Chapter Text
"This suuuuuuuuuuucks!" Mahiro whined. It was almost noon, and by now his friends would be landing in Paris, France for their field trip. A full two weeks of having fun and seeing exotic sights without him, all because he didn't have a stupid passport!
Of course, for all the power and influence that Chitose seemed to wield, there was no way she could have prepared a passport for someone who doesn't exist, and even she wasn't about to forge a fake passport, and lie to both the Japanese and French governments.
"It can't be helped," Mihari said, watching as her brother flailed about on the couch like the child he currently appeared to be. No, even in his current form, he was acting far less than his age. "Even if the medicine wore off in time and you travelled as yourself, the trip only last two weeks, so you couldn't become Mahiro-chan again and then return to normal to catch a flight home. And the fast-acting version only lasts a few hours before wearing off without warning, so that's no good."
Mahiro pouted. "I bet right now they're having so much fun that they've forgotten about me."
Momiji stepped off the plane with tears in her eyes, flanked by Miyo and Asahi, Nayuta trailing behind and patting her back the whole while. "We're finally here," Momiji said, "The most-romantic city in the world. But I wanted to be here with Mahiro-chan…"
"There, there," Miyo said, motioning to their concerned teacher that they were fine. "We can still keep in touch with her, and we'll take lots of pictures and videos to show her when we return."
"Mahiron wouldn't want us feeling bad," Asahi said, struggling to hold back her own tears, "So for her sake, let's enjoy this trip to the max! FIGHT!"
Momiji sniffed back her tears, nodding. "Right, for Mahiro-chan..." She clenched her fist and wiped away her remaining tears. "I'll learn all I can about Paris and bring her here sometime in the future! That way, I can impress her with my knowledge!" ‘And win her heart!’
"That's the spirit!" Miyo praised.
"FIGHT! ON!" Asahi cheered.
'Mahiro, you heartbreaker,' Nayuta thought. 'I feel bad for Momiji-chan, but at least she's feeling better now. I wonder what Mahiro's up to all by himself?'
Mahiro sneezed, groaning. "Great, now I'm coming down with something."
"Maybe the others are just missing you," Mihari suggested.
Mahiro sighed and stretched himself out like a cat. "Well, what am I supposed to do now, all by myself?"
"Why not go out and meet new people?"
Mahiro laughed derisively. "Yeah, and while I'm at it, I'll join an after-school club and get a part-time job."
Mihari pouted. "C'mon, Onii-chan, you have this golden chance to prove how far you've come!" She thought for a moment. "Then how about spending a day with me and Kaede? You haven't seen her much since she started university, after all."
"Kaede-chan?!" Mahiro's eyes lit-up in an instant, then he deflated. "Ah, but isn't she too busy?"
"She's just finished her exams, so she's got some time. We can go to Miracle World together, just the three of us."
Mahiro looked at Mihari sceptically. "I dunno... You promise you aren't gonna spring more friends on me at the last second?"
"I promise, I promise. Consider this your own field trip!"
"Well, I guess it beats doing nothing around the house all day..."
"Ohhh? I thought that was your favourite pastime."
Mahiro blushed, turning away from her. "I-It is, but it's been too hot lately, so I wouldn't mind going out right now is all!"
"Right, right. I'll go call Kaede then, see when she's free."
"'Kaaaaaaay." Mahiro smiled, twirling his hair around his finger. "A day with Kaede-chan, huh? Guess there's some silver lining to being left behind..." As Mahiro began planning his day, there was a sudden, uncomfortable tightness in his crotch. "... Hm?!"
"Okay, Kaede says she's free to go this Friday." As Mihari re-entered the living room, she was greeted to the sight of Mahiro on his front, face half-buried in a cushion as he looked up at her with an embarrassed, almost-ashamed look. "What's wrong?"
"... It came back," Mahiro said, looking away.
Mihari blushed as she understood what he was saying, and she quickly darted her eyes off to the side. "O-Oh. Well, I guess it's right on schedule. Maybe just a little early?"
"I uh, I need another dose. I can't go out like this."
Mihari thought for a second. She ran some scenarios though in her mind, and when she hadn't responded for a while, Mahiro called out to her.
"Mihari?"
"Hm? Ah, sorry, I was just thinking…" Mihari cupped her chin and hummed. "Onii-chan… what if you tried letting the medicine wear off?"
Mahrio looked at her like she was stupid. "Ehhhh? If I did that then-"
"You could go on a date with Kaede as a boy," she said, grinning when that seemed to catch his interest. "Besides, think about it: once you graduate, you're going to have to go back to being yourself anyway, right? I mean, you weren't planning on being Mahiro-chan forever, were you? And getting you admitted into high school won't be as simple as middle school."
Mahiro stared down at the couch as he considered her words. "Y-Yeah, I guess, but..."
"The whole point of this was to get you out of your shell so you could start talking to people properly again, and reintegrate back into society. Now feels like as good a time as any to put you to the ultimate test."
"‘Test’?"
Mihari winked. "Going on a date as yourself! Kaede is someone you know already, so it's not like I'm throwing you into the deep end or anything."
'You might as well be! Whether I know her or not isn't really the issue!' "What if she finds out? That I was Mahiro-chan the whole time? The first time we met, I walked in on her peeing, and then there’re all those times she smothered me in her chest! She'll kill me!"
