A/N: Definitions for non-English words provided after the chapter.

Dolcissimo
Mika

January seemed to come over Kyoto quite suddenly that winter. With our father so withdrawn, the year's-end temple matters were much further from my life than usual. It came almost as a shock to find myself eating toshikoshi-soba and watching people gather for the striking of the gongs. Almost before I knew it, I was trying to button up Eiri's overcoat as we prepared for the first day of the new school term.

I really must emphasize the word "trying". Eiri was a sweet little boy, but he was never in his life a morning person, and he was thwarting my designs with a mixture of sleepiness and indignation. "You're poking me, Oneesan," he complained, scrubbing at his eyes with the back of one hand.

His movements made it nigh impossible for me to get the top button fastened. I sighed in frustration. "Well, I wouldn't if you'd just hold still and stop rubbing your eyes."

"I'm sleepy, and I can dress myself, too." He let his arms drop to his sides obediently, but his expression was reproachful as I went after the elusive top button again. "I'm almost eight!"

Despite myself, I had to smile at his affronted tone, even as I gave the hem of his coat (buttoned at long last) a little tug to smooth the fabric. "I know you can dress yourself, you just take too long. I want to get to school early today. Don't you?" I reached for his scarf next.

"I don't know, Oneesan, I—mmph mmph, I don't want the scarf on my face—isn't it just school?" He tilted his head to one side and regarded me quizzically, his wounded pride forgotten.

"It's the first day of school, so it's extra important to be prompt. Please put on your mittens." I followed my own directive, grabbing our school bags and winding my scarf around my neck while I shooed Eiri out the door. "Besides, this will be my last term as a first year student. Isn't that kind of exciting?"

Unconvinced, my little brother shot me his I-love-you-but-you're-crazy look, then fell silent, still too drowsy to question me further. As we made our way through the temple courtyard, fresh snow crunched underfoot. It would be swept away later, but for now, everything was pristine, matching my hopes for the new year.

I had a feeling that things were finally looking up. My first two terms as a freshman had been marred by sorrow, so I hadn't had much of an opportunity to enjoy being in high school. The new year was a clean slate, and I promised myself that I'd really make the most of it—study hard, maybe even join an after-school club. Provided, of course, that I could get Eiri to join one at his school, so that he wouldn't have to walk home alone.

I glanced down at him, trying to gauge how awake he was. Even despite the cold weather, he was still yawning along and blinking at the brightness of the light reflected from the snow. Oh, well. We'd be getting lists of the clubs at both of our schools today, so there was no point worrying about it right now. I could look them over and see if there was anything appealing before I brought it up to Eiri...and more especially, to my father.

Mom had been very proud of me for choosing, and qualifying for, an academic track at one of the best high schools in the area. My father wasn't all that thrilled, even though I had decided to study to become a teacher. Fair was fair, though—I wasn't overjoyed by his notions for my future. I knew he still intended for me to marry into another temple family.

Actually, that was part of why I'd gone for the academic track. Going to university, or even a junior college, would put me out of his reach for a little while. And even though I knew a lot of girls in my class would be using junior college as a preparation for marriage, I didn't have to. I could go get a real job somewhere other than Kyoto. Maybe even in another country, I told myself sometimes. That thought always brought on an excited little shiver. What country would I choose? England? America?

We were at Eiri's school now, and I suddenly realized I'd been daydreaming the whole way there. Big goals, Uesugi Mika, but you have to work harder and get your head out of the clouds if you want any of them to come true, I chided myself. I bent and hugged Eiri, who gave me a quick, self-conscious little kiss on the cheek. "Be good..." I started. He grinned, picking up the second half of my standard admonishment.

"...and listen to the teacher," we chorused. I handed him his school bag, waved, then hurried off to my own school, mind buzzing with anticipation and my resolve to start the new term properly. Rolling Eiri out of bed extra-early paid off; I was one of the first students to my class, and even had time to chat with some of the other girls.

The morning classes flew by. At lunch, Ishida Kyoko scooted her desk over to mine, immediately followed by almost half the girls in our class. Kyoko was quite popular, and we'd been good friends before. "It's nice to see you smiling again," was all she said before the discussion turned to what people had done or gotten for Christmas, and the upcoming music festival. Everyone seemed to be excited about the festival. It was the first school event on the term calendar we'd been given. I listened more than I talked, but it felt surprisingly nice to be included again.

