My beloved little sister who left early in the morning to compete in a track and field meet: I saw off my Koma. Starting from today, I’ll be living a life separated from Koma for a while.
Honestly speaking, I’m feeling lonely, but this is all that Koma wanted… In other words, it’s for Koma’s health. Since Koma had declared that she would do her best on her own, I have to put up with the loneliness and support her as hard as I can as her sister, far away from here—
“Good morning, everyone. I’m glad it’s another beautiful day.”
“””Aah, un… Good morning…”””
“….? What’s wrong, everyone? Why are you all standing in front of the classroom door? Are you not going to enter?”
“No, that… You see, that is…”
“Aaah… Any explanation is fine”
“Well, seeing is believing. You should see the inside of the classroom too, Kanai. You’ll understand immediately when you see.”
“Ha? Classroom? Is something up with the classroom? Hmn, let me se—”
“Uaaaaaaah… Uoohoooohoo… Koooooomaaaaaaaaaa….!”
“Uwah!? What’s with these groans…!?”
—– And so, but I can’t do it. While my classmates were looking at me with concern, I was propped up on my desk, lonely, and just crying.
“Ah, that is… Don’t tell me, Mako…!? Eh, eeh!? Wh-What! What the heck happened to her…!?”
“Eetto… We also don’t understand what happened, but… You can see it, yourself. Mako has been crying ever since we first came to school…”
“I came to school next to Tachibana, and she’s been crying like that for at least half an hour… I’d ask her about it, but… She has been crying all the time, like a child. She’s a little hard to talk to…”
“That can’t be…!? Eh, wait… Ma, Mako…? What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Why are you crying all morning? Are you okay…?”
“Kanakana, I look… really okay…”
I answered in a half-hearted state. Aunty chased me out of the house (or rather, kicked me out of the house) and I tried my best to go to school without Koma, but it was still too hard to part away with Koma…
My tears and sobs never stop flowing. Uooou… Uooonh…! Ko-Komaaa is not here… Koma is not close to me…
“Uaaaaaa…! Koma, Koma…! I want to see Koma…! Koma is not near me…! I’ll die without Koma….!”
“Eh!? ‘Koma is near you’… What’s with that? Oi, Tachibana, is there something wrong with Koma-san?”
“Hm? Now that you mention it… Normally, Tachibana-san would be chatting next to her hopeless sister until just before the morning meeting starts… She’s unusually absent today? What happened to Tachibana-san?”
“Oh? Now that you say it, it is like that… Maybe. Maybe Koma-chan has a cold and is taking a day off? That’s why, maybe Mako is crying.”
“Ah, no. That’s probably not true. I don’t think it’s a cold. I think Koma-chan is at the track and field—- Ah. Aah… I got it. I… I know why Mako’s so depressed…”
“””Eh? Seriously!?”””
My classmates suddenly start a guessing show while I am the one who is crying around with my soul missing. Yeah, what do you understand…
“Don’t you remember? It was said before that everyone on the track team was going to be at a track tournament this month, and that they’d like to borrow notebooks when they get back.”
“Hm? Tournament? …. Ooh, now that you say it, I haven’t seen any of the track club members. I see, I see, so it started today?”
“Un, that’s right. As I recall, today is the transfer day and tomorrow is the coordination day. And the day after tomorrow and the day after that are the qualifiers and the finals… So, as you all know, Koma-chan is going to be helping out with the track team this time. That’s why… Starting from today, she won’t be able to meet Koma… That’s why Mako is so lonely… I think?”
“Hahaa… I understand. Mako is like this because of that—- Wait, hold on. That means… That means it’s been less than a day since Mako parted with Koma? Why is this girl crying like she’s already had her final goodbye in this life? Isn’t it too early to be lonely, no matter what!?”
“””As expected of this hopeless siscon sister!”””
…. My friends who are selfishly inferring other people’s circumstances, selfishly agreeing with each other, and then selfishly being astonished. What’s with your ‘what a lousy reason to be lonely ……’ sighs? Isn’t loneliness still loneliness….
