A few days had already passed since the marathon. The classes were over, and the guys and I were hanging out in the club room, as usual. We were sitting on the couches, and the two dudes were leaning towards the coffee table, eyeing the thing on top of it. Their reaction caused me to sheepishly look elsewhere.

"…Where the hell did you get these?" Ichiro finally asked after a long-lasting silence.

I scratched my cheek, looking at the coffee table from the corner of my eye. "My former employer gave them to me."

Tadaaki frowned a bit, puzzled. "Pretty weird thing to give to a part-time employee."

I guess their reaction was justified. After all, on top of the coffee table was a box – full of sweets, cakes and pastries of different kinds. All of them looked fancy, too fancy to just 'give away' to a former summer employee. But it was the truth. Well, almost. I woke up very early today, and since I couldn't get back to sleep, I decided to head off to school early and make myself some fancy coffee to keep me awake. On my way there, I happened to bump into Tsumugi, also on her way to school. After some casual chit-chat, she handed me over that box of sweets as a gift. Though it was a confusing situation, I accepted it, and took it to the club room, storing it in the back of the fridge. And now that the classes were over, I thought it'd be a good time to open that box. The contents took us all by surprise.

Ichiro took one of the pastries, inspecting it from all sides. "Shit, this is the kind of stuff they feed to the royalty."

Not wanting to explain the situation any further, I stood up, and walked over to the kitchen area. "Well don't eat them, then."

"H-Huh? No, it's not that, I'm just surprised, that's all!" he stuttered in a haste, and after admiring the pastry for a bit more, he took a bite out of it. "…Damn, this is good."

"Hm, that strawberry one with chocolate stripes looks tasty…" Tadaaki muttered to himself.

I sighed amusedly, opening a cabinet and looking at our collection of coffee beans. "At least wait until I'm done with the coffee, you fat fucks. I bet they'll be even better with some."

Let's see, now… Water Avenue is always nice, but it has kinda lost its freshness. Java Pura maybe? Though, I'm not sure how the flavors would combine. How about Tanzanian Peaberry with its sweetness…? Hm, so much to choose from, but nothing to choose… Maybe I should ask the guys from their opini—

My thought process was cut off when my phone began vibrating, meaning someone was calling me. I dug out my phone, checking the caller. To my surprise, it was Yui. Huh, can't remember the last time she called me. What's this about, now?

"Yo, Tadaaki. Can you take care of the coffee?" I asked him, showing him my vibrating phone.

He seemed to understand it. "Ah, sure."

We walked past each other as he headed to the kitchen area, while I went outside the club room, to the hallway. Before closing the door, I glanced at Ichiro, who was too busy munching on the pastry to care. Well, not that he should care, since he already knows about Ui and the others. But he has a bad habit of eavesdropping on phone calls. I answered the call.

"What's u—"

"Why, Eiji-kun!?" Yui yelled, cutting me off.

I had to retract the phone from my ear to protect my hearing. "What? What are you talking abo—?"

"Why did you take our snacks!?" she cried out, her voice being a mixture of shock and sorrow.

A bit confused, I scratched the back of my head. "What the hell are you talking about? Tsumugi-san gave those to me."

My explanation wasn't enough for Yui, who continued on with her whining. "Well you shouldn't have taken them! Now we have nothing but some old cookies from the cupboard!"

Dumbstruck, and maybe a bit amused, I was trying to come up with something to say, when another sorrowful voice could be heard from the phone: "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for Mugi-chan's snacks!" That… sounded like Sawako.

A drop of cold sweat was running down my brow as I was trying to decide between hanging up or teasing with them

"That's enough, you two!" a faint yell could be heard, after which it sounded like the phone was taken from Yui. That was Mio. "Sorry for the disturbance," she said, ending the call right after.

…

I was staring at my phone, speechless. Yui's not one to hold a grudge, but still, I don't think I should visit the Hirasawa residence for the rest of the week, just in case. Or maybe I could give her a cake as an apology, though I'm not sure what I should apologize for… Still, it was pretty weird for Tsumugi to give me the sweets and snacks she was going to share with her club. Well, it was her decision, so I'm not going to complain about it. Which reminds me, I hope neither of those knuckleheads have touched that caramel cupcake.

"Ah, Sugimoto-san?"

Taken by surprise, I turned around, finding Hironaka walking down the hallway.

