Wherein the Hiiragi twins have confused gay thoughts, Yutaka wonders why everyone is acting so strange during breakfast, and Konata has another heart-to-heart with Misao.
I don't think I can sustain this weekly upload schedule. Anyway, chapter 3. TW: incest mention. Enjoy if you can!
Party Games Chapter 3: The Second Day, Intermission
Tsukasa's face felt hot when Miyuki brought her hands to her cheeks, fingers cold against her skin. The purple eyes staring into her own were as mesmerizing as they were terrifying. A storm of emotions churned within them—emotions that she intuitively understood were mutual.
"I… I'm going to kiss you now…"
She nodded hesitantly. "G-go ahead…"
Tsukasa tossed and turned on her bed. She didn't know how long she'd been awake, but she could tell that she'd never been up so late before. It's not that she wasn't trying to sleep—she was trying, honest—but whenever it seemed like she was about to fall asleep, she kept getting distracted. Her mind always just flashed back to the very last thing that happened before everyone turned in for the night. Every time she thought about it, her heart started racing. And whenever that happened, she suddenly wasn't sleepy anymore.
Joy. Excitement. Anxiety. Confusion. As Miyuki approached, her feelings swelled, threatening to overflow. She could feel her body shaking with anticipation. She closed her eyes and held her breath, awaiting the moment of contact.
She rolled to her side and curled up, one hand pressed against her chest, the other touching her lips. It had to have been at least two hours now since that kiss—probably even longer—but she still remembered how it felt, as vividly as if it had just happened.
She was a bundle of nerves, every muscle, twitchy and tense. It might have only lasted a few seconds—maybe even a single second—but it had felt like an eternity.
And then she felt Miyuki's lips touch hers, leaving her blank, and empty… but pleasantly so. There were no lightning bolts, or fireworks, or an entire flower garden blooming simultaneously in the background, like how shoujo manga depicted it. It was just… like a boop on the nose, or a high five, or a hug—physical, pleasant, but not particularly world-changing.
And yet…
"I… kissed Miyuki," Tsukasa whispered to herself. "I kissed Miyuki and I liked it… I wanna kiss her again…"
She curled up tighter, failing to suppress a whimper.
After who-knows-how-long of her mind going in circles, she heard Kagami stir from the other bed. "Tsukasa?" Her voice was small, and uncharacteristically timid. "You're awake too, right…?"
Tsukasa didn't voice a reply, though she did sit up, pulling the covers close to her chest. Through the darkness, she could just barely see Kagami doing the same. Their eyes met briefly before they both looked away.
"I can't get to sleep," Kagami said with a wry-sounding chuckle. "I just sorta kept replaying the events of last night in my mind. It was kinda crazy, what happened, huh?"
Tsukasa didn't know what to reply with, so silence was all she could give. Confused, disappointing, awkward silence.
Kagami fidgeted on her bed. "So, uh… Tsukasa… when Miyuki kissed you—"
Tsukasa immediately flashed back to the scene, the mere mention of it making her heart rate jump and her skin prickle. "I liked it," she squeaked, feeling the blood pumping through her cheeks as she pressed her palms against them. "I really liked kissing her," she squeaked again.
There was a moment of silent horror as Tsukasa realized just what she had admitted to her twin. Would Kagami be angry at her for saying that? Disappointed? Confused? It wasn't weird to say she liked being kissed, right? Nothing insulting or possibly insensitive? Sure, Kagami hadn't had her first kiss yet, so maybe that might be a sore spot, but it probably wasn't—
Kagami snorted, immediately wiping away all of Tsukasa's worry. "I can imagine. You seemed pretty struck by it." An amused smile seemed to color her voice. "And you still seem struck. You can't stop thinking about it, can you?"
Tsukasa whimpered, but still nodded in reply.
"Yeah? Well…" Kagami sighed. "Me neither. It's got me thinking of all sorts of things—things I never even knew were things to think about…"
There was another silence as the two shared a meaningful look. In that brief exchange, they achieved a wordless understanding: that one's feelings on the matter were just as confused as other's. In a way, Tsukasa found that fact pleasing. It was rare for them to be equal at something. Even though it was just their feelings about a kiss, it made them just a little bit closer to each other.
"Say," Kagami said, after the moment passed. "Would it make sense for me to ask you what it feels like to kiss a girl?"
The wording gave Tsukasa pause. "You mean, like, compared to a boy?"
"Yeah."
Tsukasa thought for a bit before giving a hesitant shrug and shake of her head. "It was my first kiss. Can't really compare."
Kagami sighed again. "Figured as much." She pulled up her legs, hugging her knees against her chest. "How does it feel to have given your first kiss to Miyuki, then?"
Again, Tsukasa thought for a bit. She'd been so caught up in the sensations of the kiss itself that it hadn't even occurred to her that Miyuki was her first—at least not until she uttered it to Kagami.
"I don't know," she said honestly. "I mean, I liked it… and I don't regret it…"
Kagami leaned forward, turning towards her slightly. "But…?" she added expectantly.
