Chapter 4: Onee-chan, The Imoto
Woohoo! Not too long since the last update! Of this, anyway... Still stuck in the last bit of the chapter of Luckier Star... I will definitely work on that!
Redlerred, I spent about as much time scanning the internet for it. Believe me, I was so super happy at seeing it. And I got another on the Lucky Star Shrine forums! Super excited! Kagami didn't actually buy herself a dress. I probably should have gone into a bit more detail than I did I guess. And I was trying a bit of a new writing style with this, just changing it a little. Glad you're enjoying it!
Z-kun, it's mainly seeing the reviews that make me go on a writing streak, I always get pumped up! It's to the point where I don't even read them until I get close to a computer so that I can immediately start to work like I know I'll want to!
Wings of Reparation, I honestly can't tell which part is more enjoyable, writing the story or getting the reviews. I guess it doesn't matter much since hopefully both will continue to happen!
Redline, glad you liked it! I hope it continues to please!
NoMutant, as much as I'd like to say otherwise, the pace will probably slow down some as the story continues, though I have a lot of ideas for it. Much more immediate ones than the ones I have for Luckier Star too. As for the chapter length, I guess whatever fits the chapter is good. Thanks for pointing out the typos! It's usually around two in the morning when I'm writing and that's not very conducive to good grammar. And I love the long review! You always come up with something I hadn't thought of yet. I may have a tweak a few of the ideas around... Thank you very much and I hope I can keep this up!
Jolly, you didn't mention where that forum post was. I'm just REALLY good at google and the mention of my story getting a recommendation was just too unbelievable to NOT look into. That's actually the only dynasty post I've ever seen...
Crazy, I hope you're still reading! I almost jumped through my ceiling at that part about how the story could turn out. I really hope it's that good.
Wingsofseyfert, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I was super excited to see you reading it, seeing as you're one of the few authors I can remember who has also written Hiiragincest. Of course, if I remember, yours was a bit more... angsty? I haven't read it in a while, so I don't quite remember very well, but it made me happy to see you thought the characters were well written! I always kind of rolled my eyes when they would make fun of Tsukasa in the anime. Yeah, she isn't the smartest, but if you judged a bird by it's a ability to swim, most would perform as well as a fish judged by it's ability to fly. They just didn't show her in the places where she excelled.
DavesRepublic, it's fine! Take all the time you want to review! I liked that it was a nice long one... I'm glad you like it and you actually gave me a few ideas! Man I'm pumped up!
Man, I'm smiling so wide right now. I had to stop typing quite a few times because I was smiling and too excited to continue for a moment. I literally had to stop typing so I could calm down enough. That's what reading reviews does. Plus, I really am enjoying this story.
Kagami opened her eyes and stretched. She rubbed her eyes and got out of bed, getting dressed. Then, she sniffed the air. It smelled like there was something burning... She rushed out of her room and followed her nose, though she wasn't in too much of a hurry since she could tell it was food that was burning. Eggs becoming overcooked and rice becoming gruel, her nose told her. And she knew, as she had acquired the final skill of the Big Sister Tsundere class with a little sister cook. She opened the door to the kitchen to see a large puff of smoke leave the room. Surprisingly, Tsukasa stood at the counter, several pans all with burning food in them. Kagami's jaw almost dropped from how undeniably... wrong this scene looked. There was nothing here that fit. The burning pans didn't fit in front of Tsukasa. Tsukasa didn't even fit out of her room at this time in the morning.
"Tsukasa, are you alright?" Kagami asked. Tsukasa turned around, obviously in pain but trying to put on a brave face.
"I have... to be... the big... sister..." She said. Kagami blinked a few times. Suddenly, she understood.
"Tsukasa, not every big sister is bad at cooking. Just me." Kagami said. Tsukasa breathed out. She spun around and flipped the eggs perfectly with one hand while she just barely stopped the rice from overcooking with the other. She tossed some salt in the air just above the eggs, which she flipped again and salted them all just right. Meanwhile, she took a bottle of ketchup and squirt it into each of the pans of eggs. The puffs of smoke ceased and Kagami realized just how badly Tsukasa was fighting every muscle in her body to save the food. "You don't have to try so hard, ya know Tsu-... Onee-chan." Kagami smiled as Tsukasa jumped. "Onee-chan, I'm gonna go watch some T.V., okay?" Kagami asked. Tsukasa nodded.
"O-Okay I-Imoto..." She mumbled. Kagami smiled as she walked out of the kitchen. She sat down in the living room at the table, across the table from her mother. Miki giggled.
