Gimai Seikatsu - Days With My Step Sister

Chapter 92: Chapter 8 - February 18th (Thu) – Field Trip Day 2 – Ayase Saki

Today was the second day of the field trip, and chaos ensued right after I woke up. My eyes opened to Maaya sitting on the bed next to me brushing her hair, and she suddenly said "Let's walk around with Asamura-kun and the others today," leaving me completely baffled. What's she on about? I thought to myself.

"What are you on about?" I asked without much hesitation.

"Exactly what I said. Are you okay with that, Ryou-chan?" Maaya asked towards the bed on the opposite side of hers.

"Hmmm?" Satou Ryouko-san blinked at Maaya with a drowsy gaze. "Who… is Asamura-kun?"

"The boy in another class' group. There's Maru-kun, Asamura-kun, and… Remember what I said? That group's also the one with your friend in it, right?"

"Ah… Yeah. Okay, sounds good." She still seemed half asleep when agreeing here. Is this really okay?

Also, it sounds like they discussed this beforehand.

"Maaya, I didn't hear about any of this!"

"Because I didn't tell you!"

"Why not?!"

"A surprise is no surprise if you don't keep it a surprise, right?"

Why do we need surprises on an already stressful field trip? And I thought we were supposed to stick together as a group today.

"We have to stay in our groups again today, right?"

"Yup," Maaya nodded and flashed a truly innocent smile—in other words, one that you definitely could not trust. "And today, our group is heading to the zoo and night safari."

"I know that."

"It just so happens that Maru-kun's group is also going to the zoo and night safari today! What a wonderful coincidence!"

"Hey."

"And thus… We students from Suisei High might as well move together in a large group to foster the relationships between students and give yet another crucial meaning to this field trip… is what happened."

"That didn't just happen, did it?"

"Hm? Did I say something weird? Ryou-chan, what do you think?"

"Nope, not at all. Being able to spend time with people I'm friends with makes me happy, too."

Oh, right. A friend of hers is in Asamura-kun's class. But… really? Asamura-kun's group and ours are going to walk around together today. But what about my feelings? What about my loneliness of not being able to see him for this entire trip? …And is this really okay?

"Can you really just decide that?"

"I mean, you were there when our group decided on our schedule, right?"

"Ah."

I focused my brain to try and remember. Our group consisted of Maaya as the leader, paired with me and Satou Ryouko-san, as well as two rowdy boys and one more boy who'd keep them in control. When we turned in our group's schedule, our homeroom teacher was happy to have Maaya with us, so I'm guessing they just put all the problem children together. I'm well aware that I'm not very good when it comes to adjusting to others. That's why I'm genuinely thankful to Maaya. And at the same time, I remember her working out information and details about every possible place we could visit, asking all the group members where they wanted to go. All we did was simply pick where we wanted to go. In that sense, we should really be thankful to Maaya. But even so…

"I'm glad he's got enough charisma to push for the popular spots. Though I did say we should meet up if our spots overlapped."

"To whom?"

"It's amazing to think all the places we wanted to visit matched up so beautifully!"

Ah, she didn't want to tell me. I wonder who it is? Asamura-kun? No, he would have told me something.

"By the way, we're also heading to Sentosa Island together tomorrow."

"Tomorrow as well?"

"Yup. Isn't that right, Ryou-chan?"

"Yeah. Makes me happy."

"As for the boys… Well, they don't know each other too well, but Maru-kun should be able to handle them."

"…Maru-kun is Asamura-kun's friend, right? I didn't know you were friends with him."

"We're both group leaders, after all."

Is that really as convincing of a reason as she made it out to be?

"Anyway, I'd like to get to know the boys in their group. And I need to warn our boys to not bother the girls in their group too much."

…I see. So she had it all planned out from the start. After she finished her hair, she leaned towards me and whispered.

"Now you'll always be together with your brother, right?" She put one hand on her mouth and snickered like a witch.

"Maaya! Geez, I can't believe you!" I burst out in anger, and Satou-san twitched in shock.

I swear, look what you caused, Maaya.

"S-Sorry about that."

"It's okay…"

"And with that out of the way, let's have some fun at the zoo today! It's time to eat breakfast first though, but after that, it's 'let's go Singapore!'" She finished it off with yet another clunky English pronunciation at the end as she jumped off the bed. "All those cutesy animals are waiting for us!" She said while raising her fist into the air.