"You really think she's gonna suspect something like that?"
"B-Besides, I'll have no idea what to say or how to lead."
"Leave that to me!"
"Oh, right. I guess you'll be there too, huh?"
"You want your little sister to tag along on your first ever date?"
"Eh? But you just said-"
Mihari wagged her finger. "I'll be watchi- observing you from afar, and I'll step in if it looks like it's going horribly wrong. If you wear an earpiece, I can even feed you some advice on what to say or do!"
“Sounds complicated,” Mahiro complained. “Can’t we just meet online and do some dungeon runs?”
“No.”
“What if-”
“Onii-chan, stop worrying about what-ifs for one second. If you can do this, you’ll be able to spend more time with Kaede as yourself. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
Mahiro rested his chin on his hands. “Yeah, it would…”
“And if you’re friends with Kaede, you can continue being friends with Momiji and the others without it looking strange.”
“It’ll still look strange, and what’ll I even tell them about Mahiro-chan?”
“Ahhh… We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Let’s focus on one thing at a time for now.”
“… Alright, I’ll try. But you’d really better be there to tell me what to say! I don’t wanna look like a complete idiot in front of her!”
“Yes, yes, I promise.”
Kaede rang the doorbell for the Oyama residence. She was all set for her day out with her best friend, and her best friend's adorable little sister. She had even stayed up late last night excited, looking at the Miracle World website and planning her day! Some might say that's a bit much for a university student, but Kaede would say, "I just finished all my exams and my brain is fried, let me have this!"
The door opened and Mihari greeted her. "Heya! All ready to go?" Kaede said, and she glanced down at Mihari's lab coat. "You're gonna wear that even to an amusement park?"
Mihari clapped her hands together and bowed her head in an apologetic gesture. "Sorry, Kaede, something's just come up!"
Kaede frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Mahiro-chan's health took a turn last night, so she's staying in the hospital for a bit."
"Is it serious?!"
Mihari waved her hand. "No, no, it's nothing that bad. The heat just got to her is all. I'm gonna need to be there for her though, so I can't go with you today."
"I get it, don't worry. Maybe I can go with you to visit her?"
Mihari held up two tickets to Miracle World. "We already bought the tickets, though, and it'd be a shame to waste them... So, I got you a substitute!" Mihari stepped aside, and a man with short, blonde hair poked his head around the corner. Mihari silently gestured him to come closer.
The man stepped out, one hand in his jacket's pocket while the other brushed his hair aside. He was doing his damndest to look everywhere but at Kaede directly. "H-Hey there. Um, Hozuki-san, is it?"
"Oh, you must be Mihari's brother!" Kaede guessed, and Mahiro nodded. "Ummm, sorry, I don't think I ever heard your name. Is Onii-san alright?"
Mahiro blushed. It felt strange coming from a girl like Kaede. "Ha-Haruma," he said. "I'm Haruma Oyama. Nice to meet you."
"Haruma-san, then. And you can just call me Kaede, no need for last names. It's nice to finally meet ya."
Mahiro smiled, relaxing a little. Kaede's gyaru attitude had that effect, but he was surprised she could be so... herself, around a complete stranger. Well, technically they knew each other, but at the same time, she didn't know him at all.
"Thanks for looking after Mihari for me, Kaede-san. Sorry if she was a handful."
Mihari pouted. "Whaaaat? I don't want to hear that from you!" Mihari turned to Kaede. "He might try to call it quits if there're a lot of people. Feel free to drag him by the arm if you have to."
Kaede laughed. "He sounds just like Mahiro-chan. Given how you and your mother are, it's surprising you have such shy siblings."
"I'm not shy," Mahiro protested with a pout, "I just don't wanna deal with crowds is all."
"'Wanna'?" Kaede tilted her head, then grinned. "You talk and act like Mahrio-chan, too."
Mahiro and Mihari straightened, and Mahiro cleared his throat and fixed his face. "A-Anyway, sorry you have to be stuck with me today."
"Nah, it's cool. Been a while since I've been on a date with a boy.” She winked. “Take good care of me, Haruma-san!"
‘Take good care of her?! What does she mean by that?!’ Mahiro kept himself composed as he answered with a simple nod.
"Right, well you two go have fun then!" Mihari practically pushed Mahiro out of the house, much to his dismay. "And remember, I won't be back until late tonight, so take your time! No need to rush home!"
"H-Hey!" Mahiro protested as Mihari pushed him.
"Just watch what you say," Mihari whispered, "And try to have fun."
"Shall we, then?" Kaede asked, ready to start their date.
Mahiro swallowed the lump in his throat. "S-Sure..." It felt weird, walking alongside Kaede and looking down at her from above, but it also felt nice, like they were on equal footing. Almost like she was a real friend.
The two boarded the train and found a couple of empty seats together. From the corner of his eye, Mahiro caught Mihari sneaking onboard, wearing a facemask and shades and sitting a good distance away, blending into the crowd. At least she had enough sense not to wear her lab coat, but Mahiro wasn't sure the trench coat was any less conspicuous.
"So, tell me about yourself," Kaede said suddenly, giving Mahiro an interested look.
‘Eh?! So suddenly?!’ Mahiro stammered a little as he thought of a response. “Uh, well, I’m Haruma Oyama…”
“… Yes?” Kaede pressed.