I waved my hand for a greeting. "Oh, hi. Got any news?"

"Actually, yes, that's why I came here," she nodded.

…Wait, she's not kidding, is she? It took me some seconds to process the situation, until I laughed out of excitement, and opened the club room's door, nearly kicking it down.

"Guys, we got freshies!" I yelled to my friends, who turned to look at me in confusion.

"No, no, no, no," Hironaka said in a quick succession, shaking her head and waving her hands in a slight panic. "T-That's not what I meant, listen to me first!"

The guys stopped what they were doing, and walked over to the door, curious about what Hironaka had to say.

"First off, yes, I heard about a group of freshmen who might be interested in joining your club," she said.

The guys and I looked at each other, all smiling like a bunch of jackasses.

"…But!" Hironaka yelled in a sudden.

Of course there's a 'but'.

"I told them I would check on the club room before bringing them here," she continued, and turned to look inside the club room with a frown. "Seems like I was right to do so."

Tadaaki raised his eyebrow. "Huh? What's wrong with it?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong!?" she snapped, taking us by surprise.

She walked a few steps inside the room, and pointed her hand towards one of the couches. "Can't you see what's wrong?"

We looked at each other, waiting for one of us to answer, which clearly wasn't going to happen. It only made Hironaka angrier.

She crouched a bit, pointing under the couch. "What's this big pile of dust!?"

…Oh.

With a frustrated sigh, Hironaka stood up, looking around a bit closer, frowning all the way. "And what about that rug? Have you ever dusted it?"

…Huh.

"Have you ever cleaned the couches?"

…Hm.

"And why in the world is there a big, dark splatter on that wall!?"

…Yup, that's about enough of that.

I'm not sure what she was about to point out next, since I walked forward and cut her off. "Alright, alright, we get it. The room needs cleaning, consider it done."

That didn't help at all with her fury. "No, I won't consider it done! Not if I'm not present! I've known you three since junior high, and I don't exactly trust you to handle the task on your own".

Ichiro scratched his ear, puzzled. "…Uh, you mean, you're gonna supervise our cleaning?"

"Yes, exactly," she nodded, after which she dug out her phone to check the time. "…But not right now, I need to attend the student council meeting."

Phew, gives us some time to relax…

"Actually, I'll be pretty busy for the rest of the month. A tournament is coming up, so I need to spend as much time with the Athletics Club as possible to help the freshmen," she explained, sighing a bit.

"Wait, so… You mean, we won't be cleaning until next month?" Tadaaki asked.

I thought about it, realizing something: "Meaning, the freshmen won't be coming here before that?"

Hironaka's anger was gone, replaced by a slight nervousness. "…Well, yes," she nodded.

As the guys and I sighed out of sorrow in a chorus, she flinched a bit. "D-Don't be like that, it's not like the freshmen will go away, they'll be waiting."

The following seconds were silent, until Ichiro clicked his tongue. "Ugh, guess she's right."

"Yeah. Besides, we can use the time to come up with something to reel them in or something," Tadaaki muttered, glancing elsewhere thoughtfully.

Eh, guess it's my turn to agree on this: "…Sure. At least we have something, which is more than we could've ever hoped to get by ourselves."

Hironaka nodded, a slight smile appearing on her face. "Great, thanks for understanding. I… I just want to be sure the freshmen will feel comfortable around here."

"Yeah, I can see what you mean…" I muttered, looking at the room.

Now that you think about it, it sure is dirty. Maybe we've just gotten used to it, so we haven't really noticed it before. Well, we're gonna be leaving this place next spring, so cleaning isn't a bad idea.

"Alright, then. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Hironaka said, heading to the door to make her leave.

All of a sudden, Tadaaki snapped his fingers, and Hironaka stopped. "Hold on just a second."

He then walked over to the coffee table, picking up the box of sweets, and returning to us. He showed the contents of the box to Hironaka.

"Pick one, as a reward," he offered.

She seemed as surprised as Ichiro and I. "O-Oh? Uh, sure…"

After a few seconds of pondering, she decided to pick a soft jelly biscuit. She then gave a small bow for thanks, and with a wave for goodbye, finally left the club room. I could hear her skipping the stairs up as I closed the door, after which I turned to look at Tadaaki, who was setting the box down back on the coffee table. I couldn't help but smirk.

"Real smooth, man."

