“—-Nee-sama. Also, Aunt-sama. Thank you for your help. Thank you very much for attending my interview!”
“You don’t have to thank me, Koma. In my case, I was forced to sneak into Koma’s interview because I wanted to. I’m the one who should thank you!”
“I was just sitting there listening to the teacher and you girls. I didn’t do anything to be thanked, Koma.”
She agreed to consult with us, her family, and her teachers about her future career choice, which had been bothering her a lot. The rest of the interview went smoothly and the session was over in less than five minutes.
“I was expecting it to take a little longer than that because of the hindrance character Mako, but it was over in a flash. Koma’s interview was nice and simple… Now. Next is Mako’s interview. Your’s is in the next classroom, right?”
“Umusu. Sorry, Aunty, but you’re going to have to attend the interview of that interfering character.”
In order to prevent our guardian from having to go through the process twice, we twins, who are enrolled in different classes, will have our interview on the same day and in consecutive sessions. Next up is Mako Tachibana’s interview. Please treat me well, Aunty.
“Yeah, yeah, got it. Mako’s interview, is it…”
“….? What is it, Aunty? Why are you smiling while looking at my face…?”
“It’s nothing. I just thought it would be a lot more difficult over here, unlike Koma’s interview. Your grades are horrible. Athletics are also horrible. Needless to say, your behaviour is a disaster, too…. I wonder what kind of abusive language will come from Mako’s teacher, I’m looking forward to it— I’m a bit anxious.”
Aunty Meiko says this to me with a distraught grin on her face…. This reaction of hers. Is this hag going to enjoy watching me get scolded by the teacher? Or maybe she’s going to use it as fodder for something in her next novel. How rude of an Aunty.
“Sigh. What are you saying, Aunty. Grades and Athletics—- They’re a bit disappointing, certainly. I think what Aunty doesn’t know is that I do pretty well at school even if I look like this? Do you, Aunty?”
“Yes, you’re right, Nee-sama. Aunt-sama, Nee-sama is really amazing. As the lively person of her class, she can make the class happy. She is always willing to help students with their problems. She teaches her friends to cook and do housework with great care. As a member of the Seijokai, she works diligently and honestly for this school. Just like others, I’m very fond of Nee-sama!”
“See! Even Koma is saying a lot about me, Aunty!”
When I try to bring up the subject to Koma, she praises me with all her heart. As expected of Koma. You’re really an amazing little sis who follows up on Onee-chan.
“I doubt that. Koma’s rating of Mako is always filtered so it’s not reliable… Well, I’ll see and find out from the interview. Well, it’s time to go, Mako.”
“Yees… That’s why. I’m sorry, Koma. Me and Aunty, we’re going for an interview. Koma, wait around here for a minute.”
“…. Eh!?”
I say a few words to my Koma and go with Aunty to my interview. Well, the most exciting part of the day, Koma’s interview is over, and I don’t care about my own interview, so let’s quickly get it over with.
“I’ll finish the interview and come right back. Let’s go home together with Onee-chan again today, Koma♡”
“Ehm…. Nee-sama? Do I have… to wait for you?”
“Hm? Do you have to wait… Isn’t it natural! You can’t go home alone! It’s dangerous! Look! You heard the notice from the teacher the other day! She told us to be careful when we come home because there have been some suspicious people around again recently!”
“N-No… That’s not what I wanted to hear when I asked if I had to wait…”
“No matter what Koma says, we go back home together! Koma, wait properly for me. Okay?”
My little sis seems to be reluctant to wait for me to finish my interview. Muuu… Koma’sinterview is over and now she has free time, so I understand why she wants to leave early, but…
But Koma, you can’t leave by yourself. It pains me to say that to Koma as her older sister.
“No, that’s not it… I keep trying to tell you that’s not it, Nee-sama… I, too… Nee-sama’s interview…”
“Oi, Mako, what’s with the long chit-chat with Koma. The interview is about to start, so let’s get going!”
