I'm bored. I want to play games with Sis, but she's been in the bathroom forever doing her hair. It's actually kinda weird since she never puts this much effort into her hair. When she finally opens the door, I rush up to her.

Hey, doesn't her hair look the same as always? What's up with that?

"Can you play with me?" I ask her instead of commenting on it.

"Sorry, I already made plans with Adachi."

Somehow, I knew Sis was going to say that, but I still don't like it. I make my eyes as big as I can and pout my lips, but she just grabs my cheeks and pulls.

"Ow!"

"Oops. Sorry." She mutters something to herself about Yachi's cheeks being stretchier, but I don't pay attention as I massage my sore face. I'll get her back for that later. Maybe when she's sleeping, I can tickle that one spot on her tummy that makes her laugh all weird. Or even better, do it when she's on the phone with Adachi.

Oh, right. Adachi. Sis is already back to ignoring me while she picks out an outfit. I don't get it, why does she always have to dress so nice just to go to the mall with a friend? It's a complete mystery, but I bet if I ask her about it, she'll just say something like, You'll understand when you're older, in that tone of voice she gets when she thinks she's being cool.

That'd be annoying, so instead I go stand in front of her again and say, "Why don't you ever play with me anymore?"

Sis steps around me to pick up something from her desk. "Didn't we play Mario Kart just yesterday?"

"Only one race."

I'd gotten first place, of course, but before I could even take my prize by choosing the next track, she'd gotten a phone call and run off. At least she looks embarrassed about it as she turns and finally gives me her full attention.

"I guess that was pretty rude of me, huh?"

I nod, and she kneels down in front of me. I worry she's going to grab my cheeks again as she reaches her hand out, but she just gives me a pat on the head.

"How about this? Tomorrow, I'm all yours. We can do whatever you want."

"Just me and you?" I ask.

"I promise," she says and smiles at me.

It's no fair! How am I supposed to stay mad at her when she makes a promise like that? Before she can stand up again, I lunge forward and give her a tight hug.

"Wow, you're getting strong!" she jokes as she hugs me back.

Or maybe she's not joking. I keep holding onto her even after it seems like she's ready for me to let go, and she can't break away. Just how weak are you, Sis?!

I take pity and release her. I lie on my bed as she finishes getting ready, and before long, it's time for her to go.

"What are you going to do at the mall?" I ask before she leaves.

"Hmm, just this and that, I suppose."

And with that mysterious response, she steps out the door and leaves me alone.

It wasn't always like this. I know it's selfish, but I think I liked it better when she was trying to be a scary delinquent without any friends. She didn't bring anyone home with her, and that meant I got to have her all to myself and she'd play with me whenever I wanted. Now that she has Adachi, though, I worry that she doesn't have room for me in her life anymore.

"Why did she have to meet Adachi?" I ask aloud.

"It was destiny," comes a muffled response.

I really should be more shocked at hearing someone answer me in what I had thought was an empty room, but at this point, nothing Yachi does can surprise me.

"Where are you hiding?" I ask.

"Ah, it's not surprising that you would be unable to detect me with your mere Earthling senses."

I turn to the suspicious pile of blankets that Yachi's voice is coming from. Were those there the whole time? Oh well, it doesn't matter.

"Got you!" I yell as I pull the top blanket off to reveal sparkling blue hair.

"As expected, you've found me."

"But…" I start to bring up that she'd said the exact opposite just a few seconds ago, but I know there's no point talking logic with Yachi. "What do you mean, 'destiny'" I ask instead.

"Keh heh heh. I meant just what I said."

Yachi doesn't look like she plans on elaborating. She also doesn't look like she's going to free herself from the rest of the blankets anytime soon, so I help her out. She wriggles around, maybe trying to help, but she somehow just ends up even more tangled. I force her to sit still, and it takes a few minutes of hard work before she can stand up in front of me.

"Thank you," she says and presses a chocolate bar into my hand. I have a feeling that my reward came from our own kitchen, but I accept it anyways.

I haven't forgotten what we were talking about before, though. "Do you know something about my sis and Adachi?" I ask as I dig in to the treat.

"I know everything about them."

"Like what?"

"I'm afraid it would take"—Yachi quickly counts on her fingers—"five hundred quintillion years to explain it."