‘She wants more?!’ “I’m twenty-one? Uh…”
Mihari buried her face into her hands as she listened, groaning.
“What do you do for fun?” Kaede asked, still smiling patiently. “If I had to guess, I’d say you’re not the sporty type.”
“Ah, y-yeah, that’s right.” Mahiro swallowed, scolding himself inside. This was his chance to get closer to someone as himself, and he was messing it up! Not to mention, he was looking pathetic in front of Kaede. “I’m more into just sitting and playing videogames, or reading manga.” ‘Kyaa, wait! That sounds even more pathetic!’
“I see. It’s nice to just sit back and relax sometimes, isn’t it?” Kaede gave him an understanding look, and Mahiro relaxed a little.
‘Thank god she’s such a kind person…’
“What kinda manga do you read?”
“Ero- Errrr, I mean, lately I’ve been into shoujou stuff.”
“Like romance and magical girl stuff?”
“Yeah, there’s this manga I’ve been reading lately, where the main character enrols at an all-girls academy, and gets noticed by three different love interests and starts building relationships with each of them. It’s actually difficult to tell what direction they’re gonna go with and-” He noticed that Kaede was staring at him, and cleared his throat. “Sorry, you’re probably not into that kind of thing.”
“Well, I’m not disinterested, and you look like you’re having fun talking about it, so don’t worry.”
“Onii-chan, ask what she’s into.”
Mahiro embraced the lifeline immediately. “So what about you, Kaede-san? What’re your interests?”
“Me? Well, I guess I’m really into fashion.”
“Ah, you’re really good with makeup, aren’t you?” Mahiro asked, and Kaede tilted her head. “Er, I mean, I assume you are, since you’re wearing it right now!”
“Oh, right. Yeah, I’ve been into it since middle school. I’ve even given Mahiro-chan a few makeovers before.” She giggled at the memories, while Mahiro shuddered. “It’s a shame Mihari won’t let me work my magic on her.”
“Ahh, is that so?” … ‘Wait, you let Mihari turn you down?! Why wasn’t I given the same consideration?!’
“What do you think of your sister, by the way? She always talked about you at school, so I’m curious…”
“She did?” Mahiro asked.
“‘A-Always’ is an exaggeration! It was only sometimes!” Mihari told him.
Mahiro grinned. “Is that so? Hmm, let’s see… She can be kinda bossy, and strict, and nosey.” With each descriptor, he could feel the heat from Mihari’s glare growing hotter. “She also teases me all the time and has no respect for personal boundaries,” he added with a sigh.
“O-nii-chaaaaaaan!”
“But,” he continued, “She’s the only person that stuck with me when I was… going through a rough phase. Even our parents weren’t around then, so I was thankful, though I didn’t know it at the time. I kinda took her for granted.”
Kaede leaned closer, listening intently.
“In the end, she helped me get out. Her methods were a bit extreme,” he punctuated the last comment with a sideways glance, “And even problematic,” he added with another glance Mihari’s way, “But I guess it worked, in the end. Really, I’m only here now because of her.”
Kaede sniffed, wiping a tear from her eye. “You two really care about each other, it’s so moving.”
“H-Hey, hey, I didn’t mean to make you cry!”
Kaede laughed. “Sorry, emotional sibling stories are a weakness of mine.” Kaede took a breath and calmed herself down. “So, Mihari helped you out, and this date, is this some kind of test? To see how far you’ve come?”
“Eh?”
“Eh?”
“H-How did you-”
“Because I know Mihari,” Kaede said. “I suspected she had some ulterior motive for pairing us up today, though admittedly, I thought she was just trying to ship us.” She laughed. “Just like her to turn everything into some kind of test.”
‘You have no idea…’ “Sorry, you don’t have to play along-”
“Well, we’re already here, and a day out with a cute guy isn’t exactly a bad thing.” Kaede grinned as she watched Mahiro blush. “Ohhh? Does that make you happy?”
“N-Not necessarily,” Mahiro said, turning to hide his smile.
“In any case, let’s just have fun, Haruma-san.”
Mahiro nodded. “Sure, let’s… have fun, Kaede-san.”
The entrance to Miracle World was bustling with people, and Mahrio was thankful they already had their tickets, so they could just go ahead and enter without having to deal with all of that. Still, his problems weren’t over once he was inside; the park was just as crowded inside and it was outside!
“You know, on second thought, maybe it would be better to do this another day,” he said as he tried to leave.
“Onii-chan!”
Kaede grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Oh no you don’t! We already came all this way, and besides, Mihari and Mahiro-chan couldn’t come, so it’s up to us to enjoy today for both of them, yeah?”
“But-” Mahiro blushed as Kaede pulled him along by the arm. “Fine, fine, but at least let me walk on my own!”
Despite his reservations, Mahiro still felt excited when he saw the rides up-close, and he had a lot of fun riding them. Even the queues weren’t so bad, once he found it easier to talk normally with Kaede. It almost felt like he was talking to her as Mahiro-chan again.
‘Onii-chan’s doing better than I thought,’ Mihari thought as she watched from a distance, ‘But then, the day’s still young. I hope he’s able to keep going without burning out…’
“We’ve been walking around for a while, haven’t we?” Kaede said.