"Imoto, huh?" Miki asked. Kagami smiled.
"Me and Tsukasa decided to switch roles for the day. I think she was wondering what it was like to be a big sister, and I kind of wouldn't mind a day off." Kagami said.
"Now we both know that's not true." Miki said with a sly smile to her daughter. Kagami scratched the back of her head. "You love being a big sister. Even if you tell everyone that it doesn't matter." Miki said. Kagami sighed, shrugged, and held her hands up in defeat.
"I really can't get anything past you, huh Mom?" Kagami asked. Miki shook her head.
"It's all about love." Miki winked.
"Love, huh?" Kagami smiled as she thought.
"Well, it's good to see that you're willing to give up something you love for her." Miki said. Kagami sighed.
"Mom?" Kagami asked.
"Yes Honey?" Miki asked.
"What is it like being a Mom? Is it like being a big sister?" Kagami asked. Miki giggled a bit and seemed to think.
"Well, I'm not really sure, to be honest. I have a lot of siblings, and I'm the oldest of them all, but I never had a twin. They say twin's share a special bond between them, ya know?" Miki said. Kagami sighed.
"So what about just being a normal sister in general?" Kagami asked. Miki looked at her daughter with an inquisitive eye.
"Why do you want to know? You aren't pregnant, are you?" Miki giggled teasingly. Kagami blushed and shook her head.
"No, just curious. Really, you're one of the only people I can think to ask." Kagami said. Miki nodded.
"While I can't speak for the average person, I'd say that the two feelings aren't dissimilar... I guess?" She thought. "My family was a bit... odd though. But if I'd have to guess at the main similarity, it would be that you love that person unconditionally. That you feel you have to protect them from life's misfortunes, even if you know that you can't. Other than that though..." Miki thought out loud. Kagami sat next to her mother and nodded.
"Thanks Mom." Kagami smiled. Miki smiled to her second youngest daughter and nodded.
"Any time, Kagami." She said. Tsukasa pushed the door open and came in with a plate of food in each hand.
"Here On- Imoto!" Tsukasa said, cheerfully correcting herself. Kagami smiled.
"Thanks Onee-chan!" She chimed. Tsukasa put down the omelette down in front of Kagami, who happily took a bite. A jolt ran through her entire being as her signature gourmet skill failed to warn her of the land mine within. "Onee-chan... Did you put bell peppers in here?" Kagami asked Tsukasa. Tsukasa nodded.
"Uh-huh!" She said.
"But... I don't like bell peppers..." Kagami said. "Was this one supposed to be Mom's?" Kagami asked, giving a look at Miki.
"Nope." Miki said, holding her plate so that Kagami could see the partially eaten omelette with rice and peppers in it. Kagami gave an inquisitive look to Tsukasa, seeing as she always made each dish tailored to the taste of the eater. It was especially weird since Tsukasa herself hated green peppers like this. There was no way that Tsukasa could have ever made a mistake when it came to cooking.
"Does yours have it too, Tsukasa?" Kagami asked as Miki finished her omelette. Tsukasa shook her head as she took some toast off her plate.
"We didn't have enough eggs for all of us, so I'm just having toast." Tsukasa said.
"What? But that's not going to be..." She said as Miki shot her a 'You're slipping out of Imoto-mode' look. Kagami blinked and then nodded. "Thanks Onee-chan..." Kagami mumbled.
"Now I want you to eat the whole thing." Tsukasa said, testing out her new stern voice.
"But..." Kagami mumbled. "I don't like bell peppers either..." Kagami said.
"Imoto, you need to eat your vegetables to grow up big and strong!" Tsukasa asserted.
"But Onee-chan~!" Kagami whined, trying to be a good little sister.
"No buts! When you get to be the older sister, you'll understand!" Tsukasa crossed her arms and tried to glare at Kagami. Being not nearly as used to the Older Sister Glare as Kagami, Kagami had to tone down her resistance as Tsukasa's face faltered constantly. Kagami sighed as she took another piece of her omelette and ate it. She forced another piece after that as Tsukasa seemingly studied her.
"I'm done!" Kagami cheered like she knew Tsukasa would, holding out her mostly there omelette.
"Come on Imoto, you have to eat the whole thing." Tsukasa said. "They're really good for you!" Tsukasa said.
"But I don't want 'em!" Kagami complained while Miki giggled at the bizarre scene unfolding in front of her. Kagami was complaining about something she didn't like to Tsukasa. It was so backwards, Miki almost wanted to wake everyone else to see this. Of course, everyone would be too... incapacitated to truly enjoy what was happening. Tsukasa sighed, trying to hide her happiness.
