HS Chapter 69: The hopeless sister gets advised.

~Side: Mako~

Today is the second day I’ve been separated from my Koma. This may be the first time in my life that I haven’t been able to see Koma for more than half a day, and it’s actually quite hard… I’ve gotten through by so far thanks to my obsessive devotion to my classes and club activities at school.

“—— I’m sorry, Dr. Chiyuri. Sayuri-san, too. I’m sorry to bother you on your day off…”

After peacefully finishing today’s classes and club activities, I came to Dr. Chiyuri’s clinic. On weekdays I have her do the monthly menu check… Dr. Chiyuri’s clinic is closed today, but I’m  bothering her.

… Eh? Why did I come all the way to the clinic on a day it was closed? Wouldn’t it be fine as well if I have her do it when I accompany Koma to her check up?

… No, that’s not it? Last month and the month before that, I didn’t have time to make a menu due to tests and summer vacation… I had to have her check it immediately… I’m really here just to have the menu checked… I didn’t come here at all just to drown my sorrows in the absence of Koma… And I didn’t barge in to ask Dr. Chiyuri and Sayuri-san to heal this pain I’m feeling… I’m telling you, it isn’t that at all…

“Muu, being so distant with us. Why are you sounding like we’re strangers. Don’t worry, Mako-chan and Koma-chan can come and visit anytime they want. Don’t you think so too, Sayuri-chan?”

“Chiyuri-sensei is right, Mako-san. Don’t be shy here. Mako and Koma are always warmly welcome by me.”

“See, there’s no need to be shy even Sayuri-chan says so. Ah, if you want you can stay overnight? If you’re looking for a sleepover set, I’ve got everything ready for when Mako-chan and Koma-chan come to stay.”

“Thank you very much, both of you… Also, I’ll refrain from staying overnight, Dr. Chiyuri. Unfortunately, I still have school tomorrow…”

I didn’t have an appointment with them, and today was their day off from work. Normally I wouldn’t complain if they turned me away, but Dr. Chiyuri and nurse Sayuri-san welcomed me kindly.

As always, both of them are so kind… I have the best little sister, but no actual older sister. So if I ever had ones, I’d love to have wonderful older sisters like both of them. 

“Now. In any case, Mako-san brought us some very delicious looking sweets as a gift… Let’s eat them together. I’ll go brew tea that matches with the cookies. Mako-san and sensei can talk to each other while you wait.”
“Eeh!? Eem, please don’t fuss over me, Sayuri-san. I’ll go back home as soon as the menu is checked… Besides, I made those sweets for the two of you to eat, so eating them is…”

In a hurry, I try to stop Sayuri-san who was about to leave her seat to make tea. I brought some Mont Blanc puffs that I made after school, just as a little apology for me suddenly intruding upon them. And yet, If I had her brew tea as well then no matter the circumstances, it would look really bad.

“Muu… Mako-san? I’ve told you many times that there’s no need to be shy. Please let me at least entertain guests who come to visit.”
“But…”

“Also, if I don’t bring tea when sweets are brought then I’d be disqualified as Chiyuri-sensei’s nurse. If I don’t, Chiyuri-sensei will lecture me later… (*Mumble*) I’m sure I’ll get a lot of H-rated punishment while she’s lecturing me. ‘Sayuri-chan, hey, Sayuri-chan? Stop it, stop indoctrinating Mako-chan’s head with weird things.’ Why don’t you help me here? Despite looking like this, I make really good tea. I’m not as good as you at making sweets, but I won’t lose to you at making tea.”

Sayuri-san winked playfully at me while saying that. Uumu, this is… I feel like holding back is going to be rude now.

“Y-Yes. I got it… Well then, please do so.”

“Okay. Please look forward to the delicious tea that I’ll brew.”

“… *Cough*. Aah, Sayuri-chan. Please brew for me too. I beg of you to give me an extra delicious one.”

“Fufufu, sure thing. Leave it to me, Chiyuri-sensei. Please wait for me to finish.”