Tsukasa shook her head. "It's… really hard to explain… I guess it's just… I never really thought that I'd give my first kiss to a girl, much less Miyuki."
She giggled as she recalled the scene leading up to the kiss.
"Though, to tell you the truth, she made it really easy to give it to her. I was surrounded by my friends, she made sure I was comfortable about it, she never forced me or anything. It wasn't nearly as dramatic as how manga make it seem."
Kagami gave a slow, thoughtful nod. "Romance stories are rarely realistic," she said distantly. "And… you do realize that she probably wouldn't have taken your first kiss at all if it wasn't for that dare."
Tsukasa frowned, looking out of the window. "I guess," she said with another sigh.
Kagami did not continue the topic any further.
A few minutes passed. Outside, Tsukasa could already see the darkness turning brighter. The faint, pre-dawn light slowly diffused muted colors and detail into the trees surrounding the house. As she watched, she heard rustling from the other bed, and then felt a dip in the mattress behind her. Arms snaked around her shoulders, a head pressing against her back. They said nothing as the sensation of physical contact slowly sunk in. Tsukasa couldn't explain what gave her the impression—maybe it was the silence, or the unusually gentle hug—but Kagami felt distinctly bothered by something.
She put a hand atop her twin's arm. "What's wrong?"
Kagami's voice was small and timid when she spoke—even smaller and more timid than before. "I don't know," she whispered. "I feel… weird… about all this… I'm happy you enjoyed kissing Miyuki. I just… It just feels… thinking about it is… I can't explain it…"
Tsukasa chuckled. "It's okay, Kagami. I can't explain it either…"
She continued looking out the window. She could tell that the sun would rise within the hour. It was easily the earliest she'd ever been up without Kagami waking her. Then again, the only reason she wasn't still curled up under her blanket was because of Kagami. It really depended on how she decided to view things.
A few more minutes passed.
"Hey, Tsukasa."
Kagami's voice seemed to have gained a little bit more of her usual confidence, though it was still smaller than normal.
"What's up?"
"If you were the one dared to kiss someone last night, who would you have picked?"
Tsukasa blinked. That was another thing she didn't really think about. She knew now that Miyuki would be her best option, but at the time?
"It's hard to say," she said, tilting her head to the side. "I trust both Konata and Miyuki enough to kiss them, but… Hmm. This is a hard question… Maybe I'd pick you? We've kissed before, right?"
Kagami snorted. "Yeah, but not on the lips."
Tsukasa shrugged. "No, not on the lips," she agreed. "Though, if I did pick you, would you have said yes?"
Kagami's breathing hitched, the arms around Tsukasa's shoulders suddenly growing tense. Okay, that was a little worrying.
"Did I say something weird?"
"No no, it wasn't wei—" Kagami cut herself off with a sharp inhale. "Okay, maybe it's a little weird. Siblings don't normally kiss."
"Really? I'm sor—"
"It's fine, Tsukasa," Kagami cut in, before Tsukasa could finish apologizing. "It didn't offend me or anything. Just… Just be sure to keep its weirdness in mind when talking about it. It's an uncomfortable subject for a lot of people."
Tsukasa nodded. She didn't quite understand what was so weird about it but decided not to press the issue.
"As for whether I'd say yes," Kagami continued. "If it were last night, I'd probably be irritable enough to just give a flat no." She tightened her embrace. "Honestly, even if Konata and Misao didn't spend literally the entire night annoying me, it'd still just be a 'maybe' from me."
"Oh. Okay then." Tsukasa felt her heart sink a little bit. She tried not to let it bother her, but disappointment still seemed to color her voice. Kagami picked up on it and gave a good-natured chuckle.
"Tell you what. If you get dared to kiss someone in the future, and you still decide to pick me, I'll say yes. Weird or not, there are worse things in the world than kissing my sister."
Tsukasa turned to her twin, who looked back at her with a wry smile. "Really?" she asked. "You serious?"
"I can't get over the fact that I'm saying this, but yes, I am. I'm willing to kiss you if you pick me."
"Oh… Thanks…"
A smile tugged at Tsukasa's lips as the two shared a moment of comfortable silence.
"What about you, then? Who'd you pick if you were dared to kiss one of us?"
Kagami scratched the back of her neck. "Er… Well…"
"It's okay. You can say you wouldn't pick me."
Kagami snorted again. "You're right. I probably wouldn't pick you. As much as I'm willing to kiss you if it came down to it, you're still definitely one of my last choices. No offence."
Tsukasa giggled. "That's fair. You did say it'd be weird."
They shared a small laugh.
And then Tsukasa realized that Kagami hadn't answered her question.
She tapped the arms around her until Kagami released her. Once they were separated from the hug, Tsukasa shifted her position on the bed to face her twin. "So, if I'm your last pick, who'd be your first?"
"Uh… Probably Miyuki?" Kagami answered, fidgeting.
Tsukasa pouted. "You sound like you're not sure."
Kagami refused to meet Tsukasa's eyes. "Because I'm not."
"Why'd you pick Miyuki, then?"
A shrug. "I guess she just seemed the least likely to tease me for picking her?"
