Gimai Seikatsu - Days With My Step Sister

The living room was bathed in white light. With the rain now gone, the following early morning was bright.

Sunlight from a newly risen sun shone through the room's lace curtains. Or maybe my mood has improved, and that's why I see it this way?

If your heart can be affected by the weather, then the opposite is also true. The world can look a whole lot different depending on your mood.

But it's way too poetic and kind of embarrassing to put that into words, even just in my head.

Still, I feel like I've gotten to know Ayase Saki a little better thanks to the time we spent together last night.

The way her expression softened every time our eyes met over breakfast warmed something deep inside me.

As we finished eating and were getting ready, my old man and Akiko-san emerged from their bedroom.

Apparently, they'd returned early this morning while we were still asleep.

"Good morning. And, we're back. Anything happen, you two?"

"Welcome back. Nope, just the usual."

Well, saying nothing happened would be a lie.

"There was the blackout, I guess."

"Huh? Really? Were you okay?"

"Yes. It was only out for a little while. Nothing in particular happened, and the power came back on quickly," Ayase-san said.

Akiko-san smiled as she stood next to my old man.

"See, Taichi-san? Told you so."

He gave her a wry smile and swiftly adjusted the rim of his glasses with his finger.

"Listen, Akiko-san. No matter what anyone says, if you're worried, you're worried. It's not something you can just stop with logic. I, of course, thought everything was fine too."

Seeing how proud my old man looked, I had to use all the strength in my abs not to burst out laughing.

"Yes, yes."

Akiko-san waved off my old man's dramatics.

Ayase-san giggled, her shoulders shaking. I couldn't hold back anymore and cracked up too.

"C'mon you two, hurry up and go, or you'll be late."

At Akiko-san's urging, we said our goodbyes and left the flat.

We began walking to school. The rain had stopped, and the sky was blue, as if last night's thunderstorm had been nothing but a dream. Even the puddles shining brilliantly on the ground reflected the clear sky.

Ayase-san walked beside me, our steps in sync.

It's interesting, if you think about it. My pace was slower than usual. Meaning, if you factor in movement efficiency per unit of time, my performance had dropped. If I prioritized efficiency, I should've taken my bicycle now that the rain had stopped. Yet, I enjoyed my current pace.

Again, it's all about perspective.

This isn't just about getting to school; I want to cherish the time I spend with her. Wanting to stay closer to her outside. I started doing just that yesterday.

I decided to abandon my bike for a while, especially with the rainy season upon us. From now on, we'll leave the house together.

We stopped at a red light. This exact spot pulled up a memory from a year ago. Ayase-san didn't notice a large vehicle running the light, and I barely managed to pull her away in time. Just the thought of what could've happened sends shivers down my spine to this day.

It seems she cottoned onto what I was thinking, nodding.

"Yes, I'll be careful."

The light turned green. After checking both ways repeatedly, we safely crossed the intersection.

I took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.

It's so clear, without a single cloud.

"With weather like this, there shouldn't be any issues for tomorrow's tournament. The forecast says it'll be sunny then too."

Ayase-san nodded in agreement.

The school grounds themselves might still be wet, making it tough for students doing outdoor sports to practice. Those of us practicing in the gymnasium will feel for them, of course, but we have to focus on our own final preparations.

I passed through the school gate. I changed my shoes at the shoe lockers, made my way down the corridor, and climbed the stairs to the third floor. Ayase-san and I were together the entire time. Even after reaching the top floor of the school building, we walked side by side to our classroom. It'd be weird to split up at this point since we're in the same class. Ayase-san and I stayed close but not too close. We didn't hold hands or anything; we simply walked shoulder to shoulder.

We opened the door and stepped into the classroom. We made eye contact for a second, nodded, then headed to our respective seats.

I'd just put my bag down and taken a seat when Yoshida slinked over to me. He sat down sideways in the empty seat in front of me and leaned in close.

"Oh man, you're full of surprises, aren't ya Asamura-san?"

I felt a shiver down my spine when he called me "Asamura-san" instead of the usual "Asamura."

"Uh… Did I miss something here?"

Yoshida's eyes narrowed.

