HS Chapter 39: The hopeless sister consults.

To avoid getting a red mark—–I have to study. That night, I realized that.

“Koma, and Aunty. I need to consult you about something… Is it fine with you two?”

“….? Ah, yes. What do you want to talk about, Nee-sama?”

“Consult? What’s up, Mako?”
“Un, the truth is. I have a week starting from today to study for next week’s final exams…”

“”…………………!?””

While we’re having dinner and eating the rice I made, I interrupt it and say ‘I want to study for the final exams’.

“Ne, Nee-sama wants….”

“….You want to study…. did I hear right…?”

When my beloved sister Koma and Aunty Meiko heard my words, they seemed to be in a state of shock.

They both drop their chopsticks to the floor and look at each other with wide eyes.

“…. Oi, are you okay, Mako? I think you might have a high fever? Shall we go to the hospital right now? If you want, can I call the ambulance?”

“… Look here. Why do my homeroom teacher and Aunty both try to use the 119(ambulance summoning spell) just because I say I want to study?”

Normally, if you tell people you want to study, they’ll be happy, but they won’t be surprised or seriously worried.

“Jeez… Koma’s and Aunty’s reactions, don’t you think that’s cruel? You’re incredibly rude.”

“Nee-sama, let me take your temperature anyhow. Can you show me your forehead?”

“My!? Et tu, Koma!? Can’t you see I’m fine!? I don’t have a fever or anything like that nor do I have any kind of head injury!?”

And now even my beloved little sis is seriously worried about me… As expected, this is shocking… I’m worried now about what Koma thinks of me in general…

“Why, you ask… Well, it can’t be helped considering how you live your life on a daily basis. Right, Koma?”

“That’s right… At the previous midterm examination, if I remember right, Nee-sama was… ‘Am I fine for studying for the exams? Ahahaha! If I’m going to spend that kind of time and effort, I’ll just come up with a new cooking recipe’ Nee-sama was saying that.”

“It’s just too unnatural that you, who hates studying and is so unserious that you can’t be bothered to say something like that before an exam, would suddenly start studying seriously. If I or Koma acted too differently from the norm, Mako too would be suspicious and wonder if we were sick.”

“Is that so…?”

Doubt… and sick… Isn’t saying a bit too much?

“You’re still not satisfied? Okay, let me give you a bit of an analogy, Mako.”
“Analogy?” 

“Yeah…. Without warning, I suddenly said, ‘I want to work!’ or ‘I don’t drink anymore!’ or ‘I don’t drink anymore!’… I’m pretty sure you’ll react the same way we did.”
“Ah, you’re right!”

What a scary and convincing thing she says… ! Aunty who suddenly becomes a workaholic, or Aunty who started to stop drinking… I can’t help but think she has gone insane.

… Rather, Aunty. Don’t you feel sad when you say that yourself?

“So, Nee-sama? If you don’t have a fever, why do you suddenly want to study?”

“He?”

“For whatever reason, you want to do well on the final exams? Nee-sama didn’t mention anything like that this morning, so I wonder if something happened to you at school today.”

She judged that the conversation can’t proceed like that. Koma picks up the chopsticks that she had dropped and changes them to new while asking me. Ooh… As expected of Koma, she’s very perceptive.

“That’s right. The truth is, this morning my classmates—-”

At any rate, I give a brief report of today’s events as Koma asks me.

“—– That’s why. Do you get it?”

“… Repeating a year, is it? Repeating a year of mandatory junior high school education?”
“… Nee-sama is my pimp…?”

“Un. That’s why, I thought I had to study like hell to avoid getting red marks at all costs.”

I tell them exactly what my friends had told me this morning, and they look at each other with a difficult expression.

“So that’s why you suddenly said you want to study… Hnnmm, well, whatever the reason, getting into the habit of studying is not a bad thing, and it’s a good thing. But, Mako. Now that you’ve decided to study hard, you’re going to study hard.”

“I understand. Thank you, Aunty.”

She says that bluntly and supports me. ‘It’s up to you whether you want to study or not. It’s your life and you decide what you want to do with it.’ This seems to be Aunty’s stance, and she doesn’t force us to study.

However, while she doesn’t force me to do anything, she does say what she needs to say as the guardian of me and Koma…. You’re very kind to me, Aunty. Aunty is right, I have made the decision so I have to study hard.