Tsukasa lolled her head to the side. "I don't get it."
Kagami pursed her lips and threw her legs over the side of the bed, turning her back to Tsukasa. "I don't trust Konata and Misao with my first kiss—they'd make it weird somehow. I don't know any of the first years well enough to kiss them either—plus, both Martin and Tamura are perverts. And finally, Ayano has a boyfriend. I don't really have other choices, do I?"
Tsukasa lolled her head to the other side. "Hmmm. How would Konata and Misao make it weird, though?"
"They… They'd tease me, I guess…"
"Oh." Tsukasa blinked, then frowned. "Isn't that what they normally do?"
Kagami flinched. "I mean… Technically, yes…?"
"What makes it so weird, then? Is it because they said you look beautiful?"
"Maybe…? Probably…? I don't know." Kagami shook her head. "Look, thinking about kissing them makes me feel weird. Isn't that reason enough?"
Tsukasa raised her hands in surrender. It was obviously a sore subject. It'd be better if she didn't push it.
They suddenly heard the door to the room next to theirs open and close. From the direction of the sound, it was Misao's. As expected from someone in a sports club, Misao was up early for a morning jog.
Kagami stood and tip-toed to the door. She opened it by a sliver.
"Are you gonna join her?" Tsukasa asked, still sitting on her bed.
Kagami turned and irritably shushed her, putting her index fingers against her lips. As she did this, Misao opened the door.
"Oh! Didn't expect ya ta be awake already. G'mornin'," Misao greeted.
Kagami jumped back with a comical flailing of her arms. "Misao!" she yelped. She shrunk, facing the girl at their door. "Misao, hello, yes, good morning…"
"I'm off ta do my mornin' run. Wanted ta know if ya were up fer joinin' me."
"I… Er… well…"
As Kagami tried to stammer a response, Tsukasa leaned over to peek around her twin's back. Misao was wearing a tightly fit sports bra and shorts, showing off the lean muscles of her legs and midriff. Her usual, snaggle-toothed smile was still wide on her face as she waited for Kagami to get sorted out. She waved hello when she noticed Tsukasa's gaze. Tsukasa smiled and waved back.
"Look, I didn't get good sleep last night," Kagami eventually said. "Rain check?"
Misao shrugged. "Sure. I'll be off, then." She walked away. As her footsteps faded into the distance, Kagami closed the door and sighed.
"Say, Tsukasa."
"Mhmm?"
"Do you want to eat breakfast now? I don't think we're gonna go back to sleep any time soon."
Before Tsukasa could answer, she heard the muffled sound of two doors at the other end of the hall opening simultaneously. Tsukasa didn't really remember which rooms were whose, though. If she were to attach names to them… they were probably Minami's and… Miyuki's? Konata's, maybe?
"Speaking of breakfast." Kagami peeked out through the door again. "There go our hosts. They probably want to have something cooked by the time everyone's awake." She walked over to her suitcase and began changing out of her pajamas. "You should get changed too."
Tsukasa shrugged and did the same. A minute or so later, they were in their casual wear and had their hair tied in their usual styles. With Kagami leading, they both left the room and climbed downstairs.
Later…
"Yutaka, it's time to wake up… Yutaka… breakfast is ready… Please, wake up now…"
Yutaka slowly sat up and stretched her arms. "Good morning, Minami," she greeted with a small yawn—more of a huff, really.
"Good morning," Minami greeted back, bright blue eyes twinkling with gentle-looking tenderness. "Breakfast is ready."
Yutaka nodded, yawning again. She turned to the bed next to her own, eyebrows rising when she noticed that her cousin was also awake. Minami must have woken her too.
Konata rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, her long, cobalt blue hair looking hopelessly messy, and her face looking sour and scrunched-up. "What time is it?" she asked in a kind of grouchy way that Yutaka didn't normally hear from her.
"Seven o'clock," Minami answered with her usual quick response time. "Roughly two hours before school normally starts."
Konata pouted and looked at the taller girl standing between the two beds. "But it's summer break," she said, lazily raising a fist. "I demand to be allowed to sleep-in this morning."
Minami blinked. "Understood. I'll save a portion of breakfast for—
"It was a joke, Minami!" Konata quickly backpedaled, waving her hands in alarm. "Just a joke. I'm not miffed enough to turn down a meal."
Minami blinked again. "I see…"
There was a pause as they stared at each other, Minami's face still blank and vaguely confused-looking, while Konata's look growing increasingly skeptical, eyes narrowed and lips poutier. Yutaka put her hands to her mouth as she waited for the two to make a move. Konata ended up moving first.
"Do you really see, or are you just saying that to keep me quiet?"
Minami blinked for the third time in so many minutes. "Is this another joke?"
Konata sighed, the tension draining from her face. "You know what, never mind. See you downstairs."
She threw off the covers and climbed out of bed. Surprisingly, she was wearing casual wear that Yutaka didn't recognize from the previous night—an orange, too-large shirt and denim shorts. She had probably changed into them while Yutaka was asleep. She did turn in much later than Yutaka did, after all.
