Top: Mimi Hanafusa. Nagisa’s little sister, she’s a sophomore in high school who is true to her feelings.
Bottom: Yuika Amemiya. An unremarkable junior in high school, she is easygoing and easily riled up.

Right: “Ah, sorry. That was your eraser, Yuika.”
“Yeah. But you can use it first.”
Her elegant fingers trace mine. My body jumps with a start.
“…Hey, Yuika.” A soft voice. Brown-hued eyes. Even though they seemed so similar, they were so different from each other. So why, in this moment, did Nagisa and Mimi-chan seem one and the same?
Hanafusa Nagisa. Mimi’s older sister, a serious and hard working junior in high school.
Left: “Do you still like me, Yuika?”

Right: “…Haa. You taste good, Senpai.”
Left: “Yuika, you can think of me as Nagisa,” she says while smiling.
I really should refuse. I shouldn’t need to be told that this is out of line. Before I knew it, without saying a single word, I just nodded lightly.

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[SukiImo – Prologue]

It would be a lie if I claimed to be without conceit.

They say that first loves are destined to fail, but I certainly believed myself an exception. After all, I thought that Nagisa had feelings for me too. Our eyes would frequently meet, she would often take my hand even though she was bad with physical contact, and she would always find opportunities to flash smiles at me. Basically, the way she spoke and acted around me gave away her affections. That’s why I confessed to her.

…However.

“I’m sorry. I can’t go out with you, Yuika. I’m really sorry.”

“Huh…?”

That was the day I had been fiercely rejected by the object of my first love, Nagisa Hanafusa.

And thus, that first love had been spectacularly shattered, inflicting a compound fracture on my prideful heart.

Please.

Please laugh at me.

Even better: tell this miserable, mistaken woman to get it together.

If you can do that, then I should be able to move on.

　　　　★

“Bwahahaha!”

“…”

“You’re killing me! Ahaha! Hehehehehe…”

“Y-you don’t have to laugh that much!”

Yuzuha was laughing uncontrollably. I could feel my heart steadily withering away.

“But you were the one who said to laugh, Yuika.”

“I mean, yeah! But even if so…”

“Sure. Just don’t let this drag on too much. It’s already been one month, you gotta get over it already.”

“I know! I know but…”

I knew it all too well. A month ago, when I spent a whole week running all over different places trying to forget my love for Nagisa, Yuzuha came along with me. Having dragged her around every which way, I knew it would be wrong to admit that I still wasn’t over these feelings.

Then again, if I could forget about Nagisa that easily, it wouldn’t have been love in the first place.

“Yeah, yeah. Not having your first love work out is tough, huh. I totally get it.”

“…Yuzuha, has something like this ever happened to you?”

“Uhm…no? I’ve gone on dates, but in the end it never felt right for me and I always ended up being the one dumping them.”

“…”

I didn’t want to be pitied by someone that experienced in love. I’d failed to even have my feelings returned, so things like dumping somebody or being dumped after starting to date were completely foreign concepts to me. What did “dating” even mean, anyway? What was “love”? What was “like”? What even was the chance of having somebody you like come to like you back and then starting a relationship with you? They certainly didn’t teach this in any sort of math class.

“But you know, Yuika, that was really bold of you.”

“Huh?”

“Your timing. Confessing right after we became 2nd years? And you thought you wouldn’t get rejected?”

“Uhm…”

“What’s more, after we changed seats you suddenly ended up behind Nagisa. Must be awkward.”

Just like Yuzuha said, I hadn’t even imagined that Nagisa would reject me. That’s why I confessed to Nagisa on the very day I saw her name on the list for our class. Now, the results were as you can see. Out of desperation I had said something clingy like “Let’s continue to be friends”. Honestly, I didn’t know what to even say to her now. Talking about the weather, or hobbies, or class wouldn’t exactly make for meaningful conversation.

“…I can’t.”

“Can’t what?”

“I can’t deal with this! Yuzuha, change seats with me!”

“Fine by me, Yuika, but do you really want to?”