"You're hopeless." She said as she walked over and sat next to Kagami. She picked out a few pepper pieces and ate them herself, wincing and closing one eye as she swallowed them. "There, I ate some! Now you HAVE to eat the rest!" Tsukasa said. Kagami was quite impressed at how far Tsukasa was going for this. She sighed.
"Alright Onee-chan..." She said as she began eating the omelette. It wasn't as bad as she was making it out to be. But she wanted to play the part of the little sister well. And she REALLY didn't like bell peppers. It was one of those things that the twins shared. The two of them heard a loud groan coming from the door, causing the three in the room to look back. Matsuri held her head, her eyes mostly closed as she stumbled over to the table.
"I smelled Imoto's cooking..." Matsuri mumbled.
"Sorry, Onee-chan used all of the breakfast ingredients on these omelettes." Kagami said. Matsuri drearily looked over at Kagami for a moment.
"... Onee-chan...?" She asked, though she seemed rather disinterested in everything at the moment.
"We switched for the day!" Tsukasa said cheerfully. Matsuri gave a pained look at the proud looking Tsukasa.
"... Meh. You're still both Imoto to me..." She mumbled.
"Onee-san, are you hungry? There's some omelette here!" Kagami said, trying to pass her omelette off like a good little sister.
"Sure." Matsuri reached out before Tsukasa stepped in between them.
"Imoto, you have to eat it all! I ate some of it, so you have to too!" Tsukasa protested. Kagami looked down at the omelette.
"Okay..." Kagami pouted. She finished off her omelette.
"Imoto, let's go out today!" Tsukasa said. Kagami looked up at her.
"What do you mean 'go out'?" Kagami asked.
"We should do... something! Like we did yesterday!" Tsukasa said. Matsuri's head dropped down and hit the table.
"... Ouch... Ag..." She mumbled. "If Imoto isn't making food, why would I even get out of bed..." Matsuri complained.
"Then go back to bed." Kagami said. Then, she clammed up. Damn, that such a big sister thing to say. "So what do you wanna do Onee-chan?" Kagami asked. Tsukasa opened her mouth to talk, but then came up with nothing. It was around there she realized she didn't know what she wanted to do. Almost every time the two had hung out together, Kagami had decided what to do.
"Um... What do you want to do Imoto?" Tsukasa asked. Kagami did her best to kick her head to the side cutely and smile.
"I wanna do whatever Onee-chan wants to do!" Kagami tried to chime happily. Honestly, she already had an entire itinerary the two could follow that she knew Tsukasa would enjoy. But, Tsukasa was the older sister. She got to decide what to do.
"Uh..." Tsukasa thought. She wanted to pay for whatever they did since she was the older sister. However, she had what you would call limited finances. "One sec!" She said as she went into the kitchen. Kagami blinked as she waited for her sister to come back. After a few minutes, in which Miki turned back to the television and Matsuri turned a melancholic eye to the empty bottles of sake from last night. Kagami sighed and put her chin on the table to wait for her sister.
Post-Sleep Basking
Konata woke up and stretched. She thought about the heroines she had yet to conquer in the game she had finished the previous night. She had the loli, the book worm, the Imoto and the Tsundere left. She hummed. Who was more her type? She could relate with the loli, but the book worm was beautiful, rich, she had huge... tracts of land. Of course, the Imoto was cute AND a loli, although she didn't really point it out as much as the other loli. And then there was the Tsundere. Konata always had a thing for Tsunderes, she would admit. She shrugged.
"Guess I'll go after the Tsundere next." Konata said. She got out of her bed and got on her computer. "I wonder what the REAL Tsundere is doing." She thought out loud. She half considered calling Kagami to see what the two of them were up to on their day off, but she had promised herself and her dad that she would complete the game today. There was no doubt, her father would be coming to her for answers to the Tsundere and the book worm routes. He could likely handle the loli and Imoto routes, as small girls were generally his type. He had played so many games with those types of heroines, even games with nothing BUT those types of heroines, that his skills nearly rivaled Konata's in the conquering of those females. However, Konata definitely excelled at the Tsundere types. Even with four choices worded only one word differently, she could choose the correct choice of words with a hundred percent precision. Suddenly, the door burst open.
"Hey~! Cousin Yui is here to visit~!" Yui shouted exuberantly. She walked over to Konata and looked over her shoulder at the dating sim. "Ah, playing one of those games that uncle Sojiro plays, huh?" Yui asked.
"Yep. I'm going after the Tsundere this time." Konata said. Yui scratched the back of her head.