Konata made for the door, not even bothering to brush her unkempt hair. Minami moved to follow but stopped at the door and turned to Yutaka. She tilted her head in question.
Yutaka gave a small wave of dismissal. "I'll be down soon. I just need to change out of my pajamas."
Minami nodded. "Be sure to bring your pill box."
"I will."
Minami closed the door behind her, leaving Yutaka to change out of her sleep wear.
A few minutes later, Yutaka entered the kitchen, taking the same seat she had taken next to Konata during dinner the previous night. Unlike dinner, though, everyone was already eating, and with much less frenzy.
Tsukasa put a plate of omelette rice in front of her, shooting her a smile and wink before returning to the stove where she continued to cook. Yutaka could only tilt her head in confusion at the wink. What was that all about?
With a shrug, she clasped her hands together. After a moment to give her thanks, she dug in—all the while, listening to the many ongoing conversations around her.
"…get that twin tails are a traditional tsundere hairstyle, but that ponytail you rocked yesterday looked so good it was criminal!"
"Why do I get the distinct feeling that you're quoting an anime?"
"That's cuz' I am."
"Uhhg. I really shouldn't feel as surprised as I do…"
Yutaka giggled as she scooped a spoonful of egg and rice. Konata and Kagami were already at it again, and were the easiest to listen to as they were right next to her.
"…and because of those differences, an American-style omelette is normally enjoyed based on the add-ons, such as bits of bacon or tomatoes and the like, while a French omelette is normally enjoyed based on the texture and taste of the omelette itself."
"Wow, Miyuki. I didn't realize there were so many ways to make an omelette. I just always do it the way my mom does it."
"There's nothing wrong with that. There are many ways to cook an egg, and no one way is inherently superior to the other. In the end, all that matters is that it tastes good—and taste is subjective."
"Hmm… fair enough, I guess…"
Yutaka chewed thoughtfully at the conversation that Tsukasa and Miyuki were having at the stove behind her. She'd only ever had one style of omelette, and it was the same kind she was currently eating—both Konata and Tsukasa cooked them in nearly the same way. She was curious what other kinds of omelette tasted like. She'd have to ask Miyuki if they could have some next time they ate breakfast.
"…and it's just so hard to clean out. I've lost a dozen shirts that way."
"That's because you keep using warm water. Honestly, girl, I expected someone who gets nosebleeds as often as you would know better—especially since you're a girl."
"How does me being a girl relate to how good I am at cleaning bloodstains?"
"You get a monthly visitor down there, don't you?"
Yutaka jerked her attention away. She'd never been squeamish about blood, but she wasn't particularly fond of talking about it while she was eating. She'd rather not lose her appetite on account of her curiosity.
With impeccable timing, a distraction arrived. Minami entered the kitchen, with Honoka and Yukari following behind her. "Good morning, everyone," Honoka greeted them as they took their seats. "I trust our daughters' cooking was to your liking?"
There was a chorus of yeses from the table, Yutaka herself giving an affirmative "mhmm."
"Tsukasa helped," Miyuki said as she laid a plate of omurice for Honoka and Yukari each. "In fact, she did the majority of the cooking."
Tsukasa had just put a plate in front of Minami as Miyuki said this. Her face flushed and her eyes began darting around the room, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. "I, ah… I didn't do that much. We… er, we all… cooked our fair share. Yeah."
Miyuki giggled. "The most that Minami and I did was chop vegetables."
"That is correct," Minami said curtly before mumbling a "Thank you for the food" with her hands held together.
"Don't be like that. You both helped a lo-"
Honoka cut Tsukasa off with a kind smile and a simple compliment. "It's delicious, Tsukasa," she said, after a taste.
"Indeed," Yukari agreed, eyes closed and lips curled to make the most satisfied expression the Yutaka had ever seen. "Thank you for cooking it."
The younger twin immediately swallowed whatever she was about to say. "You're welcome, Mrs. Iwasaki, Mrs. Takara." After timidly accepting the compliment, she retreated to her seat next to Kagami.
"You could learn a thing or two from Tsukasa about taking a compliment," Konata teased under her breath.
"Shut up," Kagami snapped back.
"It's true, though."
"I said shut up. Don't make me punch you."
Yutaka felt her limbs tense up a little. The venom in Kagami's voice was kind of alarming. They'd been talking normally just minutes prior. How could such a harmless jab cause such a severe reaction? Even more alarming was how half the table seemed to have tensed up, like Yutaka did—and if anything, they were more tense. They were all shrinking slightly into their seats, eating a little bit faster.
Honoka and Yukari seemed completely unconcerned, however. Yukari continued savoring every bite with an enviable expression of bliss. Was she even aware of the sudden change of atmosphere? Honoka at least raised a brow at Kagami's words, but did nothing more than bring a glass of water to her lips and say, "Keep it civil, Hiiragi, we're eating breakfast."
It seemed that was all Kagami needed to snap her out of it. A deep flush had bloomed on her cheeks as Honoka took a long, slow sip. By the time the glass was on the table once more, Kagami was muttering apologies.
