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Miyo and Asahi were out walking together one Saturday morning. Miyo was feeling down in the dumps, as the yuri manga she was hoping to buy was out of stock, and Asahi was feeling bored, as her brother was too busy studying to play with her.
“Ahhh, now what am I going to do with my day?” Miyo wondered aloud.
“Let’s go see a movie!” Asahi suggested.
“A movie… It’s quite a step down from what I had planned, but I suppose it could be nice. Should we invite the others?”
“Momiji’s baking cookies with Kaede-neechan,” Asahi said, grumbling slightly. “I said I’d join, but she said she wanted to spend the day just with her sister.”
“That makes sense; Kaede-san has been busy with university lately, hasn’t she?” Miyo’s mood lifted a little as her mind began to wander.
“Wah!” Momiji would cry as she mixed the bowl too hard, resulting in creamy frosting splashing over her face.
“Geez, you need to be more careful, Momiji,” Kaede would say as she cups her sister’s chin.
“O-Onee-chan?” Momiji’s face would turn beet-red.
“Leave it to me. Onee-chan will clean you up.” Kaede would lean closer, her tongue extending out.
“It wouldn’t do to interrupt their sisterly bonding,” Miyo said, her eyes sparkling and her heart thumping. “Although, if you were there, you and Momiji could fight over Kaede-san’s affections…”
“Fight?”
Miyo gasped. “You’re right, how silly! Why fight when you can share?!” Miyo held her face in her hands and laughed creepily as she pictured it. Kaede, pinned-down by both Momiji and Asahi, asking them to give her a break, but both girls together were too much for her and she was powerless to resist as they- “Stop! I have to stop before this story becomes M for Mature!”
“You back from Miyo-land now?” Asahi asked as Miyo shook herself out of her thoughts.
“Thank you, Asahi-chan. That brightened up my day.”
“You’re welcome?”
Miyo hummed. “So Momiji-chan is busy. What about Mahiro-chan and Nayuta-chan? What could they be up to today?”
“Date!”
Miyo’s eyes widened. “Asahi, have you finally awakened?! I have so much to teach you!”
Asahi pointed ahead. “Nayutan’s on a date with some guy!”
Miyo’s mood fell, and she was about to scold Asahi – one does not imagine their friends in hetero relationships! But when she looked where Asahi was pointing, she found that it was true; Nayuta was indeed walking down the street with some older man, about twice her size! Miyo immediately grabbed Asahi and pulled her behind a nearby sign, and the two peeked out to watch.
“Could that be her older brother?” Miyo wondered.
“No, Nayutan only has a sister,” Asahi answered.
“Then, maybe a friend of her sister’s, or another relative.” Miyo studied Nayuta’s expression. The way that she smiled as she looked up at the guy, the cute way she laughed at whatever he was saying, the seductive way she brushed her hair aside. “It’s a date!”
“Thanks for coming out to help me shop,” Nayuta said, smiling up at Mahiro.
“Yeah, no prob… I still can’t believe I got roped into all this…”
Nayuta laughed sheepishly, and brushed her hair aside to scratch her ear, feeling like somebody was talking about her.
Let's rewind the clock a little. That morning, Nayuta paid a surprise visit to the Oyama residence. "Good morning, Mihari-san," she said with a polite bow, and when she entered the house, she saw Mahiro lazing about on the couch, scratching his belly in only a thin T-shirt and some boxers he was using as shorts. She would have had comments about a girl laying so sloppily, if she hadn’t seen her own sister lounging about just like that before. "Did Mahiro not get enough sleep last night?"
"No, he's just like this on weekends," Mihari said, bopping her brother's head. "Onii-chan, we have company! At least look presentable!"
Mahiro murmured, opening one eye. "It's just Nayutan. She's seen me in far-worse states than this."
"That's true," Nayuta confirmed.
"Even so," Mihari began, then she had a thought, and a wicked grin appeared on her face. "Oh, Momiji-chan, what a pleasant surprise."
"Momiji?!" Mahiro shouted, bolting upright and pulling his shirt down to cover his belly. He rushed to straighten his hair, panicking. "Y-You should have warned me you were coming! I just got up and-" When he realised Momiji wasn't there, Mahiro turned to Mihari, tears in his eyes. "Mi-ha-riiiiiiiiii!"
