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Since she and her brother had lived 4,863 miles apart during their formative childhood years, Gou and Rin were not close like the Tachibana siblings, but she liked to think that she knew him better than most people. Some things you only got to know when you lived under the same roof, such as Rin’s post-Australia tendency to rise early and cook himself lavish breakfasts (growing up, he’d been the slice-of-bread-in-the-mouth-out-the-door type), or his less-charming habit of leaving his running shoes lying haphazard in the genkan for her to straighten. His teammates saw Rin’s cool side, but she knew what he looked like with a reddened nose and eyes when he watched dramas with their mother.
Back in high school, at the time when he’d shunned his old Iwatobi friends, he’d still cared enough about his little sister to go with her to Disney when she’d begged. Gou owned the only known picture of Rin wearing Mickey ears, which was safely pinned to a wall in her closet.
So it wasn’t without shock when she, his adorable little sister, visited Rin while he was living in Tokyo after college, and spotted a second toothbrush in the cup beside the bathroom sink.
A girlfriend? Surely not, she told herself. Rin traveled so often, he was bound to forget to pack his toothbrush for a trip and be forced to purchase a new one. And upon returning home, he’d unpack the spare and put it, where else, in the cup with his regular one! That had to be the explanation. Rin had never mentioned a lover. Twenty-three years old and the only person he ever talked about was Haru.
“Gou, are you thirsty?” Rin called from the bedroom where he was changing. “There’s water, and there should be juice in the refrigerator. Help yourself; I’ll be out in a minute.”
She made herself at home exploring the contents of her brother’s kitchen for a cup, which is how she discovered the blue and white mug with the English words “Life in the Fast Lane” next to the black mug bearing an illustration of a shark, which Gou had given him to celebrate his new apartment.
Souvenirs, she told herself. Plenty of people owned more than one mug.
She chose the white one and filled it with water. Excess splashed onto an empty can in the sink. The peeling label said mackerel. Huh. Hadn’t Rin always disliked the smell of it? Then again, Gou hadn’t liked coffee once upon a time. Rin lived alone now. He was probably watching his finances. Or maybe Haruka-senpai had come over to visit and left the can for Rin to clean up.
The breakfast dishes had already been washed and were drying in a petite rack next to the sink. Two bowls, two plates...but of course, Rin might not have put yesterday’s dishes away yet. Above the drying rack, a ladle and slotted spoon hung from hooks along with a gray dish towel. Nothing suspicious there, but on the side of the fridge, something caught her eye–a dark blue apron with a dolphin on it, just like the one Haruka-senpai used to own!
She frowned at it for a few seconds. Why would Rin own something like that? He’d never liked cute things. On a hunch, she turned around and opened the upper cabinet. Mackerel, six cans of it, neatly stacked. She snapped the cabinet shut and pressed her back against the counter to think.
It couldn’t be what she thought. There had to be a perfectly good explanation for all of this. Haruka-senpai probably watched the apartment when Rin was out of town, and since Rin had just been traveling, of course several of Haru’s things were still here! He’d probably be back to collect them.
(Although, hadn’t they both been on that last trip? Rin had sent her a photo from the competition.)
Gou shook her head. No. Nononono. If something was going on between them, she would have figured it out before now. Rin wasn’t clever enough to hide something like a relationship from his little sister!
This called for further investigation.
“Onii-chan?” she called sweetly. “Are you almost ready?”
“In a sec. Where do you want to get food?”
“Anywhere’s fine!”
She crept down the hallway to the genkan and peered into the coat closet. Inside, Rin’s favorite coat hung beside a sky blue hoodie and a pair of Team Japan jackets. Beneath them was a pair of white sneakers Gou was certain her brother would never wear, not with those electric blue shoelaces. On the hoodie, was that an Iwatobi-chan pin? And what did Rin need with two umbrellas?!
Gou smothered her surprise in the cowl neck of her sweater. Figuring that her time was up, she slipped back into the kitchen and resumed drinking her water until Rin emerged from his room. He spotted the mug in her hands and swallowed hard.
Oh. OH. This must be Haruka-senpai’s mug. Gou gave her brother an innocent smile.
“Your apartment is cleaner than I expected.”
Almost like he had tidied up specifically for her visit and put things out of sight!
Was Haruka-senpai living here? Had Rin kicked him out during Gou’s visit? How terrible! Gou would never forgive her boyfriend if he hid her from his family. There was a time and a place for introductions, of course, but she had known Haru since high school—technically, she had known him as long as Rin had, if you counted bumping into him in the swim club hallway back in elementary school. Why would Rin keep something this important from her? Did he think she wouldn’t understand?
She nodded toward the sink. “I didn’t realize you ate mackerel. Did Haruka-senpai rub off on you?”
Ah, there it was, the slow creep of blood into Rin’s ears and cheeks.