I just shook my head and shrugged. When she's like this, nobody can stop her. Still… Asamura-kun and I are going to get to walk around the zoo together today. …Huh.

When we arrived at the zoo entrance, Asamura-kun's group had just made it there, too. Even though I hadn't seen his face for barely a day, I felt a wave of relief when I saw him from a distance. Since both of our groups will be sticking together today, it'll be 12 people at once checking out the zoo and the night safari next to it. Now that I think about it, it's been since last summer and the day at the pool that we've been in as a group as big as this. Asamura-kun's friends Maru-kun and Maaya took the leading role today as they looked after the two groups. And not only that, Maaya would even throw conversation starters our way from time to time.

"Hey, Asamura-kun, Saki, what animals do you two like?"

We were walking around inside the zoo when Maaya asked us that question. Asamura-kun went first and responded with "Sloths." Um… sloths?

"That's unexpected. You seem like a devoted person to me, Asamura-kun. I figure you'd readily help make food if the need arose. Don't you agree, Saki?"

"…I think he's like a sloth."

Wait, no. She asked us what animals we like, not which animals represent us as a person. Won't he think I'm insulting him? But it's true that I can relax when I'm with him. It's like time passes much slower. In that way, it does suit him, but it's not like…

"I'm not calling you lazy or anything."

"I know that."

"Okay, good."

Phew, that made me panic. I don't know why, but talking with Asamura-kun in front of everyone makes me so restless. Even though I can relax perfectly fine when we're at home. And I don't think I was alone in that feeling. It seemed like Asamura-kun was also holding himself back when we were talking. Because of that, we felt so distant, even though we were right next to each other. And once the sun began to set, we headed over to the night safari.

After watching the various animals and their life at night, we moved to a restaurant and eat dinner there. The menu was set up like a buffet, so after we grabbed all the food we wanted, we headed to a table. After all that walking, I was feeling especially hungry.

"What a beautiful voice," Maru-kun said.

He must be talking about the woman playing the guitar up on that stage. Once her performance was over, she grabbed all her belongings, headed to the nearby bar, and started talking to the bartender. She ordered something and received a cocktail glass, only to suddenly come our direction. Our eyes met and she smiled at me. She looked like she was either Japanese or from South Asia. If I had to guess, she was around twenty, maybe a bit older. Her tied-up blonde hair reached down to the shoulders, which were open and uncovered by her red dress. Since the dress had deep cuts on both sides, you could sneak glances at her legs. Even as a girl, I found myself staring for a moment. She then looked at all our faces once and started speaking English.

"My name is Melissa Woo. Where did you boys and girls come from? Japan?"

It wasn't anything too difficult, but because she was speaking so fast, everyone else in the group started staring at her in confusion.

"You were watching me, right? How was I? I don't want to interrupt your trip, but I'd love to hear your impressions of my performance." She said and smiled.

However, nobody from our group said anything. I guess it must be how fast she was speaking. She waited for a moment, but then seemed disappointed. Maybe she thought that we had just ignored her. I don't think she's aware of the fact that our English might not be very good. Even I barely managed to catch what she said. While everybody else hesitated, Asamura-kun spoke up.

"Maybe she's saying stuff like 'Who are you?' or 'Where are you from?' and so on?"

Yeah, exactly.

"Um, Melissa-san? We're students who came from Japan for a field trip." I responded, and Melissa turned toward me.

"A field trip! Then you must be in middle school? Six boys and six girls, I can tell you're good friends! And judging from your age, you probably haven't heard that type of music before, no? What did you think? Maybe something more popular would have been better? Like anime music?"

M-Middle school…? Do we look that young to her?

"We're in high school. Our second year, actually. And we came from Tokyo, Japan."

I just replied with that for now.

"You're amazing, Saki!"

"Ayase-san, you can speak English?"

I mean, all of you would have been able to understand it if she just spoke a bit more slowly. And Asamura-kun seems to have grasped the meaning, too. I just waved my hands left and right as I played down their praise.

"I used relatively simple vocabulary. Asamura-kun's assumption was fairly spot-on, too. She's asking where we came from."

That's all I told them, but Maaya made some weird joke that made Maru-kun angry at her. I swear… Look, Melissa-san's looking at us in utter confusion. And Asamura-kun seems worried that she may have gotten the wrong idea.

"I said that we're from Japan and currently on a field trip. Don't worry."

"Boooring!"

"Maaya, I swear… What if she gets the wrong idea? And on that note, her name is Melissa Woo-san."