"Dude, tell me I'm not seeing things. Didn't you just come in with Ayase?"

I figured this would come up. That's why I haven't come to school with her until now.

Apparently, when a high school boy and girl come to school together, it raises certain expectations.

"We're classmates, so it's normal for us to chat, is it not?"

"How long has this been going on? I don't remember you and Ayase ever having much in common?"

Fair question. It'd been two months since the semester began. Showing up all of a sudden with someone you've never even made eye contact with was bound to raise eyebrows. You need some event to change relationships. In novels, relationships between characters don't just change without some sort of episode or event.

In reality, though, nothing so dramatic was needed. Like, for instance—

"We just happened to chat while walking to school today, alright?"

It wasn't exactly a lie. I just left out the part about leaving the same house together, that's all.

"'Just happened to,' eh? Since when were you the chatty type with someone you barely know?"

"Well, she's not exactly a stranger. Last year, I went out with Ayase-san and some people from her class."

That wasn't a lie either.

"Where'd you guys go? Wait, don't tell me you pulled off the legendary mixed-gender karaoke? Your Mom won't allow it, young man!"

I don't remember Yoshida ever giving birth to me.

"Summer public pool."

"You mean the land of dreams, you bastard?"

"I just think it's a regular public place..."

"Gotcha. And you two became close after that?"

"As you can see, more or less."

I deliberately kept my answer vague.

Yoshida leaned in closer.

"I'm rooting for you, Asamura."

"Rooting for what?"

"So, when you gonna confess?"

"Confess…"

Why do people always try to turn a guy-girl relationship into a romantic one… Well, to be fair, we already are in one. I've already confessed my feelings to her.

"You and Makihara-san are close too, aren't you, Yoshida? So it's normal to have close friends of the opposite sex."

"Man, that's exactly why I thought maybe you liked her."

"What…? I knew you two were close, but you like Makihara-san in that way, Yoshida?"

"Wha-! Y-yo, Asamura! Keep your voice down."

Yoshida looked around nervously, but I hadn't been speaking loudly. I'd asked him in a reasonably quiet voice. Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. Fairness in relationships often means maintaining a balance.

Just then, the bell for class to start rang.

As Yoshida got up to leave, he whispered something in my ear.

"I need your advice on something later."

With that, he returned to his seat. What could he want to discuss? I never thought of myself as someone to go to for advice, especially about romance—an area I'm completely hopeless in.

I tilted my head in confusion.

I didn't find out what Yoshida needed advice about until PE that afternoon.

***

The basketball thrown by my team circled the ring and bounced off again.

We were in PE class, split into two teams for a practice game in preparation for the sports festival.

I was under the hoop and caught the ball as it fell. I had an opponent sticking close to my back, so it'd be difficult to turn around towards the hoop. Now, should I forcefully turn and shoot, or—

"Asamura!"

A teammate called out my name. A classmate who'd backed away to the three-point line was signaling to me. Yoshida.

The floor squeaked as I stepped and passed the ball straight at Yoshida's chest. He launched the ball. It sailed through the air in a gentle arch and was swallowed by the hoop.

Cheers erupted from both friends and foes.

"Nice pass, Asamura!"

I replied, "Nice shot."

It's funny how I feel happy even though it wasn't my shot that went in. Ah, I get it now, so this is what team sports are all about.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand and took a quick breather.

I was reminded of the conversation I had with Fujinami-san at cram school recently. I have to focus on playing as a team. But when things go well, it feels really rewarding. It's not easy, but I'm glad I gave it a shot.

The whistle blew, signaling a break.

I was leaning against the wall of the gym when I heard, "Asamura!" I looked up.

Yoshida was coming towards me with an unusually serious look in his eyes.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure."

"I wanna confess."

"Geez, let a guy mentally prepare first."

"Yeah, fair enough. Springing this kinda talk on you… Wait, no! I don't mean to you!"

Yoshida was the kind of guy who'd play along with my jokes.

"I know. You mean to Makihara-san, right?"

He nodded.

"So, how's wanting to confess and asking me for help at all related?"