"Had to express our gratitude somehow," she said with a snort, heading to the kitchen area to resume the coffee making. "Besides, she was quite mad about this room's condition. Hopefully that'll calm her down."

"Not sure if a biscuit will do the trick…" I muttered, crashing on the couch.

"I wouldn't rule it out, these are pretty damn good," Ichiro noted, popping another pastry into his mouth.

I was about to tell him to cut the snacking off, but then decided to just let it be. Instead, I thought about it a bit, and leaned over to pick the caramel cupcake I was eyeing earlier. I took a bite, and my eyes widened a bit.

"…Hm, you're right."

A week went by. As a precaution, I decided it was for the best to not visit the Hirasawa residence during that time, just in case Yui was still mad about the sweets. Of course, I told Ui about it on the phone, just so she wouldn't have to worry. She seemed to understand the situation, a bit of amusement in her voice. And now that a week had passed, I decided to visit the Hirasawa residence again. But, just in case, I stopped by the grocery store to buy a bag of Yui's favorite strawberry-chocolate candies. If she's still mad, these will surely calm her down. It was already dark by the time I got to the Hirasawa residence. Regardless, Ui still welcomed me inside. I wonder if she'd do that if I dropped by in the middle of the night?

"It's a bit too late for tea, so I prepared some juice and fruits instead," she explained as we walked up the stairs.

Gal, you could prepare me a glass of tap water and I still wouldn't complain.

"Sounds good," I said.

We got to the living room, spotting a plate full of sliced fruit on the coffee table, and glasses of juice, just as she said. I also found Yui, lazing around on the couch. No, actually… She wasn't lazing around as usual, but seemed to be in deep thought. Well, that's something you don't see every day.

"Yo," I greeted her to get her attention.

She finally noticed my presence. "Oh, Eiji-kun. Hello." And right after that, she fell into deep thought once again.

Ui noticed my confusion, so she explained: "Sis and her friends decided to each write some new lyrics."

"Yup, because we can't use the club room for a while," Yui added, staring at the ceiling while laying on her back.

"Oh, that sucks…" I muttered, walking to the coffee table and taking a seat at my usual spot. "Any progress with the lyrics?"

She reached over the armrest to pick something up from the floor. "Ah, actually, yes, I've already have something done." Wait, you do?

She handed me a sheet of paper. I leaned in to take it, examining it. The first thing that caught my eye was the title: Rice as a Side Dish. I'm… not really sure how to react to that. And the lyrics themselves, well, were about food. Food that goes well with rice, that is. Ramen, udon, yakisoba, takoyaki… And the chorus simply went 'One, two, three, four, rice!'

"Well, what do you think?" Yui asked, picking a piece of fruit from the plate.

Ui leaned a bit closer, that same old shine in her eyes whenever she's praising her sister. "They're really imaginative, right?"

I opened my mouth to voice my opinion, but accidentally burst into laughter, which was something I was trying to hold back. The girls looked at each other, confused. I managed to calm down relatively quickly, though still chuckling quietly.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just… This is really fitting for you, Yui-san," I explained with an amused sigh. "Imaginative? Sure, to say the least."

Yui cocked her head, puzzled. "Uh, so…?"

Ah, I guess she wants me to tell my opinion about the lyrics. I once again turned to look at the paper, still smiling like some idiot.

"…So, the lyrics themselves? They're actually kinda good," I said, setting the paper down on the coffee table. "I like unique lyrics, as long as they fit the song. With the right composition, I bet those lyrics will sound great."

"O-Oh, is that so…?" she muttered, glancing elsewhere sheepishly, but still seemingly glad.

With an amused snort, I grabbed myself a glass of juice, and popped one of the fruit slices into my mouth. Sweet and refreshing.

"Ui and I are actually trying to come up with new lyrics," Yui told me. "We're going to spend the night working on them."

We? Wasn't this thing between you and your club? Or, well, I guess I should've expected this.

Ui seemed to think about something, until she turned to look at me. "Eiji-kun, you're a great singer. Maybe you could help us?"

I sipped my juice, and swirled the glass gently. "It doesn't work that way, you know… Just because I'm great with words, doesn't mean that I know how to come up with them."

"A-Ah, I see," she muttered, probably thinking how silly her question was.

…Well, it's not like I have anything better to do. "…but, I guess I can be a beta reader of some sort. I'm not an expert, mind, but I've listened to a lot of music in my life, so I know a good set of lyrics when I see one."