"Water under the bridge," Yukari said airily, still very much enjoying her meal. Honoka made no comment to confirm or deny Yukari's statement.
Yutaka looked back and forth between Kagami and Honoka before awkwardly returning to her meal. What was all that about, anyway? It wasn't nearly this uncomfortable the previous night.
Minutes later, once everyone had finished their meal, Honoka and Minami both stood to do the dishes. Tsukasa also stood, volunteering. Yukari stood as well, but not to do the dishes.
"Anyway, now that we're all fed," Yukari began, smiling widely. "Get excited! We're going swimming today! Did everyone bring swimsuits?"
Yutaka blinked. Swimsuits?
Everyone turned to Miyuki, who winced slightly. She stood as well, readjusting her glasses. "Right. I'm sure you noticed last night that we have a pool outside." As she said this, she gestured towards the glass sliding door at the far end of the kitchen, right at the threshold between the kitchen and living room. Outside the door, Yutaka could just barely see the edge of a pool. "Mother plans to be at the pool for most of our stay here. If you have a swimsuit, or clothes you're willing to get wet in, feel free to join her."
Yutaka wondered how many of them would swim that day. She had brought her own swimsuit, of course—just a school swimsuit, because she didn't really have anything else that fit her—and she knew that Minami had brought a swimsuit as well, but she wasn't sure about the others. Patricia and Hiyori both at least looked excited but everyone else seemed kind of pensive.
Come to think of it, Konata hadn't brought a swimsuit. Given the expression she wore—one that many at the table also wore—the others hadn't brought swim wear either. Did Miyuki forget to tell them about this? Minami had told Yutaka, Patricia, and Hiyori.
"Alternatively," Miyuki continued, "Misao asked if she was allowed to explore the town at the foot of the mountain. Anyone interested may join her instead. Otherwise, entertain yourselves however you wish. The house is yours for the duration of your stay here."
"I've got games we can play other than Wii Sports, for the record," Konata added. "Small discs need the purple controllers. Big disks need the white remotes."
After some deliberation, the table collectively decided that the options given were acceptable. They stood and all retreated to their respective rooms.
Konata nudged Yutaka as they were climbing the stairs. "You going swimming?" she asked.
Yutaka nodded. "Probably. It seemed like Patty and Hiyori were interested. Maybe if Minami's going as well."
Konata shrugged. "Fair enough."
The two stopped to wave at the people whose rooms were on the second floor before continuing up to the third.
"What about you, onee-chan?"
Konata frowned, cupping her chin in her hands. "I'm not sure. I lose a lot of moé points for not having a swimsuit. At the same time, the risqué-ness of wet t-shirts is also incredibly moé. It's hard to say."
Yutaka giggled. She had only been living with the Izumis for around four months but it had been plenty of time to get a better read on Konata's strange way of speaking sometimes.
"I'm sure you'll look cute either way," Yutaka said airily, to which Konata chuckled.
Again, they stopped to wave at their next door neighbors, the Minegishi siblings, before entering their room.
As soon as they closed the door, Yutaka went to sit on her bed while Konata remained standing. There was a thoughtful pout on Konata's face that seemed uncharacteristically timid.
"Say, Yutaka," Konata began. "I need your opinion on something…"
Yutaka cocked her head forward. "What is it?"
"Is it weird that I find Kagami hot when she's angry?"
Yutaka blinked. She may have gotten used to Konata's quirks, but this seemed like it was something else entirely.
"I don't know. Hiiragi-senpai is really pretty." She shrugged. "What difference does it make if she's angry?"
"I mean, you're right, but…" Konata turned and let herself fall backwards onto her bed. "Last night, after you went to bed, I was teasing her a lot—you know, as you do—but I think I pushed a little too hard. I actually made her super mad. And wasn't will-threaten-me levels of mad, either. It was like, will-actually-clobber-me levels."
Yutaka frowned, not really knowing how to react. Sure, it explained why half the table tensed up when Kagami snapped at Konata during breakfast, but that didn't really help Yutaka give her cousin advice. All she could really muster was a disappointingly unhelpful, "Wow… Uh… Isn't that bad?…"
"Yeah, it is." Konata pressed her hands to her face and took a deep breath. She let out a shaky chuckle. "But you wanna know what's worse? I kinda wanna get her that mad again…"
Yutaka raised a brow. "Uhhh…"
"Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but the look in her eyes when she gets that way is just… just…" Konata raised her hands and made vague wavy gestures that Yutaka couldn't parse. "I can't explain it," she eventually concluded, dropping her hands to her side. "She's terrifying, but somehow I'm just… drawn to her…"
Yutaka blinked again, tilting her head to the side. On one hand, teasing Kagami seemed like perfectly normal behavior for Konata. On the other hand, she had never wanted to make Kagami mad before—at least not to the same level as what Konata was describing. This was new territory.
"Are you… uh…"
Yutaka's mind raced through the possibilities. Why would someone want to bully a friend to the point that they're actually upset? Like, when thinking about it, none of it made sense. Who would do that? And yet, it still seemed like familiar behavior that had a simple explanation. What on Earth would that explanation be, though?