“…Never mind, I don’t really want to.”

I was still holding on. Acting like a fool. You often hear that because romance at this age is just puppy love, it’s best to quickly move on to the next person if one didn’t work out. I knew that it would be best to just forget about it. But even though I knew that –

There was no way that these feelings that I’ve held onto since middle school could disappear in as little as a month. That’s why I kept dragging along this love, my gaze drawn to her back during class. Watching how her hair swayed in the wind, the way she gently moved her mechanical pencil. The way she naturally carried herself was so charming that I couldn’t help myself, but deep down I knew that I was just being creepy. If only I could change it all in an instant.

Just when I was about to let out a frustrated sigh, shimmering golden hair softly fluttered into the edge of my vision.

“Senpaaai.”

“Ah, Mimi-chan.”¹

As Mimi-chan called out to me from the doorway wearing a brand-new school uniform, I softly waved for her to come over. Seemingly unfazed by the classroom of a higher grade, she sauntered over. Then, she sat down on my lap.

“You rarely come to our classroom. What’s the occasion?”

“Well, there’s something I wanted to ask of you, Senpai.”²

“Hmmm? Ask away, as long as it’s something I can do!”

“When school’s over, would you maybe give me a tour of the school?”

“A tour…?”

“Because I still totally don’t know what kind of rooms we have and such. That’s why I thought it would be nice if you could show me around.”
“I see. Gotcha! Then, I’ll come meet you at your classroom after school, Mimi. You’re in class 3 of the first years, right?”

“Yeah. Then, I’ll be waiting! And bye to you too, Soramoto-san.”

“Ah, yeah. See you.”

Mimi-chan gave my lap a pat as she stood up. Almost like a cat, I thought. I’ve also known her since around middle school, and she sure hasn’t changed. Although things have become super awkward with all that’s happened, I was really happy that she looked up to me like an older sister.

“That was Nagisa’s younger sister, right?”

“Yeah, Mimi Hanafusa. She entered our school this year.”

“Hmmm. How did she know my name.”

“Maybe because I told her?”

“I see…to give up my personal information so easily is a crime!”

“And the verdict?”

“Life in prison!”

“Isn’t that too harsh?”

As I chatted with Yuzuha the bell rang and everyone returned to the classroom. Of course, I spotted Nagisa’s figure among the crowd. As I stared at her, our eyes suddenly met. Before, I would be waving to her with a smile, but now I could only avert my eyes. Pulling her chair back quietly, she sat in front of me. Her shoulders were awfully close, but they felt so distant it seemed like I couldn’t reach them no matter how far I stretched my arm. I ended up not thinking of a single reason to tap her shoulder before the next class began.

　　　　★

“The sound of the concert band really gives an “after school” sort of feeling, doesn’t it?”

“Aha, that’s quite true. Our middle school didn’t have one, so it’s a breath of fresh air.”

“You’re starting to sound like an old lady, Senpai.”

She sprung in front of me with a light step, her short skirt swaying gently. Having her skirt hiked up so much shorter than mine was like proof of her youthfulness. We’re only one year apart, but there sure is a gap between first and second years, huh. The color of our necktie was different, yet it wasn’t just about what’s visible but…also a bunch of other things. That’s how I felt since last year, though.

“But…hey, high school is the time to be yourself, right! The school rules are super lax and we can dye our hair all we want! Truly a paradise!”

“Yeah…I think the color you’ve got is really pretty.”

“Oh, you really think so? I like it a lot myself. I mean, black hair kinda gives off an annoying, uptight sort of aura, doesn’t it?”

“I…I guess?”

I’ve known her for more than two years, and she had always been the type to break the mold. A desire to rebel against all kinds of things…I guess that was the privilege of adolescence? I wouldn’t know.

“I like how pretty your hair is too, Senpai. Your natural look.”

“But mine is kinda dull compared to the pretty color you and Nagisa have.”

“You really think so? I like it though!”