“Eh? I guess so, but somehow I feel fine,” Mahiro said, smiling.
“Onii-chan, she’s saying she wants to sit down.”
‘Why doesn’t she just say that, then?’ Mahiro glanced over to a nearby vendor, selling dumplings on skewers. “Wanna grab a bite and take a seat?”
“Oh, what a gentleman,” Kaede said. “And here I thought you’d miss the hint.”
“If you thought that, you should’ve just said it clearly.”
“Onii-chan, you’re an idiot.”
“You just don’t get it, do you?” Kaede said with a sigh.
‘Get what?! Is there some secret girl-code I don’t know about?!’
They approached the vendor, waiting in-line until it was their turn. “We’d like two-” Kaede began, but the vendor interrupted her.
“Eh? Is that you, Oyama-kun?”
Mahiro recoiled, confused and a little frightened. He stared at the vendor, trying to figure out where he had seen this person before. Was it as Mahiro-chan, and he could somehow see through the change?!
“You don’t remember me? It’s Yashiro, I sat in front of you during our third year of high school?”
“A-Ah, right, of course…” ‘I totally don’t remember you, sorry.’
“Man, it feels like it’s been ages! How ya been? I heard you flunked your entrance exams, that’s gotta be rough.”
Mahiro laughed, waving his hand. “W-Well, I just wasn’t cut out for it, I guess…”
“Your sister skipped straight to university, didn’t she? I remember everyone talking about it for weeks. Compared to her, you were kinda…”
Mahiro took in a breath, trying to keep a straight face. He remembered everybody around him talking about how talented she was, while he struggled to just get by with passing grades. He must not have been hiding his feelings well enough, because Yashiro suddenly doubled back. “N-Not that there’s anything wrong with being average! We can’t all be super geniuses after all, right? People like us make the impressive people look better!”
Mahiro nodded. “Right, exactly!”
“Ummm,” Kaede said.
“Oh, sorry, you wanted some dumplings, right? One sec.” After making the exchange, Yashiro bid the two goodbye, and Mahrio wasted no time turning to leave, muttering his ‘thank you’ under his breath.
‘I must’ve looked so pathetic, and in front of Kaede. Just kill me now.’
“Hey, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about, y’know,” Kaede said. “I’ve failed tests too before. You’ll get it next time, for sure.”
“Oh, no, I don’t really plan on trying again.”
“Oh. Well, that’s fine too. You’re not really interested in going to university, huh?”
“It’s not that I’m not interested, I just don’t see the point. Mihari’s the smart one, if at least one of us got in, that’s enough, right?"
“You don’t have to compare yourself to Mihari, you know.”
He shrugged, staring off into space. "But it’s true, what Yashiro-kun said. Compared to her, I'm just..."
Kaede tilted her head, trying to get a better look at his face. "'Just'?"
Mihari held her breath as she listened. 'Onii-chan?'
Mahiro shook his head, putting a smile back on his face. "It doesn’t matter. Mihari's doing good for herself, that’s what matters. No one’s expecting anything from me." He was surprised when Kaede’s skewer was suddenly waved in front of his face. “Eh?”
“Here, eat,” she said, still smiling.
‘I’ve got my own, though.’ Mahiro bit into the top dumpling and pulled it off the skewer.
“How is it?”
“Mm, it’s good!”
“Now gimme yours.”
Mahiro offered his skewer, and blushed when Kaede’s lips touched the first dumpling. “Heh, feels more like a proper date now, doesn’t it?” she said, sticking out her tongue.
“D-Don’t tease people like that!” Mahiro tried to scold her, but he couldn’t keep himself from laughing alongside her. They sat down to eat together, and as Mahiro watched the people passing by, a thought occurred to him. ‘Huh, I feel better now. Did Kaede-chan do all that to help me cheer up?’
After resting for a bit, Mahiro and Kaede continued their date by visiting a haunted house attraction. They boarded the car in the front, and as they lowered the barrier, Kaede said, “You can hold my hand if you’re scared.”
“Very funny.” Even as Mahiro-chan, he wasn’t going to get scared of some cheesy amusement park horror sideshow, and now that he was a man again, he wasn’t about to do something as uncool as-
A gigantic spider suddenly lunged out at them, gnashing its fangs.
“IIYAAAH!” Mahiro’s face reddened, and he slowly turned his head to confirm that Kaede had indeed heard his high-pitched scream, and she was clearly trying to be considerate by not laughing.
“T-That was kinda scary, wasn’t it?” she asked, turning her head to the side. “A bit more than I expected from a ride like this.”
Mahiro flailed his arms as he tried to explain himself. “I was just going along with things, to be polite, that’s all! I wasn’t actually scared! In the first place, there’s no way a guy like me would make that kinda noise for real, right?!”
Kaede nodded, letting him have his excuse, and when the ride ended and they climbed out, Mahiro heard through his earpiece, “Onii-chan, did you turn back into Mahiro-chan or something? That scream was-”
Mahiro smacked his ear, then winced.
“What was that?” Kaede asked.
“M-Mosquito,” he said. “Annoying mosquito, buzzing in my ear.”
“Hmmm, what should we do next?” Kaede wondered as they walked. She saw an arcade across the way. “You play games a lot, don’t you? You any good at fighting games?”
Mahiro chuckled. “I have something of a reputation.” ‘For losing, but against Kaede-chan, I should be good.’