“….. (*Mumble*, *Mumble*, *Mumble*)… As for me, I don’t care if Nee-sama repeats a year in school, loses her job, or becomes my pimp…. No, It would be better if Nee-sama is supported by me… No matter how much… Yes, what a wonderful thing that’d be! I work hard to earn money for Nee-sama, and Nee-sama is a housewife… That’s like a newly-led couple…!”

“Oii~, Koma. Your desire, you’ve been subtly voicing it for a while.”
“….? Koma? What are you saying?”

“…. Ha!? Nothing at all, Nee-sama. It’s not important… I understood it too…”

Koma, on the other hand, seems to be having some complicated reactions to it… Well, for a person who usually doesn’t study at all, but rushes to study only at times like this, it must be the most disgusting act for a person who usually studies seriously. I can understand why she’s complicated.

“(If I think about it, this is a pretty good opportunity for me…)”

I reaffirm my resolve like last month to be a great sister for Koma. That’s why, maybe it’s time to get a grip on the learning curve. In that sense, it’s important to get a good score on the final exams this time.

If I can get a good score here, I might get closer to becoming a respectable sister who is not ashamed of her title as Koma’s sister, and who is both literate and skilled. Hence, I’ll have to study even harder this time.

“I got the reason why Mako wants to study for the final exams. So?”
“Hnm? So… ? What?”

“What, you ask…. You start the conversation yourself, and then you forget about it.”

“Nee-sama, you wanted to consult me and Aunty about something? What are you going to consult us about?”

Ah… Aah, that’s what I was talking about. The two of you surprised me so much and I got sidetracked so much that I completely forgot to get to the point.

“I’ll return back on point. I want to spend this whole week studying for my final exam. That’s why… Well, I’m sorry to say this as someone who is in charge of the housework, but this week’s housework—- I think I’m going to have to stop doing a lot, especially on making breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

“”Aah, I get it now…””

I know I don’t have to tell you this now. I, Mako Tachibana, am in charge of the household chores in this house. In the morning, I wake up around 5:00 a.m. and carefully prepare breakfast and lunch for my beloved Koma (and Aunty, by the way), and when I’m done, I wake her and Aunty for breakfast. And then I go to school.

After school is over, I work hard at the Seijokai with Koma, and when I’m done, I go home to make dinner. After everyone has eaten dinner, I tidy the kitchen, then boil the bath, clean, do laundry and ironing, and prepare food and research recipes for the next day—- This has been the daily routine for Mako Tachibana for the past six years.

“We’re in the exam preparation period, so there won’t be any club activities for a while, and I’ll have plenty of time to spare… I’d like to spend that time studying if I can. So I don’t think I can afford to cook anything elaborate. Every second counts… I think I can make something if it’s simple. Sorry, both of you.”

But this time, if I follow my daily routine, I wouldn’t have time to study. That’s why I have to apologize to both of them in advance.

“No, that’s… You don’t have to mind us about it. If you can’t make it, we can just order a delivery or eat out.”

“Aunt-sama is right… I should apologize to you instead. I’m sorry for always leaving the cooking to you, Nee-sama…”

“Uun. You don’t have to apologize. Housework is also my hobby, and I’ve just been doing it on my own.”

Aunty scratched her cheeks, looking uncomfortable, and Koma apologized with a bowed head to me. They both can’t cook for various reasons, so that’s not an option.

“I understand the situation about the food. So what will you do about the rest of the housework chores, you two?”

“I’ll help with the cleaning and laundry as much as I can, Nee-sama. Please let me do this so that Nee-sama can focus on her studies!”

“Thank you, Koma. You feel like that makes me happy… If my hands are full then at that time I’ll ask you for help. I’ll let you know.”

“Yes. Leave it to me, Nee-sama.”

“I’ll also help with the chores as much as I can, Mako.”

“Thank you, Aunty. Those feelings are annoying, so please refrain from them.”

“What do you mean by that!?”

After all, Aunty, you already have a record of filling the bathroom with bubbles last month….

Normally, I’d like her to try her hand at chores she’s not good at without fear of failure, but if she makes a mistake like last time and it turns out to be a disaster, it could take up a lot of time. That’s why, sorry, but I’ll have her refrain from doing housework chores.

“Well, it’s fine… The remaining problem is that. It’s a question of how well Mako can prepare for the exams. How is it? Do you have a specific study schedule and study method for each subject? Be honest, are you confident about the final exams?”