“It’s not bad on toast,” he muttered. “How’s Mom?”
“She’s fine. She’s hoping you’ll come home for your birthday.”
“Ah, actually, we’re...” The blush again, more deeply. “I’ve got plans.”
“That’s too bad, but I’m sure she’ll understand. We both want you to be happy.”
She’d said it softly and hoped her meaning got across. We support you, big brother! Won’t you let your darling little sister into your confidence? But Rin rinsed the empty mackerel can and got his keys.
“Come on,” he said. “After that train ride, you must be starving.”
As they sat beside each other in the sunny coffee shop Gou had insisted on visiting after she’d seen it on Instagram, she studied her brother’s hands. No rings, and no sign of a ring being removed. A necklace? There was nothing around his neck.
He had ordered the shop’s original blend and a slice of banana bread, which he pushed toward her. “Are you sure this is all you want?” he asked.
“I ate on the train.” She took a picture of her coffee, artfully held up in front of a potted fig tree, then turned the camera around for a selfie with her brother. “You take one too!” she said, hoping for a glimpse of his lock screen.
Tssk, just a beach somewhere. Despite her disappointment, she smiled as he held out his phone to take a picture. Should she just ask outright, or would he get defensive like he had with the can? Probably best to be subtle about it.
“How is Haruka-senpai?” she asked innocently. “I was hoping to see him while I’m here.”
“Ah, is that so?” Rin said in a pitch higher than usual.
“Do you think he’d have dinner with us? We could stop at the grocery store on the way back.”
“Haru’s not coming over to cook for you!”
Defensive, interesting. “OH, brother,” Gou said. “I can cook, you know. What do you think he’d like to eat?”
“Fish,” Rin said under his breath.
After coffee and a confirmation from Haruka-senpai, who agreed to stop by the apartment in four hours, Gou dragged Rin clothes shopping and handed him all of the bags.
On the walk back to his apartment, she dashed into a market for things to make dinner: a nice steak for Rin, some fresh flounder for her and Haruka-senpai, and ingredients for a salad. (Haru said he’d bring dessert.) Rin insisted on paying for everything and loaded his already-full arms with the groceries as well, which Gou decided to allow so Rin felt helpful. And since her hands were empty, she felt justified popping into a wine shop for an inexpensive bottle.
“Does Haruka-senpai drink?” she asked.
“Sometimes,” Rin said. “Not very often.”
“Then something light!” Gou said to the shopkeeper.
She carried the bottle in her arms and, when they were home, put it into the refrigerator to chill along with the food, which she would prepare when Haruka-senpai arrived. In the meantime, she made tea in Haru’s mug and sat on what she presumed was Haru’s half of the sofa, leafing through a fashion magazine she’d picked up on their shopping trip, and watched her brother grow increasingly agitated as the time for Haru’s arrival neared.
“I’ll go make the salad,” Rin said when the deadline loomed. He pushed up from the sofa and disappeared into the small kitchen.
Gou called a protest she didn’t mean and examined the coffee table while he was out of the room. Nothing interesting. Under the couch? Rin used to shove things under his bed as a kid. Ah, yes--there was something there. It felt like a box. She teased enough of it into the open to get a look inside.
It was her turn to flush red. She shoved the box back under the sofa and buried her face in the magazine. Sex toys in the living room! What kind of deviant lifestyle was her brother leading!
Now, Gou, be accepting, she counseled herself. The box had been out of sight. She should have known better than to go snooping in someone else’s house! But even so, was her brother…was Haruka-senpai…did they use those on each other? What was she supposed to do with this information?!
There was a sound across the room, someone jiggling the doorknob. Gou’s head whipped up and she scrambled up to peek in the hall as Haru entered.
“I’m back,” he said, bending to remove his shoes.
Rin hissed at him from the kitchen. “She’s in the next room,” he whispered.
Gou ducked out of sight around the corner and clapped her hands over her mouth.
“Sorry. Forgot,” Haru said, coming nearer. “Here, I brought dessert.”
“What is it?”
“That cheesecake you don’t hate.”
“Put it in the fridge. I’m making a salad.”
“I was surprised when you messaged,” Haru said. “I didn’t think I’d see you this weekend.”
“She insisted on having dinner with you.”
That was the sound of a kiss. That was the sound of a kiss!
“Oi!”
“Calm down, she can’t see us,” Haru whispered.
“She’s not stupid.”
“Then why don’t we tell her? If you’re worried about your mother, it’ll be good to have Gou on our side.”
“I’m not worried, it’s just…”
“What?”
“You don’t know them like I do, Haru! They’re going to make a big deal out of this. Mom’ll break out the sekihan. They’ll want pictures. They may even insist on a wedding!”
“We’ve had our picture taken before.”
Rin sighed loudly, then asked in his usual tone of voice: “What kind of dressing do you want on the salad?”