“Ah, un, I get it! …. I’m sorry, Koma. Let’s go already. You mustn’t go home alone, Koma!”
“Aah… Wait… for me… Nee-sama!”
Aunty called me and I left Koma with painful reluctance. Let’s get my interview out of the way so I don’t leave Koma on her own!
‘….. uuu… I too… wanted to attend Koma’s interview…’
◇ ◇ ◇
“—-Then, I would now like to begin the career interview with Mako Tachibana. I’m Ikeda, her homeroom teacher. Please treat me well, today.”
“Hello. I’m the guardian of this girl, Miyano Meiko. Please treat me well, too. Now… I hear my Mako is in your good hands, teacher. How is she in school, speaking honestly? Does she cause trouble for the teachers?”
As soon as my homeroom teacher and Aunty had finished their light introductions, my interview began. First of all, Aunty directs the exact same line to the teacher as in the earlier interview with Koma. In response to Aunty’s question, my teacher said with a big smile on her face.
“Yes, it’s as you say, Miyano-san! Mako Tachibana has been giving me a lot of trouble every day!”
“I guessed so. I’m sorry about my hopeless niece, teacher.”
“Eh?”
….. How strange. Shouldn’t you say, ‘No, no. I don’t think she is getting into trouble at all,” right in front of the guardian, teacher?
“Please look at this, Miyano-san. This is Mako’s report card, but… Isn’t it so horrible that you can’t look at it?”
“Let’s see… Uumu. I knew it was coming, but certainly her grades are in a sad state. Mako is almost always in the worst three. Isn’t it a good thing Koma taught her how to study before the end of the term?”
“Even in the final exams, she magnificently fell asleep in one of the subjects during the examination. I’m also the class teacher and the one in charge of the subject, furthermore I was proctoring the exam, you know? Can you believe her, Miyano-san?”
“Sorry, this girl is really hopeless. Her little sister Koma told her the day before ‘Get a good night’s sleep and prepare for the exam’ and yet…. Mako didn’t listen to her advice and blundered!”
“It’s not just her grades that are bad, but her attitude in class, too. Suddenly letting out strange voices in class, proclaiming her love for her little sister and laughing loud is now a commonplace. She sometimes skips class without permission to go support Koma-san, and violently attacked a third-year student who confessed to Koma-san—-”
Aunty and the teacher are having a great time criticizing me(topic of failure), while they’re leaving me behind. Hello, you two? I don’t think you’re having a conversation between a guardian and a teacher…
“Ehm… Teacher? I wouldn’t mind if you tried to sugar coat your words a bit in front of my guardian…”
As expected, I can’t stand it anymore so I politely try propose it to the teacher. When I do so, the teacher lets out a sigh and replies.
“… I’m sorry, Tachibana. I don’t want to criticize my precious pupil in front of their guardian, of all people. But…”
“But?”
“But… As a teacher, I can’t lie in front of my students. I’m very sorry, but I think as your teacher, I should expose your behaviour in this school as it is.”“Is it just my imagination, or does the teacher look very lively while saying that she feels she’s really sorry!?”
She says that while having the biggest smile on her face than past days. This, this is…
So that’s it? She’s doing it on purpose since I’ve given her trouble habitually? Damn you, my teacher. You’re being immature…!
“And so? Is there nothing else, teacher. About the funny and strange behaviors of Mako at school.”
“That’s right. This is about the inspection of her personal belongings…”
And Aunty, who happily talks to the teacher with a notepad in her hand. Please tell me why you came here today.
“O-Objection, teacher! It’s true that I’m a bit of a mess when it comes to my grades, athletics and behaviour, but…Still, I’m serious when it’s time for me to get serious, right!? Do you have nothing to praise me on that line?”
If I leave the interview like this then it will take a long time, and Koma will have to wait for me, and Aunty will get new material to use from me. So I decided to insist that the teacher give me a compliment.
“Hohou? Tachibana, you… You claim that you are serious when you need to get serious?”