"Tomorrow's the sports festival, yeah?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Well I wanna impress her, so I want you to pass me the ball as much as possible. Please, man!"

Yoshida clasped his hands together in front of his face.

"I don't mind passing the ball, but what does showing off and confessing have to do with each other?"

"When they're more into you, your odds of a successful confession go up."

"Personally, I think a confession's success is down to the rapport built up until then, and nothing to do with the mood in the moment."

If you show a better side of yourself than normal to get a "yes," won't they like you less once you go back to your regular self, and then you're basically dating with them thinking less of you?

As I told him my honest thoughts, Yoshida massaged between his eyebrows with a finger.

"Asamura, man, do you seriously overthink stuff like this every day? I mean, sure, you've got a point. Heck, you might even have a hundred points. But you just don't get the innocent heart of a high school boy!"

"Your past actions speak for themselves, Yoshida. You two are close, right?"

"Uh... w-well, yeah."

They invited each other to eat in the cafeteria and sat next to each other. They've even been openly together in front of the whole school. Of course, there's the chance she'll say, "I only see you as a good friend," but… there's not much point in overthinking that part.

"Roger. I'll pass to you as much as possible."

I don't really care if I stand out or not. I don't have any special skills anyway. I can be a team player, though. And as demonstrated earlier, Yoshida is pretty good at landing shots.

Yoshida's face lit up.

"Thanks, Asamura. Alright, I'll do my best tomorrow!"

His intense sincerity was so blinding I had to look away.

Across the gym, I spotted Ayase-san talking to our classmates.

***

"It looked like you were trying hard," Ayase-san said while I was breaking apart the grilled horse mackerel with my chopsticks at dinner.

The comment came out of nowhere, but I could kind of guess what she was referring to.

"During PE?"

"Yeah. It's your first time doing basketball at a sports festival, isn't it? Everything going okay?"

"I guess I'm managing not to drag the team down, at least. I've started getting better at reading my surroundings than I did at the beginning."

It was interesting to get to know my teammates' personalities as we played. Some of the more outgoing ones might prefer to play it safe, while some quiet ones might be good at flashy plays. As I got to know my teammates better, it became easier to figure out my own next best move. And that just made everything way more fun.

"I'm not sure I can pull off any flashy plays myself, though."

"Really? But everyone was saying you're good at basketball, Yuuta-niisan."

"No way, I'm not."

"You can dribble too."

"Only slowly."

"People did say you pass the ball a lot."

"Well, Yoshida is better at shooting than me."

"Really?"

Why is she tilting her head like that?

"Besides, you were working hard too, weren't you? It looked like you were having a serious discussion."

"Huh?"

"I happened to see it while I was taking a break. You were talking with your team, right? Near the end of class. I just happened to catch a glimpse."

"Oh... yeah. Well, a bit."

I thought her answer was kind of vague. The conversation soon shifted away from the sports festival, and dinner passed.

Incidentally, it was the evening after our parents returned from their trip, but only the two of us were eating dinner together. Reason being, Akiko had work as per normal and my exhausted old man was fast asleep.

They'd returned at dawn, caught in a major traffic jam during a stormy night. No wonder he was tired.

Congratulations on your one year anniversary trip.

After dinner, while soaking in the bath, I remembered what Yoshida said.

So he wanted to show off to the girl he liked and then confess, huh? I thought it was a risky method and told him as much. But when it came to knowing the best moment to confess, I drew a blank.

"He'd be better at this kinda stuff."

The face of my bespectacled best friend popped into my mind. I wonder how Maru would have responded to Yoshida.

Anyway, since I've already promised, I'll make sure to pass the ball to him tomorrow. Doing so would likely increase our chances of winning. That's probably the kind of team work my teammates expect of me.

Lost in thought, I gazed up at the bathroom ceiling.

A cold droplet of water fell and landed on the tip of my nose.

I remembered Ayase-san tilting her head at dinner. I thought I was choosing the best play, but maybe it didn't look that way from the outside. But I'd probably have to ask someone from the basketball club if I wanted to know that for sure.

"Saying that, though..."

I can only do what I can do, I told myself as I spaced out while soaking in the tub.