“… Good grief. You’ve been separated from Koma for less than a day or even a few hours, haven’t you… It’s not like I don’t understand your feelings of loneliness, but… You know, Mako, you should have a little more patience…”
“Koma… Koma… Onee-chan is lonely… Please let Onee-chan look at your face… Let me hear Koma’s voice… Let me smell Koma…!”
“—- Listen to people when they’re talking to you…! Look at me…!”
“Hurts!?”
I was talking to the picture of Koma that I have as my phone’s standby screen to drown out my loneliness, when my best friend Kanakana hit me hard on the head. It hurts… Why did you do that suddenly…!?
“Violence is forbidden. Why are you hitting me all of a sudden? … Hey, Koma. Koma also thinks that, right? These people are cruel, right?”
“Don’t talk to Koma in the picture, Mako… You’re creepy in a different way than usual…”
“… Eh? Koma in the picture? Haha, what idiotic thing are you saying, Kanakana? …. Isn’t Koma here…?”
“I told you to get a grip! You’re really going crazy, Mako!?”
“It’s over… Tachibana is seriously ill… She’s so sick that she has created an imaginary Koma in her brain and starts talking to her alone in her brain…!”
“Seriously… Her eyes are off. She’s not sane… I think we should take her to the psychiatrist right away…?”
….? Why do I get the feeling that all my classmates are looking at me like I’m an ill patient? Hey, Koma? Did I say something strange? I didn’t say, right?
“Haa. Goodness gracious, you’re such a pain in the ass… Stay with us, Tachibana Mako! If you keep acting like this, Koma-chan will hate you!”
“Wha!? Koma… will hate me…!? Why!? Why would she hate me, Kanakana!?”
My friend suddenly said that to me with a sigh, and I’m outraged when I came to my senses. I’ll be hated…!? On what basis is my friend saying such a cruel thing…!?
“After all, you see. I’m sure you’ve your complications, but… In the end, you said you would support Koma-chan, didn’t you? You sent Koma-chan off properly this morning, didn’t you?”
“U, un… well, yeah. What about it…?”
“If that’s the case, why are you so lonely now. I’m sure you have better things to do before you get lonely…”
“Things to do…? That is…?”
“Support, it’s supporting her. If you have time to be lonely, then you have time to support Koma-chan. Jeez… You don’t even give her any support, you just cry like a spoiled child… Talking to a picture… If Koma-chan finds out about this, she’ll definitely be disappointed in you.”
“…..”
My friend who encourages and appeals to me like Aunty did this morning. Guu… That is… Certainly true…
“In general… If Mako is like that, Koma-chan will be worried about you and won’t be able to show off her abilities. You’re the older sister of the cool and dignified Koma-chan, right?”
“….. U, un.”
“Then, you’d better act like it! In any case, you can’t be there to support her. All Mako can do now is to support Koma-chan’s efforts here, endure the loneliness, and try to do what you have to do to keep up with Koma-chan—- Right? Am I wrong?”
“………!”
My friend’s words surprise me. That’s right. In the end, this is the only thing I can do for her now… Good grief. What pitiful actions I have done. I’m sure Koma is still working hard to achieve her goals even now despite her various handicaps…
Then, I have no time to be lonely. This isn’t the time for escaping reality. Just because Koma’s not here… Doesn’t have to mean I can show an embarrassing appearance as her sister.
Until Koma comes back… I’ll do the things I have to do. That’s right, this is training given to me by God… If I think of it as training for the separation from my little sis that may eventually come…
“That’s right. It’s as you say…. Thank you, I understood what I have to do! I’m going to work and study as hard as I can for Koma’s part too! And then— I’ll support Koma from behind the blades of the grass!”
“””No, no, what do you mean by behind the grass—- In that case, Mako would have to die. You can support her like a normal person…”””
…. I’m sorry, I misspoke. Supporting her from the shadows, is it right now…?
