“—-Aah, this is the first time in my life that I have ridden a swan boat, but…It was so much fun♪ Let’s ride it again in the future, Koma!”
“… Yes, sure, Nee-sama. I had a lot of fun too and would love to ride together with you… but”
“But?”
“… However if we… The next time we have a chance to ride together, let’s not kiss to get my taste of sense back inside the swan boat again…”
“Eh, eeeeeeh!? Wh-Why, Koma-san!? It was the perfect place to have some outdoor, flirting mood without anyone seeing us…”
I, Mako Tachibana half forcibly took Koma’s lips in the swan boat and kissed her to get her sense of taste back.
“I agree with you on that… But, definitely not.”
“Mu… Why is it a no?”
“B-Because…”
“Because?”
“….. (*Mumble*, *Mumble*) This time I managed to restrain myself, but… If Nee-sama does something as passionate as she just did next time… I won’t be able to restrain myself and Nee-sama might be assai…”
“…? Sorry, Koma, what did you say?”
“…. Nothing, nothing at all. Anyhow, I beg you, Nee-sama. If you want to continue to have a pure body, and if you want to protect your own chastity… Please don’t kiss me or anything thoughtlessly…”
“P-Pure? Chastity? Eetto… Well, leaving that aside. I don’t know much about what you said, but Koma doesn’t really like it, so I’ll stop… Then, I’m feeling a bit hungry now and it’s about time to have lunch, Koma.”
Until just before it was time to return the boat, we kissed on the lake, held hands and talked about other things. And shortly after returning the boat to the attendant at the boarding ramp, I suggested to Koma that we have lunch.
Koma and I are on a date right now, and we should probably be enjoying the afterglow of our lovemaking on the boat a bit more than having lunch right now… But, I can’t relax. Because I want to make a meal for Koma before she loses her taste for food, and more importantly, I can’t bear to leave her hungry.
“Ah, yes, Nee-sama. I’m starving too, and by all means let’s do that.”
“Ooh! I’m happy to hear that. All right, then, let me get ready right away! Koma, I’m sorry, but could you help me put down the picnic sheets?”
“Of course, I’ll help you. Then, let’s get the preparations set up.”
“That reminds me, Koma. I think it was here that Koma and Aunty Meiko and I had our cherry blossom viewing party in April.”
“Eh?… Aah, certainly we did. I really enjoyed that day too. Like today, before we went out, I prepared the food in a stacked box with Nee-sama, and we took a leisurely walk, and then with Aunt-sama we drank, ate, chatted and made a lot of noise…”
“Well, Aunty was the only one being really noisy!” (Oi, you hopeless sister, you were making a fool of yourself too, you know that? by Meiko)
After the two of us laid out the sheet, we spread out the lunch and drinks for two on the sheet that I have cooked while chatting and laughing like that.
“The noisy drinker(Aunty) is at home working (euphemism) with her editor, so you can relax and have a nice lunch today with Onee-chan today. Okay, Koma, grab a cup. Let’s have a toast!”
“… Fufu, Nee-sama? What are we toasting for?”
“Well, of course, for today’s date to be a success- I hope”
“I get it. Then, Nee-sama, shall we?”
“”3, 2, 1, cheers!””
When the preparations are complete, we pour the juice I have made into each other’s cups and make a toast to each other. We both slurped at the same time and poured the poured juice down their throats. Fumu… It’s pretty good, even if I do say so myself.
“Nnh… Aah, this is sweet and sour and very much my taste. It’s delicious, Nee-sama.”
“Ooh, hearing that makes me happy. There’s still more left for a refill, so don’t be afraid of a refill.”
“Thank you very much. This is also made by Nee-sama, right? You can cook anything, as I thought you’re great, Nee-sama.”
“No, not at all. My homemade is just chopping apples, lemons and carrots into the right size and putting them through the juicer, and anyone can do it… Wait, I take my words back. Aunty who’s a bad cook might not make it… Though, that’s not difficult. If Koma likes it, maybe you can make your own next time.”
“Hee… Then even a bad cook like me could make it. Please tell me how to make it when we get back, Nee-sama.”
“Un, leave it to me. Onee-chan will guide you by taking your hand and wai— That’s not it. Anyhow, I’ll teach it to you from scratch.”
I enjoy a leisurely conversation with Koma over a glass of homemade juice for a while. I can’t talk this easily in front of my noisy Aunty Meiko, and it’s kind of refreshing. Because she doesn’t drink juice, and, I mean, if Aunty were here, I wouldn’t be able to spend such a peaceful time with Koma.
“Oh, speaking of Aunty. It was terrible when we went to see the cherry blossoms in April. That woman got a bunch of strangers involved, drinking and singing and making a fool of herself… I felt like she had no sense of embarrassment for her age.”
“Fufu… But, Nee-sama. I admire Aunt-sama a bit, you know?”
“Gobfu!”
I casually brought up the subject of Aunty, but the sudden shocking comment from Koma almost made me splash the juice I was drinking.