Then it hit her.
"Onee-chan… don't you think that… maybe… you have a crush on Hiiragi-senpai?"
Konata rolled to her side and propped herself up with an arm. Her gaze was distant, but intense. "Yutaka, I can't give a definite answer yet, but you may be on to something. If it's true, then it explains a lot of things." She scrambled out of bed and made for the door.
Yutaka raised her brows. "Wait, where are you going?"
"I need to talk to someone," Konata said cryptically, closing the door behind her.
As muffled footsteps slowly faded into the distance, Yutaka sighed. "Everyone's so weird this morning," she muttered.
With a shrug, she began changing into her swimsuit.
Meanwhile…
Konata knocked on Misao's door. There was the sound of muffled footsteps approaching from behind it before it swung open, nearly smacking Konata's face in the process. She'd made fun of Miyuki for walking into a door the previous day, but she now took it all back—a door bop was a perfectly reasonable danger in this house, even if you weren't as adorably clumsy as Miyuki.
"Heyo?" Misao's eyes darted around for less than a second before going low enough to notice Konata. Her expression immediately soured. "Oh, it's only—hey what're you—"
Konata slipped into the room, closing the door behind her.
"What's the big idea, just bargin' in like that?"
Konata ignored her, grabbing Misao's hand and dragging her to the far side of the room. She put a finger on Misao's lips to quiet her down before she could make any complaints. This earned a growl and glare, but otherwise Misao complied. The reaction was surprisingly cute. Konata didn't comment on it, though. She had other things on her mind.
"I have a problem and I didn't know who else to turn to," Konata said in a low voice.
Misao frowned, raising an eyebrow. "So ya turned ta me?"
"You're the only one with experience with my particular problem. Plus, you've got a room all to yourself."
Misao crossed her arms, still staring skeptically. "What's yer problem, then?"
Konata took a deep breath. She hadn't spent much time planning this discussion with Misao, but she knew from the getgo that the very beginning part would be a pain. Even still, she braced herself for the worst.
"I think I have a crush on Kagami."
There was a pause, Misao staring at her with an expression of complete lack of understanding. Konata was just about to elaborate when Misao finally responded.
"Yeah, sounds about right," she said with a shrug.
Konata blinked. "Wait, that's it? That's all you have to say? No arguing or complaining about me implying you have a crush on Kagami or anything like that?"
Misao rolled her eyes. "Look, Chibi. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm not stupid."
Konata shook her head, raising a hand. "Wai-wai-wait, I never said anything like that."
This earned a dismissive wave. "Doesn't matter. Point is, I got eyes. And you." Misao punctuated that word by poking Konata's chest. "You always look like yer havin' the time'ah yer life when arguin' with Hiiragi. It's not hard ta guess yer into her."
Konata snorted. "Well, by that logic, it's not hard to guess you're into Kagami too."
Misao delivered a sharp chop to Konata's forehead.
"Ow—Hey!"
"You asked fer it," Misao snapped. "I already told ya, I'm not into her like that."
"Then why did you agree to every word I said about her last night?" This earned a growl and bared fang. Konata met Misao's hostile look with a defiant one. "Don't even try to deny it, Misakichi—there were witnesses. You teased Kagami almost as much as I did. I could tell you enjoyed it too."
Misao crossed her arms with a petulant pout. "So what if I did?"
"So? If I'm into Kagami, then so are you." Konata punctuated that last word with a poke to Misao's chest, just like what Misao did to her mere minutes prior. "Which is part of the reason why you're the only one who can help me."
Misao growled again, still glaring. It really seemed like she wasn't going to budge on the topic. In a way, that made her a bit like Kagami—stubborn and prideful. Unfortunately, Konata only just now discovered this side of Misao. It would've been way more endearing if it weren't so inconvenient.
Konata sighed and stepped back, averting her gaze. "So… what, are we just gonna keep arguing?" she asked, raising her arms slightly to the side. "I wasn't kidding when I said I needed help. This sorta thing is a little out of my wheelhouse"
Misao snorted. "And ya think it's in mine?" She shifted her weight, tapping her foot restlessly. "Mmm. Aight, so, let's pretend yer right, and I am into Kagami. How's that supposed ta help ya?"
Konata pursed her lips. That was a good question—one that she didn't have a prepared answer for. And that was both a wince-worthy realization, and a sigh-worthy one. She really should have thought this through more than she did…
"I figured you'd have some advice for me or something? You know, since you've got experience?"
"Eh? Experience with what, exactly? Bein' in love with someone and not doin' anythin' about it?"
Misao's voice was starting to take on a dry tone that had a startling resemblance to Kagami's. Even more startling was how Misao had a point there too—one that Konata didn't have a response to. She might just have to concede defeat at this point.
Now that was a depressing thought. She'd just lost an argument with Misao of all people. If it were Miyuki, or Kagami, or hell, even Patricia, it would have been fine. But the girl who had, less than ten minutes ago, admitted to being not the sharpest tool in the shed? Talk about an unpleasant plot twist.