"Oh, well, in that case!" Ui said excitedly, but soon realized something. "…But, I wouldn't want to keep you here that long. It would be bad if you'd feel tired in school tomorrow."

While she was talking, I picked up another slice of fruit, fiddling with it. "Nah, don't worry about it. Tomorrow's morning classes include chemistry, anyway. I'd rather stay home sleeping than attend that."

"Eiji-kun…" Ui muttered, frowning.

…

I snapped my fingers. "Alright, how about this: I'll stay here for an hour, then I'll head home, and you can text me the lyrics when you're done with them. Okay?"

I really, really wasn't looking for another lecture, so I came up with a compromise. It seemed to do the trick, since Ui was smiling once again.

"Okay, that'll work," she nodded.

Phew, crisis averted… Oh, I almost forgot about something. I put my hand into my hoodie's pocket, making sure the thing was still there.

"Yo, Yui-san," I called the goofy girl lying on the couch. "You're probably going to need energy with the lyrics. Here."

From my pocket, I dug out the bag of strawberry-chocolate candies, tossing it over to her. She managed to catch it, and as she realized what it was, her eyes sparkled out of astonishment. She held the bag close to her chest, and cocked her head with the sweetest smile.

"Thank you, Eiji-kun!"

I couldn't help but answer the smile. "Yeah, don't mention it."

Ui, who was observing the situation, was also smiling warmly. These two, they're really something else. They always manage to make you feel warm and happy. That's exactly why I love coming here.

As planned, we spent the next hour working on the lyrics, which actually came out pretty good, thanks to Ui. I headed home after an hour had passed, but unlike what I said to Ui, I stayed up late, hitting the hay at a bit past midnight, and sleeping until 10am. Sorry, gal, but no way I'm testing my nerves with that chemistry teaching fucknut.

Hours passed, and the classes were soon over. As usual, the guys and I spent an hour in the club room, drinking coffee, listening to music and just generally hanging out. Tadaaki and Ichiro had both got some money, so we decided to head off to downtown to hang out a bit more. More time passed as we roamed around the shopping district, spending our money on junk food and arcades. A few years ago, we would've probably gone to the side alleys, looking for a fight, but not anymore. I've fought just about enough in my life, and I bet the guys were thinking the same. Maybe it's for the best. No, it's definitely for the best.

As afternoon turned into evening, the sky changed its color from orange to darker shades of purple. Man, it's sure been a while since the last time the guys and I spent the entire day hanging out outside. We were squatting down in a darkened alley, drinking sodas, and talking about whatever came to mind. Ichiro finished his drink first, throwing the can to the side, and getting up, stretching his neck.

"I think I'll call it quits today, I didn't get much sleep last night," he muttered, groaning.

Tadaaki shrugged. "Well, I thought we could stop by that game store, but you do you, I guess."

"Yeah, I'll pass," Ichiro said, and turned his gaze to the side, muttering: "…Besides, that dickhead's become edgy. He won't give me a break if I come home late."

He's obviously talking about his father.

I raised an eyebrow. "Hm? Doesn't he usually just not care?"

Ichiro sighed, throwing his school bag over his shoulder. "That's how it used to be, but it changed recently. There's apparently some juvenile gang or something, causing trouble around the town, and that fuckface thinks I'm related to that somehow…"

"Geez, good luck with that…" I muttered, sipping my drink.

"Well, see ya tomorrow," he bid us goodbye, disappearing around the corner, the sound of his footsteps soon drowning in the noises of the shopping district.

We kept looking at the main street for a while, until Tadaaki gulped the rest of his drink down, letting out a satisfied sigh, and standing up. "What about you? You with me?"

"To the game store? Sure, why not. Maybe I'll find something good," I said, drinking the rest of my drink, and tossing the can aside.

With a nod, Tadaaki picked up his bag, and pointed his hand to the left. "Cool. We can cut through here to get there faster…"

However, his voice died down as he noticed something. Actually, I noticed it too. It was my vibrating phone, which I dug out of my pocket.

Tadaaki crossed his arms with a slight smile. "Hirasawa gal, perhaps?"

I clicked my tongue unamusedly. "Almost. It's her sister."

It sure was Yui who was calling me. Is it about the lyrics again? Oh well, better answer.

"What's up?"

"Eiji-kun…" Yui muttered, sounding rather worried.