Sayuri-san went straight to the kitchen in the back, looking happy. I was charmed by Sayuri-san’s appearance from behind… A cute, mischievous, and kind older sister like Sayuri-san… It’d be nice…

Koma also seems to adore Sayuri-san quite a bit from before, so I think I’ll try to be an amazing older sister character like Sayuri-san.

“Now. While Sayuri is making tea for us, let us both finish our work, shall we? Mako-chan, you came to show me your menu today, right? May I see it?”

“Ah, yes, doctor! Eetto…. I found it. Here you go. I look forward to your guidance.”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s see…”

I take out the menu list and hand it to the doctor, who takes it from me and quickly checks it as usual.

“Hmmm… All things considered, it’s somewhat fresh.. Koma-chan not being with Mako-chan. I’ve known you guys for a long time, and I’ve seen you two together all the time so it’s slightly discomforting.”
“Ahaha… I agree with you… How do I put it, I can’t calm myself with Koma not being with me… I’m a bit lonely, really…”

The doctor talks to me without stopping to check my menu. Is that so… It’s normal for me and Koma to be together… Ehehe.  It’s somehow embarrassing.

“It is, isn’t it? I wonder if Koma-chan will come home soon… Koma-chan is going to compete in a track and field tournament, right? How long is she going to be there?”

“It seems tomorrow is the qualifier day. And if she makes it through the qualifying round, the finals will be held the day after tomorrow.”

“I see… In the worst case, I won’t see her for two days…”

Tomorrow is the start of the qualifiers. I’m sure Koma will do as well as she’s declared and leave a fine result… Well, I’ll be happy enough if Koma can run happily without getting hurt, regardless of the result she gets.

As I was thinking about this, Dr. Chiyuri suddenly put a red pen next to me with a thoughtful expression on her face… Hm? I wonder what happened to Dr. Chiyuri. Don’t tell me she already finished checking?

“… I’m a bit worried about Koma-chan.”

“Huh? Worried about Koma…? Etto, what do you mean…?”

“Because you separated yourself from Koma yesterday, right? Which means… That Koma-chan is going to be away from Mako-chan for four days. Koma’s dysgeusia… I mean, I’m a little worried about how it will affect Koma-chan herself.”

“Ah…”

As expected, Dr. Chiyuri is also concerned about what I’m concerned about. Un… That’s right. As she said, I’m also a little worried that no one knows what these four days will do to Koma’s body.

“Until now, Koma-chan’s older sister, Mako-chan, had been by her side all the time, so Koma-chan’s mind had been stable… I’m quite worried since you two suddenly separated from each other for an extended period of time without any training. I’ve said it many times that Koma-chan’s taste disorder is mainly due to psychological reasons. Now that Mako-chan, her mental support, is not by her side, if she loses her mental balance, her taste disorder might get worse.”

“… Yeah. Honestly speaking, I’m worried about that too. I was reluctant to let Koma participate in the tournament until the very end. ‘What if this worsens Koma’s condition?’. I’m worried about her…”

“…. (*Mumble*) No, if it only makes her taste disorder worse then that’d be fine. Now that Mako-chan is not with Koma-chan… If this further disturbs Koma-chan’s already fragile mind… I fear she may…”
“Hn? Doctor? Did you say something?”
“…. Hmhm. It’s nothing important. More importantly, Mako-chwuan. If you’re so worried about Koma-chan, why don’t you give her a call?”

“Eeh!? Call her…!?”

“I’m sure Koma-chan would be happy if you called her. I think hearing Mako-chan’s voice would cheer her up… And I’m sure Mako-chan misses hearing her voice, too.”

Calling her… is it? Uun… I really want to, and to be honest, I want to call and hear Koma’s voice right now, but…

“That is… Of course, I do…”

“Hm? But what?”

“…. The truth is, when I saw Koma off, ‘If you get lonely or have a hard time, don’t hesitate to call or text or email me anytime you like, okay!’ I said to her.”

“??? What’s wrong with that? Is something wrong?”

“uu… So, that is… Since I’ve said that to her, if I were to call her… It’s as if ‘I couldn’t miss my little sis anymore, so I called her’ —– Koma would consider it as such— I was afraid that I might lose what little dignity I had as her older sister.”