“… Well, anyhow, cheer up, Mako… That. You’ve always been like that… So much that you’re driving me insane… Jeez.”
“Ka, Kanakana… Un!”
“Oi, Tachibana. Are you free after-school? If you’re free, come hang out with us for karaoke for a while. Let’s sing a song to relieve the stress!”
“Mako, Makoo, today we have Mako’s favorite class, home economics! Not just that! It’s the long awaited cooking class day! Let’s forget about all the bad things and enjoy cooking together! Okay? Okay!”
“Everyone…”
Normally they would be very rude, but unusually they are kind and encouraging to me.
… How about you show me a little more of that kindness on a regular basis? I think it won’t hurt you… I’m grateful.
“… Un, thank you for everything. I’m feeling a little better… That’s right. I’ll have to work harder without Koma… Okay! I’m fired up! Now that Koma is gone, I have to do what I can!”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s the spirit, Mako. You’re finally being yourself. That’s Mako for you. It’s boring without a Mako that’s frolicking.”
“I think it’s better for Tachibana to be annoying and noisy than to be gloomy and depressing!”
“The only good thing (?) about the older hopeless sister is that she has a lot of energy. Right?”
“… Look here, my friends? Can you please stop teasing people as soon as they’re well? I mean, I don’t think it would hurt you to be nice to me at least today.”
…. Really, my friends… Though, now that I’m feeling better, I don’t mind it…
“Well, leaving that aside… Hey, everyone. I just need a little favor. Mind hearing me out?”
“””Favor?”””
“Un. We have cooking class today, don’t we? It’s about cooking class… Won’t you leave all the cooking and preparatory work?”
“Eh, everything!? Is it okay, Mako? Don’t you think that’s going to be a bit tough…?”
“Un, it’s okay. Honestly speaking, I’m used to cooking, and I have no problem with having to cook for 20 or 30 more people.”
I mean, I have to stay that much busy at least to drown out the loneliness, right? I’ll make myself so busy with my classes and club activities that I’m going to forget about missing Koma for the next four days. And like that the 4 days will pass quickly.
“Hm… Is that so? In that case… I think I’ll just leave it to Mako. I like the food Mako cooks anyway.”
“Oh, oooh! Did you hear her? It’s Tachibana’s home cooking. I’ve always wanted to try Tachibana’s cooking.”
“Yeah♪.Mako’s food is delicious, you see. I’m really looking forward to it!”
“Umusu! Wait and see for yourself! For all your encouragement, I, Mako Tachibana, will cook you all an excellent meal!”
“””Oooh! Thank you!”””
A classroom full of cheers from classmates when they hear ‘I’ll be cooking’.This is just fine. I think I’ll expunge my loneliness of not being able to cook for Koma here. After all, cooking is boring if you don’t cook for someone else.
“(…. Koma, Koma do your best too.)”
While talking with my friends, I send a heartfelt shout to my beloved little sis who is far away from me.
… Hey, Koma. I know you have a lot of trouble there, too, with the tournament and the food… But, Onee-chan will do her best here too. That’s why… Koma, good luck.
…. Ah, that’s right. This is the continuation from earlier.
“… Ehm, Tachibana-san.”
“… Yes”
“That’s right, I’m impressed that you can still make food so delicious that even teacher is surprised. As your teacher I acknowledge your cooking skills… Frankly, I think your cooking is better than sensei’s.”
“… Yes”
“…. But, no matter how much I say you’re good… You’re not just cooking for your group, you’re cooking for all the groups by yourself…. Teacher is troubled. I can’t grade everyone else’s groups like this… What do you think I should do here…?”
“…… I’m sorry, sensei, I got a little carried…”
I was so excited to cook for everyone in the cooking class as I had declared… I was scolded pretty hard by my home economics sensei.
…. It looks like I’ll have troubles further down… I’ll be scolded as usual, or even more than usual, but… Koma, I’m doing my best here… Koma, you do your best too!
Tintan 