’t he?”

…What is she trying to say?…

I looked back and forth between Toko-senpai and Honoka.

But both of them were staring only at each other.

“I don’t see you two as a couple. So, I’m making a declaration. I’m also running as a candidate to be Isshiki-san’s girlfriend!”

“Gack?”

An involuntary sound escaped my throat at those unexpected words.

Then, Meika-chan, who had been silent until then, also spoke up.

“Me too. I don’t want to give up on Yu-san either. And to me, you two don’t look like a couple. I’m running as a candidate too!”

“Wait, what are you—”

Meika-chan glared at me as I tried to interject.

“Yu-san, I heard you told En-chan that ‘my feelings are an illusion’! That’s rude! My feelings aren’t an illusion! I truly think I love Yu-san.”

“No, I did say that, but… more importantly, wait. As a major premise, I’m already dating Toko-senpai. And I told you both how I feel, right?”

“We know that. That’s why we’re saying we’re ‘candidates.’ But no matter how much you say you’re ‘dating,’ looking at the two of you, it doesn’t feel that way,” Honoka said.

“I feel the same as En-chan. Besides, if my feelings are an ‘illusion,’ isn’t Yu-san’s feelings closer to ‘brainwashing’?” Meika-chan added.

Meika-chan was being uncharacteristically assertive today.

…W-what is this? They’re both acting crazy. I could understand Meika-chan wanting to be my girlfriend, but Honoka? And I could imagine Honoka saying something this outrageous, but Meika-chan too?…

“I don’t think I can—”

“I don’t see why not.”

Interrupting my words was Toko-senpai’s cool voice.

“They aren’t saying they are your girlfriends, they’re just saying they’re ‘running as candidates.’”

“Eh, but I—”

“The one who chooses is you, Yu-kun.”

She looked at me with a smile.

But that smile was terrifying…

“As expected of Onee. I knew you’d say that.”

Honoka grinned.

“Well then, since the ‘apology’ and ‘declaration’ are over, we’ll take our leave. You two enjoy yourselves.”

“Thank you for the treat.”

The two of them stood up with their things.

As she left her seat, Honoka turned back to me as if she’d just remembered something.

“Oh, right. I had something I wanted to say to Isshiki-san, too.”

I braced myself.

There was no telling what she would say.

“Isshiki-san, you like virgins, right? I’m still a virgin, too. So, that means I’m qualified!”

“You—! I never said such a thing!”

“Honoka, what are you—!”

Meika-chan gave Honoka a firm shove in the back.

“Let’s go, En-chan!”

“So that’s how it is. Good luck!”

Honoka left, laughing.

Toko-senpai and I left the cake shop after them.

Then Toko-senpai said, “Sorry, but could you come with me for a bit?”

“Y-yes…”

When I answered, she began walking ahead at a brisk pace.

…This is bad. She looks angry. But what happened today really wasn’t my fault…

I followed behind her, worrying.

After turning at an intersection and crossing a river, we arrived at a shrine.

It was the Funabashi Daijingu.

…I didn’t realize there was a place like this so close to Funabashi Station…

While I was thinking that—

“This spot is fine.”

Toko-senpai muttered to herself.

She turned to face me.

“U-um, what is it?”

Toko-senpai approached me with a forced smile.

“I want to add something to the rules from the other day.”

She moved so close that we were almost touching.

The scent of her hair wafted into my nose, and I could feel her breath on my face.

She gently cupped my cheeks with both hands.

“Stop calling me ‘Senpai’…”

“Y-yes.”

“And stop using polite language. it’s too stiff.”

“H-huh. But I might not be able to change that immediately.”

“It doesn’t have to be immediate. But make an effort to change it bit by bit.”

“Yes.”

“And…”

She suddenly gave both my cheeks a firm pinch.

“You have to take a penalty!”

“I-it hurfth.”

“This is for not telling me about what happened with Honoka.”

She squeezed her right hand harder.

“Ow.”

“And this is for keeping it a secret that you were meeting with Meika-san.”

Now she squeezed her left hand.

“I’m thorry.”

I tried to say “I’m sorry,” but I wonder if it came across.

Then she released her fingers and cupped my cheeks with her palms again…

And kissed me.

Under the fallen winter sun, in a pocket of silence amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

For the first time, I kissed her.

Unconsciously, I wrapped my arms around her and held her body close.

I wonder how many minutes we stayed like that.

Eventually, we both pulled back.

Looking at her face up close, her eyes were slightly moist and had a somewhat sulky look to them.

“So, the last person Yu-kun kissed is me, right?”

I could feel her hot breath.

“Yes.”

“If you kiss anyone else after this, I won’t forgive you!”

She whispered, her cheeks flushed and her eyes looking even more sulky.

“Yes.”

I tightened my grip around her and pressed my lips against hers once more.