And then she asked us about our impressions of her performance, so I translated it for her. It seems like I'm playing the role of interpreter now.

"What about you, Asamura?"

My heart skipped a beat. I didn't think I'd have to even translate what Asamura-kun said. And actually, I feel like he should be proficient enough to say it in English himself as long as he keeps it simple enough… But more importantly, I need to listen properly. I took what he said and reformed it in my head into English words. I think because I've been listening and thinking English a lot these days, my thoughts immediately changed to English without much of a hindrance. This made me realize that keeping a balance between two languages in my head at the same time was a lot harder than just translating something.

"Melissa-san, he mentioned that he listened to your performance yesterday, too. He was asking if that was folk music. And he said that he enjoyed listening to your voice."

Asamura-kun tried to keep his impressions short and concise, which made it easier for me.

"Let's see… Was he at the museum yesterday?"

"I think so."

"Ah, I see. That means this must have been his second time hearing me play. And yes, the song I played is fairly popular around here. And I'm happy that he appreciates my voice that much."

I repeated what Melissa told me in Japanese. And even before I could do that, some people in our group had begun nodding to themselves. I'm guessing they were slowly catching on to what she was saying. The other people at least understood that Melissa was thankful, and then they started saying so many things that Maru-kun couldn't keep them under control. I once again tried my best to convey it in English as accurately and correctly as possible. Though sometimes it took me a while to find the right English expression or idiom.

Once everyone was done, Maaya suddenly raised her head, held her phone towards Melissa, and tapped on the screen. When she did so, an electronic female voice started speaking in English. It was a fairly long text, too. She probably typed it all into a translator and played it out loud. Melissa was surprised at first, but she listened earnestly.

As for the content, it was pretty much what you'd expect from Maaya. How she perceived the performance, what she thought of Melissa's voice, and all that. Listening to that, Melissa started grinning about midway through. Granted, I don't know how well it conveyed everything from the original text since I couldn't read it, but there wasn't anything weird about what I heard, which made me realize that we really lived in a convenient day and age. Then again, it would take quite a while to type in everything just like that.

"I guess we should have just asked Maaya from the start."

I had a moment of weakness and grumbled to myself, but Maaya immediately denied that. She argued that it may be quick and easy, but it lost all nuance and human emotion in the process. That makes sense.

"Exactly! And she seems thankful, too," Maaya said, as Melissa stood up from her chair to walk behind me, embracing my shoulders.

"What's your name? Is it Saki?"

"Ah, yes. I'm Saki."

Oh, she picked up my name through all that?

"Mmm! What a cute name. Thanks to you, I got to hear what all you cuties thought about my performance, so I'm really thankful!"

She slapped me on the shoulder with a bright smile, which honestly hurt a bit. But when I saw her smile happily, I realized that this was just typical physical contact for her.

"Hey, Saki. I haven't heard your impressions yet."

Ah, right.

"I thought it was wonderful."

"I see, I see! Thank you. What's your impression of Singapore? A great place, right? Are you having fun?"

"Yes, I didn't think it'd be such a beautiful city. Though it's a bit too hot for my taste."

"Haha! That's right, it's still mid-winter over in Japan, right? Say, Saki, you seem to be going along with everyone here… but do you have a special someone in this group? A lover, maybe?"

"Huh?!"

L-Lover?!

"You must have one, right? You're so pretty. There's no way people would leave you alone. So tell me, who and who are the lucky person?"

Huh? What? Who and who? Did I just mishear things right now?

"That reaction… There's someone, right?"

I happened to glance over at Asamura-kun, only to quickly avert my eyes. Why is she just bluntly asking such embarrassing things? Or am I just misunderstanding her? Granted, her English was a bit on the harder side of things. Maybe it's because this is a genuine conversation, or maybe it's her accent. I don't know what the secret ingredient is, but I never really struggled to understand her up to this point. But she's speaking a lot more frankly right now, so maybe I'm just mistranslating what she's telling me…

"I-I don't have somebody like that!"

"Really?" She narrowed her eyes with a smirk.

It's almost like she saw right through me and is just telling me to confess. And I realized that with just her words alone, that wouldn't have come across… Maaya was right! But that's not the problem right now. I broke out in a bit of a panic as Melissa let go of my shoulders. A man approached us, calling Melissa's name. She then jumped into his arms and they exchanged a passionate kiss right in front of us. Honestly, I thought my heart was gonna leap out of my chest. My instinct told me to turn my back towards it, which caused me to see everyone's faces. They all were just as shocked as me, but they kept on looking.

done.me

"You boys! Stop staring!" Maaya leaned forward.