"Well, you're up now at least," Mihari said, stifling her laughter. "But let that be a lesson! It wouldn't do to have Momiji-chan see you like that, would it?"
Mahiro grumbled, then stopped to think for a second. "Wait, why do I care?! She's just a friend!"
"Right, right," Mihari said, and then she turned to Nayuta. "So, what brings you here today?"
"Don't 'right, right' me!" Mahiro complained with a pout.
"I'm here to ask your advice on a matter of upmost importance," Nayuta said, suddenly looking very serious. "You see, time is running out, and I have nobody but you to turn to, Mihari-san."
Mihari and Mahiro swallowed, both leaning closer to listen.
"Next week in Onee-san's birthday, and I need to buy her a present."
Both siblings sighed. "That's all?" Mihari asked.
"You made it sound like someone's life was in danger," Mahiro said.
Nayuta flailed her arms. "What do you mean, 'that's all'?! This is important! Life-and-death!"
"Didn't you think of asking the other Senpai at the lab?" Mihari offered.
"I did, but their ideas ranged from joke presents to lewd ones.” Nayuta blushed a little.
Mihari sighed. “I’m gonna have to tell them off next time I see them.”
“At one point, they just said, 'Your sister will be happy with whatever you give her', but that doesn't really help me."
Mahiro laughed. "Yeah, that kind of advice really isn't helpful."
"I noticed that Onee-san likes to drink wine, but I can't buy anything like that. That's why I came to you, Mihari-san. I have enough allowance saved, so-"
“Umm, Nayuta-chan? I’m not old enough to buy alcohol, either," Mihari said, crushing Nayuta's spirits.
“I-I thought you had to be eighteen!”
“It’s twenty.”
“Shock!”
Mihari nodded. "Onii-chan could buy it, but…"
Both girls turned to Mahiro, who crossed his arms and huffed. "Well don't look at me. I can't buy alcohol either, thanks to a certain someone."
Mihari - the certain someone - laughed sheepishly. "Well, maybe this would be a perfect chance to test something out." She took a small vial out of her pocket. "A prototype antidote to the medicine we're developing."
"You just carry that with you everywhere?" Mahiro deadpanned. "And wait, you have an antidote?! Gimme!" He reached up for it, but Mihari held it out of reach.
"It's a prototype, Onii-chan! The effects will only last a few hours at best. I was keeping it with me in case we needed you to change back right away, like in an emergency."
"Please," Nayuta said, clasping her hands together, "With that, Mahiro can help me buy something for Onee-san. I'll be forever in your debt."
"You don't have to go that far," Mihari said. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt."
"Yay! I get to go back to being myself again!" Mahiro cheered, jumping for joy.
"For a few hours," Mihari reminded.
Mahiro waved it off. "Whatever, still better than nothing! And I can buy myself some beer, too!”
"Sure, if you have enough allowance left over." Mahiro flinched, then turned to Mihari with puppy eyes. "That's not going to work, Onii-chan." He whimpered a little, quivering his lip, and Mihari felt her resolve crumbling just a little. "... Here's two thousand yen. Don't go overboard."
“Cheap!”
“What was that, Onii-chan?”
Mahiro bowed his head and clapped his hands together. “Thank you, Mihari-sama!”
And so there they were, Mahiro and Nayuta, out walking together through the town. “I guess I’ll just have to stick to the cheap beers, then.”
Nayuta titled her head. “Is alcohol really that good? It doesn’t smell nice, and it makes you act funny, doesn’t it?”
“It’s not so bad once in a while, especially when you have a sister like Mihari.”
“What does that mean? Do you not like her?”
“Of course, I do, she can just be a bit much sometimes… Especially when you wake up a little girl because she slipped some strange drug into your drink.”
Nayuta nodded. “I’ve not experienced that myself, but I imagine it was quite the shock.” She thought for a moment. “If I have enough left of my budget, maybe I can treat you?”
“Thanks, but using a middle schooler’s allowance to buy alcohol for myself is… Even I’m not that low.”
“Consider it a thank you for everything until now.”
Mahiro scratched his cheek. “Shouldn’t it be the other way around? You’re the one who’s always helping me out of tight jams.”