Konata's soured mood must have shown on her face because Misao stepped forward and put a surprisingly gentle hand atop her head.
"Hey, no need to be all mopey," Misao said with a chuckle. "Just cuz' I can't help doesn't mean I don't know someone who can."
Konata blinked, looking up at Misao. She received a lopsided smile, complete with a dimple on her cheek, a fang snagged on her lip, and amber eyes seeming to glow with determination.
"Aight, c'mon."
Without waiting for Konata to reply, Misao took her hand and dragged her out of the room. They took three paces before stopping in front of the door directly across the hall from Misao's. After two aggressive knocks, Misao turned the doorknob. Konata raised a brow when she heard surprised yelps and scrambling footsteps.
"Oi, Aniki, we need… some… advice…"
Konata's brows rose even higher as she peeked around Misao, through the doorway. A snaggletoothed brunet who looked like a shorter-haired Misao sat on the bed, and a ginger with a large forehead leaned on the wall at the other end of the room. What were their names again? Oh right, Masaru and Ayano. In any case, they were both conspicuously red-faced, messy-haired, and intensely staring at what Konata could only assume was an incredibly interesting patch of wall.
It wasn't hard to guess what the two had been doing before she and Misao barged in.
Konata smirked. "I think we just interrupted something, Misakichi."
"No," Masaru snapped, voice somewhat hoarse. "Shut up, ya weren't interuptin' nothin'."
Misao snorted, crossing her arms. "Ya sure about that, Aniki? Ya look a lil' outta breath—you and Ayano both."
"Eep," Ayano squeaked, leaning harder into the wall, as if she were trying to melt into it.
Masaru's face twitched slightly, but otherwise maintained the same uncomfortably-casual expression he was forcing. "What do you want, Misao?" he enunciated clearly, though his voice sounded strained from suppressed emotion—probably annoyance.
The two had been entertainingly awkward enough that Konata would have normally pushed their buttons a little bit more before continuing, but she was feeling merciful today. She let Misao take the lead, closing the door behind her.
Instead of teasing Masaru and Ayano, Misao proceeded to haphazardly narrate the events leading up to them barging into Masaru's room, complete with sound effects and wild gestures. Despite her obvious enthusiasm, all she seemed to be doing was confusing the two—the blank expressions they wore were quite telling.
Thankfully, Masaru didn't let it last too long. He cut Misao off while she was in the middle of pantomiming the act of strangling someone.
"Hate ta break it to ya, sis, but yer not makin' a lick of sense," Masaru said with decisive sharpness. "In fact, ya haven't made sense since ya barged in here. Now, I'mma ask again and I expect a straight answer. Why're ya here?"
Misao pouted. At a glance, she seemed miffed that she didn't get to continue her rant. That was understandable, though. Konata could empathize with the satisfaction of going on a long rant. She would have let Misao continue if it were just the two of them and it was about a different topic. But as it stood, Ayano seemed like she had only been feigning interest, while Masaru eye's had glossed over after the first few sentences. Plus, Misao's rant was about Konata indirectly accusing her of being in love with Kagami—an accusation that was both nowhere in the realm of rant-worthy and something that Konata had all but proven true mere minutes ago.
In any case, Konata took over for Misao and summarized the events in just a few short sentences.
"I went to Misao because I think I might be into Kagami—the girl with twin tails. I figured Misao could give me some advice since it seemed like she was into Kagami too. She got insulted that I so much as implied she was into Kagami, so we argued for a bit. Then I won and she told me you could help me better than she could."
Misao waved her hands in a chopping motion in front of Konata. "Wai-wai-wait, you didn't win."
Konata rolled her eyes. "I totally did. You set aside the argument to tell me you—"
"No, you put it aside. You sighed and got all mopey and—"
"Girls," Masaru cut in before the two could argue any further. "I literally do not care who won. Now, you." He turned to Konata. "Ya wanted advice?"
Konata blinked and nodded.
"And I'mma take a wild guess and say ya haven't figured out what you wanna do yet. Yer prolly not even sure if yer really into Hiiragi at all."
Konata nodded again. Masaru was surprisingly perceptive. Konata hadn't even mentioned that part yet.
"Aight, then. Just go tell 'em how ya feel. Figure it out from there."
Konata frowned. She wouldn't have gone to someone else for advice if she knew all she'd get was a recommendation to just wing it. She would have just gone straight to Kagami's room and confessed right then and there if she was confident in her ability to just wing it. And for all she knew, her confession would have been met with an actual punch to the face or something—not that she wasn't perfectly willing to take a punch from Kagami, of course. It was just that she was looking for advice that gave her a more concrete outcome, like the options her dating sims gave her during major decisions. Not… this…
Masaru probably intuited Konata's low opinion on his advice as he crossed his arms and raised a brow. "Well, what else ya gonna do, midget?" he asked with a biting edge to his voice. "Just gonna wallow in self-doubt like a whiny baby?"
"What? No."
He pouted, putting a hand on his chest dramatically. "Gonna cry in yer lil' corner because yer scared things might change?"