“…. Eeeh.”

I miss her and I want to hear her voice, but if possible, I’d like to avoid calling her until she calls me back. I’d be embarrassed if I were to call her because I can’t endure it…

….. Eh? I don’t have any dignity as her older sister, you say? I think I d… Even I have at least a little bit of dignity, I think…. I don’t want Koma to think I’m a hopeless older sister.

“Eetoo… Mako-chan? I think Koma-chan won’t mind that at all. I feel like it would be better if you just called her and not be so stubborn. For Mako-chan’s health and… Koma-chan’s.”

“B-But… After what I’ve said to her, it’s not right for me to call her… because of my position as her older sister and my dignity…”

“—— I too beg you to call her Mako-san. Please call Koma-san.”

“Huh…? Sayuri-san…?”

While I was talking about this with the doctor, before I knew it, Sayuri-san appeared with a very nice aroma of black tea. 

“… Mako-san. I’m sure Koma-san is waiting for your call. I… I think I know a little about how Koma-san feels right now.”

“!? You understand how Koma feels!? R-Really!?”

“Yes… To tell you the truth, I also have my own thoughts and feelings, just like Koma-san, who left Mako-san after deciding to participate in the track and field tournament, I and Chiyuri-sen—– *Cough*. I’ve left the people I love of my own free will..”

Sayuri-san talks to me as if she agrees with Dr. Chiyuri, while handing me and the doctor a cup of tea.

“I think I was impatient at that time. ‘I want to be more worthy of this person. I want to be independent and stand next to this amazing person and support them.’… Feelings like that were swirling in me… Studying abroad in a country you don’t want to go to without thinking about the consequences… Doing nothing but just studying medicine, but…”

“… But?”

“…… The outcome was, I was a mess, sick both physically and mentally. Not being able to see the person I love, not being able to exchange words with the person I love was too painful… I couldn’t concentrate on my studies and was exhausted from living in an unfamiliar foreign country.”

“Eehm… Sayuri-chan…? Are you maybe talking about…?”

Sayuri-san speaks to me nostalgically, as if remembering the past. And then, for some reason, the doctor next to me, who was enjoying the cream puffs I made and the tea that Sayuri-san made, gets upset.

“If I was lonely, I should have just gone back to my country or called that person, but I still said I would do my best beforehand… I couldn’t even make a phone call due to my pride getting in the way…. I was on the verge of collapsing, my mind and body slowly breaking down because of it.”

“On the verge of collapsing..!? Did you make it out fine, Sayuri-san!?”
“… Yes. It was a close call. But… The person I love called me on a whim… As soon as they realized that I was at my wits end when they called me, that person rushed all the way to my side…. And then, without even listening to my side of the story, that person took me back to Japan… And that’s how I managed to avoid further complications. ‘Why didn’t you call me even after you’ve become like this!?’ they scolded me… But, at that time I was happy…”

“…. (*Mumble*)… Ehm… Stop it, Sayuri-chan. Don’t talk about that story with other people… I’m embarrassed…”

Sayuri-san looks happy with blushing cheeks. Hee…. I didn’t know that happened to Sayuri-san. She looks happy… It’s so lovely to have someone you love saving you.

…. By the way, why is even Dr. Chiyuri next to me looking embarrassed with her cheeks dyed?

“I’m sorry, for talking about such a strange story, Mako-san. Eetoo… What I’m trying to say is that… I think Koma-san is probably thinking the same thing as I was back then.”

“Koma too… The same thing as Sayuri-san back then?”

“Yes… Koma-san and I are alike in some ways, so I kind of understand her. I burdened myself with a lot of things on my own because I wanted to be praised by the person I love. You’re really lonely, but you don’t want to disappoint the person you love, so you hide your loneliness from them. As a result, you push yourself to the limit… Koma and I are very similar in that way.”

“… Koma doing that ….”

I’m a little convinced by what Sayuri-san said… Now that she says it, Koma may have that kind of tendency.