“Yeah, naturally I am, teacher. You may not be aware of this, but I’m a very serious woman who can switch between on and off.”
“… Then, it’s just perfect. Hey, Tachibana. I’ve got a piece of paper here that you turned in the other day…”
The teacher then held out a sheet of paper in front of me with the name Tachibana Mako written on it. Oh my… Isn’t this the same future career survey?
“What’s wrong with my future career survey, teacher? I took it seriously and wrote down all the three choices on the day it was distributed and submitted it! Where is the problem with that?”
“… I’m not talking about the submission deadline. The problem is the contents of it. Check it, Tachibana Mako. This is the future career that you want, right? It’s not wrong, is it?”
“No, it’s not wrong, teacher.”
“… Then, try reading it out loud for a bit, Tachibana.”
“Reading it out loud, is it? …. Haa, I don’t mind doing that, but. Aah, *Cough*. Mako Tachibana, 2-A. My future career is—-”
The teacher ordered me to do so, and after coughing once, I read aloud what I had written in front of her and Aunty.
“First choice: Koma’s exclusive maid. Second Choice: Koma’s love slave. Third Choice: Koma’s wife ♡. What’s wrong with it?”
“Rewrite it.”
Flatly rejected. Why, my teacher.
“Haa… Tachibana. You really, really… Really, how much longer are you going to be joking around!? What part of this is a serious woman who can switch on and off? As if this joke future career survey can be allowed, you big idiot! Just rewrite it honestly!”
“Wha!? So rude, teacher! I’m serious about it! I didn’t mean to write it as a joke! This is the future career that I want!”
“…. It’s not a joke? …. Shit, how could… I have 30 years of teaching. I thought I had some experience and knowledge in teaching, but… Are you saying that I am not strong enough to make Tachibana a decent human being?”
The teacher glances at me once pityingly, then wipes away the spilt tears, then looks up to heaven and laments greatly. I don’t know, but I feel like she’s treating me like a big idiot.
“Hahaha! Aah, I can’t take it… I’m laughing so hard my stomach hurts… My stomach is getting twisted… Nothing less from Mako. An idiot beyond my wildest imagination…! Ahahaha!”
“And Aunty is laughing too much…”
What is it, tsk. Both Aunty and the teacher are so rude. Though it may appear like this, I wrote it with deadly seriousness.
“…. Look here, Tachibana. Certainly, when the teacher handed these out, I said ‘If you can’t think of anything, there’s nothing wrong with writing down what you want to do in the future. Just take it easy and write what you honestly want right now.’ But even if I take your answer as a joke, these career aspirations and interviews are important discussions that could affect your future? It’s bad if you don’t think properly about it.”
She changed completely from earlier, and addresses me as if the teacher is talking to a small child. No, I just told you that I wrote it earnestly?
“If you can’t think of a high school you want to go to, then I can write out one for you. Although, in your case your grades are questionable… But, If you work hard now, even you, who are hopeless, have a chance… Maybe. Study hard and don’t give up hope, Tachibana.”
“You’re not asserting that the ‘Chance is there’, teacher…”
I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s the teachers who are giving up hope.
“Actually, teacher. I may look like this, but I have been properly thinking about it?”
“What do you mean, Tachibana. Are you saying you’ve been thinking about some weird desire again?”
“No, I didn’t mean that— If it’s a high school I want to go to, I’ve thought about it properly.”
“…. Eh?”
The teacher froze on the spot when she heard that casual remark from me.
“… Did I mishear, Tachibana? Just now, you… Did you say that you were thinking of having a school you want to go to?”
“Yeah, I did say it. The things written here such as Koma’s personal maid, Koma’s love slave and then… Koma’s wife… I meant them in the sense that’s what I’d like to do as a profession. If it’s a school I want to attend in two years’ time, I’ve thought about it properly too.”
“… You’ve taught about it… properly…? You…?”