I slowly turned around again to look… But they were still at it. Melissa and the man were tightly embracing each other, as if trying to suck up each other's warmth. Eventually, they moved their heads away from each other and Melissa turned to me again.

"Where are you people staying?"

I was spacing out and didn't listen properly. Only after a brief moment of silence did I realize she asked me where we were staying during our field trip. I discussed this with Maaya and told Melissa about the nearest bus stop we had to take. That shouldn't be a problem, at least. Upon hearing that, Melissa mentioned that her home was in the same direction, asking if we should head home together. And since we had to get going soon, we decided to agree. While we sat on the bus ride, Melissa and I talked almost the entire time.

I didn't think I'd have to rely on my practice in such an odd circumstance, but I'm happy that my efforts paid off, at least. Granted, Melissa used some slang and other terms I didn't know, so I couldn't pick up every little thing she said, but what she tried to convey definitely came across. As for our topics, it was honestly a bit of everything. What's popular right now in Japan, our favorite songs, and since Melissa was a huge fan of anime and manga, we talked about some series here and there, but as I wasn't so much of an avid reader, so I couldn't contribute much.

Maybe I should have asked Maaya for help. But she was busy talking with everyone else, as she usually did. Melissa's boyfriend (?) didn't come with us. They separated at the restaurant. Apparently, they live in different areas. We then got off the bus near the hotel and Melissa went her way, saying she hoped we'd meet again if the chance arose.

The rest of us entered the hotel, and I talked a bit with the girls from Maru-kun's group in the lobby. Since I remembered their names and faces after just meeting today, I guess I've made some progress myself. But at the same time, I realize that this usually happens when Maaya is around.

As we headed deeper inside and back to our rooms, my phone started being flooded with new messages. It was from the group chatroom, with people saying 'Today was fun' or 'Good night everyone.' It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but looking at it made me feel fluffy inside. That's probably why I responded with 'It was fun,' myself. Then things moved to the girls' only group, where I sent a sticker of a smiling cat. It's the one that Maaya loves to send. In response came a flood of stickers. They each were themed around smiles, but everybody used different characters or motifs. I think this really shows the differences between people. Maaya, for example, sent some kind of weird sticker of a robot laughing. What even is that?

After arriving at our room, we changed into something more comfortable. I wanted to make sure that my uniform didn't end up with any wrinkles, only to realize that my skirt had been tattered a tad bit. Luckily, there weren't any holes that needed fixing. Nothing more than a frayed spot. It must have happened when we were walking through the zoo or the night safari. There were a lot of bushes or branches that it could have gotten stuck on. It wasn't significant enough that it stood out but I couldn't just leave it alone, either. But to get it fixed completely, I'd have to take it to a tailor back home in Japan.

I looked through my suitcase, only to realize my blunder. I didn't bring a sewing kit with me. What do I do… I should ask if I can borrow it from someone else. I feel like Maaya or Satou-san should have one.

"Um…"

I raised my head and tried to speak up, but I realized that Satou-san was busy with a phone call. It must be that girl 'Mio-chan' from Asamura-kun's group. They were probably discussing what happened today. Normally, she was always very docile and introverted, but when talking with her friend, she seemed so happy and energetic. I didn't want to bother her for my own reasons. As for Maaya… she was doing something on her phone. Yeah, I'd rather not get in their way.

I checked the time on my phone. I could still head outside if I needed to. And by 'outside,' I was referring to the convenience store here on the hotel grounds. They might have a sewing kit there. I put my wallet into my purse and told Maaya I'd be heading to the convenience store real quick. On the way, I explained the circumstances to the vice-principal and headed to the first floor of the hotel.

Although it was located on the hotel premises, this convenience store was big enough to have two entrances. One for the front outside the premises, and one for the hotel visitors. I immediately went to look for the sewing kit when a familiar voice called out my name. When I turned around, I spotted a woman smiling at me with a plastic bottle in hand—It's Melissa. She had a basket hanging from her arm, filled with drinks and potato chips.

"Oh, wow! This is the hotel where you're staying? What a coincidence. Do you have some time to talk?"

