Chapter 2 ~ Fantasize?

"Haa..."

"What's got you heaving such a big sigh? Your sister^[1] again?"

"Yeah. She wouldn't talk to me today, either. What should I do?"

"She's just in her rebellious phase. Nothing we can do about that, right?"

"But she's been like this since middle school. If it is rebellion, it's been too long..."

"You never really had a rebellious phase, so maybe she's covering yours?"

"Huh? I had a rebellious phase, too. Back around middle school, I hated doing the housework."

"You really are too good to be true... wonderful, outstanding," Tomoka-chan^[2] says while patting my head.

Tomoka-chan's been my literature club friend since middle school. She's a cheerful and lively girl, and as a quiet person with few friends, she's the only one I was really close with. Which is why asking her for advice about Ren before homeroom has become part of my daily routine.

"Thanks, but I'm not that admirable."

"You definitely are, Ai. You looked after your sister all throughout elementary school, didn't you? And since middle school, when was she suddenly harsh to you, you never got angry. You just worried."

"It's not that I was looking after her, I just couldn't help it when she was so cute clinging to me all the time."

"You love her as much as your name implies."^[3]

"I just feel like I'm going around in circles, though..."

"Instead of 'going around in circles,' it's better to say you're going nowhere... well, in my opinion, a pairing between a gentle and kind older sister, and a cool and gifted younger sister who's prickly to her, is pretty fantastic, isn't it? A usually standoffish younger brother as the more inviting bottom, a gentle older brother who makes you think he's a worthless top, but in bed he reveals his true nature... ahh I can't stop fantasizing about BL!"

Everyone's eyes turn toward Tomoka-chan as she starts talking faster and faster. Flustered, I try to stop her.

"I get it already, keep your voice down...."

The only flaw with the cheerful and amiable Tomoka-chan is that she's a terminal fujoshi.^[4] People frequently confess to her because of her nice looks and personality. However, she apparently refuses all of them, saying, "All I care about is guy-on-guy romance." She doesn't like to talk about herself, so all I have are rumors. Alongside them, I often hear my classmates lament the waste of a rare beauty like her.

"Oh, my bad. Well, it's just my hunch from the sibling BL I read, but I simply think your sister can't be honest with her feelings; in her heart, I'm sure she's always loved you."

"Thanks. I hope so..."

I laugh weakly at Tomoka-chan's words. Then, with the school bell's ringing, she waves and heads back to her seat.