Nayuta shook her head. “That’s just my job. You didn’t have to be my friend, but you did, and you introduced me to the others, too.” Nayuta tapped her fingers together, blushing. “I’ve never had so much fun with others my age, so I’m grateful.”
“She’s looking so bashful right now. What could they possibly be talking about?” Miyo wondered.
“Maybe he told her she’s cute,” Asahi suggested.
“Or maybe he said she’s sexy!”
“Why?!”
“Hm?” Nayuta perked up her head, thinking. “Wait, if you were a shut-in for years, and you were only twenty when you became Mahiro-chan…” Nayuta tried to put the pieces together. “I thought you never left the house?”
“Eh? Ah, no. I drank a little in high school, before I shut myself in.”
Nayuta backed away suddenly, hiding behind a post. “Delinquent!”
“It’s not that big a deal! Most of the students were doing it.”
Nayuta studied Mahiro’s face, looking very concerned. “Mahrio, you’re the type to go along easily with others, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know about that… I just wanted to drink beer while playing eroge.”
“Delinquent!”
Mahiro held a finger over his lips, pleading her to stop calling him out.
“But if you need to be twenty to buy alcohol, how did you…”
“Ah, there was this guy who sold it behind the gym. I never asked how he got it, though…”
“Criminal!”
“I’m degrading fast?!”
“She’s hiding,” Miyo said, rubbing her chin.
“Is he threatening her?” Asahi asked, looking worried.
“I don’t think so, she looks disappointed rather than afraid. Perhaps he’s coming on too strongly?”
“Coming on?”
“Like asking if she wants to go to a love hotel.”
“Hotel?!”
“Or if she wants to run away with him, and get married overseas!”
“Ehhh?! We have to stop them! Nayuta-”
Miyo pulled Asahi back, her hand over the feisty girl’s mouth. “W-Wait, we don’t know that for sure yet. We don’t want to make Nayuta mad at us if we approach this wrong.” ‘Also, for some reason, I’m getting really excited. It’s not even yuri, but I still want to keep watching a while longer.’
Asahi flailed her arms, trying to speak through Miyo’s hand. She finally managed to struggle herself free, panting. “I-If we’re going to keep following them, we should get Mahiron to come, too.”
“Good idea, I’ll call her and see if she’s free.” Miyo took out her phone and dialled a number. Before she could put it up to her ear, she was startled by the ringing of a phone nearby.
“Ah!” Mahiro took his phone out of his pocket, sighing. “That startled me. Hm? It’s Miyo-chan.” He was about to answer it, but Nayuta snatched the phone from his hand.
“If you talk to her now-”
“Oh, yeah, you’re right.” Mahiro laughed. “Good save, Nayutan.”
Nayuta declined the call and switched the phone off. “I feel bad, but this way, she’ll just think your phone was off, not that you were ignoring her.”
“I guess it’s better like that, huh?” Mahiro took his phone back and put it away.
“S-She just took his phone and hung it up!” Asahi said.
“Nayuta-chan, could she be the yandere type?” Miyo wondered.
“Yandere?”
“‘I don’t want you talking to any girls but me!’, that type.”
“Eh?! Nayutan was like that the whole time?!” Asahi turned to Miyo. “By the way, did Mahiron pick up?”
Miyo gasped. “I was so distracted! It looks like it didn’t go through. Let me try again.” She tried dialling Mahiro’s number again, but she was greeted to an automated message that the number couldn’t be reached. “How odd. Is her phone off right now?” ‘Of all times…’
“Hey, they’re going into that store.”
Miyo hummed. “We’ll be seen if we go in with them. Let’s wait out here.”
Nayuta looked in awe at all the different bottles on display. “There are so many kinds.”
“Do you know what specifically Chitose-san likes?”
“Yes, but…” Nayuta was staring at a specific bottle, pouting. “It’s a bit outside of my budget.”
“Well, let’s try a cheaper one then. It should be fine as long as there’s thought put in, right?”
“Yes… I’m pretty sure she likes this flavour, too.”
Mahiro took the bottle, and grabbed a couple of six-packs for himself. “Okay, time to use my trusty ID!” He took out the card, holding it like he was brandishing a secret weapon, and Nayuta applauded, looking impressed.