“Alright, let’s have a match then, and the winner decides what to do next!”
“You’re on!”
After a triumphant first fight against Kaede, Mahiro was feeling confident, but somehow, her skill had improved in the second fight, and the final tally was 2-1, in Kaede’s favour.
“Ahhh, sorry. Momiji’s been into gaming lately, and I’ve picked up some stuff from watching her.”
‘I guess that’s my fault. But can you really get that good just watching someone else play?’ Mahiro sighed. “So? What are we doing next?” The way Kaede was looking at him made Mahiro want to flee.
“Let’s do that,” she said, pointing to the photobooths at the back.
‘Even as a guy, I can’t escape that?!’
“C’mon, it’ll be fine if you’re with me,” she said, pulling Mahiro towards the booths. “Plus, they have special cosplays you can wear here! I wanna try it out.”
“Oh, this one has cosplays? W-Well, I mean, I guess it’s fine if we’re just wearing costumes…”
Kaede chuckled darkly. “Right, so with that saaaaaaaid… I think you’d look great in this!” She held two pieces of clothing that could almost pass for a bikini, complete with cat ears and a tail. A ‘wild cat’ costume, put simply.
“Why?!” Mahiro shouted, backing away. “Kaede-san, shouldn’t you be the one wearing that?!”
“Ehhhh? That’s awfully forward of you, Haruma-san. I wonder how Mihari will react when she hears you asked me to wear something so embarrassing?”
“You started it, though!”
After protesting further, Kaede finally relented. Instead, they went with simple school uniform cosplays, though Kaede still somehow convince him to wear a sailor uniform, while she wore the gakuran.
“C’mon, it’ll be more fun if we switch it up,” she reasoned, and try as he might, Mahrio couldn’t talk her out of it. So after changing into the uniform and straightening the skirt, Mahiro joined Kaede in the booth to get their pictures taken. He took a moment to adjust the uniform so that it looked nice, and then to make sure his hair was neat. And then grimaced when he realised what he was doing.
Kaede checked the photos in the aftermath and pouted. “You should’ve smiled more.”
“What did you expect, when I’m wearing this?”
“Oh well, it’ll do. It looks good on you, by the way! If you grow your hair out a bit, you could pass for a real girl.”
“Then I guess I’m keeping it short.”
Kaede stuck out her tongue. After changing back into their own clothes, they left the arcade. As they reached the plaza, Mihari suddenly said to Mahiro, “Onii-chan, come see me back at the arcade! Tell Kaede you’re going to the bathroom or something.”
“Eh? So suddenly?” Mahiro whispered.
“What was that?” Kaede asked.
“Ah. Uh, sorry, would you mind waiting here just a sec? I gotta go… take care of something.”
Kaede nodded, sitting herself down on a nearby bench. “Sure, go ahead! Wouldn’t do to have an accident because you held it.”
‘How can she say that so casually?!’ Mahiro groaned as Kaede smirked, and he quickly turned and ran back towards the arcade. He found Mihari waiting for him. “What’s up?”
Mihari grabbed his arm, a serious look on her face. “Let’s get our picture taken.”
Mahiro gave her a confused look. “Ehh?”
“What ‘ehh’?! You’ll take a photo with Kaede, but not with your own sister?”
“No, it’s just, you pulled me aside just for that?”
Mihari pouted. “Stupid Onii-chan…”
“Well, if it’s that important to you, sure…” Mahiro patted Mihari’s head. “Honestly though, I didn’t think you’d still act so spoiled at your age.”
“I-I’m not being spoiled, I just wanted to have something to commemorate your important milestone, that’s all!”
“Okay, okay… Let’s make it quick though. Kaede-chan’s waiting.”
“I know…” Mihari grumbled, pulling Mahiro to the booths. “Right, I guess it wouldn’t do to keep your date waiting.”
‘Is Mihari… maybe a little jealous? Even though this was her idea? Heh, it’s kinda cute.’
After getting their photos taken – Mihari wearing a pair of cat ears, while Mahiro wore a pair of bunny ears – Mahiro hurried back to where he had left Kaede waiting. As he approached, he saw that some handsome guy was talking to her. She didn’t seem disturbed; rather, she was smiling and laughing along with him.
“Ah… I guess that makes sense,” he said, slowing to a stop. “Kaede-chan’s so beautiful, of course guys would hit on her. And he looks like a good fit for her. So much more interesting and dependable than someone like me.”
Kaede seemed to be enjoying her conversation a lot, so Mahiro turned and started to leave. “Onii-chan? Where are you going?”
“She’s got a real date now, I shouldn’t interrupt,” Mahiro replied.
“Aren’t they just talking?”
“Mihari, you really think Kaede’s gonna wanna hang out with me, when someone like that is hitting on her?”
“Onii-”
“Haruma-san!” Kaede took Mahiro’s hand, pulling him back as he tried to leave. “There you are! Where are you going?”
“Eh? Ah, I just uh…” Mahiro looked at the guy behind Kaede, looking just as confused as him. “S-Sorry, you were in the middle of something so uh-”
“We were just talking,” Kaede said, and then she turned back to the guy. “Sorry, I’m already here with someone, as you can see. But it was nice talking with you! Good luck with your game next week!”