Eh, eeh…!? What did Koma just say…!? I think I heard something like ‘I admire Aunt-sama a bit’
“That good-for-nothing Aunty… You admire her…!? Wait right there, Koma… What is it about that Aunty that makes you admire her…?”
“That’s… I admire the fact that she can freely make as much noise as she wants without worrying about what people around her think. I also… I would like to sing and dance with Nee-sama, without shame or respect.”
“Aah… So that was it. I’m relieved…”
“… Relieved? What do you mean?”
Like being sloppy or lazy or having a dirty room… I was worried that she might be admired for some strange place, but I’m relieved to hear that’s what it’s all about. Koma surprised me… I thought Aunty had a bad influence on her… I hope Koma doesn’t end up like Aunty, seriously never…
Well, I’m confident I could love Koma no matter how she is…
“It’s nothing, nothing. If it’s just that, then I greatly welcome it! It’s a good opportunity, and when we’ve finished eating, we’ll go to the karaoke bar—- No, we’re also able to just sing a song together here!”
“Oh♪ That’s nice. If I could duet with Nee-sama, I’d be happy to accompany you!”
“Let’s do it, Koma! Then let’s eat our dinner right away and sing!”
While making such a suggestion, I open the lid of the stacked box and transfer the food I have prepared, mainly Koma’s favourite dishes, onto Koma’s paper plate in a single movement. Koma imitates me like that and puts many of my favourite foods on my paper plate.
“I thought about it when you were packing the stacked boxes… Once again, Nee-sama’s cooking looks really good! It’s an excellent culinary display!”
“Eeh? What is Koma saying? It looks delicious because Koma has arranged it beautifully. It looks better when Koma does it than when I do it. As expected of my Koma’s aesthetic sense! Stylish!”
“No, no, my arrangement doesn’t mean much. Originally, Nee-sama’s food looks delicious.”
“No, no, it was the arrangement of Koma that allowed these dishes to shine.”
“Nono, Nee-sama—”
“Nuh, Koma’s—”
We, tachibana sisters, continue such a battle of modesty. We never backed down from each other, though we were desperately complimenting each other… After a little while, both of us were pouting.
“Hahaha! Muu… What are we currently doing, not eating?”
“Fufufu! I wonder what to say… Honestly speaking, we’re arguing meaninglessly.”
We laugh together happily. Just because we’re twins doesn’t mean we have to argue while being synchronized with each other… I really don’t know what I’m doing here.
If Aunty or anyone else had been here, they would have said, ‘What are you guys doing outside, having a lovers’ quarrel’..?
“At this rate, we won’t eat our food anytime soon, so let’s have it, Koma!”
“Yeah. Then, Nee-sama, let’s place our hands together. Ready!”
“”Thank you for the food!”
We just as when we made the toast, we now join our hands together and say ‘Thank you for the food’ together.
“It’s as I imagined it— No, it’s even better than I imagined, Nee-sama. It’s wonderful…”
“Nh? I wonder? I’m happy to receive compliments, but…”
“Yes. It’s so delicious that I feel ashamed of myself for only being able to describe it as wonderful… Aah, such bliss… I want to chew on Nee-sama’s home-cooked food till eternity…”
“Ko, Koma…?”
“…. (*Nibble*, *Nibble*)”
Koma is eating my home-cooked food with unusual vigour and single-mindedness. She quickly ate up the food on her paper plates before I could finish a bite.
“S-Stop! Stop a minute, Koma! You don’t have to be in such a hurry to eat, I’ve made enough and no one’s taking any of the food for Koma…? If you eat too vigorously, you’ll choke and it’s not healthy, so let’s just calm down a bit…?”
“….! I’m very sorry, Nee-sama… I was so improper…”
I put new onigiri and side dishes from the stacked boxes on her empty paper plates and ask Koma, who is already trying to get another plate, to stop in a hurry and calm down.
“What’s wrong, Koma? Were you that hungry?”
“Ah, etto… Yes. I was hungry and Nee-sama’s cooking was too delicious… I thought it would be a shame if I lost my taste even though there’s such delicious food… I just lost control of myself… I’m sorry.”
I was a little moved by Koma’s kind words, which made me feel very happy to be a chef. If she’s that pleased with it… It was worth getting up early (3am) to make it.
“Ahaha! I see, I see. Thank you. But, let’s chew and eat our food slowly. I’ll say it many times that I’ve made more food than I can eat, and if you lose your sense of taste, don’t worry, Onee-chan will restore Koma’s sense of taste anytime, anywhere.”
“… Ye, s. Thank you, very much…”
“Ther,e, there, Koma is a nice girl. Then… I have to reward such a good Koma who listens to others. Okay, Koma, say Aaahn”
“….Eh?”
When she understood, I approached Koma and took one of her favourite foods, kinpira gobō, from her paper plate with chopsticks…. Then, taking care not to drop it, I bring it to the mouth of Koma and ‘Aaah’ it.
Koma’s eyes are wide open with surprise and an expression that says she doesn’t understand the meaning of my behaviour.
“Eh? You won’t eat it? Kinpira gobou is Koma’s favorite food, right?”
“E… hm… ahm…. Eh? Eeeh? Ne-Nee-sama, what…. Is this…?”
