It was now the end of the day. Just like usual, everyone got up from their seats, bowed to the teacher, and said their everyday goodbyes. I could hear each class's dismissals loud and clear from every direction in the hallway. The chorus of "Thank you very much!" echoed through the building as doors slid open one after another.
For most other students, the week leading up to Sports Day would be spent training with their classmates.
I, however, was already at the shoelockers, preparing to leave. Since I was only participating in two events—neither of which required a group rehearsal today—I decided it was okay to excuse myself.
While it was encouraged to actively participate even if you didn't have practice on that day for the community building, if I didn't feel like doing it, I wasn't going to do it.
After checking to make sure no teachers were nearby, I quietly exited the school and waited just a little further away from the school gate.
Someone had explicitly instructed that I wait for them after school finished. While I was a bit reluctant—and still am—here I was.
Students slowly trickled out of the gate in small groups, chatting about practice or weekend plans.
A few minutes had already passed, and yet there were barely any people who had actually left the school grounds. That was to be expected; not everyone has the liberty to just skip practice, after all.
I glanced down at my phone and looked at the time.
Five minutes. I'll wait five more minutes. If she doesn't come, that's her loss.
The four minutes that followed passed by before I knew it, and yet she still hadn't shown up.
Well, can't say I didn't try.
Just as I turned to walk away, a high-pitched voice called out from behind me.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
I stopped and turned around.
Two figures were approaching me from the school gate. One of them had short, fluffy amber hair and a mischievous grin. Just seeing it made a shiver run down my spine. It was my sister's best friend, Yuka.
She wasn't the one I was meeting up with, though. The other one had long, raven black hair—almost identical to mine—which swayed as she marched toward me, eyes narrowed.
"I told you to wait for me!" she stomped, her face flushed with annoyance. "So would you care to explain why I see you walking away the moment I get out?!"
Yuka tried calming her down by saying, "There, there," like she was talking to a child. Obviously, that didn't work.
Lily pushed Yuka aside as she glared expectantly at me, demanding an answer.
I let out a loud, impatient sigh. "I did wait," I said matter-of-factly. "I've been standing here for ten minutes, actually."
Lily scoffed. "Don't play dumb with me! Dismissal didn't actually start until five minutes ago. What the hell are you—"
Her words cut off before she could finish her sentence as her eyes widened in understanding.
"Don't tell me you left early again…"
"Of course I did," I replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Hearing this, Lily let out a loud, dejected groan, her shoulders slumping.
Yuka skipped next to Lily and gently rubbed her on the back—consoling her—while playfully tapping my shoulder.
"That's not good, Big Bro!" Yuka teased. "You're going to ruin Lily's reputation if you keep doing that! She won't be able to find a boyfriend at this rate!"
I felt a twitch in my eyebrow.
Normally, the prospect of my little sister getting a boyfriend would send me into a spiral. She was too young for that stuff. But the twitch wasn't because of that this time.
Big Bro? Since when did you start calling me that? Is this supposed to be another one of your sick jokes?And does my sister—
The effect on Lily was instantaneous. Yuka's hand, which had been tapping my shoulder, froze mid-air as she sensed my sister's sudden change in demeanor.
"Ah."
That was all Yuka managed to say before Lily's hand shot forward and caught Yuka's in a vice grip.
Yuka's pained scream rippled in the air. "L-Lily! Time out! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"
But Lily's grip was unrelenting. Even though tears had formed in the corners of Yuka's eyes, Lily didn't let go.
Damn… I feel kind of bad for you. But I can't do anything about it when Lily's like this. Good luck.
Yes, because I couldn't do anything. Not because it was funny to watch or because I was scared to interfere with my sister when she was like this. Not at all.
A few minutes later, Yuka was sprawled along the sidewalk, clutching her wrist with reddened cheeks while Lily beamed at me with a perfect, innocent, childish smile. "Anyway, let's go home!"
...Alright. Act like nothing happened. Got it.
Lily helped Yuka off the ground, and the two of them proceeded in the same direction—my house.
Wait… what?
I caught up to the two of them and asked, "Why is Yuka coming with us?"
Yuka turned toward me, her expression a masterclass of mock offence. "Are you saying you don't want me in your house? Awww, don't be shy–"
Lily stomped on Yuka's foot, and I swore I heard a small *crack* sound. Yuka went pale and fell silent instantly.
"What Yuka meant to say," Lily explained, her voice as smooth as silk, "is that we have a math test coming up next week. Yuka and I are planning to study together at my house. Which is why we aren't staying after school to help out with the sports day."
A math test around this time? While it was extremely unlucky, it wasn't impossible.
For a split moment, a thought—or maybe it would be more accurate to call it a suggestion—flashed in my head.
To put it mildly… Lily wasn't good at math—or anything numbers-related. Yet despite that, she still studied for hours on end to try to achieve a semi-decent score.
I suppressed the urge to groan. I guess… I can do her a solid just this once.
I loudly cleared my throat, drawing both Yuka and Lily's attention. "If you want," I muttered, "I can teach you whenever I'm free."
Yuka's eyes lit up. "What?! Really?! I'd love some one-on-one time with—"
Lily's hand clamped over Yuka's mouth, muffling her words. "He obviously isn't talking to you, idiot."
Lily pushed Yuka aside and stared at me with what any other person would describe as a skeptical glare.
"I mean, I'd be happy if you helped," she said. "But are you sure? Aren't you busy too?"
As her Older Brother, however, I knew...
You can't fool me, my stupid little sister. We share the same damn blood. I know you want the help, but don't want to seem like a burden—especially in front of your friend. But I'll play along with it.
"It's fine. If I were busy, I wouldn't have offered," I replied coolly.
"Then… how about after tomorrow?" she asked. "I think I'm going to be practicing with my class tomorrow, so I can't do it that day."
"I'm free whenever you're free. I can always just skip."
"Skipping just for me?! I'll take it!"
A bright, genuine smile broke across Lily's face. For the rest of the walk, her steps were light, almost rhythmic. It may not have been a big deal for me. But for her—it was everything.
A soft, small chuckle leaked from my throat. Loud enough for me to notice, but not loud enough for anyone else.
What a weird girl…