After paying for the drinks and bagging them, they left the store. “Mahiro, can you let me carry Onee-san’s?”
“Sure, sure. Here.” Mahiro handed her the bag with Chitose’s present. “Careful not to drop it.”
Nayuta pouted. “I know that. Don’t treat me like a child.”
“Heh, sorry… It’s kinda weird, since we’re friends and all, huh?”
Nayuta nodded. “I’m not used to you looking so dependable.”
“Uhhh… Thank you? Um, wait, no… I’m always dependable!”
Nayuta smiled. “There, that’s more the Mahiro I know.”
Mahiro pouted. “Oh I see. I help you out and then you start teasing me.” He grinned. “You’ve learned well, my young apprentice.”
“Can you hear what they’re saying?” Miyo asked, watching from across the street as the two exited the store.
“No, they’re too far away,” Asahi said. “What did they buy?”
“I can’t tell, but he used ID at the counter, so it has to be something only adults can buy.”
Asahi tilted her head. “Like what?”
“Well, if it’s a boy and a girl on a date, then surely it can only be that.”
“‘That’?! That what?”
Miyo held a hand over her mouth. “Nayuta-chan, you’re so mature. I don’t know how I feel about your choice in partner, but at least you’re making him use protection. Good for you!”
“Protection?!” Asahi envisioned the man donning a suit of armour, and fighting off bad guys to protect Nayuta. “Eh? I don’t get it.”
Miyo giggled, patting Asahi’s head. “Never you mind, Asahi-chan. It’s not something you’ll ever have to concern yourself with.”
“Ah, okay. Oh, they’re moving again.”
“Since it’s around lunch, you wanna stop by WcDonald’s?” Mahiro asked. “My treat!”
“Since it’s Mihari-san’s money, isn’t it her treat?”
Mahiro grumbled. “It’s money I earned by harnessing my natural cuteness against her!”
“Oh, I see!” Nayuta nodded, clapping her hands. “So Mahiro finally admits he’s cute.”
Mahiro blushed, looking to the side. “Well, as Mahiro-chan at least…”
“Hm? I think you’re cute as a man, too.”
“That doesn’t make me happy!”
“Then why are you smiling?”
Mahiro wiped the smile off of his face and turned around. “Anyway, let’s go!”
When they entered the fast-food restaurant, they ordered their meals and sat at one of the empty booths. Mahiro noticed some of their classmates in other booths and instinctively tried to hide his face.
“It’s okay,” Nayuta said, “None of them will recognise you.”
“Ah, I guess you’re right…” Mahiro breathed a sigh. “In a way that’s a relief, but it’s kinda sad, y’know?”
“Sad?”
“Like, they’re my friends, but they wouldn’t even recognise me if they saw me. And one day, I’ll have to say goodbye to them and come up with some crazy story for why I’m no longer in their lives.”
Nayuta thought about it, and realised how sad she would be if she had to say goodbye to her new friends. “But you can still keep up with them online, can’t you?”
“Yeah, but trust me, friendships like that don’t last after graduation,” Mahiro said, leaning back in his seat. He gazed out of the window, a mournful look on his face. “Once you stop meeting in-person, people stop giving you the time of day. I’m sure it’ll be the same for Momiji, Miyo-chan and Asahi, too. They’ll make new friends and forget all about Mahiro-chan.”
“… I won’t,” Nayuta said. “If it’s okay with you, I can keep visiting you, and we can play together.”
Mahiro brightened at that. “That’s fine, as long as your sister’s okay with it.”
“I don’t see why she wouldn’t be,” Nayuta said, looking confused. “Anyway, you were my first friend, Mahiro, so I don’t want to lose you to something so silly.”
Mahiro sighed. “As sad as it is, you’re my first friend, too. First real friend, at least. The friends I made growing-up were just friends of convenience. We talked together at school, but not much beyond that.”
“Is that why you shut yourself in?”
“Nah, there were… reasons for that, but let’s not go into that now.” As if throwing him a lifeline, a waiter arrived at that exact moment with their food, and they started eating.
“It seems Nayuta’s boyfriend is pretty cheap,” Miyo said as she watched the two eat through the window. “Taking her out to a fast-food place?”
“That’s where Asahi would want to go if she had a boyfriend,” Asahi said.