I showed Tadaaki my confused expression, and turned back to the phone. "Huh? What's going on?"

"…Come quick, I… I don't know what to do…"

She… She sounded really worried. Worried and scared. Her voice was almost shaking.

"What? What happened?" I asked her, also getting rather worried.

"I-It's Ui, she… I…" Yui muttered, paused for some seconds, and continued: "…Please, help me."

…

Something snapped in my head.

"H-Hold on, I'm nearby, I'll come there quick!" I told her, almost panicking, and ended the call.

Tadaaki, of course, noticed that something was wrong, so he stepped closer. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure. She… She sounded really worried about something. Something related to Ui-san, and she told me to come quickly and help, and…" I stuttered, making vague movements with my hands as I explained.

Tadaaki cut me off by placing his hand on my shoulder, looking rather serious. "Alright, dude. Calm down, breathe."

"Yeah, breathe… Shit, it just… caught me off guard…" I muttered, taking many heavy breaths just as instructed, trying my best to get a grip.

"They live just a kilometer or two away, right?" Tadaaki asked, and crouched down to pick up my bag, tossing it over to me. "Let's get going."

…Not sure why, but something about his level-headedness helped me to calm down a bit.

I nodded determinedly. "Alright."

And so we left the side alley, making our way through the darkened, but lively, shopping district at a swift pace, almost running, dodging cars and pedestrians. Just keep calm… It's just Yui being Yui, it's probably nothing serious… I fucking hope it's nothing serious.

Approximately ten minutes later we arrived at the Hirasawa residence. Not wanting to waste any time, I tried my luck with the front door, which was unlocked. Fuck the manners, they're nothing but trivial right now. As we stepped into the foyer and were kicking off our shoes, I noticed many pairs of shoes on the foyer floor. Wait, so we're not the only ones here? Ugh, whatever, I don't have time to think about that. Second later, we rushed up the stairs, finally getting to the living room.

"What the hell's going on!?" I asked the moment I turned around the corner.

I was met with a group of girls, all looking at me, all equally confused. It was Yui and her club. Tadaaki got upstairs a second later, and we all just stood there, staring at each other in confusion for some seconds. Well, at least until Yui spoke, being as worried as on the phone.

"Ui… Ui caught a cold…"

…

"…A cold?" Tadaaki repeated after her, not sure what to feel about all this.

I processed the situation, until I sighed, scratching my head. "Man, you should've told that on the phone. I thought there was something far more serious going on…"

"…Ah, E-Eiji-kun…"

Taken by surprise, I directed my gaze towards the kitchen. It was Ui, standing there, and holding a tray full of drinks… No, she wasn't standing. She was trembling, and sweaty. Shit, she sure has a cold, alright.

"A-And, Tadaaki-san? Welcome. W-Would you like some tea?" she asked with her tired voice.

Trying to tend to her guests, even though she's clearly sick…? This gal really needs to get her priorities checked. Shit, guess I need to do something.

I dropped my bag on the floor, walking forward, past the other girls. "No, no one needs any tea right now."

"O-Oh…?" Ui muttered.

As I got to her, I very carefully took the tray off her hands, and set it down on the coffee table. "But you? You sure as hell need some rest."

She was still holding her hands in front of her, only now realizing the missing tray. "A-Ah, yes… I'm, sorry…"

"Don't apologize," I muttered, placing my hands gently on her shoulders, and turning her towards the stairs. "Come on then, up the stairs. Now."

"O-Okay…" she murmured, slowly making her way to the stairs, and carefully starting to mosey up them.

I walked next to her, keeping the same pace as her, holding my hands on her shoulder as to direct her, and also as a support in case she'd trip. She was breathing heavily and tiredly, and I could feel the heat radiating from her. The walk upstairs took many seconds longer than normally, but she managed to do it. Next, I directed Ui to her bedroom, walking her to the bed, gently making her sit down on it.

"Under the sheets, come on," I instructed her, keeping my voice calm, and my expression neutral.

Slowly but surely, Ui laid down on the bed, pulling the blanket over her. I nodded, but soon noticed something.

"Ah, guess that ponytail needs to be untied. Turn your head the other way," I instructed her, and she did just that.

As I untied the yellow string out of her hair, I could hear Ui muttering: "…Sorry for all the trouble, Eiji-kun…"

"What did I just say? Don't apologize," I said to her, setting the yellow string aside, and taking a step backwards. "…Now, you'll probably need a cold rag on the forehead or something."