"Um…"

I hesitated for a moment but saw it as a chance to practice my English further, and I had no reason to decline in the first place. So I agreed for a bit longer. Melissa finished paying for her goods, handing them to the man standing next to her. Looking at him, I was confused, as he wasn't the man we met at the restaurant. The man she kissed had an Asian look with straight black hair, but this one here has red hair, is a bit smaller, and gives off friendly vibes. I don't think he's family, either, they look too different. The man accepted the plastic bag, kissed Melissa on the cheek, and left the convenience store.

"Are you sure?"

"About what?"

"Making your friend wait, I mean."

"It's okay. We'll spend the rest of the evening together, anyway. Also, he's not my friend, he's my boyfriend."

…Come again? Maybe I misheard her? Did she just call him her boyfriend? I was confused, but still somehow managed to buy the sewing kit, as well as a can of coffee while I was at it. After that, I moved to the rest area in the lobby with Melissa. I think it should be fine if we talk here for another ten minutes or so. We weren't alone either, so no problems there. But right as I sat down, my phone vibrated. Taking it out, I saw that I had gotten a message from Maaya.

"Did I interrupt you?"

Melissa asked me with a worried expression, but I reassured her I was fine. She just had invited me to play cards with them, so joining in later shouldn't be a huge issue. Though I did respond with a quick message. In the meantime, Melissa opened a can of beverage she had at her feet. Bubbles came gushing out, and she put her lips to it, drinking a good sip. It must be beer, or something else with carbohydrates. It does smell of alcohol, at least.

"Want a sip, Saki?"

"No thanks. I'm still a minor."

"Oh? I thought Japanese people were regarded as adults at 18?"

I'm surprised she knows about that. But that's also not quite right.

"Not when it comes to drinking or smoking. Also, I'm still 17 anyway."

"Oh, really? I'm sorry. I guess I can't even invite you out for a drink then."

"And I've got a curfew, too. Though I'm happy for the invitation."

"A curfew! Wow, I had no idea… Then that means you only get to see your lover during the day."

For some reason, she showed sympathy and regret. And then she said that we won't get any time to indulge in sexual activities during the day… Wait, what?

"Hm? Did you not understand me? Maybe my pronunciation was off."

No, that wasn't the problem. I just thought… I heard some unorthodox vocabulary mixed within her statement. Melissa narrowed her eyes, assuming I didn't understand her.

"Hm, I think you'd be just fine, Saki."

"…For that?"

I asked in English, but…

"Like, intercourse. Jumping into the box. Deepening your bonds. That kind of thing?"

Out of the blue, she started speaking in Japanese.

"Wh-What are you saying?! Keep it down!"

Melissa saw my reaction and covered her mouth with both her hands.

"But you're a lot louder than me."

I gasped and looked around me. Luckily, only a few people were around, and none of them were paying us any attention. Phew… that made me panic for a second.

"Melissa-san, you're speaking Japanese…?"

"Ah, yeah. I do understand a bit. I'm half-Japanese, after all."

"…What?"

When she told me that, I once again looked closely at her. I always felt like she had Asian looks, but with blonde hair and tan skin, it was really hard to be sure.

"Specifically, my mother is from Taiwan and my father from Kyushu. They got to know each other when she was studying overseas."

"I had no idea."

We then switched to Japanese, and she told me about her life. She said that her mother, born in Taiwan, came to Japan to study, where she met her father. After she graduated, they went to get married, and Melissa was born in Japan. That's why she had a Japanese birth certificate. She spent a few years in Japan, so she can at least speak the language.

"My real name is Woo Meishen. That's what he called me just now, remember? Melissa is just my English name."

She must be talking about the man who was with her in the convenience store. Though I didn't remember what he called her.

"Then should I call you Meishen instead?"

"I'll leave it up to you. Though I would prefer Melissa," she said as a faint shadow appeared on her face.

…Maybe there's something going on behind the scenes? I can't help feeling curious. And I'm guessing Melissa saw this, as she asked me another question.

"How many lovers would you like to have, Saki?"

Did she just ask… How many?

"Isn't it normal to just have one?" I answered, and Melissa sighed.

"So that's gonna be your answer…"

I mean, I was the one who was surprised.

"Could you elaborate?"

"I want more than two, at least."

"Excuse me?"

"Is that really so shocking to hear?"

"To me it is, yes."

"But… there's not just one singular reason why you would fall in love with people, right?"

Her words made me think. Reason to fall in love with someone… Because they're kind. Because they're cool. Because they're handsome… Those sorts of things, right?