"Okay... I don't really get it, but it sounds fun!" Yui said. She indeed played games alongside her cousin, just never these kinds. Konata shrugged.
"It's fun." She said. "This one has feels." Konata said. Yui nodded obliviously as she straightened out. She walked over to the book case full of manga and picked one out. She walked over to Konata's bed and plopped down.
"Pomf." She narrated as she fell down on her belly with the manga open in front of her. She hummed a tune as she read and kicked her feet in the air. She kept reading for a while while Konata played her game. "So don't you have homework or something?" Yui asked, more out in interest of striking up conversation than of any intention of making Konata actually do her homework.
"Come on Yui-nee-san, don't be like that..." Konata sighed. "I'll just go copy off of Kagami later." Konata said.
"What happens if Kagami doesn't do her homework?" Yui asked. Konata giggled.
"Kagami always does her homework. Me and Tsukasa copy her. It's just how it goes." Konata said.
"What about in the bizarro world?" Yui asked.
"Well, if this was the bizarro world, Tsukasa would do her homework and I would copy off of her." Konata said. Yui chuckled.
"If you keep relying on Kagami like that, you're gonna get in trouble." Yui said. Konata shrugged.
"I'd rather play. I've got a backlog so huge, I couldn't even put a dent in it in Goddess of Conquest mode." Konata said.
"Sounds like a mess." Yui said. Konata nodded.
"Yeah, I bit off a bit more than I think I can chew with my requests." Konata said. Yui put up a distracted fist.
"Fight!" She cheered before continuing her manga. A time passed again when the two didn't talk.
"So which manga did you choose?" Konata asked out of curiosity.
"That one about the assassins." Yui said.
"Akame Ga Kill?" Konata asked. Yui nodded, even though Konata was faced away.
"Yeah. It's pretty interesting." Yui said. Konata sighed.
"Yeah, I was pretty surprised that the Anime ended before the manga did." Konata said. Yui hummed.
"I'll have to check it out!" She said cheerfully. Konata smiled. "You always have good suggestions." Yui said.
"I know how to please girls." Konata said. Yui chuckled.
"Of course you do." She said.
An hour later
Tsukasa came back into the room.
"Alright! Ready to go!" Tsukasa said. Kagami picked her head up.
"Onee-chan, I'm bored~!" Kagami whined. She had spent that hour going over plans for what they could do after school the next day, not to mention the things they could do during the day they were going to have, but she'd go with whatever Tsukasa had planned. Even if it wasn't that good, she'd at least pretend to be super happy about it. Even if she were being a little sister today, she was still a big sister at heart.
"Well I have a great day planned!" Tsukasa looked quite proud of herself. Kagami had to smile to her sister looking so happy.
"Alright..." Kagami sighed as she got up.
"I bet you'll like it!" Tsukasa said.
"If it's with you 'Nee-chan, I'm sure I will." Kagami said. Tsukasa looked happy at that.
"Have fun you two." Miki smiled.
"We will Mom!" Tsukasa said cheerfully.
"See ya later Mom!" Kagami said. The two walked out of the room. Miki chuckled.
"Those two are something alright..." She commented.
Outside
Kagami closed the door behind her along with Tsukasa.
"So where are we going Onee-chan?" Kagami asked. Tsukasa giggled excitedly.
"You'll see~!" She chimed.
"HI-RA-GI~!" Misao shouted as she leaped through the air. "It's been so long since I saw you!" She said, latching on to the Tsundere. Kagami sighed, looking quite bored.
"Do you really have to do this every time you see me?" Kagami asked.
"Of course! It's been a long time!" Misao said.
"You saw me yesterday." Kagami said.
"YESTERDAY!" Misao punctuated. "How could you not almost die of loneliness!" Misao said.
"Because I have Onee-chan!" Kagami said, hugging Tsukasa. Tsukasa blushed lightly as she looked almost on cloud nine. Misao stared at Kagami, then at Tsukasa, then back at Kagami.
"... What." She mumbled. "But..." She mumbled. Kagami let go of Tsukasa, who stayed smiling. She walked over to Misao and leaned in.
"Me and Tsukasa switched roles for the day." Kagami told Misao.
"... So you're..." Misao started.
"The little sister today, yes." Kagami said.
"And she's..." Misao tried.
"The big sister." Kagami finished. Misao blinked a few times.
"I... I need to go lie down..." Misao said as she walked into the house.