"Ah, yes…" she said, and tried to sit up, but I quickly but gently pushed her back down.

I crossed my arms with a sigh. "…Alright, two rules: No apologizing, and no getting up. I'll handle it."

"Oh…" she muttered, looking a bit embarrassed. "There's buckets and towels in the bathroom cabinet."

"Got it," I nodded, walking out of the room. "I'll be right back," I said before closing the door.

I leaned against the doorframe, keeping my head low, and sighed. I still haven't fully calmed down, but I managed to keep myself in order, so good for me, I guess. I directed my gaze towards the bathroom door, and was just about to head there, until I heard Tadaaki talking downstairs.

"Ah, so you guys went to Yukinokawa, too? No wonder you looked a bit familiar."

Oh, right. I had completely forgotten about bringing him along. Being a socially talented person, it's no wonder he'd struck a conversation in no time.

"Yes, it's surprising to meet like this," I could hear Mio answering.

It was followed by Ritsu's question: "Wasn't there a third one, too?"

"Ah, you mean Ichiro? Yeah, he's still with us," Tadaaki confirmed.

"Yeah, that's the one. Didn't he try hitting on you once, Mio?" Ritsu asked amusedly.

…Wait, he did?

"…Wait, he did?" Tadaaki muttered.

I could hear Mio chuckling nervously. "I-I don't remember much of those times."

…This was getting rather interesting, so I sneaked closer to the stairs to hear better. Guess it was a bit hypocritical of me, not liking to be eavesdropped, but still doing it.

Tadaaki snickered, and judging from his shadow, he was probably leaning against the wall, right next to the stairs. "Yeah, but guess there's no need to. A lot has changed since then."

He paused for some seconds, and then continued: "…especially that guy up there."

"Yes. Eiji-san sure has changed. When we first met him after junior high, he was like a completely different person," Mio said.

"Yup, it sure felt like that to us, too," Tadaaki said, and elaborated: "Just a month into high school, and he quits smoking, reduces drinking, doesn't care to pick fights… A complete 180."

A few surprised murmurs could be heard, until Yui asked: "…Eiji-kun used to do things like that?"

"Sure did, but not anymore," Tadaaki muttered. "…I bet he'd feed me my ass on a platter if he'd hear me tell you this, but… I think it's because of your sister."

…You just went there, did you?

"B-Because of Ui?" Yui asked.

"That's right. All of a sudden he has something else to do, somewhere else to go. And at the same time, he cleans up his act. And when I found out about the Hirasawa gal, well… It wasn't too hard to connect the dots," he explained.

"Yes, we have noticed how close those two are," Tsumugi said.

"It's kinda strange, though, since they seem so different from each other," Azusa noted.

Tadaaki snickered quietly, and sighed out of amusement. "Yeah, well, I guess they have their reasons. Even though they might not realize it themselves…"

He's not implying about…? No, he's not saying it outright. I trusted him with that information, and he always keeps his promise, though sometimes something might slip out. Guess I can let it be, for now.

It was quiet for some seconds, until Tsumugi suggested: "Should we go check on them?"

I took that as a sign to back off. Quickly but quietly, I made my way to the bathroom, checking the cabinet. Sure enough, there was a shallow bucket there, which I placed in the sink, filling it with cold water. I also found a towel, the kind that's designed to be placed on the forehead. Huh, can't say I've ever seen one before. As I was wondering about the piece of cloth, I could hear the others walking the stairs up, soon emerging to the hallway.

"Is everything alright in here?" Mio asked.

I quickly turned to look at her, pretending to be caught off guard. "O-Oh, uh, yeah. Ui-san's in the bed."

A slight smile appeared on Mio's face. "Good job."

I wasn't sure what to say, so I just nodded for an answer, turning to look at the bucket as it filled with water.

"Ah, I'll go get some drinking water," Azusa said, disappearing back downstairs.

"Yui, could you get the thermometer, please?" Tsumugi asked.

I watched the girls getting to work for a bit, until I turned back to look at the bucket, which was already full, and was starting to spill over the edges. I turned off the faucet, getting rid of some of the water, and then carried the bucket over to Ui's room. I let the girls do the rest, and just stayed back, observing the situation. According to the thermometer, her fever wasn't that high, luckily. The girls said that they'd be heading home, so that Ui could rest without any ruckus. This shocked Yui, who wasn't sure if she'd be able to take care of her by herself.