I don't know how big that number is, but I think she might have made it up anyways.

"I just don't get why Sis wants to spend so much time with her."

"Why don't you ask her?"

I laugh, imagining Sis's reaction if I did that. "She doesn't like to talk about her feelings."

"Then why don't you go see for yourself?"

I open my mouth to tell her to stop being silly, but I realize that she actually has a point. If I just follow them at the mall, I can figure out what it is she likes about Adachi! Then, tomorrow I'll know what to do to make Sis like me best again.

I start tearing through my closet to find something to wear. "Yachi, you look too! We need disguises!"

This is going to be a piece of cake!

~ o ~

"Krrrssshhh… krrrssshhh…"

There's no way this is going to work.

"When did you get changed?" Wait, that isn't the most important part. "Actually, what are you wearing?"

Yachi is standing in front of me in what can really only be called a space suit. The helmet is what's making her breathing sound all weird. Did she make the whole thing herself? I don't think space suits come in kid sizes, normally.

"This," she says proudly, "is the suit I used to wear before my face was ready."

Like most things Yachi says, I decide not to question it. The bigger problem is the stares. It's not every day you see a tiny astronaut at the mall, after all. Thankfully, I don't see Sis and Adachi anywhere, so our cover hasn't been blown.

"Well, take it off!"

"But isn't this perfect for an undercover mission? No one can see who I am."

"That doesn't matter if you can't blend in."

Yachi's only response to that is another heavy "Krrrssshhh…"

She must have realized I'm right, though, because she suddenly runs around the corner and comes back without her suit. She's wearing the jacket I lent her with the hood up to hide her distinctive hair. "Ta-da!" she says as she does a little twirl.

That looks like fun, so I twirl too. Yachi follows my lead and does it again, and pretty soon we're both spinning around as fast as we can. I don't know how long we keep that up, but eventually, I trip and fall.

"Ugh."

I lie on the floor and wait for the world to stop spinning. I have to fight to keep my lunch down, and adults passing by are shooting me dirty looks. Maybe that hadn't been such a good idea.

When I'm finally able to sit up, though, I notice Yachi is still going at it. She's spinning so fast that she's just a sparkly blue blur. I guess that means her hood came off.

"Yachi! We need to focus."

She comes to a stop immediately. It's like she's been standing still the whole time; she doesn't have to catch her balance or anything.

"Aren't you dizzy?" I ask her.

Yachi just smiles wide at me, looking proud of herself. Even so, I get the feeling that she doesn't understand the question.

I reach forward and pull her hood back up. "C'mon, we can't keep getting distracted."

Looking at all the stores around me, I suddenly realize a big problem with my plan: Sis never told me where exactly she was going. We could check every store one by one, but the mall is huge. Plus, Sis doesn't stick out as much now that her hair's back to its normal color. We could miss her if the place she's at is too crowded.

"Don't worry," Yachi says suddenly. "We'll find her for sure."

Wait, how did she know I was worried? Can she read minds now?! I think really hard about buying donuts, but she doesn't react. Nope, definitely not a mind-reader, then. Must've just been my face.

"How do you know we'll find her?"

"Because it's destiny!" Yachi says and takes off behind me.

"Wait for me!" I yell as I turn around and run after her. Does she really have to go so fast?

Thankfully, the chase doesn't last long. Not even a minute later, Yachi comes to a sudden stop in front of the arcade, and I just barely manage to avoid crashing into her. Before I can tell her off though, I notice that the people we're looking for are inside.

Adachi is playing one of the crane games, and my sister is standing next to her, cheering her on. I watch as she carefully positions the claw. She presses the button, and it swoops down and snatches up a small stuffed animal… which slips out of its grasp almost immediately. Adachi's shoulders slump, and Sis pats her on the back.

I turn back to Yachi. "Good job finding them!"

"Hmm?" Yachi says, sticking a one-yen coin in her pocket.

…Did she only stop to pick that up off the floor?

Oh well. I shift my focus back to Sis and Adachi. It looks like Adachi's trying the claw machine again. I've never been any good at those things. I remember one time, there was one that had the most adorable plushie I'd ever seen, but I couldn't get it even though I kept trying again and again. Just when I was ready to give up, Sis swooped in and got it for me in one try!