"Exactly. Because your hobbies align. Because your personalities match."

"Ah, because you're a good match with that person—"

"Because your bodies are a perfect fit."

…Guess not.

"And there's no guarantee that one person fulfills all those various requests you may have."

"That… is true, but…"

I'd love to meet a person like that.

"And going with that, it's not normal to only love one person, right?"

"Erm…"

I think that's a bit of a leap.

"For example, my taste in alcohol is similar to that man you just saw."

"So… he's your drinking buddy?"

"Our bodies are a great fit, too. In bed, of course. He does everything I love having done to me."

You really don't need to go into so much detail… I could feel my cheeks growing hot.

"So that person at the restaurant…"

"He's also in the music scene. And our taste in music matches. I want more people to listen to his music. But no matter how much love he may whisper to me, he's not interested in my body."

That… happens, I guess?

"If there's only one reason to like, then you can just pick who feels better. But with many various reasons to love someone, you can't just keep yourself limited to just one person."

"I get where you're coming from, but…"

"You also think it's weird, right?"

"Well…"

Denying something just because I can't grasp the logic would speak against my ethics. I don't want to force my views and principles onto other people. Especially when it comes to skinship and how other people love.

"…I won't deny how you feel, but I'm curious. Going with that logic, it means that the other person can choose as many other lovers as they want, right?"

"That's true," Melissa responded bluntly.

She looked at me like I asked something weird.

"Um, so… Are all those men you're dating actually…"

"I know. It wouldn't be fair otherwise. Though, both parties have to agree to this, of course," she said with a smile, which left me speechless.

It was a set of values I hadn't encountered before, which made this even more baffling. Compared to Melissa's argument, Professor Kudou's endless barrage of logic and reason was much easier to grasp.

"Saki, I'm happy you didn't call it weird."

I gasped. Melissa dropped her gaze.

"When I was living in Japan, nobody understood what I was talking about. Nobody would even listen to me. That's why I came here. But when people heard that I came from Japan, a lot of people expected chastity and virtue from me. Despite my hair and skin color."

"That's why you chose an English name?"

Melissa nodded. She dyed her hair, put on makeup, and chose an English name, which allowed her to finally find people who agreed with her logic. A place where she could communicate as she wanted. According to her, she learned English, Chinese, and Japanese. However, she usually keeps everything in English. Upon hearing that, it felt like I understood her at least a bit. The reason I dye my hair and pay close attention to my clothes is that my own body is slightly different from who I wanted to be. Everyone said that it fit with who I was. If I was as strong as Yomiuri Shiori-san, I may have been able to do what she does. Being true to herself while also retaining her typically Japanese beauty. But I knew I wasn't as strong as her. And so that I don't get dragged in a direction I don't prefer, I chose to build up my armament.

"When I saw you, Saki, I had a hunch."

"Huh…?"

"That we resemble each other."

I remembered earlier when she smiled at me in the restaurant.

"That's why I decided to talk to you. I think I was half correct, and half off the mark. You tend to hold back when it comes to a lot of things, right?"

"Does it… look that way?"

"At least to me, it does."

It's easy to deny that. But what good would that do?

"Saki, you're extremely bothered when it comes to the gazes of others and the pressure from society, right?"

"That… is true."

During this entire trip, I hadn't mustered up the courage to talk to Asamura-kun even once. No matter what I say, that fact can't be denied.

"It's so constraining, right?"

When she said that, I felt the urge to fire back.

"But limiting yourself to the choice of not speaking Japanese isn't?"

"I'm saying that you need to find a place where you can be as selfish and free as you want, or you'll break apart."

Despite my outburst, Melissa continued to speak with kind words, making me realize how she just hit the nail where it hurt. And that made me feel embarrassed.

"You must find a community that lets you live freely without trying to block off and restrain every single thing you do."

It wasn't about living carelessly and as I wanted, but more about finding a safe space where I was allowed to do that… is probably what she's saying. And that was all she told me. She left and returned to where her boyfriend was waiting. They planned to have some drinks and snacks and watch anime all night. I also gulped down the rest of the canned coffee I bought. A faint sweetness danced on top of my tongue and remained there. If I'd known that would happen, I would have chosen black coffee.

When I got back to the room, Maaya was still getting absolutely beat up by Satou-san in the card game they were playing.

"That's why I wanted you to join us, Saki!"

So she wanted me to join simply so that she wouldn't end up with only losses under her belt?