"Hey! Whose house do you think that is?" Kagami shouted. She then sighed in exhaustion. "Whatever..." Then, realizing she had slipped out of Imoto mode again, she smiled to her sister. "You ready to go Onee-chan?" Kagami asked. Tsukasa blinked and shook her head to snap herself out of it.
"Yeah! You're gonna love it!" Tsukasa grabbed Kagami by the hand and started pulling her. The two of them ran down the street.
"What took so long before Onee-chan?" Kagami asked.
"You'll see On-Imoto!" Tsukasa corrected herself. She was so happy that she very nearly slipped up.
Inside the Hiiragi Home
Miki sat at the table, reading the news paper. Between her housewife duties and her motherly duties, it was so rare that she had opportunities to catch up with the world. She was glad she had suggested drinking the previous night, though she felt a little guilty for it at the same time. It gave her some quiet time in the morning that she hadn't had much of in a while. Tadao may have been a bit hard to convince, but she just needed to remind him of how much fun he had while he was drunk. So, the house quiet from her incapacitated family, she read her paper. It was, thus, quite a surprise when she heard the front door open. She heard footsteps.
"Oh? Are Kagami and Tsukasa still here?" She thought aloud. Misao walked past the open door, headed for a random bedroom. "Ah, Kasukabe." Miki greeted. Misao didn't acknowledge her, however, as she continued down the hall.
"The sister is a lie... The sister is a lie... The sister is a lie..." Misao continously mumbled under her breath as she left earshot. Miki leaned forward a little, as if that would allow her to see down the hall. Then, she giggled a bit under her breath.
"Hm. That was odd." She smiled as she returned to her paper. Misao being a close friend of Kagami's, she wasn't exactly concerned about the brunette's random appearance, nor her coming into her house. It wasn't exactly an isolated incident for the girl to come to their house unannounced, and sometimes without Kagami or Tsukasa there. And so, Miki returned to her paper and her quiet morning.
The Rejoining the Twins
Tsukasa finally stopped pulling Kagami as the two stood outside a building.
"The Onodera Bake Shop..." Kagami read. "Onee-chan, what are we doing here?" Kagami asked. Tsukasa looked quite proud of herself.
"You'll see!" She said as the two entered. Three girls and a boy could be seen running around.
"Welcome!" The girl who seemed to be in the middle in terms of age bowed. Tsukasa waved to her.
"Hello! Hiiragi." She said. The girl suddenly brightened at the name.
"Oh! It's you! Ichijou-kun, this is the girl I was telling you about!" The girl said. "Isn't that great what she's doing for her little sister?" She said. The boy called Ichijou scratched his head.
"Yeah, it kind of reminds me of something you'd do, Onodera." Ichijou said. Onodera blushed heavily.
"Um... H-Here..." She handed Tsukasa a small package, which Tsukasa gratefully accepted. "H-Hope you enjoy it!"
"Thank you so much!" She said. Onodera bowed.
"I hope you come back soon!" She said.
"I definitely will!" Tsukasa said as she grabbed Kagami by the hand and led her out. Kagami looked over her twin's shoulder at the package, but couldn't discern what it was.
"I didn't get to talk much, huh?" Kagami asked. Tsukasa giggled a bit.
"Just let me do the talking!" Tsukasa said as the two continued down the street. Kagami hummed.
"So you told them about everything that's going on?" Kagami asked, starting to understand what had taken Tsukasa so long earlier. Afterall, the situation was a little ridiculous. Tsukasa, however, shook her head.
"Nope! As far as they know, I really am the older sister!" Tsukasa said. Kagami chuckled.
"Well, we can keep up the charade if we ever go back there." Kagami said. Tsukasa looked even more excited.
"Even after today?" Tsukasa asked. Kagami nodded.
"Even after today." Kagami said. Tsukasa almost squeeled in excitement.
"Then we're definitely going back some time!" Tsukasa said. The two reached another establishment. Kagami looked up at the sign.
"Furukawa Bread..." She read.
"Let's go in Imoto!" Tsukasa said, pulling Kagami inside. Inside was a girl sporting two ahoge and another guy.
"Ah! Tomoya-kun! We have visitors!" The girl said. A red haired man poked his head in from the back.
"Hey! Buy something!" He shouted at them.
"Dad~!" The girl turned and tried to deal with the man. The boy came over to them.
"Hey, sorry about all that. What can I get for you?" Tomoya asked.
"Hi! I called earlier, Hiiragi?" Tsukasa said. The man in the back seemed to take notice.
"Huh? Hiiragi? Well why didn't ya say so?" He asked. He walked over to the counter and took a small package and handed it to the young Hiiragi. Tsukasa smiled brightly.