Actually, I wonder why she isn't helping. Adachi's tried it ten times just while I've been watching, and I get the feeling that she'd already been at it for a while before that. Sis would've gotten it for sure by now.

Adachi, on the other hand, takes another fifteen tries to get the toy she wants. Sis claps for her as she grabs her prize from the slot, and I get my first good look at it. It's a small stuffed dog that sort of looks like my grandparents' dog, Gon.

I'm surprised when, instead of keeping the toy for herself, Adachi holds it out for Sis to take. She has a strange look on her face when she does it, eyes squeezed shut and cheeks so red that I can see her blush from here, and she only relaxes when Sis takes the toy from her and pats her on the head.

The top of my own head burns. What does Sis think she's doing giving out headpats to someone else? It takes everything I have not to march in there and tell her off. I don't want to look like a baby.

Oh, and she's not supposed to know I'm here.

After that, they walk to the air hockey table together and play a few games. It's reeeaaaalllly boring just standing and watching them, but I can't afford to get distracted. First I focus on Adachi, trying my best to figure out how she's bewitching Sis.

Hmmm, maybe she is a witch. I read a manga about something like this. The evil witch had made a voodoo doll and used it to control this girl and make her fight with her friend. In the end, she broke through the spell with the power of friendship and they defeated the witch together. Is that what I have to do with Sis? Remind her of our sisterly bond?

I study Sis to see if I notice any signs of black magic. Right away, I notice how strange she's acting. I don't think I've ever seen her smiling and laughing as much as she is now. She usually prefers to act aloof, as if she couldn't care less about the things going on around her. She's still really caring in her own way, but it usually comes out much more subtly.

Adachi says something then, and I'm shocked to see the color rise in Sis's face. She's as red as the Kool-Aid Man! What could Adachi have said to make Sis react like that? It must've been embarrassing, because Adachi's pretty red too, but that's much less strange for her. Sis told me before that she thinks Adachi has a naturally high body temperature or something.

I need to get closer so I can hear what they're saying! I sneak my way up to them, but right when I'm in the middle of the arcade, their game finishes and they both start turning towards me. I panic and hide behind the claw machine. Luckily, they don't notice me. They walk past my hiding place, and I overhear them talking about getting something to eat.

I should probably follow them, but I feel like I'm forgetting something. Something I brought with me…

"Yachi!" I shout when I see her.

Somehow, that blue-haired weirdo has managed to get inside the claw machine. She's just casually rummaging through the different plushies, and she looks up and gives a lazy wave when she hears me. "I've discovered a much easier way to get the prizes," she tells me, chest puffed out with pride. "Truly, I am the master of this planet."

"Yachi, no! That's cheating!" I look around, praying no employees have noticed her. Thankfully, it looks like we're in the clear for now. "How did you even get in there?"

"I climbed up through the opening, obviously."

I glance at the chute the prizes come out of, which is only a bit bigger than a fist. Well, not my fist, since I'm still growing, but you know what I mean. "Well, climb back out of it!" I look around one more time, and by the time my gaze returns to the machine, Yachi is standing in front of it like nothing happened, clutching a little stuffed lion.

"You Earthlings have the strangest rules," she says.

That doesn't mean you can just ignore them, Yachi! There's no time to tell her that, though. I grab her hand and hurry out of the arcade before we lose sight of my Sis and Adachi.

Thankfully, Yachi's shenanigans hadn't taken too much time, and so our targets didn't get that much of a head start. I catch sight of them and begin heading in their direction.

Right away, I notice that the two of them are holding hands as well. Really, Sis?! How do you think I feel seeing you hold hands with some girl? The only thing stopping my surge of jealousy from getting out of control is the cold hand held in my own. It'd be kind of dumb to get too mad at her when I'm doing the same thing.

Still, it's different with Yachi. I'm mainly worried she'll wander off somewhere if I let go. What excuse does Sis have for Adachi?

Suddenly, the two of them vanish from my sight. Adachi had pulled Sis with her into a little nook between two stores. I hurry as fast as I can to catch up and peer around the corner.

"It's fine," I hear Adachi say. "No one will see us here. Please?"

"What am I going to do with such a needy girl?" Sis says, but she doesn't sound annoyed in the slightest. She almost sounds… fond? "I guess it's fine as long as we make it quick."