"I mean, you're bad at this game, too! You're always about to win, only to forget you gotta call it."

I mean… that's not wrong. But that just happens from time to time.

"Um, should we play one more game, then? I promise I'll hold back."

"Winning such an easy game won't make me happy at all!"

"Ah… I'm sorry…" Satou-san made a saddened expression, which made Maaya panic.

What a rare sight.

"N-No, you don't have to apologize, Ryou-chan. You're not at fault! It's all because of this boring lady over here!"

"Who's a boring lady?"

"You?"

"Don't phrase it as a question."

"If you had been here, I would have won a few rounds without Ryou-chan having to hold back!"

That might be true logic-wise, at least…

"You can't know that for sure."

"Oh, now you said it. Let's have one final match!"

"If we don't take a bath soon, it'll be lights out before we get to, you know?"

"Just one more round! Please!"

I swear… Maaya began distributing the cards before I could even say yes or no. But in the end, we played one more round, and Satou-san won. In the final round, I managed to barely win against Maaya, who ended up in last place again.

"Oh…Hm? This is weird…" I smirked.

"You two, it's bath time," Maaya said, trying to escape reality.

"I already took a bath," Satou-san said.

How admirable.

"Then let's go take a bath together, Saki."

"Why together…?"

"We won't make it in time otherwise, right?"

I glanced at the time, and just as she said, we couldn't afford to take turns.

"C'mon, c'mon."

"Yeah, yeah."

Luckily, the bath here in this room was relatively spacious, allowing us both to use it at the same time. It felt like it was designed for Japanese traditions, which I was grateful for. Once I finished my shower, I continued washing my body. Meanwhile, Maaya hopped in the bath.

"Took you some time to get back, huh? What happened?"

"Ah, about that…"

I told her what happened while I washed myself off. That I met Melissa in the convenience store, and that we had been talking in the lobby until now.

"Oh, I see. So she's got two hot buds, eh? Well, I get where she's coming from. If there are various reasons to come to like someone, and if these reasons don't co-exist in two people at the same time, then you would have to rely on having several lovers."

"That's pretty much it, but why'd you phrase it that way?"

"I mean, it's fair if permission is involved. The real problem is the matching." Maaya said as she stood up from the bathtub.

Her towel fell off into the water, allowing me to see her navel and the area around that. I swear, use your towel properly… After I finished my shower, I switched places with her and stepped into the bathtub. Allowing yourself to sink as deep as possible into the water really is what makes this feel like a Japanese bath. It's like all the exhaustion of the day was being washed away. As my head started feeling fuzzy from the heat, I asked one more question.

"What do you mean by matching?"

"I mean, one side might like it, but the other doesn't. And that goes both ways. If both sides agree and there's no actual harm, then just let them do as they please, really."

"Harm…"

What a violent choice of words.

"Think about it in extreme ways. What about a world where there's only one man left but many women, or vice versa? The idea of having only one partner would lead to the ruin of humanity."

That… is an extreme example, yeah. But I get where she's coming from.

"In other words, if you try to abide by the morals and ideas of having only one partner as it's common in Japan, then there may be a problem."

Morals change as does the world. As expected, you could say. And if Professor Kudou was here, she'd move on with exactly that rebuttal.

"Exactly. Of course, the opposite can be the case, too. However, the sign of a grown world and society would be that, as long as your morals aren't injuring or hurting anybody else, you should try to keep them."

"Right…"

"A character in a science-fiction anime I watched before said that, actually."

"Does all your wisdom come from anime, Maaya?"

"I've got sound effects, too."

"How trivial."

"It's not. Want me to tell you?"

"I'll pass."

I'd never get a wink of sleep if she started on that.

"Anyway, if the people involved are happy, what's it matter? As long as they accept it. But, Saki, in your case—"

I was indulging in the hot and pleasant bath so much that my brain was lagging behind.

"—You wouldn't want Asamura-kun to be stolen from you, right?"

"Of course I wouldn't," I blurted out without hesitation but realized it too late.

I looked over at Maaya in shock, who grinned at me. It's not like it matters much, but the way the shampoo on her head formed bubbles made her smile look even more devious.

"Now you've said it."

"Agh… Um…"

"Hee hee hee! You don't need to hide it anymore, for real!"

"B-But… We're supposed to be siblings… It's weird, right?"

I was worried about what she'd think about it.

"I mean, you're basically strangers who became non-blood-related step-siblings. Of course, that doesn't mean that all step-siblings in the world will necessarily end up the same as you two."