After school, I stayed behind to ask my teacher about the second-year classes, and what I should concentrate on. We talked a little longer than I'd planned, but I wasn't worried. The elementary school classes always took longer to clean their classrooms, and with all the snow on the ground, there was sure to be plenty of mud to wipe up. All in all, I couldn't have been much happier about the day as I started off towards Eiri's school. I could hardly wait to tell him how great everything had been. Despite, or maybe because of, the eight-year difference in our ages, it always made him so happy and proud when I confided in him. I knew he'd be pleased for me.

I hate it when life sets you up for a fall.

Since I was later than usual, Eiri's class had already been let out by the time I arrived, and there were a fair number of children milling around in front, playing or just waiting for a bus or for someone to pick them up. Many of them were evidently working out their high spirits after the first day cooped up in class following our few weeks' break. General confusion seemed to be the rule...but it wasn't hard to pick out Eiri, even ignoring his blond hair.

He was the only one standing alone.

His head was bowed, and he was looking so fixedly at the ground that he didn't even notice me until I walked right up to him and touched his shoulder. He jumped, then grabbed my hand and clung to it with both of his, but he didn't say anything. That worried me. Eiri was hardly a chatterbox, but it was unlike him not even to offer a greeting.

Still, I didn't press the issue yet. With so many people around, it would be pointless—I'd never get him to open up about whatever was bothering him. Maybe he has a new teacher this term...or...he has homework that he doesn't want to do, or he got a question wrong and the teacher corrected him in front of the class. It was probably something like that. I hoped.

I knew I was wrong when I heard a little sniffle about halfway back. When I looked down at him, tears were sliding forlornly down his cheeks. Eiri rarely sobbed or wailed, but I always found his peculiarly silent weeping twice as affecting...and not a little unnerving.

Fortunately, we were on a street where most of the old-fashioned shops were still closed for O-shogatsu celebrations, so there was an empty bench nearby. I led him over to it and relieved him of his school bag before I pulled him onto my lap, thanking heaven for the mercy that he was small for his age and still fit. "All right," I said soothingly, "tell me what happened."

"Oh, Oneesan..." He threw his arms around my neck and buried his face against my shoulder. "...You are my sister, aren't you?"

"What? Of course I am!" I wasn't prepared for that one. Sometimes you overlook the obvious. "Did someone say I wasn't?"

He nodded miserably, the amazing tears still trickling from his eyes. "Jiro did. He said I was probably some kind of monster." There was a pause as he burrowed closer against me in denial. His next words were muffled in my coat, but I was able to make out a tremulous, "I'm not...am I?"

"You most certainly are not." In retrospect, I guess it's a little funny that Eiri was seriously worried about being a monster, but at the time, I only felt sad.

"But...we don't look at all alike. Your hair is so dark, and mine isn't. It's ugly and...and I hate it!"

"Don't be silly, your hair isn't ugly." In the thin winter light, his hair was a pure, pale gold, sparkling where it caught the sun as I stroked it. How could anyone call that ugly? "It's just different. Besides, we do so look alike."

With some difficulty, I reached around him and fished a small mirror out of my bag, then held it at arm's length. I nudged him to make him look, leaning forward to put my cheek against his. "We have the same face, do you see?"

He regarded the mirror solemnly, the tears slowly stopping, and I hoped that was seeing what I was. We really did have the same facial structure—the family resemblance was so strong that even my father, who'd been quite surprised by the arrival of a blond baby, could not deny that Eiri was his child. After a moment, Eiri nodded slowly. "I do...but..."

I cut him off before he could finish, closing the mirror and turning him by the shoulders so that I could look him in the eye. "No buts. What does your heart tell you?"

"...You're my sister." He hesitated; I didn't.

"Mine says you're my brother."

He looked thoughtful at that, working it out in his mind. "Then...we have the same heart, too?"

His question brought my smile back, and I suddenly felt just as happy as I had been before. "That's right. And anyone who says differently doesn't know what they're talking about."

Eiri seemed to be satisfied by that, so I put the mirror away and handed him a tissue, and we got up. His good humor seemed to be fully restored by the time we got to the temple's gate. It wasn't until then that the thought occurred to me.

I really hope this isn't going to happen again.


dolcissimo – played very sweetly
O-shogatsu – Japanese New Year season, sometimes celebrated for several days, esp. by the traditionally-minded
Oneesan – "big sister", term of address
toshikoshi-soba – lit. "Across the Years Noodles"; traditional Japanese New Years dish, eaten around midnight so that they bridge one year and the next

A/N: With special thanks to Kyoko for help with the Japanese customs and words, since I'm a poor, clueless Kor-Am raised on Hamburger Helper and mac-and-cheese. ;) Look, I named the popular girl after you!