Even in June, when she collapsed after being traumatized by the rain and thunder, Koma didn’t talk to me or Aunty about her pain and fears until she collapsed…

“Perhaps no matter how lonely she is, Koma will never call you back. After all, just before she left Mako-san, Mako-san told her ‘Call me if you get lonely’…. I think she’ll be extra stubborn.”

“Koma just like me is going to be stubborn…”

“Yes. That’s why, as a friend of Koma-san, I have to say this… Please do it, Mako-san. Please call Koma-san. That girl will… I’m sure Koma-san is waiting for your call. So, please….”

“Sayuri-san…”

Sayuri-san squeezes my hand and advises me with sincere eyes. The warmth of her hand conveys her strong feelings of care towards Koma.

… I’m happy… If such a kind person says this much to me, I can’t help but listen to her advice.

“… That’s right… I’m her older sister, so I can’t help it if I’m strangely stubborn…. I’ve decided, after listening to you, I’ll call her!”

“Mako-san…! Thank you very much, for listening to my needless meddling…”
“… N-no… I’m the one who should be thanking you. Sayuri-san and Dr. Chiyuri. Thank you so much for your advice! I feel so much better now! At any rate, tomorrow is the qualifying round, and I don’t want to cause any unnecessary tension to Koma by calling her now… I’ll text Koma later today. I think I’d call her tomorrow at noon, when the qualifying round is over, to ask about the results of the qualifying round.”

“Un, un, that’s it. I think that’s a good idea, too. I’m sure Koma-chan will be happy to hear from you♪.”

“Is that so? I hope she’ll be happy, but…”

“Fufufu, yeah. If it’s Koma-san, she’ll be very happy. I’m sure she’s waiting for it even now!”

I got advised by two reliable adults to quickly change my plan. If I think about it, my dignity and pride as her older sister is like nothing…. If I had to weigh between throwing away my pride and listening to Koma’s voice…. It’s much better to call her honestly and hear her.

　◇　◇　◇

~Same time Side: Koma~

“Haaa…”

For participating in the track and field tournament… I, Tachibana Koma, have left my dear sister’s side. Tomorrow is finally the qualifying round for the tournament…

“… Fumu. Tachibana Koma, can I have your attention…?”

“… Eeh? President-sama…? Er, what happened…?”

“That’s my line. This is exactly the tenth sigh you’ve given since we started dinner. Is something wrong?”

“Eh…!? I sighed…!? Did I really sigh that much…!?”

“You didn’t even realize you were doing it? This looks pretty serious.”

President-sama of the track and field club sitting next to me points this out to me…. T-Ten times…? … Have I been sighing that much… ? I didn’t even realize even when it’s about myself…

“Breakfast, lunch, and now. You don’t look like you’ve eaten much… Are you feeling bad? 

Or maybe you’re just nervous ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying round?”

“Ah, no… I’m fine. I just zoned out for a bit… It’s nothing at all…”

I hurriedly replied to President-sama who was talking to me.

…. I lied. I can’t tell you this, President-sama, but… I lied about being nothing at all…

“Don’t be so nervous, if you can show your usual strength, you’ll be able to easily qualify for the relays and individual tracks. That’s why you should eat properly now and get ready for tomorrow, Tachibana Koma-kun.  Because if you don’t eat, you won’t have the strength to do what’s important.”

“Ah… Yes. That’s right, isn’t it… Thank you for the food…”

“Umu, eat properly. But the food here is also delicious. I think it can compete well with your sister’s cooking, Tachibana Mako-kun. Hahaha!”

“…. Maybe.”

Still, I don’t want to worry President-sama and make her suspicious… In order to pretend that everything is fine, I decided to move my hand that had been stopped and start eating again.

I took a piece and put it in my mouth… The taste of delicious food, as good as the food my Nee-sama cooks, filled my mouth—But it doesn’t spread.

“(… As I thought, it’s bitter…)”

…. I mutter quietly to myself in my mind as I eat my dinner, which is completely tasteless due to my taste disorder. This is… More bitter than I imagined… Of course it’s hard not to be able to taste the food… But more than that, it’s especially hard not to see Nee-sama for two days… I thought I was prepared for it. I thought I prepared myself to leave Nee-sama of my own free will. But… I never thought it would be so hard to not see Nee-sama for a few days.