“Hmm? What, you ask… I told you it’s ‘Aaahn’. I thought I’d feed Koma.”
“Fee… Feeding me?”
“Because this way I can control how much Koma eats? And, more importantly, it feels more like a date when you ‘ahhh’.”
“That is… true, but…”
I’m a bit playful, but… We’re on a date today, and I’d rather her allow this since it’s just date etiquette.
“That said. Open wide now.”
“But, but, please wait, Nee-sama…”
“Not allowed, Koma, ‘Aaahn’.”
“No, but, that’s… Ne, Nee-sama…?”
“Aaahn”
“If someone sees us… that… Nee-sama doing embarrassing thin…”
“Aaaahn!”
“…. A, aahn…”
Koma, gave up to my persistent ‘ah-ing’, she turns red in the face and opens her adorable mouth like a baby bird. I carefully place the kinpira gobo on her tongue so as not to damage the delicate Koma’s mouth, and she chews slowly. Un, she’s adorable.
“How is it, Koma? Delicious?”
“… Yes, it is. It tastes 100 percent better than me eating my by myself…”
“Haha! 100 percent more is an exaggeration. But, I’m glad that you think it is delicious. Koma. Next, I’ll feed you this.”
“Yhea! a, Aahn…!”
I gently ‘ah-ing’ the baby bird as if I were the parent bird feeding the baby bird. Even Koma, who was reluctant at first (with cheeks redder than apples), opens her mouth as she is told to do so
“By the way… I know it’s a bit late, but, Koma… Was my homemade bento really that delicious?”
“…? What do you mean?”
“Normally, a date is spending sweet moments in a stylish restaurant with a trendy atmosphere and stylish food, right? And yet… .I was wondering why you went to the trouble of accepting such a request, so Onee-chan was a bit curious.”
As I continue to ‘ahhh’, I ask Koma something that has been bothering me for a long time. As her older sister and as the woman who asked Koma out on a date. Today’s exciting ☆ date between us sisters… Planning, devising, projecting, execution etc—- Basically, almost everything was planned by me alone.
In fact, Koma had one condition attached to my date today. That condition is…
‘I want to eat Nee-sama’s homemade food for lunch.’
— That was it.
“This is the homemade food I always make… Professional cooking should taste better, right? Why was Koma somehow so obsessed with my home-cooked food?”
“….”
“Maybe Koma is being reserved to me? If it’s about money, don’t worry. About that I’ve even picked a trendy restaurant that would be appropriate for a date like this, and if Koma is fine with it, we could go there for dessert right now. I heard that Himecchi had a date with her mother at a French restaurant with a great atmosphere—”
“—- That’s not needed.”
“Eh?”
Maybe she’s concerned about me being worthless. She may think that trendy restaurants are too expensive.
Having decided that, I tried to introduce Koma to some good restaurants… Koma quietly rejected my recommendations by shaking her head.
“It’s not that I’m being reserved or anything. If, hypothetically, we were to go to such a public shop… It could make it even more difficult to kiss to bring my taste back now.”
“That is… Un, that may be so. But a date is a date, and it’s better to have a first-class meal to go with it.”
“… More importantly. For me…”
“…? For Koma, what?”
“… For me, the first-class meal… It’s Mako-nee-sama’s home-cooked meal. As long as I have Mako-nee-sama’s cooking, I don’t need anything else. I don’t want to eat any food other than Nee-sama’s food.”
“…!”
My heart throbs fast when I hear Koma’s unmatched killer pick-up line. God… What is this? My little sis, how can you say that with a straight face? Did she calculate it? Are you scheming for me to die out of love? If so, it’s a huge success…
Because right now, Onee-chan’s heart is throbbing so violently that I’m afraid I’m going to have a heart attack.
“I see! I was a little bit worried about that today, but if Koma is okay with mine, I’m super happy too. Then don’t hold back and just eat! Of course, I properly made dessert too!”
“Y-Yes! Thank you very much, Nee-sama!”
“Here I go again, Koma! ‘Aaahn’♪!”
“Aahn♪!”
To hide my embarrassment, I bring another piece of food to Koma’s mouth with my chopsticks and say ‘Aanh’. Koma, still red-faced, opens her mouth to accept it with ‘Aahn’.
…Aah, this is so nice… I’m feeling so pleasant now… Speaking honestly, I was feeling a little anxious about lunchtime, which was the most likely time in today’s date schedule that I was going to be serving this home-cooked meal of mine… Thankfully, I feel like I’ve gotten even closer with Koma.
Okay…! With this momentum on my date with Koma from the afternoon I can get through it on a good note… And then why don’t I confess to Koma at the best possible moment? Go me, go me!
“…. (*Mumble*) Yeah, that’s right. I don’t want to eat food… cooked by someone else other than Nee-sama. Right now… I want to eat as much of Nee-sama’s cooking as possible and remember the taste…. Since—-
—Since… I won’t have many more opportunities left to eat Nee-sama’s’s homemade food….”
Author’s notes: Koma, despite Mako’s aggressiveness, is still tensed up and mutters something disturbing.
Tintan 