As we all got down to the living room, I made my decision public: "I think I'll stay here for a bit longer."

It, however, didn't seem to surprise the gang that much, almost as if they were expecting it…

"I knew you'd say that," Tadaaki said, crossing his arms.

Yui seemed to be rather relieved about my announcement. "R-Really?"

"You don't really need to, I'm sure Yui will manage by herself," Ritsu said with a sympathetic smile.

I glanced at Yui, who looked like she'd really appreciate any help she could get, and then at the girls. "Nah, I'm sure. Besides, if Ui-san has to worry about Yui-san, she'll have a hard time recovering."

Judging by Yui's expression, that wasn't the explanation she was prepared for. It made me grin a bit.

The girls looked at each other, and smiled at me. "Well, suit yourself," Ritsu said. I'm pretty sure their reactions were affected by the conversation they held earlier with Tadaaki.

Yui and I escorted the others to the foyer, where we said our goodbyes. We then returned upstairs to Ui's room. She was rather surprised to hear that I decided to stay for a while.

"Eiji-kun… You don't need to stay here. We'll manage by ourselves," Ui muttered to me, only her head peeking from under the blanket.

I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms and turning my head to the side. "Yeah, I don't need to… But I want to."

She raised her eyebrows a bit, looking surprised, and then lowered them, smiling. "…Guess there's no way to change your mind, huh?"

I snorted amusedly, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. "Yeah, no. I'm quite stubborn, if you haven't already noticed."

Still smiling, she turned to look at Yui, who was sitting on the floor, facing the bed. "I'm fine by myself now, sis."

"But…" Yui muttered in a low voice, still sounding a bit worried.

"I'm more worried about you two catching my cold if you're near me," Ui interrupted her.

Yui still looked a bit reluctant, so I decided to step in. "She's right. We better let her get some rest."

Yui looked at me, and then at Ui, who nodded approvingly. Thinking for a bit, Yui finally stood up, and slowly made her way to the door. We both exited to the hallway.

"Shout if you need anything," Yui said, before shutting the lights and closing the door.

We both stood in the hallway, looking at Ui's room's door for some seconds. Yui got some kind of an idea, and turned to face me, her worriedness being replaced by determination.

"Ah, I'll make some rice porridge!" she proclaimed.

I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Need any help?"

She shook her head. "No, thanks. I'll manage."

She then hurried to the stairs, skipping them down. I looked at the stairway, and then at Ui's room's door. Heh, that gal sure has an amazing big sister… Maybe I shouldn't be worrying about it so much after al—

Crash!

I flinched as the sound of pans and pots falling on the floor caught me by surprise. Shit, Ui will never be able to rest easily if this goes on.

"No, no, nope, you definitely could use some help," I said as I hurried down the stairs to the kitchen.

…

I was crouching down, cleaning a dropped egg from the floor. Meanwhile, Yui was manning the stove, the porridge boiling in the pot. I noticed something, and took a better look at her: she seemed preoccupied.

"What's up?" I asked her as I threw the paper towel in the trash.

It took her by surprise. "W-what?"

"Nah, nothing, you just were lost in thought…" I muttered, returning to the counter to chop the things Yui wanted to put in the porridge: some herbs, and a small sausage. A bit strange, sure, but I felt like now wouldn't be the best time to comment on that.

It was quiet for a while, save for the sound of boiling and chopping, until Yui spoke: "…I was just thinking that, well… Ui is very important to me, and I like having her by my side, but… it won't last forever."

I wasn't exactly sure what to say to that, so I had to think about it for a bit. "…So, what are you saying?"

"I… I guess I just want to express my gratitude somehow. But, just a few words wouldn't be enough…" she muttered, looking at the bubbling porridge.

I looked at her over my shoulder, and returned to chopping. "What about a song?"

"Eh?" She turned around to look at me.

"Didn't you have the lyrics writing thing going on?" I reminded her, finishing up with the chopping, and moving the chopped things on a plate. "There's many ways to express one's feelings, but art is definitely the best one. Paintings, poems… and music, you know."

"Oh…" she muttered. "Do you really think I'd be able to do something like that?"

I kept looking at the chopping board, and sighed. I was getting a bit tired of this blue atmosphere, so I struck the knife to the chopping board out of frustration, catching Yui off guard. I turned to face her, crossing my arms.