“Y-Yeah… See you arou-” The guy didn’t even get to finish before Kaede left, pulling Mahiro along with her.
“Hey, hey. Is it really okay to just leave like that? He seemed like a cool guy.”
“You expect me to ditch you so I can hook-up with some guy I just met?” Kaede asked.
“Well…” Mahiro pulled his hand free. “To be honest, I was thinking of calling it a day, anyway. I’m not really used to this much stimulation, y’know?”
“But the day’s still young,” Kaede said with a pout. “There’s supposed to be a fireworks show later. Don’t you at least wanna stay for that?”
“Sorry…” ‘I don’t feel like doing much of anything right now. After seeing that, all my energy’s just gone…’
Mihari sighed. ‘I guess that’s it; this must be Onii-chan’s limit. Still, he stuck with it for a while, and he’s become friends with Kaede as himself.’
Kaede sighed. “Well, can you at least do one more thing with me?” She looked up at the Ferris wheel some distance away. “Let’s ride that, then you can call it quits if you want.”
“A Ferris wheel?” ‘A staple in romance anime, huh? It’s gonna feel awkward riding that alone with her, but… it could be nice?’ “Sure, if that’s what you want.”
The two boarded a gondola together, just the two of them, and Mahiro felt his stomach churn as it started to rise. “Onii-chan, I’m in the gondola right after yours,” Mihari said. “So don’t anything weird to Kaede.”
‘Like I’m gonna! And hey, is that gonna be okay? They don’t normally let people on as single riders. I feel sorry for whoever she’s been put with.’
“So, you have fun today?” Kaede asked.
“I guess,” Mahiro answered, then he gave a firm nod. “Yeah, it was a lot more fun than I thought.”
“Even though you had to deal with all the people around. You did good, though.”
Mahiro felt himself smiling a little. “Well, maybe… You made it easier, to be honest.”
Kaede felt herself blushing a little at his remark. “Ehh? Is that so?”
“Yeah. I guess you have experience helping people out of their shells, huh?”
“Well, it’s a shame to see someone holding themselves back ‘cause they’re afraid, so…” Kaede smiled as she looked out of the window, admiring the view. "Look. The whole park looks like something out of a fairytale from up here, doesn't it?"
Mahiro admired the view with her, nodding. "Yeah, it's pretty."
"See? This wasn't so bad after all, huh, Mahrio-chan?"
Mihari flinched, looking up at their gondola in shock.
"I guess not." Mahiro turned back to Kaede. "Thanks. For the fun day."
"No problem, Ma-hi-ro."
Mahiro went back to looking at the view, his mind slowly-but-surely turning those gears until it finally registered what she had said, and then he snapped back to her. "E-Eh?! M-M-M-Mahiro’s my sister though?! M-My name's Haruma!"
“Ohhh? I thought it was Harima?”
“R-Right! Harima, that’s what I meant!” Mahiro thought for a second. “Wait… I was right the first time!”
Kaede burst into laughter, and Mahrio heard Mihari's exasperated sigh through the earpiece. "S-Sorry, that face and your reactions, they’re too good!" She clutched her stomach as she leaned forward, kicking her legs. Mahiro pouted, waiting for her to stop laughing. “Oh, too good..." Kaede wiped away her tears as she slowly came to a stop.
Mahiro looked at her timidly, his face red from embarrassment. "How did you know? For how long?"
Kaede pulled her feet onto her seat and sat in a crouched position, her fingers tapping her chin. "Hmmm, I think I was like ninety percent sure when we went to the photobooths.”
“Are you some kind of great detective?” Mahiro deadpanned.
Kaede threw her legs back to the floor, lightly kicking Mahiro in the process. “Before that, I thought I was just overthinking things, but I became more-and-more certain throughout the day."
"But how did you even-"
"You look just like her, and I don't mean just your face; your words and actions, your mannerisms, the way you seem to go into your own thoughts, even the way you talk about Mihari. It was just way too similar to be excused by you being siblings.
“Plus, according to Momiji, Mahrio-chan said her brother was a university student. Of course, she could have just lied to save face…” Kaede held up her hand and started counting with her fingers, “But I kept a closer eye on you after that and just kept noticing more things, like that cute scream you did in the horror ride, and how familiar you seemed with the photobooths.” Kaede grinned. “And of course, how you took the time to ready yourself for the photo, despite your grumblings.”
“Wow… I knew you were sharp, Kaede-san, but you picked up on a lot.”
“It’s more like you’re not exactly subtle, Mahiro-san. To tell the truth, the whole little sister thing always felt off from the start. I mean, a girl like Mihari, who could never stop talking about her big brother, never saying a word about having a little sister? And then from when I first met Mahiro-chan, she suddenly stopped talking about Onii-chan.”
“I may have underestimated her,” Mihari said through the earpiece. “My bad, Onii-chan.”
Mahiro scratched her his head. "Even so, most people wouldn't come to the conclusion that an adult guy and a middle school girl are the same person."
"Maybe, but then 'most people' haven’t seen Mihari’s lab, and the weird things they make there."
‘Chitose-san really has no caution, does she?! Isn’t that kinda research the stuff you would hide behind armed guards and laser grids?’
Kaede leaned forward. "Let me guess: it was all Mihari’s doing, wasn't it? Some kinda drug that makes you a loli?" Mahiro winced as Mihari screeched into his earpiece. "What'd she say?"