Unlike those two, my hair was a darkish brown. Still, I liked it enough that I wouldn’t want to dye it any other color.

Because Nagisa had complimented it in the past.

…thinking about it that way made it kinda depressing.
As we circled the school building, Mimi-chan looked like she enjoyed walking with me. It’s not like I knew so much about our school that I could give a complete tour, but she still smiled happily as I showed her around. Seeing her smile relieved me just a little bit. An innocent smile could heal a woman’s heart, for real! Feeling like my spirits had been lifted a little, I confidently strode up in front of her.

“That’s about it! I think you’ll get used to the rest over time.”

“Alright. Thank you very much, Senpai. That was really helpful.”

After a brief tour of the school’s facilities, I accompanied her to the front of the school gate. She still looked like she was having fun. Although we had hung out a few times in the past, Mimi-chan had been busy studying for exams lately and we hadn’t really had many chances to be alone with each other.

Was that the reason that her smile looked so much more dazzling than before? The radiance in her expression reminded me of Nagisa. Was it because their hair was dyed the same color? Or maybe because her smile gave off more of an innocent feeling than before? I’m not sure.

I shook my head a little. No matter how hard I had been shot down by Nagisa, to see her in Mimi-chan was questionable not just as her senior, but as a person. Even if their faces looked alike, just like you would expect.

“Should we go back? I’ll walk you home.”

“…No.”

Mimi-chan shook her head and I quizzically tilted mine.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had the chance to spend time together, so could we maybe hang out a little bit before going home? I’ve been looking forward to having some fun on the way home after school, you know.”

“Hehe, that so? Then, let’s hang out a bit!”

“Yeah, let’s get going, then! Time waits for no one!”

“Hey, not so fast, Mimi-chan!”

“You’re just slow, Senpai!”

She swiftly dashed through the school gates.

Whether she was inside or outside of school, Mimi-chan was going to be herself. It might be obvious, but it still stood out to me how she didn’t change. I hurriedly made my way out.

At that moment, a sudden breeze blew by, softly ruffling my hair. As if invited by this wind, I turned back towards the school. Was Nagisa still there? She would often stay in the library to study, but I didn’t know which days she would be there. Still, my gaze ended up wandering to the window of the floor where the library is located. Nagisa hadn’t been there when I was showing Mimi-chan around, but maybe now…?

“…Senpai.”

As I heard her voice, I suddenly felt a tug on my hand. Serene as the tranquil sea³, her eyes carried my reflection.

“You’re too slow! I’ll drag you with me if I have to.”

“Aren’t you being too pushy…?”

“If I don’t do this, you’ll just stand around like that forever, won’t you, Senpai? Is that what this is? Are you a domesticated cat that’s lost it’s natural instincts or something?”

“That’s not it…”

She felt much more assertive than before. But, not really against it, I gently took her hand and squeezed it tight. She returned the gesture, squeezing my hand just as tightly. I wasn’t sure why, but that gesture alone made me happy. Hand in hand, I started walking with her as she pulled me along.

Before I knew it, thoughts of the library had disappeared from my mind.

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1. Gonna keep the honorifics for now. This is the first instance, Yuika and Yuzuha don’t use them and neither did Yuika in her internal monologue. ↩︎
2. Mimi is using Keigo at this point, meaning she is treating Yuika as her senior in spite of them being acquainted for a while and relatively close in age. Yuika is talking to Mimi more casually. ↩︎
3. The Kanji for sea as in the one used in Mimi’s name. ↩︎

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Regarding names:

Nagisa Hanafusa – Shore. The last name Hanafusa refers to the Calyx of a flower.

Mimi Hanafusa – Written with “Sea” and “Full moon”; “watching the sea” – that is, the name invokes standing on the shore as well, giving the siblings names with a similar theme.

Yuzuha Soramoto – Yuzu leaf. Soramoto is written “Sky” and “Book”.

Yuika Amemiya – written with “bind, tie” and “fulfill” (as of a wish, prayer). A wistful name. Amemiya is “Rain” and “Shrine”.

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