Konata grit her teeth. "That's not what I—"
"Boo-hoo, I'd rather rot in a stagnant pool of my own tears than—"
As Masaru pantomimed the act of rubbing tears from his eyes, Ayano crossed the room and pulled Masaru into a choke hold, cutting off his sentence.
"Please forgive his sharp tongue," Ayano said. The kind, gentle quality of her voice and expression contrasted rather strikingly to the merciless lock she was subjecting Masaru to. "He means well, but he has a very warped view of how people help one another."
Konata's growing frustration with the older Kusakabe's words had quickly drained as she watched him helplessly surrender to Ayano's grapple. As satisfying as it was to see someone who was so mean for no reason be justly punished, seeing him in actual pain looked more than a little disconcerting. Konata genuinely felt comparable relief to Masaru's once he tapped out and Ayano released him.
Masaru collapsed into the bed, panting and coughing. He recovered after a minute.
"So," Konata muttered awkwardly once Masaru was sat back up. "What, do I just confess to her?"
Masaru looked at her for a moment and sighed. "Are ya confident that yer in love with her?"
Konata pursed her lips. "Didn't we go over this earlier?"
"Just answer the damn question."
"I think I like her. I'm not sure if I am or not—it's why I'm asking for advice in the first place."
He shrugged. "Then tell her that. Tell her ya don't know if ya really like her but ya think ya do. Simple as that."
"But—"
Masaru groaned, palming his face in exasperation. "It's literally just bein' honest with her. How is this so hard ta understand?"
Before Konata could retort, Misao took Konata's shoulder and began dragging her out of the room. "Aight, thanks for the advice, Aniki. Sorry fer taking up yer time." She closed the door behind them, turning to glare at Konata. "Ya sure yer into her? Cuz' it's startin' ta seem like yer just into makin' people mad."
Konata refrained from pointing out again that she's not sure. Instead, she crossed her arms. "Honestly, Misakichi, I don't even know anymore. I need some time to think…"
"Well, I leave fer town in an hour. If ya wanna talk again, I'll be around." Misao made for the door to her room across the hall.
Konata raised a brow. "You didn't seem thrilled about helping me earlier. What's changed?"
Misao looked back and gave a distant smile. "Let's just say that managing ta get an earful from my brother without clocking him in the face is worthy of respect."
Konata smiled back wryly. "What if I did punch him?"
Misao's expression became a wide grin. "Woulda been worth even more respect." She turned away, disappearing into her room. As the door closed, Konata just about caught a wink that Misao had shot her way.
Konata blinked as she stared blankly into space, standing in an empty hallway. The previous topic was still swirling in her mind like an incoherent mess. She needed time to process it, but she was not in the mood to do it yet.
She sighed and made for the stairs. Thinking could come later. Right now, all she wanted was to jump into the pool. What was it that Miyuki had said? Clothes she was willing to get wet in? Well, her T-shirt was more than enough to keep her covered. She just needed to ditch the pants since denim felt terrible on the skin once it was wet.
With a huff, Konata rushed downstairs to drown her confusion with a nice refreshing swim.
End of Chapter
A/N:
Beta read by asianpotter1, PastelRaccoon, and Trilicon
A new chapter probably won't come next week—like I said, I don't think it's sustainable. Part of the reason for that is because every chapter needs over 5k words to deliver its content. The reason for that is because I insist that the characters must have long, protracted, meandering conversations that take up 1k words all on their own. Granted, that's par for the course with my writing, but still.
Anyways!
The Hiiragi-twincest probably turned off a lot of people. If it's because of the incest itself, please do not subject yourself to this story any further—there will be more of it in future chapters. If it's the implementation that you have a problem with, I'd be happy to listen to feedback. Keep in mind that I have no interest in tackling the actual social stigma and implications surrounding incest. My summary describes this story as a trashy fun time. I'd like to further emphasize the trashy part.
If you've read Coinciding Moments, my other Lucky Star fic, you'll remember Masaru Kusakabe, asshole older brother to Misao.
Misao is said to have a brother in the manga but he is never shown. Similarly, Ayano is said to have a boyfriend. There are some implications in the manga that Ayano is dating Misao's brother, but it's never outright stated. I made Masaru as a joke in CM, but he grew into his own character as it progressed, eventually leading to me unironically inserting him into my other Lucky Star fics. His appearance here is a tad more mean-spirited than in CM, but significantly more upfront about trying to help (and doing it badly). I did my best to use Ayano to temper him.
For those of whom this chapter is their first encounter with Masaru, I hope he made a strong enough impression for his first speaking role. Feel free to tell me what you think of him.
Other stray thoughts:
Tsukasa's first not-flashback line is a reference to a song I'm sure most people reading this would know about.
I put a voice actor joke in one of Miyuki's few lines of dialogue this chapter. I wonder if anyone will get it.
I deliberately did not sign-post this, but the two girls talking about blood stains during breakfast are Patty and Hiyori. Did anyone guess that correctly?
If it wasn't totally obvious, Masaru and Ayano were making out before Konata and Misao barged into the room.
Next chapter: The Second Day, Round 2 Lower Bracket