“You mean ‘girlfriend’,” Miyo corrected.
“I do?”
“Anyway, Nayuta-chan is clearly more mature than we initially thought. Surely she would prefer being taken out to a proper restaurant, especially if they’re going to be doing… that later!”
“‘That’ again? What is it?! Tell me!” Miyo leaned over and whisper into Asahi’s ear. “Ohhhh, sex!”
“Shh!” Miyo’s face turned crimson as passersby turned to them suddenly. She pulled Asahi aside and hoped everybody would just go about their business. “Asahi, you can’t just casually say that out loud,” she whispered.
“Sorry, sorry,” Asahi whispered back, also blushing now. “But wait, Nayutan is too young for that!”
“That’s why I’m saying, she’s more mature than we realised!”
Asahi fidgeted slightly, starting to feel uncomfortable. “Are you sure that’s what they’re doing? Maybe it’s just an innocent day out?”
“No, there’s definitely romantic tension in the air! I’m never wrong about this kind of thing!”
“But your powers only work when it’s two girls, right?”
“True, but… Ah!”
“What?!”
“Sorry, false alarm. Nayuta-chan was going under the table, and I thought she was about to…” Miyo’s blush devoured her whole face. “But she was just picking up a fry she dropped.”
Asahi hummed as she watched Miyo intently. “Miyo-chin, is it possible that the mature one here is you?”
“Ehhhh? No way, no way! I’m only an observer, I don’t actually participate.”
“But you’re the one having lewd thoughts and-”
“Oh, looks like they’re finishing up! Let’s get ready to follow them again.”
Asahi sighed, but took cover with Miyo as they watched the suspected-couple leave the restaurant.
“Hey, you’re not in a hurry to get home, are you?” Mahiro asked as he walked alongside Nayuta down the busy street.
“Not particularly.”
Mahiro pointed to a nearby arcade. “Wanna stop in there for a bit?”
“Are you sure? The antidote will wear off soon.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. There’s just one thing I wanna do,” Mahiro said, and then he grumbled. “I’ve gotta stop talking like Mahiro-chan.”
Nayuta giggled. “I think it suits you just fine.”
“Anyway, it won’t take long.” The two entered the arcade, and Mahiro began heading towards the photobooths. He hesitated upon reaching the signs that said unaccompanied men were prohibited. “Ah, maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea, after all?”
Nayuta looked between him and the sign, and understood the problem. Taking in a breath, she loudly declared, “I wanna get my photo taken with you, Onii-chan!”
Mahiro looked around quickly, his face stricken with fear. “N-Nayutan!”
“It’s okay,” a female attendant said as she approached. She smiled at the two. “You can go in with your sister.” She turned to Nayuta. “Just make sure you keep a close eye on him. Don’t let him wander off, okay?”
“‘Kaaaaay!” Nayuta declared, raising her hand. Laughing, she took Mahiro’s hand and led him to one of the booths. “That was fun. I see why you like to take advantage of your child-sized body now.”
“Phrasing!” Mahrio scolded. “Well, now that we’re here, let’s get some photos to remember our day.”
Nayuta nodded, turning to face the camera. She noticed that Mahiro’s smile seemed a little forced. “Mahiro, can’t you smile better than that?”
“I-I’m trying, but it’s harder than I thought. I’ve never done this as a guy before, so I’m kinda nervous.”
Nayuta thought for a moment. ‘What would Asahi-chan do? … Ah.’ She poked Mahiro’s side, and he laughed as she tickled him.
“H-Hey, cut that out!” he cried between his laughter.
“There, you’re smiling properly now.” Satisfied, Nayuta turned to the camera and smiled. Mahiro calmed down, and several shots were taken. Stepping outside, Nayuta checked the photos and gave an approving nod. “This’ll do.”
Mahiro fixed his hair and took a deep breath. “The girls are a bad influence on you.”
Nayuta chuckled. “Yes, they are.”
Miyo’s breath hitched as she watched the two entered the booth together. “I-Is this it? Is this the fabled in-public hidden sex play?”
“Eh?! We gotta stop ‘em!”
“We can’t! If we do that, Nayuta-chan will be embarrassed! She’d never be able to show her face at school again, and she would blame us!”