“… Speaking honestly, I don’t have a clue… I have no confidence in them…”

Or, should I say. I don’t even know where the exam starts and ends, and I have no idea what subjects to study and how to study them.

“For the time being, I’m going to memorize the sections that will be covered… But, if I do that, I’ll get red marks as usual… I’m stuck…”

I have to study for the final exams and the main subjects such as English and math and in addition,  I also have to study music and other secondary subjects… I’m going to have trouble remembering so much.

I wish there was some good way to study that didn’t just involve memorization…

“It would be best if I can get someone who can study, like a teacher for example, to teach me how to study… At this time of year, every teacher is probably being bombarded with questions from their students, so they have no time to teach you… No, no, what should I do?”

“Hoo? Isn’t this perfect then?”

“….?”

When I say this to Aunty with a wry smile, she turns to Koma for some reason and says this.

“Oi, Koma. If I remember right, in April, you said something like ‘I’ll become Nee-sama’s tutor if she needs it.’”

“Eh?… Yeah, that’s correct. But, what about i—– Ah!”

“You know what I mean. That’s how it is… This is the perfect opportunity for Mako to be taught by Koma, isn’t it? You’re the top student in the whole year, so probably you’re a good teacher.”

“Haa!?”

Koma is going to attentively teach me…!? It’s a tempting proposition, but that would mean my dignity as her sister, which is at an all-time low, would be buried further underground…!

Also, it would probably be troublesome for Koma. There’s only one week to go to the final exams. It’s the same for Koma who’s packed. And then having to tutor her useless sister…

I’ll just distract her from her own studies.

“What are you saying, Aunty. Koma has final exams too, you know? And yet you want her to teach me… Won’t it distract you, Koma? You think that too right, Koma?”

“No, not at all! I don’t think that not even one bit!”

“Huh…?”

I asked Koma, wanting her to agree with me, and contrary to my expectations, she denied it out loud.

“How would it distract me!? Please! Please, let me be your tutor, Nee-sama!”

“Eh, no, but… Koma is busy studying for them as well. I’m sorry to interfere with Koma’s studies because it would be annoying, and you don’t have to force yourself to care for me like this.”

“It’s okay!”

Then she walks up next to me, takes my hand and starts to talk insistently.

“Is it fine, Nee-sama? Studying is… There are merits in teaching too.”

“Merits in teaching…? Is that true?”

“Obviously! For example… Teaching others to learn is a way for oneself to review their own learning, Nee-sama. As you teach others how to solve a problem, you will be able to reconfirm how to solve the problem, and if you can’t answer the question correctly, you will know that you haven’t learned the part of the question well. In addition, when you check the mistakes made by others, you can experience mistakes that you would not have noticed on your own, and you can take care not to make the same mistakes in the exam.”

“Heee… Is that so?”

“Yes. In other words, if I tutor Nee-sama, it will be for your benefit… As well as mine. This is really killing two birds with one stone! That’s why… I assert that the best choice for Nee-sama is to be your tutor!”

Koma explains to me the benefits of it as she continues on talking. I see… I am moved by Koma’s explanation.

I guess smart people like her think about this carefully. I feel like I can learn a lot just from everyday conversation.

“(*Mumble*)… Kukuku…. You want it that badly, Koma~ Do you want to be Mako’s tutor that badly~”

“(*Mumble*)… Aunt-sama? Did you say something?”
“(*Mumble*)… No, nothing.”

Uumu… What should I do? It’s also true that I can’t say anything about my dignity as her sister now.

Since Koma is telling me so much, and if I’m going to be taught by Koma who can study, then there’s nothing better than this…

“Then… Koma. I know it’ll be difficult… But, will you help me learn how to study?”

“Yes! Thank you very much, Nee-sama! (*Mumble*)… Finally!”

Since she has gone to the trouble of inviting me, I’ll take her up on her offer. I bow my head to plead with her, and Koma accepts it with joy.

“Ahaha. No, I should be the one thanking you, Koma. Well then, may I ask you for us to start today immediately?”

“Of course you can. Let’s finish eating our food and we’ll start immediately… Is it fine if we study in my room?”

“Un. I’m sure Koma’s room will have more study materials.”

And so, at this moment, we, the Tachibana sisters, have established a study group to prepare for the final exam.

One week left till the final exams. I’ll do my best to keep my spirits up for Koma, who offered to be my tutor!