"Thank you so much!" She said.
"Here, I'll give you this too." He held out a large bag.
"Um... We don't really need it..." Tsukasa held out a hand.
"Nonsense! It's our treat!" The man said. Tsukasa chuckled nervously as she took the large bag, but her arm started to hurt from the weight. Kagami, seeing this, walked up and took it from her. Tsukasa shot her an appreciative look.
"Thank you very much!" Tsukasa bowed. Kagami bowed as well in thanks.
"You guys come back now, ya hear?" The man asked. Tsukasa and Kagami smiled as they began to leave.
"We will!" They said. Before they left, they heard the man yell in the back.
"Sanae! Someone just bought all of your bread! They said it was delicious!" The man shouted. Kagami could practically feel the face palm from the boy behind her before they left.
"So there's bread in here." Kagami looked into the bag she now carried. She took one of them out. "Want one Onee-chan?" Kagami asked. Tsukasa happily accepted the bread as Kagami picked out another one. The both of them took a bite. The world stopped at the crunch. A moment passed. Kagami took the bread away from her mouth. "Is there... a rice cracker in here?" She asked.
"It's not so bad!" Tsukasa said. Kagami swallowed.
"... That's too hard to eat. Let's see..." Kagami ruffled through the bag and grabbed one at random. She pulled it out. "... Oh hell no." She said, seeing what looked like raw octopus tentacles coming out of the next bun. Tsukasa giggled.
"You can't be so picky, Imoto! Come on, you should try new things!" Tsukasa said. Kagami stared at Tsukasa.
"Calamari bread isn't exactly something I'm eager to try." She said. Tsukasa gave another stern look, just as she had before.
"Imoto! It's no good if you don't try something new every once in a while! I think you should try it!" Tsukasa crossed her arms and glared at Kagami. Unlike with the pepper omelette, however, this was on an entirely other level of "do not want". Kagami looked down at the octopus tentacles and held it there for a moment. Then, she held it up.
"Wanna share it Onee-chan?" She asked. Tsukasa looked a bit frightened, but also incredibly determined. She walked over, took the bread, and, without thinking, bit into it. She bit down as hard as she could, but she simply couldn't get her teeth through the skin of the octopus. After a minute of struggling against the rubbery, slimy tentacle, she took it from her mouth and gave it back to Kagami.
"You sh-shouldn't be so picky." Tsukasa tried. Kagami could tell Tsukasa was trying to keep a brave face. But trying to eat the "bread" just looked icky. Kagami looked down and sighed. She bit into the bread, but deliberately kept away from the tentacle.
"It's not so bad." Kagami said. Tsukasa nodded shakily before turning away so the two could continue on. Kagami knew that Tsukasa was likely feeling a little disappointed with how she probably thought she failed as an older sister. Kagami, despite the situation, giggled a bit. "I actually kind of like it! You were right, Onee-chan!" Kagami said. "Thanks!" She said. A little white lie never hurt anyone. Tsukasa looked back at Kagami with small tears in her eyes.
"See? I was right!" Tsukasa cheered for herself in her head. "You have to try new things!" Tsukasa took her twin's patent pending lecture pose, a hand on her hip, leaned forwards and her other hand pointing at Kagami. The Tsundere had to admit, it was kind of cute.
"I'm sorry Onee-chan." Kagami apologized as she took another bite. It was taking quite a lot of her self-control to not flinch from getting some of the octopus juice in that bite, but to see Tsukasa hopping a bit in happiness at being right, it was well worth it.
"It's okay, just so that you know for the future." Tsukasa said. She couldn't believe that she had just successfully lectured Kagami. Kagami of all people! She was right about something that Kagami was wrong about outside of cooking. She couldn't recall but a handful of times that had ever happened and Tsukasa was ecstatic. "Okay, so next!" Tsukasa grabbed Kagami's hand and pulled. Kagami smiled and followed her sister.
The Room of a Meganekko
Miyuki sighed as she laid on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. She tried her best to think of some way that she could help Minami. She sighed as she put her head hard to work. Any situation that she could somehow put the two in that might help them get closer. There was a new amusement park that had just opened up recently. Perhaps she could get them a couple of tickets there? She shook her head. If it was something that could just be bought, Minami's family had more than enough money. Of course, it wasn't like her to buy something like that for herself and Yutaka, so Miyuki could say she won them in a contest or something and wanted Minami to have them. That may lead to a natural conclusion that her and Yutaka can go together. Wasn't there some contest or something they were doing? Miyuki couldn't remember, surprisingly. She just decided to buy the tickets and give them to Minami under the pretense that she simply had extras. She descended the stairs, passing the living room on her way.