Asahi murmured at the conundrum, but not long after, the two came out of the booth. “Oh, they’re done! See? They were just getting a photo taken.”
Miyo squinted, focussing on the guy. “He’s dishevelled, and it looks like he’s out of breath. That’s more than ‘just a photo’.”
“But they were only in there for a minute!”
“Poor Nayuta-chan. But she seems satisfied at least…”
Asahi nodded. “I guess if Nayutan is happy… we should support her?”
“We still have to be sure he’s not taking advantage of her.” They watched as Nayuta and the man left the arcade and left through the busy street. “Let’s stay on them a little longer.”
“Well, guess I should be getting back now, before I suddenly turn back into Mahiro-chan in public,” Mahiro decided. “Sorry, I’d walk you home, but-”
“It’s okay,” Nayuta said. “Thank you for today, it was fun.”
“Well then, see you around, Nayutan.” Mahiro turned to leave, but felt Nayuta’s hand on his wrist. “Hm?”
“Mahiro…” Nayuta gestured for him to lean closer.
“What is it?” Mahiro leaned down, lending her his ear. He was expecting her to whisper something, but instead, he felt a pair of lips against his cheek, and he pulled back suddenly. “N-Nayuta!”
Nayuta giggled. “Since you wouldn’t let me treat you, you get that instead.”
Mahiro frowned, looking around nervously. “Look, it’s one thing when I’m Mahrio-chan, but kissing like that now is-”
“It was only on the cheek, though,” Nayuta said. “Just a friendly gesture, like in the West.”
“I… guess so, but still, I can’t help but feel I’d be in a lot of trouble if the wrong person saw that.”
Asahi’s jaw was low. Miyo stared blankly ahead. She shouldn’t be feeling anything from a hetero interaction, but for some reason, it felt yuri-adjacent to her, and she found herself unconsciously taking a photo. “She looks so happy, and he’s so flustered… Maybe he’s a good guy after all, and we have nothing to worry about.”
Nayuta bowed and left, and the guy turned and walked the other way. “Hm? They’re leaving separately,” Asahi said. “They’re not going to a hotel after all!”
Miyo breathed a sigh of relief. “Maybe I was wrong before, then. Nayuta’s innocence is probably still safe.”
“‘Probably’?”
Miyo clenched her fist. “Which means there’s still hope for Nayuta-chan to find a nice girlfriend!”
“That’s what you’re worried about?!”
Miyo forwarded the photo to Momiji and Mahiro. “We should keep this between just us four for now. Nayuta-chan will need out support if he ever breaks her heart.”
Asahi nodded. “We shouldn’t tell her big sister?”
“No! She’ll force them to break up for sure!”
Asahi was conflicted. On one hand, she wasn’t sure that Nayuta should be dating such an older guy, but on the other hand, she wanted to be a good friend. No matter how much she thought, she just couldn’t decide which approach was better.
“We’ll look out for her,” Miyo said, sensing Asahi’s dilemma. “If it looks like this guy is a bad person, we’ll go straight to Chitose-neesan.”
“Hmmm, I guess that’s okay…” Asahi nodded. “Asahi will go along with it for now!”
“You ready, Momiji?” Kaede called as she slipped on her shoes.
“Coming, Onee-chan!” Momiji put her coat on as her phone buzzed. She picked it up, and saw that it was a message from Miyo.
“Shh! Keep it secret! Nayuta-chan’s got a boyfriend!”
Momiji’s eyes widened and she quickly opened the attached image, seeing Nayuta kissing some older boy on the cheek. Her face reddened, but more than feeling shocked or embarrassed, she inexplicably feeling something else…
“Why do I feel like I’m being cheated on?!”
“Momijiiii!” Kaede called.
“Ah, right! Coming!” Momiji put away her phone, shaking the confusing feelings out of her mind for now.
Mahiro stared at the six cans of beer on his table, another six by his side, pondering. “I wanna ration them, since there’s no telling when I’ll be able to get more, but… It’s been a while, so I also wanna get more than just a little buzzed.” He slumped, sighing. “If only I’d saved up more allowance… Oh!” Suddenly, Mahiro had a brilliant idea! “That’s it! If I’m smaller, my tolerance will be lower, and I can get drunk more-easily!” He grinned a scheming grin, rubbing his hands together. “Alright! I’ll wait for the antidote to wear off, and then get hammered as Mahiro-chan!” He pumped his fist into the air. “Yeeeeah!”