“(…. Nee-sama too… I wonder if she’s having dinner…?)”

I find myself thinking about Nee-sama, who is not here, again… I want to hear Nee-sama’s voice. If it’s possible, right now. I’m driven by these feelings… Knowing full well that it is against etiquette to use a cell phone while eating, I sneak out the cell phone that I have been carrying in my pocket.

‘Let me say this much! If you get lonely or have a hard time, don’t hesitate to call or text me anytime!’

I remember the words that Nee-sama said to me when we were parting… I’m sure Nee-sama will answer in less than one telephone ring if I call her as she said. And I’m sure that she will know what I’m going through and will encourage me with her gentle voice.

“(Nee, sama…)”

Giving in to this sweet temptation, I push the buttons with trembling fingers. Dial the number of my favorite Nee-sama and call her—-

“(…. No. I need to endure it…)”

—— I managed to stop myself just at the moment when I was about to do it…. Not good… I have to be more firm… Just for this once, I can’t get spoiled by my Nee-sama. I’ve decided to do my best on my own without relying on Nee-sama.

“(And then… I swore I would deliver victory to Nee-sama…)”

I’ve always been spoiled by Nee-sama. But in order to be a little sister worthy of her…I need to change soon. The reason I left Nee-sama this time was to take the first step. I don’t want to be spoiled by Nee-sama here, and I don’t want to rely on Nee-sama, and do my best and get results… I feel something will change.

If I call her, then I will have defeated myself at that point in time and my vow will be broken. That’s why, I must not allow myself to make any calls.

“(… I think I’ll just turn off my cell phone until the tournament is over…)”

I was looking at my cell phone with a sense of regret, but I pushed the painful feeling to the back of my mind. 

And I’m not sure why I’m wavering with all this stuff at hand… I should turn off the power to break my hesitation. Just as I thought that…

‘Koma, you have mail. Komaa, you have mail!”

“… Eh?”

Suddenly, Nee-sama’s voice came out of my cell phone… Or rather, the email ringtone with Nee-sama’s recorded on it.

　I hurriedly let go of my finger, which was about to press and hold the power button to turn it off, and opened my email inbox. And what arrived was..

‘FROM: Nee-sama. Yahoo, Koma. It’s your Onee-chan! (^^) How’s Koma? To tell you the truth, I’m a little sad to live here without Koma (>_<), but I’m sure you’re working hard too since Onee-chan is working hard as well… Ah, that’s right! Tomorrow is the qualifying round! Please be careful not to injure yourself, and I’m sorry that I can’t cheer for you in person (‘◇’)ゞ, but I’ll be cheering for you with all my might from this distant place. From your older sis, Tachibana Mako♡”

What arrived was an encouraging email from my Nee-sama. The contents are a brief update on herself and a message of support for tomorrow.

It’s just a few lines of text, less than 200 characters, but… Her kind words of encouragement in this message makes my heart beat faster every time I read it.

… Nee-sama is as amazing as I imagined. How did Nee-sama… Just when I was about to go crazy with loneliness… It’s as if she knew the timing… This… I wonder if it’s fine sending me this amazing message…?

I’m troubled… I couldn’t be more in love with you… Do you want me to fall in love with you again, Nee-sama?

“… Fufu♪”

“Mu? What’s up with you all of a sudden, Tachibana Koma-kun? I don’t know why, but somehow you look better than you did a few minutes ago.”

“Oh my? Do I seem so? …. That’s probably because I got so fired up. More importantly, President-sama, can I have seconds? I have to eat well and be ready for tomorrow, right?”

“Oooh? What’s up? I thought you weren’t feeling well, but it looks like you’re a pretty good eater. Good,  you need to eat plenty.”

My sister gave me such wonderful encouragement. Even though this is a qualifying round, we have to stay alert and win tomorrow.

… Nee-sama, thank you for sending me this heartwarming email. I’ll definitely win… For you, Nee-sama!

---

PS: The next few chapters are going to be released a bit later, it’s because of me getting sick from overwork at my job. It’s also why this chapter got released a bit later, too.
Thank you very much.