Chapter 47c: Real Life Ping Pong
This is what summers are supposed to be like!
Honestly, I had forgotten what holidays are supposed to be like. Having days without school or without theater are free days, but they are not holidays per se.
They are only holidays once you have something to fill them up with.
I had forgotten how relaxing it is to just have Setsuka babbling about things nonstop while playing games with her. Yesterday, we spent time at the beach and she made sand castles and we even swam in the sea for a while. Frankly, I don't even get why those buzzing flies of legal requirement decided to agree to her and me spending our weekend together.. but they did!
Sure, I have to call in to let them know where we are, and they've been checking up on us. But they are still giving me quality time with Setsuka.
"Nii-san, you lost again!"
Huh? Oh. Crap.
Two metres away from me lies the shuttle. The one I am supposed to bounce back at her.
"If you are letting me win I'm not talking to you for the rest of the day!"
I laugh from the bottom of my heart as I give her a doting grin while picking up the shuttle.
"Why would I let you win? It has been two years since you last threatened to not talk to me if you lost!"
Ah, whoops. She's upset now. Her eyebrow twitches a bit and her knuckles are whitening up even more around the handle of that racket. "That was then. This is now! Serve again already! Loooooser!"
Oh. It is on now.
"You better watch your mouth before I wash it out with detergent!"
I would never. But she is instantly flustered, closing her mouth before realizing I don't even have detergent with me. Why would I have detergent on a badminton field? She's still as lovely and gullible as the Setsuka I remember.
But she still needs to be put in her place. So I toss the shuttle up and serve it with a hard serve.. that is full of deception. It is actually so soft it only barely clears the net, and her misjudging the distance it would fly contributes to her already late response.
"That's a point for me. We're even again!" I egg her on a bit.
"You've got longer legs!"
"I wasn't running just now, was I?"
"But I was!"
"So? You weigh less."
"... true."
She ran out of arguments, and prepares her next serve seemingly unconvinced of her loss at both our verbal and our more physical spar. Every bit of her stance betrays her concentration, but her concentration cannot hide her innate adorableness.
I love summer. I really do.
It's getting to be somewhat late in the afternoon when her ride appears in our field of view. It seems the end of our fun weekend has made itself present.. but then again, it could be far worse.
"Hey Cain. Hey Setty."
The sun reflects off of that head covered by luscious red hair, and I am reminded how weird genes are. Western genes must have developed really differently from Asian ones, I guess.
I offer Jenny a small nod, unsure how to greet her. I think it is mutual; our talks are always a bit awkward and only last because of the glue that is Setsuka.
Hell, if I didn't know Setsuka any better, I'd think she were trying to compete with me for her affection. There's some of that spirit in her eyes that I've seen in acting class when we are vying for roles. The fiery inner spirit that yells out 'I am no worse than you!' and all that.
Look at those two hug. So affectionate. Frankly, I'm jealous. The last hug Setsuka gave me that was like that was this morning.
That's eight hours ago!
A sigh escapes me as I approach them. No point in playing more and leaving the big sister watching on the sidelines. As if she was going to make up for the 37 point deficit.
Actually, I'm a bit jealous both ways. Am I a traitor to Setsuka to think of her older sister as being cute, too? I'd say she's a more mature kind of cute. Maybe it is the clothes? Either way, she's definitely very huggable.
No. Setsuka is still cuter. And infinitely more huggable.
Jenny starts to talk to me, holding her hand out in greeting so I can shake it.. which I do. There's apparently no hug in it for me.
"I suggested I'd be the one to pick Setsuka up and they let me. I got my moped license a few days ago, and.."
"She did mention it. Several times." I grin at the pair of them, and Setsuka blushes just a bit at me reminding her of the way she gloated about all the ways that sister of hers is amazing.
I wonder if she talks to others about me in that same way... probably not. Maybe when she was younger, but nowadays, what would she even have left to brag about? Her nii-san properly finishing his therapy and now spending time pretending to be other people in drama classes?
Yeah, I'm not really the cool brother anymore, I think. At the very least, I'm losing the 'coolest sibling' race big time.
".. so anyway, I've got a helmet for her, so it is all safe. But I figure there's no rush; it is a nice evening and it isn't like they are waiting up to have dinner with us."
She's got a bloody killer smile. And I don't mean it in the murderous way, although I think in Japan there's some saying or other about nosebleeds. It almost makes sense.
I force myself not to blush like a fool on the chopping board to that smile. "Oh. That's great. Do you want to talk or go out for dinner? I can treat."
She grins amicably, and her hand playfully ruffles through Setsuka's hair. Oi, Setsuka, you're letting her do that to you? It took me months before you stopped pushing my hand away back in the day!
"Where's the fun in that? You don't even have a job, do you?" She shakes her head and glances towards the net. "Maybe you have another racket? Me versus the two siblings. The loser treats us all."
"Nii-san is going to kick your ass, Jellybelly!"
Well... I guess we just accepted that challenge, and I can only offer Jelly... Jenny an appreciative smile. The wink she gives me in return almost makes my heart betray me, but my mind catches up: she's trying to let us bond a bit rather than split us up.
"I guess I am." I offer the redhead a determined and somewhat challenging smile of my own while trying really hard to ignore the fact that this sister has longer legs than me.
A man doesn't make excuses, so if we lose, I can hardly point that out, right? And it is two versus one, too!
This is a true challenge for sibling supremacy.
We must win!