Later that evening, Mihari heard a knock at the door. When she opened it, she found Kaede and Momiji there. “Oh, what a surprise. What are you two doing here so late?”
Kaede grinned. “Just dropping by to say hello!” Kaede offered Mihari a paper bag, and leaned in to whisper, “Actually, we baked some treats today, and Momiji wanted Mahiro-chan to try some. Hope you don’t mind.”
Momiji blushed, frowning as Kaede spilled all her secrets. “Onee-chan!”
Mihari laughed nervously. “A-Ah, well, that’s sweet but, Mahiro-chan right now is a bit, uh…”
“Mihariiiiiii! Who is iiiiiiiiit?!”
Mihari breathed a sigh of relief, hearing Mahiro’s female voice. “I’m sure she’d love some! Come in, come in.”
“Excuse us,” Momiji said with a bow. She took her shoes off and stepped into the living room.
“Mahiro-chan, Momiji’s here!” They heard no response, and Mihari sighed, walking to the kitchen with Kaede. “Why don’t you go on ahead? I’ll bring you both some drinks.”
“I’ll help,” Kaede offered, giving her sister a grin and a thumbs up. Momiji scowled at the gesture, but still went on ahead to Mahiro’s room by herself. ‘I’m still not sure why I was feeling bad earlier, but now I get to see Mahiro-chan, so it’s all good!’ Mahiro’s door was already open, so Momiji welcomed herself in. What she saw inside made her turn red right away.
Mahiro was sat in his underwear. Specifically, his male underwear – just a single pair of boxers – with his adult clothes laying in a heap beside him. He turned to Momiji with a huge grin. “Momiji-jiiii!”
“‘Ji-ji’?” She blinked. “Mahiro-chan, a-are you okay? Where are your clothes?” She tried to avert her eyes, but as Mahiro stepped closer, she couldn’t help but look.
“Ehhhhh? Y’like what you shee?” Mahiro leaned forward a little, using his hands to smoosh his budding breasts together. “Go ahead an’ look, I don’t mind! I’m a guy after allllll!”
“M-M-M-M-M-Mahiro-chan?!” Momiji was now so red that any further stimulation could quite possibly make her explode. That stimulation came in the form of Mahiro groping her chest, which resulted in blood shooting out of Momiji’s nose.
“Hrmmm, mine might be bigger. What’s the deal with that, eh?! You’re the girl here!”
Momiji’s responses only came out in the form of incoherent babbling and little mousey squeaks.
“Heh, now we’re even! You touched mine when we firsht met after all!” Mahiro stood back and laughed, his hands on his hips as his boxers slipped down to his ankles. “Eh? Ah-hah, whoops! Wardrobe malfunctioooooon.”
That was the finishing blow, and Momiji fell backwards like a plank of wood, crashing to the ground. Her soul tried to leave her body when Mihari and Kaede came to see what all the commotion was about.
“W-What’s this?!” Kaede asked, not able to help the grin on her face, or the blush as a naked Mahrio stood triumphantly in his room. “Mahiro-chan?! Momiji?!”
“Oh, the angel!” Mahiro beamed, running over and glomping Kaede. “You’re what makesh life worth living, Kaede-chaaaaan!”
“E-Eh? Ah, I, thank you? I uh, I don’t, ummm…” Kaede’s eyes spun as she tried to process the situation, and decide which question to ask first.
“Onii- Mahiro-chan, what are you doing?!” Mihari asked, barely containing her anger.
“Ehhhhh? Jus’ huggin’ the shister whoshe actually the nishe shister…” Mahiro hiccuped, and then started bawling into Kaede’s lap. “Mihari’s so mean to meeeeee! She testsh on me and makesh me do embarasshing things!”
“S-Stop that, you’re gonna get me arrested!” Mihari yelled. ‘Even if it’s not entirely wrong…’
Kaede patted Mahiro’s head, then sniffed the air. “Is that beer?”
Mihari’s face reddened. “You didn’t!” She peered into the room, and saw exactly one beer can opened, leaking some of its contents onto the floor. Her eye twitched. “F-From not even one full can?”