"S-She said you don't have to put it like that. And to stop making her sound like some pervert." Kaede laughed. “You knew Mihari was following us, too? And feeding me advice?”
“Again, you’re not exactly subtle, and neither is she. I noticed you were listening to something, and I saw Mihari behind us more than a few times. You two really are a pair, aren’t you?”
Mahiro gripped the hem of his shirt, looking away timidly. "So… you're not mad?"
"Mad? Ah, you mean about how close we got when you were Mahiro-chan?" Kaede hummed as if in thought. "Well, it's not entirely your fault, and you were cute as all hell, so it's fine! Don't mind!"
Mahiro couldn't help but laugh himself. "Well, that's a relief... I thought for sure you were gonna kill me if you ever found out!"
"If I did that, Momiji'd never forgive me." Kaede's face turned serious for a moment. "I'm assuming she and the others don't know?"
"No... Just Nayutan. There’s a bit of a story, there…"
"Momiji likes you, y'know. It's not just a crush, either; she's infatuated with you, and she's even been planning details of your wedding together. Did you know she has over fifty scenarios for how it'll go down?"
"I did not."
“In her favourite one, you become immortal vampires together and live forever as teenagers.”
“That tracks,” Mahiro said. ‘She’s reached max chuuni levels now. I guess that was my fault, too.’
"Let her down gently, okay? You don't have to have tell her the whole truth, just... don't string her along. I know it's gonna hurt her, but-"
"I'm sorry," Mahiro said, looking guilty. "I never meant for something like that to happen.” ‘Actually, I never even meant to even become Mahiro-chan in the first place.’
"It's fine." Kaede smiled warmly. "After spending the day with you, I can tell you’re not a bad guy. In fact, you’re basically the same Mahiro we’ve known all along. It's just a shame things have to be the way they are." As the Ferris wheel reached the ground, Mahiro stepped out first and offered his hand. "So, you still wanna call it a day? Or you wanna turn this into a real date?"
"Huh? You mean, you still want to-" Kaede reached her hand to Mahiro's ear, taking the earpiece, and then she switched it off.
"Let's go, before Mihari's gondola lands," she said, taking his hand with a conspiratorial grin.
Mahiro grinned back, nodding, and the two ran off through the crowds, laughing together.
Kaede pulled Mahiro to one of the rides that had a long queue earlier, but it had died down since then, and they rode the rollercoaster. Afterwards, they tried out a few more attractions, and Kaede managed to win a large plushie, which she gifted to him.
“Hmmm, shouldn’t it be the other way around?” Mahiro asked.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just pretend you’re Mahiro-chan, and I’m spoiling you.”
Mahiro pouted. “Even as Mahiro-chan, I still had reservations about you treating me like a child!”
The two spotted Mihari looking for them through the crowds, and they both got on the same wavelength as they shushed each other and crept quietly in the other direction, taking refuge in a building where a mascot performance was about to begin.
It was during the performance that Mahiro remembered, these types of shows liked to involve the audience in them.
“Oh? It looks like we have a young couple over there!” the mascot declared, looking directly at the two. “Are you here on your first date?”
Mahiro froze, his mouth open but unable to form any words. Kaede saved him by standing up, drawing all the attention her way, and answering, “Yep, this is our first date! I’m Kaede Hozuki, and this is Mahiro Oyama!”
Mahiro bowed his head, blushing deeply. “Ma-Ma-Ma-Mahirow here! I mean, Mahiro!” The audience laughed, and Mahiro sank deeper into his seat.
“Well, I hope we’ve been able to create a memorable experience for you both!” the mascot declared.
‘Memorable is right, but not in a good way,’ Mahiro thought.
At the climax of the show, the mascot had to defeat his evil doppelganger, and called on the audience for help. “Now everyone, let’s all cheer as loud as we can!”
Everybody but Mahiro cheered in unison, including Kaede. She nudged his arm. “C’mon, you too.”
“It’s embarrassing, though.”
“Just go with the flow!”
“That was almost perfect!” the mascot declared. “Let’s try it one more time, on three! One, two…”
This time, Mahiro cheered too, jumping out of his seat and throwing his hands in the air. He fell back into his seat immediately, hiding behind his hands. “As I thought, it’s too cringe!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine! You’re supposed to get all hyped-up in these kinds of shows.”
“If I was with the girls, I’d have no problem joining in with them,” Mahiro said, smiling a little as he pictured the five of them cheering for the mascot with all their hearts. “Nayutan would probably the quietest, and Asahi would undoubtedly be the loudest. Momiji’d probably take my hand so we can channel our energies together, and Miyo-chan would gush.”
Kaede smiled, watching him talk so fondly of his friends and laughing. “Let’s invite them sometime,” she said.
“Yeah, sounds good. I’m sure it won’t compare to Paris, but-”
“Oh? Are you upset you couldn’t go?”
Mahiro pouted. “I wanted to see the birthplace of Ladybug and Cat Noir.”
Kaede blinked. “No way! You watch that show, too?! Oh, we have so much to talk about!”
After leaving the show, and making sure Mihari wasn’t around, the two decided to find a good spot to watch the fireworks show, which would be starting soon.
"Hey, sorry if this sounds a bit rude, but do you have any friends, Mahiro-san?"