"Y-Yeah…"

"But in the beginning, you didn't look at him the way you do right now, did you? You planned to remain in a plain and dry position as his younger sister, I bet."

Absolutely. How does she understand me so well?

"You're just like an open book."

"R-Really?"

"To me at least."

I had no idea.

"I had a feeling like you two might have ended up in a relationship like that."

"Ugh… Was it that obvious?"

Honestly, I was so worried about what she'd think if she found out, but now that the cat's out of the bag, I just feel exhausted more than anything.

"So?"

"So… what?"

"If you don't want him running around cheating, you should probably keep him tied down. Are you doing it?"

"D-Do what?"

"Like, going on dates."

"Ah, that's what you meant."

Wait, what did I think she was asking me? Gosh…

"That's fine, too. But I'll have you tell me all about that later during some pillow talk."

"Nothing of that sort has happened, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, you're on a trip, remember? You've gotta use that to your advantage."

"But it's not just us two. We're on a school field trip."

"Then how about you two youngbloods go on a date tomorrow? Luckily, Asamura-kun's group is also touring Sentosa Island. And we can move freely tomorrow."

"Is that…"

…really something we can do?

"If you leave him to himself, he might walk around with the girls from his group."

Hmph.

"And lately, he's been a lot more conscious about his outfits. People have been more interested in talking to him, too."

Mhmph…

"Really?"

"Well, that's what I say."

"Just you…"

Stop scaring me like that.

"Anyway, it's my job to ensure that my group gets to have fun and returns to Japan with a bunch of great memories. And you're part of my group, Saki. So tell me… What do you want to do?"

Maaya rinsed the shampoo off her hair and then looked at me. She was grinning, too. No fair. If she asks me like that…

"I want to walk around with Asamura-kun…Just the two of us."

Maaya let out a snort.

"Good girl. Well said."

"Ugh, this is so embarrassing."

But when I look at Maaya, and how she allows me to easily talk about what's on my mind… Then maybe she is one of those communities that'll accept me fully… just like Melissa told me about. Though I'd be happy if I could be someone like that for Maaya, too.

"Then you have to tell Asamura-kun that, okay?"

"Will do."

I almost died from the embarrassment, so I dove deeper into the bathtub so that only my eyes and upper head were visible. 'Thanks, Maaya…' My mumbling turned into bubbles and dispersed as they reached the surface of the water.

We finished our bath, and after I was finished drying my hair, I immediately slipped into my bed. Before the drowsiness got the better of me, I quickly thought about my plans for tomorrow. We'll be spending the whole day at Sentosa Island, and although we were supposed to stay in our groups, Maaya said it was fine to explore independently. And I think the same was true for Asamura-kun's group.

Since this sounded like another lucky coincidence, I bet Maaya set this up with Maru-kun. And since Satou-san is friends with a girl from their group, she won't mind. In fact, she might want to walk around with her. I wonder what Maaya will do. I grabbed my phone which was currently charging. I'll just send Asamura-kun a message. I think all this heat and passion from today is making me go crazy. And because Maaya pushed me like this. She even found out, too. I have to tell him about that, too.

'I'd like to walk around alone with you on Sentosa Island tomorrow. Do you think that's possible?'

I even added the excuse that we didn't have to walk around as a big group as long as we didn't leave the island. There are going to be so many 2nd-year students from Suisei High on the island. However, as long as we stay away from crowded places and pay attention, we shouldn't run into anybody that knows us. That should allow us to meet up.

I got a read notification attached to my message but the time spent waiting for his response felt like an eternity. I grew worried that maybe I was putting too much pressure on him. When the message notification came in, I felt my chest tightening.

'Got it. I'll tell the people in my group, so I'll let you know if we can meet up and everything else tomorrow.'

A sigh escaped my lips. It wasn't an OK or a no, but it could be worse. Honestly, there's no guarantee we can always be alone. At least he didn't decline so… the rest depends on tomorrow. I was so relieved that I started feeling sleepy immediately. But as my consciousness started drifting away, another message came in. I rubbed my eyes and checked my phone.

'I also want to walk around with you, Ayase-san.'

…Huh? Oh, that makes me really happy. How should I respond? After a lot of worrying, I just went with a sticker. I didn't want to be too happy in case something comes up and it makes it harder for him to decline. All I could do was pray that we could walk around the island together as I closed my eyelids.

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