Kaede laughed, still patting Mahiro’s head. “Just like her sister, huh?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mihari asked, confused.
“Don’t worry about it,” Kaede said with a wink. She then heard a groan, and looked down to see Mahiro retching. “Ah.”
“I don’t feel so good…”
“B-Bathroom! We have to get you to the bathroom!”
Mihari lifted Mahiro and carried him. “You look after Momiji, I’ll take care of this one.” She sprinted to the bathroom, kicking the door open and lifting the toilet seat, positioning Mahiro over it. “Phew, safe!”
“Thanksh, Mihariiiii!” Mahiro sang, turning to smile at his sister. He then turned green, and lurched forward to cling to her coat as he emptied his stomach.
“WHYYYYY?!”
Mihari locked the cooler in the cabinet and pocketed the key. “There! New rule: you get one a week, if you’re good, and when we don’t have company over!”
“You’re mean!” Mahiro complained, holding an icepack against his head. It was the following afternoon, and he had just recovered enough to be told what had happened last night. He winced, and lowered his voice. “How was I supposed to know Kaede-chan and Momiji were coming over?” he pouted.
“You shouldn’t have been drinking so early in the first place, and why as Mahiro-chan?”
Mahiro grumbled. “It seemed like a good idea at the time…”
Mihari sighed. “I’m just glad Kaede agreed to keep it between us. I told her Onii-chan left them when he visited.”
“Great, now she’s gonna have a bad impression of me.”
“And whose fault is that? But we have a bigger problem; now we have to worry about how Momiji will react.” She glared at Mahiro. “You’re an actual criminal now, you know?”
Mahiro averted his eyes, ashamed. ‘Hey hey, I’m not the one kissed everyone when she was drunk…’ “I’ll apologise to her properly tonight, once my head stops spinning, and I’ll make sure she’s alright…”
When Mahiro settled down into his chair, he picked up his phone and saw that it was off. “Oh, I guess I never turned it back on…” As he turned on his phone, he saw that he had a missed message from Miyo. “Sorry, Miyo-chan, but I gotta take care of this first.” He dialled Momiji’s number, and then waited nervously as it rang, part of him hoping she wouldn’t answer. But she did. “H-Hey, Momiji-san?”
“Hey… Mahiro-chan…”
The tension was thick, but Mahiro knew he had to bite the bullet and get it over with. “Listen, about yesterday? I wanted to apologise. I didn’t mean to traumatise you.”
“Oh, no, i-it’s okay. I was surprised but, I’m fine now. Thanks for worrying, though.”
Mahiro breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear.”
“… So when should we…”
“Hm?”
“Y-You know, the wedding. We should pick out a date, right?”
Mahiro blinked. “Eh?” Did he propose to her, too? “Ah, Momiji? Whose wedding?”
“Ours. I’m not very experienced, but I hope you’ll take care of me, Mahiro-chan.”
“Ah, yeah… Wait, no! Momiji, why are we getting married?!”
“Eh? B-But Onee-chan said-” Mahiro heard laughter in the background, and he had a pretty good idea as to what was happening. He could practically hear Momiji’s face turning red. “ONEE-CHAAAAAAN!”
The tension went away in an instant, and Mahiro relaxed. “A-Ahhh, so it was just a prank from your sister?”
“So embarrassing! Forget you heard all that, Mahiro-chan! I’ll cast a charm to make you forget!”
‘She’s freaking out, and slipping out of reality.’ Mahiro chuckled. “It’s fine, Momiji. I’m glad you’re alright, and I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
“No, you didn’t. Not really…”
“I’ll see you at school tomorrow then, if we’re still friends?”
“Of course we are! I’ll see you later, Mahiro-chan.”
The call ended, and Mahiro slumped back, stretching his arms. “Well, at least she’s doing okay, and she still wants to be my friend! That’s a relief…” And as the relief washed over him, Mahiro recalled Miyo’s message and opened it. His heart sank as he saw the photo, capturing Nayuta kissing him in 4K. Suddenly, his hangover returned for a second round; Mahiro’s face turned green, and he bolted to his feet, rushing to the bathroom. ‘Maybe it was a bad idea drinking like this, after all!’