"Mother, I'm going out for a bit." Miyuki said.
"Bring back pie~!" Yukari chimed. Miyuki had to smile a little bit. She left the house and set out for the amusement park to buy two tickets. And then to the market. To buy pie.
Rejoining the Sisters
Tsukasa and Kagami walked through the same park as the one the previous day. This time, however, they sat on a bench with their loot. They had visited four more bakeries after the first two and each of them had had packages for Tsukasa at the mention of her name. Kagami was genuinely curious about what Tsukasa had done, but every time she had asked, she had gotten a 'You'll see~!' and been brushed off. Tsukasa set out the six different packages.
"Ready Imoto?" Tsukasa asked.
"Ready." Kagami nodded. Tsukasa opened each package to reveal a bun each that Kagami had never seen before. "Onee-chan, what is this?" Kagami asked.
"They're new! I thought we could try each and choose which is the best!" Tsukasa said cheerfully. Due to how little money she had compared to her sister, she didn't have a lot of options, so she had called each place ahead of time, explained that she wanted to give her little sister an amazing day, and asked if they would give a free sample of their product. Luckily, each place had a girl that thought it was very exciting and the bosses of the bakeries agreed since, if the two liked it, it would be likely that they would come back for more. It was a win-win situation for everyone involved. Kagami sat there stunned for a moment at how smart her sister actually was.
"... Tsukasa, this is one of the best ideas anyone could have ever had in the history of ever." Kagami said. "I take back part of what I said yesterday. You really are smart smart." Kagami said. Tsukasa blushed lightly at the praise, her being extremely happy at her sister praising her idea. There it was. That happiness from yesterday again. It was still different from if anyone else had praised her. At least, she thought it was. Kagami sighed. "I'm not gonna lie Onee-chan, I made plans for today that I thought we would enjoy if I had planned this day out instead of you." Kagami said. Tsukasa shrunk a bit, though she understood as Kagami was just so used to being the big sister. "But this idea is way better. We get to eat this idea!" Kagami said excitedly. Tsukasa giggled a bit.
"Well, you ate your peppers this morning, so you deserve a treat, ya know?" Tsukasa asked. Kagami nodded.
"Thank you for the food!" She said as she took one of the buns. She tore it in half so that Tsukasa could have half. She bit into it and marveled. It was quite a rare thing that she find a sweet that she had never eaten, let alone never heard of. She practically moaned at the new taste. "This is really good..." She mumbled as she exhaled. It was amazing and there were five different ones left to try. Tsukasa was pretty smart. Tsukasa took a bite of her half. "Cream cheese and... cinnamon, right?" Kagami asked her kitchenmancer sister. Tsukasa nodded.
"That's right Imoto." Tsukasa said.
"Not two foods that typically join up." Kagami smiled. She split another in half and took a bite. A brief moment of ecstasy passed as she sighed. Tsukasa was really smart. "Oh my..." She mumbled. "Tsu- Onee-chan, this is awesome." She said. She was amazed she had never thought of this. "I don't even know what this is, but it's awesome." Kagami said. Tsukasa giggled.
"I'm glad you like it." She said. Kagami devoured the rest of it before picking up another one and biting into it, forgetting to tear it in half, she was so excited. She jolted.
"... There's crab in here..." She mumbled.
"Is it not good?" Tsukasa asked.
"There's cinnamon and cookie dough in here too..." She mumbled. Tsukasa cringed at the abomination that must have come from Furukawa Bread.
"You don't have to eat it Imoto." Tsukasa said. Kagami felt bad about not eating it since they had gone to the trouble of getting it and Tsukasa had obviously gone to the trouble of setting it up. Kagami took another bite and shivered.
"I don't wanna waste it." Kagami said. For all she knew, Tsukasa had spent good money on it.
"Imoto, can I have a bite?" Tsukasa asked. Kagami looked at the bun.
"You heard the ingredients, right?" Kagami asked. Tsukasa nodded.
"Yeah." She answered.
"You can see it." Kagami turned it so that Tsukasa could indeed see the ingredients as if her kitchen skills hadn't already told her. Tsukasa nodded again.
"Can I have it?" Tsukasa held her hand out. Kagami sighed and nodded. She handed the bun to Tsukasa, who proceeded to get up and throw it away. Tsukasa came back and looked at Kagami. "I guess we can put that one is last place?" Tsukasa asked. Kagami nodded again.