The teacher appears to be confused from hearing unexpected words from me. Did I just say something that is strange now…?
“That… Tachibana? Then, please say it. The school that you want to attend.”
“Ah, okay. My first choice is going to high school with Koma. I’m going to discuss this with Koma and we’re going to decide, so let’s just say it’s on hold for now— My 2nd preferred choice as Tachibana Mako is… Teacher. I actually want to study professional nutrition now more than studying for high school. In the future, I’d like to be a registered dietitian or something like that.”
“Eh, nutrition…? Registered dietitian…?”
… My little sis Koma, she still suffers from taste disorder, and every day she’s having a hard time because of it. I intend to cure her dysgeusia by the time Koma graduates from this school, whatever it takes… And in case it doesn’t. No, I fear there may be a chance for it to return after being fixed.
At that time, I started thinking what to do then… And as I thought, it’s best to support my Koma with my only skill, ‘Nutrition’.
“So far, I’ve been teaching myself nutrition, but… That has limits. That’s why, I looked to see if there were any high schools where I could learn about that kind of food and nutrition.”
“……”
“The one that looked good to me was the food department at Kutome High School, which is close to home and offers specialized studies in food and, in addition, a cooking license after graduation. So I intend to make this high school my second choice.”
“….”
“And… It’s a bit further from home here, but my third choice is the food design department at Yagome Girls’ High School, which is two stops away. It’s also a good place to study cooking and nutrition, and above all, it’s the alma mater of an author whose cookery books I admire… I’d love to go there if I can”
“….”
And then… If I want to support Koma with my cooking, I need to devote more time to nutrition and other studies and gain more knowledge and experience than I have now. That’s why these two schools, where I can study what I want, are my preferred paths at the moment.
“Aah, that’s right, Mako you… You said that you went on school visits to both high schools, when you were free during the summer holidays. How were they when you saw them?”
“Un. From what I’ve talked with the teachers at those schools, they were pretty good. The atmosphere at the schools themselves weren’t too bad, and it seems that with my academic ability I can manage to get there if I work hard now. So I think those two schools would be my choices at the moment…. However, my priority is to go to school with Koma and support her, and my first choice is still the school she wants to go to.”
“You need to discuss this with Koma and decide on a course of action together, Mako. Soon possibly. Also, Koma said she’d like you to refer her to the high school you want to go to, so you can tell her when you get back.”
“Umusu. I’ll do that even without you telling me.”
My future career choices are different from Koma’s, and our fields of study will also be different from each other. Koma’s preferred career path is obviously the priority, but as much as possible I should look for a school with Koma to see if there are any departments that match the two of us.
“Like that. Here’s what my high school of choice looks like at the moment, teacher. If you have any advice as my homeroom teacher, please let me know.”
“….. Oh, ooh…”
“….? Teacher?
When I told her about the high school of my choice as I was told, she looked stunned and seemed to be mumbling something… You’ve been busy getting angry, yelling, freezing and being surprised since earlier, teacher.
“Ah… no… I must say, I’m a little surprised by Tachibana…”
“Huh? Surprised? Surprised, you say… I haven’t said anything that would surprise anyone. What’s so surprisi—?”
“It’s unexpected… You have properly been thinking about your career choices… You surprised me… You voluntarily did school visits without being told by anyone, have a clear vision for their future, and… I just assumed that you didn’t think anything of it…”
“No, not at all. It’s no wonder the teacher thinks so, seeing Mako always acting like an idiot. Normally, this spoiled niece is such a hopeless person that I want to cover my eyes, but she’s surprisingly solid in this area, teacher.”
“Why are Aunty and the teacher emphasizing ‘unexpectedly’ so much?”
They make it sound as if I usually don’t think, just act on instinct and my worldly desires. Both of you are really rude.
“Anyway, if I could go to high school or college or something above that, I would need to learn about nutrition and cooking more thoroughly than now… Eventually, I’d work hard to obtain qualifications such as a chef, nutritionist or dietitian… And I want to improve my cooking skills even more than now.”