Mahiro shook his head. “Not outside of Momiji and the others, and even among them, Nayutan’s the only one who I’m not lying to.” He leaned against the rail, resting his chin on his arms. “Back in high school, I just talked with people in my class, but after graduating, we drifted away. I make friends online, sure, but not in real life.”
Kaede leaned against the rail, too, looking ahead. "You seem popular as Mahiro-chan.”
“Because I’m cute.”
Kaede almost fell. “Y-You admit that so easily?”
“As Mahrio-chan, I’m surrounded by people that just wanna see me smile, but as myself, I don’t have anything to give. I guess, just like in online games, it’s easier to make friends when you’re a girl.”
"Okay, let's exchange numbers then!" Kaede took out her phone and offered it to him.
"Uh, I already have your number, though,” Mahiro said.
“C’mon, I’m offering to be your first friend since graduating! Let’s do it by the book.”
Mahiro sighed, and offered Kaede his phone. “Here.”
She took it and started pressing about on the screen. Finally, she handed it back. Her number was still there, but the name had been changed.
“That’s my LINE ID,” she said, looking a little bashful. “I don’t normally give it out to guys, so…”
“O-Oh, I uh… Thanks. Are you sure?”
“It’ll be easier to keep in touch that way, especially when classes start back up at the university.”
“Right…”
Fireworks started exploding in the distance, and the two turned to view them. Crowds cheered as the sky was lit-up in vibrant colours, and Mahiro felt his phone buzzing. He checked it to find a message from Mihari. “Ah, I think Mihari's gonna be pissed," he said, not daring to check the message’s contents.
“Well, there are some parts of a date she shouldn't be watching." Before Mahiro could ask what she meant, Kaede leaned forward and kissed his cheek. She pulled back, blushing just as much as he was. "Let's do this again sometime, okay? After you've stopped being Mahiro-chan."
"... Y-Yeah, I'd be happy to... if you're game?"
Kaede stifled her laugh. "'If you're game'? I haven't heard that one in a while!"
"Oi!"
"Just call or drop a LINE if you wanna hang out. I might be busy, but we can work out a day that suits us both." She winked. "Just ask, okay?"
Mahiro gave a slow, nervous nod. "Yeah, I'll call you... for sure."
A firework exploded in the distance, and they both turned back to watch the show. "By the way, you okay if I call you Mahiro-kun? After all we've done together, calling you ‘-san’ just feels off.”
"T-That's fine," Mahiro said. "Then, is it okay if I keep calling you Kaede-chan?"
"No problem! It makes me sound young!"
The two leaned closer as they watched the remainder of the show.
Two weeks passed, and with his classmates set to return, Mahiro took the medicine and returned to being Mahiro-chan. He and Mihari went together to visit Kaede and Momiji at their place.
"We're he-" Mahrio couldn't even get the two words out before he was tackled to the ground by a teary-eyed Momiji. "GUH-FAW?!"
"Mahiro-chaaaaaaaan!" Momiji glomped her Mahiro for dear life. Even as Mihari helped Mahiro to his feet, Momiji remained clung to his arm.
"Hey, hey, it's only been two weeks," Mahiro said, but Momiji's pout told him those were the wrong words. "Uh..."
"Two weeks too long! Didn't you miss me, Mahiro-chan?"
"Y-Yeah, of course I did," Mahiro said, laughing nervously. "But we texted each other every day, y'know?"
Kaede let out a long sigh as she stepped into the hall. "Texting is fine, but seeing each other is totally different. Don't you get that?" Mahiro and Kaede's eyes met, and suddenly, Kaede felt her face heating up, and she averted her eyes. "G-Good to see you again, Mahiro... chan."
Mahiro also looked off to the side. "Y-Yeah, you look good, Kaede-chan..."
Momiji looked between the two, confused, while Mihari simply sighed and shook her head. "A-Anyway!" Mahiro declared suddenly, "I wanna see all the pictures you took!"
"Oh, right!" Momiji took Mahiro's hand, her expression brightening. "We took so many, I hope that's alright." She grinned a little. "If you start feeling sad, you can use my shoulder to cry on, Mahiro-chan."
"I think I'll be fine," Mahiro deadpanned. Mihari and Kaede seemed to find it amusing as Momiji led Mahiro through the hall, eagerly sitting closer than necessary to him as she prepared her mother’s laptop.
"You okay with that?" Mihari asked Kaede. "Your sister might pull ahead at this rate."
Kaede elbowed Mihari gently. "Are you okay with it? Two cute girls are trying to steal your brother from you."
"If it gets him out of his room, you can both have him.” The two laughed. "... Thanks for being okay with all this. And um, sorry for lying to you."
"Hmmmm... Treat me to dinner sometime, and we'll call it even."
"Deal!"
They shook on it, and as Mihari was about to move, Kaede asked, "So um, you got any of that drug to shave off like, just a few years?" Kaede scratched her cheek. "Asking for a friend."
"Sorry, no can do. Not unless you wanna become my test subject."
"Ehhhh, stingy!" Kaede pouted.
"Hey, Onee-chan!" Momiji called. "C'mon! I want to show you, too!"
All four sat together as they went through the slideshow of pictures, Momiji holding onto Mahiro’s right arm while Kaede sat to his left, grinning at his predicament.