"Look, Yui-san. I've known you for almost three years now. And from that, I can come up with a lot of conclusions about you. Yes, you're clumsy, silly, goofy, and also a bit annoying at times… But, you must be the most determined gal I've ever met. When you set your mind to something, it's damn sure that thing gets done. And that's something I admire about you; your determination," I explained to her.

I detached the knife from the cutting board, setting it gently to the side, and faced Yui once again, who was quietly listening to me. "And, two other things. One: you're the best fucking musician I know, period! If someone could come up with a suitable song, it's you, that's for sure. And two…"

I paused for a while, turned to look at the stairway, and continued: "…You must be the greatest big sister I've ever met."

…

"…So, I'm sure you'll be able to come up with something."

…

Shit, did I scare her with the knife thing and with my rambling? Ah, I also forgot to keep my language in check. Ugh, I just don't know when to stop, do I? Carefully, I turned around to face Yui, trying to come up with an apology at the same time. However, the moment I faced her, she charged at me, and… grabbed me for a hug. Wrapping her hands around my body, she grasped me, resting her head on my chest. Her hug, it was very warm.

"…Thank you, Eiji-kun."

She sounded both relieved and happy. That's the second time she's thanked me during this week. But unlike yesterday, this expression of gratitude felt more… sincere, should I say. I just stood there in surprise for some seconds, until I slowly started smiling. I placed my hand on her hair, stroking it a bit.

"Yeah, don't mention it," I muttered.

I stood there in her grasp for a while, until I reminded her about the porridge. She hurriedly let go of me, returning back to the stove. Luckily, it hadn't burned, but was actually done. So, she scooped some onto a plate, and then sprinkled the things I just chopped on top of the porridge. And on top of all that, she placed a sunny side up egg she had fried earlier. Seriously, I really wanted to comment on it, but decided to just keep my mouth shut. She set the plate on a serving tray with a glass of water. I offered to carry the tray upstairs.

Carefully and quietly, Yui opened Ui's door. We peeked inside, finding her sound asleep. We sneaked further into the room, where I set the tray down on Ui's work desk. Yui was thinking about something, when she got an idea, and took a seat on the chair. She dug around the drawer for a bit, pulling out a pen, and a small sheet of paper. She scribbled a message on it: 'I made you some porridge, remember to eat it!' She also drew a heart at the end of the message, and handed the pen over to me.

"Huh? You want me to write something, too?" I whispered.

She nodded for an answer. I thought about it, and took the pen, thinking about what to write… Ah, I got it! 'If this doesn't make you feel better, then you're already dead!' Heh, that should cause a reaction or two… At least it caused some reactions in Yui, who wasn't sure what to feel about it. I handed the pen back to her. Yui set the note on the serving tray, and was just about to get up, when her eyes were drawn to the pen in her hand. She was clearly thinking about something. After a bit of pondering, she dug around the drawer once again, this time taking out many regular sized sheets of paper.

"I think I'll start working on those lyrics right away," she told me quietly.

I nodded, and smiled. "Sounds good. I'll clean the dishes, and then I'll probably head home."

"Ah, okay," Yui answered. As I was making my way to the door, she suddenly whispered: "Good night, Eiji-kun. And, thank you."

I turned to look at her over my shoulder, and grinned a bit. "Yeah, night, Yui-san."

I stepped out of the room, quietly closing the door after me. I then made my way downstairs, to the kitchen, where I spent some minutes cleaning the dishes we used. When I got the job done, I turned off all the lights on this floor, and walked to the living room, picking up my uniform's coat. I was about to put it on, when I suddenly let out a big yawn. Man, I'm more tired than I realized… Maybe I should sit down, just for a bit. So, I set the coat back down, taking a seat on the green couch I've gotten so used to. I looked around the darkened room with tired eyes, until they were drawn to the TV on the floor.

Yeah, guess it was almost three years ago when I first stepped inside this house. It was also almost three years ago when I first met Yui. And the first time I saw her? On that TV screen's reflection. Back then, I had a lot of thoughts and prejudices about her, based on our first encounter. But, as the time went on, I came to learn a lot more about her. She's silly, but she's not stupid. And, she's also a very good friend. To me, and to the others. I'm happy to have been able to meet someone like her…

…

…..

I slumped sideways on top of the couch, and before I even realized it, I was already asleep.