Gimai Seikatsu - Days With My Step Sister

June 7th was a special day for the newly joined Asamura-Ayase family.

It was more important than any national holiday, but there wasn't any convenient calendar entry that set aside the day as particularly special.

Yet, it was such a big event for us that our parents shuffled around their daily routines, especially for it.

It was the one-year anniversary we all started living together.

Exactly one year ago, Akiko-san, my Stepmom, and Ayase-san, my Stepsister, moved into the house where my old man and I lived.

But, just because it's an anniversary it's not like anything changed. Aside from all four of us being together, it was a regular old morning.

The first face I saw at the breakfast table was Ayase-san's, that face already washed and her natural-looking makeup already applied, now fully ready for school.

Akiko-san's Japanese-style breakfast was just as delicious as it was last Monday.

I sat down at the table with the aroma of grilled fish in the air.

Ayase-san was next to me, my old man across from me, and Akiko-san next to him—the fixed seating of our family of four. Yes, we simply existed in the natural habitat as a family.

It wasn't a situation that made me nervous or anxious, just relaxed.

I've been too conscious of Ayase-san's presence of late. I feel like my own existence is like a formless gas cloud automatically changing shape when she's around. I've been tormented by a floating, weightless feeling as if I was swimming in the air and unable to keep my feet on the ground.

But now, everything is okay.

Even though I can feel Ayase-san's presence beside me, I'm able to stay calm. My thoughts and vision are clear, and I can even see the grilled mackerel in front of me in vivid detail.

"Can you pass the soy sauce—Saki?"

"Sure, here you go—Yuuta-niisan."

There was a slight delay, but compared to last week, we could use each other's first names much more smoothly.

Saki has been calling me "Niisan" in front of our parents for a while now, and my calling her "Saki" was initially a bit awkward, but after several days I'm finally used to it.

My old man didn't snort, and Akiko-san's smile clearly showed she found it endearing.

"You two seemed to have warmed up to each other compared to last year. I'm glad you seem to be getting along well."

"A lot can change in a year," Saki said casually as Akiko-san let out a sigh of relief.

It's not just that time had solved everything, but instead, we'd gone through a gradual and messy change to get to where we were at that point.

Looking back, "A lot can change in a year" summed it up pretty well. At least, the simple summary was enough for our parents—who hadn't known we were struggling to find the right distance between us until recently.

"But if there's anything that's not quite right with the current setup, just let us know. We'll do our best to create a comfortable environment for you."

"...Are you talking about the midterm exams?"

"Ah, well, that... Both of you seem to have had a tough time with them," my old man said hesitantly.

He's probably been trying to be considerate of the pressure we were under as students.

"Don't stress. I know the cause."

"Really?"

"Yeah, we couldn't totally concentrate on our midterms because we were preoccupied with entrance exams and getting used to the new school. But we're not going to use that as an excuse to slack off. We know the reason, so we can do better next time."

I wasn't lying. More accurately, the lack of concentration was due to my almost codependent relationship with Ayase-san. But I can't say that yet, nor did I need to anyway.

"I've talked about it with Saki too."

"Mm...don't worry about us."

"Alright. If you both say you're okay, we trust you."

"Hehe, see? I told you, didn't I?"

Akiko-san smiled proudly as she touched my old man's slumped shoulder.

What did she mean?

As Ayase-san and I exchanged puzzled glances, Akiko-san mischievously spoke like a grade-schooler tattling on someone.

"Taichi-san was worried that he might've done something strange and unwittingly caused some sort of stress for you two."

"Ah, Akiko-san, did you really need to tell them that?"

"It's fine, there's no need to hide it. Besides, it's related to the conversation we'll have later."

"Well...yeah, you're right. That's true."

What conversation we're going to have later?

"The two of you seemed to be struggling, and we were worried that it might be because of us getting married. We've had many days when we weren't home because of work, and even though we've recently taken on more household chores, it's also true that you still have to spend time on housework and cooking. We thought maybe a normal family would provide a better environment for studying."

"That's not—"

"Not at all. Absolutely not."

The two siblings' denial overlapped.

"You're already being good to us. We don't want to be too demanding and ask for more."

"Hehe, see, Taichi-san? The two of them are strong and reliable. Everything's fine."

"Haha. Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry for not trusting you two enough."

With Ayase-san backing him up and Akiko ribbing him, my old man scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.

Although he was laughing I could tell that it was a serious issue for him.

With my birth mother, he thought that he was doing well, but before he realized it, the bond was already broken. He was just trying to work hard and provide for his family, he was blamed as if he was the only one at fault, and the relationship fell apart. It was a memory he still held on to.

That memory of that had somewhat faded since he remarried, but it still lingered as a murky residue deep in his heart.

That's why he's sensitive to even the slightest discomfort or uneasiness of our family, including Saki and me, and worried about it.

I think the fact that my old man could relax and look relieved with just a little adjustment to each other was proof that he'd gotten over his trauma and was living happily now.

...Wait, what was the main topic again?

Akiko-san had said earlier, "Besides, it's related to the conversation we'll have later."

"Um, I get that you were worried, but... what's the conversation about?"

"Oh, right, right. About that…"

My old man leaned forward and eagerly explained, "Next weekend, we're thinking of going on a trip over Saturday and Sunday."

"Huh? All four of us?"

"No. Um, sorry, I do want to go on a trip with all four of us, but this time…"

"It's just the two of you for your wedding anniversary, right?"

Seeing my old man was struggling to get the words out, Ayase-san came in with the assist.

Ah, now I get it.

Our new family has been together for a year, but that also meant it was Akiko-san and my old man's first wedding anniversary.

"It's a little late, but I wanted to celebrate our anniversary. But Taichi-san was worried that it would be thoughtless to talk about a trip at a time when both of you were struggling with your studies."

"Oh, so that's what it is... I didn't know you could be so considerate, Dad."

"Yuuta, are you making fun of your father?"

"No, I'm actually admiring his thick skin."

"Wow, what a way to put it. Did you hear that, Akiko-san? Yuuta's always like this!"

"Hehehe."

The playful teasing between the close father and son, and the exaggerated complaints from the father made the mother burst out laughing and the younger sister to shake her head with a wry smile. I loved that scene of us as a family. The thought came very naturally to me. I'm sure Ayase-san feels the same way as when I glanced at her and our eyes met, she was smiling gently.

And I knew our response to our parents' proposal was the same: "It's okay, go and enjoy your trip as a couple."

When I think about it, the past year has been one of constant worry about us—the children. There haven't been many chances for them to spend quality time together as a married couple. As a couple who both worked and had different schedules, I want them to enjoy their anniversary without any interruptions. That was the genuine feeling that Saki and I shared towards our parents.

"Thanks, I'll definitely let loose and have some fun then," Akiko-san said with a smile.

Seeing the happy faces of our parents, both Saki and I were sure we'd chosen the right words to say.

That's until we heard Akiko-san's next words.

"You'll be on your own over the weekend, so be careful with locking up. We'll leave you some money to use as you please. You can eat out if you don't have time to cook or cook at home. You can even use it as pocket money."

I couldn't tell whether the surprised "Huh?" came out of Ayase-san's mouth or mine. Maybe it came from both of us at the same time. A weekend without our parents. We've had nights without them around before, but there were hardly any days when they wouldn't return at all.

I swallowed nervously.

At school, we would be closer, and at home, we would maintain a bit more distance.

For us—who'd taken the first step in our new life as stepsiblings and lovers—this might be our first real challenge.