“Miso’s fine. Do you want help?”
“No, Gou said she was cooking. Go and say hi to her.”
At the first sound of Haru’s footsteps, Gou made it back to the couch in record time--a truly Olympian feat! She pretended to look up from her magazine.
“Haruka-senpai! It’s sooo~ good to see you.”
Haru had always been sharper than her brother when he was paying attention. He hid a knowing smile and shook his head. “It’s been a while. How was your trip?”
“Just fine, thank you. I heard...” Gou’s eyes drifted toward the kitchen, then back. “...that you brought dessert?”
He laughed under his breath. “I thought you might have heard.”
“Heard what?” Rin yelled from the kitchen.
“About the cheesecake, of course!” Gou said. “Since when does my big brother eat dessert?”
“This one’s not too sweet,” Haru said.
She gave him a soppy smile and patted the couch. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “You had to leave because of me, didn’t you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Where are you staying?”
“With Makoto.”
“I don’t mind,” Gou whispered earnestly. “If you’d like to come home, I mean.”
“Thanks, but I think it would make Rin uncomfortable.”
Before she could think of a protest, Rin came out of the kitchen and wiped his hands on his jeans. “What are you two whispering about in here?”
“Just catching up,” Gou said. “Are you both hungry? Should I start cooking?”
“What are you making?” Haru asked.
“Flounder. And meat for my brother. Oh! And there’s a bottle of wine in the refrigerator.”
“I’ll open it,” Haru said. “Rin, you sit.”
As he got up, he squeezed Rin’s shoulder in a way that was so sweet, Gou felt compelled to look away. Haru came back with three cups and poured a small amount for each of them.
“We don’t have wine glasses,” he said. Rin shot him a wide-eyed look and Haru sighed. “Rin, she knows.”
Rin laughed nervously. “Knows what?”
Gou had had enough. She closed her eyes to center herself and took a deep breath. “Onii-chan, I can’t believe you tried to hide this from me! If I were Haruka-senpai, I would be so hurt!”
Rin’s head whipped in Haru’s direction and his eyes widened. Haru smiled and shook his head.
Gou threw back her glass of wine and in a fury, stood. “I’m going to the kitchen. You make it up to him while I’m cooking!”
And with that she slipped out of the room to busy herself with pots and pans.
By the time the steak had finished broiling, Gou was feeling calmer. She found a third plate in the cupboard and balanced it on the tiny counter along with the two from the drying rack. Onto each she piled a mound of salad, and against them leaned their respective proteins of choice.
She had not looked in the other room since she’d sequestered herself in the kitchen. Now that the righteousness was behind her, she was mired in regret. What if Rin was angry? She shouldn’t have involved herself in their business. If Haruka-senpai was upset because of her brother, the two of them would eventually fight it out. That’s how it had always been with them.
Would it be better to stay somewhere else tonight? She didn’t have much on her, but if she called home, her mother would probably help make a hotel reservation...
Then again, running away wouldn’t solve anything. Apologize. That’s what she needed to do. She’d walk into the other room and beg them both to forgive her.
The sight, when she peered into the other room, silenced her. Haruka-senpai’s arms surrounded Rin, who seemed small curled up against him. Crying, most likely. Rin cried at the slightest provocation, and she’d just scolded him. Oh! Her big brother really cherished her after all.
She hid herself and called, cheerfully, “Dinner is ready!” Having waited a moment, so Rin would have time to collect himself, she appeared with the plates neatly balanced on her arms. Rin had dried his eyes and was busying himself clearing the table.
“Smells great,” he said.
Gou set down the plates with pride.
When they had finished eating, and the bottle of wine had dwindled to its last third, she cleared the dishes and brought out the cheesecake.
“Kiwi?” Gou exclaimed on opening the box.
“Makoto brought one for our housewarming,” Rin said. “It’s not bad.”
Housewarming. So Makoto-senpai also knew? Rin must have seen the question on her face because he scowled and rubbed his temples.
“It’s not like I wasn’t ever going to tell you.”
Gou swallowed back her nerves. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
Rin shook his head. “I shouldn’t have tried to hide it.”
With a glance at Haruka-senpai, who was absently swirling his wine glass, she asked, “How long have you been going out?”
“A while,” Rin said and added, “A couple years.”
Impossible! Had she really missed it all this time?
“Years?” she managed to say.
The pair of them nodded. Gou’s embarrassment boiled like a kettle and she squeezed the excess fabric of her skirt in each fist.
“Then,” she said, gathering her words. She shut her eyes tight. “Then...I’m going to call you Haru-nii!”
Silence. She dared to open her eyes and found the two of them watching her with matching surprised expressions. Rin burst out crying anew (happily, this time) but Haru blinked a few times and smiled, and slung an arm around Rin’s shoulders.
“Deal,” he said.