"Yeah. That was awful." She said. She picked up another and, her earlier high of new sweets dulled a bit, remembered to tear it in half. She took a bite and hummed. Tsukasa was super smart. "This one is much better." Kagami said. Tsukasa smiled.
"I'm glad." She said. Kagami finished her half of the bun and patted her stomach.
"This was such a great idea..." She said. Tsukasa fidgeted. She didn't even need her half of the buns, the happiness from Kagami constantly complimenting her could sustain her forever. Kagami reached for the fifth bun, almost shaking in anticipation of what new flavors awaited her. She tore it in half and took a bite. Tsukasa was really, really super smart. "What... What even is this?" Kagami wondered at the sweet taste in her mouth.
"It's a Lotus Seed Bun. They're pretty rare." Tsukasa beamed with pride at her ability to find one. Kagami practically melted in her seat.
"Choosing a favorite is gonna suck~." She said. Tsukasa giggled.
"It's part of the game though!" Tsukasa said. Kagami nodded.
"Alright..." She said as she finished her bun. "One more left." She said, groping the air almost perversely. New sweets was like new galge games for Konata and Kagami SERIOUSLY couldn't believe that she just compared herself to Konata. She picked up the last one and sighed. She didn't want it to end. Experiencing one new sweet was like heaven and for her to have five? That was just plain unbelievable. If she never ate this one, it would never end. But if she didn't eat this one, she would never know what it tasted like. What if it was way better than the other ones? What if it was awful? So much potential hidden inside this bread... She shook her head and made up her mind, tearing the bread in half. She took a bite and immediately ascended to heaven. Tsukasa was a god damn genius. "How have I never had this?" Kagami asked.
"It's kinda rare." Tsukasa said.
"What is this in it?" Kagami asked. Tsukasa took a bite.
"Tastes like... Almond paste... Whipped Cream... Milk... and... Cardamom?" Tsukasa guessed.
"I don't know what that last thing is, but I think this is my favorite." Kagami said.
"Yay!" Tsukasa cheered. "Was it worth all the walking around Imoto?" Tsukasa asked. Kagami nodded.
"Oh dear god yes." She said. "If I had known this was what was in those packages, I would have torn into them as soon as we got them." Kagami said.
"That's why you had to wait~!" Tsukasa chimed. Kagami sighed and smiled.
"That was awesome." Kagami said. The two of them sat on the bench, both basking in something or another. Kagami in the afterglow of her new sweets and Tsukasa in all of the praise she had gotten. It was new and strange and Tsukasa really loved it. She would have to ask if she could be the big sister more. For a while, the two just watched everybody walk by. There were all types of people, but Tsukasa seemed to notice all the same types of people.
"Don't they look happy?" Tsukasa asked.
"Who are you talking about, Onee-chan?" Kagami asked, still savoring.
"All of those happy couples." Tsukasa said. "I wish I could find someone like that." Tsukasa said. Kagami smiled and put a shoulder on her sister's shoulder.
"You will, Tsukasa." She said. "Look..." She sighed. "I'm gonna have to break the roles here for a moment. I just wanted you to know that love isn't always all happy and stuff." Kagami said.
"I know Onee-chan..." Tsukasa said, finding that while calling Kagami 'Imoto' was pleasant, calling her Onee-chan felt much more natural.
"It's just... When it does happen, it might not end perfectly." Kagami said. Tsukasa's bow drooped as she looked down.
"Yeah... I know..." She said.
"But just remember, no matter what happens, I'll always be there for you." Kagami said. Tsukasa felt warm inside hearing Kagami say that. She leaned over and put her head on Kagami's shoulder.
"Thanks Onee-chan..." Tsukasa said. Kagami sighed.
Even if the whole world turns against you, I'll be there... Kagami thought to herself.
"I love you Onee-chan." Tsukasa said. Kagami smiled as her heart warmed as well.
"I love you too Tsukasa." Kagami said. The two stayed there for several minutes while all of the warm and fuzzy feelings passed. After a few minutes, Tsukasa sighed and got up.
"You ready for the next activity Imoto?" She asked, sliding right back in to Big Sister Mode. Kagami nodded excitedly.
"There's more?" She asked as her eyes twinkled. "Count me in, Onee-chan!" She cheered as she got up. Tsukasa started jogging as Kagami followed her big sister.
After Section
Gotta admit, when I wrote the last chapter I had a nice part for Misao. However, by the time I got to her in this one, I had completely forgotten about it. I'm sure I'll remember in time.
I'm enjoying writing this story. I can't wait to start on the next chapter. It's around half past two in the morning here though, so I'd better sign off. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!