“I-Is that so… Well, Tachibana only seems to do really well in home economics… I don’t think it’s bad to pursue that career path.”
“Ooh, is that true? Hearing the teacher say that makes me so relieved.”
“I think Mako’s vocation should be to work in the field of cooking and nutrition, and even if she doesn’t, I will watch over her as a guardian, no matter what path she takes. Go for what you want and work at it.”
“Un, I know. I’ll study hard!”
When I talk about my future, I get pretty high marks from my teacher and Aunty. It’s a bit off-putting, because I was getting so much criticism earlier, and I thought I’d get the same criticism again.
“If you plan your future so much then even I as the teacher can’t complain. Then, Tachibana, you must first prepare yourself academically to be accepted into those high schools. If you’re doing as you are now, it’s going to be very tough for you to get into high school. I’ll always welcome you for consultation.”
“Yes. I understand, teacher.”
The teacher is right, even if I have decided on a career path or a vision for the future… It would be pointless if I failed the crucial high school entrance exams. In my case, I have an academic problem, and in order to be a great sister to Koma, I need to get into the habit of studying and improve my academic ability so that I can be accepted at those high schools.
“… My, I was really surprised. To see this class’s… No, the most problematic child in the school had such a clear vision of the future. I honestly thought you were going to say something silly like ‘I want to be dependent on my Koma’, since it’s Tachibana.”
“Well, in the case of this siscon girl, she has clear objectives and goals, and she doesn’t have the brain to think about unnecessary things. Mako is strong because she can decide on her path without much worries.”
“Oh my, saying that much—”
I get embarrassed by the rare praise from Aunty and my teacher… Oh? No, wait just a minute. Are they complimenting me? They seem to be complimenting me, but aren’t you both casually making fun of me? Am I imagining it?
“Say, Tachibana. This can be useful as reference for other students, but if you don’t mind, can you tell me later what path you plan to take after high school or university?”
“….. Huh?”
The teacher in a somehow good mood asks me…. ? What path do I plan to take? What is the teacher saying?
“No, that… teacher? Did you forget it? Regarding that, I thought I told you earlier?”
“Eh…? What did you say? …. Eetto, I’m sure it was a dietitian? Or a chef?”
“You’re wrong. Those are just qualifications I want to have.”
“Eh, etto… Is it a cook then?”
“That’s also wrong. I don’t want to be a cook. My dream future is—”
“Your dream future is?”
“—- To be Koma’s personal maid. And at other times Koma’s love slave. And then… Koma’s wife♡ The dream future is where I use the skills I’ve gotten exclusively for Koma!”
“…….”
Why do you think I want to study nutrition more professionally and improve my culinary skills? That’s already decided since the start. I want to get Koma’s taste buds to normal, and then I want Koma to eat my best home-cooked food—- Everything is just for that.
Good grief, I’ve said that in the beginning but the teacher seems to have not understood that.
“….. From the first to the third choice in the career survey… They were all serious, Tachibana? … I was about to end the interview on a good note… If you just didn’t…”
“I’m sorry, teacher. As you already know, this siscon girl is a huge idiot. I think she’ll be troublesome but please look over her warmly.”
Author’s notes: This time, Mako said something crazy about wanting to become ‘Koma’s exclusive maid’ as a career choice… In fact, in terms of professional aptitude, being a maid is a vocation for Mako.
In any case, she is not only good at cooking, but also at cleaning, washing and sewing. She has good communication skills, so there are no problems when it comes to customer service, and her shortcoming of ‘not having good fashion sense’ will not be exposed if she wears a maid’s uniform on a daily basis (Also, she looks like she’d look good in a maid’s uniform)
… If there are any problems for Mako in working as a maid, they are. In her case, she only listens to Koma, so she can only work as ‘Koma’s personal maid’, as she said. No, I wonder if there is a fatal problem of unwillingness to do so?
Tintan 