And then Sis leans forward and gives Adachi a kiss. On the lips!

"Sis, no!" I yell, abandoning any pretense of stealth as I rush up to her.

"Huh?" Sis jumps back from Adachi and turns to face me. "What are you doing here?"

I ignore her question and grab her hand. "She's stealing you from me," I say, knowing I sound like a crybaby but unable to stop myself.

Sis turns to Adachi. "Sorry, I have to take care of this. Don't worry; I'll be back to finish our date."

The word date echoes in my mind as Adachi glares at me. Doesn't she feel ashamed of herself giving such a mean look to an innocent little kid?

"It's okay," Adachi finally says. "I'll go get us seats at the restaurant."

"And I'll keep your seat warm for you!" Yachi says.

…Sorry for forgetting about you again, Yachi.

With that, the two of them head off, leaving me alone with Sis. I cross my arms and pout at her. "So, is she your boyfriend or something?"

Sis chuckles. "Well, girlfriend, but yes."

That's allowed? Oh well, that part's not important. "Does that mean you're going to move out and get married now?" Try as I might, I can't stop my lip from trembling.

"Oh, you." Sis reaches out and strokes my hair. "I'm not going anywhere. Yes, Adachi and I are dating, but that doesn't have to change anything about the relationship between you and me."

"It already has! You never have time for me anymore!"

Sis looks taken aback by my shout. "I thought we talked about this already? I'm going to spend all day with you tomorrow."

"It's not the same! I shouldn't have to make plans to spend time with you—we should be able to do it all the time." I sniffle. "Maybe you should just go live with Adachi. You don't need me anymore."

Oh great, now I'm crying. I'm supposed to be too big to cry like this anymore, but stupid Sis had to go and make me feel this way.

Sis kneels down and opens her arms. "Come here," she says.

Some part of me thinks I should ignore her. Show her how it feels. The part of me that wants to feel my sister's love one last time wins out, though, and I throw myself against her.

"There, there," she says, patting me on the back. "You're always going to be my precious little sister. Adachi's important to me, but so are you. I could never choose one of you over the other. There's enough room in my heart for both of you.

Her words just make me cry harder.

"Shh, it's okay. Just let it all out."

I don't know how long we stay like that, but eventually, I run out of tears. Hiccupping, I ask her, "Do you promise you'll always love me?"

"I do," she says. "I'm sorry I didn't realize this was bothering you so much. You've been acting like you're too cool to cling to your big sister anymore." She laughs humorlessly. "To be honest, it was making me feel a little lonely too."

"You were lonely too?" I repeat, a cold feeling in my chest. I never really thought about it, but I guess Sis has feelings too, huh? Even though she's big.

"I was," she says. "Do you remember that day, back when you were in preschool, when we couldn't find you after school? It turned out you'd snuck off to the park with a friend and you were safe the whole time, but it was the most scared I've ever been. I didn't know where you were, or if you were okay, and it terrified me. It was the first time I was forced to think about what my life would be like without you in it."

I don't really remember that day too clearly, but I do remember Sis squeezing me so tight when they found me. Even so, I never realized just how much I'd worried her.

"I wouldn't know who I was anymore if I didn't have you to be a big sister to," she continues. "And sometimes I think about how fast you're growing up, and it makes me worry that you won't need a big sister much longer."

"That'll never happen!" I tell her, pushing away from her so I can look her in the eyes.

I'm rewarded with Sis's big smile. Is it just me, or is her face wet too? "Thanks," she tells me. "It's the same to you: I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what. Okay?"

She holds out her pinky, and I take it in my own. We both smile as we shake on it.

There's still one thing bothering me though. "I still don't get what you like so much about Adachi," I mumble.

Sis laughs. "You two are a lot alike, you know? I wonder if that's part of it…" She considers this a moment before shaking her head. "Anyways, all that matters is that she makes me happy." She smiles and adds, "You'll understand when you're older."

Ugh. There's that tone of voice. It's so not cool, Sis.

"Anyways," she continues, "even though I won't be moving in with her any time soon, I do plan to keep Adachi in my life for a very long time. So, it'll make me happy if you try to get along with her, okay?"

"Okay," I sigh. It'll be tough, but it's worth the effort. It will make her happy, and Sis deserves to be happy.

After all, she's the best big sister in the whole world.